James 3:1-5 – “My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. 2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. 3 Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. 4 Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. 5 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.” NKJV

Before I even start my title lost some and they will never read or hear what I am saying so I will not try to address them and turn my attention to those who will hear the conclusion of the whole matter before rendering a judgment.  Another question would be, “What is profanity?”  If we truly believe that ‘words have meaning’ and ‘how we speak reflects the heart’ this discussion is important and could be beneficial.  If we believe that it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks we need to consider the topic.

Clearly the Bible gives no exhaustive list of banned words.  How could it with the continual evolution and change of language.  Some words mean one thing in one region and something entirely different in another.  Some of my British friends and I have laughed at the difference in the same English language in the use of words.  We speak the same language and sometimes are unable to communicate.  I won’t go into the words but some words we use in America are considered terrible profanities and insults to the British and some of their words, to us, seem almost nonsensical.  What is deemed slang or colloquialism to one is perfectly proper and acceptable to others so it seems.

According to many Greek Authorities when the Bible speaks of things like “filthy” talking (Ephesians 5:4) the word is (aischrotes) and includes behavior that flouts social and moral standards, shamefulness and obscenity.  Shameful speech as mentioned in Colossians 3:8 is (aischrologia) meaning speech that is in poor taste, obscene or dirty talk.  In 2 Peter 2:18 we find a reference to lascivious speech conjures sexually illicit or explicit images or ideas.  In Ephesians 4:29 we find corrupt speech which is morally unwholesome and harmful.  In Ephesians 5:4 we discover foolish talking which by implication reflects a stupid mind and jesting suggests off color humor.

Having said that I have said little because there is much subjectivity in defining and determining what those things entail and how they are defined.  I contend that words become profane when sacred meanings are treated in a common or trivial fashion.  Remember in Exodus 20:7 the commandment was “You shall not take the name of Jehovah your God in vain.”  I believe that the foundational application of that was in reference to a false oath.  In the Law of Moses the NAME of God was not to be profaned.  The context had to do with how God’s name was used in the environment of pagan worship.  Could that also apply to taking the sacred name of God and transporting it to the domain of the secular?  How about, “Oh my God!” or “Lordy mercy!” and “Jesus Christ!”?

In Matthew 12:5 and Acts 24:6 we find the Greek word ‘bebeloo’ translated PROFANE and it is defined as causing something highly revered to become identified with the commonplace.  What am I saying?  I suggest that all of us are too casual with our use of words, especially words that include or contain the name or reference to God.

In the Bible to ‘curse’ is to utter a malediction upon someone and is used legitimately with regard to a pronouncement of judgment as in Galatians 3:10 or Hebrews 6:8 but what about in anger, flippantly or whimsically such as, “You go to hell!” or “Damn you!”?  The words hell or damn or not inherently evil in themselves but when used hatefully, vindictively or in a pejorative fashion they become wrong.  The use of the word fool must be included in that discussion.

I had someone tell me that when the Bible said that Peter “cursed and swore” it meant he engaged in a profanity laced outburst.  I believe the context indicates that he denied the Lord and to reinforce his denial called down curses upon himself as was common in his day.  We are told in Colossians 4:6 to “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”

I only ask that you and I consider our pet phrases and use of words and allow the Holy Spirit to identify if they are becoming to our testimony or should be omitted from our speech.  I want my speech to be pleasing to the LORD and acknowledge that I am as guilty, or more so than you on this front.

            God help us and God bless you as you move forward in life.

John 15:13-16 – “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.  14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.  15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.”  NKJV

There is an overriding inescapable reality we face as we study Scripture.  It leaps forth in the 66 Books of the Bible and is visible on page after page and passage after passage.  It is something almost impossible to explain and almost inexplicable.  That of which I speak is the Incomparable Love God has for mankind.  Yes, we are His creation but our history has been one of rejection and rebellion.  He would have easily been justified in smashing the race like bugs and virtually did that saving only Noah and his family.  He has demonstrated His incredible patience and willingness to give us second, third, fourth and fiftieth changes and yet mankind continues to seek something other than Him.

The work of Christ on the Cross is a testimony of the depth of God’s love for mankind as is revealed in John 3:16.  Jesus, in our text, testifies that He considers us His friends and in laying down His life He has demonstrated the “no greater love.”  Peter tells us in 2 Peter 3:9 that God “… is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”  Paul wrote in Romans 8:37-39 regarding God’s love for mankind and declared that NOTHING could separate us from God’s love.  In Ephesians 2:4-5 he reminds us of the depth of God’s love

God’s love is Unconditional whereas human love is conditional.  If others reject us, spurn our demonstrations of love, disrespect, disappoint and turn their backs on us love would not be the descriptor for our feelings toward them.  But with God, He loves us regardless.  Make no mistake His unconditional love will not vacate His holiness or judgment.  He has promised that if we ‘come to Him’ He will not reject us but if we reject Him and die in that condition He cannot overlook our sin.

Jesus wept over Jerusalem because of the continual rejection of the inhabitants and I believe God weeps over our world today.  There have been at least three times in my life when, in a time of prayer and meditation, I heard God weeping.  It was one of the most disturbing experiences I have ever had and as I sensed His heartbreak I was broken.  The Omnipotent One could crush us like aluminum cans and with the stroke of His finger remove us from the planet and yet He chooses to LOVE US and demonstrates longsuffering beyond human ability to comprehend.

We can never merit that love but through grace He extends it.  As I mediate on this today I tremble realizing the times I have taken His mercy for granted.  How could anyone reject such incomparable love?  How?  I believe that to reject God’s love we must become so self-absorbed that our love for ourselves overpowers our reason.  I believe that to reject God’s love we must believe the Lie of the devil and elevate ourselves to be equals with God in our minds.  Jesus said in John 8:32 – “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  If we SEE truly SEE the finished work of Christ on the Cross and the Love of God we will respond and be made free.

I pray that if anyone is teetering on the fence undecided about God, His mercy, grace and love will cause your eyes to be opened and SEE.  I pray that each of us gain spiritual sight to a greater measure and SEE God’s Great Love!

            God bless you as you go through this day!

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 – “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.  14 For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.”  NKJV

Before you protest consider the reverential fear that the Hebrews had of God. They so revered and feared Him they dared not even pronounce His name.  In much of today’s church we have so reduced the ALMIGHTY He has become our buddy rather than our God.  Before you completely turn me off offended I fully believe that God wants us to be so comfortable coming to Him that on one hand we do so as a child would to their doting earthly father and on the other to so revere Him that we tremble in His presence.

Psalm 111:10 tells us that “The fear of the LORD, is the beginning of wisdom…”  Proverbs 1:7 declares, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge…”  Hebrews 10:31 brings in another dimension, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the LIVING GOD.”  Jesus told us in Matthew 10:28, “…do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”  Peter brings in the holiness of God in 1 Peter 1:16, “…Be holy, for I am holy.”  In addressing His followers Jesus addressed the need for righteousness in Matthew 5:20, “…unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Proverbs 8:13 teaches that FEARING GOD results in hating evil: pride, arrogance and every evil way.  Proverbs 14:26 declares that FEARING GOD gives strong confidence and a safe refuge.  Psalm 33:8 tells us that all the earth is to FEAR GOD and man is to stand in AWE of Him.  Deuteronomy 10:12 we read that God requires of man that we FEAR Him, WALK in His ways, LOVE Him, and SERVE Him with all our heart and soul.  Proverbs 14:27 reveals that FEARING God is a fountain of life and a deliverance from the snares of death.  Psalms 25:4 declares, “The secret of the LORD is with them that FEAR Him and He will show them His covenant.”  Luke 1:50 proclaims that God’s Mercy is on those who FEAR Him and it is passed from generation to generation.  The Psalmist prayed in 86:11, “Teach me Thy way, O LORD; I will walk in Thy truth: Unite my heart to FEAR Thy Name.”

I suggest and believe that the FEAR of God has its foundation in reverence and respect but the dimension of God’s sovereignty cannot be ignored.  The FEAR of the LORD motivates us to please Him, keep His commandments and walk in His ways.  We are to LOVE the LORD and one could argue that you cannot truly LOVE and FEAR at the same time.  In a completely earthly view I would agree but we are not talking about man’s relationship with man we are talking about man’s relationship with the PURELY HOLY GOD of all creation.  We are talking about a relationship with one who loves unconditionally and judges impartially.  We are not talking about the kind of FEAR that paralyzes but the kind of FEAR that out of love, respect and reverence motivates the heart to HOLINESS and PURITY. 

However, I suggest that the church today, for the most part, exhibits no FEAR of God.  It is as though we somehow have been conditioned to think that God will wink at sin and judgment will not be sure and final.  Can you remember when you trembled at the thought of His presence and sin broke your heart?  Can you remember when you travailed in prayer hours on end over sin in your own life or the life of someone you loved or knew?  Maybe you still do and that is great but how often do we see believers moved to travail over sin?  We are so conditioned by sin around us that it no longer breaks hearts and we hear people saying and doing things that in days gone by would have brought fear to our hearts.  Things transpire in the name of religion that are sheer blasphemy and we are largely unmoved by it.

When the believers FEAR God revival will break out, the winds of restoration and renewal will begin to blow and our reverence of holiness will return.  Much of today’s church is engaged in self-determination, numeric advancement in the local body and recognition rather than the Righteousness of God.  God is about to allow the church to taste persecution and that will either cause us to return to our first love, move us to political correctness to escape the difficulty or a root of bitterness will spring and up and defilement result.

I know that is a harsh word and one that many will reject telling me, “But God is a God of Love” and a message on holiness is not justified in the New Testament church.  Believe that if you choose but one day we will stand before Him none of us want to hear, “Depart from Me for I never knew you” as we argue “Lord, look at all we have done…”  

God bless you and may God move your heart to seek first Him, His kingdom and His righteousness.   Blessings upon you is my genuine prayer and desire!

Hebrews 11:3 – “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.”  NKJV

I recently heard Dr. Carl Baugh of the Creation Evidence Museum in Glen Rose, Texas a scientist and Bible scholar speaking about creation and he used the aforementioned passage from Hebrews.  He said: “We know that vibratory energy (acoustics) is the basis for all subatomic particles, and consequently, all physical matter.”  Then think about Genesis 1 where we read, “And God said and it was…”  

All the pagan concepts, theories and religions begin with all the energy of the universe already in place.  They do not and cannot go back to the cause other than theorize something like the Big Bang and even in that they find major problems and inconsistencies.  Only the Bible goes to the source.  Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”   The Heaven or the space time dimension (shamayim) in the Hebrew.  So in the Bible we find a beginning and an adequate cause.  In the Bible explanation of creation we have ‘time, space and matter’ all expressed from the beginning and their cause – God.

Back to the vibratory energy (acoustics) involvement in creation and all that we see I want you to consider the role of sound and music in life.  Lucifer (the devil) as an archangel may have been, as many teach was created with a purpose to be involved in music and worship.  I glean this from Ezekiel 28:13, “…the workmanship of your settings and sockets, was in you…”  The word settings is (toph) which means timbrel which is a musical instrument and the word sockets (neqeb) which means pipes, grove, hole or could be the description of a flute.  Isaiah 14 describes him as “the son of the morning…”  This could possibly suggest involvement in music and worship before the throne of God.  I won’t split hairs there but music has and does play a significant role in shaping society.  It is a powerful tool for good or evil.

In creation, none of us have all the answers and science tells us where God has been as it looks at creation but the Bible tells us where God is and that is a thorn in the side of those who adopt the Naturalism view of creation.  However, if I look at this vast universe that we know so limitedly it is beyond the scope of probability to believe it just happened.  Then I consider the intricacies of the human body I find it impossible to believe it just happened or evolved over time.  Gravity alone is so amazing and the consistency in the solar system, the effect of the moon and sun and the rotation and how the planets are proportioned and positioned is nothing short of amazing.

God’s creation is so amazing I stand in awe each time I pause and view the sky, the sunrise or sunset and the beauty of his creation.  As I consider the role that acoustics plays in creation and life I understand why the Psalmist would tell us in Psalm 150 to PRAISE everywhere with everything and continually.  Why?  Because sound, music, voice, vibratory energy is designed and used by God to be creative.  We are celebrating God’s CREATION and CREATIVITY each time we engage in expressing Praise through sound be that music, singing or verbalizing.

Music, singing and speaking are powerful tools that God has deposited in us so let’s seek to use them for His purposes.   Sound as a spiritual weapon is a thought that has intrigued my heart. 

            God bless you as you go through this day!

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 – “But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”  NKJV

I have long believed through my study of Scripture and watching people that generosity or the lack thereof reveals the heart of a person.  I am convinced that if God does not have our pocket books He does not truly have our hearts for where the treasure is there the heart is also.  I know the context of this passage is focused on money but I want to press it beyond that and do not believe that I am violating truth in doing so.

The Law of Sowing and Reaping goes far beyond monetary consideration and the principle of reaping ‘what’ we sow, ‘later’ than we sow and ‘more’ than we sow applies whether it is money, time, patience or love.  In this truth the Promise of God is that He will cause ALL GRACE abound to us so that we have ALL SUFFICIENCY in ALL THINGS and have an abundance for EVERY GOOD WORK.  That is an absolutely incredible promise.

Sadly, some have taken it as a promise of personal wealth and attempted to manipulate God through their giving.  God is interested in the gift and the motivation behind the gift and His blessings are in accordance with that principle.  It would behoove us to examine what we are giving and why we are giving or what we are not giving and why.  It will reveal our heart either good or flawed.

I have personally experienced times when I desperately needed finances and had no means of acquiring those needed funds.  I recall one such incident in which I had a $500 need and had $55 dollars to my name.  I do not mean had that amount of ready cash I mean that is ALL I had in this world.  The Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and said tithe on your need.  What?  God I have $55 to last me a full week a wife and two small children to care for.  If I give the $50 you are asking for I will have $5 left.  Three times I heard ‘tithe on your need’.  I took the $50 and planned to put it in the offering on Sunday morning and as the plate came around I tried but could not turn it loose.  I spent a miserable Sunday afternoon and on Sunday night when the offering took place I literally threw the $50 in the plate as though it were a hot potato that I had to get out of my hand.  I believed God would care for us but my humanity kept me awake all night battling thoughts of my failure in my responsibility to my family and they would have little to eat this week if…  That is the problem IF…  

I was in the condition of the man that said to Jesus, “Lord I believe, help my unbelief.”  The next day after a time in prayer I went to town to run an errand for the church and a person walked up to me on the street and said, “The Lord spoke to me last night to give you this.”  They placed an item in my hand and walked away.  I sat in my car and opened my hand and it was a check for $550.00.  God met the need I had and gave me back the $50.00 above the need.  My family was cared for, the need was met and my faith given an adrenaline shot that has never been forgotten.  God responded to my obedience and blessed in spite of my fears, questions and even doubts.  From that time on my giving has been cheerful and I have not given out of necessity since that day but out of a desire to honor the Lord and help others.

I have faced times when I desperately needed someone to assist me, comfort me, love me or counsel me and found that the return on my investment in others came back to me many fold.  God NEVER fails to send help in the time of need and if we allow Him to have our control of our time and treasure we will find that Grace will Abound to us in a mighty manner.

            God bless you as you go through this day!

Psalm 55:22 – “Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”  NKJV

David said in Psalm 37:25 – “I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread.”  In verse 24 he speaking of the righteous he said, “Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the LORD upholds him with His hand.”  I do not believe there is any conflict in the three passages cited here or in the remainder of the biblical message.

Is this a guarantee that we will not have problems or that we could not as Paul described in 1 Corinthians 9:27 become a ‘castaway’ or ‘disqualified’?  Is this a guarantee that we will not or cannot as described in Hebrews 10:35 – “…cast away our confidence…”?  Is it a compilation of the promise in Romans 8:28 that “all things” are working together for our good?  I believe, strongly, that God has promised to keep us against that day and NOTHING can separate us from His love.  Although I am very aware that circumstances, conditions, events and assaults on our lives can bring us to the brink of despair that God has promised to NEVER leave us nor forsake us.  I also believe that this is descriptive that IF we ‘cast our burden on the LORD’ He will sustain us.  Do you see one small possible problem here?

The instruction is to CAST our burden on the LORD and that is a requirement for the remainder of the promise.  If we refuse to gather under the shelter of his wings as Psalm 91 describes and we trust the Arm of flesh rather than coming to him, taking His yoke upon us and allowing Him to be supreme in our lives we place ourselves outside the scope of the promise of the second portion of the verse.  BUT, if we do CAST our burdens on Him then we are assured that He will not permit us to be moved!  That is a powerful promise!

Therefore, IF we believe the Bible then would that not be an encouragement for each of us to be obedient in casting our burdens on the LORD?  In my humble opinion, IF one believes that by turning to the LORD, rolling our cares on Him and allowing Him to engineer the course of our lives according to His plan would afford security, safety and victory what sense would it make to not do so?  The only reason we would not is that we do not truly believe the Bible nor do we truly trust God’s promise.  I know that is a bit harsh and strongly stated but examine it before rejecting it.

When I consider the life of David I can readily understand how he would have developed a mentality of trust toward the LORD.  God repeatedly demonstrated His faithfulness to David and David either trusted or repented for failure and ran to the LORD.  Most of us, if not all of us, have experienced God’s faithfulness.  I know that in the times I have truly cast my burden on Him He has proved His Promises!  It did not always transpire as I thought it should or even in the time frame I had in mind but God NEVER FAILED and He NEVER WILL.

May God be with you as you go through this day!

2 Corinthians 1:3-5 – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”  NKJV

Most of us are aware of the declaration of James that we are to rejoice in trials and few of us give consideration to the benefits that come from our trials and tribulations.  I am not trying to advance a doctrine that encourages or desires trouble but suggesting that trouble is going to come and if we can embrace it, there is a benefit to be gleaned.

Paul declares that our Heavenly Father is the Father of mercies and comfort!  Our Heavenly Father comforts us in ALL our tribulation with an objective in mind beyond enabling us to make it through the trial.  He comforts us THAT we may be able to comfort others who are experiencing trials and tribulation.

So when the enemy comes in like a flood and God raises up a standard against him bringing us through to the other side of the trial, rejoice.  Rejoice in the deliverance and comfort of God and rejoice in the reality that because you have experienced you will be better able to comfort others facing trials.  A man or woman who has been through battle can comfort those enduring trials far better than one who has lived in an ivory tower with no difficulties.  I am far more drawn to a person with a limp than a novice in the time of trouble.

We comfort others with the comfort we received from God.  We communicate His love, patience, longsuffering, guidance, wisdom and mercy.  We testify of God’s keeping power. We testify of God’s undying love.  We testify of God’s fulfillment of His promise to never leave nor forsake us.  We are living epistles known and read among men examples of God’s love, grace and power.

Therefore, next time the enemy targets you and it seems that everything that can go wrong does lift up your voice and your eyes and REJOICE!  Rejoice knowing that God will not fail and rejoice knowing that one day in the future you will be able to extend that comfort you are receiving from God to a brother or sister in this life.  Philippians 3 speaks of the ‘power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings.’  We want the resurrection power without the suffering.  We want the crown without the cross but it will not come.

I do not know what you are experiencing at this time but if you are suffering consider the additional benefit of that suffering that you will be able to comfort another along the way.  If there is a lesson to be learned in the trial diligently attend to it but above all rejoice in God’s provision and protection and rejoice in the joy that you will be able to be a helping hand to another along the journey.

            God bless you as you go through this day!

John 8:31-36 – “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” 33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?”34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.  35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.  36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”  NKJV

You can be in chains and not be a slave or be without bonds and be enslaved.  Chains do not determine FREEDOM the heart and mind do.  Unfortunately nothing we do will eradicate human bondage and men will enslave other men against their wills in this life.  I can only imagine the physical, mental and even spiritual torture that being captive brings.  My heart breaks for anyone who has endured that condition either as a prisoner of war, a human slave, a hostage or anything of the like.

I know two men who though captives were never ENSLAVED in their hearts and minds.  One was a Japanese prisoner during WWII and escaped the other held in Hanoi by the Vietnamese and endured years of horrific inhumane torture and abuse.  Both professed that their faith in God and believe in the Word of God kept them FREE though in chains.  They were and are examples of TRUE FREEDOM.

The only TRUE FREEDOM is through the shed blood Jesus and the Grace of God.  If we receive the forgiveness of sin and are born again we experience TRUE FREEDOM.  A person that is thusly free can be imprisoned, chained and otherwise enslaved physically but they will NEVER be a Slave in their heart or mind because the Son has set them free!

Today, in America, we celebrate our Independence and yet myriads of people are still enslaved in some form.  Enslavement of the mind is possible worse than being enslaved in the flesh for if a person’s mind is captive the attitude and actions will reflect that condition.  Breaking free and living life to the full is virtually impossible because the mind is in chains to wrong thinking, victimization and false premises.  But if we receive the FREEDOM that Jesus came and brought we CANNOT be enslaved.  Remember, if God is for who can be against us or as a friend always says what difference does it make who is against us if God is for us.

God bless you and BE FREE in Jesus. 

Proverbs 20:6 – “Most men will proclaim each his own goodness, but who can find a faithful man?”  NKJV

Through the years I have met many people who, when asked about their relationship with Christ, declared I am a good person.  They usually tell me what they do not do and some as justification and  will tell me their acts of benevolence, civic contributions or something of the kind.  Some will tell me that they go to church regularly and others relatively regularly.  I have found this passage to be incredibly true that most people view themselves as basically good or as good as the next fellow, as I was once told.  The man was a regular in church but had a propensity to hit the night spots and cavort with the ladies while his wife and children remained at home.  He made little secret of his lifestyle but because he considered himself “as good as the next fellow” he felt little reason to change.

In the many conversations with this individual he would point out the flaws in other people in the community and church and especially those in leadership.  It was mostly comparing apples with turnips but nonetheless it was his justification for allowed his conscience to become calloused guarding against conviction.  I understood his argument for I too held those views at one time.  The rural church I grew up in had flawed people (as to all churches) and I wrongly determined that if some of those people were going to heaven God could not send me to hell for I was “as good as the next fellow”.  I went to Vietnam with that mindset.  It was terribly wrong but it was the view I adopted because it allowed me to not deal with the pricks of the Holy Spirit.

On one of the occasions I had to talk to this individual the conversation came to the account in Mark 10 came up and I read to him the words of Jesus when He was called “Good teacher or Good master” and Jesus stopped the individual and said, “Why are you calling me good?  No one is good except God alone.”  He was shocked and I continued the account of how this rich individual had proclaimed his personal goodness when Jesus told Him to keep the commandments.  Jesus then informed the rich young man that he still came up short and this individual was a captive audience at that point.  I read to him the words of Jesus, “One thing you lack, go, sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. THEN come, follow me.”  The ruler was heartbroken and turned away because his possessions held his heart and his personal goodness was insufficient to save him.  It seemed for the first time he listened but without change at that time.

While many if not most of us would like to compare ourselves with others and declare that we are “as good as the next fellow” if we are honest we know that is insufficient.  Salvation is never earned it is by Grace through Faith.  God does not measure my life against your life but His standard is Himself, the Lord Jesus and His Holy Word.  In that light everyone knows we have been weighed in the balance and found wanting.  If we understand the standard we know all have sinned and come short of God’s glory.  If we understand the standard we know that the invitation of Jesus to “Come unto Me” is our only HOPE OF SALVATION!

            May God be with you as you go through this day!