Is Everyone a Pharisee?

It never ceases to amaze me how Christians are so quick to jump on someone who is not living right and "give them the truth!" before they ever take the time to show that person that they care for them.

Not that long ago I was having a discussion with a friend of mine (I'll call her Susan) about a woman who left her husband and has filed for divorce. Susan said that this lady "was given a book on how to be a Godly wife and well...she has just rejected it! She is hard!!" As a side note, I am not condoning what she is doing. She is rebelling against God with this behavior. But my point to Susan was this: Has anyone reached out to this lady and really shown her that they love her and care for her? The bottom line? No!

When I say love and care for someone, I don't mean that we just put our arms around them and tell them that they are justified in what they're doing. Definitely not! Sin is sin and we should not sugar-coat it. Yet, we tend to forget that underneath the hard exterior is a heart that longs to be heard, to be cared for.

Back to my original story. I told Susan that this lady needs someone who will listen to her, get to know her on a personal level, show her that she cares for her, and then when the time is right, the truth can be spoken in love. So many times we just fire away at people without giving one thought to the timing of the message. And then we justify our actions by saying that they rejected the truth! "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver." Prov. 25:11. You can tell someone where they're wrong in their life, but if you don't use wisdom in the timing and delivery, don't be surprised if the message will not be taken like it should!

I asked Susan if this (the just-setting-her-straight scenario) was how Jesus would handle it. She said that this was how He dealt with the Pharisees. Do we think this is the only way that Jesus handled people? Not everyone was a Pharisee! In fact, most of the people that Jesus came across and who lived in sin, He handled with care. He was honest with them, but I don't recall anywhere in the Bible Jesus calling them vipers!! The most important thing to remember is that He never condoned their behavior, but He did show them love and concern in addition to giving them the truth.

I know we don't have the advantage Jesus had regarding being able to see someone's heart. This is where we need to get to know the person and lean on God for wisdom in dealing with the situation. I told Susan that Jesus did not deal with the woman caught in adultery in the same way He did with the Pharisees! He did rebuke her. But He did it in such a way that she responded to it and the Bible gives us no indication that she went back to committing adultery.

Let's be careful in labeling people and writing them off as soon as they don't respond like we think they should. And when we do approach them, do it with the knowledge that it is only God that keeps us from straying. It is not because we are so much better. The Bible says in Gal. 6:1, "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." (emphasis added)

Lessons from Jude Pt.5

I know. It has been a long time since I have posted . I've been out of town and haven't been as diligent about writing. But, here it is! The last of my thoughts on the book of Jude.

We talked before about these people (verse 4) who slide into the church unnoticed and how we need to be on active duty for the Gospel. But what I found to be amazing were the adjectives he used to describe these people. Verse 16 says, "These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage."

Murmurers. Complainers. We all know someone who likes to complain about their lot in life. I'm not saying that just because someone complains alot that they are not truly part of the body of Christ. But, I will say this. We need to be careful about the complaining we do. As we have seen, this is a characteristic of someone who is not truly a follower of Jesus Christ.

These people are also full of themselves. They have a lot to say even though they're not saying anything of value. "Clouds they are without water, carried about of winds;" (verse 12) In other words, a lot of hot air. And the reason they talk and brag so much is because they want to be seen. They want to be heard. They want a pat on the back.

Truthfully, we all battle the flesh and the flesh loves attention. This is not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about people who are not interested in bringing glory to Jesus Christ. They are only interested in themselves. If you ever sit back and watch, they generate a following quickly. Because we are compared to sheep, we need to remember that sheep just follow. They don't question. We as Christians need to be active in our Christian walk and not mindlessly listen because what they say sounds good. Everything needs to be compared to the Scriptures. We all have access to God's wisdom. There is no excuse for listening to lies wrapped in small amounts of truth.

Jude doesn't stop there, however. He commands us to rescue these people. Don't just sit back and allow them to lead others astray. We need to be compassionate, but also fervent in the protection of the Gospel. It is by fighting that we stay alert. It is by doing nothing that we lose ground to the enemy.

Lessons from Jude Pt.4

Have you ever known someone who constantly complained and "murmured" about things? Jude talks about this in his book. But, before we talk about it, let's go back to giving a background of these people.

Remember in verse 4 Jude said that there were people who slipped into the church unnoticed and turned the grace of our Lord into a license to sin? Well, after his brief history review in verses 5-7, he educates us some more on these people. I will be honest with you. I don't fully understand everything he's talking about here, but I do know this: he's giving us warning signs.

He calls them "filthy dreamers." (verse 8) They defile the flesh, despise dominion (authority), and speak evil of dignities. (angels) These are people who are full of themselves and think they've got it together. They think they can do anything they want to because, you see, they are under "grace." (verse 4) Even Michael the archangel knew that he needed the Lord's help when he fought against the devil over Moses' body. (verse 9) We must be careful. We are nothing without Christ and His power. He is the only one that can defeat Satan in our daily walk. We are no match for Satan and he delights when he sees that we get self-confident and cocky.

This is what these people are guilty of. Unfortunately, when we start believing that we can do whatever we want to, because we are under "grace," we open up ourselves to this kind of behavior and even more corruption. Verses 11-13 describes for us what these people do. They are easily angered, they are greedy, and they don't believe what God says.

We all know people who are full of "hot air." They are "spots in your feasts of charity." (verse 12) It's almost physically painful to be around them. How did they get this way? It doesn't just happen overnight. It's a process of decisions that are made over a period of time. But it starts with not believing God and taking too much liberty with God's grace.

The Life Application Study Bible says that these are false prophets. No doubt they are. Yet, anyone is capable of walking down this road. I asked at the beginning of this post if you know anyone who complains a lot. For the sake of time, I'll finish this brief study of Jude and talk about the complaining aspect in our next post. See you then!

Lessons from Jude Pt.3

Last time we talked about not assuming that because someone calls himself a Christian, that they really are or that they have sound, Biblical advice.

Before Jude continued in the description of these kinds of people, he gave his audience a quick review of three different scenarios in the Old Testament. I found it interesting that he put all of these in the same paragraph.

"I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not./ And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day./ Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." (5-7)

Obviously, the recipients of this letter knew these stories. But, Jude saw that it was important to remind them. What can we learn from this reminder? Here are a few things that I learned in this passage.

First, God takes unbelief very seriously. I wonder how many more people would have been saved in the land of Egypt if they would have believed that God would destroy them if they didn't. How many times do we choose to not believe God? Many times we go about our daily business with no real awareness that God is watching and will keep us accountable for our decision to either believe Him or not to believe Him? When we don't believe, we live like the heathen do. We make "common sense" our deciding factor.

Second, the angels that followed Lucifer and did not believe God were cast out of Heaven. The pride and disobedience that follows unbelief has major repercussions.

Third, Sodom and Gomorrha were not the only cities that God destroyed. The cities around them that lived in the same wicked lifestyle were also destroyed. He did this to make an example of them, to show us the seriousness of living in this kind of sin.

Fourth, have you noticed a common thread that is weaved throughout these verses? God puts as much emphasis on not believing Him as He does on living a wicked lifestyle. It's an insult to His character to not believe Him. How many times do we go throughout our day worrying about things that we have no business worrying about? Or perhaps we don't believe that God can do the impossible? We need to get on our knees before Him and ask for His forgiveness. He loves us more than we could possibly imagine. And I wonder what a difference it would make in our life if we just set aside our doubts and chose to trust Him and believe Him.

Lessons from Jude Pt.2

We all know at least one person who has a lot of words coming out of their mouth. It could be that they are constantly giving their opinion or they seem to know everything about every subject. After a while, I don't know about you, but I tend to just let them talk and take what they say with a grain of salt.

I don't think Jude was one of these people. He says what needs to be said and doesn't hold anything back. This book packs a powerful punch. We talked last time about his greeting. Throughout the rest of the book, he sheds light on some of the people that are "turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness (license)." (verse 4) What kind of people are these? We'll talk about that in a different post, but for now we need to ask, why does Jude tell us to "earnestly contend for the faith?" (verse 3) You see, we tend to relax in the fight and let down our guard. Have you ever grown tired of constantly having to watch and stand guard for yourself and your family? The Bible says that we are not to grow weary. We can keep on fighting the devil in Christ's strength.

What does "earnestly contending for the faith" have to do with these people that want to turn grace into license to sin? You see, when we are actively seeking to please Christ and do what He wants, our faith will be protected. Unfortunately, what we need to protect against is not so much the "world." It's the people around us who may not be taking the Christian life seriously. They are the ones that influence us to think, "What's wrong with it?" or "Should my child by that sheltered?" It's the small things that make the biggest impact.

Satan knows that we're not going to fall for some whopping lie. He knows that when we are in church, we tend to let down our guard and think that everyone around us wants to live for Christ and serve Him wholeheartedly. I mean, this is church, so we are safe here, right? On the other end of the spectrum, we need to be careful not to look around at everyone suspiciously, either. But we need to glean wisdom from Christ and listen when His Spirit tells us ever so quietly that something is not right.

Don't just automatically assume that because someone calls himself a Christian that they are Godly. If you have children, be actively involved in their lives. Always be listening to the Holy Spirit and watch for any bad influences that may come their way. Even as adults, we need to be careful about being influenced by people who are Christians. Everything must be compared to God's Word. No matter how much common sense the person who is influencing you is making, if it's against God's Word, it's not right.

This is why we must be actively defending the faith. It keeps our senses finely tuned to what is wrong and what is right.

Pornography

I don't know about you, but I am extremely concerned with the availability of pornography. I have two little boys and I want to protect them from it. I know that this can only be done through the power of the Holy Spirit and His protection and wisdom.

So what can we do to protect our boys from this deadly and highly addictive sin? Michael Pearl discusses what he did with his children. For the sake of space I'm not including the whole article in this post. If you want to read all of it, go here.

"Insulate Your Children Within"

by: Michael Pearl

When my children got big enough to walk or ride their bicycles down the road without our presence, I warned them against pornography. I would never consider letting a child leave the yard with other children or by himself until he was thoroughly warned against the evils of pornography. My children knew how I felt, for on several occasions, I accidentally patronized a store that sold pornography. They had seen me enter a store after pumping gas, and then as I was about to pay, I discovered a display of pornography. It always angers me. I denounce it loudly, ask to see the manager, tell them that I will not trade there again until they remove it, and then inform them that I will inform all my friends to also avoid trading there. When I have seen pornography displayed illegally, I have called the law and gone before the judges. On one occasion, the boys saw me almost get into a knock down fight with a manager that did not appreciate my moral opinion. The boys saw me tear up news magazines, turn off TV sets, and speak out against billboard advertisements. They knew how I felt.

Occasionally I would warn them, saying something to the effect, “Just as God has his book, the devil has his, and it is called pornography. Sooner or later the devil is going to put a porno book on the side of the road where you will find it. You will be tempted to look inside. The pictures may be very exciting. It will give you a thrill to look at it, but it is addictive like drugs. If you ever look just one time, it could destroy your chance for happiness. The devil can use it to twist your mind. If you want to have a good relationship to your wife someday, you had better just pass on by that filthy book.”

To reinforce my words I made sure that my children met sinners and newly saved saints that had bad backgrounds. You can tell them that sin is bad, but there is nothing as effective as seeing the destruction that sin has caused in the lives of others. When they saw individuals broken in body and spirit, they knew that sin was not just bad because the Bible and a few nerdy Christians said it was. Sin is destructive regardless of what the Bible or the preacher says.

When my boys got close to puberty, I began to warn them of what was coming. I joked with them, saying, “One of these days when you get about twelve or thirteen, you are going to start growing hair under your arms and… Your body will begin to change and you will start to be a man.” And I would say something to the effect, “You think girls are cute now; wait until you go through puberty!” They would look at me rather blankly and then go back to being a kid. Just months before puberty, I would say, “It won’t be long now.” This is all man to man talk. I know it doesn’t sound very spiritual, but flesh is flesh, and you can fly so high you depart from reality.

I think our family study of the book of Proverbs did more to instruct them in Biblical principles than any thing we did. I suggest it to every family. We didn’t do it every day, but we had at least one session each week and during the long winter days, we sometimes read Proverbs together every evening. This is not a law to be spiritual; it is a teaching exercise.

The kids loved it. We kept it light and fun. Each person would read one verse and then comment on it. They were never too young. The toddlers would sit next to Mom and repeat the words after her, following along with their fingers. As they began to read just a little, they would tell us what they thought the passage meant. By the time they were reading well, we would have them stand up and read loudly, and then comment with gusto. As they got older yet still, we would correct their diction and offer advice on how to speak more effectively. “Stop mumbling.” “Put your hand down.” “Look at your audience.” “Stand up straight.” We laughed and joked and had a great time. Everyone was a winner. We never used this time to bring up their “many sins.” We never used it as a time to catch up on rebuke. It is one of the pleasant memories our children cherish.

Just picture the kind of impression Proverbs 7 would make upon a boy just going through puberty. It is the story of a harlot seducing a young man and of the hell that is to follow.



Proverbs 7:6-27

6 For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,

7 And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,

8 Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,

9 In the twilight, in the evening , in the black and dark night:

10 And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.

11 (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:

12 Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)

13 So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,

14 I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows.

15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.

16 I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.

17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.

19 For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey:

20 He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.

21 With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.

22 He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;

23 Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.

24 Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.

25 Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.

26 For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her.

27 Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.

At verse 7 we would discuss what it meant to be void of understanding.

At verse 10 we would discuss the attire of a harlot, why she dresses that way, and what effect it has upon the young man. This is good for your girls.

At verse 13 we would discuss how kissing is sexual foreplay designed to lead to copulation.

We point out in verse 14 how she was religious and so might deceive the simple. We would then warn them that not all “Christians” are godly.

We would point out from verse 21 how flattery can be used as a tool to weaken your defenses.

When he yielded to her temptation, it was like an ox going to get his throat cut, verse 22.

And in verse 27, going in to have sex with this religious woman was going into the fires of hell.

Now you must be able to see the impact this had on kids as they grew up. The book of Proverbs is complete in the subjects it covers. Every aspect of life is covered, from laziness to wisdom. Proverbs has 31 chapters. If you did a chapter each day, you could cover it in one month. If you did a chapter each week, you could cover it nearly twice each year. If you covered Proverbs twice each year, beginning when the child in 4 and going until he is 18, he would have gone through each chapter 30 times before he leaves home. He will never be “simple.”

This is what we call insulating the children from within. You could keep the kid locked up in the house until he is 18, but how will he respond the first time a good looking, “Christian” sex bomb offers herself? Could your son turn down the sweet and sexy “worship leader” at your church if he is “in love?”

As we ministered to others, it was a way of life for us to analyze the shipwrecked lives of those in our acquaintance. How did it come to this? Where did they go wrong? How could they be so deceived? Our children saw the rewards of holiness and the pain of sin. They grew up knowing that love, peace, and hope were the fruits of holiness, and that hate, bitterness, and disease, eventually ending in hopeless death, were the fruits of sin.

The examples I have given pertain to sex, and though that is the most compelling drive facing a young man, it was only one area in which we prepared them to withstand. Around the kitchen table and as we lounged in the evening, we also analyzed the failures and pain we saw coming from greed, bitterness, selfishness, anger, laziness, hypocrisy, pride, envy, and a thousand other evils of which we are all guilty in one way or another from time to time. Our intention was not to point out the sins of others so as to elevate ourselves, but rather to study the many roads that lead to destruction. This is not the same as nit-picking your friends. We are not encouraging the natural tendency to criticize others. In the process of ministering to others we came in contact with hurting people. As we sought to lift them out of their sin, they became a ready example, a clinic on good and evil.

If you look you can see people reaping what they have sowed. If our children or we are walking the ugly road, we too will reap the thorns that are sure to follow. The law of sowing and reaping is so certain that it can be observed as a science. If your child is beginning to show laziness, you can draw his attention to the lives of others and show him where it will end. Your children don’t have to repeat the mistakes that have already been made in order to learn. Just open their eyes and insulate them within.

Computer Problems

It seems that whenever I turn around, my computer goes on the blink. I apologize for not posting anything in the last couple of weeks. With my computer up and running again, I'll be back to a normal schedule of posting.