Peace

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What God Hates

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A while back, God impressed on me the wickedness in our nation of character assassination; it’s a multi-billion dollar industry. If some group of people decides that they disagree with the views of someone, they don’t confront that person with facts and truth to refute that person’s perspective. Instead, they attack the person. They dig for dirt. They gin up a charge and then assassinate the person by “the seriousness” of the (unfounded) charge.

I’m not limiting my concerns to national politics; I see the same actions within many denominations and local churches. I fear that we have forgotten the things God hates.

“There are six things the Lord hates—
no, seven things he detests:
haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that kill the innocent,
a heart that plots evil,
feet that race to do wrong,
a false witness who pours out lies,
a person who sows discord in a family.”

– Proverbs 6:16–19 NLT

God Hates This Person

Notice the seventh thing the Lord hates. It is a person who “sows discord.” This is the person that “stirs the pot.” These people are not committed to improving the lives of people; no, they are just troublemakers; they are more than unkind. They work to shipwreck the faith believers have in Christ Jesus. God hates troublemakers.

The first six things God hates are evil actions that people do – a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, the heart that plots evil – the seventh is “a person.” God is a God of order and purpose. In everything He does, He brings order out of chaos and purpose out of self-destruction. A person that sows discord attempts to change God’s order back to chaos.

Aiding and Abetting

This truth about God hating anyone that sows discord is continually in my thoughts these days. I have not found a good way to express the danger to anyone that is “that” person. We that love God must not tolerate troublemakers because they harm believers and drive the lost away from the Church. We need to counsel and pray for them, but if we extend our “covering” to them, we are guilty of aiding and abetting God’s enemies – yes, it’s really that serious.

It Cuts Both Ways

Every person is made in the image of God; we don’t know what purpose God has planned for him or her. That person may be you or me. In our desire to defend the Body of Christ or our nation, we may fall into satan’s trap. We may seek to harm the personal reputation of someone we disagree with. That’s a precipitous path.

We should call wickedness what it is, but we need to remember that Jesus said, “Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.” And in the book of James:

“But even Michael, one of the mightiest of the angels, did not dare accuse the devil of blasphemy, but simply said, “The Lord rebuke you!” (This took place when Michael was arguing with the devil about Moses’ body.)” – Jude 1:9

Zombies, Yes!

“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies…1” This one verse settles the matter. It’s okay if we’re fighting zombies 😉, but a living, breathing person is not our target. And, when it comes to spiritual battles, we must not step over the line from using offensive weapons and defensive armor God has provided us and into saying, praying, or doing things that are tools of the devil. As Jesus plainly said, “How can Satan cast out Satan2 ?”

Good News

God hates troublemakers. If we discover that we are becoming one, we should repent and run to Jesus. He will forgive us if we turn away from this sin, but we’re in for a very tough time if we try to justify our actions to Christ, our Master.

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[1]: Ephesians 6:12.

[2]: Mark 3:23.

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False Peace

By / 3 minutes of reading / , ,

Selling Peace

If you’ve spent time on Facebook, you know from their ADs that many companies are trying to sell you “peace.” From spas and Eastern meditation to counselors and clinics, business is booming for the peace merchants. However, true peace isn’t the same as being dead inside.

False Peace

For the vast majority of people, they will never be saved. They will never know what true peace feels like. They are eternally estranged from God. They are like babies that are never touched or coddled. They will enter their graves having never felt the presence of God, the warmth of the Holy Spirit, or the comfort from Christ.

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
1 Corinthians 2:14 (English Standard Version)

Right now, you may want to take up stones to stone me; I guess the modern thing to do is cancel me. But, before you do, consider these words from Jesus:

“For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” Matthew 7:14

Few find it. An equivalent statement is, “most people never find life, so they die in their sins.” Therefore, as a Christian, you are the exception; you are graced by God and kept from the eternal punishment awaiting most people. God chose you! So consider the following verses in this light:

“Rebekah… gave birth to twins [Esau and Jacob]. But before they were born, before they had done anything good or bad, she received a message from God. (This message shows that God chooses people according to his own purposes; he calls people, but not according to their good or bad works.)” – Romans 9:10–12 (New Living Translation)

True Peace

I’m sorry if this is confusing to you. But how can God be God unless “He does whatever pleases him.” (Psalm 115:3) This verse makes perfect sense. God is the highest moral authority. Therefore, what pleases God is of the highest morality. He saved you for a purpose. He chose you, much like adopting parents used to choose their baby. He didn’t consider the good or bad things you had done. He didn’t consider whether your parents were saved or wicked. What pleased God was for you to be saved from eternal punishment.

You are in a very exclusive group of people. The Holy Spirit of God gives you an understanding of spiritual things. He opens God’s Word so that you can understand what His verses mean. You have Jesus, your Savior, that mediates between you and the Father. The very God of all is alive within you. God has given you promises, answered prayers, and healed your wounded heart. You are special to Him.

Good News

Love as God has commanded you. And rejoice, for you are special in His sight.

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check list

Jesus’ Check List

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[✔︎] Descend from heaven. John 3:13
[✔︎] Be born of a virgin. Luke 1:26–38
[✔︎] Go to people of my natural nationality. John 1:11
[✔︎] Do these miracles: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Luke 7:22
[✔︎] Tell people how vital it is for them to put their faith in Me. John 12:44
[✔︎] Help people understand that My Father, I, and the Holy Spirit are One God. 1 Timothy 2:5, Matthew 28:19, Matthew 3:16–17
[✔︎] Communicate that the first step towards forgiveness is repentance. Matthew 4:17
[✔︎] Preach the kingdom of God. Matthew 4:17
[✔︎] Build a team that will become a community and grows to be My Bride. Matthew 4:18–22, Acts 2:1–4, Revelation 19:7
[✔︎] Teach people that love is never optional. Luke 10:25–37
[✔︎] Let people know that I often give second chances. John 21:15–25
[✔︎] Make it clear that my actions are fulfilling all of the prophecies about Me. Luke 13:32
[✔︎] Tell people that there is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun. Matthew 7:13–14, Matthew 10:28
[✔︎] Reveal to people that believers have a home waiting for them in heaven. John 14:2
[✔︎] Teach people that this life is full of troubles. John 16:33
[✔︎] Help people know the value of differed gratification – Luke 14:33
[✔︎] Ask My Father to send the Holy Spirit so my believers will not be left as orphans. John 14:16, John 14:26, John 14:18
[✔︎] Be humiliated, cursed, spit upon, nailed to a cross, receive the wrath of My Father, be separated from My Father for the first time in all eternity, become sin so My Father cannot even look upon Me, and die as a sacrifice to provide the way for sinners to be forgiven and reconciled to God. Matthew 27:32–56
[✔︎] Rise up from death to become the resurrection for my followers. Luke 24
[✔︎] Ascend back to heaven. Acts 1:9
[ ] Return a second time to gather my people. John 14:3

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Willing to Yield to Others

By / 3 minutes of reading /

My wife and I play a card game with some friends about once each month. The game is called “Hand and Foot.” It’s an exciting game, in part, because it is not directly competitive, unlike so many card games. You don’t directly play against the other team. Instead, you and your partner play to earn the most points that you can. The game ends when a team has played all of their cards. Then each team counts their points, and the team with the most points wins.

I see in this game the nature of the Christian community. No believer should try to advance by pushing others down in the Church. Instead, we lift up our brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. We seek to help, give, and sacrifice, not out of some competition but to emulate Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Many card games are based on taking others’ cards or blocking a player’s progress. This approach has no place in the body of believers. We are to rejoice when good comes to a fellow believer, and we are to morn when sorrow comes to fellow believers. There is no seeking to find advantages. Jesus watches us, and we must give an account to Him of what we did with the life He gave us.

5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 15:5-6

Not to get too odd, but we know that quantum physics is the antithesis of the standard physics model. Likewise, the Christian life is baffling to non-believers; the way we live just doesn’t fit the rules of this world. Our life in Jesus compels us to see people differently and to respond to people differently. We are not competing against anyone. Instead, we are willing to yield to others when it’s for their good, even if yielding is costly to us.

17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. 18 And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.”

James 3:17-18 NLT

I pray that every believer seeks to be a peacemaker, for peacemakers are not peacekeepers. A peacekeeper is a person that works to soothe and weaken people that are at war with each other. But, a peacemaker acts in faith to expose poisonous lies and covert destructive actions. We all see its true nature by bringing wickedness into the light. We know what Jesus said about lightness and darkness:

…that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

Acts 26:18

So, let’s be that person that seems odd. The person who loves the unlovely, helps those who have been sidelined by life, and yields to that @#$% driver in front of us that’s being a real #$%@! Sorry, let me try that last part again. Let us yield to that morally vacuous driver in front of us that’s being an absolute archetype of human evil. There, that’s better. 😉

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Peace is Found in Trusting Jesus

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“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

John 14:27

Medieval Europe

I recently watched a documentary about life in Europe during the centuries after the turn of the first millennia (1000 AD – 1500AD). I was fascinated by the “Millennials.” 😉 The old guard had their fears and concerns about the younger generation’s ideas. Millennials seemed to be striving for more individual freedoms, yet, the old order wasn’t sure if it wanted society to change. The Millennials wished to keep the benefits provided by the status quo, but they also wanted more liberty to participate in commerce.

During this time, the ideas of personal property and personal commerce began to be birthed – crazy Millennial ideas, right!? Make no mistake; royalty owned the people of their estate. A person couldn’t leave the lord’s estate without permission, and even a tree could not be cut down without approval and payment to their master.

Medieval Loyalty

Nevertheless, it served the lord’s needs for his people to be self-sustaining and loyal. Loyalty was essential because his people were his army. He only maintained a small standing army, but every man had to join the fight when trouble came. The lord didn’t provide any weapons. Each man had to use his own pitchfork, wooden hammer, and scythes as weapons. However, if a man proved to be exceptional in battle, his lord would reward him with a sword.

One aspect of the Middle Ages (Dark Ages) that never was clear to me was the selfless loyalty that many people gave to their king or master. A man called El Cid continued to give significant payments to Alfonso VI, the king of Castile and León, in medieval Spain, long after Alfonso VI had banished Ei Cid from his kingdom. You would think El Cid would have turned his back on Alfonso VI. Instead, El Cid never stopped calling Alfonso VI his king. In this historical account, I gained an insight into Jesus Christ, my Lord.

Peace is Found in Trust

We know that we each owe Jesus our total and complete loyalty 1. However, we may take for granted the comfort and peace of mind that we gain when we absolutely trust Jesus2. Even though our peace is found in our trust in Jesus, the truth is that we may not always know how to trust Jesus3. With that in mind, find a place where you can commune with Jesus and ask Him to help you with your doubts. You can pray, “Jesus, thank You for saving me. I give You my total loyalty; lead me in the life you want me to live.”

Jesus is the only one that can bring true peace and comfort into our lives4. If we are saved, we have the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, living in us.

“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:”

John 15:26

Jesus is an endless source of love and mercy5, but we may not recognize this because we are too busy worrying about the troubles in our lives and around us6.

We are His, the sheep of His pasture7. Can we trust Jesus when we receive devastating news? Yes, He is our Lord8. Can we trust Jesus when politicians and scoundrels vandalize our nation? Yes, Jesus is our King9. Can we trust Jesus when the life we’ve loved is pillaged and ransacked? Yes, Jesus is God10.

By placing total trust in Jesus, our Lord and Savior, we can know that in Jesus, all things do work together for good11. Living each day with Jesus is how we can receive the comfort we need12.

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1 Matthew 10:33
2 Isaiah 12:2
3 Mark 9:24
4 Romans 14:17
5 Lamentations 3:22–23
6 Philippians 4:6–7
7 Psalm 100:3
8 Romans 10:9–13
9 Revelation 19:16
10 John 1:1
11 Romans 8:28
12 Matthew 6:34

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Don’t you understand even yet?

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Today, I was caught off guard while reading Matthew 16:5–12. This is the account of the disciples misunderstanding what Jesus meant when He warned them about the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees to which Jesus asks, “Don’t you understand even yet?“

The Disciples Worry

In response to Christ’s question, the disciples began to worry about not having anything to eat – they had forgotten to bring bread (v5). They discussed this predicament while traveling by boat, so they obviously couldn’t do a door-dash. With the thought of bread on their minds, they were baffled when Jesus suddenly told them to be on guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees. (v6).

The disciples focused on food while Jesus was focused on fulfilling the plan of His Father. Rabbit Trail: I asked myself if my default response to every question was first spiritual and then physical? You can guess my answer.

Now back to Jesus and His disciples in the boat.

The Disciples Misunderstand

Jesus has just warned His disciples – the ones upon whose shoulders the growth of His Church would soon fall – to beware of the yeast (leaven) of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Their response had been to huddle together to figure out how to tell Jesus that they forgot to bring bread. At this point, Jesus sternly asked, “Don’t you understand even yet?”

Forgive my very loose paraphrase of what Jesus next says in v9–11. Jesus says, “Get your head in the game. I can bury you in bread, so why are you asking Me about bread? That makes no sense.” From the disciples – silence.

Our Patient Lord

Then Jesus shows His patience. “So again I say, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’” (v11) Now His disciples were in tune, sort of, with Jesus. They understood that Jesus meant that they should guard against false teachings because they can quickly grow and permeate what the Church teaches (v12).

Good News

We should not worry about the things we need – food, clothing, shelter. What we do need is to keep our thoughts fixed on God (Isaiah 26:3) – whose mind is stayed on thee (KJV)

Many things can plant worry in us, but we don’t have to let them. Our God is El Shaddai, the All-Sufficient God. We’ll keep focused on doing the work that Jesus assigns us and let the world worry about itself.

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Between My Ears

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But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. – Matthew 5:39

Allow me to comment about the “slap” that Jesus says we should endure. Here Jesus is speaking about personal slights of any kind. The slap (or the “smiting,” as the KJV has it) does not necessarily have to involve physical violence.

Even in our day, a “slap in the face” is a metaphor for an unexpected insult or offense. So, did someone insult you? Go ahead and let him, Jesus says. Turning the other cheek does not imply pacifism, nor does it mean we place ourselves or others in danger. Jesus’ command to turn the other cheek is simply a command to forgo retaliation for personal offenses

The truth in this verse is simply this, that the disciple of Christ Jesus, when he or she has suffered wrong, is to remove from his or her motive the natural desire to retaliate or accuse.

“Suffer any injury that can be borne, for the sake of peace, committing your concerns to the Lord’s keeping. And the sum of all is, that Christians must avoid disputing and striving.” – Matthew Henry’s Commentary

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Peace and Thankfulness

By / 3 minutes of reading /

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15

The above passage of Scripture was recently the Verse of the Day, on BibleHub.com. God’s timing is perfect. I needed that verse. This year I needed to be reminded to let Christ’s peace rule my heart, and to be thankful!

Spiritual Atoms

Jesus is ready to send His unique peace into each believer to rule our hearts. Sign me up! I need a steadier hand than mine guiding my life. Family pressures, financial pressures, social pressures, ad Infinitum lend themselves as so many voices telling me what to accept as right.

I thank God for the Scriptures 1that tell me what is right. And I have Jesus, the Son of God, who is my righteousness2, and the Holy Spirit within me to guide me3, to gird me, and guard me as I walk where He leads. In all of this and more, I am to be thankful to God. How could I not be?

Peace and thankfulness are like two spiritual atoms. Just as sodium and chloride (NaCl) are two atoms that, when combined, form a molecule commonly known as table salt, likewise, peace and thankfulness, when combined in the abiding presence of Jesus give us lives that are full of joy and impactful to others for Jesus.

Thanksgiving

We are about to celebrate Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday. I enjoy it because it compels each of us to search our hearts to find whom we give our thanks. If Jesus isn’t actually first on our list, then we need to go back to the cross of Jesus and be reminded of the sacrifice that He gave “for the joy set before Him4.”

Over our Thanksgiving meal we share and develop companions – the word companion comes from the Latin words which means with bread. There is something special about sharing a meal with others. Throughout the Bible, we see example after example of people sharing meals and even God sharing meals with people.

Abraham shared a meal with the pre-incarnate Jesus5, the elders of the tribe of Israel shared a meal in the presence of God6, the Last Supper of Jesus7, and the list goes on. God blesses these occasions.

Therefore, let all of us “Give thanks in everything, for this is the will of God toward you in Christ Jesus.8”

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1 – 2 Timothy 3:16–17 NIV
2 – Philippians 3:9
3 – 1 Corinthians 6:19
4 – Hebrews 12:2
5 – Genesis 18:1–2
6 – Exodus 24:9–11
7 – Matthew 26:26–30
8 – 1 Thessalonians 5:18

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Between My Ears

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“For Sale, Baby Shoes, Never Worn”

Ernest Hemingway

Much lore now surrounds this six-word story, accredited to Ernest Hemingway. So much has been made of these six words that the story now stretches around the world with countless book clubs holding annual six-word story contests, with the first and most well-known contest in Key West, Florida, Ernest Hemingway’s home where he allegedly gave this answer to a journalist.

So, what would your six-word story be about Jesus? To get things rolling here’s two of mine.


The Lamb of God saved me.
In Death, Thought Lost, Arose Victorious.

Gary

Include your six-word story in the comment section!

The story must present the truth about Christianity in a positive light. I reserve the right to remove any comments that are not appropriate for this site.

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Between My Ears

By / 1 minute of reading / ,

“ These are the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses for the people of Israel on Mount Sinai.” 

Leviticus 27:34

This is the final verse in the book of Leviticus. Read this verse to anyone who says, “If there is a god, that god does not care about their creation and certainly is not involved in the affairs of humanity.” (This is a common belief of an agnostic.) I can find nowhere in God’s Word where is say, “I don’t care anymore about my creation. I’ve got greener pasters to tend to.

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