Self Control

     Paul wrote to the Ephesians the following: "31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and railing, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, even as God also in Christ forgave you." (Ephesians 4:31-32, ASV 1901)

     How hard is this? It can depend. If life is going smoothly, this can be easier. If life is getting a little rough, this can be so much harder. But, these are not conditional commands!

     No matter what's going on at work, at school, at home, with your family, your friends, or your own personal comfort, we are called to put away or get rid of bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor (or fighting), evil speaking and malice (bad intentions).

     Instead we are to be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving, because God forgave us. We must remember that as David said, all sins are against God. God forgave us. He's not holding onto these items in vs. 31. Philippians 4:13 reminds us we can do all things through Christ. 

     Let us all strive to do what these verses say. May God bless you in your efforts.  -  Robert

P.S. This post in its original format first appeared on the blog Dear Christian www.dear-christian.com

Homesick for Heaven

     Are you homesick for Heaven? If you aren't, you should be. Here's why!

     First of all, lets define homesickness, so we are all on the same page (on the same page - get it ?;)) Homesick can be defined as a very strong longing for home. Most of us in this life have experienced homesickness at least once. It might have been the first time you went away to camp, or when you left home for college. For me, it was my two deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq that allowed me to truly experience homesickness. You might be asking how can we be homesick for a place we have never been to? I propose that some of the very same things that we long for when we are homesick in this life are what should make us homesick for Heaven. So what are those things?

     For most, home is a place of shelter, a place of protection, somewhere that our worries and cares can be laid aside, a place of shelter and rest. This is true of Heaven also. Revelation 21:4 (ESV) tells us, "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

     When we are homesick, it is not necessarily for the place itself, but often for those who are there, our family and friends. Revelation 21:7 gives us an expectation that we will see our faithful family and friends again, even those we have never met, like Moses, Elijah, Paul or Timothy. It says, "The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son."

     We can also be homesick for Heaven, because like our earthly home compared to college or camp or a dusty tent in the middle of the desert, it is better than where we are at currently. When the Apostle John described Heaven, he used imagery of gold and jewels to convey the extreme richness and excellency of Heaven compared to his readers' earthly homes. Even though we don't live in earthen huts or tents, even the most opulent home on this earth can never compare to our eternal home in Heaven.

     If we are truly homesick for Heaven, then we are going to be like a horse headed for the barn. We won't let ourselves be distracted or drawn off course. We will be focused and intent. We read earlier in Revelation 21:7 that, "The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son." Conquerers are ones who have goals, and set out to accomplish them. Compare this with those mentioned in verse eight, those that take their eye off the prize. "But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death." When we fail to focus on Heaven, to lay up for ourselves treasures there (Matthew 6:20), then we can become distracted and end up on the road to the wrong destination.

     I would encourage you to stay on course. Many of us claim to be walking the straight and narrow (Matthew 7:13,14), when in reality, it is only occasionally that we are on that path as we stumble back and forth across it, like someone inebriated trying to pass a sobriety test on the side of the road! How sad is that? If we are truly homesick for Heaven, we will want to take as many people with us as possible so that they can all enjoy the benefits of being there also. Someone has said that our example preaches a louder sermon than our words ever will! How's your example? Is it truly the example of someone who longs for that place of rest, that place where our friends and loved ones will be, that place of indescribable beauty and splendor? If not, why not?

     I pray that you are homesick for Heaven, and that your life reflects this homesickness. May Jehovah God bless us all as we strive to stay on the road to Heaven, and not the "Highway to Hell."  -  Robert

     

Prince (or Princess) versus Pauper

     I don't propose to have the solution to the problem most of us face when dealing with our evangelistic call. I'm not going to suddenly turn you into the personal evangelist of the year, but I just might help you a little in your efforts with this post.

     While I was praying and meditating yesterday I was thinking about two verses and I had a lightbulb moment. The two verses I was pondering were Romans 8:16-17 and 1 Peter 2:9.

Romans 8:16-17 says, "The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God: ¹⁷ and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him." while 1 Peter 2:9 tells us, "But ye are a elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that ye may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:"

     What do these two verses together mean? It means that we (God's elect) are Royalty! The problem is, we don't live like a Prince or a Princess, we live like a Pauper. Now consider if you will, which would you rather be, a Prince/Princess or a Pauper? It really shouldn't be that hard a decision. The royalty get all the benefits, do they not, while the common folk pay the taxes and do all the work, right? Exactly.

     Now, consider the average "Christian" approaches living for God. The act like Paupers, instead of Royalty. We "pay our taxes" when we give, and we "obey royal edicts" when we show up at services or do any of the other works we are called to do. We are completely wrong in our approach to serving God!

     No wonder so many people we talk to don't want to be like us! They see us living the life of a serf and a servant, and think that, by comparison, they are free. Who would give up perceived freedom to live like a vassal? No one in their right mind. And that is why we are often so ineffective. 

     So what is the answer? Live the life of a Royal! Live a life that truly reflects what Romans says, that we are God's children. We aren't just children of a king, we are the children of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Let your spirit reflect the fact that we are the Royal offspring of the Lord God Jehovah Almighty, Creator and Sustainer, Ruler of all Eternity, Time, Space and every other dimension possible! We are not poor homeless paupers living under a cruel king, but rather Royal emissaries traveling out of their kingdom to invite others in!

     Imagine then what would happen if your life truly reflects who we are? People will be drawn to us! They will see the difference between our freedom as Royalty and their enslavement as spiritual paupers.

     Celebrate your royalty by living the life that God called us to, rejoice in the fact that we have the privilege of tasting glimpses of our eternal glory when we worship or serve. If we have this attitude, then we would do almost anything legal, ethical and moral to be there when the doors open, to join the small groups on different nights, to be open and inviting to others whenever we get the chance! 

     Change your attitude, and your change will become evident. I think maybe now I am beginning to understand what was meant when Matthew recorded, "Let your light so shine before men; that they may see your good works ,and glorify your father which is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16, ESV) Why would men glorify God for our good works? Because we are simply reflecting the Royalty we have been adopted into!

     May God Bless you today as you transform your attitude and approach to God from Poor Pauper to Precious Prince or Princess  -  Robert

Morning Prayers and Mourning Prayers

     I'm not a good early riser, which means I don't get a lot of prayers in during the morning hours. Today happened to be one of those days when I woke up a little ahead of my wife and the littles (the bigs are at Winter Retreat), so I got to start my Bible reading early. Normally, my Bible reading ends up coinciding with breakfast, since that is usually my only sit-down time in the a.m.

     All of this led to my looking at Facebook for a few minutes while I ate my delicious oatmeal muffin the Mrs. had whipped up last night and drank my coffee. Within just a couple of minutes on Facebook I had come across three prayer requests and a reminder of the state of our nation. Morning prayer became a priority.

     My prayer this morning was a prayer of requests; prayers that our nation might recover from the road she is on, prayers that myself and my family would stay faithful no matter what, prayers for a family suffering through the delivery of a term baby who has already passed on, prayers for those in a plane crash related to the Iron Dog race. These prayers were requests, but also prayers of mourning; for our country, for a grieving set of parents; for those injured. My morning prayers became my mourning prayers, and suddenly my prayers took me back to Afghanistan, where I prayed over every injured and dead service member I came in contact with, every one that I worked with or encountered there.

     I mourned the situation that had brought us there, and I prayed that whatever was happening in each person's life, that it would cause them to seek God, to strengthen their relationship with Him, or correct it. That the effects would spread like ripples in the water, affecting not just those touched by whatever incident, but those around them; family and friends, neighbors and co-workers.

     We are told that "All things work together for good to them that love the Lord, to those that are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28) My prayer in Afghanistan, and my prayer this morning was that everything I was reading about and praying about would work for good, to bring souls to love the Lord, to become those who are called. I want my prayers of mourning to become prayers of victory.

     Is this wrong? I certainly cannot find a Biblical example of this kind of prayer. I know that God can use painful circumstances to bring people to obedience. Look at Saul's conversion, or the jailer's. I know that God hears the prayers of those who are seeking Him, but are not yet saved. Cornelius and his household tell me this. But nowhere do I find a prayer that asks for these things to happen specifically. However this has become a prayer that I pray so often, because I don't know how else to ask God to take awful circumstances and use them for good for those who are not His elect, yet.

     I do know that as part of this prayer, I need to be asking God to use me to effect that change, if possible. I am sure that I fall short so often, but I pray that even the tiniest seed will find good soil. I had a very hard time in Afghanistan, and being reminded of it still causes me to question my effectiveness there. I pray that some good will come of what I said or did for someone.

     My prayer for you today is that you would pray these prayers also, that when we pray prayers of mourning, when we pray for good to come from evil, that we all would strive to be the one to help someone through the bad to turn to the Eternal Good.

     Blessings  - Robert

Going Through the Motions

     This past week had been a confluence of events. I received a post from Rich Little entitled, Jesus Was Not a Good Man. The link is here: http://richlittle.org/2013/02/05/jesus-was-not-a-good-man

     I've been hearing this song on the radio by Matthew West called, Going Through the Motions. One of the lines in this song asks, "What if I had given everything, instead of just going through the motions?" 

     I finished a book on world missions in which the author describes missionaries who are natives of a country moving to a new village to start a church. These missionaries take their families with them, including their children. One of the oddities about this situation is the missionary is not allowed to purchase food or milk within the village until someone from the village vouches for them. This means that the missionary, his wife and children end up going hungry for days or even weeks until they make a convert within the village. 

     All of these remind me of the story of the rich young ruler, when he is told the only thing he lacks is to go sell his possessions and follow Jesus. (Matthew 19:21, Mark 10:21)

     And I started to wonder, "Are we (meaning American Christians) like the rich young ruler? Are we "just going through the motions?" We certainly aren't willing to go hungry to spread the Gospel, let alone our children. We would be called child abusers. In fact, most of us are somewhat proud that we "tithe" or even give a little bit more. Maybe it is because we think, like Rich Little says, that Jesus was simply a good man, and we don't need to change our lives.

     Then a what if came to mind. What if we truly evaluated our situations and said that we were going to "take up our cross daily?" I'm not even talking 100% commitment. Simply take stock of your situation, evaluate everything, and dedicate one half to God. One half of your income, one half of your time, one half of everything! What would that mean? We would have to move into smaller houses, because our rent or mortgage usually takes up a large portion of our income. We would probably have to change our diets, especially if we are in the habit of eating out. Hobbies? Most likely gone. Clothing expenditure? Try Pick n Pay or Value Village. 

     What if we did this? Work 40 hours a week, and spend another 40 hours spreading the Gospel, studying Gods word, praying, having family devotionals, serving others. Take 1/2 our income and give it to the church, the homeless, the poor. Get rid of the television and get out of the house. Meet your neighbors and invite them to a neighborhood Bible study or prayer group at your house. Talk to the grocery store clerk about God. 

     What if we did this? What would people think? What would they call us? Freaks? Weirdos? Bible Bashers? Would it matter?

     The crazy part about this is, it's not even what we are called to do. Jesus said to take up our cross daily and come follow Him. (Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23). We are supposed to give Him everything. We sing songs saying that we do, None of Self and All of Thee, All to Jesus I Surrender, etc. The first century church was willing to do this. They willingly gave up their homes, their lives, their possessions for Jesus and they set the world on fire! 

     We go to these conferences on how to reach the lost. We invite dynamic speakers to try and encourage people. We have children's ministries and youth ministries, coffee and pastries before services, jumbo screens and praise teams and where does it get us? Is the world on fire for Jesus? Are we the talk of the town because we are reflecting the glory of the Lord like we are called to do or can anybody even tell the difference between us and the rest of the world? We are supposed to be called out, not blending in!

     The sad reality is, most who read this won't change a thing. Even if this post were seen by millions, the number who would change their lives to be 50% people would number maybe in the hundreds. How about you? Are you willing to change? Are you willing to give yourself to Christ?

     May the Lord God Almighty Bless you as you make changes in your life to be the self-sacrificing servant we are called to be!  -  Robert

Linen Tunics and Booty Shorts

     My daily Bible reading plan has me in Leviticus right now. Leviticus is a review of the laws of the Levites, or priests. It has been so striking to read through this book from the perspective of how it applies to me, since we as Christians are told that we are now God's priests. 1 Peter 2:9 tells us, "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (ESV, emphasis mine - RJA)

     I have only recently begun to think of myself as Jehovah God's priest, and I have to tell you that it has made an impact in my life. To read through the descriptions of what the priests are dedicated to, how they are to live their lives in such a way as to be able to offer sacrifice at nearly any time. These priests can only offer sacrifice if they themselves are pure. And isn't that what Peter is emphasizing also, the idea that we belong to God, we are no longer in darkness, but are to live lives of purity at all times?

     
     Which brings me to a consideration. In Leviticus chapter eight, we read of the clothing placed upon Aaron and his sons for their duty as priests. These items were first described in Exodus chapter 28. When you read through this description we find that these priests were to were breeches that essentially covered them to their knees (vs. 42) and tunics (vs. 42) which is found in Strong's concordance as the Hebrew word kethoneth which comes from the root word katheph meaning to cover. It is defined as covering the shoulders, and hanging down below. From Exodus 28:40 we know that they were long enough to need sashes to take them in at the waist. So what does all this mean in for me as a priest under the New convenant?

     Since the Old law was given to instruct us or prepare us for the New (Romans 15:4), then as a priest under the New Law, isn't the minimum given in the Old a great place to start? That means that at all times outside of my bedroom or bathroom, I should be attired from neck to knees, with covering of the upper part of the arm. If you are a New Testament Christian, than this should be your starting place as well.

     Why do I bring this up? I do so for a couple of reasons. These garments in the Old Testament were designed to cover, not accentuate. This seems to be a lesson that some of the ladies, and especially young ladies in the worship need to address. As Job put it so aptly, “I have made a covenant with my eyes; How then could I gaze at a virgin?" (Job 31:1, NASB) It becomes really hard to keep that covenant on Sunday mornings, evenings or even Wednesday nights or other church-related activities with what many supposedly Christian women are wearing. I do my best to imitate Job in this respect, but ladies, if I spill some juice, or dump some crackers in your lap some Sunday, you'll understand why, won't you?

     A second reason for this post is that it is the time of year here in my home state when many are planning their spring vacations to warmer locales. These locales usually tend to include beaches. Just because you're not at home doesn't mean you're not still a priest of God with the attendant qualifications and duties. So, if you plan to "hit the beach" make sure you are covered in a way that God would approve of. For me, that means board shorts and a rash guard shirt. For my wife and girls, board shorts and a modest one piece. If a modest one piece can't be found, they go for the board shorts and rash guard shirts as well. Also, if you plan to "hit the beach", it's probably a really great idea to find one that isn't so popular, so us menfolk can keep our covenant that Job stated.

     I haven't stated anything new here today, nothing earth-shattering, nothing mind-blowing, but a simple reminder that we are the priests of Jehovah, and we must act accordingly!

     May God bless us all as we strive to glorify Him and serve Him diligently as His priests under the New Covenant  -  Robert

The First Century vs. The Second Amendment

     Recently I've seen a lot of posts by many of my "Christian" friends regarding the Second Amendment. I've "liked" some of these posts and even reposted some of my own on Facebook. As I was perusing Facebook last night, and reading more of these posts about the Second Amendment, a thought came to me, "How would the first century church deal with this?"
     Remember, the first century church was under the rule of their Roman occupiers. At any time a Roman could command you to walk with them for a mile, or give them their cloak. When the first Century church began to be persecuted, Acts chapter 11 tells us that they were scattered, and the preached the word as they went. See verses 19 -21. Because they did that, the church grew. These first century Christians were so involved in the spreading the Gospel they didn't have time to worry about the government "infringing on their rights."
     And I think that's the problem with the church today.  We aren't busy enough spreading the Gospel. We aren't focused enough on what the first century church was focused on. We allow ourselves to get distracted by so many other things here in the 22nd century that we have lost focus on what we are supposed to be doing, what the first century church did every day of their lives, spreading the Gospel.

     May God bless you as you refocus on God's will, on spreading the Gospel daily - Robert

Two Reactions to Sin - guest post

Kevin is the preacher at the Delta congregation in Delta Junction Alaska. He posted this a couple days ago, and I asked if he would allow me to repost here. He gave me permission, so here it is:

Two reactions to sin:

Saul is given instructions and doesn’t follow them. 

When Samuel the prophet shows up Saul:
First claims he has done what God wanted.
Then he blames someone else
Next, an attempt to justify his actions for “sacrificial purposes”
When Samuel refutes him he stubbornly does it all over again:
Claims innocence while admitting he didn’t follow instructions, 
Then again blames the people.
Samuel again tells him he is wrong and he finally admits – I was wrong
Then says he did it because he was afraid of the people.
1 Sam 15

David takes another man’s wife,
gets her pregnant, tries to cover it up,
then has the other man killed.

When he is confronted by the prophet he writes Psalms 51.

He asks for mercy.
Admits his sin
Honors God for His truthfulness and instructions
Is crushed in spirit
Asks for a clean heart
Requests God not take the Holy Spirit from him
Admits he needs salvation that is only from God.

How will we respond?
The natural human reaction is to claim innocence, attempt to justify ourselves and blame others, yet it is not a proper response.

We all need mercy and grace and forgiveness that only come from God through His Son Jesus, the Christ. Repentance is not being sorry for getting caught, but godly sorrow that leads to a changing of our ways to live more like Jesus did.

The sacricifces of God are a broken spirit;
A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
Ps 51:17

Pride will get us no where.
Excuses are just that.
Humility and repentance is where it’s at!

How to Evangelize

     I'm not a people person. I'm really not very good at getting to know people, or even starting conversations. My wife, on the other hand, can be best friends with someone in a line after only five minutes.

     I've been aware of this isolationism for quite a while, and I have been praying that God would change me, and that I would become more evangelistic through personal conversation. While I was praying and meditating about this last night, it occurred to me that we have a perfect example of this type of evangelism recorded for us in the New Testament! This is found in John chapter four.

     We read the opening of a conversation in verse seven.  ^"A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, 'Give me a drink.'” (NASB)

     Those few words opened a conversation with this woman that Jesus had never met before! As the conversation continues, Jesus introduces the need for salvation, and the position of sin that she was in.

     What was the result of this conversation? Firstly, the woman began asking questions of her own. The conversation continues to the point where, ²⁵ The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” ²⁶ Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”

     This made such an impact, ²⁸ So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, ²⁹ “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?”³⁰ They went out of the town and were coming to him."

     What an awesome example for those of us who have trouble talking to others! Jesus ended up with the opportunity to speak to an entire community from a simple question, "Will you give me a drink?" (NIV) I am fairly confident that each one of us can ask a simple question to someone we don't know.

     There is one other aspect about this encounter that I would like to bring out. Jews didn't usually speak or mingle with Samaritans, but Jesus was willing to break that barrier as well. We need to be willing to talk to anyone and everyone that we get the opportunity with, whether they are acceptable in our society or on the fringe.

     If you struggle with personal evangelism, I challenge you to follow Jesus' example. Start a conversation with someone you don't know. I pray God's Blessings on you and I as we strive to be more Christ-like in our evangelism!