Time to Change Your Clothes

Put off the Flesh; Put on Christ
A seminary professor who taught the Christian graces of love and forbearance for forty years until he retired. Occupying himself in his retirement years, he poured a new concrete driveway to his house. Finished, he went in to rest and get a glass of ice tea. Returning later to view his proud achievement, he discovered that the neighborhood kids were putting their footprints all in the wet concrete. The angry professor chased the kids down in a rage and beat the tar out of the ones he could catch. Hearing the commotion, the professor’s wife rushed into the yard, saw the angry professor thrashing the kids, and began to reprimand him: "What a shame," she said. "For forty years you have taught love, forgiveness and forbearance. Now look at you. You’ve lost your testimony." To which he replied: "That was all in the abstract. This is in the concrete.

Groan, okay I know, but this reflects the plight of many Christians who know they are to live a new life, but find their old one haunting them. The apostle Paul in Colossians 3:5-17 addresses this very issue.

The passage begins by saying in verse 5, “put to death your members upon the earth.” This should put to rest the misconception that many Christians have that our spiritual transformation from our old self to our new life in Christ is passive. This is an active imperative verb; therefore it is something in which we are commanded to participate. God does not take over our life and change us; we must lay it down of our own accord, then He will begin a righteous work in us from the inside out. What are these sins in us that we are to put off? Paul gives us a list of twelve. Now if that was all there is to it, the apostle could have stopped there, but he does not. This is because of another big misconception: We can shake the old sin from our members by merely having the will to change. It is not about will power; it is about the self-control to replace what the sinful behavior of the past with righteous disciplines. Correspondingly, Paul also list twelve things we must “put on.” The two lists are contrasted in the following table:

PUT OFF - PUT ON

Fornication; 3:5 - Compassion; 3:12

Uncleaness; 3:5 - Kindness; 3:12

Passion; 3:5 - Humility; 3:12

Evil Desire; 3:5 - Gentleness; 3:12

Covetousness; 3:5 - Patience; 3:12

Anger; 3:8 -Forbearance; 3:13

Wrath; 3:8 - Forgiveness; 3:13

Malice; 3:8 - Love; 3:14

Railing; 3:8 - Peace of Christ; 3:15

Shameful Speaking; 3:8- Thankfulness; 3:15

Lies; 3:9 - The Word of Christ in music; 3:16

Racial and social prejudice; 3:11 - Dedication to Christ; 3:17

The passage also includes motivation for change. Christians should hate sin. It is what keeps people away from the love of God and condemned to an eternity in Hell. Paul tells us in verse 6, “For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience.” Furthermore, we are “God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,” As God’s adopted sons and daughters, we are to work to resemble our new Father, instead of our old one. “Holy” means separated unto God in Christ. “Beloved” is a perfect passive participle, indicating a past action having continued effects. We can overcome the hold these sins have upon us if we begin to know righteousness and seek to develop those godly characteristics in our life. Determine that you are going to put them on, and do so to the utmost of your ability.

First, in verse twelve, Paul mentions compassion. Compassion is not always a natural state of the human heart. Jesus becomes for us a model of compassion in that “while we were yet sinner, He died for us.” Compassion means to care for other’s needs and conditions. It requires that we look outside of ourselves. Next, we are told to put on “kindness,” that is, sweetness, moral goodness, or integrity. Kindness requires that we do not stop at the emotional stage of compassion, but reach out to meet another’s needs. Continuing in verse 12, he mentions two qualities: “humility” and “gentleness.” These could be combined into the idea of meekness. This is power under control. It is voluntarily not asserting yourself over another. Christ is a perfect example of meekness; all the power of God at His disposal, yet “led like a sheep to the slaughter.” Finally in this verse, Paul mentions “patience.” Patience is the quality of endurance that will not be exasperated. It is the self-restraint that will not quickly retaliate a wrong. It is the opposite of wrath and revenge.

Patience should manifest itself in the next two qualities mentioned in verse 13: bearing with others and forgiving one another. The word “forgive” here means to forgive graciously. The possibility of complaints and quarrels of Christians against one another is conceded in Paul’s statement “whoever has a complaint against anyone.” We must forgive others as the Lord forgave us.

In verse 14, Paul adds the discipline from which all others must flow: “love.” Put on love over all the qualities of compassion, kindness, etc. Love is like the belt that binds all our garments together into one united adornment. Here, love is agape, that wide-reaching affection, good will, and benevolence such as Christ has toward men. Love is the bond which binds the church together into a perfect unity.

After love is in place for a foundation, verse 15 tells us to “let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts… and be thankful.” The peace of Christ is to rule in our hearts. I think about this like a policeman; whatever seeks to disturb the peace has to be arrested. We must not permit angry emotions to rule in our hearts, rather let the peace of Christ rule your minds, will, emotions, and conscience. We are called individually to enjoy God’s peace, and also called as a group in one body unto peace. The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace and only grows well in peace. No good progress can be made while fighting is going on. To me, the context reads that we should be thankful that we have been called in peace into one body. The peace of God is to police our hearts, and in our group, whenever there are strains within the body that would tend to make it fly apart. For this we should be thankful.

To share the peace among ourselves, leading to encouragement, Paul includes in verse 16, “let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.” The word of Christ is not to dwell within us, and then remain there; we are to teach and admonish (or warn) one another with this word. One of the most effective ways to teach and admonish one another is by music. So often, when I am need of encouragement I sing a song to the Lord. Those words bringing forth with them the scriptural truths that I need to connect with my Lord. I will also start the day with a song to help set me in the right spiritual mindset from the start. Admittedly, I have spared most people outside of my family the intonation of my voice, but certainly if such brings blessings to me it should be shared with others.

Finally, I have added Paul’s admonition in verse 17, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.” This call for total dedication to Christ prevents the need for the list to go on ad infinitum. Such discipline of our mind, emotions, and action truly allows God to being to spiritually transform us in to the image of His beloved Son.

In short, Paul is telling us that if we continue to do the things we did before our encounter with Jesus, we cannot expect any true changes in our life. However, if we walk in righteousness, God will change us from the inside out. In my life, I have memorized a very similar list that Paul gives us under the title of the “fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22, 23). These have become a plumb line for me to judge my progress toward God’s standards.

Are You Abiding?

1 I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 "My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. 9 "Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 10 "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. John 15:1-10

To “abide” in the Lord is to remain in Him. Because in John 15:4, it is an active imperative verb, it means that we are commanded to continue in our spiritual position of being in Christ. Jesus uses this word 11 times in the beginning of John 15. This is something we are to strive to do. It is what Jesus begged His companions, Peter, James and John, to do with Him in the Garden. Generally, we refer to this as faithfulness.

In this passage, Jesus is sharing with us the necessity of abiding in Him. We cannot “bear fruit” without being connected to Him. “Apart from me you can do nothing;” nothing worth doing, anyway. Ultimately, Jesus tells us that we can tell if we are, indeed, connected and abiding in Him by “bearing much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.” Love is mentioned especially here by Jesus in verse 9 and 10, as He does elsewhere talking about this greatest of virtues. One cannot help but think of this fruit described by the Apostle Paul as “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” These attributes are those whose presence, or absence, become a measure of our following this command to abide in Him.

In his first epistle, John elaborates upon the concept that Jesus introduces here in John 15. In 1John, he tells us how to actually accomplish this essential part of our relationship with God though Jesus.

For one to abide in Jesus, he must:

2:6 – “walk as Jesus walked.”
2:10; 3:14; 4:12 – “loves his brother.”
2:14,24,27 – abides in “His Word.”
2:17 – abides in “His will.”
3:6,9 – avoids sin
3:24 – “keeps His commands”
3:24; 4:13 – possesses “the Spirit”
4:15 – “confesses Jesus is the Son of God”
4:16 – “dwells in love”

Because abiding in Christ is a command, it requires self-discipline for it to be obeyed. It is this plugging-in of our lives with Jesus’ that allows us to mature and succeed at our stated goal: eternal life with God.

Jude 20-21 “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.”

"Walk Like a Man" of God

“So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. But you did not learn Christ in this way” (Ephesians 4:17-20).

I heard a definition of the contrast between infatuation and love. It says, "Infatuation is when you think your husband is as handsome as Tom Cruise, as amusing as Rodney Dangerfield, as intellectual as Albert Einstein, as devout as Billy Graham, and as athletic as Hulk Hogan." That is infatuation. "Love is realizing that your husband is as handsome as Albert Einstein, as intellectual as Hulk Hogan, as devout as Tom Cruise, as athletic as Rodney Dangerfield, and as amusing as Billy Graham. But you love him anyway." You see, there’s a big difference between infatuation and love.

We live in a world full of such contrasts: black and white, positive and negative, north and south. In this passage, the apostle Paul discusses some of the starkest contrasts that should affect our walk with Him.

The first contrast is the distinction between Jew and Gentile. Under the Old Testament, there was no greater distinction than being a covenant Jew and a Gentile. God told Abraham rather clearly in Genesis 17 that those without circumcision, the sign of the covenant, we cut off from being a people before Him. Today, being His child is not limited to those being a Jew outwardly, but one inwardly having the circumcision made without hands. Therefore if we are of the spiritual nation of Israel, that is a Christian, we are not to “walk” like the ungodly. Their unrighteous ways are a result from being alienated from God because of sin. Without an intimate knowledge of God, they were subject to their own hardness of hard. But we, therefore, are able to approach the throne of grace with confidence of our forgiveness in Him. There is no excuse for those who know God to walk like a “Gentile” without trying to walk in righteousness.

The second contrast is between light and darkness. Paul says that the Gentiles are “darkened in their understanding.” Conversely, John says in 1John 1, “God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all,” and again, “Walk in the light as he is in the light.” Light is purity and divine energy. After his encounter with God, Moses’ face glowed for time so brightly, that the people asked him to put on a veil, because they were not used to it. Some prefer the darkness, but as Christians we are not to have fellowship with darkness. Consider when you walk into the barn and flip on the light, the mice and the cockroaches all scatter because they do not like the light. Also, when you have been in the dark long enough, a bright light that suddenly shines is almost painful. But as Christians, if we stay in the light of God fellowship, avoiding the dark detours, we will seek to walk in the light of purity more diligently, like moths to a flame.

The final contrast is the one of life and death. Those apart from God are excluded from eternal life with God; rather they face an eternal death with Satan. But for those who are in Christ, death has no power over him. As it is written, “O death where is your victory, o death where is your sting” (1 Cor. 15). Christians have a heavenly hope to press on toward this prize of life with Him. Therefore, we must be a people who walk in hope and steadfastness, knowing that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. Let our walk be in big contrast to that of this world.

"Be Holy, as your Father in heaven is holy." -Jesus

Cleaning the Inside of the Cup

A guy joins a monastery and takes a vow of silence: he’s allowed to say two words every seven years. After the first seven years, the elders bring him in and ask for his two words. "Cold floors," he says. They nod and send him away. Seven more years pass. They bring him back in and ask for his two words. He clears his throats and says, "Bad food." They nod and send him away. Seven more years pass. They bring him in for his two words. "I quit," he says. "That’s not surprising," the elders say. "You’ve done nothing but complain since you got here."

In times past, monasteries were used in the pursuit of spiritual transformation through a variety of disciplines and communal living. But for many Christians, their perception of a spiritual formative process of sanctification has become as antiquated as the idea of mass monasteries. Religion has taken the place of true relationship with God and many act as if Christianity is a spectator sport.

Spiritual formation is the process of transformation of the inmost dimension of the human being, the heart, which is the same as the spirit or will. It is being formed (really, transformed) in such a way that its natural expression comes to be the deeds of Christ done in the power of Christ. It is the lack of this transformation that has often put God at odds with His people. In Ezekiel, the prophet describes in vivid detail as God reveals the hypocrisy of the people in coming to the Temple to offer their sacrifices, all the while worshiping other gods. This is also the major contention between Jesus and the religious leaders of His day. These people were lifted up, by themselves and others, as pious paradigms that all should hope to become to please God. Jesus points out that this was but an outward show. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence… first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also…So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness” (Matt 23:25-28).

Paul, the most prolific writer of the New Testament, does not let an epistle leave his pen without emphasizing the contrasts of a transformed life. In Romans, it is the “old man of sin,” compared to the one “walking in newness of life.” In Colossians, it is the “old self” and the “new self.” Even in his letter to Philemon, Paul pleads on behalf of Onesimus, the slave turned Christian, that he should now take him back because he is a changed man. In fact, Paul gives us the most succinct definition of spiritual formation, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:28-29). Our purpose as Christians is to be transformed toward the image of Christ. Too often, Christians rely upon their justification in Christ by declaration to the ignorance of the sanctification process. The result is miserable Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, but deny him with their lifestyle. Even the Jews countered Jesus’ challenge for transformation with “[But] we are children of Abraham.”

The formula for spiritual transformation is relationship and discipline. Jesus did not die so people could live life going through a bunch of mindless motions. Rather, He died so that a person’s relationship with God could be reconciled. All relationships require discipline to be maintained and grow. Jesus has done all that humans could not do to establish this relationship, but they must do the rest to maintain that relationship with God. No one would suggest that true and healthy relationships do not talk a lot of work. The culture is replete with example of broken marriages, victims of neglected covenant relationships.

This writer has always taken and shared the example from Scripture of the first Christians. In Acts 2, there is the secret to the success of those pioneers of the faith led by the spiritually wise apostles.

“They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:42-47).

The emphasis of this record provides for a clear picture of how spiritual transformation occurs. It is discipline in nurturing the relationship with God through talking to Him in prayer, He talking to His children through His Word, and having fellowship with Him at His Son’s table. Furthermore, because God dwells with His people, the early Christians were with one another daily and shared with all. What a far cry from the picture of the modern church, who punches a slim spiritual time clock of an hour or two a week. It is simple: the modern church does not achieve the closeness with God and success of the early church, because she does not do what the early church did.

What would happen to the culture if the church was a close community, living in submission to God, practicing the simplicity of discipline in reading the Bible, praying and meditating on what they read, in an effort to have God transform them from the inside out? “The world has yet to see what God can do with and for and through and in and by the man who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him. I will try my utmost to be that man.”

Accountability

9 Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. 11 Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? 12 Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken. Ecc. 12

What is accountability? Dictionaries define it as “a state of being liable or answerable”. More simply, it is being given a responsibility and then being checked-up on. Why is accountability important for a person? For one thing it can make them more effective in achieving a task. Accountability can also provide encouragement, motivation, comfort and companionship.

Accountability can be extremely important and beneficial in our Christian lives. All of us go through difficult times where we feel like we are failing, or at least lacking, in our walk with Christ. This can result from numerous different things. It can result from failures with temptations. It can result from times of tragedy. It can result from apathy or neglect in our devotional times. It is during these times that accountability can be a huge benefit to us. To have someone that we know is going to check-up on us and ask if we have spent time with Christ today by reading in His Word and praying with Him can be a very powerful motivator. To know that we have a friend who is going to ask us how we are dealing with a specific temptation can help us to make Christ honoring decisions in our lives. To know that there is a person that is going to encourage us when we do fail (sometimes with a good swift kick in the back side) can be very comforting. Also, having a person that you can trust and to pour out your heart and pain, can be a source of deep relief.

Christ never expected us to walk through this life alone, figuring things out by ourselves, and at times wallowing in our own heartache, loneliness and sorrow. In Ecclesiastes chapter 4, God’s Word confirms that it is better to have a companion and to not be alone. Verse 12, which says “one may be overpowered by another”, is especially true when it is Satan who is fighting against us. But together with another person’s help and accountability we “can withstand him”. We would also do good to remember that when we are standing together with an accountability partner, and we have Christ as our focus, then we are actually a “threefold chord” as Christ is the third strand.

At Fauquier Christian Church we have organized a personal discipleship ministry. It involves pairing Christians of like gender for the purposes of spiritual transformation, prayer, fellowship, Bible knowledge, service, and yes, accountability. For people who have a desire to mature in Christ, following God’s plan for discipleship is a sure bet to success. See preacher Jeff of Jeff Bartley for details at FCC or talk to your own preacher about the ways your church has organized such discipleship. Such is God’s plan to open His floodgates of blessings to you.

“Anyone wishing to come after me must deny himself, pickup his cross, and follow me.” -Jesus

You CAN Do What You Ought To Do

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

Wisdom is the righteous application of knowledge. It is something which comes from God, and therefore should be a matter of prayer for to receive this gift. James gives us some of the attributes of wisdom.
“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” (James 3:17-18)

As we consider the goals that James lists of wisdom, we first come to purity. Purity is the absolute nature of God. It is to be holy, free of sin and blameless in thought, word, and action. Sound like a tall order? It should, because none is good but God alone (Luke 18:19). Yet, Jesus said that we are to be holy. It is clear through Scripture that purity is our goal, though we will never achieve it on our own; we are simply declared holy as Christians because of God’s grace and our covenant relationship with Him through Jesus Christ.

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid.” (Romans 6:1) Of course not. Then we must conclude that purity or holiness is to be our goal. With this understanding we begin to truly comprehend what sin is. The Greek word for sin is harmatia, which is from an archery term which literally means, “to miss the mark.”

So when we miss our mark of holiness, we sin. Though sin is our reality, holiness is to be our goal. So I, as a hearlder of God’s message, send out a call for purity. We must, therefore, examine ourselves in this Christian walk. Where do we measure up; where do we fall short.

We have all been in the world at one time and have sought out its pleasures and distractions. And Satan had offered plenty to occupy ourselves outside of Christ, but as Christians, we have been called out of the world.
“Be no longer conformed to this world, but be transformed, by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:1)

As partakers in the world, Satan was lying to us in offering false solutions to the painful void that God’s absence caused in our lives. Illicit and causal sex, pornography, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, and gluttony are examples of these false solutions that turned out only to be anesthetics to the problem. Anesthetics only numb the pain for a time. Only a cure will solve the problem of pain.

Praise be to the Lord, that our cure came in Jesus Christ! Should then, the migraine sufferer who finds the neurological cure, continue to seek a Tylenol? Or should the host of a cancer who now is in remission continue his chemotherapy? Then I submit, that the Christian sanctified by the blood of Jesus should no longer seek the supposed remedies of the world.

“Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY." 1 Peter 1:13-16

If these words are true, then we ought to examine ourselves. Have we put the things of the world behind us? And, let me make clear that this should be an introspection. The Bible says that we are to “work out our OWN salvation, with fear and trembling.” (Philippians 2:12) And Jesus made it clear in His Sermon on the Mount discourse that we are to look at ourselves before we judge others. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3)

When we do look at ourselves, we should judge our thoughts, words, and actions based upon God’s glory and presence. Is what we are doing glorifying God or ourselves? And, if Jesus were by your side, would you read that book, watch that show, or sing that song? If God were a guest in your home, would you invite him in a toast, blow smoke in His face, or stuff yours?

If your answer is ever no, then remember: “And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit." (Ephesians 2:22) God is no mere companion or houseguest; He resides within us. He is not only watching, but participating. What sorts of things are we exposing Him to? This should give you a whole new perspective in your quest for holiness.

I urge you to make purity a matter of your prayers. Pray that God will lead you to the answers you seek: should I or shouldn’t I? Pray that God will also give you strength to make those changes which He convicts you to tackle. Pray that God will mold and shape you into the mature Christian that you should be. And also pray for one another. If it comes to your attention that a brother or sister is struggling, pray with them and on your own. We are here to help one another as we all have the same uniting goal: eternal life.

My own introspection has led me to see that I should take care of my body better and be more careful of what and how much I eat. I covet your prayers as I labor to improve in these things and lose my excess weight.

May God bless you all as I leave you with these words.
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-put it into practice.” (Philippians 4:8-9)

The Making of a Servant

All authority has been given him, yet his knees touched the cold hard floor once again. Reaching, he takes the cloth from the basin beside him and wrings out the water. Like he had done to the several men before, he picks up the left foot of the man in front of which he kneels. As he begins to gently wash the top and then the sole of his foot, he notices that though it is not as calloused as the others, it is still very dirty, dry, and cracking. He rinses the rags often as he carefully washes ever inch of rough appendage. He then sets down the left foot, and prepares to lift the man’s right one. As he does, he looks up and lovingly locks eyes with the man, named Judas, one of his disciples. As Judas looks into Jesus’ eyes, his nervous conviction runs deep and he quickly diverts his eyes, for six days earlier; he had accepted the plot to betray him.

Silence fills the room except for the occasional rinsing of the cloth echoing in the cool dark room; the uncomfortable tension was palpable. After finishing Judas’ right foot, Jesus stands to move the basin to the next disciple. As Jesus kneels once again, Peter cries out, “What are you doing?” “You may not understand now, but later you will,” was Jesus’ answer. “You are not going to wash my feet, Jesus!” “Oh, but Peter, unless I wash you, you’ll have no part in me,” Jesus answered in that firm but calming tone. “If you have bathed, then you only need wash your feet to be clean. All of you are clean; except one.”

Jesus rises to walk back to his place at the table and reclines. “Do you know what I have done for you,” he asks? Their deafening silence communicates their ignorance. “I, your teacher and Lord, have washed your feet. You, therefore, ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, A servant is not greater than his master, neither is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” The Twelve continue to listen pondering these things in their hearts, but the conviction of one cause his heart to harden.

Where are you around the Lord’s Table? Do you have a servant’s heart? Are you like Peter, wanting to assert your will over Christ’s? Are you like Judas, in that God’s cleansing becomes a judgment and only hardens you? Jesus made it clear by a demonstration that if he be not above lovingkindness in serving the saints, neither can we.

One might learn by simply reading it, but notice Jesus said, “Blessed are you if you do them.” It is a theme made real in experience alone, by doing it: unprejudiced, humble, selfless service. To feel so small is to feel somehow failing, weak, unable. But there, right there, begins true servanthood, the disciple who has, despite himself, denied himself. And then, for perhaps the first time, one is loving not out of his own strength, merit, ability, superiority, but out of Christ; for he has discovered himself to be nothing and Christ everything. It is in this doing of ministry the minister is born.

Ask yourself, “Where is my ministry? Where is my love for the lost, the last, the least, and the lonely?” Have we truly explored our heart for service, to see if it one born of God? On your way to the Lord’s Table to meet Him this Sunday, won’t you consider this example? A phone call, a card of encouragement, stopping to help someone distressed on the side of the road, sparing a shoulder for someone to cry upon, visiting a shut-in, or a simple kind word to the grocery store clerk. In our rush about in this life, are we leaving behind those who need us the most? Jesus knew that Judas was conspiring to betray Him; He washed his feet. He knew Peter had a hard time conforming to God’s will; He washed his feet.

Your service and blessings start today.

It’s an Autocentric World

A middle-aged woman exits the grocery store to the crosswalk that leads to the parking lot. This time, the cars going both directions in the busy thoroughfare courteously come to a stop. The woman continues her journey and then does something that leaves her spectators in wonderment. As her casual pace takes her to the middle of the road, she comes to a complete stop and begins to dig through her purse. She stands there, rummaging around, looking for who knows what as cars on either side of her sit, too amazed even to honk at her. As I observed the incident that seemed to last an eternity, but in reality was more like two minutes, I watched as the well kept wanderer finally retrieved the object and suddenly looked up and about in a disoriented manner and then continued across the parking lot.

That occurrence sparked me to begin tuning into what I have become all too accustom and numb: the rampant narcissism that pervades our culture. In my intra/international travels over the last month, I really began to be amazed at how much people are in their own little world. Now I am not talking about being lost in thought or occasionally being aloof, rather it is how we as a people seem to be acting as if no one matters but ourselves. Let me give you some examples.

While on my Jamaican trip, one of my fellow missionaries was sitting on the airplane next to a woman. First, the stranger aggressively pushed his arm off the rest and placed her own there. Now you might make the argument that it was hers as much as his, but then she took the blanket that was on him and put it on her. Add that the countless times I was pushed out of the way and ran into at the airports, the times people cut in line ahead of me, and don't even get me start talking about my road trips.

When I grew up, I was taught that I was not the center of the universe and that I was to be considerate of other people. I suppose then the difference is that we as a culture still has some Godly principles infused into our society.

Jesus said that the second greatest commandment was to love our neighbor as ourselves. It seems that we have the loving ourselves part down, but can we say that we love our neighbor equally as much. By the way, the origin of the word neighbor is one who is "near by." Yes, all those people in the grocery line with us, at your corner Starbucks, and sharing your commute to work are just some of the people that come near you every day.

Now that we know who we are to love, we can ask what God means by "love?" The only love that God ever commands in His word is agape love. Agape mean selflessness. It means wanting the best for the other person. This kind of love is often accompanied by affection, but it, in itself, has nothing to do with affection. In other words, you don't have to have feelings for someone to agape them. This is not an excuse not to have affection for people, rather it is an understanding that you don't have to know some well, or even at all before you can love them in this way.

Perhaps the key to this kind of love and remedy to our pervasive cultural selfishness is to take Paul's advice: "For I say, through the grace given to me, to every one who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think. But set your mind to be right-minded, even as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith" (Romans 12:3). When people are near by, we need to be aware of them. Always ready to serve, give a kind word, and show simple politeness. I was taught that politeness was an effort to make people feel more comfortable around me. This is sadly lacking in the world, but remember, we are no longer of this world.

Let your light shine and let people see the joy that we say is in us. We have a great message of hope to tell people, but people don't care what you know until they know how much you care. Most people would rather see a sermon than hear one. Are you a walking talking sermon? Do people see Jesus in you or do they only see you caring about you. I have found that when you make the effort to demonstrate that you care about the people around you, people notice there is something different about you.

The good news is that Jesus takes everything that you do for others as if you were doing it directly to Him too; I love extra credit! Doesn't this show the selfless of God that He would consider you loving others as you loving Him? The key is that God's heart is that no one should perish but all to come to repentance. When we care enough to share the passion of God's heart enough to reach out to others, you have aligned yourself with God's abiding purpose for this world. Sure you think, "What good can a few kind words really do?" The truth is that with God as your ally, you can change the world; or at least your corner of it.

Once Jesus described God's floodgates as like a great field that was white for the harvest and then he said, "Go and pray for the harvesters." Are you a harvester?

"Then the King shall say to those on His right hand, Come, blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave me food; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you took Me in; I was naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me. Then the righteous shall answer Him, saying, Lord, when did we see You hungry, and fed You? Or thirsty, and gave You drink? When did we see You a stranger, and took You in? Or naked, and clothed You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and came to You? And the King shall answer and say to them, Truly I say to you, Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers, you have done it to Me. Then He also shall say to those on the left hand, Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels. For I was hungry, and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty, and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in; I was naked, and you did not clothe Me; I was sick, and in prison, and you did not visit me. Then they will also answer Him, saying, Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to You? Then He shall answer them, saying, Truly I say to you, Inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into everlasting life." Matthew 34-46

Are You A Disciple of Jesus?

Whether you realize it or not, this question is synonymous to asking, "Are you a Christian?" If you answer "yes" to the Christian question, you must be able to answer "yes" to the disciple question. You cannot be one without the other. Have I labored that enough that yet? I doubt it. I wish we would all be convinced that easily. Let me give God a try at convincing you.

You might be interested to know that the Bible only uses the moniker "Christian" three times. Three; that's it; in the entire Bible! There is nothing wrong with the word, but I think we use it so much for a reason. Because using the designation "disciple," which the Bible uses ten times more frequently, seems much more serious. The world contends that every human being that utters the name of Jesus is a Christian. There are even some that say you can be a Christian without even knowing the name of Jesus?!? (Sorry Billy Graham)

The Bible, as you know, is not so reckless in it appellation. A disciple is a deep word meaning an active adherent, student, and servant of another. The concept of discipline is at the root of its meaning. Not in the sense of punishment, but to bring into a state of order and obedience by training and guidance. What does Jesus say about the subject?

Matthew 10:25 It is enough for the disciple that he is like his master, and the servant like his lord.

Luke 14:26-27 If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me, he cannot be My disciple.

Luke 14:33 So then, everyone of you who does not forsake all his possessions, he cannot be My disciple.

Why did we become Christians? Well the obvious answer is that we wanted eternal life in heaven. But what we acknowledged when we became Christians is that Jesus is our Lord. In other words, that is how we get to heaven, by accepting and making Jesus our Lord.

That sounds good, but too often, after we make that good confession, we forget it somewhere along the way. What does making Jesus our Lord mean? The title Lord means master and when we use that title of another, we are recognizing His dominion over us. Simply put, if Jesus is to be our Lord, we must continually serve Him as our Lord.

This is a very simple concept, but the $100,000 question is: Are we serving Him? And if so, in what way. The Bible says over and over that each and every Christian is very valuable to God (So much that He sacrificed His one and only Son, remember). Your importance to Him is not only as an individual, but also as a servant of His kingdom, the church. If every single Christian is not serving in the church, the church is most assuredly crippled. He is counting on you!

Often, we say, “I’m serving.” Maybe you are watching the nursery once and a while, or giving a communion meditation here and there, but is this the kind of service Jesus had in mind for you?

Jesus said, “YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY” Matthew 4:10.

The concept of service is taught over 1500 times in the Bible. God obviously thinks it is important, therefore we should to. And the toughest question to ask is: If we are not doing what Christians do, can we still be considered a Christian? Well, let’s see, is a fisherman who does not fish really a fisherman? Is a chef who never cooks worthy of the title? A true title is not based upon potential, it is based upon practice. A fisherman fishes, a chef cooks, and a Christian serves. We cannot be a disciple of Lord Jesus if we are always asking the question, "What do I got to do?" Your sincere love for Him will manifest itself in asking, "What do I get to do?"

Now that I have labored that point to death, I hope you are asking, “Where can I serve?” I am so glad you asked. There are so many things that need to be done. Giving you an opportunity to serve using the special talents and gifts God has given you is the primary responsibility of the leadership of the church.

Fauquier Christian Church employs a Biblical ministry system. What’s that? It is a system taken from the Bible that replaces the idea of a “board” with a bunch of men making all the decisions and some others doing some of the work. Instead, it seeks to involve every church member (aka disciple) in the ministry or service, in the church. It recognizes each and every man and woman’s importance to God, with the ability and responsibility to serve Him.

The other meaning of being a disciple is the student part. This is your life long position. You will never know enough nor arrive at a place where you need not learn anymore. The moment you have that mindset, you cease being a disciple. Many people are amazed that a smaller church like FCC has two preachers, two Sunday services, two adult Sunday School classes, Monday house discipleship, Tuesday college classes, Wednesday night Bible Study, and an extensive personal discipleship program. I must say that I am not impressed. I wonder why we don't have something the other three days of the week.

You might think me unreasonable, that that just shows how far we sometime fall from God design and intent for the church. Consider for yourself the practice, passion, and discipline of the first disciples of Christ.

Act 2:41-47 "Then those who gladly received his word were baptized. And the same day there were added about three thousand souls. And they were continuing steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine, and in fellowship and in the breaking of the loaves, and in prayers. And fear came on every soul. And many wonders and miracles took place through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things common. And they sold their possessions and goods and distributed them to all, according as anyone had need. And daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they shared food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved."

You see the problem is that we have been conditioned to think that as long as I am faithful to my Lord's supper on the first day of every week(though some even struggle with that), everything else I do with the church is optional. Those original Christians did not see anything optional about it, to them, it was a blessing.

I know you are thinking, "How can I live my life if I am always with the church?" Ahh, but as soon as you think that, you reveal that you have not completely merged your life with His. Now you see what Jesus meant when he said, "you must lay down your life." It is not your life anymore, it is God living in you. And oh what a magnificent life it can be, but we hold back. Christianity is still something that we do instead of who we are.

And that brings us to the point of it all. This is not meant to guilt you into a compulsion to start showing up at the other stuff going on at church. No! Rather it is a challenge to help transform your thinking into a love that compels you to love the Lord you God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. I pray it helps you see where you need to be growing toward; the level you need to be seeking to reach.

The sad truth is that many never make it there. The result is that you are missing out. Furthermore many people quit the faith because Christianity did not pan out to be what they hoped it to be, but the sad truth is that they never gave it a real chance. They never really lived the disciple's life and therefore never experienced the disciple's blessings and peace that passes all understanding.

If you are not craving to be with the Lord and His people, then pray for a change of heart. God desires something better for you than a life full of turmoil, heartache, stagnation, and worry. God makes the unequivocal, indubitable, money-back-if-you-are-not-satisfied -guarantee that if you seek the Kingdom FIRST, and His righteousness, then ALL these things will be added unto you (Matthew 6:33). God's floodgates are ready to open for every one of His disciples, but only His keys will open it. Won't you use them?

"He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life shall lose it. And he who loses his life for My sake shall find it. He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward ... And whoever shall give to one of these little ones a cup of cold water to drink, only in the name of a disciple, truly I say to you, He shall in no way lose his reward." Matthew 10:36-42

"What Do Ya Want, a Medal?"

Congratulate me! My blog has won second place in a contest that judges weekly internet journals written by Church of Christ preachers named Jeff to distribution list of less than fifty and publish them between the hours of 2 and 4 am. I, of course, already knew that I was great, but now with this prestigious, all be it anonymous, award, I can rightly hold my head high.

Are you ill yet? You should be. But this is the egocentric society in we live. It comes from a society that refuses to make judgments. One that says all ideas are equal. There is no right nor wrong, no absolutes, and truth is relative. This post-modern nihilistic philosophy seeks to render all authority impotent.

The result is a classroom culture where the teacher has no control over his students but feels free to have illicit relations with them. Red ink is considered harsh ego-damaging criticism, and students are socially promoted because their feelings are regarded as more important than actual education. The home culture has the children calling the shots, love is only a feeling, and divine familial design is scorned. The work culture is full of rhetoric about the value of its employees but demonstrates their value with fewer benefits, gives great reviews but little raises, and dispenses titles like penny candy, but gives no authority to accomplish it. Our community culture preaches that there are no winners and losers. I have been to team sporting games where they don't even keep score and at the end of the season every player on every team gets a trophy.

Overall, our culture thinks that it is doing everyone a favor promoting a society with no judgments. It is the "I'm okay, you're okay" delusion. They have wheeled the ten commandments into the closets and told the homosexuals to come out. They have tried to bar God from the public square at every turn. Debate has been labeled contentiousness. They claim community without real unity; marriage without real love; and spirituality without the real God.
The self-proclaimed self esteem movement has psychologists and childrearing experts patting themselves on the back. A 2006 study of college entrance profile tests revealed that 30% of Generation Y freshman are "overly narcissistic" when compared to 25 years of their predecessors. Looks like Gen "Y" is better called Gen "I" (or "Me" if you are a stickler for grammar).

As Christians, why is this important? Paul said:

"For I say, through the grace given to me, to every one who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think. But set your mind to be right-minded, even as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith." Romans 12:3

Pride is a monumental obstacle that keeps us from God because it seeks to replace Him with ourselves. It should be no mystery to us that for self-esteem to reach its unhealthy limits, God must be removed from all aspects of society. This is certainly Satan's strategy in 21st century America. This year marks the 75 anniversary of US organized humanism. Though its axioms have been reworded over the years, its basic tenants proport denial of anything supernatural, man's knowledge is the highest order, and take a Marxian view of religion as merely "the opiate of the masses." In their charter they claim,

"In the place of the old attitudes involved in worship and prayer the humanist finds his religious emotions expressed in a heightened sense of personal life and in a cooperative effort to promote social well-being." (To read all of this culturally influential document, click here Humanist Manifesto I)

This is why you can have "churches" that openly embrace atheism such as the Unitarian Universalist church. To them a godless church is no contradiction because the church is merely to be self-serving: A glee club of sorts. And this philosophy is ever permeating our world. Survival of the fittest becomes the defacto reality in a culture of selfishness, and that is exactly what pride becomes.

As Christian, we must be aware of the Satan's schemes. No truer words were written than, "Now the serpent was more cunning than any of the beasts of the Garden." He is apparently subtly, slowly turning up the heat as not to alert his prey to their precarious position. And although the church, the called-out ones, are not of be of the world even as they are in it, we are too often influenced by our world.

Be sensible and vigilant, because your adversary the Devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking someone he may devour;" 1Peter 5:8

Now the point of this treatise is this: When we artificially raise the self-esteem of others, especially our children, by meaningless standards, we in reality devalue them. When everyone is a winner, winning is meaningless. When we refuse to discern right and wrong, people are left wandering aimlessly. When we tell them they came from slime and evolved from animals, should we be surprised when they act like animals? Can we expect even prideful people to truly feel valuable when we teach them there is no God, no forgiveness, and that they were an accident rather lovingly, purposefully created?

Tragically, what has happened in all the self-congratulation and hubris is a desperate underlying sense of insecurity. Pride and insecurity equal envy. I watched an interview lately between a British subject and an American. Though we are seemingly trying to quickly catch up to them, Europe is well ahead of us in this pattern. The Brit was trying to understand the American ideal of genuinely being happy for someone else's successes. He could not understand why we might have some joy about anything that does not benefit us directly. He seriously said that when other people succeed, he gets depressed. He said that is the way it is in Britain and could not relate to any other way.

I have heard many others echo that sentiment since that interview. And that is where we are headed if the church continues to idly sit by and do nothing. What are we to do?

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, in order to prove by you what is that good and pleasing and perfect will of God." Romans 12:2

This is a key that will unlock God's floodgates. Of course the transformation involves pressing toward the greatest Christian virtue: Love. In definition, the love is selflessness and not merely some emotion that we arbitrarily assign to some to the exclusion of others. So I leave you with the God-ordained antidote to our societal ill:

Love God completely, love others compassionately, and ourselves correctly.

Get Behind Me Satan!

This week in contemplating the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord, I couldn't help but try and put myself in the shoes of Jesus' disciples as the events unfolded. Lord, forgive my envy of their ability to talk with you in person, look into your face, and wrap their arms around you.

But there is no question that my envy is quite fleeting when balanced with the tremendous trial they faced as witnesses of our Lord's baptism of suffering. I can imagine the denial I would have at the notion He would have to die. I'd draw my sword alright, and I would not be merely cut off an ear either! I picture myself screaming "No!" and latching onto my God's leg as they tried to arrest and take Him away. I get ill even contemplating it.

I am a sore loser. Particularly when it come to Satan. I am constantly looking for his next move against me and others; ready to resist and stand firm for the Lord. I see this quality in the apostle Peter. I see him always ready to answer and act. He confessed Jesus as the Son of the Living God; he stepped out in faith (some anyway) upon the water toward Jesus; he was the one that drew his sword in an attempt to keep Jesus from being arrested. But there is one great part of Peter's vigilance that let him down. This might have been his lowest point.

"From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took Him and began to rebuke Him, saying, God be gracious to You, Lord! This shall never be to You. But He turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind Me, Satan!' You are an offense to Me, for you do not savor the things that are of God, but those that are of men." Matthew 16:21-23

What is so striking to me is that a short time and five verses ago, Peter is blessed by Jesus because he professed Him to be the Christ and the Son of God. This rebuke of "Get behind Me, Satan," is of the same construct as the rebuke Jesus gave to Satan after be tormented by him during His time of fasting following His baptism.

Stand, if you dare, in the sandals of Peter at that moment. You have come off a spiritual high because you were wise, bold, and faithful enough to proclaim the true identify of your Lord and Saviour in front of all. Now He tells you that He must be killed and raised on the third day. You think, "Oh no you won't! I won't allow it. I will stop it. No one is killing my Lord!" You take Jesus aside and tell Him that He shouldn't talk like that. He should know that you will not let such a terrible thing occur. Instead of Jesus telling you, "Thanks Peter, I knew you'd come through," He says, "Peter, get out of My way you messenger of Satan. You are being used by Satan to ensnare Me!"

Oh how the mighty have fallen! Jesus' star student just got an F-minus-minus. What are we to make of all this? It means that God's ways are not our ways. Just when we think we know what is best, God tells us that we were running the wrong way and scored a touchdown for the opposing team. It also tells that when God is revealing His plan to us, don't try and overrule Him. Just because we get a few things right, let's not puff ourselves up to where we try and start calling the shots. We look at it and think that Jesus was being harsh because Peter certainly meant well. But God looks at it saying, "Peter, who did you think you were working for when you started rebuking me?"

We must always be on our guard. The distance between being God's biggest champion and God's newest obstacle can be as short as five verses. Sorry to say, I have seen many "mighties" fall over the years. One day they have a great and successful ministry, the next they are trying to pick up the pieces or fading into the annuls of history. Like Peter, they have begun to believe their own press. "We are great!" "Look at everything we are doing for God!" "How did God ever survive without us?" Next thing you know you have a bunch of preachers selling insurance and used cars. Not that such a turn is limited preachers; I have seen it happen to new Christians as well as elders.

There is one more part for us to wisely consider in all of this. When God rebukes us like Jesus to Peter, we must not explain it away. For instance, when Judah ended up off track, God used Babylon to rebuke them. The problem is that when God sent Ezekiel about as His prophet to tell them what He had done to discipline them in an effort to get them to repent, they had no interest in listening to Him. Instead, they choose to listen to false prophets who assured them that they were God's chosen people and that God would never turn His back to them.

As a result, the people did not repent, Jerusalem was destroyed and all but a handful of faithful remnant Jews were condemned. The majority of Jews chose to think that everyone else was just jealous of them. Because of their closeness to God, Satan was persecuting them. But in truth, they were working for Satan and God was attempting to rebuke them into repentance.

As we begin to stray, God will always try to reel us back in. He loves us that much. We must not assume trials are simply the high price we pay for serving God. Oh Satan does and will continue to oppose righteousness, but God also chastens whom He loves. Perhaps we can learn from the words of Joseph to his brothers:

"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive" Genesis 50:20

What you perceive as evil, God may be working righteousness in your trials. The only question is will you listen and learn? Will you repent? If not, don't expect God to stop His chastening until you do, or you are removed as an obstacle. Apparently Peter did learn right away, because he later was warned how he would fall into Satan's trap again by denying Jesus. He was even told when and how many times, but he still walked right into it. This is the trouble we face in this spiritual warfare.

So how do we know the difference? We are always to be seeking God's wisdom, plan, and guidance. Don't always presume that you must be right in your thinking and plans merely because you were successful before. Listen even to your perceived enemies, for God may be speaking to you through them. God's floodgates are only open when we are within His will.

"For to this end I also wrote, that I might know the proof of you, whether you are obedient in all things... so that we should not be overreached by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his devices. " 2 Corinthians 2:9&11

Friendly Fire

One of the worst horrors of war is something that most people don't even want to think about, much less discuss. All moral judgments aside, it is an even deeper emotional issue than the gravity of carnage from today's extremely powerful weapons or the collateral damage of women and children. It is commonly called "friendly fire."

Many of you probably remember Pat Tilman. Pat was a safety for the NFL's Arizona Cardinals. Pat was a good player, but he really gained our admiration and respect when he walked away from a $3.6 million contract to enlist in the Army. He and his brother Kevin, who also walked away from a professional sports career in baseball, were so moved by the 9/11 attacks they both joined the Army Ranger program in 2002. Parents nationwide hoped their boys would be as loyal and patriotic and selfless.

Like so many stories of war, Pat's did not have a happy ending. He was killed in combat in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004. Seemingly, no good deed goes unpunished. What we later found out made it seem even more senseless and tragic. Pat was killed by one of his own. A fact so disturbing, the military first tried to cover it up, but weeks later, confessed the details.

A poll reveals that upwards of 80 percent of people leave a church because of a personal offense. This number is staggering. Here we are in the Lord's army facing a formidable but common foe. Like any war, we expect some will fall in the face of battle, but to know that most are the result of friendly fire is unbearable. What makes friendly fire so hard to deal with is that it seems so avoidable. Now accidents do happen, as it likely was in the case of Pat Tilman, but 80% is no accident, it is recklessness. God has a plan that can avoid all the spiritual bloodshed.

Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called the 'Sons of God.'" He also said, "Love your neighbor as yourself," and "Treat people in the way you want to be treated." You have also heard that God will not forgive you if you do not forgive others. But forgiveness is only one part of peacemaking; Ken Sande identifies six peacemaking responses. These responses are commanded by God, empowered by the gospel, and directed toward finding just and mutually agreeable solutions to conflict. According to Matthew 18, the first three peacemaking responses are to be carried out personally and privately, just between you and the other party. The vast majority of conflicts in life should and can be resolved in one of these ways.

1. Forgiveness. Many disputes are so insignificant that they should be resolved by quietly and deliberately overlooking an offense. “A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense” (Prov. 19:11; see also 12:16; 17:14; Col. 3:13; 1 Peter 4:8). Overlooking an offense is a form of forgiveness and involves a deliberate decision not to talk about it, dwell on it, or let it grow into pent-up bitterness or anger.

2. Reconciliation. If an offense is too serious to overlook or has damaged the relationship, we need to resolve personal or relational issues through confession, loving correction, and forgiveness. “[If] your brother has something against you . . . go and be reconciled” (Matt. 5:23–24; see Prov. 28:13). “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently” (Gal. 6:1; see Matt. 18:15). “Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Col. 3:13).

3. Restitution. Even if we successfully resolve relational issues, we may still need to negotiate material issues related to money, property, or other rights. This should be done through a cooperative bargaining process in which you and the other person seek to reach a settlement that satisfies the legitimate needs of each side. “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Phil. 2:4).

When a dispute cannot be resolved through one of the personal peacemaking responses, God calls us to use one of the next three peacemaking responses; they could be called assisted peacemaking. These responses require the involvement of other people in the church.

4. Mediation. If two people cannot reach an agreement in private, they should ask one or more objective outside people to meet with them to help them communicate more effectively and explore possible solutions. “If he will not listen [to you], take one or two others along” (Matt. 18:16). These mediators may ask questions and give advice, but they have no authority to force you to accept a particular solution.

5. Arbitration. When you and an opponent cannot come to a voluntary agreement on a material issue, you may appoint one or more arbitrators to listen to your arguments and render a binding decision to settle the issue. In 1 Corinthians 6:1–8, Paul indicates that this is how Christians ought to resolve even their legal conflicts with one another: “If you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church” (1 Cor. 6:4).

6. Accountability. If a person who professes to be a Christian refuses to be reconciled and do what is right, Jesus commands church leaders to formally intervene to hold him or her accountable to Scripture and to promote repentance, justice, and forgiveness: “If he refuses to listen [to others], tell it to the church” (Matt. 18:17). Direct church involvement is often viewed negatively among Christians today, but when it is done as Jesus instructs—lovingly, redemptively, and restoratively—it can be the key to saving relationships and bringing about justice and peace.

Instead of following God's clear plan to preserving the unity of the Spirit through peace-making, Christians often sin by peace-faking or peace-breaking. Peace-faking is an escape response and can come in three stages: denial, flight, and suicide. We act as if it didn't every happen, run from the problem (sometime to another church or away from God), or even can escalate to taking your own life. None of these address the riff between brethren and do nothing to honor God. Peace-breaking is an attack response and also has three stages: assault, litigation, and murder. Obviously, none of these is either profitable nor godly.

Historian and author David McCullough has written such notable works as 1776, John Adams, and Truman. In his book "1776," McCullough highlighted some critical experiences in Adams’ life; one of them has caused me to reflect on the ongoing need for reconciling relationships within the church.

Thomas Jefferson had been Adams’ closest friend. Then they became political rivals and soon were political enemies. John Adams had served for one term as president, but then Jefferson defeated him in Adams’ bid for a second term. Neither of them spoke to the other for twelve years, but then, as McCullough tells it, “Adams initiated the first letter of what was to be one of the great reconciliations in our history. The correspondence between these former presidents lasted until their deaths, and is some of the most wonderful letters in the English language.” I have not always seen such a reconciliation of relationships in the church. Many people insist that it would do no good to do so, and, in fact, make no effort at reconciliation.

The apostle Paul had to reconcile at least one ministry relationship that we know about. After his first missionary journey, he and Barnabas disagreed over whether to take John Mark, who had deserted them on the first missionary journey, with them on a second journey. They had such a disagreement that they parted ways for different ministries (Acts 15:36-41). The relationships Paul had with Barnabas and John Mark must have been reconciled over the years, though, because late in his ministry Paul speaks fondly of John Mark in both Colossians 4:11 and 2 Timothy 4:11.

For me the key to reconciling relationships is Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 18:15-17. If your brother or sister has wronged you, indeed if there is any problem between you and a brother or sister, you should go speak to him or her in an attempt to reconcile the relationship. If the person does not listen, you should then take others with you in order to make every effort to reconcile the relationship. In the case of an honest disagreement, the reconciliation effort should not be to convince the other person that you are right and he or she is wrong, but rather to heal the relationship. We ought to pay better attention to this teaching of Jesus in our relationships.

In order to reconcile relationships in this manner, the person who goes to his brother or sister needs to go with an open heart, willing to listen to changes needed in his or her own attitudes. We also need to remain open to a brother or sister coming to us and pointing out where our attitude has hurt a relationship.

In the brief article that I read, McCullough did not indicate what caused John Adams to write Thomas Jefferson and begin the process that reconciled the two men. Perhaps, though, it was his faith. McCullough relates that Adams’ faith in God remained unshaken to the end of his life, and concludes that, “He was as devout a Christian as ever served in our highest office.”

Perhaps we need to let our faith control how we deal with all our relationships, so that even difficult relationships can be reconciled and so give testimony again to the Spirit of Christ within us.

There is no question in my mind that God will open His floodgates of blessing to us if labor to keep Satan from dividing us apart. I am equally convinced that He will not if we don't.

"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you " Matthew 6:14

You Are What You Eat

We all have heard the truth that what we put into our body, we become. There is a big push now to alert Americans that we are ruining our bodies with all the junk and convenience food that we are consuming. Even talk about banning fat people from eating at restaurants. I suppose we would put a scale at the entrance and and an automatic trap door that opens if we try to sneak in with all our extra pounds. Hey, but I was going in to eat a salad, honest! Gym and exercise equipment sales are on the rise, though I don't know if that really means more people using the equipment. All of this is fine, we should take care of the body that God has blessed us with.

But (oh come on, you knew there was going to be a "but"), I am astounded that our mouth is the only thing people seem to want to regulate. Clearly, what people are consuming with their eyes and ears is far more detrimental than what they are eating. Now let me say, I have not always been one to condemn everything that comes out of Hollywood or Nashville or the internet. But I really am left wanting for any reasons not to anymore. I have seen people rolling their eyes when the preacher uses words like "Hellywood," and "the Devil's music." Now, however, either I am getting older or there is just not enough glimmers of light anymore in these media to see much redeeming value in them. Now, lest I be accused of cherry-picking obscure examples to taint an entire industry, I will let the artists themselves suggest their very best work; The best of the best in fact.

Case in point: At this year's Grammy awards, their darling was admitted, unrepentant heroin-cocaine addict Amy Winehouse. She was rewarded with five Grammy awards including best album and song of the year for her hit ironically entitled, "Rehab." Now music has been a large part of my life and I have been involved in it from theory to practice for many of my years. There are few styles of music (not to include the lyics) that I dislike, but I do not find anything in particular superlative about Ms. Winehouse's acclaimed song. Check it out for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlRF43-xaYc

Now even if you find the beat a bit catchy (to each his own), you must pity the woman for such sad lyrics. Mind you this is a woman that started her career and a beautiful voluptuous woman and is now so drug ravaged, that she is emaciated down to a mere skeleton. So instead of insisting the poor young woman get some much needed help, they honor her for writing lyrics such as these:

They’re tryin' to make me go to rehab
I said no, no, no
Yes I been black,
but when I come back
You wont know, know, know.

I ain't got the time,
And if my Daddy thinks i'm fine,
He’s tried to make me go to rehab,
I wont go, go, go.

The lady is in real trouble as she has even been caught on tape snorting cocaine on stage during her concerts. This is the best of their best, and the licentious culture they wish all of us to live. This is no anomaly, Ms. Winehouse was also joined on stage by 11- time Grammy winner Kanye West. His trouble began two years ago when he had sex on stage with a minor during one of his concerts. No jail time, but lots of awards. Last year, the Grammy awards lavished their top prizes upon the Dixie Chicks! Need I keep going?

Let's consider Hollywood buffet of offerings for your audio-visual pallet. This year's Oscar winners included "No Country for Old Men" about the drug trafficking culture, "Juno" about a pregnant 16 year old, "Sweeney Todd" the demon barber, and "The Golden Compass" an deliberate (according to the author) atheistic fantasy that militantly tries to subliminally indoctrinate children against the Living God and His church. Fortunately, the viewing public still has a little more taste than Hollywood as the "Golden Compass" movie has to date not even made half of its $150,000,000 production and distribution costs back.

Again, this is nothing new. Anyone remember recent past award winners such a Al Gore's science fiction movie (emphasis on fiction) about global warming, "An Inconvenient Truth," and "Brokeback Mountain." Gay cowboys?! Are you kidding me? Is nothing sacred? That is a stab right through America's heartland. With baseball on the fix and people trying to take away our apple pie because the nation is on a diet; what do we have left?

In all seriousness, these people know what they are doing. They are not just victims of their artistic minds, that take them far beyond us mere mortals. They are portraying for you the world in which they wish to live, in hopes of creating it. And they are successful. I even heard some Christians saying after watching "Brokeback Mountain," "They are just like us, so what they are doing must be okay." To which I say, right, they(homosexuals) are just like us. We are sinners and they are sinners. Except, we are repentant forgiven sinners, by the grace of God, and they are not. The same, yet so different in the hope of our salvation. We don't hate the people, we hate the sin, because unforgiven sin kills and kills eternally.

Friends, we live in a troubled world, full of challenges. We are not to be changed by the world, but be world-changers. Our only hope is to keep ourselves away from worldly influences. We live in the world, but are not to be of the world. Here is what the apostle Paul said in Colossians 3:1-2:

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Be mindful of things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life has been hidden with Christ in God.

You are what you eat! Not only are you carrying that cheeseburger on your stomach and wearing those chocolate bars on your hips, but what you are consuming with your eyes and ears leads to a brain fat with worldliness. If we want God to unlock His floodgate of blessings upon us, we must not be seeking all the world's "blessings." Jesus said several times that if we seek all our rewards from this world, God has no room to reward us.

Don't get me started on the internet! But I guess it is not all bad, after all you wouldn't be reading this right now :) We don't need the government to regulate us, do we? Can't we discipline ourselves with some self-control? Don't be surprized when the world encourages things that are bad for you. Take charge of your life in Christ.

Therefore if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much rather clothe you? You of little faith! Therefore do not be anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, With what shall we be clothed? For the nations seek after all these things. For your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow; for tomorrow shall be anxious for its own things. Sufficient to the day is the evil of it. Matthew 6:30-34

There are not Enough Eggs in the World!

You have heard that oil and water don't mix right? That is true. Water is a polar molecule, oil is nonpolar, and there is nothing to cause them to stick together. Put them both in the same vessel and shake them up, and in no time they separate out again. But, if you add an emulsifier in with them, it will bond the two so they will not separate out. Eggs are common emulsifiers and responsible for such concoctions as mayonnaise and creamy salad dressings that you don't have to shake up.
Have you seen this bumpersticker? I have seen it several times, and I know that Preacher Dave has referred to it a couple of times in messages. It is made most popular by Bono and his band U2. It sounds nice. Much like the refrain of Rodney King after the riots denouncing his abuse at the hands of the LAPD, "Can't we all just get along?!"

This is the modern tolerance movement. A hundred years ago, tolerance meant that we lived together and respected the right of others to religiously believe whatever they wanted. Fifty years ago, tolerance was redefined by the popular culture as repecting other's religion as equally valid and good. If you don't do that, you are intolerant, a bigot, and just an all around bad person. Now in the beginning of the third millennium after Christ, we have the COEXIST movement. If you are unaware of its meaning, check out their own definitions:

Their tag line is, "Coexist rather than trying to convert." This is syncretism run amok. Friends, let me say it simply, "There ain't enough eggs in the world!" Try as they might, the world's vain philosophies and so-called religions will not stick to the Kingdom of God. Jesus did not stagger up the bloody hills of calvary merely to establish another cheap, equally valid, emotion and tradition-based religion in the world.

Now, I am not saying that we are to lambaste those with other beliefs, but we must not think, say or act as if world religions are just as good or valid or hopeful as the Body of Christ. I am echoing the words of the Apostle Paul.

"And I say this that not anyone should beguile you with enticing words... Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone rob you through philosophy and vain deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ. " Colossians 2:4-8

COEXIST claims they are driven by love to unite all people groups. I contend this is neither love nor unity. Love requires the truth. The Bible uses love in the sense of seeking the best for others. Can a lie or half-truth really be in the benefit of anyone, especially when considering matters of eternal life and death? And uniting with the world can only destroy the unity of the Body of Christ. That is the point Paul was making.

"Coexisting" may be the way of the world, but it is not God's way. Where are the Daniel's of our generation, willing to stand up for God despite any threatened consequences or name calling? Where are the Moses' who dared to say to Pharaoh that bondage was not acceptable for God's people? Where are the Ester's who would risk their own lives to stand in the gap for the people of God? Sadly, they are few and far between. Who will stand up and proclaim the words of Jesus?

I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father, but through me. John 14:6

You better believe that God is watching and waiting and wanting to open His floodgates upon such a people.

Is it November 4th Yet?

I don't ask the question because I am eager to vote, rather I am eager to get it over with. Like when your mother wisely told you that if you pull the band-aid off quickly, you could get the pain behind you. Instead, I am suffering every political hair being ripped from my flesh one after another; And its only February!

"Tax cuts," “family values," "politics of life," "change," and "universal" socialism, oh, I mean "healthcare," are just some of the phrases being drummed into your brain every day on the news. The political process is seemingly more muddy than usual. Like a partier making his way home on New Year's Eve, our country is wildly veering off course and banging into the walls. Fortunately, we still have some walls left.

This is easily attributed to the all of the broken and “dysfunctional” homes that are ever increasingly plaguing our country and world. As a result, there is a directly proportional rise in sin. Neglected and abused children brought up in an amoral environment go on to cheat, steal, kill, and abuse their bodies without a second thought. While an unbelievable amount of this activity has become to be accepted behavior, some attempts have been made to correct it. Attempts to thwart the degradation of our society have come in the form of a “crack down” in sentencing laws such as the “three strikes your out.” We have waged the un-winnable War on Drugs and sought to head off AIDS and teenage pregnancy with medical paraphernalia, but even though the statics vary and fluctuate, the condition of our society undeniably continues to worsen. Most of these attempts have been as effective and fear provoking as a sword swung in darkness. The plans for the next President, whomever he or she might be, will likely have the same dismal impact upon our collective mores. So what is the Christian to do?

When I was a fireman, one of the first things you are shown about firefighting involves a fire extinguisher. They lit a pan of diesel fuel and instructed on how to properly squelched the flames. And by that demonstration it was clear that you could empty a dozen fire extinguishers trying to put that fire out as long as you were aiming at the hot raging flames. Yet in contrast, with but a brief blast aimed at the source or base of the fire it quickly went out.

Friends, there is hardly a clearer illustration available than this one as it relates to combating worldly sin. We can fight the War on Drugs forever, pass out condoms until the end of time, and continue slapping people on their wrists of their crimes harder and harder, but the fires of Hell will only burn all the brighter.

“What shall we do,” you ask? Well the foundational problem is godlessness. This has resulted in what I see as the greatest reason our moral fabric is rotting: A lack of family values. In fact, there is a lack of families period. One of the greatest wonders and holy gifts God ever gave mankind is the family. In an nation that tries to solve its problems with unending legislation and a motto that “it takes a village to raise a child,” we are headed for real trouble. Because it does not take a village or a nation, but a mommy and a daddy with a submission to God to raise a child.

“Why,” I ask myself. Why do so many ignore the divine design of God and create single parent homes, latchkey children, “same-sex marriages,” and leave children emotionally and physically abused. This is the same dumbfounding interrogative tactic used by proponents of homosexuality. “If this is a choice of life-style, why would anyone choose it in the face of so much persecution?” A seemingly hard question, but the fact is, people choose socially unacceptable behavior all the time. Is it popularly acceptable to murder, steal, or cheat? If we assume that behavior that is unfathomable to us is equally so for everyone, we are sadly mistaken. I actually heard a radio talk show host the other day that said we must have sympathy for pedophiles because they must have been born that way. With such tolerance, we are in real trouble.

The problem is our pleasure oriented society. Boredom is a chronic symptom of a pleasure-obsessed age. When pleasure becomes our number one priority, the result, ironically, is boredom. That is why a child sits in a room filled with every conceivable toy and electronic game, yet still claims to be bored. From the countess people I have talked to, it is also why most marriages break up. She says, “I need my freedom;” He says, “I want someone new.”

Being obsessed with pleasure only leaves you wanting for more, like an insatiable drug craving. Solomon said, “Have you found honey? Eat only as much as you need, lest you be filled with it and vomit.”(Prov. 25:16) I do not suggest that we must live as Gnostic hermits, but as joyful Christians. The people in this world know they are missing something, but they don’t know what it is. It is the joy that can only be attained in Christ. This void cannot be filled with any worldly pleasure, no matter how much of it you take. They are taking a pleasure trip to Hell. It is not until they heed this fact and begin restoring our families that this country will ever improve. A turn toward God will be the only turn for the better.

So, if the problem really is godlessness, the solution must be God. More money isn't going to help. Mere change in policy won't help. It is time, past due in fact, that New Testament Christians take a stand. By that, I don't mean stand up and shout louder than everyone else, I mean stand up for Jesus. Lead your family on the path of righteousness. Live your Christianity at your job and neighborhood and where ever you go. Not wielding your Bible as a club, but with joy as your attitude, your speech seasoned with grace, and your actions guided by love. Then when you draw people with your Christ-likeness, they will find the Words of Life palatable.

Lest anyone try and convince you that our founding fathers hand any other plan of success, listen to one of their greatest orators, Patrick Henry:

"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ! For this very reason peoples of faiths have been afforded asylum, and freedom of worship here."

The country is not saved from the wildfires of self destruction that claimed all of its predecessors by aiming at the hot flaming issues of the day; we save her by shooting right at the base of the problem and restoring God to her foundation.

Our country is restored one person at a time. Jesus didn't talk much about politics because he knew that Christians could have little affect upon a nation by insisting others adopt their views. However, He did realize that Christian leaders can make a great difference, and that in a republic such as ours, a majority of faithful Christians can make a difference. We cannot expect the world to agree with our heart and mind unless they have the same heart and mind. Patrick Henry was right! The Gospel of Jesus Christ must be lifted up if we are ever to have hope.

The only way God's children can hope to reopen God's floodgates upon our nation is to follow His advice.

"If I shut up the heavens, and there is no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send a plague among My people; if My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now My eyes shall be open, and My ears shall be open to the prayer of this place." 2 Chronicles 7:13-15