Making Decisions

 

What does it take to get your goat? Have you ever wondered where that expression comes from? It has to do with our anger, with becoming upset with someone. It’s amazing to observe the lengths at which the progressive left is willing to go, pushing the buttons of the conservative capitalist, in hopes that one of them will come unglued and do something really stupid in retaliation. How much can you take, before you take some kind of action?

Peter asked this question, in a sense, when he asked Jesus, “How long must I take offence from my brother before I can punch his lights out?” (Matthew 18:21). Peter wanted a number from which he could count down to action. Being offended is a matter of choice, as are many other things in life; it is a decision we make. What offends one may not offend another. I have to decide to be angry with someone. Because I believe someone to be wrong, that they are acting improperly, that they hold to beliefs that are contrary to Bible teaching, must I be angry with them? Should I hate them? Should I slander their name? When I become evil to respond to evil – have I not become evil myself?

[Hebrews 4:11-13] Omniscience, knowing all things, is something the Bible attributes only to God. Since the Bible says that all things that exist were created by God (Colossians 1:16-17), it follows that Satan is a created being. God cannot sin or cause to sin, so it is implied that Satan was created good and chose to do evil. Many have defined evil as the absence or opposite of good. Throughout the whole Bible, Satan is depicted as one who tempts man to sin. If Satan is not omniscient and cannot tell what we are thinking, how does he know how to operate in our individual lives? Matthew, chapter 4, proves he knows the Bible, and the Bible tells us the three major avenues of sin (1 John 2:15-17). He has had the advantage of thousands of years of observation of human behavior. He knows mankind’s basic weaknesses. He also has angels (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 12:9) and knows what role they play in having his privy to our personal lives, and in observing our lives, and in observing what each of us is prone to do or not do.

Yet, Satan does not ever make us sin, despite what Flip Wilson used to say, “The devil made me do it!” We choose to sin based on our own fleshly desires (James 1:12-15). We sin, not as the result of Satan manipulating the mind, but as the result of giving into sinful lusts. Satan can no more make us do wrong than God will make us do right. We should simply remember that we never have to sin (1 Corinthians 10:12-13). Satan does not whisper in our ear or play with our mind. However, he is actively seeking souls to devour (1 Peter 5:8). The good news is that he cannot do anything unless we allow him into our life. James says we can make him flee from us by resisting him (James 4:7). Satan cannot read your mind! He cannot manipulate your mind! He can only see and use what you reveal to him. Let us be careful to reveal the right sorts of things and thereby protect ourselves from this roaring lion. Decisions define who we are and who’s we are.

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered; Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be Kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway. What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway. If you find serenity in happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway. The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may just not be enough; Give the best you have anyway. In the final analysis, it’s all between you and God; It was never between you and them anyway! God will guide you.

God Will Defend Himself

 

What’s the biggest man-made structure? You might be thinking the Pyramids, the Great Wall of China, or One World Trade Center. What do we mean by biggest? Even the term ‘man-made structure’ is problemat­ic. What if we really weren’t planning to make something, does that count? If that’s the case, then the answer might just be Fresh Kills, a garbage dump on Staten Island. The site is 4.6 square miles in area and, when opera­tional, had twenty barges carrying 650 tons of rubbish shipped into it daily. At its peak, the dump was more than 80 feet higher than the Statue of Liberty. It’s not in the re­cord books. Maybe it’s because we don’t want to acknowledge the biggest thing we humans have done is a lot of garbage. Paul wrote: “I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8). We like to brag about our accomplish­ments but in reality, all we have here is des­tined for the scrapheap. The greatest thing we get here isn’t what we have; it’s what we get when we leave here. Our faith in Jesus is the only thing that will matter to us in eternity. Everything else won’t amount to much more than a big pile of trash. Is the biggest thing in our lives the Lord, or a landfill?

[2 Timothy 3:1-5] A man named Gideon demolished an altar to Baal. As you can imagine Baal worshipers were not a huge fan of that action. People tend to take slights to their god very personally. Remember what happened when the Ephesians accused Paul of making life difficult for their idol? They shouted for two hours straight (Acts 19:34)! I imagine some people felt the same kind of way toward Gideon when Baal’s altar became a heap of junk. In fact, they were about to throw some rocks or launch some pointy things. But before they do Gideon’s dad comes to Gideon’s defense and says: “If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar” (Judges 6:28-32). This satisfies the people, who figure Baal is going to get him anyway, so why bother with him now? Of course, we know that Baal really is not a god. Gideon didn’t need to fear any giant divine goat looking thing hunting him down. But note this: the people didn’t know that. And because they thought Baal was really a god their rage subsided when they considered that Baal was better able to deal with Gideon than they were.

And now I want you to think about a time when someone slighted your God. Not some false pagan god, I’m talking about the real God. The maker of heaven and earth. Think about the time when someone said something that didn’t sit well with you. Their statement contradicted scripture perhaps. Someone spoke of God with less reverence than what you know is due His name. The righteous anger begins to rise up. Ever happen to you? Did you really let this guy have it for his irreverent words or actions? I would like to make one suggestion that I think can and should temper our anger. I suggest that you know that our God really is God. He can defend Himself. I mean, really. He really can defend Himself. Other than having the ability to create or obliterate universes with a word, God also has legions of angels at His command. I think the most appropriate emotional reaction to those who speak against God isn’t anger. I think it’s pity. These people have no idea who they’re messing with. But they will. So, I suggest pity. Anger is often based on fear - fear of losing what you think is true. But guess what? If you worship God as God you’re right, and you have nothing to worry about. So, teach who you can and always encourage people toward the truth. And if someone doesn’t want to listen, smile, and move on. Our God - our real, alive, powerful God - can defend Himself. (by Doug Wells) Revival is growing in America!

God Knows Best

 

Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion’s guest room. Instead, the angels were given a small space in the cold basement. As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel noticed a hole in the wall and repaired it. When the younger angel saw this, he questioned the older, “These people have treated us rudely and you repair their house for them?” The older angel replied, “Things aren’t always as they seem.”

The next night the pair stopped at the house of a very poor but hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had, the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could get a good night’s sleep. When the sun came up the next morning, the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their only income, lay dead in the field. The younger angel was infuriated and asked the elder angel how he could have let this happen. “The first man had everything, yet you helped him,” he exclaimed! “The second family had little and was willing to share everything, and you let their cow die!” The older angel replied, “Things aren’t always as they seem.”

“When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was a lot of gold stored in the hole in the wall. Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he could not get to it. Then last night as we slept in the farmer’s bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave him the cow instead.”

You are familiar, no doubt, with one of the most famous paintings ever done by an artist: “The Lord’s Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci – that classic portrayal of Christ and the twelve apostles at the table. (A personal interpretation on the artist’s behalf, not a setting that is historically true.) Many students of art history believe that the painting, when first created, was somewhat different from the version which we now see. There was initially, it is believed, an exquisite lace border on the tablecloth. When upon completion, da Vinci invited a group of art students to view his masterpiece. They were immensely impressed by the delicate design of that lacework. They studied it intensely and praised it highly. Upon seeing their reaction, da Vinci took a brush and made a few long strokes across the canvas, obliterating the lace. Then, with uncontrollable feeling, he shouted, “Now, look at the face of Christ!” How easily we take our view off of Christ for some nice distraction.

[Luke 10:38-42] A incident in the life of Jesus is recorded here wherein a great lesson is taught. Jesus came to the house of Mary and Martha in the village of Bethany, on the eastward slope of the Mount of Olives. These two sisters and their brother, Lazarus, were much loved by Jesus (John 11:5) and he would visit with them when passing through the area. Upon entering their house, Martha evidently busied herself with “much serving” while Mary sat down and absorbed all Jesus had to say. Apparently frustrated, Martha approached Jesus and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore, tell her to help me.” Jesus replied, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” In our fast-moving world, with so many things clamoring for our attention, we need to choose “the good part” and take time to listen to what Jesus and His inspired apostles have said to us. Read and study God’s word.

Whenever we have a setback in our life or things don’t go the way we want, maybe that is for the best. Remember, God knows best what we need. “…all things work together for good to those who love God…” (Romans 8:28). God will guide you through His Word.

Taking Inventory - Giving Thanks

 

Summer is here in Texas! Along with it comes hot days and for those of us who are a little older, we tend to take refuge around the air conditioner especially during the warmest time of the day. Windy days have also been unusually common this year. These conditions require higher doses of water on yards and gardens, governed with restrictions on watering due to the continuing drought we find ourselves in, not to mention the extra electricity it takes to be comfortable. Additional concerns include above average prices for food, gasoline and diesel, the possibilities of being laid off from jobs, as well as out-of-sight feed and fertilizer prices for those who ranch and farm. Many think, “Is there anything out there that is not taxable?” as they attempt to stretch their dollars to cover the extra expenses. It is always good, especially now, to remember to count our blessings.

Daniel Defoe gave some good advice through his fictional character Robinson Crusoe. The first thing Crusoe did when he found himself on a deserted island was to make out a list. On one side of the page, he wrote down all his problems. On the other side of the page, he listed all his blessings. On one side he wrote: I don’t have any clothes. Across from this he wrote: But it’s warm and I don’t really need any. On the left side he wrote: All of the provisions were lost. Across the page he wrote: But there’s plenty of fresh fruit and water on the island. And on down the list he went. In this fashion he discovered that for every negative aspect of his situation, there was a positive aspect, something to be thankful for. Are you on an island of despair? Perhaps it’s time to sit down and take an inventory of your blessings. Some of us may be long overdue expressing our thanks to God for what we have.

[Psalm 100:4-5] “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.”

“So amid the conflict, whether great or small, do not be discouraged God is over all; Count your many blessings, angels will attend, Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end… Count your many blessings, name them one by one… see what God hath done;” Count Your Blessings by Johnson Oatman. Let each of us be very thankful for the Father, our Savior Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit who take care of their children every minute of every day.

Many songs give Christian’s peace and comfort. “No matter what may be the test, God will take care of you; Lean, weary one, upon His breast, God will take care of you;” God Will Take Care Of You by C.D. Martin. Among her hundreds of songs, Fanny Crosby penned, Blessed Assurance. “Perfect submission, all is at rest; I in my Savior am happy and blest; Watching and waiting, looking above, filled with His goodness, lost in His love.”

Because He Lives by William Gaither: “God sent His Son, they called Him Jesus, He came to love, heal, and forgive; He lived and died to buy my pardon, An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives, Because he lives I can face tomorrow, Because He lives all fear is gone; Because I know he holds the future, And life is worth the living just because he lives.” Oh, life is good for those who worship our master, the one who calmed the sea!

[Hebrews 10:22-23] “…let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our heart sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” Take an inventory of your blessings today, give thanks to God for what you have, and watch your worries fade away. “…in everything give thanks;” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).