SLAVES NO MORE…


Spiritual Blog - Heirs

Galatians 4:1-7 – “Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father. 3 So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world. 4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ” Abba! Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.” NASU

Paul’s way of explaining our relationship with God is powerful.  He brings to mind that a child although a member of the family and ultimately owner of all the family fortunes and worth is little different from a slave because the child is under the authority of his/her parents or those whom the parents have placed over them.  They are not allowed the privilege of operating as an “owner” until it is deemed by the father that they are ready. Owner of all but the authority of a slave is the condition described.

Then he declares to us that we are “sons” (a non-gender term as used here) and because of that truth God has sent the Spirit of God into our hearts crying “Abba! Father!”  As a result, we are no longer slaves but sons and daughters and if we are sons and daughters we are HEIRS OF GOD!  Oh my friends, how often do we as children of the Most High live beneath our privilege?  How frequently do we live as slaves rather than sons and daughters?  It is time that we assess who we are and whose we are.  It is time to reread the Bible and determine what this “New Covenant” that is established upon “Better Promises” is all about and what it affords.  It is time that we reevaluate our relationship with the Lord and that we have authority and power to not only overcome the enemy of our souls but the grace to live the Abundant Life that Jesus promised.  You are not a SLAVE you are a CHILD OF GOD and an HEIR according to His Promise!  We need to remember that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever and what He did He still does and can do!

Let’s move from a slave mentality to a son and daughter mentality.  Let’s move from timidity to boldness in our relationship, heritage, and covenant.  Let’s begin to live as HEIRS and bring real hope to this hopeless world outside of Christ.

God bless and keep you as you go through your day!

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STRONG IN GRACE…


Spiritual Blog - Grace

2 Timothy 2:1, 11-13 – “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus…11 It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; 12 If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us; 13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.” NASU 

How about you, do you want to be “Strong in Grace?”  I believe that I can answer that for you without violating your right to make the decision for yourself and say YES!  Paul identified in verses 11-13 some truths regarding our walk with Christ in this life by saying:

  1. If we have died in Him we will also live in Him.
  2. If we endure we will reign.
  3. If we deny Him, He will deny us.
  4. If we are faithless, He will remain faithful
  5. God cannot deny Himself.

We are dead in Christ through the “new birth” and have been made a new creation through the gift of Salvation and one day we will live with Him eternally.  Jesus never hid the fact that we would face difficulties in life and in the Christian walk and neither does Paul.  He tells us the end of that enduring is reigning with Jesus.  He warns that if we deny the Lord, God will deny us on that day and that is not something that any of us desires.  He tells us that we may be less than faithful but God will always be faithful because He cannot deny Himself and He is faithful.

So to be “Strong in Grace” is to embrace the faith that is in Jesus Himself.  It is to allow the Holy Spirit to guide our thoughts, words, and deeds. It is to allow the Holy Spirit to shed the Love of God abroad in our hearts and to teach us all things that Jesus said.  It is to allow the Holy Spirit to quicken our mortal bodies so that we shake off the shackles of carnality and move into the realm of the spiritual.  It is to become focused on the King and the Kingdom of God as paramount and supreme above all else.  It is to TOTALLY SURRENDER our life, all of it to GOD!

It is in that condition and position that we become “Strong in Grace” and no matter what comes we come out the other side IN CHRIST and therefore VICTORIOUS!

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

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MOUTH AND HEART CHRISTIANS……


Spiritual Blog - Words

Psalm 19:14 – “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.” NASU

 There have been times in my life, Christian walk, and ministry that I have either found myself out of harmony with these two or have encountered others who were so conditioned.  What does it mean to be out of harmony between the “mouth” and the “heart”?  It means that what you are saying is not what you really believe or living and that would fall under the definition of “hypocrisy”.  None of us wants to be a hypocrite.

David’s prayer is one that I pray regularly and with earnest because I recognize that if “my talking the talk” does not line up with “my walking the walk” then it is like “rain on a tin barn” and is only noise but no substance.  There will be no impact on lives for the good and God only repulsion and rejection of both the message and messenger.  But, it goes deeper than that because if my “words” are not in harmony with the “meditation” of my heart then I lose out in my relationship with God and do not develop or enjoy the bountiful benefits of walking with Him.  I am, at best, out of fellowship with my Lord and at worst in a rebellious state and in danger of being spewed out of His mouth.

I want my words to PLEASE THE LORD as well as my thoughts, heart, and action.  I want my actions, which spring from a pure heart to be pleasing to God and productive for the cause of the Kingdom of God.  I believe that the vast majority of believers desire the same thing ALL THE TIME.  Therefore, the question arises – “How Do We Ensure That Is the Case?”  I believe that Jesus said it best in Matthew 6:33 – “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” NASU  Paul echoed that in a different fashion in 2 Corinthians 10:5-6 – “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, 6 and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.” NASU If we are to have our “words” and “meditation” or our MOUTH and HEART be in harmony with the pleasure of the Lord we MUST make Him first above everything.  We MUST take proactive steps to ensure that NO THOUGHT that is out of harmony with His Word is allowed lodging in our hearts or minds.  We MUST become people of PRAYER, PRAISE, and PURSUIT of God.  If we do that I am convinced that God will step into our situations and maneuver our “words” and “meditations” so that they are in complete harmony and pleasing to the Father!

May God be with you and guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus our Lord as you go through your day!

 

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SOMETHING THE WICKED CANNOT HAVE…


Spiritual Blog - Wicked

Isaiah 57:19-21 – “I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near,” Says the LORD, “And I will heal him.”  20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea, When it cannot rest, Whose waters cast up mire and dirt. 21 “There is no peace,” Says my God, “for the wicked.”  NKJV

Jesus said in John 14:27-28 – “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” NASU Paul later wrote in Philippians 4:7 –“And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” NASU The Lord, through Isaiah, declares that He creates the fruit of the lips and grants peace to the one who is near and the one who is far off.  God promises to bring healing to those and I personally believe that means physically, mentally, socially, spiritually, and economically.  Then He says something that should catch our attention if the first part did not.

God identified that there is something that the wicked cannot have or possess – PEACE.  The wicked will toss and turn on his bed at night troubled by shadows of things they fear whether real or imagined.  The wicked will always be looking over his shoulder because of the vileness of his heart and the corruption that proceeds from it.  He will never trust anyone because he cannot be trusted.  He is like a troubled sea that dredges up filth and pollution and THERE IS NO PEACE.  So, if your life is marked by the absence of peace you might want to examine your relationship with our Lord.  I am not saying you are wicked but suggesting that if you allow the Holy Spirit to develop your relationship with Jesus PEACE will become a natural product of your life and its continued absence is a definite sign of a problem.  On the other hand, if you are engaged in wickedness then you cannot expect to experience true peace or continual peace it is not something that God will allow you to have.

I know the PEACE OF GOD that goes far beyond what the human mind can comprehend or imagine.  I know what it is to be completely calm, collected, and restful in the midst of a situation that would cause any heart to be completely hysterical.  I know what the infusion of GOD’S PEACE can bring to any situation and any heart in the most difficult of times.  That place of peace is a place that I desire as my permanent residence.

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

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YOU ARE NOT A SHOW PONY…


Spiritual blog - Show Pony

Matthew 6:1 – “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.”  NASU

Most if not all of us know or have known of people who relished the spotlight and attention.  They did philanthropic deeds, put their best foot forward, and put on the dog (so to speak) when they knew they were being observed but when no one was looking they were quite different.  I observed a professional athlete once that when the cameras were on him he was smiles and courteous even signed an autograph or two but when the camera crew went to another location he was rude, arrogant and dismissive of anyone trying to get near him.  Another athlete in the same event continued for a full hour talking to the spectators and fans signing autographs and learning something about the people.  One was all show but no substance the other was genuine on or off camera.  I gained respect for the one and lost all respect for the other.  I won’t tell you who they were it is not important what they did is.

In Christianity, the Lord Jesus advised that if we practice our righteousness or ‘Faux Christianity’ to be seen and lauded by men we will be genuinely disappointed on that final day when we stand before God.  The words ‘well done my good and faithful servant’ will not be heard.  Jesus said that there will be no reward from the Father, the praise of men is all we will get in this life or the next.  You are what you are when no one is around.  It would be far better to be real, honest, and who you really are all the time.  That way you never have to be afraid that someone will see or hear you out of character or costume.

That is a philosophy that I adopted a long time ago for my life.  I am what I am at all times!  What you see is what you get.  I don’t change when in the pulpit, sitting in the pew, at a party, prayer meeting, or in the woods hunting.  I’m the same all the time.  That has not always been the case and I would put on a mask when I went to church because, after all, I was the preacher and could not have problems, be down, disappointed, or ever battle depression. I was trying to be a spiritual superman!  That became so tiring that one day the Holy Spirit arrested me and said, “You Phony, stop it!”  Of course, I protested and gave my well-rehearsed argument about why I had to be like I was only to hear the Spirit of God say, “PHONY! PHONY! PHONY!”  It took a few encounters like that for me to fess up and repent.  From that day to this, I am what I am.  You either like me or you don’t.  But one thing you will always find is that I am the same on a consistent basis.  I try never to wear a mask, hide behind some religious cliché, or perform.  It is too tiring and too hard to remember how you are supposed to be at different times and different occasions.  I just let the Holy Spirit reveal who I really am flaws and all.  I’ve been happier that way and frankly more effective than ever in my labors for the Kingdom.

I am not and you are not a ‘Show Pony’ we are real human beings who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and we have flaws and shortcomings.  We face problems like everyone else.  You fail at times and you make mistakes.  Be real!  Be who you are at the level you are spiritually.  You are a work in progress and never forget it.  Ultimately people will appreciate your honesty and while there may be some super religious people who will be turned off by the way you are living in the real world but they did the same to Jesus so don’t worry about it.

May God be with you as you go through your day

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CAN I GET A WITNESS…


Spiritual Blog - Witness

Romans 8:16-17 – “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” NASU

 

Amen!  In this Passage you have it!  When the Holy Spirit witnesses to your human spirit that you are a Child of God rejoice!  That means as a child of God you are an ‘heir’ and beyond that, you are a ‘fellow heir’ with Christ.  We will not only suffer with Him but we will be glorified with Him.  Fellow believers, there is a better day coming!  There is a day of ‘triumph’ coming for those who are faithful until the end.  There is a day of ‘glory’ coming for those who endure to the end.  There is an ‘eternal day’ coming for those who are washed in the blood of Jesus and have their sins forgiven.  What more do you need to give you the courage to stand firm and stand true than the witness of the Holy Spirit that you are ‘indeed a child of God”?

Early in my ministry, I attended a meeting in Tyler, Texas of the Church of God In Christ organization.  There were probably a couple of thousand people in attendance and the speaker was a pastor from Houston.  The elders were sitting at a table in the front on the floor level directly in front of the pulpit and the Evangelist was charged with receiving the offering.  After well over an hour of testifying, preaching, singing and motivating the congregation to give, which they did almost to a person by coming down the aisles and standing in front of the elders putting their offerings down and the elders recorded it in their books.  He turned to the choir that was seated on the floor level at that time and as they began to come forward he stopped them saying, “Unh Unh honey, some of you women are too dressed up to be puttin’ them quarters on the table.”  Then he turned to the preachers on the platform and yelled, “Can I get a witness?”  The place erupted with clapping and shouting.  I left the meeting at almost 11 PM that night and they had just finished taking the offering.  I don’t know what time the service was over but I had a blessed evening but had to go to work the next morning so I could not say.  I was preaching and working a secular job too while going to college so my time was precious but I would not trade that night for anything.  I learned something about enthusiasm for worship and willingness to be open and direct with regard to what people were doing.  It was refreshing then and is now when I see it and experience it.

The only real witness we need concerning our spiritual condition is not the testimony or accolades of men but the witness of the Holy Spirit.  If our hearts condemn us then we need to take stock, but if the Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirits that we are children of God then stop fretting, doubting, and worrying and REJOICE!  Your name is in the Book of Life and that is the most important thing.

As you go through your day go in the witness, comfort, and encouragement of the Holy Spirit.  God bless you richly is my prayer!

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HUMILITY HAS GREAT REWARD….


Spiritual Blog - Humility

Psalm 25:9-10 – “He leads the humble in justice, And He teaches the humble His way.  10 All the paths of the LORD are lovingkindness and truth To those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.”  NASU

 

Although the focus of my message is humility, I feel I must address the fact that the KJV renders the word “meek” and when you go to Strong’s to examine it you find that ‘meek’ might just be the best translation for it appears to be focused on the poor and distressed and the idea is that God will lead them or direct their case toward justice and guide them into His Holy Paths.  Yet ‘humble’ is also a very good rendering of the word in that it speaks of the condition of the heart in which the person is devoid of ‘self-exaltation’ and ‘arrogance’ and demonstrates a propensity to ‘totally rely on’ the Lord.  That person will be rewarded greatly in their time of distress or stress.

We know that the Bible declares ‘vengeance is Mine says the Lord’ and that the ‘meek shall inherit the Earth.’  We know that Jesus and the disciples spoke much about the condition, mindset, or character trait of ‘meekness’ and by that I do not mean ‘timidity’ but one that demonstrates patience, gentleness, submissiveness although some render it to be ‘spineless’ and ‘docile’ easy to be imposed upon.  The Bible’s definition of ‘meekness’ seems to be more of a willingness to ‘turn the other cheek’ although at times the ‘meek one’ does appear to be ‘weak’ and unable to fend for themselves.  But regardless of which rendering you choose in this context listed in the passage listed whether it is ‘meek’ or ‘humble’ it is the identification of a condition of heart and mind where the individual needs God’s guidance, knows it, and relies on it.

Justice directed by God will never satisfy the human thirst for vengeance but will be redemptive in nature and scope.  God’s end is always redemption.  Admittedly, there are times when there is such a refusal to repent that ‘judgment’ involves punishment, not restoration but God will exhaust all avenues to bring about redemption and restoration before rendering the verdict ‘guilty’ and ‘condemned.’ 

The Holy Spirit reveals to us through the words of the Psalmist that if your heart is ‘humble’ God will lead you and direct your case or cause in ‘justice’.  We also read that for the ‘humble’ God will teach His Way!  It is one thing to know the ‘acts’ of God and entirely another to know the ‘ways’ of God.  His ways speak to His character and nature and can only be known through such a deep interpersonal relationship that we develop a unique oneness with Him.  God’s paths are love and truth and if we are a ‘Covenant Keeping People’ and walk in ‘humility’ we will find the Holy Spirit willing to lead us from victory to victory.

God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.  If you sense any self-exaltation or inappropriate pride residing in your heart run don’t walk to the Cross and law it at the foot of the Cross.  Cry out to God for His cleansing and ask Him to purge your heart of that dross and allow the purified gold within to rise to the surface.  Allow the Holy Spirit to enable you to walk in ‘humility.’

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

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DECISION TIME…


Spiritual Blog - Decisions

Josh 24:14-15 – “Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” 24 The people said to Joshua, “We will serve the LORD our God and we will obey His voice.”  NASU

In life, we have to make ‘choices’ and at some point, most people realize that there are ramifications associated with those life decisions.  Some never realize that and live in such a way as to fail to take personal responsibility for their bad decisions, expecting someone to take care of them and bail them out when they get into trouble.  That is not being a productive member of society nor is it what God expects of us spiritually.

In this situation, Joshua was addressing the people and rehearsed Israel’s history to the people bringing them to a clear understanding that where they were and what was before them was theirs only because of God, His grace, mercy, power, and love.  Joshua wanted to bring the people to a decision and commitment to ‘serve the Lord.’  He gave them a choice – They could go back to the old way of life and serve the gods of their ancestors or be “Moon worshippers” as Abram was before God’s call or they could serve the gods of the Amorites in whose land they were living.   Those were possibilities or they could, as he and his family had chosen, ‘Serve the LORD’.  The people were moved and declared they too would serve the LORD and obey His voice.  They didn’t but they make the choice that day to come into covenant with God, THE LIVING GOD.

Many of us have made the decision to ‘follow God’ and ‘serve Him’.  It is time to renew that commitment and make the choice to ‘Serve Him’ with a whole heart.  There is coming very soon a time when anything less than a total commitment and a resolve to SERVE GOD with a WHOLE HEART will be met with not only opportunity to turn back but will almost guarantee that we fall by the wayside.  There are going to be pressures that come to mankind that will require a resolve to love God even to death.  I am not trying to be morbid but telling you what I know from scripture and what the Lord is speaking to my heart.  That time is much sooner than many believe possible.  Today is the day of Salvation.  Today is the time of decision.

So it is my prayer that you ‘choose’ to serve the Lord with your WHOLE HEART and even if you are faced with death, will hold on to your commitment and resolve. God will never leave you nor forsake you.

God bless you as you go through your day!

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THE OPPOSITE OF FAITH IS…


Spiritual Blog - Fear

Matt 8:23-27 – “When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. 25 And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” 26 He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. 27 The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”  NASU

 

 I’ve heard many times that the opposite of FAITH is DOUBT but I would question that based on what I read in Scripture, have observed in life, and experienced personally.  I would suggest that the opposite of FAITH is not DOUBT but FEAR.  Notice what Jesus says to the disciples in the incident.

They were fearful based on what they could see and their life experiences regarding the tumultuous seas they were in.  Their nautical experience caused them to allow fear to enter their hearts and fully believed that they were going to sink.  Their fears would have been justified had it not been for the fact that Jesus was in the boat with them and He had said, “Go to the other side”.  Those two factors, (Jesus is in the boat and Jesus’ command) should have trumped the natural that they were witnessing and produced peace.  SHOULD HAVE…

Jesus had been demonstrating the Power of God to them and giving them illustrations of faith in operation through His words and works yet FEAR shipwrecked their FAITH.  That happens to you and me more than we would like to acknowledge.  I am not suggesting that there are not dangers in life that should cause us great awareness and cause us to take various steps to move out of those dangers and to find safety and shelter from the storm, but we do not have to allow FEAR to override our FAITH or our HOPE in God.  Jesus’ action of speaking to the ‘wind’ and the ‘waves’ was an example to them that ‘with faith’ they could have done the same.

In life when ‘storms’ arise the worst possible condition we can allow ourselves to enter into is a STATE OF FEAR.  In fear, one does not think rationally, normally.  In fear, one is subject to making irrational decisions and while the adrenaline will flow and possibly give us stamina or strength that we would not have normally manifested.  Therefore, our FAITH quotient will be at great risk because FEAR will send FAITH to be back of the room and allow the enemy to get our attention and gain our ear.  That is always a mistake because we know he is a liar and the father of lies.  We need to hear the Holy Spirit, not the imposter.

What I am contending is that when you face a trial or danger instead of allowing FEAR to take root and rise to the top resist it and turn your focus and attention to the Lord.  You will find that instead of doubt arising as a by-product of fear faith will being to flood your being and rejoicing will lift your spirit.

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

 

 

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EVERYBODY HAS FLAWS THEY CANNOT SEE… (Continued)


Spiritual Blog - Blind Spots

Ps 19:12-13 – “Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. 13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I will be blameless, And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.”  NASU

 

In dealing with “negative criticism” and the “blind spot” that our reaction can reveal I suggest that you always ask yourself, “What was or is the attitude of the person delivering the criticism?”  That plays a significant role in how I handle their criticism or critique of my life.  If their criticism was in a spirit of meekness and demonstrated a heart that desired to see restoration and growth, I take it to heart.  They may be correct and may be incorrect, but their attitude and spirit play, a major role in my response.  If they gave it in haughty judgmental spirit, I usually have more resistance.  That can be a problem and if I allow their spirit and attitude to deter me in considering the complaint I may miss something God is trying to speak to my heart.  My learned approach has become, regardless of the attitude of the one issuing the criticism or critique, I ask myself and the Holy Spirit, “Is what they are saying accurate?”  If it is, then regardless of their attitude I receive it as being from the Lord and seek to make the necessary corrections.  I do not change based on every criticism but on those that the Holy Spirit opens my heart, mind, and eyes to recognize as being true and from Him.

The problem for most of us is that it is very difficult to receive negative criticism and acknowledge the truth that criticism is based upon.  We must all learn to allow the Holy Spirit to place the spotlight of God’s love, mercy, grace, and word upon our lives and bring to light all things that are hidden.  I sometimes, seek out trusted friends, people that I know will tell me the truth and share the criticism with them.  If they confirm the validity of that flaw, I take it to the Lord in serious and earnest prayer and ask for help in making the needed corrections.  Once I have dealt with the criticism it is important to ask God to make you free of the potential condemnation that can often be associated with the criticism.  Do not make it you but roll it onto the Lord and receive your freedom.

On the other side of the coin is “How well do you receive cooperation, respect, and the confidence of others placed in you?”  Another way of asking that is, “How do you receive compliments and accolades?”  If it puffs you up that is revealing of a flaw that has the potential to shipwreck your ministry and testimony.  I have counseled parents regarding the seeming disrespect their children have for them.  I have said more than once, “Your children, in a very real sense, are saying to you, ‘I will respect you and have confidence in you, if and when I see you have integrity.”  If you demonstrate a lack of integrity, you are asking your children to respect what you teach them to avoid. That is hypocritical and unfair to them.  Integrity means being willing to stand for and stand in your principles even when it is not easy to do so.  It means being willing to tell your children you are sorry when you have done wrong and allow them to see in you a spirit of repentance.  It means that you are the same person at home as you are in church and everywhere else.  I have found that when I win the respect and confidence of others they will generally do what I ask because they trust me or trust God in me and they want to cooperate and participate.

Another question is, “Can you discipline without an overt show of authority?”  I’ve heard parents tell their children, “Do it because I said to do it.”  I do not have a major problem with that exercise of authority but realize that sometimes, had they explained the why, the dangers, the ramifications it would have had a more lasting positive impact.  Just being in a position of authority does not mean you will automatically have the respect of those you have authority over.  Nor does it mean they will automatically be obedient because obedience is the result of fear or respect.  Most people can receive criticism from a person who has demonstrated the ability and willingness to encourage.  They realize that the criticism is designed to benefit not berate.  Demanding that people obey because you are in charge is a demonstration of weakness rather than strength and suggests emotional insecurity and feelings of inferiority.

As believers, we are to be Peacemakers!  Being a Peacemaker is to act like a Child of God.  Why do I say that?  Because it is very unnatural for us to want to bring peace when we have been attacked.  We want (at least secretly) a pound of flesh!  Peter demonstrated this problem in his question to Jesus about forgiveness.  He asked, “LORD, how often should I forgive?  Would seven times be sufficient?”  Jesus’ response was not a numeric specific but a revealing of the need to forgive and forgive and forgive without number.  Many discussions lead to arguments and create far more heat than light.  Most people have something inside them that drives them to prove they are right, at all costs!  When a discussion degenerates into an emotional confrontation, somebody has to stop!  The one who has to have the last word is the most insecure and certain “blind spot” in that area.

I believe that most people will change their views when they see living proof of a better way!  Therefore, it is important that we share by deed not just by word.  It is important that we seek to persuade through action, not just verbalizations.  It is imperative that we lead by example not do as I say.  We must become those who pour oil on wounds and seek to calm troubled waters.  Love truly covers a multitude of sins!

God bless you as you enjoy this wonderful day in Him!

 

 

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