A Father's Discipline...

"Thus you are to know in your heart that the Lord your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son."--Deuteronomy 8:5.  Moses, reminding the people that during their time in the wilderness, they were not only being tested but they were also being disciplined.  They were being taught a father's discipline.

A Father's Discipline. The definition of the Hebrew word for discipline as it is used here means "to teach" or "to bring up" (HALOT 419).  Most often when we think of discipline, namely a father's discipline, we tend to think of punishment but there is a lot more to a father's discipline than that.

A Father's Discipline.  Hebrews 12:4-11 paints a picture of our heavenly Father's discipline and it's purpose.  It is not to inflict pain but as the Hebrew word describes, it is meant to teach or to bring us up in the way we should go.  Discipline may involve punishment but that punishment is not meant to harm but to teach in order that we do what is right.  This is the nature of the Father's discipline.

A Father's Discipline.  So how does this all relate to us?  Well I think we would all agree that being a Christian is not always easy.  But also remember we are DISCIPLES of Christ.  The word disciple of course comes from the word discipline.  It is one thing to be a follower of Christ but it is quite another to be a disciple.  In the Scriptures we can see that many followed Christ for their personal gain but fewer were truly disciples.

There have been times when doing what God would have us to do has been difficult.  There may have also been times when we failed to do God's will and dealt with some immediate consequences including failing to honor our earthly father occasionally which prompted some sort of discipline or teaching.  A father's, even the heavenly Father's discipline is not always easy.

A Father's Discipline.  Bottom line, discipline is meant to instruct, not to harm.  Discipline is a sign that our father and our heavenly Father loves us enough to steer us in the right direction so that we can learn to what is right in God's eyes.  This is a father's discipline.

A Father's Discipline.  If you are a father and are reading this, I would like to leave you with Ephesians 6:4 which states "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." As Christians, we are all father's (or mothers) in some way because us older Christians have a responsibility to what we can to teach (discipline) the next generation of Christians so that they may continue to do God's will after we are gone.  So again, if you are reading this and are a father take some time to review what God expects fathers to do when it comes to raising your children as the Lord would have them to be raised.  If you are not a father yourself, take some time to do what you can to teach a younger Christian about what it means to be not just a follower of Christ but a DISCIPLE of Christ.

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!    

God's Stamp of approval: The Peacemakers

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."--Matthew 5:9.  This is the seventh Beatitude.  This is my personal favorite because I am one that has been put in the position of peacemaker on more than one occasion.  The coolest part of this is that the peacemakers shall be called sons of God.

The peacemakers.  A year or two ago, when I was working as a College/Young Adult minister in California, I found myself involved in trying to make peace between two people in the group I was working with.  I am not really at liberty to discuss the specifics of the situation but the two people involved were people I was particularly close to.  One of them I had become friends with almost instantly when I first moved there since we had similar backgrounds.  I was thankful I was able to help resolve the situation especially because of what it did for my relationship with the one I had known for years.  After this situation was said and done, Matthew 5:9 came to my mind.  I can't say for certain that it was the right thing for me to get involved but I acted because there was an absence of peace and since these two people were not exactly speaking to each other, I intervened as somewhat of a mediator in order to be a peacemaker.

The peacemakers.  I relate this story because it was I have held near to my heart.  But also according to the definition of the Greek word used here, the term peacemaker literally refers to one who endeavors to reconcile persons who have disagreements (BDAG 288).  These people have God's stamp of approval.

The peacemakers.  While I think this is the coolest Beatitude, I also find it the most interesting simply because we are told that it is the peacemakers that will be called sons of God.  I find this most interesting because as we all know Jesus is the Son of God so I ask myself how does Jesus being the Son of God connect to the concept of peacemakers being called sons of God?

The peacemakers.  Well I think the answer to the stated question is quite simple.  Jesus acted as a peacemaker on our behalf.  Because of His sacrifice on the cross for our sins and His ensuing resurrection, peace is made with us and God when we respond to the gospel message.  So it's no surprise that when we make peace between two parties, it is then and only then that we shall be called sons (or daughters) of God. Those who are the peacemakers have God's stamp of approval.

The peacemakers.  This concept is pretty straightforward.  So what are you going to do with it?  Will you be a peacemaker?

My encouragement to you tonight is this.  First of all realize that you are blessed or God approved when you strive to make peace.  That being said, take a moment and see if there is some situation that you have the capability to bring peace to.  It might be a disagreement going on at your home congregation.  Maybe you need to go make peace with someone you have had a disagreement with.  But this concept of peacemaking is not restricted to disagreements.  As Christians, we all have a duty to help the lost make peace with God by sharing the gospel message with those that need it per Mark 16:15-16 and Matthew 28:18-20.   Finally, let me ask you, are you at peace with God? Do not delay in making peace with our Lord and Savior by repenting of your sin and if need be being baptized for the forgiveness of that sin or those sins per Acts 2:38.  Whatever might be the case, all I ask is that you remember Matthew 5:9--"Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God."

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!

Testing Ground...

"You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not."--Deuteronomy 8:2.  Moses reminding the people of one of the reasons the Israelites remained in the wilderness forty years.  We can gather from this verse that the wilderness was a testing ground.

Testing ground.  Yesterday morning I finished the last of four midterms at the preaching school I attend, the Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver.  Of course like in any given school, the purpose of tests such as midterms are to demonstrate how well you studied, how well you learned the material and of course to see how well you paid attention to the instructor.  This is always a scary time for myself and my fellow students because it puts our knowledge "to the test."  Midterms are a testing ground.

Testing ground.  So what does this have to do with Deuteronomy 8:2?  Well as the verse says, the forty years were a period of testing to see if some of the people had truly paid attention to what God had told them during this time.  this verse also tells us that it was during this time that this testing would reveal what was in their hearts.

So what does this all mean to us?  Fact is, for those of us that are in Christ, we are all on a testing ground.  The Israelites had Egypt behind them and the Promised Land in front of them.  Are we any different?  We too have Egypt behind us meaning that we have been released from our slavery to sin.  We have the Promised Land, heaven, in front of us and here we are somewhere in between in a testing ground.

As we walk through the wilderness or the testing ground of this world we live in, we are constantly put in positions where we must make a choice between obeying God's will or obeying our own will. It is when doing God's will becomes difficult that what is in our heart is revealed.  This is not a foreign concept to us.  How often do we see Christians toss God's will out the window when life gets tough?  The Parable of the Sower in Luke 8:4-15 is a good description of how people react to God's Word (the seed) in any given situation.

Testing ground.  So my encouragement to you is this.  The testing ground we are in reveals what in our heart.  Do not be discouraged and automatically think you have a bad heart if you mess up along the way.  We know from the Scriptures that some hearts can be changed.  I can personally attest to that in my own life.  While I am still very much a work in progress, I can see the progress I have made and the changes God has made in my heart.  So as we walk through this testing ground, remember the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians 13:5-6--"Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you fail the test? But I trust that you will realize that we ourselves do not fail the test."  Study God's Word daily to help you prepare for the tests that will come.

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!  

God's Stamp of approval: The pure in heart.

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."--Matthew 5:8.  This is the sixth beatitude described by our Lord and Savior.  It is the pure in heart that have God's stamp of approval.

The pure in heart.  I find this to be the most interesting of all the Beatitudes.  This passage tells us that it is the pure in heart that shall see God.

The pure in heart.  According to a couple different books that I looked at along with the definition of the Greek word pure, I came to the conclusion that the pure in heart are those who have not allowed any outside influence to distract them from serving God with all their heart.

The pure in heart.  A footnote in my Bible also ties this verse back to Psalm 24:1-8 which like the Sermon on the Mount also deals with righteousness.  Psalm 24:4-5 tells us that he (or she) who has not given their soul to falsehood (or to anything else but God for that matter) will receive a blessing and righteousness.  This fits well with Matthew 5:8.

So my question for you tonight is how is your heart?  Looking at the context of Matthew 5:1-12, we can assume that being pure in heart is a result of the previous six beatitudes we have already looked at.  So again I ask how is your heart?

We live in a world that is riddled with distractions that try to keep us from serving God with all our hearts.  Some of these distractions include the billboards we pass around town, television, Facebook and the internet as  a whole.  These and so many other things are just that, distractions.  Even our other responsibilities such as work and school can distract us from what is really important and that is serving God with all our heart.  So again I ask how is your heart?

The pure in heart.  Tonight's message and encouragement is quite simple.  I encourage you to take some time and review the Beatitudes we have already looked at.  If you need to go back and read my previous blogs on them.  But in addition to this, I encourage you to examine your own life.  Is there some distraction that is keeping you from serving God with all your heart?  If you are able cut it out or cut back on the time you devote to that distraction if it is keeping you from devoting your heart to serving the Lord.  May we never forget that the ultimate blessing the pure in heart will receive is that they will see God.  So again I ask, how is your heart?  But most importantly, have you given your soul to Christ through obedience to the gospel. Either way, do not delay in committing your life in service to God. Blessed are the pure in heart FOR THEY SHALL SEE GOD! :-)

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!

The faithful God...

"Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments."--Deuteronomy 7:9.  Moses, reminding the people that God is not one that goes back on His promises so long as we follow His commands.  Our God is the faithful God.

The faithful God.  The basic meaning of the Hebrew word for faithful that is used in this passage means to be trustworthy, safe or firm (HALOT 63).

There is more to God's faithfulness than just Him being trustworthy.  This passage says that God is faithful to the thousandth generation with those who love Him.  Our God is the faithful God.

The faithful God.  The point of this verse is to show that if God's people remain true to Him, He will remain true to us in His promises.

I have mentioned before that what a lot of people fail to understand is that following God's commands can make life better for us in the long run.  In the long run, following God's commands never disappoints.  Does that mean following God's commands is always going to be easy? Of course not but when we follow God's commands, there are benefits to be reaped, both in this life and the next.  Why?  Because our God is the faithful God.

The faithful God.  Fact is God is that unlike humanity, God is one that can be trusted with all we have because God is perfect and will NEVER let us down.

Of course let me remind you that the contingency to this is that God is faithful to those who love Him and keep His commandments.  We know from 1 John 5:3 that to love God means to keep His commandments.  So I leave you with this simple question.  Do you claim to love God?  Keep His commandments and in doing so, He will remain faithful to His promises to you.  Why? Because our God is the faithful God.

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!

The power of influence...

"...and when the Lord your God delivers them before you and you defeat them, you shall utterly destroy them.  You shall make no covenant with them and show no favor to them.  Furthermore, you shall not intermarry with them; you shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor shall you take their daughters for your sons.  For they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods; then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you and He will quickly destroy you."--Deuteronomy 7:2-4.  Moses, giving instructions for the Israelites to not step outside the bounds of their nation, make no compromise with the people they were about to conquer including marriage. Why? Because of the influence the foreign nations would have on them.  God recognizes it so must we recognize the power of influence.

The power of influence.  The issue here is what has been an issue among the Lord's people for all time.  How are we to associate with those who are not of the Lord's people?  What we have to look at in this issue is the power of influence.

The power of influence.  First let me say that I am in no way suggesting that we should not associate with someone who is not part of the Lord's people because if we were not to associate with them, we could not carry out the Great Commission as given in Matthew 28:18-20.  But the question here is how much association should we have with these people given the power of influence?

The power of influence. There is something to be said about how the people we choose to surround ourselves will influence us. It breaks my heart to see that so many of our brethren in Christ have been dragged back into the world because they have chosen to run with the world.  Granted they might show up to services at the appointed times but that is as far as it gets. The unfortunate thing is it will not be too long before they are no longer even coming to services.  This is all due to the power of influence.

The power of influence.  Deuteronomy 7:2-4 also touches on the issue of marrying those who are not of the Lord's people.  This too is a sensitive issue among the Lord's people.  While I do know of exceptions where the one who is not a Christian is converted (my own dad actually being one of them and in turn myself), most of the brethren I know who are married to one who is not a Christian, this has a negative impact on the Christian's relationship with God. What makes this worse is that it also impacts the children's ability to serve God with all their heart, soul, and mind because these marriage situations tend to move serving the Lord down on the priority list.  Again, there are exceptions but for the most part this is typically true.  It is an example of the power of influence.

The power of influence.  So the question we need to ask ourselves is what kind of people are we surrounding ourselves with?  Deuteronomy 7:2-4 shows us what can happen when we choose to compromise by surrounding ourselves with ungodly influences.  Of course we must have an association with these people in order to convert them but if we start running in their crowds and forsake our brethren, then and only then will we be dragged into the world and before we know it, we have completely turned our back on serving God and His Son Jesus.

So my encouragement to you is this.  Take a moment and examine who it is you might be running with.  If you have been running with the wrong crowd, it is not too late to turn around and once again surround yourself with the Lord's people who are interested in serving Him with all their heart, soul, and mind. Maybe you can get started by organizing a get together with some members from your congregation.  Whatever the case, just take a moment and realize the power of influence.  The people we surround ourselves with will either pull us toward heaven or drag us into hell. THIS IS THE POWER OF INFLUENCE.

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!

God's stamp of approval: The merciful...

"Blessed are the merciful...."Matthew 5:7

"Blessed are those who are merciful, for they shall receive mercy."--Matthew 5:7.  Jesus here tells us that if we expect to receive mercy, we ought to be merciful in the fifth beatitude.  It is the merciful that have God's stamp of approval.

The merciful.  In writing about this, I have discovered something about this verse that I never knew before.  And here it is.  When we think of mercy, we tend to think of God not giving us what we truly deserve.  My initial impression with this verse was similar to that of forgiveness that if we expect to receive it, we must show it.  However, what I have discovered is that the mercy Jesus is speaking of does not necessarily have to do with forgiveness.  According to the definition of the Greek word, the word for mercy here means someone who is "greatly concerned about someone in need." (BDAG 316).

The merciful.  The image above, although from a movie is a good visual of someone who is showing concern for someone in need.  This is the type of mercy that is being spoken of.

The merciful.  But I would also like to briefly relate to you something that is not from a movie but something that happened last month in real time.  I went to breakfast at one of my instructor's home along with several other students from here at the Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver.  While we were there, one of the older men that was there passed out due to some heart trouble.  One of the students that was there, Megan, happens to be a nurse and she was able to demonstrate her great concern for someone in need by putting her qualifications to work.  Furthermore, another student led a prayer off to the side on behalf of this man.  Reflecting on all this, it is awesome to see an example of so many students displaying mercy as taught here by Jesus.  It's an awesome thought to know that at that time, we had God's stamp of approval.

The merciful.  God did have mercy on us in this aspect as well.  God saw that we too were in great need.  God was concerned for us and did not want anything to happen to us.  So in response, God sent His Son Jesus. If we expect to have God's stamp of approval, we are expected to be merciful in every way.

The merciful.  Honestly, there is not terribly much to elaborate on here than what already has been said.  The concept here is fairly simple.  If we expect to be approved of God, we must show mercy as God has shown us mercy.  

The merciful.  With the definition in mind, we must understand, based on this verse, that if we show great concern for someone in need, we too will receive the same treatment.  In other words, if we show concern for others, others will show concern for us when we are in need.  This is one thing I think is so cool about God's commands and following them.  Following God's commands pay dividends in this life as well as the next.  So it pays to be merciful.  How cool is that?

The merciful.  So with all this in mind, my encouragement to you is this.  If you know of someone that is in need, go to that person and see if you can help them.  But most importantly, if you know of someone that is in need of your forgiveness, show concern by forgiving that person.  Or you might be the one in need of forgiveness, do not hesitate to ask for that forgiveness.  Bottom line is that the merciful have God's stamp of approval.  Blessed are the merciful for they shall be shown mercy.

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!