Christmas Cards

Christmas Cards, "Bah Humbug," some say… They cost too much, no one really reads them anyway… It's too expensive and takes too much time to send them."

Some may say those things, but not at our house, at our house we love Christmas cards. We love receiving them and love sending them. Granted in the present economic situation in our society we don't mail as many as we once did. But still they are an important part of our lives. Many of us have been forced to send an "electronic" greeting now, which is a great avenue of staying in touch, but I still cherish the old fashion paper cards also.

Each card, each letter, each greeting, (electronic or otherwise), has a message of hope, a message of love, they share precious thoughts and insights about our relationships. We love to get the Christmas letters that often come with the cards, because the truth of the matter is that far too often we just don't stay in touch with those we really care about. We mean to do better, we mean to call, write or visit, but as they say, "life interferes" with our plans.

Christmas cards may be the only time in the year that you communicate with someone you really do care about in your life. We are separated by years and miles from many of our dear friends. People that we love and truly cherish, but some we have not seen for years. People who have touched our lives and helped make us who we are today.

Christmas cards remind us that there is a bond of love and friendship through Christ that can never be parted. As long as we put Him first in our lives we will touch and be touched by others.

We have some old friends that taught us a lesson about Christmas cards years ago while living in Africa. They kept their Christmas cards on the dinning room table and each day when they asked God to bless their food they also chose one card and ask God to bless those people that day also.

Many of you have been a light to our paths in this life fulfilling Jesus' Words in Matthew 5:14-15, "You are the light of the world, like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house."

So in this electronic age my wife and I wish each of you a "Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year". And, May God Bless us Everyone.

Promises Remembered ...

"And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come:

I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth… Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." (Genesis 9:12-16 NIV)

As we were driving through Southern Arizona and California last week my wife and I were in unusual weather for us, there was rain, lots of rain. It was somewhat unusual because every now and then the sky would clear and we would have sunshine for awhile. During these times we saw no less than 4 different rainbows, which was quite amazing in itself. But as we saw those we commented to one another about God's promise to Noah and his family after He had destroyed the earth with the Great Flood. God said, "I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant…" He said, "I promise I will never do this again."  

There was another covenant even before that one though. After Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden for their sin and disobedience, God Said, "And I will put enmity between you (Satan) and the woman, and between your offspring (Satan) and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." (Genesis 3:15) This was his promise even in the very beginning of time that Jesus would come to the world as its Savior.

In Luke 2 God spoke again through an Angel: "An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." (Vs.  9-12)

If there is a message we see reinforced at this time of the year through this holiday the world proclaims as "Christmas," it is that God remembers His promises! Think about all of those who proclaim, "Keep Christ in Christmas."  Many of the Songs that are sung are a reminder of at least part of the promise of God being fulfilled.

We know that the word "Christmas," is not in the bible. We understand that the early Christians did not have Christmas celebrations. We understand that most of what takes place in our modern Christmas celebrations has nothing to do with what is recorded in the bible. However that doesn't make the birth of Christ any less wonderful, any less worthy of being remembered. This one event truly was a miracle that changed the course of our world as well as each of our lives for eternity.

God spoke, He promised, He remembered and He fulfilled that promise through a baby born in a stable. Let's not forget the fulfilled promise of a Savior which was born to us in Bethlehem, not just at this time of the year, but all year long.

JUST SHOWING UP DOESN'T GET THE JOB DONE

I love the Cowboy Culture of the 1950's and 60's! Of course, like many of you I was raised with Cowboys (and Cowgirls), being a main influence on Television and in the movies. You learned why the good guys were good and the bad guys were bad. You learned morals and ethics, you learned respect for others, you learned respect for property and you learned what was acceptable to say and what wasn't, you even learned about the concept of "work ethics".

Though he has been dead for a number of years, no one portrayed what a Cowboy was better than John Wayne. Some say he did it better than anyone else. John Wayne's characters could ride and fight with the best, but he always let his concern for others show through also. He portrayed for us the importance of qualities such as honor, loyalty, bravery and commitment.

In the movie "Rio Bravo," Wayne's character made a statement that echo's much of Christ's teachings about commitment and what he expects from us, when he said "Just showing up doesn't get the job done!"

Jesus tells us, 'If you love me you obey my commandments"! (John 14:15) Because you see, just showing up at worship service "doesn't get the job done," it doesn't do what God demands of us.

I know you may get tired of seeing me refer to this concept so often in my writings, but I do it because I see it as a major problem in the churches throughout our land. People want to wear the name Christian, but they don't want to take it any further than that. Being a Christian means our lives have been transformed from the very foundation of our being. It means as Paul said, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)  It means that you are dead to self and alive to Christ. It means… that we finally understand that just showing up doesn't get the job done. It means we finally understand what it means to be buried with Christ and raised as a new creation (Romans 6:3-4). How about you, do you really understand that "Just showing up doesn't get the job done?"

THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT

Recently I have been made aware once again about a great failing on the part of some church leaders. Somewhere along the line some have forgotten our purpose. Some have forgotten that worship is about God and not about those who worship him. Now, I'm not saying that people aren’t important, but I am saying that just perhaps we need to re-evaluate the focus of why we gather together.

There is a great small book titled, "Showtime! Worship in the Age of show Business", by Dan Chambers. Mr. Chambers takes a look at some of the modern worship practices in comparison to what God's Word indicates worship should be. You might be surprised at the extent to which some churches will go to "pack the pews".

I guess in itself that's not new, people in general have short attention spans. Many today need something to keep them in their seats for the 30 to 60 minutes they sit together with the crowd in their church buildings. We see this in our modern "entertainment" mentality is Television programming. They have to change the image every second of so or people get bored. They have to push the envelope of what is accepted or outrageous to keep people tuned in to their programs. Sadly, this has influenced some who plan worship assemblies.

Again this is not new. Several years ago while we were in Michigan I saw a church advertising in the News Paper that they would be having "Belly Dancers for Jesus" at their church, urging everyone to come. I can't question the motivation of the Belly Dancers themselves, but it sure seemed to me that the church was focusing on the dancing rather than Jesus. What have our churches come to when we have to bribe, promise entertainment or trick people to come and worship with us? What does that say for us as a people when we need those things?

There is an old, old song titled, "Give me that Old Time Religion," what has happened to that concept in our world. What does that say about our society when just worshipping God is not enough? Jesus said in John 4:23-24: "But the time is coming, indeed it's here now, when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship Him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth."

"True Worshipers," worshiping in Spirit and Truth indicates it is something we need to do, not have done to us! The idea of Worship carries with it the concept of bowing down before the one being worshiped. It is not about us it is about offering ourselves to Him. Our songs or prayers; our messages should center on God and our love for and service to him.

If you are "going to church" (as the accepted concept is used), with hopes that it will "be interesting enough to keep you awake," or "exciting enough to make you feel good," then just perhaps you are going about it wrong.

Russ Lawson

SATISFACTION

Back in the 60's one of the big hit songs was, "I can’t get no satisfaction," by the group called "The Rolling Stones". It spoke to the constant battle and failure in life to find satisfaction by doing what society expects you to do. Many of us "baby boomers" grew up listening to this music. Many embraced the philosophy of rejecting social norms or socially accepted concepts of right behavior. Today we live in a world where the accepted thing is to just "do your own thing," or "just do whatever makes you happy".

Sadly, this idea has penetrated the minds of many of those who are trying to "find God" or "worship God in their own way". The problem is that though our society may have been bent enough to allow folks to do pretty much whatever they want and still be accepted, God doesn't.

You might be inclined to ask, "What gives you the right to make such a statement?" "Who made you the judge of the world?" My answer is that no one made me the judge of you, it always has been and always will be God that judges. Jesus himself said, (if you accept Jesus as authority in religious matters), in John 12:47-52, "If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say." (NIV)

You see somewhere in life many have been convinced that "as long as you love God, you can pretty much do whatever you want and still be acceptable to him". Yet, Jesus said, "If you don't do what I have said you will be condemned". The apostle John shared these words with us in 1 John 5:3, "Loving God means keeping His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome".

So, are you looking for satisfaction? Have you tried looking more closely at what God asks of you? Read the Psalms and see what the writers equate with joy and happiness. You'll find it is having a real relationship with God, not just a nodding acquaintance.

What About The Future?

I don't know about you, but I sometimes get concerned about the future. I don't know if I actually worry about it, but sometimes it is close to that. I am concerned about the state of our world; I am concerned about the financial condition of our country; I am concerned about what the government will or won't do to the stability of our country; I am concerned about what kind of world our children and grandchildren will have to live in; I am concerned with how things will turn out in our lives as we grow older.

Again, I am concerned, but don't worry about it. Every day, just as perhaps you do, I strive to turn my future over to God. Sometimes I successful, sometimes I'm not.

I recently read a quote from Corrie Ten Boom that said, "Never be afraid to trust the future you don't know, to a God you do know". I don't know about you, but from time to time I need to be reminded of that fact! Don't most of the issues in our lives have a direct relationship to our reliance upon God or our relationship to him? Who is it we turn to in times of trouble, is it our friends and family, our co-workers, or do we first think of God. Your answer to that question may explain your success or failure in some of your struggles.

I am endeavoring every day to rely more upon God regarding my future. Shouldn't we really be able to trust the future to our God we know? In the scripture we read: "God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5) So, if we know this promise and know the one who made the promise, how can we not trust our future to his hands? David said of God in Psalm 31:15, "My future is in Your hands".

We have read the words, we know the promise; we know the one who made the promise, now it is time for us to live like we believe the promise. Stop worrying about that which you can't change or can't direct yourself and turn it over to God.

Politics and Religion

(Houston, TX, October 2014) "The battle over a controversial equal rights ordinance is heating up in Houston, Texas, with revelations that the city has subpoenaed church sermons, among other documentation, from five local faith leaders.

Officials have requested that these preachers deliver communications that have focused on homosexuality or the contentious equal rights ordinance, which these individuals have fervently opposed.

The subpoenas, which were issued last month, seek, “all speeches, presentations, or sermons related to the Petition, Mayor Annise Parker, homosexuality, or gender identity prepared by, delivered by, revised by, or approved by you or in your possession,” according to the Houston Chronicle." (Theblaze.com)

This is Satan continuing to chip away at our Christian Freedoms. Just a couple of years ago I urged the members of our church to contact the leaders in government regarding the "Hate Speech" bill that was being proposed. This bill was passed and can be used against ministers who choose to speak out against the sins of our nation practiced by many. Sadly; many in world and our churches ridiculed the idea as foolish to think that the government would try to hinder what teaching takes place in our churches. They were wrong! I believe the following quote describes the problem well:

"Our society is still trying to answer the question, do politics and religion mix? The first amendment of the United States Constitution reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion nor prohibit the free exercise thereof." What the first amendment is saying is that government should stay out of religion, but religious people can exercise their faith in the influence of public policy.

Over the past fifty years, lawmakers have misinterpreted the Constitution. We've majored in the first part of the amendment while abandoning the second part, and in doing so, we have disenfranchised the gospel, politically, socially, judicially, and culturally. Like a sponge with the water squeezed out, ours is a society with Jesus squeezed out, and we are living in a fifty-year experiment of building a nation without God. No prayer. No Ten Commandments. No sermon at graduation. No Sabbath. No respect for marriage.

Those things may be contributing to factors to some of today's problems: We have massive teen drug abuse, school shooting sprees, and an adolescent suicide rate up 350 percent since 1960. It's time to ask, cannot politics and religion mix?" (Stephen M. Crotts)

It's time that we understand the importance of God's Word once again. It's time for us to stand and be counted and call into account those who govern us. Jesus said this in John 12:47-50   "If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say."

THE BLOOD MOON AND THE CURMUDGEON

 

Last night we had a total Lunar eclipse which is a wonderful event to behold, however in our area it was visible at 4 O'clock in the morning. There has been some discussion about the event being "a sign from God," which I think shows a great lack of understanding for biblical prophecy and events. So, No I definitely don't think it was a sign from God, other that to show how wonderful the universe he created works.

Now my wife is into those kinds of events and enjoys them more that I. She talked about getting up to watch the Lunar Eclipse and I told her, "Well, don't wake me; I'm going to be a bit of a Curmudgeon about it."

Now the dictionary defines "Curmudgeon," as a person (especially an old man) who is easily annoyed, sometimes easily angered and who often complains or grumbles." I don't know if I fit into all of those areas of description, but if you wake me up at 4 A.M. I do tend to be a bit annoyed and grumble about it. The funny thing is; that I'm often up at 4 A.M. working in my office, but if I happen to be asleep I like to stay that way.

As things would happen, I woke up at 3:50 A.M. and thought seriously about trying to go back to sleep. I know that once I wake up, it is very difficult for me to shut down my brain and go back to sleep. However, I also thought about how happy seeing these events makes my wife of 47 years (who just happened to be sound asleep). I thought you have a choice; you can be a curmudgeon or be a blessing to her. So, as gently as I could, woke her up and asked if she would like to go out and look at the moon with me.

We pulled on some warm clothes and went out and stood in our front yard watching the moon and as we watched we saw a shooting star flash across the sky in front of the moon (another one of her favorite things). We watched for a few minutes and went in, hugged and kissed and she went to bed and I went to my office.

OK, what's my point? It is that we have a choice in how we act and how we relate to other people. After 47 years we still do the things Newly Weds do. We hold hands, hug and kiss often, fix one another's tea and coffee, massage sore muscles, go shopping for cloths together and in general do the things that love demands… even getting up at 4 O'clock in the morning to watch the moon.

Notice this interesting modern translation of 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, "Love is never tired of waiting; love is kind; love has no envy; love has no high opinion of itself, love has no pride; Love's ways are ever fair, it takes no thought for itself; it is not quickly made angry, it takes no account of evil; It takes no pleasure in wrongdoing, but has joy in what is true; Love has the power of undergoing all things, having faith in all things, hoping all things." (BBE)

How about you, have you been a bit of a curmudgeon lately? Maybe it's time to turn things around and remember what love is all about

LIFE IS SOMETIMES DIFFICULT

 

How much do you trust God? I really mean this, how much do you trust God? Do you believe that he cares for you? Do you believe that no matter what happens in your life that he is right there beside you? Do you believe that if you live faithfully he will someday take you home to heaven? As Christians we must believe these things, because that is the hope we have in life; that is what our faith is about!

 

Philip Yancey, in his book REACHING FOR THE INVISIBLE GOD, tells of his father‑in‑law, a Bible teacher and committed Christian. The older man’s faith troubled him in his final years. A degenerative nerve disease confined him to bed, preventing him from sharing in most of the activities he enjoyed. In addition to his own illness, his daughter battled a debilitating form of diabetes.

 

During the most severe crisis, he composed a Christmas letter and mailed it to family members and friends. He expressed his uneasy feelings about many things he had once taught. What could he believe with certainty? The old Bible teacher staked his faith on three realities. Here is his list: “(1) Life is difficult, (2) God is merciful, (3) Heaven is sure.”

 

Is life difficult? Yes! It is rarely any other way, but God's word assures us that we have a loving God who is merciful to his children and that the promise of heaven is sure. We believe it, because he said.

 

Jesus encouraged his disciples with these words found in John 14:1-3: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."

 

Has that promise ever changed? No, God's promise to us remains the same no matter what difficulties come into our lives. The writer of Hebrews encourages us with these words. "Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure." (Hebrews 6:17-19).

 

What is the anchor for your soul during difficult times, what is your hope? It must be the "unchangeable" promises of God, because those are the only ones that really last!

What do you do with Father's Day?

Father's Day is traditionally a day on which we recognize the efforts of our fathers to provide for and care for their families. Many make this a special day with a special breakfast, phone calls to those who are separated by miles or visits if you are near. Perhaps taking them out to eat and even gifts to recognize them. That's great and I am thrilled that so many are able to do that, it is as it should be. Deuteronomy 5:16  told the Israelites (and the example travels on to us) "Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you.”

 

There are inherent in this day some problems, the first of which is that there are those of us whose fathers have passed from this life and we can no longer let them know how much they were appreciated. That brings with it another set of problems, as we sometimes get buried under a load of guilt called, "I wish I had". "I wish I had been a better son/daughter". "I wish I had told them…" We can honor them by simply remembering them and living a life that would show honor in our own lives.

 

Then there are some whose fathers are abusive, non-caring, unloving or have even deserted their families. It's hard to show love to someone like that. How do you love the unlovable?

 

And then there are some who never knew their father at all, perhaps they died or departed or refused to accept the responsibility for them before they were ever born. That brings about a position of choosing in our lives. Choosing whether to love them (or at least not hate them). The Greek word used most in the scripture for love is "agape" which literally means to desire the best for someone. It doesn't have the meaning of embracing or even desiring to be with someone, but to truly hope that all things work out to their good, which of course would be for them to have their life right with God, no matter what their situation.

 

So, sometimes even our fathers are unlovable, they are not perfect, in fact sometimes they mess up big time and then what are we to do? Maybe we should ask ourselves, "What would Jesus do?" You see, God loves the unlovable; ("But God has made clear his love to us, in that, when we were still sinners, Christ gave his life for us." Romans 5:8  BBE) Would you think then that he would expect you and I to do anything less, not just on Father's Day, but all days.

 

Whatever your situation, I pray that you will honor your father while you have him with you. If you can't do that, then love them with a love that hopes for the best for them in their relationship to God.

Dealing with stress

 

In 1999, 36 year old Akira Hareuya filed bankruptcy for his electrical contracting business. He immediately bought a pair of boxing gloves and went out on to the streets of Tokyo with a plan. He knew that there were lots of very stressed people on the streets of Tokyo so for $9 a minute he would allow people to punch him. To further deal with their stress they could yell at him as they punched him. The report said he made about $200 per day doing this.

 

Have you ever had to deal with stress? It's a reality of life isn't it, everyone has some kind of stress about something. How about you, how do you deal with your stress? Some folks seem to do just fine; they let the stress that enters their lives just roll over them, not seeming to affect them at all. But, then there is the rest of us who don't cope quite as well sometimes. Actually, I've found that how I deal with stress varies quite a bit and is sometimes even coupled with my physical condition. If I am not feeling well, then things seem to bother me that at other times would be no problem at all.

 

I think the same principle can be applied to us on a spiritual level also. If we are strong spiritually then we are not nearly as stressed as when we struggle spiritually. Have you ever been to a meeting of your church family or maybe a special meeting where lots of folks attended where you were especially uplifted? Maybe you came away feeling that you could handle almost anything that the world threw at you; depression wasn't an issue, because you were so high on spiritual adrenalin.

 

Now we know that God's word encourages us to meet with other Christians and that we are to encourage each other at all times. Why is it then, that when we are stressed, depressed and discouraged, that we stay away from church meetings and other Christians? In my experience it is because others seem so perfect, so godly; so spiritual, that it makes us feel even worse about ourselves. Now if that is true, then we have a real problem with our perceptions of others, because I have yet to meet anyone who is not struggling with something; we just are not aware of it. Paul writes in Romans 3:23, "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard."

 

What about getting rid of stress, how do we do it? Well, personally I'm still working on that, but I have a direction to go in my life. Paul writes in Philippians 4:6-7, "Don't worry about anything. Instead, tell God about everything. Ask and pray. Give thanks to him. Then God's peace will watch over your hearts and your minds because you belong to Christ Jesus." (NIrV) I'm working on bringing more of God into my life all of the time through study, prayer and association with others of like mind. What about you, do you have a plan?

 

 

 

 

WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO RISK?

It was a small and rather poor town with a small and rather poor church, so poor they could not afford their own meeting place. The only place they could find to meet was on the lower floor of a dilapidated old building with a dance hall on the second floor. It was a terrible situation, as the dance hall was almost always full of people with loud music accompanied by the stomping of many feet and boisterous shouts.

One Sunday the church was meeting and the usual melee was going on above them. Suddenly there was a loud crack and plaster falling from the ceiling as well as the lower portion of a woman hanging through a hole in the ceiling.

Immediately the preacher called out, "Any man that raises his eyes to the ceiling will be struck blind by the lord." Dead silence descended upon the congregation as everyone wondered what would happen next. Then in a shaky quivering voice an old man in the back of the hall was heard to say, "Well, I think I might risk one eye anyway."

I know it's a humorous story, but it speaks to a very serious problem in our world and sadly in our churches today. We are constantly bombarded by nudity and fowl language in the sanctity of our own homes now. The television programs seem to be trying to push a liberal view of what is acceptable and what isn't. Honestly, we have had to turn off and stop watching several programs in the past year, because of the sinful content of the programs. They know that sex and nudity grabs people and causes them to watch the programs. They know exactly what they are doing, but not living lives guided by God they really don't care.

One of the problems is that it is possible to become hardened to what is being shown and honestly we don't realize that we have been watching something wicked. God demands that we change the way we think, act, live and what we allow to influence us.

Paul writing in Romans 6:1 reminds us of the transformation we made when we decided to serve Christ. Notice his words, because his question is still valid for us today:  "Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of His wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?"(NIV) The old King James Version says, "God Forbid" that we should do such a thing.

The problem with far too many of us is that we are "willing to risk one eye," to indulge in just a little sin. Yet, that's not the way it works with God. You must be either 100% for him or you are against him, you can't be lukewarm in your commitment or he will judge you as guilty, (Revelation 3:16). Your kids might scream and holler that they like that show and all of their friends watch it, but God expects us to live differently from the world. The Psalms perhaps say it best in Psalm 101:3 here the writer says simply, "I will set no wicked thing before my eyes."

As for me, I think I'll try my best to keep both eyes where they need to be

Change

We live in a world where (almost) everyone wants change. We want to see new things, do new things, move to a new house, change jobs, learn new things, experience new thrills, challenge ourselves to do things we have never done before. Desiring change is not a bad thing, at least in regards to most things.

 

One of the more familiar quotes we see from time to time is: "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got." (Doug Caufmann). There is truth to that statement. If you keep doing things the same way, you are not going to have change. Our society seems to think that the lack of change is a bad thing, but is that always true? Now, I'm no just being an "old foggy," who doesn't believe in change. I love change in my life and expect it in our world. My wife and I have lived in 7 states as well in Kenya, East Africa. We love to experience new things and different people. We embrace change in our lives for the most part.

 

However (you knew there would be a disclaimer didn't you), I cannot and will not embrace change to God's church or God's Word. I've been disappointed in churches and church leaders throughout our land who want to try and make changes to God's church. They go to extremes to try and make "church" more palatable to our young folks who desire change. And, if they don't get the change they want, they go somewhere they can find it. It's really not surprising, we were warned about it a couple of thousand years ago when the Apostle Paul wrote a young preacher, Timothy. Notice what he said, "For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. (2 Timothy_4:3) 

 

Here is what we see happen so often. People who do not have a lot of knowledge of God's word start to desire change. They want more services that are more entertaining, something that makes them feel good. They approach the leadership and demand change in the church. The leadership either caves in to their request or they threaten to leave.

 

At some point we must realized that, yes, there are some things that we can change, but there are some things that we dare not change. Why? Because God gave us directions as to how things must be in His Word. He was not mistaken, he did not communicate unclearly, he was not just kidding when he told us what he wanted us to do. God doesn't think or act as we do as humans.

 

We tend to forget what we are told in Numbers 23:19, that: "God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind." God has given us clear directions regarding what is necessary for our salvation. He it clear on what is morally and ethically acceptable. He is clear about marriage and sexual relationships. He is clear about the worship that is acceptable to him. These things are not given to change just because or society has decided that they want them to change.

 

What about those who demand change to what God has already put into place? Psalm 55:19 speaks of: "God, who is enthroned from of old, who does not change, he will hear them and humble them, because they have no fear of God. You see, it all boils down to having a "fear" for God and His Word. (Hebrew lit. "respect or fear to displease him").

 

Let me encourage you to be careful as to what you change rather than one day standing before God and being brought to your knees in shame, (humbled).

Different Standards

It's obvious to even the most casual observer that different people have different standards that are acceptable to them. In some cases it makes no real difference in life, yet in other cases it does.

For example; for the past couple of weeks my wife has been ill and because of that I have been 'helping' with some of the household duties. (I offer a special thank you to each of the ladies in our church who have offered to help.) Yesterday I had solid proof that my wife is recovering. How? By the fact that "husband clean," was no longer sufficient for her. It was just little things, but I picked up on them. Things like the comment: "You know; the kitchen floor really needs moped." I thought it looked fine. I had wiped up the spots where I had dropped food! Then there was the fact that she grabbed the hand vacuume and cleaned up flower pedals and assorted other things in the living room that I hadn't even seen. So, "husband clean," was not up to her standards of what is acceptable. I have no excuse; after all, I am a husband and my ways are not her ways of doing things.

One of the things about standards is that they often change. You don't have to look to hard to understand that our society's standards have shifted dramatically concerning what is right and wrong or what is acceptable or unacceptable. God has set standards in regards to what is acceptable in terms of morality, acceptable worship and ethical behavior.

Our society, for the most part, says there are no hard fast standards for morality; just do whatever makes you feel good. Our society says, there are no standards for worship, just do whatever makes you feel good. Our society says there are no standards for ethics; just go with whatever profits you the most. Look at the corruption of our world. Think about the thoughtlessness of our government leaders for the people they govern. Think about the immorality that is flaunted by the world's entertainment community and is mimicked by those they influence.

These standards of living and action are not acceptable to our God, even though men say it makes no difference. God said through the prophet Isaiah, "'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the LORD." (Isaiah 55:8)

The problem is that there are so very many in our world who either don't take the time to read what God says concerning His standards, or they disregard His words as being old fashioned and say that God wouldn't possibly expect us live by those standards proclaimed in His book today.

Paul writes these words of warning in 1Corinthians 6:9-11, "Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."

Now I'm pretty sure that some who read these words will take offence at them, but you know what, you aren’t offended at me, you are offended at God. He wrote them, I just pointed them out to you. God tells us basically, "My standards are not your standards, and your ways are not my ways, what you call right is not really right, what you call clean is not really clean." You see, it's no different than my cleaning the house for my wife, what is an acceptable standard to me is not to her. And if truth be told, I like her standard of cleanliness and God's standard for living better.

Russ Lawson – Messages From The Heart

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HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH HURT IN YOUR LIFE?

This week posted by one of my Facebook friends was the following question: "So what do you do when you REALLY want to tell someone off who hurt you badly so that they realize the damage they've done, but you know they won't care?"

There were a great number of responses to this question, most of which urged the person to pray about it or in someway turn to God about the problem. Several people urged the perplexed person to write them a letter, so as to confront the other person with the issue. All of the answers they received were good answers, each with a personal insight, all involved God in the answer.

I can relate to this question as probably each of you who read this can. Is there any "one" right answer, probably not as long as we keep God's Word in mind as we struggle with this question on a personal level. It’s the idea of asking ourselves the question, "What would Jesus do in my situation?" However, there are a couple of scriptures that come to mind as I consider this.

The first is Romans 12:18-21, where Paul writes, "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

How we treat others is not dependant upon how they treat us, but on how God would have us to treat them. It may be that our first thought is, "But that's not right!" "Where is the justice in that, you are just letting them get away with bad behavior."

Understand that if it is a matter of hurting others, breaking the law, hurting God's church or weakening the power of God's Word, I will stand up and confront someone. But if it is a personal relationship issue, I may just deal with it between me and God.

A scripture that goes along with this idea is Act 8:32-33a, where a Old Testament scripture is quoted: "This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading: "He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice."

We are told that this scripture was fulfilled by Jesus, who was humiliated and deprived of justice. Did he have the power to require that justice was served? Yes, but he chose to suffer the humiliation and injustice for the good of others.

I don't know where you are at in your spiritual life, whether you can do that of not, it's not for me to judge. I believe that is why Paul wrote in Romans 12:18, "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you." It could be that our prayers for others should included the words of another scripture concerning ourselves as the man said to Jesus in Mark 9:24; "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" He still had room for growth and so do I, how about you?