Let’s Just Do It!

“As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” Galatians 6.10

How often has the Lord opened a door of opportunity for us and we failed to walk through it? Sometimes opportunities are presented to us and sometimes we create our own opportunities. Paul says to us: “As we have therefore opportunity … ” We never know when that is going to occur so we need to be ready all the time. What are we to do when we have an opportunity? “let us do good unto all men … ” We are to do good to others not on the basis of whether or not we think they deserve it, but rather because that is what the Lord has told us to do.

Then Paul narrows the focus: “ … especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” We might actually find it easier to be kind to someone we don’t know rather than to someone we know who is a part of our circle of Christian friends. But Paul says, “especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” “Why them?” you ask. It may be because you can see their struggles and realize that you may be the only one who sees their need and is close enough to them to show some kindness. Whatever the reason, we must take seriously this injunction to do good unto our brothers and sisters in Christ. I know how much it means to me when someone who is a brother or sister in Christ expresses an act of kindness to me – just when I need it most. So, let’s read the verse again and ask the Lord to help us apply its truth in our lives. Just my thoughts …

So, What’s Next?

“They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.” Psalm 22.31

So, what’s next? Easter is past. The ball is in our court. This psalm is about the crucifixion of Jesus. Who is the psalmist talking to? Would it be us? “They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness … ” Who is “they”? Are we the ones who are to declare His righteousness? I think we would all have to agree that “yes” we are. We who are the recipients of His righteousness need to declare His righteousness.

“ … unto a people that shall be born … ” We can’t do anything about those who have been born and already died. But we are responsible for those “that shall be born” while we are alive. Matthew 9.38 says: “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.” These are the words of Jesus. He was concerned THEN about the harvest. We must be concerned NOW about the harvest. When was the last time you heard an appeal from the pulpit for people to surrender to be missionaries and/or fulltime Christian workers? Apart from those times when we have missionaries in our services, we seldom hear the challenge to surrender to go. How tragic!

“that he hath done this.” That He has done what? That He has died for the sins of the world. It is impossible for people to respond to a message they have never heard. Romans 10.17 tells us: “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Remember the days on the farm when mom would ring the dinner bell when it was time to eat? If you didn’t hear the bell, you missed supper. If you don’t hear the gospel, you miss the opportunity to accept Christ and go to heaven when you die. Simple, but profound! Just my thoughts …

It’s Time to Snuggle!

“Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” John 15.2

I remember the second house that we bought. It had an apple tree in the back yard. It didn’t look like much. It hadn’t been cared for by the previous owner. I thought to myself, “I don’t want to lose this tree. What should I do?” Then someone told me I needed to prune it – cut away the bad stuff so the good stuff could grow. You know what? It worked!

A careful look at the words of this verse will help us understand what God really wants for us. The words “taketh away” literally mean “to lift up.” When you and I are not bearing fruit, the Father gently reaches down and lifts us up to Himself – can you envision sitting on His lap – and “snuggles” us and says, “You’re going to make it. Let’s do this together.”

We don’t like to think of purging as something positive, but without purging, we get bogged down with the worthless and can’t go on to the priceless. The life that God offers us IS priceless. There is nothing you can do to buy it. You can only live it as He enables you and the must come at the price of pruning. The purpose of pruning, as I discovered with my apple tree, is to increase productivity. God wants more for me that I want for myself. He wants more for you than you want for yourself. Why not let Him do what HE wants, the way He wants, to accomplish in us the goal He wants? Just my thoughts …

Love Him How Much?

“And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. (6) And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart. (7) And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” Deuteronomy 6.5-7

I think most of us would agree that we are just one generation away from losing sight of who God is, and what He wants to do in the lives of His children and in the world. And why is that the case? Because for far too long far too many of God’s children have failed to pay heed to the words written above. I know these verses are written to Israel, but I also know that they are applicable to us in the 21^st century. So, what is the answer ro this dilemma?

Children learn by what they see modeled more than what they hear said. Since that is the case, look at the opening words of v. 5: “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” I would say that is a rather life-consuming statement. Every element of my life should demonstrate to anyone watching that I love God – no questions asked. That requires focus and commitment.

In order for us not to miss the next generation, we must follow the instructions in vs. 6 and 7: “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart.” (v. 6) If they are in my heart, I must believe them in order for them to be there. Then there must be a total commitment of effort to transmit that which is in our hearts to our children. When we are sitting, walking, lying down and rising up – that is pretty much all the time. Let’s embrace the task and do it well and do it with joy. Just my thoughts …

It’s All About Obedience!

“He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself unto him.” John 14.21

Have you ever heard a fellow believer say something like, “I wish I could just see God working in my life. I feel like He has just left me all alone”? When I hear something like that, and then read a verse like the one above, suddenly a number of questions arise in my mind. For example, the things that Jesus asks of us in this verse are relatively simple: (1) we have His commandments, (2) it is up to us to keep them (and I am ot talking about the 10 Commandments), (3) we know that God the Father loves us, and (4) we know that God the Son lives us.

Now what? Jesus clearly says, “I … will manifest myself unto him.” Is that difficult to understand? God just told us through His Son that we would be able to see Him at work. There was no hesitation here. God was not stuttering. So if we don’t see any movement of God in our lives, what kind of conclusion must we draw? Have we not done what we know we ought to do according to the Word of God? After all, we have the commandments or instructions that Jesus gave to all His followers. They are recorded in His Word.

It is my belief that He will never show us something additional to do until we do all that we have been told to do in His Word. So I need to read and obey His Word. Until I have done that, I have no reason or right to complain. Have we neglected to love God in our daily living? Our love for Him is a reflection to the world of His love for us and they need to see that our love for Him is real. So let’s re-read this verse and ask God’s Holy Spirit to give us direction in obeying what we know and doing what God expects. Then we can expect to see God “manifest (Himself) unto (us).” Just my thoughts …

Why? Because He Said!

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2.10

Most of us love to quote Ephesians 2.8-9 because of the tremendous good news found in them. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.” But verse 10 is no less important in God’s scheme of things. He saved us to keep us out of hell and to give us eternity with Him in heaven. But while we are down here on this earth, He has a plan for us too. “we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works … ” I think it goes without saying, but for those who may have a question, we are not saved by our good works, but we do good works because we are saved.

We are the product of God’s handiwork and I have taken as one of my maxims in life that God doesn’t make junk. God fashioned you and me to do good works for Him because we are in Christ. Being in Christ carries privilege with it but it also carries responsibility. “We are not saved to sit down and sit but to get up and git.”

This is all part of God’s plan: “which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Doing good works is not just an option for us. It is part of God’s ordained plan for us. He has ordained us to good works. He has purposed that our lives would demonstrate our love for Him because of our good works for Him. So can I implore us all today to remember that “we are His workmanship” and as such we are “created in Christ Jesus unto good works” so let’s be about His business while we are still living down here on earth? Just my thoughts …

Tell What You Know!

“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; (4) Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” 2 Corinthians 1.3-4

I think everyone reading these words could say that we have been through a time of tribulation or trial and God has brought us through in a way that only He could. So the words of this verse could be addressed to each one of us. I believe they are. Paul speaks of God as “the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort … ” Think about those two words mercy and comfort. How many times have we desperately needed mercy and comfort? And EVERY TIME we had the need, God was there and provided exactly what we needed. He comforted us is all our tribulation.

So what are WE to do? Paul told the Corinthians and us this profound truth: “that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble … ” Every day we encounter people who are in … trouble and they are in desperate need of someone to guide them. And then God puts you in their path. That is no mistake … that is divine providence. So what is it that we are supposed to do? We are to provide comfort to them with the “comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” Who else is better qualified to tell a prospective open heart surgery patient what he is about to go through other than one who has already gone through that surgery? That person speaks from experience. Who else is better equipped to tell a fellow believer that God is faithful and He will bring them through their tribulation, than one who has already experienced the faithfulness of God in a similar situation? Let us be faithful to the task of comforting others as God brings them across our paths. Just my thoughts …

Dinner with a Friend!

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3.20

For the theologians reading this, I want you to know that I know the context of this verse and that it was written to the church. But I want to look at it from the standpoint of an application for you and me.

Imagine for a moment that the crucified Christ is knocking at your hearts door, and you hear Him say, “It’s me, Jesus. Can I come in and have a meal with you? Let’s just talk.” When i think about having a meal with a friend, I think about the things we have in common and the kinds of things we can talk about. What would Jesus want to talk to me about? Maybe He would speak about the truth that His goal for me is to represent Him down here on this earth? What if He asked me, “How well do you think you are doing with that?” I would be embarrassed to say, “Not as well as I should.”

He might ask me what I needed to change in my life in order for the world to see His life in me. As I think about a question like that, I am reminded how many times a day I focus solely on what I want rather than on what He wants for me. I think about the opportunities I have missed to share my faith in Him with others who do not know who He is. Even by imagining a conversation with Jesus, I am convicted by the way I have lived my life for Him. How about you? Let’s determine that we are going to live in such a way that we have just had a conversation with the Savior, and He said, “Live well for me!” Just my thoughts …

What Kind of Day Is It Really?

“This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118.24

Have you ever awakened in the morning and lay there thinking, “Man, I don’t want to get up. I don’t want to face this day at all”? I must admit that I have done that on a number of occasions and then the Holy Spirit reminds me of this verse above. When I come to grips with the simple truth that “This is the day which the LORD hath made …”, then my view of the day ahead changes. I am forced to remember that He knows what is best for me. Frequently the Spirit reminds me of Jeremiah 29.11: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” I really like this translation: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (ESV) When I remember that God always has my best interests at heart, it is easier to embrace the things that He allows to come into my day.

I think this next phrase is a challenge for many of us: “we will rejoice and be glad in it.” It is one thing to acknowledge that the day is one that God made. It is quite another thing to rejoice and be glad in it. What does that mean anyway? What is the opposite of rejoicing? There may be a number of words that could go there. If I am whining, I am certainly not rejoicing. If I am complaining, I am certainly not rejoicing. If I am criticizing, I am certainly not rejoicing. If I am dreading that which is to come, I am certainly not rejoicing. So, Jerry, are you saying that I must face each day with a pharisaical smile and act like nothing is every wrong? I am not saying that at all. I am saying that perhaps we should be saying to God, “What is it you want me to learn in today’s experiences” rather than, “Why in the world did you let that happen, God.” Just my thoughts …

Condemnation? No!

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (17) For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.” John 3.16-17

One of the most favorite verses in the Bible is John 3.16. Children memorize it early on in their lives. Pastors preach from it. It is used in sharing the gospel with those who are lost. But we discover great truth when we link verse 16 with verse 17. We discover WHY the coming of Christ into the world was so important.

“God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world … ” There are some who think of God only as a severe judge whose only purpose is to send men to a Christless eternity called hell. There are others still who say that God is such a God of love that He could never send anyone to hell. Neither of these assessments of God is true. If all men are going to heaven anyway, then why did Jesus have to die?

But here is the good news we all need to hear … Jesus did not come to condemn the world but to offer to all who would accept Him a ticket out of this world into an eternity with Him and His heavenly Father. This is how John says it: “that the world through him might be saved.” If men hear the gospel, and know why Jesus came, but they still refuse to accept Him as Savior, God has not condemned them to a Christless eternity. They have condemned themselves by refusing to believe the truth. But what about those who never hear, who never have an opportunity to accept Christ because they do not know who Jesus is or why He came? Then I believe their blood is on our hands as New Testament churches because we have neglected to take the gospel to the “uttermost part of the earth.” Of all the good news that will be shared at this Christmas season, let us go, and/or give, and pray that all the world may know! Just my thoughts …