A few days ago, I met a gentleman with whom I greeted with, “How are you doing?” At the time, I did not know that he was a citizen of another country who was visiting the United States for a few weeks. His response showed his confusion as to why I greeted him in such a way. He followed up my question with one of his own: “Why do you Americans greet each other with such a strange greeting?” I replied that it was just a customary greeting in the US – that it was our way of saying hello.

Since that conversation, I have given some serious thought to his question. I have come to realize that we really don’t want to know how the person we are greeting is doing, and, probably, if they started telling us how they were doing we would become a bit agitated that they were taking so much of our time.

I remember distinctly an occasion several years ago where I was asked that question. It had been an extremely stressful stretch for me, as I had officiated seven funerals in seven weeks – one each Wednesday for seven consecutive weeks. A few days after the last of those funerals I was visiting in the home of James and Billie Nelson, members of the church I was serving as pastor at the time. James was always such a source of encouragement for me. As we visited on that day, he asked that question, “How are you doing, pastor?” I responded with my pat answer: “I’m fine.”

However, on this particular occasion James was not satisfied with my response. He locked eyes with me, and said, “No, pastor. How are you really doing?” He was aware of the stressful stretch, and knew that I was probably experiencing the crushing weight of those seven funerals. It was there, in the Nelson’s living room, that I was able to release the pent-up stress, and literally cry on James’s shoulder.

There are times when we desperately need a shoulder to cry on, a strong arm to lean on. There may be the occasion when you ask the question, and someone responds by sharing the weight of the world that is crashing down on them. We may think to ourselves that we don’t have time to listen, but it is in those moments that we should allow God to use us as a source of encouragement for them. It may seem to be an infringement on our time, but it may be a source hope and help to someone in desperate need of a listening ear. They may not need, nor want, any advice. They may just need to unload.

Yes, most of the time people will know that our “How are you doing?” is simply our way of saying hello. But on those rare occasions in which someone responds by sharing with us their present state of struggle, let’s be sure to give them time to share. It may be the very thing that lifts them out of their stress.

So, how are you doing?

Blessings!

Have you stopped to think lately about all the gidgets and gadgets that you use every day – things that we, for the most part, take for granted? How many times a day do you look at your cell phone, or your computer, to check the latest email, or the last big news posted on social media? How many times do you flip that light switch, taking for granted that the moment the switch is moved to the “on” position you will instantly have light? How many times do you go to the refrigerator to grab a cool drink, or a quick snack, without giving thought to the convenience of having that appliance in your home? Or how about that automobile you get into, turn the key, and expect it to fire up so you can make it to your destination?

The list is veritably endless of the creature comforts we have grown accustomed to in this modern era. As a matter of fact, we think of most, if not all, of these as absolute necessities. We feel that we could not survive without them. Granted, it would be difficult to live life without many of these comforts, as we have become so accustomed to having them we can’t imagine being without them.

What about those who have lived in different periods of history. What about those who were born in a time in which the many modern conveniences we enjoy today had not yet been discovered, created, designed, and manufactured for use?

Jesus and His disciples lived in just such a time. He even stated at one time that the Son of man had no place to lay His head (see Luke 9:58). The comforts we enjoy, and take for granted, were non-existent in His day and time. As a matter of fact, many of the comforts we enjoy today have only been in existence for a relatively short period of time.

I, for one, am thankful for the many conveniences we enjoy and so often take for granted, I am so thankful for indoor plumbing, for electricity, for the many different types of heating systems to keep us warm in winter, and air conditioning to keep us cool in summer. I’m thankful for refrigeration so that we don’t have to go to the ice plant to purchase large blocks of ice to cool the “ice box”. I’m thankful for automobiles which zip us from one place to another, with the comfort of A/C and heat.

I may even think that I could not survive without all these modern conveniences. But history proves otherwise. All those who lived and died before the invention of these conveniences were able to survive without them, and so could we.

So, what’s the point of this blog? Simply this: to remind us of how blessed we are to have all of these modern creature comforts, and to encourage us to never take them for granted. God has given certain individuals the capacity to think of, and then to invent these amazing devices. We are the beneficiaries of their creative genius. But it is God who gave the wisdom and knowledge to these individuals. So, as we enjoy the usage of these many conveniences, let’s thank God for His giving these amazing abilities to those creative inventors, and for giving us the privilege and pleasure of enjoying them.

Then the Lord said to Moses, saying: “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship.”

Exodus 31:1-5

Blessings!

We are created with the ability to repeat certain behaviors, actions, tasks, etc. We have the tremendous capacity to learn new skills and carry out new responsibilities which enables us to engage in jobs, careers, sports, etc. without having to be retrained each time we engage in that particular activity.

This ability vitally important in our day-to-day lives. It would be frustrating indeed if we had to be retrained each day to perform the same task. The amazing thing is that we need not have to be retrained over and over again, but we learn how to perform the task and then we do it every day, repeating the same actions that we have learned.

This affects all of life, from the most trivial to the most. We get out of bed and begin a series of actions that we have learned through repetition. My morning routine is certainly different than yours, but I do the same things every day as a matter of repetitive action. It is something so engrained in each of us that we do those things without even thinking about them. We actually take them for granted.

It’s like planning for a trip. If we are going to travel to a destination we have never been before, then we have to make sure that we have the route mapped out. This is certainly not as tedious a task as it once was, as we now have GPS systems, and navigational systems built into our automobiles. But even with that, we still have to be able to tell our GPS where to take us, and then we have to follow the directions. But if we have made the trip before, chances are we don’t need to rely so much on the navigational tools at our disposal.

For followers of Jesus Christ, it is imperative that we utilize this amazing ability by being habitually repetitive with certain actions and behaviors. The Christian disciplines – prayer, Bible study, Bible memorization, personal devotion, public worship, service, giving, just to name a few – should be practiced regularly and consistently. Our spiritual growth and development depends on us practicing these disciplines repetitively and habitually. In doing this we will continue to grow toward Christian maturity, until we become fully mature, being conformed to the image of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Growing in our Christian walk is not a mere suggestion in Scripture, but rather are expected of us. We are told to put off the old man, and replace it with the new man, made over in the image of God. We are to consistently put off those things that are displeasing to God, while replacing them with those behaviors that are pleasing to Him, and are consistent with the teachings of Scripture.

By being consistent with this, we begin to develop more and more a desire to do these things. They become part of our daily routine because we have repeated them over and over until we reach the point that we do them without thinking about it. It becomes who we are, not just an activity that we perform.

Our desire is to be more like Jesus with each passing day. Let’s make the commitment to do all that we can do to be like Him

Blessings.

Sometimes, oftentimes, the appearance of things can be so very deceiving. We may observe something, thinking it is one thing, and it turns out to be something far different than we thought. Appearances can cause us to believe something is real, and it proves to be nothing. It can be like heat rising off of hot pavement in the heat of summer. The appearance sometimes causes us to think that there is a puddle of water in the road ahead of us, but when we get there, no water is to be found. Appearances can be deceiving.

This must have been the way the disciples felt after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Appearances would lead them to believe that all was lost. Their dreams, their hopes, their aspirations, had all been wrapped up in the belief that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah. They were looking forward to the day that Jesus would go public with the announcement that He was now going to establish the kingdom. Israel would once again be a world power to be reckoned with. And they would be key figures in this newly established kingdom on earth.

But after the death and burial of their Leader, their hopes were dashed, their dreams were shattered, their aspirations were lost. All was lost. What would they do now? Where would they go? To whom would they turn? Jesus was dead. Would the same fate befall them?

Their darkness turned into distress, and their distress devolved into despair. Shaken, uncertain, fearful, perplexed, confused, bewildered – for three days they would remain in this state of shock. What must they have been discussing during those dark days? What plans were they now making? What actions would they now take? The appearance was that all was lost. Without Jesus, what could they possibly do now?

Have you been there? Have you experienced a life-altering event that, from all appearances, seemed to be insurmountable? Have you been in a situation that caused you to think all was lost? Have you been in that state of bewilderment, perplexity and confusion that seemed to be beyond all hope? Then the lesson learned by the disciples is a lesson we need to constantly be reminded of. Appearances can be so very deceiving.

The darkness of those days between the crucifixion and the resurrection were heart wrenching days for those men and women who had placed all hope in Jesus. But the light was about to shine. The tomb was about to be vacated. The dead was about to rise. The appearance of sure defeat was about to be replaced with the reality of a momentous victory.

Death could not hold Him. The tomb could not contain Him. Darkness could not overtake Him. Victory! Victory! Victory! Darkness is replaced with light. Despair is turned into rejoicing. Hopelessness is replaced with the reality of resurrection power.

What “appearance” has you in a state of bewilderment and perplexity today? Does all seem lost? Hopeless? Are you in a state of desperation? Then look to the empty tomb. Look to a risen Savior. Look to the One who has conquered death, hell and the grave. Look to Him who is in control of the circumstances, situations, and eventualities of life. Look beyond the “appearance” to the reality of ultimate victory in Jesus Christ. Let the power of His resurrection resonate in your heart, mind, soul and spirit. By faith, grasp the reality that lies just beyond the appearance.

I wish everyone a most blessed and wonderful Easter. Happy Resurrection Sunday!

Blessings!

Life is a journey. It takes us through many different twists and turns. Some are planned, while others are completely unexpected, random, and oftentimes catch us by surprise.

As we grow through the different stages of life, we are apt to get so caught up in pursuing our dreams, investing all of our time, energy, and resources into attaining our goals, that we lose the ability to enjoy special moments of life.

Please don’t misunderstand what I am saying. Goals are good. Making plans for the future is essential. Making wise investments in the pursuit of attaining those goals is certainly commendable and should be viewed as a worthwhile ambition. But we need to always be reminded that life does not always follow the path we have mapped out. Sometimes circumstances and situations arise that throw us completely off the path we have designed for ourselves.

So, what happens then? What do we do when life doesn’t go as planned? As I look back over my life, I see clearly those times when the path I had mapped out was dramatically altered due to unforeseen circumstances. I can now look back on those times and make observations as to how I reacted. Sometimes I think I did alright in adjusting to the changes, but other times I feel that I could have done a much better job in how I responded.

But, one thing stands out with stark clarity. I realize now – and oh how I wish I had realized this long ago – that I spent far too much time looking at the destination. I had the plan mapped out, and I knew where I wanted to go, what I wanted to be. And in doing that, I missed so much on the journey itself. I totally missed out on much pleasure and enjoyable moments in the present because I was so focused on the distant future. I was so focused on reaching the destination that I lost sight of the enjoyment I could have experienced along the way.

We have all heard the adage, “Stop and smell the roses.” But life is so busy – so many demands and deadlines as we strive to reach our destination – that we pass by those simple pleasures of life. I am now 71 years old, and as I look back I realize the enormity of missed opportunities to stop and smell those beautiful flowers.

I missed so many special moments in the lives of my three children because I was so focused on reaching my destination. I missed so many special moments with my wife because my ambitions and goals far too often took precedence. I think of times when we were going to get away for a few days. The destination was my focus, and I was not interested in any side trips along the way. Now, as I think back on those trips, I have regret that I did not listen to the requests of my wife and children to take a little side trip to a point of interest. But we didn’t have time! We had to reach the destination. Nothing could interfere with reaching our goal.

I am trying to change. I am trying to slow down. I am trying to stop on occasion and smell the roses. I want to enjoy the journey. Perhaps the arrival at my destination will be postponed a bit. Perhaps it may take a bit longer to get there. Perhaps there will be some delays and detours. Instead of becoming irritated about those delays, I want to take them as an opportunity to see something I might have missed had I been able to follow the mapped out route I had worked so tediously on.

Life is short. I have seen so many get to the end of their journey with sorrow and remorse over the fact that they missed out on so much because they were driven to reach their destination. And now, having reached it, they are left with a sense of emptiness because of what they missed, rather than a sense of celebration because they reached their goal.

Let’s enjoy our journey, taking advantage of every opportunity to stop momentarily and smell the roses. The trip will be far more enjoyable.

Blessings!

Wow! It seems like it has been so long since I last logged on to WordPress with the intent of writing a new blog. And actually, it has been a while since you have last heard from me in this blog post. For that I apologize, and ask that you be patient with me in getting back into the blogging saddle.

This brief blog is just to fill you in on what has been happening, and why I have been absent from the blogging world for several weeks. My wife, Teresa, has been experiencing some health issues in the past couple of months that has kept me pretty occupied with caring for her. She has been hospitalized twice, for two entirely different health issues, which have diverted my attention. Thankfully, she has recuperated from both of these issues and is well on the way to full recovery. Many of you have known about her health problems and have been praying for her healing. For that we are truly and sincerely grateful.

So, now I am ready to begin sharing a weekly blog and hope that you will continue being faithful in reading and responding to my thoughts. So many of you have been faithful in following my blog, and I am truly humbled by that fact. I always appreciate your comments and responses to my thoughts, and my prayer is that God uses each of them for His glory. That is the reason for my writing. I want God to use me for His glory, and to exalt His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.

With that said, I will have an entry ready for publication this week, and hopefully will publish at least one per week as we move forward. I would remind each of you that I would appreciate any suggestions you might have for upcoming blogs, and that I am greatly thankful for responses you make to my thoughts. Even if you should disagree completely with my perspective in any of my blogs, I appreciate your sharing those thoughts with me.

Again, thanks for your faithfulness in reading and sharing my blogs in the past, and I thank you in advance for continuing to be an active follower of my writings.

Blessings!

There has been much effort exerted in the recent past, aimed at revising the historical past. Statues have been and are being removed, school textbooks are being revised, historical data is being altered, all in a concerted effort to reimagine and repaint the past. If the events of the past can be eradicated from sight, and somehow removed from our minds, then the past can be rewritten to say what those in control of reporting past events can literally make up as they go.

Granted, it would take much effort, and patience, and pain-staking work to pull off such an enormous task, but with enough of those qualities it could be done. And, in the estimation of this writer, it is being done. The entire landscape of American history – more specifically, United States history – is being altered with the consistent efforts of those who would have us believe that the past was vastly different than what we have been taught.

But there is a far more serious danger than that of historical revisionism: Scriptural revisionism. This is a matter of grave importance for Christians in this nation to take careful and serious note of. If we succumb to this incipient danger, then the drift toward Biblical and Scriptural liberalism will become the norm among professing believers.

This is certainly nothing new. It can actually be traced all the way back to the first book in the Bible. Read the following very familiar verse from the book of beginnings:

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?””

Genesis 3:1, NKJV

Note carefully the subtle attack of the serpent. He began by challenging the Word of God. “Has God indeed said?” This is still one of the devil’s most used tactics. I’m sure you have had it happen to you, right? You’re reading the Bible, and you hear that voice questioning the passage under consideration. Perhaps you’re reading one of the miracle stories, and that voice begins whispering how absurd it is to believe that could really happen.

And if you’re not careful, you begin entertaining thoughts of serious doubt about the passage at hand. The devil then moves to the next phase of his tactics: he moves from challenging the Word to changing the Word.

And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die.”

Genesis 3:2-4

The progression of this conversation teaches us how susceptible Eve was to the alluring conversation with the evil one. And notice how it all came about. Eve’s attention is drawn away from the bounty of all the other trees in the garden. The devil draws her attention, rather, to the one forbidden tree. He then calls into question the message which had been delivered by God, telling her that she would not die, but would rather become like God. And once he has her attention focused on the forbidden fruit, and has filled her mind with his deceit, he convinces her that she deserves more than God had provided.

And he still operates the same way today. He challenges the Word of God. He plants ideas and thoughts in our minds, causing us to question the validity of the Bible. He draws our attention away from the element of faith, and causes us to focus on what appears to be stories of such a fanciful and ridiculous nature that we begin to question the historicity of those events.

Then, the erosion of our faith begins to settle in. We begin to question the long-held Biblical traditions that were given by the inspiration of God. We can begin to embrace non-Biblical theologies that focus more on the wants and needs of personal preference than the commitment to the Bible.

This opens the door for a purely experiential understanding of Scripture. We can easily begin interpreting Scripture in light of our own subjective feelings and experiences rather than on the objective truth of God’s Word. A few examples will suffice to illustrate this principle.

The Bible teaches clearly the sanctity of human life. God created man in His image. The Psalmist taught that each human conceived in the womb of a woman is fearfully and wonderfully made. Therefore, each human life should be nurtured, loved, and cared for. And yet, abortion has now become just another form of birth control.

The Bible also teaches God’s design for marriage relationships to be between a man and a woman, But it is now acceptable for men to marry men, and women to marry women, and for couples to live together without ever being legally married. And the enemy whispers in our ears that this isn’t so bad. After all, they really do love each other. Why keep them from sharing that love in a marital relationship? The lines become blurred, and the desires of the flesh take precedence over the will of God.

We are further taught in the Bible that God created two sexes: male and female. These are the only two biological possibilities. But now, regardless of what anatomical “parts” one is born with, each individual is free to choose if they are male, female, neither, both, or if they change from day to day. And again, the enemy whispers that we need to leave each to his own.

These examples, along with so many others that could be discussed, show that God’s Word clearly establishes parameters within which Christians should live. These will never be embraced by the world at large since the world is antagonistic toward God and the ways of God. But for those who profess to have a relationship with God, our desire should be to live by His Word.

And this is the grave danger that I see today. The church is embracing many of these ungodly practices and behaviors. Many professing believers have begun practicing the ways of the world rather than living by the teachings of Scripture. There is a strong movement toward Scriptural revisionism, where the Bible is interpreted through the lens of culture rather than the culture being impacted by the teachings of Scripture.

For believers, everything should be filtered through the lens of faith and the pages of Scripture. We should not allow the ways of the world to change the message of Scripture. If we do, then we have fallen prey to the same tactics the devil used in the Garden of Eden. The ways of the world, and the wants of the flesh, begin to take precedence over the Word of God.

The contemporary church in the United States needs to turn back to the clear teachings of Scripture. Let’s let it begin with us.

Blessings!

Life is short. Get a divorce.

Seen on a billboard, advertising the services of a law firm specializing in divorce cases.

As time progresses, and as we become more and more a post-Christian society, we are witnessing a massive swing in cultural beliefs and practices. The line between right and wrong has been blurred to the point of non-recognition. Things that were once viewed as being sinful have now become acceptable, and things that were once viewed as practices to abstain from are now seen as practices to be embraced and enjoyed.

This blog is pointed particularly at those who profess to be believers in Jesus Christ. The Bible admonishes us to abstain from the ways and practices of the world, but it seems that many in the church today are living lives that are more in alignment with the ways of the world than with the ways of the Word of God.

In the sermon on mount, Jesus gives several illustrations of this concept. He speaks of the correct way of viewing murder, adultery, divorce, taking oaths, retaliation, and love. He began each of these discussions with “You have heard…but,,,” This establishes a contrast between the ways of the world with the ways of the Word. Let’s give a brief consideration to each of these examples.

Jesus speaks first about the matter of murder. He takes it much further, and goes much deeper, than the physical act of taking someone’s life. He says that if I harbor hatred in my heart toward another person, then I am guilty of murder in the eyes of God. He goes on to explain that if I even view another as being worthless, a fool, of no value, then I am in danger of the judgment. Yet, today, it is not uncommon to hear individuals speak of their disdain for another person, speaking of them in derogatory terms. Even to the point of wishing them harm and envisioning in their minds how much they would enjoy hearing of their suffering or death!

Then He speaks of the matter of adultery. The marriage bed is to be a sacred, sanctified, place to be shared by a husband and wife. When a man and woman are united in marriage, they become “one flesh.” To bring another person into this sacred relationship is to bring shame upon the one to whom we are supposed to be committed. The way of the world embraces, sometimes even applauds, these extra-marital relations.

Next, Jesus speaks of the matter of divorce. The Bible teaches that the plan of God is that one man be married to one woman until they are parted by death. Marriage is a beautiful picture of the relationship between Jesus Christ and His bride, the church. The Lord has committed Himself totally to the care, nurture, and spiritual development of His bride. Paul gives a beautiful description of this relationship in Ephesians 5:22-33.

Taking oaths is Jesus’ next topic of discussion. It is so easy to make promises that we never intend to keep. Our word should be backed up by our actions. Great harm has been done in families in which the husband or the wife constantly makes promises they never keep. Children have been devastated by parents who make promises they continually and consistently break. Even more serious are those promises we make to God, and then quickly forget making those promises, never bringing them to fulfillment.

Jesus then turns His attention to the matter of getting revenge. We are not to retaliate when someone has done us harm. Instead, we are to strive to live by the golden rule: Do unto others as you would have them do to you. Treat people the way you would like to be treated, whether they ever treat you the same or not. Many live in a perpetual state of vengefulness, seeking to cause pain to others because they have been hurt by them. We are to go out of our way to do something that displays our genuine love for them.

And that brings us to the last of the examples given by Jesus: love. He speaks of loving those who love us, and doing good to those who do good to us. But we are to love everyone, not just a select few. He says that we are to love our enemies as well as our friends. Our love is to be undefiled, coming from a sincere heart.

These are not to be thought of as an exhaustive list, but rather a sampling of how we, as Christians, are to live our lives as testimony to His grace being operative in us. But what I would like for us to think about is this: we are to live our lives totally committed to the principles and precepts clearly delineated in Scripture, regardless of how the world views those principles.

The Bible presents clear instructions on so many of the social concerns facing our nation. As Christians, and representatives of Jesus Christ Himself, we are to live according to His teachings. Murder, adultery, divorce, taking oaths, retaliation, love for enemies, abortion, human sexuality, biological identity, honesty, integrity, and so many others, are concepts presented clearly in Scripture.

Our choice is which path we will follow: the ways of the world, or the ways of the Word of God. In this present post-Christian era in which we live it is crucial that we represent our Lord by following His teachings in all areas of life and livelihood. May we ever be found walking in obedience to Him.

Blessings!

Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I will hope in Him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

Lamentations 3:22-26

God’s compassions are new every morning, and His faithfulness is great! We all give a hearty “Amen” to those wonderful truths that are reiterated time and again throughout Scripture. “God is good, all the time,” is often heard from the lips of those who are experiencing the manifold blessings of our gracious heavenly Father.

The prophet Jeremiah, the author of the words quoted above, is giving a powerful testimony of his faith in the reality of God’s mercies, compassions, and faithfulness. We might think that he is giving this doxology of praise and adoration as he enjoys the blessings of God’s provision, presence and power. Perhaps he is enjoying the manifold provisions of the Lord. But that is not the case.

These words were penned by the prophet as he ponders the greatness of God in the midst of tremendous adversity. Babylon has invaded Jerusalem, destroyed the city and took the residents captive. Jeremiah is now contemplating the events of the recent past as he thinks about the fact that God has now brought to pass the things He had warned would happen if the people refused to repent.

And yet, even in the midst of the awful circumstances, Jeremiah testifies to the reality of God’s mercies, compassions, and faithfulness. What a powerful example of one who saw beyond his present situation and kept his eyes of faith focused on the promises of God.

A couple of contemporary Christian songs written a few years ago illustrate this principle quite well: Praise You in this Storm, by Casting Crowns, and Even If, by MercyMe, (Why not take a few minutes right now and listen to these powerful testimonies of consistent praise in the midst of the difficulties of life. Click these links to listen to them on YouTube: https://youtu.be/0YUGwUgBvTU and https://youtu.be/B6fA35Ved-Y.)

Far too often we hear of individuals who walk away from God because of some adversity in life. Jesus spoke of this type of individual as He spoke with His disciples about different responses to the Gospel. Many who hear the presentation of the Gospel seem to be genuinely committed to the Lord, and yet when life becomes tough, and unexpected circumstances arise, they fall away, turning their backs on God because He did not meet their expectations.

But the Bible teaches clearly that life will not be easy for the believer. Jesus said plainly that in the world – in this life – we would have tribulation, but that He had overcome the world. We must live by faith, believing that He has, indeed, already overcome the world for us, and that by faith we, as Jeremiah, can see beyond the difficulties of life, realizing that there is something far better, far greater, than anything we might face in this temporary, physical world.

We need look no further than the record of the lives of the apostles, and the stories of the early Christians, who suffered horribly because of their faith in the Lord. We have all heard of the horrific stories of those believers in the early church who were persecuted, even executed, because of their faith. Even today, there are parts of the world where professing Christians are incarcerated, and tortured, and executed, simply for professing faith in Jesus Christ.

As followers of Jesus, we are to look beyond the eventualities of this life, realizing that the sovereign Ruler of the universe is firmly established as the King of kings and Lord of lords. He will at some point in the future bring this present age to an end, and usher in the eternal kingdom in which we will live with Him forever. No matter what we suffer in this life, it is not worthy to be compared to the glory set before us in Christ Jesus.

As Jeremiah, let’s remember that His mercy, compassion, and faithfulness are new every morning. Regardless of the circumstances and situations of life, God is on the throne and in control. Let’s keep our eyes on Him, and our faith in Him, and our belief in His return the motivating factor that enable us to see beyond this life to the life to come.

Blessings!

From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

Matthew 16:21-23, NKJV

In my last blog I gave consideration to the question, “What are you thinking about?” This was based on the statements Paul made concerning having our minds set on things above and not on the things of earth. The quote from Matthew is a sobering example of incorrect thinking – of Peter having his mind set on the wrong things as Jesus spoke to His disciples about His coming betrayal, death, and resurrection.

Granted, I must admit that I have no idea how I would have responded to Jesus’ startling revelation. Peter and the others had already committed themselves to Jesus as their Lord, undoubtedly thinking that He would soon establish His kingdom on earth. And now they hear Jesus speaking of His impending death! The two thoughts were totally irreconcilable. How could He possibly be King if the things He revealed were true?

So how does Peter respond? First, note carefully the manner of his response: he actually rebuked Jesus. Can you picture this scene in your mind? One of Jesus’ disciples rebuking his Teacher? One of His servants rebuking his Master? It sounds ridiculous – absolutely absurd – but here it is: Peter rebuked the Lord.

Then, note the contradictory element in Peter’s rebuke. “Far be it from You, Lord.” How could Jesus truly be his Lord if he rebukes Him, refusing to believe what Jesus has now revealed? In that moment, Peter was not submitted to Jesus’ lordship, but to his own selfish, worldly, earthly thinking.

And that is exactly what Jesus says. He tells Peter that his mind is set on the wrong things. He is not thinking about the things of God, but the things of men. In that moment, for a brief blip in time, Peter allows his mind, and his desires, to be focused on a worldly way of assessing the information at hand, and not thinking about his need to be submissive to the Lord’s teaching.

But can we come down excessively on Peter for his outlandish behavior? Can we not see ourselves in his reaction to Jesus’ revelation? Can we not think of times when we have done the same thing as Peter did? I certainly can! Far more times than I would like to consider. There have been those times in which my remark to the Lord in response to something He was leading me to do, or something He had allowed to come into my personal experience was, “No, Lord.”

Even as I type those words, “No, Lord,” I realize how grievously evil they are. I think about the utter audacity of making such a statement. I think of the contradictory nature of combining those words, because it is in saying “No, Lord”, that I show who is really lord: ME! He can’t be my Lord if I refuse to bow to His lordship.

And I can’t bow to His lordship if I constantly practice incorrect thinking. As long as I have my mind set on the things of men, the things of the earth, then I cannot possibly be submissive to Jesus Christ. And please note how Jesus responded to Peter’s ridiculous rebuke:

“Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

Matthew 16:23

Ouch! Peter could not have missed the dagger of Jesus’ words of rebuke. “Get behind Me, Satan!” Peter had given himself over, not only to selfish thinking, but to a Satanic mentality. This was nothing short of a spiritual mutiny! You can’t rebuke the Master without being your own master. You can’t dethrone the King without usurping the authority of the King.

This is incorrect thinking – the very type of thinking we are to put off once we have become followers of the Lord. And then, we are to strive to think of things above, and not the things of the earth. May this be the desire of our hearts and minds as we strive to be sincere disciples of our Savior and Lord!

Blessings!