Stirs Up Dissension

Proverbs 16:27-29 A scoundrel plots evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire. A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends. A violent man entices his neighbor and leads him down a path that is not good.

Ferguson, Missouri is at the forefront of the news in our modern world. A young man robbed a store, attacked an officer of the law, and was shot and killed. The drumbeat of many media outlets before the grand jury was in support of charging the officer with murder. The race relations of the area were thrust into the forefront. And those who make a living off of perpetuating dissension were on display. In all this, local clergy sought to speak peace, but their voices were drowned out by the cacophony of hate and dissension spewed by those who know better, but chose to agitate. Even after the evidence was presented, there are those who choose to pursue rioting instead of engaging in a dialogue to heal and progress. Forgotten are the words of Jesus captured in Matthew 5:43-45 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven."

There is a price to be paid for pursuing the path of wickedness and evil. Occasionally our world graphically puts this on display. Haunting are the words of Ezekiel 3:18 When I say to a wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. As Christians we all mourn the loss of any human life. That life which is held so precious by God our Father should not be carelessly cast aside in pursuit of anything but love for your fellow man. If you want clarification on this principle, you only need to turn to the word of Christ in John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

We do not hear much about the truth today. We do not hear much about remorse or showing contrition for perpetuating a lie from media outlets. We do not hear much about holding the media accountable either. For that, we all need to take heed of the warning in Ezekiel 3:18. We all have a responsibility friends. Proverbs 16:27-29 points to the sin, and Ezekiel 3:18 gives those who chose to sin, and those who chose to stand silent in the face of that sin a clear warning. No one is without guilt and no one is without sin. Hold each other accountable. And when we hold each other accountable, we do so in love and not with malice. We model the behavior described in Ephesians 4:14-15. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.

The situation in Ferguson is not isolated to just that city. Our nation and our world is broken and needs the love of God to heal that brokenness. In closing, keep the words of 1 Timothy 2:1-6 close to your heart today and in the future.  I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time.

PRAYER: Father, we need You now more than ever. Our world is broken by sin. Hate our neighbor is shouted from the roof tops instead of love you neighbor. We need less of us and more of Your Son Jesus. Help us, as only You can help us to bring the message of peace and love to this world. This we ask in the name of the Prince of Peace, Your Son and our Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

Listen To My Voice

Jeremiah 11:2-4 "Hear the words of this covenant, and speak to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. You shall say to them, Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Cursed be the man who does not hear the words of this covenant that I commanded your fathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Listen to my voice, and do all that I command you. So shall you be my people, and I will be your God,”

I am in the midst of a new spiritual endeavor. I am spending most of today as a day of solitude. Prayer, reading scripture, contemplation, and meditation are on the agenda. The purpose of this is to seek out the will of God in my life. I am involved in an activity call the 210 Project. (www.210project.com) From Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. The purpose of this is to (1) discern my calling in serving the Lord and (2) to determine if becoming a coach to help others find their own calling in ministry is part of own my call. The short version is I am looking for answers to the questions I have. I am seeking His voice.

Discerning the will of God in our lives is important for all of us. Aligning our lives with that will is what comes next. There is a process the study guide for the program that offers suggestions on how to spend the day of solitude. For me, writing is part of that process. In writing this devotional I am validating what I am doing is aligned with what God would have me do. I have been seeking a unity of purpose, and reconciliation to His will in my life. I have that answer, and yet there is more out there for me to embrace in this calling. There is the big question of coaching others. I have some more prayer, study and meditation before that answer comes to me. And there is a another element of this call that has surfaced today which I need to explore further. But more on that another day. 

Today is focused on listening to the voice of God in reading, music, prayer and meditation. All in all that is a pretty awesome way to spend a day.  So now I ask you dear reader, when was the last time you set aside time to do the same? If not for a day, how about half a day, or a few hours. when was the last time you honestly stopped the merry go round of your life, and took the time to seek out that all important voice? I urge you to put aside whatever you are using as an excuse for not doing so and spend some time listening.

PRAYER: Father, as Your children we seek Your voice. The problem is that the world we live in seeks to drown out that voice or to tell us Your voice is not relevant. Your words are old words and no longer have any validity in modern society. Lord, with out You we are surely lost. Help us to discern Your will for us. Let Your voice ring clear in our ears. We ask this in the name of Your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

Boats On The Hard

Romans 6:12-14 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

My boat sits on the trailer in the garage. Repairs are going slow. What looked like a simple project of changing out exhaust system hoses has proven to be more involved and time consuming that I anticipated. While waiting patiently for additional parts to arrive, I have been pondering how a boat "on the hard" is like an incomplete acceptance of grace.

Moving an on life can be anything but easy. For many, the patterns of the old self remain steadfastly in control of all that they are in the future. A person would seem to be firmly tied to the dock, up on the trailer, or on blocks in the drydock. There is no ability to get underway in this condition. The past holds you captive with a seemingly inescapable grasp.

In our lives nothing could be further from the truth. Each and every one of us has the ability to change and move forward. We only empower the past by letting the past rule our future. In the case of sin, Romans 6:12-14 helps us to understand our true condition. We have the choice of letting, or not letting sin reign in our mortal bodies. Sin will try to make you and I obey its passions. Fortunately Jesus Christ changed all that. Grace rules over us, not the law. In Christ you and I have been purchased from the slavery and death that was in sin. When we remember our true condition, we can move forward. No longer are we up on a trailer, unable to navigate on the water. We are free to navigate with Christ at the helm. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 

We can set aside the past. We can live under the grace that is freely offered by God our Father. Or we can chose to remain on the trailer, or on the blocks and never see what life really has to offer. I hope and pray you have chosen to get underway.

PRAYER: Lord, our lives seem complicated. All too often we get wrapped up in our past and let the past control the future. We set aside Your grace and latch onto our sinful and destructive past. We are lost at sea with no sight of land. Help us Father to remember that we are loved unconditionally by You. Help us to see the bright promise of the future You have planned for us when we hold onto Jesus. Guide us in His light O God. We ask this in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.