A Heart to Obey

 

1 My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands;

2 For length of days and long life And peace they will add to you.

     Proverbs 3:1-2 (NKJV)

 

In these verses, we’re told not to forget God’s word but to keep it in our hearts.  It’s easy to forget something that’s just in our minds.  Things don't stay in my mind very long, so I write notes to myself and I still forget. But once something is in our hearts, there is a deepness that is not easily forgotten.

 

Obedience should come from our hearts--not just external but from an internal desire to please God. I’m reminded of a story about a disobedient youngster whose mother made him sit in the corner and he told her he was sitting on the outside but standing up on the inside.  We may smile at that story of childhood, but sometimes we are guilty of going through the motions of obedience without having the right attitude or motive.

 

We are promised that we will have peace when we practice that kind of obedience to God. I remember being a rebellious teenager, thinking it would be great to do what I wanted even if it went against what I was told. Yet the way of the transgressor is hard (Prov. 13:15), and I sure learned that going my own way led me on a turbulent course.  To know true peace we must obey.  

 

God’s ways are always best and we are blessed when we walk in them. But God doesn't force obedience upon us.  Instead we're urged to "let your heart keep my commands" (Prov. 3:1, NKJV).  It's a choice we have.  Will you make the choice today and let your heart obey God's word?

The Bank of Jesus Christ

I look up to the mountains—
    does my help come from there?
My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth!

He will not let you stumble;
    the one who watches over you will not slumber.
Indeed, he who watches over Israel
    never slumbers or sleeps.

The Lord himself watches over you!
    The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.
The sun will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon at night.

The Lord keeps you from all harm
    and watches over your life.
The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,
    both now and forever.  Psalm 121

 

Good people always put more into you than they expect back.  I’m not saying to ask to borrow $20 from them with the expectation to not pay it back.  In fact, I’d argue perhaps you might pay it back with interest much like the parable of talents (see Matthew 25:14-30).  However, these individuals see more in you than at times you see in yourself.  My wife saw something in me when I was ready to give up on school, and she pushed me through when I had little strength.  I liken it to the analogy of a bank.  She invested me believing I could be someone special.  It was more about me than her, and for that, I am forever grateful to her.

Most people invest in others with the expectation of a return.  However, it is not like one expects a direct payback.  Instead, they expect the return on investment to be the joy of seeing you fulfilling your potential.  Those are the people you want to not only surround yourself with but also be like.  Why?  Because like Jesus, they give freely and unconditionally.  Not with strings attached or expectation.  Furthermore, what if you have people in your life fail to support your vision and dreams and yet are in constant need of yours?  As a pastor asked, “Why are you expecting a return from friend who has insufficient funds?” 

We must be willing to put into our relationships the love that God puts into us.  Those who need someone in their corner to believe in them must trust in God to provide for them.  My initial thought about my wife is I might be too reliant on her and how much she invested in me.  That I might fall into a trap that she became ‘God’ to me.  However, the more accurate picture is as David pointed out in the 121^st Psalm God is watching over me so much so that He put her in my life even when I did not know I would need her.  Note the difference is I am not reliant on Loretta for strength.  I am reliant on God for strength for when I am weak, He in His infinite wisdom put someone in my life to build me up.  God worked through her to help me, and she is not God.  She is a constant reminder of just how amazing God is!

Additionally, as followers of Christ we are committed to be people who invest in others.  We can be counted on to give of ourselves toward others as Christ gave to us.  If we look to our relationships based on what we can get, we just are doing relationships wrong.  This is not to say we may need to end a relationship (see 'Toxic Relationships').  But a healthy relationship with Christ means we give all to Him not because of the price He paid on the cross.  We do so simply because we love Him so much!  In the Book of James, it says, “So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.” (James 2:17)  Our love for God produces those good deeds that we ‘invest’ in others, which in turn produces good deeds from them they too will invest in others.  In the bank analogy, this is like the Law of Compound Interest, but it grows God’s Kingdom.  Not our personal account.

We serve a God of abundance.  He gives us love, grace, and protection.  If we are to truly grow in our faith, we must give those very things to others for they are gifts to be shared from God.  It is true that we must invest wisely in giving those things, but if we invest, we gain far more than lose.  Let us remember that God invests in us, and then, give freely and wisely to others with the hope they too will invest like we invested in them.  Who invested into you mentally and spiritually that you can give thanks to today?  How can you focus on being more reliant on God for your strength?  Who will you invest those gifts God gave you in?  My prayer is that we are continually investing in the Bank of Jesus Christ.  Amen. 

In working with young people, I love the questions they ask. Some are simply the most insightful stuff I have heard. Some of the questions are repeats of stuff I've studied before, and the review is really helpful. And some questions are those asked by just about every student of Scripture at some point.

It was one of those necessary questions asked by every student that came up yesterday. She referred to Colossians 1:26, where Paul refers to a "mystery", hidden from the ages and generations, but now revealed. "What mystery?" It's a great question because Paul uses that term fairly inconsistently.

The context of Paul's statement is this:

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my physical body—for the sake of his body, the church—what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ. I became a servant of the church according to the stewardship from God—given to me for you—in order to complete the word of God, that is, the mystery that has been kept hidden from ages and generations, but has now been revealed to his saints. God wanted to make known to them the glorious riches of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim him by instructing and teaching all people with all wisdom so that we may present every person mature in Christ. Toward this goal I also labor, struggling according to his power that powerfully works in me.

Colossians 1:24-29 NET (emphasis mine)

So, if you do a search of Paul's use of "mystery" in his writings, you find that he does use it in several letters. When you examine each instance, it quickly becomes clear that he doesn't use it to refer to the same thing, or at least not precisely the same thing. It always has to do with salvation through Jesus, but there seems to be some element which is "mysterious".

Here, in Colossians, the mystery seems to be "Christ in you, the hope of glory", at least according to the NET translation. Most modern translations have something very similar, but there is a possible connection to Gentiles. It seems that this "mystery" is Christ in Gentiles, that they have a hope of glory.

So, while everyone expects Jews to have this hope of glory, that the Messiah would come for them, that Jesus affects salvation for Gentiles is supposed to surprise everyone. Context is important here. Paul's letter to the Galatian churches seeks to correct, rather roughly, erroneous teaching that the Gentiles had to follow the Jewish law to be saved.

Considering this, it makes a lot of sense that Paul would refer to the salvation through faith in Jesus as a mystery. It clearly was to some people, namely those teaching this false doctrine of "circumcision for salvation".

What about Jesus saving His human creatures is a mystery to you? It's a weird question, like "what don't you know?", but it is worth spending some time considering. For instance, are there people you functionally consider beyond the reach of Jesus? Allow me to be more pointed, who, in your community, are you intentionally leaving out of your community of faith?

Before you let yourself off the hook, think through who attends, who is among you weekly, who serve in worship, who help with various elements of the worship service, teach or participate in groups. And then, consider who do not attend weekly, who are not serving, participating, or leading. And then, why are they not? What would it take for them to consider themselves a part of your community?

You see, this isn't as easy as it sounds. We blow right passed this reference to "mystery" without considering that, like these "Judiasers" were creating barriers for Gentiles, we also create barriers for people. How should they dress, how should they look, speak, laugh, where should they live, what should they drive, or how often should they bathe?

I'm really struggling with this because I'm in a class challenging me to address poverty through relationships. I'm being challenged to view myself as impoverished, just as much, if not more, than those I seek to help. I'm being challenged to consider the attitude with which I minister, and I'm painfully aware that pride and arrogance, so much a part of our culture, pollutes my own service to my King.

So, let's clarify the mystery of why we are such mopes, flailing about, trying to serve those who have so much to offer us, as if we have nothing to learn from them. Jesus wants to purify us as much as cleanse them. He seeks our hearts as He seeks theirs. So, let's set ourselves up to learn, relationally, from those with fewer material goods, as we share with them the riches of the grace we have found in Jesus.

Burden of the Heart

 

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.

     2 Corinth. 5:20 (NKJV)

Lost souls matter. This is not a political statement but rather a declaration of gospel truth.  God desires that all would come to salvation; Jesus Christ died for each one.  Lost souls matter to Him and should matter to us also.  We are ambassadors for Christ and as such, we are to implore others to be reconciled to God by trusting in Christ.  This is not just the preacher’s job or that of an evangelist but every believer should seek to point others to Christ.

The following quote is attributed to Charles Spurgeon and it describes the burden we should have for the lost:

             “Until the gate of hell is shut upon a man we must not cease to pray for him.

And if we see him hugging the very doorposts of damnation, we must go to the mercy seat

and beseech the arm of grace to pluck him from his dangerous position.

While there is life there is hope, and although the soul is almost smothered with despair,

we must not despair for it, but rather arouse ourselves to awaken the Almighty arm.”

We are to have such a heart for the lost that it is as though God were pleading through us.  But this kind of burden can’t be manufactured.  It comes from knowing that Christ paid the penalty we deserved, that the heavy weight of sin has been lifted us from us and that we have new life. It results from knowing the truth that judgment is coming, that hell is real and that all those who die without Christ are condemned to that awful reality for all eternity.

Our own salvation should not make us self-satisfied.  Instead, being born again should open our mouths in witness to the gospel of Christ. It should drive us to our knees in fervent prayer for those who are not reconciled to God and to continue interceding for them, as long as it takes. Pray for God to burden your heart for the lost and open your eyes to those in need of Jesus, then do something about it.

No Matter What ...

 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!”

 

Then Jesus answered his thoughts. “Simon,” he said to the Pharisee, “I have something to say to you.”

 

“Go ahead, Teacher,” Simon replied.

 

Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other.  But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?”

 

Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.”

 

“That’s right,” Jesus said.  Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet.  You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume.

 

“I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.”  Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”  Luke 7:39-48

 

My children always see two sides of me.  There is the very loving and affectionate father the grandchildren see most if not all the time.  Then there is the very hard, rigid, and uncomfortable dad when they failed to meet the expectations set by the household.  I always prefer the former because that is always the easiest for me to portray, but at times, I must bring out the rigid side because I am trying to teach them something or divert them from the wrong path.  None of them really liked that side of me growing up, but of course as they got older and had their own children, they came to appreciate it.  I certainly pray the 16-year-old will say the same thing(smile) because no matter how uncomfortable I make them when they are wrong, I want them to know how much I love them no matter what.

 

This week, I was challenged by a theologian’s message on the two faces of Jesus.  There is the one side that is the righteous and just God who is uncompromising, and He will turn over tables creating chaos in mayhem in the Temple at Jerusalem.  Yet, there is the Jesus where an immoral woman knelt at His feet and washed them with her tears and perfume and was forgiven.  So here is the million-dollar question.  If this woman knew of Jesus and His reputation, why on earth would she, as an immoral sinner, be so bold as to come up to Him and kneel at His feet?  Keep in mind she is not just an ‘one off’ kind of sinner.  Jesus described her degree of sinfulness as “her sins – and they are many.”  Yet He forgave them all.  This is the level of love Jesus had for us.

 

The goodness of God transcends our situation.  As I read the story, I am moved by the situation of this woman.  She could easily be substituted as ‘The Prodigal Son’ in a way.  As I mentioned last week, the Prodigal Son was a no one with nowhere to go but back to his father’s house.  Upon hearing the Messiah was coming to town, she took her expensive perfume to see Him.  Yet instead of coming to ask for forgiveness of her sins, she is overcome by grief, and fell weeping upon His feet and wiping them with her hair (see Luke 7:37-38).  Thus, it makes sense that Simon, who must have known the woman and her sins, would look at her with a degree of disdain to think Jesus should not let her touch Him in any fashion.  Yet Jesus looks upon her with great love for she first loved Him.  She went through the process of coming to Jesus, laid down her sins falling to her knees, released her shame and guilt through  weeping and tears, and surrendering her perfume, her hair (P.S. Men, compliment the women in your life on their hair, please), and herself to Him.  That’s a pretty full list!  Jesus understood all this, and not only forgave her of her sins but also taught Simon a lesson in the process about God’s love as well.  We too often will miss one of these crucial steps.  Perhaps we do not fully lay down our burden or keep harboring the guilt and shame of our sinful pasts.  We might even withhold giving all of ourselves to God.  No matter which part of our story or what combination we may fall short of, we must give up control as the words Dave Lubben song, “Here’s my life.  I lay it down.  I surrender it all to you.”  For if we surrender it all, oh how much our God will give in turn to us.

 

Jesus is always enough.  Whether it is past transgression or current failure, He loves us so much.  He will give it all to us if we are willing to surrender it all to Him.  Let us be open and willing to take our burdens to God and lay them all down to Him.  What do you need to bring to God today?  How can you release the burdens of your past to Him?  Will you surrender it all to Him?  My prayer is we fear not the anger of God and remember His love is there for us no matter what.  Amen.

A Parable About Something Else

 How often are you experiencing stress over things you cannot control? When was the last time you experienced peace releasing something which was not your responsibility? And don't you just love it when someone you're asking for help says, "That's not my job" (okay, maybe not that one so much).

Jesus tells us to "take His yoke upon us", because His burden is light and His yoke is easy. If you think about it, that's a strange way to describe a yoke of any kind. And yet, He does. It's one of the best ways He can describe our walk with Him, as opposed to our walk, blindly, in the dark.

One of the things you may be taking on yourself, which is not yours to take, is the responsibility of "saving" others. We are to reach out to others, to be a light of our Savior's glory, and give explanations of our hope in Him. We are to be a witness to His existence, His love, and His desire for others.

We are not the "savior", Jesus is the Savior. We are not their creator, our Father is our Creator. We are not one loving our family beyond measure. It may not feel like it, there is a measure to our love for anyone. Jesus' love is immeasurable. It is the work of the Spirit of Jesus which changes lives.

He also said, “The kingdom of God is like someone who spreads seed on the ground. He goes to sleep and gets up, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. By itself the soil produces a crop, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. And when the grain is ripe, he sends in the sickle because the harvest has come.”

Mark 4:26-29 NET

The parable of the sower, previously, in this chapter had the "seed" being the "word", or Jesus' preaching. So, it is probably meant to be the same here. Rather than focusing on the soils, here the focus is on the responsibilities or duties for growing the seed. The seed may produce 30, 60, or 100 times what was sown, but how does that happen?

The breakdown of how this all happens can be viewed this way:

1. The sower (us) sows the seed (the word)
2. The we rise and sleep, day to day
3. The word sprouts and grows, we do not know how
4. The soil (hearer) by itself produces the grain in stages
5. We harvest (disciple) the word

That's not the only way to view this parable. This way borrows the imagery and meaning from the Parable of the Soils, which is a good place to start. Although, some of the elements may not be exact correlations.

The soil producing "by itself" may reflect the unseen work of the Holy Spirit, more than any particular quality of the soil. But, think through the parable of the soils. It seems to be a quality of the soil which makes it more effective for growing. So, the Holy Spirit works in all who hear, but some are more receptive to Him than others.

Either way, the sower, you and I, we are spectators more than agents in this parable. Jesus doesn't point out the work of the sower after sowing. It is probably understood, but our Savior has another point to make. He wants to emphasize that it's not about the sower. It's not about the sower's work beyond sowing and harvesting. The sower "doesn't know how" the seed grows.

It's not about you. How refreshing. It's not about how you hammer away at someone with the words of Jesus. It's not about how intensely you love them, how consistently you preach to them, how clearly you articulate the truth of the good news. It's not about you.

So, scatter seed. There are different soils, and some of it is good soil. Even on good soil, much will happen you cannot see, and do not understand. That's a "feature", not a "flaw" to sowing seed. Share the good news, and leave room for the Spirit of our Savior to work. Don't aim at the "good soil", chances are we are not good judges of soil. Just sow away.

Life Blood

Recently I was donating blood at a church, when I realized that just above where I was laying was a large cross.  How fitting it was that as I waited for the required amount of my blood to flow out, I could look upon the cross where my Savior shed His blood for me.

 

 “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

1 John 1:7 (NKJV)

 

My blood type (A+) is one of the most common. But even if you have the rarest type (AB-), it has no supernatural power, it cannot cleanse anyone from sin. Only the precious blood of the Lord Jesus is perfect, pure and powerful.

 

Know "that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver and gold,

from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,

but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

1 Peter 1:18-19 (NKJV)

 

Some think it’s morbid to put so much emphasis on the blood. But the shed blood of Christ is all important because without it there is no remission of sin. (Hebrews 9:22)  This was true even in the Old Testament, with its system of regular, repeated animal sacrifices that pointed to the once-for-all atoning death of Christ.

 

Some think it’s crude to talk of the blood. And unfortunately, some pastors no longer preach the blood of Christ because it may offend people. But to those who know Jesus as their personal Savior, His blood poured out was a demonstration of His great love. We give thanks that our sins washed clean by His perfect sacrifice.

 

We can’t make too much of the precious blood of Christ, for it has given us new life.

Toxic Relationships

 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs.  The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.

“When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger!  I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”  Luke 15:15-19

 

I’m in a toxic relationship with my credit union.  It took me a while to come to that conclusion because I’m loyal to a fault toward people and things.  I joined this credit union before I was even married, which means I’ve been with them for nearly 30 years.  I loved that about the relationship.  But then, I realized a few things.  First, other places wanted to give me more benefits for less hassle.  As a Christian, I’m fully aware of the grass always being greener on the other side.  Thus, giving me more did not impress me.  Then, their offers for basic services were better, and their bankers actually talked with me.  They wanted to know me.  Not just who they did business with.  It was not just any customer service person on an 800-toll free line.  Then my credit union gave me the ultimate insult.  They denied me a special perk because they needed to see ‘more recent history.’  I thought to myself, “You mean near 30 years is not enough ‘history?’”  So, I found myself asking what do I do?  In my marriage, we fought through the first eight to ten years before hitting our stride, and to be clear, it is until death do we part.  But I married Loretta.  Not a credit union.  So, I realize this is a toxic relationship that I must get out from under, and yes, I asked myself if this is somehow my fault.  It is not.

 

Now I know this sounds silly because it is a banking institution and not a best friend or work relationship.  But I’m sure some of you are dealing with a ‘toxic’ relationship or maybe there is one that you are just not sure if it is.  How do you know when the relationship is no good for you?  Could it be someone who just needs help and you’re not seeing it?

 

A healthy relationship with God is a good way to know what is healthy versus what is bad for you.  Today’s verses focus on the story of the Prodigal Son.  We all tend to know who the Prodigal Son represents in the story, but the aspect I want to focus on is the moment he recognizes where he does not belong where he is.  Note the treatment of him.  He was so hungry, the food he fed the pigs ‘looked good to him.’  Imagine the desperation and needs he must have had, yet, the farmer, any passer byers, friends, or anyone else offered him nothing.  But, “[H]e finally came to his senses,” and realized this was not where he belonged.  The relationship with those around him forced a change not just because he could not live under those circumstances.  He realized there was something far better for him.  Of course, this is only a parable told by Jesus, but there is much to learn from this segment of the story.  First, there is the need and desperation of the son.  Second, the disregard of others that chose not to help him.  Finally, the understanding where one truly belongs and the need to walk away from the situation.  Put another way, we can always seek something in a toxic relationship only for it to never be given to us.  When comparing it to what God offers, we understand where our true loyalty should be.

 

We are so fortunate to have a God who has taught us how to love and be loved.  We all have relationships that require work and time.  Yet, there are some of these relationships that are just not worthy of our time.  While I am not one to say anyone should give up on their relationship, it is important that we reflect on how God would view it.  Ideally, their treatment of you equates to what you would expect from someone who both loves and respects as God would.  There is a reason Jesus says:

You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.  A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.  (Matthew 22:37b-40)

Loving the Lord, your neighbor, and yourself are required elements in all relationships.  When any of those are missing, it is easy to see why a relationship may fail.  Let us strive to ensure all elements are intact for healthy God driven relationships with others.  What relationships in your life need closer examination under a Godly lens?  Are there levels of toxicity in your relationship that needs addressing?  My prayer is that we see God as a way to sift through our toxic relationships.  Amen.

The Measure of a Person

 What is important to you? By what standard do you evaluate others? On what do you base your choices?

There are a couple of places in Scripture where it seems that our Savior uses a measure with us that we choose to use with others. So, what we do to, or with, others, He does to, or with, us. Does that sound weird? Okay, here's one:

“For if you forgive others their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins."

Matthew 6:14-15 NET

This statement is so important, Matthew quotes Jesus saying something like it again in Matthew 18:35. It should be a very sobering thought. Like the second greatest commandment, "Love your neighbor as yourself", there's a balance between ourselves and others in the eyes of our Savior.

Here's another of those "tit-for-tat" sort of comments by Jesus:

And he said to them, “Take care about what you hear. The measure you use will be the measure you receive, and more will be added to you. For whoever has will be given more, but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.”

Mark 4:24-25 NET

Only this one has another strange element to it, "whoever has more will receive more, and whoever has little will lose what they have." That's just weird. If you have never thought so, have you really thought about it? It is antithetical to the popular approach to society. That's the opposite direction of redistributed wealth preached by our society.

Of course, this "measure used on others will be used on you" concept has a tag of "and more will be added" feature. That's not exactly balanced. And, if you are particularly mean, should be even more sobering.

The context of the passage in Matthew 6 is prayer, specifically seeking forgiveness. The context in Matthew 18 is seeking forgiveness also. The context in Mark, though, is hearing and understanding parables. That seems different, yet, this concept of using our measure with us is used in both places.

We have an old cliche which says, "You've made your bed, now lie in it." The idea being that consequences follow our actions. Proverbs is full of this concept. Which, in a sense, is really all that God is saying to us (although read the accompanying parable in Matthew 18:21-35).

Here's the thing: God, our Loving Savior, instigates the consequences. He is the One "punishing" with the standard we use with others. With the standard we judge, we will be judged (Matthew 7:1-2). The balance, or consequence, is thematic with Jesus, as it is in Proverbs. Which tells me my Creator thinks it is important.

We focus so much on the grace of our Savior, which saves us from our sins when we were incapable of saving ourselves. And we should. The grace of our Creator is truly Amazing as few things are. Along side that, let's consider the "balance" used by our Savior.

So, when we are angry with another person, family, friend, or co-worker, let's remember this balance. When we drive from point A to point B, let's remember the balance with those on the road with us. When we deal with our kids, our siblings, our parents, let's remember the balance.

I think the recent trend has been to teach "reaping and sowing" to get this idea across. It's a good topic. It's a vital life lesson. Keeping this in mind helps us grapple with the right deity, the One describing Himself in Scripture rather than one of our own imagination. And grapple we should. Let's wrestle with God by the Jordan (Genesis 32:24-28)! We may walk away with a limp, but we will have a new name, and a blessing to go with it.

Balance. The center of our walk with our Creator and with our walk with others comes together on us. Like Jesus, let's grow in favor with God and man.

Royal Duty

 I recently read a biography of Queen Elizabeth II and learned that one of her official titles is “Defender of the Faith.” The book states that a British coin (first minted in 1714 during the reign of King George I) bears an image of the Queen surrounded by words that stand for: “Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God, Queen, Defender of the Faith.”  What a solemn and important duty, fitting for a monarch. 

Although believers in Christ are not part of an earthly royal line, we are children of the King and as such, we are given a similar duty:

 

Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you, exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.

Jude 3 (NKJV)

 

The Bible tell us that there will be apostasy in the Church, there will be false teachers, there will be those who will water down the Gospel and even preach a different gospel.  It was true then and it is true in our day, we see it all around us. So we are to earnestly contend against such evils and for the faith, that which is contained in the true word of God. 

 

One commentary likens this duty to soldiers entrusted with the sacred task of guarding valuable treasure.  Indeed, the Gospel that saved us is precious and the Bible, God’s word to us, is priceless.  We contend when what we say and do bears witness to this, when we are living examples of the genuine faith we profess.

 

I’ve read that “contend” in this context comes from a Greek word that has the idea of agony.  So we may contend by agonizing on our knees, in prayer. We should be burdened for those we know who are lost and intercede that they may come to true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  We can pray that the truth of God's word would be preached and taught so that believers may be build up in the most holy faith (Jude 1:20).

 

We also may contend by speaking truth in love, by sharing what the Bible says and what true faith means. But we must do so earnestly, without being contentious.  That means not by quarrelling but “in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth.” 2 Tim 2:24-25 (NKJV)

 

I pray that we will harken this solemn and important duty, stand firm on the truth of the Bible and earnestly contend for the faith.