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Philippians 1:21, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”  Paul

For the person that do not know Jesus Christ as Savior, death can be a fearful event.  The Life in the Spirit Study Bible give this note on Philippians 1:21, “True Believers in Christ need not fear death.  They know that God has a purpose for their living and that death, when it comes, is simply the end of their earthly mission and the beginning of a greater life with Christ.”  I used to tell students that death was like walking through a door; it was like walking from one room into another. 

For the apostle Paul, this statement was both his motive and his mission.  Matthew Henry’s Commentary gives these thoughts about Paul’s life, “The glory of Christ ought to be the end of our life, the grace of Christ the principle of our life, and the word of Christ the rule of it.  The Christian life is derived from Christ, and directed to him. He is the principle, rule, and end of it.”  His goal, his desire was to be with Christ in heaven but he knew that his mission on earth was not complete.  It was the knowledge of being with Christ for eternity that made his labor on earth worthwhile.

Charlotte’s mother found herself in the arms of Jesus yesterday morning; she had walked through that door, hearing Jesus tell her “well done good and faithful servant”.  She was close to age 96 and had served the Lord faithfully for many years, touching many many lives.  I happened to be one of them.  One Sunday morning (no church!!!) my parents and I took her daughter to visit my grandparents.  Eunice did not like that and told Charlotte “that’s what happens when you date someone who isn’t a Christian!”  What a surprise for me because I went to church, Sunday School, and youth organizations and thought I was a Christian.  It had an obvious affect on me as you can tell.  Over the years our discussions about the Lord became pretty thought provoking.  I remember having the opportunity to speak at the Hansell Methodist Church and watching her as I spoke.  Her eyes very seldom looked up causing me to wonder if I had her approval or not.  She meant a lot to many people who were involved in her Sunday School classes, her friends and neighbors and family.   We had the opportunity to have her in our home until it was necessary for her to go to a nursing facility.  She enjoyed sitting on our deck, watching the cars through our fence, telling us we had too many trees; it was fun hearing her laughter at silly things.  She was ready to go to be with Jesus and told us that.  I always replied she was going in the rapture of the church with us; I was wrong. 

Rest in peace, Eunice!  We will see you soon.

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Galatians 5:16-17, I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.  For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things you wish.

The game of tug-of-war has been a game of strength, coordination, and the ability of a team to work together.  It is fun to see two teams pulling against each other to see who can pull the other team to a designated point for a win.  It has been even more fun when there is a mud puddle in the middle of the rope. 

I have often felt I was the rope in a tug-of-war; with the Spirit of God pulling against flesh.  On the one side the desire to please God and be the person He desires me to be pulling against the lusts that the flesh (sin) has so deeply rooted within me.  Do you remember the old cartoons where an angel would be talking into one ear of the cartoon character and a devil was talking into the other ear?  That seems to be what happens so often in our spiritual walk with the Lord.

One must remember that struggles do not stop when one gives their life to Christ.  One is saved through Christ’s death on the cross; this person is regenerated, born again.  But the person is not perfected – that happens when one gets to heaven.  I know how God expects me to act and talk; I do not always do it.  However, I am no longer a slave to sin.  When I sin, I ask for forgiveness, knowing that the Lord is faithful and He forgives me.  That does not give me a license to sin.  Confession of sin is so important! God’s grace is certainly amazing.

You and I must recognize when that struggle is occurring.  Actually, we just need to know it occurs daily!  It is warfare!  We must decide that we are going to walk according to the way God desires us to live. We know what is right and what is wrong. We stand against the deceptive ways of the devil.  When we stand the devil has to flees from us.  That is a promise in God’s Word.

It is with a heavy heart that I write this morning.  Charlotte’s precious mother passed away early this morning.  I ask you to pray for the family as plans are being made. 

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Malachi 1:6, A son honors his father, and a servant his master.  If then I am the Father, where is My honor?  If I am the Master, where is my reverence? Says the Lord of Hosts

My friend, D. C. Adkisson wrote the other day a very nice tribute about his father for Father’s Day.  It made me reflect on my father.  It is always more fun to remember the good things, the fun things that happened when one was growing up.  It was always fun to pull a prank on Dad; he was easy.  Usually the prank made all of us laugh.  He taught me a lot as I observed him – much of it was unlearned very quickly after I got married!  He was not good at all about communicating his feelings, but he enjoyed my sister and me and our families being home; his love for us and his grandchildren was understood.  I suppose each of us would like to have moments back in order to say things to our fathers that need to be said; I would. 

I enjoy being with my family so much.  There have been a lot of great memories to reflect on.  Thankfully, we have been able to remain a part of our daughters’ families and enjoy what they are involved with.  Family must be a priority!

We have a heavenly Father who desires to fellowship with His children.  I imagine that “desire” is not a strong enough word.  Yes, He knows our every thought and word.  But He wants us to tell Him about our joys and our sorrows.  He desires an intimate relationship through prayer, reading His Word, and through the lives we live.   To “honor” someone is to treat them with great significance.  Our Heavenly Father wants His children to treat Him with great significance.  We do that by thinking before we act or being slow to say something and being slow to anger.  It means giving our very best to Him rather than what ever is “leftover”.  Dr. David Jeremiah states, “When people give less than their best, they deceive themselves by thinking He will blindly accept their token offerings.”  I encourage you to give your very best to God this day!

If you are able, give your father a big hug when you can and share something you remember about him.   But, do not forget your Heavenly Father.  Take some time to tell Him your love for Him.  Remember the things He has done that you, treasure in your heart those things you are thankful for.

To you fathers – Happy Father’s Day.

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Genesis 42:1-2, When Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?” And he said, “Indeed I have heard there is grain in Egypt; go down to that place and buy for us there, that we may live and not die.”

Seven years of plenty and seven years of famine was the interpretation of Pharaoh’s two dreams.  God, through Joseph, prepared Egypt for what He was going to do in the world. When the seven years of famine came Joseph’s father and brothers were affected by it; they went to Egypt to buy grain.  Remember the dreams Joseph had that his brothers would bow to him.  The dreams were about to come true, and ultimately, Jacob, his sons, and their wives would move to Egypt.  It is interesting that Canaan was the land of promise; yet, there was famine in the land.  Egypt was the land where Noah’s son, Ham, settled.  It had grain.  All this was directed by God to serve his purpose.

Matthew Henry’s Commentary states this:

It is observable that all the three patriarches, to whom Canaan was the land of promise, met with famine in that land, which was not only to try their faith, whether they could trust God though he should slay them, though he should starve them, but to teach them to seek the better country, that is, the heavenly, (see Hebrews 11:14-16). We have need of something to wean us from this world, and make us long for a better.

God knew that if the Hebrew people stayed in Canaan, they would conform or become like the pagan culture that existed there.  God’s plan of sending Joseph to Egypt to become second to Pharaoh himself is now bearing fruit – the saving of God’s people during famine and from losing their identity.  The Lord used the famine to make them move from Canaan into what was His careful plan of provision.

God is still on His throne, still in control of all things.  What is His plan as we see the events of today unfolding?  A pandemic that we still do not understand and does not seem to be going away, unemployment, trillions of dollars in debt, protests, rioting, looting, cities being taken over are serious concerns.  What do we make of it all?  What is God saying to us?  Perhaps Mark Batterson’s comment needs to be considered.  He said, “The circumstances we ask God to change are often the circumstance God uses to change us.”  If the things happening would make us better people, a better society, bring real change that would be called righteous, all this might be good.  Or, perhaps God has some other end in mind. 

I refer back to Matthew Henry’s Commentary and think that God is telling His people to seek the better country, that is, the heavenly.” 

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Matthew 14:31, And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Okay.  You have been knocked down – perhaps again.  What do you do when you are down?  Do you lay there feeling sorry for yourself or get up?  It can be really difficult getting up because we like to wallow in self-pity, blaming everyone and everything else for the situation you got yourself into.  Am I wrong?  You allowed a particular thought to linger in your mind too long.  You knew something was wrong with the deal you were making but did it anyway.  You knew you should not have taken that first ____ but did it anyway.  Get the pattern?  Once the action was done, eventually comes the consequence.  And you would not be in the situation if only …..  I have been there!   It is not easy to get up.  Embarrassment, damaged reputation, the hurting of loved ones and others can be a difficult reality.  I might add that this can happen to the person who is trying to do good for all the right reasons but gets knocked down in the process.

The biblical account of Jesus walking on the water to meet His disciples gives me some perspective on what has been discussed about being knocked down.  Peter had said to the Lord, “If it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”  The Lord told him to come.  So, Peter got out of the boat, walked on the water, took his eyes off the Lord, looked at the waves and began to sink.  He took his eyes off the Lord and got into trouble – he got knocked down (or began to sink).  The non-believer never has his eyes on the Lord; but the Believer gets into trouble when he takes his eyes off the Lord and looks at the world around him.

Here is what I really like about this account of Peter.  He looked up to the One who could help him.  There was no long prayer, only a sincere plea for help so he could get up.  “Lord, save me!”  When Peter chose to get out of the boat to follow Jesus he was totally relying on Jesus.  But his attention was diverted to the circumstances around him.  Isn’t this what happens to us when we take our eyes off the Lord and try to do things in our own power and get knocked down? 

Do you think Peter failed that night?  No, he just got knocked down.  But Jesus was there to help him up.  He is there to help us up when we get knocked down as well.  It is by His love, His grace, and His power that we get up.  Does that eliminate the consequences?  No!  But He will be with us as we go through them.  I believe that is enough. 

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Genesis 39:23b, …because the Lord was with him (Joseph), and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.

In the last page of the blog, the discussion was about getting back up when one was knocked down.  Getting knocked down can come in different ways.  Bad decisions can have bad results.  For example, poor investments can cause one to lose what they invest.  Hiring individuals to do some remodeling in your house without checking their references could lead to a disaster.  Losing a job or an unexpected illness or all sorts of thing can cause a person to be knocked down.  Their reaction and what they do next is important.  So, let’s look at some biblical examples of people who were knocked down and what they did.

Joseph was the son of Jacob; “Jacob loved Joseph more than his other sons because he was the son of his old age” (Genesis 37:3) and was born to Rachel, his beloved wife.  The favor position Joseph was given caused problems with his brothers who eventually sold him to Midianites traveling to Egypt.  The Midianites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar.  Because the Lord was with Joseph and the Lord made all he did to prosper, he found favor with Potiphar and was made overseer of Potiphar’s house.  But because he was “handsome in form and appearance” Potiphar’s wife continually tried to get Joseph to “lie with her”.  His refusal eventually caused her to accuse him of wronging her.  This led him to be put into prison – knocked down again.  Yet again, Lord was with Joseph and the Lord made all he did to prosper, he found favor with the keeper of the prison.  Once again, Joseph organized all that went on in the prison.  Eventually, Joseph interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh, told him about a coming famine and what Pharaoh needed to do.  Joseph was made second in command of Egypt and eventually saved his family from starvation in the famine.

Why look at the life of Joseph?  Simply because he was knocked down many times and got up each time to serve in ways the Lord wanted him to.  In Genesis 39, it is said, “the Lord was with Joseph” four times.  Because Joseph honored God, God honored him.  Those who fear God and acknowledge Him in all their ways have the promise that God will direct their paths (Proverbs 3:5-7).  Joseph maintained his faith in God through each of the times he got knocked down he rose to a position of authority.  The bible emphasizes that God may not cause all things to happen, He can use difficult circumstances to work together for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28)

We may not always see how God is working through the events of our lives.  Look back at the results of some difficult situations that you have gone through, when you have been knocked down.  Do you see anything that God did because of the situation you went through?  That answer might not be answered until you get to heaven.  Perhaps you are in one of those situations right now.  Are you going to stay down or get up?  Are you going to be angry with God or are you going to be like Joseph? I want to be like Joseph as he said, “… you (meaning whatever caused you to be knocked down) meant evil against me, but God meant it for good…”

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Proverbs 24:16, For the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9, We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;

I never thought I would ever quote George Armstrong Custer, but here is what he said. “It's not how many times you get knocked down that count, it's how many times you get back up.”  Jackie Chan said, “Life will knock us down, but, we can choose whether to or not to stand back up.”  And, Les Brown said, “If life knocks you down, try to land on your back. Because if you can look up, you can get up. And if you get up, you can stand up. And if you stand up, you can fight for your dream once again. You have something special. You have GREATNESS within you!”

Life!  Life is not fair.  How many times have you heard someone say, “That’s not fair!”  I suppose when one does not get their own way, life is unfair to them. When a Christian looks at how the ungodly prospers, it could be easy to say “That’s not fair!”  Christian, be aware of that trap.  How often does one use the term in order to be treated the same as someone else? 

 

What does fair mean?  The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines fair as characterized by honesty and justice : free from self-interest, deception, injustice, or favoritism a fair and impartial tribunal.  Life does not often look like that, does it.  Life has a way of knocking people off their feet – a job is lost, a bad investment is made, a careless word is given or received.  Yes, sadness, troubles, weakness, and fear are experienced by everyone, even Christians.  But the difference is the reaction given to these things; one can stay down and be defeated or can get up and learn from whatever knocked them down.  It can be easy to stay down and think everyone else is to blame for your situation.  That is not the answer.  Examine the world today; there is a need for change, a need to protest.  Rioting and looting is not the answer.

 

Believers must understand that because Christ resides within them, they are not defeated; Christianity is not the removal of the challenges of life.  No, those challenges, those set- backs, and being knocked down are opportunities for God’s power to manifest itself in you.  People watch Christians to see how they react to life’s situations.  Opportunities arise to show the “world” that they are more than conquerors by God’s power and love (Romans 8:37).  When a Christian gets knocked down because of weakness, trial, or suffering, the grace of Christ can be revealed.  Because Christ is in the life of a Christian no sickness, trial, or tragedy will cause you to be defeated spiritually.  

Be encouraged if you are experiencing an outward circumstance that is trying or has knocked you down.  Your human resources might be exhausted, but God gives His resources to expand your faith, hope, and strength.  If you have been knocked down, the hand of Jesus is being extended to you to help you get back up.  Go back and read the quotes in the opening paragraph.  I think God shines brightest through those who have been knocked down and allows Him to show others their trust and faith in Him as they get back up again.

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1 Timothy 6:6, Now godliness with contentment is great gain.

Philippians 4:11, Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.

Do you ever look at what others have and wonder why or how they were able to have what they have?  Do you ever wish that you could live in a different house or drive a different vehicle or _______________ (you fill in the blank)?  I believe that another aspect of spiritual warfare is the enemy’s attempt to get you to desire more than you have or to desire what others have.  Our mind then gets on worldly things, worldly possessions.  When that happens, our mind becomes focused away from being content with what we have.

What is contentment?  Contentment can be defined as a “state of peaceful happiness” or a “state of satisfaction” (defined by the dictionary).  A Bible dictionary defines it this way, to be free from care because of satisfaction with what is already one’s own.  For the Christian, the key to contentment is to realize that God has given them everything he or she needs to remain victorious in Christ.  The Life in the Spirit Study Bible has this note in it, “The ability to live triumphantly above changing circumstances comes from Christ’s power flowing in and through you.  This ability does not come naturally, however; it must be learned through dependence in Christ.”  Dr. David Jeremiah states, “Contentment is a choice, cultivated by continually resisting the discontented spirit of the age; it is not happenstance.”  Charles Kelly wrote, “Christian contentment is the God-given ability to be satisfied with the loving provision of God in any and every situation.” 

If you believe that contentment is great gain, then you need to be prepared for the devil attempting to keep you discontent, looking at what others have and telling you that you deserve what they have.  The commercials tell you that you “deserve” to have whatever they are selling.  The salesperson tells you that you deserve to do this for yourself.  Pretty soon you are believing that you are a good person and you do deserve ______.  Take a moment to think about what you have.  I have more than enough “stuff”; I have food, clothing, and shelter.  I need to be content.  I realize I am able to say this because of my place in time – just consider what you desire and why.

Paul stated that “godliness with contentment is great gain”.  True godliness means a person trusts God to provide everything and learns to be content with what He gives.  God is not opposed to our having things; it seems our attitude toward them is what He opposes.   It  should be enough to know that He gives according to our needs and not our wants.  It should be kept in mind that our happiness is temporary and fleeting; our joy and contentment are eternal. 

Are you content this day or are you looking to what others have?  Is your desire for more stuff or are you content and thankful with what you have?  Are you willing to help others with what you have?  Do you trust God to provide for your needs?  Just some thoughts to get you to examine yourself and your level of contentment.

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2 Corinthians 10:3-5, For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.  For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

I have had trouble with my thoughts lately.  It seems when the devil wants to mess with me, he tries to put all sorts of things into my mind.  Sometimes he tries to get me to worry about something; another time it might be to want something I don’t need or cannot have.  He is pretty sly at slipping things in my mind and has had more success this week than normal. 

Paul discusses spiritual warfare in several of his writings.  It is important to know that the devil hates God and all Christians and does all he can to destroy or ruin their Christian testimony.  Because this warfare is in the spiritual realm, worldly weapons will not work.  Worldly weapons such as violence, political solutions, human ingenuity, talents, wealth, organizational skills, and charisma will not be adequate to battle against the schemes of the devil.  The only weapons adequate to battle the forces of Satan and his false teaching and lies are the weapons God gives.  These would include the blood of Jesus, the authority of Jesus’ name, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the spiritual gifts.

When I have these days where I know my thoughts are being attacked, I have two choices; I can either give into them or I can “take them captive to the obedience of Christ”.  What exactly does that mean?  Christian warfare involves bringing all our thoughts into alignment with Christ’s will.  If this is not done, the mind will think upon all sorts of things.  James tells us, “each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.  Then when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is full-grown, brings forth death.” (James 1:14-15).   That is why we must stop the temptation that comes through our thoughts immediately.

Here are some things to consider to take your thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ. First, know that God knows even our thoughts; nothing is hidden from Him.  Second, be aware that some thoughts originate with you and others come directly from the enemy – the mind is a battleground!  You must resist and reject evil and unpleasant thoughts in the name of Jesus Christ.  Remember that the blood of Jesus Christ and His Name are spiritual weapons.  Third, keep your mind focused on Christ and heavenly things rather than on earthly things by filling your mind with God’s Word (see Philippians 4:8 – which has been a key verse for me!).  Lastly, be careful what you allow your eyes to see and your ears to hear.  There are too many opportunities to fill your mind with ungodliness today!

Be proactive when the devil begins to tempt you and do not put yourself into situations that allow you to be tempted.  Resist the devil and he has to flee from you! (James 4:7).  It really is our responsibility to “take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ”.  Why not begin today!

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Matthew 10:34, Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth.  I did not come to bring peace but a sword.”

Luke 12:51, “Do you suppose That I came to give peace on earth?  I tell you, not at all, but rather division.”

Isaiah 9:6 contains some strong names for Jesus Christ.  There He is called the “Prince of Peace”.  How can He be called the “Prince of Peace” and then say He had come to bring a sword (contention) and division?  There it is – the Bible does contradict itself!  No! No! No!

The peace that Christ brings is eternal peace and is for the one who believes in Him.  No matter what is happening in the world around me, I can have the inner peace and truth abides within because Truth is Jesus Christ.  That is faith. 

The division comes because of those who neither love nor want the truth.  Faith separates the believer from the sinner and the world. The message of the Gospel divides and often brings persecution.  More and more those who believe in Christ as their Savior are being ridiculed and being persecuted.  Think about how slowly godly living has been taken away from us and false beliefs have been substituted.  In the 1960s, God was taken out of the schools.  In the early 1970s abortion was legalized.  Since then, the Ten Commandments have been removed from many public places. Manger scenes at Christmas time have been challenged.  Prayer before many high school and other public events has been removed.  And the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have challenged anything that relates to God, the Bible and everything to do with Christianity.  Anyone that desires to live according to God’s standards in the Bible is ridiculed.

If you go back and read the verses before and after the specific scriptures used above, you will see that Jesus was warning His followers that if they openly professed their faith in Him tension was going to occur.  Faith in Christ was going to cause division within families.  Often times members of the same family believe differently.  The verses following the above scripture tell that family members will be against each other.  This does not only occur between Muslim, or Hindu, or any other religious groups; it occurs where families go to church but have not professed a belief in Jesus Christ. 

The concept of separation from evil is fundamental to true Christianity.  God’s people are to separate themselves morally and spiritually from sin.  They are to draw near to Him through prayer, His Word, worship and thanksgiving.  The new Testament calls Believers to be separate from the corrupt world system and from unholy compromise.  To do this will certainly bring separation and division in the family unit and from those who are friends with the world.  It will bring ridicule and even persecution as the times move forward.

Jesus told us to count the cost in Luke 14:28. He is telling us whoever would follow Him to be sure he or she is willing and prepared to face the division.  The cost of real discipleship is to be willing to give up all relationships and possessions by placing them in the service of Christ to be used for His glory.

You might not have sensed the division discussed here.  You might not have lost your job because of your faith in Jesus Christ.  You might not know the division in your family over Jesus Christ.  You might not have faced persecution because of your faith.  Know that there are those who have; take time to remember them in your prayer time.  Be thankful for the inner peace that a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ brings.  He is good – all the time.

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Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”

Another comment during this weekend’s conversation between Dr. Ed Newton and Pastor Louie Giglio was keeping the message of Jesus Christ “culturally relevant without compromising the Gospel”.  One of the two mentioned that Jesus is relevant across the spectrum of time.  Yes, He is.  Hebrews 13:8 states, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”  Matthew Henry’s Commentary has to say about the words of Jesus, “The word of Christ is more sure and lasting than heaven and earth. Hath he spoken? And shall he not do it? We may build with more assurance upon the word of Christ than we can upon the pillars of heaven, or the strong foundations of the earth; for, when they shall be made to tremble and totter, and shall be no more, the word of Christ shall remain, and be in full force, power, and virtue.”

The gospel does not change.  One is saved through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross and His resurrection gives assurance to all who call upon His Name will rise again to be with Him eternally.  Does He promise that life after our salvation will be easy and fun and games?  No!  In fact, He said that because the world hated Him, the world would hate those who followed Him.

Jesus said that if we loved Him, we would follow His commandments – the greatest being to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.”  The second being, “to love your neighbor as yourself.”  This sort of love cannot happen without the love of God being in you through accepting the salvation He offers.  That has not changed.  Man’s (or the world’s) definition of this has changed as witnessed by what we are seeing in the news every day. 

The answer to the statement of being culturally relevant today without compromising the gospel, seems to me to preach the words of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  They cannot be changed or modified to fit what the world wants to hear.  Jesus did not come into the world to fit in; he came to bring division (more on this tomorrow).  The gospel might not be happening, being fulfilled as we want nor in the time we desire.  But know that every word of Jesus Christ will surely come to pass.

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Romans 8:28, For we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those according to His purpose.

I have been trying to find some meaning of all that has happened since March.  Has there been some purpose to having everything shut down, restrictions being put in place to shut down businesses and churches?  All of us have been affected in some way; normal routines of life and worship have greatly changed.  Is this the end of the world as we know it?  The answer remains that only God knows.  I have been surprised at the number of spiritual leaders who have laughed and said no, while others do not have an answer. 

Community Bible Church has been going through a series of interviews with some very interesting people.  This past weekend Louie Giglio was interviewed.  There were some interesting comments and questions during this discussion. One particular question really caught my attention.  “What does the Church need to keep when they can get back into their building?”  The answer given by Pastor Giglio referred to what Jesus said in Matthew 9:17, “Nor do you put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined.  But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”  The wine here is referring to the Holy Spirit.  Jesus was saying that salvation was not an improvement of man’s old nature; salvation in Him is a new nature, a new creation, which is accompanied by the Holy Spirit.

So, just what was pastor Giglio’s meaning?  Perhaps the Church needs to rethink some of the programs it is involved with.  Maybe some of the “old wineskins” need to be gotten rid of.  Perhaps the Church needs to allow the Holy Spirit to guide it back to the basics of Christianity, the good that God does in conforming lives to the image of Christ and ultimately bringing that about.  Perhaps, churches are so concerned with programs that they have forgotten their purpose is to bring honor and glory to God.  Programs can be good; but programs for program sake – well, they are just things that occupy one’s time. 

Just some thoughts to ponder as churches begin to reopen.  It seems discussion about purpose should be part of that reopening.

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1 John 2:15-17, Do not love the world or the things of the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world.  And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

Okay, this is being used again.  But, my friend, D. C. Adkisson wrote in his daily writing (Echoes from the Campfire) a great explanation for what this Scripture is about.  Check it out.

I used to keep a sign in my classroom:  NO WHINING!  Whining is one of those things I cannot tolerate.  That's one reason I don't watch professional sports much anymore--they're a bunch of whiners.  Especially when it comes to money.  My kids learned real quick not to whine.

There is a difference between crying and whining.  Crying usually indicates some kind of need.  When a baby cries it has a need, but soon the parents must learn between crying and whining.  What we are seeing in the streets of our cities right now is what happens to whining.  They let it out by throwing a tantrum.  The thing is, when a child throws a tantrum usually no one is hurt, but when older "children" throw tantrums people may die. The kid laying on the floor throwing a tantrum if not dealt with becomes a hoodlum. Someone, because they don't get their own way becomes a threat to society.

A baby cries--I'm hungry."  An adult-baby whines--"I want my way."  A child gets hurt and cries; a hoodlum thinks he is getting picked on and he throws a brick when no one is looking.  It is distinguishing between "needs" and "wants."  What is it that you really "need" versus what is it that you "want"?  
What we need is Jesus Christ.  But the devil promises to fulfill what your evil heart desires.  He promises to fulfill all your wants:  lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and the pride of life.  Paul says, "And my God shall supply all your NEED according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19, NKJV, emphasis added).  Some version make it plural--"needs"--but what do we really need?  Jesus Christ!  Back to one of my pet peeves--whining.  There is nothing worse than a Christian whining.  "Woe is me, I need a blessing."  God doesn't necessarily want to make you comfortable.  What that person is really whining is that "I'm spoiled, and I deserve it."  
The destruction of other people's property and the endangerment of their lives is the result of a permissive society.  A society where the parent(s) would not or could not say "NO" to their little darlings.  Pampering leads to whining and whining leads to a selfish person.  A person who believes that he is entitled.
I pity those who are caught up in themselves.  If they do not come to the realization that they need Christ; one day the whining will stop and the crying will be for real.
                           Ira Paine

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1 John 2:15-17, Do not love the world or the things of the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world.  And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

I know - I used this scripture yesterday.  There are a few more teachable thoughts to encourage you.  My goal for this blog has been to encourage you to be strong in God’s Word, to bring out words of encouragement that will help us walk in the way God desires us to walk.  These are perilous times; times when we all need to be shaken out of our complacency, our every day as usual type of living.

Yesterday, I tried to define the “world” as that which is controlled and influences by Satan.  We are to be set apart from it.  James 4:4 states this relationship this way, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?  Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”  Who would want to be an enemy of God?

Lust represents desire; it results when we want our own way.  John speaks that all that is in the world comes from our desire to indulge the flesh (physical temptations), what the eyes see (greed, envy), and the desire to be recognized (pride).  For whatever reason, when we think of lust our mind automatically goes to sexual temptations.  Lust would also include gluttony, love of money or power, among other things.

A long time ago, I read a book called The Kingdom of Self.  It explained that this attitude we are discussing develops from the time of birth.  Yes, babies need our attention – they cry to let parents know that they need a diaper change, when they are hungry, and when they just want attention.  However, this desire for attention only continues as parents give in every time a tantrum is thrown in order to get their way.  How many times do we see children crying and doing other things until they get what they want?  If this self-centered attitude is not brought to an end – well, just look at people today.  The trap is set early for the lust of the world to be in people and we have the problems we see today.

Notice the last verse of this passage.  The world is passing away.  But, “but he who does the will of God abides forever”.  We probably should be asking ourselves if there is anything more important to us than God.  If there is, it is an idol.  Perhaps there is another question we should consider.  Is this activity that I’ve been involved with tempting me toward sin or helping me be entertained by sin?  If something makes God in His holiness angry, why should we desire to be entertained by it? 

If you think I am pointing a finger at you this morning, I have more fingers pointing back at me.  This would be a good time to take a few minutes alone with the Lord to examine ourselves.  Allow Him to show and convict us of those things in our lives that are “worldly” and needs His forgiveness to correct.  I encourage you to love the beauty of God’s world!

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1 John 2:15-17, Do not love the world or the things of the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world.  And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

Maybe it is the events that are happening in this country and around the world today that have got me considering what this passage of Scripture is saying.  Maybe it is just something I need to deal with in my own life.  So, here is the basic question.  What does it mean to “not love the world or the things of the world”?  How does this relate to John 3:16 which says “For God so loved the world that He sent His Son to die for whosoever believes” (my paraphrase of the entire verse).  I had to do some research on what this “world” means.

“Do not love the world” from the verses above does not refer to “do not love the world of John 3:16.  Randy Acorn states, “It does not mean that God loved the sin of the world.  It means God loved the people of the world.  Obviously when Scripture says to us in 1 John 2, ‘Don’t love the world,’ it is not telling us ‘Don’t love the people in the world.’  Rather, it is telling us, ‘Don’t love the sin in the world.’”

Let me share more of what I found to be quite interesting.  The term “world” is from the Greek word kosmos and is often referred to as the system of this age that Satan promotes and that exists independent of God.  It is the evil, immoral, and sinful lifestyle and values of the world.  It also refers to the spirit of rebellion against God.  In this world, Satan uses the world’s morality, philosophies, psychology, governments, education, science, medicine, economic systems, entertainment, fashions, sports, media, and religions to oppose God.  Wow!  I doubt all has been covered but do you get the idea?  I should add that when these things oppose God, they also oppose His Word, His people, and His righteous standards!  When Satan uses these things he is using them to promote humanistic philosophies, break down modesty, and to undermine Biblical values.  He is trying to create “lukewarm” Christians who are more concerned about the latest trends and popular events that draw our attention away from God. It is interesting to me that all of these things have been stopped or postponed due to the Covid-19.  What is God saying to us?

To love the world means to be in fellowship with its values, interests and pleasures.  It means to enjoy what is offensive to God.  It seems pretty easy to say that we should oppose the things of the world; it is more difficult to actually live out those words.  I really look forward to the college sports, for example.  I love my family so very much.  But, I have learned that when I put any sports or my family above God, I make them an idol. The last verse of 1 John warns against putting anything before God. 

I need to spend some time allowing the Lord to reveal to me anything I place before Him.  I encourage you to take some quiet time today to do the same thing.

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Genesis 2:18, And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone.  I will make him a helper comparable to him.”

June 2, 1968 Charlotte and I both said, “I do!”  Today, we celebrate fifty-two years of marriage.  Together we have been able to see many places, do a lot of different things.  We have laughed as we went through times of great joy and went through some difficult times together.  We have enjoyed watching our daughters grow up and been very thankful each of them allowed us to be a part of their families.  And I wonder where the time has gone so quickly.

We were pretty young when we got married; we had to learn how to do simple things because all we really had to go on was what we had experienced in our homes growing up.  Sometimes that worked out and sometimes that did not work out so well.  I learned quickly that how my dad did things were not going to be acceptable.    So, we went through different stages of growing in this new relationship; each of us learned about give and take.  It was a good thing for me to not be alone.

We have entered a different stage in our marriage called retirement.  I have often joked that we have never spent this much time together except during vacations.  We both had work to go to.  The stay-at-home requirements of Covid-19 has prevented us from doing some things we would have liked to do as retirees – we look forward to restrictions being lifted and wonder what things will be like when they are.

As I write this I have been reflecting over fifty-two years together.  We made a commitment to one another.  I think that commitment has become stronger over the years because of the struggles we faced together.  I know that when we made Jesus Christ the center of our lives our relationship to each other became stronger.  It seems that became the time I began to know what love was really about.  It was a good thing for me to not be alone.

So, happy anniversary, Charlotte!  May we have many more to come!

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Hebrews 4:9-10, There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.  For he who has entered His rest has himself ceased from his works as God did from His.

I have been redoing some areas in our backyard where grass does not grow; I have been told that there is not enough sunlight hitting the area.  Lots of wheelbarrows of dirt and mulch to the back have caused me to be pretty tired at the end of the day.  It seems the need for rest came a lot quicker than a few years ago.

We know the importance of rest for our body at the end of a day’s work.  If we do not get a proper night of rest, there will be consequences the next day.  If physical rest is necessary for our physical body, spiritual rest is even more important for our spiritual well-being.  The author of Hebrews warns us about failure to enter God’s rest, due to unbelief, a hardened heart, and disobedience.  It seems easy to understand how one can fail to rest, but to understand the term “rest” seems unclear.

If one is to “rest” he needs to cease from doing work.  Now don’t go crazy on me this morning.  By ceasing to do work, I mean to cease striving to please God by doing works.  You cannot do enough good works to be perfect.  Rest is to cease from the legalistic things you are doing to try to please Him; just rest in His grace.

To “rest” means to be free from all those things that worry you or from whatever creates worry in your mind.  Jesus said not to worry about our life; whatever is going to happen will not be stopped by you worrying about it.  I would include the worry over the things you have done in your life.  To be in God’s rest is to be free from guilt because He has already forgiven the things of your past.

To “rest” means to be fixed in your thoughts about whom Jesus Christ is and what He accomplished for each of us at the cross and through His resurrection.  No more running to some philosophy contrary to the Word of God.  No, one is now grounded in God, established and rooted in the vine (John 15).  That is rest!

The David Jeremiah Study Bible, “The believer’s Rest is in Christ’s finished work on the cross.  Rest is not inactivity but harmonious involvement in God’s program.  To enter into God’s rest is to enter into His best!”  We enter that rest by faith in Christ and because the plan of Redemption was finished at the cross.

One other thought needs to be mentioned.  Entering God’s rest is to enter an eternal rest in heaven.  It can actually begin now, while on earth.  It is a ceasing from our labors, our sufferings and participating in God’s rest by experiencing unending joy, love, and fellowship with other Believers.  As God rested on the seventh day from His labor of creation, we too can enjoy rest.  Oh, by the way, it will be a seventh day of rest for eternity!

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