A Relationship Gauge

Do you want to have a relationship with God? More than that, do you want to have a close, meaningful relationship with God? If you do, there are some things you need to do. You see, like any relationship, a good one doesn't just happen. A lot of people say 'relationships take work', but that isn't true. A crummy, no good relationship doesn't take a lot of a work. A relationship that is one-sided doesn't take a lot of work on one person's side of the coin. But a good relationship, ah yes. Good relationships take work. And so, to have a good relationship with God (and not just a One-sided one), you must work at it. Fortunately for all of us, Scripture tells us exactly what we need to do in order to dwell with God on His holy hill.

"LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart; he who does not backbite with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor does he take up a reproach against his friend; in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he honors those who fear the LORD; he who swears to his own hurt and does not change, he who does not put out his money at usury, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved." Psalm 15

First, we should note that this psalm is describing someone who is already in the relationship with God, and so in New Testament speak we mean that this person has been baptized and is enjoying a covenant relationship with God. But like all relationships, things can fall apart. This list provides a checklist of sorts, things to make sure we do (or don't do) to keep ourselves close to God.

Now, what do all of these things mean? Let's quickly look at just a few.

"He who walks uprightly" - Hold on, it's about to get technical in here. The word literally means "complete, perfect, full" or "without blemish". This is a person who doesn't walk in sin, but instead walks in a way that is perfect, blameless. In 1 John 1:7, we see that Jesus' blood will cleanse us if we walk in the light, thus making us perfect and blameless before God. If we will confess the sins we do commit (v. 9), we will be forgiven. Thus, to walk uprightly means to stay away from sin, but when we do sin, we confess that sin to our heavenly Father, who craves that intimacy with us and is faithful to forgive us to ensure that our relationship stays close.

"He speaks the truth in his heart" - Basically, this means you are who you say you are. You don't live a hypocritical life, or put on some sort of front. We know that God sees our hearts (since He formed our innermost parts!), and He can see if we mean the things that we say and do. He knows if our faith is genuine. He knows if we went to worship Him because we love Him, or if we simply went because people would look down on us if we didn't. If your heart doesn't reveal that truth that you proclaim, your relationship with God isn't real.

"He does not backbite with his tongue" - Ephesians 4:29 says, "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers." If the words that we speak aren't kind, our heart isn't loving. If our heart isn't loving, how much contact have we had with the God of love? You see, God is love, and when we approach His throne in prayer, we ought the leave the throne room changed. Our hearts ought to be more loving, more forgiving, gentler and kinder. Because of the love and mercy God above has extended to our lowly existence, we should graciously love and forgive those around us. But if we backbite and tear down and destroy, we aren't behaving like God, nor are we behaving like we are in a relationship with Him.

"In whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he honors those who fear the LORD" - Question: what do your friends say about you? Are your best friends Christians? Are your role models Christians?  Are the people you talk about the most Christians? You see, if we live our lives praising and admiring those who are evil and wicked, are we living a life that is in a close relationship with the perfect and sinless God of heaven? 2 John 10-11 tell us that we are not to greet those who abide in false teachings and trespasses, because if we support them, we are sharing in their evil deeds. What do the people in our lives say about us? That we honor and uphold truth, or that we condone wickedness? If you want to be close to God, you must resist anything and everything and everyone that has the Devil's fingerprints all over it.

While we could talk about every single phrase within this psalm, we won't for time's sake. Instead, let's focus one final thought on the last line of the psalm:

"he who does these things shall never be moved". You see, when my relationship with God starts to slip, starts to suffer, guess whose fault it is? Well it isn't God's. God never moves. He is always watching for and anticipating our return, just like the father in the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15). He is always there, ready to receive us when we draw near to Him (James 4:8). That means that when our relationship starts to drift, it is my fault. I am the one who moves. And yet, if I will do all of the things that Psalm 15 mentions--if I will keep myself from sin, and walk uprightly in the light of Christ--I will not be moved. I will not wander away from God. Because as long as I am trying my best, God will keep me there, in the hollow of His hand.

How blessed we are to have a Father who is so merciful and forgiving and welcoming. How blessed we are to have a Father who is always ready to keep our relationship alive, even when we abandon Him for days, weeks, and years.

If your relationship with God is suffering, move back to Him. Draw near to Him again. Do your best to implement Psalm 15 in your life. Keep yourself from backbiting, from hypocrisy, and from hurting others. Keep yourself on the righteous path, confessing your shortcomings to the forgiving Father. Whatever sin stands in your way (and it is always sin that separates us), remove it. Cling to God again; He will not resist. He never resists.

Thanks be to God that He loves us enough to welcome us back into the fold every single time.

God Forgets

God is all-knowing. God doesn't forget things. He knows everything--from before the world was formed all the way into eternity. God knows all things. That's one attribute that makes Him God, and we love that about Him.

We love that He knows when we're hurting (1 Pet. 5:7). We love that He knows the number of hairs on our head (Matt. 10:30). We love that we can go to Him, night or day, and that He will never leave us or forsake us (Heb. 13:5-6). We love, maybe most of all, that He knows exactly what we need before we even ask (Matt. 6:8).

God doesn't forget about us, the lowly created, not even for a second. He is always there, always watching, always caring and guiding and loving and protecting.

And yet Jeremiah 31:34 says this:

"For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." 

While God knows created and thus knows all things, He chooses not to remember our sins. All we have to do is submit to His terms (repentance + baptism) and confess our sins (1 John 1:9), and He remembers our sins no more.

Why?! Why does the God of the universe, Who knows all things and sees all things and created all things, choose to forget anything?!

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever should believe in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

God loves you. Yes, He created all things. Yes, He holds the entire universe in His hands. Yes, He knows the plans He has for you & the entire world. But, first and foremost, He loves you. That is why He chooses to remember your sins no more. Isn't that beautiful?! We have been given such a wonderful gift! Not only that God would give His only Son to die, but that He would love us enough to forget our iniquities. To wipe them clean. To remove them from our charge.

Thanks be to God! We are so unworthy. We are sinful and dirty and rough around the edges. But God loves us. So much that He sent Jesus. We are all so incredibly blessed.

Go to the Source

In our teen girls Bible class on Sunday mornings, we're going through the women of the Bible and gleaning lessons from their extraordinary lives. This past week we talked about an unnamed woman, mentioned in the books of Luke and Mark and known mostly by her condition: having an incurable blood flow for 12 years.

If you've been reading for a while, you know we've covered her in our Leading Ladies series, found here. However, in studying for my class on Sunday, and even in teaching it, I found myself overwhelmed by Jesus and His healing power.

So often in our world today, people are searching. They need to be healed of some debilitating spiritual disease, and they go around (unsuccessfully) to various sources trying to find the answer, much like this unnamed woman of Scripture did (Luke 8:43). And yet, the Source of all healing and comfort and peace is available! Still, how often do those people go to the Source? How often are we, personally, leading people to the Source?

This woman of great faith knew that if she could just touch the hem of Jesus' garment, she would be healed. She didn't let her situation stop her, or the embarrassment of being unclean keep her from going to Him. She didn't talk herself out of going, deciding she could figure it out for herself. She didn't sit at home, knowing she should be seeking Him out, yet keeping herself at a distance from the Great Physician. No, she sought out the Healer and was immediately freed from the chains of her ailment.

Sin is a debilitating disease. Without Jesus's blood, we will never be healed. Yet, how often do we keep ourselves from the Source? How often to we let circumstances keep us at arms length from the Savior? How often do we talk ourselves out of going to worship or going forward when that invitation song is sung? How often do we fail to repent and change our ways, even though we know that without Jesus, we will forever remain in our sickness?

Had the woman with this issue of blood known Jesus could heal her and yet stayed home anyway, we would have called her crazy! Why would she want to remain in that condition?! And yet, the question is the same for us today.

Jesus was then and is today the only source of true healing. His blood has a cleansing power that will wipe away every sin we've ever committed. Why, then, do we keep ourselves from Him?

Every single day we must go to the Source for spiritual healing and forgiveness. And every day, we must point our sin-sick, dying world to the Great Physician, who is willing and able to free them from the terminal illness that is sin.

"Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." Mark 2:17

Leading Ladies: Eve

Eve was the prototype of women. When God designed the female species, He made Eve exactly how He wanted woman to be. She was perfect. She was handcrafted by God to meet the needs of man; to be his helpmeet and companion. We know that Eve, prior to sin being entered into the world, had a perfect relationship with God and a perfect relationship with her husband. Truly, she was 'living the life'. 

And then Genesis 3 happens. Eve is tempted (and lied to) by the serpent, and she partakes of the forbidden fruit, then shares in that sin with her husband. We know the rest of the story: their eyes are opened, they hide from God, and they are banished from the garden as well as cursed and plagued with a death they weren't designed for. 

From Eve, the mother of all creation, there are some valuable lessons we can learn.

1: Sin ruins relationships. 

Eve's relationship with God and with Adam was perfect. And yet, the first thing that happens after partaking of the fruit: Adam and Eve are hiding from God, and are then deceptive by not offering up why they are hiding and how they know they're naked. Deceit is an ugly characteristic for a relationship, and yet after this initial sin has taken place, that is exactly the characteristic Eve implements into her relationship with God. As for Adam, he immediately blames Eve for his sin. We know that blame and resentment are divisive components of a relationship, and yet this is how this first married couple are now treating each other. All because of this newly introduced sin.

When we let sin into our hearts and relationships, it ruins them. Truly the Deceiver recognizes that strong, godly relationships are a great asset to salvation. That is why he does his best to ruin them! He tempts us with bad attitudes, harsh words, and blame. He tempts us to be deceitful and hurtful. These things ruin relationships: relationships between parents and children, relationships between friends, relationships between husband and wife, and even relationships within the body of Christ. 

Why is it that we often hurt those the closest to us? Why is it we have the worst attitudes with them? Perhaps it is because we let our guard down. We stop trying to 'impress' and 'be on our best behavior', and instead we start letting Satan creep in a little at a time. We must guard our relationships from Satan, because he is divisive and aims to tear people apart. 

2: Sin has progression.

Why is it that Eve is tempted to partake of the forbidden fruit? Had she been staying as far away from the tree as possible, would she have likely been tempted to partake? Or does it seem to you as it does me that Eve was inching closer and closer to the tree, getting as close as she could without actually involving herself in the sin. Perhaps she only wanted to look upon the fruit, or maybe even smell the fruit. Perhaps she just wanted to see what all this fruit fuss was about! Regardless, Satan gets to her because she has availed herself to such a temptation. 

Psalm 1:1 tells us, "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful" The progression of sin is a very real and present threat to us! As soon as we start walking past it, we're tempted to stand right in the middle of it (though still not 'partaking'), and yet, before we realize, we're sitting down in the midst of all of the wickedness and are sharers in it. 

Satan gets to us inch by inch. He makes us believe that certain things are ok, when really they are evil and wicked, and we are just lessening them in our heads to justify our actions! For example: will Satan ever be able to make us fall into the temptation of drunkenness if we never take the first sip? Will Satan ever be able deceive us into being involved in sexual immorality if we have fled from even the appearance of such? Will Satan be able to lure us into lusting after the flesh if we will stop ourselves from going into those movies (Magic Mike?) or buying those books (50 shades of whatever?) or pinning those pictures of actors (onto an "mmmm!!" board, really?). If we will distance ourselves from the appearance of sin, we will be less likely to fall into such a temptation.

Had Eve stayed as far away from that tree as possible, would it have been as easy for Satan to bait her like he did? The same goes for us. Don't be easy bait for Satan. Stay as far away from 'the line' as possible. 

3: Women have a huge influence over the men in their lives. 

Was it very difficult for Eve to convince Adam to sin with her? It doesn't appear so. We know from history and even our own experiences that men tend to behave the ways they do in order to impress women. In high school and college, for example, the boys tended to dress a certain way and talk a certain way and participate in certain things to garner the attention of the females. They bathed regularly and wore cologne and dressed to the nines so that the females around them would notice. 

With great power, ladies, comes great responsibility. 

We have the ability to make or break the men in our lives. And so, if you are in the dating pool, make the boys/men around you behave a certain way. Require the guy you date to pray before the meal you share together. Require that he open doors for you. *As a side note, if the boy doesn't respect you enough to open a door for you, chances are he won't respect you enough to not touch you inappropriately or speak to you in certain ways.* We have the ability to make the men around us better, or worse, depending on what our expectations are.

Now, does that mean we should all have unrealistic expectations for the men in our lives? Absolutely not. But it does mean that we should require a degree of godliness in the men we are around. We should praise the boys in our youth group who lead singing or pray before the congregation. We should not give the time of day to the boys who cut up and text during Bible class or worship. We should praise the boys for seeking out wholesome, modest girlfriends, instead of tearing those girls down and making fun of them for dressing 'weird'. We should praise the boys for acting mature and including the smaller boys in the youth group, instead of acting put out by the immature children hanging around. 

We can make a difference in our lives and the lives of the boys/men around us if we will not settle for less than God expects. 

 

Christianity and Entertainment Choices

Earlier this week, I read a news article about the young actor who plays on the popular show "Two and a Half Men." The actor, 19 year old Angus T. Jones, made a video about his faith (he recently became a member of the 7th Day Adventist Group) which went viral.

There are a lot of things to say in conjunction with this story and about the things he believes, but I only want to dwell on one. The things that Jones (who has been playing on the show since he was 10 years old) need to be heard by Christians across the globe. Here's what he had to say:

"Please stop filling your head with filth." 

"People say it's just entertainment. Do some research on the effects of television in your brain and I promise you, you'll have a decision to make when it comes to what you watch on television. It's bad news." 

"A lot of people don't like to think about how deceptive the enemy is. There's no playing around when it comes to eternity. People will see us and be like, 'I can be a Christian and be on a show like Two and a Half Men.' You can't. You cannot be a true God-fearing person and be on a television show like that. I know I can't." 

"I'm not ok with what I'm learning [about] what the Bible says and being on that television show. You go all or nothing."

How is it that Christians can fool themselves into thinking that it's ok to watch certain television programs and movies? Even some of those (though it is a minority to be sure!) who are in Hollywood can see that certain things are filth. And yet, I see Christians on a daily basis promoting shows like Glee (homosexual agenda much?), The Secret Life of the American Teenager (pre-marital sex), How I Met Your Mother (a show all about pre-marital sex and alcohol), and others. What Jones had to say was correct: what you watch does have an affect on you. If you are putting filth in, what does your heart look like? How much impurity can you ingest until you aren't pure anymore?!

One reason this is such a huge deal to me is because it's something I've struggled with, and still do to be honest. It's hard not to become calloused. It's hard not to justify it. It's hard not to get swept away in all of the fads and crazes. It's hard to be set apart, yet that's exactly what God expects of His children.

"Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written 'Be holy, for I am holy'." 1 Peter 1:13-16

We should not continue to infiltrate our minds with things that we once did--in our ignorance. Now that we are holy--set apart--children of God, we are to do and think differently. Paul would urge those at Philippi to think/meditate on whatever things are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and of good report. If you watch something that doesn't adhere to all, yes all, of those principles, you probably shouldn't be watching it. After all, if you aren't truly holy, are you holy at all?

Being a Christian isn't about convenience. Being a Christian isn't about doing what's popular. Christianity is about being like Christ--because we bear His name. We are to walk in His footsteps (Col. 2:6), imitate His life (1 Cor. 4:16), and give up self to serve others as He would (Gal. 2:20).

Would Jesus watch what you watch? Would Jesus promote what you promote? If not, why do you?

A Month of Thanks

It is common this time of year to see statuses and posts about all of the things that people are thankful for. I love the sentiment: it is always appropriate to thank our God for the blessings and compassion He has given, which truly are new every morning (Lam. 3:22-24). Along the same lines, I would like for every Friday of this month to be dedicated to thanking God for a spiritual blessing He has given us. Today, I would like to focus on forgiveness.

I am a sinful person. While I try to walk in the steps of my Savior every single day, I'm not perfect. I struggle with complaining, being negative, being critical, judging others, and not doing the things that I should as much as I should (reading, praying, visiting the sick). I try with all of my might to serve my Lord the best that I can, but I fall short day after day.  That is why I'm thankful for forgiveness.  Along those same lines, I'm thankful that I live in the year 2012.

Hebrews 10:4 tells us that the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sins. Under the old covenant, people were reminded, year after year, of their sins. They were made to offer tedious sacrifices to God so that their sins could, in a sense, be rolled forward for another year. Then Jesus came. And now we don't need to offer animal sacrifices. We don't have to live in a state where our sins are constantly before us. Instead, since Jesus died once and for all (Heb. 10:10), we can have forgiveness of our sins in an instant. When we are baptized, all of our past sins (and we all have them--Rom. 3:23) are wiped away, and we start anew--clean and pure in His sight. After we have been baptized, we won't remain perfect. We'll sin--maybe even that very day that we are washed. But that is the beauty of Jesus' sacrifice for our sins. So long as we are trying to walk in the light, His blood will continually cleanse us from unrighteousness if we'll confess it to Him (1 John 1:9).  Forgiveness is not available to me, however, if I continually, habitually walk in my sins and don't repent. Forgiveness is not available if I defy God's laws for my life and do things on my own terms. But if I am truly penitent, I will want to tell God that I'm sorry. I will feel guilt and shame for my sin, because I know that I am trampling underfoot the sacrifice Jesus offered on the cross (Heb. 10:28-30).

I know that I am unworthy of this forgiveness. I feel so terrible every single day when I have to ask God to forgive me for my thoughts and actions of that day. I feel so undeserving of the extreme sacrifice Jesus made in coming to earth and dying a cruel, painful, torturous death on the cross...for me. That's why I am so thankful for God's grace in extending forgiveness to me.

The beautiful thing about God's forgiveness is that it covers everything. In our limited, human perspective, we tend to categorize sins. We may think lusting is a small sin, where adultery is a big sin. To God, all sin separates us from Him, and therefore He hates all sin. Whatever sins you have in your live, past or present, can and will be forgiven by a loving and understanding God. If you are willing to repent (to own up to your sins and turn away from them as I recently heard it put by some high schoolers) and submit to God's terms, forgiveness is yours. And not just forgiveness as we sometimes call it--where we 'forgive' it but keep it right near the surface so that every little mistake someone makes we can throw back in their face. No, God forgives and wipes clean. He keeps no remembrance of our wrongs (Jer. 31:34).

I am thankful, every single day, for the forgiveness my God and Father grants me. Though I can empathize with Paul when he calls himself the chief of all sinners--still, Christ has washed me. Thanks be to God for His grace!

Forgiveness is a beautiful gift that we have been given through Jesus Christ. Come back tomorrow for a post on how we can access this wonderful blessing and so many more.

Omission and Commission

I recently heard a man pray that we would be forgiven of our sins, and that we know we sin more often out of omission than commission. As soon as he'd uttered the words, my heart was pricked. How often do we get up on our high horses because we don't struggle with certain things?

I know that this world is full of sin, and that there are so many who struggle to abstain from sexual immorality, lying, drinking, cheating, murdering, stealing, etc. However, I find myself--more often than not--free from such temptations. To be honest, if I'm not careful I can find myself in a place of complacency.

James warned in his epistle that "to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin." I feel I can fit right into this category if I'm not watchful.

So that I don't fall into this category (and that you don't either!), I want to put before our minds a few things that the Word of God has told us are good to do. Perhaps if we can keep them at the forefront of our minds, we can abstain from this sneaky type of sin.

1: Visit orphans and widows in their trouble (James 1:27)

2: Give to the Lord's Work (1 Cor. 16:1-2)

3: Teach others about Christ (Matthew 28:19-20)

4: Fill yourself with the teachings of Jesus (Eph. 5:18, Col. 3:16, 2 Tim. 2:15)

5: Seek out erring members (James 5:19-20)

6: Pray for the church and for opportunities to serve (1 Thess. 5:17)

7: Feed the hungry, be hospitable to strangers, clothe the naked (Matt.25:35-39)

May God enable us all to do great works for Him, and to keep them ever before us so that we can sin less by way of omission.

Don't Get Too Attached

Yesterday morning I had the honor of teaching the teenage girls at our congregation. We are in a study on topics that are pertinent to teenagers: gossip, modesty, entertainment choices, how we use our tongues, friendship, dating, and a host of other things. Friendship was our topic of choice yesterday, and we talked a lot about our responsibility to our friends, the purpose of friendships, and why it's important to have Christian friends. While studying for the lesson, and while listening to the girls' comments in class, I was re-awakened to something that I think is so valuable for all of us: the topic of worldliness.

When you think of the story of Sodom and Gommorah, you probably think of a couple of things: homosexuality and Lot. You may think of a few other details, but the main character we think of is Lot, and the main problem we address is homosexuality. If we stop there, though, I think we are missing some key lessons.

Yesterday in class, we talked specifically about Lot's wife (Gen. 19:26) and Lot's sons-in-law (19:14). The Bible tells us that all of the aforementioned people were destroyed with Sodom. Why do you think that was?

When we think about worldliness, we tend to think of materialistic things: money, clothing, toys, houses, cars, retirement funds, etc. We think of tangible things that this earth has to offer. I believe that Lot's wife and sons-in-law were struggling with worldliness, too, but I don't think it had a lot to do with the stuff that was in Sodom.

It is possible for us to become too attached to people. God has beautifully designed marriage and families and friendships, and aren't we all thankful for those blessings? But Jesus said in Luke 14:26 that we cannot place even those God-designed relationships above our relationship with God.

Relationships are important to us. We need them to survive. Robert recently used an illustration in one of his sermons about a study that was conducted on newborns to try to find out their natural language. These infants were placed in a room that was isolated, and the nurses had to promise not to speak to the children, that way the words that the children used first would be a 'natural language', and the world could finally find out what that was. Guess what happened? In three months, all of these infants had died. Why? Because we need relationships to survive. We need intimacy and friendship and love.

What happens when we love the wrong thing, or we love the right thing too much? I believe it's a form of worldliness. Lot's wife and his sons-in-law didn't seem to be caught up necessarily in the sins of Sodom, they just seemed to be too attached to their lives there: their friends, their neighbors, their day-to-day routines. Perhaps if Lot had chosen (when Abraham gave him the opportunity) to go a different direction other than Sodom, all of this could have been avoided; Lot could have saved his family. But, when we choose to surround ourselves with people who are worldly, our relationships turn into a form of worldliness.

We must be careful who we associate with, and who we choose to get close to. In class, I asked the girls if this meant that we couldn't have any friends who weren't Christians. They said no. I asked why, and they said, 'How would we spread the gospel?" and that's exactly right. But then one of the girls piped up with this: "But we have to have boundaries in our relationships with people who aren't Christians".

We must set boundaries in our relationships. We cannot ever let a person get so close to us that they pull us away from God. That could be someone who isn't a Christian, or that could be your spouse, your kids, your parents, your preacher, or any other relationship in your life. We cannot let our lives be so wrapped up in a person that we neglect our relationship with God.

Think about your life: are you letting a relationship with someone on earth get in the way of your relationship with your Heavenly Father? Maybe that relationship is taking up all your time, thus leaving you with no time to study or pray. Maybe that relationship is one that God deems unacceptable (it involves adultery, fornication, sexual immorality), and thus you aren't close to Him because your sin separates you. Maybe the relationship tempts you be involved with things that are sinful (drinking, gossiping, cursing, using crude humor, skipping worship services) and thus your relationship with God has suffered because you're no longer interested in pursuing godliness.

Take an inventory of your relationships, and don't let anyone get you so attached to this world that you forget that your citizenship isn't here, it's in heaven (Philippians 3:20). If you are involved in a relationship/friendship with someone who is pulling you away from God or forcing you away from Him because the relationship is sinful, please get out of it. When we think of Lot's wife and sons-in-law, it's easy to wonder--why would you choose to be utterly destroyed when you could have life? You had been given a way of escape! Why didn't you use it?

You have been given a way of escape. You have been given a choice. Choose to follow after God, lest your worldly relationships lead you down a path that destroys you. No relationship is worth that. No relationship on this earth is worth compromising your eternal soul.

Tough Stuff Tuesday: Complaining

I recently did a post about Philippians 2:14-15. Those verses tell us not to complain, because we are to shine as lights in the world. If we really want the light of Christ to shine through us, we have to stop complaining about every little bump that comes along in the road.

Since posting about that, complaining has been at the forefront of my mind, probably because it is something that I really struggle with. A lot like worry, complaining is one of those things that "everybody" does and so we try to make it ok, instead of calling it what it is: sin.

Recently, I came across another passage that really made me think about the way I use my words. Let's read 1 Cor. 10:6-10. In the context, Paul is writing to the Corinthians about the children of Israel and the things that they did wrong. Here's what he says:

"Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, 'The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play'. Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer." (emp. mine)

Now wait just a minute. You mean to tell me that complaining is listed right there with idolatry, sexual immorality, and even tempting Christ?!? How can that be?

Complaining is serious to God. As if one passage isn't enough (Phil. 2:14), the Bible gives us this discourse on what the children of Israel did wrong. And what was one of their sins: complaining. It wasn't just that they complained and that God didn't like it; no, the Holy Spirit recorded for us that they were destroyed because of their complaining.

God doesn't change. He is from everlasting to everlasting. He has always and will always hate sin. Why, then, do we constantly try to justify things that the Bible clearly tells us are wrong? We say, "Oh, everyone worries, it's not a big deal" or "Everyone complains so it must not really be that bad". In our society, everyone seems to be caught up in a lot of things that the Bible deems sinful, and guess what? That doesn't make it ok!

We must constantly guard our tongues (Prov. 21:23, Psalm 39:1) so that we keep from separating ourselves from God. Jesus warned us in Matt. 12:37 that our words would either justify or condemn us in the last day. If words are that important (even the idle or fruitless ones--Matt. 12:36), why do we not watch what we say a little more closely?

I am so guilty of these transgressions, and I am so grateful that my Heavenly Father forgives me every single day. I want to do better, though. I don't want to continue in sin so that grace may abound (Rom. 6:1). No, I want to keep my tongue from sinning. I want to make my heart pure so that there is nothing sinful coming out. But how do we do that? What's the first step in having a non-complaining tongue?

Read what Paul had to say to the brethren at Colossae:

"Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving." (4:2)

James told us that when we want or need something, we are to ask God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach (1:5). If we want tongues that will be pure, we need to ask God to strengthen us. But look at what Paul said: not just to continue in prayer, but to be vigilant in it with thanksgiving.

When our hearts are so focused on thanking God for all He's given to us, we won't be quick to complain that something didn't go our way. We'll know that God has given us beyond what we could ever deserve, and even when something was taken away from us or didn't go quite as we planned, we've been and will continue to be taken care of by the Creator of the Universe Himself.

It isn't only physical blessings that we need to thank God for, either. God gave us the most precious, beautiful gift of all: His Son. In no way, shape or form could we ever merit this kind of love, and yet it has been given specifically to each and every one of us. Perhaps that is why God hates complaining so much. How ungrateful must we seem when we complain about little things that don't even matter (things that won't follow us into the afterlife), when God has given us ETERNAL life? We must seem like spoiled little children. I know that I, for one, am guilty of acting that way.

Let us all dedicate our hearts to thinking and speaking differently. I know there is at least one thing in your life (as there are multiple in mine) that tempts you to complain. Recognize what that is and guard your tongue. Decide that instead of complaining about that person or situation, you will instead thank God for all of the blessings He's given you. Use your mouth this week (and every week) to thank and praise Him, instead of dwelling on things that are temporal anyway.

Tough Stuff Tuesday: True Love vs. Tolerance

Can you love someone too much to tell them the truth of God's word? Can you love someone so much that you accept their actions no matter what kind of soul-endangering situation they are in? Can you love someone so much that you let them think that they are "fine" when in reality, their soul is heading down a broad, destructive path toward Hell?

Tolerance is defined as "a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, practices, etc. differ from one's own." Simply put: what you do doesn't matter to me even if I wouldn't want it for myself.

 1 Peter 4:8 tells us:

"And above all things have fervent love for one another, for 'love will cover a multitude of sins.'"

This doesn't mean that love sweeps things under the rug; that love makes wrongs right. This doesn't mean that my love for you prohibits me from telling you when you've done something wrong. Quite the opposite, really.

James 5:19-20 says:

"Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins."

When we turn our brothers and sisters (and the world!) away from their sins, we cover those sins. We have saved those people. Now, we know that it is not our blood that saves, but Jesus'. We know that it is not our power that saves, but the power of the gospel. Still, James says that if we turn someone back to the truth, we cover a multitude of sins.

It's interesting to me that the same phrase is used in both James and 1 Peter. If we put those together, we see a beautiful picture of what true love actually is: when a brother has wandered away from the truth (what God wants/expects/has commanded) and we tell them about it and encourage them to come home, we will save that person from a multitude of their sins because we loved them enough to help.

If we truly loved the world and our wayward brothers and sisters in Christ as we are commanded, we would be helping people out of their sins. We would be sharing the truth with them, because the truth is the only thing that can set them free from their sins (John 8:32). We wouldn't be allowing people to continue in their sins, all the while assuring them that God loves them anyway. No, we would be telling them that God loves them SO much that He sent Jesus to die for them so that He could wash away those sins.

Look back to the definition of tolerance. To tolerate means to have a permissive attitude. As Christians, we cannot be people who tolerate things that God has said will send people to eternal punishment! We must love every single person on this planet enough to tell them what they must do to escape wrath and condemnation. When I disagree with a certain belief or lifestyle or habit, it is never because I hate the individual who is practicing such a thing. On the contrary! It is because I love that person so much and care for their soul so much that I don't want them to perish in the eternal fire that God has promised will consume those who practice such things!

Ephesians 4:15 admonishes us to 'speak the truth in love'. Unless we are equally speaking truth and speaking it in love, we are failing the lost of this world and we are failing Jesus Christ. We will never win people over for Christ if we are not showing them the love of the Father, and we will never cover a multitude of sins if we fail to show people the error of their ways.

Today, it is my prayer that I will love people in the right way. I pray that I will love others enough to tell them that God has sent His Son for them so that they can be free from the bondage of sin, and that I will convey that truth in a way that cannot be mistaken for anything other than true love and concern.

Tough Stuff Tuesday: Deny Self

For those of you who have known me for a while, you know that my favorite drink in the entire world is Diet Coke. To me, there is nothing better than a large fountain Diet Coke from McDonald's in their styrofoam cups. I'm salivating just thinking about it. But here's the deal: it has been 42 days since my last Diet Coke. That is a HUGE deal. And let me tell you, it hasn't been easy. Those first few days were especially tough, and now it's only every now and then that I really miss them.

It's a lighthearted example, but an example of denying yourself nonetheless. I love Diet Coke, a lot, and I still wish that I could drink it, but I just don't. I don't need all of the aspartame or caffeine, and I definitely don't need to be addicted to anything other than my Savior.

In Matthew 16:24, Jesus said:

"If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."

I looked up the greek definitions for those words, and the word for deny (aparneomai) means "to deny utterly, to disown, abstain." When it comes to being a follower of Christ, we are going to have to deny ourselves, ie: abstain from the lusts and desires that we possess, and only crave the things that Jesus desires.

Paul told the Romans that when they were baptized, their old man died and was buried, and they were raised a completely new person (Rom. 6:3-4). They weren't to continue in sin after they had been washed, because that wasn't what grace was about (v.1-2). As Cliff Goodwin said recently, "Jesus never came to save people in their sins; He came to save them from their sins."

When we were baptized, we were crucified with Christ. When we were raised, we gave up living to ourselves. Instead, our old person died, and now we are living as Christ (Gal. 2:20). I'm afraid that Christians have become pretty prideful, thinking we know more about how Jesus would live than the Holy Spirit. After all, the Holy Spirit has revealed the will of God to us, and has shown us exactly how we can live as Christ. Sadly, we ignore what the Spirit has said and decide for ourselves how to live.

But that isn't what the word deny means. When we become followers of Jesus, we give up self. Period. Just because I think it would be nice if all people were in heaven--regardless of how much sin they have allowed in their life-- doesn't mean that's the way Jesus meant it. Jesus said that the way would be narrow--which seems to suggest that there are going to be some guidelines as to who will be in heaven and who will not (Matt. 7:13-14, Luke 13:24).

I may think that all people who simply ask Jesus into their hearts should be saved, but Jesus said that it would be those who believed and were baptized that would be saved (Mark 16:16).

I may think that drinking and partying and getting drunk takes the edge off, and participating in such a trivial matter won't jeopardize my soul, but the Bible shows us otherwise (1 Cor. 6:10).

I may think that God doesn't care who I marry, even if that person is of the same sex, because God loves all people and wants all people to be happy, but God's inspired Word has told us otherwise (1 Cor. 6:9-10, 1 Tim. 1:10).

Regardless of what I think, I am not God. I do not get to decide what is good and true. I do not get to judge who does or does not get to go to heaven. What I do know is that God wants all men to be saved and to live with Him in heaven (1 Tim. 2:4). However, for any of us to be candidates for salvation, we must submit to the terms God has put in place. We aren't the ones offering salvation, so we don't get to decide the terms. Instead, we get to deny ourselves and put on Christ. Once we have put on Christ (through baptism--Gal 3:27), we go back to what Galatians 2:20 says,

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

If I weren't a Christian, I probably wouldn't guard my tongue as closely as I do. I would probably gossip more, and lie to get myself out of trouble. If I weren't a Christian, I probably wouldn't wake up early on Sundays. If I weren't a Christian, I would probably wear immodest clothing--because it's hot in Tennessee in the summertime! If I weren't a Christian, I would probably go off on people who make me angry, because they deserve to be treated the way they treat me.

However, because I am a Christian, I must respond how Jesus would respond. I must say things that Jesus would say. And, I must do the things that Jesus has said. I have to abstain from my fleshly, worldly desires because I am His. And, if your struggle is anger--you have to control it because you are now living as Christ. If your struggle is using profanity--you have to control it because you are speaking as Christ. If your struggle is with pornography--you have to abstain because you are now Christ's. If your struggle is with homosexuality--you have to abstain because God has said that is unacceptable.

We all struggle. We are all sinners. But if we are going to be true followers of Christ, we must all deny ourselves--of whatever ungodly desire it is that Satan has set before us. My struggle may be different than yours, but that doesn't give me the right to judge you. Your struggle may be different than mine, but that doesn't give you the right to give in to yours and claim that God wants you to do whatever you want. Jesus Christ told us, from His very lips, that we are to deny ourselves. For some, it may be easier. For some, the struggle may be much harder. But we know that God does not put on us more than we can bear (1 Cor. 10:13).

Denying yourself is hard, though. So we need patience and understanding and love from our brothers and sisters whose struggles are different than our own. But, we must not be so prideful to think that because our struggle is different or becoming more widely accepted that God will allow us to continue in sin. All Christians are required to deny self. All Christians are required to live as Christ.

It is my prayer that I will be more empathetic and loving toward those with different, sometimes harder struggles than my own, and that I will not be so prideful to think that I know better than God what constitutes as sin and what does not. Perhaps we can all pray this prayer together.

Tough Stuff Tuesday: Gossip

I recently heard a conversation similar to this before a Bible class was about to start:

Teacher: "Alright, well I think it's about time to get started if so-and-so will finish up."
Person: "Yeah, we gotta quit gossiping and get ready for Bible class."

I was truly appalled by this sentiment. Would we sit in Bible class and then, as it was time for us to dig into God's word, say, "Well I gotta quit looking at pornography so we can get started" or "Guess I should quit cussing so we can start talking about the Bible."

I know you see those two examples as absolutely ridiculous. The thing I don't understand is, why are we so casual when it comes to gossiping? Why do we treat it like it's ok, when Scripture is clear:

"And besides, they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not." 1 Tim. 5:13

Gossips and busybodies....saying things which they ought not. Ought not---are not supposed to. Could the Holy Spirit have been more plain? We are NOT to use our tongues like that. Why, then, do we constantly excuse ourselves when gossip is discussed?

The Bible has so much to say about gossip and the way we use our tongues (ie: this post will probably be long). First, I'd like to examine some New Testament passages, then we'll dive into some Old Testament proverbs. Now, let's get started!

"Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money..." 1 Tim. 3:8

This first reference may seem a little strange to you, but let me explain. While most people commonly overlook the passages that talk about qualifications for deacons and elders unless it is time to select those men to serve, I have tried to live by the rule of 'if an elder/deacon isn't supposed to do it, I probably shouldn't do it.' My aim is and will forever be to be pleasing to my God and a faithful follower and imitator of Jesus Christ. Clearly God wants/expects certain things from the men who will be leaders in Christ's church. If God has told us pretty plainly what type of person that is, why wouldn't I strive to be that type of person? It is obviously acceptable to God if you are that kind of person, so I should strive to live my life that way. Therefore, I will do my best to be reverent, not given to much wine, not greedy for money...and I won't be double-tongued.

When we gossip (and even the worldly dictionaries we use define that as 'idle talk or rumor, especially about the personal or private affairs of others'), are we not being double-tongued? Are we not saying things about someone to other people that we probably wouldn't say to that individual's face? Let us strive to be the type of people God intends for us to be, and only use our tongues in an acceptable way. James touches on that in the epistle that bears his name:

"And the tongue is a fire, a world if iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell." James 3:6

There is a way we can misuse our tongues, and when we do--they are being 'set on fire by hell'. What does that mean? It seems to mean that Satan uses Christians' tongues to further his message/cause, instead of promoting peace and love as Christ would.

When we gossip and backbite, we are not just messing up with our tongues. James says that we defile our entire body! Think about the sins of sexual immorality. Paul wrote to the Corinthians and said that they should not misuse their bodies in such a way because their bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:18-20). If our tongues can cause us to defile our entire body, should we not get the same reprimand that Paul gave to the Corinthians? Stop doing that, because you aren't defiling your body, you're defiling the temple of God! Stop using your tongue to defile God's temple!

The next verse I'd like to look at comes from 2 Thessalonians 3:11.

"For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies."

The word busybodies in the original text (periergazomai) means someone who "bustles about, meddles". Someone who gets unnecessarily involved in others' business is called disorderly, and what they are doing is busying themselves with work which really isn't work at all.

I can think of a lot of different individuals I have known over the years that have busied themselves in the false work of being a busybody. They always know exactly what's going on with someone else, and never cease to share what piece of information they have most recently gathered--with as many people as they can. The Bible plainly says that is disorderly, and like we noted in 1 Timothy 5:13, that's not the way Christians are supposed to act. Instead of 'working' long hours trying to figure out what is going on with every person around you, why not use the information you gather to try to help someone, instead of spreading the gossip all around town? If you find out (and there's a difference in finding out and seeking out!) that so-and-so has run into a certain problem or situation, do what you can to help them! Spend your energy and resourcefulness trying to come up with ways to serve!

The way we use our tongues is such an important aspect of Christianity, and possibly one that we overlook far too often, or at the very least, don't spend nearly the amount of time and attention on that we should. Look at what James had to say in James 1:26

"If anyone among you thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless."

It makes me think about Paul's description of love in 1 Corinthians 13. He says that he can do all of these great and wonderful things, but if love isn't there, it doesn't amount to a hill of beans (clearly that's an Emily paraphrase). The same can be said of the way we use our tongues. Unless we are using our tongues for their intended purpose (to stir up, encourage, exhort), then our religion is useless. All of the "great things" we're doing aren't going to matter because we aren't bridling our tongues!

Let's move into Proverbs now, because the first one I'd like to look at ties in with the concept James introduced.

"An evildoer gives head to false lips; a liar listens eagerly to a spiteful tongue." Prov. 17:4

When we listen to gossip (aka promote and condone), we are an evildoer and a liar. Wait, why a liar? Think back to what James said: if we don't bridle our tongues, we deceive ourselves. Basically, if we thrive on gossip and tearing others down and meddling in people's lives, we're lying to ourselves if we think our religion is real. We aren't really spiritual if our tongues aren't in check.

As we can see from just these few passages, the ways we use our tongue plays a key role in our spiritual walk. Since there are so many scriptures about this topic, and I've already been writing (and you've been reading) for such a long time, I'd like to invite you back tomorrow for Gossip: Part two.

Tough Stuff Tuesday: Why Worry?

When I was in high school, one of my favorite songs was by a then-popular band and the song was titled "Why Worry?" Here are the opening lines:

"Why worry? I wonder all the time, why worry? It's killing me. Forget about it."

Those words hold a lot of truth, though I don't think I paid much attention to them back then. In my adult life (aka the year that I've been married and away from home and living on my own), I've noticed that I spend a lot of time worrying. Recently, I heard a sermon that started off in a very thought-provoking way. Stan Butt, Jr. was the speaker, and he said that there are a lot of things that are talked about in Scripture that Christians just shrug off because "everyone does it". One such sin is worrying.

The Bible tells us plainly, "Be anxious for nothing" (Phil. 4:6), and "Do not worry" (Matt. 6:25), yet we act as if it's a suggestion rather than a command. In Matthew 6, Jesus is the one speaking, and at the end of verse 30 He says, "O you of little faith". When we choose to worry, we choose not to have faith in God our Heavenly Father and Provider.

In James chapter 1, James says that if we ask God for something, He will give it to us liberally. Therefore, when Jesus tells us not to worry about food or clothes or anything else we may consider to be a "necessity", we can understand that because we know that God will abundantly provide for our needs.

Sometimes, though, we just don't believe it. What? You think that's a bit harsh? Well when we choose to worry over something, it sure seems like we don't believe that God will provide. It sure seems like we think we can do a better job controlling something than God can. I only say it like this because I am guilty of feeling and acting this way.

Stan Butt, Jr. went on to say,

"Worry steals today's effectiveness. If you're worrying about yesterday and tomorrow, you're likely missing the opportunities to serve others today." 

That quote hit me right between the eyes. How many times have I been guilty of neglecting something I could do to serve the Lord because I was too busy worrying and agonizing over what could be's and what might have been's. In case you are guilty of letting worry creep into your life and set up shop, I've decided to provide you with the outline that Mr. Stan gave to us.

He said from the outset that you cannot simply stop worrying: you have to replace worry with something else. Basically, worry is a habit. And to break the habit, we have to put something in it's place. Here are his list of 5 suggestions for conquering worry, and a few thoughts of my own to help it makes sense to you.

• Get your priorities right. Matthew 6:33 tells us to seek first the kingdom of God and all these things that Jesus had been talking about (food, clothing, etc.) will be added unto you. We have no reason to worry if our main focus is God. Mr. Stan said, "Worry is a sign of worldliness." Surely those whose lives are away from God are the ones who worry, because those whose focus is on heaven aren't concerned with worldly cares. 

• Remind yourself of God's promises. God has promised that He will never leave us or forsake us. He has promised to give us every good and perfect gift. He has promised to give liberally and without reproach. He has promised to give us what we ask. Trust in those promises! Maybe you're anxious that you may lose your job or that you cannot get a job to begin with. Trust that God will provide for you, whether you land that dream job or lose that dream job. If your priorities are right, you're studying from His Word. If you're studying from His Word, you know that He will take care of you. When you find yourself worrying, pull out your Bible and read God's promises.

• Spend time praying. Matthew 7:7-12 gives us a discourse on what will happen when we ask God for something. When you feel that you need something, ask. When you feel nervous and anxious about something, talk to God. When you don't know the outcome of something and it has you all stressed out, talk to God. When something has happened and you can't seem to let it go, talk to God about it. He gives us the things we need when we ask for them. So if you ask Him to help you stop feeling like you need to be in control, I have full confidence that He'll help you! If you ask Him to give you the strength to accept whatever outcome is headed your way, I trust He will! If we are in constant communication with Him about our needs, how will we ever feel that He is not providing? 

• Start counting blessings instead of troubles. This may be my favorite thing that Mr. Stan said. Whenever I start getting worried about something, I can usually start counting all kinds of troublesome things around the situation. Usually, it's a downward spiral of negativity that goes something like this: Well, if this happens then this will probably happen, which will of course make this happen, and before you know it this will happen and BAM....yeah, none of that ever really comes to fruition anyway. And if it does, God will get me through it. So instead of focusing on all of the things around that could make me worry, I will instead count the things that God has given me. We're all aware that Philippians 4:6 tells us to be anxious for nothing. But then it tells us to make our requests made known to God, WITH THANKSGIVING. How often to we skim right over that phrase? When I am thanking God and thanking God and thanking God, am I worrying about much? Not really. I come away from those prayers with a smile on my face. So when you start feeling worried, start thanking God for all of the things that are going right in your life. 

• Remember those who have real (not theoretical) troubles and help them. The best way to quit worrying is to do something that gets your mind off it. Find someone who has legitimate troubles (not the kind we usually have that are "this might happen") and go help them. Bake a cake, send a card. Doing something that benefits someone else will make you forget about your own troubles, and will also make you thank God for being able to do those things. 

I want to close with a concept I learned from Dan Winkler in his class Life of Christ. He said, "Don't be an Indian giver with God." Give God your cares and concerns, and trust that He will handle them. Don't "take them over" again, doubting that God can handle it. He is bigger than any situation or circumstance that this life can throw at us.

Tough Stuff Tuesday: Beating Bitterness

Why aren't more people pricked by the gospel's message? Why aren't there more people filling that front pew when the invitation song is sung? Is it because the church is filled with such righteous, sinless people? Is it because there are none of us who ever mess up in a public way, or perhaps none of us need encouragement from those around us?

I don't think that's it at all.

There are so many in the church today who are living with walls and fortresses around their hearts, and for seemingly good reasons. Because the church is made up imperfect people, those who come and sit on their favorite pew week after week are hurt, jilted, and angry. They are tired of people treating them with disrespect, speaking to them rudely, or spreading rumors about them to others within the congregation.

And so, they start building walls. 'If I don't make myself vulnerable to you, you can't hurt me', some will say. And week after week, year after year, the walls get higher, the bricks more mighty. And instead of keeping other people out of our hearts, we're closing ourselves off from Jesus.

You see, bitterness is a scary thing. It is a highly contagious, fast-spreading poison. It is a creature that oftentimes sneaks its way into your life, buries itself deep within the confines of your heart, and rears its ugly head only after weeks and months of cultivation. Sometimes, before you even realize that it's there, it's woven itself into your heartstrings so tightly that it isn't a quick fix. It isn't something you can get rid of by simply willing it away. It takes time, effort, and an extreme amount of dedication.

So why should we even bother with ridding our hearts of bitterness? Don't we have the right to hold a grudge against someone who has wronged us? Especially if they have wronged us in such a deep, possibly even publicly humiliating way?

Let's look at what the Bible tells us about the sin of bitterness:

"But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there." James 3:14-16

"...lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled." Hebrews 12:15

From just these two places in scripture we see that bitterness is a serious heart disease. It is demonic. It defiles us. It incapsulates every evil thing. These aren't light, easy to swallow words. These words are harsh. These words indicate a very grave subject matter. Simply put, we cannot be people of God and people who hold grudges. We cannot be people of God and people whose hearts are given over to bitterness.

So what is the Bible's remedy for bitterness? If we are not to be people who hold grudges and have bitter hearts, how are we to change? Look at the verses surrounding those mentioned above:

"But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace." James 3:17-18 

"Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord." Hebrews 12:14

Without peace, we will not see the Lord. And that peace? We are to pursue it with all people. I love the way James illustrates wisdom--the way we are to behave to be pleasing to God:

• It comes from a place that is pure. Our motives are to be like Christ, not "forgiving them" so we can use them or hurt them when they trust us again. 

• We are gentle and willing to yield. Sometimes you have to concede and give way to others. When they hurt you, they may never apologize for it. You have to be willing to put your pride on a shelf and yield to them, knowing they are the weaker brother. 

• We have to be full of mercy (which, as I've heard it stated, is not giving someone something they do deserve--kind of like the opposite of grace). The world may tell us that certain people or certain types of transgressions are unforgivable. We never have to trust them or love them or speak to them again. Ah, but peace is full of mercy. God's infinite wisdom shows us that. 

• It is also impartial and without hypocrisy. When the Hebrews writer tells us to pursue peace with all people, it means just that. We do not get to pick and choose the people we forgive, or the types of things we forgive. In order to be fully forgiven, we must fully forgive (Mt. 6:14-15) and pursue peace by whatever means we have to.

There is a beautiful way to attain this type of peace, and Paul tells us in Philippians 4:6-7 exactly how that is possible:

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

When we are in constant contact with our heavenly Father, His peace will guard our hearts and minds. I don't know about you, but when I am at odds with someone, it tends to make me anxious. When something has gone terribly wrong and tempers have flared, it tends to stress me out and make me physically ill. But through inspiration we know that if we will simply talk to our Father about it, He will in turn grant us peace. When someone wrongs you, talk to God. If it is causing you extreme pain and you are feeling especially tempted to hold a grudge and be bitter, pray even more. The more you pray, the more peace you will be given.

I have struggled for a significant portion of my life with bitterness. There are grudges that I have been clinging to for years on end. And, by worldly standards, I may have had the right to hold these grudges. I was legitimately hurt, humiliated, forsaken, discarded, and misused. But that list? That list is nothing in comparison to the way that people treated the only begotten Son of Almighty God when He was on this earth. How did He respond? With outstretched, nail-pierced arms. Why, then, do we excuse ourselves when our attitudes are different? When our attitudes are prideful? Should we not react as Jesus did, with unconditional and abiding love?

Pursuing peace isn't easy, but it is commanded. Letting go of our personal agendas isn't easy, but it is necessary if we are going to have God's agenda. If we are seeking our own will, we aren't seeking His. May we all strive to be people of peace in this self-seeking, bitter world.

Tough Stuff Tuesday: Are We Not Ashamed?

It has been entirely too long since I've posted, and for that I am incredibly sorry. I haven't made this a priority as I should, but I am vowing to change that inasmuch as I can help it.

There has been a topic on my mind for a few weeks, and a couple of nights ago I had a dream about it...sort of. You see, I dreamed that I was asked why I hadn't blogged about such an important topic. When I woke up, I was like...uh, I guess I should post something about this?? So here I am, posting about a topic that has even invaded my subconscious.

I'm sure you've heard these two words recently: Magic Mike.

Normally, I would just leave a worldly movie alone. After all, we would have to leave this world to escape worldliness and perversion. Unfortunately, we live in a Satan-dominted world, and there are people who are sex-crazed and selfish and want their desires fulfilled on the big screen. So normally, I'd just say, "Well, I definitely won't go see it" and that's that. I don't think about it again.

But this movie...it has become a phenomenon. I have seen status after status after status about "Magic Mike" and pin after pin after pin about Channing Tatum (actor from Magic Mike--and yes, I am addicted to pinterest). The thing is, these pins and these statuses aren't from worldly people. These statuses (or Facebook tags that show me that you're actually sitting at the movie theater) are from "Christians", and I'm sorry, but I really have to use the word in quotes.

I have no desire to even google this movie, but I did find some stats on screenit.com. First and foremost, the movie is rated R, and shouldn't we all just purpose in our hearts not to see R-rated movies? But, if you get past that, please look at some of these sobering reports:

Alcohol/drugs--extreme
Imitative behavior--extreme
Inappropriate music--extreme
Profanity--extreme
Sex/Nudity--extreme

And those are just the "extreme" aka can't get any worse than this categories. Now, personally I've seen enough. Why on EARTH would I want to see this movie? I wouldn't even want to be talking favorably about the movie even if I had no intention of going. It looks disgusting. It sounds completely inappropriate for any sanctified individual, and yet, we have people who are struggling with the temptation of getting involved with this worldly, sensual movie.

Let's move to the Bible. Jeremiah 6 has some pretty sobering words; sentiments that sound an awful lot like he's talking to people today. Take a look at what Jeremiah says:

"Because from the least of them even to the greatest of them, everyone is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even to the priest, everyone deals falsely. They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly, saying 'peace, peace!' when there is no peace. Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed; nor did they know how to blush." (13-15)

If we even think about the movie Magic Mike, we should be blushing. We should be ashamed to post things about it or be tagged in photos or statuses about it. We should be ashamed to be associated in any way with such a vile, perverted movie. It's a movie about male strippers, after all! And don't even get me started on the hypocrisy of it all....

But think soberly about what Jeremiah said. These people were not ashamed when they committed abomination. They didn't blush when it came to sin. They were calloused. Their hearts were hardened. Sadly, that is what our country has come to.

Jesus' words still ring true: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." (Matt. 5:8)

That is such a positive statement, but wouldn't the negative be true. Those who are not pure in heart are not blessed; they shall not see God. That is a scary, scary thought. The only goal we should have should be to get to heaven. If we miss heaven, we miss it all! How sad to put some worldly, fleshly movie above our desire to go to heaven.

I am in no way perfect. I have worldly things that I, unfortunately, place before God at times. It is my desire and my prayer that we will all put whatever it is that is getting in our way behind us, and focus solely on being pure and seeing God one day.

There are so many other topics, and I will have to continue them another day. Until then, pray for all of the Christians out there who may be tempted to give in to worldly pressure and fleshly desires.

*Also, after writing this, I found a few more interesting articles about this. I really enjoyed this one, though I don't agree with everything that is said. It's a very good, thought-provoking article for Christian women/wives: read it here. Cindy Colley also wrote a post with some very powerful Scriptures listed. You can read that one here.

A Bat, a Scream, and a Lesson

On a particularly warm Sunday afternoon toward the end of January, my husband commented that we really needed to take down the wreath on our front door. We'd been talking about it for weeks, but we never seemed to have the right place to store it. So, it continued hanging on the door, the red and green deco mesh reflecting a Christmas that had long-since passed.

That Sunday evening, Robert had an elders-deacons-preachers meeting, so I went home by myself. I walked up to my door as I always do, took my keys from my purse, then unlocked the door. As I turned the deadbolt, I heard a faint rustling. When I dangled my keys free from the door, that was enough. Enough for what, you ask? Enough noise to startle the BAT that was living inside the wreath to emerge from his abode and scare me half to death.

I screamed, but stood still. The shock had nailed my feet to the ground. I watched as the bat flew out of the wreath and into the night sky, no doubt irritated that I'd interrupted him.

Robert called me on his way home and I told him about the incident. He asked me to beat on the door right before he got home, so that the bat wouldn't try to attack him when he came in. I did just as he'd asked, but apparently the bat had turned a bit more territorial this time around and stood his ground as my husband approached. Robert, aware that the bat had set up shop, was looking for the bat as he approached, and seeing the bat still inside the wreath, he came in the back door.

The next morning, I left out of the back door. I did not have any desire to see that bat. I would not even go close to where he was, even though by that time he'd left. We promptly removed the wreath that afternoon, not wanting to house any more bats on our front door.

It's a silly story, but I feel like we can learn a lot from it.

When we let sin hang out on our doorstep, it isn't long before it attacks us. God said to Cain in Genesis 3 that sin was at the door, desiring him. At first, sin can seem harmless. What does it matter if I leave my Christmas wreath up a few weeks after Christmas? It doesn't really matter. It doesn't look too Christmasy. What does it matter if I listen to that kind of music? It doesn't really matter. It isn't that bad. And so, day in and day out, you pass the wreath but you don't see it. You let yourself become acclimated to it, and before you know it, you don't even realize that it's almost February and your Christmas wreath is still on the door. You can listen to those words, day in and day out, and you don't realize that those vulgar words are penetrating into your heart.

One day, though, the wreath makes noise. There is a rustle, a stir, and out comes the bat. You're in an argument, you're frustrated, and the word slips out. Immediately you're filled with regret and shame. Why didn't I take the wreath down earlier? Why did I think it was okay to leave it up until February? Why did I think I could hear those words and not end up using them eventually?

Once you know that sin is there, you avoid it. You take every precaution to avoid it. You go through the back door even though it's inconvenient. You change the radio station when you hear the song, you throw out your CDs, and you change the playlists on your iPod. You don't want that word to slip out again.

Why do we wait until sin makes noise to take the sin our of our lives? Why don't we do what the apostle Paul commands us and "flee from sin" in the first place? Stay away from things that will separate you from God. Don't wait for the separation to take place before you realize it's wrong. Don't wait until you get drunk that first time to realize that you shouldn't have been drinking in the first place. Don't wait until you've gone "too far" with your girlfriend or boyfriend before you realize you shouldn't have been in that situation in the first place. Don't wait until you've been caught on that website to realize you shouldn't have visited it. Let us see sin for what sin really is. Let's not try to disguise it and pass it off like it has redeeming qualities. Sin is sin, and it camps out at our door and waits for us to just grow accustomed to it. That's when it gets it. We become too comfortable, to close of friends. Seek out the temptations in your life and remove them. Take your wreath down before something sets up in there for good.

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." 1 Peter 5:8

Tough Stuff Tuesday: Sinful Lifestyles

I suppose that nothing should shock me anymore. We live in a world where sin runs rampant. People aren't ashamed of their sinful behavior, but instead flaunt and make excuses for it. One such instance has made its way to the campus of my alma mater, Freed-Hardeman University.  A group of students and alumni have created a blog that features their stories--stories of the struggle of homosexuality, and the issues they have encountered throughout their lives. The thing is, the fact that this was published isn't the only thing that shocks me about the situation. I have seen multiple tweets directed at this group of people, by "Christians" that are some of the rudest things I've ever seen. Given, I have seen many positive and loving comments as well, but I am appalled that people claiming to live as Christ lived would react in such a hateful way.

 I am not here to condemn anyone, nor am I here to express my opinion. Instead, I want to look at the Bible, and focus on how Christians should respond to people who are practicing/struggling with homosexuality. I know that the overwhelming majority of people who view my blog are not homosexual nor do they have that struggle, which is why I think it's so important to focus on how we should treat these people--these brothers and sisters of ours. First, though, I will express some Biblical viewpoints on the subject of homosexuality, because I think that's an important starting point.

Let's ask a question first: Does God love homosexuals? We all know that the answer is yes. A harder question: Should Christians love homosexuals? That answer again should be yes. The problem is, some "Christians" don't. Some people bash the sin of homosexuality AND the sinner, instead of reaching out to the lost like we are commanded to do. Don't get me wrong, though; I do not agree with the lifestyle of homosexuality because the Bible does not (1 Cor. 6:9-10). However, I don't agree with any sin at any time under any circumstances, because the Bible does not.

Here's the thing, though; I'm a sinner. All of my life I have been a sinner. I will continue, throughout my time on earth, to struggle with sin. I am thankful every single day that the blood of Jesus has cleansed me and continues to do so when I fail.

But here's another question for you: does the blood of Jesus cover all sins? Yes and no. Can it? Yes. Does it always? No. Why? Because only the sins that we repent of are the ones that will be forgiven. Does Jesus want all of our sins to be forgiven? Absolutely. That's exactly why He died for you and for me. Does His blood have the ability to cleanse any and every sin imaginable? Yes. But, will those sins be forgiven if I do nothing about the sin in my life? No.

Hebrews 6:4-6 says this:

"For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to open shame."

When you become a Christian, your sins are washed away. When you continue to live in sin, though, you are crucifying Jesus again. When Christians, who have tasted salvation and freedom from sin, decide to continue (defiantly, might I add) living in that sin, they are worse off than they were when they simply lived a sinful life (2 Pet. 2:21). Now, what kinds of sins are washed away when we become Christians? All sins, even the ones listed in 1 Cor. 6:9-10 (look it up: yes, homosexuality is included in sins that can be forgiven). Because you see, in verse 11, the apostle Paul writes these words:

"And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God."

There were people living with the temptation of homosexuality in the first century. There were people practicing homosexuality in the first century. But those people, upon hearing the Word of God and submitting to it, put off homosexuality and repented of it, and their sins were washed away.

After stating these words, Paul goes on and says the following: "the body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord (v.12)", "flee sexual immorality (v.18)". How then can we say that it is ok to practice homosexuality? Unless we pervert the gospel of Christ, we cannot.

Now here's the part I think a lot of Christians miss: It is not a sin to be tempted. Jesus was tempted by Satan and yet we know the Jesus was sinless. It is not sinful to be tempted with homosexual feelings, and yet, how often do Christians condemn, look down on, and shun people who struggle with this sin? Most adolescents struggle with sexual temptations of some sort, be that the temptation to have premarital heterosexual relations or premarital homosexual relations. It becomes shameful and sinful when we dwell on it and act on those temptations and urges. But you see, I'm not calling out homosexuals here. I'm saying that it is sinful and shameful to act on ANY temptations of the sexual variety before marriage, because marriage is the only place God has sanctioned such actions. We should be telling all people (straight and homosexual) to guard their hearts and their bodies, not only bashing those with homosexual feelings. It is just as wrong to act on heterosexual feelings before marriage (something we don't get up in arms about nearly enough!). For homosexuals, though, the struggle may be a bit more severe, because God did not sanction marriage between men and men, women and women. God says marriage is one man and one woman, so if you struggle with feelings of homosexuality, that will be a struggle you have to overcome throughout your lifetime. Now sure, heterosexuals also struggle with reigning in their temptations even after they get married (that's why adultery is also prevalent in our society, and mentioned numerous times in the Bible), but at least there is the option for marriage and the subsequent sexual freedom therein. For homosexuals, no such thing exists.

I say all of that to say this: all sexual impurity outside of God-ordained marriage is wrong. All sin is created equal. However, homosexuals don't have a license to excuse themselves from what Scripture clearly states. Too often, I see homosexuals who want to "have a voice" and "be heard" and "be accepted for who they really are". I cannot and will not be tolerant of something that God is not tolerant of.

A lot of "Christians" stop there. They say, "Amen! I will not be tolerant of such things!" To you I say, keep reading.

Am I to still love homosexuals? Yes. Will I SHOW that love, not just claim it? Yes. Will I welcome them to study God's word and come to a true understanding of what He requires of them? Absolutely. Will I welcome them into the assembly and worship side by side with them? Yes, so long as they are not practicing homosexuality and living in a way that God says we cannot. Will I shun them when they express their struggles, even though they want to do right? Absolutely not. Will I be empathetic, since I myself struggle with sin on a daily basis? Yes. Will I even be sympathetic to the celibate lifestyle they will have to lead the rest of their lives and the constant struggles they will go through? Yes. Will I tolerate, accept, and promote their agendas? No.

Would we EVER think it was okay for a group of single Christians to start a blog/website/twitter account about why they should be accepted even though they regularly practice sexual immorality by having premarital sex with the opposite gender? No. Because it ISN'T ABOUT THE GENDER. It's about being sexually immoral. It's about doing things that God says are out of bounds. We wouldn't accept what they do, even though they struggle with it, because we know how God feels about it. Yes, we know that God loves them. Yes, we would tell them so. We would also tell them that they need to repent, and abstain from that lifestyle, otherwise they aren't in a right relationship with God and ultimately their salvation is in jeopardy. And shouldn't that be what we, as faithful Christians want for them: to be in a right relationship with God??

As Christians, we need to stop being biased toward homosexuals. Please stop and reread that sentence. We have to stop being biased toward one kind of sin. We need to tell the world that we think ALL sexual immorality is sinful. We think premarital sex is a sin. We think adultery is a sin. We think practicing homosexuality is a sin. We think rape is a sin. We think beastiality is a sin. And then, as a whole, we need to STOP PRACTICING and TOLERATING THESE THINGS. At the same time, though, we need to all start helping and encouraging people, not pushing them out of the church. The church isn't just a place for those who have been washed to come and gather, it is a place for those who are still sin-stained to come and get cleaned.

I love God with all of my heart. I know that I fail Him day in and day out. It is my hope and my prayer that I am not failing Him by writing this post. I want to love all of the people He loves. I want to help all of the people Jesus would have helped. However, I don't want to excuse someone or something that God wouldn't excuse, because that isn't doing anyone any favors, and it's putting my salvation at risk also.

*Also, I know that I'm late on this one, but with such a sensitive topic, I wanted to be sure the post was 100% ready.