Selflessness: An Urgent Need

Note:  I’ll be back with you on Monday, December 5th

Chuckle: Advantage of aging -- "Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can't remember them either!"

Quote: "Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can." --Andrew Murray

"Don't be selfish; don't live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. Don't (be conceited) think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing" (Philippians 2:3-4 NLT).

How would you describe yourself -- selfish or selfless? Here, Paul reminds us that nothing should ever be done or considered out of selfishness or conceit. Selfishness is placing undue emphasis on one's own interest at the expense of others. A selfish person seeks to assert one's own will as opposed to submission to God's will. Selfishness can ruin a church fellowship, but genuine humility and selflessness can build it up. We are to lay aside all selfish motives and treat others with respect and courtesy. Jesus would have us consider others above ourselves.

Conceit is boastful pride. It makes great claims for self and disparages others. It honors oneself by (1) valuing our own opinions rather than truth, (2) advancing our selfish agenda rather than the gospel of Christ, and (3) adding to our own importance rather than to preserving the peace of the church.

The solution to the problem of selfishness and conceit is the practice of genuine "humility." This word denotes a spiritual grace, the opposite of selfishness. It is self-forgetfulness. Humble people know and accept themselves and feel no need for self-aggrandizement. They recognize their own faults and are too busy dealing with those to find fault in others. Jesus said, "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?" (Matthew 7:3 NIV). Jesus is teaching us not to judge our brothers and sisters but recognize our own faults and deal with them first of all. After we ask God to forgive our own faults, we will no longer notice the faults of our brothers and sisters.

The only rivalry which is proper in Christians is that which each seeks to outdo the other in esteeming the other. One is not to be concerned about receiving honors or advantages for himself. He is to be concerned that his brethren be honored and served. --Frank Stagg.

The true Christian spirit is self-renunciation, not self-assertion; it is concern for others, not concern for self and one's rights. Paul's exhortation reiterates Jesus' command: "As I have loved you, so you must love one another" (John 13:34b). Living in a manner worthy of the gospel means that Christians maintain a healthy respect for, a authentic love for, and genuine interest in, one another.

Love, Jerry & Dotse

Jesus: Source of Complete Joy

Chuckle: "A preacher visited a young couple he had married. He found the young wife crying. He asked her why she was crying. She replied, 'My husband's gone to shoot craps and I don't know how to cook 'em.'"

Quote: "Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with." --Mark Twain

"We are telling you about what we have actually seen and heard, so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our Joy will be complete" (I John 1:3-4 NLT).

What, or who, is it that brings you the greatest and most complete joy? In this materialistic age, it may be a new car, a new boat, a new house, or other material things. Maybe your greatest joy comes from your loving family relationships: spouse, children, grandchildren, etc. There are many things and relationships that bring joy to our lives. However, my question was "What is it that brings you the greatest and most complete joy?" In my own experience as a Christian, there is no joy that can compare to the joy that comes from sharing God's plan of salvation with someone and seeing that person pray to receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and then enjoy fellowship with God himself and with other believers.

John writes about having fellowship with other believers and with the Father and Jesus. He points out three principles necessary for true Christian fellowship: First, our fellowship is grounded in the testimony of God's Word. Without this underlying strength, fellowship is impossible. Second, fellowship is mutual, and dependent on the unity of all believers. Third, it is renewed daily through the Holy Spirit. True fellowship combines social and spiritual interaction, and is possible only through a relationship with Christ.

John's main purpose in this writing was to bear testimony about what he had seen and heard while in the presence of Jesus, so that others would accept Him and experience the same fellowship with Him that John enjoyed. He was sharing the love of Christ with his readers so that his joy would be made complete by their becoming believers.

Jesus desired that all His followers have joyful hearts. The Bible never suggests that Christians should be depressed or pessimistic. One of the goals Jesus had in mind as he taught his disciples was for them to experience His joy. "I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy" (John 15:11 NLT).

What was the joy that filled Jesus' soul? It was the completion of our salvation. ". . . He (Jesus) was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterward" (Hebrews 12:2 NLT). Likewise, our joy is based on the finished work of Jesus on the cross. Our salvation and our joy are inseparable. This contagious and unspeakable joy becomes complete when we share our faith with others.

Love, Jerry & Dotse

Commissioning by God

Chuckle: One day I was walking down the beach with some friends when one of them shouted, "Look at that dead bird!" Someone looked up at the sky and said, "Where?"

Ponder This: "Live as if Christ died yesterday, rose this morning, and is coming back again tomorrow." -- Martin Luther 

"He (God) said, 'Go and tell this people" (Isaiah 6:9 NIV).

After God had forgiven Isaiah's sins, cleansed and purified him, and called him to a mission, Isaiah responded with, "Here am I. Send me!" Now he was mentally and spiritually prepared to hear what God would commission him to do. This picture reminds me of the way Jesus led and taught his disciples, preparing them for the time when he too would commission them to the greatest task ever assigned to anyone -- "Go and make disciples of all nations . . . ."  (Matthew 28:19).

God commissioned Isaiah to prophesy to a people whose hearts had become hardened beyond their ability to repent. This seems strange on the surface unless we come to understand that God had long range plans for his people and looked forward to the day when they would repent and return to him. Jesus' was confronted with the same hardness of hearts when he preached here on earth. Not only did many not believe, but some were outright hostile toward him. When God sends us into His fields of service, He knows the difficulties we will face. Nevertheless, He requires our faithfulness and has promised to be with us in every circumstance. Christians can never let opposition to the message of God's love or hardened unbelief become a justification for failing to share the message of Jesus Christ.

Unfortunately, many Christians go through life never accepting God's commission and never sharing Christ with anyone. Many experience guilt and shame for this, but seem powerless to change the situation. Maybe you are one of those who just doesn't have the courage to share with others the message of salvation through faith in Christ. Be assured that Satan will try to convince you that you just aren't up to the task. Here are some excuses I have heard and experienced: "I just don't know enough Scripture; I am afraid I will be rejected; I don't express myself very well; I'm afraid of making a mistake, etc." If you consider these excuses carefully, every one of them emphasizes the personal pronoun "I." In other words, they show we are dependent upon our own strength and abilities to witness for Christ. We will always fail when we depend upon ourselves rather than God for courage, strength, and wisdom. Now let's turn these excuses into positives: "God will help me share his Word; He will help me overcome the fear of rejection; He will give me the courage I need; He will give me the right words to say; He will take away my fear of making a mistake." "At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you" (Matthew 10:19b-20 NIV).

Oh, what a difference an attitude of dependence on God makes in the way we reflect Christ to those around us. When we depend upon our Lord, we are accepting His promise, "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:20 NIV). One of the most effective ways to share the love of Christ is through your own personal testimony about what Christ has done in your life. The simple story about how your personal faith in Christ has changed your life can be used by the Holy Spirit to draw others to himself. Just relax and let our Lord guide you in your encounters with those who need Christ. Above all, let others see Jesus in you by the way you live. Our Lord will never leave you nor fail you!  

Love, Jerry & Dotse

Give Up Your Grudges

Chuckle:  A friend was in a hospital elevator with an orderly who was wheeling an elaborate machine with several pipes, dials and gauges. "Man, I'd hate to be connected to that machine," said the friend. "So would I," agreed the orderly. "It's a carpet shampooer!" --Charles Barron

Good Quote: "He who cannot forgive breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass." --George Herbert

“Bear with each other and forgive each other whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13 NIV).  

In these words, God is challenging you to give up your personal grudges. A grudge is a deep ongoing resentment that you cultivate in your heart against someone - unforgiving attitudes and actions. Harboring a grudge is nursing a destructive dislike for someone. Grudges destroy marriages, break up families, ruin friendships, and split churches.

I want to remind you that grudges are not just destructive, they are also self-destructive. Harboring grudges will eventually destroy you -- if not physically, certainly emotionally and spiritually. Job 21 describes people who “Have no happiness at all, they live and die with bitter hearts.”

"It is said that a rattlesnake, if cornered, will sometimes become so upset that it will bite itself. That is exactly what the harboring of hate and resentment against others is -- a biting of oneself. We think we are harming others in holding these grudges and hates, but the deeper harm is to ourselves."

Jesus' told a parable about the servant who was forgiven a huge debt by the king and then refused to forgive someone else a tiny amount. Jesus said his unforgiving spirit landed him in prison. Max Lucado says, “Unforgiving servants always end up in prison. Prisons of anger guilt and depression." God says “don’t sentence yourself to prison.” Set yourself free. Give up your grudges and “forgive each other whatever grievances you may have against one another,” even though you were wronged.

You may need to give up a grudge and forgive your parents, children, spouse, workmate, a neighbor, or someone in your church congregation. Please don’t tell God, or yourself, that you can’t forgive -- what you really mean is that you won’t forgive. If Christ can forgive your sin, despite it involving the pain of the cross, then surely you can forgive and give up your grievance against another person whatever the cost.

Love, Jerry & Dotse

Presence (3), God's Strengthening

Chuckle: "On his first safari, an American smugly said to the guide, "I know that carrying a torch will keep the lions away." "That's true," the guide replied. "But it depends on how fast you carry the torch."

Good Quote: “God does not take away trials or carry us over them, but strengthens us through them.” --Edward Bouverie Pusey

GOD'S STRENGTHENING PRESENCE

". . . your strength will support me" (Psalm 139:10b NLT). "Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will uphold you with my victorious right hand" (Isaiah 41:10 NLT).

In the past two lessons, we have dealt with God's universal presence and His guiding presence. I cannot begin this lesson about God's strengthening presence without quoting the apostle Paul in Philippians 4:13: "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." Here, Paul is saying he can do everything God asks him to do because God gives him the needed strength.

Without God's strength being released in our lives, when in conflict with sin, we are like an infantry foot-soldier facing a tank. We are not equipped to win the battle. But when we trust in the power of the living God at work in us, we can say and do anything God asks of us and do so with confidence and authority. It's like equipping that infantry solder with a shoulder-fired anti-tank missile. We can turn and begin to live as God intended us to live -- with complete dependence on His strength.

Just listen to some additional Scripture verses that speak of God's strengthening presence. "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his spirit in your inner being" (Ephesians 3:16 NIV). "May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God the Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word" (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 NIV). "My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word" (Psalm 119:28 NIV).

Our lives are often cluttered with rule books, but we seldom get instructions on how to follow the rules. But God is different. He not only gives us His rules and guidelines, but remains with us each day and gives us understanding and strength to help us live according to those rules. All we must do is listen to God's instructions and rely on His strength to help us follow them.

Soldiers of Christ, arise.

And put your armour on.

Strong in the strength which God supplies

Of his eternal son.

                                                                           Charles Wesley, Hymns and Sacred Poems

Love, Jerry & Dotse

Spiritual Discernment

Chuckle: What do you call a dinosaur with an extensive vocabulary? The saurus.

Good Quote: "The fruit of wisdom is Christlikeness, peace, humility, and love; and the root of it is faith in Christ as the manifested wisdom of God." --J. I. Packer

DISCERNING GOOD AND EVIL

"The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment: 'For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?' But we have the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:14-16 NIV).

In this passage, Paul makes one thing abundantly clear -- the person who has the Holy Spirit resident within him can understand the world from God's perspective -- that is if he relies upon the Spirit in making his discernments. As Christians, we have access to the very mind of Christ through His indwelling Spirit and God's written Word. So, the question is not whether God has given us the ability to discern right from wrong or good from evil; but rather it is whether or not we listen to the Spirit in our discernments.

In Psalm 15, the psalmist asks the question: "Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?" To state the question another way; "Who will you welcome into your presence to worship you?" In the Psalm, several characteristics are listed for the person God welcomes into His presence. Verse five says, "he who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the Lord." This requirement is one of perspective. This person must first be able to discern what is to be despised and what is to be honored -- what is good and holy in God's sight and what is vile in His sight. Such a man has a clear vision of what is good and what is evil, because he sees the world as God sees it.

As Christians, our spiritual discernment senses can become dulled so that we no longer are offended by ungodly conduct. We can find ourselves compromising our convictions and adopting some of the same moral values that God detests. I venture to say that many of us are not offended by some television programs that would have caused us to turn the TV off in disgust twenty years ago. Not only are we not offended by them, but we may have come to enjoy them. Our moral senses are no longer as keen and discerning as God wants them to be in recognizing right and wrong.

God only invites holy people into his presence for worship that pleases Him. Perhaps each of us should reevaluate our tolerance of evil, ask God's forgiveness if we have compromised our spiritual integrity, and commit ourselves anew to holy living. Then God will invite us into His holy presence for worship. As we seek to live holy lives, God will continue to sharpen our spiritual sensitivity with new abilities to discern between that of the Spirit and that of the world.

Love, Jerry & Dotse

Spiritual Obesity

Chuckle: "As we grow older, our actions creak louder than words!"

Quote: "To our friends we owe our loyalty; to our enemies, our prayers; to our families, our love; to our Master, ourselves." --William Arthur Ward

"Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next" (1 Timothy 4:8 NLT). "Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations . . .(Matthew 28:19 NLT).

Physical health requires both proper nourishment and physical exercise. Physical obesity in America has become an epidemic. Even young children's health is being threatened by their unhealthy diets and lack of exercise. The "couch potato" mentality is taking its toll and television and video games have replaced physical activity for many. It has been shown that obesity makes a person more susceptible to diabetes, heart disease, joint and foot problems, and many other physical ailments. Even when armed with the knowledge about the dangers of obesity, many people continue unabated in their unhealthy lifestyles.

Likewise, for our spiritual health, we require a balance of spiritual food and spiritual exercise. But many Christians have become concerned only about the nourishment and neglect the exercise. As a pastor, I have had many opportunities to observe this truth up close. I know people who attend worship services and Bible study classes regularly. They are continually being fed, spiritually, but many of these same people neglect their spiritual exercise by refusing to (1) use their spiritual gifts, (2) tell others about Jesus; (3) take a leadership position in the church, (4) minister to physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of others, and (5) help others to grow in their faith. We should not neglect putting what we have learned into practice.

The spiritually obese know the Bible and understands God's commands that we witness and minister. They have consumed and gorged themselves on spiritual food for so long that they have come to think that's all a Christian needs to do. By having the pastor "step on their toes," they feel they have paid their penitence to God. They continue to grow more spiritually unhealthy. We must get out of our comfortable chairs in worship services, Bible classes, and at home and get moving in service to our Lord by serving others. "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says" (James 1:22 NLT).

Our passage says spiritual exercise is even more important than physical exercise in God's grand scheme of things and brings us rewards both in this life and the life to come. As you exercise your faith, you will be amazed at the spiritual energy God will give you and how you will grow in your faith. You will find joy by serving others. Are you developing your spiritual muscles and becoming spiritually fit by exercising your faith?

Love, Jerry & Dotse

Perseverence

Chuckle: "By perseverance the snail reached the Ark!"

Quote: "If the Tiber reaches the walls, if the Nile does not rise, if the sky does not move or if the earth does, if there is a famine or a plague, the cry is 'The Christians to the Lions!" --Tertullian, Apologeticus

PRACTICING PERSEVERANCE

"You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him" (Hebrews 10:36-38 NIV).

The word, "persevere," means "to stick to a task or purpose, no matter how hard or troublesome." "Persevere" needs to be a rallying cry for Christians as we experience these perilous times. It' essential that we persevere in our faith and service to our Lord.

We hear of Christians being tortured and killed, principally in the Muslim world, for no other reason except they are Christians. In New Testament times, Christians were also persecuted in every conceivable way including imprisonment, torture, and even martyrdom. In our quote of the day, Tertullian makes the point that when hate for Christians reaches a certain level, no legitimate justification is needed to inflict terrible persecution on them. Any justification is as good as another, even if contrived. However, isn't it interesting that, in New Testament times, Christians persevered and even grew stronger in their faith during times of persecution.

In our passage, the writer of Hebrews encourages Christians not to abandon their faith in times of persecution, but rather, to let their endurance show that their faith is both authentic and strong. Our faith should not only affirm our confidence in what Jesus has done for us in the past, but also show our trust in what He does for us today and will do in the future.

As Christians, we are greatly blessed to live in the United States of America. To this point, our persecution has been limited to hateful remarks and erosion of certain freedoms we have traditionally enjoyed. No doubt, there is growing resentment toward Christians in our society. Each of us would be wise to examine our faith and our commitment to our Lord in preparation for what may come in the future.

Here, James reminds us that God will reward those who love Him and remain faithful. "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him" (James 1:12 NIV). The "crown of life" reminds us of the victory wreath given to winning athletes -- those that persevere to the end of the race. Our crown of life will not come in this life, but will be the reward of eternal life in God's presence. The way to God's winner's circle is to love Him and persevere even in difficult times.

Love, Jerry & Dotse