July 31, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.” Matthew 10:33 (NLT).
What do Carrie Prejean, Roy Moore, and Principal Joey McLeod of Roane County High School, Kingston, Tennessee, have in common? They speak what they believe.
If they believed one thing and said another they would be labeled a hypocrite. However, none of them committed this act, instead they were willing to take the hit. A hypocrite is defined as a “person who professes beliefs and opinions that he or she does not hold in order to conceal his or her real feelings or motives”.
So we must discern who is concealing their real feelings or motives in order to know the truth. In everything that is done and said in the name of freedom, the real feelings and motives are subject to judgment by the American public. So in essence, we penalize those who appear hypocritical, and those who also speak their beliefs. We want both, and yet believe both are wrong, so apparently there is something we are concealing.
Every cause you advance starts with you. If you don’t advance it then nothing happens. The problem comes when that person is asked to reveal “why” and the answer is not one that discloses their motives. The motive is usually stated that they want “religious tolerance” for their position. The real motive is they want their position to be the only one, and meanwhile they act intolerant to everyone else. If you beg for tolerance knowing you want intolerance for anyone against your side, then guess what? You are a hypocrite. You did not disclose your true motives, and you lied to cover them up in the name of “freedom”.
When you ask for “true” tolerance, you are asking for tolerance, which cannot be intolerant to any side other than your own. When you show intolerance to one side you run the risk of shutting yourself up. Even the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) knew this and that is why they have represented groups as deplorable and against their principles as the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). They wanted to make sure that the tolerant message of non-violence and racial equality kept moving forward, and that if they shut up the KKK, it might not. If one side cannot speak, in legal terms, the other will not get to either. What is good for the goose is good for the gander.
When you fail to disclose your true motives, you are hiding the truth. When you hide your own truth, you work to obscure everyone else’s as well. Those claiming to know the “Founding Fathers” truth at the time the Constitution was written, have no problem rewriting the Constitution today to throw out the word “God” which was mentioned in more places than could be discussed here.
According to the First Amendment, Congress cannot pass a law “respecting an establishment of religion” (the “Establishment Clause”) or that prohibits the “free exercise of religion” (the “Free Exercise Clause”). That cuts both ways. Those seeking to prohibit speech by members of society, who are not Congressman, in favor of one religion use the “Separation of Church and State” argument, which most historians believe was a letter written by Thomas Jefferson describing the totality of the First Amendment. He wrote in that letter, “Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church & State.” Jefferson’s Letter to the Danbury Baptists, U.S. Library of Congress, http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9806/danpre.html (1802).
To conceal the true motives of why someone is advancing a cause they are likely to argue that the government reach “actions only & not opinions”. But those advancing to silence Christians from speaking “actions” include answering a question in a pageant when asked, hanging the Ten Commandments in a courthouse, and prayer in public forums. What exactly is an opinion then?
However, this argument will eventually be used against them, as usual with the First Amendment. Christians will agree that man owes “account to none other for his faith or his worship” than God. In turn, they would argue that what those three people said or did was between them and God, and the public has no right to say a word, unless they believe they are a Congressman trying to pass a law “respecting an establishment of religion” or that prohibits the “free exercise of religion”.
Moreover, they know whom it is they answer to and no matter how much others try to write Him out of the Constitution and our country, know this:
God is not going away.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Sticks and Stones...
July 31, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 'unclean.' " Matthew 15:11.
Parents teach children at a young age not to let words affect them. “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” is a famous phrase that is taught at a young age. Teaching children not to let words affect them is a great idea; however, the reverse can also happen. The reverse is that they will believe their own words are unimportant and cannot hurt anyone else, including themselves.
God has shown us from the beginning that words are extremely important and powerful. “The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.” Proverbs 15:4. In the very beginning of the Bible, in Genesis, we are told that God said "Let there be..." for example, "light", and "there was light". Genesis 1:3. He spoke the universe into existence. The Bible does not tell us that God formed a million molecules and atoms in those precise words, rather it tells us that He said "Let there be..." and then it was.
The tongue holds a lot of power, and the words that roll off of it so easily do not just affect others, they affect the person speaking as well. "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit." Proverbs 18:21.
What you allow yourself to say comes directly back on you. Whether your words are negative or positive, once you utter them you speak them into existence. When you state the negative about yourself you are condemning yourself. The satisfaction that comes from saying “I told you that would happen to me, it always does” in the negative is short lived. The event may not have happened if you had not “told” anyone that something bad was going to happen to you.
Speaking negatively about others may or may not affect them, but you have a greater motive not to utter such words. Each word you speak you will answer for. “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." Matthew 12:36-37. One day you will see how each word you spoke caused a ripple effect that spread to others. In this world, negativity can be contagious.
When you believe the action of throwing sticks and stones is worse than speaking words, you are forgetting a huge point. Your words often steer the actions taken by yourself and others. "When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark." James 3:3-5. That small rudder, the tongue, that we believe cannot hurt ourselves or others, is capable of steering a ship.
As for existence, remember what you speak into it inevitably becomes your own.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 'unclean.' " Matthew 15:11.
Parents teach children at a young age not to let words affect them. “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” is a famous phrase that is taught at a young age. Teaching children not to let words affect them is a great idea; however, the reverse can also happen. The reverse is that they will believe their own words are unimportant and cannot hurt anyone else, including themselves.
God has shown us from the beginning that words are extremely important and powerful. “The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.” Proverbs 15:4. In the very beginning of the Bible, in Genesis, we are told that God said "Let there be..." for example, "light", and "there was light". Genesis 1:3. He spoke the universe into existence. The Bible does not tell us that God formed a million molecules and atoms in those precise words, rather it tells us that He said "Let there be..." and then it was.
The tongue holds a lot of power, and the words that roll off of it so easily do not just affect others, they affect the person speaking as well. "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit." Proverbs 18:21.
What you allow yourself to say comes directly back on you. Whether your words are negative or positive, once you utter them you speak them into existence. When you state the negative about yourself you are condemning yourself. The satisfaction that comes from saying “I told you that would happen to me, it always does” in the negative is short lived. The event may not have happened if you had not “told” anyone that something bad was going to happen to you.
Speaking negatively about others may or may not affect them, but you have a greater motive not to utter such words. Each word you speak you will answer for. “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." Matthew 12:36-37. One day you will see how each word you spoke caused a ripple effect that spread to others. In this world, negativity can be contagious.
When you believe the action of throwing sticks and stones is worse than speaking words, you are forgetting a huge point. Your words often steer the actions taken by yourself and others. "When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark." James 3:3-5. That small rudder, the tongue, that we believe cannot hurt ourselves or others, is capable of steering a ship.
As for existence, remember what you speak into it inevitably becomes your own.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Hands of Time...
July 30, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights.” Genesis 7:12.
In the impatient moments we seek answers, hoping for an ending to our suffering. However, we often fail to see the valuable lessons we learn through waiting out those situations. The overall lesson is one of timing that is taught to us on different levels.
The first lesson is that our desire for instant gratification is not equal to God’s Will. We are on God’s time, He is not on ours. “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” 2 Peter 3:8. His timing is perfect, and He knows if you get what you want before His timing, that is instant gratification with no guarantee of it lasting. “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:17.
His timing accomplishes the ultimate purpose. When God told Noah to build the ark because He was going to flood the world, He sent rain for forty days and nights. However, the “waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days.” Genesis 7:24. We often focus on the forty days and nights of rain, and forget it took a “a hundred and fifty days” to accomplish His purpose.
The second lesson is that His help is available to us at all times. By the time we come to God with a problem, we usually have spent years getting ourselves into the mess when He was warning us and we ignored Him. We struggle, sweat, break the rules, and run around trying to fix something that we knew was wrong and then we grow tired, impatient, and frustrated and run to God. At this point, screaming “help” is not an uncommon reaction. Remember, Peter never said a word to Jesus while he was walking on the water towards Him. The only time he called out to Jesus was, “…when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Matthew 14:30.
God remains faithful and provides His help no matter where we are. “Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" Matthew 14:31. He shows us, out of love, things are easier when we come to Him all the time rather than just when things go wrong. We may not like the timing of the lesson, but this is the time we finally decided to seek His help. We could have learned the lesson at a time we were not suffering, but we did not give Him the chance before this moment.
The lesson is to trust Him with everything in our lives. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6. The lessons will teach us to live in a way seeking Him through everything, good or bad, and then we will have His guidance and protection in all that we do. “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9.
After the lessons, comes the total package, full of reward and protected in His name. Through all moments in life, we must remember the only hands of time that matter are the ones that catch us when we fall, and are ready to hold us up while we are standing. Those hands give us the ultimate guarantee that their timing, unlike our own, will always be perfect and lasting.
That is only true lifetime guarantee.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights.” Genesis 7:12.
In the impatient moments we seek answers, hoping for an ending to our suffering. However, we often fail to see the valuable lessons we learn through waiting out those situations. The overall lesson is one of timing that is taught to us on different levels.
The first lesson is that our desire for instant gratification is not equal to God’s Will. We are on God’s time, He is not on ours. “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” 2 Peter 3:8. His timing is perfect, and He knows if you get what you want before His timing, that is instant gratification with no guarantee of it lasting. “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:17.
His timing accomplishes the ultimate purpose. When God told Noah to build the ark because He was going to flood the world, He sent rain for forty days and nights. However, the “waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days.” Genesis 7:24. We often focus on the forty days and nights of rain, and forget it took a “a hundred and fifty days” to accomplish His purpose.
The second lesson is that His help is available to us at all times. By the time we come to God with a problem, we usually have spent years getting ourselves into the mess when He was warning us and we ignored Him. We struggle, sweat, break the rules, and run around trying to fix something that we knew was wrong and then we grow tired, impatient, and frustrated and run to God. At this point, screaming “help” is not an uncommon reaction. Remember, Peter never said a word to Jesus while he was walking on the water towards Him. The only time he called out to Jesus was, “…when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Matthew 14:30.
God remains faithful and provides His help no matter where we are. “Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" Matthew 14:31. He shows us, out of love, things are easier when we come to Him all the time rather than just when things go wrong. We may not like the timing of the lesson, but this is the time we finally decided to seek His help. We could have learned the lesson at a time we were not suffering, but we did not give Him the chance before this moment.
The lesson is to trust Him with everything in our lives. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6. The lessons will teach us to live in a way seeking Him through everything, good or bad, and then we will have His guidance and protection in all that we do. “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9.
After the lessons, comes the total package, full of reward and protected in His name. Through all moments in life, we must remember the only hands of time that matter are the ones that catch us when we fall, and are ready to hold us up while we are standing. Those hands give us the ultimate guarantee that their timing, unlike our own, will always be perfect and lasting.
That is only true lifetime guarantee.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
The Gentle Whisper...
July 28, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.” 1 Kings 19:11-12.
When we focus on the storms of life, we often forget the lesson that we are being taught. As humans, we seek the dramatic, and we pay attention to the thunder and lightening. We get bogged down, and forget what we are capable of doing ourselves during the storm.
For years, people have thought God was the storm. Thus, through a bad time in life, they focus on why He is creating or allowing the storm to occur. However, God has shown us that not only is He not the storm, the storm is blocking you from seeing where He really is when you focus on it. The lesson is not the storm itself, but that we should not focus on the extremes, the storm nor the quiet. We should not because God’s answer is in the whisper.
In two of the most famous stories in the Bible, we see what God is trying to tell us. When Peter walked on water, he was walking in faith towards Jesus. “Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.” Matthew 14:29. It was not until Peter saw the wind that he lost his focus and fell into the water. “But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" Matthew 14:30-31.
God wasn’t that wind. He was in front of Peter watching him walk. Not until Peter gave into fear from the wind did he fall into the water. God wanted him to have faith, and not be afraid.
Again, we see the storm become the focus. “A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" Mark 4:37-40.
Jesus was with them, and the storm still frightened them. They knew He was the Son of God and the Messiah, but during their fear they called Him “Teacher”.
The bigger lesson is learned. He is not the storm, but He has more power than it. Fear will make you fall and question everything. In both stories Jesus references their lack of faith when the storm scared them.
The real miracles were in walking on water and calming the storm. With true faith, you not only do not fear the storm, but you are able to carry out amazing acts during the time most would fall.
God is in the whisper, and completely in control of the outcome. It is the storm that brings the fear, not the One who controls the ending. In the ending you are secure; therefore, keep your faith during the storm.
Focusing on the One who controls the outcome, and not the wind, accomplishes the greatest miracle of all:
Faith over fear prevents any fall.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.” 1 Kings 19:11-12.
When we focus on the storms of life, we often forget the lesson that we are being taught. As humans, we seek the dramatic, and we pay attention to the thunder and lightening. We get bogged down, and forget what we are capable of doing ourselves during the storm.
For years, people have thought God was the storm. Thus, through a bad time in life, they focus on why He is creating or allowing the storm to occur. However, God has shown us that not only is He not the storm, the storm is blocking you from seeing where He really is when you focus on it. The lesson is not the storm itself, but that we should not focus on the extremes, the storm nor the quiet. We should not because God’s answer is in the whisper.
In two of the most famous stories in the Bible, we see what God is trying to tell us. When Peter walked on water, he was walking in faith towards Jesus. “Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.” Matthew 14:29. It was not until Peter saw the wind that he lost his focus and fell into the water. “But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" Matthew 14:30-31.
God wasn’t that wind. He was in front of Peter watching him walk. Not until Peter gave into fear from the wind did he fall into the water. God wanted him to have faith, and not be afraid.
Again, we see the storm become the focus. “A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" Mark 4:37-40.
Jesus was with them, and the storm still frightened them. They knew He was the Son of God and the Messiah, but during their fear they called Him “Teacher”.
The bigger lesson is learned. He is not the storm, but He has more power than it. Fear will make you fall and question everything. In both stories Jesus references their lack of faith when the storm scared them.
The real miracles were in walking on water and calming the storm. With true faith, you not only do not fear the storm, but you are able to carry out amazing acts during the time most would fall.
God is in the whisper, and completely in control of the outcome. It is the storm that brings the fear, not the One who controls the ending. In the ending you are secure; therefore, keep your faith during the storm.
Focusing on the One who controls the outcome, and not the wind, accomplishes the greatest miracle of all:
Faith over fear prevents any fall.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
The Manufacturer's Guide…
July 26, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
"All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:25-27.
Whenever a person orders an item that will require assembly, they have an expectation that the item will come with instructions. When the instructions look too confusing, we often put them down and try to figure out how to put the product together on our own. We do not just want instructions; we want the writer to write them for us specifically.
Common sense tells us that just because we do not understand we cannot expect the manufacturer of billions of a certain product to rewrite the instructions just for us and forget about others. What if the product came with instructions and someone who knows the manufacturer and watched as he made the product? That would be better wouldn’t it? Instead of just having instructions written where you could understand them, you would have someone there to explain to you what to do just in case you misunderstand.
God is your manufacturer and you are the product. Sometimes you cannot understand your own instructions, so He also sent the Holy Spirit to you to help you understand them. “His God instructs him and teaches him the right way.” Isaiah 28:26. As a Christian, the Sprit lives in you because of Jesus sacrifice.
The Holy Spirit was there when you were manufactured. He knows you inside and out, and also knows your past, present, and future. Always remember that He can see ahead of where you are in life, and will instruct you on all that He sees. He may not tell you “what” He sees your product ultimately doing in life, but step by step He will guide you into reaching the “what” that God intended for you. Although answers may not come suddenly, remember your product was designed to walk in faith. “We live by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7.
The instructions are God’s Word, and they are what the Spirit will use to guide you. Although the enemy will try to convince you God’s Word is confusing and does not apply to you, remember it is the Spirit that came to guide you through the instructions.
The Spirit knows that through life, you will have sudden twists and turns that will cause you to slip and try to handle things for yourself and rely on man’s understanding for a solution, and where that will get you in the end. He knows this moment can be frightening. God shows us all through His Word that the disciples had to deal with the same fear when Jesus died. Jesus told them not to “be afraid”, and that the Spirit would “teach” them “all things” and “remind” them of everything He had said to them. As a believer, when you rely on Him, that same Spirit will do the same for you.
Relying on the Spirit when those sudden answers do not come allows Him to help you put your product together in a way that will ensure it works effectively and reaches its highest potential. To accomplish this, remember that walking in faith during these times grows two pieces of your fruit you will need in life, “peace” and “patience”. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23.
Patience requires you to wait for the answer, while feeling true peace through the moments of waiting. Jesus told us all that He does “not give to us as the world does”. In this world we seek automatic answers, and we may not receive them right away when asking God. While you are waiting patiently, keep seeking the Spirit, and never stop praying. You may not have the answer, but continue to do all that you can to show your readiness to hear it. “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12. The more you keep talking to the Spirit even when you do not feel you have the answer, the more you will learn to hear all the ones that will be ahead.
God does things in a way that let you know it is Him and not you. "Be still, and know that I am God…” Psalm 46:10. For that reason you have to be patient and let the Spirit lead you. “He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters…” Psalm 23:3. His timing is perfect. He does not correspond to our timing; instead we must learn to wait for His. “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:8-9.
Knowing this, the enemy tries to fill you with the opposite of “patience” and “peace”, and comes at you with impatience, fear, and doubt. Through the Spirit you will understand Jesus’ instruction on what to do in return: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27. Rely on the Spirit with total faith in God for that peace.
Do not pick up instructions you claim you cannot understand or just throw them down and work on the product yourself, instead ask the One who came with the instructions in order to guide you through assembly. Also praise the manufacturer who did better than rewrite instructions just for you, but sent you someone to help you read them properly.
No matter how impatient you feel or how much better you think you will do on your own remember one thing:
The manufacturer knows the product better than the product itself.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
"All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:25-27.
Whenever a person orders an item that will require assembly, they have an expectation that the item will come with instructions. When the instructions look too confusing, we often put them down and try to figure out how to put the product together on our own. We do not just want instructions; we want the writer to write them for us specifically.
Common sense tells us that just because we do not understand we cannot expect the manufacturer of billions of a certain product to rewrite the instructions just for us and forget about others. What if the product came with instructions and someone who knows the manufacturer and watched as he made the product? That would be better wouldn’t it? Instead of just having instructions written where you could understand them, you would have someone there to explain to you what to do just in case you misunderstand.
God is your manufacturer and you are the product. Sometimes you cannot understand your own instructions, so He also sent the Holy Spirit to you to help you understand them. “His God instructs him and teaches him the right way.” Isaiah 28:26. As a Christian, the Sprit lives in you because of Jesus sacrifice.
The Holy Spirit was there when you were manufactured. He knows you inside and out, and also knows your past, present, and future. Always remember that He can see ahead of where you are in life, and will instruct you on all that He sees. He may not tell you “what” He sees your product ultimately doing in life, but step by step He will guide you into reaching the “what” that God intended for you. Although answers may not come suddenly, remember your product was designed to walk in faith. “We live by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7.
The instructions are God’s Word, and they are what the Spirit will use to guide you. Although the enemy will try to convince you God’s Word is confusing and does not apply to you, remember it is the Spirit that came to guide you through the instructions.
The Spirit knows that through life, you will have sudden twists and turns that will cause you to slip and try to handle things for yourself and rely on man’s understanding for a solution, and where that will get you in the end. He knows this moment can be frightening. God shows us all through His Word that the disciples had to deal with the same fear when Jesus died. Jesus told them not to “be afraid”, and that the Spirit would “teach” them “all things” and “remind” them of everything He had said to them. As a believer, when you rely on Him, that same Spirit will do the same for you.
Relying on the Spirit when those sudden answers do not come allows Him to help you put your product together in a way that will ensure it works effectively and reaches its highest potential. To accomplish this, remember that walking in faith during these times grows two pieces of your fruit you will need in life, “peace” and “patience”. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23.
Patience requires you to wait for the answer, while feeling true peace through the moments of waiting. Jesus told us all that He does “not give to us as the world does”. In this world we seek automatic answers, and we may not receive them right away when asking God. While you are waiting patiently, keep seeking the Spirit, and never stop praying. You may not have the answer, but continue to do all that you can to show your readiness to hear it. “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12. The more you keep talking to the Spirit even when you do not feel you have the answer, the more you will learn to hear all the ones that will be ahead.
God does things in a way that let you know it is Him and not you. "Be still, and know that I am God…” Psalm 46:10. For that reason you have to be patient and let the Spirit lead you. “He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters…” Psalm 23:3. His timing is perfect. He does not correspond to our timing; instead we must learn to wait for His. “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:8-9.
Knowing this, the enemy tries to fill you with the opposite of “patience” and “peace”, and comes at you with impatience, fear, and doubt. Through the Spirit you will understand Jesus’ instruction on what to do in return: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27. Rely on the Spirit with total faith in God for that peace.
Do not pick up instructions you claim you cannot understand or just throw them down and work on the product yourself, instead ask the One who came with the instructions in order to guide you through assembly. Also praise the manufacturer who did better than rewrite instructions just for you, but sent you someone to help you read them properly.
No matter how impatient you feel or how much better you think you will do on your own remember one thing:
The manufacturer knows the product better than the product itself.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Truth in Motion...
From "The Casting Call ©" 40-Day Challenge
July 24, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
"I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” John 16:12-13.
As a Christian, your heart is sealed with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit’s goal is to glorify God, and He does so through you when you are walking with Him. “He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.” John 16:14.
When you are walking with the Spirit, He grows your fruit. Your fruit consists of qualities that will keep you on God’s path, and will give you the tools you need to understand God’s will in your life. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23. Think to yourself how much having those qualities and growing in them would help you every day.
With faith in the form of action, you will learn when it is Him talking to you, and what to do in your life. This is what we call “discernment”. Remember, the more you start to hear the Spirit, the more the enemy disguises himself, and appears that he is really the Spirit, and you have to discern for yourself the real truth. This is the “knowing” step that will open your eyes to God’s will for you.
The Holy Spirit is your guide into the truth. Knowing this is key to understanding the His roles and gifts. When you pray for the answers you seek in life situations, you should always be asking for the truth. The truth is to see God’s will. The Holy Spirit will guide you into it, but you have to do more than pray or ask.
WORKING TO HEAR YOUR GUIDE
FIRST: GOD’S WORD
What the Holy Spirit hears is God’s Word, so you have to learn His language. If you do not know His language, then you are not likely to know what He is saying to you. While learning the language there are points you must remember.
First, you must rely on the Spirit for understanding of what God says. If you do not, the enemy will jump in and provide you with a misleading interpretation. Always remember Satan quoted scripture correctly to Jesus in the desert and Jesus quoted the right scripture back for the occasion. Matthew 4. God’s Spirit, now within you, guided Jesus to the right scripture, and that Spirit, like God, cannot sin. Nothing He does in your life will be contrary to God’s law in place nor in timing. “I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.” 1 John 2:26-27.
Second, you must rely on the Spirit’s guidance to apply God’s word to your life. The Bible is full of more than rules to follow and stories of days gone by. It is “living” which means there is an application to your own life. To understand that application you have to rely on the Spirit to reveal the truth of God’s Word to you, so you can learn how to “live” God’s word rather than just quote it. “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.” Galatians 5:18. When you do, you are hearing God’s Word through the Spirit, and then are able to carry out God’s Will in your own life. At that moment, real truth is walking on Earth through your body.
He is your counselor and there to guide you through life based on God’s Word. He is also your comforter. Comfort in this context means that He walks with you, and picks you up when you fall. Remember God’s Word tells you that you are forgiven, and can get back up, and He will put it into practice in your own life by picking you back up.
SECOND: UNDERSTANDING THE RELATIONSHIP
The Holy Spirit’s role in your life is a matter of “guidance” and not “control”. As your guide, He is “leading” you. “For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” Romans 8:13-14.
If you were being forced, you would have no work to do. He would just drag you along, and you would end up where He puts you. The real truth is you are being “led”, which means you have work to do. When you are being “led” you are not being drug along, but you actually have to walk.
Being “led” means that when you do not get an automatic answer to your question, before you ask Him “why”, ask yourself what you can do to hear the answers more clearly. When you start to doubt whether or not He is listening and answering, stop yourself. Chances are this is a call to ask Him for His guidance because He knows you can be led astray, and He is trying to protect you from an upcoming fall. In this walk, you have a responsibility to do all you can to hear what He is saying.
First, examine your question. This is what we call “pure praying”. Remember the way to distinguish between the Holy Spirit and the enemy comes with the knowledge that the Holy Spirit cannot sin, nor lead you astray. The reverse is also true. Do not ask Him to lead you astray or sin either. When you ask for His guidance, look at what you are asking for. Whom does it gratify? Does it glorify God? The things that glorify God are revealed to you in His Word through the Spirit, and are the things that will benefit you and grow your fruit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23.
When you ask why God is not responding to your prayers and the enemy tells you if God loved you He would respond, expect him to back it up with God’s Word. Expect him to tell you that the Bible says, “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” John 14:14. Correct scripture, wrong in practice. At this moment, do what Jesus did in the desert, and let the Spirit guide you into the real truth. Something that makes you feel bad, like fear and confusion do, is not coming from God. “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” 1 Corinthians 14:33. That truth is your prayer has to be in “his name”, and that means letting go of what you want. “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Matthew 6:7-8. What you “need” is not necessarily what you “want”.
Second, get ready to accept the answer. This is what we call “obeying”. When you are no longer asking Him for things that gratify you, but instead for things that glorify God and grow your own fruit, you may be afraid of the answer. The reason why is two-fold. First, the enemy doesn’t want you to feel the Spirit’s confidence so he puts fear into you that you cannot do what is being asked of you. Second, you don’t want to do any work that may seem hard or unpleasant. Remember God knows what things are best for you and will grow your fruit.
Keep in mind that “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” are the ultimate goals to help you in life, and will benefit you and others around you no matter what work you have to do or go through in the meantime. Whatever He asks you to do may seem unpleasant or difficult, but at least you know that it will not be a sin, as He cannot sin, and the ultimate goal is to grow your fruit to please your Father in Heaven. “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:11.
Many people in the Bible were guided by the Spirit to do things that they probably did not want to do, but did anyway. "And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.” Acts 20:22-23. When you follow His guidance, you rest assured you are in line with what God’s will is in your own life, and you have done what God wanted you to do.
Start depending on the Spirit, to be your guide, no matter what it is that you are doing. This applies to everything from ordinary, everyday decision making to understanding scripture, to practicing the gifts that the Spirit gives to us.
In doing so, you show others God’s real truth in motion…
July 24, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
"I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” John 16:12-13.
As a Christian, your heart is sealed with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit’s goal is to glorify God, and He does so through you when you are walking with Him. “He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.” John 16:14.
When you are walking with the Spirit, He grows your fruit. Your fruit consists of qualities that will keep you on God’s path, and will give you the tools you need to understand God’s will in your life. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23. Think to yourself how much having those qualities and growing in them would help you every day.
With faith in the form of action, you will learn when it is Him talking to you, and what to do in your life. This is what we call “discernment”. Remember, the more you start to hear the Spirit, the more the enemy disguises himself, and appears that he is really the Spirit, and you have to discern for yourself the real truth. This is the “knowing” step that will open your eyes to God’s will for you.
The Holy Spirit is your guide into the truth. Knowing this is key to understanding the His roles and gifts. When you pray for the answers you seek in life situations, you should always be asking for the truth. The truth is to see God’s will. The Holy Spirit will guide you into it, but you have to do more than pray or ask.
WORKING TO HEAR YOUR GUIDE
FIRST: GOD’S WORD
What the Holy Spirit hears is God’s Word, so you have to learn His language. If you do not know His language, then you are not likely to know what He is saying to you. While learning the language there are points you must remember.
First, you must rely on the Spirit for understanding of what God says. If you do not, the enemy will jump in and provide you with a misleading interpretation. Always remember Satan quoted scripture correctly to Jesus in the desert and Jesus quoted the right scripture back for the occasion. Matthew 4. God’s Spirit, now within you, guided Jesus to the right scripture, and that Spirit, like God, cannot sin. Nothing He does in your life will be contrary to God’s law in place nor in timing. “I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.” 1 John 2:26-27.
Second, you must rely on the Spirit’s guidance to apply God’s word to your life. The Bible is full of more than rules to follow and stories of days gone by. It is “living” which means there is an application to your own life. To understand that application you have to rely on the Spirit to reveal the truth of God’s Word to you, so you can learn how to “live” God’s word rather than just quote it. “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.” Galatians 5:18. When you do, you are hearing God’s Word through the Spirit, and then are able to carry out God’s Will in your own life. At that moment, real truth is walking on Earth through your body.
He is your counselor and there to guide you through life based on God’s Word. He is also your comforter. Comfort in this context means that He walks with you, and picks you up when you fall. Remember God’s Word tells you that you are forgiven, and can get back up, and He will put it into practice in your own life by picking you back up.
SECOND: UNDERSTANDING THE RELATIONSHIP
The Holy Spirit’s role in your life is a matter of “guidance” and not “control”. As your guide, He is “leading” you. “For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” Romans 8:13-14.
If you were being forced, you would have no work to do. He would just drag you along, and you would end up where He puts you. The real truth is you are being “led”, which means you have work to do. When you are being “led” you are not being drug along, but you actually have to walk.
Being “led” means that when you do not get an automatic answer to your question, before you ask Him “why”, ask yourself what you can do to hear the answers more clearly. When you start to doubt whether or not He is listening and answering, stop yourself. Chances are this is a call to ask Him for His guidance because He knows you can be led astray, and He is trying to protect you from an upcoming fall. In this walk, you have a responsibility to do all you can to hear what He is saying.
First, examine your question. This is what we call “pure praying”. Remember the way to distinguish between the Holy Spirit and the enemy comes with the knowledge that the Holy Spirit cannot sin, nor lead you astray. The reverse is also true. Do not ask Him to lead you astray or sin either. When you ask for His guidance, look at what you are asking for. Whom does it gratify? Does it glorify God? The things that glorify God are revealed to you in His Word through the Spirit, and are the things that will benefit you and grow your fruit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23.
When you ask why God is not responding to your prayers and the enemy tells you if God loved you He would respond, expect him to back it up with God’s Word. Expect him to tell you that the Bible says, “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” John 14:14. Correct scripture, wrong in practice. At this moment, do what Jesus did in the desert, and let the Spirit guide you into the real truth. Something that makes you feel bad, like fear and confusion do, is not coming from God. “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” 1 Corinthians 14:33. That truth is your prayer has to be in “his name”, and that means letting go of what you want. “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Matthew 6:7-8. What you “need” is not necessarily what you “want”.
Second, get ready to accept the answer. This is what we call “obeying”. When you are no longer asking Him for things that gratify you, but instead for things that glorify God and grow your own fruit, you may be afraid of the answer. The reason why is two-fold. First, the enemy doesn’t want you to feel the Spirit’s confidence so he puts fear into you that you cannot do what is being asked of you. Second, you don’t want to do any work that may seem hard or unpleasant. Remember God knows what things are best for you and will grow your fruit.
Keep in mind that “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” are the ultimate goals to help you in life, and will benefit you and others around you no matter what work you have to do or go through in the meantime. Whatever He asks you to do may seem unpleasant or difficult, but at least you know that it will not be a sin, as He cannot sin, and the ultimate goal is to grow your fruit to please your Father in Heaven. “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:11.
Many people in the Bible were guided by the Spirit to do things that they probably did not want to do, but did anyway. "And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.” Acts 20:22-23. When you follow His guidance, you rest assured you are in line with what God’s will is in your own life, and you have done what God wanted you to do.
Start depending on the Spirit, to be your guide, no matter what it is that you are doing. This applies to everything from ordinary, everyday decision making to understanding scripture, to practicing the gifts that the Spirit gives to us.
In doing so, you show others God’s real truth in motion…
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Call to Change...
July 22, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.” Ephesians 5:15-17.
People typically avoid things that they do not understand or that they do not want to do. The reason why we avoid something we do not want to do goes without saying. We avoid things that we do not understand for the same reason, primarily, we do not want to take the time to figure it out. Thus, we turn “trying to understand” into something “we do not want to do”.
In order to justify our avoidances, we tell ourselves that we are fine the way we are and do not need change, that we know all we need to know and do not want to learn anything else, that we do not have the time, and whatever has happened is someone else’s fault.
When we react to someone in a way that we should not have, we begin a battle in our own mind. At the moment we act, we feel a deep nagging feeling that tells us we should not have done what we did. In response, we begin to tell ourselves why the person deserved what they got. We become argumentative and defensive and justify ourselves by going over everything that person has done, or not done, in the past. Even worse, we tell our justifications to everyone else, seeking their approval of what we did. The most important lesson gets lost in the meantime: Before you think of a situation in your own life, and point the finger at someone else, examine your actions outside of theirs, and remember God is looking at you both individually. “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Romans 12:18. That scripture says “you” not “them”.
Depending on someone else to tell you what you did was right, when that inner voice tells you that you should not have, is a self-defeating process. Put simply, the famous old saying “two wrongs don’t make a right” is dead on point.
Your own wrong that you are working so hard to justify, is a bad circumstance, but it is also a golden opportunity. When you are working to please God instead of yourself and others around you, and let go of the need to always be right, the inner voice warning you to change is, no pun intended, truly a Godsend. That voice is the Holy Spirit who has told you that you stepped out of line. It is not a call to feel guilt, it is a call to change. “When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.” John 16:8-11. God wants what is best for all of us, and knows how easy it is for us to fall into evil. So Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to live within us.
Those feelings of worry or guilt are a warning signal to turn back to the only One that matters, and the One who wants to keep you on the right path. “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” Psalm 32:8.
Still many people will hear that voice and become defensive. When someone places the blame on you, remember you are not the one convicting them, and that you have your own convictions to deal with.
Imagine if a person is standing trial that you know is guilty of a crime beyond a shadow of any doubt. The jury convicts the person, and instead of facing punishment and being forced to realize his behavior needs change, he has the opportunity to undo the conviction by standing in front of the Judge and blaming all the people that caused him to commit the crime. He blames his childhood, his parents, his teachers, his friends, and then the Judge looks at him and says that he understands and that he is free to go, no matter what the jury says.
Sound ridiculous? When you ignore the Holy Spirit’s conviction that you are doing wrong by blaming others, that is exactly how ridiculous you are being also. God is not up there trying to make you feel bad; He is up there trying to make you do better. It is for your own benefit that you listen.
If someone else tells you that you were wrong, and you feel that you may have been, do not turn it around to reason why the other person is the one who did wrong. Remember there was only one perfect Man who ever walked the Earth and did not sin, and that was not you. Instead of fighting, listen to what needs to be done, and remember you won’t be judged by God for someone else not following a conviction of their own; however, you will be judged for the ones you did not follow.
You will be judged by the One and only Judge that matters, and knows what the inner voice told you that you explained away to avoid listening to. Through each action you defend of your own to impress someone else, think of that judgment and ask:
How much will the other person matter to you then?
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.” Ephesians 5:15-17.
People typically avoid things that they do not understand or that they do not want to do. The reason why we avoid something we do not want to do goes without saying. We avoid things that we do not understand for the same reason, primarily, we do not want to take the time to figure it out. Thus, we turn “trying to understand” into something “we do not want to do”.
In order to justify our avoidances, we tell ourselves that we are fine the way we are and do not need change, that we know all we need to know and do not want to learn anything else, that we do not have the time, and whatever has happened is someone else’s fault.
When we react to someone in a way that we should not have, we begin a battle in our own mind. At the moment we act, we feel a deep nagging feeling that tells us we should not have done what we did. In response, we begin to tell ourselves why the person deserved what they got. We become argumentative and defensive and justify ourselves by going over everything that person has done, or not done, in the past. Even worse, we tell our justifications to everyone else, seeking their approval of what we did. The most important lesson gets lost in the meantime: Before you think of a situation in your own life, and point the finger at someone else, examine your actions outside of theirs, and remember God is looking at you both individually. “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Romans 12:18. That scripture says “you” not “them”.
Depending on someone else to tell you what you did was right, when that inner voice tells you that you should not have, is a self-defeating process. Put simply, the famous old saying “two wrongs don’t make a right” is dead on point.
Your own wrong that you are working so hard to justify, is a bad circumstance, but it is also a golden opportunity. When you are working to please God instead of yourself and others around you, and let go of the need to always be right, the inner voice warning you to change is, no pun intended, truly a Godsend. That voice is the Holy Spirit who has told you that you stepped out of line. It is not a call to feel guilt, it is a call to change. “When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.” John 16:8-11. God wants what is best for all of us, and knows how easy it is for us to fall into evil. So Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to live within us.
Those feelings of worry or guilt are a warning signal to turn back to the only One that matters, and the One who wants to keep you on the right path. “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” Psalm 32:8.
Still many people will hear that voice and become defensive. When someone places the blame on you, remember you are not the one convicting them, and that you have your own convictions to deal with.
Imagine if a person is standing trial that you know is guilty of a crime beyond a shadow of any doubt. The jury convicts the person, and instead of facing punishment and being forced to realize his behavior needs change, he has the opportunity to undo the conviction by standing in front of the Judge and blaming all the people that caused him to commit the crime. He blames his childhood, his parents, his teachers, his friends, and then the Judge looks at him and says that he understands and that he is free to go, no matter what the jury says.
Sound ridiculous? When you ignore the Holy Spirit’s conviction that you are doing wrong by blaming others, that is exactly how ridiculous you are being also. God is not up there trying to make you feel bad; He is up there trying to make you do better. It is for your own benefit that you listen.
If someone else tells you that you were wrong, and you feel that you may have been, do not turn it around to reason why the other person is the one who did wrong. Remember there was only one perfect Man who ever walked the Earth and did not sin, and that was not you. Instead of fighting, listen to what needs to be done, and remember you won’t be judged by God for someone else not following a conviction of their own; however, you will be judged for the ones you did not follow.
You will be judged by the One and only Judge that matters, and knows what the inner voice told you that you explained away to avoid listening to. Through each action you defend of your own to impress someone else, think of that judgment and ask:
How much will the other person matter to you then?
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Greatest of These....
July 21, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:36-40.
Many people believe Christianity comes with a laundry list of “do’s” and “don’ts”. In many ways, it does, but the harder lessons come when people believe the list contradicts itself. Should you “turn the other check” or repay “an eye for an eye”? Lying is wrong, but is it okay if you lie to protect someone for the right reason? Should you not “drink” or is it okay to “drink” but don’t get “drunk”? With a true understanding of God we realize that it is not the laundry list that counts, it is why we are following the list at all.
Anyone can read the Bible and find scriptures to back up their position, but we have to remember God created the entire book from the beginning of time to the end. The Ten Commandments came early on, and that is one of the first stories we learn. Learning that, people say to themselves, “Ah, here is the laundry list, I knew there was a catch”, believing the catch is if they break a rule God will come down on them with fire and brimstone. At this point, they either run away or obey the rules out of fear.
We must remember why we are obeying the rules. To understand this, remember that people come with a fear of doing something incorrectly. When we have an obligation to fulfill or a task to complete, we seek clarification of the instructions.
Our attempt to clarify our obligations has resulted in our obsession with “and / or”. Legalities over Presidents possible impeachment hinged on the words “high crimes and misdemeanors”. Marriage vows hinge on “for better or worse”. We often focus on the word in the middle. If it is “and” it is both, and if it is “or” then it is one or the other or both. We become overwhelmed at the thought of “or” meaning to do both things, and we convince ourselves that is too much to do so we only need to do one or the other.
Thus, we put in an “or” and choose whether or not to obey rules out of “fear” or “God”. To reconcile the difference remember that God does not bring on the Spirit of Fear. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT). Whichever you follow depends on your relationship with God.
Some people are trained early on to obey rules out of fear. They walk in line, scared to death what will happen if they fall. If they fall they believe that God will come down with wrath and fire.
Some people are trained early on to obey rules out of love for God. They walk in line, but know if they fall, that God sent His Son to die for their slip, and they are forgiven. They show the willingness to get back on that line because they understand His mercy and forgiveness, and want to show Him their respect.
Those two people may appear the same, as Christians following the rules. But we have to remember that one of them is obeying the rules out of fear because man told them to. The other is obeying the rules out of love for God, to show Him their respect.
Think of your children. Do you want them to obey your instructions out of fear of what you will do, or would you rather them do the right thing because of all you have done for them? One is a reaction out of fear, the other is an automatic action out of respect.
God told us early in the Bible He is looking at the “why” instead of the “what”. “But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7. Think of the stories where liars lied to protect someone out of pure motives, or why God would call some killings “unintentional”.
To illustrate, remember many people in the Old Testament, before Jesus, were working to obey those rules, memorized them, and could recite them. God saw many people working to show others in the Temple how much they knew about His law. What did He say? “I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings.” Hosea 6:6 (NLT).
God is looking at the “why” in each action we take, and this is not a “free-for-all” to do what we want. To put it in perspective, think of the Christians you know, who know the Bible back and forth, and show up to church every Sunday and sacrifice their money to the church. What you see is the “what”, don’t assume you know the “why”.
Later on in the New Testament, Jesus clarified it for us. He told us the two greatest of the commandments, the first is to love God, and then love others as ourselves. Now remember the rest of them. For example, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not lie, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not murder, and the rest. Jesus is not telling you to forget those commandments. Instead, He tells you to look at the two commandments he said were the greatest and tells you, “All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." What that means is the others are still in effect, but they are a “what” you are doing. The “why” you are obeying them or not obeying them should be because of the two greatest ones: out of love for God and each other.
God’s grace allowed His Son to die for our sins, so that when we have faith in Him we are forgiven. God knew that people concentrating on the rules and law alone would fall into sin because they would forget the “why” that matters. “For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.” Romans 6:14.
As Christians, the Holy Spirit lives within us individually. He convicts and guides us on God’s law. The problem is when we look at the law more than we listen to the Spirit.
When you listen to the Spirit, you realize the rules do not contradict themselves at all. In fact, the rest of the rules make more sense. For example, unless you know the “why” someone is doing what they are doing, do not judge the “what”. "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7:1-2. If you do, chances are based on God’s word, you will end up doing the “what” yourself with someone else judging your “why”.
Men can concentrate on the “what” all they want, but as long as the “why” is for God and in line with His words, then we are assured we are in line with what He wants.
Jesus said it best, in so many words:
The greatest of these is not law, it is love.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:36-40.
Many people believe Christianity comes with a laundry list of “do’s” and “don’ts”. In many ways, it does, but the harder lessons come when people believe the list contradicts itself. Should you “turn the other check” or repay “an eye for an eye”? Lying is wrong, but is it okay if you lie to protect someone for the right reason? Should you not “drink” or is it okay to “drink” but don’t get “drunk”? With a true understanding of God we realize that it is not the laundry list that counts, it is why we are following the list at all.
Anyone can read the Bible and find scriptures to back up their position, but we have to remember God created the entire book from the beginning of time to the end. The Ten Commandments came early on, and that is one of the first stories we learn. Learning that, people say to themselves, “Ah, here is the laundry list, I knew there was a catch”, believing the catch is if they break a rule God will come down on them with fire and brimstone. At this point, they either run away or obey the rules out of fear.
We must remember why we are obeying the rules. To understand this, remember that people come with a fear of doing something incorrectly. When we have an obligation to fulfill or a task to complete, we seek clarification of the instructions.
Our attempt to clarify our obligations has resulted in our obsession with “and / or”. Legalities over Presidents possible impeachment hinged on the words “high crimes and misdemeanors”. Marriage vows hinge on “for better or worse”. We often focus on the word in the middle. If it is “and” it is both, and if it is “or” then it is one or the other or both. We become overwhelmed at the thought of “or” meaning to do both things, and we convince ourselves that is too much to do so we only need to do one or the other.
Thus, we put in an “or” and choose whether or not to obey rules out of “fear” or “God”. To reconcile the difference remember that God does not bring on the Spirit of Fear. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT). Whichever you follow depends on your relationship with God.
Some people are trained early on to obey rules out of fear. They walk in line, scared to death what will happen if they fall. If they fall they believe that God will come down with wrath and fire.
Some people are trained early on to obey rules out of love for God. They walk in line, but know if they fall, that God sent His Son to die for their slip, and they are forgiven. They show the willingness to get back on that line because they understand His mercy and forgiveness, and want to show Him their respect.
Those two people may appear the same, as Christians following the rules. But we have to remember that one of them is obeying the rules out of fear because man told them to. The other is obeying the rules out of love for God, to show Him their respect.
Think of your children. Do you want them to obey your instructions out of fear of what you will do, or would you rather them do the right thing because of all you have done for them? One is a reaction out of fear, the other is an automatic action out of respect.
God told us early in the Bible He is looking at the “why” instead of the “what”. “But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7. Think of the stories where liars lied to protect someone out of pure motives, or why God would call some killings “unintentional”.
To illustrate, remember many people in the Old Testament, before Jesus, were working to obey those rules, memorized them, and could recite them. God saw many people working to show others in the Temple how much they knew about His law. What did He say? “I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings.” Hosea 6:6 (NLT).
God is looking at the “why” in each action we take, and this is not a “free-for-all” to do what we want. To put it in perspective, think of the Christians you know, who know the Bible back and forth, and show up to church every Sunday and sacrifice their money to the church. What you see is the “what”, don’t assume you know the “why”.
Later on in the New Testament, Jesus clarified it for us. He told us the two greatest of the commandments, the first is to love God, and then love others as ourselves. Now remember the rest of them. For example, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not lie, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not murder, and the rest. Jesus is not telling you to forget those commandments. Instead, He tells you to look at the two commandments he said were the greatest and tells you, “All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." What that means is the others are still in effect, but they are a “what” you are doing. The “why” you are obeying them or not obeying them should be because of the two greatest ones: out of love for God and each other.
God’s grace allowed His Son to die for our sins, so that when we have faith in Him we are forgiven. God knew that people concentrating on the rules and law alone would fall into sin because they would forget the “why” that matters. “For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.” Romans 6:14.
As Christians, the Holy Spirit lives within us individually. He convicts and guides us on God’s law. The problem is when we look at the law more than we listen to the Spirit.
When you listen to the Spirit, you realize the rules do not contradict themselves at all. In fact, the rest of the rules make more sense. For example, unless you know the “why” someone is doing what they are doing, do not judge the “what”. "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7:1-2. If you do, chances are based on God’s word, you will end up doing the “what” yourself with someone else judging your “why”.
Men can concentrate on the “what” all they want, but as long as the “why” is for God and in line with His words, then we are assured we are in line with what He wants.
Jesus said it best, in so many words:
The greatest of these is not law, it is love.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
"JonJam Benefit 2009" Devotional: Walking on Water...
July 16, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“…but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31.
When Jon Lee suffered a tragic fall in an accident last year, he had no idea how much his life was about to change. The 33-year-old college graduate beginning his career, suffered injuries from the accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down.
Desperately in need of therapy and rehabilitation, the horrible timing of his accident came to light. When he fell, he was only a few days away from receiving insurance benefits scheduled to begin within 30 days of beginning employment. Eventually, he was able to receive rehabilitation and therapy, but was forced to discontinue it when Medicaid dropped his coverage early this year.
In one fall, he was forced to become a new person. Such an injury is one of the hardest tests of a person’s soul. Many will question why they are even alive only to suffer more. Many more will question how God could stand by and let something so horrific take place. Then some look to Jesus, pick up their own Cross, and follow Him in faith.
Jon Lee picked up the Cross. Even though he is paralyzed and currently unable to walk, in truth he is walking, only this time he is walking in faith. Although his Cross is heavy, he refuses to drop it and give up. Instead, he is examining the wrongs the world is placing upon it. He examines those wrongs not only for his own situation, but with an eye to the weight they place on others backs as well. Left with no health insurance or medical coverage, he began to wonder how many others were experiencing the same.
His walk is a demonstration of what it takes to have real faith. Real faith requires motion. “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?" James 2:14. With real faith, you are not standing still just “believing” in something. Instead, you demonstrate your belief through your willingness to walk into the “unseen” without letting the world frighten you into sitting back down. In this walk, you put the world and all its so-called reality behind you, and you move forward focused only on your hope in God. “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1.
When Peter got down out of the boat and walked on top of the water towards Jesus, he was walking in faith. When he noticed the wind and became afraid, he let go of that faith, and fell into the water. Only when he was walking in faith, was he truly walking. Without faith, he began to fall.
Jon’s walk in faith shows courage beyond any human explanation. A person only needs to ask what they would do in his situation to understand the power of God. His family and friends have joined in his refusal to give up. Together they have orchestrated a benefit that will be held this upcoming weekend in Dothan, Alabama. Because of their dedication, the first “JonJam Benefit” will be held, but it will not be the last. As Jon remembers the weight on others backs, he has committed himself to have one benefit each year from now on to benefit adults and children with disabilities that have inadequate or nonexistent health care coverage. That commitment will show others how to stay on top of the water no matter how bad the storms of life may seem. “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” Hebrews 10:23-24.
Through Jon’s dedication, we can see God at work. Someone who has been labeled “paralyzed” is committed to teaching others to walk in faith whether they are paralyzed or not. Someone labeled “paralyzed” is helping others hold up their own Cross.
From raising awareness to donations, the benefit will show others what real faith looks like. Right now, Jon is walking, no matter what doctors may say, because he has placed his future hope in God. Those around him believe he will walk physically again. Although doctors may say this is impossible, Jon knows his hope is in God and not man. When we place our hope in God for anything, if it is in His will, He guarantees that our hope will materialize into our reality.
What the world dismisses as “impossible”, due to the weight of our burdens, is what God turns into the “possible” we can see completed by His hand. God knows our hope should not lie in what we can see or hear. “For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” Romans 8:24-25. Even without the therapy he desperately needs, Jon is already regaining some movement. We call it a miracle, knowing it was something man alone could not do nor predict.
The world may have told him he is paralyzed, but Jon is walking in faith. He demonstrates to others that faith is complete confidence in what you hope for, with absolute assurance of God’s power to overcome all according to His will.
Through his walk in faith, we can see how many of us are truly paralyzed in the only walk that counts, but no matter the worldly diagnosis, Jon is not one of those people. In turn, he shows us all how God truly works.
Through God, one death on a Cross, offered salvation and rescue from an eternity of torture beyond the grave.
Through Jon, one fall, will offer God’s hope and strength through the challenges some of us face on Earth.
Thank you for the example you set for us all, and to your future endeavors Godspeed….
** For more information on “JonJam Benefit 2009” please go to http://www.jonjam.com/
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“…but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31.
When Jon Lee suffered a tragic fall in an accident last year, he had no idea how much his life was about to change. The 33-year-old college graduate beginning his career, suffered injuries from the accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down.
Desperately in need of therapy and rehabilitation, the horrible timing of his accident came to light. When he fell, he was only a few days away from receiving insurance benefits scheduled to begin within 30 days of beginning employment. Eventually, he was able to receive rehabilitation and therapy, but was forced to discontinue it when Medicaid dropped his coverage early this year.
In one fall, he was forced to become a new person. Such an injury is one of the hardest tests of a person’s soul. Many will question why they are even alive only to suffer more. Many more will question how God could stand by and let something so horrific take place. Then some look to Jesus, pick up their own Cross, and follow Him in faith.
Jon Lee picked up the Cross. Even though he is paralyzed and currently unable to walk, in truth he is walking, only this time he is walking in faith. Although his Cross is heavy, he refuses to drop it and give up. Instead, he is examining the wrongs the world is placing upon it. He examines those wrongs not only for his own situation, but with an eye to the weight they place on others backs as well. Left with no health insurance or medical coverage, he began to wonder how many others were experiencing the same.
His walk is a demonstration of what it takes to have real faith. Real faith requires motion. “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?" James 2:14. With real faith, you are not standing still just “believing” in something. Instead, you demonstrate your belief through your willingness to walk into the “unseen” without letting the world frighten you into sitting back down. In this walk, you put the world and all its so-called reality behind you, and you move forward focused only on your hope in God. “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1.
When Peter got down out of the boat and walked on top of the water towards Jesus, he was walking in faith. When he noticed the wind and became afraid, he let go of that faith, and fell into the water. Only when he was walking in faith, was he truly walking. Without faith, he began to fall.
Jon’s walk in faith shows courage beyond any human explanation. A person only needs to ask what they would do in his situation to understand the power of God. His family and friends have joined in his refusal to give up. Together they have orchestrated a benefit that will be held this upcoming weekend in Dothan, Alabama. Because of their dedication, the first “JonJam Benefit” will be held, but it will not be the last. As Jon remembers the weight on others backs, he has committed himself to have one benefit each year from now on to benefit adults and children with disabilities that have inadequate or nonexistent health care coverage. That commitment will show others how to stay on top of the water no matter how bad the storms of life may seem. “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” Hebrews 10:23-24.
Through Jon’s dedication, we can see God at work. Someone who has been labeled “paralyzed” is committed to teaching others to walk in faith whether they are paralyzed or not. Someone labeled “paralyzed” is helping others hold up their own Cross.
From raising awareness to donations, the benefit will show others what real faith looks like. Right now, Jon is walking, no matter what doctors may say, because he has placed his future hope in God. Those around him believe he will walk physically again. Although doctors may say this is impossible, Jon knows his hope is in God and not man. When we place our hope in God for anything, if it is in His will, He guarantees that our hope will materialize into our reality.
What the world dismisses as “impossible”, due to the weight of our burdens, is what God turns into the “possible” we can see completed by His hand. God knows our hope should not lie in what we can see or hear. “For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” Romans 8:24-25. Even without the therapy he desperately needs, Jon is already regaining some movement. We call it a miracle, knowing it was something man alone could not do nor predict.
The world may have told him he is paralyzed, but Jon is walking in faith. He demonstrates to others that faith is complete confidence in what you hope for, with absolute assurance of God’s power to overcome all according to His will.
Through his walk in faith, we can see how many of us are truly paralyzed in the only walk that counts, but no matter the worldly diagnosis, Jon is not one of those people. In turn, he shows us all how God truly works.
Through God, one death on a Cross, offered salvation and rescue from an eternity of torture beyond the grave.
Through Jon, one fall, will offer God’s hope and strength through the challenges some of us face on Earth.
Thank you for the example you set for us all, and to your future endeavors Godspeed….
** For more information on “JonJam Benefit 2009” please go to http://www.jonjam.com/
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Waving the Wand...
July 12, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:13-14.
Ecclesiastes is a book in the Old Testament in the section many refer to as “poetry books”. Many Christians formerly believed it was written by King Solomon, known from the Bible for falling into sin after experiencing great wealth. Whomever the writer, it appears that he has suffered the same fall.
The book discusses the meaning of life, and the truth about humankind. It is a great illustration of how man’s work on Earth for worldly pleasures is usually “meaningless” because a greater fate awaits us all. “This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of men, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead.” Ecclesiastes 9:3.
The worldly pleasures we seek with selfish motives are usually sins. We know from the Bible that eating from the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” was a sin. Genesis 2:16-17. The things we do, while only looking out for ourselves, usually fall into the “evil” category. That applies to a horrible crime we desire to commit and carry out, and to the accumulation of material wealth without giving a thought to those less fortunate.
God is the author of everything good, including justice. From the beginning of time, man fell into sin, and God knew that we would. “There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins.” Ecclesiastes 7:20.
In order to stop sin, the Author of justice could either make everyone stop sinning, or He could hold those who sin accountable. If God stopped all sin, then sin would no longer exist. If there is no tree that is off limits for us to eat from, then all the apples are the same, aren’t they? The apple of life would be equal to the apple of murder. Every behavior would be allowed, but it would not be considered “sin”. Murder, molestation, anger, greed, envy, pride, and jealousy would be acceptable and become the norm. As the author of everything good, including justice, that would be unjust to do, and God cannot be unjust. God cannot sin.
He does not wave a wand to end all sin because we would have to suffer the consequences of horrible behavior becoming the norm. If He could wave that wand with no consequence to us individually, then why did He allow His Son to die in order to take on the sins of mankind?
In turn, evil will exist, but He will hold us accountable. As the Holy and Perfect God that He is, God’s standards are much higher than ours. Yet our standards have something in common. We demand accountability for the most heinous of acts to protect ourselves in society. God demands accountability for sin to protect us as well. If He did not, more of us would fall into sin. “When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, the hearts of the people are filled with schemes to do wrong. Although a wicked man commits a hundred crimes and still lives a long time, I know that it will go better with God-fearing men, who are reverent before God. Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow.” Ecclesiastes 8:11-13. If one child molester gets off on a legal technicality, does it not set legal precedent for future child molesters to use in their own case?
Based on his experience, the writer offers us words of advice that illustrate being held accountable for wrong teaches you what is good. “Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take warning.” Ecclesiastes 4:13; “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.” Ecclesiastes 5:1. This raises the question, how do we know what we do is wrong? How does the King who “no longer knows how to take warning” know it is better to be a “poor but wise youth”? Accountability for sin. We know when we see a murderer kill a child that it is wrong. How? Someone else has been held accountable and we were told it was wrong.
In reaction, we see the pain their sin causes and we demand accountability as well, only we demand it at a rapid pace. Knowing sin is so bad, we grow angry at those who seem to never be held accountable for their actions in our timing. The greedy may seem to grow wealthier at first, but the outcome is what matters most. “The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.” Ecclesiastes 7:8.
The writer tells us, among other things, that he “undertook great projects”, “built houses”, “amassed silver and gold”, and “bought male and female slaves”. Ecclesiastes 2:4-9. And he tells us the truth of what it all amounted to: absolutely nothing. “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 2:10-11.
When we fall into sin, as seen in Ecclesiastes, we may please ourselves for the time being, but all that we have is “meaningless” because the righteous and sinner will face the same Judge, and their afterlife is eternal. Yet, we become angry and impatient that the one so wealthy with no regard for others keeps prospering, and the sinners get away with murder. That is when we have to remember this life is a fraction of our total existence. Our justice seems eluding to some, and too harsh to others. The pain over others sin who seem to elude justice angers us. But you are a fraction of the total existence. The person that caused you pain will feel your hurt a million times over in front of God. He is all or nothing, and that is why it took a death to save us from sin.
Imagine the harshest judgment you have ever witnessed. God will hold everyone accountable in a judgment the likes of which we could never imagine. And as the writer in Ecclesiastes seemed to know as much.
Although we cannot imagine that judgment now, nor comprehend it, we have God’s promise:
Eventually, the future becomes our reality.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:13-14.
Ecclesiastes is a book in the Old Testament in the section many refer to as “poetry books”. Many Christians formerly believed it was written by King Solomon, known from the Bible for falling into sin after experiencing great wealth. Whomever the writer, it appears that he has suffered the same fall.
The book discusses the meaning of life, and the truth about humankind. It is a great illustration of how man’s work on Earth for worldly pleasures is usually “meaningless” because a greater fate awaits us all. “This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of men, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead.” Ecclesiastes 9:3.
The worldly pleasures we seek with selfish motives are usually sins. We know from the Bible that eating from the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” was a sin. Genesis 2:16-17. The things we do, while only looking out for ourselves, usually fall into the “evil” category. That applies to a horrible crime we desire to commit and carry out, and to the accumulation of material wealth without giving a thought to those less fortunate.
God is the author of everything good, including justice. From the beginning of time, man fell into sin, and God knew that we would. “There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins.” Ecclesiastes 7:20.
In order to stop sin, the Author of justice could either make everyone stop sinning, or He could hold those who sin accountable. If God stopped all sin, then sin would no longer exist. If there is no tree that is off limits for us to eat from, then all the apples are the same, aren’t they? The apple of life would be equal to the apple of murder. Every behavior would be allowed, but it would not be considered “sin”. Murder, molestation, anger, greed, envy, pride, and jealousy would be acceptable and become the norm. As the author of everything good, including justice, that would be unjust to do, and God cannot be unjust. God cannot sin.
He does not wave a wand to end all sin because we would have to suffer the consequences of horrible behavior becoming the norm. If He could wave that wand with no consequence to us individually, then why did He allow His Son to die in order to take on the sins of mankind?
In turn, evil will exist, but He will hold us accountable. As the Holy and Perfect God that He is, God’s standards are much higher than ours. Yet our standards have something in common. We demand accountability for the most heinous of acts to protect ourselves in society. God demands accountability for sin to protect us as well. If He did not, more of us would fall into sin. “When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, the hearts of the people are filled with schemes to do wrong. Although a wicked man commits a hundred crimes and still lives a long time, I know that it will go better with God-fearing men, who are reverent before God. Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow.” Ecclesiastes 8:11-13. If one child molester gets off on a legal technicality, does it not set legal precedent for future child molesters to use in their own case?
Based on his experience, the writer offers us words of advice that illustrate being held accountable for wrong teaches you what is good. “Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take warning.” Ecclesiastes 4:13; “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.” Ecclesiastes 5:1. This raises the question, how do we know what we do is wrong? How does the King who “no longer knows how to take warning” know it is better to be a “poor but wise youth”? Accountability for sin. We know when we see a murderer kill a child that it is wrong. How? Someone else has been held accountable and we were told it was wrong.
In reaction, we see the pain their sin causes and we demand accountability as well, only we demand it at a rapid pace. Knowing sin is so bad, we grow angry at those who seem to never be held accountable for their actions in our timing. The greedy may seem to grow wealthier at first, but the outcome is what matters most. “The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.” Ecclesiastes 7:8.
The writer tells us, among other things, that he “undertook great projects”, “built houses”, “amassed silver and gold”, and “bought male and female slaves”. Ecclesiastes 2:4-9. And he tells us the truth of what it all amounted to: absolutely nothing. “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 2:10-11.
When we fall into sin, as seen in Ecclesiastes, we may please ourselves for the time being, but all that we have is “meaningless” because the righteous and sinner will face the same Judge, and their afterlife is eternal. Yet, we become angry and impatient that the one so wealthy with no regard for others keeps prospering, and the sinners get away with murder. That is when we have to remember this life is a fraction of our total existence. Our justice seems eluding to some, and too harsh to others. The pain over others sin who seem to elude justice angers us. But you are a fraction of the total existence. The person that caused you pain will feel your hurt a million times over in front of God. He is all or nothing, and that is why it took a death to save us from sin.
Imagine the harshest judgment you have ever witnessed. God will hold everyone accountable in a judgment the likes of which we could never imagine. And as the writer in Ecclesiastes seemed to know as much.
Although we cannot imagine that judgment now, nor comprehend it, we have God’s promise:
Eventually, the future becomes our reality.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Fools Rush In...
July 11, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
"What is man that you make so much of him, that you give him so much attention, that you examine him every morning and test him every moment?” Job 7:17-18.
One way to examine ourselves is to watch other people’s actions. While watching the news, we ask how anyone could be capable of committing such horrible acts. Through an unrecognized period of self-reflection, we reassure ourselves that we are not capable of acting that way, and we question “how” someone could have done something so horrific. Outwardly we verbalize the question as a “why” because society tells us “how” means we are asking for instructions in order to act the same way.
On smaller scales this practice occurs. When someone wrongs us in the smallest of ways, we ask “why?” This is an instinct that comes from our Creator. God is the One looking at the “why” whether the act is good or bad.
We run from the “why” in our own actions to avoid self-condemnation, and the appearance of “playing the fool”. In turn, we justify our actions. If we hurt someone, we tell ourselves the person had it coming by reminding others the number of times the person hurt us before. In turn, justification becomes the excuse to avoid the “why”.
Through that justification, we ignore the opportunity for self-reflection. We take the focus off of our own wrong action, and we act as if the person we harmed is the one continuing to harm us through our own action. Put simply, I hurt you because you hurt me before. As my justification, I tell you I would not have done this if you had not hurt me first. In blaming you, I use what you have done to justify what I am doing.
God knows this reaction. He cautioned us that He is not looking at the “what” we are doing before He looks at the “why”. At the moment we realize God is looking at the “why” of our actions, we justify our actions to Him, and we state those justifications without giving them thought. If we gave our justifications thought while spilling them out to God, we would ask ourselves, “whom are we trying to fool?”
We may fool people, we cannot fool God. He knew our actions and defenses before they ever existed. While we work to plead our case to Him, He is piercing through our hearts examining the true “why”. He does not see you hurt someone because they hurt you, He sees you hurt someone out of anger and revenge for past wrongs. He does not see that you believe in your position; He sees you advance it to silence your opposition. “I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve." Jeremiah 17:10.
Throughout the Bible, we see stories where He judges the “why”. If not, unintentional killings would not be mentioned. “Then the LORD said to Joshua: "Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood.” When he flees to one of these cities, he is to stand in the entrance of the city gate and state his case before the elders of that city. Then they are to admit him into their city and give him a place to live with them. If the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not surrender the one accused, because he killed his neighbor unintentionally and without malice aforethought.” Joshua 20:1-5.
Even in our own actions as Christians, God cautions us to look at the “why”. When Samuel was to anoint David as King after God rejected Saul, God knew Samuel did not know what David looked like, and that Samuel would see others he believed, based on appearance, would be the one God wanted anointed. God showed him that He was not looking at the “what”, who appeared strong enough to be King, rather He was looking at the “why”, which was David’s heart. “When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD's anointed stands here before the LORD." But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:6-7.
No matter how righteous the act seems, the “why” counts. "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” Matthew 6:1.
Giving to the needy and praying are wonderful, but as with all actions, good or bad, God is looking at the “why”. If your goal is to look good to others, and you brag about what you have done to make others think you are, then you achieve the only goal you wanted. Looking good to others is the reward you receive because God knows He was not the “why” for your action. "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Matthew 6:2-6.
To be in line with what God wants, no matter the action, throw all justifications aside and look at the “why”. Justification only comes after the action, although we frequently justify before we examine the “why”. God does not operate as we do, seen by the fact that some killings are “unintentional” and some of our good actions are not rewarded by Him because our intention was to please others.
With any action, ask yourself “why” you are doing it. To look good? Out of anger for the past? To further your position by blaming the other side? Do you really believe what you say or are you just reacting to the other side? Why are you praying or giving?
When you discern the true answers, remember no matter what your justification, you cannot fool your Creator. Out of fear of self-condemnation, we avoid the “why”. Pay attention to that realization. If “what” you are doing is pure, there would be no fear of any condemnation at all. Avoiding the truth for fear of playing the “fool” is a guise to prove our correctness to others and blinds us from the real truth.
God always sees the “why”, so the real truth is we were playing the “fool” all along.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
"What is man that you make so much of him, that you give him so much attention, that you examine him every morning and test him every moment?” Job 7:17-18.
One way to examine ourselves is to watch other people’s actions. While watching the news, we ask how anyone could be capable of committing such horrible acts. Through an unrecognized period of self-reflection, we reassure ourselves that we are not capable of acting that way, and we question “how” someone could have done something so horrific. Outwardly we verbalize the question as a “why” because society tells us “how” means we are asking for instructions in order to act the same way.
On smaller scales this practice occurs. When someone wrongs us in the smallest of ways, we ask “why?” This is an instinct that comes from our Creator. God is the One looking at the “why” whether the act is good or bad.
We run from the “why” in our own actions to avoid self-condemnation, and the appearance of “playing the fool”. In turn, we justify our actions. If we hurt someone, we tell ourselves the person had it coming by reminding others the number of times the person hurt us before. In turn, justification becomes the excuse to avoid the “why”.
Through that justification, we ignore the opportunity for self-reflection. We take the focus off of our own wrong action, and we act as if the person we harmed is the one continuing to harm us through our own action. Put simply, I hurt you because you hurt me before. As my justification, I tell you I would not have done this if you had not hurt me first. In blaming you, I use what you have done to justify what I am doing.
God knows this reaction. He cautioned us that He is not looking at the “what” we are doing before He looks at the “why”. At the moment we realize God is looking at the “why” of our actions, we justify our actions to Him, and we state those justifications without giving them thought. If we gave our justifications thought while spilling them out to God, we would ask ourselves, “whom are we trying to fool?”
We may fool people, we cannot fool God. He knew our actions and defenses before they ever existed. While we work to plead our case to Him, He is piercing through our hearts examining the true “why”. He does not see you hurt someone because they hurt you, He sees you hurt someone out of anger and revenge for past wrongs. He does not see that you believe in your position; He sees you advance it to silence your opposition. “I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve." Jeremiah 17:10.
Throughout the Bible, we see stories where He judges the “why”. If not, unintentional killings would not be mentioned. “Then the LORD said to Joshua: "Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood.” When he flees to one of these cities, he is to stand in the entrance of the city gate and state his case before the elders of that city. Then they are to admit him into their city and give him a place to live with them. If the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not surrender the one accused, because he killed his neighbor unintentionally and without malice aforethought.” Joshua 20:1-5.
Even in our own actions as Christians, God cautions us to look at the “why”. When Samuel was to anoint David as King after God rejected Saul, God knew Samuel did not know what David looked like, and that Samuel would see others he believed, based on appearance, would be the one God wanted anointed. God showed him that He was not looking at the “what”, who appeared strong enough to be King, rather He was looking at the “why”, which was David’s heart. “When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD's anointed stands here before the LORD." But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:6-7.
No matter how righteous the act seems, the “why” counts. "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” Matthew 6:1.
Giving to the needy and praying are wonderful, but as with all actions, good or bad, God is looking at the “why”. If your goal is to look good to others, and you brag about what you have done to make others think you are, then you achieve the only goal you wanted. Looking good to others is the reward you receive because God knows He was not the “why” for your action. "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Matthew 6:2-6.
To be in line with what God wants, no matter the action, throw all justifications aside and look at the “why”. Justification only comes after the action, although we frequently justify before we examine the “why”. God does not operate as we do, seen by the fact that some killings are “unintentional” and some of our good actions are not rewarded by Him because our intention was to please others.
With any action, ask yourself “why” you are doing it. To look good? Out of anger for the past? To further your position by blaming the other side? Do you really believe what you say or are you just reacting to the other side? Why are you praying or giving?
When you discern the true answers, remember no matter what your justification, you cannot fool your Creator. Out of fear of self-condemnation, we avoid the “why”. Pay attention to that realization. If “what” you are doing is pure, there would be no fear of any condemnation at all. Avoiding the truth for fear of playing the “fool” is a guise to prove our correctness to others and blinds us from the real truth.
God always sees the “why”, so the real truth is we were playing the “fool” all along.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Courage of Conviction...
July 8, 2009
“A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.” Luke 6:40.
In our society, the majority opinion is what is called the popular opinion. People tend to buy into the “strength in numbers” argument. While it may work for political elections, Christians can tell you that it does not work so well in other areas of life.
That is because we were not designed to go along with the majority. Yet, popular opinion tries to convince us to. The end result is a person afraid to speak out for fear of being unpopular. While many will bow to this fear, those walking in the Holy Spirit will not. The reason is that, like our Teacher has shown us by example, the majority is not always right. Secondly, God does not use the spirit of fear to quiet us. “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7.
If it were, then Jesus’ time would have been spent here on Earth agreeing with the Pharisees, who were greater in number. His example shows us that real truth sometimes comes up through one person against a multitude of others. The lesson that is taught is one of remembering whom you are truly serving, and how to have courage against the ones you are not. “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28. Always remember the enemy knows this line of thinking very well.
As humans, when we think of standing up against the majority, we think of days gone by where whites were segregated from blacks and we think of those who fought against it. Moreover, we know God was at work in that situation and those who fought back credit Him accordingly. However, that is one of the most positive extreme examples, and humans align with the extreme. Thank goodness people align with the extreme because it allows them to make change. God knew as much which is why the examples in the Bible seem so extreme. He is our Creator and knows how to talk to us. However, we become familiar with our own extreme examples, such as our historical ones like the defeat of segregation. At that moment we define our own expectations, and in the future, if we do not see the extreme example coming that we expect, we will let our guard down.
Knowing our guard is down; the enemy will not appear as extreme. He will appear as he usually does, the “wolf in sheep’s clothing”. The truth is that having courage to step forward does not always come in extreme situations, and disputes between Christians are a prime example.
The enemy has a primary goal in mind. If he can convince Christians to focus on the argument instead of bringing their positions to God, they will continue to fight. He works hard to disguise himself to keep this conflict going. Should one Christian realize they are falling victim to his attacks, they would turn back and correct the problem, and that is the last thing he wants. To accomplish his objective he throws the sins of self-righteousness, pride, and arrogance upon them. In this manner, the two fighting a battle have less of a chance to remember it is God whom they are both fighting for, and less of a chance to call out the enemy’s attacks to each other and work to end the fight. This way, one of the sides believes they are an enemy to the other, and the real instigator slips out the door. Even if one side accuses the other of allowing the “devil” to get to him or her, in this sense they are doing it in a judgmental fashion out of line with God’s word. Only the devil can convince you to fall and then blame the other side for allowing the devil to use them to get you to. And that is how he works, a true “wolf in sheep’s clothing”.
Christians have a hard time believing that the devil can use their actions and words against other Christians. Remember when Satan tempted Jesus in the desert he did it by quoting correct scripture that Jesus knew was taken out of context. And the devil will convince a Christian they are in line with a scripture and tell them to quote it in defense of themselves. The problem is that they have bought into self-righteousness and even worse, they are claiming to do it in God’s name.
Meanwhile, the Holy Spirit is in there with the entirety of God’s word available to both parties, and when revealed through Him the context is sincere, just as Jesus quoted correct scripture in context back to Satan defeating his temptation. However, the usual human reaction is to ignore listening to the Spirit’s conviction, allow yourself to get defensive and act in self-rightouesness to prove how Christian you really are. This is a self-defeating prophecy for many reasons, the primary one being that self-rightouesness is a sin. At this moment, the focus is taken off of Jesus.
Victory in the battle comes from the ability to look back to Jesus and accept His teachings even if it means we have to admit we are wrong. Jesus did not need to prove His relationship with God to anyone. Why else would He spend more time with sinners than those who considered themselves righteous? He could have been self-righteous and debated with those who claimed to be truly in God’s name, but what good would that have done? Jesus, as the Son of God, knew how not to let the devil get a foothold, and debating with those who claim to know everything would have let good become wasted on the hardest of hearts. He knew where to go in God’s name, and it was not to those who would allow themselves to fall victim to pride and self-righteousness. God is aware whether or not you are working to please others, and that when you do you forget about Him, no matter what it is you are doing. “On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Mark 2:17.
When we buy into the enemy’s argument, he knows his actions caused one Christian to judge another wrongly, but as the true “wolf in sheep’s clothing” that he is, he does not stop there. After this point, he goes to the Christian who was judged and whispers to them, “See you are not really a Christian. There are more of them than there are of you. They are the Christians, and see how judgmental they are being? It does not feel good to follow God does it? If they act this way, then maybe you are wrong for trying to be like them.” This is his “majority rules” argument. In turn, once again, the focus is taken off of Jesus. If the person feeling alone in their conviction would remember to look at Jesus, they would see that majority in no way rules. If it did, we would all be in a lot of trouble and subject to death from sin with no power of forgiveness.
Jesus faced a horrible majority that not only belittled His teachings, but led Him to a horrible death. In doing this, the enemy’s worst fear was confirmed. It was the One speaking out against the majority, and seeking the lost, that defeated him. Satan tried to tell Jesus that one man could not take on the sins of mankind with his “majority rules” argument. However, Jesus, as the Holy and Perfect Son of God, knew better. Satan lost that argument and sealed his own fate in the meantime.
Staying in line with your Teacher’s example means that you speak out in the toughest of circumstances including the times others are persecuting you in the name of God. If you are truly Spirit led and following God, then you have no fear that your conviction is wrong. “In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me? All day long they twist my words; they are always plotting to harm me.” Psalm 56:4-5.
It is important to remember as Christians that we are to aspire to have a stronger relationship with God. There is a process going on between the believer and God, and when you act in judgment you allow the enemy to step forward and convince the judged to fall off of their walk with God because they are not worthy. “Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.” Romans 14:1-4.
A “disputable matter” is something that you both are doing in the name of God but you are not in the same agreement on based on His word. Because we are not to judge on “disputable matters” based on God’s instruction, the enemy runs rampant trying to get us to. Falling victim to his attack allows for us to fall into the sins of self-rightouesness and pride. When those sins are committed among believers, we can all suffer for it. “The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.” Ecclesiastes 7:8.
Only Satan could convince true Christians to turn against each other. More often than not, the one who believes assuredly and voices their belief outwardly in judgment of another, is usually the one falling victim to believing they are in line with God’s word even though through their actions they are not practicing it. Satan has tempted them to believe they are in line with God’s word through their actions, as he tried to convince Jesus to do, and he is clouding the believer’s judgment so they will not apply the words that belong in the true context. However, our Teacher applied the right words in the context when responding to Satan in the desert, and we are to work to be like Him, rather than worrying about working to be popular and correct.
According to God, you are one in the Body of Christ. “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” Romans 12:3-5.
The enemy’s temptations are so great, and to truly defeat him we need each other to do so. If the enemy did not know that fact, he would not be attempt to turn us against one another. In turn, God tells us to encourage and rebuke each other to keep us on track serving Him and defeating the enemy attacks. “These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority.” Titus 2:15. Instead of becoming defensive and aligning yourself with the self-righteous, it is better to allow pride to fall by the wayside. Letting go of pride is easy when you know you are truly serving God and no one else. In this way, you know you are working to serve Him because you have let go of your appearance to others. What truly matters is whom is following a Spirit conviction with no fear for the attack of any man. That is a confidence level that is beyond description, but Praise to God is available to all.
Before you engage in the “but I do more for God” argument, remember that God desires “mercy, not sacrifice”. Hosea 6:6. You can sacrifice all your time in His name for others, but if you are being unmerciful in your own life to someone else, then you are not in line with what He wants. Jesus clarified this for you. Out of the Ten Commandments which did He say were the greatest? "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Matthew 22:36-39.
What we think we know does not matter. We can spend millions of dollars on charities and many hours helping others in God’s name, but if you are acting unmercifully in your own life and standing in judgment of someone else, you are falling away from God’s message. The reason you are out of line is because God would not want you to act unmercifully to any one, even if you are working to show the world how giving you are. When you forget that point, you are attempting to fool the only One who matters, God. God knows what all you are doing, have done, and are not doing. And the person you are acting unmercifully to is one of His children also, no matter how many others whom you are helping in the meantime.
When you know something is out of line with God’s word, and that it is a Christian who is engaging in the act, you have a responsibility. Your responsibility is not to judge, but to come to them personally and try to reach them. If the person acts in judgment on what you are saying, rest assured that your own actions have been in line with God’s commands. "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 18:15-18.
Remember, as far as it depends on you individually, you are to live at peace with everyone. When you stand before God, you will face accountability for your actions. “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Romans 12:18.
Let us all remember His words as a whole in these difficult moments. We are all different, but only one Holy Spirit dwells within us. He will let you know what to do in each situation, if you are asking for His advice and not taking the world in your own hands. Sometimes, we may not like the answer and we may have to admit we have fallen to an enemy attack. However, it is better to get back up and turn the focus on God, than it is to work to win a fight against someone else knowing it is the devil’s desire for you do so. “No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer. 2 Timothy 2:4.
Christians should hold each other to a higher standard, but just as God corrects those whom He loves, we should aspire to do so in a loving way just as our Teacher. Never let the enemy convince you that you are not on the same team. With the same Spirit dwelling inside of you clearly you are fighting for the same God. “Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.” Romans 14:13. What you may not see as an obstacle may be a very real obstacle to someone else. Believing that statement is false, is a refusal to look past yourself, and allows for self-rightouesness to set in.
Most of all remember the Holy Spirit’s true message.
It is not the ease of acceptance among men, but the courage of conviction to serve your God that matters most.
“A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.” Luke 6:40.
In our society, the majority opinion is what is called the popular opinion. People tend to buy into the “strength in numbers” argument. While it may work for political elections, Christians can tell you that it does not work so well in other areas of life.
That is because we were not designed to go along with the majority. Yet, popular opinion tries to convince us to. The end result is a person afraid to speak out for fear of being unpopular. While many will bow to this fear, those walking in the Holy Spirit will not. The reason is that, like our Teacher has shown us by example, the majority is not always right. Secondly, God does not use the spirit of fear to quiet us. “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7.
If it were, then Jesus’ time would have been spent here on Earth agreeing with the Pharisees, who were greater in number. His example shows us that real truth sometimes comes up through one person against a multitude of others. The lesson that is taught is one of remembering whom you are truly serving, and how to have courage against the ones you are not. “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28. Always remember the enemy knows this line of thinking very well.
As humans, when we think of standing up against the majority, we think of days gone by where whites were segregated from blacks and we think of those who fought against it. Moreover, we know God was at work in that situation and those who fought back credit Him accordingly. However, that is one of the most positive extreme examples, and humans align with the extreme. Thank goodness people align with the extreme because it allows them to make change. God knew as much which is why the examples in the Bible seem so extreme. He is our Creator and knows how to talk to us. However, we become familiar with our own extreme examples, such as our historical ones like the defeat of segregation. At that moment we define our own expectations, and in the future, if we do not see the extreme example coming that we expect, we will let our guard down.
Knowing our guard is down; the enemy will not appear as extreme. He will appear as he usually does, the “wolf in sheep’s clothing”. The truth is that having courage to step forward does not always come in extreme situations, and disputes between Christians are a prime example.
The enemy has a primary goal in mind. If he can convince Christians to focus on the argument instead of bringing their positions to God, they will continue to fight. He works hard to disguise himself to keep this conflict going. Should one Christian realize they are falling victim to his attacks, they would turn back and correct the problem, and that is the last thing he wants. To accomplish his objective he throws the sins of self-righteousness, pride, and arrogance upon them. In this manner, the two fighting a battle have less of a chance to remember it is God whom they are both fighting for, and less of a chance to call out the enemy’s attacks to each other and work to end the fight. This way, one of the sides believes they are an enemy to the other, and the real instigator slips out the door. Even if one side accuses the other of allowing the “devil” to get to him or her, in this sense they are doing it in a judgmental fashion out of line with God’s word. Only the devil can convince you to fall and then blame the other side for allowing the devil to use them to get you to. And that is how he works, a true “wolf in sheep’s clothing”.
Christians have a hard time believing that the devil can use their actions and words against other Christians. Remember when Satan tempted Jesus in the desert he did it by quoting correct scripture that Jesus knew was taken out of context. And the devil will convince a Christian they are in line with a scripture and tell them to quote it in defense of themselves. The problem is that they have bought into self-righteousness and even worse, they are claiming to do it in God’s name.
Meanwhile, the Holy Spirit is in there with the entirety of God’s word available to both parties, and when revealed through Him the context is sincere, just as Jesus quoted correct scripture in context back to Satan defeating his temptation. However, the usual human reaction is to ignore listening to the Spirit’s conviction, allow yourself to get defensive and act in self-rightouesness to prove how Christian you really are. This is a self-defeating prophecy for many reasons, the primary one being that self-rightouesness is a sin. At this moment, the focus is taken off of Jesus.
Victory in the battle comes from the ability to look back to Jesus and accept His teachings even if it means we have to admit we are wrong. Jesus did not need to prove His relationship with God to anyone. Why else would He spend more time with sinners than those who considered themselves righteous? He could have been self-righteous and debated with those who claimed to be truly in God’s name, but what good would that have done? Jesus, as the Son of God, knew how not to let the devil get a foothold, and debating with those who claim to know everything would have let good become wasted on the hardest of hearts. He knew where to go in God’s name, and it was not to those who would allow themselves to fall victim to pride and self-righteousness. God is aware whether or not you are working to please others, and that when you do you forget about Him, no matter what it is you are doing. “On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Mark 2:17.
When we buy into the enemy’s argument, he knows his actions caused one Christian to judge another wrongly, but as the true “wolf in sheep’s clothing” that he is, he does not stop there. After this point, he goes to the Christian who was judged and whispers to them, “See you are not really a Christian. There are more of them than there are of you. They are the Christians, and see how judgmental they are being? It does not feel good to follow God does it? If they act this way, then maybe you are wrong for trying to be like them.” This is his “majority rules” argument. In turn, once again, the focus is taken off of Jesus. If the person feeling alone in their conviction would remember to look at Jesus, they would see that majority in no way rules. If it did, we would all be in a lot of trouble and subject to death from sin with no power of forgiveness.
Jesus faced a horrible majority that not only belittled His teachings, but led Him to a horrible death. In doing this, the enemy’s worst fear was confirmed. It was the One speaking out against the majority, and seeking the lost, that defeated him. Satan tried to tell Jesus that one man could not take on the sins of mankind with his “majority rules” argument. However, Jesus, as the Holy and Perfect Son of God, knew better. Satan lost that argument and sealed his own fate in the meantime.
Staying in line with your Teacher’s example means that you speak out in the toughest of circumstances including the times others are persecuting you in the name of God. If you are truly Spirit led and following God, then you have no fear that your conviction is wrong. “In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me? All day long they twist my words; they are always plotting to harm me.” Psalm 56:4-5.
It is important to remember as Christians that we are to aspire to have a stronger relationship with God. There is a process going on between the believer and God, and when you act in judgment you allow the enemy to step forward and convince the judged to fall off of their walk with God because they are not worthy. “Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.” Romans 14:1-4.
A “disputable matter” is something that you both are doing in the name of God but you are not in the same agreement on based on His word. Because we are not to judge on “disputable matters” based on God’s instruction, the enemy runs rampant trying to get us to. Falling victim to his attack allows for us to fall into the sins of self-rightouesness and pride. When those sins are committed among believers, we can all suffer for it. “The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.” Ecclesiastes 7:8.
Only Satan could convince true Christians to turn against each other. More often than not, the one who believes assuredly and voices their belief outwardly in judgment of another, is usually the one falling victim to believing they are in line with God’s word even though through their actions they are not practicing it. Satan has tempted them to believe they are in line with God’s word through their actions, as he tried to convince Jesus to do, and he is clouding the believer’s judgment so they will not apply the words that belong in the true context. However, our Teacher applied the right words in the context when responding to Satan in the desert, and we are to work to be like Him, rather than worrying about working to be popular and correct.
According to God, you are one in the Body of Christ. “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” Romans 12:3-5.
The enemy’s temptations are so great, and to truly defeat him we need each other to do so. If the enemy did not know that fact, he would not be attempt to turn us against one another. In turn, God tells us to encourage and rebuke each other to keep us on track serving Him and defeating the enemy attacks. “These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority.” Titus 2:15. Instead of becoming defensive and aligning yourself with the self-righteous, it is better to allow pride to fall by the wayside. Letting go of pride is easy when you know you are truly serving God and no one else. In this way, you know you are working to serve Him because you have let go of your appearance to others. What truly matters is whom is following a Spirit conviction with no fear for the attack of any man. That is a confidence level that is beyond description, but Praise to God is available to all.
Before you engage in the “but I do more for God” argument, remember that God desires “mercy, not sacrifice”. Hosea 6:6. You can sacrifice all your time in His name for others, but if you are being unmerciful in your own life to someone else, then you are not in line with what He wants. Jesus clarified this for you. Out of the Ten Commandments which did He say were the greatest? "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Matthew 22:36-39.
What we think we know does not matter. We can spend millions of dollars on charities and many hours helping others in God’s name, but if you are acting unmercifully in your own life and standing in judgment of someone else, you are falling away from God’s message. The reason you are out of line is because God would not want you to act unmercifully to any one, even if you are working to show the world how giving you are. When you forget that point, you are attempting to fool the only One who matters, God. God knows what all you are doing, have done, and are not doing. And the person you are acting unmercifully to is one of His children also, no matter how many others whom you are helping in the meantime.
When you know something is out of line with God’s word, and that it is a Christian who is engaging in the act, you have a responsibility. Your responsibility is not to judge, but to come to them personally and try to reach them. If the person acts in judgment on what you are saying, rest assured that your own actions have been in line with God’s commands. "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 18:15-18.
Remember, as far as it depends on you individually, you are to live at peace with everyone. When you stand before God, you will face accountability for your actions. “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Romans 12:18.
Let us all remember His words as a whole in these difficult moments. We are all different, but only one Holy Spirit dwells within us. He will let you know what to do in each situation, if you are asking for His advice and not taking the world in your own hands. Sometimes, we may not like the answer and we may have to admit we have fallen to an enemy attack. However, it is better to get back up and turn the focus on God, than it is to work to win a fight against someone else knowing it is the devil’s desire for you do so. “No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer. 2 Timothy 2:4.
Christians should hold each other to a higher standard, but just as God corrects those whom He loves, we should aspire to do so in a loving way just as our Teacher. Never let the enemy convince you that you are not on the same team. With the same Spirit dwelling inside of you clearly you are fighting for the same God. “Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.” Romans 14:13. What you may not see as an obstacle may be a very real obstacle to someone else. Believing that statement is false, is a refusal to look past yourself, and allows for self-rightouesness to set in.
Most of all remember the Holy Spirit’s true message.
It is not the ease of acceptance among men, but the courage of conviction to serve your God that matters most.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Ebb and Flow...
July 6, 2009
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." Hebrews 13:8.
Humans generally do not like change. In our society people get depressed at the thought of what to watch on television during the Summer after their favorite show’s season finale. Even holidays get involved in our resistance to change. For example, New Years Day depresses many people who have become comfortable in the holiday season ranging from Halloween through Christmas. Most people will tell you change makes them uneasy.
Dependability, comfort, stability, and familiar surroundings are all great things. We feel firmly planted, assured of what to expect next. Ironically, as humans we seek more and more, whether relationships or things, even though our desire to increase brings about change. Additionally, with each increase there is a potential for decrease, and what counts at that moment is how you handle the transition. Sometimes we gain only to lose, and we must remember that the ebb draws in and the flow pours out, but the water remains the constant in both.
God created every thing and person in the universe. As the Creator of the human mind, He wired us to feel uncomfortable when we depend on things or people that can let us down. Knowing that an increase not secure in its stability could bring about instability, and a possibility of sin, He trained each of us to accept change that is good with strength to go the distance, but also to dislike change that will bring us harm. When we feel out of our element or as if we have lost control of a situation, warning signals arise within us. Our desire for increase cost us control, and we fear decrease if we cannot manage the situation.
Those of us who have put all of our trust in people time and again only to suffer horrible consequences have spent a great deal of time blaming other people. What we cannot see is that it is our own wiring that is causing us to feel uncomfortable to the point of anger. God never intended for us to trust each other more than we trust Him. Put simply, we should have never increased on our own without placing the increase in His hands, along with the possibility for decrease. The idea was not part of a master plan to cause discomfort and pain, but rather because as the magnificent programmer of the mind, God knew that humans are prone to sin and will continually let each other down, and the world around us will too.
As it is with many of life’s downfalls, God gives us an out. We have Him, the Creator of dependability and stability and a promise that He will never change. With the Creator of everything good, who only gives us His best and nothing less, God made sure that we had the ability to learn that He is the One and only One that we can trust. “Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.” 2 Corinthians 1:9.
No man can give us the good things that God gives us no matter how much we trust in them. Regardless of all your efforts, anything worldly can be lost in an instant. It is an idea of love and protection to guard His children’s hearts. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17.
When we learn to put Him before our relationships and our situations, our increases and decreases, and trust Him to guide us and handle each one for us, we have a guarantee of success. “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:17. That does not mean that we can do whatever we like on our own and burden ourselves with someone or something that we know is not good for us. Instead, it means if we are truly putting God first, and trusting Him with each part of our life and future, that His guidance will warn us not to engage in any relationship or behavior that can harm us. Remember, when you give Him everything in your life, His best is what you get.
For those of us who do put God first, knowing that He has guided us into a wonderful relationship or circumstance, some of us will still suffer some type of tragic event such as a death or horrible injury. Here is where you trusted Him with the increase, but you decreased anyway. The decrease does not mean that something in His name is not holding together. We have to remember that He sees our life as a fraction of our existence and He can see all of eternity. Success will be there, you just cannot see it.
The next step is to trust Him with the decrease. This is where we have to remember that giving God your all means giving Him the horrible tragedy too, and trust that He knows what He is doing. He can see the moment in His mind where you will meet up with that loved one in Heaven one day and have a reunion so full of love and holiness that we cannot imagine, but will last forever. He knows that the horrible injury will be used to save hundreds of people and bring them to Him through your testimony about His comfort during your time of trouble. He knows how horrible Hell is and how each soul that goes there is lost forever.
Remembering these points is easier said than done, understandably, and He knows as much. And when we grieve, He is grieving with us knowing that He cannot tell us yet about the glorious reunion or all the saved souls. That is when we look upward and know that through our grief He is with us, and with our loss He will redeem us. “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10.
Relying on God even when you have been let down by another person or suffered a tragic event, means you are completely trusting Him with the increase and decrease. Whether you made a mistake in not trusting Him before and ended up in a broken relationship or whether you have suffered a loss even in a Godly relationship, He will restore you with His strength. Although He cannot tell you all that He knows to comfort you, remember again His best is what you will get. God is speaking to you through actions, not just comforting words. His purpose will prevail, and when you are trusting in Him even in the bad, it will ultimately be for your benefit. “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11.
Reading about people in the Bible who suffered tragic circumstances and still remained faithful while praising God for their downfalls may sound extreme, but that is God’s way of telling you that you can rest assured in His strength and His victory. Moreover, He is showing you the danger of relying on others to provide you with either. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:6.
When facing the ebb or decrease, we should remember that one decrease in our lives that we trust Him to handle will result in a flow that we cannot imagine. Your trust pushes that wave further back into the sea, and He will return a flow of abundance and peace in your soul that is beyond any worldly description. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” Isaiah 43:2.
Never doubt His ability to handle any force in your life whether it is an increase or decrease. “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.” James 1:5-8.
Rather than allow yourself to feel like the wave that is being drawn back and forth, concentrate on Him. If you do, you will realize that the water is the constant in the ebb and the flow. However, the stability is not just in knowing the water is the constant, but in knowing that with the ebb comes the flow, and whether it is the increase or decrease occurring, and no matter how strong the pull, remember the real truth.
God can handle either.
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." Hebrews 13:8.
Humans generally do not like change. In our society people get depressed at the thought of what to watch on television during the Summer after their favorite show’s season finale. Even holidays get involved in our resistance to change. For example, New Years Day depresses many people who have become comfortable in the holiday season ranging from Halloween through Christmas. Most people will tell you change makes them uneasy.
Dependability, comfort, stability, and familiar surroundings are all great things. We feel firmly planted, assured of what to expect next. Ironically, as humans we seek more and more, whether relationships or things, even though our desire to increase brings about change. Additionally, with each increase there is a potential for decrease, and what counts at that moment is how you handle the transition. Sometimes we gain only to lose, and we must remember that the ebb draws in and the flow pours out, but the water remains the constant in both.
God created every thing and person in the universe. As the Creator of the human mind, He wired us to feel uncomfortable when we depend on things or people that can let us down. Knowing that an increase not secure in its stability could bring about instability, and a possibility of sin, He trained each of us to accept change that is good with strength to go the distance, but also to dislike change that will bring us harm. When we feel out of our element or as if we have lost control of a situation, warning signals arise within us. Our desire for increase cost us control, and we fear decrease if we cannot manage the situation.
Those of us who have put all of our trust in people time and again only to suffer horrible consequences have spent a great deal of time blaming other people. What we cannot see is that it is our own wiring that is causing us to feel uncomfortable to the point of anger. God never intended for us to trust each other more than we trust Him. Put simply, we should have never increased on our own without placing the increase in His hands, along with the possibility for decrease. The idea was not part of a master plan to cause discomfort and pain, but rather because as the magnificent programmer of the mind, God knew that humans are prone to sin and will continually let each other down, and the world around us will too.
As it is with many of life’s downfalls, God gives us an out. We have Him, the Creator of dependability and stability and a promise that He will never change. With the Creator of everything good, who only gives us His best and nothing less, God made sure that we had the ability to learn that He is the One and only One that we can trust. “Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.” 2 Corinthians 1:9.
No man can give us the good things that God gives us no matter how much we trust in them. Regardless of all your efforts, anything worldly can be lost in an instant. It is an idea of love and protection to guard His children’s hearts. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17.
When we learn to put Him before our relationships and our situations, our increases and decreases, and trust Him to guide us and handle each one for us, we have a guarantee of success. “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:17. That does not mean that we can do whatever we like on our own and burden ourselves with someone or something that we know is not good for us. Instead, it means if we are truly putting God first, and trusting Him with each part of our life and future, that His guidance will warn us not to engage in any relationship or behavior that can harm us. Remember, when you give Him everything in your life, His best is what you get.
For those of us who do put God first, knowing that He has guided us into a wonderful relationship or circumstance, some of us will still suffer some type of tragic event such as a death or horrible injury. Here is where you trusted Him with the increase, but you decreased anyway. The decrease does not mean that something in His name is not holding together. We have to remember that He sees our life as a fraction of our existence and He can see all of eternity. Success will be there, you just cannot see it.
The next step is to trust Him with the decrease. This is where we have to remember that giving God your all means giving Him the horrible tragedy too, and trust that He knows what He is doing. He can see the moment in His mind where you will meet up with that loved one in Heaven one day and have a reunion so full of love and holiness that we cannot imagine, but will last forever. He knows that the horrible injury will be used to save hundreds of people and bring them to Him through your testimony about His comfort during your time of trouble. He knows how horrible Hell is and how each soul that goes there is lost forever.
Remembering these points is easier said than done, understandably, and He knows as much. And when we grieve, He is grieving with us knowing that He cannot tell us yet about the glorious reunion or all the saved souls. That is when we look upward and know that through our grief He is with us, and with our loss He will redeem us. “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10.
Relying on God even when you have been let down by another person or suffered a tragic event, means you are completely trusting Him with the increase and decrease. Whether you made a mistake in not trusting Him before and ended up in a broken relationship or whether you have suffered a loss even in a Godly relationship, He will restore you with His strength. Although He cannot tell you all that He knows to comfort you, remember again His best is what you will get. God is speaking to you through actions, not just comforting words. His purpose will prevail, and when you are trusting in Him even in the bad, it will ultimately be for your benefit. “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11.
Reading about people in the Bible who suffered tragic circumstances and still remained faithful while praising God for their downfalls may sound extreme, but that is God’s way of telling you that you can rest assured in His strength and His victory. Moreover, He is showing you the danger of relying on others to provide you with either. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:6.
When facing the ebb or decrease, we should remember that one decrease in our lives that we trust Him to handle will result in a flow that we cannot imagine. Your trust pushes that wave further back into the sea, and He will return a flow of abundance and peace in your soul that is beyond any worldly description. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” Isaiah 43:2.
Never doubt His ability to handle any force in your life whether it is an increase or decrease. “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.” James 1:5-8.
Rather than allow yourself to feel like the wave that is being drawn back and forth, concentrate on Him. If you do, you will realize that the water is the constant in the ebb and the flow. However, the stability is not just in knowing the water is the constant, but in knowing that with the ebb comes the flow, and whether it is the increase or decrease occurring, and no matter how strong the pull, remember the real truth.
God can handle either.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
The Perfect Storm...
July 5, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30.
The idea of Christianity as a “feel good” religion where everything will go “perfectly” once you commit is a common misperception. That misperception is what leads many people to go to church; however, it is also the very idea that will ultimately drive some of them away.
The person who is driven away is frequently the one who buys into the idea of Christianity thinking their life will be perfect. Once they see that things do not work that way, they wonder why the wasted the time. Those walking the Earth today can look around and see that things are not easy, and many actions are never construed as “light”. Many Christians will fall victim to the misperception of a perfect life, and when something bad happens feel as though the rug has been yanked out from under them.
At that moment the enemy seizes the opportunity and shows that person other people around them that seem never to experience the bad things in life. The goal is to get the person to think that one of two things is taking place: either God is punishing them for a wrong they have committed or He does not care about them at all. The person feels isolated and is convinced no one understands their suffering, and for that reason will not turn to others for help. Most important is the fact that they also will no longer turn to God.
The true promise of Christianity is that even when the troubling times occur, we have someone to bear the burden for us. In fact, Jesus Christ has already demonstrated He was willing to take on the burdens of mankind.
He tells us that His “yoke is easy” and His “burden is light”. At the time this was stated, a “yoke” was defined as a Rabbi’s teachings. During Jesus’ time believers in God were Jewish, including Jesus. The Rabbi was the religious teacher. Their teachings or “yokes” were full of laws and rules for the believer to follow.
By the end of the Old Testament, prior to Jesus’ time, God was giving clear indications that people were worried about following the law in His name, but had forgotten to have a relationship with Him. No matter how high you were thought of religiously, and regardless of how many scriptures could be quoted from a person, more was required. Without a relationship with God, those following His law alone would fall into sins of self-righteousness and hypocrisy. “Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: "The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.” Matthew 23:1-4.
By the end of the Old Testament, you get the feeling God was about to do something big to change everything. “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” Hosea 6:6.
Beginning in the New Testament, we can see that is exactly what God did. He sent Jesus to Earth to remind those serving God what they had really forgotten, and to offer His life as the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of all mankind, past, present and future. Obeying God’s law required more than just showing up and speaking quotations. Practicing rituals and memorizing scripture was not enough. For many it became a job, and the emotional attachment was missing.
Jesus knew that we should follow the law with a love for God and others in mind. "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:36-40. Those two come first.
Followers of Jesus and future Christians would accept His teachings and His “yoke”. The problem returns when the believer is convinced that His “yoke” is not “light”. This is where the person finds themselves at the right restaurant to eat, but they are ordering an item that is not on the menu. "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33. The absence of trouble was never a promise of Christianity.
Jesus Himself told us we would have trouble. Throughout the Bible we are also told not to worry and not to fear. If the point of Christianity was to have a easy and perfect life, then God would not need to bother with those words of advice. If everything was going to be wonderful and no one could fall into sin, there would be no need for Him to allow His Son to die. As a Father who encompasses everything perfect Himself, and who cannot be a hypocrite or enjoy pain in any sense, He sent His Son to die a horrible death to show the world the true victory in our alleged defeat.
Those troubles that cause you to be “weary” and feel “burdened” should be brought to Jesus. That “yoke” is about more than rules to live by to carry out God’s law. It is a promise of forgiveness and hope combined with knowledge that you are no longer alone in your troubles. Instead of memorizing the solution, it is actually explained to you.
In His word, God provides us with examples of Jesus helping those who were burdened by trouble. Even Jesus’ own disciples and closest followers’ stories are contained in those examples. Through historical stories of people He told to write His word and through understanding provided by the Holy Spirit, we see life through each sentence, each movement, each doubt, each hope, and each revelation.
Take for example the story where Peter walked on water. Jesus said to Peter, “Come”. Matthew 14:29. Then we are told that through tremendous faith Peter “got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.” Matthew 14:29.
While walking towards Jesus and focusing only on Him his objective faith with no predisposed notions was walking for God. However, the subjective faith of the world hits us with fear and we are told, “But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Matthew 14:30.
At that moment Peter knew he was in trouble and he asked for help. At the moment Peter brought his fear and trouble to Jesus, we are told what Jesus did in return. “Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.” Matthew 14:31. This was a lesson of faith.
The best position to be in is to take on Jesus’ yoke with the knowledge that you will have trouble but with an overwhelming confidence in your faith with hope that through Jesus you can overcome. The earlier you do the better off you will be. God is a God of preparation. From early in our time, He had specific instructions for battle, for building the Tabernacle, for building the Temple, and for other future events that had yet to unfold. Even today, He prepares believers through His Word what problems to expect, but as the loving Father that He is, He provides the way out of them.
Preparing in advance teaches us how to expect trouble and overcome it, and who to cry out to, like Peter, when we fall. Rather than giving us a perfect life, we learn how to live life in its entirely with full assurance of hope in God’s power to help us. "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." Matthew 7:24-27.
Without the opposite occurring in our own lives we would never know what we need. You do not realize that you have peace if you have never had trouble. You realize you have peace only after you have had to seek it when everything is going wrong. In the hard moments, you realize your need for it because you are feeling the other side of life without it. God’s perfect strength in those troubled times is what leads us to feel His peace and realize there we do not have to worry or fear anything. In the end, it is His victory and purpose that prevail. A loving Father would not want you to have peace only in perfection, but He would want you to have peace when you feel scared and alone.
He will take your burdens upon Himself, and provide you with strength you cannot imagine. That is why we are told He will give us “rest”. He is willing to do the work for you. The first step is the one and only step you must take: you have to ask. Not that everything will be perfect, but you will have tremendous hope and strength in the meantime. At the end, you have the knowledge that you will prevail.
A yoke that does not tell us the storms will not occur, but is complete in strength, assured of its victory and abounding in love.
That is a yoke worth the storm.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30.
The idea of Christianity as a “feel good” religion where everything will go “perfectly” once you commit is a common misperception. That misperception is what leads many people to go to church; however, it is also the very idea that will ultimately drive some of them away.
The person who is driven away is frequently the one who buys into the idea of Christianity thinking their life will be perfect. Once they see that things do not work that way, they wonder why the wasted the time. Those walking the Earth today can look around and see that things are not easy, and many actions are never construed as “light”. Many Christians will fall victim to the misperception of a perfect life, and when something bad happens feel as though the rug has been yanked out from under them.
At that moment the enemy seizes the opportunity and shows that person other people around them that seem never to experience the bad things in life. The goal is to get the person to think that one of two things is taking place: either God is punishing them for a wrong they have committed or He does not care about them at all. The person feels isolated and is convinced no one understands their suffering, and for that reason will not turn to others for help. Most important is the fact that they also will no longer turn to God.
The true promise of Christianity is that even when the troubling times occur, we have someone to bear the burden for us. In fact, Jesus Christ has already demonstrated He was willing to take on the burdens of mankind.
He tells us that His “yoke is easy” and His “burden is light”. At the time this was stated, a “yoke” was defined as a Rabbi’s teachings. During Jesus’ time believers in God were Jewish, including Jesus. The Rabbi was the religious teacher. Their teachings or “yokes” were full of laws and rules for the believer to follow.
By the end of the Old Testament, prior to Jesus’ time, God was giving clear indications that people were worried about following the law in His name, but had forgotten to have a relationship with Him. No matter how high you were thought of religiously, and regardless of how many scriptures could be quoted from a person, more was required. Without a relationship with God, those following His law alone would fall into sins of self-righteousness and hypocrisy. “Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: "The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.” Matthew 23:1-4.
By the end of the Old Testament, you get the feeling God was about to do something big to change everything. “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” Hosea 6:6.
Beginning in the New Testament, we can see that is exactly what God did. He sent Jesus to Earth to remind those serving God what they had really forgotten, and to offer His life as the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of all mankind, past, present and future. Obeying God’s law required more than just showing up and speaking quotations. Practicing rituals and memorizing scripture was not enough. For many it became a job, and the emotional attachment was missing.
Jesus knew that we should follow the law with a love for God and others in mind. "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:36-40. Those two come first.
Followers of Jesus and future Christians would accept His teachings and His “yoke”. The problem returns when the believer is convinced that His “yoke” is not “light”. This is where the person finds themselves at the right restaurant to eat, but they are ordering an item that is not on the menu. "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33. The absence of trouble was never a promise of Christianity.
Jesus Himself told us we would have trouble. Throughout the Bible we are also told not to worry and not to fear. If the point of Christianity was to have a easy and perfect life, then God would not need to bother with those words of advice. If everything was going to be wonderful and no one could fall into sin, there would be no need for Him to allow His Son to die. As a Father who encompasses everything perfect Himself, and who cannot be a hypocrite or enjoy pain in any sense, He sent His Son to die a horrible death to show the world the true victory in our alleged defeat.
Those troubles that cause you to be “weary” and feel “burdened” should be brought to Jesus. That “yoke” is about more than rules to live by to carry out God’s law. It is a promise of forgiveness and hope combined with knowledge that you are no longer alone in your troubles. Instead of memorizing the solution, it is actually explained to you.
In His word, God provides us with examples of Jesus helping those who were burdened by trouble. Even Jesus’ own disciples and closest followers’ stories are contained in those examples. Through historical stories of people He told to write His word and through understanding provided by the Holy Spirit, we see life through each sentence, each movement, each doubt, each hope, and each revelation.
Take for example the story where Peter walked on water. Jesus said to Peter, “Come”. Matthew 14:29. Then we are told that through tremendous faith Peter “got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.” Matthew 14:29.
While walking towards Jesus and focusing only on Him his objective faith with no predisposed notions was walking for God. However, the subjective faith of the world hits us with fear and we are told, “But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Matthew 14:30.
At that moment Peter knew he was in trouble and he asked for help. At the moment Peter brought his fear and trouble to Jesus, we are told what Jesus did in return. “Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.” Matthew 14:31. This was a lesson of faith.
The best position to be in is to take on Jesus’ yoke with the knowledge that you will have trouble but with an overwhelming confidence in your faith with hope that through Jesus you can overcome. The earlier you do the better off you will be. God is a God of preparation. From early in our time, He had specific instructions for battle, for building the Tabernacle, for building the Temple, and for other future events that had yet to unfold. Even today, He prepares believers through His Word what problems to expect, but as the loving Father that He is, He provides the way out of them.
Preparing in advance teaches us how to expect trouble and overcome it, and who to cry out to, like Peter, when we fall. Rather than giving us a perfect life, we learn how to live life in its entirely with full assurance of hope in God’s power to help us. "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." Matthew 7:24-27.
Without the opposite occurring in our own lives we would never know what we need. You do not realize that you have peace if you have never had trouble. You realize you have peace only after you have had to seek it when everything is going wrong. In the hard moments, you realize your need for it because you are feeling the other side of life without it. God’s perfect strength in those troubled times is what leads us to feel His peace and realize there we do not have to worry or fear anything. In the end, it is His victory and purpose that prevail. A loving Father would not want you to have peace only in perfection, but He would want you to have peace when you feel scared and alone.
He will take your burdens upon Himself, and provide you with strength you cannot imagine. That is why we are told He will give us “rest”. He is willing to do the work for you. The first step is the one and only step you must take: you have to ask. Not that everything will be perfect, but you will have tremendous hope and strength in the meantime. At the end, you have the knowledge that you will prevail.
A yoke that does not tell us the storms will not occur, but is complete in strength, assured of its victory and abounding in love.
That is a yoke worth the storm.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Taken to Extremes...
July 3, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.” 1 Timothy 1:15-16.
Humans thrive on extremes. Extremes are what capture attention and become the stories we are most likely to repeat. Yet when we are seeking understanding of a problematic event in our own lives, extremes are the last thing we usually want to hear. Rarely will a person think it is beneficial to hear an extreme of how much worse someone else’s story is than their own.
Ironically, those are the stories that will make us see our situations for what they really are. For example, if your problem is that you cannot afford something of great material worth, hearing a story about starving children overseas who have nothing material to their name will shed light on the importance of your own dilemma.
God knew long ago that those extremes would help us to understand His purpose in any situation, and allow us to apply it in our own lives. The Bible is full of stories that many would call extreme. Peter walked on water, Jesus fed 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish, and God parted the Red Sea for Moses and the Hebrews to cross and escape Egypt.
The enemy is skilled at getting others to think stories as extreme as those in the Bible could never apply to their own lives, but that is precisely why God knew the stories must be extreme. He created the human mind, and is aware that we are more likely to understand His purpose and benefit when we compare ourselves with those stories. Rest assured, that is the last thing your enemy wants to happen.
The stories people are convinced are too extreme to apply to us today are told to us for a reason. Life is a test of faith and forgiveness, and you will see those principles repeated throughout the Bible. Out of the many stories the one that is the most striking and the hardest for some to believe is the story of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. Among those who do believe, there are some who wonder why God would ever allow such an event to take place.
As complex and involved as the story of Jesus Christ is, God gave you the extreme for one important reason, and that is the ultimate demonstration of His love. That demonstration was to allow Himself to experience the pain to save your soul from the real extreme that you cannot see right now, an afterlife that would be spent in never ending torture completely separated from God.
Through a story so extreme in both its importance and its brutality, God shows us that even in our own problems, He is not watching us take on any suffering that He was not willing to bear Himself. Although we do not always know the reason for our suffering, He always knew the reason for His, and the reason was you.
The point of extreme for many people is grappling with the answer of how sinners could ever be worth the sacrifice. The answer comes from one of the most simple words that we, as humans, often twist and misuse, and that word is love.
God created us, has always loved us, and always hurt with us through our struggles. With a love so perfect and unfailing that is completely unconditional and selfless, He showed us all the extreme He would go to for us. Such a concept of love is hard for the human mind to comprehend because we put conditions on our love, and we are often selfish in our motives, but He is not. He is love, and the concept of love, in its entirety, does not exist without Him.
Jesus told everyone His purpose. “On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Mark 2:17.
Even when many people come to terms with the event that took place, some still see the events taking place after as too extreme to make sense. After Jesus died and rose from the grave, the message of Christianity would spread beyond Jerusalem and throughout the rest of the world. The Apostle Paul was a frontrunner in lighting the spark. Paul wrote many of the books of the New Testament, and frequently spoke to an unfavorable audience including those who did not believe in Christ. The fact that it was Paul who wrote some of the most influential books of the Bible and spread Christianity further than anyone could have imagined shows God’s true meaning of His Son’s sacrifice, which was the salvation given to sinners through His grace.
Prior to Paul’s conversion to Christianity he persecuted followers of Christ, and admittedly was one of the worst sinners of all. After Jesus’ death, Paul, then Saul, continued in his persecution of others, until Jesus appeared to him. Paul had a conversation with the Son of God that would change not only his own life, but the lives of all future Christians to be. “As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." Acts 9:3-6.
Jesus Christ, who died for the sins of mankind, came to the person whom most would never expect because of his sins. However, the fact that He did shows whom His sacrifice was for, and He came to call not the “righteous” but the “sinners”. “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 1:12-14.
And therein lies the true power of God’s love. He did not just create forgiveness, but as a holy, perfect, and loving God, He shows us that He practices all that He preached.
Through what many would call an extreme story where Jesus, after His death, appeared to a sinner and did not only forgive him of his sins, but called him to serve and preach God’s word to so many, we see our own doubts over whether or not we are worthy of forgiveness in a completely different light.
Though Christ’s sacrifice and God’s promise of forgiveness should have been enough for us, God never gives up. He shows us through His actions with Paul and through the stories of so many others that seem so extreme that even we can be forgiven ourselves. When we think we are so unworthy we belittle His sacrifice to the world, and such a sacrifice is not worthy of anything less than our total acceptance, praise, and obedience.
The enemy is masterful at convincing many that the Bible condemns sin to the point where we cannot be forgiven for our sins. At that moment, the biggest sacrifice that ever took place on Earth is forgotten by the person convinced, and they turn away from God in shame.
God’s word already provided the defense to this attack. The Bible tells us that the devil tempted Jesus in the desert. Some who are not familiar with the story will hear that this event took place, and assume that the devil would only tempt Jesus in some sort of recognizable evil way. That is because humanity seeks the extreme. God uses our love for the extreme in a way that shows us how to shed true light on our own battles. However, the devil is also aware of our obsession with the extreme. With this in mind, if the devil came at us in a way that let us know the attack was evil from the start we would think it was extreme but that God shows us the extreme to allow it to shed light on our problems. However, the devil knows not to tempt you in any way that would allow you to give credit to God in a positive way, and he knows that when you are encountering a problem in your own life that you do not want to hear the extreme. In turn, he disguises his attack, and you don’t see it coming. Thus, he appears as a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
How the devil accomplishes this is to correctly present God’s word to you, but twist it out of context. In this manner, there is no extreme, which is what we want in our own lives. As easy as it would be for many of us to fall in this situation, God again shows us the extreme to apply to our lives. The extreme was that although many would fall in this instance, Jesus did not, and God presents the story in the Bible in a way that shows us the devil’s ability to tempt us with correct scripture, but also Jesus’ ability to put it in context. “The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.”If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" Jesus answered, "It says: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" Luke 4:9-12. The devil cited scripture to Jesus that was correct and contained in the book of Psalms. However, Jesus cited correct scripture back because he knew that the devil had taken a correct scripture and used it out of context.
The importance of this story is that the devil was not the one appearing extreme, as he disguised his attack. Jesus’ response appears as the extreme because we know that we may have fallen victim to the devils temptation. That is where we have to remember God uses the extreme for us to understand what His will is for our lives.
The point is that with sin, the devil throws many scriptures at us about what we should or should not do, and moreover what we should not have done in the past. Expect those scriptures to be correct, but remember the context.
Although he tries to convince you that your sin bars your forgiveness based on scriptures condemning sin, do not take your eyes off of Jesus. If you do, the devil just beat you over the head with your own Bible. If he presented such a scripture to Jesus about sin, what would Jesus most likely have said? "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16.
Always remember the rules against sin are for your benefit in life. The reason not to sin is because when you do, you give the devil a foothold. "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” Ephesians 4:26-27. To recognize the footholds he can gain, look back over your life at the weaknesses created by your own sins and also the weaknesses created in your life by the sins of others. If you are prone to lust, alcoholism, abuse, anger, greed, or any other sin because of a weakness in your past, whether created by your sin or that of someone else, remove yourself from any situation that would feed into that sin. Removing yourself does not mean that you have to quit living. For example, if you are prone to anger that does not mean that you duck your head in the sand and stop everything you are doing, but do not focus on the things that make you angry unless you are focusing on them with God or seeking help from believers. While you should stay away from those things, realize the enemy will not let them stay away from you. Learn to recognize those weaknesses and take them to God for the answer.
If the devil gets a foothold, he will affect you and others as well. For example, if your boss is prone to anger and takes it out on you at work, and then you go home and yell at your spouse because you are angry, you just put yourself up to taking the sin committed against you and committing it against someone else.
When you see that you have given him a foothold and he is using it to convince you that you are not forgiven, remember to look at the Cross. That story encompasses everything that has to do with your life past, present and future, and is the most extreme example of love and sacrifice you will ever know.
God took your salvation to the ultimate extreme, and when you get down on yourself remember one thing over all.
That extreme was for you.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.” 1 Timothy 1:15-16.
Humans thrive on extremes. Extremes are what capture attention and become the stories we are most likely to repeat. Yet when we are seeking understanding of a problematic event in our own lives, extremes are the last thing we usually want to hear. Rarely will a person think it is beneficial to hear an extreme of how much worse someone else’s story is than their own.
Ironically, those are the stories that will make us see our situations for what they really are. For example, if your problem is that you cannot afford something of great material worth, hearing a story about starving children overseas who have nothing material to their name will shed light on the importance of your own dilemma.
God knew long ago that those extremes would help us to understand His purpose in any situation, and allow us to apply it in our own lives. The Bible is full of stories that many would call extreme. Peter walked on water, Jesus fed 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish, and God parted the Red Sea for Moses and the Hebrews to cross and escape Egypt.
The enemy is skilled at getting others to think stories as extreme as those in the Bible could never apply to their own lives, but that is precisely why God knew the stories must be extreme. He created the human mind, and is aware that we are more likely to understand His purpose and benefit when we compare ourselves with those stories. Rest assured, that is the last thing your enemy wants to happen.
The stories people are convinced are too extreme to apply to us today are told to us for a reason. Life is a test of faith and forgiveness, and you will see those principles repeated throughout the Bible. Out of the many stories the one that is the most striking and the hardest for some to believe is the story of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. Among those who do believe, there are some who wonder why God would ever allow such an event to take place.
As complex and involved as the story of Jesus Christ is, God gave you the extreme for one important reason, and that is the ultimate demonstration of His love. That demonstration was to allow Himself to experience the pain to save your soul from the real extreme that you cannot see right now, an afterlife that would be spent in never ending torture completely separated from God.
Through a story so extreme in both its importance and its brutality, God shows us that even in our own problems, He is not watching us take on any suffering that He was not willing to bear Himself. Although we do not always know the reason for our suffering, He always knew the reason for His, and the reason was you.
The point of extreme for many people is grappling with the answer of how sinners could ever be worth the sacrifice. The answer comes from one of the most simple words that we, as humans, often twist and misuse, and that word is love.
God created us, has always loved us, and always hurt with us through our struggles. With a love so perfect and unfailing that is completely unconditional and selfless, He showed us all the extreme He would go to for us. Such a concept of love is hard for the human mind to comprehend because we put conditions on our love, and we are often selfish in our motives, but He is not. He is love, and the concept of love, in its entirety, does not exist without Him.
Jesus told everyone His purpose. “On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Mark 2:17.
Even when many people come to terms with the event that took place, some still see the events taking place after as too extreme to make sense. After Jesus died and rose from the grave, the message of Christianity would spread beyond Jerusalem and throughout the rest of the world. The Apostle Paul was a frontrunner in lighting the spark. Paul wrote many of the books of the New Testament, and frequently spoke to an unfavorable audience including those who did not believe in Christ. The fact that it was Paul who wrote some of the most influential books of the Bible and spread Christianity further than anyone could have imagined shows God’s true meaning of His Son’s sacrifice, which was the salvation given to sinners through His grace.
Prior to Paul’s conversion to Christianity he persecuted followers of Christ, and admittedly was one of the worst sinners of all. After Jesus’ death, Paul, then Saul, continued in his persecution of others, until Jesus appeared to him. Paul had a conversation with the Son of God that would change not only his own life, but the lives of all future Christians to be. “As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." Acts 9:3-6.
Jesus Christ, who died for the sins of mankind, came to the person whom most would never expect because of his sins. However, the fact that He did shows whom His sacrifice was for, and He came to call not the “righteous” but the “sinners”. “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 1:12-14.
And therein lies the true power of God’s love. He did not just create forgiveness, but as a holy, perfect, and loving God, He shows us that He practices all that He preached.
Through what many would call an extreme story where Jesus, after His death, appeared to a sinner and did not only forgive him of his sins, but called him to serve and preach God’s word to so many, we see our own doubts over whether or not we are worthy of forgiveness in a completely different light.
Though Christ’s sacrifice and God’s promise of forgiveness should have been enough for us, God never gives up. He shows us through His actions with Paul and through the stories of so many others that seem so extreme that even we can be forgiven ourselves. When we think we are so unworthy we belittle His sacrifice to the world, and such a sacrifice is not worthy of anything less than our total acceptance, praise, and obedience.
The enemy is masterful at convincing many that the Bible condemns sin to the point where we cannot be forgiven for our sins. At that moment, the biggest sacrifice that ever took place on Earth is forgotten by the person convinced, and they turn away from God in shame.
God’s word already provided the defense to this attack. The Bible tells us that the devil tempted Jesus in the desert. Some who are not familiar with the story will hear that this event took place, and assume that the devil would only tempt Jesus in some sort of recognizable evil way. That is because humanity seeks the extreme. God uses our love for the extreme in a way that shows us how to shed true light on our own battles. However, the devil is also aware of our obsession with the extreme. With this in mind, if the devil came at us in a way that let us know the attack was evil from the start we would think it was extreme but that God shows us the extreme to allow it to shed light on our problems. However, the devil knows not to tempt you in any way that would allow you to give credit to God in a positive way, and he knows that when you are encountering a problem in your own life that you do not want to hear the extreme. In turn, he disguises his attack, and you don’t see it coming. Thus, he appears as a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
How the devil accomplishes this is to correctly present God’s word to you, but twist it out of context. In this manner, there is no extreme, which is what we want in our own lives. As easy as it would be for many of us to fall in this situation, God again shows us the extreme to apply to our lives. The extreme was that although many would fall in this instance, Jesus did not, and God presents the story in the Bible in a way that shows us the devil’s ability to tempt us with correct scripture, but also Jesus’ ability to put it in context. “The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.”If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" Jesus answered, "It says: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" Luke 4:9-12. The devil cited scripture to Jesus that was correct and contained in the book of Psalms. However, Jesus cited correct scripture back because he knew that the devil had taken a correct scripture and used it out of context.
The importance of this story is that the devil was not the one appearing extreme, as he disguised his attack. Jesus’ response appears as the extreme because we know that we may have fallen victim to the devils temptation. That is where we have to remember God uses the extreme for us to understand what His will is for our lives.
The point is that with sin, the devil throws many scriptures at us about what we should or should not do, and moreover what we should not have done in the past. Expect those scriptures to be correct, but remember the context.
Although he tries to convince you that your sin bars your forgiveness based on scriptures condemning sin, do not take your eyes off of Jesus. If you do, the devil just beat you over the head with your own Bible. If he presented such a scripture to Jesus about sin, what would Jesus most likely have said? "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16.
Always remember the rules against sin are for your benefit in life. The reason not to sin is because when you do, you give the devil a foothold. "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” Ephesians 4:26-27. To recognize the footholds he can gain, look back over your life at the weaknesses created by your own sins and also the weaknesses created in your life by the sins of others. If you are prone to lust, alcoholism, abuse, anger, greed, or any other sin because of a weakness in your past, whether created by your sin or that of someone else, remove yourself from any situation that would feed into that sin. Removing yourself does not mean that you have to quit living. For example, if you are prone to anger that does not mean that you duck your head in the sand and stop everything you are doing, but do not focus on the things that make you angry unless you are focusing on them with God or seeking help from believers. While you should stay away from those things, realize the enemy will not let them stay away from you. Learn to recognize those weaknesses and take them to God for the answer.
If the devil gets a foothold, he will affect you and others as well. For example, if your boss is prone to anger and takes it out on you at work, and then you go home and yell at your spouse because you are angry, you just put yourself up to taking the sin committed against you and committing it against someone else.
When you see that you have given him a foothold and he is using it to convince you that you are not forgiven, remember to look at the Cross. That story encompasses everything that has to do with your life past, present and future, and is the most extreme example of love and sacrifice you will ever know.
God took your salvation to the ultimate extreme, and when you get down on yourself remember one thing over all.
That extreme was for you.
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