Tag Archives: Teachings of Christ

Reach out and make a difference

Posted on June 1, 2015 by | Comments Off on Reach out and make a difference

How-To-ListenReach out and make a difference – it seems what so many more people need today is to have some one reach out to them and to show genuine compassion. In our high-tech world of smart phones, wifi, Facebook, and instant messaging, it seems as if more and more people are losing the ability to communicate and to interact with others on a more personal level. A while back ago, I read an article about some relationship trends developing as a result of technology. Dating relationships, engagements, and even marriages ending through text messages and even Facebook posts and not a personal and more private conversation between two people. As technology creates opportunities to share information , many people are being left emotionally dry, isolated, and alone.

And of some, have compassion…

Within the book of Jude there is a short verse that has begun to take on a new meaning for me: And of some have compassion, making a difference (Jude 22). There’s a lot of truth within this verse if we look beyond the words. We all have had times in our lives where someone showed us compassion and it was their selfless act that did make a difference in our life. Whether it was a heartache, a spiritual battle, an illness, or even just feeling a little down, we have all found ourselves lifted up by others – maybe a coworker, a family member, or a friend. Somebody felt the need to reach out and make a difference in our lives at that moment.

I often use the converse theory used in math to study Bible verses in my personal study. If we take the converse of this verse, it becomes: and most have no compassion, making no difference. Unfortunately, we all have also experienced the times in our life where there was no one that seemed to care. No one moved to show us compassion at a time when we felt that our circumstances would overwhelm us. As Christians, we knew at that time that God was with us but we also desired to have someone to put their arm around us and to comfort us as we faced our trials and difficulties alone. People we thought were friends and who cared simply were too busy with their own lives or simply didn’t notice or want to be bothered with what we were going through. In any case, what we needed was for someone to show us compassion and to desire to make a difference in our lives.

Jesus taught about compassion

Compassion towards others should be a part of our new nature in Jesus. We should now have a desire to reach out to others because of our love for the Lord. Jesus taught: Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:  Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?  Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me (Matthew 25:34-40). What Jesus was teaching in this passage was that compassion is a trait that defines the true believer. Those that did the things that Jesus mentioned, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and visiting those in prison, were welcomed into His eternal presence. Jesus also plainly teaches: Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal (Matthew 25:44-46).

Compassion comes from people

We live in a modern society that has forgotten that regardless of what government programs or community organizations exist, there is no replacing God’s plan when it comes to how we treat others. While government social services agencies and organizations may be able to feed the body, they cannot save the soul. When Christians show compassion to others we are actually setting up an opportunity to share Jesus with others. Peter wrote: But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear (1 Peter 3:15) and when this is our attitude while we are being compassionate towards others, we stand ready to give an account of why we can selflessly give of ourselves. We can be as David wrote in Psalms, I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed (Psalms 119:46) and what Paul wrote to the early Christians in Colossus, Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man (Colossians 3:16). When we reach out to others we are setting up opportunities to share in our faith. Others are more apt to listen to us because they will see it is our faith that compels us to reach out beyond ourselves and to show compassion to others.

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An alert watchman or passive bystander

Posted on April 13, 2015 by | Comments Off on An alert watchman or passive bystander

Chemical-Warning-Signs---Industrial-42948BBHPLY2WY-lgAre you an alert watchman or a passive bystander? That seems like a straight-forward question that deserves an honest answer but seldom will we give it when it comes to our sharing the gospel message. There’s very few of us who walk past a burning house without making sure that those who lived in the house were safe from the danger of the smoke and flames. None of us would walk past a burning car with people trapped inside without trying to get them out. Yet when it comes to having the most important conversation we can ever have with someone, many of us become passive bystanders.

An alert watchman

There’s a very telling passage of scripture within Ezekiel: Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul (Ezekiel 3:17-21). Although the Lord is revealing this to His prophet Ezekiel and his responsibility to the Hebrew people, there is a moral application that can be applied to Christians. 

Ezekiel was warned by God that because he was aware of the dangers facing Israel, he had a moral and spiritual obligation to sound the warning cry. Once the warning cry had been sounded, it was up to those that heard it to either heed the warning or to ignore it. Ezekiel’s obligation ended at sounding the warning; if he chose not to sound the warning, then anyone who died and was unrepentant of their sin, then Ezekiel would bear that responsibility. He would be held accountable by a holy and righteous God for not warning about His judgment and coming wrath. It was for this reason that Jonah spent three nights in the belly of the whale – God had given him instructions to warn those who lived in Nineveh; Jonah initially refused to sound the warning. He was content to be a passive bystander and content to watch God’s wrath and judgment poured out on people whom he (Jonah) had judged to be unworthy of God’s love and salvation.

Christians are to be alert watchmen

Within the gospels, as I shared often within this blog, Jesus gave Christians the responsibility to extend the gospel message. The book of Mark clearly defines our responsibility: And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned (Mark 16:14-16). In the book of Matthew, it states: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen (Matthew 28:19-20). In the book of Acts, we see that this commandment and responsibility is further defined by Jesus: And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 8:7-8). There is a clear teaching here – not only is it a commandment from Jesus for us to share the gospel, there is a moral obligation for us to share the gospel. God planned for each Christian to be an alert watchman, warning about the reality of hell and the importance of accepting Him as Lord and Savior.

In our modern society, we see various warnings all the time. Today’s image is one commonly seen near places where flammable liquids are often stored. The court system within our nation have upheld laws passed by all levels of government requiring places where flammable chemicals are stored to bear these warning signs. Similar legislation requires restaurants and stores to warn customers about wet floors. There are even local ordinances that require those who are on oxygen to hang a warning sign on the doors of their home warning visitors that oxygen, an extremely explosive gas, is being used within the home. If we, by legal obligation, most warn people of the physical dangers that await them, then why do we become hesitant to warn people of the judgment and wrath to come? Why do we become spiritual passive bystanders who seem indifferent to lost people who are facing the greatest spiritual danger – condemnation to eternal punishment in the Lake of Fire.

I cannot think of anything more sad than me, as a Christian, not taking the time to share the most important thing we can ever share – our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ – with those people we say we love and care about. Just as we would warn them if their house were on fire, we should, without any reservation, be willing to approach them in love and share the gospel message with them. There is no other conversation we can have with them that literally has the power to free them from the bondage of sin, that has the potential to change their eternal destination, and to truly be able to enjoy a more meaningful and deep fellowship with Jesus at its center. Just as Ezekiel was to sound the warning of the coming judgment of the Lord to all of Israel, Christians have a mandate to sound the warning to all the world, calling them to repentance, to the Lord, and teaching them about the teachings of Christ. This mandate extends to our children, our grandchildren, our siblings, parents, friends, grandparents, and coworkers – basically anyone that crosses our path each day.

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The sincerity of the cross

Posted on March 30, 2015 by | Comments Off on The sincerity of the cross

sincerity of the crossThe sincerity of the cross is something I have been thinking a lot about since the beginning of March as Palm Sunday approached.  Within the various strands of Christendom this week is known as “holy week.” Beginning on Palm Sunday, Christians around the world pause their busy schedules and focus on the love that Jesus had for all people – But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). This morning, as I was watching some local news, there was a segment on how some Christians spent Palm Sunday and there were two things that immediately stood out – the number of people who are only sincere about their faith around this time of the year and how the world marvels in their misguided understanding of the cross.

The cross demonstrates the sincerity of God’s love

There’s an expression that we often hear both in politics or when we are involved in any team activity that goes “we all must have some skin in the game…” We all understand what that expression means and how right it is to many things in life. A marriage will not work unless both the husband and wife are committed, have the same goals and vision, and are willing to work together. There also must be demonstrations of the sincerity of love and compassion within the marriage that not only shows the level of commitment but the seriousness that both man and woman have within the marriage relationship. The cross is that demonstration of God’s sincerity; it is the greatest demonstration of God’s love for man. There are a few verses in the Bible that help convey this level of love that God has for mankind: Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13), Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren (1 John 3:16) and of course, And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour (Ephesians 5:2).

No matter how the world tries to distort the message or cloud the meaning of the cross, the sincerity of the cross always wins out. The cross is the demonstration of a sacrificial love that I can scarcely comprehend. I think of what Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome: For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life (Romans 5:6-10). Paul is exactly right; how many of us would be willing to sacrifice ourselves or our children for a neighbor, even if we thought that our neighbor was a righteous person? We are often willing to sacrifice an afternoon to help a neighbor we thought was deserving of our help; we do not waste our time on those we do not think are worth the effort. We’ve all heard the expression, “I wouldn’t give them the time of day…” yet not only did God do just that, he sent his Son to take our place and to atone for our sins. The sincerity of God’s love, when we truly understand what the cross means, becomes incontestable. God was demonstrating His love for us through the sincerity of the cross.

The cross demands our sincerity

This time of the year, right before Easter, there are people who will be attending church for the first time since Christmas. As my pastor often jokes, many of these claim to be faithful Christians who attend every Christmas, Easter, and Mother’s Day, yet they sadly miss what has been paid for by the cross. While I do believe that salvation is by grace through faith in the shed blood of Christ, I understand that many who claim to be Christians simply do not understand their new relationship that their acceptance of Jesus as their savior brings. In some cases, I do not believe they have accepted in their heart what the head claims to know, and this can be equally dangerous. In the latter case, there is no salvation through Christ if it has not become heart knowledge; in the former case, there is no true joy and spiritual growth in the life of the believer. Just as a strong marriage depends upon a sincere commitment between a man and a woman to make it work, our relationship with God takes a sincere commitment between God and ourselves to enjoy the richness of our relationship and faith. A person can be a Christian, fully trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ as their only hope for Heaven and yet can miss out on the blessings and true joy of the relationship with the Lord because they are not committed and sincere.

God has already demonstrated His commitment and sincerity to us through the cross; we now have a responsibility to sincerely commit ourselves to the relationship we have with Him. Even Jesus taught this very thing as he said, If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love (John 15:10) and He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him (John 14:21). If we want to show our commitment and sincerity to the Lord in honor of His sacrifice, then we should be willing to live a life that demonstrates our love for Him. We should desire to keep His commandments, not out of some sort of legalistic attitude as had the scribes and Pharisees and even some Christian groups today, but simply because we want to please the Lord with our lifestyle. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service (Romans 12:1) is how Paul described how we should see doing this very thing of living a lifestyle that is pleasing to the Lord. He calls it “our reasonable service” because it is. No matter what we do, our sincerity and commitment will never rival Jesus’ death on the cross but it should be the very best we have to offer to Him.

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