Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.

Solomon, in his great wisdom, gave us tremendous insight into life.  Two great lessons in a statement that is easy to understand but often difficult to accept.

Tough times make us better.  Life is hard and we will all face challenges. From difficult people, to difficult situations. From tough classes in school to tough times at work.  Maybe it is losing people close to us or friendships that were dear to us.  The Apostle James wrote, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, [3] for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. [4] And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” in James 1:2-4.  Just as the fire forges the iron so do the fires of life strengthen us.

Some people make us better.  Some people are great encouragers.  Some are always willing to lend a helping hand.  Sometimes it is the person who has been through the fire before that can help pull us through the fire.  We need to find those people and surround ourselves with them!  We also need to be those people!  To others, you can be the person to lend a helping hand, provide encouragement, be a friend, be a mentor, and on and on. For a young person, you can be the person you needed when you were young.  For an elderly person, be the person you will want to have when you are that age.

Welcome the challenges of life.  Let’s surround ourselves with people who make us better and be the people who make others better.

 

Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place?

He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.

He will receive blessing from the LORD and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob.   – Psalm 24:3-6

 

I expect that every grandparent reading this who has grandchildren living out of the area has learned to use Skype or FaceTime to interact with them.  The capability to see and hear your loved one has made this technology a must-have for everyone.  It is hard to imagine being geographically separated without it.  A voice only call is fine to order a pizza, but to communicate with those you love, face to face takes it to a whole new level.  Messages of joy, surprise, concern or love are sent with the face more than the words.

When you imagine God, do you see his face?  Do you see him as a dear friend who you could speak with face to face?  Do you envision God laughing, crying, smiling or even winking at you?  Is your walk with him personal or remote?  The text above invites us to be personal with God, to come near and see his face.

For now, I must make the best of not clearly seeing the face of my friend, God.  That doesn’t mean that I don’t long for it.  That I don’t allow his Spirit to guide my steps and His Word to transform my life.  Like Zacchaeus, I’ll climb a tree and strain my eyes just to get a better view of him.

Read the passage above again.  Do you want to climb up God’s holy hill to catch a glimpse of him?  If you do, you need clean hands, a pure heart, honest devotion, and just dealings with all.  I pray that you will consider how to make your walk with God through life close and personal.

 

It happened at a church workday. Not the kind of place you’d expect trauma to occur. However, six years after almost drowning in Summit’s brand-new wet driveway, Ruffles, our little dog, will not step onto our newly poured, but dry front doorstep.

For Peter, it was the day he denied Jesus as the Son of God. His denial took place mere feet from where Jesus was being sentenced to die. In his mind, Peter knew his own life lay in the balance. It was either deny Jesus and die a spiritual death – or acknowledge his relationship to Christ and die an excruciating physical death.

Many years later Peter explains what happened and how to heal from trauma.

Step one is HUMILITY. Peter wept bitterly after denying Jesus as Lord (Lk.22:62). 1 Peter 5:5–6 (ESV) … Clothe yourselves … with humility … for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Step two is to give Jesus your ANXIETY and accept His CARE while RESISTING the urge to return to the old familiar but inhibiting thoughts. 1 Peter 5:7–9 (ESV) casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, ….

And, finally, let the GRACE of Jesus RESTORE you. 1 Peter 5:10–11 (ESV) And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you….

Father God, we humbly cast all our anxieties on you. Please heal our deep hurts of the past by placing us on Jesus’ Firm Foundation. Amen.

 

Every day I remove the remnants of nature from my pond. But twice a year I clean my pond filters. Now, friend, I want you to know that there are few things in this world that stink worse than the black mucky stuff that settles in the bottom of pond filters.

Similarly, Disciples ought to clean the filth out of their lives. The easy way is to ask God to remove filth from our lives.

However, in Ephesians 4:31 we read: “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice” (Eph.4:31).

By saying “let all” these sins “be put away”, Paul’s issuing a passive command. That means God will remove these 6 sins – but only once we have loosened our grip on them.

For instance, imagine going to the dentist for an annual cleaning and then refusing to open your mouth? We must do our part so that the dentist can start the cleaning process – right? But what a difference a cleaning can make. Our teeth look so much cleaner and our breath is minty fresh.

Likewise, clean Disciples can be seen. “As beloved children” they are to “walk in love” as “imitators of God” (Eph.5:1-2). And clean Disciples even smell good. Like Christ, they become “a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Eph.5:2).  

But this must be followed up by daily cleaning and a refusal to reintroduce stinky sin. That means Disciples ought to have nothing to do with disgusting, stinky sins. Ephesians 5:3–4 (ESV) — 3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.

After struggling through a dark season of stinking sin, David finally cries out: Psalm 51:10–12, 17 (ESV) — 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Dear Father in Heaven, as we let go of sinful habits in our lives, please renew a right spirit within us. In Jesus name, Amen.

 

We have all faced problems in our families, our relationships, our health, or in our work that have caused us to think about quitting or walking away. As we face troubles, it is easy to focus on the pain rather than our ultimate goal. The apostle Paul explains that no matter what happens to us in this life, as Christians, we have the assurance of eternal life when all suffering and pain will end.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NLT) ¹⁶That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. ¹⁷For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! ¹⁸So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

Our troubles should not diminish our faith or discourage us from attending service. Renew your commitment and focus on the reward of our faith.

 

This week I learned about two actors finding this out the hard way.  A few years ago, Asia Argento, an outspoken #MeToo advocate, was directing a film called “The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things”. Jimmy Bennett was 7 when he played Asia’s son in this movie.

Last year, shortly after Asia Argento accused Harvey Weinstein of assaulting her in 1997 at the age of 21, a similar accusation was leveled against her. Jimmy Bennett said he was assaulted by Asia Argento when he was just 17*.

Jesus says in Matthew 7:1–2 (ESV) “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.

No one gets out of this world unscathed. So, how do you deal with your abuse, pain, slander, or accusations? Yes, abuse MUST ALWAYS be reported, stopped, and never tolerated. But our goal should be to do this in a way that heals the soul and restores our inner peace and joy.

If we don’t seek peace through prayer and counseling we will get caught up in a never-ending cycle of judging (blaming) and revenge.

Father God, vengeance belongs to you. Please give us the strength to rather bless those who hurt us so that our peace and joy can be restored.

 

I used to love to watch Rich Little on TV.  There wasn’t anyone he could not impersonate.  He could go from Richard Nixon to Elvis Presley then to Bing Crosby.  But, I think we can all do a little Elvis Presley if we had to… “Thank you, Thank you very much.”  Rich’s talent was amazing. When he would start an impersonation you knew right away who it was.  Who is your life imitating? Can others recognize Jesus in you?

I know we have heard the phrase, “Like Father like Son.”  That can be a good thing if the father figure is setting a good example. And children notice even the little things.  I remember one year at Ft. Hill during the Family Retreat, we were all going to the big tree.  I found a good walking stick to use down the path.  I was enjoying the Fall day and when I turned around I saw that 3-year-old Carson had his own stick just like Papa and was walking behind me.  I have framed the picture of this and it brings a smile to my face every time I see it. It also reminds me that everything I do is an example to others; all the more reason to imitate Jesus.

Eph 5:1 tells us to “Be Imitators of God” It also tells us we are dearly loved children of God.  But how can we imitate God?  Later on in that chapter Paul tells us how to be like God:

• Live a life of Love. We are to set good examples, we should love our enemies.  We know that love is kind, love is patient, and we should build each other up, not tear them down.
• Light of the World. People will see Christ in our everyday lives.
• Be Wise, making the most of every opportunity to do good to our Brothers and
  Sisters.

You never know when the Spirit will call us.  Remember Bro. John Smith’s event in the airplane, when he helped the young mother with her crying baby?  Do you think Bro Smith made a significant impact to that mother and the other people that were on that airplane? What can you do to show God’s love to someone?

Hebrews 12:2 tells us “To fix our eyes on Jesus, The author and perfecter of our faith.   When we fix our eyes on Jesus, it pleases our God, and we will be called sons of God. Now that we are sons of God we then are Heirs of God and Co-Heirs with Christ.

Brothers and Sisters, if we Imitate God and Fix our eyes on Jesus, there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God.  And He promises that he will help us when we are weak.  If God be For Us Who can be against us? Romans 8:31 And God will graciously give us all things.

 

As we deliver the future of our world into the hands of the School system and into their pool of peers we know two things: First, our world is becoming increasingly secular and will without a doubt challenge our children’s faith. And, secondly, their faith will need to be well grounded to resist the peer temptation and agnostic questions.

Peter offers a solution to this double-edged attack:

1 Peter 3:15 (ESV) — 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

First, they must make a covenant with their hearts to honor Christ, their Lord, as holy. This means living a gentle life that is obviously full of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal.5:22-23).

And, Secondly, parents, we must bring up our children in such a way that they will be able to defend their faith. That means we must continue teaching them challenging material during our gatherings. And at home, this means making daily space for God. We do this by reading the Bible with them, praying with them, and asking them how they are being challenged.

Father God, we deliver our future into your protective care. Please guard their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

 

 

 

 

 

The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.  Acts 17:30-31

We all make mistakes.  We all have made some bad choices.  Our biggest problems come when we begin to make the same bad choices over and over again.

Seth Godin relates our bad choices to getting on the wrong bus.  “Your first mistake was getting on the A53 bus, the one that goes crosstown instead of to where you’re going. Mistakes like this happen all the time. The big mistake, though, the one that will cost you, is staying on that bus. I know it wasn’t easy to get on the bus. I know you got a seat. I know it’s getting dark outside. But you’re on the wrong bus, and staying on the wrong bus won’t make it the right bus. If you really want to get where you set out to go, you’re going to have to get off the wrong bus.”

The Apostle Paul said, “forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” in Philippians 3:13-14.  If we get on the wrong bus, let’s make the next, right choice, and get off at the next stop.  The family we have in the church is here to support us through our struggles and through the trials of life.  Lean on them!