Anger and Incense

"However, You are just in all that has come upon us; For You have dealt faithfully, but we have acted wickedly. (Nehemiah 9:33)

Many of us visited extended family during the holidays and many us saw or experienced the continuing effects of anger: broken and strained relationships. Each of us has experienced times when anger has caused a blow up or a sudden withdrawal into silent isolation. Anger can be an explosion or it can be cold determination to maintain a wall that can not be penetrated.

I have too often drunk of the exhilarating but deceptive power of anger. Anger tends to create a reaction of anger. We may be able to “stay cool” in the face of red-hot anger which burns and is gone, but our reaction may be an icy-cold anger that goes on and on. Either way we would share in the same sin and worship the same false god: Self. When we get angry, let’s remember what god we are worshiping and repent. Anger is incense that we offer on the altar of the blood-thirsty, lusting, gluttonous god of Self.

"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. … But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell. Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. Settle matters quickly with your adversary…” -- The Lord Jesus Christ

Phony Phantoms

Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth. (Proverbs 27:1)

Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin. (James 4:17)

If something is unpleasant, difficult or unknown, I have a sad tendency of putting it off until tomorrow. This is a form of boasting, “I’ll do it tomorrow.” Tomorrow, I can work on my college degree. Tomorrow, I will begin to eat right and exercise. Tomorrow, I will start a daily time of prayer and Bible reading. Tomorrow, I will be reconciled to Dick and Jane. Tomorrow is full to overflowing with our boasts. But, the Scripture in James 4:17 warns us that if we fail to do the right thing then it is sin. This warning is about Today because that is the only day in which we have any control and can truly act. It has been said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Actions, no matter how small, are solid and real and are the stuff of Today. Intentions are the empty boasts, disappointed dreams and phony phantoms of Tomorrow.

Project:
• Let’s ask God to show us some small step we can take today.
• Let’s ask God for grace to take that small step and let's DO IT.
• Let’s ask God for grace to be doers rather than boasters.

Lovers Caught Up In A Romance

Abide n Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me. (John 15:4)

Recently, my bride and I participated in a Christmas marriage conference. I looked forward to the conference as a time to get away and to focus on God’s Word in to our lives. But, I didn’t think much would change about our relationship because I felt like we were in pretty good shape as a couple. Once more, however, we came away from the conference with a deeper understanding of and love for each other. We’ve been to many marriage encounters, retreats and seminars. Without exception, each one has helped us to grow closer, more transparent and more in love with each other. We came way as lovers living a romance.

It is terribly easy to fool ourselves about relationships. Just being in each other’s company does not necessarily deepen a relationship. It is often helpful to step out of the daily routine, the ruts of our life, and take a fresh look at our lives. We may discover that we have built up invisible walls to prevent ourselves from getting hurt. Or, we might find that we have become good roommates or friendly co-workers rather than romantic lovers.

Our relationship with Jesus can also become a dead habit, a cold routine or a stale regurgitation of clichés. This can occur without us realizing what is happening because of our natural tendency to take the way of ease while turning the eyes of our thoughts away from uncomfortable truths. Knowing about and talking about a good habit such as daily exercise, prayer or Bible reading does not give us any of its benefit. The benefit is ours only when we first change our minds to admit we have a need and then change our lives to embrace a new way of thinking, living and relating. Our relationship with Jesus can all too easily turn into superstitious habit, legalism or a just a label rather than the glowing joy of lovers caught up in a romance.

You have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. (Revelation 2:4)

Project:
• Pray for God’s grace to become a romantic lover of your spouse and of Jesus.
• Seek out a retreat, seminar or conference to get a new perspective.
• Let’s be zealous to change our minds, lives and relationships.

Lost At Sea

Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, (2 Peter 3:3)

We have all have heard of or probably personally know preachers, elders or fathers who have brought great harm to the Church by moral failure. These men started out to build God's Kingdom but ended by attacking, hurting and driving away the sheep under their care. They got caught in the snare of lust.

Lust warps spiritual sight and eventually leads to mocking the truth. The pornography in our society is like an acid eating away at spiritual foundations. It has been called “every man’s battle”. Lust is a temptation that is common to all men. Giving in to this temptation has caused preachers to change their teaching, leading eventually to public disgrace and the mocking of Christ. Lust and pornography have destroyed countless marriages and families. Sipping at the cup of pornography is not a little, harmless, private sin. Rather, giving into the temptation of pornography is like playing in a mine field.

The lure and hooks of pornography are everywhere in our culture. Once our thoughts get caught on one of those hooks then we are like a beast that can be led around by the ring in its nose. We become mockers following after a brutal taskmaster: our own lusts.

The first step in avoiding or getting free from the lure and snare of pornography is a change in our thoughts. Personally, I found that I had to humble myself and seek help from God and others. As long as we accept lust as normal or view it as a minor problem, we are sliding into the attitude and thinking of a mocker or a scoffer. This is dangerous to every good thing in our life because our thinking determines how we feel, how we relate and what we do.

Our thinking, and therefore our life, is either moving toward the Truth or toward Error. The longer we accept the lie of pornography the more it will warp our thinking toward accepting lies, deceit and moral failure and the less we will recognize, accept and manifest truth. A man who has embraced wrong thinking in one area of his life eventually becomes like Pilate who, even as he stood face to face with Jesus, asked, “What is truth?” We lose our power of discernment and are blown toward destruction by our emotions and desires. Pornography and lust will eventually destroy the compass of our life and leave us like ships lost on the open sea; ships at the mercy of the next storm.

Project:
Ask God for a change in thinking about pornography
Seek help from someone you trust: your spouse, friend, elder, or minister.
Avoid major decisions until you are freed from the power of Lust.


The Spirit also helps us in our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

ALERT Academy

Worldly Wimp or Goliath Killer

"..discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come." (2 Timothy 4:7,8)

"Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. (2 Timothy 4:12)

Two of our sons have felt led to be involved in ALERT training. Nathan really dug in showed the sort of man he is by his success in going through their basic training and embracing the challenges he faced there and in the phase two training. And, we feel that Daniel's 3+ years on the ALERT staff and going through the curriculum were very beneficial in preparing him to be the man, the husband and the leader he is today. He came away from the program with greatly increased confidence that he could do anything through Christ. Daniel developed new levels of initiative, faith, and leadership.

If you have a son or sons who desire to challenge themselves to reach new levels both physically and spiritually, I recommend a look at the ALERT Academy located in Tyler, Texas. This post high school program challenges young men to discover God's power to push beyond their own self imposed limitations. The focus of the program is on spiritual growth, developing a service attitude and training to be of service in a crisis.

Other parents with adult sons who hear about the program and about Daniel's and Nathan's involvement have commented about how they wished that their sons could have been involved. There are many ways for young men to grow in spiritual maturity and to become Godly leaders. Our other sons have successfully grown and matured in alternative paths. But, ALERT is one of the best programs for any young man to mature physically, mentally and spiritually in a brotherhood of other young men seeking the same goals. This program is fully successful only if the young man invests himself into and embraces the challenges and training. In rare cases, a young man may change a rebellious attitude but, in general, this program works best for young men who sincerely desire to challenge themselves to new strength of body and character with an emphasis on spiritual growth. This program is not for boys who want to embrace the values of worldly wimps but for young men who want to be prepared to be Goliath killers.

From the ALERT website
The Air Land Emergency Resource Team (ALERT) is a unique training and service organization for young men who desire to achieve maturity and fruitfulness in service as Christian men. The training young men receive at ALERT equips them with the discipline, character, and skills necessary to meet the needs of people in crisis. These ALERT Responders will then be deployed to disaster-stricken areas such as those effected by hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and mud slides. To learn more about who we are, what we do, and how you can be a part, please follow the Training and Service links below. [Click here to see the ALERT Website]

Living Below Sea Level

We are all very aware of the truth that it does not matter nearly so much what we tell our children as it does what we demonstrate to them by our actions, attitudes and priorities. They tend to copy our actual attitudes and values rather than implementing what we say. The same principle applies to all leaders and Church leaders are no exception. Church leaders may see a need for a change of direction in the local church, but a new teaching emphasis will be almost meaningless unless the leaders are modeling that direction in their lives. One example of this is to have a seminar on a Biblical view of finances while the church remains in debt and makes little effort to change the situation. It's true that most congregations need to experience a seminar on the Biblical view of finances because many of us are living in fragile economic situations.

When the storm of the Depression hit, my grandparents found themselves living in the middle of the dust bowl. But, they were able to weather that economic storm without losing their ranch while many of their neighbors lost everything. The primary reason was that my grandparents actually owned their home and land rather than embracing the pseudo-ownership of debt. In contrast, most of their neighbors could no longer sustain their debt. Carrying a large debt is like living below sea level while surrounded with dikes to keep back the waves.

An economic storm would be devastating. But, it would especially overwhelm those who are already living below sea level. Yet, we live in a world where such a storm is not only possible but even likely. Carrying a large debt in such a situation could easily turn into a disaster. If the church leadership actually chooses to treat debt as a problem then a seminar on finances could have tremendous effect. But if the leaders of a church continue to have the church carry a large debt without a priority on eliminating it, a much stronger message is communicated than a seminar would speak. When church leaders manifest a public, repentant attitude toward personal and church debt, it sends a powerful message by example and prepares the way for God’s work in the heart of each family.

Romans 13:8 – Various translations –
Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another..
Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another;
Keep out of debt and owe no man anything, except to love one another;
Owe no one anything, except to love each other,

A church in debt speaks something about its god. Do we have a God who lacks resources when they are needed for the work He commands?

Doing What We Ought

In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace [be] on them, and mercy. (KJV Galatians 6)

For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. (NAS)

It seems so natural, comfortable and “faith” building – to trust in keeping a set of rules. After all, if we follow the rules don’t we then feel more secure in our salvation? Most of us have certain rules we have been encouraged to embrace to be Christians in good standing. Here are some I’ve heard advocated: “Pray and read your Bible every day”, “Don’t raise your hands to worship God in public”, “Raise your hands to praise God”, “You must use special wording for a baptism to be valid”, “You must be baptized by a priest or someone authorized by the church”, “You must not speak in tongues.”, “If you are truly saved, you will speak in tongues.”, “Take communion from a single cup”, “Have an individual cup for each person”, “A woman must keep silent during Bible Class”, “Pray before every meal”, “Don’t pray in public”, “Don’t pray before a meal” and on into an infinity of rules. But, wait a minute. God through Jesus has nailed the rule book to the cross.

Anytime we begin to depend on our ability to keep rules as a sign of righteous living, correct worship, or genuine salvation, we are forgetting that we are to go beyond learning rules or new tricks. Just as it impossible to teach a dog enough tricks and rules for him to be mistaken for a child, so it impossible for us to be a child of God by trying to look like or act like one. The only way for us to be a child of God is to be a new creation quickened and led by the indwelling Holy Spirit (see Romans 8:1-16).

We should examine the foundation of our faith. Is our foundation resting on rules and regulations? This is like building on sand and our faith will not stand a big storm. Jesus said we must hear and do what He taught. But, there’s a catch here. The catch is that it is impossible to do what He taught unless we have His nature, His Spirit and His power. In other words, we must be a son of God just as He is. The only way to be a son of God is to acknowledge that we are sinners, accept that Jesus has paid the price for our Sin, and be baptized with the Holy Spirit. No supposed baptism is real unless the Old Man is really buried and a New Man (a son of God) is raised to new life in Jesus. So, having received Jesus’ Spirit into our inner man, let’s leave behind the worries and burdens of rules and regulations and walk in the joy and freedom of God’s Spirit. By His Spirit, we are freed and empowered to love fully and thus do what we ought.

May God, our Father, grant you, according to the riches of His glory,
• to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man;
• so that Christ may dwell in your heart through faith;
• and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
• may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge,
• that you may be filled up to all the fulness of God. (Ephesians)

Loving Heart, Listening Ear

Please, Share any verse or thoughts you feel God is perhaps speaking to you. There is power in sharing what we feel God might be speaking to us.

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Ouida
Hebrews 5:8 - Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered

Help me to learn to obey better.

Josh
Proverbs 25:28 - Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.

Lack of self-control makes an easy opening for the Devil.

Solomon
Proverbs 24:14 - Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul; if you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.

If you find wisdom, your hope for the future grows.

Joel
Psalms 99:5 - Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy.

Speak of how God has blessed you

Gerry
Acts 9:11 - And the Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying,

God is listening. He does actually hear our prayers and act on our pleas. We can not do any of the above in our own strength. What would you plead for God to do for you? -- God's loving heart and ear is turned to listen.

To -

* Obey cheerfully, completely and immediately
* Have self-control
* Find wisdom
* Exalt God

We desperately need God's grace, power and guidance.

Leaning on a Broken Stick

Please, share the Scriptures that are on your heart and related thoughts. Click on the comments link for this article and add your Scripture reference and thoughts.
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Josh – "Forsake foolishness – find understanding."


Proverbs 9:6 Forsake your folly and live,
And proceed in the way of understanding.

Solomon – "Don’t trust yourself."

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.

Ouida– "Lay aside worries."

Hebrews 12 lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,


Gerry – When in darkness of loss or loneliness, trust in God’s love. He has good and wonderful things planned.


Jeremiah 31 "The people who survived the sword
Found grace in the wilderness--
Israel, when it went to find its rest."
The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying,
"I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.
Again I will build you and you will be rebuilt,


Trust in the LORD with all your heart
And do not lean on your _____________.

The Same Old Stuff

In the latter days you will understand this. (Jeremiah 30:24)

“I wish you had just forced me learn to play a musical instrument.” This is something we’ve heard from some of our adult sons. And, many of us have probably thought the same thing about something that we wished we had learned in our youth. As parents, we often find that we must cause our children some form of discomfort for their future good. They very seldom appreciate it at the time. Sometimes, children who are more mature can have more faith and trust in the idea that their parents are on the same team with them. Children who can embrace discipline for their future good and goals can achieve incredible progress.

There was a boy in my class in eighth grade who seemed to be the dunce of the class. The teacher had promised a party when everyone in the class achieved a perfect score on the spelling test in the same day. This poor fellow was the only one to miss words several weeks in a row. He became the target of much verbal abuse by his classmates. On the last day of class, someone meet him outside with a pie in the face. Yet, in his freshman year in high school, Mark seemed to be a new person. He embraced discipline and developed a personal schedule of study each day. He graduated from high school as first in his class and went on to CalTech on a full scholarship.

God seems to be speaking to Israel as a parent to a child. “Someday you will understand why this is necessary now.” He also is calling us to have faith and trust in Him even as we go through challenges, difficulties and pain. Not only is he calling us to faith and trust but He is calling us to embrace discipline. By His grace we can change and develop daily spiritual disciplines that will transform our lives and our families. Instead of whining and complaining, let’s look at the challenges in each of our lives as opportunities to grow. Let’s stop doing the same old stuff that hasn’t been working and develop new habits to grow mighty in spirit.

Project:
Choose a new discipline to build in your life.
Post your ideas and plans by adding a comment to this article.

Act while it's Today. Tomorrow never gets here.

Some ideas:
Daily Bible reading and meditation on God’s Word.
A Daily time of praise to God even in the midst of suffering.
Daily personal prayer and journaling.
Daily prayer with your spouse.
A Daily prayer walk.
A weekly fast.
Running combined with Scripture memorization.
Post your ideas and plans by adding a comment to this article.
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Let God In

Solomon – Proverbs 18:9
He also who is slack in his work
Is brother to him who destroys.

You destroy stuff when you’re lazy.

Josh – Proverbs 9:7
He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself,
And he who reproves a wicked man gets insults for himself.

Reprove the wise and let God handle the scoffer.

Joel – Isaiah 65:23
"They will not labor in vain,
Or bear children for calamity;
For they are the offspring of those blessed by the LORD,
And their descendants with them.
"It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.

These verses show the benefits of salvation and trusting the Lord. Let God in.

Ouida – Titus 3:5
He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,

Good results depend less on our righteous works and more on God’s mercy.

Gerry – Hebrews 3
For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end, while it is said,
"TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE,
DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME."
Romans 8:14
For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

We will be slack in our work (at least spiritually) and fools unless we let God in. When we are His adopted children being led by His voice and His Spirit, then we experience His mercy and the results of His work.

So You and Your Children May Live

For our morning devotions, we have been trying to each share a Scripture verse and what it meant to us. If you have a particular verse and thought you would like to share put it in a comment on this blog.

Joel
Jeremiah 46:22
20"Egypt is a pretty (AU)heifer,
But a horsefly is coming (AV)from the north--it is coming!
…
22 “Its sound moves along like a serpent;
For they move on like an army
And come to her as woodcutters with axes.

Listen to God because He came to Jeremiah to give warning. If we listen to God, he will give warnings and direction.

-- Listen right.

Josh
Proverbs 3:6
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.

God will open doors if you acknowledge God when people praise you and include God’s direction in your planning.

-- Speak right.

Solomon

Proverbs 14:4
Where no oxen are, the manger is clean,
But much revenue comes by the strength of the ox.

Abundance brings work. Work brings abundance.

-- Act right

Ouida

Mark 1:41
Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."

I see my need to have more compassion.

-- Think right

Gerry
Deuteronomy 30:19
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.

Today’s choices are vitally important. Our life is not predetermined. God gives us real choices which lead to consequences – real blessings or real curses. But, He wants us to choose right. He begs us, “Choose life, so that you and your children may live!”

-- Chose right, chose life

“I am the way, the truth and the life.” – Jesus

True Manhood

Some of the best debates I've participated in have taken place in the absence of facts. A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions. (Proverbs 18:2) On one hand, understanding means knowing the facts but another significant part of understanding is knowledge about relationships. A fool does not really care about the facts or about understanding others but only about himself and what he feels or thinks. Our sports culture embraces the goals of a fool because it is redefining masculinity to be based on three big lies that devalue understanding and relationship: athletic ability, sexual conquest and economic success.

Joe Ehrmann is a football coach who is also a minister. He coaches a winning team but their primary goal is not to win games but to develop true manhood. Here are some of his winning tips:

* Allow yourself to love and be loved. Build and value relationships.
* Accept responsibility, lead courageously, and enact justice on behalf of others. Practice the concepts of empathy, inclusion and integrity.
* Learn the importance of serving others and developing community. Base your thoughts and actions on “What can I do for you?”
* Develop a cause beyond yourself. Try to leave the world a better place because you were here.

Project: (Do at least the last two and please send a testimony about what happened)

* Find out more about “Building Men for Others” see buildingmen.org.
* Read “My Winning Strategy” Guideposts Magazine – October, 2005.
* Ask God for a true valuation of understanding others and relationships.
* Pray for God's grace to make the place where you are today a better place. (What attitude or action could you change to make it better?)

A Bride's Desire

Our daughter's wedding will be happening in a few days and I was reminded of the devotion of our young couple as I read this verse, "I remember concerning you the devotion of your youth, the love of your betrothals" (Jeremiah 2:1). God will make them one as they vow before Him and many witnesses to love and support each other until death. I also remember my own vows before God to love and protect my bride. Our love has been tested by many trials and temptations and, by God's grace, has grown deeper and wider.

In the same way, each of us felt a great devotion to God when we accepted the gift of Jesus' sacrifice for our sin. At our betrothal to Jesus, our hearts were filled with love. But, have we turned that relationship into a rule book where we feel that God is happy if we just show up at a worship service three times a week, or once a week or even occasionally. Would my bride be happy if I would just say, "I love you." once a week? We all know that there is much more to a marriage relationship than just "being there".

For a relationship to grow there must be a desire and an effort to get to know each other more and more. To grow closer together, there must be common goals and objectives. As, out of love and devotion, a young wife lays down her ambitions and embraces the goals of her new husband, so should we, out of love and devotion, lay down our personal ambitions and embrace the goals of our heavenly husband -- Jesus. God desires an intimate relationship with us through the Church that He says is exemplified by the best marriage you can imagine. Have we lost our first love and devotion for Christ? Let's turn again to our Divine Lover and renew the offering of our body and life to Him just as it was given to Him at our immersion into Him. Let's plead for and earnestly seek to have a bride's desire for daily, growing intimacy with our Creator, Father, Husband and Lover.

Project: (Join me in this)
Ask God how you can grow closer to Him in the next few months.
Expect Him to somehow reveal a specific answer.
By His grace -- DO IT.

FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5)

My Turf or God's Turf

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Just recently, one of my older children and I had a little blockage in our relationship. So, I sought out an opportunity to find out why I was getting the “cold shoulder”. I knew what incident had caused the problem but I thought that I had done the right thing in the situation. There were several people involved in this misunderstanding and, strangely enough, I thought I was one of the few who had responded correctly. But, what I began to hear was that my approach in trying to help had come across as an attempt by a parent to be controlling and had been perceived as an ultimatum.

My initial response to these comments was to defend myself and to point out what I felt were the problems that justified my approach. This did not help matters. A silence fell in the room. As I silently began praying that God would guide me and give me wisdom how to respond, it came to mind that I should look at the situation from the perspective of the one receiving my advice. We all know this approach but it is difficult to actually apply it. After trying to imagine how it would have felt for me to call me and say what I did, I began to comprehend a little of how I had caused pain. Finally, I realized that defending myself was only continuing to contribute to the problem. Everyone involved had made mistakes but my mistakes were my responsibility. I wanted the others to be asking for forgiveness but God wanted me to humble myself and admit my attempt to be controlling.

If we each defend our turf, then all we get is higher walls. Other people’s mistakes are not my primary responsibility. There is only one person I can change and I won’t change until I begin to admit to and ask forgiveness for my “tiny” failures. In these situations, I am always tempted to defend my failures even as I admit to them. But, my admission of failure won’t mean much as long as I continue to defend my actions or words. We all want the other person to say, “You’re right. I made a mistake. Please, forgive me for causing you to feel …..” God is calling each of us to lay down all our justifications and be that person. If we will humble ourselves and give up our "turf" to God then He will hear, pardon and heal.

The Mark of a Man

“The world cries for men who are strong – strong in conviction, strong to lead, to stand, to suffer. I pray that you will be that kind of man.”

These words were written by Elisabeth Elliot to her nephew Pete. They set forth an uncompromising challenge for men to accept their divinely ordained role of manliness. But what does masculinity really mean in a time when we are careful to emphasize the equality of men and women? In the book, “The Mark of a Man”, Elisabeth examines the many characteristics of manhood that were exemplified in the life of Christ. The following is an excerpt from that book. This is from one of the last chapters of the book. The preceding chapters reveal how Jesus' life demonstrated the distinctive traits of responsibility, sacrifice, courage, obedience, initiative, forgiveness, and endurance. Men who seek to follow him must walk the same path.

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There are five ways you can help that woman who will be your wife be the woman you want her to be.

First off, be a man. I’ve said that in a hundred ways, but I’ll say it again. You expect her to be a real woman, but you can’t expect that if you’re not a real man. It is in response to the fullest expression of your manliness that she will be most womanly. When she’s not living up to your expectations, check yourself out first. Are you taking the lead as you ought to, with an attitude of humility and submission to Christ? Are you remembering that you’re the one responsible for her?

Second, make her glad she’s a woman. One way to do this is to notice things. An honest compliment can make her light up. So she hasn’t got the figure of Farreh Fawcett, but does she carry herself beautifully? Say so. Has she pretty hands? Tell her. Another way is to be courteous. Courtesy is a way of reminding each other that you’re a gentleman and a lady. No matter how “old shoe” you both like to be – casual, unstructured, simple, sincere, “just me,” or whatever – you’ll be surprised what pleasures will unfold if you treat each other with a little special consideration. I’ve already mentioned some of the specifics: Pull out her chair for her at the table, open a door. Keep on remembering the little things after you’re married. They often have a way of vanishing, one by one, as familiarity breeds slobbism. Get up some morning, make the coffee, and bring a cup to her in bed, with a daisy or a book on the tray. She’ll be amazed.

Lars knows how to make me glad I’m a woman. Gradually and patiently he showed himself a gentleman and made me feel like a lady, during courting days, but the lever that finally tipped the rock was his saying to me one day, “I’m going to be the one building the fences around you, and I’m going to stand on all sides.”

Third, understand that leadership is for her help and redemption and be willing to take charge. That includes not making excuses when you fail. It includes spiritual headship in your home. Many men feel that their wives are more spiritually minded, more sensitive to God, more religious, than they are. Therefore they defer to them in the matter of family prayer. They shouldn’t. Even if you believe your wife to be your spiritual superior, you are the appointed priest in your home. You need not compete with her. You certainly don’t have to preach a sermon at breakfast every morning. Just take the lead in reading a portion of the Bible or the Daily Light, that wonderful collection of Scripture verses for morning and evening. Lead in prayer. Let it be as simple as you want, but pray. Ruth Graham said she believes if a husband will pray for his wife and the things she is going to do that day, and if the wife prays for her husband and the things he is going to do, that marriage will be strengthened as the years go by. There is no calculating the influence on the children when their father, by daily example, leads them to God.

Fourth, love her with the love described in 1 Corinthians. Try putting your own name in place of the word love: Pete is slow to lose patience, has good manners, knows no limit to his endurance…” How does it work?

Last, remember that you are heirs together of the grace of life. This is one of the great equalities of the Bible, that men and women are all the recipients of the grace that is greater than all our sin. It will cover her sins against you. It will cover your sins against her. It will cover your past and hers. It will cover everything in the future.

In the realm of the operation of grace, distinctions of nationality, social status, and sex are gone. There is no longer Jew and Greek, slave and free man, male and female. And as there is no differentiation between male and female in their both bearing the image of God and in being morally responsible to Him, so there is no differentiation in their being the objects of God’s grace. But as they bear the image of the earthly differently (in different physical bodies), so they bear the image of the heavenly differently: the woman in response, the man in initiation.
-- Elisabeth Elliot "The Mark of a Man"

Project:
Read the book [Click here to order the book]

Blog for Teachers

This blog has some great ideas for how to teach the Bible.

http://www.teachtochangelives.blogspot.com/

Here are some headings from the articles

* Using Other People's Lessons with Integrity .
* Using Great Language
* Read the New Testament in Less than a Month
* What Happens When We Don't Teach Well
* Free teaching tips by email
* Fun exercise with mature believers
* What are your students thinking about?.
* Remember Who is Doing the Real Work.
* Teachers as Leaders.

--

Cut It Off and Throw It From You

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)

As a Christian, have you considered what one thing you could do that would transform your personal life, family and marriage? Would you like more time, creativity and productivity? This will add an average of ten productive years to your life while allowing you to energize your most important relationships. Nearly 99% of households are victims of a misplaced trust.

When we have talked to couples about how to improve their marriage relationships, we have found that they frequently need more time to relate. Yet, almost 66% of Americans watch television while eating dinner. And in relating to our children, it has been found that more than half of 4-6 year olds would rather watch television than relate to their Dad. This is while studies have shown that children spend less than four minutes each week in meaningful conversation with their parents. Maybe, as a Dad, I need to have surround sound and do a commercial every few minutes.

I have been and could be just as much a television addict as anyone. But, years ago, we felt God was leading us to get rid of it. It wasn’t easy, but once it was out of the house, amazing things began to happen. One of those things was that our sons began to be readers. They sometimes became almost too creative. When we tell our story, it seems like many wives would like to get rid of the television but their husband won’t give up their televised sports. Could this verse apply? “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her.”

We are voluntarily giving up our energy, time and relationships to this one-eyed serpent. How many wonderful goals and plans have been sacrificed on the altar of the Game of the Week, the History Channel and “Good Morning, America”. It doesn’t much matter what we get out of it because it is costing too much. It feeds us the food of worldly conformity while stealing the opportunity for our future to be transformed. So, if your television causes you to sin, cut it off.

"If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire.” -- Jesus

Project:
Commit to no television during meals.
Ask God for His perspective and will.

Percentage of households that have a television: 99
Number of TV sets in the average U.S. household: 2.24
Percentage of U.S. homes with three or more TV sets: 66
Number of hours per day that TV is on in an average U.S. home: 6 hours, 47 minutes
Percentage of Americans that regularly watch television while eating dinner: 66
Number of hours of TV watched annually by Americans: 250 billion
Value of that time assuming an average wage of S5/hour: S1.25 trillion
Percentage of Americans who pay for cable TV: 56
Number of videos rented daily in the U.S.: 6 million
Number of public library items checked out daily: 3 million
Percentage of Americans who say they watch too much TV: 49

II CHILDREN
Approximate number of studies examining TV's effects on children: 4,000
Number of minutes per week that parents spend in meaningful
conversation with their children: 3.5
Number of minutes per week that the average child watches television: 1,680
Percentage of day care centers that use TV during a typical day: 70
Percentage of parents who would like to limit their children's TV watching: 73
Percentage of 4-6 year-olds who, when asked to choose between watching TV
and spending time with their fathers, preferred television: 54
Hours per year the average American youth spends in school: 900 hours
Hours per year the average American youth watches television: 1500

III VIOLENCE
Number of murders seen on TV by the time an average child finishes elementary school: 8,000
Number of violent acts seen on TV by age 18: 200,000
Percentage of Americans who believe TV violence helps precipitate real life mayhem: 79

IV. COMMERCIALISM
Number of 30-second TV commercials seen in a year by an average child: 20,000
Number of TV commercials seen by the average person by age 65: 2 million
Percentage of survey participants (1993) who said that TV commercials
aimed at children make them too materialistic: 92
Rank of food products/fast-food restaurants among TV advertisements to kids: 1
Total spending by 100 leading TV advertisers in 1993: $15 billion

V. GENERAL
Percentage of local TV news broadcast time devoted to advertising: 30
Percentage devoted to stories about crime, disaster and war: 53.8
Percentage devoted to public service announcements: 0.7
Percentage of Americans who can name The Three Stooges: 59
Percentage who can name at least three justices of the U.S. Supreme Court: 17
Compiled by TV-Free America
1322 18th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 887-4036

Don't Love Me So Much

“I'll see what GOD will say to me this time.” (Numbers 22:19)

Balaam could see a great treasure coming if only God would let him go and curse the Israelites. But, God had already said, “No.” Now Balaam comes yet again and even though there had been basically zero change in the situation, Balaam asks God to give direction because he was hoping God would change His mind. And, God appeared to. But, it was not in order for Balaam to get what he wanted. Rather, God sent Balaam to bless rather than curse His people. If we insist on our own way, God will let us go there. But, we will not reap the results we anticipated.

Most of us have, at one time or another badgered or tricked our parents or other authority into changing their minds and letting us do something that we were excited about. Children may feel like their parents don’t want them to have fun or don’t “trust them”. But, once I became a parent, my perspective suddenly broadened. A parent’s love leads them to try to cause their children to suffer the loss of friends and activities that would be damaging to the child. Unless the child always gets his way, it is inevitable that a parent will have to suffer their child’s misunderstanding. Even when a child succeeds in doing an “end run” around their parents, the result will not be what they had hoped for. One result is usually that the fooled parent will eventually find out about the trick and then the level of trust will be even lower.

After becoming a parent and raising children, I had a much different perception of my parent’s love for me. One example is the time I had my heart set on getting a motorcycle and my Dad said “No, I won’t sign your death certificate.” I pouted about that for a long time. After becoming a parent, I had a new perspective on the incident and I felt I had to go to my parents and express gratefulness for their protection from bad decisions that I wanted to make. I have also asked forgiveness for sins that I had tried to hide from them.

How many children get angry and leave home to escape their parent’s authority so they can make genuinely healthy choices? I haven’t seen many. There are a few abusive parents who may be ordering their children into sin. But, the great majority of parents are motivated by a sacrificial love for their children. They are even willing to sacrifice their child’s understanding, friendship and love in order to protect that child. Of course, parents also make mistakes and can be overly protective. Yet, we should appreciate their good intentions and respect their burden of responsibility. Sometimes God or even a parent will love us more than we love ourselves and we don't realize that we may end up actually saying, "Don't love me so much."

Project:
Express gratefulness to your parents.
Confess and ask forgiveness for wrong responses to their love. (Be specific)
Let's sincerely commit ourselves to seeking and doing God's will.
Let's Ask God for an alarm to go off in our spirit when we are beginning to demand our own way.
--

Bubbling

“All my springs of joy are in you.” (Psalms 87:7 NASB)

As Ouida came down the aisle in her wedding dress, she caught a glimpse of a neighbor - Mrs. McNutt. Mrs. McNutt raised one finger toward heaven and, knowing Mrs. McNutt, Ouida knew what she was signaling, “Make Jesus Number One.” I wish we had done it more and earlier in our marriage but, by God’s grace, we began to understand the vital importance of her silent exhortation.

Some moments of joy that stick in my memory are holding our new little baby (what a miracle), hearing the laughter of our little child, hearing a child give his heart to Jesus, baptizing my child, seeing Mercy take her first steps after so many prayers for her, seeing a son (a young adult) voluntarily become a leader of young people toward Christ, having a daughter leave home and comfort with a desire to bring the light of Christ into the darkness, seeing our son and his wife desiring and seeking to have God at the center of their marriage, hearing a daughter so touched by God that she asked forgiveness, having a son change direction because of a deeper desire to do what God wanted, having sons voluntarily and at their own expense attend a seminar to seek God’s direction to make an eternal impact. Our greatest joys have come out of seeing God’s touch on our family in various ways.

“All my springs of joy are in you.” This verse expresses the idea that joy springs out of our relationship with God. It reminds me of Sunday’s sermon on one of the fruits of the Spirit – joy. It was brought out that one of the goals of modern advertising is to cause us to lose our joy by making us feel discontent if we don’t have their product: a certain wonderful car, granite cabinet tops or whatever they want to sell us. Instead of choosing to seek to fill the vacuum in our souls with Him who created it, we are tempted to try to stuff it full of things, strange sights or exotic experiences. Joy is not something we can buy or a feeling we can generate by positive thinking. If we fall for the lie that stuff will replace a relationship with the Creator then we may have a merry time for a while but we will eventually find ourselves wandering in a joyless wasteland. Let’s seek and do all we can to grow our relationship with Christ because joy is a fruit -- a fruit of the Holy Spirit bubbling up in our hearts, lives and families.

The Mirror's Answer

"Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of us all?"

Which of the following people are or were genuinely successful?

The most famous athlete? (Lance Armstrong?) (in ten years will anyone care?)
A poor carpenter in an obscure village marries a pregnant girl. (Joseph, Mary’s Husband)
The richest man in the world? (Bill Gates?) (in fifty years will he care?)
An obscure shepherd brings a “care” package to his brothers in the army. (David)
The most famous woman in the world? (Hillary Clinton?) (a "has been" in twenty years or less)
A slave who is a forgotten prisoner. (Joseph, son of Jacob)

"BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH." (Romans 1:17)

How do you define success? Is it fame, beauty, wealth, power or athletic achievement? The Bible defines success much differently. Genuine success is rooted in faith in God, depends on our ability to hear His direction, and is revealed in our obedience to His direction in our various roles as parent, marriage partner, provider, and so on.

the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away. (James 1:11)

The recent widespread destruction by massive storms has emphasized the insecurity of worldly treasure. In the long run, it does not actually matter whether we are rich, powerful, pretty or famous because those things are extremely temporary. Yet, it is terribly easy to be more focused on our finances, shelter, education and appearance than on hearing and obeying God. To be successful for the long haul, the most important part of your day, week and year is actually the time spent growing in faith and getting focused on God’s character, priorities and direction. In the long run, it doesn't matter how much money we made, what plaques hang on the wall or what position we command. What matters is our relationships. Do we walk with the Lover of our soul? Who have we walked with, talked to and loved into God's Kingdom? Our ability to look pretty in front of the mirror is infinitely less important than our ability to see ourselves in the mirror of God's Word and ask, "How do I need to change?" What is the mirror's answer?

Project:
· Let’s ask God to help us embrace His perspective on success.
· Let’s take time to evaluate the basic goals of our life, plans and day.
-- Plan and Act --
· Let’s plan daily time to focus on Truth (find someone to partner with in this)
· Let’s plan weekly time to seek Wisdom (a man's friends will determine whether he grows in wisdom or folly)
· Let’s schedule yearly retreats to recalibrate our Success Seeking mechanism.

to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints.. Romans 1:7

But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.

--

Muscle Power

And He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter; “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? (Mark 14)

It’s been more than 35 years since I watched the Academy award winning movie. Yet, scenes from the R-rated movie began fill my mind as I read this chapter in Mark. I’ve heard of other people having trouble with temptations to think wrong even as they were trying to pray. Why does God allow these temptations at such a time? Could it be that that time is the time when we’re most likely to respond to the temptation in the right way?

I remembered the idea someone suggested of super-imposing the image of Jesus dying on the cross over the immoral images. He died to redeem us from these sins and then He overcame death itself. He has given me beauty in place of ashes. Lord, you have redeemed my life from the trash heap. I once more offer it to you. Give me your Spirit for this day’s challenges and temptations.

Whether we see it or not, we are in the middle of a war. Prayerlessness is a recipe for weakness in the face of temptation. It doesn’t matter what I think is a good idea. What matters is what Jesus said. “Keep watching and praying, that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” If Peter had obeyed Jesus’ exhortation, he might have avoided denying being Jesus’ follower and the resulting pain, sorrow and regret.

Temptations are inevitable. But, giving in to temptation always costs us more than we expect and always leads to sorrow and regret. Most of us already have more regrets than we want. Why get in line for more? Daily watching and praying with Jesus is absolutely vital to avoiding terrible regrets. Religious activity and motion do not give strength to your spirit. Spiritual muscle power comes from spending time with Jesus.

A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it. (Proverbs 22:3)

Project:
Let’s commit before God to daily spending time alone with Jesus.

Making Mudpies

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. (Matthew 16:24)

As a Dad of older children, I can no longer effectively compel obedience. In the same way, a leader in the Church can not force church members to submit to his direction. Jesus showed the basic principle of leadership. His followers wanted to follow Him. They trusted his direction because of His relationship to His Father. They recognized or sensed that He spoke Truth and walked in the way of Right but even more importantly they could see Real Love. We can be effective leaders of our families, government or church only if we are first followers -- followers of Jesus.

Jesus demonstrated that a genuine leader must accept suffering. Suffering is involved in having responsibility for and in caring about those under his authority. But, some who are in the position of leadership find it easier to evade, escape or bulldoze. Even though they have the position, they are not true leaders. Some husbands are controlled by their wives because it is too much trouble to disagree, others get divorces, and some are tyrants. These escapes from suffering only lead to more suffering in the long run.

Scripture says wives should submit to their husbands. But, husbands are not told to demand submission. Rather, they are called to a love that will sacrifice everything for their wife and family. In other words, they are ready to sacrifice their friends, hobby, entertainment, privacy, time, money and life for the highest good of those they love and lead. What wife would not willingly submit to such love. Yet, there are some. And, part of the suffering the leader must accept is to sacrificially give and still be misunderstood, rejected and reviled. Who has this kind of love? Unconditional, sacrificial love that can go on forever is impossible unless we are plugged into the source of love.

Why is it we know the name of Peter, Matthew or Luke today? These were obscure men who became leaders and historic figures for only one reason – their relationship to Christ. This is the key to each of our lives. To be effective leaders who make an eternal impact, we must have a genuine, living relationship with Christ. Otherwise, we are, at best, still playing at making mudpies or, even worse, a tool of destruction.

Project:
- Let's each ask God to imprint His vision for us in our mind
- And Let's ask Him to empower us to move in the direction of His vision
- Choose one of the verses in this article to memorize.
- Consider it’s meaning in your life and circumstances.
- Change your thinking (In Jesus, we actually have power to change)

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear. (1 John 4:18)

The foundation of God stands sure, having this seal, The Lord knows them that are his. And, Let every one that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity. (2 Tim 2:19)

Get A Grip

And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise."

Things seemed to be going well as I sat behind the wheel of our little (and almost antique) tractor as I mowed some of the tall grass in a pasture close to our house. All of the sudden, as I maneuvered between a couple of small trees, the tractor took a tremendous jolt and slammed to a halt. I had crossed over a small gully hidden by the tall grass and brush. Now, as I tried to go forward or backward, the wheels just spun. The rear wheels of the tractor were suspended over the gully and, no matter how much power I gave them, they could not get traction. We had to use a “come-along” to drag the tractor far enough to get traction.

As I read the above verse where Jesus clearly explained that he would be killed and rise again, I thought of the problem of traction. The disciples refused to accept Jesus’ words and when the event came, they were paralyzed with despair, fear and disbelief. Even though they had spent three years with Jesus, their refusal to hear and believe Jesus’ warning about His death and resurrection caused them to “lose traction”. Even the testimony of trusted friends was not enough to ignite hope. Jesus had to personally appear to them to pull them out of the ditch of fear and depression.

The strength and depth of our belief is revealed when a crisis comes. Jesus has given us knowledge of Him, information about the future and promises that we can choose to grip in such times. Does our faith have traction when a temptation or a storm hits or do we turn again to our own resources, worldly wisdom or dark despair? When death shows its pale face do we remember Jesus’ promise, “In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” When men or even friends threaten us because we won’t give in to temptation, do we remember Jesus’ words, “But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.”

The more Truth we know and genuinely believe, the greater our grip on actual reality. If our faith is anchored in the character of Jesus and His Words, then, in a crisis, we will not be paralyzed by fear, anger or despair. Instead, we will have traction that will allow us to encourage others, to be a light in the darkness and to manifest the love of Christ. But, even if we lose our grip on reality as described by Jesus, He will not abandon us. He will rescue us from our paralysis and darkness. Let’s soak in God’s Word because it is a window through which we can see and get a grip on Reality.

Project: (Let's do SOMETHING different)
- Take time today, tomorrow and everyday to read God's Word
- Choose a truth that you want to grip firmly and memorize it.
- Meditate on that truth until it becomes part of you and how you think.
- Repeat

Waist-deep in Alligators

"If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all." (Mark 9:35)

Can you imagine a family operating as a democracy with children having an equal vote with the parents? We know that such a situation would often lead to disaster. But, most children eventually become parents and must lead a family. Our goal as parents is to help our children accept Jesus as Lord, find wisdom, grow in knowledge and manifest genuine love.

Most of our teaching as parents will come from our example in how we relate to God, our wives, our children and to our neighbors. Are we under Jesus’ authority? Do we search for wisdom from God? Does my life have the light of God’s love shining out into the world? Recently, I was struck by the many flaws in my character, life and example. The realization of my self-centeredness and hardheartedness caused me to cry and sob.

It’s very possible to win the war of words while walking in the path of self-centeredness. In other words, we can generally justify our choices and actions to others but especially to our selves. A family can develop tremendous pressures and our response, as parents or spouse, to those pressures is critical. My response has not always been the best. Too often, I’ve failed to grasp the opportunity to be a servant to those in need.

If we are not consistently looking into the mirror of God’s Word and seeing our real character, needs and challenges, then we will naturally tend to walk in self deception. If you are choosing your leaders, choose carefully. If those who are our leaders are neglecting God’s Word or are failing to be changed by the Holy Spirit, then they will lead us into a swamp and we will end up waist-deep in alligators.

Project:
Let’s pray daily for our leaders or parents.
Let’s pray that God would reveal the needs of those under our authority or influence.
Let’s ask God to empower and guide us in how to help meet the needs.

--

Provoking People

And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Hebrews 10:24

One of my high school classes had a teacher who could not control her class. They learned how to drive her to extreme measures. The noise from that class distracted the neighboring classes. I was in a neighboring class and, in addition to the noise; even an occasional eraser would come flying in the window from next door. The goal of the troublemakers was to drive the teacher to such desperation that she would climb up on her desk and repeatedly blow a whistle. Every few days we would know that they had succeeded when we would begin to hear that angry whistle.

It is extremely easy for us to provoke another person. In fact, from early childhood most of us have studied other people and how to punch their “buttons”. Many marriage relationships revolve around how to trigger one another’s core fears so that we can control or change our spouse.

Many years ago, we somehow got into a contest in our family devotions. Some of the children persisted in keeping their eyes closed while we read and talked about Scripture and how to apply it in our lives. This constantly triggered one of my core fears of being invalidated. In contrast, some of our children who have become adults have encouraged their younger siblings by becoming examples of alertness and participation.

As brothers and sisters in Christ, we have a responsibility to fellow believers to be leaders in good works, worship and in seeking God. This Scripture calls us to study and meditate on how to stir up love and good works in others. One way is to propose and carry out projects that help others, involve others and inspire others. If we are parents, it is vital to consider whether our example is provoking our children to love and good works. Let’s ask God to help us become provoking people.

Project:
Let's consider, plan and carry out a project to help with the needs resulting from Hurricane Katrina.

Wine -- Drinking and Thinking

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. (Eph 5:18)

We were guests of an unbelieving stranger in a strange culture. As was his custom, he offered us a little wine before we shared in a meal at his home. Should we accept or reject this sign of hospitality?

Some controversy has recently been raised among friends about whether the Bible teaches that a little wine (alcoholic) is okay for a Christian. This is a topic that has been a subject of debate among Christians for a long time. There are many people on both sides of the issue. This can even be seen in what is served during Communion by various congregations. Some churches serve alcoholic wine and others serve grape juice. Since there are strong forces on both sides of the issue it means that there is evidence to support both sides of the issue. So, we should not judge a congregation or a person based on their belief about wine. What is more important than what goes in the mouth is what comes out of the heart. What spirit is being manifest?

There are many books available on this subject. One that I recommend can be seen at http://www2.andrews.edu/~samuele/books/wine_in_the_bible/1.html.

Personally, I believe that Jesus did not make alcoholic wine at the wedding. As the above book points out, our definition of the words translated "wine" may be different than 2000 years ago. And, our preconceptions about technology can cause us to arrive at false conclusions. In my opinion, it is definitely best to avoid alcoholic drinks. But, what we drink is less important than what we think. What we think is greatly affected by who we associate with and what we hear and see. What goes in our eyes and ears often has a much greater affect on our life than what goes in our mouth and eventually determines what we put in our mouth. As first priority, let's first consider what we should change in our brain intake.

If one of us drinks alcohol, it might be good to ask, "Why?" When this stranger offered me a drink of wine, I accepted because I felt a rejection would raise a wall to our communication about God's love. This bit of wine was my first alcoholic drink in years and probably my last. My reason was to communicate God's love. Even though what we drink and eat is vitally important to our health, it is even more important to make it our first priority to grow in love by seeking to be filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit. What we think is much more critical than what we drink.

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

What Really Matters

The following survey results highlight the great value in the idea of having seminars that help Christians understand and practically apply Biblical principles to their finances, marriages, education, relationships and businesses. This goal (Biblically based lives and decisions) is a major component of discipleship and shepherding.


-- From AgapePress News --

Despite the fact that most Americans consider themselves to be Christian, very few adults base their moral decisions on the Bible -- and surprisingly few believe that absolute moral truth exists. That's according to the latest survey conducted by The Barna Group. So if people do not base their moral decisions on the Bible, what is the foundation upon which they decide? According to Barna, they use the specific principles or standards they believe in (54 percent), what feels "right or comfortable" (24 percent), whatever makes the most people happy or causes the least conflict (9 percent), or whatever produces the most positive outcomes for themselves (7 percent). And when it comes to absolute moral truth, it is almost a dead heat -- 35 percent contend moral truth is absolute; 32 percent say it is determined by the situation; and 33 percent say they are unsure if moral truth is absolute or relative. Researcher George Barna sees these findings as an indication that Christian leaders need to stay focused on the things that matter, and not on things such as church attendance, funds raised, and facility size -- parameters that are typically used to measure church success. Says Barna: "As long as we measure success on the basis of popularity and efficiency, we will continue to see a nation filled with people who can recite Bible stories, but fail to live according to Bible principles." [Jody Brown]

Letter to Senate Majority Leader Frist

There is a way that seems right to a man,

I sent the following letter to Mr. Frist the Senate Majority Leader. But, I suggest that we especially pray for him through the end of August. Let's pray that God will cause Dr. Frist to become aware of circumstances or information that will help him see this issue from God's perspective. Perhaps the worse thing that could happen would be for the use of stem cells from unborn children to be successful in discovering many ways to heal diseases. Where would the resulting huge demand for such cells come from? Can we imagine God providing more dead children for the healing and comfort of those already living?

but in the end it leads to death. (Proverbs 14:12)


Dear Mr. Frist,

By endorsing the expansion of fetal/embryonic stem cell research you are endorsing the involuntary death of some for the benefit of others. Even if the research finds success in treating disease with these stem cells, the end result will be the desire for more and more embryonic stem cells. Adult stem cell research shows more actual results and avoids the ethical compromises that you are perhaps unintentionally endorsing. May God give you His perspective.

Sincerely,
Gerald Boyd

Midnight

And the foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ (Matthew 25)

A few years ago, a couple of my sons challenged me to run a marathon that they were also running. The deal was that if I ran the marathon in a certain amount of time then they would try a much healthier diet for a few months. Since I wanted them to enjoy the benefits of a healthy diet, I decided to give it a try. But, soon I discovered that running distances over nine miles caused my knees to hurt too much. Yet, I knew I had to train if I was even going to finish the marathon. So, the training program was modified to run shorter distances of 3-9 miles every other day, but to also extensively cross-train with bicycling and rowing. The goal became one of being able to exercise vigorously for five hours.

We put fuel for physical endurance into our bodies by regular exercise and a healthy diet. In the same way, we build up endurance mentally and spiritually by what we put into our minds and by the good habits of learning and service that we build into our lives.

With five or six miles left to go in the race, strength was almost gone. Fruit and other food was offered and accepted. But, it was too late for me to find the needed strength and speed from food at that point.

Recently, I saw a statistic that said that less then ten percent of Americans read God’s Word daily. This statistic reveals why our culture has sunk to new lows in morality. It also shows why most Christians live lives that are almost indistinguishable from non-Christians. Psalms 1 makes a wonderful promise to the man who delights in and mediates on God’s Word day and night (at least daily). Like a tree that grows by a river, his leaf will not wither even in a great drought.

I had enough strength left to finish the marathon, but not enough to run fast enough to meet my goal time. But, I was grateful to just be able to trot across the finish line. In the same way, we face tremendous challenges in life before we get to the finish line. Some lose their way, faith or family. Yet, ninety percent of Christians are depriving themselves of vital nutrients from God’s Word. We desperately need Truth to fill our mind but the average adult spends 14 hours soaking in lies from the mass media. Jesus said to keep a good supply of oil. But, many of us only have enough for a life that has minimal challenges. The crisis will come. Will we have strength to keep running at midnight, when the darkness seems endless?

Project:
-- Let’s not depend on others for motivation, but let’s each determine, by God’s grace, to daily delight in His Word.
-- Let’s encourage those around us to do the same.

Wise Investing

“…The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth laborers into his harvest” – Jesus

Why are there few laborers? Could it be because each of us is too distracted by mowing the pasture, building walls, making money and spending money? The rich young ruler was told that he should sell everything, give the money to the poor and follow Jesus. If he had, he might have been one of Jesus’ closest disciples. He might have had a life that counted for something. As it is, he only became the sad example of the power and fraud of worldly priorities.

The problem with our money and things is that they are “ours”. We talk about giving them to the Lord and being stewards. But, how do we feel when we suffer loss because of an “act of God”. Can we have Job’s attitude and sincerely say, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away”? Sadly, many of us (including me) have missed out on wonderful treasure because of wrong priorities in our view of “our” time and money and how we invest them.

What is the purpose of life? To get educated, get a good job, get married, have children, make lots of money, help your children learn to make lots of money, retire, and die? Many of us and many of our neighbors are caught in this cycle while making minimum investments of eternal value.

For example, many of us could afford to sponsor a fulltime missionary all by ourselves. A native missionary in Asia can be fully supported with a fraction of our income. Many of these missionaries are making hundreds of converts to Christ and starting dozens of churches while they personally live in poverty. They are piling up eternal riches with the tiny bit they have. In contrast, what are we doing with our piles of worldly riches? Maybe we should consider how to invest in their ministry. In addition, many of us could invest at least a little more of our time in ministry in our church and neighborhood. A little wise investing could yield a huge treasure in eternity.

Project:
Ask God for His priorities to become your priorities.

"If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." -- Jesus
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Embracing Torment

So shall My heavenly Father also do to you… (Matt 18:35)

Recently, the owner of a small Air Conditioning company gave me an estimate on a small job we needed done. The estimate seemed reasonable and he promised to start the job in about 10 days. I was excited about finally getting the work done. But, that was a month ago and we have not a heard a word from him. I’ve tried to call him several times.

We’ve had good experiences with this fellow in the past and he doesn’t seem like the type to just stop talking if he changed his mind. So, intellectually, I tell myself that he must have had something unexpected happen to prevent him from doing the job or calling us. He may have been in an accident, gotten sick or had some other crisis. But, I also have feelings that I try to suppress. For instance, I tend to feel disappointed and a little frustrated. In spite of my intellectual reasons for the problem, I still have emotions that tend to cause me to feel a little resentment that he hasn’t called.

So, assuming he has worse character than I thought -- what should I do? Jesus makes the answer quite clear. If I don’t forgive those who wrong me then God still demands payment for the debt I owe Him. God wants to forgive our debts but He won’t if we will not accept His Spirit and grace to forgive those who have caused us pain or loss. If we won't forgive, Jesus promises us torment. Lord, give us grace to forgive! Let's accept grace rather than holding a grudge and embracing torment.

Project:
Who do you not want to think about?
What or Who causes you to feel frustrated or resentful?

Pray something like this:

Father in heaven, I forgive __his name_ for __the hurt__ and causing me to feel __your specific feelings__. Heal my heart – my thinking and my feelings – so I may love you with all my heart.

“And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him.”

“So shall My heavenly Father also do to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”

Taxing Our Sons

“What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth collect customs or poll-tax, from their sons or from strangers?” (Matthew 17:25)

If one of our sons or daughters needs to use our house or land, any of us would let our children use it without paying a usage fee beyond the basic costs. So, we might expect them to put gas in the car, clean up beforehand, put up the decorations and clean up afterwards. But, we wouldn’t charge them rent like we would a stranger with whom we have little or no relationship. On the other side of the coin, our children cheerfully do many things for us which we could not afford otherwise.

Decades ago, many churches charged a pew tax to their members. This eliminated a great deal of financial uncertainty for the church leadership. In contrast, we now take a more scriptural approach of depending on God to provide through free-will offerings. If someone and especially a member comes with a special need for counsel, most churches will attempt help with that need in some way without charging for the service. The people involved are freely offering their time or are part of the paid church staff. We depend on God to provide for these resources through free-will offerings. But, when it comes to "things" our attitude is often a little different.

For instance, many times there is a fee to use the church building for certain special functions. This fee is somewhat understandable for strangers but how much of a fee should be charged to members? Even with strangers we should have a generous spirit. When we needed a place for a piano recital, various churches would allow us to use their facility and piano for prices ranging from free, to a small donation, to a fee of hundreds of dollars ("It's our policy. No exceptions.") Of course, we were strangers to these different churches. But, their attitude certainly communicated. The one we ended up using had a staff that communicated generosity and even gratefulness for us being there. Their attitude undoubtedly encourages cheerful donations.

Some churches take advantage of times of grief or celebration to build God's kingdom and some to help with the church budget. Some church fees for weddings are in the same ballpark as commercial facilities that are in the wedding business. Many churches seem to take the attitude of, "How much can we charge?" while others are asking, "How little can we charge?" What is the result? Members of churches will be more likely to use other facilities that offer more services, scenery or economy. In contrast, it seems like churches should have a policy that encourages involvement, cooperation and interaction of the Body in funerals and weddings. Low financial obstacles encourage growth of relationships, participation and body-life in these activities. There probably ought to be a charge to cover unusual costs. But, the question should be “How little can we charge?”

Several years ago, when our baby boy died and we needed a place in Dallas for a Memorial service, Larry James, the preacher at Richardson East Church of Christ let us their auditorium (fee-free) even though we were not members. The loving, generous attitude demonstrated by him and other of the church leaders was a significant factor in our family's perspective toward that church. A church that is actually a family should be doing similar things for one another wherever possible. Leadership attitudes of cheerful generosity, support and love encourage church members to cheerfully give free-offerings of their time, talents and lives. A church of cheerful givers will soon attract the attention of neighbors, co-workers and relatives. In contrast, pew taxes and building usage fees don't attract anybody. Are we taxing our sons?

Project:
Consider:
As sons of the King, are we cheerful givers to the family?
As church leaders, what message are we communicating by our policies?
Let's beg God for His perspective.

The Other Side of the Door

"Look at it this way. If someone has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders off, doesn't he leave the ninety-nine and go after the one? And if he finds it, doesn't he make far more over it than over the ninety-nine who stay put? Your Father in heaven feels the same way. He doesn't want to lose even one of these simple believers.
"If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him--work it out between the two of you. If he listens, you've made a friend. If he won't listen, take one or two others along so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest, and try again. If he still won't listen, tell the church. (Matthew 18)

If we can bring back someone who is wandering away from Christ, not only is that one restored but others who are influenced by him are also drawn back toward the truth. When, in our spirit, we close the door of relationship to someone, we are in some degree also writing off those who are in relationship to that person. The door of relationship is closed when we explicitly refuse to communicate with, think about or feel compassion for some neighbor. The first step in opening that door is to begin to pray for that person. We will be surprised at how many souls are actually on the other side of the door.

Project:
Let’s ask God to reveal any closed door in our relationships.
Let’s ask God for grace to open that door.

May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another in accord with Christ Jesus that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 15)

Thrown in the Burn Pile

“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. You shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?” (Matthew 7:15-16)

In my earlier years, I made more than a few decisions which I later regretted. For instance, I decided to stop going to church when I got off to college. The first week I was there I went to church but then I succumbed to the temptation to sleep in on Sundays. I knew my parents would not be happy with this decision. So, I never went beyond telling them that I had gone to church that one Sunday. A few years earlier, my Dad had prevented me from buying a motor scooter. I was not able to override that decision but instead of accepting with a good attitude, I sulked about it for a long time. Several years later, after getting a different perspective I was finally able to express gratefulness to my Dad for his caution, concern and love for me.

There was no specific person who encouraged me to take the wrong perspective on these decisions. They were driven by my own desires and priorities. Ideally, as we grow in wisdom, we can begin to anticipate the fruit of different choices based on the experiences of others. In other words, we can learn to accept guidance, teachings or testimonies of others as ways to learn from the experience of others. The grapes or thorns of the results of their choices can help one recognize the way of the Wolf or the Shepherd.

Why did the Galatians or Corinthians turn away from Paul’s teaching and start following false teachers? Surely they would recognize and follow the Apostle Paul’s teachings. But, our natural tendency is to follow the desires of our lower, worldly nature. Paul’s encouragement to be filled with the Spirit, follow the way of Love and to deny one’s self was a call to a higher plane. It takes spiritual growth and maturity to begin to find that higher ground desirable. In contrast, false prophets and false ways are attractive because, in some way, they appeal to the worldly, sensual, prideful or self-centered parts of each us. But, there is good news. Anyone who has been sealed by the Holy Spirit has power from God to draw back, inspect the fruit and make a life-giving choice that will lead to right results. Every aspect and activity of our life should have the aim of building God’s Kingdom and seeking His right ways. In contrast, a false prophet or path calls us to throw some aspect of our future into the burn pile.

Project:
Let’s ask God to reveal any false path, idea or teacher we might be following.
Let’s ask God to show us whether we are moving toward higher ground or our lower nature.
Let’s ask God for grace to change our mind and direction wherever He reveals the need.

STOP -- The Bridge Is Out

Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel… (Philippians 1:12)

A way of escape from a future of unending pain and darkness has been revealed! But, there are many who don’t realize the horrible significance of their decisions and direction. It seems so hard to communicate the truth of the Good News of Jesus to others. What can we do?

This verse from Philippians tells us that God wants to use the circumstances of our life to broadcast the Good News of a way of escape from the Real Death. Our soul is designed and created to live forever. Real Death is for our soul to go on living outside the grace of God. God is the source of every good thing: sunshine, peace, cool water, joy, laughter, love and cool breezes. Without Him, we have unending darkness, thirst, bondage and suffering in a hell designed for Satan and his demons. Just shouting, “You Fool!” is enough to separate a person from God. But, when we hear, believe, accept and live the truth about Jesus reconciling us to God, then God fills us with His Spirit and makes our lives into flesh and blood letters.

What circumstance in this life is not worth offering to God if it will help save someone from UNENDING pain? I’m tempted to focus on my loss, my pain or my suffering rather than the needs of those around me. And, those needs are urgent. People are slipping, walking or even running toward destruction without understanding the incredible danger and the opportunity for rescue. God does not want us to fall into that terrible pit designed for demons. But, He will not, can not compromise with Sin. Through Jesus’ death for my Sin and by His resurrection, God has made a way for me to be adopted as His child, to be of His same substance by receiving His Spirit. Let’s offer the circumstances of each of our lives as living sacrifices to get this incredibly wonderful news out to those in such danger of slipping away into a dreadfully horrible eternity. Wouldn't you put up a sign to warn travelers if they were speeding toward a chasm when you know the bridge is out?

Project:
Pray for God’s perspective on your circumstances.
Look for creative ways to communicate the Good News.
Who can you warn and maybe save from destruction?

I Love Me

For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall form the Spirit reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:8)

This morning, when we were about to get up, my bride told me, “I love you.” My thoughts suddenly spun off into analysis. I'm sure such analytical spinouts sometimes stress her patience.

Husbands and wives can fall into the trap of demanding “love” from their spouse. "If you love me, you will give me sex when I want it." "If you love me, you will listen to me whenever I need to talk." "If you love me, you will keep the house orderly." "If you love me, you will tell me meaningful things about yourself." There is only one person in the world that we can control and change and it’s not our spouse. Instead of asking whether our spouse, child, or parent is expressing love, each of us ought to look to our own attitude. Is my own love of the love that Christ manifested? Or, is it an expression of self-centeredness, self-indulgence and self-love? Our culture is constantly blasting us with the values of sensual, selfish love. “Watch out for number one.” “Grab the Gusto.” “You deserve the best.” If we follow these messages, we will end up trying to change, control or cheat the other person and we will inevitably end up in a magnificent mess.

What does a person mean when they say, “I love you”? Christ’s life, death and resurrection is a manifestation of the pure love of God -- a love that has no reserve but totally gives. A love focused on the goal of what’s best for the other person. This genuine love does not demand reformation before it is given. But, once it is accepted, it leads to purity, peace and joy. When we love with God’s love, we are not only ready to die for that other person in theory; but, every day we actually do lay down our lives in practical ways. We do this by no longer demanding that the other person change and, instead, we start searching for ways to genuinely meet the highest needs of the other person. Our focus is not just their physical or emotional needs but also their spiritual needs.

“I love you.” This short sentence can mean I am ready, willing and am, even now, dying to myself for you. “I love you” can also be used to manipulate the other person. It might actually mean, “I love you but if you want me to keep on loving you then you better do what I want.”

“I love you.” Too many women have sacrificed their virginity to hear this short sentence. Too many men have sacrificed their greatest treasures, highest goals and best dreams to hear a pretty girl say this to him. The mouth can speak one message but a contradictory message may be spoken by attitudes and actions. This two-faced type of “I love you” is a fraud and actually means, “I love me.”

Project:
Let’s repent of our selfish attitudes.
Let’s ask God for more of His love.
Let’s sow to the Spirit -- the Spirit of Genuine Love.
Let's look for a way to give our best for someone else's best.
--

How to save society

How to save society

Crutches In the Wind

Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. (Galatians 3:24)

Do your homework. Practice piano. Get ready for bed. Brush your teeth. Say your prayers. When we were immature children, we needed parents and teachers to give us rules, orders and external motivation to do the right things -- things that were for our own good. As we grow in maturity, we are guided more and more by internal motivation and goals and we no longer are dependent on our parents to force us to study, say our prayers, or brush our teeth.

But, if our spiritual activities are based on rules then we may not be as mature in Christ as we should be. Do we go to church, visit the sick and give an offering because we have to or because we want to? Many religions “require” members in “good standing” to give a certain percentage or attend a certain number of meetings, or help with certain projects. This “spiritually” is false because it comes from external motivation. When we are filled with the Spirit of Christ, then we will be doing what God wants because we want to and no man is qualified to judge how the spirit leads us.

A person mature in the spirit and a spiritually immature person may be doing the same things but for very different reasons. We may be following a set of rules or disciplines because they seem to be helping us grow in righteousness. But, if they are not leading us to a deeper relationship with Christ then they are crutches which may be hiding our true need and weakness. Eventually, a storm will come that will blow away our crutches.

Project:
Evaluate your giving, prayers and other spiritual activities.
Are you doing them because of external rules and expectations or because of Christ’s love filling your heart and desires?
Let’s ask for more maturity and for more of Christ’s life, desires and love.

The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." (John 3:8)