The Great Experiment

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.  –Proverbs 22:6 (KJV)

When you were growing up, were there rules in your house?  I am thinking the answer is probably yes.  How did you feel about those rules?  Were there times when you did not care for your parents’ rules?  Again, I believe most likely the answer is yes.  We might not have always appreciated them, but when we grew up we came to realize the rules were necessary and for our own good.  I know in my parents’ house there were a number of rules I had to follow and these were non-negotiable.  They included, but were not limited to, no smoking, no profanity, no alcohol, no loud rock music, and no dogs or cats allowed in the house. 

Many a teenager has dreamed of living in a home where there were no rules, and wouldn’t that be great?  They might think if their parents let them do anything they wanted, then they would love and adore them.  Hmm, I wonder.  I recall a brother and sister I was acquainted with during my teenage years whose parents practiced what I would describe as a unique form of parenting.  In short, they allowed their teenage children to do pretty much anything they wanted with no rules or restrictions.  These teenagers were allowed to come and go as they pleased, even at all hours of the night, they smoked in the house, openly drank alcohol, even though they were underage, and even used various illegal drugs, all under their parents’ roof.  As hard as this is to believe, I witnessed it with my own eyes.

One might think these young people thought their parents were just wonderful.  I assure you this was far from the case.  I recall the young man, whose name was Mike, speaking of his parents in the most condescending terms.  He clearly despised them, held them in utter contempt, and had no respect for them.  He and his sister had frequent run-ins with the law, were wildly out of control, and were as unhappy as any young people I knew at the time.  I recall that even though I lived an opposite life in a home where standards of conduct were strictly enforced, I did not envy these two at all.  In fact, I soon came to avoid them as going to their home was an unnerving experience.  It wasn’t until I grew up that I realized what the problem was; Mike and his sister lived in a world without boundaries, which left them insecure and bitter.  Their parents’ great experiment in child rearing failed miserably.  I eventually lost touch with them, yet I pray they found peace and the true way in Christ. 

I also realized I had something the two teenagers in question lacked.  I respected my parents.  I didn’t always like their rules, but I came to respect them for their integrity.  Let us pray that young parents of today will learn the value of Proverbs 22:6 and will strive to train their children to know the Lord.  If you were raised in a loving and God fearing home, stop right now and thank the Lord for it.

God bless you today.

Stepping out of the Boat

²⁶ And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. ²⁷ But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. ²⁸ And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. ²⁹ And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. ³¹ And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?  -Matthew 14:26-31 (KJV)

In June of 1859, a man known as “The Great Blondin” strung a tightrope across Niagara Falls and performed a series of death defying stunts in which he walked, ran, walked on stilts, and even carried his manager on his shoulders across the falls.  It is said that Blondin pushed a wheelbarrow across the falls, much to the roaring applause of the crowd.  Blondin then called to the crowd, “Who believes I can put a man in the wheelbarrow and safely push him across the falls?’  The crowd responded with cheers of approval.  “Very well,’ replied Blondin, “Who will get in the wheel barrow?”  The crowd responded with silence.  No one dared to try.

When it comes to matters of faith, we are often ready to say God is able to do something great in our lives.  Yet, when the Lord invites us to trust Him completely and step out on faith, we are hesitant.  Many Christians talk a great game of faith, but when God calls us to actually step up to the plate, we back away.  Stepping out on faith is never easy.  If it was, all believers would do it.  Simon Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples, had the opportunity to step out on faith, and to his credit he did.  However, he allowed himself to be distracted by the storm raging around him and so took his eyes off the Lord.  He began sinking immediately.  Had Jesus not pulled him out, Peter would have drowned. 

I would love to have the kind of bold faith Peter had that empowered him to step out of the boat and walk on water.  Too often I have remained within the safe confines of the boat.  What a powerful faith lesson Peter must have learned from his experience.  We can remain safely in the boat, or we can trust Christ with everything and step out on faith.  Moreover, having made the faith step, we are called to keep our eyes fixed upon Jesus, lest we be distracted from the call to courageous and dynamic faith.  Great works of God, which the Lord desires to do in our lives, happen when we go beyond what is comfortable, convenient, and easy.  Powerful works of Christ occur when we see beyond what we can do to what the Lord can do through us.

Stop talking about what is impossible for us, and begin testifying to what God can do in us and through us.  Step out of the boat, get in the wheelbarrow, walk boldly in faith, and keep our eyes on Jesus.  Spiritual power and victory will follow.

God bless you today.

Speaking Words of Faith and Praise

We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;  -II Corinthians 4:13 (KJV)

My grandfather had a saying; “Do not bother complaining; your friends cannot help you and you will make your enemies glad.”  There is great truth to the statement.  You have probably had the misfortune of spending time with someone who complained about nearly everything.  How did this make you feel?  Did you come away feeling uplifted or drained?  I believe you know the answer.  Being around people who complain incessantly has a way of quickly bringing us down from a good mood.  Personally, I dislike myself the most when I realize I am complaining.  Doing so brings me down and I know it does nothing for others.

On the other hand, when we speak words of encouragement, those around us are uplifted, strengthened, and bolstered in their faith.  Hopefully, they come away from their time with us glad rather than discouraged.  A verse the Lord has given me to help me speak good words of faith and encouragement is found in II Corinthians 4:13, “I have believed, therefore have I spoken.”  When I feel myself worrying and becoming discouraged, I seek to utter words of faith and praise to God.  The results are remarkable.  I begin to feel better about whatever problems I am facing and my faith grows in the process. 

I often minister to people who are so overcome with their problems that they rarely, if ever, speak any positive words.  My heart goes out to such persons, for I know how easy it is to be consumed with self-pity and sorrow.  Christ calls us, He compels us, to rise up out of sorrow and gloom and begin walking forward in victorious faith.

Think today about the words you speak.  Are you often complaining, negative, critical, or cynical?  If so, resolve with God’s help to speak words of faith and praise to God.  Others will see the change and will be encouraged to do the same, for they will see the light of Christ shining through. 

God bless you today.

Beware of Self Sufficiency

¹³ Yet the Lord testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.
¹⁴ Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the Lord their God.  -II Kings 17:13, 14 (KJV)

The Problem of Judging Others

³ And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
⁴ Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
⁵ Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.  -Matthew 7:3-5 (KJV)

The Desire to be Faithful

²² And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven: ²³ And he said, Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart: ²⁴ Who hast kept with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him: thou spakest also with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day. ²⁵ Therefore now, Lord God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel; so that thy children take heed to their way, that they walk before me as thou hast walked before me.  –I Kings 8:22-25 (KJV)

I often wonder how many people actually stop and consider what God would have them to do with their lives. Is this a consideration? It is up for discussion? Is it even on the table? For countless people, the answer is no. Many people either do not know or do not care that the Living God has a deep and personal interest in them. There are those who believe God exists, but that He is unconcerned with us personally. The Word of God teaches otherwise. The Bible demonstrates God has an interest in us and He is concerned with us on a personal level. Have you even gone somewhere and you had to take a number a wait? When your time came, they did not call your name, but they called your number. In God’s eyes we are not numbers, for God knows us by name. God’s desire for us is that we walk before Him and live in His blessing. 

Think about that for a moment; what is our desire in regards to God? Do we desire to be faithful to God in all aspects of life? Do we comprehend the magnitude of such a challenge as this? Following God’s will and being faithful to Him is something to be taken very seriously.

The Bible shows us a man named Solomon, who was King in Israel, acknowledged his need to be faithful to God. He recognized and understood the gravity of the situation. Moreover, when he completed the Temple and dedicated it to God, he prayed and worshipped God for His mercy, and Solomon asked God that the people might dwell in His blessing. What is the desire of our hearts? Is it to live life our way, or is it to live for the Lord and be faithful to Him? When our desire is to be faithful, rest assured God will honor our request.

A Call to Repentance

⁴ Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, are these.  ⁵ For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour; ⁶ If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: ⁷ Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever.  -Jeremiah 7:4-7 (KJV)

God made it clear to His people that a change was needed in their lives.  It was a challenge for them to amend their ways and their doings.  If they would, the result would be remaining in the land of Israel.  They would be victorious over those who sought to destroy them.  This message of repentance was delivered by Jeremiah to religious people going in and out of the Temple.  The problem was they were trusting in their heritage and religious experience to get them in right standing with God.  What places a person in proper standing with God?  It is having received salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.  These were a people whose hearts were in need of regeneration.  They went to the Temple and worshipped, they boasted about their heritage as the people of Israel, and yet their hearts remained far from God.

Jeremiah warned them not to trust in lying words.  The people were not being taught the Word of God by the priests.  The priests were watering down God's Word down by telling the people they what they wanted to hear.  The last thing that we should preach today is that people are fine just the way they are, for they are not.  What is needed is a heart changed by the power of Jesus Christ.  Only then can a person be in right standing with God. 

The priests were putting great emphasis on the Temple, telling people that this was their security and as long as they had the temple they were all right with God.  Nothing could have been further from the truth.  They came to find out later on that their strength did not rest in the Temple, but in God.  In 587 BC the Temple was torn down by the Babylonians, and in succeeding years, after the exile, it was rebuilt.  Recall what Jesus said about the Temple during His ministry on earth.  The Bible says in Matthew 24:1, 2, " And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.  And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

These words were fulfilled In AD 71.  The Romans came in and destroyed the city of Jerusalem and tore down the Temple, and it stands in ruins even today, with only the Wailing Wall remaining.

Our hope is always in the Lord.  Everything else is temporal, but God is forever.