Great Church 5

1 Thessalonians 5:19

“Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” We are all probably familiar with that little chant from our childhood. It is a good sentiment, an encouragement to stand up against criticism. But in fact this saying is false.

Not only will sticks and stones break your bones, but words can be very hurtful. They can leave an invisible scar that lasts a lifetime.

So, we should be cautious about the words we say to one another. We should choose carefully what we say to others. We may find that it is better to keep silent rather than risk criticizing someone and dousing the flame of passion they may have. Today’s passage sums it up very simply. What are we NOT to do?

In my years in ministry I have witnessed all too often good ministries come to a screeching halt because ONE PERSON doesn’t like it. It only takes a single negative comment to put the brakes on something positive.

And isn’t that just what the Devil wants? I believe he delights in the fact that it only takes one comment to derail a powerful ministry, one person to stand in the way of God’s work being done.

As we all progress through our journey of faith, adding goodness and knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, kindness and love, we need to remember that this journey is essential for us. We need to guard against becoming discouraged by the comments and actions of others. If we possess faith and goodness and knowledge and self-control we will be better equipped to ignore those detractors who want to stop us in our growth toward perfection.

But we also must be aware of others and how we treat them. We must guard against being a stumbling block for others who are making that journey of growth. We should offer encouragement rather than criticism, a sense of hope rather than a comment of gloom.

And when we see ministry being done – even if it is not a ministry we value – we should support it and understand that it comes from a God-inspired passion in others. If we can’t support the ministry, then at least we can remain silent and not put out the Spirit’s fire.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Is there a ministry that needs your encouragement? Are there negative comments you need to avoid?

Great Church 3

Hebrews 11:1

When I worked as a corporate trainer for a large manufacturer, my job involved going to various buildings in the greater Cincinnati, Ohio area. Other members of the training team were supposed to have gone before me and placed the materials and books I needed for the training. But the first thing I was to do when I arrived at each location was to check to be sure I had what I needed.

Sadly, I learned that I couldn’t have a lot of faith in my co-workers.

Peter has challenged all believers to build on their faith, to move forward, to increase from being good to being great. But before we move forward perhaps we should more fully understand what faith really is. How does today’s passage describe faith?

This passage presents two different concepts – the concrete and the nebulous, the solid and the squishy. Faith is being “sure” and “certain.” That is the concrete. That is the solid. When we are sure and certain we have a firm belief, a strong conviction. I would say we have an unwavering, unyielding confidence and trust.

But that confidence is in uncertain things – “hope” and “what we do not see.” These are the nebulous, squishy aspects. Hope is an insubstantial vision of what we desire. That which we do not see is even less specific.

Faith is the confidence, the trust and conviction, that what we envision in our minds, and things we can’t even envision, are real. Our faith may be in God – someone we can’t see. Our faith may be in our own goodness – something we hope to achieve or maintain.

What is essential is that we have that conviction, that certainty of feeling in our hearts and souls, that these things are real and genuine. When we have faith that we can be holy and good, that we can serve the Lord, then these insubstantial ideas will become a reality. We can grow in our faith. We can grow as believers. We can live out the love of God.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What is your “hope” that needs to become a reality?

Appearances 5

Romans 6:12-13

Last year we had a strange car parked in our driveway. When my wife and I asked about it we discovered the car belonged to a friend of one of our children. He wanted to park it in our driveway because someone was “after him” and he didn’t want the car to be found in his own driveway.

We put a stop to that. We were not about to be embroiled in the turmoils and troubles of someone else.

In his letter to the Romans Paul gives some advice on how to behave. What should we do about sin? Rather than committing sin, where should our focus be?

Leaving someone’s car parked in our driveway required no effort on our part. And truly it was no sacrifice. But what was at issue was that we were not about to offer our property to be used in unwholesome behavior.

The same is true of our very bodies and our actions. We are to shun sin, remove it from our lives. We are not to allow ourselves or our actions to be instruments of unwholesome behavior. Instead, we are to focus our bodies, our actions and our lives on being instruments of God’s goodness.

To do this we need to avoid the trap of only pretending to be good. We need to avoid going through the motions and appearances of holy and righteous behavior. Being a Christian requires more than looking like a Christian. Following Jesus means that we truly have a heart for mercy, justice and love.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you offer yourself as an instrument of God’s righteousness?

Shamar the Holidays 3

Isaiah 58:13-14

Many years ago a co-worker taught me how to play the game of “Go” (Japanese for “Five”). It is a fairly simple game involving two players, one with white stones and one with black stones. The rules are few. And my friend pointed out that the rules are not intended to be restrictive, but are designed to make for a successful game. By following the rules you are more likely to do well.

In today’s passage the prophet Isaiah is delivering the word of God for the faithful believers about honoring the Sabbath. What cautions are presented in verse 13? What is the result?

In his ministry Jesus brought fullness to the lives of the people he touched. There were times when his acts of mercy and healing confounded those religious leaders who were strict legalists, especially when it came to observing the Sabbath. But in Mark 2:27 Jesus explains to his critics, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”

In this statement is a comment on how we are to shamar, or honor, or celebrate the Sabbath. The Sabbath was intended by God to be a time to abstain from labor and toil, not as a restrictive measure, but as an opportunity to spend time celebrating God’s goodness. The Sabbath was not intended to shackle people, but was meant as a gift.

Isaiah reminds the faithful that we are to observe the Sabbath, not to break it. It is not intended as a wild time of revelry, but as an intentional time of remembering God and His faithfulness. It is a time to enjoy the goodness that God has provided. And, I would venture, that it is a time to share the goodness of God with others – the reverse of “doing as you please or speaking idle words.”

When we can take our holidays and our Sabbath times and use them as a time to honor and remember God by enjoying the gifts we have been given, then our festivals, feasts, holidays and Sabbaths will be times of wonderful goodness and joy. There is no sin in celebrating our holidays, provided we acknowledge God, the giver of all good things, as we enjoy them. We should also use our holidays and Sabbath times as a time to share God’s love.

By observing God’s commands, by honoring our holidays and Sabbaths with the attitude of gratefully acknowledging God, then we will be obedient children of God. He will indeed fill our lives with goodness and gladness, and we can truly “feast on the inheritance” that comes from our heavenly Father.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you share God’s love as you celebrate your holidays and Sabbath times?