A Divine View

...He died for all, so that all those who live would no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and was raised for their sake. So from now on we regard no one from a human point of view [according to worldly standards and values].
2nd Corinthians 5:15-16 AMP

Oftentimes, people are biased without being consciously aware of it. Think about this -  teenagers, tattoos, overweight, long-haired males, even driving a beat-up vehicle. We've talked about it a lot recently - being judged by worldly standards and so-called values. Being judged as less than without knowing the person.

One of my favorite lines from a Sandra Bullock movie, "...have you ever, like, seen somebody? And you knew that, if only that person REALLY knew you, they would, well, they would, of course, dump the perfect model that they were with, and realize that YOU were the one that they wanted to, just, grow old with." (Sorry, it was the first thing that popped into my head when I read verse 16 - regard no one from a human point of view [according to worldly standards and values].) Bias based solely on what meets the eye. 

God is the originator of no prejudice whatsoever. One of the most well-known Scriptures, John 3:16 reads, For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish... The whole world... Galatians 3:28 NLT bears out that Truth, There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. [underlined emphasis mine]. 

It's not that there aren't differences - obviously, there are - but our need for a savior is universal. And until we can see each other for who we are minus the trappings or distractions, we cannot see enough to recognize the need for God's greatest act of love - salvation through Jesus Christ.

The English Standard Version Study Bible had this to say about 'according to the flesh.' "When Christ was regarded from a worldly point of view, men rejected and crucified Him as a blasphemer and troublemaker. But from the divine viewpoint, Christ is the Messiah and Son of God, in whom the new creation and reconciliation with God is given."  God's view and opinion of life are vastly different from the world's and we are to be like Him.

Prayer:

Father,

           When we look at others, open our eyes to see with a pure heart so that we have Your divine view to see how best to serve their greatest need, to know them as You know them and love them as Your hands and heart extended. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

W.A.I.T.

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. 

26 If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. 

James 1:19-20, 26 NLT

People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!
James 3:7-10 NLT

I wonder how many of us do the opposite of our text for today - are we slow to listen (if at all), quick to speak, and quick to get angry? How often do people NOT take the time to listen? How often is it because they're already angry and running at the mouth?  Oh, that we would adhere to the wisdom found in God's Word. 

Pastor Robert Morris offers a great acronym to help us remember to not be quick to speak. It's WAIT.  The acronym is two-fold - yes, wait to talk, that's obvious. The acronym as a double reminder stands for Why Am I Talking? Do you think God gave us two ears and only one mouth so we'd do twice as much listening?

Prayer:

Father,

          Put Your arm around my shoulder and Your hand over my mouth. Help me, Father, to bridle my tongue and put my ears to good use. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen

What Good?

What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?

So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
James 2:14-17 NLT

So many people are trying to work their way into Heaven. "If I'm good enough..." "If I do this or that..." Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us, God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. We must understand that we are saved by His Grace, not by our works.

However... once we are saved, our salvation should lead us to DO good works because our heart is changed by the power of God. Verse 10 reads, For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

I know it can seem confusing when James asks, Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?  I think Robert Morris explains it best with regard to grace and faith and works. 

"Our belief [faith] determines where we will spend eternity. You go to heaven because you believe in Jesus. You go to hell because you don't believe in Jesus. Our behavior determines how many rewards, and the degrees of responsibility, and the treasure that we will have in heaven..."

Are we about doing good for those God has placed within our sphere of influence? Are we doing good as unto the Lord? Are we actually doing "the good things he planned for us long ago?"  We should be. 

Matthew 16:27 NKJV tells us, For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.  And 2nd Corinthians 5:10 tells us, For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Let's examine our hearts.

Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You for saving us from our sins, for redeeming us. Change our hearts. Give us clean hands and pure hearts that live to serve you and others. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen  

Give Pause

If anyone boasts, “I love God,” and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won’t love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can’t see? The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You’ve got to love both.
1st John 4:20-21 The Message

The world has become bewitched believing everyone has the right to judge and express their opinion, and the more negative the better. It's as though they have totally embraced Adhemar's scathing assessment of Will Thatcher as their own toward everyone and everything. You have been weighed, you have been measured, and you have been found wanting.  (That's the famous quote attributed to the movie A Knight's Tale, but in reality, it comes from Daniel 5:27 and the handwriting on the wall.) 

Nowadays, the common phrase is "It's too people-y out there" when we don't want to deal with others and any issues they may have. The Truth is that to love as Christ loves is messy. Christ's love took Him all the way to Calvary. It was a bloody mess. 

Our Promise for Today should give us pause. What does that mean? It means to cause someone to stop and think carefully about something. So, let's think about it for a moment...  If [we] won’t love the person [we] can see, how can [we] love the God [we] can’t see? 

The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You’ve got to love both.

Prayer:

Father, 

          Forgive us for judging and not loving. Forgive us for not forgiving - for wanting to hold everyone accountable for everything they say or do. Open our eyes to see the daily opportunities to love others as You love us and please help us to do exactly that. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

We Must

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:31-32 NLT

We know that the greatest love story ever told is that of Jesus giving His life so that we can be forgiven. As they crucified Him - from the Cross, He cried out, "Father, forgive them..." Luke 23:34 NLT

And lest you think He could do that because He somehow had special powers (even though the Bible is clear that He came to Earth fully human), in Acts 7:59-60 The Message, Stephen did the same thing as he was being stoned for speaking Truth. Read it, As the rocks rained down, Stephen prayed, “Master Jesus, take my life.” Then he knelt down, praying loud enough for everyone to hear, “Master, don’t blame them for this sin”—his last words. Then he died.

By now, we should fully realize that Christianity is not about becoming a better version of ourselves, it's about becoming like Christ. Apart from Christ, there is nothing of our own making that would want to forgive those who have wronged us, hurt us, told lies about us, betrayed us... Yet, in our relationship with Christ, we must... 

Forgiving is not a suggestion. It's not just one of several options we can choose. In Matthew 6:14-15 NLT, Jesus tells us plainly.  If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. We must forgive.

Prayer:

Father,

          We humble ourselves before You, asking You to help us break down the walls of unforgiveness in our lives. We choose THIS day to forgive those who have trespassed against us, just as You have forgiven us. We bless them and release them from any charges of wrongdoing. Help us, O God, to love as Jesus loves. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Psalm 73 - A Time of Refreshing

No doubt about it! God is good—
good to good people, good to the good-hearted.
But I nearly missed it,
missed seeing his goodness.
I was looking the other way,
looking up to the people at the top,
envying the wicked who have it made,
Who have nothing to worry about,
not a care in the whole wide world.

Pretentious with arrogance,
they wear the latest fashions in violence,
Pampered and overfed,
decked out in silk bows of silliness.
They jeer, using words to kill;
they bully their way with words.
They’re full of hot air,
loudmouths disturbing the peace.
People actually listen to them—can you believe it?
Like thirsty puppies, they lap up their words.

What’s going on here? Is God out to lunch?
Nobody’s tending the store.
The wicked get by with everything;
they have it made, piling up riches.
I’ve been stupid to play by the rules;
what has it gotten me?
A long run of bad luck, that’s what—
a slap in the face every time I walk out the door.

If I’d have given in and talked like this,
I would have betrayed your dear children.
Still, when I tried to figure it out,
all I got was a splitting headache . . .
Until I entered the sanctuary of God.
Then I saw the whole picture:
The slippery road you’ve put them on,
with a final crash in a ditch of delusions.
In the blink of an eye, disaster!
A blind curve in the dark, and—nightmare!
We wake up and rub our eyes. . . . Nothing.
There’s nothing to them. And there never was.

When I was beleaguered and bitter,
totally consumed by envy,
I was totally ignorant, a dumb ox
in your very presence.
I’m still in your presence,
but you’ve taken my hand.
You wisely and tenderly lead me,
and then you bless me.

You’re all I want in heaven!
You’re all I want on earth!
When my skin sags and my bones get brittle,
God is rock-firm and faithful.
Look! Those who left you are falling apart!
Deserters, they’ll never be heard from again.
But I’m in the very presence of God—
oh, how refreshing it is!
I’ve made Lord God my home.

God, I’m telling the world what you do!

There was a Time...

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."

Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT

I read an article today by a Christian woman who acknowledged that she would have tried to stop the crucifixion rather than allow Jesus to suffer like that and recognized that as a result, would have thwarted salvation for mankind. There was a time in my life, I would have probably done the same thing. Proverbs 16 tells us, There is a way that seems right to a man...  Of course, there was also an earlier time in my life when I probably would have identified more as a member of the crowd shouting, "Crucify Him!" 

The point is that we don't always understand why people suffer, why there is pain, why healing doesn't always happen, why people die, and all the rest of the whys and wherefores - but it is our choice to trust God. And when we choose to trust Him, the Bible says to do so without wavering. In other words, no matter what. God DOES understand the whys and wherefores - after all, it's HIS plan and He knows what it takes to grow us up in Him. 

Prayer:

Father,

        Thank You for the Truth of Your Word that we can make our plans, but You, Lord, determine our steps. Thank You that Your ways and thoughts are so much higher than ours. Thank You for Your plan of salvation to save us from our sins and to spend eternity with You. Thank You for having the Master Plan and executing it to perfection. Help us to know You more. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen