Sacrificial love

Love Is Not Selfish

1 Cor 13:5-6 – It (love) is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” NIV

Sacrificial love opposes our instinctive human selfishness. From the time we are babies, we are programmed to seek gratification. There is nothing wrong with wanting satisfaction. Problems result from our always seeking satisfaction from getting what we want in a physical way, instead of longer lasting spiritual satisfaction.  Lasting satisfaction is best received from giving. There is no satisfaction in getting, as we always want more. But in giving, we can always give more and be blessed more.

While the squealing wheel may get the most grease, it will also be discarded at the first opportunity. Rudeness and demanding our way may get quick action, but it will not build lasting relationships. My grandson Gabriel’s smile and his outreaching arms touch my heart and seal our relationship as demanding fit pitching will never do.

“Honey attracts more flies than vinegar.” This saying is another way of expressing the value of positive reinforcement. Our personal relationships with God and with our family are blessed by an attitude of service and praise, rather than a critical spirit that finds fault and says hurtful things.  Relationships in the family of God must be based on mercy and love, if we are to prosper. 

Anger usually results from our failing to get things to go our way. Righteous anger may result from wrong actions by others, but we do not have to set things right by ourselves. We need to remember that there is one Judge, who will repay all according to their actions. There is no escape from righteous judgment, and we do not have to personally administer justice in order for justice to be done. We should do our part as citizens to enforce civil law, but our attitude should be the support of justice instead of seeking personal revenge.

The Law of Moses set forth the righteous principle of dealing with problems between people, Lev 19:17-18 –- “You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.” NKJV

Apostle Paul speaks to this principle in Rom 12:19-21 – “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,’ says the Lord. ‘BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.’”

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” NASU

Love does not seek its own way at all costs, but is also concerned about the needs of others. Jesus said, Luke 6:30-36—“Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise. But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.” NKJV

This kind of love is difficult for us, because it is counter to our instinctive selfish view of things. It is of interest that Jesus taught that the love of God and love of neighbor is the foundation of the Law and Prophets, and it is still the foundation of our being bound together by love in the family of God. 

hope relieves suffering

Hope Relieves Suffering

The unexpected death of someone we love produces great suffering. Awareness of the end of a present relationship produces feelings of bitter emptiness. The loss of future possibilities in this life leaves a hole in our heart.

                

Jesus understands these feelings. Jesus wept because He saw the pain of Mary and Martha over the death of their brother Lazarus. His words to Martha bring comfort to those who suffer the pain of death today: John 11:21-27 - “Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."

Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."

Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

"Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world." NIV

Linda and I experienced such pain when we received an alarming phone call from Sheriff Smith of Tallapoosa County. Neill’s car was found at the scene of a reported drowning at a graduation party on Lake Martin near Dadeville, where we lived at the time of our first born son’s entry into this life.  Sheriff Smith was then a merchant and our landlord.  We had bought our first furniture from him, as we sat up our household after my graduation from Auburn in 1962. Twenty-four years later, Neill drowned a few miles from where he was born.

I cannot find the words to express the terrible emptiness that came when my brother Wilson called just as Linda and I were leaving to drive the four hours to Lake Martin. The rescue squad had just found our son’s body, and my brother had identified him.

The next few days are a blur in my memory. I do remember the funeral service conducted by Jack Hackworth, and the comforting words of friends and family who came to visit. But a father and daughter we did not know spoke the most encouraging words. They had traveled from Gadsden to attend the funeral. The daughter had been a student at Auburn while Neill was there. She told us that she had been depressed and suicidal, and that Neill had told her that Jesus loves her. She credited him with saving her life with those kind words.

This confirmation of Neill’s faith in Jesus was like the sun rising in the morning.  Hope warms the soul. Paul spoke of how the hope of the resurrection removes the sting of death:  1 Cor 15:50-57- “I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed- in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true:

 ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.

Where, O death, is your victory?

Where, O death, is your sting?’”

“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  NIV

The resurrection of Jesus and the promise of our own resurrection to eternal life remove the fear of death for those who trust in Jesus. Comfort each other with this hope. Share this hope with others.

times of trial

 

Some Trials Are Hard To Bear

Our trials produce patience and help us learn to depend on God. Some tribulations seem too terrible to bear, as was the time when I first learned of my mother’s death. I was fifteen, and practicing B-team basketball at the old auditorium-gym at Stevenson High School. My uncle Jim Crownover came into the gym and took me to one side. With pain in his voice, he told me that my mother had just died while giving birth to my baby sister.  My mother had toxemia, and died of the shock from her kidney failure.

                

There is no way I can tell you the depth of the hurt felt by my father and us six brothers and sisters. We were in shock. We did not want to believe mother was gone. No mother was loved more by her children, and to my reckoning, no mother ever loved her children more than my mother. The tears still flow as I think about the pain of the moment and the years that followed as we struggled to survive without our mother. Six children, ages seventeen down to seven, and a father completely broken by the loss.

                

Time has not healed the loss completely, as my tears attest.  But the outcome of that suffering is remarkable. Seven siblings all touched by the hand of God, and blessed to live lives of faith and trust. Such is the promised outcome of trials for those who believe in Jesus. Trials test our faith and refine our understanding.

                

As Peter wrote,     1 Peter 1:3-7 – “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-kept in heaven for you,  who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” NIV

                

Can we rejoice in our times of trial? It is difficult, but we must learn to look for the blessings that follow. Strengthened faith and new opportunities and blessings await those who trust in Jesus for strength.

                

James, brother of Jesus, wrote this, James 1:2-5 – “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” 

Not everyone is blessed by trials, because some draw back and blame God for allowing hurtful events. It is a question of faith. Do we believe God? Do we understand the purpose for trials? We are not in control of our lives, but when we serve and depend on the Lord of heaven and earth, things will work out for our good in the end. Trials put us to the test and produce dependence on God if we believe His promises.

Heb 12:2-6 – “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.  And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:

"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,

and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,

because the Lord disciplines those he loves,

and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." NIV

Tried by suffering

The Refiner's Fire

The ancient process of refining gold was to heat the metal until the metal and impurities melted, and then to pour off the lighter material, the dross, and leave the pure and precious metal in its refined condition. Gold assayers used nitric acid to test gold, because it would dissolve other elements and compounds, but leave the gold untouched. From this practice came our expression, “This is the acid test.”  Trial by suffering is the acid test and the refiner’s fire for our work and our faith.

Paul warned evangelists to be careful how they work, because their work will be tested by fire, “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work.  (1 Cor 3:11-14, NIV)

A time of trial comes for every person’s work and faith, and what is built upon a permanent foundation, and of durable material, survives. Jesus Christ is the only foundation for the building up of God’s people. And the only spiritual building that will survive the test of trials is built up by faith in Jesus Christ. We cannot make ourselves righteous, but must learn to trust in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

There are many religious groups that teach the importance of keeping man-made rules about what we touch, taste, and handle in order to establish our righteousness.  This is not building on faith in Jesus Christ, but faith in ourselves. When we trust in our ability to keep self-imposed rules, we will likely fail. And the keeping of such rules does not make us righteous. Paul taught this clearly to the Christians at Colosse, “Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.” (Col 2:16-23, NIV)

Self-righteousness will not endure the test of fire. Jesus taught about the problem with self righteousness, “To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men-robbers, evildoers, adulterers-or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'”

"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'”

"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 18:9-14, NIV)

Paul wrote about the righteousness that endures, speaking about his past accomplishments in comparison to faith in Jesus: “I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ-the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.” (Phil 3:8-10, NIV)

That which is valuable in our lives must be established by faith in Jesus Christ. When our motive is to glorify our Lord, we will welcome the process of refinement, and rejoice that what is of value is being revealed in us. As Peter wrote, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” 1 Pet 1:6-7, NASU

Faith makes the difference when we go through the fire of testing. Faith comes by study of God’s word. Paul instructed Timothy about the importance of correct instruction in God’s word with these words. “But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” (1 Tim 1:5, NASU)

Cross too Heavy?

Take up my Cross Daily

Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.  What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.”  (Luke 9:23-27, NIV)

                

Jesus also said that we must love Him more than family and self  in order to follow Him. (Luke 14:26) Following Jesus requires commitment. Some try to make the Christian faith into a feather bed, warm and comfortable. But the Bible does not teach feather bed Christianity. We are promised that those who follow Jesus will share His suffering. We are taught that we must imitate Christ, and learn to put others before our own interests.

                

We must not be ashamed of Jesus, but confess Him openly and often as we have opportunity. Unbelievers want us to practice our faith privately, so that our profession that Jesus is Lord of Heaven and Earth does not offend them. While Jesus taught His disciples to pray privately, so as not to parade their righteousness, He also taught that we should confess our faith that He is the Christ openly, before witnesses. (Rom 10:9) Pretending that we are righteous is not good, but giving honor to Jesus will bring a sure reward.

                

The cross we must carry is self-sacrifice. We must be willing to give the essential core of our existence to Jesus Christ and be loyal to Him above all others. He must be our hearts desire, so that we rejoice when we know we are pleasing to Him. That involves helping people who have special needs. It means feeding, clothing, and sheltering the helpless. It means visiting those sick and in prison, and giving a word of comfort to those who are sorrowful.

                

I find so many excuses to fail to do the things that would honor Jesus. I am busy writing, or answering email. I am working in the yard or garden. I am checking on my hobby, the Ezekiel’s Water Project. I have my daily routine to follow. I need my nap after lunch. I am cutting some cedar trees to make a guest log house. The excuses are endless. I must learn to honor Jesus more in my life. I must learn to take up my cross daily and follow Jesus. I need less of self and more of others. I want to be more like Jesus.

                

Apostle Paul wrote,  “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought,  but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.” (Rom 12:1-3, NIV)

                

The cross Jesus carried to Golgotha was heavy. He fell under its weight, and the Romans commandeered a bystander to help carry the load.   What a blessing it was to that man to share the burden of Jesus! How blest we are when we take up our cross daily and follow Jesus, helping each other to bear the burdens of life.

Those who seek to save their lives (by living selfishly) will lose their lives, but those who seek to lose their lives (by helping others) will gain life indeed. Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

How blest we will be when we learn this truth!

Jesus Wept

Jesus Wept

Jesus wept. Why did He weep? Not because hope was lost. He knew that there is more to life than our first life in the flesh. He knew that He was going to raise Lazarus from the tomb and give him another shot at life in the flesh. He also knew that there is a resurrection to new life that He would soon purchase with His agony on the cross.

                

Jesus wept because He shared the sorrow of Mary and Martha, siblings of Lazarus, who wailed because their brother was dead.  John 11:32-43--Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."

When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, and said, "Where have you laid him?"

They said to Him, "Lord, come and see."

Jesus wept.

So the Jews were saying, "See how He loved him!"

But some of them said, "Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?"

So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, "Remove the stone." Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days."

Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?"

So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me."

When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth." NASU

Jesus also wept over the sad condition of people who had lost hope because of the degradation of sin. Jesus wept over Jerusalem, Luke 19:37-44--As soon as He was approaching, near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen, shouting: "BLESSED IS THE KING WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"  ---------------

When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation." NASU

Yes, Jesus wept because of the sad condition of people trapped in slavery to sin, slavery to their own selfish, destructive desires. Jesus wept even as He was preparing to bear the shame of sin on the cross. Jesus wept for those who would not believe in Him, and who would suffer destruction along with Jerusalem in 70AD.

Earlier Jesus spoke with Martha, John 11:21-26--Martha then said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."

Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."

Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day."

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?"

It is our positive answer to this question, “Do you believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God?” that can give us a reason to rejoice in the face of death.  Jesus wept to show His compassion, and then went to the cross to purchase victory over death for all who believe in Him. 

I wonder if Jesus weeps because of the unbelief of so many today? He was meek and gentle during His time on earth, but now He is Lord of heaven and earth. He is coming back one day to judge the living and the dead, and those who do not believe in Him will weep when they see Him coming in power.

  

The Way to God

Jesus, The Way to God

Today, many people think Bible believing Christians are narrow minded and judgmental, because we promote Jesus as the only Savior of all who believe in Him. The popular position regarding religious faith is to believe that all religion is equally good, and that all good people have the same chance at salvation, regardless of their belief about Jesus the Christ. But Jesus said that He is the only way to God. If we believe that Jesus is Lord, then we should accept His words, recorded by John the Apostle: Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”  (John 14:6, NKJV)
 
The Bible teaches that no one can be saved by his or her good works. No one merits salvation, because we all make mistakes. Sin removes us from perfection. Sin separates us from the God who created us. We all miss the mark of what we know we should be. Our failures bring despair and hopelessness.

One popular way to deal with the shame of sin is to deny that there is such a thing as sin. Secular humanists claim that all actions are natural, since they believe we are only animals by nature. Animals do the things that instincts and environment cause them to do. Therefore, to the humanist, modification of environment and denial of shame are ways to lead people to desired action in life. Acceptance of sinful nature as being the natural status of mankind, and encouraging social acceptance of all types of human behavior, naturally flow from this philosophy. This way leads to moral bankruptcy, and to immoral society, with all the evils such life produces. Sin leads to destruction.

As Apostle Paul taught, Rom 6:16-23:  "Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?"

"But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification." 

"For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death." 

"But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."  NASU

Jesus demonstrated correct living during His brief visit on earth. He showed that considering the rights of others of equal importance to our own rights produces a blessed society. Our basic nature is to put our own rights above the rights of others. Pagan society is marked by disregard for the rights of others, and history abounds with the destruction that results from such thinking.

Doing unto others as we would have them do to us is not natural; it is supernatural, beyond the way of man. It is the way of God. Jesus demonstrated that way in the things that He did. He lived a life of compassion and healing, always caring for the downtrodden and helpless of society. He dismissed as play actors the religious people of his day with their emphasis on empty ritual. He showed that the mind is the center of life, and that the mind can be transformed by the influence and power of God.

Through His death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus opened the only way to God; the way to a mind cleansed from shame and empowered by the will of God. Jesus opened the way to life by giving His own life as the ultimate demonstration of the love of God. He commands that those who come to Him must demonstrate their submission to the will of God by following the pattern of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus in repentance and baptism. Those who demonstrate their faith in such a way are cleansed by the blood of Christ, and given a life empowered by the will of God in Jesus Christ. This is the way to eternal life. “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” (Rom 6:4)

Fall of Rome

Fall of Rome

Romulus Augustulus was the last Roman ruler of the West. In 476 he was deposed by the barbarian leader Odoacer. The Roman Empire was at an end, and the barbarian kingdoms of the Middle Ages took its place. Rome was eventually reduced to rubble, with its treasures carried off to various European castles by those who plundered Rome. The city that once ruled the world was brought to shame.

Daniel, prophet of the living God, predicted the fall of Rome long before it happened.  Daniel made this prophecy, speaking to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon: “You are this head of gold.  But after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours; then another, a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth.  And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others. ------And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.  Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold--the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure." Dan 2:38-45

Jesus was born during the reign of Augustus, king of Rome. And it was the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ which was set up at that time, and which destroyed the Roman Empire. Jesus Christ turned the hearts of the people away from greed and idolatry to service and sacrifice. People who worked with their hands to help others blessed the world.

Selfishness is the heart of paganism.  The major focus of paganism is what can I get. Rome provided free bread and free entertainment to its citizens, while taxing and making slaves of people all over the world to support their wanton behavior. Collecting money and promoting trade were the key issues for Rome.

Today many of our citizens have a narrow focus on “what I want” and “what I need.” Since the poor vastly outnumber the rich, if people only think selfishly, they can accomplish their desire to have government take from the rich and distribute to the poor (and bureaucrats). But what will happen next? In every society where mob rule has been exercised without Christian moral restraint, chaos has resulted, with famine and pestilence. The communist revolutions in Russia and China are two examples.

Do we really want mob rule in our nation? The majority often travel the wrong path, especially when the  leaders encourage selfishness and immorality. Jesus said, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”  (Matt 7:13-14)

Our nation needs to repent of selfishness and evil desires. The citizens of Rome enjoyed free bread and free entertainment. They were given to sexual immorality and homosexuality.  Rome fell. It has been said that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat history. Our nation will decline and fall if we continue on the path of selfishness and immorality. Democracy works well only when the majority of citizens support truth and integrity. Corruption brings destruction. It always has. It always will.

Gravity and the universe

http://www.higgs-boson.org/

http://www.spacetime-model.com/subpages/en/higgs_boson_explanation

Gravity and the Universe

Mankind's quest to understand the universe passed a major milestone with the recent development of more information about the Higgs Boson, which sheds light on mass and gravity. Last year another boson particle was discovered, and who knows how many are yet to be discovered? One thing for sure, the more we learn, the more we will realize that much more remains unknown.

There is a limit to mankind's ability to know. The complexity of the universe challenges our imagination. And science risks becoming unscientific because so many theories have been developed that cannot be tested. Now there is a new theory of mass and gravity which cannot be tested in the lab. Who knows what the next theory will be?

Interesting that so much time and resources are being used to explore the realm of physics. Maybe we can come up with another gimmick to satisfy for one moment our desire for something new?

We might be better served to focus on the real needs of humanity, for food, water, clothing, shelter, and security. Love is more powerful than Higgs Boson. Spiritual values are more to be desired than all the theories of physics.  There is a way that seems right to mankind, but the end is the way of death. Seeking to know physical things without knowing love is the path to destruction.

Love is understood by learning about Jesus, God's gift to mankind to save us from our endless search for meaning in life. 

John 3:13-21  "No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
that whoever believes in him may have eternal life."

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God."

"And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.
But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God." (ESV)

Yes, faith in Jesus is more useful than all the knowledge of the universe, about how physical things work. I love the study of physics, being an engineer, but knowing Jesus is so much more satisfying. Knowing Jesus is knowing love, and love is the greatest force existing. Love has more weight than the universe. 

Morality of the Masses?

French Revolution

A great debate about morality has been going on in our society, especially ever since the age of reason and secular humanism became dominant philosophies in the nineteenth century.  Men who have a commitment to the general theory of evolution as the source of life and reason seem to believe that morality is just a product of years of experimentation by humans, and that it should be respected only as the legacy of humans who have preceded us.  If we are really smart, we should be able to have discussions among the elite thinkers, and improve on our inherited moral code. For example, we can decide that sexual interactions between consenting adults is natural and ok, so forget Biblical teaching about sexual immorality such as pornography, adultery, and homosexuality.

           

However, the weakness of this evolutionary concept of morality becomes apparent when we see the damage it has done to our society and institutions.  If morality derives from man, then isn’t one man’s morality just as good as another’s?  And isn’t the morality of the masses the thing to follow in a democracy?  What is the real heritage of the French Revolution?  Is the morality of the people to be determined by vote, or the State, or is morality an individual choice? 

Or consider the possibility that Biblical moral principles are derived from the Creative Power of YHWH, that He knows what is best for us, and has at great cost established divine revelation of life and happiness.  What do the great stories of the Bible teach us? What do we learn from history?  What about Jesus?

Our government struggles with concepts of morality within the constitutional bounds of the separation clause (intended to prevent the establishment of any Christian denomination as the state religion).  Educators sometime feel that they must be careful not to give preference to Judeo-Christian morality over such moral systems as Native American paganism, witchcraft, New Age philosophy, Buddhism, Hinduism, and especially Secular Humanism.  (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judeo-Christian)

Also skeptics and atheists are very critical of the history of “Christianity” as the world views Christianity. And well they should be critical of the horrible history of State controlled religions, including Hinduism, Islam, Buddhist, Pagan, Jewish, Christian, and all others. We must add Secular Humanism to the list of State sponsored religions, and call attention to the facts of history. In less than one century, State mandated atheistic humanism killed more people than other systems combined, according to the Black Book of Communism.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Black_Book_of_Communism

Estimated number of victims

In the introduction, editor Stéphane Courtois states that "...Communist regimes... turned mass crime into a full-blown system of government"^[3]. He claims that a death toll totals 94 million^[4]. The breakdown of the number of deaths given by Courtois is as follows:

·         65 million in the People's Republic of China

·         20 million in the Soviet Union

·         2 million in Cambodia

·         2 million in North Korea

·         1.7 million in Africa

·         1.5 million in Afghanistan

·         1 million in the Communist states of Eastern Europe

·         1 million in Vietnam

·         150,000 in Latin America (mainly Cuba)

·         10,000 deaths "resulting from actions of the international Communist movement and Communist parties not in power."^[4]

           

While we do not want our government to establish any religion by force, we do want the freedom to control the moral standards taught to our children in the public schools.  Surely it is not unreasonable to hold that the community may impose its moral standards upon the children who are being taught, so long as there is freedom from pressure to submit to a certain religious faith.  There is a difference between moral law and religious faith.  Civil moral law is imposed by the laws of society, while religious faith is a matter of private choice.  Local control of education is important for protecting our children from the overreaching arm of the State.

           

Christian parents have the right to insist that Christian moral standards are taught to our children.  When we compare the true Christian moral system (as opposed to State controlled systems such as the Holy Roman Empire) with all other moral systems that have ever existed, we can see clearly that individually freely practiced Christianity has produced the most blessed societies.  

           

If we measure the value of a moral code by the effect of its teaching and practice, then there is no other culture in history that can claim a more exalted position for its followers than true Christian morality.  But the blessed effect is related to how many people within a given society are actually practicing the standards of real Christianity.  Presently the moral concepts that are treasured by so many of us are being dragged in the mud, even by those in high places. The legal structure of our society provides a basis for what is right and wrong.  This is why encouraging individual freedom of conscience that chooses to follow the true teachings of Jesus  is the practical means of being blessed by democracy.  

           

And God has a plan to redeem mankind from lawlessness by His own power and love.  For that purpose a man named Jesus was born more than two thousand years ago.  His teachings transformed mankind, and His sacrifice on the cruel cross at Calvary became a call to all people to turn to God and be blessed by His love. 

           

The resurrection of Jesus from the dead became the evidence and foundation for Christian morality.  The culture containing the most people who follow the teachings of Jesus has proven to be the most blessed society on earth.

           

Whose morals are we to follow?  If we call ourselves Christians, we need to follow Jesus.  His moral code is based on loving God and loving each other.  He calls us to do for others the things we want for ourselves.  No moral code can improve on that.

True Worship

True Worship

The Samaritan woman was talking with Jesus about worship, John 4:19-24--“The woman said to Him, ‘Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.’”

“Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.’”

            

“‘God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.’" NASU

            

Unfortunately the words of Jesus about worship have been changed from something about life to something about church assembly. Worship under the new covenant is not about going to the temple or the church building to do things in a certain way, but about life in Jesus Christ.  That life in Jesus includes meeting with the church, but worship in truth is not marking things off a list so that we can say we have done our duty. That was the way of worship under the Law of Moses, but Jerimiah says that the new covenant is not like that, Jer 31:31-34--"Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares the LORD.

"But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, "Know the LORD,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the LORD, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." NASU

Yes, worship under the new covenant means knowing God, and being His people. It is a relationship covenant, based on the new birth that puts one in Jesus Christ. God adds those who are born again to the number of His people, Acts 2:38-47. Worship under the new covenant is a way of living that recognizes the presence of God within us, the Holy Spirit. When we are led by that Spirit, we are children of God, and worshiping in spirit and truth.

Paul wrote this, Rom 12:1-5—“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

“For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” NASU

Yes, all who have been born again by faith in Jesus Christ are  members of one body. Worship in spirit and truth requires us to be kind and considerate of each other. When we see ourselves being kind, considerate, helpful, gentle, patient, encouraging, etc. to each other, we can be confident we are worshiping in spirit and truth. 

Hungry For Righteousness?

Hungry For Righteousness

Matt 5:6--“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” (NKJ)  The forth beatitude speaks of those who crave righteousness.  Our wanton society promotes the craving of many destructive ideas and practices, but cannot be accused of promoting righteousness.  The world glorifies sin, because Satan, the prince of this world, is in the deceiving and destroying business.

                

One example of the work of Satan is the attempted exclusion from our schools of the study of Jesus and the Bible.  It seems that many well meaning (by their own standards) people think that allowing the study of Jesus and the Bible in our public schools is a violation of the first amendment of our constitution, the so called separation clause.  But the same amendment guarantees that the government will not prohibit the free speech of individuals. 

                

However, there are powerful influences moving our public education more and more in the direction of humanism and atheism.  Those of us who crave righteousness need to speak out against the influence of Satan in our government.  When people reject the righteousness of God and decide to do things as they think best, according to human wisdom, disaster will follow.  Those who reject the righteousness of God will come up empty. They sow to the wind and will reap a tornado.

But those who crave righteousness will be filled.  Jesus came that we might have an abundant life.  Life does not consist primarily of the physical things of life; but peace, joy, contentment, hope, faith, and love are blessings that fill the cup of those who trust in the Lord.  As David said in the 23rd Psalm; “my cup runs over.  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

                

Mary, mother of Jesus, said this, Luke 1:46-53: "My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.  For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.  For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.  And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.  He has shown strength with His arm; he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.  He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly.  He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty.”

                

God fills those who hunger for righteousness, and He sends away empty those who trust in themselves.  Jesus said: "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”   (Matt 7:7, NKJ)  When we crave righteousness, we will be drawn to Jesus, Who is the righteousness of God revealed in human flesh.  When we hunger for righteousness, we hunger for Jesus.  As Apostle Paul wrote, Phil 3:8-11-- “Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

Jesus can satisfy our deepest craving, the desire to be perfect and righteous.  Those who trust in Him will not be put to shame.