Nation Building God's Way

7“Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry
And bring the homeless poor into the house;
When you see the naked, to cover him;
And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

8“Then your light will break out like the dawn,
And your recovery will speedily spring forth;
And your righteousness will go before you;
The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

9“Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
You will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’
If you remove the yoke from your midst,
The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness,

10And if you give yourself to the hungry
And satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
Then your light will rise in darkness
And your gloom will become like midday.

11“And the LORD will continually guide you,
And satisfy your desire in scorched places,
And give strength to your bones;
And you will be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.

12“Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins;
You will raise up the age-old foundations;
And you will be called the repairer of the breach,
The restorer of the streets in which to dwell.

(Isaiah 58:7-12)

These passages speak on the building of a nation through fasting. A fast is all well and good, but the attitude and actions that come with it are necessary components to make an effective appeal to God.

I was surprised to be led to this passage this morning, and to think about our own nation.

We are the most generous nation in the world. Of course, critics like to point out that we are the richest, but that is only because we are a generous people. We give to causes regularly - an act of giving which is voluntarily done, not forced. Things which speak volumes about our nation and why we are blessed by God.

It is that kind of heart that the Lord blesses, and we need to put that in the forefront of our actions. In this day and age, we are probably not going to be inviting the homeless into our homes. But, it doesn't mean that we don't give and volunteer to bless others in the ways that we can.

For my own self, I have been pretty focused on my work life and career. Since I've had so much additional responsibilities as a husband and father - and then on top of that to get better at my work, it's been a journey and an effort to get the point of becoming proficient with a measure of expertise.

The acts of charity are a core part of our Christian walk however. They cannot be ignored even when life gets so hectic and overwhelming. As we enter the New Year, there has to be some changes to allow for charitable giving to be done. It is a key reminder for me to remember the heart of the Lord even as we try to pray to Him in our daily lives.

A Heart That Is Ready For The Master

Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food, in due season? ... Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. But if that evil servants says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Mt 24:45-51)

We don't know the "when" of Jesus' second coming. Like all things of God, there is a purpose for that because if men knew when to "be good" and "have a come to Jesus moment", they would live selfishly until that very moment. It would be part of our sin nature to say, "I know exactly when the Lord will come back (or when I'll die) and so I don't have to care about how the Lord asked me to act until the very moment of his return."

God knows that our sin natures and ability to fall for rational lies are so strong that we are prone to do the minimum - just enough to scoot by. Take premartial sex - it is only human nature, especially when it comes to something with such a strong allure, to want to try and find where "the line" is and not cross it. That's how Christians get into trouble however because they are trying to follow a rule that gets revised to a worse and worse level until all lines are crossed.

Yes, the Bible has rules and commandments. However, it isn't done for the sake of the rules. It is a lifestyle of abiding in the Lord that is the real emphasis. To have a relationship with Him and to walk alongside the Lord in what He wants to do in and through each and every one of us.

Why? Because that is Heaven - that is the original plan. For us to be with God and living in a manner which is optimum for us - according to the instruction manual that was written by our Creator.

I think this Word is a great reminder for me. In a fast food world, soundbites such as one commandment here or there are easy to digest, but they don't provide a whole picture. Jesus doesn't want us to be rule followers, prone to failing time and time again in our quest to be good while having sin-filled minds. Instead He wants to abide with us and transform us completely from the inside-out. Our thinking, our natures and then down to our actions.

Such a person will stand during times of temptation because they will not be focused on their own struggles, but instead will have the strength of the Holy Spirit within them - a strength that trusts in the Lord through tribulation and desires to follow rather than to simply "get by".

Lord Jesus, I desire to be that kind of believer. One that abides with You and leans on the strength of the Holy Spirit to direct me. If I simply follow You and step where You step, I will not misstep. My deepest desire is to be faithful to You. Sometimes that desire gets covered up by the emotions, problems, fears, and wants of the moment. But as I spend time with You, those extraneous things are brushed off and my heart becomes true. Thank You for allowing me to walk with You. In Jesus' name, AMEN.

A Different View On Church Structure?

"But you do not be called 'Rabbi'; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren." (Mt 23:8)

This passage really struck me because there is a real egalitarian aspect when it comes to spiritual matters under Jesus. Not that there is a belief that we are equal with Christ or God -- that is an error that exists in Mormon belief (that we can become a god - that Jesus is only one of many) -- but rather that we are equal in the sight of God.

I definitely would distinguish as well spiritual egalitarianism from political egalitarianism. With the concepts of personal property in the 10 commandments, "Thou shalt not steal" God clearly emphasizes that we are not promised the same "stuff". Forcible redistribution of items so that everyone has the same result is not supported in God's Word. Instead we are called to be charitable which involves a voluntary spirit of giving of our personal property to others as we personally choose. Likewise a spiritual of communal living can be chosen as well as in the book of Acts (which could very well be the picture of Heaven), but it not something that is required. Even in Acts, people gave what they chose to give, they were not forced to give all of their possessions, but they were not allowed to lie about the level of their contribution. (see Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5).

It isn't that Christian leadership is unnecessary - from an organizational and teaching standpoint, there is really a need for proper teaching and organizing. But, Christ is asking us never to exalt ourselves or others to the point of being a substitute for Him. Instead, we are to turn to Christ as our ultimate resource and our ultimate Teacher. We are to read the Word and pray constantly so that we will know His will and follow His ways.

As I mentioned the Mormon faith earlier, something that they may be doing more right than Christian churches is the concept that teaching should not be dominated by one man or group of men, but perhaps that it should be rotated amongst the congregation. That each week, a different head of a family would preside over the teaching for the group. Certainly that would bring a different atmosphere and the responsibility for teaching (and learning) would be passed from one main person to a everyone.

Although that would present a logistical headache and the consistency of teaching may be lacking, it would certainly be interesting to hear individual stories and points of view on how God has changed their lives instead of only hearing the same stories over and over again.

Church structure is a hard thing to think about, and I'm certainly struggling with it now. However, the main thing is to find a preacher that teaches the Word truthfully in a straightforward manner. Based on this scripture, I am also thinking that it is important to find a church that emphasizes that we are all equal under God and does not try to exalt the leadership beyond that.

Lord Jesus, we are on the cusp of moving, if it is your will that we get this house we are looking at. Please help us to find the right church body and the right place for us to grow as a family that will teach our kids Your ways. Thank You for being our Teacher, Father and Friend. In Jesus' name, AMEN.

Keeping it Simple

"Then one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, testing Him, and saying, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all Your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." (Mt 22:35-40)

I'm in awe of these two commandments. There's really nothing to add or subtract from them. Everything that encompasses the simple, "Follow Me" from Jesus comes down to this verse - Give everything you have to God and allow Him to be Lord of your life, and give others the type of respect they deserve as those who have been created by the Lord God. Love them as He loves all of us.

Lord Jesus, I don't know if I match up completely with these verses, but I know that I want to. Help me to be faithful to You in all my dealings, thoughts and actions. And when I am tempted to stray, hold me firm near to You. In Jesus' name, AMEN.

A Nation That God Can Bless

"Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it." (Matt 21:43)

This verse refers to the nation of Israel versus the Gentiles, but as I was reading it, I couldn't help but to think about our nation. The United States has lived a generally charmed existence and it was founded on the back of Pilgrims escaping religious persecution in Europe to found a set of Protestant Christian colonies. These people risked their lives and died in massive numbers, but succeeded in finding a place where they could worship the Lord without the oversight of a powerful elitist church leadership who were more interested in worldly power than spiritual piety.

From such humble beginnings, we grew up to be the nation that is the beacon of modern Christianity. From greater Europe to Great Britain, and now to the United States, the mantle of world superpower has passed. And along with each successive change in the title of world superpower, so has gone the strength of the Christian church in each nation.

I am not saying that the Kingdom of God is something to pass from nation to nation, but I do believe that it is God's hand that causes nations to rise and fall. And He brings about the rise and fall of nations in accordance to the faithfulness of that nation to His Word and His Ways.

Unfortunately, our nation has become a country of loopholes. People aren't looking to follow God in fullness, but are instead interested in finding loopholes that will allow them to sin without punishment.

In our nation, we don't lie, we misspeak. We cuss constantly and we have no qualms about showing adult sexual situations in the midst of family programming. We teach our kids that materialism is the most important thing in life and we no longer put a premium on honoring our mother and father. I don't know if even 5% of us are even remotely familiar with the 10 commandments (Even as a committed Christian, I am pretty familiar with them all, but can't name them for you in order - probably a good time to go study).

Are we a nation that is deserving of God's blessing? Has the recession, which was caused by personal greed by all levels of society, taught us anything that would get us to re-examine and reform our ways?

I can't say that I know if there is another nation in the world that has the spirit of God growing inside of them although the rumor is that China's underground church is already larger than ours. However, the point is not to be powerful as a nation. It is that we will all benefit from a nation that has God's hand upon it. A nation that respects the ways of God and lives them out in their daily interactions with their neighbor. A nation that prays and has personal charitable compassion for the society around them.

Lord Jesus, I know that a nation is only made up of individuals, and a nation You can bless is made up of individuals who make a personal choice to worship and follow You. So help me to be a person that lives in fear of You above all things, who has the strength to live as You guide us to live. Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control - those are the fruits that come from a nation that is worshipful and fearful of You. Please help me to become that man more and more each day. In Jesus' name, AMEN.

Why We Forgive

²² Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. ²³ Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴ And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. ²⁵ But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. ²⁶ The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ ²⁷ Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.
²⁸ “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ ²⁹ So his fellow servant fell down at his feet^{a]" style="font-size: 0.75em; line-height: 0.5em; ">[a]} and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’^{b]" style="font-size: 0.75em; line-height: 0.5em; ">[b]} ³⁰ And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. ³¹ So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. ³² Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. ³³ Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ ³⁴ And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.
³⁵ “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”

(Matt 18:22-35)

Forgiveness is a really tough issue and one that we have to wrestle with every day. The truth is that we don't live in a world where everything is perfect, and we also live in a world where we each have free will to do good and evil. So there are real times when we are hurt by the events in our lives.

What I've noticed here in this passage are some of the following:

Forgiveness is personal: The reason that we feel so free as Christians is that we have been forgiven our transgressions by God. Yes, we have done many terrible things and each sin is in the end a denial of God's ways, but when we come to Christ, our sins are washed away by his shed blood. We no longer face death in eternity, but life. In the same way however, as we begged our King, Jesus Christ for forgiveness, which he then provided - we must also show that same compassion when we are faced with the chance to forgive.

Forgiveness is a personal choice. No one can make that decision for us, but instead we must exercise it by our own volition. Unlike other faiths, Christians believe that forgiveness should be extended regardless of whether or not someone comes to us and asks to be forgiven.

The main motivation for me is that Jesus Christ has absorbed my sins, and I have given my allegiance and Lordship to Christ. My life is not my own any longer, and it is not myself that I represent, but Christ. In the same vein, I do not take offense and judge on my behalf, but instead I defer all judgments to Christ who will judge us during the end-times. In that sense, there is no longer anything for me to take offense over. Everything I am is given to Christ.

Another more personal reason for this is that keeping the offense within ourselves is toxic. If we remain in a state of offense, we will rehearse and re-live our hurts over and over again. Each time we do that, we are stabbing ourselves with the past and killing our joy. The Lord saved us to be free from sin - those that we have committed and those that have been committed against us. We are new creations, and we should not carry around our offenses because they will act as an anchor - keeping us from becoming the person that God is molding us to be.

We are expected to act according to the way God has treated us: Above all else, God is desiring for us to be cleansed of our sins and of the sins of the world. He desires that we should have eternal life with Him. In the same way, we should not be focused on the faults of the people around us, but we should be focused on seeing their souls saved, that they might have eternal life instead of eternal hell.

When we take offense and keep it with us, it prevents us from seeing the deeper roots - that we are here on earth to spread the good news of the gospel above all else. And in doing so, it is natural and logical that we'll be in the world with non-believers - like missionaries.

In those situations, we must seek to be like the Lord and suspend judgment because they are non-believers. We must be lights in the darkness.

In the case of believers, we must confront sins in a specific way as described in Mt 18:15-17.

Forgiveness is not forgetting: While forgiveness entails a measure of letting go of judgement and not holding it against a person, it doesn't mean that we forget what happened. In this example, the King clearly remembered what the hypocritical servant did, and then paid him back according to his actions when the servant did not extend the same type of forgiveness to others.

Unlike Christ, we don't have the power to grant eternal life via forgiveness of sins. However, we do have the power to let go of our judging of a situation and giving it over to Christ. We will not forget someone's actions against us, but we will not let it simmer within us at the same time. That is ultimately what forgiveness is - suspending and giving the ultimate judgment to Christ - and He is a just and perfect judge.

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your gift of life. Thank You for loving us so deeply that You came to die on the cross. We not only have eternal life, but we have freedom and forgiveness from our sins. Likewise, we have given our lives over to You, and as such, we have passed judgment to You as well. Nothing in all creation is hidden from Your sight, and because of that, You can and will judge everyone fairly according to their deeds. We can rest in that and trust in that. Let us then be focused to the people around us. Let us then be ready to pray for our enemies and seek them to know You more and more. In Jesus' name, Amen!

What Is Heaven Worth?

But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. for what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matt 16:23-26)

Jesus knew his destiny and shared with his disciples that he would be persecuted, killed and risen again in Jerusalem. Having a normal horrified human reaction, Peter responded with a simple, "May it never be!" He was then harshly rebuked by Jesus because He knew that to be sacrificed via crucifixion would be done out of obedience, but it was still tempting to turn away from God's instruction - no one wants to die.

To do the Lord's will is an honor and a privilege, but at the same time it involves tough choices that aren't the most appealing things to do...especially if we are driven by the comforts and approval of the world. For the most part, we are all driven by the need for security, the desire to be comfortable, and acceptance of our peers. As adolescents we bend over backwards to wear the right clothes, have the right style, the right gadgets -- all in an effort to be accepted and hip.

As adults, we are driven by the need to have a decent income, maybe by greed and power, but for the average person - there is desire to be secure and a good provider. Nothing wrong with that.

But, we must remember that the Lordship of God is paramount over all. Over our security, our creature comforts and our desire to obtain. The Lordship of God means that we are ready, willing and able to follow any instruction that we receive for the day - be it big or small. The Lordship of God means that we really have no ownership of anything, as it may be asked to be relinquished by God for His service at any time.

Imagine if we were wealthy - maybe not stinking rich - but perhaps with a million dollar net worth. A large sum, but in this day and age, with a long period of hard hard work - not impossible.

What if the Lord were to put a conviction on our hearts to give it all up and to donate our assets to a new missions project to spread the gospel? Could you do it? Could I do it? The question weighs heavily upon me because I want with all my heart to say "yes" without reservation.

But, I know that it would be something that would be difficult - especially if my asset was a home filled with my family and children.

To what depths will I trust the Lord? Money is nothing but temporary, no matter what the asset, but heaven or hell is eternal. Are we really poor if we exchange our house, cars or paper dollars for an eternity in heaven? How much would such a thing be worth?

Put into perspective -- the eternal perspective -- we see that such a gift is truly priceless. We have been given a priceless gift and opportunity by God. Even our earthly lives are worth giving to Christ.

Lord Jesus, may I hold nothing back for Your kingdom call. I get so wrapped up in the daily grind that I start to believe that the only things that are meaningful are things, people's opinions and bank accounts. In reality, all of those things are rubbish compared to You and Your kingdom. May I conform myself daily to You, and to righteousness and goodness. May I strive to live honorably with true character rather than to live like a prince. Thank You for Your Word today and for rebuking me as you rebuked Satan. In Jesus' name, AMEN.