Ward's Words | BY WARD PIMLEY

Sharing the Lord's Message of Grace

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  • GOD DESIRES COMMITMENT

    As we slip past the Easter weekend, which marks the greatest event in human history — the rising of our Savior, Jesus Christ, from the dead —we are moving toward the next big event on the Christian calendar: Pentecost and the presence of the Holy Spirit. With the ammunition of a risen Savior, a loving Father, and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, we are well armed to do battle by sharing our faith — the story of forgiveness and redemption, the granting of peace and joy, and the promise of eternal life — with a disbelieving world. We can do this if we’re fired-up for the Lord, not “lukewarm” as are so many so-called Christians.

    Daniel 12:3 (NCV): The wise people will shine like the brightness of the sky. Those who teach others to live right will shine like stars forever and ever.

    Revelation 3:16 (ESV): So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

    OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST does not like lukewarm, uncommitted, lackadaisical, worldly Christians claiming to represent Him and His message of redemption to the world.

    Instead, He wants us to be as committed to the saving power of the Gospel as He was committed to dying on the Cross for our salvation.

    In the Book of Revelation, Jesus said to the church in Laodicea that their lack of passion and zeal for the Gospel was annoying. He wanted them fired-up for the Good News! He wanted them to sing His praises!

    Instead, He found the Laodiceans to be, like many Christians today, indifferent to the message of salvation. Too many Christians, He is saying, occupy the pews on Sunday morning, then return to their secular lives after the Benediction.

    †††

    EVANGELIST WILLIAM FAY calls this indifference “living in the middle.” Here’s what he writes:

    “Trying to live in the middle is living a lie. The truth is, either you follow God, or you follow Satan. Either you are in a relationship with Christ, or you’re not. You are either God’s child or God’s enemy. … No one is in the middle. … Those who have chosen to reject Christ are condemned.” (William Fay, Share Jesus Without Fear Workbook, B&H Publishing, Nashville, Tenn. 2019, p. 13)

    In his book Crazy Love, pastor and author Francis Chan says this about lukewarm Christians:

    “As I see it, a lukewarm Christian is an oxymoron; there’s no such thing. To put it plainly, churchgoers who are ‘lukewarm’ are not Christians. We will not see them in heaven.” (Francis Chan, Crazy Love, Chapter Five, Kindle edit., Loc. 793)

    Chan writes that Jesus is clear in His denunciation of indifferent Christianity. He says that Jesus “wants all or nothing. The thought of a person calling himself a ‘Christian’ without being a devoted follower of Christ is absurd.” (Ibid., loc. 820)

    †††

    THIS BRING US to our most important question: So What?

    Where are we in this equation? Are we sold-out for Jesus Christ or are we indifferent, casual, part-time Christians who neither follow our Lord with passion nor share our faith with those He places in our lives?

    If we are committed to following Jesus, really following Him, then how committed are we to sharing the Gospel message with others? 

    How often do we pray God will give us an opportunity to share? How prepared are we when given that opportunity to share what we believe to be true, that Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world? Or that Jesus Christ has forgiven us and transformed our lives?

    When we do share the Message, how often do we pray afterward for the people we talked to, give them our names to answer any questions they might have, or follow up with them?

    How many of us actually know how to do any of this … or really care to learn?

    †††

    POSTSCRIPT: Our Lord has given us both a commandment and an encouragement to do this very thing. 

    In Matthew 28, Jesus gives us the commandment, known as the Great Commission, to go into all the world and tell people to do “all that I have commanded you.”

    Jesus also has given us encouragement. In our text source today from Daniel 12, He tells us those who teach others the message of salvation “will shine like stars forever and ever.”

    He tells us in His Word what He wants from us. It’s this:

    “Come, Follow Me.”

    PRAYER

    Our Heavenly Father, forgive us for our lack of commitment to Your commandment to tell others about Jesus Christ, the Good News of the Gospel and our salvation. Forgive us, please, for our failure to share the story of forgiveness, compassion, and love with those we meet. Our excuses, which seem so real to us in the moment, vanish into thin air when compared with reality, that those who don’t know You or who know of You but have rejected Your offer of grace, are doomed to an eternity of pain. While that should burden our hearts, Lord, somehow we can live without the trouble. Forgive us, Lord, and change our hearts to care for those You call. When You give us that chance, that moment to share, may we call on Your power and speak from our hearts to their hearts. Lord, we pray our words, like seed on rich soil, will fall on open hearts. For this, we thank You. In Jesus’ name, AMEN

  • AN EASTER MEDITATION

    SHINING FAITH

    But [the angel] said to [the women], “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here.” — Mark 16:6 (NKJV)

    “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” — Matt. 5:16 (NASB)

    LIGHTING A SINGLE CANDLE in a very dark space makes a difference, but if you light 20 to 30 candles, the difference is amazing! 

    Likewise, when we join with others to share our faith story, the results can be profound.

    It is easy to remain focused on ourselves. We are busy with our own personal cares, our desires, our things-to-do list, our jobs, our families, even our health, finances, and entertainment. 

    But part of love, the real love that Christ calls us to feel, is bearing a concern for the well-being of someone else, especially for that person’s eternal destination. 

    If we want to see people in our lives become part of God’s kingdom, then those of us who claim to be God’s followers must be willing to share our faith stories.

    †††

    GOD CALLS US to be a witness to the world, a light in the darkness.

    He also calls us to be an encouragement to other believers — those we find in our worship, our Bible studies, Christian service, and mens’ and womens’ fellowship groups — to spur them on toward love and good works. 

    Consider today how you can be an encouragement to another believer … and a light to a darkened world looking for answers. 

    Pray that God will show you what He wants you to do, which is different from asking Him to bless what you’ve decided, on your own, to do for Him. 

    As we close our eyes, let us pray God’s plan for our lives; as we open our eyes, let us see where God is working in the world … and then let’s join Him where He’s already at work. AMEN

    †††

    May God’s rich blessings be with you.

    *Note: This meditation is an adaption from a You Version Bible Plan, “Inspire Others to Share,” Day 2. You can see the original here.

  • A Personal Story … GOD HEARS OUR PRAYERS

     God often answers our prayers in ways we hadn’t expected with a result that far exceeds what we imagined. Yes, I know, that’s what the apostle Paul said in Ephesians 3:20. Well, he was right! What follows today is a personal story illustrating that point.

    Psalms 34:18 (NCV): “The Lord is close to the broken-hearted, and He saves those whose spirits have been crushed.”

    Psalms 46:1 (CEB): “God is our refuge and strength, a help always near in times of great trouble.”

    Ephesians 3:20 (NIV): “[God] is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.”

    GOD HAS NOT PROMISED US a smooth path when we receive the Holy Spirit into our hearts. 

    That’s the prosperity gospel, and it is a false teaching. However, He does promise to walk with us through our earthly travels.

    In one of the lowest points of my life, when I felt deep emotional and physical pain — from disharmony in my family and a twist in my back — I heard the Lord’s voice.

    I had reached out to Him from my depths, begging Him to relieve my suffering, when I asked, “Lord, are You trying to tell me something?”

    †††

    HE SPOKE TO ME, telling me He wanted me to start a men’s Christian-based fellowship in the neighborhood where my wife and I had recently moved. 

    “Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.” — Jeremiah 29:12 (NKJV)

    “Now?” I asked, incredulously, wondering if He was unaware that I was reaching out because of my emotional and physical pain, not because I was looking for more work.

    He said, “Now.”

    “Who would I invite?” I asked. Since we had just settled from another state, we didn’t really know anyone.

    He said, “You know.”

    So, I thought. 

    I barely knew of two men in our neighborhood I could invite, plus one man I had met a few months earlier during a walk, but I didn’t recall his name.

    †††

    HAVING LEARNED OBEDIENCE, I immediately left the comfort of my ottoman and hobbled over to my desk, where I opened my computer. As I moved, I felt the pain in my back and the hurt in my heart.

    I searched a name directory for our neighborhood and located the “mystery man” from several months earlier.

    After praying for God’s direction, I typed out an e-mail inviting the three men to join me in forming a neighborhood Bible-based fellowship.

    I left the format open, although I encouraged each man to consider the group his own, with shared responsibility for leading discussion.

    Once I sent the e-mail, I was done with the venture.

    Or, so I thought …

    †††

    THE NEXT DAY, as I opened my tablet for devotions, I read an e-mail from “mystery man,” proclaiming he was “all in” on forming a group! His exact words: “Ward, I’m in!” As a bonus, he sent along an agenda to help us organize.

    He was the only one of the three to respond, but it only takes two or three gathered in the Lord’s name, and we already had two.

    As the next few months evolved, I watched the Lord’s hand at work in my life.

    My back pain went away, and I could stand up straight and resume active exercising. The emotional strain was healed through understanding and forgiveness.

    Our men’s group faced various setbacks, probably because Satan challenged us, but, with the Lord’s help, we plugged away.

    “But truly, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the LORD.” — Numbers 14:21 (NET)

    †††

     THREE YEARS LATER, our men’s group has reached some 50 men — more than half of them active — a much healthier turnout than either “mystery man” or I could have imagined. Both of us credit the Holy Spirit for our group’s growth and vitality.

    Yes, that’s a true Ephesians 3:20 testimony, where the Lord can bless us in ways beyond our ability to ask or imagine, and He definitely was building Christian encouragement into the lives of men who hungered for His Word.

    †††

    TO BE HONEST, I would much rather tell this story by saying it started on the mountaintop, when I was filled with the Holy Spirit and glowed with light and glory.

    Instead, it started in the valley, when I wondered if my life meant anything.

    Pastor and author John Ortberg says this connection between our lowest moments and greatest gain is not uncommon.  “Often our mountaintop moments are connected with our lowest valleys.” Ortberg, Faith and Doubt, Kindle edit., p. 69. 

    The only action I took to relieve my suffering was all that I really had to do … I reached out to the Lord. He heard my prayer, and He blessed me to do His will.

    †††

    POSTSCRIPT: SO, WHAT STARTED as a plea for grace ends up with a song of praise.

    Doesn’t it always?

    All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. — 2 Corinthians 1:3 (NLT)

    For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, “Fear not, I will help you.” — Isaiah 41:13 (NKJV)

    __________________

    PRAYER 

    O LORD God, we are so grateful for Your loving grace and tender mercy, Your faithfulness, Your patience, and Your forgiveness. Help us to stay in prayer throughout the day, O Lord, giving thanks in all situations, and praising Your loving kindness. In the redeeming name of Jesus Christ we pray. AMEN 

  • Meditation … LIVING WITH GOD On EARTH Or In HEAVEN

    When you accept God’s gracious gift of salvation, offered through His grace and your faith, your eternal life begins at that moment. That should bring you great peace and joy. Each day on earth, we should thank Him for our health and our lives, but we should hunger for the moment He calls us home to be with Him … in Paradise.

    Psalm 84:2b (NCV): “My whole being wants to be with the living God.”

    Philippians 1:21 (CSB): “For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” 

     THIS SEEMS SO WRONG, YET IT’S SO COMMON — EVEN IN CHURCH.

    You go to worship the living God and praise His holy name when there, right in front of you, is an esteemed brother or sister in Christ.

    Gathering to worship the King!

    You give a hearty greeting, like, “It’s good to see you!” and the person responds, “It’s good to be seen. Sure beats the alternative.” Then he or she chuckles.

    “Really?” you say, “and, just what do you think IS the alternative?”

    “Death,” the other person replies, looking at you as if a spider is climbing down your cheek. “You know, pushing up daisies. Right? Don’t you get it?”

    “Sure, I get it,” you want to say, “but do you?”

    †††

     THIS IS IN CHURCH, mind you, and it happens nearly every week. 

    It’s ridiculous. Here’s why: If you are a believer, God promises you an eternity in Paradise with Him. So, if you are done with this world, you’re happily in place in the next.

    If you’re a believer. 

    The apostle Paul, who testified to having seen the “third heaven” (2 Cor. 12:2), said he would rather be in Paradise with Jesus in his glorified body than remain on earth in his “weak, dishonorable” body.

    †††

    THIS IS SAD TO ME. Let me explain.

    In November 2010, the most amazing event happened to me. Mid-month, on a Wednesday evening, I received the Holy Spirit into my heart.

    Immediately, Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, went to work on me. One pastor described the transformation process this way: While we think we need a minor tune-up, the Lord is working on a transmission overhaul.

    God reaches out for us. We are His special creation.

    Big time changes. Heart change, attitude change, habit change. Out with the old; in with the new. 

    Scripture backs that up. Check out 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (KJV 2000)

    Or read Colossians 3:10 (NLT): “Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.”

    †††

    SINCE MY CONVERSION, my peace and joy come from knowing the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. I take seriously His statement in John 14 that He was going to His Father’s house to prepare a room for me so that where He is, I may be also (John 14:2-3, paraphrase).

    Because of that joy, it strikes me as supremely odd and disappointing when those joining me on Sunday morning to praise the Lord and worship His mighty name take the same position regarding their life-and-death cycle as do those who skipped church that day for an outing on the golf course or just to sleep in. 

    “Sure beats the alternative!”

    True enough if the alternative is that place reserved for the ones who reject the Lord’s saving message; however, no where near true if the alternative is to be with the Lord in His Father’s house.

    †††

    THAT BRINGS US back to you, really, the most important person in this message. 

    How do you envision your destiny? Do you see yourself enjoying God’s promise of eternal life right now, as you exist in this world, only to see it bump up in glory when the Lord calls you home … or do you see that every day you’re on this side of the ground is a good day because, you know, it beats the alternative? 

    As God’s children, we are citizens of Heaven.

    There’s nothing wrong with loving the life the Lord has given us and thanking Him daily for His gifts of grace. The problem is when we hold onto this part of eternity because … deep down … we don’t really trust Him to deliver on the post-death part.

    Our two text source verses above, Psalm 84:2b and Phil. 1:21, testify to man’s desire to be with His maker. We can lay claim to that desire just as we can lay claim to the Lord’s promise.

    It’s in John 10:10 (NASB), the “b” part: “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

    With Christ, your eternal life starts the day you receive Him into your heart. When this life is over, you’ll join Him immediately in His arms. 

    QUESTION: Now do you think this life really beats the alternative?

    ________________________

    PRAYER  

    O Blessed Redeemer, how mighty is Your name, how majestic is Your power, how great is Your love. We thank You and bless You for Your goodness and mercy. Empower us, O Lord, to serve You through our lives, then, when our walk is done, please call us home and let us rest in Jesus’ bosom with the other saints. We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen

  • Meditation … CARING FOR ONE ANOTHER

    Especially during times of stress, we in the body of Christ should serve as a model for gracious service. Jesus said He came to serve and to give His life as a ransom for our sins. He commissioned us to consider the needs of others before our own. We can accomplish this by staying in the power of the Holy Spirit, which is renewed within us by prayer.

    Hebrews 12:15 (NLT) Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God.

    Hebrews 12:25 (NCV) So be careful and do not refuse to listen when God speaks.

    Hebrews 3:15 (CSB) Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.

    50. Open_Bible
    God’s Holy Word speaks into our hearts … if we allow Him in.

    THE WRITER OF HEBREWS gives two instructions: one to those who have received God’s redeeming grace and one to those who remain outside His grace.

    To believers, he says we should care for one another so that no one will fail to receive “the grace of God.” To unbelievers, he admonishes them not to harden their hearts when they “hear his voice.”

    WE OBEY THROUGH PRAYER

    HOW DO WE, as believers, work to ensure that both instructions are followed?

    Through prayer and only through prayer. We pray for our continued fellowship and obedience, and we pray for the opportunity to share the Gospel in word and deed with others.

    Jesus reminded us (John 15) that we are to “abide” in Him and promised He would abide in us; that He is the vine, we are the branches, and that, without Him, we can do nothing.

    ASK FOR OPEN HEARTS

    SO, WE CANNOT guarantee or ensure that unbelievers will listen to the Good News when presented, but we can pray in advance that God will give us the words to say, the opportunity to say them, and receiving hearts to hear them.

    The rest is up to God’s Holy Spirit and the unbeliever.

    ________________________

    PRAYER

    image-5

    O LORD, help us to be faithful to Your command for our lives. Give us the people You want us to reach, the opportunity to reach them, the right words to say, and the right tone to say them, and give them open ears and willing hearts to listen and believe. We lift this prayer in the redeeming and sanctifying name of Jesus Christ, AMEN

  • SUNSHINE BLOGGER AWARD!

    Date: 2020-03-12 Author: LoveAndGrace (Ward Pimley)

    Dee of Sixth Seal Ministries has nominated LoveAndGrace for the SUNSHINE BLOGGER AWARD. Thank you, Dee! Your encouragement and faithfulness toward me — and other Christian bloggers — is very much appreciated.

    To my readers, here’s a link to Dee’s blog: SixthSealMinistries. Please take a look when you can. It’s a well-developed resource as Dee puts a lot of thought and energy into it.

    The Rules:

    Dee’s Questions to Me and My Answers:

    (She admits to “breaking the rules,” going with 5 Questions and 5 Nominees. I’m doing the same thing.)

    Q: DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF A PEOPLE PERSON?

    ANS: Not if, by people person, you mean an “extrovert,” but, as an “introvert,” I find personal relationships very meaningful and important to me. I especially value community with Christian believers. As such, I am willing to invest time and energy into each individual. What I don’t do well is relating to multiple people at one time.

    Q: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PASTTIME?

    ANS: I enjoy athletics, but more recently I get more satisfaction out of longer, solitary walks, taken at a rapid pace. I use the time to meditate, usually while listening to Praise & Worship music. I’ve built an extensive playlist, often getting ideas from worship service.

    Q: HAVE YOU READ THROUGH THE ENTIRE BIBLE? IF NOT, HOW FAR HAVE YOU GOTTEN?

    ANS: Oh, yes! Many times, even reading much of it in Spanish, which requires me to read slower. As a result, I pick up points that previously escaped me. I love experimenting with various English translations, both thought-for-thought and word-for-word, and comparing them. We’re fortunate to have God’s Word to read.

    Q: IF YOU COULD TRAVEL BACK IN TIME, TO WHAT YEAR WOULD YOU GO AND WHY?

    ANS: I wouldn’t change anything before my second daughter was born, but, going with the question, I would say age 15. Had I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior then, I could have lived my entire adulthood for Him. However, God was patient with me and gave me another opportunity to find Him.

    Q: DO YOU EVER WISH YOU COULD BE SOMEONE ELSE? IF SO, WHO AND WHY?

    ANS: From an athletic perspective, it’s fun to imagine being Wayne Gretzky or Wade Boggs or Tom Brady — the best of the best, but as a new Christian, I would look at evangelist Billy Graham or Christian pastor and writer Max Lucado. In the end, it’s pointless because God made me who I am so I need to be obedient to His call for my life.

    My Nominees:

    My Questions:

     (I’m borrowing from Dee’s list, but substituting the first question): 

    1. What prompted you to begin writing a Christian-themed blog and are you satisfied with how this experiment has turned out?
    2. What is your favorite past time?
    3. Have you read through the entire Bible? If not, how far have you gotten?
    4. If you could travel back in time, to what year would you go and why?
    5. Do you ever wish you could be someone else? If so, who and why?

    Dee’s Other Nominees:


    Now, What to Do?

    >First, you are under no obligation to participate nor is there a time limit to respond. 

    >Second, if you do participate, capture the Sunshine Blogger Award Seal and Blogger Award Rules. You can copy them from this blogsite.

    >Third, thank the person who nominated you and link back to his/her blog. 

    >Fourth, answer the questions posed to you. 

    >Fifth, nominate the blogs you select and link to them.

    >Sixth, create your own list of questions. 

    >Seventh, (this is a summary) post the following items to your blog: the seal and rules, your thank you and link back to the nominator, your answers to the your nominator’s questions, your nominees (with links to their blogs), and your questions to your nominees. 

    (If you have any questions for me, you can contact me through my blog.)

    Dee put it this way: “It sounds like a lot of work, but it’s actually kind of fun.”

    So, have fun!

  • JESUS PROCLAIMED: “REPENT AND BELIEVE”

    When our Lord began His public ministry, His message was simple and direct: “Repent and believe, because the Kingdom of God is at hand.” That’s still the message we, His followers must take to the world. “Repent of your sins and believe that God is here.” That command from the Lord is even more pressing today when God’s people are opposed so viciously by counter forces. 

    Mark 1:15 (NLT): “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”

    2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV): “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

    OUR COUNTRY IS BROKEN. It is severely conflicted, sharply divided into opposing camps. 

    This plays out in many areas of public life where is no possibility of compromise or consensus.

    • There is no compromise between those forces who accept God’s teaching that life begins at conception with those forces that believe life starts only at birth … with the caveat that the newborn can still be allowed to perish, if that was the mother’s intent.
    • There is no compromise between one side that views marriage as the union of one man and one woman with those who replace that structure with alternative arrangements.
    • There is no compromise between one group that says “religious liberty” means the opportunity to live out one’s faith during the week with the other side that restricts that definition to cover one hour of worship on Sunday mornings.

    Those are just a few examples.

    †††

    Isaiah 5:20 (NLT): What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.

    Romans 1:21 (CSB): For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened.

    The Bible warns against this, calling those things “good” that God says are evil or calling “evil” those things He says are good. 

    Is marriage between two women or two men good … or is it evil? 

    One side says it is “evil” and cites to God’s Word for His commandment.

    The other side calls it “good” and relies on human reason and experience as witness. Not only that, but this side calls those who stand by God’s Word “bigots” and “haters.” 

    Really?

    God told the prophet Isaiah nearly 2,800 years ago that “sorrow” awaits those who switch good and evil from what God ordains to what man desires. God also says (Malachi 3:6) He never changes. He remains the same (Hebrews 13:8) throughout eternity.

    That means what God declared as “evil” three millennia ago remains “evil,” and vice versa with “good,” regardless of man’s “progressive” wisdom.

    †††

    Mark 4:9 (BSB): Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

    Isaiah 6:9 (NET): He [God] said, “Go and tell these people: ‘Listen continually, but don’t understand! Look continually, but don’t perceive!’”

    TALKING TO THE “OTHER” SIDE is like talking to a brick wall.

    • Heterosexual marriage? No, that’s an outdated construct benefitting the “patriarchy.”  Besides, God (or the apostles) could not possibly have foreseen the love relationship that can bind two peope of the same sex.
    • Religious liberty? No, there’s separation of church and state, and your “religion” becomes the building block for a theocracy, rather than a secular republic. 

    Each of those points can be refuted easily, but the self-styled “progressives,” those who claim they are not caught in the quagmire of the past, refuse to listen to their moral inferiors, to those they consider less literate, less worthy, and less moral than they are. 

    Why, they ask, should they listen to the great unwashed, who basically are “bigots” and “religious nuts.”

    †††

    THERE’S NO JOY in pointing to the sad outcome awaiting those who spurn the Word of God in the latter days. For the time being, they are part of the mission field. 

    So we shall.

    Still, we, as a country, remain deeply divided. … with a divide that grows deeper with each passing year.

    There is no reason to believe that another election, which occurs in November 2020, will change that dynamic. 

    Regardless of who wins the White House, the Senate, and the House, the division will grow. 

    Only the return of Jesus Christ will alter that dynamic.

    PRAYER

    ALMIGHTY GOD, have mercy on this country, we pray. Guide our leaders to be men and women of great faith, who hire top staff who share that faith and who serve honorably as public servants, beholden first to You and then to us. Forgive us, O Lord, for our failure to listen to Your Word and the hardness of our hearts. Direct and strengthen those of us who are Your children to lead by example, living our lives as Christ taught us to. We ask this is the loving, merciful, and magnificent name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. AMEN

  • BUILDING BETTER MARRIAGES (Through “Love” and “Respect”)

    God created the institution of marriage when He created Adam and Eve. He told us through His Word that men are to love and honor their wives, and women are to respect their husbands. Our marriages work better when we follow God’s design. Even our conflicts are useful, if we encourage one another to be more like Christ — more loving, compassionate, forgiving, and patient.

     

    Ephesians 5:33 (NKJV): Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. 

    1 Peter 3:1, 7 (ESV): Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands. … Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel.

    MODERN MARRIAGES ARE IN TROUBLE … EVEN  CHRISTIAN ONES.

    WHY IS THIS?

    Some marriage counselors point to the obvious culprit of “selfishness,” in which both the husband and the wife marry their partner for self-centered reasons. 

    Their energy is focused on making certain their spouse makes them happy.

    Yet, a marriage that survives in a loving and tender way requires  the opposite energy — selflessness, in which the husband and wife are asking, “What can I do to make you happy?”

    So, instead of husbands and wives taking from their partner, they give to their partner.

    †††

    GOD INTRODUCED MANKIND to the marriage covenant while he was in the state of innocence, in the Garden of Eden, before sin entered the world.

    Marriage was a “good” thing that God designed to bring one man and one woman together “as one body,” in which each partner brought his/her strengths to the relationship, covering the other’s weaknesses.

    The Holy Bible tells us that God made man and woman in His image, so we know that in creating Adam, the first man, He took some of His characteristics (such as courage, bravery, and strength) and gave those traits to him. 

    †††

    WHEN HE MADE EVE, the first woman, He took other characteristics of Himself (such as beauty, grace, and charm) and gave those traits to her.

    Both were created to be equal in God’s eyes but with different characteristics and abilities so as to complement each other and prepare them for different tasks.

    God didn’t leave the marriage life to chance.

    No way!

    †††

    GOD GAVE US DIRECTIONS on how husbands (men) and wives (women) should act and react, think, speak, and desire in this intricate and delicate relationship.

    The marriage relationship, the Bible tells us (Eph. 5:32) is so fundamental that it mimics the relationship between Jesus Christ and His Church. 

    In that model, the husband takes the sacrificial role of Jesus, while the wife takes the obedient role of the church.

    †††

    UNFORTUNATELY FOR MANKIND, most of marital history has occurred after the Fall, when sin entered the world.

    Part of the curse God proclaimed was that Eve (and subsequent women) would desire to rule her husband Adam (and subsequent men), while God placed ultimate responsibility for the marriage’s success on Adam (and his successors).

    This tension set up the current difficulty in marriages, where the husband and wife wrestle with each other, usually in quarrels, arguments, and ultimatums, to gain the upper hand, when God wants us to work out our issues peacefully. 

    Yes, our struggles are useful for smoothing the edges in our relationships, but in the end, we’re to find a common level of accord. That can happen either by chance (not effective) or by following guidelines set by God (effective).

    †††

    GOD SPOKE THROUGH HIS APOSTLES to guide men and women in their marital roles.

    Both Paul and Peter point to this maxim: Men (husbands) are required by God to love their wives, and woman (wives) are  required by God to respect their husbands. 

    Why?

    Well, counselors tell us that men crave respect more than love, while their wives are more willing to offer love; and women crave love more than respect, while men are more willing to offer respect. 

    So, God tells us to focus on the trait our spouse most desires and that we have the most trouble giving.

    †††

    VARIOUS AUTHORS HAVE EXPRESSED this point in recent books.

    In Sacred Marriage (Zondervan, 2000, 2015. p. 11), Gary Thomas asks: 

    “What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy?”

    Emerson Eggerichs, in Love And Respect (Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2004), said this about what God expects of husband and wives:

    “Wives are made to love, want to love, and expect love. Many husbands fail to deliver. … Husbands are made to be respected, want respect, and expect respect. Many wives fail to deliver.” (Kindle, p. 5)

    What happens, Eggerichs asks, if husbands and wives fail to act according to God’s design? He writes:

    “[W]ithout love from him, she reacts without respect; without respect from her, he reacts without love.” (Kindle, p. 6)

    †††

    WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE US?

    In every case, when we are obedient to God’s design, we benefit; when we chart our own course, we fail.

    God knows us. He created us, so He can tell us what will work and what will not work. 

    We need to listen.

    We can use the wisdom that God gave to Solomon as our guide:

    “Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.” – Proverbs 27:17 (NASB)

    Another translation says it this way:

    “As iron sharpens iron, so people can improve each other.” – Proverbs 27:17 (NCV)

    Our marriages are designed for husbands and wives to challenge one another to become more holy, more committed to God, and more committed to one another. Through that connection, we are to become the “one flesh” He intended.

    PRAYER

    OUR GRACIOUS HEAVENLY FATHER, we humbly come to You, repenting of our selfishness, as we (husbands/wives) seek our own pleasure, our own happiness, our own needs from our spouse, when You have designed us to serve our spouse, to seek his/her happiness over our own. Lord, You showed us how to do this when You stooped before the Apostles and tenderly washed the encrusted dirt from their smelly feet. O Lord, how much love the Savior has for His creation. Create within us, Father God, a new heart. Remove our hearts of stone, O Lord, and give us hearts of flesh. In the matchless name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, we pray. AMEN

  • BATTLING SPIRITUAL WARFARE

    God created men and women to honor Him and to fellowship with Him. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, sin entered the world and destroyed that relationship. God, in His mercy, gave us a way out of our mess, but our lives in this world are in constant turmoil, as we struggle against our hearts, the world, and the devil.

    • Gen. 2:16-17 (GW): The Lord God commanded the man. He said … “You must never eat from the tree of the knowledge of good  and evil because when you eat from it, you will certainly die.”
    • Gen. 3:1, 4 (NCV): One day the snake said to the woman, “Did God really say that you must not eat fruit from any tree in the garden?” … The snake said to the woman, “You will not die.” 
    • John 11:35 (NASB): Jesus wept.
    GOD’S intent was to give man and woman Paradise.

    I FELT LIKE I WAS FALLING THROUGH A BLACK HOLE.

    It was an ugly feeling, as though Satan had his icy grip on my soul.

    Even stranger, I thought, was how evil could torment my soul while I was in church, supposedly worshipping the risen Lord! Wasn’t that supposed to be a “safe zone,” an oasis from spiritual warfare?

    Apparently not. We’re not exempt from the spiritual battles, no matter where we are. 

    I recently read a post from a woman in Australia, who writes as “Perth Girl,” who experienced something similar, a feeling of doubt and confusion when confronted in church with the grim news that a dear friend’s cancer had returned. (You can read it here: “Doubts“)

    So, the apostle Paul was right, there “isn’t any temptation that you have experienced which is unusual for humans.” (1 Cor. 10:13 GW)

    Her experience was similar to mine, and her remedy was identical to mine: Go to God in prayer.

    †††

    Without fellowship with God, we feel isolated and alone.

     IT WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE THIS.

    God created man and woman to unite in marriage and live in harmony with the world He made and in fellowship with Him.

    Instead, our forebears disobeyed God, ate from the forbidden tree, and immediately suffered the consequences … which have passed down to each one of us.

    We have fallen out of fellowship with God, our marriages are filled with conflict, and our personal lives are a daily struggle.

    We didn’t listen to His warning, but fortunately, He gave us a solution. 

    We can find it throughout His Word, but James, the half-brother of Jesus, said it best: 

    “Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” (James 4:7-8a CSB)

    †††

    MY EXPERIENCE this time with spiritual warfare had a happy ending.

    I told God from the depths of my anguish that as soon as we got home, I was going into my office and, in solitude, reach out to him,  pouring out my soul.

    I did. I told Him of my anguish. I told Him of the evil that filled my heart. I told Him how frightened I was of that feeling. I told Him I felt distanced from Him, and that I knew I was the one who had moved … not Him.

    In response, He bathed me in His love, His reassurance, and His presence.

    †††

    POSTSCRIPT: HE WAS PREPARING ME FOR THE WEEK AHEAD.

    There is no doubt in my mind but what God allowed the devil to mess with me that recent Sunday in church because He knew that I, like Job in years past, would call out to Him.

    He reassured me of His love for me and of my salvation. That reassurance has blessed me in the two weeks since. 

    Yes, I will need frequent reminders of His love. That was just one bright spot on God’s sanctification highway.

    Here’s His reminder for us:

    “Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:12-13 NASB)

    PRAYER

    O HEAVENLY AND MERCIFUL FATHER, we are so grateful for Your everlasting and unmerited love. You bath us in glory. You breath life  into our bodies. You restore our souls. You refresh our minds. You deepen our faith. There is no evil that can befall us that is greater than Your power to control and defeat. We are safe in Your arms. O Lord, keep us from wandering. We know You’ll look for us and bring us back, but we don’t want to leave the sheepfold. Bless us and keep us, O Lord, in Your warm embrace. In Jesus’ holy and majestic name we pray. AMEN

  • Meditation—WINDS OF CHANGE

    Today’s headlines tell of wars and famines, earthquakes, hurricanes, and tornados, kidnappings, missile launches, and terrorist attacks. Are these the harbingers the Bible tells us would signal the end times and Christ’s ready return, or are they simply our heightened awareness — through 21st century technology — of the death, destruction, and evil that always have been with us since mankind first rebelled against God … and so many in the world continue to do even today?

     “So always be ready, because you don’t know the day or the hour the Son of Man will come.” Matthew 25:13 (NCV)

    “For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” Revelation 6:17 (NKJV)

    WE WATCHED WITH GREAT INTEREST as the artist, brightly clad in a clown’s outfit, carefully painted the little girl’s eager face. 

    Unicorns, tigers, kitties, and dogs flourished on the faces of eager boys
    and girls at the City Park on this Independence Day.

    When the artist finished, the girl was sporting a unicorn character, complete with a horn painted on her forehead from her nose to her hairline and two horns above her eyes.

    This was Independence Day at the City Park, and the locals — many wearing festive July 4th hats, shirts, and pants — were gathered to celebrate the country’s birthday. 

    For this moment, on this day, time stood still. No thoughts of the evil that plagues our world. No hint this day in this locale of devastating storms, no violence or angry shouts, no disturbances of any kind. No fender benders in the parking lot. No shoving or pushing in line. 

    At the City Park, for one day, Americans of varied sizes, backgrounds, occupations, education levels, skills and talents, political views and dreams and hopes, assembled to watch their youngsters pet donkeys, rabbits, and goats, slide down giant blowup sliding boards, and carry colorful balloons twisted to resemble dachshunds and swords.

    Missing was any sense of judgment, of end-of-world prophecy, of punishment and reward, of Heaven and Hell. That’s the stuff of Sundays, and this was a Thursday.

    +++

     THOSE WHO READ GOD’S WORD know that Jesus Christ will return to the earth, bringing His saints with Him to begin a 1,000-year reign, known as the Millennium. 

    The Bible says that will be a time of peace on the earth before the ending battle of Armageddon and the beginning of Eternity, when God will unveil the New Heavens and the New Earth.

    “The rider on the horse is called Faithful and True. … His name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in fine linen, white and clean, were following him on white horses.” -Rev. 19:11a, 14 (NCV).

    While many of us understandably are eager to see our Savior return and usher in this new world, Jesus told us during His earthly ministry that it was not for us to know the hour or day when He will return.

    We are to live in eager anticipation for His return; meanwhile, we are to be prepared for two things: to receive the Holy Spirit into our hearts and to share the Gospel with others. 

    +++

    SO, WHAT ARE WE TO MAKE of today’s troubling headlines and what they portend for our future? And what about those around us who seem oblivious to the warning signs? 

    Are we living in a time warp? We read about end times prophecies and gather in worship with fellow believers. In those moments, all of the Bible’s teachings seem so relevant and comforting.

    Yet, when we leave the friendly fellowship circles with hugs and prayers for one another’s wellbeing, we re-engage a world no more concerned about God’s warnings than were the scoffers who watched Noah labor for a century to build an ark, or those whose sinful passions engulfed Sodom and Gomorrah right up until the time God rained sulfur on their towns.

    +++

    IT SEEMS SO UNREAL. We want to reach those around us with the message of hope, yet they’re so mired in the here-and-now, they can’t see the future. As long as their kids are happy and the bills are paid, they’re content with life. 

    For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, … so will the coming of the Son of Man be. Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. – Matt. 24:38-39, 44b.

    Now, beneath the surface, they could be raging with all kinds of emotions, from anger to sadness to hopelessness to depression to betrayal to fear to … whatever … but the screen they put up hides all of that and, moreover, blocks out the message that Jesus offers to each of us.

    How do we penetrate that screen? How do we tell them that the Christ Child who came to offer salvation will return a victorious King of kings and Lord of lords to execute judgment on the world and remove His saints to Paradise?

    In the world of City Park, with the vendors and rock music, with happy children and amusements, it all sounds so surreal, so otherworldly, so irrelevant to what they care about.

    The message dies on our tongues, unable to reach receptive ears. 

    +++

    WE ARE LEFT WHERE WE STARTED, utterly, totally, and completely dependent on the Holy Spirit … to provide willing hearts to listen, perfect opportunities to speak, and obedient servants to share.

    Jesus knew this would happen to us. 

    He left us with words of comfort for just these moments. We’re to abide in Him and let Him abide in us.

    Here they are:  

    “Abide in Me, and I in You. … Apart from Me you can do nothing.”

    John 15:4a-5b (NASB)

    PRAYER

     O Lord, our Heavenly Father. Sometimes, we just feel so overwhelmed with the task of carrying the Gospel to a broken, unbelieving, cynical world; yet, when we place our trust in You, we labor not with our strength and wisdom but with Yours. We pray for grace and mercy as Your Spirit prepares us for the good work to be done on behalf of the Kingdom, not for our glory, O Lord, but for Yours. In Jesus’ mighty name we pray.  AMEN

    Questions for Personal Meditation and Small Group Discussion

    1. Do you believe you are *ready* to provide an oral witness for your faith when the opportunity arises? Do you pray that the Lord will use you to advance the Gospel? Do you look for those opportunities to arise?
    2. Have you *practiced* giving a brief (30 seconds to 1 minute) personal testimony that describes your life before Christ, how you received the Holy Spirit, and ways His grace has changed your life? Are you ready to answer any follow-up questions you might be asked.
    3. Do you accept that all believers – not just pastors, teachers, evangelists, and missionaries – are called by Jesus to tell others about their faith? Is this something you would rather not do? Can you pray for opportunities to share and the wisdom to share effectively? If not, what holds you back? Can you pray about that?

    Would you like us at LoveAndGrace to pray for you? If so, please indicate in the Comment field. God bless!