Tag: sermon on the mount

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The Righteous Judge and the Gracious Savior

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“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior.” Jeremiah 23:5-6

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”  2 Corinthians 5:21

Fair play, unselfishness, courage, good faith, honesty, truthfulness, and a respect for human life—what do these have in common? For centuries, many called them the Laws of Nature. Today we’re more likely to file them under “human nature” or “the moral law.” And they often become a stumbling block in conversations with atheists: when you ask where “right” and “wrong” come from, the reply is, “Everyone knows what’s right or wrong!” I suspect people who stop there haven’t thought very deeply about the question.

Not everyone knows how to fix a car engine by simply “knowing.” I can’t walk into an operating room and perform brain surgery—yet we often assume we can define morality without reference to its Creator. You and I can list skills we do and don’t have; some overlap, others don’t. I’m terrible at math and good at writing. My friend is the polar opposite.

Universal Morals

Why do we universally condemn lying, cheating, and murder? Why do we instinctively admire courage and honesty? And why do we sense those virtues aren’t just preferences, but standards we ought to live up to?

“You find out more about God from the Moral Law than from the universe in general just as you find out more about a man by listening to his conversation than by looking at a house he has built…we can conclude that the Being behind the universe is intensely interested in right conduct.”  C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Deep thinking isn’t exactly the “in thing” these days. Our attention is shaped by ten‑second videos and endless scrolling. But let’s slow down for a moment and consider where this human hunger for righteousness comes from.

“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.” – Psalms 89:14

When God created the earth and called it good—very good—he set the standard for what “good” means. He is perfect in righteousness. Imagine there were only one potter in the entire world—and there would only ever be one. Every pot, plate, cup, or vase he makes, he declares perfect, without defect. Who would we be to dispute him? He alone makes pottery; he alone knows it.

But if you’re honest, you’re already imagining an imperfect pot—some blemish the potter “must have” missed. The unskilled, non‑potter quietly assumes he knows better than the expert. Isn’t that what we so often do with God? And isn’t that why we’ve drifted from moral laws that were once widely recognized—broken, yes, but still acknowledged as real and good? Instead, we increasingly encounter what Scripture describes: “those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20). In modern terms, we call that being “gaslighted.”

Our Touchstone

When we pretend there is no Creator, we can also pretend there is no touchstone for righteousness. We can flip morality on its head. We can treat human life as disposable. But in the end, there is no escaping the truth so many try to avoid: God is the standard of perfection and righteousness.

That truth is also what separates us from Him. Sin bends our hearts toward pride—toward living beyond the gifts God has given us. We’re told, “Who are you to judge?” Our answer should be, “We won’t—but he will.”

“There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy.– James 4:12

And friends, here is the beauty of the gospel—the love behind it, and the reason God sent his only Son. He knows the truth behind Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount:

“For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:20

Oh, those “righteous” Pharisees. On the outside they worked hard to clean up their acts and appear holy. On the inside, they were soiled—just like us. They refused (and many still refuse) to see that the only way to stand before a perfect God is for God Himself to provide the sacrifice for our sins. Only through Him—the true standard of righteousness—can we be clothed in white.

The moral law, written on our hearts, isn’t something dreamed up by a politician, preacher, or parent. It is God’s imprint on our hearts and minds—a direct reflection of who He is. And He is very, very good.

“He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.” – Deuteronomy 32:4

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He Knows All Things

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“Would not God find this out?  For He knows the secrets of the heart.”  Psalm 44:21

“But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.”  Matthew 10:30

Of all the blog posts I’ve written so far in this series it’s this one that I’ve spent the most contemplating.  It’s not for lack of material to work with; no, it’s the abundance that has caused me to ponder my focus.  

God’s omniscience shows up in scripture in various ways, both in the obvious and not so obvious.  It’s why I chose the two pieces of scripture to get us started.  One exemplifies the idea of God knowing exactly what we think and feel.  While the other represents God’s knowledge of everything in the natural world.  He is not only everywhere and all-powerful; He sees and understands all.

“By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before Him; for whenever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things.”  1 John 3:20

The Apostle John apparently was paying attention during Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.  If you drill down into all that Jesus taught and can be found in Matthew 5-7, He’s talking about God knowing our thoughts and hearts.  Even back in the book of Isaiah God told His people not to come with empty sacrifices; He wants our hearts.  This was the downfall of Cain.

“The eyes of the Lord are in every place, watching the evil and the good.”  Proverbs 15:3

There is no place to hide, as the post on God’s omnipresence reminds us.  He is both physically everywhere and knowledgeable about all.  To truly grasp God’s mercy we must understand this. 

No one gets away with anything.  God is a just God and cannot let sin go unpunished.  We should be thankful for that.  Conversely, we should be eternally grateful that the punishment for our sins has already been paid.  As Jesus said on the cross, “It is finished.”  We may not understand it all but we don’t need to.

“God does not require us to understand His will, just obey it, even if it seems unreasonable.”  Life Principle #5, Charles Stanley, 30 Life Principles

When we completely accept as truth the “3 O’s of God,” as I once titled a blog post on His omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence, we let go of our wills and submit gladly to the power of Christ.  When we accept that the Holy Spirit is not just the angel on our shoulder balancing the red devil on the other, we move into a Christian life free of bondage to sin. 

His Eternal Wisdom and Knowledge

“Who has measured the Spirit of the Lord, or what man shows him his counsel? Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?”  Isaiah 40:13-14

When James tells us in His book to seek God’s wisdom if we are lacking, he’s simply building on the truth of God’s omniscience told throughout the Old Testament.  From the creation of the world to leading His people out of Egypt and the wisdom books to prophets foretelling both the first and second coming of Christ, we can see God knowing what came, what is happening and what is to come.  All knowledge and wisdom finds its source in Him.

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” Romans 11:33

Friends, when we realize this truth, we can laugh when scientists “discover” something “new.”  In fact, I read there are at least 10 major scientific ideas found in the Old Testament.  For example, long before explorers circled the earth pronouncing it round, Isaiah tells us, “He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth” (Isaiah 40:22).

Rest In His Insight

Honestly, when we feel lost, unsure, unseen, unheard, unloved by those around us in this physical world it can be very discouraging.  But God.  He sees you, has wisdom and knowledge to impart to you, and loves you.  He has a plan laid for you and for me.  And it is good.  

Countless Stars: At a time when people believed the stars could be easily numbered, Scripture declared the opposite: “As the host of heaven cannot be counted…” (Jeremiah 33:22). Modern astronomy reveals billions of galaxies each containing countless stars. The more we look, the more we discover that it’s truly an innumerable multitude sparkling in our night sky.  Science and The Bible, Bible Hub

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God Is Just—So We Can Forgive

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“Many seek an audience with a ruler, but it is from the Lord that one gets justice.” – Proverbs 29:26

“Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.” – Romans 12:19

Back in 2009, 14-year old Amber Dubois disappeared walking to school one morning in a town to the north of me.  There were few clues as to her whereabouts.  She was even considered by some in law enforcement to have been a runaway.  But in less than a year, another teenager, Chelsea King, a 17-year old from an even closer town, disappeared while on a training run.  Many of us joined search parties that seemed to last for days.  Chelsea’s brutal killer was finally captured when, while evading police, he sat down for a meal at a local Mexican restaurant.  The waitress recognized him from news reports as a person of interest.  

Thankfully for Amber’s mother, Chelsea’s murderer confessed to both killings and revealed Amber’s location.  A story that all too often happens across the world today.  Young women brutalized and left for dead by evil people.

I share this story because when the killer was brought before the courts both sets of parents shared something which shocked many.  Something that without knowing a just God would be difficult to accept.

“I got the answers about her last moments that I wanted … I forgave him because I had another daughter to raise, and if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to live,” said Amber’s mother, Carrie Cave.  But it wasn’t only her who forgave the man, Chelsea’s parents did as well.

Limits To Forgiveness?

About a year later while I was in a church home group, we discussed the Christian idea of forgiveness.  These terrible murders became the topic.  One member stated emphatically, “I think they’re lying (the parents).  There is absolutely no way they can or I could forgive that man.  Ever.”  Yet Jesus, while bleeding and beaten, in agonizing pain on the cross looked down at His tormentors and murders and pleaded with God.

“Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” — Luke 23:34

So how is it that as believers we can forgive the slights, the maliciousness, the cruel or even the evil done to us or those we love?  How can we forgive when we have been wronged by a friend, a spouse or family member?  We forgive because we should know in our hearts that God is just.  He has forgiven us all our slights and taunts and disrespect we have done to Him because a sacrifice was made in our place.  We aren’t forgiven without a penalty being wrought.

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” – Galatians 6:7

When we forgive, we say two things to God: 1) thank you for forgiving me my sins and 2) I trust that justice will be done.  That what a man sows, he will reap.  Throughout the Old Testament we see God’s justice in the sacrifices and penance of the Jews.  We do wrong, and someone must pay.  Our bull escapes and injures someone so He created the penance needed for restoration. 

He never asks us to seek vengeance.  He reminds us that vengeance is God’s and His alone.  Even the death penalty for committing murder was to first be proven by three witnesses beyond reproach.  And the subsequent death for the offender was not to be seen as our justice, but God’s.  A purposeful death of one of His own requires the ultimate payment.  And forgiveness towards that person on our part never meant excusing evil or removing legal consequences.

All Will Be Judged

One day everyone will stand before God and our lives taken into account.  It’s not “kharma” or some tit for tat.  If we accept the blood shed for us by Jesus as our covering for sins, our names are written into the Book of Life.  If we don’t there’s only one other path – hell.  We can argue as to what that might look like for different people, but I can guarantee that it’s not any place we want to be.

Friends, the world’s sense of justice and forgiveness, especially that which we’ve seen emerge in the last 15 years or so, doesn’t really look much like God’s justice.  That’s because we are all first children of the evil one, led astray to do works against God’s plan.  Black, white, brown, male, female, rich or poor – all of us were dead in our trespasses against Him.  All of us were lined up for wrath.

I once slogged my way through Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s, “The Cost of Discipleship.”  For much of it you find yourself in a deep study of Jesus’ words on the Sermon on the Mount.  With each chapter I would become a bit despondent.  Because to truly follow Jesus’ words would be impossible.  Just like following the 10 Commandments convicted the Israelites.  Bonhoeffer says in his book:

“When we come before God with hearts full of contempt and unreconciled with our neighbors, we are individually and as a congregation worshipping an idol.”

You see without a full and complete submission to our Lord Jesus Christ our lives are filled with unjust, evil thoughts and works.  New “social justice” says only the rich or the white man, the straight person or the Christian, commits atrocities and therefore must be punished.  But God says we all deserve death.  His standard of righteousness and justice is higher than any of ours.  Completely unattainable on our own.  His mercy towards us in our failures isn’t pretending sin didn’t happen; justice is dealt with by God at the cross or at His judgement seat.

So, when as Christians we say, as the one home group member stated so proudly, we can never forgive someone, how should God then view us if He is a God of justice?  When we say the Lord’s prayer do we really believe it?  That God will mete out justice to those who not only haven’t sought forgiveness from our Righteous God but also refuse to pass on the forgiveness we have been gifted?  

“Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us.”  — Matthew 6:9-15

A Full Life or A Life Full of Bitterness?

The murder of someone I cherish is something I hope to never experience.  Because I know if I do, I’ll be faced with this difficult question.  Will I accept that God’s justice is all I need to forgive?  As Amber’s mom so rightly pointed out, we need to forgive or else we cannot fully live.  And Bonhoeffer says we then worship something other than God. 

The unbeliever blinks at us in confusion, thinking we aren’t in pain over what someone has done to us because we forgive.  We, however, know God has already forgiven us much and the justice we so crave, if needed one day, will find it at the foot of God’s throne.

“‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’” – Revelation 21:4

“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.” – Psalms 89:14

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Attentive Grace

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“Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.” – Isaiah 65:24

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer – 1 Peter 3:12

So often we hear people talking about “finding God.”  Others say they are “seeking.”  But it’s not God who is lost, we are.  God is right where He always is – all around us and above us and below us.  In fact, to state it correctly, God is the one seeking.  He is the Shepherd gathering His sheep and attending to their needs.

God is not distant or unaware. He is attentive—fully aware of our needs and actively responding to them. Scripture reveals Him as Jehovah Rapha, the Lord who heals, not only our bodies but our hearts and spirits as well. 

He sees our need, forgiveness of sin, and He responds in kind, called to be renewed.  His attentiveness to all our needs came at Creation when He provided for Adam and Eve.  He gave us plants and animals to eat, air to breathe, water to drink.  He gave us relationships, clothing, avenues for joy and gaining knowledge.  

Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, reminds us how attentive God truly is to our needs.

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Matthew 6:26-30

And yet we forget this basic truth about God.  We come with our own plans thinking we are better at fixing our problems (or those of others) than anyone else.  Or worse, we think God has forgotten us and we sink into depression and despair.

When Moses and the Israelites were out of water, not once but twice, they rebelled thinking God didn’t know their needs or care about them.  At Marah Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink. (Ex. 15:22-27)

Friend, I felt God’s holy attentiveness so often during difficult times caring for my father.  On one such occasion at 2:00am I was yet again cleaning the bathroom floor because his body was failing.  I remember thinking this was not a terrible chore.  It was a blessing God gifted me to help my dad.  The Holy Spirit was on His hands and knees with me, giving me the fortitude and wandering thoughts to distract me from the mess.

My BSGs always used to laugh at Bible study questions that asked, “What are you hiding from God?”  Because we knew the truth — God is attentive and sees everything.  

Friend, God does see everything—but not with condemnation. His eyes are attentive to our prayers, and His heart is moved by compassion.  We can be thankful that unlike the gods of the Canaanites, the Greeks, the Babylonians or even modern mystics, our God is not made of wood or stone or glass beads.  He is not cold and unable to hear us.  He is the living God.  He is the God who sent His Son to die for our sins.  He is the God who hears us and answers us.

Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s

Psalm 103:1-5

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Day 6 All of My Days

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Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.  Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Luke 12:6-7
Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. Psalm 143:10

According to a University of California Irvine study, it takes an average of 23 minutes after having been distracted to get back to the task at hand.  Now imagine if that “task at hand” was to stay on the narrow path laid out by Jesus in His famous Sermon on the Mount – “For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life.”  Keeping our mind and body focused on the goodness and mercy of God.  On how much He loves us.  And responding to Him throughout our day in obedience and gratefulness.  

There’s never a moment, not ever, that the Lord of all creation has forgotten you.  He knows every single thing about you.  He has plans and blessings for you; not just for your earthly days but for all eternity.  

How often do we, however, forget about God?  We aren’t desperate for Him.  We don’t think to ask Him to help us.  Worse yet, we don’t think He will help us.  We get distracted by all the flashing billboards along that narrow path luring us to take the off ramps and spend a little time (or a lot) seeking pleasure or life that fits in so nicely with the rest of the world.  Every off ramp leading us further away from His loving arms.

Each time a friend, a pastor, a word here or there, or the Holy Spirit nudges us back to the path you have to wonder, how much time did we waste that could’ve been spent doing His will.  Serving someone He wanted us to bless?  Or even strengthening us for future trials?  

23 minutes each time we are distracted.  Add up all those times we chose not to go to church, not read our Bibles, not go to Bible study, not choose the narrow path.  I know for me that adds up to a lot of days.  Thank goodness for His free flowing mercy!  

I spent a lot of years being distracted by the world.  But I am forgiven.  I’ve joined up with the narrow path.  We need to keep our face lifted to the God who loves us all of the rest of our days.  Won’t you join me?

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Enjoying the “Enough” Life Part Two

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Did you miss part one of Enjoying the Enough Life? Click here!

Enjoyment without God is merely entertainment.  

Warren Wiersbe

No one on this great blue planet is without sin.  Without sinful desires and thoughts.  Without sinful emotions.  So, if we seek contentment, or unconditional wholeness solely from within what do we find?  Our sinful selves just like I did when I embarked on my happiness journey a few years ago.  And we turn back to the unfulfilling emotion of fleeting happiness.

What guides a person to being truly joy-filled or content in every situation? How do we achieve that “unconditional wholeness” researcher Daniel Cordaro mentioned after visiting that Himalayan tribe?  It requires something outside us to guide us through the ups and downs, the trials and tribulations of life.  It’s easy to enjoy a new car.  But what about when it breaks down?  It takes no effort to enjoy the birthday party at the park you so expertly planned but what happens when it rains?  Does your happiness bucket completely empty and you turn into Attila the Hun, raging at others?  Or you weep and sulk feeling the cosmos hates you?

"Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13I can do all things through him who strengthens me."  Philippians 4: 11-13

That strength to endure a peasant life that Tolstoy witnessed, a life of labor and toil, a life of disappointments and tragedy, and yes, even a life full of wealth comes only from God.  (Ecc 5:19 & 6:2) Through the Holy Spirit who comes to dwell in us when we say, “Yes!” to Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  It’s the fountain from which we draw on every single moment of every day to guide us and strengthen us.  Because my friends, you cannot find wholeness without Him.

Deep-seated in the American mind, for example, is the disastrous idea that we should pursue happiness. But what is happiness? And what are the realities through which one could achieve it? And how, practically speaking, does one pursue happiness? One might pursue happiness on the carpe diem principle. But that can be understood in many ways. It could endorse a sensuality of the present moment or endorse devoting the present moment to improvement of one’s character, to serving others, or to serving God. Usually in our times, however, it is some form of sensuality. Our choice between these options will have profound implications for our efforts to become a genuinely good person and to live harmoniously with reality, with how things really are.

Dallas Willard

My Bible study ladies are currently studying Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount by Jen Wilkins.  In the first week we read and discovered the messages behind the first 12 verses, also known as the Beatitudes.  Jesus’ goal in this sermon was to re-define for the disciples what not only the Kingdom of Heaven looks like but what its citizens look like.  The first four beatitudes describe the character of its citizens:

  1. We Are Poor in Spirit: accepting we are weak and sinful in need of a strength outside ourselves
  2. We Are Mourners: we recognize our sinfulness and weep over it daily.  Asking God for forgiveness for each time we act, speak or think (even feel) in opposition to God’s will for us.
  3. We Are Meek: in modeling Jesus’ submission to the Father in going to the cross for humanity’s sins and therefore suffering a terrible death, we too seek humility and submission to God. 
  4. We Are Hungry and Thirsty: not for earthly glory, praise and wealth but for our hearts and minds to be daily cleansed.  We constantly seek His will for our life so that we can glorify Him.  We cast off our old selves and thirst for the new bodies and New Eden to come.

These citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven?  They will be abundant with fruit and content in all situations.  The fruits of love, joy, peace, goodness, kindness, patience, self-control and faithfulness can be seen by all around them.  They spread that fruit and His Word throughout our families, communities and the world.  We achieve the ultimate peace in the face of persecution.  Peace with God.  Our friction between us is gone.  We are made whole because He breathes the Holy Spirit into us, making us one with Him.

"And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one… 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me." John 17: 11 & 22-23

One with the Creator of all things seen and unseen – Elohim, Jehovah.  What more could a tiny, sinful human want for all eternity?  All other pales in comparison!  No self-help book without God can help you achieve such gloriously contented status. King Solomon discovered that our sinful toil without God is usually for our own gain and our appetite is never satisfied on our own (Ecc 6:7).

"The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
    They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds;
    there is none who does good." Psalm 14:1-2

I once saw an interaction with a non-believer and a street preacher.  The young, unbelieving woman stated, “How can you say I won’t go to heaven (which as a non-believer why would she care?) when I’m a good person.  I’m better than most Christians.  I don’t lie, cheat or steal.”  Yet, as Jesus reminds us further in the Sermon on the Mount if you even let your heart yearn to do any of those things you are guilty.  And I would bet all that I have she has, in fact, actually lied.  She has probably stolen something – maybe someone’s dignity by gossiping about them.  And cheating?  She might have thought that little deed or breaking some municipal law wasn’t that “big of a deal” but it’s still cheating.  She is at odds with God, broken and not whole.

It is only through the gift of reconciliation for our sins, no matter their size, of which Jesus Christ paid for, that we can come upright before the God of the Universe.  Where we receive mercy and forgiveness so we don’t have to live in shame and hurt, grasping for pleasures to dull our pain.  No, instead He brushes us off and clothes us in white garments.  He brings us into His family and calls us His sons and daughters.  He pours out His love and gives a piece of Him to live in us so we can have that “unconditional wholeness.” He gifts us with “enough” each day so that we may be satisfied.

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."  James 1:2-4

We are made perfect and complete, meaning made whole, when we face life’s trials and rely on the God who gives us strength and hope.  We are honed and shaped into the image of the only being that walked this earth who was sinless and fully content — Jesus.

Friend, if you want to get off the roller coaster of seeking “happiness” and then being brought low by trials, look to our All Mighty God and His Son.  He is our provider, our protector, our armor, our joy, our hope.  He has never broken a promise and He never will.  He promises you a new life at the end of the rainbow – not a pot of gold.  And with that promise and hope we can live a contented, meaningful life of “enough” in a world of chaos.

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Gentleness & Zeal

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I believe I’ve mentioned in studies past about an incident I once had that gave me a completely different view of the power of meekness.  As a softball coach I sat in on all the board meetings where coaches were presented to be approved for the following season.  During a previous season I had a difficult time with an overbearing and aggressive parent.  With the board’s backing I expelled him from all practices and he wasn’t to be near the dugout during games.  He was abusive not only to me but to his own daughter.  At the next coaches’ approval meeting he showed up and ranted in front of about 20 coaches (all men and then me) about how if the board were to approve me, he would work to have the league’s field use permit negated.  As he stood pointing and gesturing at me, calling me names, and disparaging my character I could do nothing but sit in stunned silence.  I didn’t speak up and defend myself.  I didn’t argue.  And when he verbally attacked the president of the league he was told to sit down and stop talking.

What happened after the meeting shocked me even more.  Coach after coach approached me and expressed how impressed they were with my stalwartness.  They all thought I was fabulously and coolly dismissive of the angry man.  I walked to my car that night with pats on my back.  When I got into my car I started sobbing and trembling.  I was silent in the meeting because I was terrified.

And this was just over a children’s sport!  Imagine the torment, abuse, vitriol, that Jesus withstood.  Many might say, “Of course He could, He was God.”  Ok, fair point.  Now imagine the disciples, once Jesus ascended, facing that same abuse, violence, and hatred.  Continue on to all the new members of Christ’s church.  Today there are still Christians in that same situation.  The faithful in China, Iran, UAE, Cuba, Sri Lanka and more face persecution.  According to an article in Christianity Today, 13 Christians are killed everyday because of their faith.  Every day 12 churches or Christian buildings are attacked. (CT Jan. 13, 201).  And we are still asked by the Lord to be gentle.

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”  Matthew 5:5

Warren Wiersbe, on his commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, says Jesus’ message is one of the most misunderstood that He ever gave.  And it’s no wonder.  Just a focus on Jesus’ definition of gentleness and meekness and the world’s shows diverse paths.  When studying this sermon, given to disciples, Jesus was concerned about our conduct as believers.  We are expected to live in full submission to the Father.  And that full submission leads us to humility, mourning over our sins, a gentle heart, and an obvious separation from the world.

When we look over Jesus’ life here in the flesh, we see a man who was God – a man who was powerful yet gentle.  And then the clearing of the temple happened.

“In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade.” John 2:14-16

This was the angry Jesus.  He saw how the poor were being manipulated and abused when they came to the temple to worship.  He saw the wrong-hearted attitude of those who twisted God’s plan.  This didn’t sound like the meek and gentle Jesus!

I told my husband the other day how this passage in scripture is the one place people point to and say “See, Jesus got angry too!  So, I can have the same zeal about unbelievers!”  I would counter, in His three years what defined Jesus was how loving and gentle He was.  In the few moments of anger toward either the Pharisees or those on the temple grounds He was able to make a solid point.  His meekness and gentleness made these moments all the more powerful.

Pastor Jonathan Edwards once remarked on the necessity and danger of zeal, “Lukewarmness in religion is abominable and zeal an excellent grace; yet above all other Christian values, it needs to be strictly watched and searched.”  You see, we can let our zeal for any topic take over our lives and it becomes a breeding ground for pride.  Prideful ways lend themselves to anger and bitterness.  A passionate Christian, when not allowing the Holy Spirit to weed out pride, will sound more like a clanging gong.  Had I, in that moment at the softball meeting, engaged in a back and forth argument with the angry parent, I wouldn’t have been viewed so positively.  I had every right to defend myself but silence made a more powerful point.  Had I been a faithful believer at the time I wouldn’t have been so frightened but I realized later that God was teaching me an amazing lesson.

I’ve long searched for ways to be more gentle in my dealings with, well, just about everyone.  I’m a doer, a hard-charger, a take no-prisoners type.  And too frequently I have stepped on a lot of feelings.  When I’ve tried to be the “kinder, gentler” me I realized I came across as a phony.  Even to strangers.  It wasn’t until I allowed God to work on a heart change that I saw the fruits begin to bloom.  

 "My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you." James 1:19-21

Not only does human anger (and being oblivious to anyone else’s needs or point of view) not produce righteousness but it also doesn’t produce gentleness.  Quietness, listening and responding appropriately based on God’s will, which is implanted in us, brings us the ripe, juicy fruit of the Spirit.  However, zeal and passion are never eliminated from our Christian way of life.  God wants a passionate believer. One who seeks truth and to live it.  A person who defends the weak and loves the unlovable.  A believer who gives everything over to the Lord.  

Friend, yes, the Father wants submission to His Way.  To the Truth.  That submission can look to the world like weakness.  But as we stand while people berate us or even spit at us, we know the strength inside us.  We can grieve for their sins, for our sins.  We can love those who hate us because of the one who loves us.  We can be kind and gentle knowing our all-powerful God has done the same with us throughout all time.  

And in those times the Lord calls us into greater action, like Jesus in the temple, our passion instead of it being lost in the din, will be noticed.  

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The Power In Us

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…for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. Philippians 2:13

How glorious would it have been to live when Jesus was physically here on Earth?  To sit at the Sermon on the Mount and hear His words directly from His mouth?  To be in a busy marketplace and bump into Him – turning to see directly into His face?  Isn’t it amazing how He spent so little time here with us yet the impact has been so astounding that even our days are marked by when He arrived?  And when He ascended, the gift He left behind is something for which we can never be thankful enough.

“If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.  John 14: 15-17

When you study the Bible you see how Jesus and the Holy Spirit touched lives even before the time we say God became fully human.  Their presence is woven throughout the Old Testament.  So it’s not as though they were created suddenly.  God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit all spoke the world into creation and have placed their holy hands on our lives throughout history.

So, today specifically I praise God for the gift of the Holy Spirit and for being our constant intercessor, our inner voice, our God whisperer.  

It is the Holy Spirit that helps us to pray when we don’t know what to pray – because the situation has gotten so dire.  It is the Holy Spirit who whispers to us to get up and do God’s work.  It is the Holy Spirit who partners with us when we need rescue.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.  Romans 8:26

I shared with my BSGs in the past that when I’m really stressed or worried I have a difficult time praying.  My mind is so jumbled and full of negative thoughts I can’t seem to quiet it down.  One of my BSGs responded saying, “I’ve just cried out, “help me!” when I don’t know what to say.”  That’s great advice.  It says it right there in Romans 8.  The Holy Spirit will help us pray.  Will give us the words to speak to God. 

Friends, God is so beautiful and loving that He didn’t leave us orphans.  He didn’t leave us grieving because He left us with a piece of Him inside of each of us.  I once heard a Christian teacher say that we don’t need to attain patience, kindness, love, etc.  We already have all those imputed through the Holy Spirit that lives in us because we believe.   We just need to ask the Holy Spirit to help us release those gifts.  To help us pray the words to fight back against the devil.  To whisper to us “love this person right now.”

We need to believe that God has given us the access to this awesome power.  And once we do that, we should pray to unleash it with all its glorious might.

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Are You Ready?

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 “So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:26-28

One of my friends has found herself in an unexpected teaching opportunity.  She and her husband were active participants in a Bible study held at my house for about 5 years.  My observation was that he wasn’t progressing in his faith journey.  He seemed a bit stuck.  He was definitely a man of faith and attended church regularly.  But he kept listening to the world’s half truths about Jesus.

A year passed after that study group disbanded and my friend came to me asking about doing another study group.  She was particularly concerned about her husband.  They were no longer attending the same church and with the study group having disbanded her husband was without the counsel of other Christians.  We decided to start a new group but it would be just women this time around and it left her concerns about her husband unanswered. 

Over the course of last year my friend has made amazing strides in her faith progression.  Just last week I listened to her as she was able to answer a difficult Bible study question with a great analogy – making it all clear to the rest of us!  Like the glee I had while watching one of my Girl Scouts successfully learn to build a fire I jumped for joy at my friend’s insight!  I loved it!

And God has answered her prayers about her husband.  It wasn’t the answer she was expecting.  You see, the teacher he needed was her.  Her husband has watched her transformation with awe.  She is living out the Word.  And he started asking her questions about Jesus.  After church (their new one) they go for breakfast and sit and discuss the sermon.  He relies on her for further insight and instruction.  

 “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” 1 Peter 3:15-16

My friend’s teaching opportunity was close at home.  And at the start of Jesus’ ministry, He too started close to home.  The first recorded teaching by Jesus was to His cousin, John the Baptist.  Jesus asks John to baptize him but John recognizes Him as the Messiah and tries to convince Jesus it should be the other way around. 

Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. Matthew 3:15

Jesus knew His audience.  As a devoted man of God, John was well practiced in what it meant to achieve holy righteousness.  And so he accepted Jesus’ reasoning.

When you follow along Jesus’ teaching path, you’ll find it to be not only slow and patient but tailored for each person or group of people He encounters.  And that’s the joy in teaching.  No matter what we teach it’s important to know the delivery method.  At first, Jesus reached out to His cousin, then His cousin’s followers and their friends.  And the tipping point, after performing quiet acts of healing and word of them spread, was the Sermon on the Mount.

But even after He preached to large crowds, He would encounter individuals and specifically set aside time to teach them.  To tell them about the glory of God and the forgiveness of sins. 

To the learned He spoke with confident knowledge of Moses and Isaiah.  To the poor and lame, He taught through love and compassion.  To the average man and woman, He used parables containing everyday elements like farming and relationships.  And to the disciples He opened their eyes to the mysteries of the Kingdom.  Each time He sought the “ah ha” moment for which every teacher longs.  The moment when the light comes on inside.

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16

I once was leading a small Bible study and the topic of “evangelizing” came up.  It usually makes people squirm.  One participant said she just didn’t feel ready to talk to people about God.  And yet she’s been a Christian for about 50 years. What if we erase the word “evangelize” and replace it with sharing or teaching?  What if instead of picturing ourselves standing before the Pharisees or Sanhedrin we picture ourselves sitting with our children or a friend?  And sharing how Jesus has brought us peace and joy in times of trouble.  That should at a minimum be expected of us.

My friend I mentioned at the beginning has come a long way.  About a year ago, her adult son started asking her questions about God and Jesus and she felt unprepared. She had prayed for many years that her son would turn to Jesus.  And now he was asking her questions.  So, what did she do?  She sought instruction, she prayed, and she was bold.  And at her next opportunity to teach a family member, her husband, she was ready.

“Our lives should reflect the love and goodness of Jesus but we should pray that the Lord would give us opportunities to share the gospel with people who come into our lives.”  

Pastor Adriel Sanchez, Core Christianity Podcast

Jesus didn’t want to keep His life offering amongst a small group of people.  So yes, He lived a good and faithful life but He didn’t stop there.  He reached out to people.  He shared through teaching the most important lessons we will ever learn.  He prepared for this task.  And when His time came, He was ready.

The question is, are you ready?  

Your role as teacher may be needed right now.  For your children, your spouse, your neighbor, a struggling believer or searching non-believer.

Have you worked on the other steps so you can teach, like Peter says, with gentleness and respect?  Have you put yourself in positions to be a humble servant and therefore interacting with non-believers in positive ways?  Are you studying His Word so when confronted with half-truths or outright lies about God you can stand firm like a warrior?  God has already tested you in all these areas.  He’s tested me.  What is your report card?  In what areas do you need to ask for God’s help today so you can be ready?

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The Amazing Act of Choosing

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“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.“

 Matthew 6:24

This week has seen many opportunities to make a choice.  To choose the amazing peace given to us by Jesus or chaos.  To choose to take our amazingly ordinary selves and be transformed by God into something extraordinary.  To choose between demanding our will or God’s amazing will be done.  To be double-minded or single-minded in our quest for closeness with the Holy Spirit.  

When Jesus stepped up to preach on the mountainside to the believers, He laid out a series of directives intended to help us understand and attain true righteousness.  As Bible scholar Warren Wiersbe says about the Sermon on the Mount:

The religious leaders (at the time) had an artificial, external righteousness based on law.  But the righteousness that Jesus described is true and vital righteousness that begins internally, in the heart.

Warren Wiersbe, The New Testament Bible Commentary

He goes on to state the lessons Jesus preached in Matthew 5 through 6 were not for the unsaved world at large but rather for individual believers.  Which brings me to the concept of choosing.  Throughout our faith journey we are continually called to choose — God or an idol of our own making — as we reach for that true righteousness.  The testing of our choices may seem to take place every single minute of the day at times.  Other times in our life we seem to be easily cruising along with Jesus and then a serious trial interrupts our lives and we are faced with choosing our faith over our fears.

I have a very good friend who is not a Christian.  The day after the election we went to lunch and she said something amazing to me.  My friend: “During election night I started praying.  I knew you were praying too.  And I know that God will probably listen to your prayers over mine and I took comfort in knowing you were praying.”  I was slightly stunned.  I’ve been much more open about my faith this year when talking with her.  Showing her how I rely on Jesus’ amazing peace to keep me together during hard times.  But I was shocked that she was praying.  I told her God listens to all our prayers.  We then went on to another topic.  Later, while at home, I felt called to send her a text message.  This is the conversation:

Me: “You said something today that I don’t think I paid enough attention to. You said you thought my prayers would hold more weight with God. God is for all of us whether we believe in Him or not. He wants to be our “go to” for peace and grace and trust — no matter where we are along our faith journey. The only difference is that as a follower of Jesus I am held to different expectations. I know His Word. I know what He expects of me. I know He wants me to be obedient and turn all my worries over to Him and not trust in anything else. So, He expects me to act accordingly— and I fail many times over. But because I know I have failed I also know to ask for His grace and forgiveness. He won’t answer my prayers any more than yours if they don’t come from a desire to do His will. It’s frequently at times of great worry and distress that people turn to God. However, He considers those “friends” and “faithful” who rely on Him at all times and thank Him for His for blessings. I hope this doesn’t sound all Jesus Freaky but I think it’s important to understand how much love He has for every single person — Christians and not yet Christians 😂

My “non-yet Christian” Friend: “Thanks!  I hope all our prayers help! “ 

I’d call that pretty amazing.  Friends, as followers of Jesus, we are expected to choose Him over our idols of fear, worry, earthly kings, money, relationships, our political stances, and anything else from which we think we artificially gain righteousness.  We are expected put our eyes and our hearts and our minds squarely on the Lord and slough off the world from our backs.  Because God has mightier plans for us.  He has solutions we can’t even imagine.  He is fighting our fight for us in the spiritual realm.  And he expects us to choose Him and act here on earth as His faithful friends. 

Madison and I will see you again on Monday! Have a blessed weekend friends!