In my daily Bible reading, I came to 1 Samuel chapter 2. Verses 12 and 17 state as follows: “Eli’s sons were wicked men; they had no regard for the Lord….This sin of the young men was very great in the Lord’s sight, for they were treating the Lord’s offering with contempt.”
No doubt Eli loved his sons, and he may have equated his failure to rebuke them with love; but in not correcting them in such a manner that moved them to obedience, he sealed his and his family’s doom. He only mildly got on their cases in 1 Samuel 2: 24-25 and God warned him of the pending outcome in verse 30. God issues His final judgment on Eli’s house in 1 Samuel 3: 12-13 through the child, Samuel. God says, “…his sons made themselves contemptible, and he failed to restrain them.”
I could go on about how Eli failed as a father in not being the spiritual leader of his children that he should have been, but that’s not my point in this posting. However, there’s no getting around the fact that parents’ attitudes towards worship naturally rub off onto their offspring.
So how do we show contempt for the Lord? Do we refuse to attend services because we find them boring? Do we think we’re supposed to be entertained? Do we just not care for the Lord’s supreme sacrifice in order to redeem us? Are we disrespectful during the memorial of the Lord’s Supper? Do we show ingratitude for God’s blessings in refusing to give of the firstfruits of our labor? Are we cynical, and do we nitpick our brothers and sisters to death that participate in teaching classes or in worship? It’s easier to pick people apart than to be active and try to make a difference in order to advance the Lord’s kingdom. Show some mercy!
If I have stepped on toes, I make no apologies. You either take your commitment to God seriously or you don’t. We all have spiritual dry seasons, your humble sokmnkee notwithstanding. Examine yourself and go into the closet of your heart and ask His forgiveness if you’ve despised His body. You may have to recondition yourself to Christian service, but I promise you will not be sorry.
Love Ya,
God Bless
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
We Never Know...
I don't want to be a downer here, but the past few days have been tragic for my family. We buried a 25 year-old young man who should have had his whole life before him. We don't know why he died--just that he had never done anything bad in his life and didn't deserve to. He had hopes, dreams, and big plans for his future. He had a good-paying job that he enjoyed and a steady girl that he intended to marry this time next year. I held him when he was just days old and my mother used to cut his hair and make his Easter outfits when he was little. He was in our wedding when he was 4. It just doesn't feel real that he's gone.
Because of the sins of mankind, Satan walks among us and we all have an appointment with physical death (Rom. 5:12). It doesn't care if we're infants, vibrant, young adults or an older person. It's indiscriminate as to age, socio-economic background, religion or the lack thereof.
I've cried at funerals where I knew that I would never see that person again because they didn't know the Lord. That's the worse kind of loss. I've cried at the funeral of a loved one who is a Christian too, but it's just because I'll miss him or her in this life. I do, however, have the hope of seeing them again and spending eternity with them. For the righteous that have escaped this life, they've got it far better than you or I (Rev. 20:6; 21:1-7). I remind myself of that when I get a lump in my throat and feel like grieving for my loss.
We all need to seek the Lord while we have the opportunity (Hosea 10:12; Mt. 6:33). Why? Because we don't know what the next ten minutes holds, much less tomorrow and beyond. If we don't die physically, Jesus could very well return right now (Heb. 9:28). Are we ready?
I hope I haven't depressed the readership here, but we all need to understand that we can only be a champion for the cause of Christ for every day we wake up on this side of the soil.
Love Ya,
God Bless!
Because of the sins of mankind, Satan walks among us and we all have an appointment with physical death (Rom. 5:12). It doesn't care if we're infants, vibrant, young adults or an older person. It's indiscriminate as to age, socio-economic background, religion or the lack thereof.
I've cried at funerals where I knew that I would never see that person again because they didn't know the Lord. That's the worse kind of loss. I've cried at the funeral of a loved one who is a Christian too, but it's just because I'll miss him or her in this life. I do, however, have the hope of seeing them again and spending eternity with them. For the righteous that have escaped this life, they've got it far better than you or I (Rev. 20:6; 21:1-7). I remind myself of that when I get a lump in my throat and feel like grieving for my loss.
We all need to seek the Lord while we have the opportunity (Hosea 10:12; Mt. 6:33). Why? Because we don't know what the next ten minutes holds, much less tomorrow and beyond. If we don't die physically, Jesus could very well return right now (Heb. 9:28). Are we ready?
I hope I haven't depressed the readership here, but we all need to understand that we can only be a champion for the cause of Christ for every day we wake up on this side of the soil.
Love Ya,
God Bless!
Monday, March 17, 2008
Joy
Have you ever seen a fellow Christian that looked as if they had been weaned off a pickle? Ugh! It makes me wonder about their faith. Do they really believe what they profess or are they just paying lip service?
I’m not saying that we should be hyper-excited, Ritalin-needy, goofy happy people. That’s not joy. My personal definition of joy is knowing Whose you are and being content with the state you’re in. It’s also wanting others to experience the love of God through you and your actions. It’s lots of fun to spread joy whether the recipients understand what you’re doing or not. I can say that I am truly happy with my current state. I am extremely grateful for all of God’s good and perfect gifts which He’s blessed my husband and me with. That doesn’t mean that I don’t seek to improve my station in life—just that I don’t feel deprived of any of life’s niceties now. Jesus told his followers in Luke 10:20, “However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” We acquire joy through obedience to God’s commands and knowing that we’re walking in righteousness. John 15: 10-11 says, “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” Jesus goes on in the following verses to instruct us that greater love is loving others enough to sacrifice for them and that we are to love each other. Joy and love are best friends.
Our Sunday school class finished a study of Ecclesiastes yesterday. It seemed to drag on for some and I’m afraid others just didn’t “get it.” I enjoyed it and I totally got it. We can chase elusive joy and try to purchase it through worldly pleasures and pursuits, but it can’t be acquired in that fashion. The sum total of Ecclesiastes, which is in chapter 12, verses 13 and 14, can be nut-shelled in Matthew 16:26 which says, “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?” I would also add 1 Corinthians 15: 58 which states, “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
Joy doesn’t mean that we won’t experience life’s pitfalls and tragedies. None of us are immune from that. Our faith and level of joy determine how well we weather the situation. I can honestly tell you that my husband and I would not have weathered our last crisis very well if we hadn’t turned it over to God. We knew that this was just a rough shoal and that better days would eventually come. We prayed about it daily and told God we would await His answer. During that time we experienced God’s presence (Psa. 16:11) and He sustained our spirits (Psa. 51: 12). We found solace in being with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ by regularly attending the worship services of the church. It’s a great way to recharge your spiritual batteries (Psa. 89: 15-16; 100: 1-3). In short, we didn’t live every day in mortal fear and despair of not knowing what to do next. Remember, we had turned it over to God. If Plan A failed, we would try Plan B and so on. In all of this, we knew that God would send that breakthrough, but that we had to be faithful to try every door until we found the one that opened.
In conclusion, joy is not found in having every cool toy that your peers have or being able to hold their socio-economic level. Joy is only acquired through a faithful relationship with the Father.
Love Ya,
God Bless!
I’m not saying that we should be hyper-excited, Ritalin-needy, goofy happy people. That’s not joy. My personal definition of joy is knowing Whose you are and being content with the state you’re in. It’s also wanting others to experience the love of God through you and your actions. It’s lots of fun to spread joy whether the recipients understand what you’re doing or not. I can say that I am truly happy with my current state. I am extremely grateful for all of God’s good and perfect gifts which He’s blessed my husband and me with. That doesn’t mean that I don’t seek to improve my station in life—just that I don’t feel deprived of any of life’s niceties now. Jesus told his followers in Luke 10:20, “However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” We acquire joy through obedience to God’s commands and knowing that we’re walking in righteousness. John 15: 10-11 says, “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” Jesus goes on in the following verses to instruct us that greater love is loving others enough to sacrifice for them and that we are to love each other. Joy and love are best friends.
Our Sunday school class finished a study of Ecclesiastes yesterday. It seemed to drag on for some and I’m afraid others just didn’t “get it.” I enjoyed it and I totally got it. We can chase elusive joy and try to purchase it through worldly pleasures and pursuits, but it can’t be acquired in that fashion. The sum total of Ecclesiastes, which is in chapter 12, verses 13 and 14, can be nut-shelled in Matthew 16:26 which says, “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?” I would also add 1 Corinthians 15: 58 which states, “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
Joy doesn’t mean that we won’t experience life’s pitfalls and tragedies. None of us are immune from that. Our faith and level of joy determine how well we weather the situation. I can honestly tell you that my husband and I would not have weathered our last crisis very well if we hadn’t turned it over to God. We knew that this was just a rough shoal and that better days would eventually come. We prayed about it daily and told God we would await His answer. During that time we experienced God’s presence (Psa. 16:11) and He sustained our spirits (Psa. 51: 12). We found solace in being with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ by regularly attending the worship services of the church. It’s a great way to recharge your spiritual batteries (Psa. 89: 15-16; 100: 1-3). In short, we didn’t live every day in mortal fear and despair of not knowing what to do next. Remember, we had turned it over to God. If Plan A failed, we would try Plan B and so on. In all of this, we knew that God would send that breakthrough, but that we had to be faithful to try every door until we found the one that opened.
In conclusion, joy is not found in having every cool toy that your peers have or being able to hold their socio-economic level. Joy is only acquired through a faithful relationship with the Father.
Love Ya,
God Bless!
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Forgiveness
I'm not approaching this subject from the angle of God forgiving us. We know that He readily forgives if we are faithful to repent of our wrongs. In fact, it delights Him to do so (Mic. 7:18-19; Psa. 103: 11-12). My direction in this topic is about our willingness to forgive others.
There are so many people, and unfortunately, even members of the body of Christ, who refuse to forgive others, and they're going to suffer eternally for it. I'm not being self-righteous here. I know whereof I speak. I, too, at one time held a grudge against a loved one--for 9 long years. It made me hateful and bitter. One day I realized that I couldn't continue in that vein. I decided, regardless of that other person's reaction towards me, to forgive him. At the moment I made that decision, such a weight lifted off me. It was as a cage full of doves had been set free. My point is that the one who chooses to forgive is set free. It does not mean that the forgivee is right--just that you've extended him or her grace.
A grudge held too long becomes a sin (Mt. 6:19-15; 11:25-26; Luk. 6:37-38; Eph. 4:32). God cannot allow blessings to flow into your life as long as you harbor guile in your heart towards someone else. If you feel that the person you refuse to forgive is going straight to Hell, have you ever considered that your refusal to acquit him or her will earn you a place there as well? Satan would most certainly take great delight in increasing your discomfort by having you spend eternity right next to that person. Stop procrastinating and contact that person and make it right again. It'll be the best night's sleep you've had in a long time.
Love Ya,
God Bless!
There are so many people, and unfortunately, even members of the body of Christ, who refuse to forgive others, and they're going to suffer eternally for it. I'm not being self-righteous here. I know whereof I speak. I, too, at one time held a grudge against a loved one--for 9 long years. It made me hateful and bitter. One day I realized that I couldn't continue in that vein. I decided, regardless of that other person's reaction towards me, to forgive him. At the moment I made that decision, such a weight lifted off me. It was as a cage full of doves had been set free. My point is that the one who chooses to forgive is set free. It does not mean that the forgivee is right--just that you've extended him or her grace.
A grudge held too long becomes a sin (Mt. 6:19-15; 11:25-26; Luk. 6:37-38; Eph. 4:32). God cannot allow blessings to flow into your life as long as you harbor guile in your heart towards someone else. If you feel that the person you refuse to forgive is going straight to Hell, have you ever considered that your refusal to acquit him or her will earn you a place there as well? Satan would most certainly take great delight in increasing your discomfort by having you spend eternity right next to that person. Stop procrastinating and contact that person and make it right again. It'll be the best night's sleep you've had in a long time.
Love Ya,
God Bless!
Monday, March 10, 2008
The Death of Shame
Okay, I'm just pulling this one out like The Amazing Kreskin. However, it is a real issue that's been on my mind, and not only as it pertains to children (I don't claim to know anything about child-rearing inasmuch as I don't have children). The death of shame is mankind's downfall. It causes the collapse of once-mighty people. Remember Rome? I have noticed that people of all ages have seemingly forgotten how to be ashamed. It makes me wonder if they at any time in their lives were ever ashamed of anything.
I pulled up an older posting of Michelle Malkin's from February 11, 2008 about an eight year-old boy of Jacksonville, Florida who misbehaved at school. His mother made him stand out on the sidewalk for three hours holding a placard that read, "I was rude to my teacher. I can't come to school. I am sorry!!!" The reverse said, "I will make good choices." Now that's responsible and effective parenting. That mama rocks.
One commenter to Michelle's article posted the following which is a list on his office wall entitled, "How To Raise A Juvenile Delinquent In 12 Easy Lessons:"
1. Begin with infancy to give them everything they want. That way they will grow up believing that the world owes them everything.
2. When they pick up “bad” or “dirty” words, laugh at them. That will make them think it is “cute”. They will then run off and pick up some words that will blow the top of your head off.
3. Never give them any spiritual training, until the age of 21 and then let them decide on their own. By the same logic, never teach them the English language. Maybe when they are old enough, they will decide to speak Bantu.
4. Praise them in their presence to all the neighbors; show how much smarter they are than the neighbors’ children.
5. Avoid the use of the word “wrong”. It may cause them to develop a “guilt complex”. This will prepare them to believe that when they are punished later on for stealing cars or assaulting others that society is “against them” and that they are being “persecuted”.
6. Pick up everything after them: shoes, books, clothes, etc. Do everything for them so they will be experienced at throwing burdens on others.
7. Let them read anything they want. Have no concern whatever for what goes on in their mind. Provide them with lily white cups for their lips, but let their brain drink out of any dirty container for words and ideas.
8. Quarrel frequently in the presence of your children. This way they will be prepared for broken homes later.
9. Give them all the spending money they want. Never require them to earn their own. They should learn that society owes them a living and they should never have to work to support themselves or the next generation of delinquents they may raise.
10. Satisfy all of their cravings for food, drinks, and everything else that has to do with the sense of taste and touch, gratifying every sensual desire. In this way, they can justify stealing from others, raping someone for sexual gratification, using drugs, etc.
11. Take their side against policemen, teachers and neighbors. They are all “prejudiced” against your child.
12. When they get into real trouble, always defend yourself and say, “I never could do anything with that child.”
- Author Unknown
Have we forgotten when and/or how to be ashamed? There are a couple of questions I ask myself when in doubt about some issue: (1) If Jesus were to return this instant, would I want him to see me here; and (2) If Jesus were to return this instant, would I want him to see me doing this? That's my own version of W.W.J.D. If the Spirit convicts us, we will feel shame for inappropriate actions (Ps. 25: 3; 44: 15; 83: 16). Shame is brought about by our own lack of self-discipline (Pr. 1: 7; 8: 33-36; 13: 18). That being said, feeling ashamed is a good virtue to have and feeling it can prevent truly shameful consequences.
There' s just not enough time to cover all the material I have on this, but I put it out here for you to ponder and comment on.
Love Ya,
God Bless!
I pulled up an older posting of Michelle Malkin's from February 11, 2008 about an eight year-old boy of Jacksonville, Florida who misbehaved at school. His mother made him stand out on the sidewalk for three hours holding a placard that read, "I was rude to my teacher. I can't come to school. I am sorry!!!" The reverse said, "I will make good choices." Now that's responsible and effective parenting. That mama rocks.
One commenter to Michelle's article posted the following which is a list on his office wall entitled, "How To Raise A Juvenile Delinquent In 12 Easy Lessons:"
1. Begin with infancy to give them everything they want. That way they will grow up believing that the world owes them everything.
2. When they pick up “bad” or “dirty” words, laugh at them. That will make them think it is “cute”. They will then run off and pick up some words that will blow the top of your head off.
3. Never give them any spiritual training, until the age of 21 and then let them decide on their own. By the same logic, never teach them the English language. Maybe when they are old enough, they will decide to speak Bantu.
4. Praise them in their presence to all the neighbors; show how much smarter they are than the neighbors’ children.
5. Avoid the use of the word “wrong”. It may cause them to develop a “guilt complex”. This will prepare them to believe that when they are punished later on for stealing cars or assaulting others that society is “against them” and that they are being “persecuted”.
6. Pick up everything after them: shoes, books, clothes, etc. Do everything for them so they will be experienced at throwing burdens on others.
7. Let them read anything they want. Have no concern whatever for what goes on in their mind. Provide them with lily white cups for their lips, but let their brain drink out of any dirty container for words and ideas.
8. Quarrel frequently in the presence of your children. This way they will be prepared for broken homes later.
9. Give them all the spending money they want. Never require them to earn their own. They should learn that society owes them a living and they should never have to work to support themselves or the next generation of delinquents they may raise.
10. Satisfy all of their cravings for food, drinks, and everything else that has to do with the sense of taste and touch, gratifying every sensual desire. In this way, they can justify stealing from others, raping someone for sexual gratification, using drugs, etc.
11. Take their side against policemen, teachers and neighbors. They are all “prejudiced” against your child.
12. When they get into real trouble, always defend yourself and say, “I never could do anything with that child.”
- Author Unknown
Have we forgotten when and/or how to be ashamed? There are a couple of questions I ask myself when in doubt about some issue: (1) If Jesus were to return this instant, would I want him to see me here; and (2) If Jesus were to return this instant, would I want him to see me doing this? That's my own version of W.W.J.D. If the Spirit convicts us, we will feel shame for inappropriate actions (Ps. 25: 3; 44: 15; 83: 16). Shame is brought about by our own lack of self-discipline (Pr. 1: 7; 8: 33-36; 13: 18). That being said, feeling ashamed is a good virtue to have and feeling it can prevent truly shameful consequences.
There' s just not enough time to cover all the material I have on this, but I put it out here for you to ponder and comment on.
Love Ya,
God Bless!
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
I Need Some Advice
Has anyone in my reading audience ever acted as a mediator between two conflicting parties? I could use some pointers. I'm at the point where I don't care if I'm considered the meanie and they never talk to me again. I just want peace for all involved.
Love Ya,
God Bless!
Love Ya,
God Bless!
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Humility
In church we sing, "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord...and He...will lift...you up," which is based on the passage James 4:10.
Do we search our minds when we sing and give thought to understanding what that song means? One who is humble is not overly proud or haughty (stuck-up); not pretentious (pretending to be what they're not). This leads me to think of another hymn which illustrates a humble spirit so beautifully, "Just As I Am." It starts, "Just as I am without one plea, but that Thy blood was shed for me...." In light of God's supreme love for us and Jesus' ultimate sacrifice for our sins, we should feel an overwhelming sense of humility and gratefulness to Him not just during worship, but in every aspect of our daily lives. We also need to realize that we're not all that and a bag of chips and believe the world revolves around us. We should be considerate of others (Phil. 2:3-4).
Why learn humility? To keep you from being humiliated later on. That's not a contradiction because God will eventually humiliate those who think they don't need Him and fail to give Him the glory for their good fortune. Remember Jesus' parable of the rich fool who congratulated himself on his bountiful harvest and said he would eat, drink, and be merry and build bigger barns to contain his wealth? Luke 12: 16-21 tells us of what would be that man's tragic end. The same will happen to those of us who live our whole lives climbing the ladder of success and gaining accolades without giving God a single thought. Consider what the Scriptures have to say about humility's importance:
1. People who lack humility are annoying for others to be around because they worship at the altar of self (Prov. 27: 2; Rom 12: 16).
2. Lack of humility can lead to embarrassment when others bring you down a notch or two (Mt. 23:12; Luk. 14: 7-11).
3. God is favorable towards those who reverence Him and seek His guidance . He will readily assist them (Psa. 25:8-9; 145:14-16; Isa. 57:15; Mt. 5:3; 18:4).
4. Most importantly, God HATES human pride (Prov. 6:16; 16:18-19; Jas. 4:6). Now, don't confuse this with a healthy sense of self-worth that causes us to have respect for ourselves and make right decisions. This is talking about people who think they're responsible for all the blessings they enjoy like that rich fool in Luke 12.
Some people reject God and fail to give Him the glory for all He's so graciously provided for them. This is so tragic, and we should continue to reason with and pray for such people and hope for their restoration.
Do we search our minds when we sing and give thought to understanding what that song means? One who is humble is not overly proud or haughty (stuck-up); not pretentious (pretending to be what they're not). This leads me to think of another hymn which illustrates a humble spirit so beautifully, "Just As I Am." It starts, "Just as I am without one plea, but that Thy blood was shed for me...." In light of God's supreme love for us and Jesus' ultimate sacrifice for our sins, we should feel an overwhelming sense of humility and gratefulness to Him not just during worship, but in every aspect of our daily lives. We also need to realize that we're not all that and a bag of chips and believe the world revolves around us. We should be considerate of others (Phil. 2:3-4).
Why learn humility? To keep you from being humiliated later on. That's not a contradiction because God will eventually humiliate those who think they don't need Him and fail to give Him the glory for their good fortune. Remember Jesus' parable of the rich fool who congratulated himself on his bountiful harvest and said he would eat, drink, and be merry and build bigger barns to contain his wealth? Luke 12: 16-21 tells us of what would be that man's tragic end. The same will happen to those of us who live our whole lives climbing the ladder of success and gaining accolades without giving God a single thought. Consider what the Scriptures have to say about humility's importance:
1. People who lack humility are annoying for others to be around because they worship at the altar of self (Prov. 27: 2; Rom 12: 16).
2. Lack of humility can lead to embarrassment when others bring you down a notch or two (Mt. 23:12; Luk. 14: 7-11).
3. God is favorable towards those who reverence Him and seek His guidance . He will readily assist them (Psa. 25:8-9; 145:14-16; Isa. 57:15; Mt. 5:3; 18:4).
4. Most importantly, God HATES human pride (Prov. 6:16; 16:18-19; Jas. 4:6). Now, don't confuse this with a healthy sense of self-worth that causes us to have respect for ourselves and make right decisions. This is talking about people who think they're responsible for all the blessings they enjoy like that rich fool in Luke 12.
Some people reject God and fail to give Him the glory for all He's so graciously provided for them. This is so tragic, and we should continue to reason with and pray for such people and hope for their restoration.
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