Biddeford Church of Christ

When it comes to hope, we have a variety of sayings intended to keep us focused on the task of moving forward.  For instance, you have heard someone say, “It ain’t over till it’s over.” Or, one of the more notable ones that are less acceptable today, “It ain’t over till the [blank] lady sings.”  As real as hope can be, the reality is that its opportunity will eventually pass.  I was reminded of this in my meditation time this past week and thought it was worthy of some time.  The prophet Isaiah speaks against the disobedience of God’s people, saying, “How the faithful city has become a harlot!  It was full of justice; righteousness lodged in it, but now murderers” (Isaiah 1:21).  Judgment would come, and God’s people would face horrible things.  There is hope!

“Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.”

                                                                                                          Isaiah 55:6            

Since I started with sayings, let’s consider another, “There is always tomorrow.”  That is a “feel good” type saying that is not rooted in truth.  Isaiah speaks of a time when the Lord “may be found,” and when “He is near.”  This truth reveals that hope in God is limited in time. The frailty of life can be realized in these words from James, “For what is your life?  It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanished away.” (4:14).  Thankfully, we serve a God that “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1st Timothy 2:4).  We should not view the passing of time as proof of no God, but rather that God is “longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2nd Peter 3:9).  This verse does well to brings us to our next thought.

“Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts, let him return to the Lord…”

                                                                                                                  Isaiah 55:7

If there is a word seldom spoken of, it is the word repentance.  Isaiah encourages God’s people to consider their ways and then forsake them and return to the Lord.  Jesus taught of its importance in Luke 13:1-5.  He makes this very passionate statement, “I tell you, no; but unless you repent, you will also likewise perish.”  Hope, even that of God’s amazing grace, has limits.  Those limits are not because of grace itself; but rather because of the willingness for people to accept it, turning from their ways.  At the proclamation of the gospel on the day of Pentecost, people were “cut to the heart” as they heard about Jesus, who was both “Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36, 37).  They asked the question, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37)  The first step for them was to repent.  There can be no experience of hope absent of it.

“And He will have mercy on him; to our God, For he will abundantly pardon.”

                                                                                                              Isaiah 55:7

It is not until this part of the verse that renews me about the hope that God offers to sinful man…to me.  God is present and ready to show mercy.  He yearns for the opportunity to “abundantly pardon” all who seek His forgiveness.  This fact is as true for all today as it was to God’s people back then.  John says with assurance, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1st John 1:9). His abundant forgiveness found in Christ is our hope.  Thank You, Lord, for Your grace and mercy.

May God embolden us to speak of this hope.  God is here waiting for the restless soul to find Him, who wishes to return.  But He will not always be there, for even the great hope of Christ is limited by time.

Dennis

Here is an interesting fact: back in 2008, the business analyst valued the self-help industry at around 11 billion dollars.  WOW!  The assessment would include books, motivational speeches, and the list goes on.  Some suggest that this idea was initiated in part by Samuel Smiles’ book entitled, Self-help.  The reality is, long before men started printing such books, man yearned for personal change, and others chronicled that yearning in the scriptures.  David pleaded with God, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10) as he reflected on his tragic past.  Many of us can relate to these words by the apostle Paul, “For what I am doing, I do not understand.  For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do” (Romans 7:15).  The fact is, for many, if not most of us, part of the reason we sought after God is because we reasoned that there must be more to life than merely existing the way I am.  When looking in the mirror, I would be one of them who would have a keen awareness that the person I see is not the person I want to that I need to be.

But you have not so learned Christ if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus…

                                                                                                 Ephesians 4:20          

If you are in Christ, I have news for you, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2nd Corinthians 5:17).  Remember, our hope rests upon Christ and His work.  That said, we have a task before us that the hope in Christ beckons us to embrace.  It is called transformation.  Remember, God accepts us where we are but desires us to grow in His likeness (Ephesians 5:1).  If He has called us to such a quest, then we can achieve it.  So, what is involved in such a transformation?  With this newfound knowledge of Christ, we need to embrace the idea of “putting off…the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts” (Ephesians 4:22).  For that to happen, there needs to be honesty.  If any of you are like me, sometimes seeing what needs to be “put off” that “old man,” so to speak, is all too easy.  Maybe we relate to Paul when he said of himself, “O wretched man that I am!  Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24).  As we gaze into the mirror of personal reality, despair can quickly take over.  But that is not the intent of godly honesty, for, to change, we first need to accept that we need to change.  As hard as it is, the mirror is necessary, but only to take the next step.

“…and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”

                                                                                         Ephesians 4:23-24          

Only after honesty will the hope of transformation take place.  One’s reflection is not revealing who you will always be; but rather, who you are at that moment.  You can decide to be changed, or as Paul says, “BE RENEWED…”  This carries the idea of being spiritually transformed, to take on a new mind.  This pull between old and new expresses itself when he says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” (Romans 12:2).  It is a decision to think differently and thus act differently.  Our desires begin to change as we seek to be consumed by God’s love and His will.  Psalm 19:24, “Let the words of my mouth and the mediation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.”  Such change would not be possible without the strength of our Lord and the redemption that cleanses my past.

That is the hope of transformation!  God takes us where we are and brings us places we never thought possible.  The fruit we bear is the result, at least in part, of someone who desires to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2nd Peter 3:18).  The world around us may see our flaws, for we are a work in progress.  But may they also see the transformation taking place and the hope you have in the One that makes it possible.

Dennis

As you can imagine, my mind has been focused on this subject of us being ambassadors of Christ.  Last week, the message sought to focus on the attitude of hope we should have and the opportunities such an attitude can bring forth in our lives for Christ’s cause.  Today, I want to take the next step and consider what sort of hope we can and should be ready to share.  After giving it some thought, I wonder if it is reasonable to break it down into two areas of life.  What do I mean by that?  Hope seems to speak to two specific areas, redemption and transformation in the Christian’s life.  We can talk to others about how God has redeemed me and that He wants to save all mankind.  We can also talk about the hope of transformation: that is, I don’t have to remain as I am, but God can change me to be more like Him in this life.  So, let’s start by talking about God’s hope of redemption.

For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

                                                                                                       John 3:16            

So, if someone were to inquire about this hope you seem to have, you can start by simply saying, “I have hope because God loves me, and He loves you just as much.”  What makes this love so marvelous is that it is not performance-based. Instead, it is despite my performance.  Verses begin to flood my mind that speaks of His love for humanity, for me:  Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  1st John 4:9, “In this, the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.”  Ephesians 2:4-5, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved…”  As one person writes, “This is where the faith journey starts: understanding that God loves you.”  If we do not grasp this fact, our hope is most likely misplaced.  To get this concept of love, we need to look at the cross of Christ.            

Do you know what is meant by platitude?  It is a remark or statement, especially one with a moral content used too often to be interesting or thoughtful.  As you enter a room, someone says, “how are you doing?”  What’s the chance they want to know how you are doing?  In much of our daily lives, words have become mere platitudes to so many, including the statements, “I love you.”  Don’t get me wrong; I am not saying that it is inaccurate or even useless to say it, but rather, so often simple words fall short of revealing to another the geniuses of that love.  Action is needed, not to prove love, but rather, to show its reality.  So, God gave sinful man His Son.  Remember 2nd Corinthians 5:21, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”  1st Peter 2:24, “‘He himself bore our sins’ in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by his wounds you have been healed.'”  Paul would say, “…it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).  That is where we find the hope of redemption in Christ.             

Now, you may be saying, “You are speaking to the choir Dennis.  I already know all this.”  That is the point we already know all this.  Our task as ambassadors is to share this hope to the best of our ability to a world that desperately needs it.  Thank You, Lord, for giving the hope of Christ.  Help us find the courage, the boldness, and the strength to speak of Him to those around us.

Dennis

The feedback from last Sunday’s lesson was truly encouraging and I am thankful for that.  I want to build on it further; that is, this idea that “we are ambassadors for Christ” (2^nd Corinthians 5:20).  One of the things that struck me about this role in the Christian’s life, is the fact that it is as though “God were pleading through us” (v20).  That plead from God through us is that sinful man “be reconciled to God” (v20).  This message of reconciliation has at it very core the fact that “He [God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2^nd Corinthians 5:21).  Okay, I realize that all of this is merely repeating last week’s thoughts, but there is an underlying attitude that resonates within the follower of Christ that I want to speak to today.  It is woven into the idea that “the love of Christ compels us” (2^nd Corinthians 5:14).  It is a constant within the message, but seemingly allusive so often in life.  It is the inward conviction of hope.

…joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and enduring possession for yourselves in heaven.

                                                                                              Hebrews 10:34           

Personally, this verse has always challenged me, for it reveals that hope is truly a constant in the Christian’s life, or at least, it should be.  Consider the verse that follows, “Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward” (Hebrews 10:35).  This word confidence comes from a Greek word that means fear and fearless confidence, cheerful courage, boldness, assurance.  It speaks “of the undoubting confidence of Christians relative to their fellowship with God.”  It is the hope we have that is in and is sustained by Christ and His marvelous work of redemption.  So, here is a question that came to mind as I was writing this article.  In what does my hope rest in?  My job?  A raise?  A new car?  The election?  The list could go on and on I suspect.  My hope that is anchored in Christ at times seemingly feeble.  Why?

The answer to that question most likely was answered by the questions before it.  All too often in my life, my attitude concerning hope is inextricably linked to this physical world; and thus, influences what I understand hope to be.  I know, we face adversity in this life and those things are at times very burdensome.  Yet I am reminded of these words from the apostle Paul, “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4).  Hope must be nurtured.  It is done, at least in part, through the use of the Scriptures.  I can’t help but think of what Jesus said in Matthew 4:4 as He was tempted to lose focus, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”  We need to feed on God’s word so that the hope of Christ can grow within us.  Why?

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that IS IN YOU…

                                                                                              1^st Peter 3:15          

I wonder what was going through the minds of those who were “plundering” the goods of those early Christians?  Do you think they were confused at how these followers of Christ were acting?  Maybe, just maybe, one of them was compelled to ask, “What is the reason for your hope?”  And that opened the opportunity to talk about the hope that was in them due to the loving redemptive work of Jesus Christ.  We are ambassadors of a hope that is not of this world but needs to be proclaimed to this world.  Is this hope in you?  Heavenly Father, renew within Your church the awareness of the hope that we have in Christ and create anew a confidence of our relationship with You.  Help us to be Your ambassadors.

Dennis

As Paul seeks to help the church in Corinth, he makes this statement, “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God” (2nd Corinthians 5:20). Precisely what is an ambassador?  Well, the verse gives us some insight, but let’s consider a definition first: a person who acts as a representative or promoter of a specified activity.   Have you ever thought of yourself as a representative of Christ?  Let’s look further into this idea to help understand what it should mean to us.

If there could be a statement that grabs your attention in the scriptures, this is one.  What do you think about this idea that this task is like “God were pleading through us”?  The NIV says, “as though God were making his appeal through us.”  Once again, I like how the NCV makes it personal, saying, “It is as if God is calling to you through us.”  You can hear the words of the great commission given by Jesus, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” (Matthew 28:19).  The words “go therefore and make disciples” is all part of our readiness to “be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15).  It is what the early church did amid adversity as they “went everywhere preaching the word” (Acts 8:4).  As the apostle, Paul exhorts the church in Ephesus to “put on the whole armor of God” (Ephesians 6:11). He also encourages them to pray for him, “that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak” (Ephesians 6:19-20).  So, we can see that being an ambassador carries this idea of a unique and critical message.  What is that message?

The message is simple, “…be reconciled to God” (2nd Corinthians 5:20).  God has done what is necessary, for He “made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us” (2nd Corinthians 5:21).  Reconciliation is obtainable “through the death of His Son” (Romans 5:10).  What God has done for sinful man is what Paul calls “the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8).  He would go on to say about us, “that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 3:10).  Sinful man has the chance to “become the righteousness of God in Him” (2nd Corinthians 5:21). God calls us to proclaim this message. That is what we do because of what He has done for us.          

Proclaiming the gospel to the world is what it means to be ambassadors for Christ.  Changed by the message of hope and convicted of its reality, we encourage others to “be reconciled to God.”  Our roles may differ somewhat, for some will plant, and others may water, knowing that God brings forth the harvest (1st Corinthians 3:6).  Nonetheless, our work as ambassadors is crucial.  Many around, even those with smiles on the faces, are not reconciled to God.  It may be that we are their chance to hear about the hope we have in Christ.  Are you up for it?

Dennis

Someone has said, “Getting back to basics is the simplest way to find calm in the chaos.”  It was 1959, and Vince Lombardi has just been given the Green Bay Packers’ job.  The previous year the team had only won two games.  At the first preseason meeting, the new head coach held out a football for all the players to see, and then he said, “Gentlemen, this is a football.”  Can’t you get any more basic than that, right?  One person applied this to the Christian journey saying, “…our success or failure will be determined by how well we execute the basics of the Christian life.”            

 I wonder if that is what Jesus was ultimately doing when He responded to this question offered by a Pharisee who was a lawyer, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?” (Matthew 22:36)  I suspect you are familiar with the answer Jesus gives, “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like it:  ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  On these two commandments hand, all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40).  Jesus was not disqualifying the need to obey the old law; instead, it directed their attention to the basics once again.           

In our present-day “chaos,” I fear that one of Satan’s tactics in all this is to cause us to lose sight of a fundamental truth.  What is it?  That we are a body of believers that need one another to be all that God desires us to be.  Today I want to remind us of some simple, fundamental truths about us as His people that might help us journey through the chaos surrounding us.

“…so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.”

                                                                                                               Romans 12:5

            If there is ever a study that reveals our need for one another, it is the study of the “one another” verses of the New Testament.  Here is just a sampling of them: “Be kindly affectionate to one another” (Romans 12:10), “…have the same care for one another” (1st Corinthians 12:25), “bearing with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2), “…comfort one another with these words” (1st Thessalonians 4:18).  The list goes on and on!  The simple, basic truth is this; we need one another!  Why is this “one another” idea so crucial to the church and the gospel?  Because success or failure depends in part on our understanding that we are a team.  At least on some level, I fear that this pandemic, which is every bit real, could be used by Satan to reinforce our individuality in such a way that we begin to think that I can be the Christian God wants me to be without the church.  This idea is a thought that we must take captive quickly, before it grows too many roots.  Here is one way to do that.

“For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function…”

                                                                                                     Romans 12:4           

 Just how important do you think you are to the body of Christ?  I believe that is a great question that we need to let God answer for us.  Ephesians 4:16 in the NCV reads, “The whole body depends on Christ, and all the parts of the body are joined and held together. Each part does its own work to make the whole body grow and be strong with love.”  As we depend on Christ, we also learn to rely on each other because we become strong together.  Paul would encourage the church in Rome, saying, “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them…” (12:6).  Why?  Because we need each other to make us complete as a body of believers!  Right?           

Interestingly, Vince Lombardi became one of the most revered coaches in all of football.  He never had a losing season as head coach.  The team that won only two games the previous season before becoming head coach went on to win the Western Conference the next year and five years later, one of three consecutive super bowls.  It started with the basics.  All those players knew what a football was, but for whatever reason, lost sight of what it was all about.  Simple basics.            

I suppose that Satan could use this chaos in which we find ourselves to distract and deter us.  But maybe, just maybe, could God be using it to remind us of the basics.  We are His body!  And the truth is, we need each other.  Thank You, Lord, for making us who we are and reminding us of that through Your word.

Dennis

Well, this past week we had the chance to have Joey, Cyndi and little Camden visit us for about four days.  It had been over six months since we last were able to visit, so it was good to spend some time with family on a sort of vacation.  I did not want to simply “throw something together,” so I took the chance to look into my files and see if there was a lesson from times past which could compliment last week’s lesson that was entitled, “Help Me to Die.”  In that lesson we looked to the example of Jesus to see how we might fight against our selfish tendencies.  I have chosen a lesson entitled, “Counting the Cost – Your Cross.”  It also looks at the idea of what is involved in dying to self.  I hope it is an encouragement to you and a reminder to us all that there is more to Christianity than just a name.

There are two words that circulate in the religious world that are very common to us all.  As a matter of fact, both of these words we would like to be used to describe us.  What are these words?  First, there is the word Christian.  Used only twice in the New Testament, the word simply means a follower of Christ.  Then, there is the word disciple.  Used far more in the New Testament, it carries the idea of a learner; a pupil.  I believe one can be a disciple and not a Christian.  But, I believe if someone claims to be a Christian, the characteristics of a disciple must also be evidenced in their lives.

As I prepare to discuss the verse that follows and its implications, I realize a concern some may have, causing them to perhaps doubt their salvation.  Don’t forget what Paul says in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”.  So, don’t lose heart; but instead, allow yourself to honestly examine where you are at right now.  Maybe approach it by asking this simple question, “What does Jesus want us to see?”

Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me,

he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

                                                                                                        Luke 9:23           

When it comes to our relationship with Jesus, which of these words is spoken of most: believe or follow?  As Kyle Idleman noted in his book, most can quote John 3:16 but the “words of Jesus in Luke 9:23 are recorded in three of the four Gospels.”  What he went on to say struck me and maybe it will you as well.  He said, “There is no believing without following.”  I believe this very idea is revealed in the verse above.  The invitation is for all when he says “anyone.”  Anyone means everyone.  It matters not your background, what you have done, how checkered your past may be.  The question is, do you believe in His sufficient work on the cross?  If so, then He invites you to “come after me.”  Kyle Idleman writes, “When Jesus says ‘Come after,’ he’s describing a passionate pursuit of someone you love.”  The willingness to “deny self” and “take up his cross daily” so one can follow Jesus reflects that passion.

Thankfully, this willingness is not self-generated.  His grace will teach us (Titus 2:11-12).  The Spirit is more than willing to lead us (Galatians 5:18).  His power is more than sufficient to bring us through (Ephesians 3:20).  Do you believe?  Then let us pick up that cross and follow Him.

Dennis

We have a young men’s study that has been going on for some time, and recently some topics were offered by them to consider.  This past week, we discussed the subject of selfishness.  Do you struggle with it?  One person writes, “Selfishness is that detestable vice which no one will forgive in others, and no one is without himself.”  It was John the Baptist, who said, “He [Jesus] must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).  Dying to self (selflessness) is often a battle within.  Yet God calls us to do it.  Jesus said clearly, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23).  As the years’ pass, I understand more earnestly why we are encouraged to choose to die daily.  Thomas Kempis writes, “A man is hindered and distracted in proportion as he draws outward things to himself.”  We live in such a distracting world, making it all too easy to neglect the need to die daily.

Self-ish-ness – devoted to or caring only for oneself; concerned primarily with one’s interests, benefits, welfare, etc. regardless of others.            

Okay, that is the working definition of selfishness that we want to use; that said, there is some clarity needed before we can look to Jesus and grasp some insight into how we can strive to be like Him.  So, we begin with Philippians 2:4, “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests but also for the interests of others.”  I love how the NCV reads: “Do not be interested only in your own life but be interested in the lives of others.”  I share this because we don’t want to leave with the idea that my interests don’t matter when it comes to dying to self.  It is the ability to see others and their needs amid our affairs and doing what is best for all involved.  With that said, let’s do what we should always do, look to Jesus for some insight about what is involved with living an unselfish life.

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…”

                                                                                       Philippians 2:5            

Okay, so we need to think as Christ did.  So, how did He think?  We start with self-awareness.  Listen to what is said next, “…who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God” (Philippians 2:6).  Take a moment and make a mental note of the identity of Christ as He walked this earth.  He, being the Word, was God (John 1:1) and that Word became “flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14).  His name would be Immanuel, which means. “God with us” (Matthew 1:23).  Because Christ was every bit God, He had the right to assume all of its privileges.  But, for the cause of sinful humanity, He reasoned in His mind that it would be better to do otherwise.  As one commentator put it, “Christ turned has back on the ‘rank’ of equality with God, refusing to exert himself for what was his by right, choosing rather the way of obedience.”  The idea of rights versus selflessness leads us into our next thought, which I would like to call positional awareness.  Consider the next verse, Christ “…made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7).  It is not until we grasp who Christ was (and is) that this verse sinks into our minds.  God became like a bondservant!  He who is above all, lowered Himself to become like His creation to serve.  Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”  Jesus was fully aware that He was lowering Himself, out of love, to serve those He loved.  Finally, there is what I would like to call an active awareness.  To think of what Jesus did is amazing.  But Jesus’ purposed decision is moved into action in the next verse.  Paul writes, “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8).  So often in life, our desire to be selfless is quickly pulled away by wants and desires.  We know that Christ didn’t want to die on the cross (Luke 22:42) and agonized over it.  Yet, He humbled Himself, committing Himself to the Father’s will.  The Father knows best, right?            

I want to say that these thoughts result from personal study and to a great deal they are.  Still, I must confess that they were stirred by our study conversation this week as someone shared some thoughts from a lesson they heard.  Regardless, the impact is genuine to me.  Selfishness is best defeated when we are first, self-aware.  Knowing who we are in Christ is so important!  Then, knowing who we are, enables us to assume a lower position in life to serve others because we know to do so does not change who we are; but rather magnifies who we are.  Finally, with such confidence, we follow through in obedience, knowing that selflessness is Christlikeness, just what the Father wants.  Thank you, Jesus, for helping us to understand how to die to self.

Dennis

Honestly, many thoughts run through my mind as I witness the chaos that permeates our society. I’m sure you feel the same.  Amid all this, I wonder how much Satan is working?  It’s all too easy to forget that he “walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1st Peter 5:8).  For this reason, His church, which God purchased with His blood (Acts 20:28), is called to “resist him”; that is, Satan.  Paul would write to the church in Ephesus, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).  He would tell the church in Corinth, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh” (2nd Corinthians 10:3).  The call to “be sober, be vigilant” (1st Peter 5:8) to bring “every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2nd Corinthians 10:5) could never be more important than it is right now.  Our light needs to shine in a dark and godless world.

Repay no one evil for evil.  Have regard for

good things in the sight of all men.

Romans 12:17            

When I turn on the television, all I see is darkness, violence in the streets in the name of justice.  I am not here to speak of the legitimacy of their frustration, but rather, to confront how people are dealing with it.  Are these actions of God?  The Lord asks of His church, His children, to rise above this darkness.  When He says to “repay no evil for evil,” He urges us not to become like the world around us.  Don’t cave in to their reasoning.  Then the Lord reinforces his will with these words, “do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place for wrath” (Romans 12:19).  As one person said, “An eye for an eye only makes the whole world blind.”  As Christians, our trust is in God’s justice to measure out what is right in His time.  The road we are to travels is of much greater value.

If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink;

For in so doing, you will heal coals of fire on his head.

                                                                                                     Romans 12:20            

We are not to sit idly by and let evil have its way. But on the other hand, our Lord wants us to “live peaceably with all men”; that is, “if it is possible, as much as depends on you” (Romans 12:18).  What should be our reaction to their action?  Feed them!  Give them a drink!  Can you hear the Lord whisper in your ear right now, “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you…” (Matthew 5:44).  He calls us to rise above it instead of becoming like it.  “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse” (Romans 12:14).  The fury of evil is when it is unable to beget itself in another.            

We are witnessing a society that has purposely sought to minimize God and, in many cases, remove Him from our plane of reasoning all together; we, His church, are to remain steadfast in the Lord.  We do that in part by these final words, “Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).  May He who fashioned the whole universe protect you this day and empower you to be His light in a darkened world.  Blessed be Jesus.

Dennis

I was driving down the road not too long ago and saw a bumper sticker which read, “Catholics for marriage equality.  GOD IS LOVE.”  This caused me to think of other things that don’t make sense.  For instance, there are those who profess a belief in God and yet, would march for the right to abort babies, in some cases even to the ninth month.  We watch the news and see the violence and looting and the claim by some that it is simply reparation because of the past.  For as Paul spoke of the society back then, so we can say it today, that we live in a sinful world, a “crooked and perverse generation” (Philippians 2:15).  Isaiah the prophet wrote, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20).  This is troubling for a number of reasons, but for me, it is because so many in the so-called Christian community are being persuaded to think like this.

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who

does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

                                                                                              2^nd Timothy 2:15         

The wisdom provided to the evangelist Timothy through the Holy Spirit guiding the apostle Paul is helpful to us as well, for he too had to face those who with “itching ears” would “turn their ears away from truth” (2^nd Timothy 4:3, 4).  So, let’s consider three basic things crucial to fighting against such conformity to the world around us.  The first key is the task to “be diligent.”  The NIV would say “do your best.”  The NCV says “make every effort.”  You get the idea, don’t you?  We need to be disciples of Christ; that is, learners of Christ and His ways.  Asking God to help equip us so that we can “contend earnestly for the faith” (Jude v3).  The conviction that His word can and will “equip us for every good work” (2^nd Timothy 3:17) should inspire us because “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Ephesians 2:10).  Second, we need not be ashamed of the truth.  We need to be willing to speak the truth in love.  Sin is sin.  Darkness is darkness.  If not, then this whole Christianity thing is bogus!   I would agree, how we speak it is as important as what we speak.  Paul exhortation to Timothy, “Preach the word!  Be ready in season and out of season.  Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching” (2^nd Timothy 4:2).  I know that this is Timothy’s work with the church, but can’t we apply some of this to how we engage the world around us?  Paul wrote to the Philippian church that they should “shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life” (Philippians 2:15, 16).  Okay, if these two are reasonable to consider, then the last one is critical to them both; that is, rightly dividing the word of truth.  There is such a thing as “sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1).  To the very best of our ability we need to grow in our understanding of it.  It is the tool God has given to sinful man to reveal to them the greatest gift ever given, Jesus Christ!  It is this same tool that provides those who believe with insight into what it means to “walk just as He walked” (1^st John 2:6).         

Our world is changing rapidly before our eyes.  Yet, as we look throughout history, and more importantly, the scriptures, we find that this is nothing new to our sinful world.  We cannot stop such changes from happening, but we can lovingly stand for what God teaches in His word.  For if we, His church, do not stand, who will?  Let’s seek God earnestly to help us shine as lights in the world.  Have a blessed week and know you are loved by God.

Dennis