If

Love through me, Love of God,
  Make me like thy clear air
Through which unhindered, colours pass
  As though it were not there.


Powers of the love of God,
  Depths of the heart Divine,
O Love that faileth not, break forth,
  And flood this world of Thine.
     ~Amy Carmichael


What does a life of love look like?  The sins of pride, selfishness, or cowardice are, at the root, simply a lack of love.  Christians who have been forgiven so much and loved so incredibly by our Beautiful, Merciful God must learn what it is to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge.  


The love of God was demonstrated on a hill called Calvary.  God sent His Son, His Only Begotten Son, to die in my place and to pay my debt in full.  This is A.MAZ.ING.  This ought to colour every one of my thoughts, my words and my deeds.  This Calvary love should move me to love others with a pure heart, fervently.

Years I spent in vanity and pride,
Caring not my Lord was crucified,
Knowing not it was for me He died
  On Calvary.

Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
Pardon there was multiplied to me;
There my burdened soul found liberty,
    At Calvary.

By God's Word at last my sin I learned;
Then I trembled at the law I'd spurned,
Till my guilty soul imploring turned
  To Calvary.

Now I've giv'n to Jesus everything,
Now I gladly own Him as my King,
Now my raptured soul can only sing
  Of Calvary.

Oh, the love that drew salvation's plan!
Oh, the grace that brought it down to man!
Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span
  At Calvary!

What do you know of Calvary love?



Amy Carmichael wrote a little book with the help of others at the Dohnavur Fellowship. It was simply called "If".  

If I can easily discuss the shortcomings and the sins of any; if I can speak in a casual way even of a child's misdoings, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

How often I comment on a child's rebellious attitude, or the lack of integrity in a family member.  I know nothing of Calvary love. 

If I can write an unkind letter, speak an unkind word, think an unkind thought without grief and shame, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

I don't have to look back a long time to remember an unkind word, and an unkind thought.  I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I do not feel far more for the grieved Saviour than for my worried self when troublesome things occur, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

I was interrupted today and had to deal with something I'd rather not be involved in.  Just today I worried about money, about relationships, about children.  Instead of thinking about what my Saviour feels about these troublesome things, I was self-centered.  I know nothing of Calvary love.

If, in dealing with one who does not respond, I weary of the strain, and slip from under the burden, then I now nothing of Calvary love.

Someone in my life does not respond.  He's slow to speak, and not great at communication.  I weary of the strain.  I want to run from the burden.  I know nothing of Calvary love.


Oh, Lord, teach me to love.  Remind me that each person who crosses my path is an image bearer.  Remind me that I do not know what You are doing in the life of another.  Help me to remember the grief You feel when You see people casually disregard Your way.  Give me patience, Dear Lord, and perseverance to continue pressing on for Your glory.


May the Love of God constrain me.  May I learn what it is to love.

A Day in the life of....

Life Site News. They search the internet for pro-life and pro-family stories, then compile them into one succinct email. Click here to find out how they do it, and who's responsible! Too bad there's no such thing as a "story gnome"...but there are hard-working reporters who are dedicated to spreading the word that life is valuable and worth preserving.

Internet Monk - Big Worship Goof

The Internet Monk has posted regarding the attitude of evangelical Christians regarding worship in the churches of today. Led by the Christian music industry, churches now have dropped the "old ways" in favour of the new. The Monk writes,

"Worship has now become a musical term. Praise and worship means music. Let’s worship means the band will play. We need to give more time to worship doesn’t mean silent prayer or public scripture reading or any kind of participatory liturgy. It means music."

Christians used to know the meaning of "worship". Look carefully at the following definitions:

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Homage rendered to God which it is sinful (idolatry) to render to any created being (Exodus 34:14; Isaiah 2:8). Such worship was refused by Peter (Acts 10:25, 26) and by an angel (Revelation 22:8, 9).

Noah Webster's New International Dictionary of the English Language

1. (a.) Excellence of character; dignity; worth; worthiness.

2. (a.) Honor; respect; civil deference.

3. (a.) Hence, a title of honor, used in addresses to certain magistrates and others of rank or station.

4. (n.) The act of paying divine honors to the Supreme Being; religious reverence and homage; adoration, or acts of reverence, paid to God, or a being viewed as God.

5. (a.) Obsequious or submissive respect; extravagant admiration; adoration.

6. (n.) An object of worship.

7. (v. t.) To respect; to honor; to treat with civil reverence.

8. (v. t.) To pay divine honors to; to reverence with supreme respect and veneration; to perform religious exercises in honor of; to adore; to venerate.

9. (v. t.) To honor with extravagant love and extreme submission, as a lover; to adore; to idolize.

10. (v. i.) To perform acts of homage or adoration; esp., to perform religious service.

Worship is simply ascribing the worth of Someone. True worship is reverencing and honouring and venerating and adoring the God who deserves all praise.

True worship happens at a funeral service, when a bereaved Dad acknowledges that God is good, no matter what, even in the loss of his beautiful daughter.

True worship happens when a young man plays soccer with a poverty-stricken boy in a third world country, because he knows that skin colour matters not...but that God made us all in His image.

True worship happens when a missionary travels to the far reaches of the world, spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ and exulting in the Holy Spirit's work in the lives of indigenous people.

True worship is a morning cup of coffee on the patio, rejoicing in the singing birds, the rustling leaves, the whispy clouds, the knickering of a horse - and acknowledging the Creator who designed it all.

True worship includes music. But it is not only music. Go back and click on the cartoon, and read what internet Monk has to say. What do you think?

The Terrible Nature of the Tongue

Pastor Bob opened his sermon today with an illustration of just how devastating wrong communication can be. He told the story of how the Boxer Rebellion in China in 1899 began. He got his information from a book, James:Faith that Works, by R. Kent Hughes.

Four reporters were having trouble coming up with a good story for the morning newspaper. They decided to fabricate a tale, and the next day's headlines screamed, "GREAT CHINESE WALL DOOMED!" The Chinese people were furious, and in a short time, the Boxer Rebellion began - resulting in the deaths of over 100,000 people, many of them missionaries.

In 2005, English Professor Henry Hart released a book, Lost in the Gobi Desert, to commemorate his great-grandfather's efforts to save the life of western missionaries and their Chinese followers from the hands of the Boxer rebels.

”

“

The murderous Boxer Rebellion came as a sudden thunderstorm; all foreigners were to be killed not in the sudden merciful death of a bullet but sliced to death by big, old rusty knives and swords.... I had an old Winchester rifle and plenty of ammunition ready for the journey....The Boxer uprising ultimately claimed the lives of more than 32,000 Chinese Christians and several hundred foreign missionaries (historian Nat Brandt called it “the greatest single tragedy in the history of Christian evangelicalism”[9]

Thousands of people died because four men, in a drunken stupor, decided to make up a story and spread it around the world.

The text for the sermon today was James 3,

Taming the Tongue

3 c Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

The first introductory point was that we ought to take our teaching responsibility very seriously. Whether we're homeschooling parents, or lead a small group, or simply interact with others God brings into our lives, we ought to be very careful what we say, and what we teach. Life or death proceeds from our lips, and we will be held accountable.

Powerful Nature of the Tongue

The horse is a great and powerful animal, weighing nearly 1,000 lbs, yet it can be controlled by a very small bit. Look up descriptions of the power of the horse in Job 39:19 - 25, which begins, “Do you give the horse his might?Do you clothe his neck with a mane?". The horse laughs at fear, and is not dismayed...yet he allows himself to be directed by a tiny piece of metal.

In the same way, we need to control our tongues, realizing the power they have to kill and destroy, or to make alive and encourage.

The Bismarck was a powerful ship, the pride of the German navy. Yet one small torpedo took out its rudder, leaving the mighty battleship crippled.

Our lives can be ruined, too, by words - our own, or others'.

Destructive Nature of the Tongue

One small spark can set an entire forest ablaze. Flora and fauna are destroyed, all because of a tiny flash.

The whole body, the whole course of life, can be set on fire by the destructive nature of the tongue. A few cruel words can rip apart churches, families, or ministries. We must be careful not to open our mouths to criticize the personal, private affairs of others.

Do you use innuendo? Do you use comments that are of a disparaging, derogatory nature?

Illustration: The captain of a ship wrote in the log, "Ship's Mate drunk today." The Ship's Mate noticed, and let it go...but a few months later, he wrote, "Captain sober today." It was the truth, but what did it imply?

Do you use gossip? Flattery? You should be sincere and full of integrity!

Do you use discernment? Or do you criticize, find fault with someone; do you harass them when you don't agree with their choices? Do you nit-pick?

Illustration: A man who had gossipped about a close friend tried to make amends. His friend forgave him, but told him to go to the tower and take his feather pillow. When he got there, he was told to slice the pillow open with a sharp knife, releasing the feathers to the wind. He did so, then went back to his friend, who said, "Now, go and gather all the feathers!"

"Impossible!" insisted the gossip.

"In the same way, it is impossible to repair the damage caused by the gossip."

Words can destroy lives. People have gone through life crippled, because of unkind or vicious words.

Untamable Nature of the Tongue

It's a restless evil, full of deadly poison. This ought not to be so. It goes from bad to worse: the tongue is powerful, destructive, untamable... so what are we to do? WE cannot do anything of our own accord, for too often we use our tongue for evil rather than for good.

Diabolical Nature of the Tongue

With the same tongue we praise the Lord and curse people made in His image. This ought not to be so.

We must cast ourselves on Jesus, relying on the power of the Holy Spirit who indwells us to enable us to use our tongues for good.

Good Uses of the Tongue

Speeches that changed the course of history have been a force for good. Winston Churchill's famous speech inspired his countrymen at a time when the forces of evil were spreading throughout the continent of Europe.

We shall not flag nor fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France and on the seas and oceans; we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air. We shall defend our island whatever the cost may be; we shall fight on beaches, landing grounds, in fields, in streets and on the hills. We shall never surrender and even if, which I do not for the moment believe, this island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, will carry on the struggle until in God's good time the New World with all its power and might, sets forth to the liberation and rescue of the Old. .

Martin Luther King, Jr. inspired the United States of America, and indeed the watching world, to fight for freedom and equality of opportunity for all races.

I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama, whose governor's lips are presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the South. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

Tongue Control

Wisdom

Proverbs 15:1

A soft answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.
2 The tongue of the wise commends knowledge,
but the mouths of fools pour out folly.
3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place,
keeping watch on the evil and the good.
4 A gentle tongue is a tree of life,
but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.

The tongue can be used for good. The tongue of the wise is a tree of life, it builds up, it commends knowledge, it is aware that the Lord is watching.

Proverbs 25:11

A word fitly spoken
is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.
12 Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold
is a wise reprover to a listening ear.

Wise reproof is beautiful. The right word spoken at just the right time is a treasure - like gold in settings of silver.

Wisdom comes from above. James 3:17 - 18 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

How wise have you been in your reproof lately? Have you spoken carefully, with discernment? Have you been peaceable, gentle, open to reason? Have you been full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere?

Without the filling of the Holy Spirit and the trusting in His power, the tongue is a restless evil. Yet God can and does redeem it, and uses it for His glory.

Ministry

Proverbs 12:17-18

Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence,
but a false witness utters deceit.
There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

We all have a ministry, whether it is in our homes, or churches; whether it is public, on a message board, or private, with close friends or family. In your ministry, do you bring healing, or are your words like sword thrusts, cutting and carving up others for your own selfish reasons?

Worship

Psalm 35

Let those who delight in my righteousness
shout for joy and be glad
and say evermore,
“Great is the Lord,
who delights in the welfare of his servant!”
Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness
and of your praise all the day long.

This is the best use of the tongue! Shout for Joy! Say evermore, GREAT IS THE LORD! We'll be shouting the praise of God all the day long for all of eternity.

I can't wait!

I'm losing my mind.

One of the terms I struggle with from time to time is "like-minded". It makes me think of an exclusive club, where everyone thinks along the same lines.

Christ's Example of Humility

Philippians:

2 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Like-minded

I have to admit that sometimes I am confused by the term ``like-minded``, because I think it means a certain way of life, a certain set of rules, a certain set of values, etc. I sometimes feel on the outside of the ``like-minded`` group, simply because I don`t enjoy the term. It conjures up a whole set of memories from my past, when our family was in a very strict church with standards and rules and regulations, but devoid of grace.

If those who use the term `like-minded` are referring to having the same mind as it is described in the Scriptures, then I believe that MOST of us who call ourselves Christians are like-minded. We are to have the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:2 ) and we are to be transformed (to godliness) by the renewal of our mind.

Romans 12:2

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

The Holy Spirit indwells us and transforms us by the renewal of our minds. Jerry Bridges calls this, "preaching the gospel to yourself". Rachel Barkey says, "Talk to yourself". Don't listen to yourself. Speak the words of truth to yourself in every situation.

1 Corinthians 1:10 Divisions in the Church

I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.

We are of the same mind. We love and serve the Lord God, who sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to be the propitiation for our sins. That means Jesus took the wrath of God against unholiness, the wrath WE deserved, on Himself, and in exchange, He gave us, as a free gift HIS righteousness. We are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and we seek to live a life of godliness.

Where we may differ is in the living out of that godly life. We may choose to DO things in our families that others would not choose. Or we may choose to NOT do things in our families that others feel quite comfortable doing.

Romans 14:5

One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.

The truth is that we are all learning and growing in the Lord. Our Heavenly Father is conforming us to the image of His dear Son. He is moulding us, shaping us, pruning us, leading us...each of us - in our own families, in our own homes, in our own countries. God is leading.

God is also using us to be living epistles.

(2 Cor. 3:2, 3 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.)

My life, because I am a Christian, is a living epistle, read by others. So, God is using me to be an example, just as He is using all of you. Each of us is an epistle, and each of us is reading the other living epistles God puts in our path day by day.

God the Holy Spirit INDWELLS His children. Let`s not take that for granted. We are the temple of the living God, and we need to live in the Light, in the wonder, in the beauty of the glory of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit indwells man. Astounding!

We all need to live in step with the Spirit.

(Ephesians 5:18) The fruit of the Spirit should be evident in our lives. As people who have God dwelling in them, the people of God ought to live lives of purity.

Rick is teaching through the book of 1 John, which says in Chapter 2,

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.

We are not supposed to sin. The Bible says `Be ye holy, for I am holy`.

But we do. John goes on to say, But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

Do you see that? We ought not to sin, but if we do (and it is supposed that we will) we have an advocate with the Father. Praise God! Jesus is the Righteous one Who is the propitiation for our sins. John goes on to say,

3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

How we walk matters to God. What we do matters.

However, the whole point of the book of 1 John is this: the most important thing is love. If we say we are Christians, walking in the light, but have not love, the truth is not in us.

The greatest commandment is this: Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength...and the second greatest is love your neighbour as yourself.

God has Sovereignly ordained that each of the people in your life is there. He knows that some will agree, and disagree; that we will learn, and teach; that we will befriend one another, and sometimes even meet each other in real life. God is using our interactions to help us be refined.

Sometimes, the refinement isn`t easy. As iron sharpens iron... sparks fly.

However, the truth is, we are being refined as we write our letters and notes, as we pray for one another, as we interact with each other.

1 Corinthians 2:12-13 "Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual."

1 Corinthians 2:16 - ""For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ."

So I guess it's okay if I lose my mind...as long as it's being renewed. May we be ultimately like-minded, as we have the mind of Christ.

Mother's Day Revisited

Apparently, I am not the only one who was thinking that Mother's Day ought to be about GOD! Al Mohler wrote a post, "Why Mother's Day is a Bad Idea!"

In the post, he outlines the origin of Mother's Day, decrying its sentimentalism. He writes,

The Christian vision of motherhood is more about courage and faithfulness than about sentimentalism. The mothers of the Bible are a tough lot. Jochebed put her baby in a floating ark of bulrushes, defying the order of Pharaoh that all Hebrew male children be put to death. Rachel, mother to Joseph and Benjamin, died giving birth to Benjamin. Hannah promised her son to God, and presented Samuel as a young boy for service in the House of the Lord. Mary, the mother of Jesus, risked shame and disgrace to bear the Savior, and to provide all Christians with a model of brave and unflinching obedience. She was there when Jesus Christ was crucified. As Simeon had told her just after the birth of Christ, "Behold this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed." [Luke 2:34-35]

The mothers of the Bible are a tough lot, and their courage comes from the same God who said, "Be strong and courageous." He is the One Who gives grace. He is the One Who gives faith.

Al Mohler goes on to say,

Mother's Day is a bad idea because it subverts the reality of faithful mothering and robs faithful mothers of their true glory. Mothers deserving of honor are handed cards and taken to lunch, when songs of praise should instead be offered to the glory of God. Undeserving mothers, who abdicate their true responsibility, are honored just because they are mothers. Children, young and old, who ignore and dishonor their mothers by word and by life throughout the year, assuage their guilt by making a big deal of Mother's Day.

I am not saying that you ought not to do anything on Mother's Day. By all means, honour your mother...but do it every day of the year! And remember to give praise to God for anything your mom does that is good, for it's all about HIM!

Truth Hunt or Witch Hunt

Stacy McDonald has written a brilliant post on the growing problem of "watch-blogging".  She called it "Truth Hunt or Witch Hunt".  Go there.

Preaching the Gospel to Yourself

A friend is coming from out of town, and you think to yourself, "I'd love to see her...but look at the mess in my yard.  And what if she notices I've gained 30 pounds over the past couple of years?  I'd rather make up an excuse than to have to face her."

The trouble isn't really with your weight gain, or your unsightly yard.  The problem is with your heart.  You are trapped by pride, and you've taken your eyes off of what is important (Jesus!) and placed them firmly on the things that don't matter.

You need to learn to preach the gospel to  yourself!

Yes, your sin is real (gluttony), and obvious(laziness, procrastination), but don't forget that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  The very person that wants to visit and has left you feeling unsettled is a sinner, too.

There are sins of the heart that God hates - pride being one of them.  Don't let your pride stop you from ministering to others, and from being ministered to by others.  Satan loves to kill and destroy, including killing and destroying relationships.  But God is a God of relationships - we are commanded to Love God and to Love Our Neighbour.  How that is done is in relationship with Him and with those He brings into contact with us.

I have found Jerry Bridges' writing on Preaching the Gospel to Yourself to be very helpful.  It basically teaches you to have the mind of Christ, to saturate yourself with the Word of God, and to apply it to your life every day.

May this be a blessing to you:

How to Preach the Gospel to Yourself

I retrieved the following from this blog:

October 26, 2008 by strengthenedbygrace

Here is how Jerry Bridges does it:

"I begin each day with the realization that despite my being a saint, I still sin every day in thought, deed, and motive.  If I am aware of any subtle, or not so subtle, sins im my life, I acknowledge those to God.  Even if my conscience is not indicting me for conscious sins, I still acknowledge to God that I have not even come close to loving Him with all my being or loving my neighbor as myself, I repent of those sins, and then I apply specific Scripture that assure me of God's forgiveness to those sins I have just confessed.

I then generalize the Scripture's promises of God's forgiveness to all my life and say to God words to the effect that my only hope of right standing with Him that day is Jesus' blood shed for my sins, and His righteous life on my behalf. This reliance on the twofold work of Christ for me is beautifully captured by Edward Mote in his hymn "The Solid Rock" with his words, "My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus' blood and righteousness." Almost every day I find myself going to those words in addition to reflecting on thepromises of forgiveness in the Bible."

The first step in the scenario above is to recognize the compounding effects of sin.  My gluttony has had consequences - I've gained weight, and am embarrassed to let my friend see me this way.  My laziness and procrastination have had the effect of allowing a mess to accumulate in my yard.  I must acknowledge the sin, and repent.  

Then (oh, joy!) I must realize that Christ died for my sin of pride; He died for my sin of procrastination and laziness.  Those sins were nailed to the cross, and I bear them no more. Praise the Lord! 

Now I am free.  Free to serve my friend, to invite her in, to make her a cup of tea.  I'm free to acknowledge my sinful heart, and to be ever so grateful that Jesus took that sin upon Himself.  I can reflect on the forgiveness found in the Bible - my sin has been cast into the depths of the sea - and can share openly and honestly with others.  Relationships are deepened, both with God and with people.  And all this is because of the good news - Christ died for ME!

JerryBridges  was interviewed by C.J. Mahaney recently.  It's worth the listen.  

You'd be wise to ponder the following verses, then praise our Beautiful God!

Psalm 103:12 as far as the east is from the west,  so far does he  remove our transgressions from us.

Isaiah 43:25 “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.

Isaiah 53:6  All we like sheep have gone astray;  we have turned—every one—to his own way;

and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Romans 4:7-8  “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,

and whose sins are covered;
  blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 130:3-4 If you, O Lord, should  mark iniquities, O Lord, who could  stand?

  But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.

Isaiah 1:18 “Come now,  let us reason  together, says the Lord:  though your sins are like scarlet,

they shall be as  white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.

Micah 7:19  He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot.

You will cast all our  sins into the depths of the sea.

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have  redemption  through his blood,  the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,

Colossians 2:13-14   And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

Hebrews 8:12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities,  and I will remember their sins no more.”

Hebrews 10:17-18  “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

Troublemakers

When Gump Worsley played goalie for the New York Rangers, a sportswriter asked him what team gave him the most trouble. Worsley very candidly answered “the Rangers.”

It's certainly sad to say, but it's reality:  Christians love to bite and devour one another.

Galatians 5:15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

Theodore Roosevelt said, “It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out where the strong stumbled or how the doer could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is in the arena, his face marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and falls short again and again: There is no effort without error.”

No matter how sincere  you are, if you are in ministry, you will make mistakes.  Unfortunately, there are groups on the internet that exist solely to "sound the alarm" and point out the errors of those in the front lines.  As I stated in my  post yesterday, this has been going on for generations, but it is far more far-reaching today. With the advent of the internet and instant communication, and the added perk of search engines, people are able to flit from "cyber-house" to "cyber-house" in the manner of silly women, amassing information in order to kill and destroy.

1 Timothy 5:13 Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not.

Richard Abanes, author and journalist, writes in a post (go there and read it!) 

called "Don't Believe Everything You Read on the Internet":

We live in an era of too much information; an era wherein anyone/everyone can post whatever they want to post on the Internet—unchecked, unverified, unaccountable, unhindered, and unstoppable. Rumors, gossip, baseless accusations, outright lies, fear-mongering, hate rhetoric, hoaxes, slander/libel, and false information now litter the Internet.

Pastor James McDonald of Harvest Bible Fellowship has experienced this.  He writes,

I have been a pastor for more than 25 years and I have heard some pretty harsh things; but the deepest wounding by far has been at the hands of people using the gift of discernment in the flesh.  Most often, these are the folks that separate friends, divide churches and destroy families.  It is a very dangerous gift when not under the Spirit’s control.  Maybe you have experienced this personally, or worse, have been the one doing it. 

His post, "Great Damage: The Gift of Discernment Used in the Flesh" points out that there are five ways to know if someone is using the gift of discernment in their own strength, and not in the strength of the Lord.  The following is a shortened version of what James has to say.  For the full version, click here. 

1) Isolation: The gift of discernment, like all spiritual gifting, needs the balancing confinement of the local church.  Sadly these folks are often so harsh and so foolishly confident in their own distortions that mature Christians leave them isolated rather than face their fleshly wrath.  Which leads to number two . . .

2) Anger: “The wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:20).  Righteous anger directed against specific sin and toward a solution is needed and productive for the kingdom of Christ.  Correction, exhortation, even rebuke, have their place. But when it comes wrapped in harsh, angry words it does not edify, it does not build up, and it does not advance God’s purposes in this world.   Speaking the truth in love is a biblical exhortation often lost to those using the gift of discernment in the flesh.   

3) Fear: The gift of discernment used in the flesh promotes fear.  “God has not given us a spirit of fear,”  (1Timothy 1:7).  To fear anything or anyone other than the Lord is not from God.  Sixty-three times we are exhorted in scripture, “Fear not!”   We do have to speak up and be involved and do our best to shine a righteous light on the darkness all around us.  But anyone who is playing upon our fears to motivate us to do right things is not advancing the work of Christ in or through us.  Beware of fear mongers; they may mean well, they may have legitimate concern, but irrational arguments flourish in an atmosphere of fear. 

4) Distortion: Straw man argumentation is the practice of caricaturing the argument of your opponent and then dismissing the distortion.  Are you listening flesh-discerners?

5) Not listening: I have learned a lot from listening to even the harshest of comments this past week.   I learned that people who are using the gift of discernment in the flesh will not yield to any point of explanation or clarified intent because they DO NOT LISTEN!  They only attack and vilify.

J. Vernon McGee used to say, “The only exercise some Christians get is jumping to conclusions and running others down.” How true that is.

And how sad.

To those in ministry who are bearing the brunt of unfounded criticism:

Be not weary in well doing, my friends.  Do not give in to the pressure to conform, to soften your message, to change your ways.  Keep your eyes on Jesus, and keep going.

Loving the Brethren

It seems to me that a great reminder should be flashed on the screens of every Christian connected to the world wide web at regular intervals throughout the day.  Before they check their email, surf the web, read their favourite blogs, or write one post, they need to be reminded of one thing.

LOVE

Why, you might ask?

Because, they are forgetting.

The more I surf the web, the more I participate in groups online, the more I follow links to other blogs and websites, the more it becomes clear - we are failing to love.  

After all, the first and greatest commandment is this:

The Great Commandment

Mark 12:28 u And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?”29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, v ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, w the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 x The second is this:y ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment z greater than these.”

 You may wonder what I have witnessed that makes me think that we need to be reminded daily of the Great Commandments to love God, and your neighbour.  It's shameful, really.  I have seen people tear a family apart, mocking them, questioning their motives, accusing them of beliefs that run counter to Scripture, without going to them personally to find out if these things are so.  Yet Matthew 18 makes it clear what is to be done if someone has sinned against you.

If Your Brother Sins Against You

15 m “If your brother sins against you, n go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you haveo gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be establishedp by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, q tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, r let him be to you as s a Gentile and s a tax collector.

I have seen condemnation flying from the fingertips of those who think they have it all together when it comes to issues of raising children, homeschooling, curriculum, modesty, college, family business, and the list goes on.  On top of that, condemnation flies from the fingers of those who don't have it all together and freely admit it, yet feel somehow less perfect than those who seem to have it all together.  Yet my Bible tells me to consider the other guy, even the one who has it all together when I don't, better than myself.  

Philippians 2:3 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

I am certainly not supposed to speak evil of him (nor am I to write things that are evil). Speaking ill of others is the result of all the arrogant boasting, jealousy, self-centered desires, and pride that James is warning against in the previous chapters and verses.  Those who inappropriately judge others break God's law and show contempt for God.

James 4:11  Do not speak evil against one another, brothers.  The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is only one lawgiver and  judge, he who is able to save and   to destroy. But  who are you to judge your neighbor?

If the computer screens belonging to Christians were programmed to flash the word, "Love" each time a click of the mouse opened a new window, perhaps they would learn to love, rather than hate, to encourage, rather than condemn, to bless, rather than curse.

Tim Challies had some thought-provoking things to say about this.  In a blog article entitled, Humbly Rejoicing in the Goodness of Others, Tim wrote about this very thing (Go there and read it!).  He'd been reading Finally Alive by John Piper, and it struck him that God doesn't merely require us to not kill our brothers.  He says that true "love doesn’t feel resentful when a brother is superior in some spiritual or moral way."  He explains that Cain killed Abel, not because Cain was so evil, but because Abel's goodness made him jealous, angry, and guilty.  

Tim writes, 

So what would it be like for any of us to be like Cain? It would mean that anytime some weakness or bad habit in our lives is exposed by contrast to someone else’s goodness, instead of dealing with the weakness or the bad habit, we keep away from those whose lives make us feel defective. We don’t kill them. We avoid them. Or worse, we find ways to criticize them so as to neutralize the part of their lives that was making us feel convicted. We feel like the best way to nullify someone’s good point is to draw attention to their bad point. And so we protect ourselves from whatever good they might be for us.

This is what is happening in cyber-space.  We spend too much time reading about other's lives, and when we don't measure up, we do one of two things: we avoid them.  Or we criticize them.  

There's plenty to do here at home.

What we should be doing is keeping to ourselves, taking care of our own families, our own homes, our own character flaws.  We need to keep our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, and rejoice when He allows us to be challenged by the writing of someone who is walking humbly with God.  When we read something that disturbs us, we ought to think about it, talk to our husbands about it, and pray about it.  And all the while, we should keep at the forefront of our minds the Royal Law, to love God, and our neighbour as ourselves.