John 12:4-9 – “But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, 5 “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.  7 But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial.  8 For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”   NKJV

I recall years ago hearing Billy Graham say that God told him to “Not touch the money”.  He was talking about integrity and how money has corrupted too many men who began right in the pursuit of the purposes of God.  I have observed in my decades on this terrestrial ball that MONEY and POWER are two of the most deadly elements man faces in any area of life.  There are other things that are destructive but those two are in the top tier to be guarded against their negative influence.

Do not understand me to say that MONEY in itself is evil for that is not what Jesus declared but rather THE LOVE OF IT is where the root of evil resides.  POWER is not bad in itself but if allowed to whet the appetite for control over others it becomes deadly spiritually, socially and politically.  The writer of Ecclesiastes declared, “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.”  (5:10).

The Bible tells us that where the treasure is the heart is there also.  If MONEY and POWER become so valuable they become dominant objects we pursue they will become corruptions in our character.  I firmly believe that God wants his servants well taken care of.  I also know that there is a lurking danger of allowing the appetite for the lifestyle of the “Rich and Famous” to override our heart of charity and understanding of the purpose of both MONEY and positions of POWER.

I have been told more than once that as a preacher I should keep only a minimal amount of my money and give the rest to the poor.  I have been attacked when the congregation I was leading spend money on the facilities that we were to keep everything minimal and the rest should go to the poor.  Jesus addressed that, in a sense, when Judas displayed disgust over the act of worship and extravagance when Mary took costly oil and wiped the feet and hair of our Lord.  Jesus considered what she had done an act of worship and faith and it is clear from the passage that Judas cared less about the poor than the money.  Jesus said, “…the poor you have with you always…” 

I personally do not believe that our places of worship or our lifestyles should be so extravagant they repulse and demonstrate a lack of awareness and concern for the plight of those around us.  It would be difficult for me to adopt a lifestyle of living in the lap of luxury when I see so many needs presenting themselves daily.  I preached along this line once and was told that I had a ‘spirit of poverty’.  I prayed about that and the Holy Spirit assured me that was not true.  My desire to bless others, have my needs supplied, live comfortably and maintain a tender heart overrides any appeal that lavish wealth affords brings joy to my heart.  I want the Power of the Resurrection in my life to combat the forces of hell and the wealth of the wicked in my hands to advance the purposes of God.

            God bless you as you go through this day!

Exodus 12:12-13 – “For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. 13 Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.”  NKJV

As God prepared Israel for their deliverance from Egyptian bondage the one thing they had to do to be spared was take the “blood of the sacrificial lamb” and place it on the doorposts of their houses.  When the destroying angel came into the land and saw the BLOOD the inhabitants would be spared otherwise DEATH would be the result.

This was symbolic and pointed to the time when Christ, our sacrificial lamb, would offer up His innocent blood on the Cross for the sin of mankind.  In our reception of His sacrifice and grace the Holy Spirit applies the Blood of the Lamb to our hearts and we are spared from the plague of sin.  Only by the blood are we spared!  It is not works, not earned, not deserved it is “by grace, through faith” that we enter into the family and kingdom of God.   NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD!

The old gospel song says it perfectly:

“What can wash away my sin?   Nothing but the blood of Jesus;  What can make me whole again?                  Nothing but the blood of Jesus.   Oh! Precious is the flow   That makes me white as snow;                              No other fount I know,   Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

             The prophet Isaiah penned it perfectly in Isaiah 1:18 – “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.   If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword.”

Some in today’s PC world do not like the mention of THE BLOOD for they consider it too vile for polite society and seek to eliminate it from the religious conversation.  What they fail to understand is that salvation’s door is opened ONLY BY THE BLOOD.  Without the shedding of blood there is no remission as declared Paul in Hebrews 9:22.  Cleansing is not possible without the Blood of Christ shed for sin.  He paid the divine penalty and through His sacrifice we have HOPE and LIFE!

What can wash away my sin?  NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD OF JESUS!   So today, if you have not received Him I urge you to listen to the nudging of the Holy Spirit and allow God to apply the blood of Jesus to the doorposts of your heart.

            God bless!

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 – “And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves.”  NKJV

I have come to believe that respect is earned not demanded.  I hear people say, “Don’t disrespect me” as though they had an inherent right to be respected regardless of their disrespectful attitude or actions.  I believe that everyone’s rights should be respected but not everyone is deserving of respect.  That statement may cause some difficulty but an unruly child that rebels is not deserving of respect.  A parent that berates their children, is unfaithful to the marriage and family and fails to provide is not deserving of respect.  Their position is they are not.

When I acknowledged God’s call to the ministry and assumed my first assignment as pastor of a small rural congregation I assumed that everyone would respect me because of the call of God.  Unfortunately, that utopian vision of the ministry was short-lived and I found that the desire for power among some does not include healthy respectfulness.  We are commanded in Scripture to ‘respect’ spiritual leaders because of the WORK.  Most who have served as pastor have heard, “What do you do all day?  Why do you need a day off?  It must be nice to have a job where you just read the Bible and pray all day.” 

Hebrews 13:17 instructs us to OBEY those who rule over us and be SUBMISSIVE.  Why?  They watch for our souls and God holds them accountable for our condition and development.   I have participated in meetings where the leader would present ideas and on one occasion where the majority did not agree they stated:  “We do not agree but if you believe this is best and is in the best interest of all involved we will support you as the leader.”  They were not being obsequious for some were quite strong-willed individuals but they were deferring to their leader because of their respect for his position and person.

HOW DO YOU EARN GENUINE RESPECT?

• Show Yourself Worthy.

One minister said, “I cannot stand in the pulpit and command the congregation to respect me.  It is earned by demeanor, by love and by character.”  I believe that character and integrity are foundational in respect.  That means we have to be attentive to small things and strive to be above reproach at all times and in all things. 

• Respect Ourselves. 

People truly do take their cues about respecting a leader from the leader him or herself.  My attitude is that in myself I am nothing but I can do all things through God who strengthens me and if God called me He is or has prepared me.  Therefore, my confidence is in God.  Without tooting your own horn it is sometimes necessary to let people know what God has done through you.  

• Respect Others.

Respecting others for a pastor or anyone means learning what their needs are and working diligently to address them.  Likewise how you handle partiality is a reflection on your respect for others. 

• Confront Disrespectful Actions.

Remember Paul’s counsel to Titus, “Let no one despise you.”  I have found that if you overlook or ignore disrespect it will be repeated and usually more prolific than before.  I am talking about things that are genuinely disrespectful.  I have experienced someone seeking to demean and disallow my authority, corrupt my reputation and undermine my responsibility in order to gain power.  I did not let those go without notice and each one was handled differently as the Holy Spirit directed.  I tried to be kind, gentle, loving but firm enough that it would be understood that behavior which had the potential of disrupting the church could not be tolerated.  

I prefer to approach disrespect with a servant heart and the spirit of meekness toward the disrespectful person.  So, I tolerate it for a time and once I have proved their spirit and it continues I can then demonstrate mine and on that strength I can confront whatever is necessary with God’s authority behind me.

As with having friends we must be friendly to gain respect we must be respectful.  Respect is earned!    God bless you as you go through your day!

Ecclesiastes 3:1, 3, 5 – “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: 

3 … A time to break down, And a time to build up; …5 …A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;”

1 Thessalonians 5:11 – “Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.”  NKJV

A number of years ago I heard the story of the twelve-year old boy who appeared to be unable to talk.  After his mother served him oatmeal three days in a row he said, “Yuck, I hate oatmeal.”  His mother became hysterical and ran to him shouting, “You can talk!  You can talk!  For twelve years you have not said a word and today you spoke.  Why have you never spoken before?”  He looked at her and said, “Up until now, everything’s been okay.”

Sadly, that is how we do things too often.  It is especially true in many churches with regard to their pastors as long as everything is okay nothing is said but let something go wrong and you hear the booing and complaining.  I know some pastors who are incredibly effective in their efforts for the local body and the kingdom of God but feel like abject failures.  One very wise minister explained it this way:  “We are victims of a system that is too high in expectations and too low in rewards.” 

Some people assume that the minister’s self-image is indestructible.  They expect the man of God to be filled with energy and fresh ideas but fail to give affirmation which is the emotional fuel we all need.  This is true with our children, spouses, employees, etc.  Everyone needs to receive personal affirmation from time to time when things are good not just criticism constructive or destructive when things are not.  In saying this I do not mean to imply that church members are cold and calloused but rather often unaware of the needs of the man behind the sacred desk who carries the mantel of pastor.

           I do not know any Omnicompetent Pastors but I know many flawed vessels who ascribe to that high calling and devote their lives to service.  I read a description of “The Perfect Pastor” and I honestly do not know who originally wrote it but it goes like this:

“What is the perfect pastor?  He is 26 years old and has been preaching for 30 years.  He is tall, short, thin, heavyset, handsome and homely; he has one brown eye and one blue; hair parted in the middle, left side dark and straight and the right side brown and wavy.  He has a burning desire to work with teenagers and spends all his time with older folks.  He smiles all the time with a straight face because he has a sense of humor that keeps him seriously at his work.  He makes 15 calls a day to church members, spends all his time evangelizing the unchurched and is never out of the office.”

             There are myths in the minds of some regarding the labors of the pastor and as I had a person say to me once, “It must be nice to have a job where you only work one day per week.”  He had no idea what my week consisted of and how many hours I spent praying, preparing, visiting, planning, meeting, etc. He saw me once per week (that’s all he came) and to him that was the sum total of what I did.

I have a friend who heard similar statements and he invited the individual to spend the day with him.  On that particular occasion there were five emergencies that the pastor was called to and then the regular schedule of the day to be addressed so when they concluded their day at 10:30 PM that evening the man was stunned.  He said, “I had no idea!”  I make no defense of a pastor who is lazy but I want to sing the praise of those individuals who devote their lives, expend their energies tirelessly for the service of God.  They deserve our affirmation even when nothing is out of the ordinary and all is going well.  Let them hear you in good times not just in times of difficulty.  Translate that to your families and work as well.

            God bless you as you go through this day!

Matthew 5:27-30 – “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’  28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.  30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.”  NKJV

Some of the modern language translations do not use the word LUST in this passage but use a more sanitized word DESIRE.  Although the word means desire it means more than just wanting something in a mild or superficial sense but rather an intense longing for.  I am reminded of a couple that I counseled once over the husband’s infidelity.  The wife longed for a resolution of his adulterous ways and in the course of counsel he explained his justification.  I could not believe what I heard and this is what he said.  He referenced verse 28 above and said that since he lusted in his heart and God counted that as guilty he might as well commit the physical act.  All attempts to address personal restraint and discipline had no effect.  All attempts to point out the incredible harm to his marriage through his physical acts had no positive outcome.  To him if he was guilty because of what was in his heart he might as well do what he was judged guilty of. 

That logic, if followed to its ultimate course, would plunge our world into total chaos.  If a person allows hatred in the heart as 1 John 3:15 declares is a ‘murderer’ then this logic would be if you are guilty in heart you might as well commit the act.  Imagine that world!  If one lusts for another’s property in their heart then this logic would make it acceptable to actually steal.

LUST in the heart is sin and must be dealt with but to complicate it further with actually carrying out the act is not what the Bible is talking about.  In fact, if you take the root of this thought in Scripture you can see it functioning in the good and the bad.  If one defines LUST as the earnest wish or desire of the heart and a person wishes to commit an evil act in their heart but for whatever reason cannot God judges them guilty.  The converse of that is also true for if a person wishes to commit an act of goodness but cannot God credits them as having done the act.  Truly out of the abundance of the heart!

I find it disturbing that many who profess to be Christians would be appalled to actually commit acts of adultery, murder or theft but entertain those thoughts in their hearts with no equal remorse or aversion.  They would never commit the acts in the flesh but are not disturbed at having committed them in their hearts.  Man looks on the outward but God looks beyond the outward and reads the heart.

May God help us to be as disturbed by the lust of the eyes as we are the physical acts!  I pray that our LORD create in us such a repulsion for sin that we are smitten in our conscience and brought to repentance over our thoughts as much as we are our outward acts.

            God bless you as you go through this day!

2 Kings 5:9-14 – “Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.” 11 But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’ 12 Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. 13 And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 14 So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.”  NKJV

This account of Naaman the Syrian Commander is one of several in the Bible that reflects ‘unrealistic’ or ‘unfulfilled expectations’ and the problem therein.  Naaman was had leprosy which was a virtual sentence of death.  His wife had a slave girl from Israel and she said to her Master’s wife, “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria!  For he would heal him of his leprosy.”  Naaman’s wife relayed the information to Naaman and he in turn to his master.  The story begins with a letter sent to the king of Israel to heal Naaman.

Imagine, if you will, receiving a directive from a powerful enemy to do something you were not capable of doing.  How would you view it?  The King of Israel considered it a provocation to war and was distraught.  Elisha heard of the King’s and directed that Naaman be sent to him.  Naaman followed the king’s directive and his entourage proceeded to Elisha’s house and there the problem opens in a major way and reveals the “Problem of Human Expectations.”

Elisha told the Commander to go to the Jordan and dip himself seven times.  Naaman was furious for he considered it an insult that someone of his stature would be so instructed.  He expected pomp and ceremony with Elisha standing before the great general, waving his hands over the leprosy and healing him in a dramatic fashion that fit what he considered to be worthy of someone of his stature.  He left furious and one of his servants took his life in his own hands and approached Naaman asking if Elisha had instructed him to do something great, difficult or monumental would he not have attempted it?  As a result Naaman realized he had nothing to lose and obeyed.  The result was a complete cleansing of leprosy and a restoration of his flesh.

Had he allowed his ‘unrealistic’ and/or ‘unfulfilled expectations’ to rule he would have died in Syria a Leper!  I wonder how often we fix in our minds how things should be and proceed to reject everything that does not fit that image and fulfill that expectation.  Could it be that we fail to receive answers to our prayers because we ‘predetermine’ how we expect things to be and when they do not satisfy those expectations we reject all else?

Isaiah 55:9 reminds us that God’s ways are higher than ours and when we attempt to superimpose our ways over God’s ways we are doomed to the realm of ‘unfulfilled expectations.’  I see it in relationships, businesses, churches, and spiritually that ‘unrealized, unfulfilled and unreasonable expectations’ bring disappointment and failure.  We do not have to live at that address for we can subject our expectations to God’s will and ways and allow the Holy Spirit to birth in us the purposes of God.

Demanding from others they meet our expectations can and often is both unrealistic and a catalyst to difficulty.  I am human.  You are human.  We are flawed vessels and to expect perfection from flawed vessels is unrealistic.  We need to be as the Naaman who went down into the Jordan not the Naaman that drove off in a huff wounded because his expectations were not satisfied.  I am learning more daily how Paul could say that he was content wherever he found himself.  His expectations were God not his preconceived ideas of how things should be.

God bless you as you go through this day!

Job 38:1-3 – “Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: 

2 “Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? 3 Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me.”  NKJV

In a very real sense Job allowed himself to drift into a self-righteous mindset and questioned God.  The LORD, as He often does, allowed it to continue for a time then made His presence known and placed Job in the interrogation seat, informed Job that He (God Himself) would be the detective in this case and ask a few questions.  I can only imagine how Job felt, especially after God in all His Holiness asked the first question or two.

Job had been proclaiming his righteousness and now God steps beyond man’s righteousness and reveals Himself as the Sovereign Creator of Everything.  In that light He causes Job to understand the fallacy of Job’s argument and the wrongness of questioning God.  How would you answer God were He to ask?

• To Explain Creation to Him.
• To Explain Gravity, Planetary Balance, Sea Waters, the Waters above and beneath the earth or Nature in general.
• Light and Darkness and their result and effect on everything.
• Where Light and Darkness come from or Snow for that matter how each snowflake is different.
• The Stars, Lightening, or other natural occurrences.
• Animal behavior and habits.
• God’s Rule over all Creation.

            What if God were to demand that you explain all those things to Him?  Clearly Job could see the occurrences in nature but could he control or even truly explain them?  By the time God was through interrogating Job the heart of this man was filled with wonder and he recognized his wrongness.  He recognized the sovereignty of God and confessed that he had spoken ‘words without knowledge’.  I wonder how many times we, through our petty pet doctrines, do the same.

It was out of Job’s repentance that God had him pray for his so-called comforters which were truly physicians of no value and then restored to Job ‘double’.  Job came to a place that He would no longer trust his righteousness or personal perceived goodness but would fully rely on God.  That is the place we must come if we are to walk in the fullness of God’s Abundant Life that Jesus came to bring.  There is a place in God that is above the ability of humanity and we can enter that realm through faith with humility and in obedience.

            God bless you as you go through this day!

Genesis 1:1; 26-28 – “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” NKJV

If we cannot believe the account of the First Adam how can we believe the Last?  If we cannot believe the account of creation how can we believe the account of Heaven or Redemption?  I know a number of people who profess Christianity and yet their belief system is a mixture of evolution and creation.  I had a college professor once tell me that he was a devout (Brand Name Religion) and a devout evolutionist and his religion and evolution did not conflict.  I told him that mine did and before the semester was over I had generated enough questions in the minds of the students and refuted his hypothesis time and again that he forbade me to speak again in class.  I was told that if I spoke again he would kick me out of the class and fail me.  He did both.  But, if I believe in creation how can I be silent when the minds of others are being led down a wrong path?  I was never disrespectful and always tried to present my beliefs factually, orderly, with civility and respect for those on both sides of the issue.

We know from Scripture that ‘death’ came through the First Adam and ‘life’ through the Last (Jesus).  If we accept the theory of Evolution we would be forced to view death as coming through the Unholy Trinity (Time, Chance Mutations and Natural Selection) as well as life.  If we find it difficult or impossible to believe in Creation we find God’s Sovereignty a difficulty as well.  If we have the mixture of Evolution and Creation in our belief system we may believe there is a Divine but He is remote and disconnected from His creation.  We would fail to observe and recognize the sovereignty of God.  The idea of God being the potter and we the clay would be foreign for our belief would require the idea that God deposited an amoeba and set in motion the evolutionary process and all that we now see is a result of that evolutionary process.

If we are to have a meaningful relationship with God we must maintain the distinction of Creator and Creature otherwise we almost become co-equals and responsible for our own destiny and salvation.  If the First Adam did not bring death through rebellion then the Last Adam could not bring Life or Resurrection from that death.  If we cannot believe that Christ was raised from the dead we are, as Paul said, “Of all people most miserable.”  It is in the Hope of the Resurrection that we find strength to face each new day with its struggles.   It is in the Hope of the Resurrection that we live and move and have our being.

A former evolutionist told me “I do not have enough faith to be an atheist or evolutionist.  I cannot view the universe, the world in which I live, the various beings in existence and the human body without believing there is a Creator.  To believe that it all just happened or evolved from a single cell or a gigantic explosion and all the planets, solar systems, gravitational systems, the intricacies of the human nervous or vascular system would require more faith in the fictional than I can muster.  I am not saying that my faith in God is so simplistic and a crutch that it affords an answer without examination or thought for it does not.  I am saying that I can no more believe the possibility of a City Skyscraper rising from a beam on the ground with no involvement from a designer than I can believe in this world without the existence and presence of God.”

The fact that I am unable to fully explain everything about God does not negate His existence.  I personally am confident that He is based on my personal experience, the Word of God and what I can see in the world in which I live.  Therefore, I believe that IN THE BEGINNING GOD…

            God bless you as you go through your day!