Grumble...Grumble...Grumble...

Grumbling has no place among members of the Lord’s body. Admittedly, it is sometimes difficult to avoid becoming a grumbler. As human beings we feel like we know how things should or should not go; and when they do not go as we feel they should, the grumbling begins.

Before we look into what Scripture has to say about grumbling let’s look at it from a purely secular point of view. What good comes from grumbling? In your life, in the times you have fallen into the trap of becoming a grumbler what good has come of it? Most likely no good has come, and quite often, bad has been the result of our grumbling.

When we grumble about others, whether it is our boss, a co-worker, teacher, or whoever it might be many negatives occur. First, we are impacting (often times unfairly) that person’s reputation. We would not be pleased if someone ran around ripping our reputation to shreds, yet that is exactly what we do when we grumble.

Next, we are affecting our relationship with that person. If there was ever an opportunity to have a positive relationship with the person, grumbling about them is a sure fire way to ruin it. Have you ever noticed how often our “ private grumblings” get back to the person they are about? Something to consider.

And finally, grumbling about others will have a negative impact on your reputation. Plain and simple, people get tired about hearing from “Negative Nancy,” all the time. More often than not, when the grumbler in us makes and appearance, our own reputation becomes tarnished.

Now let us consider what Scripture says about grumbling. Philippians 2:14 says “Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you might be blameless and innocent children of God…” Next, consider what James 5:9 tells us, “Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.”

Christians, we are to avoid being a people who grumble, at all costs. We must understand grumblings come from Satan, resist!

Exposing The Deceiver - Tolerance Equals Love

tol-er-ance (noun) – willingness to accept feelings, habits, or beliefs that are different from your own.

To be loved is the one thing every human being has need of. While we all have a need to be loved, recognizing what love is often proves difficult. Satan has used society to twist the meaning of love so severely, that many people cannot truly identify when someone is showing love toward them. There is a pervasive thread that has been woven into the fabric of our culture which claims that, in order to love someone, we must be tolerant of every aspect of their lifestyle.

Is it possible to love a person without condoning aspects of their life which the Bible calls sinful? Without hesitation, I suggest it is not only possible, it is commanded! First, God calls us to love all of humanity, not just those who look, talk, or act like us. Consider what Jesus said in response to the Pharisees question about the greatest commandment. First Jesus said, you must love God with all of your being, and in the very next breath, He said, “the second is this: ‘you shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these’” (Mark 12:31).

As Christians, we are to love even the vilest of sinners. You might be wondering why God would command us to love people who we might consider the worst of the worst in regards to sin. Simply put, they were made in His image, and He loves them just as much as He loves us (John 3:16, Romans 5:8). God wants His creation redeemed from their sins, regardless of what those sins are (2 Peter 3:9). Their sin and our sin have the same consequence, separation from God. The good news is, not only does God desire for all mankind to be saved, He has provided a way to make it happen, Jesus Christ (1 John 2:2).

We must hold the same view as God does when it comes to humanity, love sinners and hate sin. It is important to understand that we cannot tolerate sin in our lives or in the lives of others. When Christ on the cross was made to be sin (2 Corinthians 5:21), God turned his face from Him, causing, Jesus to cry out “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46). This scene serves as an example as to the destructive nature of sin when it comes to our relationship with God. God never stopped loving Jesus, yet he could not look upon Him as He bore our sins on calvary.

Satan is crafty and ever working towards making Christian truths seem more and more unreasonable and uncaring. The truth about love is this, tolerating sin is not love. Love is meeting someone where they are, and caring enough about them to not leave them there. To truly love someone is to share what God expects of them. To truly love someone is to help them know how to take advantage of the wonderful gift of Jesus Christ. Show some love to the world around you today!

Exposing The Deceiver - Porn...It's No Big Deal

You know, pornography really isn’t that big of a deal when you compare it to other problems in the world. I mean, it’s something that consenting adults agree to be a part of for the purpose of making a living by entertaining others. As for the folks who consume pornography, it’s their own private decision, it doesn’t bother anyone else. Isn’t it better for someone to watch porn than to go and cheat on their wife? Isn’t watching porn just as valid as any other form of entertainment? Isn’t watching porn better than living a promiscuous lifestyle? It simply cannot be that big of a deal.

Pornography isn’t really that big of a deal, unless you consider…

• It Leads To Spiritual Death – Make no mistake about it, sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2) and lust is sinful. Consider what Jesus said in Matthew 5:28, “But I say to you that everyone who looks at woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” We must be honest with ourselves, one cannot watch pornography without being found guilty of the sin of lust, it is just not possible. We will not get to be in heaven with God if we use pornography (Romans 1:29-32).

• 68% of Adult Men and 18% of Adult Women Use It – According to one study, this staggering percentage of our population are involved in viewing pornography. With numbers like this, the pornography business affects all walks of life, teachers, counselors, moms and dads, preachers etc. These numbers serve as a snapshot of just how powerful this tool of Satan’s is.

• It Destroys Trust Between Spouses – When a man or woman is caught (or admits freely to) using pornography by his or her spouse, it severely damages the bond of trust. The spouse who finds their loved one using porn is left feeling inadequate, insecure, and insufficient. When they made their vows before God and witnesses they promised to keep themselves only for each other, pornography shatters that promise.

• Porn Cheapens The True Beauty of Women – Women, like men, were made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). Their beauty as God would have it comes from within (1 Peter 3:4). Pornography sells women (and men) the lie that their total worth comes from their sexuality which is directly opposed to what God says.

Friends, pornography is the elephant in the room. It is the subject that nobody likes to talk about, but we need to be talking about it because its effects are disastrous. Satan has done a masterful job selling us the lie that porn is no big deal. Make no mistake, it is an eternally big deal. If you are struggling with pornography, you are not alone., There are many other people who struggle as well. Get help. Pornography will ruin our relationships with others and more importantly, our relationship with God.

10 Reasons I Love God (#1)

Have you ever thought about why you love God? Can you think of 10 reasons you love Him? I hope you can think of a thousand! Exploring our love for God is a worthwhile venture, and doing so should cause us to have a deeper love for Him in the process.

The first reason I’ll offer as to why I love God is, He loved me first. Can you imagine that? Christ was not crucified to convince God to love us, God loved us from the beginning! Think about it this way, the love God has for you and for me existed in the heart of God before the foundation of the world was in place. God loved us so deeply that when the fall in the Garden of Eden happened, there was a plan in place, a plan which would cost Him His Son, Jesus Christ.

But why would God choose to love people who would (sometimes purposefully) hurt Him by sinning against Him? The fact that man is sinful (Romans 3:23), does not change the truth of man being created in His image (Genesis 1:26). You see, we have an eternal soul which has an eternal destination, that’s where the love of God comes in! The Father desires that each of us be with Him someday in Heaven (2 Peter 3:9).

The fact that God loves sinful and fallen man should give us all the incentive we need to love Him as we should! It is because God first loved us that we have the hope of eternal life with Him. Instead of condemning us to being eternally lost without Him, God had a plan in place to redeem fallen man, and that plan came from love. Without God first loving us where would we be? Lost.

The question becomes this, do you love God because He first loved you? That should be all the motivation we need to love Him, yet He offers us so many more reasons! It is my prayer that as you learn more about God through His word, and His plan for your life, it will cause you to love Him more each day. “For God so loved the world…”

The Day [Not Quite] Everything Changed

12 years. It has been 12 years since the horrific attacks of 9-11-2001. For those of us who are old enough to remember, it is something we will surely never forget. In an instant the safety and security we all enjoyed was seemingly ripped from us. Many innocent lives were lost that day leaving gaping holes in family units. Parents without children and children without parents.

In the years since the attacks there have been many TV specials and memorial events helping us to reflect back on that tragic day. There have been politicians, tv reporters and other who have tried to put in to words the magnitude of what happened on that fateful day. One statement I heard that has stayed with me since 9-11-2001 is “it is the day everything changed.” While I appreciate the statement trying to envelop the nature of the attacks, I tend to disagree.

Yes it is true that many things in our nation have changed such as security, new legislative restrictions, and even relationships, as a result of 9-11. However, I am thankful that I am able to proclaim that not everything has changed. Our Savior is still there and He is constant “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). While it is true that much of the world as we knew it changed on September 11, 2001, God remained the same.

Not only did God not change, His attitude towards us has not changed, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22-23). The love and mercy that God offers us is unchanging.

What a blessing it is to know that in a world full of evil deeds and uncertainty we have a God who is constant and consistent. He has not and will not ever fail us. Friends when the winds of change threaten to consume us, it is my prayer that we will seek the Father who loves us and will not leave us.

Appearance Is Everything...

It has been said that appearance is everything. You don’t have to look too hard in today’s world to see how much emphasis is placed on appearance. I am not speaking strictly of physical appearance, there is also the appearance of wealth, of importance, and even spirituality.

Did you catch that last one? The appearance of spirituality, appearing to be a spiritual person on the outside. Friends I think sometimes we pay a little too close attention to appearing spiritual on the outside and neglect the inside. Don’t get me wrong, our influence is important and vital, but we must remember, if we get the heart right, the outward appearance will take care of itself.

You see, the scribes Pharisees looked good on the outside, but their hearts were not what they should have been. Consider what Jesus said to them in Matthew 23:27-28, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” On the outside the Scribes and Pharisees looked great, they dressed the part, they even said and did all the right things. However, Jesus knew their hearts, and on the inside, they were filthy.

It’s easy to point at the Scribes and Pharisees and note their shortcomings. But what about us? Are we leading the type of lives on a daily basis which outwardly look beautiful but are lacking inwardly? The outward man must match the inward.

It is good, and it is right to attending the worship services of the church on a regular basis. By itself, attending worship is not all there is to the life of a Christian. Are we living a life which shows a heart which is pursuing God? Do we look for, and take advantage of opportunities to serve others (Matthew 20:28), or are we too busy serving our own desires? When we are at our schools, or places of employment is our speech the type of speech a Christian should have (Ephesians 4:29)? During our “free time” are we involved in activities which bring honor or shame to the name of Jesus Christ (Colossians 3:17)?

Friends be wary of worrying about outward appearance and not the heart. Let us pursue clean hearts instead of “whitewashed tombs.”

Jury Duty

It came in the mail a few weeks ago and since then it had been in the back of my mind, a jury duty summons. I was summoned to appear at the Madison County courthouse to serve on a jury. The uncertainty of knowing how everything was going to happen occupied my mind in the days leading up to serving.

Monday morning I showed up at the Madison County Courthouse to serve on a jury. It wasn't until later in the day that I was selected to be part of a jury pool. The case I was being considered for was quite serious and a conviction would have brought heavy consequences. I prayed, for the victim, for the accused, and for myself.

It became obvious as the indictment was read that this was serious, real serious. The mood in the room was intense and focused. The prosecutor and defense attorney rattled off questions to us as potential jurors. Jury questioning concluded late Monday afternoon and a jury was to be seated Tuesday morning.

At 9AM Tuesday morning I arrived at the courthouse waiting to find out if I would be a member of the jury which would try the case. As it would turn out, a potential juror received a ride home from the victim's family Monday night thereby “tainting” the jury and causing a mistrial. We were all sent home as a result of this mistake.

Spending any length of time in a courtroom can cause us to think about our pending appointment before the Judge. The Bible tells us that each of us will one day sit before the throne of God in judgment (2 Corinthians 5:10, Hebrews 9:27). Unlike in the courtroom made by man, when we face God in judgment we can rest assured it will be just. There will be no need to worry about a tainted jury, or a mistrial, our Judge is righteous.

At judgment, there will be no circumstantial evidence or false accusations to worry about. The Bible is clear that we will be judged according to our works done here on earth. So the question becomes this; what kind of works are you performing on earth? Are you performing that which is emblematic of a person who is a faithful follower of Jesus Christ or are they works of the flesh?

Make no mistake, there is a judgment day coming, and the stakes are high. When you are called into the throne room of God and the verdict is announced what will it be? “Good and faithful” or “Depart, I never knew you?”

Head of household, period.

God created man first, and he is to be head of the household, period (Ephesians 5:22-24). To the ladies, that may sound harsh and maybe even unfair, but we must understand what God expects of man as the head of the household before we get too upset. And to the guys, it might sound like we get to be the “boss,” but before we allow ourselves to be carried away to a place God never intended, we too must understand what it means to be head of the household.

“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church, and gave Himself up for her…”

That changes everything. If we are to be a husband who is pleasing to God, we must love our wives in the same way Jesus loved the church. This immediately changes the perception many people have about headship, it’s not a control thing or a power grab, at least it shouldn’t be, if done Jesus’ way. Jesus loved His church and because of His love, He…

Made Sure His Bride Was Spiritually Fed – Jesus spent his entire ministry teaching His bride. As the head of our household, we have a responsibility to spiritually nourish our wives and children. In order to do this, we must first spiritually nourish ourselves by studying the word of God on a daily basis (Acts17:11). If we do not feed ourselves spiritually, we cannot keep our family from suffering spiritual malnourishment. Jesus understood His sheep needed protection, and he was the protection (John 10:7-11). In the same way, we must feed our family from His word, and protect them from the ravenous wolves of this world.

Encouraged His Bride – Our wives are not perfect, and we should not expect them to be. As Christian husbands we should be experts at seeing the positives instead of focusing on the negatives. Wives worry about a good many things; often times these worries can be eased with a little encouragement. One of the many things which I can improve on is the amount of encouragement I offer to my wife. Take the time to notice when she dresses nicely, and tell her that you like how she looks! When she goes out of the way to do something nice for us, be thankful instead of having an attitude of expectation. When she is having an emotionally tough day, pick her back up, Jesus encouraged his disciples, so too we should encourage our wives (John 14:1-4).

Gave Himself Up For Her – Jesus Christ gave His life for His bride and so should we. If we love our wives as Jesus loved the Church we are to put her needs and best interests above our own. This is an all encompassing lifestyle. Yes, this includes being a partner to her in housework, in raising your children, and in all other aspects of life, you two are now one (Mark 10:7-8). There were times in Jesus ministry where He just wanted to be left alone (Matthew 14:13-14), but He was needed, and He met those needs. In all honesty, there are times when we would rather be left alone, but we are needed by our spouse, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We are to put ourselves second and meet her needs as often as we can.

Being a Christian husband is not easy; God never promised it would be. Being a Christian husband is a great responsibility illustrated by the comparison of Christ and the church. Husbands, let us each strive to love our wives in the way Christ loved his bride and encourage one another in doing so.

Talk about everything but Him?

Have you ever wondered why we often find it hard to tell others about Christ? For the most part, we are a people who love to communicate with others. Interaction with others is something we look forward to on a daily basis. We talk to our family, friends, and co-workers regularly. With this in mind, why do we find it so hard to communicate with others about Christ?

A fear of rejection is one of the biggest reasons we decide not to tell others about Christ. We ask ourselves questions such as “What if they get mad?” and “What if it ruins my relationship with them?” Rejection is a real and common fear. Nobody enjoys being turned down, laughed at, or viewed as someone who thinks they are “holier than thou.”

Though these fears are real and common, we as Christians cannot allow them to overcome our responsibility of telling others about Christ. The words of our Lord recorded in Matthew 10:32-33 tell us “So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” We must acknowledge Christ to others in not only our deeds, but our words as well. In considering our fear of rejection I am reminded of what the Apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 1:10 “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Even if it costs us the approval of our fellow man, we must be diligent in seeking to please our Father in all things.

A great way to increase your courage to spread the gospel is to pray for boldness. Consider what Paul said in Ephesians 6:18-19 “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel…” The fields are white for the harvest, let us not allow our worldly fears distract us from our spiritual responsibilities.