Articles | What does the Bible say about it? | Looking at the world with the Bible in your hand.

The Greatest

Posted on September 13, 2016 by glenn

I was never a fan of the boxer once known as Cassius Clay, and later as Muhammed Ali. Even though I was not a fan, I admit he was one of the great ones in that sport. One of the reasons I didn’t care much for him was his obnoxious arrogance. He always referred to himself as “the greatest.”

We sometimes hear this discussion regarding college football and if a certain team is the greatest of all time. Or perhaps the conversation is about the greatest coach of all time. My team is in the midst of a run of success that is very nearly unmatched in the history of college football. So is it the greatest dynasty of all time in college football? Is the present coach the greatest of all time? It can be discussed at length.

The Greatest.

The Pharisees approached Jesus once and trying to test Him they asked, “Which is the greatest commandment in the law?”

The law referenced the Old Law under which they lived. It has been said there was a total of 613 laws in the Old Testament covenant, 248 do’s and 365 don’ts. And the Jews were known to argue and disagree with which of the laws were most important. Asking Jesus to weigh in on the subject was certainly setting Him up. They were hoping His answer would cause division among His hearers. But such was not the case. In His omniscience, He gave the perfect answer.

Jesus’ answer, found in Matthew 22:37-39 was, “You shall love the LORD your GOD with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

How interesting to note that He gave a summation of the entire Mosaical Law in one reply. What is the greatest command, Jesus? To love. Specifically, to love GOD, followed by, love your neighbor.

Paul, through inspiration of the Holy Spirit, gave the same answer in Romans 13:9, 10. He noted all the commandments could be summed up with this one saying, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” And he added, “love is the fulfillment of the law.”

Look at all 613 laws in the First Covenant and consider they all stemmed from the original commandments given to Moses on Mount Sinai. Before there were 613 laws, there were the original 10 Commandments.

If we look at the 10 Commandments, we note the first 4 have to do with our behavior toward GOD. We are to love GOD. GOD is to be first in our lives, we are not to place idols in His place, we honor His name, we worship Him; and under the First Covenant, that worship happened on the Sabbath Day. (See my earlier blog for why we don’t worship on the Sabbath Day today.) All of this was to honor and love GOD.

The next 6 commandments of the Decalogue have to do with our behavior toward our fellowman. We are to love our neighbors. It is interesting to observe the first commandment on this list addressed our behavior toward our parents. And last on the list was a prohibition regarding coveting our neighbor’s possessions. All 6 of these govern our behavior toward our neighbors.

So Jesus summarized the entire Old Testament including the 10 Commandments with one reply. We are to love GOD and love each other.

Maybe that is why in 1 Corinthians 13 we are told: “And now abide faith, hope, and love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

So what is the greatest? Love.

Jesus addressed it during His ministry when He said, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35

I want to be a disciple. I want all to know that I am a disciple. I want to love more.

Posted in discipleship, God, loyalty, stewardship | Leave a comment

What’s in it for me?

Posted on September 5, 2016 by glenn

We live in a time and culture that is generally selfish. For many it appears to be all about me. All about self. I need cite only one example. Go to Facebook and look at the pictures. This generation has even coined a word for the phenomenon, the selfie picture.

While going to church, I sometimes hear the following frustration expressed, “I just don’t get much out of the service.” Maybe it is because we are not putting much into the service. The bottom line is this, the worship is not designed for us to get something out. Oh sure, if worship is done correctly we will get plenty out of the worship. We will be uplifted and encouraged. But the design of worship is for us to put something into it, for us to give something. We are to give honor, glory and praise to our Father in heaven. Worship is not meant to entertain us. We are not the audience. GOD is the audience. Worship is meant to be pleasing to Him!

The phrase “give me” is often an indication of a serious heart condition. Consider Matthew 14:8 when the daughter of Herodias said to the king, “Give me the head of John the Baptist.” Or Matthew 26:15 where Judas said “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?”

The parable of the Lost Son in Luke 15 has an interesting use of two phrases. The prodigal son begins in verse 12 by saying to the father, “Give me…” But later in verse 19 his attitude has changed when we hear him say, “Make me.”

There is a verse in Psalm 116 that addresses the idea under consideration. Verse 12 reads, “What shall I render to the LORD for all His benefits toward me?”

All too often we turn the phrase around. And by so doing we have the attitude described earlier. That is, by turning the verse around, it reads, what will the LORD give me for all my service to Him?

It reminds me of the speech by President John Kennedy in which he said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

In Psalm 116:12, the Psalmist begins with a very personal approach. What shall I? Please note this is not a time to examine your neighbor, your friend, your spouse, etc. This is personal!

What shall I render? The word render means to yield, to dedicate, or to give. Again we are the givers. The reader is encouraged to read the account of David in the closing verses of 2 Samuel 24. Here David said he would not offer to GOD that which cost him nothing.

What shall I render? What can I give to GOD? For all His benefits toward me…

Just consider all the benefits, the blessings, we have from GOD.

For the spiritual benefits, the reader is encouraged to begin with Ephesians 1:3. Here we find that all spiritual blessings are found in Christ. Consider the following as spiritual blessings received from GOD:

His son – John 3:16, Romans 5:8, Titus 3:3-4

the church – Ephesians 1:22-23, Acts 20:28

the Bible – 2 Timothy 3:16

all the promises – II Peter 1:4

the hope of heaven – Titus 1:2

Have you counted your physical benefits lately? For starters consider:

family – Proverbs 19:14, Psalms 127:3-5

health – 3 John 2

food, clothing, shelter – Matthew 6:25-33

peace – Philippians 4:7

freedom – Galatians 3:28

So what can I give to GOD in return?

my unqualified love – Matthew 22:37

my time – Ephesians 5:15-17

my talents – Matthew 25:14-30, 1 Corinthians 12:12-27

my money – 2 Corinthians 9:7

my thanks – Ephesians 5:20

Forgive me oh LORD when I turn it around and make it about me; when I selfishly think “what is in it for me?” When I demand, “Give me.” Forgive me for the “selfie” attitude. Let me be reminded of all the benefits You have rendered unto me and “make me” what You want me to be.

Posted in discipleship, giving, opportunity, reflection, service, stewardship | Leave a comment

Gold Silver or Bronze

Posted on August 17, 2016 by glenn

The 2016 Summer Olympic Games, this year known as the 31^st Olympiad, will come to a close in a few days. It has been a joy to watch the world class athletes competing for their respective countries. I am proud to say the US has won more than its share of medals – gold, silver and bronze. Just last night I watched Jenny Simpson become the first American female to medal in the 1500 meter race (about a mile) winning bronze.

One of the last events will be the men’s marathon. It will be run on Sunday. Being a recreational runner myself I enjoy watching the running events. Perhaps you are aware the marathon had its origin in ancient Greece when the runner, Pheidippides, ran the 25 miles from Marathon to Athens to announce the Grecian victory over Persia in the Battle of Marathon (the year 490 BC). Upon his arrival he proclaimed the victory with the Greek word nikomen (translated “we win”)! Unfortunately legend has it that he then collapsed and died.

I remember as a young man participating in those track meets and the pride I felt when I would win an award. Oh and I still have the same feeling when I participate in running events now. But at my age the only chance I have of winning anything now is occasionally placing in my age group.

Paul speaks of running a race in 1 Corinthians 9:24. And he notes that there is only one winner. The Hebrew writer encourages us to run the race that is set before us. (Hebrews 12:1) Of course the text is using the race as a metaphor for life.

As much as the gold, silver, bronze, or trophies might mean now. The real prize awaits the faithful Christian as we read in Revelation 2:10 “…be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” Now that is the real prize. That is the ultimate crown.

In a sense the battle between good and evil has already been fought and the victory claimed.

Revelation 17:14 notes “These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them…”

The word overcome has the same origin in the Greek as the phrase Pheidippides used. The word is a key word in the study of the Revelation. It is the Greek word nikao. It means to overcome, to get the victory. Our modern athletic apparel company Nike gets its name from here.

But to the faithful child of GOD the comfort is this. The outcome has already been determined. And the victory proclaimed. Good will win. Righteousness will triumph. The Lamb will be victorious.

The only question is, will I be on the winning team? Be faithful until death.

Posted in memory, stewardship | Leave a comment

Another Sign

Posted on August 9, 2016 by glenn

I’ve written before about my maternal grandfather and the blue sign nailed to the old oak tree in his yard. (Refer to “An old blue sign” blog, October 16, 2012) I remember another sign hanging on his old garage. This sign had an interesting inscription that was quite puzzling to a young child. It read “Ye must be born again.”

To a child, that raised questions. How can one be born again? But there is an account in the Bible where an adult man, who happened to be a member of a highly respected religious council, asked the same question. Nicodemus, a member of the Sanhedrin, asked Jesus in John 3, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”

The study of Nicodemus is an interesting study. We see him 3 times in the gospel of John. And each time we see his faith growing. John chapter 3 is the first time we meet him. Because he was a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin and perhaps for privacy concerns, he comes to Jesus by night.

Later in John 20:30-31 we read that the signs Jesus did were meant to produce faith. And that is what has happened with Nicodemus. He calls Jesus “Rabbi”, and acknowledges Him as a teacher, and that He has come from GOD. And all of this because of the signs Jesus did. Those signs have produced faith in Nicodemus.

The second time we see him is in John 7:50-51. Here, Nicodemus’ faith has grown to the point of openly defending Jesus. And finally, we see him in the latter part of John 19. Here the text tells us he was a partner with Joseph of Arimathea in claiming the body of Jesus and helping with the burial. How his faith has grown! He is no longer hiding under the veil of darkness.

So what is the answer to the question, ‘how can a man be born again’?

Jesus answered the question by saying, “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of GOD.”

So what is the role of water in this birth? The water is clearly a reference to water baptism. And Jesus makes clear it is not an option. He says, “You must be born again.”

A sampling of verses helps in this discussion. Think of the following verses as equations.

John 3:5 Spirit + water = entrance into the Kingdom

1^st Corinthians 12:13 Spirit + baptism = entrance into the body

Ephesians 5:25-26 Word + washing of water = cleansed

Titus 3:5 Spirit + washing of regeneration = saved

Mark 16:15-16 Belief + baptism = salvation

In mathematics there is a principle that is noteworthy here. Things that are equal to the same thing are equal to each other. Most would agree that the right hand side of all the above equations are referring to the same thing. Cleansed, saved, salvation, entrance into the Kingdom, are all equivalent expressions. And if that is true, then we can say the left hand sides must also be equivalent. Thus the water, washing of water, washing of regeneration, and baptism all refer to the same act.

As the narrative continues it is said John also was baptizing in the region because there was much water there (verse 23). Those who claim the water Jesus is referring to in verse 5 is a figurative expression and that water baptism is not an essential part of salvation are sadly mistaken.

Jesus’ answer to Nicodemus seems to indicate there are two parts to salvation, water and the Spirit. Water, or baptism, is man’s part; the Spirit is GOD’S part. This is completely consistent with what we see in places like Ephesians 2:8-9. For by grace are you saved through faith… Grace is GOD’S part in offering us salvation; faith is man’s part in accepting the gift.

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Galatians 3:27

Therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17

Nicodemus’ faith came about because of the signs Jesus did. I am thinking about another kind of sign. That old sign hanging on the shed so many years ago. Both of these strengthen my faith.

Posted in authority, faith, family, forgiveness, influence, memory, reflection | Leave a comment

You da man

Posted on August 1, 2016 by glenn

You da man!

Everyone has heard this expression. Although it is not exclusive to sports, it is especially common among athletes. I played various sports in my younger years. Whether it is sinking a bucket in basketball or getting the crucial yard in football, after a good play the expression “you da man” is fitting and is a complement.

It is found in the Old Testament but it is used in a way that is not so complementary.

David has always been one of my favorite Bible characters. He is after all referred to as “a man after GOD’S own heart.” (Acts 13:22)

One of the reasons for believing in the Inspiration of the Bible is that a book written by man would not have revealed the failures and weaknesses of its heroes. Yet here is David. King. The City of David. Mentioned prominently in the lineage of Christ in Matthew 1. And yet his faults are not hidden.

That is the reason he is one of my favorite characters of the Bible. When I read about this great man of GOD and his failures, then I can be encouraged even when I remember my own failures.

One of the great failures Scripture records about David is found in 2 Samuel 11. It is here we read about David and the adulterous relationship with Bathsheba. There are many lessons to be learned from this account. I will mention just a few without any attempt to expound on them.

Verse 1 notes that in times when kings go out to battle, David remained in Jerusalem and sent Joab. Hence we might say David was in a place he shouldn’t have been.

Verse 2 reveals that in his time of leisure David saw the beautiful woman from his roof’s vantage point. The text says she was beautiful to behold leading us to think David not only looked, he beheld. 1 John 1:1 makes a distinction between “that which is seen” and “that which is looked upon.” It appears David gave more than just the casual glance. Sometimes something catches our eye but the trouble could be when we began to “look upon” it, when we behold it.

Further reading notes David enquired about her and was told she was the wife of another. Apparently that didn’t matter to him and he sent and took her.

This incident shaped David’s life. Many of the Psalms reveal David’s guilt over this. Read Psalms 51 for a particularly emotional example.

But as is sometimes the case, David did not immediately see the great wrong he had done. Chapter 12 details the LORD sending Nathan to David. Nathan’s parable is most fitting and when David heard the parable he reacted just like we all do, “…the man that has done this shall surely die.”

And then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!”

You da man, David, you da man. Only this time it is not good.

David has just been reminded of the great wrong he has committed.

To his credit, and probably one reason he was a man after GOD’S own heart, he realized his mistake and he repented. Verse 13 of chapter 12 notes, “I have sinned against the LORD.”

You da man. How many times in our lives are we like David? The sin might not be committing adultery and having someone killed. But how many times each day are we guilty of sin? What if we had a Nathan coming to us each time and saying “you are the man.”

We actually do have a Nathan telling us those things. It is called a conscience. But it has to be trained properly. It has to be aligned with GOD’S word.

The Hebrew writer notes in Hebrews 13:8, “Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably.”

My prayer – “LORD, I desire to have a conscience that is trained according to Your will. And when I mess up, I want to be like David. When my conscience convicts me, when ‘I am the man’, I want to be like David. Forgive me of my sins, help me to repent of my wrongs and strive to do better.”

Posted in forgiveness, salvation, sin | 1 Comment

A cup of cold water

Posted on July 29, 2016 by glenn

We have so much road construction going on in our area. It seems everywhere we go there is a delay. Recently while returning home I was caught in a line of traffic. It was the middle of the day with temperatures in the mid-90s. The gentleman holding the stop sign was an older man. I couldn’t help but think of how long the day must be to stand there for hours switching the sign from stop to slow to stop.

As I sat there waiting to proceed I noticed a truck coming from the opposite direction. The driver had pulled out of a convenience store parking lot just ahead and proceeded in the opposite lane. As he neared the sign holder he slowed and rolled his window down. I thought maybe he was going to ask for directions. But no, he held out his hand with a soft drink to give to the older man. I could tell by the older man’s reaction that he was surprised and happy to receive the drink.

It made me feel good to see this. My first thought was “there are still good people in this world.”

But it also made me feel guilty to know how many times each day we have opportunities to do good only to let them slip by unnoticed.

Galatians 6:10 – as we have opportunity let us do good to all…

Hebrews 6:10 – For GOD is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have done…

Matthew 10:42 – …only a cup of cold water…

Posted in giving, opportunity, sacrifice, stewardship | Leave a comment

Humbled

Posted on July 21, 2016 by glenn

So first let me tell you a little something about me only to make the obvious point. I am just shy of 60 years old but generally have the health of someone much younger. This is evidenced by the fact I have run almost 30,000 miles in the last 40 years. And a recent visit to the doctor produced the following statement from him, “There is not one thing I can suggest you do differently.”

Now you should know that I look much older than I am. I have had white hair for a long time that ages me beyond my years. So my mantra is ‘I am not as old as I look nor as young as I feel.’ Now let that sink in for a moment. I do feel much younger than my age…most of the time.

So what happened today? During my morning run today I tripped and while stumbling forward, fell into the ditch. In so doing I twisted my ankle. At first it was not a big deal and I went to work. By lunch, ankle swollen and throbbing, I could barely walk.

My normal routine is to go by the post office at lunch and that is where I was humbled. I am slowly inching up the sidewalk toward the door. The door that I almost always hold open for others to enter proved to be my moment today. A little ole lady, white hair, probably mid 80’s, likely weighing less than her age, grabbed the door and said, “Here let me get this for you.”

Humbled.

Of course I thanked her and tried to be gracious but ouch, that hurt!

Humbled.

Humility is a funny thing. If you think you are humble you probably are not. It is one of my pet peeves to hear those leading public prayer to say, “As we humbly approach Your throne…” Are we telling GOD of our humility? GOD knows our heart. Only He knows if we are truly humble. We certainly don’t need to tell Him. Maybe a better approach would be “As we approach Your throne help us to do it in a humble fashion that would be pleasing to You.”

Think of the humility of Jesus. Philippians 2:8 reads, “And being found in the appearance as a man, He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” Maybe we should think about this verse before we proclaim our humility before GOD.

1 Peter 5:5 – “GOD resists the proud and gives grace to the humble.” Oh how I need His grace. And I don’t want to be guilty of anything that would cause Him to resist me.

In Luke 18, we read the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. The tax collector exemplifies humility as we read “and the tax collector would not so much as lift his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast saying, ‘GOD, be merciful to me a sinner’.” And the text ends with “and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

In the Philippians verse above, the text says Christ humbled Himself. The Luke passage makes a reference to humbling oneself. The phrase “humbles himself” is found 4 times in the New Testament. Each time it is emphasizing the need for humility.

I needed the lesson on humility today. But today’s lesson came with quite a bit of pain. And so at least for now, I am not as old as I look and I don’t feel as young as I did this morning.

Posted in humility, reflection | Leave a comment

The Tobacco Can and the Buried Treasure

Posted on July 18, 2016 by glenn

I remember as a child being fascinated with the idea of buried treasure. Once as a young child I put some money into a Prince Albert Tobacco can and buried it in the yard. Now first of all if you can remember this container then you have revealed your age. Let’s just say you are not a millennial!

The Prince Albert Tobacco can was about 4 inches wide and maybe 6 inches long and about an inch thick. It was red, made of metal and had a lid that was certainly not waterproof. In my young childhood, in the days before the health risk was widely known, my father smoked. He rolled his own cigarettes and thus bought his own tobacco.

So my buried treasure was put into a tobacco can and placed in the ground for some distance future time. Not long afterwards, but unfortunately after the next rain, I dug up my treasure only to find it filled with water!

The Bible speaks of buried treasure in Matthew 13:44. It also speaks of treasure buried within us!

2 Corinthians 4:7 reads “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellence of the power may be of GOD and not of us.”

During Paul’s time this idea of ‘treasure in earthen vessels’ would have had a special meaning. When countries were being invaded, kings would take all the gold and silver and melt it down. They would pour this into clay or earthen pots and bury the treasure. When the danger had past, they would dig up the pots, break them open and retrieve their treasures molding them back into whatever was desired.

So what was the treasure to which Paul was referring? A reading of the previous verses makes clear that Paul is referring to the gospel and the preaching of such. He is simply saying this great treasure, the gospel, has been placed in earthen vessels. These earthen vessels are not clay pots but rather, us!

We see this illustrated many times in the Bible. 2 Timothy 2:2 reads, “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

The passage describes how the truth is to be passed from generation to generation. Note in this text there are 4 generations of earthen vessels listed beginning with Paul. Paul, Timothy, faithful men, and others are the 4 generations. This gospel message is preserved and passed to future generations by use of faithful “earthen vessels.”

GOD has chosen to use faithful men to carry His message. Consider the following interesting example. In recounting Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus from Acts 22, it is noted that Jesus told Saul to ‘Arise and go into Damascus and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.’ Did you ever wonder why Jesus did not just tell him what to do right there? Why did He send Paul to someone else to receive instructions? Jesus did not instruct him because that was not the way GOD had chosen to spread the gospel. GOD chose to use men in that process and in this case it was Ananias who led Paul to be baptized, washing away his sins. (Acts 22:16)

Consider the fact that if you are a faithful Christian, then you are an earthen vessel. This treasure is placed within you and as such you are accountable for how you use it. Will you use it or will you be like the one talent servant in Matthew 25:25 and bury your treasure?

Matthew 28:19 commands us to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

So what if the treasure buried in the clay pots was just left in the pots? What if the treasure was never dug up and used for good? To remain in the pots, buried in the ground was not the intended purpose. It was supposed to be retrieved and utilized.

What about the gospel message hidden within you? Is it a buried treasure waiting to be utilized? Your purpose as Ananias illustrated in Acts 22, is to proclaim that truth and lead others to Christ. May we ever be about His business.

Posted in discipleship, opportunity, stewardship | Leave a comment

Right or Effective?

Posted on July 14, 2016 by glenn

We have a religious body in our community that is fairly new to this area. Their facilities, in a prime location, look like a small community college campus.

I recently heard the leader of this very popular growing religious group being interviewed on television. He ended the interview with this statement, “Our goal isn’t to be right, it is to be effective.”

I think they are accomplishing their goal. Their numbers are growing exponentially. Their buildings are magnificent and I am told paid in full as they build. People are excited about their worship. Yes, they clearly are being effective.

Effective? We all want to be effective. We all want to make a difference.

Right? Well, yes, ideally we would like to be both effective and right.

But which one would you choose as the more important? What would be your goal? Right or Effective? Remember the statement was “our goal isn’t to be right” so we have to choose. I am asking, what is your primary goal? To be right or to be effective?

To be effective and yet be wrong; pause and consider what this could mean. Large numbers, happy people, helping one another, wonderful worship experiences, many activities, close friendships. But in the end lost if one has sacrificed the truth for effectiveness.

If our goal is to be effective, what happens if we sacrifice truth along the way?

For what profit is it to a man if he should gain the whole world and lose his soul? Mt 16:26

To be right. This must be our primary goal. If we seek truth, we hope the effectiveness will follow. But our primary concern must be to seek the truth regardless of what follows.

Consider the words of Paul to the evangelists, Timothy and Titus. Paul mentioned things “contrary to sound doctrine” in 1 Tim 1:10. Twice in Titus, in 1:9 and 2:1, Paul makes reference to sound doctrine.

He said the time would come when people would not endure sound doctrine in 2 Tim 4:3. He goes on to say that according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers and turn away their ears from the truth and be turned aside to fables.

Could those described as “according to their own desires”, be those in Paul’s time who were interested in being effective regardless? Paul certainly sets them in opposition to those with sound doctrine.

What do you suppose would have been Paul’s answer if presented with the choice of right or effective? There is no question in my mind that Paul’s first responsibility was to be right.

I want to be a part of GOD’S people. I want to make a difference in the lives of those around me. I want to be a part of a loving spiritual family. I want to be surrounded by friends engaged in meaningful worship and service to my GOD. But in the end what I really want is to be right with Him.

I realize that my salvation depends not on my being effective. My salvation depends on my being right. My salvation will be only because He loved me enough to send His Son to die in my place. And through that gracious gift I can have eternal life with Him IF I am right with Him.

I hope to be effective. I hope to make a difference in the lives of those around me. I hope to bring honor and glory to my LORD. But what I really hope is to hear Him say, “Well done good and faithful servant.” And I know in order to hear those words I have to be right. Paul encouraged Titus (1:9) to hold fast to the faithful word, to the sound doctrine, he had been taught. Help me to the same end O LORD.

Posted in authority, discipleship, faith, hypocrisy, judgement, stewardship, worship | Leave a comment

To Make America Great Again…

Posted on July 1, 2016 by glenn

During the 1800’s, Alexis de Toqueville, a famous French political philosopher, visited our nation seeking to uncover the secret of our greatness. He traveled from town to town, asking questions and examining every facet of our society. When he finished he then wrote his conclusions in his famous work, “Democracy in America.”

Presidents Eisenhower, Reagan, & Clinton have quoted from it. And I believe the message of the following quote is very relevant today.

“I sought for America’s greatness. I found it not in her fields & forests. I found it not in her mines & factories. I found it not in her Congress and great tribunals. It was only when I entered her churches & heard her pulpits thundering against sin & preaching righteousness that I discovered her greatness. America is great because America is good. If America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”

One of our Presidential candidates is running on the promise to make America great again. If America is no longer great, it is because America is no longer good.

I am by nature an optimist. I choose to see the glass half full. I think America is still good. You won’t get that impression by reading the news. It is full of the sensational and the negative. But I believe the majority of the citizens of this great country are still good people.

I would like to think if de Tocqueville entered our churches today he would still hear pulpits thundering against sin and preaching righteousness. This might not be the case in all settings. I realize many are now preaching a watered down gospel that is pleasing to the ears of the members and designed to appease the masses. But I trust the simple truth is still being proclaimed across this great land.

As we observe our Nation’s 240^th Independence Day, let us remember ours is a great nation not only because of the people but also because it has been built upon the principles of Scripture. Our very law is gleaned from the pages of the Old Testament, and many of the founding principles were based upon God’s Word.

Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the opening words of the Declaration of Independence declare “We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

Our nation’s forefathers found that Scripture spoke about freedom, and so they determined that this new nation would be dedicated to creating that atmosphere. They foresaw America to be a place where freedom would be the foundation of everything they sought to do. Because of that determination, we in America have been blessed with many freedoms that other nations don’t have. Oh, how thankful I am for our freedoms.

But even with that foundation for our country, there is one freedom that America cannot give its citizens. In fact, no government on the face of the earth can supply that freedom.

Beginning in John 8:31, Jesus said, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”

The Jews did not understand. They thought of themselves as being free. But Jesus continued by saying, “I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.”

Jesus was talking about the freedom from sin and He made clear that freedom comes through the knowledge of the truth.

There are two things to note.

This freedom is conditional. Jesus said “If you abide in My word.” One must be in the word and abide in the word in order to be disciples and be free.
You shall know the truth. There are those today who say there is no such thing as truth. Pilate asked the question, “What is truth?” You shall know the truth clearly implies truth exists and it can be known. And it is only through this truth that we can experience the freedom from sin.

I love this country and the freedoms we enjoy. But I realize there is a freedom that is only found in Christ. And as much as I love all the freedoms we have here, I realize the freedom from sin is that which will make all the difference in my eternal destination.

Posted in faith, government, opportunity | Leave a comment

What does the Bible say about it?