Blessings for Insults

The world in which we live celebrates freestyle rap battles in which each person takes turns rapping off insults “dissing” the other person. There are television reality shows and large gathering events that promote this sort of thing as entertainment. Our youth are engrossed by it and replicate such things on the playgrounds and in the lunchrooms and classrooms of our schools. Students try to out-due one another and the onlookers give, “props” to the one who “burned” the other the most. This isn't something that is just seen in kids and youth and can be counted as just a fad or a phase. Grown men do it as well. You spend 5 minutes playing the games Fortnite or Call of Duty and you will see that this is the norm or standard in online banter between players. Even the games themselves have created emotes and recorded remarks that do this for you with the push of a button. The world says, “you hurt me and I will hurt you back worse.” They falsely use Bible texts such as, “an eye for an eye,” to back up their actions. 

Jesus came to this world with a radically different message. His church today, sadly looks more like the world than like him, the very person they are supposed to immolate or resemble. In Matthew 5 Jesus taught that we are to turn the other cheek, give up our cloak with our tunic, go the extra mile, love our enemies. 

Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. ~ 1 Peter 3:9

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. ~ Romans 12:19-21

It is clear that Jesus' teachings on this matter resonated in the hearts and minds of his followers as is represented in their own teachings and writings. The world may well say, “you hurt me or mine, so I will hurt you more in return...” But God says, “You hurt me and mine, and I will love you even more.”

He requires that we do the same. Its not an option! To be like Jesus, its a must!

Identify the Source

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”

~ Genesis 3:1

We don't know all the details as to why Satan feel from Heaven, cast out by God. We can read into the situation from their interactions that Satan hated God's decision to create man. We know that Satan also possess evil intent towards God and thus he takes out his vengeance on mankind. We also aren't sure on why God chose the serpent to be the animal in which God chose to make Satan appear upon the Earth. But these questions are irrelevent to the text or to our lives in general. It makes no difference why he was cast out of Heaven or why God caused him to take the shape of a serpent. All that matters is that God did it and we have to live with it. Part of kiving with it is being able to discern who it is we are listening too. Just as God, through the power and indwelling of his Holy Spirit, speaks softly to us, like a whisper, so does Satan as evidenced in the text. Eve, in her naivity, succomb to Satan's doubtful conjectures and suggestive taunts. Why, because of free will. God gave the rules with a singular admonition. Eve and subsequently Adam, broke God's one rule at the devious behest of Satan. Because of this story, we can know that anytime we hear a whisper of doubt that causes us to question God's word or his leading and direction in our life, that it is the foul voice of Satan. Thank God for his indwelling Spirit that cautions us, corrects us, and guides us. Thank God for his perfect word that teaches us, inspires us, and guards us. When you experience fear and/or doubt examine the source and trust in God. 

“5Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” ~ Proverbs 3:5-6

Bloom Where you Are Planted

Bloom Where You Are Planted

There is an old saying, “Bloom where you're planted!” It is basically saying that we should take advantage of the opportunities that surround us. That can be hard, especially in a small rural town. But its not impossible. And, its what God expects of us. God gives us life. He gives us a family. God puts us right where he wants us for specific reasons. He expects us to open our hearts and minds up to all of the possibilities that surround us and to act upon them in ways that ultimately serve him and his greater will. Doing so will take us farther than we can ever imagine on our own and maybe even farther than we want to go. God has placed you right where he wants you for such a time as this. That doesn't mean that he won't use you elsewhere at some point. It just means that for now, this is where you are supposed to be. What is it that He is wanting you to do?

I think we often get scared by this thought. We want so desperately to have more, do more, see more. We fail to have, do, and see what is right in front of us. We almost avoid it so that it doesn't trap us. Letting go of the need to be somewhere else or to do something else and accepting what God has for us in the moment is a life changing move of epic proportions. Letting God work in the current job you hate by doing it without grumbling, letting God work in your struggling marriage by choosing to lift up your spouse above yourself and swallowing your pride, letting God work in your finances by recognizing that he owns it all any ways and we own nothing, that we are just managers of what he has allowed us to be over, and giving it all back to him; these things will drastically altar our lives in ways we never thought possible. 

Your town that is full of wayward souls, drugs, apathy, a dying economy, starving kids, welfare ridden parents, struggling schools, broken homes, and so much more; is right where God has placed you. There is hope here! There is potential here! You can be the one to open a business that will boost the economy. You can be the one to become a teacher and return home to lead the next generation. You can be the one that joins the school boosters and helps to expand the programs. You could be the one to start a new outreach ministry that feeds the hungry, clothes the naked, and helps to heal the sick. You could write grants to help fund civic projects that help to beautify and restore our town's buildings and streets. You could serve in civic organizations that bring positive change or spur on educational programs, or serve in ministry that seeks and save lost souls. 

There is a story in scripture about a man full of demons. Jesus cured him by casting out the demons. The man wanted desperately to spend the rest of his life following Jesus. Can you blame him? Not only did Jesus do this for him, which would be enough to make anyone want to follow him, but this man had spent his life ridiculed, cast out, abandoned and Jesus was his great escape from all of that. Following Jesus would allow him to run from all of that. But Jesus told him to stay right where he was. Why? Because, he had a story to tell and a mission to accomplish. Sure, he was scared, but he had to overcome all of that to accomplish all that Jesus had for him to do. The man did it. Jesus wants you to do the same!

The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39“Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.~ Luke 8:38-39

The Secret to Success in Marriage

The Secret to Success in Marriage

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. ~ Ephesians 4:32

Andy Stanley has said that in marriage, the trick is to learn to look at the other person as “someone for whom Christ died for.” His point is to say that when we begin seeing others in that light, especially our spouse, then we don't have the right to treat them any other way than how Jesus treated us. I think that this is so profound and true. I think also, that that points right here to this passage.

Being kind is sometimes hard, especially with people that are often not so lovable. Being tenderhearted towards others is definitely not the norm. being kind requires a choice, a decisive action on our parts and a trained discipline to stop and think before we react. Being tenderhearted requires more of a personality shift inside of us. It requires us to live with vigilance, constantly being aware of what is happening around us and consistently factoring into our lives the needs of others above that of our own. Forgiveness, that is the kicker. Forgiveness is the point we come to and immediately the brakes come to a screeching halt. We don't show this of course. We talk a good talk sometimes. But when it comes to walking the walk, we trip over our Pinocchio nose. Forgiveness is the act of letting the hurt go and treating the person as if it never happened. Holding a grudge or saying things like, “I can forgive you but I can't forget...” is not forgiveness. Jesus said, if we can't forgive or refuse to, then God will not forgive us. Without God's forgiveness, we can't have salvation. What right do we have to hold anything against another human when God holds nothing against us. (That is, if we are in Christ.) The reality is that, forgiveness, is more for us than it is for the person who has hurt us. But we cant grasp that and so we hold on to the hurt as if it somehow caused them pain. All it does is hurt us further. 

The secret to a successful marriage that lasts, that stands the test of time, that overcomes obstacles and hurt feelings; is kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiveness. Get those things right and nothing can destroy your marriage.