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What a waste!

Imagine someone who lived ruthlessly building up wealth and possessions but who never took the time to enjoy them before having a heart attack and dying from all of the stress.

Imagine a child who sees his parent’s wealth, and who begrudgingly dotes on them (expecting an inheritance), yet they outlive him.

Imagine someone who grumbles about everything around them, and never takes the time to see and celebrate what is good and beautiful around them — and even worse, never takes any action towards improving the source of their own complaints.

Imagine someone who is so confident in what they believe personally that they are unwilling to examine it critically, to test their beliefs, to learn, to change and to grow.

Imagine a race horse with champion’s blood flowing through its veins that he up on a pig farm where he only knew to mimic those animals who lay around in the mud, eating and getting fat.

We can imagine stories like this and possibly think to ourselves “how foolish”, or “how silly”, or “what a waste!”

But how many times do we let ambition, or envy, or negativity, or pride, or distraction, or our own personal choice of thief — steal from what would be best?

If we found out right now that today would be our last day alive, what would fall off our calendar and off of our list of concerns — and what would be revealed as what is truly important?

It’s easy to hear this and nod our heads, acting as is it is good advice — but what if we actually walk through the exercise as if we believed it was good and helpful?

What on my priorities list needs to shift?

What have I allowed to set up shop in my mind as a focus that needs to be spot out of the way for what is truly important?

What changes should I be making to set my direction on what is best rather than allowing in what is familiar, comfortable, or is good enough?

I believe (and life has repeatedly taught me) that God wants the best for His children. For a long time, I misunderstood His wise advice and guidance as strict rules to either live up to or to fall short of — to either prove myself worthy or unworthy of His love. But that IS NOT the gospel of Jesus Christ — nor is it the wise and best way to approach a relationship and understanding of our relationship with God.

As a father, I don’t want to just be a lecturer, a rule maker, and a disciplinarian to my daughter. But if I refuse to share wisdom, if I refuse to challenge her, I’d I refuse to offer her boundaries and correction, she will not know the difference between what is foolish and wise until so much has been wasted and stolen from her. I know this from the hard lessons life has taught this stubborn old man.

‭Luke‬ ‭12:13‭-‬21‬ ‭NLT‬
[13] Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.” [14] Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” [15] Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” [16] Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. [17] He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ [18] Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. [19] And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’ [20] “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ [21] “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”

https://bible.com/bible/116/luk.12.13.NLT

Lord, you see past all of the stumbling blocks and distractions to what is truly best. You have good in store for us and not evil. Help us to trust, to listen, to hear, to see, to follow, to walk with you. Show us how even what seemed like a waste has a purpose in leading us forward. Help us give up and lay down any foolishness that would hinder us running out race today. Amen.

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Is following Jesus “boring” or abundantly blessed?

Do we think that following Jesus is boring — or abundantly blessed?

Whether we’re talking about ancient or modern times, many of us might think that a life lived “undefiled in the way” is “boring at best”. I remember when I only saw the contrast of the temptations and pleasures of the world, the desires of my own heart, and my own feelings and opinions — where they conflicted with the wise instruction and guidance of God Word — and to a child’s foolish mind, it seemed restrictive instead of freeing. In fact, this lie of “lack” or “restriction” that the enemy is using to steal from us is that “if there isn’t any defilement in it, then it can’t be any fun”.

The reality of a whole life’s experience proves time after time that someone who walks in God’s word “knows the true blessedness of living and enjoying an undefiled life”. Surveys and polling data constantly demonstrate that those who live lives in general conformity to God’s standards — are happier, enjoy life more, and are more content. However, the illusion (and confusion) remains for many that a defiled life is more “fun.”

Hopefully, we all know that “sin is pleasurable for a season” — just like getting a high interest loan from a loan shark is fun while you’re out blowing the money on frivolous fun — but that the bill will come due, and that it will cost more than it was worth. A life full of this type of foolishness with no wisdom is disastrous and wasted, not fun or abundant or blessed.

So we need someone to teach foolish children what is wise versus what is foolish, what is healthy versus what is poison, what is best versus what is less — what is holy versus what is sin. In fact, many of us might be uncomfortable with “religious words” like “holy” and “sin” while we are fine with words like “wise, healthy, best” or “foolish, poison, less” until we have a good teacher that we trust. We need a teacher who is pure in His teachings and in His life example, who isn’t just another “used car salesman” or “send in your money wolf in a preacher costume”. We need to be taught by God and not just by a man.

And then it does little good to be taught by God and to know all of the wisdom, to know what is healthy, to see what is best — of we do not believe it and put it into action in our lives! We can’t just ponder The Way, we must practice it!

Do we treasure wisdom and The Way? Or do we trample it under our feet?

Do we love and search through the scriptures looking for wisdom to grab hold of and see come to life in us?

Do we cling firmly to the Word and the Cross as we had down this narrow path of The Way that is the blessed and abundant life — of do we waste it following the crowd down the broad way that leads to destruction?

We can look around and see the testimony of lives around us that are filled with foolishness versus wisdom. We can look at the proof in history of the lives before us. What evidence and proof will we leave for the children around us?

Lord, help us. Heal our unbelief. Correct our foolishness in mercy and love. Guide us in wisdom and protect us from evil. Amen.

‭Psalms‬ ‭119:1‭-‬2‬ ‭AMP‬
[1] How blessed and favored by God are those whose way is blameless [those with personal integrity, the upright, the guileless], Who walk in the law [and who are guided by the precepts and revealed will] of the Lord. [2] Blessed and favored by God are those who keep His testimonies, And who [consistently] seek Him and long for Him with all their heart.

https://bible.com/bible/1588/psa.119.1.AMP

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Luke Jumbo Jet

​Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” – Luke 7:47 ESV

I love this passage from Luke 7:36-50 which was a shock to the religious people of that day. I imagine this reaction was very similar to how many “religious people” today react to a message like the one shared recently by Andrew Green, pastor of Highways and Hedges Ministries in Cookeville, Tennessee entitled:

“PROSTITUTES, DOPE DEALERS, STRIPPERS, MURDERERS, NEEDLE JUNKIES, CRACK HEADS, METH USERS! ETC… GODS GOING TO RAISE UP A ARMY OF THESE FOR HIS GLORY!”

REF: https://www.facebook.com/evangelistandrewgreen/

You see, this is where I see the active, alive, abiding, serving church — taking the Good News to the poor, the needy,  the afflicted and helping them — not just telling “others” that they had better “measure up” to the standards of the “good Christians” in order to be able to join in Sunday services. And don’t get me wrong,  I’m not advocating a life of sin at all, but I’m wondering how many polished and disciplined facades are just precariously built walls barely holding back the religious stench of death where there is no real love for God or for brother or neighbor? Only vanity uncovered yet again in some sparkly new, unfamiliar packaging.

When I see God moving in undeniable ways,  it isn’t in the “strong,  wise,  proud, and religious” — it’s in the weak,  the broken, the humble, and the needy. It’s in those who know that they need Him, that they can’t make it without Him, that they are utterly destitute and without any chance of hope if it doesn’t flow down from Him. 

If you don’t think that you have sin,  then what in the world do you have to be thankful for this Christmas season? Instead of a Savior,  do you see a tour guide whom you feel you can best with your own attempts to earn your way? 

Or don’t we all have those deep, dark actions,  or words,  or even thoughts that we would be ashamed if the wold around us really knew the depths of our darkness? Or maybe that’s just me? Maybe you all have not denied God so many times in your life to chase after the world’s relations? Maybe you all have been obedient to God and to parents and have not lied, or stolen, or lusted, or hated, or judged, or gossiped, or cursed,  or doubted? I think not. 

So I’m glad that this message came in from Luke on a Jumbo Jet. Yes, that’s what they called the popular Boeing 747, a “Jumbo Jet”, because it was big, and it transported large numbers of people to their destination. And this is true of Luke 7:47 if you understand how to get onboard the only path that leads to a destination you actually want. If you’re practicing religion, trying to be good enough out of some obligation to satisfy God’s wrath, you may have missed the whole point of Christ. In fact,  yours might be even more shocking a demonstration of His wrath than that in store for the carnal and lawless reprobate.

It concerns me how many will realize too late their own fate, the futile nature of loveless religious traditions and sacrifices,  but I know that God knows best. 

“For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.  But like Adam they transgressed the covenant; there they dealt faithlessly with me.” – Hosea 6:6‭-‬7 ESV


But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” – Matthew 9:13 NKJV