We are not Good Guys!

Are you following the trend in America today of all the domestic violence and crimes that are being committed and the testimonies of the family or friends of the perpetrators? I just saw the mom of the guy that cut the head off a lady in Oklahoma in a news video and she said “That was not my son. There are two sides to every story and we have only one side.” Some of the friends of Ray Rice and former teammates, and even his coach have said, “He’s a great guy. He just made a bad decision.” Understand that I am just stating facts here and you can Google it yourself and find it to be true. I know it would be hard for a mother to believe that her son could do such a thing and I feel compassion for her; but he did it. I understand that Ray was a friend and teammate to many and may have never exhibited any such angry behavior toward them; but he did it.

Do you think maybe this is what Jesus was saying would happen in the last days when He said, “And because lawlessness will abound the love of many will grow cold.” The lawlessness He is referring to is not secular law, we have plenty of laws so we are not lacking in that area, He is talking about God’s Law not being obeyed. There will be less of His law in the last days. We are beginning to see that evil is not being recognized as evil but rather “good people making bad decisions.”

We cannot make excuses for evil actions regardless of who it is that carries them out. Jesus said that these types of thoughts and actions come from the heart, not from the mind. In order for someone to carry out an evil attack on someone else there has to be a violent nature in the heart first, and then it overrides the rational thought in the mind that “I should not do that!”

The devil likes nothing more than seeing people succumb to evil and somehow getting other people to believe that it was not evil at all; it was just a bad decision made by a good person. Do you remember that Jesus said to a young man; “No one is good, only God?” (Matthew 19:17). Mankind has no goodness within ourselves. We may do good deeds but that is not out of our own goodness but from the influence of the goodness of Christ that is in the world. That is why it so important that we allow our hearts to be changed by Christ. Only He can overcome the evil thoughts and deeds that evolve in the human nature; we cannot do it by our own accord. Dr. Billy Graham said, “No matter how good we are, we will never be good enough to win our way into heaven.”

Therefore let us recognize evil behavior for what it is: lawlessness, disobedience to God.

Christian Runts

Growing up I was a runt. If you know me now it would be hard for you to believe that. Skinny as a fence rail I was. I could have stood under a clothesline in the rain and not gotten wet. When the gang would choose sides for our backyard football games I would have been chosen last every time had it not been for a neighborhood girl who was as rough as any of us were, and loved to play football too. I was chosen to make the teams even not for any athletic ability I had. Occasionally I would come up with a big play and that was all that saved me from not being picked at all. I was not a total liability so therefore there was some worth in having me on the team. Big Sam was one of my best friends. He was about 2 years older than we were and was always a team captain and he would pick me to be on his team about every time. Big Sam never considered my athletic ability when choosing, he just liked me. Eventually we all grew into adulthood and no longer played backyard football together. As adults we remain friends even to this day, those of us who are still alive that is. Several have gone on down the river.

Our society is a society of choosers. We choose to like or dislike people based upon different criteria. Nowhere else in society is that more of an issue than in Christian-dom. Those who have come to Christ and have forgotten from whence they came are quick to discount non-believers. Even new converts have a hard time fitting in or being picked for the right team sometimes. “Well, you’ll learn” they are sometimes told by seasoned Christians. They learn alright. They learn that they don’t want to be like most seasoned Christians! Especially those who are pious enough to think that because they attend a certain church, or hold down a certain position, or teach, preach, or pastor; that they are somehow closer to God than the Christian “runts.” Their degrees or the circles in which they network has set them above the average church goer. It is as if they almost seem to have a “pedigree in Christianity” because of family connections or belonging to a certain denomination. The Bible teaches; Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God, in chapter 15 of the Book of Romans.

 

As Christ accepted you! He chose you (and me) while we were runts. He died on the Cross for us while we were yet sinners. He never chose us for our “Christian ability” or connections. He never chose us because we could be of any benefit to Him. He chose us because like Big Sam; He likes us. He likes us a bunch. If He so chose us, should we not so choose others?

Lord, help me to never forget where you found me. Help me never to think of myself as any more educated, any more liked, any more talented, or any better than any of the rest of the people You created in Your image. Just remind me that I once was lost but now I’m saved.

 

 

 

We Don't Know Who She was or What She did.

She should have quit, told them all to “take their religion and shove it” that she did not need anything they had to offer, that she had made it just fine without them before and she would make it without them now; then, perhaps in her cultural behavior, spit at their feet and stormed out! But she didn’t. I am sure her feelings toward the group at the table that day were not at the center of her emotions as she was focusing on her mission. She was a sinful woman we are told. Not what one would consider a flattering title. The Pharisee tells us that she was a sinner so we read into it that she was more than likely a whore, or the politically correct term; a prostitute. But we don’t know that she was, all we know is that she was a sinner. Some speculate she was Mary Magdalene out of whom demons had been cast out. She did not act like a demoniac toward Christ when she entered and apparently she still had her sins, which were many Jesus said, before her act; so I don’t think that it was her.  I do not think God intended for us to know who she was because we would not take this incident personal but would read it as a historical account instead of a present day lesson for us. As psychologists and psychiatrists would say we would project our sin onto her. It is a theory in psychology in which humans defend themselves against unpleasant impulses by denying those impulses existence within themselves, while attributing them to others. For example, a person who is rude may constantly accuse other people of being rude. So, a person who is a sinful person would say "this woman was a terrible sinner, which I am not".

She never let what the Pharisee or others thought about her stop her from seeking out Christ. He made Himself available to her that day, or did you think He just happened to be near where she was? Jesus never did anything coincidentally. Every move He made and everything He said was planned; for us. Of all the things this woman may have done or been accused of there is one thing we learn about her that is not listed in her résumé; she knew in her heart that Jesus was worthy of her worship. Jesus knew what she was there for; forgiveness. The moment she came in seeking Him she was forgiven. When a sinner decides to come to the altar they are saved before they ever step out of their seat; because Jesus sees what is in their heart.

For all those who in the eyes of the religious authorities are “sinful men or women” learn a lesson from this lady. It does not matter what “kind of man or woman” you are in their eyes. What matters is who Jesus is in your eyes. Jesus never turned anyone away that came to Him. Learn a lesson from this woman; don’t quit, don’t give up, don’t give in to shame. Bypass all the religionists and go straight to Jesus. He will do for you what He did for her.

 Read about her in the Book of Luke, Chapter 7 starting at verse 36.

A Tribute to Sister Hazel

“It’s wonderful to wake up and see everything that God has given us to enjoy, but it is more wonderful to know that we are God’s" (children). That is what Sister Hazel told me one afternoon as we sat on her porch/patio watching the sun go down. Sister Hazel is our senior member in our church, her days will number 97 years in a couple of months. Her mind is sharp as is her wit and her demeanor is one of a true granny. I say granny because that was my intimate title for my grandmother and it carries with it the description of a woman whose number one goal was to make us grandkids happy; and she did it with love, just as Sister Hazel does. It is unknown how many preachers she has advised including me. Billy Graham would benefit from a session with her and I am sure he would relish the moment if he knew her. Her and her husband pastored several churches before his passing many years ago. She taught Sunday school at the churches and it is hard to tell how many kids she has influenced. In my travels today I will come across someone who asks which church I pastor. When I tell them they always smile and ask, “Is Sister Hazel still there?” To their delight when I tell them she is, they always have a story of how she has done something for them or taught them. There are many of you reading this now that has a story as well.

We owe a great deal to these elders. There are other Sister Hazels’ out there. The Bible tells us in Hebrews that we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses that we have no excuse for not progressing in our faith, as these Saints have proven that we can endure; if we just will. Sister Hazel is not an “old fogy.” She stays on the cutting edge of news and present day issues. She can discuss with you the economy, the politics, and the social unrest in the world. She will share Scripture with you too that tells these things would come to pass. I wonder if we are the generation that Jesus was talking about when He said, “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” If He were to come before Sister Hazel departs He will most certainly find that kind of faith He expects us to have. She and those of her generation have had to endure hardships that many of us have only heard or read about. We have so many helps at our fingertips today that we do not need faith to a certain extent. “There is an app for that” is what our answer today is to getting help. We put our faith in our technology as these Saints did in God. They had to depend upon God more than we do. Sister Hazel can share stories of faith with you that will raise the hairs on the back of your neck. Prayers that healed the sick when there were no doctors around. Prayers that were answered to put food on the table when there was no money to buy it and no credit cards, no social services or food banks. Prayers that were answered for protection when winter storms brought cold, snow and ice, and there was no emergency shelters, running water, heat pumps, or even electricity. There was no 911 to call. Yeah, they prayed the prayers of faith and God answered them. He was not their last resort, He was their Resort.

Let us learn from these witnesses as God has given them to us for a purpose. Let us put our faith in God as these Saints have done. Can we endure as they have? If we have the faith they do we can. Thank you Sister Hazel.

UPDATE: If you happen to run upon this post know that Sister Hazel went home to be with Jesus in March 2016. She will be dearly missed by those of us who loved and learned from her.