3 Ways to Glorify God All Year Long

In 1932, Robert Macgimsey attended a Christmas Eve service in New York City, and then headed back to his one-room apartment. As he walked the final blocks, he passed by the open doors of private clubs where people were partying with all their might. They didn’t seem to have a clue that it was Christmas Eve, and if they did, they didn’t seem to care. As he stepped over people who had passed out on the sidewalk, he thought to himself, “What a strange way to celebrate the birth of the most perfect Person who ever lived on this earth. These people are missing the whole significance of His life.”

When he finally arrived home, he scribbled some more thoughts on the back of an envelope. His words formed the basis of the popular negro spiritual:

Sweet little Jesus Boy, they made you be born in a manger.
Sweet little holy Child didn’t know who you was.
Didn’t know you’d come to save us, Lord, to take our sins away.
Our eyes was blind, we couldn’t see, we didn’t know who you was

Have we been ignoring Jesus this year? Do we let Christmas pass by without realizing why Jesus came? (Source: Our Daily Bread, December, 24, 2001)

There was little to no fanfare of an earthly sort at the birth of Jesus Christ – the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords!  However, there was much fanfare of a heavenly sort at the birth of Jesus Christ!  When we see or experience the glory and power of God, our response should be much the same – GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST! Take a moment to consider the audience, the angels, and the announcement from Luke 2.

The Audience – Luke 2:8

The Shepherds – they were common folk.  Yet God chose to speak to them!  They were busy about their work, and God used them to declare His message!

You and I today – we are the common folk today.  Yet the God of Heaven has chosen to speak to us through His Word and answered prayer!  Oh may we never be so busy as to shun the calling of God to be used of Him!

• Too busy to hear the call of God for the souls of men?

• Too busy to hear the call of God for the building up of believers?

• Too busy for the call of God to serve Him in & through the local church?

The Angels – Luke 2:9

I love singing in a choir or ensemble. In the late 1980’s and 1990’s I had the opportunity to sing in large choirs and men’s ensembles. One particular Christmas we sang Handel’s Messiah with over 60 voices in the choir.  It was a thrilling experience!

The choir I sang in is no comparison to the choir we read of in Luke 2:13-14. 

When God manifests Himself it often provokes a desire or longing to sing!

What glorious messengers God chose to deliver the glorious news of the birth of our Messiah!  Today, we are the chosen choir!  Are you singing the praises of your Savior and Lord?!

The Announcement – Luke 2:10-12

This news is fulfillment of prophecy!  The Savior is born.  Isaiah and Micah prophesied exactly what is now taking place!  Our deliverer is here — this was amazing news!!

There have been some pretty incredible news days in the recent history of our nation, but none even compares to the September 11, 2001.  Our nation suffered a devastating attack on our own soil in New York City!  Our enemies were laughing with great joy at our defeat.  When I heard the announcement of the attack on the World Trade Center in NYC, a cold shiver ran up and down my spine!  That shiver was one of uncertainty and anger.  When we hear of the announcement of the birth of Jesus Christ – a shiver should go up and down our spine (but not because of uncertainty and anger – that was for King Herod to experience)—a shiver should go up and down our spine for the realization that the promised Messiah has come!  Salvation was soon to be provided through this babe — for us all!  God did exactly what He said He would!

Joseph and Mary were not people of means. Jesus was born in a cave. Mary was pregnant of the Holy Ghost before knowing a man — this is scandalous for this time period! Yet, the angels, the shepherds, and eventually the wise men — all came to give Him glory!!

So, how can we give glory to God today?

3 Ways to Give Glory to God

1.  Choose Him first.

• Choose God first through prayer. Before running to a friend, spouse, sibling, or stranger — run to Christ!

• Choose God first through the Word of God. When seeking advice or counsel. (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:2)

• Choose God first in life decisions. Ask yourself: How does this decision affect my relationship with God?

• Choose God first in relationships. Ask yourself: Am I known for my love of others…a love God shows me and commands me to show others?  Do I reserve this love only for those that are in my comfort zone?

2.  Love His Way. (Col. 3:17, 23)

Our love is seen in our attitude at work, in our marriage, in relating to our kids, in our activity at church, and in public.

Our love is seen in our obedience. Jesus came from heaven to this sin cursed earth. Jesus experienced the challenges we do (but didn’t sin). Jesus had people who wanted to kill him (and he knew it). Jesus was mocked. Jesus was crucified, but on the cross he said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

Our love is seen in our response to trials. Kyle Carpenter is a  Marine who jumped on a grenade in 2014 to save his friend while at a lookout post in Afghanistan.  He has had over 40 surgeries, lost one eye, and spent 3 years in the hospital.  He doesn’t speak of bitterness today.  He speaks of lessons learned,…he speaks of thankfulness…he speaks of living in the present (not the past).  We can give glory to God with a thankful heart, a heart to learn, and a heart that chooses not to dwell on disappointments of the past – when walking the path of trials.

3.  Pursue Him, His way.

BE HIS AMBASSADOR.  Represent God well as His child. Love like He loves. Show mercy like He has shown to you.  II Corinthians 5:20; Luke 6:36.

BE HIS RECONCILER.  That’s right.  We can glorify God in being a reconciler.  It is the job He gave us!  (II Corinthians 5:19).  So – resist grudges, turn from bitterness, forgive quickly and leave it with Jesus...and help others to do the same.  Help others reconcile to God!  Pursue peace & righteousness (Romans 14:19; Matthew 5:6; II Corinthians 5:21).

Sometimes, our ministry of reconciliation is hindered because we (the ones who are to be the reconcilers) are too stubborn and opinionated. We can sometimes confuse our opinions as gospel truth.  This dramatically affects reconciliation.  There.  I said it.  We cannot be reconciling people to God when we are confusing our word with the Word of God!  Maturity is often recognized when one realizes everything does not demand your stated opinion.

BE HUMBLE. Phil. 2:5; James 4:6; Prov. 16:18-19. “Me first” is an attitude of the past for the one who gives glory to God. A pastor delayed his trip a week to take passage on the Titanic with his daughter.  He had attended morning worship on the ship on that fateful day.  When the ship began to sink, he kissed his daughter and placed her on one of the lifeboats.  He gave his life preserver away and was heard saying, “women, children, and the unsaved first!” He had the ship’s band start playing “Nearer, My God to Thee.” When the ship went down, he dove in the water and swam to driftwood where people were clinging and urged them to believe in Jesus. The last person he witnessed to got saved and gave testimony later that they watched the Pastor succumb to hypothermia and slip under the water for the last time.

This life is NOT about us.  This life is about the One who came to give us life.  May we choose to give glory to God – the Savior of the world…my personal Savior.

Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!  Luke 2:1-14

It is Finished: 3 Lies to Stop Believing

Have you ever had someone tell you something that you did not expect to hear, and it totally shocked you?  We all have some of these in common: the assassination attempt on President Reagan, the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger, or 9/11 are all moments in history that shocked us so much that most of us remember what we were doing when we heard the news.  But then there are times that are not so common to the general populous.

 o   I remember when my brother called me to tell me he had aggressive colon cancer.  I sat outside of a church member’s home.  I had just arrived to start a family fun night and my brother called my cell phone to give me the news.  Stunned in silence and then overcome with emotion as I briefly considered the unknown.

 o   I remember when Charis (my wife) announced to me she was pregnant with our fourth child.  You see, two things would usually happen every time she was pregnant.  First, she would start dropping things – a lot.  Second, she would love cutting open a lemon and sucking it dry.  So, to tell me she was pregnant with our fourth child, she came downstairs to my office…waited for me to look up from my sermon preparation…and proceeded to suck a lemon dry to the rind.  With no other words, I looked at her and said, “You’re kidding!”

Shocking statements or announcements have a way of getting our attention, don’t they?  John the Baptist makes a shocking statement in John 1:29 that certainly gained the attention of the Jews of the day.

 “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” 

•  Perfection - “lamb of God.”

This phrase indicates something the Jews of the day would understand. The Jews were in the practice of making sacrifices to God to atone for their sin.  The blood of a PERFECT lamb would need to be shed to atone for their sin. 

To declare Jesus as the lamb of God would declare perfection.  No blemish.  No sin.  This lamb didn’t require judgment, so He would be free to take other’s judgment in their stead.

• Sacrifice – “lamb of God.” 

The Jews of the day would also understand that this phrase referred to Jesus as a sacrifice.  A fatal sacrifice would be the thinking as they compared this declaration to their practice of sacrificing a lamb for their sins. 

This would be a jarring declaration, but it probably presented some confusion as well.  We know the disciples didn’t fully understand His purpose from the beginning AND the Jewish people largely looked at Jesus as the earthly king to save them from Roman oppression.

 

• Payment – “which taketh away the sin of the world.”

This would apply to everyone.  World-wide. Complete removal of judgment available to all who accept this sacrifice (this payment) as their own.

 We all want the truth.  Right?  Well,  maybe not.  Have you ever had someone ask you if this outfit made them look fat?  Or they got a new haircut and they ask if you like it?  They usually want you to flatter them no matter what you really think.  Right?  I mean, who wants to tell someone they look fat or their haircut is a devastating mistake?!

 Sometimes, our human reasoning leads us to want to believe a lie instead of the truth. These three truths (perfection, sacrifice, and payment) lead us to reckon three beliefs as lies.

3 Lies to Stop Believing

 1.      Seeking additional ways to guarantee heaven as my eternal destination. 

Jesus was the PERFECT LAMB.  If additional means are needed, then Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross wasn’t enough…then that would mean, Jesus is not enough…He isn’t the PERFECT sacrifice…He isn’t able to take away the sins of the world.  Good news!  Jesus is MORE than enough!  Jesus is the perfect lamb. 

Stop trying to add to His sacrifice to make it enough (baby baptism, church attendance, confirmation, 10 commandments. being a good person, etc…).  Nothing needs to be added to Jesus’ sacrifice.  It is complete.  We are complete in Him!   (John 3:16-18; I John 4:10) (sing Complete in Thee)

2.      Ways to earn my forgiveness or to earn the favor of God. 

The first lie affects the unregenerate (ones who have not personally accepted God’s gift of salvation).  The second lie affects the child of God.  The perfect sacrifice has already been made for me.  The ransom has been paid in full. The work of salvation “was finished” on the cross.  God cannot love me anymore than He does right now (I John 4:19; Jeremiah 31:3).  God’s grace for the believer is accessible by faith (Romans 5:2).  We must aim to present good works to God as an outcome of my faith in Him…as a demonstration of my love for Him (John 14:15) --- NOT as a means to earn His favor or grace.

3.      Living as though victory over sinful words, actions, and thoughts is hopeless. 

We believers were placed into a position of victory at the moment of salvation.  The perfect lamb of God took away the sins of the world with His gift of salvation – by grace through faith (Ephesians 1:7, 11-12)!

What is often the problem then?  A wrong view of sin’s nature  (at least in part).  When we consider choosing sinful choices, we usually consider the pleasure of sin…not the horror, wicked, evil nature and outcomes of sin!

What is often the problem then?  A wrong view of sin’s future.  The pleasure lasts for a brief time.  The baggage of our choices can last a lifetime or even for an eternity.

 o Gossip or slander – lifts you up because it presses others down, but it demeans the view others have of you and breaks down trust in you with those to whom you are speaking.  If you are willing to talk about others to them, then you are willing to talk about them to others (James 3:8-10). 

 o Lying – saves you from “getting caught now,” but it always catches up to you (Proverbs 12:22; Ephesians 4:25).  This breaks down trust in relationships.  Trust is a crucial factor for relationships and takes long periods of time to rebuild.

 o Illicit online activities – releases endorphins (pleasure seeking hormones) into the blood stream.  It is usually very private – so no one else knows.  You fool yourself into thinking it is no big deal…you aren’t harming anyone (you reason in your mind).  Here’s the problem: it’s a huge deal! 

 1.      These websites are fueled by human trafficking…this makes you a supporter of human trafficking.

 2.      These online activities affect how you view the opposite gender…a view that changes faster than you will want to admit.

 3.      These online activities are addictive.

 4.      These online activities WILL affect your real relationships (i.e. – spouse, co-workers, younger extended family members, and even strangers).

 5.      These online activities are clearly outside the best view of – the correct view of – relationships…the biblical view of relationships.  These illicit online activities are sin!  Case closed.

Imagine if a man came to your door and said, “You have won a prize!  All your debt is now paid off in full!  You mortgage, your credit card, your car loan, your medical bills – everything is paid in full!”  Many, if not most would reply, “Are you kidding me?!”  We would say that because it had been what we longed for, but it seemed too good to be true.  Is this how we handle our relationship with Jesus?

Here’s the truth…

1.      Jesus is the only way to heaven…I cannot add anything to make heaven a reality for me or anyone else.

 2.      Jesus cannot love me any more than He does right now.  He wants to pour his favor on me.

 3.      Jesus’ gift of salvation puts me in the position of victorious Christian living.

 Stop believing the lies of Satan and live in the power of the cross!

3 Character Traits to Develop for a Thankful Heart - Part 2

What does our society praise?  In recent weeks, the news has reported:

• Hollywood celebrities praise Nancy Pelosi for denouncing President Trump. (due to foul language in the article, a link is not included in this post).

•  A little league pitcher was praised for congratulating his opponent for scoring a home run off his pitch. (Click here for news article)

•  A restaurant in Pennsylvania was praised for its extravagant Halloween decorations on the theme of the Ghostbusters movie. (Click here for news article)

• President Trump was praised by some for calling out the United Nations on its religious hypocrisy and for calling on the USA to do more to help persecuted Christians around the globe. (Click here for news article)

These are just samples of the news from our society and what it is praising. The good. The bad.  The ugly.  We also have a different example of praise and thanksgiving --

 Charles Wesley wrote his first hymn just three days after his salvation conversion. That hymn was “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing.” What a testimony of his salvation and His great Savior! As the years passed, he is said to have written 6,500 hymns and gospel songs on every conceivable subject. (Source: Encyclopedia of Illustrations #9532).

What do we need to further develop to become a person with greater gratitude and thankfulness?

 3 Character Traits to Develop for a Thankful Heart:

HONESTY (v. 14-15)

This man with leprosy saw he was healed; that he was hopeless without Jesus.  He could not have healed himself! It has been said, “tell the truth…it is easier to remember!”  This statement applies to what we say about others AND ALSO about what we say about ourselves.

•  The healed leper didn’t deny his past and simply forget what Jesus had done for him.

•  He didn’t take credit for his healing. You know the drill — “it was the herbs I ate,” or,  “it was the exercise routine that healed me!” 

•  He allowed a true view of his past & present to shape a proper response: “I was without hope and now I am healed.  Praise be to God!”  His reasoning was all about who he was/is before meeting Jesus and after meeting Jesus.

Our culture posts pics of ourselves (selfies) on Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and other various websites.  We can tend to look at these posts of others and think, “I wish my life was like theirs!” After all, they have:

More comments…

More likes…

More shares…

Their pictures are amazing…

They look amazing…

Be honest with yourself!  The average person only posts that perfect picture of themselves, only talks about the exciting things they know will get responses, likes, and shares – what will give them the most affirmation and positive ATTENTION!  Don’t look for self-worth in how many likes you received on social media!  This focus is selfish and proud. 

Your worth is so great in the eyes of Jesus that He knew all your faults perfectly — and yet, He still died to pay the ransom for your sin knowing what He knew!

UNASHAMED (v. 15)

This newly healed leper gave glory to God with a loud voice!

“Becky” prepared a pasta dish for a dinner party she was giving. In her haste, however, she forgot to refrigerate the spaghetti sauce, and it sat on the counter all day. She was worried about spoilage, but it was too late to cook up another batch. She called the local Poison Control Center and voiced her concern. They advised Becky to boil the sauce again. That night, the phone rang during dinner, and a guest volunteered to answer it. Her face dropped as she called out, "It's the Poison Control Center. They want to know how the spaghetti sauce turned out."  (Source: Gene Solomon)

There are things we often get embarrassed about and don’t want to mention at all…this man (who had leprosy — a disease the general populous would run from in horror) speaks loudly with praise to God!  Think of it this way: someone saying with a loud voice — I don’t have the black plague anymore! Praise be to God!! One would wonder if there would be some wanting verification of this healing before having close contact. A thankful person is unashamed of giving praise to God…regardless of others’ acceptance (or lack thereof)!

HUMILITY (v. 16)

 This Samaritan feel down at the feet of Jesus. A Jew. Jews & Samaritans did not associate with one another.  Apparently, the other 9 lepers were Jews. There would be no other time that these hostiles would dwell together, but among lepers.  As lepers, all distinction of race was removed!  Jesus was a Jew as well.  Yet, only the Samaritan stayed to give Jesus praise.  Perhaps this man had a greater sense of the mercy he received from Jesus? Nonetheless, it is interesting to note that the only person expressing thanks to Jesus for this saving act from a slow death…was a Samaritan. Can you imagine the humility this Samaritan had to bow before a Jew to give praise…with his face down at the dirty feet of Jesus? Proverbs 16:18-19; James 4:10; I Peter 5:6

 A thankful person stands out (v. 17-19)

 Read these popular advertising slogans:

 “You deserve a break today” (McDonalds)

 “Have it your way” (Burger King)

“Be All You Can Be” (US Army)

“Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Fun” (DoubleMint Gum)

The slogans all point to what I want, who I am, and my own pleasure or enjoyment.  A thankful person is not known for selfishness, pride, or lying…a thankful person stands out in the crowd. Remember, only 1 of 10 men healed of leprosy returned to Jesus to thank Him! A thankful heart stands out in a crowd!! 

• This person will be inconvenienced to express thanks. Don’t you think this Samaritan had family or friends he wanted to see? …but he chose to go to Jesus first.

• This person will swallow personal pride to express thanks. A Samaritan at the feet of Jesus giving thanks!

• A truly thankful person will be swift to acknowledge the work of another person and praise it – instead of taking credit for it themselves!

“So much has been given to me that I have no time to ponder that which I don't have.”—Helen Keller

“Giving thanks is not a matter of feeling thankful, it is a matter of obedience.”—Joni Erickson Tada (she is quadriplegic)

“The pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts—nevertheless, [they] set aside a day of thanksgiving.”—H. W. Westermeyer

“Gratitude is an offering precious in the sight of God, and it is one that the poorest of us can make and be not poorer but richer for having made it.”—Unknown

A thankful heart will have honesty, will be unashamed of Jesus, and will have humility as its companions.

We must honestly evaluate the reality of thankfulness in our own heart. Are you actively developing these character traits in your own life? If not…what is stopping you?

3 Character Traits to Develop for a Thankful Heart - Part 1

The word thankful is defined in the dictionary as: one who is conscious of benefits received, feeling or expressing gratitude, appreciative.  Did you know there have been scientific studies that show the benefits of thankfulness?  In 2014, Forbes.com published “7 Scientifically Proven Benefits of Gratitude that will Motivate You” (Click here to read the article ) Here are some of the findings:

 1.     Gratitude opens the doors to more relationships.

2.     Gratitude improves your physical and psychological health

3.     Gratitude enhances empathy and reduces aggression

4.     Grateful people sleep better…are some of the findings.

Although we probably didn’t need to see these scientific findings to figure out these things, we must conclude that being thankful is more than “a good idea mom told us to do when we were young.” 

Sometimes we claim thankfulness but live a different way. Our actions will often betray our own words.  For example:

1. I’m very careful what I eat…I don’t know why I’m gaining weight. Yet, fast food accounted for 3 out of my last 5 meals.

2. I would never gossip like JJ…meanwhile, we are gossiping to another about how we wouldn’t gossip like a JJ.

3. I would count myself a thankful person…however, our conversations in the last 7 days have often turned to complaining about co-workers/the boss, or about how we don’t like what we have, or about how others aren’t meeting our expectations

A thankful heart LOOKS like a thankful heart, TALKS like a thankful heart, SOUNDS like a thankful heart.  We must honestly evaluate the reality of a thankful heart in the mirror of God’s Word.

What comes from a thankful heart?  Luke 17:12-19

Personal Transformation.

What is leprosy?  William Barclay (The Daily Study Bible: Matthew [Westminster Press], 1:295) describes the devastating path of the most extreme forms of leprosy.

“It might begin with little nodules which go on to ulcerate. The ulcers develop a foul discharge; the eyebrows fall out; the eyes become staring; the vocal chords become ulcerated, and the voice becomes hoarse, and the breath wheezes. The hands and feet always ulcerate. Slowly the sufferer becomes a mass of ulcerated growths. The average course of that kind of leprosy is nine years, and it ends in mental decay, coma and ultimately death.

Leprosy might begin with the loss of all sensation in some part of the body; the nerve trunks are affected; the muscles waste away; the tendons contract until the hands are like claws. There follows ulceration of the hands and feet. Then comes the progressive loss of fingers and toes, until in the end a whole hand or a whole foot may drop off. The duration of that kind of leprosy is anything from twenty to thirty years. It is a kind of terrible progressive death in which a man dies by inches.”

This is from what they were physically saved.  This is huge!

ONE LEPER gives glory to God. 

• What could this leper possibly be thinking that the other lepers are not – that he would stop to give praise to God and the others did not?

• Why was he the only one to do such a thing?

• Was he closer to death than the rest?  Was he the first to contract the disease and ended up spreading it to the others?

•  Was he the only one who had children from which he had been separated?  Was he the only newlywed and had thought he was never again to see his new bride?

We do not know the dogmatic answers to these questions.  The Bible never tells us those details.  We do know that 90% of the healed lepers did NOT stay to give glory to God.  We know that one who stayed was a Samaritan. We also know that he would not leave his position at Jesus’ feet (“fell down on his face at His feet” (17:16) until Jesus told him to go (17:19).   “Thy faith hath saved thee” (literally), is the phrase Jesus speaks here. Was it the Samaritan’s faith that impacted his thankful heart or his thankful heart that bolstered his faith? Or some of both? Either way, faith and thankfulness are connected. He receives more than the other 9 lepers. Some commentators believe this is a reference to his salvation.

Only ONE MAN was personally transformed.  Consider the characteristics of this man showing thankfulness: 

1. He was broken. 

   He fell on his face.  (Ps. 51:17; Is. 57:15) Broken means overwhelmed with sorrow.  This Samaritan could not get over what Jesus did for him!  So…he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet.    

2. He was determined. 

   He wasn’t going anywhere else.  Jesus was His priority.  Jesus was his first destination. (Jer. 29:13; Matt. 6:33)

3. He was single-focused. 

He didn’t follow the other 9 men who were healed and ran away.  He didn’t run to family or friends.  He turned to Jesus.  (Phil. 3:14)

Our wants are truly a hindrance to the pathway of thanksgiving.  We want to be with our friends…we want to get this job done…we want to rest…we want to have fun…we want to make money…and the list goes on!  We are all lepers, spiritually!  We are need the healing hand of Jesus. This thankful heart comes from selfless, humble love of Jesus.

 A great army, many years ago, invaded Scotland. They crept on stealthily over the border and prepared to make a night attack on the Scottish forces. There lay the camp, all silently in the starlight, never dreaming that danger was so near. The Danes, to make their advance more noiseless, came forward barefooted. But as they neared the sleeping Scots one unlucky Dane brought his broad foot down squarely on a bristling thistle. A roar of pain was the consequence, which rang like a trumpet blast through the sleeping camp. In a moment each soldier had grasped his weapon, and the Danes were thoroughly routed. The thistle was from that time adopted as the national emblem of Scotland. (Source: Encyclopedia of Illustrations #14082).

Thanklessness or ingratitude is like stepping on a thistle!  We often don’t see it until it’s too late, but the outcome of stepping into thanklessness is painful.  Rooting out the weed of thanklessness requires nurturing a stronger relationship of love with Jesus Christ!  The leper responded with brokenness, determination, & a laser focus on the One for which he directed his love.  He considered all he received from Jesus…nothing seemed to be more important! 

We must consider all we have received from Jesus: our former condition…our devastating direction…and our hopeless living.  I once was lost, but now I’m found!  I was blind…but then came Jesus!!  This kind of thinking isn’t automatic – it must be chosen.  10 lepers were healed, but only 1 returned to give glory to God! 

Zach Dunlap said he feels, “Pretty good,” Just four months after the doctors almost removed his organs because he was declared brain dead. Mr. Dunlap was pronounced dead November 19, 2007 at United Regional Healthcare System in Wichita Falls, Texas. While family members payed their last respects just before his organs were to be given for transplant, he moved his foot and hand in reaction to a pocketknife being scraped across his foot and pressure being applied under one of his fingernails.

 “I feel pretty good, but it’s just hard ... just ain’t got the patience,” Zach told NBC.

 Mr. Dunlap said he does not remember the accident he went thorough, but he does remember hearing the doctors pronounce him dead. He was asked if he would have wanted to get up and shake them and say he’s alive, Mr. Dunlap responded: “Probably would have been a broken window.” His father, Doug, was shown the results of the brain scan, “There was no activity at all, no blood flow at all.” Zach’s mother, Pam, said he is doing, “Amazingly well,” but still has problems with his memory as his brain heals from the traumatic injury. She said, “It may take a year or more before he completely recovers. But that’s OK. It doesn’t matter how long it takes. We’re just all so thankful and blessed that we have him here.”

Mr. Dunlap has the pocketknife that caused his response. He says it, “Makes me thankful, makes me thankful that they didn’t give up.”  (Source: New York Daily News, March 24, 2008)

Aren’t you glad God does not give up on us? Praise be to God!  So, should we give up on each other?

…so much for which to be thankful….

5 Struggles We Have with Loving God

I believe it would safe to say the large majority of the church realizes that God commands us to love one another. It would probably also be safe to say that many in the church view this command with a lack of intent to obey. However, did you know there are actual negative outcomes to the lack of love? These outcomes include things like: anxiety, doubt, suspicion, lack of trust, fear, withdrawal, self-protection, development of bad habits, and unbalanced future relationships. So, we can actually play a major role in helping prevent others from even walking the path of these struggles with simply showing them genuine biblical love.

We must add to our faith love for the church and those outside the church! This must be an active choice on our part. (II Peter 1:5-7)

• “...and to godliness brotherly kindness...” — Spiritual Growth ought to exhibit a love for the church, because they are believers (Galatians 6:10). So, literally, this is a love for all believers that overflows from our love for God. Love for God stirs our reverence for God to greater depth. So, it goes like this:

• My reverence for God (add to your faith...godliness) grows as my love for God deepens... (1:6b)

• As my love for God deepens, it overflows to other believers (1:7a)

• As my love for God grows and it overflows to all believers, it must also choose ("add to your faith") to love all mankind (1:7b).

Illustration: Kanye West recently made his profession of faith public and he released new Christian album. He has taken this abundant attention to speak of Jesus. He has had opportunity to point others to the gospel on a world-wide stage. There are believers rejecting Kanye as a believer because of his past and because of his present family connections. Please consider these 3 observations:

1. These nay-saying believers are exercising a lack of faith -- as though it is impossible for someone like Kanye to be saved. Isn't this what we pray for? Don't we long to see "people like Kanye" saved? Why do we then look to discredit the very thing for which we pray?

2. These nay-saying believers look at Kanye as a greater sinner than they are...as though he couldn't get saved. They have lost their way. The truth is, "I am the greatest sinner I know...and I don't deserve to be saved -- but God, by His grace, saved ME!" And, you are the greatest sinner you know.

3. These nay-saying believers are thinking logically, not biblically. What does a real, brand new believer look like? What did you look like? None of us had the spiritual maturity we have today...and we are no where near what we still need to become. There is much yet in which to grow!

• “...and to brotherly kindness charity...” — Spiritual Growth ought to practice love for all mankind.

  • Growing faith will point all mankind to Jesus with genuine love (tolerance of personality quirks or imperfections, beneficence)

  • Growing faith will have this love overflow from the Holy Spirit’s control. THIS IS SPIRIT-FILLED LOVE. THIS IS FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT!

So, the key is really connected to loving God.

5 Struggles we have with loving God:

My main goal is NOT to know God.

• My main purpose has more to do with personal peace, joy, and/or blessing. My mind's main meditation is usually stuff other than Jesus. I am moved by an emotional movie or song or book... I am willing to pay more for front section seats at a concert, political event, or sporting event...I make every effort to adjust my schedule so I don't miss family gatherings or special programs... but I don't give God the same higher priority. To be clear, there's nothing wrong with these things as they stand alone; however, they ought not be the believer's main goal. -- Colossians 3:1-2; Romans 12:2

  • Why do I sit at the back of a church service and leave as quickly as possible, but I will sit towards the front of a concert, sporting event, or political rally -- and stay after to try and get a picture with someone in the event or to talk to others who also attended?

  • Why do I get so involved in or excited about a football game, or hunting, or a riveting movie...but I show little interest in church ministries that help see souls saved, that make disciples, that meet the needs of the needy, and that grow me (and others) as believers?

  • Why would I pay a good deal of money for recreation or travel, but I don't think I have enough money to tithe?

  • Is my main goal truly to know God and grow my relationship with Him? "God gives salvation to the needy, but gives the deep things of His heart to the hungry who refuse to live without them." (Source Quote: Unknown)

My love has became dull.

Remember how it feels when you come across a new favorite song? You play it over and over again until it becomes old to you...and then you move to something else. How about when you were first married? The spark in your marriage was exciting and lively...but over time you become too comfortable with each other. You drifted to the point that when you saw each other it was nothing more than, "Oh, its you." Has your love for God become so common in your heart and mind that it is now dull? Has your memory failed to recall your sweet Savior's sacrifice for you? Is your passion for God still growing and thriving? -- Revelation 2:2-5; II Corinthians 5:21

My heart has been given over to the world.

Your love for God has waned to something very small. As a result, your love for lost souls has vanished as well. Something else has replaced this position that belongs only to God! It could be sin. It could also be something that is honestly good and right (family, work, possessions, personal time, etc...) -- but it ceased to be good and right when it replaced God...and perhaps you didn't realize that until this moment. -- Jeremiah 2:32; Proverbs 23:26

My prayer life has suffered a breakdown.

This person may have read their Bible from Genesis to Revelation many times over. This person can know everything about God, but yet know nothing of God. There is a deeper, more intimate relationship with God that comes only through prayer. So few people want to seek out God in prayer anymore. Our prayer meetings (nationally) have become smaller and viewed as unnecessary. We will say:

• We want to make an impact for God.

• We want to see souls saved.

• We want to have greater spiritual victory.

• We want to see our church grow spiritually and numerically.

• We want to build a new building on Lincoln Avenue.

• We want to see more young families added to the church.

...but we do not want to spend the needed time in prayer over these wants -- or should I say, the needed time in prayer over these needs! Are we desperate for the Lord? Are you longing for Him? What evidence does our life give of this longing? -- Genesis 32:26; Jeremiah 29:13; I Chronicles 22:19; James 4:2

My time has been given away...by me.

Time has become a premium in today's society. It is highly treasured and sought after. However, we all have the same amount of time to spend every day. We all spend our time on what matters most to us...on what we value the most. If you are struggling giving God the time due Him, you need to reevaluate your values. What you value most will be seen in where and how you spend your time. Do you have the right values... values that drive you to time with God in prayer? You might say, "I do have the right values. I just don't live by them all the time." Actually, that's not true. Everyone lives according to their values. Everyone spends their time on the things that matter most to them. The ones who say they aren't living according to their values aren't being honest with themselves as to what their values truly are! And at that point, it takes a good deal of humility to honestly see that one has embraced values they don't want to be known by! Do our values include things like: gospel speaking/living/investing, people (loving, helping), excellence, commitment, trust, cooperation, and community? These are values God has for us. --Matthew 6:21; James 4:10; I Peter 5:6

Some time ago there was a wicked man. He had a dominant personality. He was a force to be reckoned with. He tolerated no one that opposed his views. It is proven that he even went to his superiors to find a way to legally lock people up in prison who disagreed with him -- and he succeeded! He caused total panic to those who knew him...or even heard of him. Then one day he got saved and gave his life over to Christ. It would be years before the church would believe he was the real deal. It wasn't until a more mature believer befriended, taught him, and helped him -- showed him true love when no one else would -- that other believers would even meet with him. This man's name was Saul of Tarsus. True love demonstrated by Barnabas made a huge impact on the one who eventually wrote the majority of the NT and traveled on 3 separate missionary journeys -- seeing countless saved and local church after local church established.

We must deal with these struggles in our lives so that we may love God and others. The truth is, we all need to love one another. May we love God and others just as we long to be loved ourselves -- and even better, just as God has already loved and continues to love each of us!

God & Science Q&A with Dr. George Matzko

Dr. George Matzko is the science ambassador from Bob Jones University. He recently held a two day “God & Science” event at our church. I asked him to share some of the questions he has received over the years and his answers on this blog. I hope this is helpful to you as you study science and the Bible! — Pastor Gary Holloway

Are the magnetic poles moving and if so, what does that mean for us?

I was asked this question while doing a Q&A at Anchor Baptist Church in Little River, SC this past weekend and the folks at Northside Baptist in Greenville, SC were also interested in this topic last night.

Yes, the magnetic poles are on the move and not only that, they are moving faster and faster year by year. Currently, the north magnetic pole is moving toward Siberia at about 55 kilometers per year and the South magnetic pole has moved off the continent of Antarctica headed for Australia.

I think that it is very possible that this migration may signal a pole flip, something that hasn’t happened since the Deluge. It could happen tomorrow or years from now or even during the Tribulation period — no one knows, but the implications could be serious. There is also something called the South Atlantic Anomaly, that is growing apace, that may also signal a new polar reversal.

When the poles finally decide to flip, we could be left for a time without the magnetic field that protects our planet from solar and galactic radiation, the ionizing rays that can harm things on our planet. That not only means that cancer rates will skyrocket, but our electrical systems could fail as well. Some estimates I’ve seen say that that it might take up to two years to restore power for everyone affected.

Daniel Baker, of the University of Colorado, who is sun radiation expert, says there’s no question in his mind that parts of the planet will become uninhabitable.

If you are interested in learning more about this topic, I would recommend watching this short video even though it uses a bogus evolutionary time scale: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6Ggs7nUjxA Creationists are not comforted by assertions that we don’t need to worry because it only happens every 780,000 years. Our time horizon is much more compressed than theirs.

Psalm 47:9b – “for the shields of the earth belong unto God: he is greatly exalted.”

What insights can we gain from Psalm 19 about our sun?

Psalm 19:4-6 speaks of the sun using imagery that is neither a scientific description nor a mythological account but uses typical Old Testament popular descriptive idioms for a natural phenomenon:

In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, 5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. 6 His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

First, we see in verse 4c that the sun has a tabernacle or tent (i.e., abode). From this it appears that David understood that the sun is not moving. God literally “set” it in place.

In verse 5 the sun is likened to a bridegroom and a strong man sunning a race. The sun was the only source of energy that David had ever seen that never cooled down or diminished in size. We know now that the sun is actually growing as it burns about as fast as fingernails grow. Certainly too slow for us to measure.

In verse 6 we read of the sun’s chamber where it passes the night, bursting forth at sunrise in its full glory and lighting up its splendid tabernacle. We also read that the sun “goes forth,” referring not only to its apparent transit across the sky as the earth turns but also to the outgoing of its radiant heat.

Just as the sun lights all of the earth, so also, the revelation of God’s character, power and wisdom is universal. Every human being knows something about the Creator God because every human being has seen the sun!

Romans 10:18 – But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.

What’s a good example of scientific foreknowledge in the Bible?

The Earth is suspended in space

Job 26:7 – He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing. [“North – The northern part of the heavens, which is put for the whole visible heaven, because Job and his friends lived in a northern climate. Nothing – Upon no props or pillars, but his own power and providence” – John Wesley]

This Biblical idea is quite different from the “World Turtle” pictured above in an 1876 drawing of the world supported on the backs of four elephants, themselves resting on the back of a turtle. This mythological view has counterparts worldwide.

Even in Europe and America, the idea that there was some kind of aether medium in which the earth was embedded prevailed until 1887, when Michelson and Morley tried to use an interferometer in a vain attempt to detect the relative motion of the earth in the aether.

The earth suspended in space is only one of many examples of scientific foreknowledge in the Bible.

Here is what Matthew Henry had to say about Job 26:7 – The globe by the almighty power of God, is firmly fixed in its place, poised with its own weight. The art of man could not hang a feather upon nothing, yet the divine wisdom hangs the whole earth so. It is upheld by the word of God’s power. What is hung upon nothing may serve us to set our feet on, and bear the weight of our bodies, but it will never serve us to set our hearts on, nor bear the weight of our souls.

Does lightning have any purpose other than demonstrating the majesty and power of the Creator?

Yes, it helps provide our daily need of the element nitrogen. Nitrogen is the third most abundant element in the human body, and it must be renewed continually. We are actually surrounded by nitrogen since it comprises 78 percent of Earth’s atmosphere. However, our bodies cannot make use of the nitrogen in this molecular, gaseous form because nitrogen gas has a strong triple bond that is hard to break.  That is where lightning comes in. The great electrical energy of lightning is easily able to convert nitrogen in the air to a usable form.  The scale of this transformation is staggering. Worldwide, storms are estimated to produce one hundred million tons of useful nitrogen compounds each year. Perhaps up to one-half of all usable nitrogen in the soil is fixed or made usable by the energy of lightning.

In addition to keeping us alive, lightning is also beautiful and added beauty is the hallmark of God’s creative style.

Did the human writers of the Bible believe that the earth was flat?

http://www.ancient-hebrew.org/articles_flatearththeory.html

As we have traveled across the US this past year, we’ve had the misfortune to come across several flat-earthers in the churches we have visited. They all maintained that the Bible teaches that the earth was flat. No, this false idea is not taught in Scripture and here is why:

(1) Job 26:7 explains that the earth is suspended in space, the common sense comparison being with a spherical sun and moon.

(2) By 250 B.C. the Greek astronomer Eratosthenes had already measured the 25,000-mile circumference of the earth and we can assume that this information was known by the New Testament writers.

(3) Revelation 7:1 refers to angels standing at the four corners of the earth, but the four corners are actually a reference to the four cardinal directions: North, South, East & West.

(4) Bible writers used the language of appearance just like we do when we refer to the Sun rising and setting. If they didn’t it would make for some awkward reading. We can have full confidence that when the Bible touches on scientific subjects it is completely accurate.

Will human beings ever live on Mars?

No, and let me tell you why.

• (1) Mars doesn’t have much of a gravitational field (only 38% of earth’s) so it can’t hold on to a dense atmosphere and it is unlikely that humans can remain healthy is such low gravity.

• (2) Mars doesn’t have a magnetic field to deflect deadly radiation from space.

• (3) The soil on Mars is full of perchlorates (think rocket fuel).

And that’s OK because we have a world that was created just for us. Isaiah 45:18 – “For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD, and there is none else.”

6 Steps to Secure Success and Overcome Bitterness

For sake of illustration, I would like to classify conflicts into two PROBLEM categories.

 1.      A conflict where there is no negotiation possible.  For example, a mass shooting at a public venue.  The shooter refuses to talk and wants to kill people until he himself is killed.

2.      A conflict where discussion is possible, but often rejected.  In fact, discussion is rejected with growing animosity.  Examples range from:

• conservative speakers on college campuses seeing students even riot to keep the speaker from speaking,

•  to conservative political rallies where supporters are beaten up by the opposing political protestors,

• to co-workers from an older generation refusing to change how things are done as they have to work with a co-worker of a younger generation …and a co-worker of a younger generation refusing to be patient with – and even learn from – the experience of the co-worker from an older generation.  (…and this could also be applied to neighborhoods, families, churches, etc…)

 This is a growing and strongly intensifying problem in today’s society.  What happens when we don’t get our way?  Unfortunately, bitterness will often be embraced and then the situation goes from bad to worse!  This includes the church!  What do we do to overcome possible bitterness in our life?

In February of 2008, James Fantroy was convicted of stealing over $20,000 of government grants while he served as a City Council member in Dallas, Texas. Because Fantroy had kidney cancer and used a wheelchair, U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade told him he could choose between serving a month in prison or publicly apologizing for his actions. Fantroy chose to serve a prison sentence rather than apologize. (Source: Beaumont Enterprise, May 28, 2008)

When we choose to harbor bitter feelings or resentment towards another person, we think we are getting even with them, but in reality we are making ourselves prisoners. 

Much of what God has chosen for us to do deals with relationships in some way.  We are not on this earth for our own pleasure…we are here for His pleasure and glory.  This is not a “one-man show!”  The Lord will often work in pairs:

• Adam & Eve

• Abraham & Sarah

• Elijah & his servant

• They went out two by two in the gospel of Luke

• Paul & Barnabas

• Paul & Silas 

Take a moment to read Acts 15:36-41 for the context of our conversation today.

Obvious question…Were Paul or Barnabas perfect?  No.  HOWEVER, God still wants to use them (like he wanted to use Jacob, and Abraham, Peter, and you and me!!)

Obvious need…Paul needs a new member for his mission team. 

the CHOOSING

Consider Acts 15:40. Paul had time to observe and he saw Silas to be a good choice.

So, relationships surround us…and as long as there are relationships there will be conflicts of various intensities. Mission teams are coming off the field because they cannot get along with each other.  Marriages are ending because they cannot get along with each other.  The nation is more divided because we cannot find our way to get along with those who think differently than we do.  Churches are splitting because they cannot get along with each other.  This isn’t just politics!  This is in the church!  This is a matter that the believer must master if we ever want to see any other people groups master it.    

Changing mission teams doesn’t change the conflict…changing jobs doesn’t remove all conflict…and yes, changing churches doesn’t change the problem either. 

Why?  Because we are part of the problem.  It takes “two to tango.”  There are rare exceptions; however, most people believe they are the exception – and they aren’t the exception.  Remember, “only by pride cometh contention” (Prov. 13:10).  So, even if you change your job, your political party, your neighborhood, or even your church – you will still need to personally exhibit spiritual growth and maturity.  Meaning: you will need to continue to grow in grace, especially in areas you struggled in the last conflict with which drove you to change your circumstances.  Changing your circumstances or surroundings does not automatically change your spiritual maturity. 

II Peter 3:18.  Are you growing in grace?  Are you changing to greater likeness of Jesus?

II Peter 1:5-7.  Remember, “faith is not only illumination but character.” Do you consistently pursue and develop:

o   greater moral excellence (this is determined by the Word of God, not peer groups)

o   greater self-control (speech, emotional responses, impulse decisions)

o   greater patience (bearing up under evil)

o   greater reverence towards God

You will still have to choose these things (and more) when working with ANYONE!  No matter Paul’s past, he would need to grow beyond his past to serve God effectively in the present. Paul would have been a horrible (not to mention ineffective as well) ministry partner if he had embraced bitterness. Paul needed to live in victory, but so would his newco-laborer. The choosing of a new mission team member is a huge decision!

 1.      Silas was known by the church as a good choice

 2.      A good choice would have included:

a.      Faithful when persecuted (think about the 1st missionary journey’s attacks)

b.      A hard worker (the travel alone would be challenging)

c.      Soul-conscious (the whole purpose the journey)

d.      Yielded to God (needed for all of the above)

Are you a good choice for others? Are you faithful when it’s hard? Are you a hard worker? Do you have action for souls? Do you live yielded to God (following leadership God placed in your life…ready to go where He leads you…ready to stand up for Him when others oppose you)?

the RECOMMENDING

Consider Acts 15:40 again. The brethren agreed with Paul’s choice.  Here’s an important truth to remember: don’t turn a deaf ear to the warnings of the godly men & women around you when making decisions! So, if you know them to be godly, don’t be so quick to reject their counsel. If you know them to be ill-tempered, or a complainer, or lacking emotional control, or one who makes impulse decisions, or one who looses all sense of “filter controls” over speech when tired, or simply a person who opposes things they didn’t come up with — then keep that in mind as well.

the CONFIRMING

Now take a look at Acts 15:41. The outcome had significant impact in two ways: impact on the churches & impact in the mission team!  Silas came through when put to the test.  The right decision was made and ministry opportunities multiplied!!

Hard travel and work was right in front of them! By the time we reach Acts 16:12, they are in Philippi. This means they would have had to cross the Aegean Sea. A little later Lydia gets saved & baptized… a little later a demon possessed girl is freed… a little later a mob scene and then jail. They faced this and more on the second missionary journey. This intense ministry continued on with a new mission team!

This second missionary journey would not have been possible if Paul had embraced bitterness.  Bitterness over his conflict with Barnabas…or even bitterness over his health struggles…or maybe even bitterness over the continued persecution when all he was trying to do was give people the gospel!

Did you know that when a rattlesnake is cornered, sometimes it becomes so angry that it bites itself (Source: Reader’s Digest, May 1985)? When a man harbors hatred or bitterness in his heart he is poisoning himself just like the rattlesnake that bites itself.  Bitterness doesn’t punish the other person in the conflict!  Bitterness punishes the one who embraces bitterness… and then it attacks those closest to them. Bitterness usually feels very self-justifying, but it ends up being a very deep destructive pit that many struggle in finding their escape from its grasp. How can we find victory?

6 Steps to Secure Success after Conflict:

OVERCOMING BITTERNESS

1.      STOP TELLING YOUR STORY.  Telling your story to a counselor or therapist is one thing, but rehearsing what happened to you (your side of the story) to others (or making most or all friends who will listen your counselor) will only keep you in the position of the victim…keeping the bitterness thriving (Prov. 17:28).  Telling your story to others often breeds dishonesty – with yourself and others (Eph. 4:25) as you inevitably add things to the story.  You will even begin to lose the memory of what truly happened as you build a more favorable story to support your frustration of not getting your way.  Adding to the story is usually not done purposefully; however, it is the outcome of continued rehearsing from a hurting person.

 Another way to stop telling your story is to stop choosing to “nail” the person who triggered you with researching online, social media “stalking,” and asking others about them to try and find “the nail in the coffin.”  This reveals two things: First, you are assuming the worst and trying to find proof for your assumed conclusions. This is not true love, I Cor. 13:7. This lack of love shows a lack of understanding for God’s love for you (I Jn. 4:11).  It shows a lack of rehearsing the way God has poured His love on you — even though you did not deserve such amazing love. Second, it proves you are still nursing your wounds and wanting to take God’s place of perfect judge (as though you are afraid they will get away with something and that God will not be the perfect judge He promises to be, I Cor. 3:13-15).

 2.  TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. If the truth be told, you know you made mistakes in the conflict.  Admit it.  You cannot make the other person involved in the conflict admit their mistakes, but you are not in charge of the other person. You are responsible for you – before God.  Go beyond the admission phase.  Admit it.  Confess it as sin. Turn away from that mistake in future choices (Prov. 28:13; Ps. 100:5; Lam. 3:22-23).

 3. CHOOSE FORGIVENESS.  Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:13; James 5:16.  Don’t make the mistake of thinking that forgiveness equals trust. Forgiveness doesn’t equal trust.  Trust comes with time as you work on the relationship.  Forgiveness isn’t “freeing” the other person from responsibility.

…forgiveness is freeing you to move on and trusting God to take care of the rest! Forgiveness frees you from the position of judge and jury.

4.  CHOOSE THE NOW.  Matt. 6:33-34; Jer. 29:11.  Bitterness finds fertile ground to grow in the past and in the future.  A bitter individual will find themselves living in the past and future – all the while missing the here and now.  Yes, it was hard.  Yes, it hurt.  Yes, it may have even been unfair or not kind.  Yet, living in the past will cause you to miss today.  Was this conflict so significant that you are willing to miss everything God has for you today, and then again on the next “today” … and so on?  Are you willing to give an account to God for your bitterness that caused you to miss gospel speaking, gospel living, and gospel investing mission minded living?!

5.  GET HELP.  Friends who refuse to rehearse the conflict with you and help you rehearse the present are vital. A strong, godly support system is a must.  A counselor is essential, but every friend ought not be your counselor. Prov. 11:14; 27:17. 

I read this week of a lady who went through a fast food drive-thru with her head wrapped in a scarf.  When the drive-up window closed she could hear the workers making fun of her “sorry attempt of using a head scarf.”  She watched them laugh at her – all the while, they remained clueless she understood every word and action.  She was crushed, but she didn’t let them know she heard them.  She thanked them for the food and drove off with tears in her eyes.  You probably guessed what was going on.  She wore the scarf because she lost her hair to chemo treatments.  What stood out to me is this: she refused to talk in this account negatively about those who hurt her so deeply.  She chose to wish them well and spoke of how she hoped they never got sick with cancer, like she had.  Then, she simply asked those who read her story to be more careful of “judging the book by it’s cover” and finished with quoting the Bible verse: “love one another.”

If you are going to find victory over bitterness, you will need some friends like this lady.  Friends who refuse to let you regularly rehearse your hurt and unjust feelings.

 6.  SET ACHIEVABLE GOALS. One small step at a time.  Every big goal is achieved by many necessary smaller steps.  Successful godly living is the goal!  Ps. 37:4; Prov. 3:5-7; 16:9; Rom. 8:28-29.

God hand-picked Silas for Paul and Paul for Silas.  He wanted to accomplish a work in them and through them; however, all of this would have been greatly hampered if bitterness had been embraced. Think of the multitudes of souls who would not have heard Paul’s preaching because bitterness seemed more attractive than mission minded living. Identify your life circumstances that were unfair, unkind, too hard (etc…) and examine your heart for bitterness. When bitterness is revealed…admit it. Confess it. Repent of it. Seek victory in overcoming it. Today’s mission minded living (God’s mission for you) is too important to waste on bitterness. Leave the accounting of wrong actions to God.

5 Lessons Learned: the perspective of a 44 year veteran missionary

John & Joyce Raehl are missionaries in Brazil. Our church, Grace Baptist Church, has financially & prayerfully supported this faithful family as one of our foreign missionaries for over 40 years. I asked Dr. Raehl to share (below) some lessons they have learned over 4 decades of missionary service. Dr. Raehl preached in our church services on October 20, 2019 during a brief furlough visit to the USA. — Pastor Gary Holloway

We might be asked what we have learned in 44 years on the Brazilian mission field. We have much to share with you!

First, there is team work.

For example, we have learned to work with the brethren and be a part of our team of workers.  We try to motivate, encourage, and love the brethren through good times and bad.

Second, there is flexibility.

Our culture is basically South American, matriarchal, speaking Portuguese. Whether we like it or not, we always stand out in a crowd with our foreign accent. We have learned to live with this. In addition, we have had to learn to live in blistering hot conditions the year around. This is a tropical climate and there is no winter as we have known while growing up in the mid-west region of the United States.

Third, there is patience.

We have learned to have patience with the people.  Whereas years ago we expected to win one thousand souls per week, we soon learned that it is better to count our converts after five years of dedicated ministry in their lives.

Fourth, there is the path of forward thinking.

We have learned to pass the baton on to others.   Because of our age, we may pass off the scene before the Lord returns. We need people to take our place in the work.  So we work hard to disciple and train the brethren for the work.

Fifth, there is dependence on God.

We have learned that we are on a spiritual battlefield.  This is a daily battle for hearts and souls.  We have to put on the spiritual armor every day and all day long. Pray for us as we battle through the hardship of each day.

But in spite of the battles that we face daily, we have learned to depend on God at all times.  We have learned that the frustrations of life on the field lead to complete dependency on God.  We expect God to work in His way and in His time.  

As William Carey said many years ago “Expect great things from God.  Attempt great things for God”.

It is amazing to us how the souls that we have won tend to win more souls over time and the work expands naturally and often beyond our expectations. God is allowing us, along with our sister churches, to plant churches all across the state of Mato Grosso and throughout Brazil — through our own efforts and those of our national churches. The work goes on and multiplies under God’s direction.

What can believers in the US do for foreign missions?

• You can continue to pray for your missionaries.  And let us know that you are praying for us.  We seldom hear from our supporters after 44 years on the Brazilian mission field.  But in spite of this we always respond personally to letters written to us.  With social media and internet, it’s much easier to pray for and correspond with your missionaries.

• Continue to support your missionaries financially.  We all need to invest in heavenly endeavors (Mat 6:19-21).  We personally support many national endeavors on a monthly basis.  You could say that supporting the Raehl family is supporting two people and many others in the work.  Your contribution goes a long way to doing God’s work in Brazil.  Through your giving and our giving, our people learn to support missions. We have one man in our church who personally supports four national missionaries through our church faith promise program. 

• Visit a foreign mission field.  About $1300.00 per person gets you to Cuiaba and back.  Here in Cuiaba, we take care of you.  We have nice hotels at a moderate cost.  Or you can stay with us in our guest house out back.  It even has air conditioning for the hot weather. We would put you to work.  We have much you could do for us. This would not be an easy-going vacation.  God’s work is too important.

So, what have we learned over the years here on the field? As you can see here, God’s work never stops.  It’s a work for eternity. It takes a long time and involves many people.  Thank you for being a part of this work. Only Eternity will reveal what the Lord has done through the 44 years that we have been on the Brazilian mission field. — John and Joyce Raehl, missionaries in Brazil              

5 Ways to Move Forward When in Conflict

In the spring of 1894, the Baltimore Orioles came to Boston to play a routine baseball game. But what happened that day was anything but routine. The Orioles’ John McGraw got into a fight with the Boston third baseman. Within minutes all the players from both teams had joined in the brawl. The warfare quickly spread to the grandstands. Among the fans the conflict went from bad to worse. Someone set fire to the stands and the entire ballpark burned to the ground. Not only that, but the fire spread to 107 other Boston buildings as well. (Source: Daily Bread, August 13, 1992)

We may not experience conflicts to this degree every day or ever in our own life; however, this is where unrestrained conflict will end!  The restraint comes when you consider Jesus.  It is vital for the believer to keep Jesus in view when in the middle of conflict...however, it is natural (easy) to think only of self!

Paul & Barnabas had seen life threatening persecution.  Angry mobs had  run them out of Iconium, Lystra, & Antioch.  They had the aches and pains of traveling over 1200 miles on land and sea.  They knew what it was like to be hated by large groups of people.  They knew what it felt like to be told there was a group of people plotting to kill you.  They also knew the joy of multitudes of people coming to know Christ!  They saw firsthand the power of the gospel.  They experienced time and time again large groups of people coming to Christ for salvation, accepting His free gift, and witnessing the joy and peace of Jesus flood their souls.  THIS. This binds the hearts of co-laborers together like little else!  There is a great ministry friendship here.  However, in Acts 15:37 we hear of something …of someone, of whom they did not agree.  Neither would budge.  Both convinced they are right before the Lord. 

There were 18 nations surveyed on the subject of immigration. The 18 nations surveyed contain more than half (51%) of the world’s migrant population, or some 127 million people, according to United Nations and U.S. Census Bureau estimates. This report was published on March 24, 2019 by pew research.(Source: https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2019/03/14/around-the-world-more-say-immigrants-are-a-strength-than-a-burden/)  

The survey found that the US holds 18% of the world’s migrant population.  That is the most migrants in any one nation of the world.  The second nation with a large amount of migrants Germany and Russia, each holding 5% of the world’s migrant population.  This has caused tremendous debate in our country. According to this study, 34% say the migrants are a burden on the US and 59% say they make the country stronger.  So, who is right?  Depends on who you talk to.  We are in a republic with other people who hold different political views than ourselves…we go to jobs with other people who believe their way is better…we are in neighborhoods with other people who have different lifestyles than us…we are in families with relatives who believe their way is the only way…and yes, we are in churches with people who have different standards than us. 

HOW DO WE MOVE FORWARD WITH SUCH DISAGREEMENT?  Doesn’t someone need to be declared right and wrong?  Not always.  It depends on what your goals are. 

• For the believer, Is the chief goal to determine immigration policy or to make disciples of Jesus Christ, love God, & love others? 

o    Consider this… a mission field that others risk their lives to travel across the world as missionaries to share the gospel with – these same people groups are coming to our own shores.  Thus, we have the gospel opportunity right here in the USA…minus the threats of sharing the gospel declared as illegal!

•  Is the chief goal to get your way at work, with extended family, or with the neighborhood debate –or is it to make disciples of Jesus Christ, love God, and love others? 

• Is the chief goal to make everyone in the church have the same life standards that you have or is it to make disciples of Jesus Christ, love God, and love others?   

  Are we arguing about the side issues and completely missing the main event (the gospel)?  I mean, when was the last time you heard someone that upset over the lack of souls being saved?  Or the lack of people being invited to church services?  Or the lack of people being discipled?  Or the lack of love for God among God’s people? Where is the passion and burden for the mission of God’s people, like you hearing people debating immigration policy?

 In recent years a head coach divorced his wife of 26 years when he left coaching a college team to become head coach in the National Football League. He said he needed a wife while coaching on the college level for social functions and to show families that he would be looking out for their sons. In pro football, however, she was an unnecessary distraction to winning. He said winning football was his number one priority and his two sons second. How tragic! (Source: Unknown).  Whether a true story or not, I cannot verify (I was unable to track down the source).  However, it does illustrate the absolute commitment to wrong priorities – and it destroyed his marriage.  We may shake our heads in horror of such choices, but…there’s nothing wrong with winning, right?  So, neither choice (winning football or his marriage) was evil by itself.  Consider these important questions:

• Are we guilty of taking two choices, both seemingly void of wickedness, and insisting on the death of the choice we reject? 

• Do we know if the Lord speaks dogmatically on one choice over the other? 

• Do we choose the option to which God gives higher priority in scripture? 

• If God gives both issues seemingly equal priority, do we still insist on the issue as black and white…or as, “my choice is better than yours — and your choice is wrong?”

 Conflict is not always an open and shut case.  Paul and Barnabas both have legitimate points.  Take a look Acts 15:37-39 again. Barnabas’ path is revealed in Acts 15:37.

Barnabas reflects on the situation …his decision is not sudden or without careful consideration.

Barnabas remains the “encourager” for the younger believer. This is consistent with the very description of what made him stand out in Acts 4 when we first met him… “the son of consolation.” It is also consistent with how Paul knew Barnabas to be when he first met Barnabas and no one else would have him.

Barnabas reveals his heart for John Mark (a young follower of Jesus), but perhaps misses the readiness level of his young friend (but this spectulation on my part as the Bible does not say).

Paul’s path is rehearsed in Acts 15:38.

Paul reflects on his past ministry.

Paul remains opposed to John Mark’s involvement with another missionary journey.

Paul reveals his focus is on the mission God gave him. However, perhaps he misses ministering to John Mark’s need for growth and encouragement…like he received when no one wanted him?

The outcome of this conflict is then given in Acts 15:39. Both men are convinced of opposite directions. Both choose new mission team partners and one missionary team becomes two.

Here are a few facts:

• The Bible doesn’t tell us who was right and wrong

• The Bible continues to follow Paul

• The Bible speaks of Paul asking for John Mark

• The Bible records the gospel of Mark             

 Here are a 4 findings:                            

• One mission team became two!

• Churches and people are both part of God’s plan

•  Don’t give up on those making mission mistakes

•  God is at work in church growth and people at the same time.

HOW DO WE MOVE FORWARD WHEN IN CONFLICT?

1.      Listen to each other (Prov. 18:13)  Do not “hear” only to think of what you want to say next… “listen” to understand what the other person is saying, BEFORE you respond.

2.      Lift the other up (Phil. 2:3).  Humility is a must in conflict, but pride is often at the root of the conflict (Prov. 13:10).  Slander destroys and does not build others up (Eph. 4:29).

3.      Live to pursue the mission (Phil. 3:14).  Major on what is major in God’s eyes.  We can sometimes make a big deal out of things God has not made dogmatic in His Word.  Pursue together what we do have in common as believers (making disciples, the gospel, visiting those in need, keeping unspotted from the world - James 1:27).  To stand dogmatically against someone’s personal preference (that isn’t named as sin in the Bible) is to stand in pride (Prov. 16:18; James 4:6).

4.      Look for help (Gal. 6:1; Prov. 11:14). Sometimes godly counsel is needed to intervene.  Prayer is always needed and is vital.

5.      Love those who oppose you (Matt. 5:44; 22:36-40; John 15:12).  This will cause you to assume the best about them (I Cor. 13:7) and this will keep you from wrong motives, resentment, anger, and bitterness.

 The story is told of two men who shared a hospital room. One man was by the window, and the other was by the hall. The man by the hall was angry because he wasn’t by the window. The man by the window would cheerfully relate to the other what he saw out the window. The angry man wished the other man would go home soon. Eventually the man by the window died, and the angry man was moved to the window, but when he looked out to see the view all he saw was another wall. (Source: Unknown)

 Some people see the good in everything, while others see only the bad.  Keep Jesus in your view when experiencing conflict! 

3 Tangible Ways to Reverence God

The US abortion rate has hit its lowest level since the procedure became nationally legal in 1973.

• Data showed that 13.5 abortions per 1,000 women were performed in 2017, an 8-per-cent decline from 2014.

• Researchers found that 862,000 abortions were carried out in 2017, down from 926,000 recorded in 2014 and from slightly more than 1 million in 2011.

• The number and rate of abortions is recorded by the Guttmacher Institute, a pro-choice research group.

• Its figures reveal that the number of abortions has decreased across the country, whether in Republican-controlled states with conservative anti-abortion laws or in pro-choice Democratic controlled states. (Source: Dated 9-18-19. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-abortion-rate-lowest-roe-vs-wade-guttmacher-institute-a9110361.html)

While this is encouraging, this is far from good news! There are still hundreds of thousands of babies murdered each year. On October 2, the American Center for Law & Justice (ACLJ) brought court proceedings on behalf of a pro-life client against Planned Parenthood for the selling of aborted baby organs for profit (news that broke 4 years ago). Somehow, Planned Parenthood turned things around and made those who exposed their practices as the evil doers! (Source: Dated 9-30-19. https://aclj.org/pro-life/aclj-begins-weeks-long-trial-against-planned-parenthood-regarding-ghoulish-practices) The lack of respect for God's creation, human life, is staggering!! God's people must engage with a reverence for God!

Take a moment to read II Peter 1:5-7. “... and to patience godliness…” — Spiritual Growth ought to have a reverence or true piety towards God. To have reverence is to have honor and respect that is deeply felt and outwardly demonstrated. Reverence does NOT refer to God as:

• "the man upstairs"

• "the big guy in the sky"

  …even the thief on the cross understood this when he rebuked the other thief (Luke 23:40-42) with, "don't you fear God?" — and then honored the Lord.

Consider the awesome grandeur of God. Psalm 19:1 tells us that the heavens declare the glory of God, Isaiah 46:9 tells us there is none like God. Genesis 1:1 informs us that He is our creator. Colossians 1:16-18 reveals that all was created by Him AND for Him. With the knowledge of that incredible power, I John 4:19 reminds us that He loved us first...and I John 4:10 shows us how generous His love truly is -- a love He points right to each of us. And most prominently, Isaiah 6:3 and I Peter 1:15-16 declare that God is holy. In all of this, He never changes (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8; James 1:17).

3 Tangible ways in which we can show reverence to God? Generally, it is a voluntarily dying to self and obedience to His commands (Galatians 2:20; James 2:12). Specially? --

God's Name.

Specially, one who shows reverence to God honors His name. Many believers today use the OMG acronym...thus making His name no more than "wow." This is not just disrespectful to the one true God — it is also sin! Exodus 20:7 commands against it.

God's Holiness.

Also, we show reverence to God by recognizing His hatred of sin, coming judgment of sin, pursuing holiness, and saying no to ungodliness. (Romans 10:3; I Peter 1:15; Titus 2:12).

Say yes to obeying your parents, say yes to forgiving, say no to pornography, no to profanity, no to people pleasing, no to immorality, and no to illegal drugs! The most recent study I could find by WI Dept. of Health Services says 13,000 12 to 17 year olds used Meth within a 30 day period; 128,000 used meth between the ages of 18 and 25 years old; and 757,000 used meth above the age of 26 -- and these are just Wisconsin's numbers for August 2019! (Source: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/publications/p01739c.pdf). We need to add to our faith godliness...and that means pursuing holiness!

God's Worship.

John 4:24 tells us that those who worship the Lord must worship Him in spirit and in truth. Today's culture often refers to the hymn service as the "time of worship." However, true worship is not merely about our favorite gospel song. It is not simply connected to an emotional response. To worship in spirit is to have one's heart abandoned to the Lord...holding nothing back (at least that we may be aware of)...willing to follow in obedience. To worship in truth is to engage our minds with understanding of God's Word and God's nature. Take heed to this warning: proper worship is not the same as stiff formality. Consider God's grand invitation for us to draw close Him, and in return, He would draw closer to us (James 4:8)!

God's people must add to their faith godliness…they must choose reverence for God!