Month: December 2024

We all commit sins daily that we think we can hide from everyone…things like envy, hatred, and lust float in and out of our minds & hearts without a moment’s thought. But before God there are no secret sins, for He knows the secrets of the heart. (Psalm 44:21) Or as Hebrews 4:13 reminds us, “Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to Whom we must give account.” But we still want to believe God can’t see our shameful ways, though this only goes to show the deceitfulness of sin itself…blinding us to the truth. The Apostle Paul, in Ephesians 5:12-13, wrote that what the disobedient do in secret will be exposed to the light…the light of God that has no darkness and sees all.

The bottom line is this…we can’t change people. Nor can we “fix” them as much as we would like to. Neither can we make appropriate choices for them or rescue them from the wrong choices they do make… and all the unfortunate circumstances that follow. God judges each of us for our own sins. (Numbers 15:31) So what can we do? We can pray for them. We can remind them that we’ll be there for them so that they won’t be journeying alone…even lending them our roadmap (The Bible), but that ultimately, the trip is theirs.

What is the Gospel Message anyway? The Gospel Message is not an angry God hatefully yelling at you, “Turn to Me or I will send you to hell!” Rather, the Gospel Message is a loving and merciful God whispering, “You’re already on your way to hell, turn to Me and I will save you & give you eternal life.” The Gospel Message is the Good News that we can be saved and forgiven from our rebellion against the God Who created us if we will trust in the life, death, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ…and accept His gift of eternal & enduring faith anchored in hope.

King Herod was in an adulterous relationship with Herodias, against which John the Baptist had vehemently preached against, (Mark 6: 18, with reference back to Leviticus 18:16,20) So when Herodias saw the chance to silence John’s constant condemnation, she took it by forcing her daughter to make a horribly macabre request. For even though King Herod feared John as a righteous and holy man, his boastful & rash promises to this young girl sadly became John’s death sentence. John refused to stop or back down from preaching the truth…rather choosing to count the cost…for which inevitably caused his demise. Very few of us will ever have to face the same situation as John the Baptist did…counting the cost for Truth & Christ even unto death…but we still must be willing to take a stand for what is right & true.

As the Apostle Paul writes here, our present condition is not our final one. Our Salvation has begun, and we have the Holy Spirit as the down payment, (II Corinthians 1:22 & Ephesians 1:13-14) but until then, we are to wait patiently with hope. Hense, our Christian life is a series of opening and closing of doors…each orchestrated by God to teach, admonish, and allow us to serve. But there are also excruciating times when we are forced to “wait in the hallway”. Often times likening this “Spiritual hallway” to a desert place…unproductive, barren, and dry…making us feel more like a nomad than a child of God. Nevertheless, we are to wait… so as we wait patiently in the hallway for God to open the next door, we learn to praise not pout with future hope in our hearts.

As the Holiday Season approaches, it’s a good time to take a moment to reflect on the meaning of the season and what our focus should be. In the happy moments…praise Him. (James 5:13) In the difficult moments…seek Him. (Psalm 46:1) In those quiet moments…worship Him. (Lamentations 3:26) And in every moment of the day…thank Him. (Psalm 79:13)

Paul is speaking here about the Church as a family…a body brought together out of the commonality of shared & mutual love for Jesus Christ. Our love for one another needs to be genuine & authentic…with no masks or feigning false compassion. For we are to abhor any form of deception or wickedness towards our brothers…literally detesting it with horror and not tolerating its presence in any form.

We must be constantly wary of letting circumstances change the way we view God…rather than letting God change the way we view the circumstances. If we allow Him, we can find joy in the aggravation, good in the frustration, blessing in the battle, and grace in the midst of the problem. Sure, the situation may not change at all…but the way we look at and regard it will if we let God change our perspective.

Our faith is put to the test when we seek God in the midst of adversity, not after. It becomes very evident when we can praise Him in the middle of the storm, not afterwards. (Psalm 42:5) When we can place our trust in His care in the valley, rather than only on the mountain top, (Psalm 56:3) or when we determine to follow Him in the darkness, not just in the bright light. (John 8:12) It’s God’s desire that when we are experiencing our deepest troubles that we seek His personal care and not wait until it’s behind us…saving us from so much anxiety, stress, and fear.

When you experience the kindness of strangers, how does it make you feel? When someone stops to help you with a flat tire on the highway…or compliments you waiting in line…or goes above & beyond to help you find something in the store. How does their unsolicited benevolence make you feel? In Luke 10:25-37, we read about the Parable of the Good Samaritan…a man who while traveling on the road came upon a wounded stranger, and rather than walking past, stopped to help him. In Matthew 25: 34-40, Jesus calls His disciples to care for strangers just as He did. So, the next time you have the opportunity to show kindness to a stranger…remember how that kindness made you feel, and go ahead and do it!