Integrity

Psalm 15

Let me share with you a legend from Ancient Greece.  It is about the Ancient Greek philosopher Diogenes, who lived from 412 BC - 323 BC.  As the legend goes, Diogenes traveled around Greece and the known world in his day, carrying a lantern.  When asked what he was doing, he replied that he was looking for an honest man.  After several years he returned to his home disappointed, for his search had been a failure.  He had not been able to find someone who was completely honest.  In our psalm for this week, David reveals that those who dwell with the Lord must be honest and righteous, the type of man that Diogenes was looking for.

Our psalm begins with David asking the Lord a question.  He asks the Lord who are those who dwell in fellowship with Him, who are those who “dwell in Your holy hill?” (vs. 1).  The four verses that follow are the answer.  They are upright and righteous, speaking the truth (vs. 2).  They don’t speak harshly, but instead their words are truthful and pure (vs. 3).  Their friends and associates are similar people.  They don’t associate with evil people.  They are true to their word (vs. 4).  They also care for the poor, and lend to them without interest (vs. 5).

This describes a man or woman with integrity.  Integrity is having strong moral principles, and having genuine integrity is a rare virtue today.  A person with integrity is loyal and consistent, not fickle and erratic.  He doesn’t bring difficulty on others.  He doesn’t use sharp, cutting, or scornful speech about others.  He is honest, but gentle with his honesty.  A person with integrity is not friends with worthless, reprobate people.  Any association he would have with them would be for the purpose of evangelism.

On the other hand, a person with integrity loves those who live godly lives.  They honor those who fear the Lord, but reject those who despise Him.  He performs what he promised, and keeps his word, even when it is to their disadvantage.  His word is his bond.  This person is generous to those in need without charging interest or wanting a reward, and they are not tempted to ever take a bribe.

When we look at the qualities of character that one must show in order to be a person of Psalm 15 we might feel that this is an impossibility, and we would be correct.  In our own strength we cannot.  Only the Lord Jesus Christ has perfectly kept this list of qualities.  When we accept the Lord Jesus as our Savior, we receive His righteousness.  We also receive the Holy Spirit, and through His power we become more like Jesus.

In closing, truly honest people are not easy to find.  However, it is one trait that is very important.  It is one of the marks of a person of God.  Are we trustworthy and honorable?  Are our words the truth?  As believers, those who carry the Name of the Savior, we should live with integrity, and make the truth an integral part of our nature.  We should live in such a way that when others think of honesty and integrity, they think of us!

How To Get Wisdom

Deuteronomy 4:1-9

Most believers would like to be blessed, to have many godly virtues that they practice.  We would all like to show kindness, temperance, honesty, forgiveness, and the other virtues.  Two virtues that are sometimes overlooked are wisdom and understanding.  We all could use more of that these days.  I know I sure would like more of them in my life!  In our Scripture today we read that there is a way to achieve more wisdom and understanding.  Let’s look into this and see what the Lord says is one way that will bring us these virtues.

The Book of Deuteronomy is a record of the final instructions that Moses, the leader of the nation of Israel, gave to the people before they were to cross the Jordan River and enter into the land.  Here he goes over the laws of the Lord and His instructions a second time, reminding them of God’s Words, in order to live a blessed and prosperous life in the land He had promised.  As chapter four begins, Moses admonishes the people to listen to the Word of God, and to obey what He says.  If they do, then God will bless them in the land (vs. 1).

Moses then gives the people a warning, one which he strictly charges the people to obey, and that is to neither add to or take away from the Word of God (vs. 2).  We see this command repeated in the last Book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation (Revelation 22:18-19).   We see a lot of this today.  All too often if someone doesn’t like what the Bible says about this or that topic, issue, or law, they just omit it.  They might not literally tear it out of the Bible, but for all practical purposes they have.  They have the attitude that if they don’t like it, if they disagree with it, they omit it.  And then there are many who, in turn, twist the Words of the Bible to say what they want it to say, in effect, adding to God’s Word.  They twist it to fit and align with their own philosophy and world view of today.  God strictly warns against doing that.  God has said what He has said in the Bible, and means what He has said.

The Lord has said that it is in obeying and observing God’s Word that we will have wisdom and understanding (vs. 6).  Evil is everywhere, and is always trying to tempt us away from obedience to God and His Word.  It cries out about a better life if we do this or that, if we cheat, procrastinate, spend all of our money, and take what doesn’t belong to us.  God’s Word calls us to listen to and obey Him, and not be tempted by what the world has to offer.  God, alone, gives us an abundant life (John 10:10), filled with His wisdom and understanding, along with the other virtues and blessings we receive from Him.

Christians have something that no other religion has - a God who is near us whenever we call upon Him (vs. 7).  The false gods of all other religions do not do that.  They don’t even really exist except as demons posing as gods.  The false gods of various religions of the past, and even those still worshiped today, are portrayed as capricious, fickle, and changeable, always needing to be bribed.  They have no love for their worshipers.  The pagan Greek and Norse gods of the past, and the Hindu gods of today do not love or care about their adherents.  They would certainly never sacrifice anything for them, let alone their only Son for the people’s sins.  However that is exactly what Yahweh did when He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins!  Jesus is God With Us - Immanuel.

Our Scripture closes with a warning, with guidance, and instructions (vs. 9).  It is very easy for us to let our guard down, and to fall into apathy and self-deception.  It is so easy to fall into sin and spiritual danger.  If we follow God’s Word, He will give us the strength to avoid falling in life, and also the forgiveness when we do.  As the old-time hymn says, “Trust and obey, for there is no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey!”

Wonderful Words Of Life

John 6:60-69

Today’s Scripture concludes a long message that Jesus gave, a message that many found controversial then, and even today, a message that some might say is offensive.  There were some that day, after hearing what Jesus was saying, who turned away, and did not follow Him any longer.  Let’s quickly take a look at His closing remarks that day.

When Jesus saw that His Words were upsetting some people, He said to the crowd that His Words actually give life (vs. 63).  The Words of God, which many scoff at and say are disrespectful and unacceptable for today’s world, are words that actually bring life.  It was through His Word and His Spirit that life came to be during Creation (Genesis 1).  At the time when Jesus’ good friend Lazarus had died, and his sisters Mary and Martha called for Jesus to come, it was His Words that brought Lazarus back to life.  It wasn’t when they rolled away the stone at Lazarus’ grave that the man came back to life.  It was when Jesus spoke the words “Lazarus, come forth!” that life came back into Lazarus (John 11:38-44).  As Jesus said, when the dead hear His Voice, they shall live (John 5:25).

When there is “death” in any problem we have, we can pray that Jesus will speak life into that situation.  It could be a dead relationship, dead finances, a dead ministry.  The Lord, through His power and His Word, can bring life and restoration into anything.  We need to bring them to the Lord in prayer, and He can breathe His life into any situation.

When someone is ill, or even dying, we try to do what we can for them.  We tend their wounds, give them medicine and healthy foods, and bring them to the hospital.  With the spiritually sick and dying, we need to give them what they need - the words of life, which are found in the Bible.   The Scriptures are the Word of God, and have the power of God (Romans 1:16-17).

Jesus said many things that people then, and today, find offensive.  We see so many folks today get offended by so many different things that others say, and this includes some of the words of the Bible.  How about what Jesus said in this message that if one wants eternal life, they need to eat His Body and drink His Blood (John 6:53-54)?  Many people today would find that offensive and turn away, just as some did back then.  Jesus also said that He is the only way to heaven (John 14:6).   Peter repeated that truth when he was brought before the religious leaders (Acts 4:12).  People in today’s world get offended by that, as that rules out any hope of salvation or truth in any other religion.

People like to push “inclusion”, but what Jesus and the Apostle Peter said was not inclusive.  The Bible says that only those who receive Jesus as Savior are God’s children (John 1:12).  However many liberal preachers today say that we are all God’s children.  We are all His creation, but God’s Word says that we are not all His children.  Jesus even called some of the Pharisees children of the devil, so they were certainly not God’s children (John 8:44).  So how could everyone be a child of God when Jesus, Himself, called some people, even religious people, otherwise?

These are things that people then and today would find offensive.  Yet they are in the Bible.  Either one accepts that the Bible is God’s Word, or they don’t, and they turn away.  If one turns away from the Bible, then they turn away from the Words of life, and what does that leave them.  It leaves them without life, which is death, eternal death.

In closing, Jesus asked the twelve whether they wanted to also go away.  Did they find His Words too much to take, too offensive?  Peter answered with the truth.  Where else could they go, as Jesus is the only One with the words of eternal life! (vs. 66-69).

 

Husbands And Wives

Ephesians 5:21-33

Today’s Scripture from the Lectionary of The Book of Common Prayer, is one that is likely to cause controversy, likely to ruffle the feathers of a number of folk.  These verses in the Bible, along with similar verses, such as Colossians 3:18, and I Peter 3:1-6, have angered many women since at least the 1960’s and onward.  The reason for the dislike of our Scripture today, along with those other Scriptures, is that both the Apostles Paul and Peter instruct women to submit to their husbands.  Since the days of the women’s lib movement, women have hated that, some even going so far as to tear those pages out of the Bible.  However, they are a part of God’s Word, so let’s take a look at what the Lord has to say.

Women have taken issue with these verses because they say that the wife is to submit to her husband.  They feel that this gives the husband the right to rule it over the wife, and no one wants that.  And what if one has an abusive husband?  Is the wife expected to obey them?  These were all problems that led women to reject these verses.

As we look into this passage, we see that it isn’t just about women submitting to their husbands, we see that the husband is told that he is to love his wife, just as Christ loves the church.  There are actually more verses, more than half of the passage, that focus on what the husband is supposed to do in the marriage.

Actually, the first verse in our passage tells us that we all are to submit one to another, the wife to the husband and the husband to the wife, along with others in our community (vs. 21).  We balk at this, as no one wants to submit.  No one wants to sacrifice their supposed rights and freedom.  No one wants to follow God’s design, even if it is good for us.

It isn’t just about women submitting to men.  God wants each of us to consider the other first, to be looking out for the needs and best interests of others before those of ourselves.  Instead of always wanting to be the one in control, consider the other person first.  Even though we might be reluctant to, believers should submit to their husband, wife, and others out of reverence for Jesus Christ.

Submitting to one’s husband, or to anyone else isn’t giving in to a bully or to abuse.  No where in the Bible is abusive treatment to others approved or condoned.  Submission carries the idea of “yielding to” or “deferring to out of respect”.  God’s Word, the Bible, calls wives to voluntarily submit to their husbands in context to their relationship to the Lord Jesus.  And the husbands are to love their wives, to model the kind of self-sacrificial love that Christ has for the church.

Many women will question how they can submit to their husband, especially if they feel that they “know more” than they feel he does.  And many husbands question how they can love their wife when she is such a temperamental woman.  However, if we love the Lord Jesus, and desire to follow in His footsteps, we will seek the Holy Spirit’s power to both love and submit to one another.

Family members should treat each other with respect and humility.  Husbands and wives are to treat each other in a similar way to how they treat the Lord.  When members of a family make it a priority to serve one another and look out for one another, to think of others more highly than themselves, they become the family that God intended.  This is the way the Lord intends family relationships to be, not a way to rule over and enslave one another.  Let’s try to make our family a picture of what the Lord Jesus intends, a picture of heaven.

He Hears Our Cry

Psalm 34:15-22

Today we conclude a three-part look into Psalm 34.  As  you may recall, Psalm 34 was written by David as a praise to God for protecting him when he needed to escape from King Abimelech.  David had gone to Gath, a city of the Philistines, to escape from King Saul.  Abimelech had welcomed him, but then men of the royal court reminded the king that David had led the armies of Israel against them.  David then feared for his life, and feigned madness in order to safely escape.  Now he was back in Israel where Saul continued to chase him.  Who could he turn to for help and deliverance when he is surrounded by trouble and danger?  Who can we turn to in our own situations?  Let’s continue our look as we finish up Psalm 34.

When a young child is feeling scared or alone, or needs help, what do they do?  Generally they will cry out for someone, usually their parents or older siblings, to help them.  The need to cry out for help doesn’t end when we become an adult.  Who do we turn and cry out to?  Sometimes it is a friend or family member.  At other times it may be an attorney, a politician, or the police.  Maybe someone who can loan us some money.  However, those sources for help do not always come through.  Money lenders usually charge high interest, so you ultimately are worse off.  The police may arrive too late, and an attorney or politician may not be able to help you.  And as many of us have found out, friends and family often turn their backs on you, even in your hour of need.  So where do we go?  David found out early in his life that the only One who he could always depend on when in need was the Lord God (vs. 15-17).  Our Heavenly Father wants His children to cry out to Him.  When a crisis comes, cry out to God with a righteous heart.

One way that we can tell if someone might help us when we call out to them is if they turn their face to look at us.  If they have no desire to help us, they pretend to not hear, and won’t look our way.  However, if they care, they look towards us.  God’s face shines on the righteous, the saved (Psalm 67:1-2), but His face is against the wicked unsaved (vs. 16).

Sometimes events in our life can leave us shaken and off-balance.  David surely knew this feeling.  He knew, though, that he was a child of God, and if we’re saved, we are, too, and as such God’s eyes are always on us, and He hears our prayers.  It is a comfort to know that the God of the Universe loves us so much that He constantly sees what is going on in our individual lives, and He hears us when we cry out to Him for His help.  Not only does He hear, but He responds.

When we are feeling the farthest away from God, that is when He is actually closest to us.  David knew that the Lord was near to him, especially when he was feeling lonely and brokenhearted (vs. 18).  So many people he had counted on to care about him and help him in his time of need had turned against him, but that was never the case with the Lord.  No matter where David was, the Lord was near to him, and that is always the case for us.  God does not abandon us in our times of crisis, for He has promised to save us, even in our darkest hour.  He is a Rock whose presence we can depend on (Deuteronomy 32:4).

Do you have afflictions in your life right now?  God has promised us that He will deliver us out of them all (vs. 19), not just some of them.  A friend might help us with one thing, but not the other.  They may offer you a ride somewhere, but if you need someone to shovel the snow on your walk, don’t ask, and certainly don’t bother if your problem is a serious one.  However, the Lord promises to deliver us out of all of our afflictions!

Jesus is there for those who feel broken, lost, and crushed in spirit.  He is greater than our brokenness, our feelings of being unloved, dejected, and lonely.  Broken lives and broken hopes are precious in the Lord Jesus’ sight.

The Most Important Choice In Our Life

Joshua 24:1-2, 14-25

Every day we make multiple choices, multiple decisions.  Many of them are not all that important, such as what we eat for breakfast, or whether to wear the blue shirt or the yellow one.  Others are much more important, such as whether or not to go to college, or what job we take, where we decide to live, and who to vote for.  And then there are some life or death decisions, like seeking medical treatment for health issues, and which kind of treatment to take, whether or not to ignore some danger signs and proceed down an uncertain path, etc.  In today’s Scripture we read about a very important choice to be made, one that has eternal consequences depending on what one decides.  This was a choice that the people of Israel faced, and one that each of us has to make, as well.  Let’s see what that choice to be made is.

As our Scripture opens, Joshua is nearing the end of his life.  He had been the one chosen by the Lord to lead the people across the Jordan River and into the Promised Land after Moses had died.  He was a skilled army general, and led the people in conquering the land.  Now, as his life is drawing to a close, Joshua wanted the people of Israel to recommit themselves to the Lord.  He knew the people’s past, and how they had a tendency to quickly turn away from Yahweh.  He knew that was the reason for their having had to wander in the wilderness for forty years, and even now, within the Promised Land, many of them had faltering faith.  They were encountering pagan nations, and the false gods of these people were a snare.

Now that they were in the Promised Land, and much of their territory had been conquered and was beginning to be settled, Joshua gathered the leaders of the tribes together to proclaim exactly who they would follow (vs. 1).  He first reminded them of their great Patriarchal Father, Abraham.  He had made a vitally important decision in his life, one like the people right then were needing to make.  Abraham came from a family of pagan idol worshipers (vs. 2).  His father, Terah, worshiped the Sumerian gods and goddesses of the time, yet Abraham made the most important decision of his life, one that had eternal consequences for him, when he chose to forsake those false gods and instead worship Yahweh, the one true God.  Now Joshua confronted the people, and asked who they were going to worship.  They could choose those ancient gods of the ancestors of Abraham.  They could choose the pagan gods of Egypt where they had lived as slaves for so long, they could choose the idols of the Canaanites and Amorites where they now lived, or they could choose to follow Yahweh (vs. 14-15).

Joshua and his family had made their choice.  They were not going to forsake the Lord and turn to pagan gods and goddesses.  They were going to serve Yahweh, the one true God (vs. 15).  He reminded the people that this was a vitally important decision, one that cannot be made lightly (vs. 19-20).  God wants a total commitment from those who choose to follow Him.  He does not want a half-hearted commitment, nor will He tolerate a mix of worshiping Him along with worship of other gods or goddesses (vs. 23).

Joshua gave a godly example for the nation in his life and that of his family, which helped to encourage them in choosing to follow Yahweh, and to forsake the pagan gods from their past and those around them.  The examples of godly people we know, and the power of the Holy Spirit will give us courage to stand firm and make us strong in our faith.

Every day, all throughout our life, we make choices, and those choices turn us into the type of person we become.  Now is the time to choose the right side.  God is giving us the chance now.  It won’t last forever, as none of us are guaranteed tomorrow.  We never know when our last moment will come.  Nor do we know when Jesus will return, as it could possibly be in the very next minute.  We must make the choice to follow Jesus now, not tomorrow.  We can choose Jesus as our Lord and Savior, or choose death and hell.

The Hard Truth

John 6:53-59

When someone goes to the doctor, they usually want to hear the truth from him.  Though they would like to be told only good news, deep down most people want to hear the truth.  However, what if your doctor only told you good things, such as whenever you had medical tests done, he kept telling you that everything was fine, when in reality there were several very serious problems.  Not knowing the truth could have very serious consequences, and could even cost you your life.  This holds true in many different scenarios with our physical lives, and also with our spiritual life, as well.  We need to hear the truth, whether it’s difficult to take or not.  In our Scripture today, as we continue on through the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus said some very hard and difficult things that some people may just shake their head at and walk away.  Let’s take a look and see what you think.

Over the past several decades there has been a movement within many churches to be more “seeker sensitive”.   These churches seek to draw in people who usually would not attend church by making the church service as comfortable, inviting, and non-threatening as possible.  They use theatrics and musical entertainment, with state-of-the art technology, sound, and lighting to keep the church service from being boring to the unsaved.  They have loads of special programs all throughout the week to try and get people involved.  However, a closer look shows that most of these programs have nothing to do with Jesus Christ, and very few, if any of the sermons (a word they don’t like to use, preferring “talks” or “messages”) ever mention sin, repentance, God’s Word, or even Jesus.   This “seeker sensitive” approach doesn’t want to offend or turn off anyone.  They feel that somehow, some way people might find Jesus, even though His Name and His message are rarely mentioned.  These churches are no different than a rock concert, a visit to a theater, or a country club.  One of the most popular TV preachers in the U.S. never mentions sin or salvation, but only gives “feel good” messages on his program, in his church, and even in his books.  He and his staff don’t want to talk about anything that is hard to hear.

Jesus was definitely not a practitioner of the “seeker sensitive” approach to reaching people.  He was not concerned about making people feel comfortable, nor did He ever tailor His messages to do so.  Jesus’ message in our Scripture passage today was designed to disturb.  When the crowd asked for an explanation, Jesus didn’t say He was using figures of speech (vs. 53-56).  These words were so shocking that even some disciples balked at them.  Jesus’ aim was not to make people feel good, but to awaken them to the truth.

If the flow of blood is cut off to a part of the body for a certain length of time, that part will die and often need to be amputated.  As members of the body of Jesus Christ, we depend on His Blood to keep us alive and functioning.  His Blood saved us, and now we depend on Him for mercy, forgiveness, and wisdom.  Jesus lives in us, and we live in Him.  His Blood is our life.  Talking about partaking of Jesus’ Body and Blood was just as radical, offensive, and crazy back in His day as it would be if any preacher said that about themselves today.  Yet Jesus did not hesitate to preach the truth.

What about us today?  Are we willing to speak out the truth, no matter how “offensive” it might be to those who hear it?  Are we willing to call sin what it is, sin, and to say that a life of sin will bring death and damnation?  Are we willing to say that there is only one way to heaven, and that this way is only through the Lord Jesus Christ, and no one else?  Are we willing to preach the Word of God, and not give in to the common practice of high-tech entertainment that other churches are providing?  Jesus gave the people what they needed, the hard truth.  His followers today should do the same.