No Rules - Just Right?

 

A young soldier left home on Army deployment overseas. He told his girlfriend he would write every day. After about six months, he received a letter from his girlfriend stating she was getting married. He wrote home wanting to know who she was marrying. The family wrote back and told him it was the…. mailman.

If a boy has a part-time job after school, he’s called “a go-getter.” If the church asks him to rise early on Saturday morning to spend a couple of hours doing some work for the Lord, people might say, “That’s asking too much!” If a woman were to work eight hours at some community project, people would say, “She’s a fine, energetic, public-minded person.” But if she were to work eight hours for the church, some would say, “Her religion has gone to her head!” If an employer asks an employee to work each day, and not be tardy, some people will say, “He’s a sensible businessman who requires that which is only right.” But if the elders of the church ask the members of the church to attend three services each week, and to please arrive on the scheduled time, some are ready to say, “You ask too much. And besides, it doesn’t matter if I’m on time to services anyway.

If one wants a good steak and baked potato, Outback Steakhouse, is probably a good choice. By now most have heard their advertisements on the radio and television. After making the pitch for their product, the announcer, in his Australian brogue, says, “Outback Steakhouse. No rules. Just right.” That sounds great, doesn’t it? There’s some appeal to a place where there aren’t any rules or restrictions and no matter what, everything turns out all right.

One day it dawned on me that many people have “Outback Religion.” When it comes to their relationship with God, they want it to be “No rules. Just right.” They want to be able to come to God on their own terms and yet have Him welcome them just the same. More and more it seems we find people, who find comforting the thought of having a meaningful relationship with God, who are unwilling to follow the rules. I suppose it has always been so that many wanted God on their terms, but it has always been true that Jehovah has never allowed mankind to call the shots or make the rules. Either we come to Him as He wills, or we don’t come at all. When one claims a relationship with God but want to keep their bad habits, and ungodly practices, and sinful relationships then what their looking for is an Outback Religion.

[Acts 20:25-30] But God does have “rules” and here are three things to remember about them. 1) “The Rules” Are God’s. The natural tendency is to “kill the messenger” but we must realize that if one is speaking the truth, he is only a messenger of the will of God. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments” (Jonn 14:21). To be sure, making our own rules is a violation of God’s will (Revelation 22:18), but just as wrong is the ignoring of God’s law (Revelation 22:19). 2) The Rules Are For Our Own Good. Ultimately, what God requires of us is in our best interest. Throughout the centuries of His dealings with mankind, God has never forbidden something good for man, nor has He required something harmful. 3) “The Rules” Will Judge Us. Whether we live by them or not, we will be eternally judged by the will of God. Jesus said, “He who rejects me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him – the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day” (John12:48).

When we submit ourselves wholly to living by the will of God, “He cleanses us of our sins” (1 John 1:7-9). One might say, when we live by God’s rules, He makes us just right.

Who Owns the Church?

 

Sometimes people will ask me about my church. They assume since I am a minis­ter (“the pastor”) of the church of Christ, that somehow, I have some ownership or say over it. Members do that too. We remark ‘at my church’ or ‘come to my church.’ It might just be a slip of the tongue, but we need to work to correct it. Because it is not ‘our’ church, and that is a particularly good thing! The church of me wouldn’t be a good one. Oh, it might be likable enough, it could be entertaining, and it might have the community’s approval. The church of me could be growing and financially stable but it doesn’t have enough.

You see churches come at a cost. In order to have a group of redeemed, you must have a redeemer. A sacrifice to pay the cost. And I don’t have enough in me. A church founded on me cannot save because I can’t save myself, much less anyone else. Jesus was the only one sin­less, the only one with the blood pure enough to make that purchase. He said He would build His church (Matthew 16:18) and place the saved into it (Acts 2:47). That is the church one should seek.

Many have tried to steal Jesus’ church from Him and make it their own. But the minute He isn’t the head of the church; it ceases to be His. If it is my church, it can’t be His. Any other church, no matter how pretty it is on the outside, is lacking the core of what matters, sal­vation. I don’t want any part of my church; I only want to be a part of His!

[Joshua 24:15] The remainder of this article is being met with much displeasure these days. I am sorry to say it, but many do not like to hear about it. People don’t like the description. They think it is exclusionary, arrogant, and egotistical. For example, when someone asks me what church I am a member of, I often reply, “I am a member of the Lord’s church.” Perhaps I might say, “I am a member of the church you can read about in the Bible.” Again, I could say, “I am a member of the body of Christ,” or of the “church of Christ.” Much of the time the last one gives them what they want. Now they can categorize me into their own opinion about what they think I believe.

Let’s examine that within the light of the Scriptures. What does the Bible say about the idea of The Lord’s church? [Matthew 16:18] “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock (the solid rock truth of Peter’s confession stated in v.16 “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”) I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” [Acts 2:47] “…the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” [Acts 20:28] “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” [Ephesians 1:22-23] “And he put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” [Ephesians 5:23-25] “For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.” So, if the Lord built the church, is head of the church, and if the church is His body, and it is subject to Him in everything, doesn’t it make sense that it belongs to Him? I think the real problem lies with those who have attempted to organize a “church” to be something other than the Lord’s. Unfortunately, many have accomplished that goal. But as for me and my house, we will continue to let the church be His and urge and teach others to flow into it. I am not, nor will I ever be, a member of the unscriptural, hedonistic “United” church of Christ. Amen!

What Is A Good Christian?

 

I have a good friend. She doesn’t drink alcohol; thus, she has never been involved in any alcohol-related crimes or embar­rassments. She doesn’t destroy her mind through the use of illicit drugs. I have never heard my friend gossip or tell a sin­gle lie. She never wastes her time in nightclubs, casinos, or questionable establishments. I cannot recall ever hearing her speak with profanity or vulgarity. And she has never cheated a soul in business. Many people would call my friend a “good Christian.” Yet you need to know that I have just described my dog, Bella!

The world holds many good and hon­est souls who are not maliciously en­gaged in the blackest of evils. Many of these good, moral citizens are our neighbors, our friends, our relatives. They may, in some cases, be more mor­al than some of the church’s more nom­inal members. But they should not, by virtue of their upstanding lifestyles, be confused with “good Christians.” They may refrain from wrong; they may even be involved in promoting much that is right. But outside of Christ they cannot be considered Chris­tians. Not until one comes to Christ and obeys the gospel is one a Christian. There’s a world of difference between my dog and a “good Christian.”

 [Acts 4:12] Why is it that some Christians seem to believe that their only responsi­bility in reaching the lost is to live a pure lifestyle before them? Will alien sinners become Christians by simply observing that Christians refrain from things like profanity, fornication, and drugs? Will simply being kind to others convert the lost? There are many others in this world besides Christians who are kind to others. There can even be atheists who choose to be kind to their fellow man. There are other religions besides Christianity which emphasize humility, kindness, sobriety, modest dress, and other forms of morality. What makes Christianity different, and how will the lost learn those differenc­es?

Certainly, the Christian’s influence must not be minimized (Matthew 5:13-16); and yes, Christians are to live holy lives and be kind to others (1 Peter 1:15-16; Matthew 5:38-48); but is that all it takes to con­vert the lost? No one can live a pure enough life to save himself, and there is still no other name to save us but the name of Jesus Christ.

We need to learn what being a Chris­tian is all about. Being a Christian in­volves more than merely not doing evil. A Christian must be concerned with actually doing good, fully submitting to Christ, and living by faith. Christ taught, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Complete and total submission to Christ is essential if we would be called by His name. Like the brethren of Smyrna, all who are in Christ are expected to “…be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” (Revelation 2:10).

Of course, the answer is that Chris­tians must expose the lost to the words of the Bible! True faith does not come from seeing someone live a good, mor­al life. Faith comes from hearing the Word of God! (Romans 10:17). If the Seed (God’s Word) is not planted, the fruit (a Christian) will never be produced (Luke 8:11-15). The Great Commission does not teach Christians to simply go out and live an upright life. Christians are specifically told to teach, baptize, and teach some more (Matthew 28:19-20). Philip had to “open his mouth” to con­vert the Ethiopian (Acts 8:35). If we would open our mouth and “preach Jesus” like Philip did, would we not expect the same reaction of the Ethiopia? “...what hinders me from being baptized? …I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” (Acts 8:30-37).

Jesus commanded “…love one another as I have loved you” (Matthew 15:12).

The Last Best Hope

 

Sir Winston Churchill, who led Britian through its darkest hours, was a man of many notable accomplishments. He is recognized as one of the great leaders in world history. But of his life’s work, he said, “My most brilliant achievement was my ability to be able to persuade my wife to marry me.” He and his beloved Clementine were married in 1908 and remained married until his death 56 years later. Of course, many couples have been married longer than the esteemed prime minister. According to Guinness World Records, the record is 86 years, 9 months, and 16 days, and it belongs to Herbert and Zelmyra Fisher. They were married in 1924, 18 and 16 years old at the time. Their marriage held up through the Great Depression, World War II, the Koreon War, the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, and fifteen presidential administrations.

Both Herbert and Zelmyra are gone now, each dying at the age of 105. Before they died, they talked about their marriage and some keys to its longevity. They felt it was important for them to respect, support, and communicate with each other. Being faithful, honest, and true to each other was critical. And, of course, loving each other with all their hearts. They always remembered that marriage I not a contest and it did no good to keep score.

[1 Corinthians 13] is often called the “love” chapter of the Bible. What these passages say about love are certainly pertinent to a marriage. No question. But the apostle Paul is primarily writing about what it takes for any relationship to work, whether it is an intimate connection like a spousal or family relationship, a church or neighborly connection, or the person who lives in the room or apartment next to you.

“Love is patient,” Paul writes. “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. (v’s 4-8a). Put this advice to work and any relationship will work!

In 1997 Western Christian Foundation published a book by Nelson M. Smith, entitled Agape Study Manual. Smith identified all the places the word love and its related terms appeared in the KJV Bible. Then he wrote comments on every single verse where love was mentioned. The book has 475 pages. Smith said he was no scholar, but one thing he understood well: Love is at the center of God’s plan of salvation. How would our lives be changed if we read the Bible through while focused on love, especially the love of God? How would we change the lives of others if we moved throughout each day while focused on love, especially God’s love for the lost? How would our families change if we spent every moment with them charged with love, especially God’s familial love? How would our congregations be changed if a handful of saints decided to love as Jesus loved? Just reading about love in the Bible won’t change anything. But reading with open hearts, with prayers to be transformed by the Word, with effort to become like the Lord Jesus Christ, God will make love radiate from our lives outward to touch and bless everyone around us.

One month before signing the Emancipation Proclamation, Abraham Lincoln wrote a letter to Congress in which he addressed freeing the country’s slaves. Lincoln stressed the importance of doing the right thing to “save our country,” which he described as “the last best hope of earth.” God says, “Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it…” (Psalm 127:1). When it comes to modeling for the world what the home should look like, the church of Jesus Christ is “the last best hope of earth.”

Gray Hairs

 

Well, I’m about to complete my seventy-fifth trip around the sun and I’m looking forward to several more before my ship runs out of steam. I thought I would wax poetic for a moment and then honor those who are far ahead of me in their journey on the road of life. Without parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles, teachers and wise tutors of life, we would have certainly had a much harder time getting this far.

When shades of night begin to fall, And shadows lengthen on the wall, My thoughts roll back to days of yore; Like waves that gently lap the shore. The youth I lost, so long ago. Just where it went, I do not know. Too soon, a young man took his place. Then, age replaced that smiling face. The child I raised, from very birth, Has gone to find his place on earth. He, too, will find that time flies by. ‘Tis but a twinkle of God’s eye. I live my memories, o’er and o’er, And wonder if I could have done more. Not one of those days were perfect spent. And yet the next was duly sent. I tried and tried, with all my might, But never did get one right. I’ve lived for many thousand days; A testament to God’s patient ways. And now my memories, good and bad, Remind me of the chance I had, To live my life the way I should; To shun the bad, embrace the good. And yet, I trod the time worn road. I walked alone, with heavy load; Too proud to think that God would care, My many burdens to gladly share. And then, one day, I was wholly spent. So, down from heaven, His Son He sent. Not only did He lift my earthly load, But put me back on the narrow road. So now, my mind is full at ease, No longer tossed like heavy seas. Whatever life, now, has in store, I have a haven on yonder shore. It’s not a prize that I have won, But the gift, from God, of His precious Son.

[Leviticus 19:32] “You shall rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man, and fear your God: I am the Lord.”

From time to time, it is appropriate, and actually commanded by God, that we reflect upon the “specialness” of the older generation. What champions they are. They have been victorious over many ruthless enemies. They have blazed many trails before us that has made life better for us. They have taken the gospel to much of the world. They have built many great congregations. With their generous giving they have financed an innumerable list of tremendous works to the glory of no one but God.

The “gray hairs” encourage us. Many have retired but most of them haven’t stopped being productive citizens of our Lord’s Kingdom. They have a mind for work, a heart for giving, and faces covered with “laugh lines.” Older folk make mole hills out of mountains. They adapt, find solutions, pray fervently, and love to worship. They give us stability, maturity, confidence, wisdom, sound instruction, and direction.

They know a lot more about people than computers. They belong to the generation that delights in simple things: a grandchild’s laugh, a warm pot of coffee shared with friends, all five verses of “Amazing Grace,” our nation’s flag, a hand-made quilt.

With dignity they have weathered many storms, bade farewell to many precious loved ones, seen too many doctors, battled diseases, depression and loneliness.

Older people stand for something. They live on for Christ. They take time to smell the roses. They still say “sir” and “ma’am” and deserve the same from others. Their bodies age but their souls have no wrinkles. They built the fires we warm by, and with God’s help, they’re not done yet. There’s still plenty of fuel in the tank. The sun has not yet set on them.

“Gray hairs” we owe you, big time! Thank you, Lord, for those who are leading the way.

God Is In God's Word

 

“Mister, why doesn’t this cow have horns?” asked the young lady from a nearby city on a field trip to the country. The farmer cocked his head for a moment, then began in a patient tone, “Well, ma’am, cattle can do a powerful amount of damage with horns. Sometimes we keep ‘em trimmed down with a hacksaw. Other times we can fix up the young’uns by putting a couple of drops of acid where their horns would grow in, and that stops ‘em cold. Still there are some breeds of cattle that never grow horns.” Not wanting to embarrass her in her ignorance the farmer continued hoping to properly answer the child’s question, “But the reason this cow don’t have no horns, is ‘cause it’s a horse.”

There is an urban legend about a group of famous scientists who stopped for lunch at a small-town diner. Seated at the table were six of the greatest thinkers of our day. Their average IQ was in the 160s. They noticed that their salt and pepper shakers had been reversed. One with the S on top was filled with pepper. The other with the P on top was filled with salt. So, they concocted an elaborate plan to switch the contents without spilling them. It involved a napkin, a straw and a saucer. Proud of their solution, they presented it to the waitress. "That is an interesting scheme," she said. "Of course, we could do this." Whereupon she simply unscrewed both shakers and switched the tops.

The Bible asks an important question: "Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?" (1 Corinthians 1:20b). To a Being as wise as our Lord, we must seem like little children to Him. We develop our theories and axioms and syllogisms, but to Him it's just child's play. So, the truly wise one is the one who accepts God, and His Word, by faith.

A graduate philosophy instructor was a newly minted PhD, and he was an expert in Immanuel Kant. A well-informed, thoroughly devoted expert. His seminar on the German philosopher was, of course, excellent. Too many instructors present philosophy and philosophers through the writings of other interpreters. They rely on broad historical overviews and topical anthologies — academic texts that cover hundreds of philosophical concepts — to expose students to a wide range of ideas. As valuable as such resources may be, nothing takes the place of reading what the original thinker thought. His cardinal rule for his class was simple: Read Kant.

The instructor once mentioned a paper he had presented at a philosophy conference. It was one of those over-the-top academic treatises that only fellow philosophers (especially the Kantians) would appreciate. After the presentation, a world-renowned Immanuel Kant scholar approached him, shook his hand and said, “You've read Kant.” The instructor was thrilled. Of course he'd read Kant. He didn't just read what other people said that Kant said. He read Kant. His thorough familiarity with the philosopher's thought was evident. Clearly, he had immersed himself in Kant's own words.

[2 Timothy 2:15] The application for Christians? “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Don’t just read what someone else says the Bible says. Read the Bible. Handbooks and commentaries and background studies are all excellent tools. But if these are your main source of knowledge, and you fail to read His word directly, you might miss what God actually wants you to know.

If you want to know what Immanuel Kant thought and said, I suggest you go to the primary source. Read Kant. If you want to know what God wants you to know and how God wants you to live, go to the primary source. Read God’s word. Know God, know life.

Update the Gospel?

 

William Barkley, in his commentary on 1 Thessalonians, states that during the period of the Roman Republic, the Romans had not one single divorce in a 520-year period. However, as they moved away from the Republic into a more of socialistic empire, things began to change. Although they had previously conquered the Greeks militarily, the Greeks “Grecianized” the Romans in terms of morality. The fornication, homosexuality, and related sins of Corinth are an indication of this Grecianization in the first century.

Similarly, the American Republic has also moved further and further away from personal responsibility toward more collectivism – arrangements whereby we are subject to many more laws, regulations, institutions, and bureaus designed to do what was previously done by individuals. We are now suffering the same dissolution as did ancient Rome: our morals, our patriotism, our self-esteem, our productivity, and our homes have deteriorated.

We live in a day and age in which everything seems to be changing constantly. Because of this, some claim that the gospel must change to keep in step with the times. They say, “Time does not wait for anybody. It leaves behind those who do not keep step.” Is this true? Should the gospel be changed; can it be changed and still be the gospel? All will admit that we live in a society in which things change constantly. But I will hasten to add that everything does not change with time. One’s need for food, clothing, and shelter are the same, in that we still need such to survive. Also, sin has not changed. Eve sinned when she transgressed (disobeyed) the law of God (Genesis 3:1-6). Today men sin when they transgress (disobey or over-ride) God’s law (1 John 3:4).

[Galatians 1:8] Now if sin is still the same, why should the remedy (the gospel) be changed? The apostle Paul makes it clear to the Galatians that the gospel could not be changed and still be the gospel (Galatians 1:6-7). Jude, writing concerning the common salvation that came by the way of the gospel, exhorted the brethren to, “…earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3). Jude speaks of the faith which comes from the preaching of the gospel (Romans 10:17) and says that it was once delivered. The gospel is complete and needs no changes. It gives all things that pertain unto life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). It finishes one completely with the spiritual diet unto every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The gospel is the “…power of God unto salvation” (Romans 1:16). It is the Word of God that we will be judged by (John 12:48). Since the gospel will save and it is that by which we will be judged, then why would we want to change (over-ride) it? All we must do is recognize the gospel for what it is - The TRUTH (Colossians 1:5). Obey it as written or be lost (1 Thessalonians 1:8; Romans 1:16)!

There is little individuals can do to change a major tide of history, but we can form our families and our characters according to the ancient standards of God, as recorded in the Bible. We do not have to go along with the crowd. We do not have to salivate like Pavlov’s pups simply because the culture in which we live rings a bell of conformity. We can resist the fornication, lies, indolence, and dishonesty around us. We can form marriages with like-minded Christian people and live faithfully ever after. We can nurture our children in the chastening and admonition (discipline and character) of the Lord.

Of course, as Lot can tell you, it’s difficult to keep our family standards intact in Sodom and Gomorrah. Yet, it’s not impossible. Remember, “…He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world (Satan)” (1 John 4:4). And “…if we walk in the light (God’s TRUTH) as He is in the light …the blood of Jesus Christ …cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:5-9).

Are You Hungry?

There is no telling how many times I have made a visit to someone’s house and been asked the question, “Are you hungry?” This normally occurs if the visit is made around mealtime. The lady of the house will have prepared something for her husband and children, and she will politely invite my appetite to be quenched. I have found that eating is also a way of bridging the gap of silence between people. You know… those moments of silence we have when one looks at the other and says, “Let’s get something to eat.”

I want to ask you something today. “Are you hungry?” If you are, I know some things you are going to do to satisfy the craving you might have. First, you will plan a meal; next, you will make preparations; then you will come to plight (a pledge; an engagement); and finally, you will be pleasured. Keeping in mind the desire and hunger we ought to have for the Word of God (Matthew 5:6; 1 Peter 2:2), I think we might find some spiritual applications in the following scenario.

Plan Your Spiritual Meal – Have you ever heard, “Are you trying to cool the entire neighborhood?” Whenever my parents would walk into the kitchen and see me staring into the refrigerator, I would hear those exact words. I was planning my teenage snack around what we had to eat. There was no sense in my trying to cook a hamburger without any ground beef in the house. The same is true with fulfilling our hunger for God’s Word. We need first the plans to study; however, our plans will be for naught if we cannot find our Bible or if we do not even own one.

Prepare to Eat – We should next prepare to eat; that’s right, prepare to eat. If you have ever had a snack before a meal, you might have gone to the table with less of an appetite than you would, had you stayed away from the little bites. I must prepare myself to study God’s Word by being focused on my mission. I will not be able to study with thoughts of sin and worldliness on my mind (Isaiah 59:1-2; James 4:7-10).

The Plight – When the dinner bell rings, which way do you run – toward the food or away from the food? If you answer, “It depends on who’s cooking,” you are exactly correct! There was once a lady who loved to cook but was no good at it. She thoughtfully made a widower a pie one time; and after she delivered it to him the man took one bite of it, as desert following his evening meal, and threw it all in the trash. The next Lord’s day, the lady asked how he liked the pie, and the man responded, “Pie like that won’t last long around my house!” If Satan has cooked up a dish of some sort of false doctrine, we need to run the opposite direction of that plate. If God is serving a dish through sermons, Bible study class, or private Bible study, we need to come a’runnin’ (Hebrews 4:12)!

Be Pleasured – There’s nothing like the last bit of chicken-n’-dumplings or a juicy cherry cobbler! Yum! Yum! How much joy do we receive from our studies of God’s Word? Christ, the Word of God (John 1:14) said, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). Truly, one who dedicates oneself to the study of God’s Word will be satisfied with their findings.

“And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:40).

Let us all strive to be filled with knowledge and grow in wisdom by studying God’s Word. Plan your next spiritual meal and make the preparations necessary to attend it, make the plight – indulge without prejudice, and enjoy the pleasures that will be afforded you – be filled to overflowing with the love of God and spread His Word. Bon Appetit! 

Shake It Off and Step Up

 

A parable tells of an old dog that fell into a farmer’s unused well. After assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the dog but decided that neither the dog nor the well were worth the trouble of saving. Instead, he planned to bury the old dog in the well and put him out of his misery. When the farmer began shoveling dirt into the well, initially the old dog was hysterical. But as the farmer continued shoveling, the dirt hit the dog’s back, and a thought struck him. It dawned on the dog that every time a shovel of dirt landed on his back, he should shake it off and step up. This he did blow after blow. “Shake it off and step up, shake it off and step up!” he repeatedly encouraged himself. No matter how painful the blows or how distressing the situation seemed, the old dog fought panic and just kept shaking it off and stepping up! It was not long before the dog, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly over the wall of the well. What seemed as though it would bury him actually benefited him – all because of the way he managed his adversity. If we face our problems and respond to them positively, refusing to give into panic, bitterness, or self-pity, the adversities that come along to bury us usually have within them the potential to bless us! Forgiveness, faith, prayer, praise, and hope are some of the Biblical ways to shake it off and step us out of the well in which we find ourselves.

Pray for God’s mercy and love on those buried in the suffering of the California fires.

[Isaiah 41:13] “For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’” I love the story of the first grader who stood in front of his classroom to make a speech about, “What I Want to Be When I Grow Up.” He said, “I want to be a lion tamer and have lots of fierce lions. I’ll just walk into the cage, and they will roar.” He paused for a moment, thinking about what he had just said and then added, “But of course, I’ll have my mother with me.” What a difference it makes when we have someone we trust by our side. The presence of our Shepherd is a source of great comfort to us. A sheep doesn’t feel safe because it says, “I am stronger than the lion;” or “I am able to escape from the bear;” or “I shall always be able to avoid the wolf.” A sheep feels safe because “Your rod and your staff they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4). And sheep need to be comforted because they are very easily frightened. If one sheep gets startled and runs away, all of the others will follow behind it with fear, not waiting to see what frightened them. But nothing quiets a flock of sheep like seeing their shepherd in the field with them.

Like sheep, we also are easily frightened. We live in an uncertain world. We’re concerned about so many things that have happened and that could happen. But nothing quiets our souls like knowing that our Shepherd is near. As Jesus promised, “…and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). That doesn’t mean we won’t have enemies, or we won’t pass through dark valleys; Psalm 23 makes that clear. The comforting promise in Scripture is not that we will be protected from disappointment and pain; rather, it is that our Lord is a Shepherd who will never abandon us in those dark moments. “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1).

A man traveling through the countryside noticed that a weathervane on the roof of a farm building bore the phrase, “God Is Love.” He asked the farmer, “Do you think that God’s love is as changeable as that weathervane?” “You missed the point sir,” replied the farmer. “It is on the weathervane because no matter which way the wind is blowing, God is still love.” “And we have known and believed the love God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:16). Praise God for His love.

Never Die Easy

 

2025 - I AM THE NEW YEAR. I am unused, unspotted, without blemish. I stretch before you 365 days long. I will present each day in its turn, for you to place upon it your imprint. I AM THE NEW YEAR. Each hour of each day, I will give you 60 minutes that have never known the use of man. I will present each of them white and pure. It remains for you to fill them with sixty jeweled seconds of love, hope, endeavor, patience, and trust in God. I AM THE NEW YEAR. I am here – but once past, I can never be recalled. Make me your best!

Walter Payton ranks second on the NFL list of all-time leaders in rushing yards. Through thirteen seasons as a Chicago Bear, Payton was tackled and knocked down thousands of times. He built an extraordinary career, not by getting knocked down, but by not staying down! He was knocked down the final time when he died on November 1, 1999, 45 years old. Payton had a motto in life – “Never Die Easy” – which he attributed to Bob Hill, his coach at Jackson State University. Payton refused to deliberately run out-of-bounds and always sought to resist would-be-tacklers instead of going down or giving in without a fight. “Never Die Easy” is also the title of Paton’s posthumously published autobiography.

The words “never die easy” and the approach to life they represent have an application far beyond the football field. The Christian life requires that we commit to “never die easy.” Jesus lived and died that way. One place that makes that clear is John 19:30 where, in His dying moments on the cross, Jesus cried, “It is finished.” The context reveals that although He is nearing death, He did not die easy. He was scourged, beaten, spit on, mocked, stripped, and nailed to the cross (John 19:1-18; Matthew 26-27; Luke 22-23). Surrounded by a hostile crowd that taunted, jeered, and insulted Him, Jesus hung on to God’s plan and purpose for His life even as He hung on a rugged cross – held there not by metal spikes but by a love even stronger than those spikes – a love His foes could not beat or crucify or shame or shout out of him. In the midst of that gut-wrenching kind of struggle Jesus said, “It is finished” – not a cry of defeat but of victory! Notice the Lord did not say, “I am finished,” but “It is finished.” Precisely what “it” was is made clear back in John 17:4 when He prayed to His Father (a few hours before dying on the cross), “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.” By His death on the cross Jesus completed God’s wonderous plan to save man, a plan born in eternity, carried out over thousands of years, and culminating in the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. As he prepared to draw His last breath, in awful circumstances that included shedding His blood for our sins, the Son of God said, with a cry of triumph, “It is finished.” He went on to die but then got up from the grave three days later!

As a Christian are you taking the easy way out, or have you committed yourself to “never die easy?” Some marriages die too easily, with little or no fight to save them. Some Christians leave the faith to easily. Some get tired of serving and just pitch in the towel. Others are let down by someone in the church and just quit the Lord. How many begin the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12) only to give up far before they finish? Are you close to quitting? Are your circumstances discouraging? Are you weary and heavy-hearted? Pessimistic about your job? Have your dreams not materialized? Are you tired of the daily grind? Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear? Do you find yourself wanting to give up? Don’t do it! Heaven will not be for those who die easy. Let us, like Jesus, commit to finishing God’s will and work for our lives no matter what comes our way. Never die easy! 2025 is going to be a great challenge for everyone. Pray for courage and strength.