He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need. Ephesians 4:28
Taking what does not belong to us is a violation of living God’s 8th commandment. “Thou shalt not steal” is easy to discern as it relates to a robbed goat, a hijacked airplane, a kidnapped child, or a plagiarized writing. “Stealing” is not always so cut and dry, however. Take for example cheating on an exam, undermining someone’s will, not paying our bills, faking sick time, downloading software illegally, withholding taxes, working slothfully, stealing cable services, or defaulting on loans. What about when we look at our calendar and check book and discover we are cheating God with our time, talent, energy, and treasure?
Stealing boils down to a matter of trust. If we have to resort to wrestling goods or talents from another person rather than operating in the provision of God, then Philippians 4:19 means nothing: “But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” If we take things that do not belong to us, then the wonderful confidence spoken of in Matthew chapter 6:25-33 doesn’t count. If callous plundering of our neighbor’s materials and services is our behavior pattern, then the devil surely is having his way: “The enemy comes but to steal, kill, and destroy…” (Jn 10:10).
Our magnificent Creator has made us to produce so we can thrive. He has made us with a conscience and ability to observe His masterpiece called earth and the heavens so we can be humbly honest in our behavior as well. He gave His only begotten Son in the most unconditional loving gesture so that we could be givers too.
Perhaps a tombstone in the graveyard on Blackwell’s Island says it best: “Here lies the fragments of John Smith who contradicted His Maker, played football with the Ten Commandments, and departed this life at the age of thirty-five. His mother and wife weep for him. Nobody else does. May he rest in peace.”
With the guiding influence of the Holy Spirit’s presence within us, let’s put an end to defying God’s goodness or playing games with His law. Rather, let’s purpose to really know and follow Him. Romans 13:8 (Amp) says it best: “Keep out of debt and owe no man anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor (who practices loving others) has fulfilled the Law (relating to ones’ fellowmen, meeting all its requirements).” In light of that, living out the 8th Commandment,“Thou shalt not steal,” becomes easy!
“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13
If we are able to wade into Living the Ten Commandments with a teachable spirit and accept truth as a friend, then we quickly begin to realize the high standard God has set for us. To be sure, their fulfillment lies beyond our capabilities; yet, God’s grace and mercy are more than sufficient to bridge whatever gap exists. Now let’s focus on the value God has for faithfulness and sexual purity. The 7th commandment, “Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery”, warns us of sinning against God, our spouse, and against our bodies (1 Cor 6:18). According to God’s Word, engaging in counterfeit gods and/or not being faithful to one’s husband or wife is defined as adultery.
According to God’s law, marriage vows made before Him should be honored, regardless of difficulties. Sex, being a gift from God, is reserved for marriage only. In the Old Testament, Leviticus 20:10 sternly calls for adulterers to be put to death. In Jeremiah 3:3-6, God calls being unfaithful to Him adultery. After King David committed adultery with Bathsheba, he was confronted by Nathan the prophet. He repented and wrote the 51st Psalm that asked God to create a pure heart in him. An adulteress that was brought to Jesus was told by Him that no one condemned her and neither would He. He did, however, tell her to go and sin no more.
Jesus increased the magnitude of this standard when he addressed His disciples in the Sermon on the Mount. He said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Mt 5:27-28). He also said that adultery, as an act of marital unfaithfulness, was grounds for divorce (Mt 19:9).
Jesus was careful to explain an adulterous heart: its inner motive is to satisfy self. The seed of selfishness gets planted, takes root, grows and produces a lustful fruit. He also noted what would cause one to seek to serve others: a heart that operates from God’s seed of love.
Can we really love others and be faithful the way God demands? His word says if we do what He commands, He will give us the provision to carry it out by the power of His Holy Spirit. In the Book of Romans, chapters 7 and 8, Apostle Paul best captures and defines this divinely inspired transforming process. From this point on, let’s not condemn ourselves for not being perfect, let’s not get weary in pressing in to do good, and let’s purpose to keep pure our relationships with our God, ourselves, our spouses, family and neighbors. Do these and watch what God or Love Himself will do in equipping, restoring, and downloading His Spirit in settling us into living His 7th command “Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery.”
For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. Mat 15:19
Although God never changes, He expects each and every one of us to be led and guided along His path of righteous change. That is why we were excited to embark on this Living the Ten Commandment series, specifically in light of Romans 13:8-10 (which says we are to owe no man anything but to love them and love is the fulfilling of the law). We believe the Spirit of God is purposefully involved. If He indeed is the Master Teacher, then we have a wonderful opportunity to grasp what God wants us to understand relative to His operating system. Admittedly, it is all too clear that we have no idea on our own what God’s operating system truly is. As the singer is more important than the song, the builder more important than the building, the test here is to review our writing and give credit to the Author behind it. With that in mind, let’s take a look at Commandment #6: Thou shalt not commit murder.
In order for us to receive this command in the right context, one must research the Hebrew word for “kill.” According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, this word is “ratasch,” which means “to dash in pieces, i.e. kill (a human being), especially to murder–put to death, kill, slay.” A premeditated taking of another’s life, for the sole purpose of destroying such life, in the light that God created it with a potential to live in the fullness of His image and likeness, is tantamount to killing God Himself. Killing or murdering another person is the exact opposite of God’s admonition to “love thy neighbor as thyself.”
John 10:10 is the dividing line on this issue. Jesus said, “The enemy comes not but to steal, kill, and destroy, but I have come to bring life and bring it more abundantly.” Therefore, if someone murders another person by reason of dark intent, the spiritual result is not of God, but of Satan. If someone comes alongside another person for the purpose of nurturing, enhancing, and infusing hope, then the assurance is that the spiritual influence is of God alone. Essentially, this five-word command dictates the parameters of how we are to conduct ourselves with others; regarding life and God in a synonymous way and consistently behaving as if it were our top priority.
It is critical to note that God’s Word is totally reflective of Himself. He is the definite Spirit of that which is good or holy. He is “The Divine Definer.” Therefore, the intent of His Spiritual principles must be interpreted and understood through the filter of His Holy Spirit deposited within us. His grace is what allows us to awaken to His essence: The Ten Commandments are not rules and regulations, written in stone for us to argue about, be condemned by, or discover through archeological pursuit. They are God’s perfect moral guidance for the right time, the right place, for the right people, and for the right reason. Moses knew God’s ways and the people of Israel knew God’s actions. (Ps 103:7). In Hosea 4:6, God said, “My people are destroyed by lack of knowledge, because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me; seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.” To His credit, God is not a respecter of persons. Each of us is created in a perfectly just equality. By our willingness and the power of His Spirit, we are given the means to know Him, His ways, His principles and patterns, represent Him, and effectively destroy the cursing influence of previous generations.
One of the saddest chapters in American history, is the one going on at this very moment. It epitomizes what God describes as an abomination; the shedding of innocent blood. In the face of God’s law, since 1973, millions of babies have been “legally” aborted in this land of ours. An unborn child is not merely a mass of tissue. It is living, human, and innocent. Make no mistake, those who engage in, assist, or endorse this shameful practice, God will one day hold accountable.
Murder at any level is a symptom of a vile heart. Let’s ask God for a pure heart, because that’s the place from which the issues of life stem. What the world calls our “subconscious,” God calls our “heart.” And “as a man thinketh in his heart, so he is” (Prov 23:7). Keep going family and friends; we are on the most fulfilling journey to live out God’s moral law of love –one commandment at a time! This milestone is Commandment # 6: Thou shalt not commit murder.
“Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.” Colossians 3:20 ESV
The first four commandments direct us to trust God alone, not to substitute any false gods in His place, to respect His name, and to follow His pattern of keeping a holy day of rest in Him. Another way of reviewing the significance of the order of the first four commandments is to focus on the makeup of the cross. The formation of the vertical beam (which consists of the first four commandments) represents our upward connection with our heavenly Father. The horizontal beam (which consists of the last six commandments) connects us personally one to another.
Having previously examined the details of the four vertical members of the cross, let’s take this opportunity to transition to the horizontal. God’s initial instruction for us to respect our earthly parents–His primary partners and our earliest-stage “commanders”–signifies His loving genius: “Honor your Father and Mother that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” Isn’t it beautiful how the promise of long life in honoring our earthly parents parallels the promise of everlasting life with Him as our eternal parent?
As the ultimate balanced authority, God wants all people to respect and honor those He has placed in positions of authority. For a period of time, parents essentially stand in the place of God to their children; therefore, rebellion against their lawful commands has been considered as rebellion against God. Let’s be honest. All of us who have life must have had an earthly father and mother. No one has ever been produced from a same sex or any other type of man-made idea for marriage because God didn’t design the production of a family unit in any of those ways. None of us pick our parents or experience those who are perfect. As a matter of fact, in many instances, fathers and mothers have acted dishonorably and have caused great pain and suffering. Even in situations such as these, God expects us to honor them for His sake. “Honor thy father and thy mother” ideally valuing them by our conduct, obeying their lawful commands, responding when they call us, going where they send us, doing and not doing what they tell us, and cheerfully and lovingly caring for them in their elder years. To be clear, as we become independent in our life style, the “parental obeying” part is eventually outgrown, but the “parental honoring” part never does.
If we really get to know The Lord, and live in Him and work with Him, then no matter how twisted our relationship with our parents may have become, we can rise up in the power of His graceful, forgiving and cleansing Holy Spirit might. Our God has always been with us, even during our history of dismay. Knowing God’s motive and following Him in His parental decree allows us to Spiritually return in faith to whenever and whatever fell off track to be hopefully restored the only way that matters―God’s or the Commander’s way.
Solomon, regarded as the wisest man that ever lived, concluded, “When it’s all said and done, fear God (respect and worship Him) and keep His commandments. It is upon this, God will judge us” (Ecc 12:13-14).
Dear family and friends, let’s heed God’s supreme insight and follow the example of Jesus in the way He honored and obeyed His earthly parents…one commandment at a time, with greater light shining on the 5th — Honor your Father and Mother that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
We all have a unique memory bank from which to withdraw. Its part of what makes us individuals. At the same time, these memories that we have as individuals apply in some way to all of us. It’s part of what helps us better understand life as human beings. May I share a personal memory and move to a general conclusion that you can judge to be true for all of us or not.
Let me set the stage for an experience in the 1970’s during my (unholy spirited) bar-tending days at an American Legion. There was an entertaining investigative TV show at the time called Kojak. Telly Savalas was the star and he wore a hat sometimes but most of the time you could see his bald head. He was so cool he could solve crimes and eat a lolly pop at the same time. His famous line was,”Who loves Ya, Baby?” Well, there was a gentleman who was a regular at the Legion Post who shaved his head, always had a lolly pop in his mouth and said without a prompt, “Who loves ya, Baby?” As you can imagine, everyone fondly called him…Kojak.
In Genesis 1:26, the Biblical memory says we are created in God’s image and likeness. In other words, we have the capacity to look and act like God. The example above is a sad commentary on the result of our fallen nature. To choose to function as someone else (who, in fact is acting too) is not God’s plan. We are not a clever mimic of someone else. Instead, we are to develop and act as the precious and unique YOU and me God intended.
There is a reality beyond the make-believe realm of Kojak and his lollypop. My conclusion agrees with Heaven’s scriptural answer, even to Hollywood’s clever scripted question of ….”Who loves ya, Baby?” In John 3:16 the Bible says God so loved the world that He sent His only beloved Son to die for our sins so those who believed in Him would have everlasting life.” In the divine believe and make realm, God says, He loves us; and that family and friends is as real, and as sweet as it gets!
And do not neglect doing good and sharing,
for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
Hebrews13:16
When we recognize Abraham as God’s choice to be The Founding Father of our faith, and the Founding Father of Founding Fathers, perspectives change dramatically. In the Genesis account in the Old Testament and in chapter 3 of Galatians of the New Testament, it’s clear that Abraham had a divine and prototypical role to play in history. He was blessed by God to be a blessing to the nations. Jesus came along as the seed promised in Genesis 3:15, fulfilled the promise, and by dying upon a tree, took the curse upon Himself that was earmarked for all of fallen man.
There is eternal excitement knowing the blessing of
Abraham has been released and alive and well in his heirs; those of us who live
in Faith in the redeeming work of Christ at Calvary.
2021 – We’re Blessed to Be a Blessing
For this New Year and New Decade, my wife Cynthia and
I have personalized a morning prayer, based on our Covenant relationship with
God and Abraham. May our daily reminder
inspire you to realize that you are blessed to be a blessing too.
Dear Father in Heaven,
We are so grateful for our trusted relationship with
You and the favor You have lavished on us in Spirit, Soul, and Body. Thank You for our living faith, focused
energy, natural and kingdom-family members, friends, and plentiful material and
financial assets. We recognize the responsibility and privilege we have in this
season of our lives to be a blessing to those You inspire us to engage. Help
us to be sensitive as true gatherers and deliverers of Your love to those You
have placed strategically in our lives.
Father, we acknowledge that You have chosen us for
such a time as this. We know that Your
agenda for Cynthia and me is as good as it gets. Let this and every day sparkle with the
strength of Your joy. Be glorified as You lead us as missionaries in the power,
and transforming effectiveness of Your Holy Spirit.
We pray this in the mighty Name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
1 Thes 5:23; Prov 11:25-26; 2 Cor 9:8-11; Rom 12:13; James 5:16; Eph 2:10; Matt 5:16
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2Cor 5:21
It was during my draft-eligible age (nearly fifty-six years ago) that I was classified by the military as 4A. Simply put, 4A meant that I was exempt on all counts from the selection process. This was due to the passing of my father, who had lost his life while serving in the United States Navy during W.W. II. With his death, I became a sole-surviving son – the only one left to carry on our family name-and because of such, the government saw the need to shield me from any duty in Vietnam. In addition to my sole-surviving son status, I also was granted a sum of money ear-marked for a college education. While it may seem somewhat selfish, my outlook during that period was that my 4A classification was owed to me, I was entitled the free tuition, and in a very twisted way, I was legitimately grateful for my father’s sacrifice. The trade-offs for taking this stance were costly, however. My sense of trust was dismantled by the absence of a “father figure” and my non-participation in the draft cultivated a nagging share of regret.
Because I was only six years old when my dad passed
away, my conclusions relative to his death were not only childish, they also
seeded tainted attitudes which cropped up long into my adult life. In my little
heart and mind, I had planted two horribly self-defeating weeds: 1) My
biological father was responsible for deserting my mother, sister, and me, and
2) God (if there even were a God) had to be wretched and insensitive for taking
my most essential influence in my father. To say that this package of broken
trust, unforgiveness, and bitterness flourished in my life would be an
understatement. The longing I had for the love of my earthly dad and for the
peace that only God could bring remained locked in a suppressed place deep
within me. As my stubborn self-will and hollow pride matured, I became more and
more adept at concealing my true condition by never bothering to publicly share
my father’s existence with anyone. In fact, it was not until my mid-thirties
that I even visited his grave site. But the most unfortunate thing of all was
my stubbornness to accept a much greater reality. I, the sole-surviving son,
willfully chose to ignore God and trusted in only myself for more than half a
century. I was a habit on legs, independent, and set on doing things my own
way. Only the likes of an earthquake or a miracle could change that. Well,
guess what? The miracle came while I was on vacation in the earthquake-prone
state of California.
But before I give details of this occurrence, we first
need to know that God doesn’t think like we do. We make plans, but His purpose
is what is carried out. His ways are higher and greater than ours. So here I
was, 3,000 miles away from my Massachusetts home, thinking I was visiting with
my son. When I first arrived, I had begun to read a small version of the
Amplified Bible that a friend had given me. Never a hungry reader, I was
surprised by my appetite for what was on these pages. It was as if this Book
were written just for me! Little did I know that this was part of God’s special
appeal to meet with me. After a few days of delving into His Word and learning
about the significance of His Son, Jesus, I decided to arise early one morning
and drive to the beach. As only God can produce, I soon found myself in front of
one of His more famous in-ground pools-the “peace maker”/Pacific Ocean. I stood
at the shoreline gazing off to forever, when all of a sudden, the concept of
God clicked. In that moment of awe, He showed me how immense He was.
Immediately, my hapless and hopeless ways were brought into the light, which I
later came to realize was captured so nicely in Proverb 13:12-”Hope deferred
maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.” In
His presence, I knew I was meeting with hope Himself, the God of transforming
love that never fails. I whispered to Him from my prayerful heart, “I give up…
I’m all yours. Please, Lord, help me…” His response was my miracle.
My tide changed immediately as the peace of God flowed
within me. A joy swept throughout my entire being like never in my life. My
eyes were opened in a spiritual rebirth that literally compares to seeing the
ocean for the first time. At that moment, two significant things happened and
have continued to this day. 1) God began erecting His monument of trust in the
core of my heart and 2) He began to weed out of my inner garden the twin
growths of unforgiveness and bitterness. The anchor of hope for my soul had
arrived. My harvest in life would never be the same.
From the instant I became a baby Christian, I have
continued to read the Bible, listen to teaching lessons, and learn from more
mature Christians than I. As magnificent as the Pacific Ocean was and the
personal experience that accompanied it, I now know that there is so much more to
discover and understand about the source of both. God is a wonder to behold. It
is through the depth of my relationship walk with Him that the benefits of
being regenerated become apparent. In Christ, I am forgiven of all my sins. I
can fellowship with God any time I want. I am righteous because I am in Christ.
I have access to revelation knowledge. I am born unto a new spiritual family
complete with full rights and privileges. I am a part of a royal priesthood.
And most significantly, I am an heir to a Heavenly Kingdom and guaranteed an
eternal existence.
As I look back on my sole-surviving son days, they are
completely washed in the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ. When I accepted
Christ as my Lord and Savior, I was translated from being that sole-surviving,
soul-condemned individual who had a despairing life and a destiny in the
devil’s eternal hell to a new creation (2Cor 5:17), a recreated soul-serving
son who is complete in the promise of abundant life on earth and the blessed
hope of being loved in My Heavenly Father’s house forever.
Like I mentioned, my attitude about being a
sole-surviving son and having never served in the military is actually
something I have lived to regret. Yet, with God, all things are possible. And
so it is in this case. I believe God has helped me in the military part of my
life by drafting me to serve in His army. They say old soldiers never die;
their memory lives on. It is in my new position as a spiritual soldier and
soul-serving son that I have the opportunity to brandish the sword of His Word
for His honor and glory. And the most amazing aspect of doing this is that not
only will my memory live on, but I, too, will live forever!
If you would like to join me in the eternal army of
Jesus Christ, recite the following prayer and you will be enlisted to serve
too.
Heavenly Father, I come to You in the name of Your Son, Jesus. Thank you for sending Him to die for my sins, an incredible act of love performed just for me. I am sorry for sinning against You. I believe that you are a forgiving God, as Your Word says, and that You forgive me of all my sins. I believe You raised Jesus from the grave, overcoming death, which allows me to accept Him and receive eternal life through Him. Jesus, please come and reside in my heart and be my Lord and Savior. Amen.
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. Rev 22:17
As a boy, I can vividly recall a specific occasion when my step-father, a retired Navy man, brought our family to attention while driving across the Fairhaven-New Bedford Bridge. It was not by any sudden action or outburst because he was doing his usual scanning of the variety of sail boats which dotted the harbor. What tuned each and every ear were the words spoken from his mouth. They were honest words having to do with his greatest fantasy. It went something like this ……. “If I could only stop this car, get out, throw my wallet away, dive into the water and swim to one of those boats and sail off, I would never be seen or heard from again.” It sounded like a legitimate dream to all of us as we lightly accepted what was in the recesses of his heart. Fortunately, we were familiar with the dreamer part of Dad and knew he’d never actually do it. His fantasy was psychologically harmless to our family, but it pointed out a dangerous spiritual void that each of us were blinded to. Our earthly father was giving us his best shot at temporal happiness – what I now look back on and call “Sailvation”.
Sailvation is when one sets into motion a personalized plan of captaining his or her own ship; to somehow escape the issues of this world by simply sailing off to ….. somewhere. How many of us have actually done that only to find a new horizon of problems and a renewed longing to find that elusive port of peace?
Here is where we need to meet the real captain of the entire fleet — Jesus Christ. He is the Prince of Peace who made all ports. When we abide in Him, accept Him as our Lord and Savior, He then navigates the course of our lives. All we need to do is take the I out of Sailvation and trust Him and His salvation for us. He created the earth, the waterway, the material for boat building, celestial decoration, and all life that inhabits this planet – especially and including mankind, His Crown of Creation. He also recreated us. How? By dying for us on the Cross, an unprecedented and heroic act which in effect served as our “life saver” from the wages of sin or put another way, eternal separation or death. (Romans 6:23)
From the Sea of Galilee to the shores of Narragansett Bay, the ever-loving and ever-living miraculous Jesus Christ welcomes us to follow Him. If you want Jesus to come into your life and navigate for you, drop the “I” in your Sailvation approach and two major things will occur: 1) You will no longer continually run aground here on earth and 2) You will never sink into the eternal depths of hell. The only way to become ship-shape is simple. Be willing and submit to the greatest Harbor Master and Light House of all — He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life — Jesus Christ. (John 14:6)
To be reunited and sealed, God’s way, please recite this prayer and mean it with all of your heart, and your journey in and with Him will begin now and never end. (Romans 10:9-10)
Heavenly Father, I come to You in the name of Your Son, Jesus. Thank you for sending Him to die to redeem me from my sins. I’m sorry for sinning against You. I believe that you are a forgiving God, as Your Word says, and You forgive me of all my sins right now. I believe You raised Jesus from the grave, overcoming sin and death, and allowing me to accept Him and receive eternal life through Him. Jesus, please come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior of my life. Please help me to become the person of Your eternal destiny. Amen.
John 3:16-17; John 6:47; 2 Timothy 1:9-10; Acts 4:12; Psalm 62:1; Luke 19:9-10
Editor’s Note: When Jesus is the captain, you can sail towards the real Fair Havens!
Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it’s the Lord’s purpose that prevails. Prov 19:21
Some time ago, a talented and fine young friend of mine was headed to Texas to major in marketing. As we discussed his upcoming career path, he defined marketing in a way I had never considered. My basic idea of marketing included someone selling or buying a product or idea of some kind. His definition sparked with far more depth and hope. Marketing to him was to truly help someone purchase a quality product through “strategic influence.” As I thought about what he said, one of my favorite passages of Scripture came to mind. Please read Philippians 4:6-14 for yourself. We find a three point formula to the most amazing product that we all can use daily and… forever.
First, Paul says we are to be ANXIOUS for NOTHING. He’s not talking about being comatose to life, just trusting and truly believing that God will never leave us nor forsake us like He promised. Secondly, to be PRAYERFUL in EVERYTHING. The intimate relationship that comes from time with God is reflected in the first Commandment and so many supporting scriptures. One that vies for our attention is Hebrews 11:6 where God promises to reward those who earnestly seek Him and believe that He is who He says He is. Thirdly, to be GRATEFUL for ANYTHING of, by, for, or from Him.
The simple fact we have breath is none of our doing. Life, water to drink, abilities, beauty, witty ideas, and friends are all manifested examples of God’s grace. “This is the day that the Lord has made. Let’s rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). The product that Paul promotes is the peace that only God can impart, because it’s an attribute of His character. While Paul and Silas were in the Roman jail (a place disgustingly despicable and dangerous even in our imagination), they sang praises at midnight and influenced the guards around them. Either one is totally goofy in behaving like that or they were containers for something that transcended understanding. Paul gives us his notion of “positive thinking,” which is nothing like “you’re OK and I’m OK.” He describes being content when he abounded (things going his way) and being content when he was abased (trapped like an animal in the Roman jail).
In review, the help that is really help (that which comes God’s way) is the most profound strategic influence. God made us in His image to be overcomers and live a trusting life in Him. As The Ultimate Chairman of the Board and Chief Strategist, His marketing plan in His Word is as good as it gets for each of us. No sales pitches, open wallets, credit cards, internet glitz, weird gyrations, uncontrolled laughter or billboards are necessary for us to access God’s nature this week. Let’s believe and open our hearts to the power of God to produce His supernatural joyful peace in us as we live, move, and have our being.
I’m not sure about anyone else, but for me… looking forward to a joyfully peaceful and strategically influenced week makes me want to jump and sing, “Hallelujah,” too!
Dearest Lord, in the power of Your inimitable Holy Spirit, please lead us in the wholesome tension of Your growth and wisdom — ANXIOUS for NOTHING, PRAYERFUL in EVERYTHING, and GRATEFUL for ANYTHINGof, by, for, or from You.
Expectation is the root of all heartache. William Shakespeare
It’s amazing how often we set ourselves up for disappointment with unrealistic expectations. In our dream world of anticipating wonderful things, sometimes we forget other factors preempt our assumed measure of control and almightiness. In other words, what we think will happen and what actually happens can be two different things. How we deal with that reality and the assigned disappointment varies with all of us.
For the past six years, a team of people have been involved in a fund-raising effort on behalf of two Greater New Bedford Christian groups – the Salvation Army and Mobile Ministries. Aside from the significant amount of money we raised to help them serve the least, last, lost and lowest of us in our local community, a host of other valuable things have occurred. New friendships have been made, political agendas have been put aside, the media has been more than helpful, and the general community has benefitted in a tangible way. As wonderful as these outcomes are, there is one lesson I’d like to share that stands out as most vital. Here it is ….
Back in 2015, when we first introduced the idea of conducting a Serve-A-Thon, neither group had a real grasp of how it would work. In theory, however, both liked the concept enough to trust us to move forward. Most of us are familiar with Walk-A-Thons or other thons where people get sponsored to walk, ride somewhere, or do something for a cause. A Serve-A-Thon is similar in that people don’t walk or ride; they get people or businesses to sponsor them to serve in a needed community area.
Here is the crux of what struck us as the standard or starting point. Both the Salvation Army and Mobile Ministries leadership, mutually exclusive of each other, said the same thing in terms of what they expected from our group effort: Anything we did to help them would be great!
In that, all pressure was removed from our team in terms of an amount we had to raise or anything along that line. Instead, the scriptural blueprints found in “Whatsoever thy hand finds to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. (Ecc 9:10) and Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Cor 10:31) connects us God’s way and guides our cooperative effort.
Right from the start, the vital lesson we’ve been taught comes directly from God’s game book and this additional verse hammers it home: Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically as something done for the Lord and not for men, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord you serve – Jesus Christ. Col 3:23
So, here we are in 2020; completing our 6th Annual Serve-A-Thon. In spite of the negative influence of an unprecedented viral pandemic, our bottom line this year, as usual, far exceeded expectations. Maybe there is a great cause in your locality for you to get involved in as well. If so, let’s remember, anything we do to help would be great. There is no expectation root of heartache with that agenda. Rather, it’s a matter of our serving heart – pure and simple! http://www.lift-in-love.org/
Acts 20:35; Eph 4:12; Gal 5:13; Luke 6:38; Matt 25:35
