No Gossiping in the Halls

"Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends."  - Proverbs 17:9

How many friends have been lost because of a disagreement on an act of unrighteousness?  I have heard so many times - "Loose lips sink ships", or "Snitches get stitches", and what that person gains in their actions.  This verse is "He who covers a transgression seeks love, ...." (KJV), and this makes it even more meaningful.  When your neighbor sins, are you the first to tell your other neighbor or a friend?  Why?  What are you to gain by disclosing the sinful action of one person to another?

Romans 3:23 tells us, "For all have sinned, and fallen short of the glory of God."  All means all.  You, me, my co-worker, my children, my parents, and even my Pastor.  We have all sinned in life, despite all of our attempts not to.  This separates us from God; it should not also separate us from each other.  Certainly, there are those "offenses" that bring harm to others, and must be brought to the attention of the authorities, but as Jesus told the Pharisees and Sadducees, "You, without sin, cast the first stone..." when looking upon the woman caught in the act of adultery. 

We are asked by our Lord and Savior to follow His command - "Love God with all of your heart, soul, and your spirit, and love others as yourself."  This is good advice.  Love them, forgive them, let God work out the judgment part in His due time.  In 1 Peter 4:8, we read, "Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins."  Become a strong friend to theother by not gossiping, disclosing, sharing, or celebrating their sins.  Stand with your friend and show them love.  We should want all to enter into heaven one day, which means you want to be there to support your friend when their faith is struggling.  You can't do that if you are talking about them behind their back.  

I am not asking you to condone their sin.  Not at all.  We want to be there to help walk them through it, to support them, and help them be accountable.  Help them to see through scripture and prayer the sin of their actions without judging them.  You are not the judge, nor am I, but there is One who will judge in His due time.  Help them to lean into God's grace and forgiveness, with repentance, in love, not in gossiping about it.  You will need their help one day, too.

Count Your Blessings

“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”  - 1 John 4:11-12

When he walked into the room, there was a hush and stares.  His clothes were tattered, and his shoes had holes in the toes.  He hadn’t shaved in years, and the small wool hat on his head barely covered his greasy, tangled grey hair.  Missing a front tooth, he smiled as he made his way to the table in the front of the elegant room and began filling his plate with food.  The others gathered at this extravagant ball stared in shock as he proceeded to move down the buffet line and shoved a few rolls into the pocket of his large, oversized coat.  He was wearing one glove, missing the tips on a few of the fingers, and his other hand was covered in dirt and grease, looking weathered from the elements outside.  With a plate in one hand and a styrofoam cup of coffee in the other, he turned to walk back through the silent crowd towards the door.   Murmuring and gasping could be heard around the crowded room as his stench floated about the room.  Many turned away and covered their nose with their diamond-adorned hands and handkerchiefs.  As he neared the door, he stopped and picked up a bulletin/flyer from the small basket, which read, “Wellington Charity Ball for the Homeless - $1,000 donation per plate”.  He looked at the plate in his hand and then set it down.  He turned to the group behind him and said, “I’m sorry, I thought the food was for the homeless.”  With that, he stepped back out into the snow-covered street.

How do we express our love to those in our sphere of influence?  How are we impacting the lives of those around us to demonstrate the love of Christ, which was poured out for them as much as it was for you and I?  We are blessed, despite how unfortunate we might feel at any given time.  Consider that if you own a home, a car, a TV, an iPhone (or Android), and have a computer, your net worth places you in the top 15th percentile of the World’s wealthiest people.  All around us are people suffering from job loss, health issues, tragedy, homelessness, abuse, and so many other things.  We are the body of Christ, and it is our job to reach out to help those who are hungry, hurting, and struggling.  You and I are blessed for the sole purpose to spread His love and to advance His kingdom, not for our own personal gain over the least of these. 

As Jesus stated in Matthew 25:34-40:
““Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,  I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’  “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”

It's a Forever Thing

 “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  – Romans 8:38-39

She said she had been saved as a child, but that was many years ago.  She hasn’t prayed or opened her Bible in many years and wasn’t even sure she knew what she believed anymore.  Confusion had set in, and it was clear that she was not feeling the love of the Savior in her life.  Ever since her parent’s divorce, she was angry at her Dad and Mom, and most of all at God.  It was so much easier to find happiness at school or behind the bleachers with a bottle than it was to go home.  Where was the promise of joy, love, happiness and peace that the pastor had talked about the day she was baptized.  Now she is on her own and living wild and free from any rules or responsibility.  She did enough work to pay for the rent and bummed food, smoke and drinks from whomever she was hanging with any particular day.  When she rolled into bed each night though, her heart ached to be loved, to be treasured and not feel like a possession, and to be held in the darkness, completely safe while she drifted off to sleep.

This could be the story of any one of 5 million young women age 16 to 23 around this globe.  There is a mourning at night as heads hit pillows.  A mourning for the lost youth of our world.  The children that long to be cherished and loved so much that they put on an act every day as if they are.  Who are these beautiful young ladies?  Where do they live?  What do they dream about and who do they look up to?  They are everywhere.  You can look to your right or your left and 1 out of every 5 will be suffering quietly, deep within their heart.  Nothing in their life up to that point has been freely given, which makes them skeptical to His gift of grace.  They look at His love as empty promises because of their past, and they challenge “How can God love me when He let these things happen…..”

These are God’s children.  His love for them is so deep, true and accepting that it is hard to comprehend.  The pain is real and it’s so easy to say God isn’t, because His presence is in the Spiritual realm.  It’s so easy to turn away from God, because they believe that He can’t love them, or that He has turned his back on them.  What do you say to this child? 

Our role in these circumstances is to simply be Jesus for them.  Love them, despite where they are in life, what they have done and who they have become.  Just listen and accept them for who God made them to be.  You see, there are times in life when God will put you in the exact right spot at the right moment to hear someone cry out for help, and He expects you to do it.  Love ‘em like Jesus, be His hands and feet, His empathy, compassion and mercy, His eyes and ears and His word.  Just be there for them.  In time, they will see God through you and long for that relationship themselves.  In that opportunity, the time is right to share the word of God the Father with them – “You are His child and He loves you eternally.  His love is immutable and His grace covers All Sins, yes All.  For if it is insufficient for one, it is insufficient for All of them.” 

Still Valid Today

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” – 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Thousands of years have come and gone since the time when men put the quill to the parchment and captured the thoughts of God for mankind.  Written mainly in Hebrew (with some Aramaic and Greek), the scriptures have led men and women toward righteousness for generations and generations.  The words of God Almighty were captured by scribes, prophets, and priests over centuries.  The likes of Moses, David, Ezra, the Prophets – Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and others; Peter, Paul, John, Mark, and Luke have captured the inspirations, teachings, and words from God to us.  In a place called Qumran, in the Southeast corner of Israel, there is an ongoing archeological project to uncover the city, homes, and history of the scribes who lived here and spent their days writing.  In the hills just outside of Qumran are the caves, where in the 1950’s, over 900 scrolls were found with references to nearly every book of the Old Testament. Keep in mind that scriptures were numbered and outlined as our modern-day texts are, with books, chapters, and verses.  It was a steady stream of written text copied by a scribe from the mouth of those inspired by God to speak His word.

More copies of the Holy Bible have been printed than any other book in the history of the world.  Certainly, translations from Hebrew and Greek to English and to nearly every other language may have watered down the original; the word of God remains rich and pure to all mankind.  We often question what God wants from us, what our purpose is, why certain things happen, and what His plan is for the future.  The reality is that if we spent time in His word every day, and truly studied it for the richness that comes alive on the pages, we would have a better understanding. 

Most of us live in a “Cliff Notes” world, though, and want the answers without putting in the work of reading, studying, and learning.  Many get lost in the heaviness of the scriptures, and others can’t seem to put it into perspective in their own life.  I have found that spending an hour in the morning reading His word and then taking mental notes of what it means in my life has continually strengthened my outlook on life.  Every time I open the scriptures, I am learning something I didn’t know before.  There is no shortcut.  It takes time, effort, and commitment to grow closer to God, His word, and His purpose.  You have to put in the hard work, and you have to seek Him, for He is not going anywhere.  He is, has always been, and will always be exactly the same. 

The words inscribed on the pages of our Holy Bible are translated from God Almighty and are unchanging.  What He inspired in the heroes of our faith is still just as important today as it was 4000 years ago.  Many will say that the “Old writings” don’t pertain to today’s world.  I say they are very wrong.  The law passed down from God to Moses for mankind has not changed and will not.

1.      Thou shalt have no other gods before me
2.      Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image
3.      Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain
4.      Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy
5.      Honor thy father and thy mother
6.      Thou shalt not kill
7.      Thou shalt not commit adultery
8.      Thou shalt not steal
9.      Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor
10.  Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's belongings

Why then do we have such a hard time following His word as the truth?  Why are we so inclined to attempt to conform His truth to our way of life, rather than conforming our life to abide by His truth?  If we all took a stand to live by the truth revealed to us through the scriptures, we could solve 90% of the problems in the world today.  In Paul's letter to Timothy he continues in Ch 4 to say, "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and turn away from listening to the truth..."  This is happening across the church today.  The Holy Word of God is being morphed from The Truth, to man's version of the truth, based on our own desire and intent.  The real problem we face is that people want the scriptures to support their lifestyle and choices, rather than God's intent.  As long as there is pride, ego, and selfishness in this world, I fear the scriptures will remain a distant record of history rather than a tool for our daily life. 

Do Not be Decieved

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” – James 1:22

What are you afraid of?  Is there anything that fills you with complete fear and thereby reverses your action?  Lisa and I were once on a bike ride.  As we peddled down the bike path alongside a small retention pond near a golf course, we came upon a large black coiled up water moccasin in the middle of the bike path. Its body was as round as my forearm; it was hard to determine how long it was based on it’s position. It raised its head, hissed, and that was that.  We turned our bikes away, went to the other side of the road, peddled down the road, and then came back onto the bike path 20 or 30 yards away from the slithery fellow.  There are certain things that strike fear in all of us.

There was a point in time when people feared God.  The scriptures were personal to the children of God in the times leading up to and around Jesus birth and life.  The engagement between the divine presence of God Almighty and mankind was evidenced to those familiar with Moses, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, and the other heroes from the Bible.  There is a story in 2 Samuel 6 where Uzzah was struck dead by God Almighty for touching the Ark of the Covenant when it became unsteady as they were transporting it.  This seems radical by our standards, but not by God’s.  There were many laws regarding the Ark of the Covenant throughout the Old Testament.  You see, the Ark of the Covenant represented God’s Holy presence with the Israelites and was to be kept in the temple, sacred and hidden from view behind the curtain in the Most Holy Place.  Approaching the Ark meant to be in God’s presence, His holiness and perfection; intolerable to man’s sinful nature.  Only the High Priest could enter the Most Holy Place and look upon the Ark of the Covenant after considerable cleansing and purification.  God’s actions against Uzzah were clearly defined and known by the scriptures regarding the Ark, yet he chose to defy God’s directions and take action (reaching out to steady the Ark) anyway, rather than grabbing the pole it was being carried on.

The new covenant with God holds just as much authority over mankind.  This new covenant, based on the blood of Jesus Christ, has clearly defined how we are to live our lives.  Yet, many of us take it lightly, interpret it to fit into our lifestyle, and thereby defy the actual word of the Lord.  God has demonstrated that He has little tolerance for mankind to take His word and adjust it to fit our means.  It was written down by those He appointed, with the specific purpose of becoming a living document for all of mankind.  We are held accountable to living by the guidelines established by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, just as Paul, John, and the others were held accountable.  Time has not minimized the relevance or intentions of the Word.  It is still God’s commands to you and me, and we ought not take them lightly. 

The bible tells us clearly there is but one path to righteousness and eternity with God Almighty, and that is through His Son – Jesus Christ.  Others may choose to believe that there are many paths and that all God’s are equal, but they will one day discover that they were deceived.  God tells us in Matthew 7:21-22 that many will come calling “Lord, Lord” but will not enter the kingdom of heaven; and many will claim that they have prophesied or cast out demons in His name, but will hear the Son state, “Away from me you evil doers.”  Trust in His word and the truth that is contained therein.  He has given you the path to righteousness, act on it and live by it, so that one day in the presence of the Lord you will hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.  Enter into my presence.”

Think about it, Pray about it, Act upon it

Cannot be Shaken

“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my (God) unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you.” 
– Isaiah 54:10

Do you remember the story “The Little Engine That Could”?  A trainload of toys was being taken over the mountain to all the children in Sunshine Valley, but unfortunately, the engine broke down. One by one, different engines came by, but none were willing to take the trainload of toys over the mountain. At last, a small blue switching engine happened by, and all the toys asked if it would please take them to all the boys and girls on the other side of the mountain. The Little Engine had never been out of the switching yard before—let alone to travel over the mountain. You know the story; the little blue engine hooked itself up to the trainload of toys and began the journey over the mountain. As the Little Engine began to pull the toys up the mountain, you could hear it saying “I think I can, I think I can. . . ”  At long last, the Little Engine crested the top of the mountain, and as it started its descent into Sunshine Valley, it could be heard singing, ‘I thought I could, I thought I could, I thought I could”

Each of us faces a variety of different mountains to cross every day.  Mountains take on the shape of bills due, disrespectful children, loss of a job, relationship issues, tragedies in life, and addictions, amongst other things.  These mountains seem impassible and unconquerable as we stand at the foot of the mountain and look up.  Many times, like the large, powerful train engines, we head off to take on these challenges, only resulting in spinning our wheels and stalling out.  We read, we study, and we try again, and again, and again, without changing the outcome.  Something is missing from your repertoire, though, and that is the strength of the Lord. 

God is a solid foundation that can be trusted upon in all circumstances.  When your life is shaken and you are challenged beyond measure, the Lord provides wisdom, peace, and comfort.  He comes forth with the confidence that you are loved and you can overcome anything the world puts in front of you.  The problem is that we often push Him away rather than embracing Him and allowing Him to guide our footsteps.  The Holy Spirit dwells within each of us and provides the loving confidence of the Father in all things.  The bible calls the Holy Spirit by a few different names: “the Counselor”, “the Helper”, “the Spirit of Truth”, or “the Teacher”.  He lives in you, giving you the wisdom and encouragement to be an overcomer in a world filled with pain and suffering.  When you call upon the Spirit, He will provide for you what is needed in the situation.

God has given you this helper to be a constant reminder of His love for you.  God knows you are easily shaken and will lose faith when struggles arise.  It is at these times that He wants you to come to Him for help.  He can easily overcome the mountains in front of you if you give Him the ability to.  Nothing can stand in the way of your ability to fulfill God’s plan in your life except you.  By not calling upon the love of the Lord, you have chosen to stay in your current state of struggling.  Simply lay it before the Lord in your prayers today and let Him walk you through the answer, by His love.

Here Comes the Bride

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”  – 1 Corinthians 13:4-5

As those gathered quiet themselves and find their seats, the Minister looks down over the congregation and then directs his eyes to the front row.  Tears are ever-present on the delicate cheeks of the woman seated right near the center of the aisle as her husband sits next to her and takes her hand in his.  He provides strength and compassion as all eyes focus on the couple at the front of the church.  The Minister opens his bible to 1 Corinthians 13 and begins to recite the all too familiar verse describing the love of the Father.  The soon-to-be married couple hears some of the words, but the butterflies in their stomach and the nervousness that they feel take their attention away from his words.  They are focused more on getting through this service and onto the rest of their life together. 

Many of us have been there, standing in front of the church, all eyes upon us as we recited our vows of love for one another.  The words of Paul the Apostle have become a standard part of most weddings in an attempt to describe the act of loving one another as God has loved us.  This is not a new verse to most of you, but it is a verse that is often overlooked as we build a marriage relationship centered on the heart of God the Father.  These verses capture the keys to a successful marriage: “Love each other as much as God loves the other person, and your marriage will be long and fruitful.”

Love is patient, which is absolutely necessary in a marriage.  The other person will have a different and unique personality from you, and you will have to be patient to accept them for who God made them to be.

Love is kind – it all starts with kindness.  In every situation, the first thing we should focus on is kindness, and in doing so, realize that God is kind to us in all things.  Kindness is highly underrated when it comes to relationships, yet such a strong power for building trust between two people.

Love does not envy, even when you feel cheated out of something.  God has blessed you, and your focus needs to be on being grateful for what you have been given, not what your neighbor may have.

Love is not boastful or proud.  We all struggle with pride from time to time.  It is a tool of the evil one to separate individuals from one another and from God.  It requires that one focus their attention on themselves, lifting their qualities up and, in doing so, pressing down upon others.  We are all created equal and in God’s eyes, there is no hierarchy of importance; therefore, there is no room for boasting or being prideful.

Love does not dishonor another individual.  In a marriage, we should be looking for ways to lift up our spouse and bring honor to them through our words and actions.  So often I see spouses pointing out the shortcomings and problems with each other rather than focusing on the positives.  When God looks at any of us, He sees who He made us to be, not who we have become.  When you look upon your spouse, focus on the fact that they are a child of God, and when you speak about them, you are reflecting an image of the Father to those who are listening.

Love is not self-seeking.  Studies have shown that the number one reason for divorce is selfishness.  People in general want happiness and joy for themselves first.  Putting another’s needs ahead of our own is difficult and counter-cultural.  Society has taught us to look out for number one because nobody else is going to.  God teaches us to serve one another and humble ourselves before His throne.  The contradiction is evident and requires a conscious choice in every situation.  When we place our own needs above the needs of the marriage, we are destined to slide down this slippery slope.  This is an area that requires strict attention and work from both members of a marriage.

Love is not angered easily, regardless of the situation.  Controlling one’s temper is an example of maturity in the Lord.  During the courtship and dating phase of a relationship, it seems so easy to bite your tongue when the other person says or does something wrong.  Something changes, though, when we put the wedding band on the finger, as if all of a sudden the individuals are no longer working together, but are against each other.  My wife has a subtle way of reminding me of this when we have a difference of opinion.  “We are on the same team.”  This little phrase is a quick reminder that the situation is not bigger than the commitment we made to God and to each other.  The “team” consists of the three of us: God, Lisa, and me; and there is no room for fighting amongst the team.

Love keeps no record of wrongdoing.  God forgives and forgets; why then can’t we?  Human nature is generally forgiving, but it is something completely different to forget.  Our memories hold onto those things that cause hurt or pain in our lives as a defense mechanism for the future.  Unfortunately, this hanging on causes the pain to resurface again in the future, long after the actual event has been washed away.  We must learn to let go of the past, for if God has forgotten it, who are we to hold onto it?

These words take all of about 15 seconds to read during the wedding ceremony, but when put to use throughout the marriage, they can help sustain, for a lifetime, what God has brought together.  Focus your attention on how God loves you in these ways, and how you should be loving your spouse likewise.