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

Oaks of Righteousness

     Isaiah 61 starts with a prophecy of Jesus, speaking of His work bringing Good News, healing and freedom. In verse three, those that are the recipients of His efforts have this said about them, "So they will be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified." (NASB)

    That term really struck me, "oaks of righteousness." What symbolism. Why an oak? Why not a birch or a cedar tree? Why an oak? Here is my perspective.

     Oaks are mighty trees. They are incredibly strong. They can withstand fierce storms. They are also very useful. Oak is one of the best woods for building with. If you build an oak dresser, you can count on it lasting hundreds of years with proper care. Oak is used in many different settings. You can use it in furniture, construction of buildings or boats, and in curing or smoking meats and cheeses, to name just a few applications.

     I believe the Holy Spirit inspired Isaiah to use the oak in this verse because of the reasons just listed above. With salvation, we become incredibly strong, because we are rooted in Christ. We can withstand whatever trials and storms come our way. We can be extremely useful to Jehovah God, with each of us having a different use, because of the skills and attributes God has blessed us with.

May our Lord bless you as you grow as an Oak - Robert

Bringing the Profane into the Pure

     In Exodus 3, God appears to Moses in a burning bush that is not consumed. When Moses approaches, Jehovah tells him to, ". . . take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." Why did God command Moses to be barefoot? Could it be a symbol of leaving the profane (the regular dirt of the sinful world) which was on his sandals behind, so that he did not bring it into the presence of Jehovah?

     We need to be reminded today to take off our sandals on occasion. We have gotten very good at bringing the profane into the pure. We would be horrified if someone brought a muddy dirty hog into our Sunday service and drove it down front and kept it there, squealing and stinking and disrupting the worship, wouldn't we?

      We know that this would be wrong. This would be mixing the profane with the pure. Yet, this is what happens when we bring musical instruments not commanded by God into our worship. When we show "video clips from today's hottest movies and T.V. shows" in the lesson as a local denomination advertised recently. When we mix eating and drinking with our worship. When we spend time thinking more about what's on T.V. or for lunch after services than we do about the message being presented.

     Here's the bottom line. We are no different than that pig I mentioned when we are not pure ourselves, but come to worship our Almighty Father, Lord and Master anyway. We are mixing the profane and the pure. When we have not kept ourselves "unspotted from the world," we are bringing the profane into the pure. When no one can tell the difference between a "Christian" and the rest of the world, we have mixed the pure and the profane. We have become guilty of dragging the profane into the pure on so many levels. It. Is. Shameful.

    Moses needed a burning bush to wake him up and get him on the right road. His objections were many. What will it take for us to purify ourselves? What objections do we need to overcome? What changes do we need to make in ourselves, our lives, our conduct, our speech, our behavior, our attitudes, our entertainment, our friends, our relationships, etc., so that we may purify ourselves? So that when we do approach the Pure God of Heaven and Earth, we are in essence barefoot, no longer bringing the profane into the pure?

May God Bless you today as you examine yourself, and separate the profane from the pure.  -- Robert

Christian living is like tight-rope walking!

     I would guess you have never heard this comparison before. If you have, why didn't you share it with me? Anyways, I don't remember when I thought of this, but it is one of the multitude of little notes I have jotted in the notebook I carry with my Bible. Enjoy!

     In Christian living, just as in tight-rope walking, there are some essentials that we must have to be successful.

     For example, in tight rope walking, you must have balance. To achieve that balance, tight-rope walkers will use tools. For example, they have specific shoes, training, and a long pole to help them balance while they are on the rope.

     As a Christian, we also require balance. We can fall just as easily as a tight-rope walker can, but the consequences are eternal, not temporal. We don't use particular shoes or a long pole, but we do have tools that we can use to help us maintain the necessary balance. Bible study is the first and most important tool, followed closely by worship attendence.

     In tight rope walking, you must have focus. Lose your concentration for a minute and, . . .  whee! Down you go!

     Christians need focus as well. We can lose our concentration even easier that a tight rope walker. They have been trained to block out all the extraneous noises, thoughts, or anything else that might cause them to lose their focus. We simply are not capable. We still have to be in the world, so there are always distractions that pull at our focus. Whether it is finances, kids, sports, or who knows what else, we can easily lose focus. We can't afford that, because our fall can hurt so many others than just ourselves.

     Finally, a tight-rope walker needs a safety net. If he/she loses their balance or focus, a safety net is there to catch them. They can get up, and go right back to it.

     We followers of Christ need a safety net too. For some of us it is our family, for others our congregation. Whoever it is, make sure you are involved enough to know that your safety net will be there for you when you need it. Then we too can get up and get back to it. The biggest safety net of all is God's grace. Without it, any fall would be fatal. With it, any fall, no matter how big or small can be forgiven if we are willing to ask. Ephesians 2:8 tells us "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not of your own doing; it is the gift of God,"

God bless you as you walk the tight-rope of a life in Christ.

The Penguin

We call ourselves "Christians"

We call ourselves “Christians,”
We wear the name of Christ,
But are we worthy?

We lie and we cheat,
And we call ourselves “Christians!”

We lust and we covet,
And we call ourselves “Christians!”

We gossip and we slander,
And we call ourselves “Christians!”

We smoke and we drink,
And we call ourselves “Christians!”

We curse and profane God’s Name,
And we call ourselves “Christians!”

We are gluttons and lazy,
And we call ourselves “Christians!”

We are hateful and hurtful,
And we call ourselves “Christians!”

We need to STOP!
We need to “walk worthy!”
We need to be truly “Christ-like,”
Or,
Stop calling ourselves “Christians!”

Eph 4:1, Col 1:10, 1 Th 2:12