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Don’t try it, don’t fake it, don’t do it – just BE it.

Proverbs 3:3 NLT
Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart.

Loyalty. It speaks to a right relationship with God, because we are to be loyal to God,  not to other men. Loyalty divided is not loyalty at all,  but is treason. Our loyalty is to God and God alone,  not to a person,  not to a nation,  not to a cause – but to God. The first five of the ten commandments speak of loyalty to God.

Kindness. It speaks to a right relationship with others, because we are to be kind to others. And kindness is not doing good for others so they will repay you with good in return. No,  that is manipulation. Kindness is doing good to others regardless of the outcome. The last five of the ten commandments speak of kindness to others.

Continue reading “Don’t try it, don’t fake it, don’t do it – just BE it.” →

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How are you?

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“How are you?”

A wise friend recently asked, “Is there any other question that leads us to lie more consistently on a daily basis?”

Hasn’t “How are you?” become the social norm for acknowledging someone’s presence, while dismissing their value?

Continue reading “How are you?” →

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Surrender All

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You might be a Pharisee if:

It is important to you that you give 10 percent of your money to the church

You might know Christ if:

You have surrendered your whole life and everything in it to Christ.

Continue reading “Surrender All” →

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Repentant Heart

Matthew 9:10-13 ESV
And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
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Forgiveness for the Undeserving

Forgiving isn’t about the other person deserving or not deserving forgiveness –

It is about whether we believe ourselves to be more worthy than another and therefore consider ourselves worthy of judging them –

OR

If we believe that we need mercy just as much as the next guy and understand that we can only receive our undeserved mercy and forgiveness if we are willing to extend undeserved mercy and forgiveness to others.

Yes,  it’s easy to say this.

But it isn’t always easy to practice when you see people hurting others,  when you see some taking advantage of others,  when you see some working hard while others stand by idly offering no assistance.

And this is because there is a voice that tells us that we want justice.

But have we forgotten so quickly where justice would land us? Have we forgotten what we deserve?

So let me be sure that I don’t want mercy for myself but justice for others – because yes,  that stinks like the familiar and deadly smell of pride that has tried to hide itself under religious indignation.

Matthew 6:14-15 ESV
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,  but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Does a person have to be honorable in order to be honored? Where would we find such a person outside of Christ?

Ecclesiastes 7:20 ESV
Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.

Romans 3:10-12 ESV
as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;  no one understands; no one seeks for God.  All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”

Mark 10:18 ESV
And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

So we don’t seek out prefect people to honor – no, we would search forever and come home empty handed.

We honor each other even in spite of our weaknesses,  because God see fit to honor each and evert one of us with His free offer of Grace, and if Almighty God sees value in others,  shouldn’t I?

Matthew 18:10, 12-14 ESV
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always   see the face of my Father who is in heaven.  What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?  And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray.  So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

2 Peter 3:9 ESV
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

So I should love and honor the brother and sister that I see and know –

as a reflection of the honor and grace and mercy of Christ who lives in me –

understanding their spiritual value either as a lost sheep or as a fellow child of God –

respecting that I have walked in both paths myself –

and that honoring or dishonoring another is a reflection of how I either value highly or disregard as common – this Amazing Grace and Salvation that God has extended to us all through Jesus Christ.

I really need to work on this. Your prayers are appreciated,  friend.

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Gathering in Unity

Matthew 18:20 ESV
For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.

PERSONAL COMMENTARY
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Scripture tells us that He is always with us.

So this is not about Him being with us any more or any less just because we are gathered with others.

This tells us that when we are gathered in His name with others,  He will abide with us in unity,  we will be as one,  unified each as a part of the whole. And it is this unity where we find those gems and pearls that we would not find so easily on our own.

Because,  you see the things of God like wisdom,  truth,  and love – when we share them,  they are not split in half like when we share physical treasures. No,  spiritual treasures are multiplied when we share them with others.

If I have an abundance of love and share it with you,  I walk away with no less love than I came with,  in fact,  yours is increased,  and so is mine. So this is why fellowship is so important. It is the unity of fellowship where the fruits of the Holy Spirit are multiplied, and when we share openly with each other, it has a compounding multiplying effect – because He is among us,  inhabiting our praise,  inhabiting our fellowship,  inhabiting our service unto others. And where He abides,  fruit grows abundantly.

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Kids Say the Darndest

I think that a “Kids say the darndest things… about the Bible” video would be great.

First,  to show the innocence of their answers when they don’t know yet. Second, to show how quickly and easily they absorb and understand the core message and moral of the stories – even better than many adults.

I always find it interesting that Jesus said that we should be like children (Matthew 18:3), not like Pharisees (Matthew 23) – children understand the importance of the inner, moral and message of a story,  while Pharisees get hung up on the details and overlook the beautiful simplicity of the message (2 Corinthians 3:6).

For example,  we want Mia to learn that the story of the three pigs is about being wise, building on a strong foundation, and building a life out of the materials that are going to stand upright,  true,  and last forever, never to fall to the storms and trials of life – a life built upon accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, repenting from sin, resisting evil, seeking God’s will in our lives, and showing others mercy and forgiveness, bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). A person that does this not only save themselves,  but is a shelter for their loved ones to come to as well in their times of trouble and need(Matthew 25:31-46).

The 3 little pigs story isn’t just about being sure that you earn enough money to build a house out of brick material so you can keep the enemies from destroying your life, leaving you running to your friends and relatives for help. It isn’t just about an evil wolf looking to gobble up unwise piggies when he finds them unprepared.

One of the above perspectives demonstrates spiritual understanding (seeing the underlying forces and root cause behind the situation and circumstances), and one is earthly knowledge (focused only on what can be seen and touched). And what is interesting to me is that kids catch on to this underlying “message” even quicker than many adults,  because they are not yet jaded with the stresses of adult responsibilities.

You know,  I think that I’m learning more from being a father to my 4 year old, and a husband to my wife, and a daily servant seeking God’s will in this past year, than I ever learned in the whole of my other 36 years of living for myself. And I have so much left to learn.

This all came up because of Mia’s answer to a question in her Sunday School class today was cute and humorous. We read the Bible and bible story books with her all the time,  but she is just 4 years and a month old.

Unfortunately,  there are those that I know that would be mortified that their child did not know the correct answer to a biblical trivia question,  and they might even think that it was a bad reflection on them that their child didn’t know it. Yes,  there are people that will try to measure themselves against others based on their biblical knowledge and theology – I’m even guilty of letting my study of scripture become a source of personal pride at times instead of remaining humbly grateful to the Holy Spirit for teaching me. (Unfortunately, I stumble and act like a hypocrite sometimes. Me=imperfect)

Yes, I want Mia to know that the gift that the woman gave Jesus was not “a turtle”,  but to put perfume on Him and to wash his feet with her tears and dry them with her hair (Luke 7:36-50).

But it would only mortify me if she thought that God is a mean, wrathful, hateful, envious, jealous, power-drunk being in the sky that throws lightning bolts and fire of punishment down onto those that aren’t good enough – instead of knowing that our Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit together are all powerful, all knowing, forgiving,  loving,  merciful, just, faithful, our redeemer,  our healer, our provider, our shelter,  our hope, our salvation, our teacher, our comforter, our loving disciplinarian, and our caring friend.

So yes,  she will continue to learn the trivia and the theology over time, but her foundation is going to be rooted in the fruits of the Holy Spirit, grace,  mercy,  forgiveness, love, repentance, seeking God’s will – and yes,  she will learn that there are those who are allowed to choose a life separated from God,  and they will eventually understand the foolishness of their decision.

But I don’t want my daughter practicing religion and studying theology simply because she is afraid of going to an eternal torment in hell. I don’t want her simply filling out her prayer requirement for a “get out of hell free card” to be followed by Sunday religious practices but a life missing out on a relationship with Jesus Christ.

I want my daughter to know this amazing free gift of grace,  and know the grattitude that changes attitude, and experience the change inside that comes from the Holy Spirit of Christ living inside her, and living through her, touching the lives of others,  bearing the fruits of the Holy Spirit, and serving and loving a living Savior that will walk closer to her than a brother,  who will be her friend forever.

And that is how she will know freedom, not just religion.

hballingerLeave a comment

Good is good, Bad is bad

Evil does not change based on public or personal opinion. Good is good, bad is bad. One may decide to apply “relative morality” to a circumstance to try to justify actions comparatively, but that doesn’t change evil into good – it simply makes an attempt to compare one set of evils to another.

But it does matter how we use this knowledge of good and evil. Because the law can be executed unwisely by men in judgement and accusation who are blind to love – which represents a situation where truth and justice are not served.

For example, if a sheep is lost – isn’t it clear that helping that sheep is more critical than the letter of the law? Isn’t it clear that mercy, forgiveness, and love are the more perfect demonstration of God’s grace and the nature of His Spirit towards His beloved children? Isn’t this the lesson that Christ taught us about understanding the spirit of the law instead of focusing on the letter of the law:

Matthew 12:1-14 NLT
At about that time Jesus was walking through some grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, so they began breaking off some heads of grain and eating them. But some Pharisees saw them do it and protested, “Look, your disciples are breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath.” Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He went into the house of God, and he and his companions broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. And haven’t you read in the law of Moses that the priests on duty in the Temple may work on the Sabbath? I tell you, there is one here who is even greater than the Temple! But you would not have condemned my innocent disciples if you knew the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!” Then Jesus went over to their synagogue, where he noticed a man with a deformed hand. The Pharisees asked Jesus, “Does the law permit a person to work by healing on the Sabbath?” (They were hoping he would say yes, so they could bring charges against him.) And he answered, “If you had a sheep that fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn’t you work to pull it out? Of course you would. And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath.” Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored, just like the other one! Then the Pharisees called a meeting to plot how to kill Jesus.

Yes, He wants a relationship, He wants us to show mercy just like He shows mercy, not cold hearted practicers of religion:

Hosea 6:6 NLT
I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings.

I can stand my ground on what is right and what is wrong – while offering mercy, and forgiveness, and love, and hope for the lost – and while sharing this Good News of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because it isn’t my job to judge the lost, it is my job to offer them this same grace that I received.

1 Corinthians 5:9-13 NLT
When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that. I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people. It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.”

If we are to follow Christ’s example, are we going out and sitting down with those that need this message of grace – and not in judgement, but in love:

Luke 5:27-32 NLT
Later, as Jesus left the town, he saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him. Later, Levi held a banquet in his home with Jesus as the guest of honor. Many of Levi’s fellow tax collectors and other guests also ate with them. But the Pharisees and their teachers of religious law complained bitterly to Jesus’ disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with such scum? ” Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.”

Are we going out? Or are we comfortable hanging in the pew with our friends?

Mark 16:15-20 NLT
And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.” When the Lord Jesus had finished talking with them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.

Give me the courage and strength and faith and reliance on Christ in me to go out – in Love, and to share this good news, not in judgement to strike fear and win converts, but to let others know this wonderful grace that I have, this amazing friend that I know – so they might know Him as well.

And yeah – He told us to do it. That’s probably a really good reason to do it too.

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To whom am I yoked?

I enjoy reading 2 Corinthians 6 in the light of 1 Corinthians 5:

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 ESV
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”

We aren’t to be UNEQUALLY YOKED. This doesn’t mean that we abandon or judge the unbelievers around us in our lives:

1 Corinthians 5:9-13 ESV
I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”

Because we are to be the light of the world. We are supposed to love and help unbelievers have an opportunity to find their way to this love and salvation. We are to “go out” to the lost with this Good News. We aren’t to separate ourselves physically from the lost, nor are we supposed to love them less or treat them badly because they are unbelievers. We are to hold fellow believers accountable, not kick a lost man while he is down. Our enemies are not flesh and blood. So even if our true enemies are using a person against us, aren’t we instructed to behave in this manner towards even those being used against us –

Luke 6:27-36 ESV
“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

But that does not mean that we become yoked, tied together, with unbelievers and their worldly ways. That does not mean that we should be actively participating in those things we know that we should not be doing. We are supposed to share light, but resist any temptation to sin. If we love Christ, if He is our Lord and Savior, we seek His Kingdom –

Matthew 5:13-16 ESV
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

So if someone is lost and does not yet have Christ, it benefits them greatly to remove themselves from the worldly ways and people around them that are influencing them. It benefits them greatly to surround themselves with others that are believers that love God, and love others, and who are actively seeking and serving God in their lives.

And if someone is saved and has Christ alive in their life, it benefits them greatly to yoke themselves with other believers – the more faithful the better, because even they will stumble at times. Because we work together to build each other up – so that we are filled with His strength, and His Truth, and His Way – so that when unbelievers come to join us, we can help bear their burdens – and the Christ inside us (this Holy Spirit) will be strong in lifting and bearing this cross through both ourselves and our brothers and sisters.

We should each through Christ bear the share of these burdens – and when we are working together in the unity of Christ, we find that the burden is light, because we are yoked to Christ, and they are yoked to Christ, and He is the foundation that bins us together.

Matthew 11:28-30 ESV
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Philippians 2:1-3 ESV
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

Amos 3:3 ESV
“Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet?

Ephesians 4:3 ESV
Eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

If we yoke ourselves to Christ (trust in Him), then through Him we will be yoked to our true brothers and sisters. We place our trust the Lord, not in men of flesh and blood.

Psalm 146:1-10 ESV
Praise the Lord ! Praise the Lord , O my soul!
I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish.
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever; who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord !

Psalm 118:6-9 ESV
The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?
The Lord is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.