Christian Liberty ~ Trick or Treat?

You often hear the verse quoted that “where the Spirit of the LORD is there is liberty.” And often this is used as a justification for doing whatever the brother or sister wishes to do at the time.  So the question is… What does Christian liberty really mean?  Can I do anything I want now that I am born-again or are there certain things that are still taboo?  I really am not going to answer the question now but it is certain that some of you (especially if your blood just started to boil); some of you think its taboo to even broach this question.

The answers to the question vary but there really are only two perspectives.  The carnal approach that says “I can do whatever the H-E-‘double tooth picks’ I want and no one is going to tell me otherwise.”  And the spiritual approach that says… “What does God’s Word say? Does it say?” and “How will this thing affect others in the Body of Christ?” and “How will this thing affect my effectiveness as a witness, will it help or tarnish my testimony? Will it help or tarnish my church’s testimony in the community?”

We believers love to take our liberties don’t we? We really need to consider our responsibilities.  We do.  Now don’t you go getting all, like, “Who made you the Holy Spirit?” and “Who do you think you are?”… If you are born again then I am your brother.  That’s who I think I am.  How do you evaluate the things you allow or disallow?  Do you use the Word? Did you know “His divine power has given us everything that pertains unto life and godliness” in His Word.  He has no ‘grey areas’. None! How do you evaluate things? Do you merely rely on ‘impressions’?  Keep in mind that many of those watching us are very impressionable.

I have a great deal of freedom in writing online.  There is a huge untapped ‘audience’ of believers who have never heard of The Warming House. I say ‘audience’ because even though I don’t use much audio there is nevertheless a Voice.  Are you listening? I have a great deal of liberty but I have to be very careful what I write.  And we who write take a risk in putting things in ‘print’.  As we grow spiritually our paradigm, our viewpoint, of some things should mature.  There may be things I wrote back in July when I started this blog that I no longer agree with.  Someday I may no longer agree with this post also.  But If I evaluate my every ‘opinion’ through the filter of the Word then this is less likely to happen for sure.  But I am not infallible.  Only God and His Word are infallible.  That’s why I give you ‘my promise’, Read the page “My Promise” using the tab to the right at the top of the page. I promise. Try me. Write me. Text me. However you choose to communicate with me just do communicate. (Please be kind though.)

Now back to the question that I said I wouldn’t answer.  Are our Christian liberties a trick or a treat?  It certainly is a privilege. We through Christ have been liberated from sins power and penalty.  Now that’s true freedom. YES!!! We have to be careful that we don’t use it to hide any malice we may feel.  We have to be careful to uphold and not destroy the weaker brother.  Remember Peter Parkers uncle, “Peter, with great power comes great responsibility.”  I love super heroes!  Be a supernaturally super hero. Walk in the Spirit. Walk by faith. Walk in the Word.

Many churches have alternative-to-holloween parties in order to keep their kids off the streets and as a means of outreach.  I’m not saying that you shouldn’t do that.  I’m simply saying we need to consider these things in our every liberty that we do use so that we are careful not to abuse.  Don’t flaunt it. Don’t revel in it. Be like Jesus. Meek, humble, compassionate, and powerfully obedient to the Spirit.

If we do this He will increase and we will decrease.

“He must increase and WE must decrease!”

There Was a Crooked Man

There was a crooked man,

And he walked a crooked mile,

He found a crooked sixpence

Against a crooked stile.

He bought a crooked cat,

Which caught a crooked mouse,

And they all lived together

In a little crooked house.

 

Every fourth week, one day each month, I can be found in a procedure room at Dr. Reeder’s place of practice.  Dr. Reeder is my Chiropractor.  I first met Reeder when I was 21 years of age (just a kid really) and I had insufferable pain in my lower back and all down through my left leg. 

"I'm not always so much so 'on the ball', not always!"

I had insufferable pain, so much so that I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t sit upright (which made the ride to his office quite painful I might add).  I was anti-social, I couldn’t smile, I could barely carry my own weight and I certainly had no desire to “carry a tune”.  I was so miserable at one point I remember distinctly raising my fist to the ceiling and crying out “Why are You doing this to me!?!”  I’m not positive but I may have uttered an expletive or two toward my Creator and Savior.  I was that crooked man. 

Apparently I missed the part in the Bible where it says, “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 

I had only been a Christian for two years by this time and by every external standard I was “a Christian above all Christians.”  I say by every external standard, which is to say as things appeared to others, but God looks at the heart and it’s the inner life and response to circumstances that gives evidence to the Life of Christ abiding within.  However, after this glaring chink in my “Spiritual Armor” I began to see other areas in my life that were not as “in check” as I thought they were also, such sins were prevalent in my private life and thoughts that I feel ashamed now to even mention them. 

God revealed some of them to us in a nice 'neat' list in Galatians 5:19, “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,” Suffice to say, road rage, which I experienced often seemed to be the least of my problems. My thought life was not what it should have been.  It got to a point where I began to even doubt if I was really “born again” in the first place.  It was a very dark and confusing time for me. I remember praying as Isaiah did, "Woe is me, for I am undone," but instead of a man of unclean lips I said, "for I am a man of unclean thoughts, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean thoughts."  I am so glad that God cleaned up my thought life.

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

But Let’s get back to my back for a moment.  So, what was going on and why did I have so much discomfort?  It should be obvious I think, things were out of alignment, they were not the way they were intended to be.  Actually, as a later X-ray would reveal, I had a herniated disk at my fifth lumbar and the bulge was pushing against my sciatic nerve. 

A cortisone shot mixed with Novocain relieved it for a time but when the drug wore off the pain returned.  Physical therapy and exercise only worsened the agony.  Pain “killers” were dealing with the symptoms but no one had yet got to the root of my injury.

When things are out of place there is pain involved, just ask anyone who has had a broken bone or a dislocated joint if you’ve never had the pleasure of that kind of experience.

Now spiritually speaking, things were 'out of place' for me also.  I was following a list of 'do's and don'ts', standards that would ensure that I would be spiritual.  I was not very spiritually minded as is plainly obvious.  I did not love God with all my heart, I loved my own comfort.  I did not obey the heart of things, I was only trying to obey the external motion of things.

If we desire God's best.  If we want Him to increase in our lives.  We must love Him above even our own comfort.  We must love Him with all our hearts.  We need to get a doctorate in theology: I don't mean a college education but I do mean we need to pay attention to doctrine.  We need to know what we believe about our God and why.  Never mind the lists... that'll all fall into place as you learn of Him.  We also need to become a reader... Not Dr. Reeder... we need to read the Word of God.  Read it often, humbly, and with a desire to obey whatever God clearly asks of you.  I say clearly asks because you can't make the Bible say things it doesn't.  "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"

Do this and He will increase in your life, His presence IN you will be obvious to those around you, They will 'see' less of you and more of God in you.

"He must increase, WE must decrease!"

A Double Minded Man

When you think of Moses what character traits come to mind? 

Bold?

Powerful?

Authoritative?

Independent?

Perhaps. 

But do you ever think meek, lowly, timid?

 I only say timid because if you recall when God called him to go lead the descendants of Israel out of bondage he made excuses for himself. 

The excuses he gave made him appear timid.

Moses said unto God, “Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?”  God, I’m a nobody in Pharaoh’s eyes.

And Moses further said, “But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee.”  God, they will not believe me. They will not listen to me.

And Moses even further said unto the LORD, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.”  God, I am not a good ‘speaker’ surely you don’t mean for me to preach.

And he at last said, “O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.”  God, you have the wrong man, send someone else.  “And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses.”  Holy, righteous, Godly anger… not the wrath of man, “For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” (James 1:20)

So when you think of Moses what character traits come to mind?

He was bold, powerful, authoritative, independent and fully dependant on God his Saviour.  When he wasn’t his timidity would reveal itself.

Timid people are easily angered at times when their insecurities and uncertainties are ‘challenged’.  When in a time of weakness, when they are not fully resting in the promises of God, they respond or rather they react in anger.  Moses certainly did.

I remember once when I worked for Canteen Service Company in the vending industry.  I was cleaning out my van at the day’s end and I found in the dumpster where I was putting my waste; I found a raccoon.  It looked scared.  Alone. Timid.  I determined to help it out of the bin so I layered boxes to make a ramp for the little critter to easily climb out.  I thought he would run up and out immediately.   When he didn’t I was a bit surprised, still concerned, and in my ignorance I determined to give him a boost.  That’s when I took a broom and with the wooden handle I attempted to prod the helpless creature.  Helpless, right?! The Coon snarled and lunged and grabbed the broom with a violent jerk.  He nearly yanked it right out of my hand.  I was shocked.  After all I was just trying to help him out.  Couldn’t he see that?

Moses was a man of convictions.

By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;

Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.

Moses was a man of faith.

By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.

By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry [land]: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.

But Moses was a timid person.  That’s not necessarily a bad thing. His timidity only led to anger when he forgot Who was in charge.  Moses was the meekest man on the planet.  Meek is what a timid person becomes when they are fully resting in God our Savior.

The scriptures say, (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.) That’s in Numbers 12:3.  The meekest man on the planet, and yet he had an anger problem.

Often it was righteous indignation, but not always.  His anger is what kept him out of the promised land remember.

Dr. David Jerimiah writes in Fruit of the Spirit in his chapter on meekness that Moses

“on occasion he could be glaringly and openly angry. And yet on other occasions he could be compassionate.  The same Moses who in righteous anger broke the tablets and slew the worshippers of the golden calf was the one who faced the anger of God and asked Him not to destroy His people.  In fact, Moses said, ‘If you will forgive their sin- but if not I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written,’ (Exodus 32:32) Here’s a man who could rise in white hot anger against unrighteousness and in the next moment be a compassionate, caring individual willing to put his own life on the line in his love for his people.”

Dr. Jeremiah  says, “Strength and compassion fused together in a beautifully balanced personality- that’s what meekness is.”  And meekness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit Who lives within us believers.  We can be meek, and not timid or angry; we can be meek if we trust fully in the internal abiding Grace of our Jesus.  He who is “meek and lowly in heart” will enable us to reflect His wonderfully powerful meekness. Strength and compassion fused together.

So often I forget Who is in charge; if we run and hide from conflict.  If we forget Who is in charge.  If we hide from the Commander then we will not have this wonderful fruit of His Spirit.  We will be like Dr. Jeckyl who had a bad ‘formula’ and became Mr. Hyde.  We must guard against this tendancy, for "a double-minded man is unstable in ALL his ways." God help us not to be double-minded, increase our faith, and if we are already, help us not to continue in double-mindedness, in doubt.

We must submit in lowly acceptance of our circumstances to the King.

If we do this He will increase and we again will decrease.

“He must increase, WE must decrease!”

Authors Personal Note: I Write these posts with His glory in mind.  To God be the glory in all we do, it must be this way.  He will honor us in due time but it is according to His good will that He does.  Will you consider sharing this post on the social network(s) that you frequent?  To God be the glory! "He must increase, WE must decrease!"

Far Above Rubies

In Proverbs 31 King Lemuel recounts some things his mother taught him.  She said, “Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.”  The answers to that question my friend are both simple and complicated at the same time.  It has taken me the better part of my married life to figure this out, over 15 wonderful years, “Who can find a virtuous woman?”  The simplest answer is this; No one.  Who can?  No one can.  A virtuous woman is a gift from the LORD and if you have a virtuous godly wife by your side it is because God gave her to you.   Proverbs also says “Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.”  It is a wonderful thing to share your life with a virtuous woman, but you did not find her, you have undeservingly obtained favour of the LORD in this.

But you say, “I asked, I sought, I found!... Didn’t Jesus say,  Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”  And perhaps you did just that.  Perhaps you asked God for a godly wife.  You sought for that special someone to stand by your side all the days of your life.  You found the girl of your sanctified dreams.  You found a wife, and the scriptures say that you have found “a good thing, and have obtained favour of the LORD.”

Jesus also said “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.”  Let me ask you something did your search for a wife consume you?  Was it all you could think about at times?  Does it now consume you if you are a single man?  I can tell you from experience, and from the testimony of others, that if this is the case you will labor in vain to find a wife if finding a wife is an all-consuming desire.  I searched and searched for that special someone.  I had a few ‘lady friends’, some of them very godly, but for some reason in my head the match wasn’t right. The problem was not in my head it was in my ‘heart’. Also there were others who I had taken to dinner, or taken shopping or something, and for them it was just a ‘date’, they had no interest in pursuing a deeper relationship.  I wearied myself asking, seeking, and knocking.  Finally in frustration I prayed, “God. I’ve had enough. This is killing me. If YOU want me to be single for my entire life, if that’s Your plan then that will be fine with me.  I will love You. I will serve You. I will do whatever You want, I will do it single if that’s what You want, and I will do it joyfully.”

Jesus said that our Heavenly Father knows what things we have need of.  He said “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”  When I resigned myself to seeking God and His righteousness then, and only then did He open that door to blessing for me.  How it all came about will have to wait for another story.  But like a breath of fresh spring air, like spring showers on a warm spring morning God brought that special someone into my life.

“Who can find a virtuous woman?”  As I said the answer to that question is both simple (No one can.) and complicated.  Here is the complicated answer.  Jesus said that we should seek first Him, His Father, to seek God’s glory alone.  He said if we do this than all we need would be provided.  James wrote “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with Whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”  Every good gift is from heaven. 

Now you say “Why is that a complicated answer?”  Well here is the part of the answer that is complicated.  Man looks on the outward appearance and God looks at the heart.  We generally find our interest in someone based on what we men in our shallowness see with our own two eyes.  I’m not talking simply physical appearance; some are shallower about this than others, they only look for a ‘looker’.  But outwardly we look at habits, and hobbies, intellect and personality.  We look at the things we can measure and observe but God looks at what will be, not at what is.

I am thankful that I have a beautiful, thoughtful, virtuous woman to share my life with but I did not ‘find’ her. Virtuous women are not born virtuous, they are ‘made’ virtuous by a work of grace in their hearts.  God through His infinite mercy takes an individual whose sins have separated her from the mercy of God and ‘reaches down’ and redeems them.  

(LINK)

 If any come to Him they come this way.  They must be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; by Jesus’ sacrifice on Calvary’s cross.  God saves them, saves us, and then begins a work of grace in changing us and conforming us into the likeness of Jesus’ holiness and virtue.  “If you have a virtuous godly wife by your side it is because God gave her to you.”

(PROVERBS 31:10-30)

• Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price [is] far above rubies.
• The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
• She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
• She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
• She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
• She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
• She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
• She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
• She perceiveth that her merchandise [is] good: her candle goeth not out by night.
• She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
• She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
• She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
• She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
• Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
• She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
• Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
• She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.

Thank God for the wisdom of a godly wife and every kind word that she speaks; “She buildeth up her husband as a wall that needeth repair at times.”  Thank God.

• She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
• Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
• Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
• Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.

As I said “I am thankful that I have a beautiful, thoughtful, virtuous woman to share my life with.”  She is a gift from my loving Heavenly Father, a gift I didn’t earn, deserve, or find.  She is knowledgeable, temperate, patient, godly, kind, and loving.  I couldn’t want, don’t want anything, anyone besides.  I have a gift whose price is far above rubies.

Ladies don’t stop with virtue…

• And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
• And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
• And to godliness, brotherly (and sisterly) kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
• For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

(2 Peter 1:5-8)

For if these things be in you, and abound
He will increase and you will decrease.

"He must increase, WE must decrease!"

If this post has blessed you in any way will you consider sharing it?  Be a blessing today.

Walk the Line

At work I was on a production line that I haven’t been on for a long, long, long time.  Coming back to this part of the facility for me though was like ‘riding a bike’.  Not much had changed except that maintenance had implemented a few improvements that made it rather easy to get right back into ‘the swing of things’ there.  The night shift operator had told me that things were running well and so I took his word for it; why should I doubt it.  He was right.  Not only was it running well but it was running ‘par excellence’.  (Excuse my transliteration here please ~ I’m not French.)  It was running very, very well.

Since it was my birthday I had already declared the day a ‘No Stress Day’ and so-far so-good, there was very little to get worked up about.  In fact I had already rearranged things to make sure my area was more work-atomically correct (that is my own made-up word ~ it means ‘as little work as possible’.   While I don’t mind hard work I do believe strongly in working smart first.); so I made sure things were ‘work-atomically’ correct or (to use the proper phrase) ergonomically correct and then I began to check over the line to verify that it was indeed running well.  As I said, “it was.”  As I walked through the line, doing a few quality assurance checks, I was recalling something I heard Charles Stanley say over twenty years ago.

Dr. Stanley said that the great men of the Bible were great because they “walked with an awareness that they were walking in the presence of Almighty God.”   As I look back over the years and think about my life, I think that it was this very simple yet profound statement, and the idea that I too was walking in the presence of Almighty God, that has been foundational for any growth and maturity in my Christian life. It had such a big impact on me that in my mind I was “casting down imaginations”, “and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” (2 Corinthians 10:3-6) My heart frequently cried out, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:” I wanted God to “see if there were wicked ways in me,” and I wanted Him to “lead me in the way everlasting.” (From Psalm 139)

I have developed the habit of thinking this way over the years so now, as I daily, in the morning, as I walk along whatever line I happen to be working on I “walk with an awareness that I’m walking in the presence of Almighty God.”  And as I walk back-and-forth sometimes what seems like a hundred times in a day I keep that in mind. That I’m “walking in the presence of Almighty God.”

Not only do I “walk with an awareness that I’m walking in the presence of Almighty God.” But I also “work with an awareness that I’m working in the presence of Almighty God.” When I visit other churches I “worship with awareness that I’m doing it in the presence of Almighty God.” Every morning I try to “wake with an awareness that I’m waking in the presence of Almighty God.”

Sometimes as we walk, work, and worship we become wearied.  We sometimes can begin to worry and wrestle with issues that God told us not to.  And even though His presence is a very real thing as Paul said to the Athenians “For in him we live, and move, and have our being”; even though His presence is very real we forget He is there, we forget He is here.  When we forget we also often begin to whine. (Thou Shalt Not Whine)  When we worry, wrestle, whine and otherwise respond in a ‘worldly’ fashion we are doing it in the presence of Almighty God. Albeit, when we do these things we are not doing them with an awareness of His abiding presence. (If we did we would soon repent.)

Even though we do these things His love for us His believing children is not diminished one iota because of our lack of faith.  He is grieved by our lack of faith but this by no means has any bearing on His love for us.  He wants us, He ‘wishes’ (Boulomai ~ it’s His desire, His wish) for us to have His love, joy and peace and the other six fruit of the Spirit to be an ever abiding part of us.  These things can be only as a result of faith, faith which works and is ‘others’ focused by and because of the love of God that should be flowing through us.  These things can be only as a result of our “walking with an awareness that we are walking in the presence of Almighty God.”

God asks in Isaiah 40, verse 28 “Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no searching of his understanding.”  He understands that we sometimes get weary, but He never does.

Then God says, to Isaiah and to us by inspiration, preservation, and illumination of the Word; He says “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

Wait on the LORD. And as you do, “wait with an awareness that you are waiting for and in the presence of Almighty God.”  Know that He will not let you down lower than you can get without enabling you to get back up.  Wait on the LORD. “Wait with an awareness that you are waiting, walking, working, and worshiping in the presence of Almighty God.”  You (rather HE) shall renew your strength; you will mount up with wings as eagles; you will run, and not be weary; and you will walk, and not faint.”

Walk the line. Walk the straight and narrow line. As you walk ask God to do some quality assurance checks in your own heart, mind, and soul.  So you don’t walk too close to the ‘edge’.

“He must increase, WE must decrease!”  

 And ironically when we have this mindset 
He enables us to increase.  
 We “mount up with wings 
as eagles.”

No-Eye-Deer

Perhaps you have heard the joke… “What do you call a deer with no eyes?” No-eye-deer. Then “What do you call a dead deer with no eyes?”  Still no-eye-deer.  Some would say lunch.  My friend Matt would say lunch.  On the way to the camp location that I mentioned in my last blog entitled, “I love our God”, we were following Matt in his pick-up truck, and he was quite a ways ahead of us when he pulled over to the side of the road, we couldn’t possibly have guessed what the problem might have been.

We pulled up to the side of his truck and slid the electric window down.  “What’s up?” we asked.  “I’m going to try to shoot that deer.” Huh? “What deer?” We asked.   He said matter-of-factly “That deer right there.”  And sure enough, off the side of the road just about fifteen feet into the woods, as still as a statue, stood a deer just staring wide eyed at Matt.  Matt had seen the deer cross the road in front of him and then he saw it stop where it stood.  I think the deer had a mocking, knowing, and teasing smile on its face but I’m not positive.  The only movement was an occasional flick of his white tail.

Matt got out his bow. The deer stood there staring.  Matt got out his razor-sharp retracting arrow heads.  The deer stood there staring.  Matt screwed the arrow head into place and got ready to take a shot.  The deer stood there staring.  Matt raised the arrow to the bow and anchored it in place.  And as soon as, and as smoothly as he did that, the deer pranced calmly further into the woods.   I think the deer had a mocking and knowing smile on its face as it hopped away.  It was kind of funny.  I think Matt thought so too, but I’m pretty sure he would have rather had some deer meat in his truck bed.

I think deer are smarter than we give them credit for.  And I think some people are smarter than we give them credit for too.  You know quiet contemplative people don’t you.  People who don’t tend to say very much.  Oftentimes the view some outgoing people have of quiet people is that they ‘are not so bright’, that perhaps ‘they are not the brightest bulbs on the tree’.  But that estimation is unfair.

God’s Word says in Proverbs “A wise man (a person) will hear, and will increase learning; and a man (or woman) of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:”

And “In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.”

I’m pretty sure “wanteth not sin” means that you don’t have to listen for too long before some exaggeration, half-truth, or bold-face-lie will reveal itself…

 “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak,” James instructs us.

No. Quiet people are not necessarily stupid.  Sometimes very far from it.  Just the opposite even.  I believe it was St. Thomas Aquinas who was dubbed “The Dumb Ox” in seminary, or wherever it was he gained his knowledge.  He was called by this name and yet he was one of the deepest wells of theological insight in his time.  We owe a great deal of depth of learning to St. Thomas Aquinas so I am told.

Paul instructs those in Thessalonica to “study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands,”

Oftentimes those that are quiet are not quiet because they have “no-eye-deer” rather they are quiet because they know that their input would not be helpful at that very moment.  That you are not, will not listen.  They have insights that you can’t even imagine.  If you ask, and listen, you will learn from them.

“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak,”

If we do this Jesus will increase in our lives and minds and our own lofty opinions of ourselves will decrease.  We will see ourselves as infinitely valuable to God and yet equally and infinitely undeserving.  And we will be thankful.

“He must increase, WE must decrease!”



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Take care friend.  And take time to listen.

I Love Our God

I love our God.  I love the variety, diversity, individuality and creativity with which He has made everything including us.  I am told that no two snowflakes are exactly alike.  I’m not sure about that but I am pretty certain that no two people are exactly alike.  I love that.  And I love that even though we all have different temperaments, likes and dislikes, hobbies and habits, that God loves us just as we are.  So much so that He determined to save us in the most unspeakable way from our sinful plight. 

If you do not know this love from God, love that is strong enough that He chose to die, If you do not know this love then leave this story and go read “Closer to Jesus”; Look over to your right, see the link there under the heading “A Cross Roads”.  Check it out; You can always come back.

As I was saying. I love our God.  He says that we men are responsible to teach our children to love God too.  Regarding God’s statutes I am supposed to and you are supposed to “teach them diligently unto thy children, thou 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.”  I work hard at this but I often drop the ball that’s why this story means so much to me.

My son and I were recently with a group of men and their sons at the Cornerstone Baptist Church in Topsham, Maine for a father/son overnighter.  We had been meeting with these dear folks monthly for nearly a year.  We were planning to spend the night in a roughed out clearing in the woods, a place where one of their church men had ‘given’ to the group so that we can make a camp meeting place.  Because of incoming torrential rains in the forecast we spent the night in the church instead.  We had pizza, father and son time, played ping-pong, and watched a movie I had never seen before. “Sergeant York” We both liked the movie very much.  Thank you Dan O. for sharing that.

For the night I slept on some couch cushions in the foyer of their church.  My son slept on the cushionless couch.  I liked that spot because not far from us, over the entry to their sanctuary was a sign that read “Prepare to Worship” and what I liked about that was I was aware of the sign above the door that you see as you leave the sanctuary that reads “PREPARED to serve” If we worship God rightly in our churches we then are amply prepared to serve God and others in the world.

In the morning after a small breakfast, a little fellowship, and some father/son time we left Cornerstone to drive to the camp site.  Now when I said it is a roughed out clearing in the woods I had no idea how rough.  There were fallen branches and trees everywhere.  Left over from logging work from years past.  I’m not sure even where we would have slept had it not rained.  Matt B., one of the dads, cleared a spot and started a fire.  The rest of us commenced to clearing land.  We got much done.  It was fun and it went quickly.  It is going to make a beautiful camp site where we will have many times of fellowship and father/son relationship builder opportunities.

While we were working I slipped away from the group to get alone with the Lord.  I walked down over the hill I was setting a site on, down a short ways into the wood to a nearby stream, and found a nice seat-like rock next to a small waterfall where I could go to pray.  I sat there and prayed for quite some time. It was a very needful break.

Later I saw one of the men pull his son aside.  I’m not sure why but I thought, “I need to pull my boy aside and talk with him.”  I said, “Come here buddy.”  He looked up curiously. “Come with me.”  We walked and talked. I took him to that spot by the stream.  I told him, “If when we are here, and you can’t find me, this is where I’ll be”  “I’ll be here, thinking, praying, and reading.”

After a while of quietly listening to the water rush over the falls he said “Dad, can I pray, I’d like to pray.”  I said, “Sure, Go ahead buddy.”  And then he prayed a very grown-up prayer.  I was impressed, I was proud.

As we left that spot and quietly walked together back to where the men were working my boy said, “Dad.” Then there was a long pause. He said “I love our God.”  And my heart leaped in my chest for joy.  I was over-joyed.  Then I calmly said, “That’s good buddy.  That makes your dad happy.”  I wanted to shout for joy but I contained myself.  What an awesome God we serve!

If we take time to spend with our sons father’s, and with our daughters, some of the love that we have for God is going to ‘rub off’.

“He must increase, WE must decrease!”

I love our God!

Frankenstein's Monster

What do you think of when you think of the church?  Do you think of a family? Do you think of a club? (I hope you don't think of a club.)  What comes to mind?  Have you ever wondered what the world thinks of when they see the church?

In Dr. David Jeremiahs book, "Fruit of the Spirit" He writes in the overview to lesson 11 entitled How to Be Filled with the Spirit, he wrote...

Several years ago, a religious painter painted two pictures of Jesus and hung them together in a gallery.  The first picture was of the Jewish Christ, the one we're accustomed to seeing when we see pictures of the Lord.  It was very beautifully done and would bring a sense of inspiration and worship to anyone who would look at it.

Next to that traditional picture of Christ, the artist hung a picture he'd painted of the Lord Jesus Christ disfigured and ugly.  It was a misrepresentation of the genuineness of the Lord.  The artist was asked why he had painted these two pictures.

He said, "The first picture is Christ as He really is.  The second is the christ the world sees when they look at His church.  Those who are His body, who represent Him in the world."  Now I'm not sure what kind of churches this artist was used to, but I have met some very beautiful Christian men and women who represent the Lord in beauty and true holiness.  Someday they will hear Him say, "Well done! Well done!"

Dr. Jeremiah says, "The world does not see Christ physically as the first disciples saw Him.  They see Christ through His body, which is the church made up of true believers."

So it begs the question.  When the world looks at me and the world looks at you if you are a believer, what do they see?  Do they see the beauty, holiness, graciousness, and greatness of our Jesus?  Or do they see something akin to Frankenstein's Moster?  Frankenstein, as he is called, was made up of parts from several parts of several bodies, he was disfigured, and full of puss I think.

We have the wonderful ointment of the Holy Spirit to smooth over rough spots in relationships.  Let's face it "where two or more are gathered in His name"... there’s bound to be conflict.  The fruit of God's Spirit enables us to be supernaturally relating to one another.  It's a beautiful thing.  So what kind of picture do we paint?  The true Christ.  OR a misrepresentation?

It's very important that we walk with God in humility. Loving Him. Obeying Him.

If we do this He will increase and we will decrease.

“He MUST increase, We MUST decrease!”

When His glory is evident through us… the world stares in awe at the wonder of Christ’s body, the church.

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He Must Have Preeminence

There was a man by the name of Diotrephes whose name meant ‘nourished by Zeus’ or foster-child of Zeus.  He professed to be a believer but he also loved the praise of men.  The Apostle John said “I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.” (3 John 1:9)

What was Diotrephes reason for not receiving the Apostle and those with him?  John through the Spirit said that he “loveth to have the preeminence.” It was not that John was guilty of some offense, some sin against the Body. 

No doubt if it were John would repent and gladly go before the church and admit his fault.  It wasn’t because of some misunderstanding surrounding John’s actions.  No doubt if it were John would stand before the church and explain the reasoning behind such actions.  

It wasn't any of these things though,

John had a message for the church.

A word of exhortation and comfort.

But the Apostle was not permitted to have a voice in the church. 

Why? 

It was simply that Diotrephes loved to have the preeminence. 

Even if John had made some mistake in the process of parting company he, in the interest of parting amicably, would have gone back to make things right. 

We all have to be careful in our zeal that we

do not take a stance like Diotrephes. 

Notice too that John wrote unto the church.  He wrote, and then they delivered the mail, but the pony express was sent packing.  He said, “Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.”

The word for preeminence that John used here is not actually just 'preeminence', it encompasses the phrase 'loves to have preeminence', it is  philoprōteuōn (φιλοπρωτεύων), and it is a combining of two Greek words ‘philo - to love’ and ‘protos – first or chief’. The word preeminence as used in John’s text means fond of being first, and striving after first place.  The tendency of Diotrephes to strive after first place was the only reason John gave for their poor reception.

In the King James Bible the word preeminence has two other uses, one in the Old Testament in Ecclesiastes where God says that man and beast are both subject to the curse of death brought on because of sin.  Regarding the death of man and beast He says “that a man hath no preeminence above a beast.”

The other use of the word is in Colossians and its Greek meaning is similar to that of the word used in 3^rd John but it’s not the same use of the word. 

Paul in writing to the church there said by the Spirit that he wanted them filled with the knowledge of God’s will in wisdom and all spiritual understanding. (Col. 1:9)  Sometimes others actions and even the things the Lord asks of us do not make much sense without this “knowledge of God’s will in wisdom and all spiritual understanding.”

Then Paul by the Spirit gives them a list. 

I love these lists.

He says I want you…

1)        walking worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing.

2)    being fruitful in every good work.

3)    increasing in the knowledge of God.

4)    Being strengthened with all might.

Not strengthened to strive mind you but “unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; according to His glorious power, in the power of the Spirit.

Then he adds one more thing to the list…

5)    Giving thanks unto the Father.

Paul immediately starts another list explaining the why of the what. Because…

v  God hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.

v  And God hath delivered us from the power of darkness,

v  And translated [us] into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, [even] the forgiveness of sins:

His dear Son is, that is to say that Jesus is…

1)    the image of the invisible God.

2)    And the ‘firstborn' of every creature.

“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:”

3)    He is before all things.

4)    and by Him all things consist.

5)    He is the head of the body, the church.

6)    He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all [things] he might have the preeminence.

And here Paul brings us to that word again. Preeminence. 

A word that I said was not exactly the same as John’s word but close. 

John used a word that describes striving for or desiring preeminence, loving preeminence. 

The word used here in Colossians is simply

‘protos – first or chief’

without the prefixed ‘philo – to love’. 

What it says is that Jesus Christ alone is First, He holds first place.  

Consider this too: The object of God’s love is us, not His preeminence, not the fact that He is First or Preeminent.

“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.”

Brethren, listen to me.  Jesus Christ has to be Preeminent in our lives, in our minds, our thought lives, and in our churches.  Don’t allow anyone or anything else to rent space in your head that is for God and God alone.  Diotrephes was trespassing in a place that belonged to God alone.

“that in all [things] he might have the preeminence.” He Must have the Preeminence.  If we do not love God fully and obey Him completely we cannot be Spirit filled and we cannot please God.

“So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:8)

If we are careful to let Him have His rightful place in our thought life,

if we are mindful to love God

and obey Him being Spirit filled.

He will increase and we will decrease.

“He must increase, WE must decrease!”