For the past couple of years, I have held a weekly Bible class through an app called “Meet-Up.” One of our elders’ sons has a really big group on Meet-Up, which allows us to reach numerous people in the Dallas Fort-Worth area. I have led several different Bible studies pertaining to worry, the church, and one called Salvation Stories. In this study, we walked through the Book of Acts and studied the different accounts that Luke, who was inspired by the Holy Spirit provides for us.  There is a lot of confusion when it comes to what a person must do to be saved. Some say: Say a prayer and accept Jesus in your heart. However, that’s not found in any of the examples in the book of Acts. Some teach that infant baptism is necessary because people are born with sin. However, we don’t see this being taught or done in the book of Acts either. What we do see is what Jesus taught a man by the name of Nicodemus one night from John 3:3-7. Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’” When you read the book of Acts (which I encourage everyone to do), what you will find are people being born again! You will find men and women, Jews and Gentiles who have heard the good news of Jesus, His life, His death, and His resurrection, and who responded with obedience to His words. Let’s consider Acts 2. What we find is Peter and the other apostles in the city of Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost. Listen to what Peter preached concerning Jesus in Acts 2:22-32. “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know – this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power. For David says of Him, ‘I saw the LORD always in my presence; For He is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue exulted; Moreover my flesh also will live in hope; because you will not abandon my soul to hades, nor allow your Holy One to undergo decay. You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of gladness with your presence. Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the partriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. And so, because he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants on his throne, he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was neither abandoned to hades, nor did his flesh suffer decay. This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. " Acts 2:22-32 Peter taught Jesus after His resurrection ascended into heaven and reigns in heaven, Acts 2:33-35. Then he concluded that Jesus is both Lord and Christ, Acts 2:36. Peter shared with them the good news of Jesus. Peter used Old Testament scripture that spoke of Jesus concerning His death, resurrection, and kingship. Many in the audience responded with a question in Acts 2:37. “Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brethren, what shall we do?’”  Acts 2:37 If saying a prayer to accept Jesus in their hearts was necessary, Peter would have said it. But he didn’t. If doing nothing was necessary, Peter would have said it. But he didn’t. So, what did Peter say? Consider Acts 2:38, where he said, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” What we find is that these individuals heard the good news of Jesus! They certainly believed it because they asked what they needed to do. Now, they were given Holy Spirit inspired instructions. They were to repent (to turn away from their sins). They were to be baptized (immersed in water) and the reason given was “For the forgiveness of their sins…” When they heeded these words, they would be born again as Jesus taught. About 3,000 people obeyed the words of Peter, Acts 2:41. They were saved that day by the precious blood of Jesus! This is one of many salvation stories found in the book of Acts. Have you considered these stories? Have you responded in the same manner as these people did?

Do we find ourselves 100% of the time to be fully trusting in God?  Or do we often find ourselves putting our trust in other things and searching for those things in our lives? Sometimes placing our trust in the right place can be a tricky thing. It’s not always that we don’t know to trust God, it’s just that other things come up and distract us and provide us comfort, at least for a while, and our trust begins to shift to things other than God. Has that ever been the case for you? In Judges Chapter 4, we can see this battle between trusting in God and other things. On one side of the battle, you have Deborah and Barak with their army who placed their trust fully in God. On the opposite side, you have Sisera and his army who placed their trust in the chariots and weapons they were using. Notice what we have taking place here!  There are two sides pitted against each other here, both with the attitude of “We will win because of what we have with us!” We can see the outcome of this battle in verse 15 which says that the Lord broke Sisera’s chariots and delivered the army to Barak. That story says a lot about God!  Even though, by all earthly measures, Deborah and Barak were outmatched, they still were victorious!  They show that trusting in God is obviously a much greater advantage then putting trust in chariots and weapons. Do we ever find ourselves in the same situation? Where we feel as if we are terribly outmatched. This could be at school seated across from a number of friends who disagree with us about the Bible. It could be that we feel burdened and defeated by the difficulties of this life like busy schedules and difficult work lives. Maybe we feel overtaken by evil in this country or the world because of issues like the abortion, homosexuality, or other things. Finally, maybe we find ourselves the most troubled by the battle that is being wages over the souls of mankind between God and Satan. Whatever the struggles or oppression may be, Deborah and Barak show us that placing trust in God is the way to be victorious in all battles we face. This is because God has assured victory to his people! Deborah was confident in this in vs. 14 when she proclaims before the battle that they would be victorious against the army of Sisera. We too can have the same confidence entering the battles in our lives. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that God will not allow any temptation or struggle to face us that we do not have the means to escape! That is a comforting thought!  It doesn’t matter what hurdles may be in our way, God says none are too great to overcome with him on our side!  We can enter all battles, knowing that we will be victorious with God! Let’s not underestimate, however, the difficulty of what lies ahead. God never promised for easy lives. He just promised to be sure we were equipped with all we need to succeed. In Ephesians 6:10-18, Paul describes the armor that God gives us in preparation for the battles we face. This armor consists of the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit!  This is protection unlike any other! God has prepared us for victory and with him we will never lose salvation! Psalm 20:7 – “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”

There are certain questions in life that every person struggles with at some point in their life. Questions like, “Why am I here?”, “What is my purpose in life?”, or “Why is this happening to me?”, can cause us a lot of mental and emotional turmoil. There is a book of the Bible with a unique name that spends a few short but profound chapters asking God some vital questions: O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save? Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. (Habakkuk 1:2-3) Some of the biggest questions we ask in life surround our attempts to understand evil in the world. If you are a believer, you have likely had a moment where in one way or another you cried “Violence!” to God (so to speak) and felt like there was no answer. Or, if you are not a believer, maybe some of the thoughts Habakkuk is expressing here are similar to your reasons for doubting God exists at all. Part of what I love about Habakkuk is that he asks those questions openly and directly to God, and God in His wisdom and might gives an incredible response through the rest of the book. For background, Habakkuk was a prophet that spoke of the coming Babylonian captivity and the fact that in the process of enslaving Israel for seventy years, the Babylonians would destroy the city of Jerusalem. Certainly a violent period indeed. Over the course of the short book of Habakkuk though, Habakkuk was a full discourse with God about the violence he sees around him, and it is quite faith-affirming for him, and faith-affirming for us to be able to see this conversation between God and His prophet unfold. The first part of God’s response comes immediately after Habakkuk’s first complaint and can be summed up in verse five of chapter one. God says, “Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.” This “work”, God goes on to say, is that He is raising up the Chaldeans (another name for the Babylonians) to judge the Israelites for their wickedness. See, part of Habakkuk’s initial frustration is that God’s people are acting evilly and seemingly getting away with it! This is another issue we can often relate to; as David, Job, and Jeremiah all say: “Why do the wicked prosper” (Psalm 37:1, Job 12:6, Jeremiah 12:1)? In response to this, God informs Habakkuk that the Babylonians are coming to judge God’s people and take them into captivity as a punishment for their evil. However, this is evidently not the answer Habakkuk was hoping for. He brings up a second complaint at the end of chapter one, asking God, “why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he (vs. 13)?” Once again, many people can relate to this type of complaint. But God continues to dialogue with Habakkuk on this issue. The entirety of Habakkuk 2 is in many ways, God’s discourse on His own sovereignty and justice in which He proclaims judgment on many different types of evil. He talks about drunkenness, corruption, debauchery, greed, and all kinds of other forms of wickedness in the world, all the while making it clear that He sees it, He hates it, and He will take care of it in His time. Finally, He reminds Habakkuk of His power over worthless idols, saying: What profit is an idol when its maker has shaped it…? Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, Awake; to a silent stone, Arise! Can this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in it. But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silent before him. (Habakkuk 2:18-20) Here, God reminds Habakkuk that He is the Creator and Sustainer of all! People will worship all sorts of frivolous things—sex, money, ego, sports, accomplishments—but only God is the Self-sufficient “I Am.” At the end of it all, Habakkuk gives his final statement on the matter: O Lord, I have heard the report of you and your work, O LORD, do I fear… In the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy… I hear and my body trembles; my lips quiver at the sound; rottenness enters my bones; my legs tremble beneath me. Yet I will quietly wait for the day of trouble to come upon people who invade us... Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places” Sometimes, we are just too limited to understand the ways God is working. Sometimes, we cannot understand. Just like Habakkuk, even if we are terrified, we must turn to God and talk to Him. He wants to hear our complaints, even if we will not be able to understand His response. Come what may, salvation will always belong to the LORD, and we can always rejoice in knowing that even in His wrath, He will remember mercy. May we always be able say when we are confused or suffering, “GOD, the Lord, is my strength…”

Gratitude is something that is often discussed. People love it when others are grateful for the things, they have done for them. It feels great to receive a thank you card, a thank you text, or some kind of response when doing something for someone else. However, I think we have all experienced when we have done some kind of good deed, and there wasn’t any kind of acknowledgment of it. Some may feel hurt or disappointed. How do we navigate these kinds of feelings? Should we expect some kind of acknowledgement from others? What if none comes? The Bible helps us to navigate these kinds of emotions. First, let’s begin with Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. We are reminded that the good deeds we do are ultimately for the Lord. There can be a potential trap of doing things simply to receive honor or praise from others. Consider what Jesus says in Matthew 6:1-4. “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise, you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. So, when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:1-4. There is potential danger for us even as we strive to do something good. God must be our ultimate reason behind what we do. And yet there is also the fact that people will see what we do. Listen to what Jesus says in Matthew 5:16 “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.”  Matthew 5:16 In all we do, let us do it for the glory of God! There’s another story found in the gospels, that is also important for us to consider. It’s found in Luke 17 “While He was on the way to Jerusalem, He was passing between Samaria and Galilee. As He entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met Him; and they raised their voices, saying, ‘Jesus, Master,  have mercy on us!’ When He saw them, He said to them, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they were going, they were cleansed. Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered and said, ‘Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine – where are they? Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner? And He said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has made you well.’ Luke 17:11-19 I find this story fascinating. Jesus heard these men from afar. There had to be distance for those who had leprosy. Jesus responded to their request with a “Yes!” He granted them mercy. Jesus healed all ten of these men. They were given a second chance! What should have been the natural response from all ten of these men? All of them should have shown immense gratitude toward Jesus. Yet only one returned. Even Jesus was surprised at their response or should we say lack of response. As we think about doing good, think about Jesus. Only 1 out of 10 returned to Jesus to show Him how grateful they were for what He had done. Should we expect to receive more than what Jesus did? I think it’s normal to want to some kind of acknowledgment or show of appreciation. When it does happen, embrace it. However, that is not the main reason why we seek to do good toward others. We seek to do good toward others because of what God has done for us. We seek to do good toward others because our Father in heaven is good. We seek to do good toward others so that God will be glorified.

All throughout the life of Jesus, He teaches lessons in very similar ways. Jesus often uses earthly things to teach a spiritual message. When he does that, we have to be sure that we focus on the spiritual lesson to be made, not as much on the earthly aspect of things. For example, when Jesus teaches the lesson about sowing the seed to the different types of soil, it’s not a lesson in gardening. It’s a lesson about the hearts of men, and spreading the Gospel. When Jesus teaches about the unforgiving servant and the debt he owed his master, its not a lesson in finance. It's a lesson about the forgiveness and mercy we get from God and how we should extend that to others. I say all this, because I think there is a text in our Bible, that many people often go to and focus too much on the earthly portion of the teaching. In Matthew 22, the Pharisees make an attempt to catch Jesus in his own words. They ask him the question about whether it is lawful or not to pay taxes to Caesar. Jesus’ response is not what they were expecting. He says, “Show me a coin for tax” in vs. 19. He asks the men, “Whose image is on this coin?” to which the men respond, “Caesar’s”. Jesus says to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.” So many people turn to this text to teach that Jesus said it’s acceptable to pay taxes, and they aren’t wrong. But is that the point? As I said, Jesus’ main point or points are typically not the earthly portion of the teaching. I think there is a lesson being taught that is more important than taxes. In parallel to taxes, Jesus also says give to God the things that are God’s. How do we know what belongs to God? Here lies the connection to the earthly part of Jesus' teaching. We know what belongs to God, the same way we knew what belonged to Caesar. We knew what belonged to Caesar by what bore his image. So what belongs to God, must be something that bears his image. What might that be? In Genesis chapter 1, God tells us what has his image. In vs. 27 the text says, “God created man in his own image. In the image of God he created him: male and female he created them”. We bear the image of God. Because we bear the image of God, we ought to "give to God the things that are God’s." (Vs 21). We must give ourselves to God. If we don’t pay our taxes, the IRS will come collecting, because that money belongs to the government. But more so, if we don’t give ourselves to God, he will come collecting, but he is going to take a lot more than our money. God has the power to destroy both body and soul, (Matthew 10:28), and he will, if not given what he deserves. We must give ourselves to him in a few ways: In worship: we need to devote ourselves to worshipping God. Give ourselves to him for his glory and his praise. In spirit: our hearts should be his. We should give our hearts fully to him, devoting ourselves to his work and his will. In death: we need to give ourselves to him, by giving everything up for him; everything we have been in this life. That’s what we are to do as Christians. Give every part of ourselves to God. He created us. He gave us life. We bear his image. So we belong to him. Have you given yourself to God? Do you continually give to God, all you have and all that you are?

In 1969, Frank Sinatra sang his famous rendition of “My way,” a song that was originally sang in French by Claude François in 1967. I once heard of a man (who was not a Christian) who wanted this song played at his funeral as his sort-of anthem for how he had lived his life. This song did end up being played at his funeral, and by all accounts it was how he had lived his life. If he wanted to do something, he did it, if he didn’t, he didn’t. He did things his way. While to some this may sound poignant and reflective, when the Bible talks about people living life their own way, it is never positive. In fact, as you read through the book of Genesis, you know things are getting bad when you read, “when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes…she took of its fruit and ate…” (Genesis 3:6). A few chapters later, you know things have really spiraled out of control when “the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). We know that Eve’s story ends with her and her husband’s failed attempt at hiding from God and their ejection from the garden, and that Genesis six leads to a catastrophic flood that only spares eight people in chapter seven. Why is it that these particular eight people were spared from the flood? Because they were righteous before God! In other words, they were living His way while everyone else was busy following their own evil, selfish intentions. Later in the Bible, in the book of Judges, there is a phrase that repeats itself twice: “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6, 21:25). From a distance, without context, this might seem harmless. Maybe like it is just a statement of fact. However, in the context of the book of Judges as a whole, it is quite ominous, and carries some heavy implications for why things are the way they are at this time. There are many parts of the book of Judges that are quite violent and hard to read. There is talk of child sacrifice, extreme violence, and massive character flaws in the judges themselves. If the leaders are included in “everyone doing what is right in his own eyes”, then I am sure we can imagine how grim things were. God, by His grace, is sparing the people and acting on their behalf when they follow Him, but even when they do obey Him for a moment, it does not last very long at all. This is what it looks like when there is “no king” and everyone is “doing their own thing.” To go one’s own way is not something to show off or brag about. What do we call a government where no one is in charge, and everyone rules themselves? Anarchy. And if there is one thing we learn from the book of Judges, it is that lawlessness on a personal, spiritual level, is just as bad (if not worse) than anarchy on a political scale. We live in a world that often seeks to praise people for “doing their own thing” or “going their own way.” Sometimes, frustrated parents will tell their children, “We can do this the easy way or we can do this the hard way,” clearly meaning that things will get difficult and tense if the child continues to put up a fight against what the parent is trying to get them to do. We can be similarly shortsighted as humans when God tells us to do certain things. We often want to worship, talk, and act like we are our own bosses. Interestingly, Jesus spoke of various “ways” to go about life as well. In the Sermon on the Mount, He says, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who find it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:13-14). In the gospel of John, we famously read of Jesus saying “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). In these passages and others, Jesus makes it clear that it is “His way or the highway.” Except, in Jesus’ case, His insistence on His Way comes from a place of sacrificial love, not obstinance. His way leads to eternal life! Or rather, He IS not only the way to eternal life, but He IS eternal life itself! When we get to Heaven, we will be able to live in His glory forever, but we have to follow Him to get there. He is clear that it will be a hard road, but He is also clear that it will be well worth the sacrifices we have to make to get there. If He thought we were worth coming from Heaven and laying down His life, we should strive to put Him first, even if it means laying down our lives. If we are striving to follow Jesus, then unlike in the days of the judges, we do have a King, and if we want eternal life in His name, then we have to do things His way. After all, His way is the best way. Notice what is said in Luke 1 about the birth of John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin and the prophet that was sent to prepare the world for Christ’s arrival: “You, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:76-79). I don’t know about you, but I want to go that way! The way that John the Baptist laid out, that points to Jesus Christ, that includes (despite its struggles) knowledge, salvation, forgiveness, mercy, and sunshine. I pray that when people look at our lives, they say that we went His way. I fear for those who get to Judgment and tell God, “I did it my way.” If that sounds like you, change course now before it is forever too late.

The word “Blessed” is used by many people. People certainly want to be “Blessed.” If you ask how a person is doing, they will often respond by saying, “I’m blessed.” The book of Psalms uses the term “Bless” quite a bit. When one reads the book of Psalms, they will certainly be blessed. Let’s consider some passages from the Psalms. “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the Law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1:1-2 It is a blessing to follow the law of God! The counsel of the wicked and the path of sinners may seem enticing, but it will never end well. The psalmist reminds us in Psalm 119:67 that when we go astray, affliction comes. Those who travel the path of the wicked and sinners will not stand. When we meditate on God’s law day and night, we will be blessed. When we delight in understanding His ways, our lives will be much better. This doesn’t mean that we will never have problems. However, we will be able to eliminate the pain that sin brings with it. King David reminded us in Psalm 32 about the pain of sin. He said: “When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer.”  Do you want to be blessed? Then delight in God’s law. David spoke about the pain of sin in Psalm 32. But he also talked about the blessing of being forgiven! “How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity. And in whose spirit there is no deceit.” We are blessed when we confess our sins to God and repent! Many may not view this as a blessing. However, being forgiven by God and knowing we have a right relationship with Him is the greatest gift we could ever have! Is there sin we need to confess to God? We will be blessed when we do! What other blessings might we find in the book of Psalms? Consider the following passages. Psalm 2:12: “Do Homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!” Psalm 33:10-12: “The LORD nullifies the counsel of the nations; He frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of His heart from generation to generation. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.” Psalm 34:8: “O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” Because we are so blessed by God, let us Bless Him! Let us give thanks to Him, praise Him, and honor Him! “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits.”  Psalm 103:1-2

Do you know who Jesus is? I mean, do you really know who he is? What was he all about? What kind of life did he live? Who was this man that we are trying to model our lives after? I think it’s safe to say that Jesus is very often misrepresented in today’s world. Ask someone who is not a Christian today what Jesus was like, or what people who follow him (Christians) are supposed to be like, and see what they say. I read a quote from a man who is not a Christian, and he made this statement: “I hate Christians because they are not loving of others. They show an intolerance for other belief systems and they condemn actions that they claim to be immoral. This intolerance is not the way you should be living if you claim to follow a loving savior, Jesus.” I would have to ask this man, and others who make similar statements, to consider this thought: What if Jesus really was who you say he is? What if he was loving and accepting of all beliefs, tolerant of all people and lifestyles, and hesitant to condemn anyone for their actions? That sounds like a pretty nice guy. But people who have this view of Jesus forget one very important detail about his life. He was killed...because people hated him... Clearly, people weren’t too fond of Jesus, seeing as how they numbered him among the criminals. Yet Jesus being proclaimed as a criminal, and killed because of it, ended up being the sacrifice that we needed for our salvation. If Jesus had been that incredibly tolerant guy that many people claim he is, then people would have loved him. If Jesus hadn't called out the sin around him, he likely wouldn't have upset people and we wouldn’t have a hope for salvation through his death. This claim, that Jesus tolerates all sin and lifestyles, doesn’t just exist outside of Christianity. Even people who claim to be Christians have become tolerant of many different lifestyles and allow sinful things to exist in their own, as well as others', lives all because they fail to recognize just who Jesus was. Was Jesus a loving and tolerant person? Absolutely he was, but that doesn’t mean that Jesus ever tolerated sin. In fact, Jesus, many times, called people out when the situation demanded it, even if that meant offending the people around him. In Matthew 23, Jesus, speaking to the Pharisees, calls these men “white-washed tombs…full of dead men’s bones.” These were men who had an appearance in front of others, as being really spiritual God-fearing people, but Jesus calls them out and says ‘Not even close!’ In John chapter 4, Jesus calls out a woman, whom he had just met, for living a life with many husbands & divorces because, though she might not have wanted to hear it, he knew more than anything she needed it. In Matthew chapter 12, Jesus calls a crowd of people a “brood of vipers.” This doesn’t really sound like a man who is trying to be tolerant of the lives around him. In fact, this sounds like a man who never lowered the standard but told people that he, as their judge, held them to a higher one. Nothing about Jesus’ life ever changed to adapt to the world around him. He called for the world to adapt to him and held strong even if they wouldn’t. Our savior Jesus Christ was definitely a loving and caring person. That much is evident by the fact that he was willing to die for us. But let’s not forget just what it was that caused him to end up on that cross; it was the truth that he stood for and the enemies he made while defending that truth. He brought this truth to us, knowing full well the effect it would have and the consequences it would bring. He says to his disciples, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” (Matthew 10:34) We too are to recognize the effect that our message will have on people and the consequences that it may bring. Jesus says, “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this, the world hates you.” (John 15:18-19) People may not like that we refuse to be tolerant of their sinful lives. In fact, people may hate us because we proclaim a higher standard enforced by Jesus. But none of that should cause us to stray from the truth of Jesus Christ. We need to be loving and caring for all people, but we cannot tolerate sin just because the world accepts it. We must hold fast in truth despite its consequences. “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” (Revelation 2:10)

What makes you afraid? People fear all kinds of things from snakes to tight spaces to needles. Some fears are completely irrational, others are based in some sort of traumatic experience. Matthew 10 talks a lot about fear and tells us exactly what we as Christians should and should not be afraid of. Verses 16-23 are Jesus’ warning to the apostles that they would be hated and persecuted for His sake. In fact, He tells them honestly and directly that he is sending them into dangerous, difficult situations. Families will be divided, Christians will be put on trial and martyred due to their faith, and the apostles will quite literally have to run for their lives. All of this, though, sets up Jesus’ main point in the next section. If you skip to verses 26-33, we read what we should really be afraid of. After outlining the horrors that would come to the first century church at the hands of their persecutors, Jesus says, “do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” What the apostles had to realize is that there are horrific things that would happen in their lives, but no matter how much pain or persecution they endured, God would be just in the end, for better or for worse, for everyone, for all of time. If they lived faithfully to Him and kept His commandments, then they would be eternally “acknowledged” before the Father as The Redeemed, and they would be in a place where they would forget all the sorrows of this world and experience the indescribable joy of their Maker’s presence for all eternity. But, if they did not fear the living God and keep His commandments while on this earth, they would be eternally separated from the Father of the Man they had followed and worked with for 3 years. Their body and soul would be destroyed beyond anything an abusive, tyrannical emperor like Nero could even dream of. That should terrify us, just like it did them. Jesus’ goal in these verses, though, is not just to literally put the fear of God into His apostles. He also uses this time to encourage them. Verses 29-31 tell us, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Jesus uses the thoughts of the coming persecution as motivation for His apostles to keep their eyes on the Heavenly Father. No matter how bad the persecution got, no matter how many of their brethren were stoned, no matter how many Christians were forced to compete to the death in the Coliseum, God knew everything about them and cared for them deeply. We serve an omniscient God. He knows everything, including who are His, who are proud to be His, and who is slacking off in His kingdom. It is scary to know that whether we like it or not, and no matter how well we “fake it” with our brethren, we cannot hide from God. Jonah tried it. Adam and Eve tried it. It has never worked, so why would we be any different? In the context of a comparison between God’s mercy and His wrath, the Hebrew writer tells us in Hebrews 10:31, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” God’s mercy, grace, love, and faithfulness are all strong, but His wrath and His judgment are too. When the end comes, God Himself is coming back to earth with a vengeance unlike anything we have seen before. His eternal purpose will be fulfilled and those who have been faithful to Him, His word, and His plan, will reap the benefits of their work. As the song says: “This world’s a wilderness of woe, this world is not my home. We will work till Jesus comes.” But, on the other hand, Satan’s head will finally be crushed, darkness will be defeated, along with the rest of those who are not on God’s side. It is absolutely horrifying to think about the amount of destruction, judgment, and separation that will occur on that day.  But is also incomprehensible to imagine the amount of love and joy that awaits those who are sons and daughters of the King. The lesson in all of this is really to understand who we are dealing with. God has so many complex qualities that we can never fully understand, but the more we learn about Him and the closer our relationship with Him is, the better we will be able to understand and fear Him properly. We are to keep growing, keep praising Him, and keep communicating with Him through scripture and prayer. The more we teach ourselves about who God is, the more ready we will be to humble ourselves at His feet on the day of judgment. We are to stay humble, stay in the Word, and stay fearful. After all, “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Proverbs 1:7)

Several years ago in Southeast Texas, some visitors asked me a question I will never forget. They asked, “Where are the instruments?”  We had just wrapped up our Wednesday night Bible class. The singing was great! It was a very encouraging night. But these visitors probably didn’t think so. They were probably disappointed. Many find it weird to see a church without musical instruments in worship. But why? It’s because most churches have musical instruments and much more. But does that make it right? The answer is no. The reason why we don’t have musical instruments, a choir, a school, a dance team, a coffee shop, and more is because we don’t have Biblical Authority to have them. When we study the scriptures, we find a pattern for us to follow. In every age, God has given His people a pattern to follow. The challenge for many is whether they will be satisfied with God’s pattern and God’s way. Let’s consider some scriptures. Cain and Abel. God gave Cain and Abel a pattern to follow as they worshipped Him, Genesis 4:3-5. On the surface, what Cain did with respect to what he offered to God sounds good. And yet God regarded Abel’s sacrifice instead of Cain. God was not pleased with Cain. An answer is not given to us in Genesis as to why He was displeased. Yet additional details are found in the New Testament. Jesus spoke of Abel as the first righteous martyr, Matthew 23:35. The fact he’s described as righteous gives us insight with respect to the way he sacrificed to God. He worshipped God as God desired, 1 John 3:12. In Hebrews 11: 4 we learn that what Abel did was by faith. This wasn’t by accident, but rather because he followed God’s pattern. Abel’s sacrifice is to be an example for us. In what way is this an example? Just as he worshiped God by faith, we are to do the same. Our faith comes by hearing from God’s word, Romans 10:17. We can hear and determine correctly what it is that God wants from us as we worship Him. Moses and the Israelites God gave Moses and the Israelites specific instructions to follow as they worshipped Him. After being delivered from Egypt, God told Moses to build a tabernacle, Exodus 25. It was to be according to the pattern, Exodus 25:9, 40. In Leviticus 8, we see just how seriously Moses and the people took God’s authority. In chapter eight, we see that eight times Moses and the people did “Just as the LORD commanded them…” Leviticus 8:4, 9, 13,17, 21, 29, 31, 34, 36. Maybe this explains why God did what He did in Leviticus 10 with Nadab and Abihu. They offered strange fire to God, which He had not commanded them. They failed to honor and revere God, Leviticus 10:1-2. This story destroys the argument of “God didn’t say I couldn’t…” God used them as an example to the people to see that what His people did mattered to Him, Leviticus 10:4-6. These examples should matter to us! In every age God has given His people a pattern for them to follow. Under the New Covenant Under the New Covenant in Christ, it still matters that we act according to God’s pattern.  People want to know why we don’t have instrumental music. It’s not because we don’t have the talent, money, or energy. It’s because it’s not in God’s pattern. We don’t have Bible authority for instruments. We do have Bible authority to sing, Colossians 3:16; Hebrews 2:12. It’s just that simple. In fact, in the New Testament we find patterns found numerous times, 1 Corinthians 16:1; Philippians 3:17; 1 Corinthians 4:17. God has always given man a pattern to follow. The idea of God not providing us a pattern is simply false! Following God’s pattern does not negate His grace or our love for Him. Following God’s pattern is a way for us to demonstrate our love for God, 2 Timothy 1:13. Our starting point in all things is this: Is this pleasing to God, 2 Corinthians 5:9? How can we know what’s pleasing to God? Only following the pattern, He gave us.

"I am a Christian." That can be a very vague statement in today’s world. Typically, when I tell someone that I am a Christian their immediate response is, “What kind of Christian are you?” This can be a tough question to answer. Not because I don’t have an answer, but because in today’s world people expect that there must be some secondary label associated with my Christianity; Baptist, Catholic, Methodist, etc. When I try to explain to someone that none of these secondary labels explain my faith, they often stare at me with a look of confused pity as if I have failed to come to a conclusion on the direction of my walk with God. First, foremost, and of highest priority in life is my relationship with God, so I can assure you I have thought long and hard and reached conclusions on my foundation of Faith. Paul wrote to the church of Ephesus and said, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling: One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism.” (Ephesians 4:4-5) Since there is only one faith that can lead to God, to answer the question, “What kind of Christian are you?” I would have to say the only kind. At least the only kind there should be. Why so many? Yes, today there are many “kinds” of Christianity. Most people will tell you that this is ok. "As long as we are all striving to follow Jesus, we are all right." But is that how it was intended to be? Should we simply accept that there are multiple ways to be a Christian and that your way is as good as mine? Contrary to popular opinion, I would have to say the answer is no. Jesus said that on the belief in Him he would build His Church [singular]. If He built one, why do we have so many? The apostles wrote constantly about unity and about Christians being like-minded. If that’s how Jesus intended it, what’s up with all the division and the differing views/practices? This clearly isn’t how things are supposed to be. The Bible makes it clear that division and various types of Christianity is not the way it was meant to be done. Though what the Bible says can be the end of this discussion, lets also consider the logic of what we [by this I mean anyone who claims to be “Christian”] are doing. We all claim to be following Jesus the right way. We all claim to be teaching truth. Yet we teach and do very different things. If Jesus said there is one way to follow him, we can’t all be doing it differently and still be right. If Jesus says there is one faith, then we can’t all have that one faith if we believe different things. Consider this; If I tell you that 1+1=3, but you tell me that 1+1=2, can we both be right? No. In this crude example, both of us are making a statement that we claim to be the truth, but they are different. Not only are they different, they contradict. Therefore both statements can’t be the truth. There is only one correct answer to the question. So, if you and I disagree, let’s face it, at least one of us is wrong. This same logic is true of different kinds of Christianity. Jesus says there is one faith; one church; one way to be a Christian. So if you and I disagree on matters of doctrine and practice then let’s face it, at least one of us is wrong. That’s not what the world wants us to think. We live in a culture of “Everyone is a winner and everyone can do what they want and be right.” That is simply not true and can not be true regarding Christianity. So that leaves us with the question: Who is right? With all the labels and types of Christianity in the world, which way is the right way? Like I said earlier, I believe that I, like many others in the world, am the only kind of Christian that is right in the eyes of God. Now you may be saying, “Wow Cody, that’s mighty arrogant of you.” But I don’t believe it is arrogant. I don’t believe this is a matter of arrogance at all. I would say it’s quite the opposite of arrogance. I choose to surrender my life fully to Jesus and what He wants of me. I choose not to model my faith by the teaching of whatever “denomination” or “group” I could claim to be a part of. My faith is modeled only by the words of Jesus. I believe that this is what Jesus intended for us. He told us to “take up our cross and follow Him.” He didn't tell us to be Catholic. He didn't tell us to be Methodist. He didn't tell us to be Baptist. He told us to be HIS. Christian simply means to be "like Christ." It's a called out group of people that are ONE body. Again, this isn't a matter of arrogance. It's not a matter of "what I do is better than what you do" or vice versa. What is most important is this; are we doing what Jesus wanted of His church? Does it really matter? "As long as I am serving Jesus, does it really matter where I go and what I do?" YES! Not everyone or every church that claims to follow Jesus actually does. And those people may not even know it. Jesus spoke about this very topic in Matthew 7. "Not everyone who says to Me, ' Lord, Lord.' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day. 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?" And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' (Matthew 7:21-23) This is something many people miss. God & Jesus care very much if we are following them the right way. These people Jesus speaks of were doing good things. They were calling on Him and trying to follow Him. But something about the way they were doing it caused Jesus to be unhappy with them. He says He doesn't even know these people. He says what they are doing is LAWLESSNESS. The good things they were doing were LAWLESSNESS because it wasn't exactly what Jesus wanted. This is why it’s so important to be sure you are doing what Jesus wanted. These people weren't trying to do the wrong thing. I'm fairly confident that they were doing these things with a sincere heart. But they still weren't doing it right, therefore, they were condemned. Sincerity isn't a saving faith. Now What? "Cody, I attend a church with one of the "labels" you mentioned. Are you saying I shouldn't go there?" Well let me put it this way; If the church you attend isn't doing things the way Jesus wanted, do you want to go there? I won't say one way or another whether the church you are a part of is right with God because I don't know your church. You need to figure that out! Here is what I suggest that you do: Read the book of Acts. Determine exactly what it was that was expected of a church and disciples that truly followed Jesus. What did they do when they gathered together? What did they not do? How did they spend their time? Does my church do the same things they did? Read the epistles of the New Testament [Romans through Jude]. Here you will read much more about how churches are to act as well as the individual Christian. Look to see what kind of instructions churches were given. Also, take note of what kind of acts and behaviors were condemned. Again, it's not a matter of arrogance, it's about complete submission to the instruction of the Lord. You need to be a part of a group of people who follow Jesus. No labels, no opinions, no teachings of men, nothing but the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Simply, Christians. This isn't an easy task. It requires study and work to make sure that the people you identify with as a church are following the pattern that Jesus and His apostles laid out in the first century. But it's a task that is of the utmost importance. Do you really want to get to the end of your days, stand before God and be told by Jesus, "Depart from me. I don't know you and you don't know me. You told people you followed me but you never have. I know you were sincere, but you weren't doing the right thing. I wish you had been sincere enough to study my word thoroughly to know the right way." Put your faith, beliefs, and your church to the test of the scriptures. Do a harsh comparison between your Christianity and the Bible. If you don't see in your life and church, the pattern of the New Testament, then it's time to make a change and find a group of like-minded Christians, striving to serve God the way Jesus intended. We all need to be the kind of Christian who diligently strives to obey every command of God in the way He intended.

When we think of what scripture asks of us, and what God invites us to do in scripture, what do we think of? Isaiah beautifully describes this “invitation” of God in Isaiah 55:1-2 saying, “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?” Wow! In a time where so many are talking about the prices of groceries, imagine living in a place where you can buy the finest goods that the world has to offer but with no money! Imagine being able to get something priceless for free. That is how Isaiah describes the blessings and pleasure that come from God’s relationship with His people. However, there is one important part of verse two that I left out of the quote above. Isaiah continues, “Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.” If we want to “eat” and “delight” in what God has to offer, we must “listen diligently” and “incline [our] ear[s]” to Him.” Isaiah continues to talk about what the Lord does in people when he says in verse 7, “let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts.” The reason for this, Isaiah explains, is so that the Lord “may have compassion on him.” The reason God wants us to leave our old ways, lives, and thoughts behind, is so that he can have compassion on the wicked! When we think of the wicked in this world, we likely do not think of ourselves and we likely do not think that we want them to be shown compassion! However, when God sees people making bad decisions or “enslaved to sin”, He is obviously upset by the fact that they are not honoring Him, but His response to that is not to immediately to wipe them off the face of the earth (Romans 6:20-23). Instead, He says, “[f]or My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways.” In saying this, God is offering the wicked a better way: His! We have all had thoughts and thought patterns that are not Holy and frankly, that are not working well for us. Thanks be to God that He offers us His way and His thoughts, that are so much better than anything I could figure out left to my own devices. All of this leads to a better end than we could ever fathom as well. Imagine this: “You shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break out into singing, and all the trees shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the LORD, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off” (12-13). Imagine walking through nature and the mountains and hills singing praise to your King and the trees applauding the victory you have found in Him! I beg you, leave behind your own path that is covered in briars and thorns. There is a better, higher one that is lined with beautiful cypress and myrtle trees, where you can eat and drink freely, and continue forward confidently, joyfully, and peacefully. Listen diligently to His thoughts revealed in His word and take them as your own. Why would you spend your money and effort on things that do not satisfy? “Come, buy, and eat!”