Bad Breath Be a Dad Blood and Shame Callouses Clang Clang Committed Husbands Contrast Full of It Great Expectations Jelly Donut Just Show Up Life’s Purpose Money, Youth, and Power No Doubt Spiritual Muscles The Good China Treasure in the Dark Your Lunch Giants and Grapes
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Bad Breath
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” (Mark 11:25, NIV)
Do you know any “close-talkers?” These are people that can’t seem to keep a comfortable distance, or “bubble,” around themselves when they speak to others. They stand so close you can tell what they had for breakfast and whether or not they brushed their teeth that morning. When I am speaking with a close-talker and they have bad breath, I immediately stop listening to them no matter what the conversation may be about. I can’t concentrate on what they are saying because their breath smells so bad. Praying to God with an unrepentant heart is like close-talking with bad breath; regardless of what you are saying, you stink.
Our unforgiveness greatly affects our relationship with God. If we refuse to forgive others for their sins, God will refuse to forgive us for our sins (Matthew 6:15, 18:21-35). So who takes the first step in forgiveness? The more spiritually mature always takes the first step. Jesus asked the Father to forgive the very people that were murdering Him while they were still fighting over his clothes (Luke 23:34). The more spiritually mature always takes the lead. It’s your responsibility to make the first move, and until that happens you just stink.
We are commanded to forgive the excusable in others because Jesus has forgiven the inexcusable in us. Do not wait to forgive. If someone has wronged you do not wait until they ask for forgiveness. Just let go of the pain and bitterness and forgive them. Easier said than done, I know, but it can be done with Christ’s help.
Be a Dad
But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (1 Timothy 5:8, ESV)
Frankly, this generation just doesn’t know what it means to be a man. Instead of learning what manhood is and embracing it, millions of men are becoming addicts of entertainment, pornography, drugs and alcohol, and video games. They want the privileges and honor of a man and the responsibility and moral requirements of a mere boy. But boys cannot lead a family, they cannot be honored as men of God, and they cannot be godly dads.
Before the industrial revolution, boys learned what it meant to be a man while working alongside their father. They learned the value of a promise and of a handshake. They learned the satisfaction of a hard day’s work and of the rewards that follow. They learned that a man must sacrifice for his family and they learned of the honor and respect that accompanies a man’s responsibility. But in the 1800’s factory work took men away from their homes. The family’s first line of defense against the world had been taken from the family in the name of provision. While dad’s influence was removed from the home the world’s influence quickly filled the void.
Today, televisions turn on and fill the minds of our children with examples of incompetent, unintelligent, abusive, homosexual, and even completely absent fathers. The vast majority of prisoners, drug abusers, dropouts, runaways, and rapists all have one thing in common: they come from homes with either an absent or abusive father. And statistics say that kids are twenty times more likely to end up in prison if their dad is not involved in their lives. That’s the monumental influence a father has on his children.
Today, by the time most men get home from work they are typically too tired to play, teach, and fully engage with their family. Men spend more time working an additional shift, watching television, surfing the internet, or playing video games than engaged in meaningful conversation with their children. Meals are eaten with their television rather than with their family. Men spend their time entertaining themselves rather than teaching their boys how to become men of God. They just do not realize the importance of their spiritual direction and leadership.
The word “father” means founder, source, chief, or leader. That means you are the founder, source, chief, and leader of your family. Your leadership will determine their direction. Your God-given duty, as a man, is to direct your family to Jesus Christ. Our children learn their identity from us and it’s our job to keep our children from having to learn the lessons of life the hard way. So put your phone down. Turn off the television, the computer, and the X-Box. Play with your kids. Laugh with them. Read to them. Pray with them. Teach them. Be a man and do your job. Be a dad.
Blood and Shame
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” (Genesis 3:7-10, NIV)
When Adam and Eve were still perfect and without sin, they knew no guilt or shame. They were completely exposed in both body and soul and were not afraid… until they sinned. One of the first things that sin did was to introduce guilt and shame into the human race. Adam and Eve ate from the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, and in doing so they brought both the stain and the knowledge of sin. And what was man’s first response to this new-found shame? Adam said, “I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” The first thing that man did as a response to their sin was to try and cover it up. They tried to hide it and keep it out of sight, but that never works.
Immediately after man sinned and brought shame to himself, God sacrificed for that sin and covered his shame. In contrast to man’s response to hide his sin, God’s response was to expose it, shed blood for it, and cloth man’s shame in His sacrifice. God killed an animal and then covered them with the animal’s skin. The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. (Genesis 3:21, NIV)
You see, from the very beginning sin would be impossible for man to fix. It would bring mankind the stain of both guilt and shame, and it would require blood to remove it. God clothed Adam and Eve and temporarily covered their shame and nakedness. This animal sacrifice- the blood that was shed for the sin of the first man- was prophetic of Jesus Christ’s ultimate sacrifice. It is His blood that was shed for all men and it is His blood that purifies us and covers our guilt and shame. It is His blood that gets out even the most stubborn and deepest of stains.
If you have been trying to cover your sins and have been hiding from God, stop it. Bring Him your faults, your failures, your guilt and your shame. Trust Jesus Christ to cleanse you and cover your nakedness and to cloth you in His righteousness. I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom in his wedding suit or a bride with her jewels. (Isaiah 61:10, NLT)
Callouses
And he said, “Go and say to this people, ‘When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes-so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them’” (Isaiah 6:9-10, NLT)
God has created our bodies to be incredibly adaptive. Our skin, for example, will adapt to an overexposure to friction and repeated direct impact by producing additional skin cells in the impacted area. These additional skin cells form a callous which becomes hard and rough in order to protect the more delicate skin beneath it. But there is an unforeseen cost to this additional protection: you lose sensitivity.
Through calloused skin, nerves lose their delicate sensitivity and a gentle touch is no longer as intimate and warm. You are unable to feel the same sensations you had before. Your skin may be more resilient, but you have lost the tenderness you once had. Your perception of touch is now colder and much harder.
Callouses also affect the people around you. What seems to be protecting you may in-fact be hurting others. If you use your rough and calloused hands to caress the face of your wife or children, for example, your attempt at delicacy can become a painful scratch. You may sincerely intend on being gentle, but now there is a roughness to you. Your protective callous has produced a painful scratch to those around you in an effort of self-protection. These callouses must be removed if there is any hope of ever becoming a “gentle man” again.
A gentleman removes his callouses in order to be the tender man when he needs to be, but he needs help to do it. He must ask God to dig deep into his soul and actually remove a part of who he has become in order to reveal the more sensitive and gentle part of the man he ought to be. If you have hardened yourself in the name of self-protection- if your touch is no longer gentle but rough and hurtful and have become so hard, cold and calloused that you are no longer sensitive to the Holy Spirit- ask God to help you remove those callouses. Ask God to help you remove the excessive buildup of barriers you have developed that make you lose sensitivity to God. Ask God to heal your ears so that you may hear, your eyes that they may see, and your heart that it may feel. Because callouses don’t help, they hurt.
Clang! Clang!
Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53:4-5, ESV)
Clang! …Clang! The sound rang out through the crowd. Clang! …Clang! Skin and muscles pierced. Clang! …Clang! Blood vessels and bones broken. Clang! …Clang! The screaming almost drowns out the sound of the hammer smashing bone, but everyone hears. It rings out like the steady beating of a drum. Clang! …Clang! Then, the sound suddenly changes. Thud! …Thud! It’s muffled now as the nails sink into the rough wooden cross. The final nail is bent. The cross is lifted above the crowd and slides into the rock-filled hole. The man drops his hammer and stares up at the One he nailed to the cross. He wipes his brow and walks to a nearby bowl of water to wash. He splashes his face and scrubs his hands then pauses briefly, staring at the blood-filled bowl. The water settles and the reflection appears. It’s you.
Each and every one of us have held that hammer and nailed our Savior to the cross. Jesus has not only forgiven our sins and given us eternal life, but He stands in heaven and actually intercedes for us- His murderers. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors. (Isaiah 53:12, ESV) OH! What a Savior!
Committed Husbands
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansingher by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. (Ephesians 5:25-28, NIV)
As husbands we have a God-given responsibility to lovingly lead our wives to Jesus Christ with honor, no matter the cost, and to commit ourselves fully to our wives in the covenant of marriage. We are to love our wives as Christ loved the church; to sacrifice for her. Unfortunately our society seems to have forgotten the value of our God-instituted marriage.
“I do… until I don’t,” is what marriages have been reduced to now days. The list of conditions that we place our covenant is growing exponentially and there is little to no commitment. But our commitment in a marriage is not to our wives alone, but also to God. Remember: a marriage is a covenant (unbreakable promise) between one man, one woman, and God. It has not been created by man but by God Himself, and it is the glue that connects dads with their children and directly reflects the commitment level of our Heavenly Father.
A divorce will rip a family apart like nothing else. I am not saying there is no room for understanding, compassion and forgiveness when one has been through a divorce. There most certainly is. A divorce is absolutely heartbreaking to go through for every single person involved, and as a church we must comfort our brothers and sisters through their heartache. I am speaking to the acceptance of this lack of commitment in general and the complete disregard for the sacrament of marriage that seems so prevalent today.
In generations past couples were much more likely to stay together and work through their differences for the sake of their kids, but this generation divorces at the first sign of adversity. Our society convinces itself that kids are better off if their unhappy parents get a divorce; this is simply not true and it is extremely selfish. The best thing for children to see, regardless of their age, is for parents to humble themselves, repent of their selfishness, forgive each other, and re-commit themselves to their marriage. Millions of innocent kids are forced to pay the price of their parents’ pride and selfishness every year. Real men make commitments and follow through with them as husbands.
Adam did not leave his wife, even when she failed him. Eve didn’t leave her husband, even when he failed to properly lead and protect her. Christ does not give up on us when we cheat on Him, disrespect Him, avoid Him, and misuse Him. He forgives us. We need to be men who cry out to God for help in loving and forgiving each other rather than giving up in difficult times. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate. (Mark 10:9, ESV)
Contrast
And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. (1 Thessalonians 1:6-8, ESV)
The word “Christian” originated at Antioch in the first century and actually began as a derogatory term in reference to the followers of Jesus Christ. But, before they were called Christian, followers of Jesus were simply referred to as “People of The Way.” Eventually, the term “Christian” became affectionately adopted by its name bearers and these People of the Way would make a monumental cultural impact as they continued to live their lives in direct contrast to the wicked society in which they lived.
The Greco-Roman culture (which the first century Christians were submerged within) did not place great value on human life. This society said only the strong should survive. Only the most physically attractive and esthetically pleasing were valuable enough to live. Offspring in this culture were either heirs to a name or birthing vessels, not children. Physically deformed children would be tossed out into the streets like trash. It was quite common for a newborn Roman baby to be placed outside in the cold overnight in order to evaluate his potential worth as a male heir to his father’s name. If he survived he was worthy of additional training and the right to become an heir. In this culture, life was cheap, but Christians valued life and believed that every life is priceless. Christians frequently found these outcast children dying outside from exposure and brought them into their homes to love and to raise as their own. They adopted the outcasts as sons and daughters in the same way that God has adopted us: outcasts, who’ve become adopted as sons and daughters of God through Jesus Christ.
The world accuses and condemns, Jesus justifies and redeems. Society says take, Jesus tells us to give. The world tells us to serve ourselves, Jesus tells us to serve others. The world says exalt yourself, Jesus tells us to humble yourself. The world tells us to find a new wife if the one God has given us doesn’t meet our expectations, Jesus tells us to die for her. Live as a follower of the way. Be an example of Christ. Live a life that is worthy of being called a Christian. Live in contrast.
Full of It
“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. (Luke 6:43-45, NIV)
What are you full of? Are you constantly complaining, gossiping, arguing, lying, condemning, cursing, or yelling? Perhaps you are one of the few that are consistently speaking gentle truth and encouragement: you’re gracious, merciful, and consistently uplifting others. Whatever it is that you are speaking, know that what comes out of your mouth is coming directly from your own heart (Matthew 15:11, Mark 7:15, 20, Luke 6:43-45).
The meaning of these passages are simple: just as a tree is known to be either a good or bad tree by the fruit it bears, so a man is known to be either a good or bad man by his words. The root of the tree (your heart) bears either good fruit or bad fruit (words, actions, and attitudes). Your fruit is also your defining characteristic: orange tree bears oranges, angry man bears anger. This is not to say that you will not occasionally have a bad apple or two within a good harvest, or even a bitter season, but the common and constant course of your life and conversations should be healthy, not rotten. So, store up good things in your heart. Think and meditate on God’s goodness: the grace that has been given to you- the mercy and forgiveness that you do not deserve. Find the goodness in others and before you know it you will be speaking it because you are full of it.
Giants and Grapes
Moses gave the men these instructions as he sent them out to explore the land: “Go north through the Negev into the hill country. See what the land is like and find out whether the people living there are strong or weak, few or many. This was their report to Moses: “We entered the land you sent us to explore, and it is indeed a bountiful country—a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind of fruit it produces. But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak! (Numbers 13:17-18, 27-28, NLT)
I grew up in the generation that played video games like Super Mario Bros. Stupid story of two Italian brothers that were plumbers, who were supposed to defeat several levels inside a world of man-eating plants and walking mushrooms. There were bosses at the end of each level until you reached the big boss, Bowser. Bowser is a giant dragon with a shell, who shoots fireballs, jumps up and down roaring, kidnaps princesses and stands on a bridge over lava, right in-front of a castle. Mario is supposed to defeat the giant bad guy, save the princess, and enter into the castle. That was the promised land for Mario. He just had to fight a giant fire-breathing dragon. It seemed like an impossible task. The Israelites were facing giants too, who seemed impossible to defeat.
Not that long after leaving captivity in Egypt, the Israelites arrived right outside the land God had promised them. Moses sent out twelve men, one from each tribe of Israel, to scout the land so that they could plan and prepare for battle and claim their promised land. The land was truly amazing and produced grapes so big two men had to carry a single cluster on a pole! (Numbers 13:23) But, the land also had huge giants. These were literally giant men who were the decedents of the Nephilim. The Nephilim were offspring of demons and humans (Genesis 6:2-6, Numbers 13:22, 28-29, 33). Facing a fortified city filled with ruthless wicked enemies and giants, the outcome of success seemed impossible. So, ten of the twelve scouts gave a bad report and told the people that they could not prevail against such odds. Only Caleb and Joshua were confident. Caleb said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” (Numbers 13:30, ESV) But, “Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” (Numbers 13:31, ESV) The people decided not to trust God and fight for the land. Instead, they wandered through the desert as punishment for forty years until every adult of that generation died, except Caleb and Joshua. Then their children, along with Caleb and Joshua, were allowed to enter the promised land.
You see, they saw the same things: giants and grapes. The difference was perspective. Whether it’s the great Covid freak-out of 2020-2021, cancer, death of a loved one, divorce, or loss of a job, I guarantee you’ll have giants. But you’ll never have peace without trusting the Lord and facing it. You can defeat Bowser, rescue the princess, and live in the castle. “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it” (Numbers 13:30, ESV) Trust the Lord, face your giants, and enjoy your grapes.
Great Expectations
O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens. (Psalm 8:1, NLT)
Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly. (Psalm 5:3, NLT)
You tend to see what you expect to see and hear what you expect to hear. If you wake up and expect to have a miserable day, you will probably have a miserable day. If you get into your car and expect to get frustrated in traffic, you probably will get frustrated in traffic. You will find whatever it is that you are expecting to find. This is called “The Law of Expectation.”
The enemy does not want us to be meditating on the Lord, neither does our carnal flesh. The fallen man actually wants to find things to complain about, but we are the ones that have control of every action and every thought. It is our pleasure and our responsibility to conform our thoughts to the things of God every single day and to make our minds obedient to the mind of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).
If you expect to see the worst in the people and circumstances that surround you, you will never be disappointed. But if you make a conscious decision to stop expecting the worst that this life has to offer and expect to see the greatness of God’s handiwork in your life, you will see it. Expect to see the beauty of your wife, family, friends, and coworkers, not the things that you think you would rather change in them. Start this next year out right by making time for God each and every morning- speak with Him as the Friend and Father that He is- and expect to be used by the LORD every morning. Expect to find God and His greatness everywhere you look. Seek Him and you will find Him.
Jelly Donut
The woman named Folly is brash. She is ignorant and doesn’t know it. “Come with me” she urges the simple. Those who lack good judgment, she says, “Stolen water is refreshing; food eaten in secret tastes the best!” But little do they know that the dead are there. Her guests are in the depths of the grave. (Proverbs 9:13, 16-18, NLT)
Stolen bread tastes sweet, but it turns to gravel in the mouth. (Proverbs 20:7, NLT)
Most men love the movie Full Metal Jacket and probably have it in their top five favorite movies of all time. If you are unfamiliar, the movie begins with a squad of new recruits joining the United States Marine Corps and follows them through boot camp and into the Vietnam War. While in boot camp, the Drill Sergeant renames one of the recruits Gomer Pile because of his inability to understand and follow simple instructions. On one occasion, Private Pile violated the rules of the barracks by stealing a jelly donut from the mess hall and hid it in his footlocker. The Drill Sergeant finds the donut and makes Gomer Pile eat it while the entire company does pushups to pay for his rule violation. I strongly doubt that jelly donut tasted very good under those shameful conditions.
Our sins have already been paid for by Jesus Christ, but that doesn’t make them any less shameful. The next time we feel like willfully sinning and doing things our own way- acting on our sinful impulses in deliberate rebellion- we should think about the shame our sin will make us feel. We should think about how we must look in the commission of our sin: like a big fat Gomer Pile standing there eating that jelly donut while Someone else pays the price for it. Doesn’t taste that good now, does it?
Just Show Up
When three of Job’s friends heard of the tragedy he had suffered, they got together and traveled from their homes to comfort and console him. Their names were Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. When they saw Job from a distance, they scarcely recognized him. Wailing loudly, they tore their robes and threw dust into the air over their heads to show their grief. Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. No one said a word to Job, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words. (Job 2:11-13, NLT)
If you’ve never read the book of Job, I encourage you to read it and study it. There are so many valuable things to learn from this heartbreaking story. Today, however, I won’t be focusing on Job as much as Job’s friends: Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar.
Job had lived a life of virtue and was “blameless- a man of complete integrity.” (Job 1:1) He had seven sons and three daughters, thousands of livestock, lots of land, many servants, and was faithful to his wife and to God. He truly was rich in every way, until everything was taken away. His children and servants were all killed, livestock were all stolen, and his body was infected with painful sores from head to toe. All he was left with was a bitter wife and a life of pain. It was then, when Job was at his worst, that his friends did the most important thing anyone can ever do: show up.
I think it’s fair to say that Job went through far worse circumstances than you or I. And when Job’s friends had heard of his tragedy, they traveled to be with him in his heartache. They sat down with their friend, who was covered with boils and ashes and was wearing nothing but burlap. All three men sat there with their friend in complete silence for seven days and seven nights. They simply showed up and made themselves available for their friend. Later, they totally blew it and actually blamed Job for everything that had gone wrong until the LORD Himself chastised them. Job was eventually healed and was blessed even more in the later part of his life than he was before. He lived another 140 years to see four generations of his children and grandchildren until eventually dying in peace, surrounded by his family and friends. But the point I was to emphasize is that Job’s friends showed up.
If your friend is in the middle of a tragedy, just show up. Don’t criticize him or blame him for his circumstances, even if he was the one that caused them. He doesn’t need a dissertation on the cause and effect of personal choices or a deep theological discussion on the effects of sin in the world. Accountability may come later, but in the middle of his turmoil, he needs a friend that cares about him- someone that will just be there. So take a lesson from Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar: show up, sit down, and shut up.
Life’s Purpose
“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. (Acts 17:24-27, ESV)
God created man with a need to achieve and succeed at any given task. In-fact, God gave man a profession before He gave him a wife (Genesis 2:15). But, even before life was breathed into man, God created man to have an intimate relationship with Him (Psalm 139:13-16). This is man’s primary and most important purpose: seek and intimately know God, heart to heart, more closely than any other relationship.
Man ruined the relationship that was established by God, but Jesus restored and reestablished this relationship through His sacrifice and our faith in Him. It is only through a deep and trusting intimate relationship with Jesus, based on trust and faith in Him alone, that we may truly know God again. Above any other accomplishment or accolades, pleasures or pains, is the personal and deep relationship with the very God that created us. The apostle Paul explains the priority he placed on his relationship with Jesus: “I gave up all that inferior stuff so that I could know Christ personally, experience His resurrection power, be partner in His suffering, and go all the way with Him to death itself.” (Philippians 3:10, MSG)
Establishing, or reestablishing, this relationship is our primary purpose for existence. Without fellowship in Christ we will seek to fulfill our purpose out of fear, insecurity, pride, money, physical relationships, guilt, or anger. But God wants us to be motivated out of love for Him and to worship Him in all that we do. It is through this relationship of godly love that all other accomplishments and satisfaction will flow. And as we build and develop our relationship with God, He will begin to reveal even more of His great purpose for our lives. So, seek God- reach out to Him, even if you can’t see Him and you will find Him, because He is there. He is never far from us. Establish and develop your relationship with Jesus, because He has already given your life purpose.
Money, Youth, and Power
For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” (Luke 18:25, ESV)
Our desire to attain and maintain money, youth, and power is a part of our sinful nature. These things can hold a terribly powerful grip on us and deter us from loving and trusting God wholeheartedly. A good example of this is the Rich Young Ruler. We call this man the Rich Young Ruler because he was described as rich in Mark (10:17-31), young in Matthew (19:16-30), and as a ruler in Luke (18:18-30).
This young and rich religious leader asks Jesus what he could do to go to heaven. Jesus tells him that he must not murder, steal, or lie, and he must honor his parents. The young man tells Jesus that he has obeyed all of these commands since his youth. When Jesus heard this, he said, “There is one thing you still need to do. Go and sell everything you own! Give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come and be my follower.” When the man heard this, he was sad, because he was very rich. Jesus saw how sad the man was. So he said, “It’s terribly hard for rich people to get into God’s kingdom! (Luke 18:22-24, CEV) Jesus goes on to illustrate the power that wealth can have on men and how only with God’s help can we loosen the grip of these selfish desires on our lives and properly follow Jesus.
Many people would have been confused by Jesus telling a rich man to give his money away. Traditional Jewish wisdom held that great riches were a sign of God’s favor and blessing, while sickness and poverty were a sign of God’s curse. Jewish tradition had replaced the reciprocal love for God with the selfish love of wealth. Money may have the ability to open many doors here on earth, but as we see from the rich young ruler, it also has the ability to shut the door of our hearts to God. This man had youth, power, respect, money, and much influence in the community. His position afforded him a luxurious lifestyle and many earthly possessions, but he was still searching for more. He was unfulfilled. He allowed all of these things to take God’s place in his heart.
When Jesus described the requirements of the law to this young man He specifically addressed the commandments regarding people and their actions. Jesus said nothing of the commandments regarding God and a man’s heart towards God. Jesus already knew where his heart lay, and it was not with God. The rich young ruler’s problem was not that he had great wealth but that he loved it more than he loved God. It is not a sin to have money or nice things. But it is a sin to love those things more than God. Make sure that God is valued in your heart above all else, including money, youth, and power.
No Doubt
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. (James 1:5-8, ESV)
Doubt is a powerful tool that is easily used by the enemy, and everyone is susceptible to its influence. Even the strongest and most devout Christians have intense battles with doubt at times. It can be difficult to overcome and it will wreak havoc in your faith when you let it.
People sometimes doubt that there is a God, that the Bible is accurate, and that there really is a purpose to their life. These doubts seemingly allow people an excuse to live lives that are unworthy of being called Christian. This seed of doubt, if left unchecked, could grow to the point of rejecting the Christian faith and God Himself. Regardless of your particular theological beliefs about eternal security, this is an extremely dangerous place for your soul to be. If the enemy can implant and cultivate doubt in God, His Word, and your life’s purpose than he can get you to doubt anything in that Bible, including God’s love and grace for you, His design for life, your value, and Christ’s complete atonement for you.
If you doubt the Word of God than you have nothing immovable to stand on; you are “unstable in all your ways,” and you will fail in your faith… period. It’s that simple. When doubt creeps in, recognize it for what it is: a down payment on failure. Slam the door on it and overcome that doubt with faith. Have no doubt.
Spiritual Muscles
If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. (1 Timothy 4:6-8, NIV)
We may increase the physical abilities of our bodies by placing them under increased physical stress and increased time under tension. It is the single biggest factor in lean muscle development. We are able to increase our strength, endurance, flexibility, and speed based on what stresses we apply to our bodies and how that stress is utilized. If you would like to increase your strength and lean muscle mass, you increase the amount of weight that your body is able to comfortably lift. You target the specific muscle group you are attempting to improve by applying exercises that are specifically designed to stress that muscle group; this is called “isolation.”
Additional factors that are vital to the physical development of these muscles are correct form, proper nutrition, and appropriate rest. When increased weight, correct form, proper nutrition and rest are all utilized together in a consistent routine your body will improve and increase in its abilities. But if you never push yourself, eat junk food, lift with the wrong form, and do not allow your body to rest, you will fail to see the results you are looking for. Our spiritual lives are exactly the same way.
If our spiritual abilities are to increase, we must welcome increased pressure and utilize that pressure for positive benefits. Do the heavy lifting and remember to use correct form. Do not cheat yourself by using the wrong form. Perform every rep to the best of your ability. Every single stressor of every single day may be utilized for our spiritual development when we allow God to be our spiritual personal Trainer.
Furthermore, our spiritual muscles need nutrients just as our physical muscles do. Scripture gives us the proper nutrition for repair. … people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. (Deuteronomy 8:3, NLT) Perhaps you need to increase your diet of Scripture, prayer and worship, or simply rest in God’s grace and peace.
Maybe you need to cut out distractions (junk food) such the television, internet, telephone, etc. Once you begin your spiritual workout you may also measure your results. Results may be measured by observing an increase in the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). You will also find that the more you work out your spiritual muscles the stronger your faith becomes and the easier it is to resist sin and temptation. So, stop making excuses and start flexing.
The Good China
For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. (Leviticus 11:44, ESV)
My wife has some expensive China dishware that we got for our wedding, stored in a China Hutch. This dishware is very special to her and I think her world would turn upside down if one of these dishes were to be lost or broken. In fact, her China is so special to her that we have never used any of it, even to this very day. There has never been a meal cooked in our house that has ever been worthy of dirtying her China. My wife treats her China as a treasure and she cannot bring herself to use it for just any old common purpose. It is set apart.
We are commanded to be set apart- reserved for a special purpose. We are to be on display (Matthew 5:13-16), different from all the rest of the dinnerware: clean, beautiful and ready for special use. Ready for the most special of house guests at the most special of all banquets. When Jesus Christ bought us with His blood, He did more than just rinse us off and stack us next to all the cracked cups and chipped bowls. When Jesus bought us, He made us (and is still making us) into something special- a masterpiece that is reserved for that special day. The day when the good China finally comes out for the best dinner (Revelation 19:6-9). We are holy and dedicated to God for His purposes, set apart as something special. So, treat yourself, your family, and the family of God as the special and set apart thing that we are; we are the Good China.
Treasure in the Dark
And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness-secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, the One who calls you by name. (Isaiah 45:3, NLT)
Have you ever been walking around and all of a sudden the lights go out? When darkness comes and it seems that you have lost all hope of seeing the light, you stop dead in your tracks and freeze. You stop because you cannot see your next step and because it may not be safe to walk alone in the darkness- into the unknown. Life and circumstances changed, and you didn’t see it coming. The lights went out and you don’t know what to do next. However, if you stop and remain patient while you wait for your eyes to adjust you may see the light in the darkness that you had never seen before- light that has been unnoticed before, but only visible now that the lights have been turned out.
Sometimes, the most beautiful things you will ever see are hidden in darkness. F.B. Meyer said it this way, “Whenever you get into a prison of circumstances, be on watch. Prisons are rare places for seeing things. It was in prison that Bunyan saw his wondrous allegory and Paul met the Lord and John looked through heaven’s door and Joseph saw God’s mercy. God has no chance to show His mercy to some of us except when we are in some distressing sorrow. The night is the time to see the stars.”9 Sometimes you have to be in the darkest places before you can be wondrously woven into the design God has planned for you.
The simplistic beauty of the night sky cannot be seen in the daylight. It is only in the darkest times that the subtle lights shine the brightest. That is when we hear the still small voice of God gently speaking to our souls, comforting us, guiding us, teaching us, and strengthening us. We will come out of the darkness stronger, more faithful, more grateful, and more dependent on the LORD. God is still busy at work, even in the darkest hours of our lives. That is when we will find the secret riches that have been hidden- the treasure in the dark.
Your Lunch
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:38, NIV)
Some mega-church “pastors” and tele-evangelists will read this passage of Scripture in front of television cameras and a big live audience in the hopes that people will send them a lot of money (perhaps that “pastor” or tele-evangelist will get another face lift or bleach his teeth again). Some people hear this verse preached from the pulpit, or read it for themselves, and begrudgingly give. They are made to feel guilty, so they give to the Lord out of a hard heart- stubbornly resisting to let go of what God has freely given them. But some people give, not for a return on their “investment” or because they are guilted into it, but because they truly trust Jesus with what they have. They want to watch Him work with what they give back to Him and see what He does.
Jesus fed five thousand men, plus all the women and children that were there (probably around twenty to twenty-five thousand people total), from one boy’s little lunch (Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:31-44, Luke 9:10-17, John 6:5-15). This young boy only had five pieces of bread and two little fish. It was only enough for one small meal for himself. But, how could he eat his own lunch while he stood surrounded by so many people in such great need? He decided to give what he had to Jesus, trust Him, and watch Him work.
This boy did not give his lunch to the temple or to a priest. He did not give it to a tele-evangelist with big bright teeth or one that “slayed” someone “in the Spirit” with his magic invisible powers of convulsion. Nor was he was guilted into giving because of a feel-good or fire-and-brimstone sermon. He simply saw a need and knew that Jesus could fill it. He gave his lunch to Jesus. Through this boy’s willingness to give to Jesus Christ, everyone that was hungry, including himself, was fed. Incidentally, there were twelve additional baskets left over that were full of food (John 6:12-13).
What matters to Jesus is not the amount that was given or the kind of offering that is given. What matters to Jesus is our willingness to give to Him and to others. God has given us all a small lunch. Your lunch may be food, or it may be your time, your talent, or anything else that you have been blessed with, but whatever you have has been given so that you may trust Jesus with it. This boy gave what he had to Jesus and trusted Him. Who owns your lunch?