Decisions

A vital part of being led by the Spirit is the ability to accurately determine the rightness or wrongness of deeds not dealt with in the Bible. To help us with uncertain situations, Paul gave 4 valuable principles in his first letter to the believers at Corinth.

 

I Corinthians 6:12b "Everything is permissible for me," but I will not be brought under the control of anything.

 

One, does this activity enslave me? We should be living in total victory over sin and ourselves, and be avoiding any activity that could possibly gain mastery over us.

 

1 Corinthians 8:9 Be careful that this right of yours in no way becomes a stumbling block to the weak.

 

Two, does this activity cause a weaker believer to stumble? It is not always right to automatically do what appears to be right. Sometimes right can be wrong. Even if nothing is inherently wrong with a deed, it can still be a sin. We must weigh actions not only in terms of right and wrong, but also in terms of love. (See also 1 Cor. 8:12-13 and Romans 15:1.)

 

1 Corinthians 10:23 "Everything is permissible," but not everything is helpful. "Everything is permissible," but not everything builds up.

 

Three, does this activity help, build up, and make a positive contribution? We must avoid anything that might possibly hurt our Christian witness in any way, or damage the fellowship of believers.

 

I Corinthians 10:31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for God's glory.

 

Four, does this activity glorify God? In everything seek to magnify God. Be sure to exonerate Him. Give Him the honor He is due. After the four principles, see Romans 14:23. If you have any hesitation about a deed, don't do it.

 

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Bless The Poor

Stories about the poor stir me because all my life I have heard stories of Dad and his siblings who were extremely poor. I once asked Dad why he never became a racist, though he grew up when and where segregation reigned supreme. He looked puzzled, and said, "Son, we were the bottom; no one was under us."

During the Depression my preacher-farmer grandfather once needed a short-term loan to cover him a few weeks till the cotton harvest came in. Farmer Smith, the richest man in the area, denied the request. Grandpa mentioned his six children, but Smith said, "I don't care if your ---- family starves." Grandpa threatened, "If any of my children starves, I'll hunt you like a squirrel, and just as sure as a rifle will fire, I'll kill you." Smith let out another expletive and said, "I think you mean that." Grandpa got the loan.

I tell the story not due to Grandpa, but to what happened to Farmer Smith. He lost his fortune and only child, had to move from his mansion into a shack, shot his wife, and committed suicide. The cruel event with Grandpa exposed something terrible in Smith's heart that God saw and did not like. Watch how people treat the less fortunate. It tells much about their character.

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God's 6 Darlings

Much of English common law expanded on gentle Old Testament principles that highlighted how God protects the unprotected. He especially champions six groups.

One, widows. They have a special place in God's heart. "Cursed is the one who denies justice to a . . . widow" (DT 27:19a). Two, orphans. Nothing should be done to a parentless child from which a loving father would have sheltered them (EX 22:22-24).

Three, the deaf. "You must not curse the deaf" (LV 19:14a). This one is exceptionally near and dear to me; I have an older deaf sister, Esther. Four, the blind. "Cursed is the one who leads a blind person astray on the road" (DT 27:18a). Never ridicule bodily infirmities.

Five, immigrants. "You must not exploit a foreign resident or oppress him, since you were foreigners in the land of Egypt" (EX 22:21). To YHWH, there can be no strangers. He created all, and His Son died for all. We do need immigration laws, but no Christ-follower should ever speak harshly about immigrants.

Six, the poor. This is an overarching term for all the groups. "The one who oppresses the poor insults their Maker" (PS 14:31a).

Jesus had a gentle goodness we need to imitate. Be particularly tender to any who cannot help themselves.

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Monthiversary #522

Yes I know it's an odd habit, but each month, on the 20th day of the month, I celebrate my monthiversary with Ruth. It's a routine built-in reminder of our commitment to each other. Today's monthiversary is especially meaningful to us because it is the 43rd anniversary of our 6-month celebration.

On September 20, 1971, Ruth and I commemorated our first six months of married life. I brought her a large white wedding candle that we were to light every anniversary (never did). She brought me a double record album of the pioneer Southern Gospel family, the Speers (Ruth discarded it not long ago when she was cleaning out old stuff).

I remember that 1971 evening. We put our gifts on our console record player and took pictures. I think we still have those somewhere. The main thing is; our love for each is as strong and exciting as it was back then. God is good. He let me marry up, way up.

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Don't Give It Up

I'm going through a frustrating time with the News these days. It is depressing me. There are days when I want to wash my hands of our declining society, check the News never again, and live the rest of my life in an antiseptic bubble.

Then I remember who I am—a child of One who called His followers to be salt, light, and leaven in a lost and dying world. We must fight the temptation to wash our hands of our culture. It needs us right now, maybe more than ever before. For Christ-followers, apathy and absenteeism are not options. We cannot do nothing, we have to do something.

To honor God and to help unbelievers, we must speak to the culture with true gentleness and kindness as part of the truth we straightforwardly have to share. We conservative Christians often lose our influence because we are more quarrelsome and combative than we are conciliatory. Sometimes our method, not our message, offends. As peacemakers, let's try not to raise the ire and resentment in others, as God gives us grace and wisdom to do so.

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Daddy Dear

Years ago I was in a prayer meeting with one of God's dearest old saints. I asked her to voice our closing prayer. After moments of quiet, she started out by saying, "Daddy Dear". Her sense of intimacy with God caught me totally off guard. There was nothing pretentious or sanctimonious about it. She felt she was talking to her dear daddy.

I was reminded of this incident when I read Paul's joyful statement, "We cry out, Abba, Father!" (RM 8:15b). Once a person becomes a believer, he or she can spend the rest of their life living in such a way as to say, "I will arise and go to my Father." Our text is one of the most tender ever written by Paul the Apostle. Enamored at the familiarity allowed us in Christ, he used two different languages to express the word "Father." "Abba" is the Aramaic word for daddy; "Pater," translated father, is the Greek word.

         Paul wrote all of his letters in Greek. It was "the" universal language of his day, but was not his native tongue. He grew up on Aramaic, a Hebrew dialect. As he wrote this passage, his heart became so filled with emotion that the only word he could use to describe the way he felt is the nursery word he had used back in Tarsus.

         "Abba" is the word he learned at his mother's knee. Though he had to translate it for his Greek readers, he still preferred the word he used when a child.

         No matter how many languages we learn, in moments of excitement we will tend to return to our native tongue. Hence, when Paul's heart was overflowing, he found himself bursting forth in the tender language of his own childhood. It is obvious that to Paul it was an exciting and blessed privilege to call God "Father." It's a title we should never take for granted.

 

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I Still Miss Albert

Albert Pujols had a multi-milestones day on Saturday. He reached 2,500 career hits and 1,500 career runs.

His 25th home run of the year made him the 70th member of the 1,500-runs club. A two-run double -- giving him 87 RBIs on the season -- made him the 98th member of the 2,500-hits club. I hope he ultimately reaches 2000 runs and 3000 hits.

He has been a Hall of Fame performer since the beginning. I think the Cardinals made the right decision to let him go, but I still miss him.

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We Are Family

One of Jesus' most beautiful descriptions of His followers is when He calls us siblings (Matthew 23:8). We believers are family. None of us is higher or lower than any other. None of us have jurisdiction over the rest. Jesus' words condemned lusting for rank, to be more important than others. Jesus was the Champion of commoners, a man of the people, a friend of the oppressed. He expects the same from us.

         In my boyhood church, we called one another "Brother" and "Sister". This is now archaic, and I try to avoid it, but sometimes I slip and it comes out. The wording is out of style, but the lesson behind it never grows old.

         We are all sibling-pupils in one school with one curriculum and with one Teacher. Ignatius described the Ephesians as his "schoolmates".

         Do honor Pastors and teachers. They are to be loved and respected (1 Thess. 5:12-13). But remember they are only brothers. Human teachers are but conduits through which ultimate truth from the ultimate Teacher flows.

         The thought of our being siblings is a great picture of the equality we have as believers. It refers to Christians, but has spilled over in Western Culture as an ideal extending to all. We believe all are created equal, and thus each person should have equal standing before the law.

 

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