Safetypinlove

This the second time within his first letter to the Church in Corinth that the Apostle Paul quotes a very familiar slogan the Church was using – “All things are lawful for me.” That’s because in a perverted and twisted way, the Church had taken the idea of being free in Christ and used it to excuse their immoral and “anything goes” behaviors. While at first glance, this slogan has an element of truth to it, Paul corrects and qualifies their “freedom in Christ” as something they should use to build up others…not in self indulgence and sinful actions. Thus, the balance between Christian freedom and the responsibility to make wise choices boils down to this…Is it spiritually good and helpful? Does it glorify God? And does it strengthen others and promote unity? For Paul agreed that, “All things are lawful for me.”…but none of them can become my master. (I Corinthians 6:12)

We talk about having faith and trust in God like it’s easy…but it’s not. Submission under Christ’s supreme rule and authority in every aspect of our lives takes more than just intellectual agreement with God…it takes active surrender and obedience. It’s a yielding of our will to His, a relinquishing of our desires for His best, and a submitting of our plans for His ultimate purpose in our life. Still we chafe at giving up control…but it’s not until we take that very thing we’ve been hanging on to, and purposefully place it into His most capable hands, can we see Him work.

Our human nature likes to put our common sense and flawed judgment on the throne of our heart, and then try to attach God’s Name to it. That’s because it’s scary to rely on God’s Word and promises rather than our own intelligence. But acknowledging God’s Omniscience reduces stress, allows us to submit to His Will, and leads to righteousness. For when we leave everything in God’s hands…eventually we’ll see His hands in everything. (Oswald Chambers)

Think about this for a moment…what we take for granted, may be the very miracle that someone else is pleading in desperate prayer for right now. It’s so easy to take the simple, everyday, and ordinary comforts and relationships for granted… (that we tend to not even notice them)…until they’re suddenly gone. The most common things we assume will be there are – life, health, friends & family, beloved pets, basic freedoms, and simple comforts. But in a flash the “always there” can be gone forever…throwing us into confusion, fear, and anxiety. We can’t take what God has blessed us with for granted, for everything we have is a gift from Him. (James 1:17) So daily, we need to show appreciation to Him for what we have with a grateful heart, (Ephesians 5:20) for it may not be there tomorrow.

When it comes to God…we listen but do not hear, hear but do not understand, and understand but do not obey. Why? Because hearing God involves our undivided attention and understanding of what He’s saying. It’s not that we don’t want to hear God…it’s just that the world’s noise and our own exceedingly short attention span hinders us from truly taking His Word to heart. We know that God always hears us, (Isaiah 65:24, Psalm 116:1, Psalm 34:17) so why can’t we be as attentive? What it takes is a quieting of ourselves, a focusing on His Word, and a unwavering devotion to listen that will unite us in the intimate fellowship of hearing God.

Both the Old & New Testaments are full of “The Coming Day of The Lord.” Proclaimed by men such as Obadiah, Habakkuk and David, this future time will demonstrate God’s ultimate sovereignty by establishing His eternal Kingdom on earth. In Revelation 11:15, this is repeated by the Apostle John, as he learned of God’s sovereign rule and establishment of His earthly eternal Kingdom. In Zechariah 14:1-21, he foretold of the time when Jerusalem would be under siege, only to have the Messiah intervene as He stood on the Mount of Olives. This final victory thus establishing God’s Kingdom here on earth… followed by a time of restoration and peace, as all nations came to worship the Lord. So as a Believer this has to give us all hope…for despite present struggles, God’s ultimate victory is assured!

The King James Version uses the word “peculiar” in place of “chosen” in this verse. That’s because the definition back then was not “odd or strange”, but rather “belonging exclusively to”. As Believers, we belong to God…we are His possession…set apart and uniquely His…redeemed and called to live holy lives that reflect Him to others. So in a world where chaos & evil seems to surround us on a daily basis, how can we do this? We can start by shining more light than darkness.(Matthew 5:16) We can speak more faith than fear. (I Corinthians 16:13) And we can declare more hope than despair. (Psalm 71:8 & Psalm 62:5) For when we intentionally reflect God’s character to others, His love and goodness will shine forth into the darkness like a beacon. (II Peter 1:9 & Proverbs 13:9)

As Believers, we are to be peacemakers, not people that delight in “getting even.” But in the world today as we’re confronted with hateful speech, political bias, and unfiltered harsh opinions…it’s hard to remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:44 when He said, “But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” We know, retaliation is never the answer…(but it’s really counterintuitive to our basic human instincts that want revenge when attacked, demeaned, or disrespected.) But we’re called to a higher moral standard that can inspire others to do the same, or as Paul wrote in Romans 12:18, ” If it’s possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” In addition to that, I Peter 3:9 urges us to bless our enemies…returning conflict with kindness, love, and reconcilation…in hopes of modeling God’s grace to others.

Jesus reminded His disciples of the challenges they would face for following Him… but He reassured them that in the end they would be blessed for sharing in His persecution and suffering. (Luke 6:22-23) He also wanted them to know that the world’s hatred wasn’t due to what they were doing wrong, but rather what they were doing right…namely, their faith, trust, and allegiance to Him. So today, we can’t expect universal approval as Believers, when Jesus wasn’t and still isn’t universally accepted. Therefore, walking with Jesus means choosing truth over popularity, integrity over being liked on social media, and maintaining good character over compromising our values. In Isaiah 66:5, he writes of a group of faithful that were being hated, excluded, and shamed for standing strong because of His Name…even to the point of being cast out of the community. Their bold response to all this was, “Let the Lord be glorified, that we may see Your joy!” May we all as Believers have the same boldness, fortitude, and tenacity of faith.

Three different accounts, but the same incident. What looked like discrepancies between what Matthew, Mark, and Luke saw, were simply their different viewpoints. Matthew wrote of two blind men, while both Mark and Luke focused on the apparent spokesperson for the pair…with Mark actually naming him. The other discrepancy was whether they were leaving or approaching Jericho…which can easily be explained. In ancient times there were two cities – old Jericho (the ruins of the old city) and new Jericho (a newer inhabited area close by) . But what was the same was the faith, persistence, and desperation as these men called out for mercy. Also the same, was their recognition and understanding of Jesus’ true identity as the Messiah. And when Jesus asked the blind beggars, “What do you want Me to do for you?” They answered, “We want our sight!” …with their faith becoming the crucial element in their healing.