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"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied" (Matthew 5:6)
It's been a while since I have posted anything, beloved, primarily because I remain determined to do so only when I feel like I really have something worthwhile to share with you. Tonight I have been working on the current passage in the book of Acts upon which we are focused at present in Sunday worship. The passage is a unique one involving a young man who "fell asleep in church" while the Apostle Paul was preaching and fell to his death from a third story window. Often today believers assume that it was a sign that Paul's sermon was too long for Eutychus and he could not stay awake.
What I find in this unusual experience, however, is a question that immediately confronts us when we jump to such a conclusion. That question quite simply is: "Too long with reference to what standard?" The truth is that what is "too long" for some worshipers is in fact "too short" for others! I have enjoyed the privilege of preaching on the island of St. Lucia in the West Indies where worshipers are accustomed to services that go on for two to three hours. I have personally been asked by the resident pastor there to preach for 90 minutes. I don't know about other denominations, beloved, but try that in the average Baptist church and see what happens!
In the famous Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) Jesus pronounced that "blessed" or happy and fulfilled are those who have a true "hunger and thirst for righteousness." How could a worshiper possibly lose his focus in any way, much less actually fall asleep, when the truth of God is being taught in a service of worship? Instead of asking, then, if Paul's sermon was too long for Eutychus' attention span, perhaps we should consider that Eutychus' hunger was too short for Paul's message!
How is your personal "hunger and thirst" for righteousness, beloved? Does the enemy consider you to be a threat to his perverted purposes or does he rather find you to be "yawning" your way through each day as a professing Christian? Are the Biblical messages we hear on a regular basis truly "too long" for our ability to pay attention, or is the problem with the degree of our spiritual hunger?
Do you want to know, then, the secret to staying awake in church? Develop a hunger for the Word of God, an insatiable craving to live out the truths of God each and every day, and you will never become a Eutychus. Other than this, the only advice that I can give you is to stay away from churches where the sanctuary is above the ground floor!
Ron
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Religious Like Me?
"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma" (Ephesians 5:1-2)
Recently a good friend invited me on an outing with a couple of friends of his, telling me that I would like them a lot because they are "religious like you." I'm pretty sure I know what he meant by that. At least, I sure hope he meant what I think that he did! But either way, his choice of words really set me to thinking. Is that the image I present to those who know me, that I am "religious"? Is an outward adherence to a set of dogma what I am putting on display before others? Is that what a Christian is at heart?
Paul told the believers in Ephesus to "be imitators of God." And in elaboration of that command he urged them to "walk in love." He further presented to them the Lord Jesus Christ Himself as the perfect example of such love. He reminded them that Jesus "gave Himself up for us" as a once for all time offering for our sins. His, then, was a truly sacrificial love. Very simply, He put all of mankind ahead of Himself when He went to the cross and paid the price for our sins!
But let's get back to this "religious" thing for a moment. Is that really what any one of us as Christians wants to convey to those who know us...that we act religiously? How will that lead anyone to faith in Jesus Christ? Being an imitator of the Lord Jesus Christ, beloved, is of necessity an attitude of heart made visible through a manner of life. Because I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, He lives within me. And because He lives within me, I live Him outside of me for everyone to see!
In all honesty I must confess to you that I have definitely not mastered that last line just yet. I find that it was a whole lot easier for me to write in this blog than it is for me to do day after day after day. I'm still working on that part of it. But that fact does not change for a single moment the need for me, for each one of us, to be more than just somebody's idea of "religious"!
What my good friend said to me today, and I am sure that he meant it in a very positive way, is something that I for one definitely want to change. I don't want to be somebody's idea of "religious." I do want to be somebody's idea of a person who clearly knows Jesus Christ personally. Want to join me?
Ron
Recently a good friend invited me on an outing with a couple of friends of his, telling me that I would like them a lot because they are "religious like you." I'm pretty sure I know what he meant by that. At least, I sure hope he meant what I think that he did! But either way, his choice of words really set me to thinking. Is that the image I present to those who know me, that I am "religious"? Is an outward adherence to a set of dogma what I am putting on display before others? Is that what a Christian is at heart?
Paul told the believers in Ephesus to "be imitators of God." And in elaboration of that command he urged them to "walk in love." He further presented to them the Lord Jesus Christ Himself as the perfect example of such love. He reminded them that Jesus "gave Himself up for us" as a once for all time offering for our sins. His, then, was a truly sacrificial love. Very simply, He put all of mankind ahead of Himself when He went to the cross and paid the price for our sins!
But let's get back to this "religious" thing for a moment. Is that really what any one of us as Christians wants to convey to those who know us...that we act religiously? How will that lead anyone to faith in Jesus Christ? Being an imitator of the Lord Jesus Christ, beloved, is of necessity an attitude of heart made visible through a manner of life. Because I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, He lives within me. And because He lives within me, I live Him outside of me for everyone to see!
In all honesty I must confess to you that I have definitely not mastered that last line just yet. I find that it was a whole lot easier for me to write in this blog than it is for me to do day after day after day. I'm still working on that part of it. But that fact does not change for a single moment the need for me, for each one of us, to be more than just somebody's idea of "religious"!
What my good friend said to me today, and I am sure that he meant it in a very positive way, is something that I for one definitely want to change. I don't want to be somebody's idea of "religious." I do want to be somebody's idea of a person who clearly knows Jesus Christ personally. Want to join me?
Ron
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Smarter Than Your GPS?
"There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death" (Proverbs 14:12)
How many of you have ever felt at times that your computer is smarter than you are? Yep, me too. How about your GPS? Not so much for me. Today I learned that I am definitely smarter than our GPS. Here is what happened. We traveled up to Wake Forest to a local high school to see our oldest grandson play in a showcase baseball game against another travel-team. We loaded the address of the school into the GPS and it took us there perfectly. No problems. The trip home, however, was an entirely different story. Bev hit the "Home" button on the GPS which is supposed to simply reverse the directions and take us home the same way it brought us there. Not this time! Since I had just driven that GPS-directed route a short time before, I remembered the way home. We decided to allow the GPS to lead us home anyway. As we approached the very same highway that we had traveled en route to the game, however, the GPS tried to take us past that point and to another highway that was out of the way and a longer route home. Even as I drove past the road I had taken up there, I said to my wife, "This is not right." Her advice was as profound as it was simple: "Then turn around." I did so and was soon on the same road back home that we had taken to get there. And all the way home, would you believe it, that GPS did everything it could to re-route us on to the road I had refused to take to get home? It never did acknowledge that I had taken the right way and it had taken the wrong one. This was one time when ignoring the GPS and doing what I knew was right to do was the right thing to do!
So often in life today, beloved, people make decisions that seem to them to be the right thing to do. Just like our GPS that stuck doggedly to its errant way home and did its best to lead us to follow that way, men just decide that they know what is best for their lives and so forge ahead into disaster and ruin. Solomon in his godly wisdom declared that this is a failing in our nature that plagues all of mankind. We think we know the way and push ahead regardless of where it may lead us. And as Solomon went on to say, that end is "the way of death." In this regard we are our own worst enemy!
Only God's way is the right way, beloved. Only God's path is the one we should travel. Only God's way will lead us to life instead of to that inevitable death. If you are on the wrong way right now, what can you do? Listen to my wife's wonderful advice once again: just turn around. You do not have to take one more step down the road that you are on if that road is not the one that God has chosen for you. You don't have to listen to your own inner "GPS" if it is trying to lead you the wrong way. The glorious thing about God's way is that you are free to choose it any time and it is always accessible to you.
Which way are you on? Are you smarter than your GPS? If you are choosing God's way, then you most certainly are! And the road you are traveling will lead you to eternal life and to a wonderful peace that passes all understanding.
Ron
How many of you have ever felt at times that your computer is smarter than you are? Yep, me too. How about your GPS? Not so much for me. Today I learned that I am definitely smarter than our GPS. Here is what happened. We traveled up to Wake Forest to a local high school to see our oldest grandson play in a showcase baseball game against another travel-team. We loaded the address of the school into the GPS and it took us there perfectly. No problems. The trip home, however, was an entirely different story. Bev hit the "Home" button on the GPS which is supposed to simply reverse the directions and take us home the same way it brought us there. Not this time! Since I had just driven that GPS-directed route a short time before, I remembered the way home. We decided to allow the GPS to lead us home anyway. As we approached the very same highway that we had traveled en route to the game, however, the GPS tried to take us past that point and to another highway that was out of the way and a longer route home. Even as I drove past the road I had taken up there, I said to my wife, "This is not right." Her advice was as profound as it was simple: "Then turn around." I did so and was soon on the same road back home that we had taken to get there. And all the way home, would you believe it, that GPS did everything it could to re-route us on to the road I had refused to take to get home? It never did acknowledge that I had taken the right way and it had taken the wrong one. This was one time when ignoring the GPS and doing what I knew was right to do was the right thing to do!
So often in life today, beloved, people make decisions that seem to them to be the right thing to do. Just like our GPS that stuck doggedly to its errant way home and did its best to lead us to follow that way, men just decide that they know what is best for their lives and so forge ahead into disaster and ruin. Solomon in his godly wisdom declared that this is a failing in our nature that plagues all of mankind. We think we know the way and push ahead regardless of where it may lead us. And as Solomon went on to say, that end is "the way of death." In this regard we are our own worst enemy!
Only God's way is the right way, beloved. Only God's path is the one we should travel. Only God's way will lead us to life instead of to that inevitable death. If you are on the wrong way right now, what can you do? Listen to my wife's wonderful advice once again: just turn around. You do not have to take one more step down the road that you are on if that road is not the one that God has chosen for you. You don't have to listen to your own inner "GPS" if it is trying to lead you the wrong way. The glorious thing about God's way is that you are free to choose it any time and it is always accessible to you.
Which way are you on? Are you smarter than your GPS? If you are choosing God's way, then you most certainly are! And the road you are traveling will lead you to eternal life and to a wonderful peace that passes all understanding.
Ron
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Whatever, Whenever, Wherever, Whomever
"To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some" (1 Corinthians 9:22)
Volumes have been written and dissertations delivered, beloved, on the importance of establishing one's true purpose in life. From the perspective of some that we should "to one's own self be true" to the conviction of others that it is "better to burn out than to rust out" so many philosophies for living daily seem to abound.
I want to propose to you that the Scriptures define for us clearly and distinctly what God's desire for our personal mission statement is. Here, for example, we find the Apostle Paul succinctly outlining his own heartfelt purpose in life. Very simply, in words familiar to any true student of God's Word, we hear him declaring: "I have become all things to all men so that I may by all means save some." Powerful and complete!
I wanted to suggest to you in this brief statement a much shorter version of what Paul wrote to the saints in the Greek city of Corinth, not different at all, but shorter - whatever, whenever, wherever, whomever.
Consider with me how Paul in this verse of Scripture clarified the whatever of his personal life purpose. His exemplary "all things" reveals this aspect of his mission statement. He was willing to do whatever it would take to reach one single person with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
But note also here his whenever as well as the wherever of his mission statement as found in the term "all men." Since none of us ministers to people all at one time or in one place but rather day by day and in varying places and circumstances, then we discover that Paul's commitment to servant-hood had a definite whenever/wherever aspect to it. He was simply never "off-duty" as a servant of Jesus Christ.
Further we discover about him the wonderful whomever quality of his life's focus. To Paul it simply did not matter who you were: where you came from, what you might have done, how famous or infamous you might have been. To the apostle all that mattered was what you needed to become and where you would spend eternity.
The beauty and simplicity of his life-statement as an apostle of Jesus Christ can best be seen, however, in the term "so that I may by all means save some." Paul cared about people perhaps like no one else. He was not necessarily the archetypical "people person." But what he was reached so much deeper within himself and as a result so much further out from himself. Because God had filled his heart with His own divine love for lost people, Paul's passion in life had become telling people about Jesus and seeing them turn in genuine repentance and faith to Jesus Christ.
WHATEVER, WHENEVER, WHEREVER, WHOMEVER. Certainly an intriguing statement of personal servant-hood, wouldn't you agree, beloved? And is that not what every child of God ought to aspire to become? You see, it is one of the most powerful yet simple definitions of what a true "servant" of Jesus Christ is to be!
Ron
Volumes have been written and dissertations delivered, beloved, on the importance of establishing one's true purpose in life. From the perspective of some that we should "to one's own self be true" to the conviction of others that it is "better to burn out than to rust out" so many philosophies for living daily seem to abound.
I want to propose to you that the Scriptures define for us clearly and distinctly what God's desire for our personal mission statement is. Here, for example, we find the Apostle Paul succinctly outlining his own heartfelt purpose in life. Very simply, in words familiar to any true student of God's Word, we hear him declaring: "I have become all things to all men so that I may by all means save some." Powerful and complete!
I wanted to suggest to you in this brief statement a much shorter version of what Paul wrote to the saints in the Greek city of Corinth, not different at all, but shorter - whatever, whenever, wherever, whomever.
Consider with me how Paul in this verse of Scripture clarified the whatever of his personal life purpose. His exemplary "all things" reveals this aspect of his mission statement. He was willing to do whatever it would take to reach one single person with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
But note also here his whenever as well as the wherever of his mission statement as found in the term "all men." Since none of us ministers to people all at one time or in one place but rather day by day and in varying places and circumstances, then we discover that Paul's commitment to servant-hood had a definite whenever/wherever aspect to it. He was simply never "off-duty" as a servant of Jesus Christ.
Further we discover about him the wonderful whomever quality of his life's focus. To Paul it simply did not matter who you were: where you came from, what you might have done, how famous or infamous you might have been. To the apostle all that mattered was what you needed to become and where you would spend eternity.
The beauty and simplicity of his life-statement as an apostle of Jesus Christ can best be seen, however, in the term "so that I may by all means save some." Paul cared about people perhaps like no one else. He was not necessarily the archetypical "people person." But what he was reached so much deeper within himself and as a result so much further out from himself. Because God had filled his heart with His own divine love for lost people, Paul's passion in life had become telling people about Jesus and seeing them turn in genuine repentance and faith to Jesus Christ.
WHATEVER, WHENEVER, WHEREVER, WHOMEVER. Certainly an intriguing statement of personal servant-hood, wouldn't you agree, beloved? And is that not what every child of God ought to aspire to become? You see, it is one of the most powerful yet simple definitions of what a true "servant" of Jesus Christ is to be!
Ron
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
When Is Upside Down Right Side Up?
"When they did not find them, they began dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities, shouting, 'These men who have upset the world have come here also; and Jason has welcomed them, and they all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus'" (Acts 17:6-7)
Just when is "upside down" really "right side up"? To use a well-worn cliche, beloved, it all depends upon whom you ask! The world, for example, will tell you in a heartbeat that Christians, or even moral conservatives for that matter, are definitely "upside down." Listen to the rhetoric that spews from the printed page and the airwaves. All of that which they choose to say about us today means only one thing - in their minds we are "upside down" in our thinking and consequently in our politics. We have been brainwashed by religion.
Did you know that the Apostle Paul and his missionary partner Silas were accused in just the same way by the irate citizens of ancient Thessalonica in Greece? Dragged before the city bigwigs for causing too many people to accept the gospel of grace and to turn in faith to Jesus Christ, these servants of God were loudly accused of having "upset the world." In other words, they had challenged and affected the safe and sanctimonious status quo of the Hellenistic Jews and the unbelieving Greeks. Very simply, they accused Paul and Silas and their gospel message of being "upside down" and of having turned the whole Greek world topsy-turvy as a result.
The problem with such thinking, beloved, whether from the first century or the twenty-first, is that this world has missed the boat when it comes to just what is "upside down" and what is "right side up." Paul in his preaching in the synagogue in Thessalonica had reasoned with his audience for three Sabbath days in a row and had proven irrefutably that Jesus of Nazareth was then, is now, and forever will be the promised Messiah. Of the resolute Jews whom many thought none could convince Luke records that even among their number "some of them were persuaded." They were not persuaded by enticing speech, riveting stories, or catchy phrases. They were persuaded by the undeniable truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. For those so persuaded, they turned to Christ for the simple reason that they could do nothing else.
That being the case, beloved, again the twenty-first century as well as the first, what every true child of God knows is that the gospel is "the power of God unto salvation" (Romans 1:16). So we conclude without fear of meaningful argument or contradiction that it is the world that is "upside down" and it is the gospel of Jesus Christ that is "right side up"! Thus, in answer to the original question: "When is upside down right side up?" the answer clearly is whenever anyone turns from sin and in faith to Christ and receives the gospel of grace. By the way, are you turning your world upside down by showing it how to be right side up?
Ron
Just when is "upside down" really "right side up"? To use a well-worn cliche, beloved, it all depends upon whom you ask! The world, for example, will tell you in a heartbeat that Christians, or even moral conservatives for that matter, are definitely "upside down." Listen to the rhetoric that spews from the printed page and the airwaves. All of that which they choose to say about us today means only one thing - in their minds we are "upside down" in our thinking and consequently in our politics. We have been brainwashed by religion.
Did you know that the Apostle Paul and his missionary partner Silas were accused in just the same way by the irate citizens of ancient Thessalonica in Greece? Dragged before the city bigwigs for causing too many people to accept the gospel of grace and to turn in faith to Jesus Christ, these servants of God were loudly accused of having "upset the world." In other words, they had challenged and affected the safe and sanctimonious status quo of the Hellenistic Jews and the unbelieving Greeks. Very simply, they accused Paul and Silas and their gospel message of being "upside down" and of having turned the whole Greek world topsy-turvy as a result.
The problem with such thinking, beloved, whether from the first century or the twenty-first, is that this world has missed the boat when it comes to just what is "upside down" and what is "right side up." Paul in his preaching in the synagogue in Thessalonica had reasoned with his audience for three Sabbath days in a row and had proven irrefutably that Jesus of Nazareth was then, is now, and forever will be the promised Messiah. Of the resolute Jews whom many thought none could convince Luke records that even among their number "some of them were persuaded." They were not persuaded by enticing speech, riveting stories, or catchy phrases. They were persuaded by the undeniable truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. For those so persuaded, they turned to Christ for the simple reason that they could do nothing else.
That being the case, beloved, again the twenty-first century as well as the first, what every true child of God knows is that the gospel is "the power of God unto salvation" (Romans 1:16). So we conclude without fear of meaningful argument or contradiction that it is the world that is "upside down" and it is the gospel of Jesus Christ that is "right side up"! Thus, in answer to the original question: "When is upside down right side up?" the answer clearly is whenever anyone turns from sin and in faith to Christ and receives the gospel of grace. By the way, are you turning your world upside down by showing it how to be right side up?
Ron
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Taking a Close Look at Your Heart
"When they entered, he looked at Eliab and thought, 'Surely the Lord's anointed is before Him.' But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart'" (1 Samuel 16:6-7)
The medical technology that the Lord has given to the mind of man today is truly unbelievable! This week I had the opportunity for the second time in my life to be wheeled into a "cath" lab to undergo a heart catheterization. Now for those of you who have ever undergone this procedure, no more need be said! But for those of you who have not, essentially you are awake and aware of what is happening to you as a cardiac surgeon inserts a catheter into the femoral artery (commonly) of your body and runs that catheter through that artery and into your heart. Having seen on the monitors in the cath lab what your heart looks like with that tiny line inside of your heart, I am truly amazed at the knowledge that God has given to man so that he can help to save lives. What an amazing look, then, my cardiologist had at my functioning heart as he searched for a suspected blockage to repair!
As phenomenal as this technology of man is, beloved, it absolutely cannot touch what God can do when it comes to both seeing and knowing the heart of every man! Nor is God looking at our blood vessels, our blood flow and our platelets as He searches our hearts. The writer of Hebrews states clearly what it is that our Great Cardiologist can see:
"For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12)
God can see the deepest need of the heart of any man, beloved, and knows what to do to meet that need. Nor does He put in a "stent" or blow up a balloon or in any way repair a failing. What He does do is to totally transform that heart so that the visible living of the person is forever changed. God's view of you and me, then, is the ability to end all abilities!
No one had to convince me this week to agree to undergo the second heart catheterization that I've had. I wanted to know what was going on inside my heart and, more than that, I wanted my doctor to know as well so that he could fix it for me. Did you know that this same desire must be in each of our hearts? King David put it this way in his petition before the Lord:
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way" (Psalm 139:23-24)
How much do you want to know what is really going on inside of you, beloved? Do you make the same appeal to God about your spiritual neediness as you would a cardiologist about your physical needs? The need to truly know ourselves is the key to not only understanding but allowing God to transform us into what He wants us to be. Take a close look at your heart today!
Personal note: I want you to know that my cardiologist did not find any new blockages so no further stents were needed. God is good! Thanks to all of you who knew about this and prayed for us during this surprising and trying time. And thanks to all of you for all your love and support. I say again: God is good!
Ron
The medical technology that the Lord has given to the mind of man today is truly unbelievable! This week I had the opportunity for the second time in my life to be wheeled into a "cath" lab to undergo a heart catheterization. Now for those of you who have ever undergone this procedure, no more need be said! But for those of you who have not, essentially you are awake and aware of what is happening to you as a cardiac surgeon inserts a catheter into the femoral artery (commonly) of your body and runs that catheter through that artery and into your heart. Having seen on the monitors in the cath lab what your heart looks like with that tiny line inside of your heart, I am truly amazed at the knowledge that God has given to man so that he can help to save lives. What an amazing look, then, my cardiologist had at my functioning heart as he searched for a suspected blockage to repair!
As phenomenal as this technology of man is, beloved, it absolutely cannot touch what God can do when it comes to both seeing and knowing the heart of every man! Nor is God looking at our blood vessels, our blood flow and our platelets as He searches our hearts. The writer of Hebrews states clearly what it is that our Great Cardiologist can see:
"For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12)
God can see the deepest need of the heart of any man, beloved, and knows what to do to meet that need. Nor does He put in a "stent" or blow up a balloon or in any way repair a failing. What He does do is to totally transform that heart so that the visible living of the person is forever changed. God's view of you and me, then, is the ability to end all abilities!
No one had to convince me this week to agree to undergo the second heart catheterization that I've had. I wanted to know what was going on inside my heart and, more than that, I wanted my doctor to know as well so that he could fix it for me. Did you know that this same desire must be in each of our hearts? King David put it this way in his petition before the Lord:
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way" (Psalm 139:23-24)
How much do you want to know what is really going on inside of you, beloved? Do you make the same appeal to God about your spiritual neediness as you would a cardiologist about your physical needs? The need to truly know ourselves is the key to not only understanding but allowing God to transform us into what He wants us to be. Take a close look at your heart today!
Personal note: I want you to know that my cardiologist did not find any new blockages so no further stents were needed. God is good! Thanks to all of you who knew about this and prayed for us during this surprising and trying time. And thanks to all of you for all your love and support. I say again: God is good!
Ron
Monday, August 19, 2013
Sunday Morning Sniffles
"I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord'" (Psalm 122:1)
Believe it or not, beloved, I actually do suffer from a condition which I have dubbed the "Sunday morning sniffles"! As soon as I step onto the platform at church it starts. Sniff! Sniff! From that point on to the end it is "take out the hanky/put away the hanky."
But what is even more amazing to me is that there are actually folks who let the "Sunday morning sniffles" keep them away from worship altogether. The Kingsmen Quartet recorded a gospel song called "Excuses" some years ago that spoofed this practice:
A headache Sunday morning and a backache Sunday night,
But by work time Monday morning you're feeling quite all right;
One of the children has a cold - pneumonia, do you suppose?
Why, the whole family had to stay home just to blow that poor kid's nose!
It would seem, beloved, that a number of believers suffer from some form of the "Sunday morning sniffles"! Could it be that perhaps we've become accustomed to going to church with all the enthusiasm of a man headed to the orthodontist for a root canal?
The psalmist here declared joyfully that he was "glad" to be invited to go to the house of God for worship. Whatever has happened to the excitement of anticipating the heartfelt worship of God? Does it not stand to reason that the attitude with which we go to worship will be the attitude we will project while actually in worship?
By contrast, a single thought of what God has done for us in Jesus Christ ought to put us into the "glad" category with the author! Does it? Are you excited at the prospect of heartfelt worship? Does the thought of fellowship with the saints and in the Word lift you above those "Sunday morning sniffles"? There will always be one kid or another who needs to blow his nose from time to time. Don't let the "Sunday morning sniffles" rob you of the joy of worship, beloved! Be glad for the chance to gather with the saints for worship!
Ron
Believe it or not, beloved, I actually do suffer from a condition which I have dubbed the "Sunday morning sniffles"! As soon as I step onto the platform at church it starts. Sniff! Sniff! From that point on to the end it is "take out the hanky/put away the hanky."
But what is even more amazing to me is that there are actually folks who let the "Sunday morning sniffles" keep them away from worship altogether. The Kingsmen Quartet recorded a gospel song called "Excuses" some years ago that spoofed this practice:
A headache Sunday morning and a backache Sunday night,
But by work time Monday morning you're feeling quite all right;
One of the children has a cold - pneumonia, do you suppose?
Why, the whole family had to stay home just to blow that poor kid's nose!
It would seem, beloved, that a number of believers suffer from some form of the "Sunday morning sniffles"! Could it be that perhaps we've become accustomed to going to church with all the enthusiasm of a man headed to the orthodontist for a root canal?
The psalmist here declared joyfully that he was "glad" to be invited to go to the house of God for worship. Whatever has happened to the excitement of anticipating the heartfelt worship of God? Does it not stand to reason that the attitude with which we go to worship will be the attitude we will project while actually in worship?
By contrast, a single thought of what God has done for us in Jesus Christ ought to put us into the "glad" category with the author! Does it? Are you excited at the prospect of heartfelt worship? Does the thought of fellowship with the saints and in the Word lift you above those "Sunday morning sniffles"? There will always be one kid or another who needs to blow his nose from time to time. Don't let the "Sunday morning sniffles" rob you of the joy of worship, beloved! Be glad for the chance to gather with the saints for worship!
Ron
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Giving God a Reason to Grieve
"Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart" (Genesis 6:5-6)
The news is out. It's official. Sources are telling us that morality has died in America. The Barna Group has just published its latest findings revealing that currently 53% of Americans favor changing the laws to grant full recognition and acceptance of the homosexual and transgender lifestyle. People are slapping each other on the back and congratulating each other that at long last we as a people have attained "enlightenment." Morality as we knew it is a thing of the past, so they say, and it is time to rejoice and be glad. There is no pulse. This is a new day.
Why is it that mankind seems doomed never to learn anything from his own history? Not one time, beloved, not a single time has any generation of people ever abandoned a moral foundation and benefited from that choice. Check your facts. Such a disastrous condition as we are now told is here in America does not indicate advancement or enlightenment but rather the further unraveling of our moral fiber, the further decay of a once strong and godly nation.
But that is just the rub, is it not? God. What a pesky being He has been in the lives of so many for so long. Always wanting to have things His own way, always wanting to tell us what is right and what is not. So here we are. We have finally silenced God...or so a majority of Americans believe, according to the latest statistics. We are "free" from all restraints, free to make our own choices, free to follow our own dreams, free to realize destinies of our own design and our own creating. Free.
But for one small problem. None of it is true. Not a single word. Morality is not on life-support, much less dead! In fact, morality is not even sniffling. Morality is as strong and robust as it has always been. Why? Because the moral standard by which we are judged, beloved, is the creation of God, not the wishy-washy back and forth of man's sinful mind. Oh, God is grieving to be sure! But God is not passive about us. He may grieve over our choices but He is anything but inactive. God is doing what God has always done and will do throughout the remainder of human time. He is appealing to us in love. He is reaching out in mercy. He is using a myriad of ways to remind us that He alone is sovereign and that we are not. He is seeking our yieldedness and our obedience. He is inviting us to turn to Him in heartfelt repentance so that He may flood our hearts with His forgiveness and fill our beings with His love and His power.
So go ahead. Check for a pulse all you want. Make your declarations that morality is dead in America and that we are all enlightened and liberated. God will continue to remind us that only in Jesus Christ can we know true enlightenment and find eternal life. Don't be so quick to write morality's epitaph, America. God has already declared that the day will come when His righteousness will cover the earth like a flood. Mankind had stood at this crossroad before. And God is still there and is still speaking. More than that, He is acting.
Ron
The news is out. It's official. Sources are telling us that morality has died in America. The Barna Group has just published its latest findings revealing that currently 53% of Americans favor changing the laws to grant full recognition and acceptance of the homosexual and transgender lifestyle. People are slapping each other on the back and congratulating each other that at long last we as a people have attained "enlightenment." Morality as we knew it is a thing of the past, so they say, and it is time to rejoice and be glad. There is no pulse. This is a new day.
Why is it that mankind seems doomed never to learn anything from his own history? Not one time, beloved, not a single time has any generation of people ever abandoned a moral foundation and benefited from that choice. Check your facts. Such a disastrous condition as we are now told is here in America does not indicate advancement or enlightenment but rather the further unraveling of our moral fiber, the further decay of a once strong and godly nation.
But that is just the rub, is it not? God. What a pesky being He has been in the lives of so many for so long. Always wanting to have things His own way, always wanting to tell us what is right and what is not. So here we are. We have finally silenced God...or so a majority of Americans believe, according to the latest statistics. We are "free" from all restraints, free to make our own choices, free to follow our own dreams, free to realize destinies of our own design and our own creating. Free.
But for one small problem. None of it is true. Not a single word. Morality is not on life-support, much less dead! In fact, morality is not even sniffling. Morality is as strong and robust as it has always been. Why? Because the moral standard by which we are judged, beloved, is the creation of God, not the wishy-washy back and forth of man's sinful mind. Oh, God is grieving to be sure! But God is not passive about us. He may grieve over our choices but He is anything but inactive. God is doing what God has always done and will do throughout the remainder of human time. He is appealing to us in love. He is reaching out in mercy. He is using a myriad of ways to remind us that He alone is sovereign and that we are not. He is seeking our yieldedness and our obedience. He is inviting us to turn to Him in heartfelt repentance so that He may flood our hearts with His forgiveness and fill our beings with His love and His power.
So go ahead. Check for a pulse all you want. Make your declarations that morality is dead in America and that we are all enlightened and liberated. God will continue to remind us that only in Jesus Christ can we know true enlightenment and find eternal life. Don't be so quick to write morality's epitaph, America. God has already declared that the day will come when His righteousness will cover the earth like a flood. Mankind had stood at this crossroad before. And God is still there and is still speaking. More than that, He is acting.
Ron
Friday, June 28, 2013
8, 9, 10! Y'er Out!
"The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden whether it is good or evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)
We've all seen it, beloved, in the movies if not in real time: the referee crouched over the fallen boxer, counting slowly and deliberately - "8, 9, 10! Y'er out!" Then with a dismissive gesture much like that of a baseball umpire signaling that a sliding base-runner is safe, he walks to the still standing opponent and raises his arm in victory. I believe that the term for the unfortunate loser is "down for the count." Down and out!
So much is being broadcast today - some on the printed page, some behind the microphone in front of a television camera, and much on public media means such as Face Book, Twitter, and personal blog sites. The message seems to be that God and His holy standard for mankind are officially "down for the count." Down and out! With such dismissive words as we read today, God is deemed to be irrelevant, out of touch, obsolete, and (modern media will love this one) yesterday's news. You see, we are now "enlightened" as a society. We've learned our lesson. We've discovered the liberating truth that we and only we set the moral standards for our own lives, that we and only we have the right to say what is acceptable and what is not. I would challenge you to check your home page on Face Book on any given day and you will find this alarming trend filling its spaces. We slap ourselves on the back for being so liberated, so progressive, so "in touch" with mankind. The only standard for us is now that anything goes and that no one has the right to say that it does not.
Really? Perhaps we need to go back and consider the words of Solomon, by God's estimation the wisest king whom He ever allowed to rule the nation of Israel. It was he who wrote the words that are our main focus here. I love the truths found in these words, beloved, eternal truths, unchanging truths, truths that cannot be dismissed by even the largest majority of foolish mankind. You see, though we may say or write anything that we please about God and His supposedly outdated standard, though we may refer to the "religious right" as bigoted or narrow-minded or just plain wrong, the truth is that God has given to none of us a vote on the matter. He is the Creator and Lord and His standard has always been, is now, and forever will be in force.
Consider, then, what Solomon in his wisdom said about the "conclusion," that which will happen when all is said and done, when the last editorial has been published, the last microphone and t.v. camera turned off, the last Face Book thought posted. Solomon said that when that moment comes - "when all has been heard" - the only conclusion to which we must come is that you and I owe to God reverential awe for His glory and our obedience to His standard for our lives. In fact, at last God will "bring every act to judgment," all of them, yours and mine. None will be overlooked or omitted.
I suppose that people will go right on posting comments and sending tweets and publishing articles, expressing the mistaken notion that we are only "free" when we place ourselves above the God who made us. I suppose that we will keep reading such tragic remarks on Face Book and receiving them on Twitter from whomever wherever whenever. But one irrevocable truth stands undaunted by all of the trivialities of fallen man. God and God alone will have the last word. What was that again that Solomon said? Oh, yes. God will "bring every act to judgment." The Apostle Paul said that mankind lives under a "deluding influence, so that they will believe what is false" (2 Thessalonians 2:11). We are seeing that lived out before our very eyes today, beloved, and it is tragic to see how pervasive it has become.
The good news is that not only is God not irrelevant but He is loving and gracious. Not only is He not out of touch but He is merciful and forgiving. Not only is He not yesterday's news but He is willing even now to cleanse and to transform any and all who will turn to Him in repentance and faith. And if you and I who know how relevant and in touch and on time God is will only listen very, very carefully, we just might be able to hear a heavenly voice counting over Satan - "1, 2, 3, 4, 5...! Very soon, beloved, we will hear those glorious words "You're out!" as the arms of the Lord Jesus Christ raise in glorious and eternal victory!
Ron
We've all seen it, beloved, in the movies if not in real time: the referee crouched over the fallen boxer, counting slowly and deliberately - "8, 9, 10! Y'er out!" Then with a dismissive gesture much like that of a baseball umpire signaling that a sliding base-runner is safe, he walks to the still standing opponent and raises his arm in victory. I believe that the term for the unfortunate loser is "down for the count." Down and out!
So much is being broadcast today - some on the printed page, some behind the microphone in front of a television camera, and much on public media means such as Face Book, Twitter, and personal blog sites. The message seems to be that God and His holy standard for mankind are officially "down for the count." Down and out! With such dismissive words as we read today, God is deemed to be irrelevant, out of touch, obsolete, and (modern media will love this one) yesterday's news. You see, we are now "enlightened" as a society. We've learned our lesson. We've discovered the liberating truth that we and only we set the moral standards for our own lives, that we and only we have the right to say what is acceptable and what is not. I would challenge you to check your home page on Face Book on any given day and you will find this alarming trend filling its spaces. We slap ourselves on the back for being so liberated, so progressive, so "in touch" with mankind. The only standard for us is now that anything goes and that no one has the right to say that it does not.
Really? Perhaps we need to go back and consider the words of Solomon, by God's estimation the wisest king whom He ever allowed to rule the nation of Israel. It was he who wrote the words that are our main focus here. I love the truths found in these words, beloved, eternal truths, unchanging truths, truths that cannot be dismissed by even the largest majority of foolish mankind. You see, though we may say or write anything that we please about God and His supposedly outdated standard, though we may refer to the "religious right" as bigoted or narrow-minded or just plain wrong, the truth is that God has given to none of us a vote on the matter. He is the Creator and Lord and His standard has always been, is now, and forever will be in force.
Consider, then, what Solomon in his wisdom said about the "conclusion," that which will happen when all is said and done, when the last editorial has been published, the last microphone and t.v. camera turned off, the last Face Book thought posted. Solomon said that when that moment comes - "when all has been heard" - the only conclusion to which we must come is that you and I owe to God reverential awe for His glory and our obedience to His standard for our lives. In fact, at last God will "bring every act to judgment," all of them, yours and mine. None will be overlooked or omitted.
I suppose that people will go right on posting comments and sending tweets and publishing articles, expressing the mistaken notion that we are only "free" when we place ourselves above the God who made us. I suppose that we will keep reading such tragic remarks on Face Book and receiving them on Twitter from whomever wherever whenever. But one irrevocable truth stands undaunted by all of the trivialities of fallen man. God and God alone will have the last word. What was that again that Solomon said? Oh, yes. God will "bring every act to judgment." The Apostle Paul said that mankind lives under a "deluding influence, so that they will believe what is false" (2 Thessalonians 2:11). We are seeing that lived out before our very eyes today, beloved, and it is tragic to see how pervasive it has become.
The good news is that not only is God not irrelevant but He is loving and gracious. Not only is He not out of touch but He is merciful and forgiving. Not only is He not yesterday's news but He is willing even now to cleanse and to transform any and all who will turn to Him in repentance and faith. And if you and I who know how relevant and in touch and on time God is will only listen very, very carefully, we just might be able to hear a heavenly voice counting over Satan - "1, 2, 3, 4, 5...! Very soon, beloved, we will hear those glorious words "You're out!" as the arms of the Lord Jesus Christ raise in glorious and eternal victory!
Ron
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Are You Feeling the Love?
"In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4:10)
Now you must understand this right from the start, beloved. I am a kidder! In fact, I am a selective kidder. I have a particular niece whom I tease whenever I get the chance. I sort of "inherited" that job from my father who was himself a classic tease. And whenever I do tease her, the response I typically get is also classic: "I'm not feeling the love!" Sometimes when I do get her on the phone, I will play on that statement by starting the conversation by asking: "Are you feeling the love yet?"
Did you know that this same question also has a very serious side? There are plenty of people today who aren't "feeling the love" of God simply because they have no idea how much He really does love them! And, as John as made so clear here, not only does God love us more than we could ever imagine but He chose to love us first!
So how do we know that God loves us? The Apostle John said it is because He has sent Jesus to be the "propitiation" for our sins. "Propitiation" is one of those $5 words that is little understood today. The word implies a covering for in the sense of an "atoning" for our sins. I think that I personally like the word "satisfaction" best of all. In the laying down of His life on the cross Jesus has satisfied the holiness of God offended by our sinfulness. We become acceptable to God in Christ because of His becoming that propitiation. And only the deepest, most pure and abiding love could motivate anyone to make a sacrifice like that.
Are you feeling the love, beloved? If not, perhaps you just need to respond to that love by opening your heart to Jesus Christ. Accept His love unconditionally and you will begin to "feel the love"! You will also find that your own heart will be able to love God in return because He will first have filled your heart with His love. Are you feeling the love?
Ron
Now you must understand this right from the start, beloved. I am a kidder! In fact, I am a selective kidder. I have a particular niece whom I tease whenever I get the chance. I sort of "inherited" that job from my father who was himself a classic tease. And whenever I do tease her, the response I typically get is also classic: "I'm not feeling the love!" Sometimes when I do get her on the phone, I will play on that statement by starting the conversation by asking: "Are you feeling the love yet?"
Did you know that this same question also has a very serious side? There are plenty of people today who aren't "feeling the love" of God simply because they have no idea how much He really does love them! And, as John as made so clear here, not only does God love us more than we could ever imagine but He chose to love us first!
So how do we know that God loves us? The Apostle John said it is because He has sent Jesus to be the "propitiation" for our sins. "Propitiation" is one of those $5 words that is little understood today. The word implies a covering for in the sense of an "atoning" for our sins. I think that I personally like the word "satisfaction" best of all. In the laying down of His life on the cross Jesus has satisfied the holiness of God offended by our sinfulness. We become acceptable to God in Christ because of His becoming that propitiation. And only the deepest, most pure and abiding love could motivate anyone to make a sacrifice like that.
Are you feeling the love, beloved? If not, perhaps you just need to respond to that love by opening your heart to Jesus Christ. Accept His love unconditionally and you will begin to "feel the love"! You will also find that your own heart will be able to love God in return because He will first have filled your heart with His love. Are you feeling the love?
Ron
Friday, June 7, 2013
After Me, You're First!
"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves" (Philippians 2:3)
Recently I stopped at a traffic light next to a company vehicle belonging to a major insurance firm. The driver clearly needed to get into my lane in order to exit just ahead, so as we waited for the light to change, rather than battle it out for first place, I motioned for him to get ahead of me in traffic. He waved his thanks and off we went.
Contrast that with a more common practice from my high school days. Whenever we would race to the lunch line at the cafeteria and a late-arriving friend would ask to be let in line, the common response as we would do so was: "After me you're first!"
That attitude from high school days, beloved, has sadly become all too familiar today, even among Christians. No one is supposed to best us, to take the lead on us in any way. We aren't to sacrifice ourselves or even be inconvenienced for someone else' benefit. In other words, "After me, you're first"!
But what did the Apostle Paul say to the believers in Philippi about such an attitude? How are we to respond when facing the needs of others? Is ours to be some sort of modified "after me, you're first" focus? Paul's reply to our question is as unsettling as it is startling. Regard one another as more important than yourselves! Very simply, seek the good of others ahead of your own desires. It is just that simple.
Let me propose to you, beloved, one clear-cut reason why we should have no difficulty considering everyone else to be more important than ourselves. First of all, we do so simply because that is what the Lord wants us to do. Paul's words do not constitute a suggestion or recommendation but rather a command. The apostle is describing in no uncertain terms what the Lord expects us to do. It is what He demands of those who profess to be His followers, His servants.
Then, because He commands it, as we obey Him in it we are in reality putting Him first. How often do we who claim to follow Him refuse to put others first? If we do not consider others to be more important than ourselves, beloved, then we cannot really be putting Him first! We may as well let this listening world hear us say to Jesus, "After me, You're first" as we would let them see in our living that we do not consider one another to be more important than ourselves.
What is your attitude, then, toward the place Jesus has in your life? Did you know that it is reflected most clearly in your attitude toward others? It may begin with simply letting someone in front of you in traffic, but it reaches far beyond something as trivial as that!
Ron
Recently I stopped at a traffic light next to a company vehicle belonging to a major insurance firm. The driver clearly needed to get into my lane in order to exit just ahead, so as we waited for the light to change, rather than battle it out for first place, I motioned for him to get ahead of me in traffic. He waved his thanks and off we went.
Contrast that with a more common practice from my high school days. Whenever we would race to the lunch line at the cafeteria and a late-arriving friend would ask to be let in line, the common response as we would do so was: "After me you're first!"
That attitude from high school days, beloved, has sadly become all too familiar today, even among Christians. No one is supposed to best us, to take the lead on us in any way. We aren't to sacrifice ourselves or even be inconvenienced for someone else' benefit. In other words, "After me, you're first"!
But what did the Apostle Paul say to the believers in Philippi about such an attitude? How are we to respond when facing the needs of others? Is ours to be some sort of modified "after me, you're first" focus? Paul's reply to our question is as unsettling as it is startling. Regard one another as more important than yourselves! Very simply, seek the good of others ahead of your own desires. It is just that simple.
Let me propose to you, beloved, one clear-cut reason why we should have no difficulty considering everyone else to be more important than ourselves. First of all, we do so simply because that is what the Lord wants us to do. Paul's words do not constitute a suggestion or recommendation but rather a command. The apostle is describing in no uncertain terms what the Lord expects us to do. It is what He demands of those who profess to be His followers, His servants.
Then, because He commands it, as we obey Him in it we are in reality putting Him first. How often do we who claim to follow Him refuse to put others first? If we do not consider others to be more important than ourselves, beloved, then we cannot really be putting Him first! We may as well let this listening world hear us say to Jesus, "After me, You're first" as we would let them see in our living that we do not consider one another to be more important than ourselves.
What is your attitude, then, toward the place Jesus has in your life? Did you know that it is reflected most clearly in your attitude toward others? It may begin with simply letting someone in front of you in traffic, but it reaches far beyond something as trivial as that!
Ron
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Coming Soon!
"And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory" (Matthew 24:30)
I was on my way somewhere recently, beloved, when I passed a construction site where a new store for a well-known grocery chain is being built. The sign showed the name of that chain in splendid letters with the two words following: "COMING SOON!" That corporation wants us as potential customers to know that if we will just be patient and anticipate the grand opening, soon a new store will stand on that location and serve the needs of all in that community.
Even as I passed by and read the sign, beloved, I could not help but smile and think instantly of Jesus' promise to us just like the one in the verse of Scripture above. And as I see what is happening all around us in the world today, including the staggering changes taking place right here at home, I am thrilled at the prospect that Jesus is indeed coming soon!
If you've never read, and I mean really read, Matthew's twenty-fourth chapter, then let me encourage you to do so...and soon. You see, Jesus has laid out for us the order of events that will precede His coming and, very simply, this world falling apart morally and socially and politically is a major part of the preparation for that coming. It is not my intention here in this brief post to examine all the details of events preceding the day of His return, but rather to encourage you to do precisely what that grocery chain that is building the store is urging its future customers to do - anticipate its coming. I want you to be fully aware of all that is going on around us, especially here at home, but I do not want you to be discouraged or fearful. Rather I want you to see in all of it the announcement of Jesus that should gladden our hearts: "COMING SOON!" This is a time to rejoice, beloved, as well as a time to be as active as we can be in standing up for kingdom values and in promoting the message of the cross to this lost generation. It may well be our last opportunity to do so.
I am not at all sure if we will ourselves become customers of that soon coming grocery store that is even now being built. But I do know this. I know that we will be a part of what Jesus is Himself even now preparing for us, what is even now "under construction." What a "hard hat area" that must be! One day we who know Christ by grace through faith will not have to think about Him "coming soon" for He will arrive in power and glory and every promise of Scripture will be fulfilled. Jesus Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lords will be forever all in all.
COMING SOON! Could any news possibly be any more exciting than that? Are you ready for His coming, beloved? Do you know someone who isn't? Why not tell them He's on the way?
Ron
I was on my way somewhere recently, beloved, when I passed a construction site where a new store for a well-known grocery chain is being built. The sign showed the name of that chain in splendid letters with the two words following: "COMING SOON!" That corporation wants us as potential customers to know that if we will just be patient and anticipate the grand opening, soon a new store will stand on that location and serve the needs of all in that community.
Even as I passed by and read the sign, beloved, I could not help but smile and think instantly of Jesus' promise to us just like the one in the verse of Scripture above. And as I see what is happening all around us in the world today, including the staggering changes taking place right here at home, I am thrilled at the prospect that Jesus is indeed coming soon!
If you've never read, and I mean really read, Matthew's twenty-fourth chapter, then let me encourage you to do so...and soon. You see, Jesus has laid out for us the order of events that will precede His coming and, very simply, this world falling apart morally and socially and politically is a major part of the preparation for that coming. It is not my intention here in this brief post to examine all the details of events preceding the day of His return, but rather to encourage you to do precisely what that grocery chain that is building the store is urging its future customers to do - anticipate its coming. I want you to be fully aware of all that is going on around us, especially here at home, but I do not want you to be discouraged or fearful. Rather I want you to see in all of it the announcement of Jesus that should gladden our hearts: "COMING SOON!" This is a time to rejoice, beloved, as well as a time to be as active as we can be in standing up for kingdom values and in promoting the message of the cross to this lost generation. It may well be our last opportunity to do so.
I am not at all sure if we will ourselves become customers of that soon coming grocery store that is even now being built. But I do know this. I know that we will be a part of what Jesus is Himself even now preparing for us, what is even now "under construction." What a "hard hat area" that must be! One day we who know Christ by grace through faith will not have to think about Him "coming soon" for He will arrive in power and glory and every promise of Scripture will be fulfilled. Jesus Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lords will be forever all in all.
COMING SOON! Could any news possibly be any more exciting than that? Are you ready for His coming, beloved? Do you know someone who isn't? Why not tell them He's on the way?
Ron
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Fired Up or Spewed Out?
"I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth" (Revelation 3:15-16)
Tepid. Now there is a word you don't hear in normal everyday conversation! Try using that one in a sentence, grammar-fans! Actually, tepid is a very descriptive but at the same time disgusting word. Case in point: Have you ever poured for yourself a steaming cup of coffee, only to be distracted and set it down in order to go and take care of whatever it was that drew your attention away? Who hasn't? Some time later you remember that patiently waiting cup of coffee and go looking for it. When you find it, what happens? You put the cup to your lips hesitantly and take a swig. EWWWWW! Tepid! The coffee is no longer hot but neither is it yet cold. It is instead lukewarm. Revolting! So you pour it out in disgust.
It is bad enough when coffee that should be steaming and delicious is lukewarm and disgusting, beloved. But when it happens to those who profess to be Christians, it is a spiritual tragedy. Jesus described the degree of such a condition in His words to John that were meant for the Asian church in the city of Laodicea. And in His statement we discover a wonderful challenge for our own living today.
Note that Jesus accused the professing believers in Laodicea of being "neither hot nor cold." To be "hot" spiritually, a translation of the Greek word zestos, is to be filled with the Spirit of God and to be ablaze with love for and commitment to Jesus Christ. We like to use the term "on fire" to describe such believers today. On the other hand, to be "cold" spiritually, a translation of the Greek word psuchros, is to go beyond mere disbelief. It is to take a stand as strongly against the gospel of Jesus Christ as being "hot" is to stand for it. That Jesus was sending this warning to a local church speaks volumes of what can and does happen today even among those professing faith in Christ and part of an organized visible body.
Perhaps what is most surprising here, however, is Jesus' stated preference concerning those in Laodicea professing to be His followers, that they be either "hot" or "cold" rather than "lukewarm." The preference for them to be spiritually "hot" we can certainly understand. But "cold"? Perhaps the answer lies in a closer look at the word "lukewarm." The Greek word chliaros describes a spiritual state in which one professes to be a true follower of Christ, yet in whose life the evidence of the life of God does not exist. This is the one who has substituted "religiosity" for saving faith and "heated religious activities" for genuine service to the Lord. Jesus' preference is understood, then, because to be "cold" or an outright denier and rejecter of the gospel tells us what the need is and how to go about meeting it. But of the one who has all the outward signs of being a Christian yet whose heart Christ does not occupy becomes the worst of all stumbling blocks. He presents himself to the world to be something he in actuality is not! And in condemning and rejecting such a person, the world will often do so with a wide stroke of the brush and will reject Christianity altogether.
Jesus declared His preference that we be either "hot" or "cold" instead of choosing to be "lukewarm." But do not assume for a moment that He would actually have any one to reject the gospel message! The challenge laid before us here through His words to the Laodiceans is that we need to be on fire every moment of every day for the Lord Jesus Christ! Anything less is simply unacceptable. It is already to Him because He said so and it should be as unacceptable to us as well.
Ron
Tepid. Now there is a word you don't hear in normal everyday conversation! Try using that one in a sentence, grammar-fans! Actually, tepid is a very descriptive but at the same time disgusting word. Case in point: Have you ever poured for yourself a steaming cup of coffee, only to be distracted and set it down in order to go and take care of whatever it was that drew your attention away? Who hasn't? Some time later you remember that patiently waiting cup of coffee and go looking for it. When you find it, what happens? You put the cup to your lips hesitantly and take a swig. EWWWWW! Tepid! The coffee is no longer hot but neither is it yet cold. It is instead lukewarm. Revolting! So you pour it out in disgust.
It is bad enough when coffee that should be steaming and delicious is lukewarm and disgusting, beloved. But when it happens to those who profess to be Christians, it is a spiritual tragedy. Jesus described the degree of such a condition in His words to John that were meant for the Asian church in the city of Laodicea. And in His statement we discover a wonderful challenge for our own living today.
Note that Jesus accused the professing believers in Laodicea of being "neither hot nor cold." To be "hot" spiritually, a translation of the Greek word zestos, is to be filled with the Spirit of God and to be ablaze with love for and commitment to Jesus Christ. We like to use the term "on fire" to describe such believers today. On the other hand, to be "cold" spiritually, a translation of the Greek word psuchros, is to go beyond mere disbelief. It is to take a stand as strongly against the gospel of Jesus Christ as being "hot" is to stand for it. That Jesus was sending this warning to a local church speaks volumes of what can and does happen today even among those professing faith in Christ and part of an organized visible body.
Perhaps what is most surprising here, however, is Jesus' stated preference concerning those in Laodicea professing to be His followers, that they be either "hot" or "cold" rather than "lukewarm." The preference for them to be spiritually "hot" we can certainly understand. But "cold"? Perhaps the answer lies in a closer look at the word "lukewarm." The Greek word chliaros describes a spiritual state in which one professes to be a true follower of Christ, yet in whose life the evidence of the life of God does not exist. This is the one who has substituted "religiosity" for saving faith and "heated religious activities" for genuine service to the Lord. Jesus' preference is understood, then, because to be "cold" or an outright denier and rejecter of the gospel tells us what the need is and how to go about meeting it. But of the one who has all the outward signs of being a Christian yet whose heart Christ does not occupy becomes the worst of all stumbling blocks. He presents himself to the world to be something he in actuality is not! And in condemning and rejecting such a person, the world will often do so with a wide stroke of the brush and will reject Christianity altogether.
Jesus declared His preference that we be either "hot" or "cold" instead of choosing to be "lukewarm." But do not assume for a moment that He would actually have any one to reject the gospel message! The challenge laid before us here through His words to the Laodiceans is that we need to be on fire every moment of every day for the Lord Jesus Christ! Anything less is simply unacceptable. It is already to Him because He said so and it should be as unacceptable to us as well.
Ron
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
It's the Gospel!
"Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man's enemies will be the members of his household" (Matthew 10:34-36)
It is absolutely a fact of Scripture, beloved, that Jesus made a number of "hard" statements that many are loath to face and understand and accept today! Such is the declaration that faces us in these verses. Jesus had been giving to His disciples a discourse on the cost of discipleship. It seems to be rather weakly understood today that a "disciple" is not just a student of Christ or a worshiper of Christ, but in actuality an active follower of Christ. Being a disciple, then, is much more about obedience than it is simply about knowledge and religious ceremony.
Such obedience as marks a true disciple of Christ is further proven in the arena of everyday living in a world that is lost in the darkness of sin. Today the media would have everyone believe that we who are part of the "religious right" are fraught with all manner of social and moral and cultural shortcomings. We are bigoted and narrow-minded, homophobic and even racist, or so says the modern media anyway. And many of the followers of Christ have made the mistake of following such accusers right into their own trap. We face them and try to defend ourselves upon moral and social and cultural grounds. And that is where, I truly believe, we are making our most serious mistake.
You see, beloved, the hatred that abounds today for the "religious right" - those followers of Jesus Christ who are committed to the inerrancy and infallibility of the Scriptures, those who are persuaded that if God says it, that settles it, is not politically based at all. The division between the "liberal left" and the "religious right" is not at heart a moral or social or cultural or especially a political problem, beloved. It is at heart what it has always been, a spiritual problem! You see, it is not at all political ideologies that divide us. It is not socio-economic differences, suburban versus urban living. It is not even one's per capita income or the lack thereof. It is very simply the gospel of Jesus Christ!
If you want to find out what is at the heart of the hatred that liberal-thinking people have for us as Christians, all you have to do is button-hole one of them and tell that God says that Jesus Christ is the only way to eternal life. (Pause here for sound of huge explosion!) Jesus prophesied Himself that His sacrifice on the cross would divide brother from brother, sister from sister, children from parents, and even spouses from each other. Nor would such divisions occur along ideological lines but rather because some family members become believers, those who follow Jesus Christ, and others do not.
So what do we do? We do the only thing that we can do, beloved. We keep on telling men and women and boys and girls that Jesus Christ is the only way to eternal life. Political differences will rise and wane and cultural differences will fluctuate with each new generation. Only the gospel of Jesus Christ is unchanging and never-ending. So let's quit falling for that old trap of arguing with people along political or moral or cultural lines. Let's determine instead to use our energies to so live out the reality that is Jesus Christ that the Spirit of God may use us to draw the lost to Himself.
Ron
It is absolutely a fact of Scripture, beloved, that Jesus made a number of "hard" statements that many are loath to face and understand and accept today! Such is the declaration that faces us in these verses. Jesus had been giving to His disciples a discourse on the cost of discipleship. It seems to be rather weakly understood today that a "disciple" is not just a student of Christ or a worshiper of Christ, but in actuality an active follower of Christ. Being a disciple, then, is much more about obedience than it is simply about knowledge and religious ceremony.
Such obedience as marks a true disciple of Christ is further proven in the arena of everyday living in a world that is lost in the darkness of sin. Today the media would have everyone believe that we who are part of the "religious right" are fraught with all manner of social and moral and cultural shortcomings. We are bigoted and narrow-minded, homophobic and even racist, or so says the modern media anyway. And many of the followers of Christ have made the mistake of following such accusers right into their own trap. We face them and try to defend ourselves upon moral and social and cultural grounds. And that is where, I truly believe, we are making our most serious mistake.
You see, beloved, the hatred that abounds today for the "religious right" - those followers of Jesus Christ who are committed to the inerrancy and infallibility of the Scriptures, those who are persuaded that if God says it, that settles it, is not politically based at all. The division between the "liberal left" and the "religious right" is not at heart a moral or social or cultural or especially a political problem, beloved. It is at heart what it has always been, a spiritual problem! You see, it is not at all political ideologies that divide us. It is not socio-economic differences, suburban versus urban living. It is not even one's per capita income or the lack thereof. It is very simply the gospel of Jesus Christ!
If you want to find out what is at the heart of the hatred that liberal-thinking people have for us as Christians, all you have to do is button-hole one of them and tell that God says that Jesus Christ is the only way to eternal life. (Pause here for sound of huge explosion!) Jesus prophesied Himself that His sacrifice on the cross would divide brother from brother, sister from sister, children from parents, and even spouses from each other. Nor would such divisions occur along ideological lines but rather because some family members become believers, those who follow Jesus Christ, and others do not.
So what do we do? We do the only thing that we can do, beloved. We keep on telling men and women and boys and girls that Jesus Christ is the only way to eternal life. Political differences will rise and wane and cultural differences will fluctuate with each new generation. Only the gospel of Jesus Christ is unchanging and never-ending. So let's quit falling for that old trap of arguing with people along political or moral or cultural lines. Let's determine instead to use our energies to so live out the reality that is Jesus Christ that the Spirit of God may use us to draw the lost to Himself.
Ron
Monday, March 18, 2013
You Are Not Forgotten
"Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done" (Revelation 22:12)
One of those very special heart-touching moments happened to me recently, beloved. A military retiree came up to me and handed me a small clear plastic envelope containing a business-sized card and a white embroidered star clearly cut from an American flag. The card explained that the star came from a flag that had flown over someone's home until worn and tattered and in need of replacement. A local veterans organization had rescued the flag among others and had separated the stars into keepsake bags to hand out to veterans like me. The card's message concluded with these words:
"Please carry me as a reminder that you are not forgotten. Thank you for your service."
You can be sure that I will keep and treasure this memento, beloved! I am as honored to carry a star from Old Glory as I am to have served my country over which she waved.
As a follower of Jesus Christ I have His assurance as well that those who serve Him faithfully are not forgotten. He has promised that one day He will return for us and that He will have with Him heaven's reward for faithful service. Even now you and I through faithful obedience are "laying up treasures in heaven" (Matthew 6:20). Every life that we touch in His name, every act of service in meeting a need, every encouraging word prompted by His Spirit within, all are being noted by Him and will be rewarded.
So take heart, fellow pastor! Cheer up, stalwart youth worker! Stay strong, child of God! You are not forgotten! I am so thankful for that scrap of flag that was given to me. And I am eternally grateful for the assurance we all have from our Lord that in our service for His name's sake we are not forgotten.
Ron
One of those very special heart-touching moments happened to me recently, beloved. A military retiree came up to me and handed me a small clear plastic envelope containing a business-sized card and a white embroidered star clearly cut from an American flag. The card explained that the star came from a flag that had flown over someone's home until worn and tattered and in need of replacement. A local veterans organization had rescued the flag among others and had separated the stars into keepsake bags to hand out to veterans like me. The card's message concluded with these words:
"Please carry me as a reminder that you are not forgotten. Thank you for your service."
You can be sure that I will keep and treasure this memento, beloved! I am as honored to carry a star from Old Glory as I am to have served my country over which she waved.
As a follower of Jesus Christ I have His assurance as well that those who serve Him faithfully are not forgotten. He has promised that one day He will return for us and that He will have with Him heaven's reward for faithful service. Even now you and I through faithful obedience are "laying up treasures in heaven" (Matthew 6:20). Every life that we touch in His name, every act of service in meeting a need, every encouraging word prompted by His Spirit within, all are being noted by Him and will be rewarded.
So take heart, fellow pastor! Cheer up, stalwart youth worker! Stay strong, child of God! You are not forgotten! I am so thankful for that scrap of flag that was given to me. And I am eternally grateful for the assurance we all have from our Lord that in our service for His name's sake we are not forgotten.
Ron
Friday, March 8, 2013
Grooving My Swing
"On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness" (1 Timothy 4:7b)
I know. I know. Already you are thinking: "Not another one of his golf analogies!" Yep. I am afraid so. But I hope that you won't let that stop you from reading through to the end. Hidden in this unusual-sounding term - "grooving my swing" - I believe to be a very sound and practical spiritual truth for living as Christians today.
To "groove your swing" as a golfer is to practice your basic golf swing over and over until it becomes something consistent, something dependable, something in which you feel confident. Oh, to be sure you will adapt it slightly from situation to situation depending on the lie of the ball and the distance you need to cover. But the swing itself must become the picture of consistency and sameness, something dependable and trustworthy. Are you beginning to see the rays of a light of Bible truth breaking through?
In his letter to a young pastor named Timothy, the Apostle Paul urged him to "discipline" himself in personal godliness. I love the King James Version's use of the word "exercise," a translation of the Greek verb gumnazo from which we get our word "gymnastics" or "gymnasium." It is a wonderful picture of "working out" spiritually. That is what a truly dedicated golfer will do in seeking to "groove his swing" and that is what every true follower of Jesus Christ needs to do in "grooving" his walk.
You see, beloved, I am convinced of one thing that is amply confirmed in Scripture, that is that people are not nearly so interested in what we know as Christians as in how we've been transformed by the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Show people what Jesus can do for them by showing them what He has done for you! And in order to do that, you must as Paul advised Timothy "discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness." It takes practice to be a single-digit handicapper in golf, beloved, and it takes practice to be a godly Christian. Sitting in a church pew on Sunday or in a small group on Thursday won't get the job done! You are going to have to vigorously and faithfully apply the principles of Scripture to every detail of your daily living. That will be to "groove your swing," to "exercise yourself for the purpose of godliness"!
My golf game still needs a lot of "grooving," beloved, and I'll keep at it in my spare time. But my lifestyle needs a lot of "grooving" as well and that one need must become the priority of my life. Golf is just a game that is forgotten as soon as we turn our attention to something else. But living for Jesus Christ is the passion of our existence, the focal point of our living. Let me urge you, then, to make it your highest priority to "groove" your lifestyle, to bring it into line with the glorious standard laid down in the principles of God's Word.
I need to go and practice! Want to join me?
Ron
I know. I know. Already you are thinking: "Not another one of his golf analogies!" Yep. I am afraid so. But I hope that you won't let that stop you from reading through to the end. Hidden in this unusual-sounding term - "grooving my swing" - I believe to be a very sound and practical spiritual truth for living as Christians today.
To "groove your swing" as a golfer is to practice your basic golf swing over and over until it becomes something consistent, something dependable, something in which you feel confident. Oh, to be sure you will adapt it slightly from situation to situation depending on the lie of the ball and the distance you need to cover. But the swing itself must become the picture of consistency and sameness, something dependable and trustworthy. Are you beginning to see the rays of a light of Bible truth breaking through?
In his letter to a young pastor named Timothy, the Apostle Paul urged him to "discipline" himself in personal godliness. I love the King James Version's use of the word "exercise," a translation of the Greek verb gumnazo from which we get our word "gymnastics" or "gymnasium." It is a wonderful picture of "working out" spiritually. That is what a truly dedicated golfer will do in seeking to "groove his swing" and that is what every true follower of Jesus Christ needs to do in "grooving" his walk.
You see, beloved, I am convinced of one thing that is amply confirmed in Scripture, that is that people are not nearly so interested in what we know as Christians as in how we've been transformed by the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Show people what Jesus can do for them by showing them what He has done for you! And in order to do that, you must as Paul advised Timothy "discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness." It takes practice to be a single-digit handicapper in golf, beloved, and it takes practice to be a godly Christian. Sitting in a church pew on Sunday or in a small group on Thursday won't get the job done! You are going to have to vigorously and faithfully apply the principles of Scripture to every detail of your daily living. That will be to "groove your swing," to "exercise yourself for the purpose of godliness"!
My golf game still needs a lot of "grooving," beloved, and I'll keep at it in my spare time. But my lifestyle needs a lot of "grooving" as well and that one need must become the priority of my life. Golf is just a game that is forgotten as soon as we turn our attention to something else. But living for Jesus Christ is the passion of our existence, the focal point of our living. Let me urge you, then, to make it your highest priority to "groove" your lifestyle, to bring it into line with the glorious standard laid down in the principles of God's Word.
I need to go and practice! Want to join me?
Ron
Friday, February 22, 2013
What's It All About, Alfie?
"Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31)
The most well-known of the 107 questions and answers of the Westminster Catechism is surely:
"What is the chief end of man? Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever."
This singular truth from God's Word was brought home to me again this week, believe it or not, by a movie from 1966 entitled "Alfie." A young Britisher named Alfie Elkins lives a totally self-seeking life, using everyone in his path as a means to his own selfish end. At the end of the movie, however, circumstances in his life cause him to realize that if you don't have peace of mind then you don't have anything at all. In the closing scene as the title character walks slowly into the twilight, the theme song is sung, a portion of which includes the words:
What's it all about, Alfie?
Is it just for the moment we live?
What's it all about, when you sort it out, Alfie?
Are we meant to take more than we give?
Clearly from God's perspective we are not meant to take instead of give. In fact, all that we do is intended to bring glory to God. This question and answer from the Westminster Catechism is not just for Presbyterian believers! It is to be the lifeblood of every follower of Jesus Christ. Nothing is more foundational to any human being than eating and drinking. Paul's point, then, is that seeking the glory of God is to be as foundational to our living as are eating and drinking. We should view every circumstance of life through the prism of God's glory. We should actively seek for ways in which to bring glory to God no matter what we are doing. Seeking God's glory is not a switch that we can turn on and off, beloved!
We may not ourselves be as self-seeking and self-serving as was Alfie Elkins, but the question we need to continually ask ourselves as we walk through this life is: "Will this glorify God?" A later line in the theme song for the movie states: "As sure as I believe there's a heaven above, Alfie." Well, there is a heaven above and the dictate of heaven is that we should live this life in full, relentless, and joyful pursuit of the glory of God. And that is what "it" is all about!
Ron
The most well-known of the 107 questions and answers of the Westminster Catechism is surely:
"What is the chief end of man? Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever."
This singular truth from God's Word was brought home to me again this week, believe it or not, by a movie from 1966 entitled "Alfie." A young Britisher named Alfie Elkins lives a totally self-seeking life, using everyone in his path as a means to his own selfish end. At the end of the movie, however, circumstances in his life cause him to realize that if you don't have peace of mind then you don't have anything at all. In the closing scene as the title character walks slowly into the twilight, the theme song is sung, a portion of which includes the words:
What's it all about, Alfie?
Is it just for the moment we live?
What's it all about, when you sort it out, Alfie?
Are we meant to take more than we give?
Clearly from God's perspective we are not meant to take instead of give. In fact, all that we do is intended to bring glory to God. This question and answer from the Westminster Catechism is not just for Presbyterian believers! It is to be the lifeblood of every follower of Jesus Christ. Nothing is more foundational to any human being than eating and drinking. Paul's point, then, is that seeking the glory of God is to be as foundational to our living as are eating and drinking. We should view every circumstance of life through the prism of God's glory. We should actively seek for ways in which to bring glory to God no matter what we are doing. Seeking God's glory is not a switch that we can turn on and off, beloved!
We may not ourselves be as self-seeking and self-serving as was Alfie Elkins, but the question we need to continually ask ourselves as we walk through this life is: "Will this glorify God?" A later line in the theme song for the movie states: "As sure as I believe there's a heaven above, Alfie." Well, there is a heaven above and the dictate of heaven is that we should live this life in full, relentless, and joyful pursuit of the glory of God. And that is what "it" is all about!
Ron
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Here's a 'PC' You Can Live With
"Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called" (Ephesians 4:1)
Many of you may have already taken the time to check out the video clip posted on Face Book of Dr. Benjamin Carson speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast recently, both the president and vice-president not only in attendance but sitting with him on the dais. If you haven't seen it, by all means check it out. It is well worth the watch! During his address, Dr. Carson told the story about a young man who wanted to send to his mother a very special gift for a very special occasion. He purchased for her a pair of exotic and gifted birds that cost him $5,000 each and had them shipped to her. Not hearing anything from her about his extravagant gift, he finally called her and asked her how she liked the birds. Her response simply was: "They were good." Unable to believe his ears, the young man told her what the birds had cost him and how talented they were, both of them being able to speak. His mother's response is classic: "Then they should have said something!"
Back on December 20th I posted a Christmas blog that mentioned among other things the problem with trying to be "PC" or politically correct today. Now I don't know about you, beloved, but frankly I am fed up with the whole issue of political correctness, of having to tiptoe around people's feelings so much so that we as fellow human beings can't even discuss anything honestly anymore. So here and now I would like to propose to you that we take back the term "PC" and change its meaning to something that is much more positive and powerful. I want to urge you to begin to use the term "PC" frequently in your conversations with others. The only difference I want to see you make is that you introduce your own personal "PC" as a reference to your own practical Christianity. We have learned the hard way in these past months that society's form of "PC" has not worked, is not working, and will never work. All that it has done is to push people so far into corners of social acceptability that many are afraid to express any convictions about anything at all.
But did you notice what Paul told the believers in Ephesus about God's personal form of "PC"? He urged his readers to "walk in a manner worthy of the calling" by which the Spirit of God had called them to faith in Jesus Christ, a calling that was meant then and is meant today to totally transform the life of anyone it touches. Society today does not need political correctness, beloved. It desperately needs practical Christianity in front of its face every moment of every day. People around us need to see followers of Jesus Christ living out our faith in real-life, day to day situations and circumstances. Now that is a "PC" we can all live with! As far as Dr. Carson's story about the mother who unintentionally cooked and ate her son's costly gift to her is concerned, she was absolutely right. They should have said something! Do you want to stand before the Lord one day and have it said of our failure to exhibit our own personal and visible practical Christianity that we should have said something? Now is that time, beloved. Today is that day. Let's all agree as brothers and sisters in Christ that we will flood our world with God's version of "PC" and really show those around us who Jesus Christ is and what He can do for all who will turn to Him in repentance and faith.
Ron
Many of you may have already taken the time to check out the video clip posted on Face Book of Dr. Benjamin Carson speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast recently, both the president and vice-president not only in attendance but sitting with him on the dais. If you haven't seen it, by all means check it out. It is well worth the watch! During his address, Dr. Carson told the story about a young man who wanted to send to his mother a very special gift for a very special occasion. He purchased for her a pair of exotic and gifted birds that cost him $5,000 each and had them shipped to her. Not hearing anything from her about his extravagant gift, he finally called her and asked her how she liked the birds. Her response simply was: "They were good." Unable to believe his ears, the young man told her what the birds had cost him and how talented they were, both of them being able to speak. His mother's response is classic: "Then they should have said something!"
Back on December 20th I posted a Christmas blog that mentioned among other things the problem with trying to be "PC" or politically correct today. Now I don't know about you, beloved, but frankly I am fed up with the whole issue of political correctness, of having to tiptoe around people's feelings so much so that we as fellow human beings can't even discuss anything honestly anymore. So here and now I would like to propose to you that we take back the term "PC" and change its meaning to something that is much more positive and powerful. I want to urge you to begin to use the term "PC" frequently in your conversations with others. The only difference I want to see you make is that you introduce your own personal "PC" as a reference to your own practical Christianity. We have learned the hard way in these past months that society's form of "PC" has not worked, is not working, and will never work. All that it has done is to push people so far into corners of social acceptability that many are afraid to express any convictions about anything at all.
But did you notice what Paul told the believers in Ephesus about God's personal form of "PC"? He urged his readers to "walk in a manner worthy of the calling" by which the Spirit of God had called them to faith in Jesus Christ, a calling that was meant then and is meant today to totally transform the life of anyone it touches. Society today does not need political correctness, beloved. It desperately needs practical Christianity in front of its face every moment of every day. People around us need to see followers of Jesus Christ living out our faith in real-life, day to day situations and circumstances. Now that is a "PC" we can all live with! As far as Dr. Carson's story about the mother who unintentionally cooked and ate her son's costly gift to her is concerned, she was absolutely right. They should have said something! Do you want to stand before the Lord one day and have it said of our failure to exhibit our own personal and visible practical Christianity that we should have said something? Now is that time, beloved. Today is that day. Let's all agree as brothers and sisters in Christ that we will flood our world with God's version of "PC" and really show those around us who Jesus Christ is and what He can do for all who will turn to Him in repentance and faith.
Ron
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