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You Are A Child of God

 

No truth in all the Bible is as far reaching as the blessed fact that when we are born again into the family of God – God the Father is our Father. He cares for us! He is interested in us, each of us individually, not just as a group, or as a body, or a church. He is interested in each of His children and loves each one of us with the same love.

 

Get acquainted with your Father through the Word. When you were saved, you were born into His family as a spiritual body. Babies in the natural must eat natural food to develop and grow. The Bible instructs the children of God: “As newborn babies, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby . . . “ (1 Peter 2:2).

 

It is in the Word where we find out about our Father, about His love, His nature, how He cares for us, and how He loves us. He is everything the Word says He is. He will do everything the Word says He will do.
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A Surrendered Soul – Part 3

In Part 1, we defined Critical Race Theory (CRT), a secular academic theory, which is used to refute people of color’s experiences within many Evangelical Churches.

 

In Part 2, we went to the balcony to review the tenents of fellowship within a faith community which is the locus for change and transformation in society.

 

Today, in Part 3, we put the eight preached CRT assumptions to the Universalism of the Gospel test.

 

As a reminder, God created and gave humankind the gift of free will — the gift of choice.
Our beliefs determine how we label people and situations. Labels most always are the opposite of reality, serve to cement certain beliefs and dictate how we (and our community) choose to engage or disengage with people. The result obscures and distracts from a serious critique about the division currently splitting American society.

 

Theology sets in the mind of people a particular psychological view of life. In other words, how you see God determines how you see people. In Matthew 12:34, Jesus teaches, what we say is a reflection of what’s inside us.
As we discuss each assumption, we will step back to see how the Bible views these assumptions.

 

Assumption 1 – CRT is at the center of addressing this culture’s racial issues in the church. 
The central problem is the Imago Dei. Seeing people as God sees them. Not respecting a person’s values, selfhood, ideas, experience, and expertise. Then, challenging or dismissing their lived experiences within your faith community. True inclusion requires that you truly see a person and respect them enough to make room for all the good they have to give.

 

Assumption 2 – People of color are the poor, widow, foreigner, deaf, marginalized, and blind spoken of in the Bible, and we do acts of service for them. 
This assumption automatically sets up a class-based “us” versus “them” mindset of superiority. The categories mentioned are not limited to People of Color. Many believe prosperity is a sign of favor from God. But in the Bible, wealth is no indication of God’s favor. Neither is poverty an indication of God’s punishment. “God makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45).

 

Assumption 3 – The Love taught in the Bible is demonstrated by small “acts of service” (McDonald’s gift certificates, mission trip overseas, feed the hungry, etc.)  
In this view, Christian love is primarily a charitable condescension. Love given without personal self-sacrifice and Christ-centered otherness is antithetical to Scripture. Sacrificial love is what we celebrated on Good Friday in Jesus’s death on the cross; emphasizing both the degree and manner in which God expressed the greatness of love.

 

Assumption 4 – Opportunity exists for everyone who wants it. People of color are not taking full advantage and are trying to take what we have.
This scarcity mentality assumes life is a zero-sum game and focuses on materialistic stuff rather than on relationships. People don’t want your stuff; they want the opportunity to provide for their families. Access to capital, opportunities, jobs, contracts, promotions, etc., tend to go to those one feels “remind them of themself.” Those decisions have always produced skewed outcomes. But God instructs us “treat the stranger as a native among you. . .” (Lev. 19:33-34)

 

 

Assumption 5 – If you doubt or disagree with what a Person of Color says, your racist.
Both sides suffer from misperceptions about motives. Feelings of defensiveness are common responses, but ultimately, they’re counterproductive. Different lived experiences led to very different understandings of life.

 

One side thinks you shouldn’t be tagged as racist unless you subscribe to racial supremacist doctrine and are part of some conspiracy to keep people of color down; otherwise, it is making a virtue of victimhood. The other side, who feel if you disregard, dismiss, or demean their experience, you are engaging in amoral, narcissistic manipulative display of racist attitudes.

 

The more we spend time with each other in spaces we normally don’t (backyard barbeque, Church small groups, home gatherings), the better we can see none of us is a monolith, and we likely have more compassion, and in common, than we thought. Engage, as Jesus did, in the practice of presence.

 

Assumption 6 – I’m really sick of Cancel Culture, they want to rewrite our history as if something is wrong with it.
The label “Cancel Culture” serves mostly to gesture away from what actually happened in a given scenario. Usually, a normal, benign or unexceptional event that did not break in favor of conservative interests and toward a generalized sense of what is viewed as a right-wing grievance. Canceling has spread as a term and phenomenon in the public consciousness mostly about issues of discrimination and racism. This argument is akin to declaring an epidemic of people having opinions.

 

When you love like Christ does, you release your fears of others in the congregation instead of doing what is being complained about, canceling them. One could say that Saul sought to “cancel” David when he called upon his son and servants to kill his perceived rival (1 Samuel 19:1).

 

Holding someone accountable for how they are treated in their house of worship isn’t cancel culture. There are too many people who haven’t acknowledged mistakes, reconciled for them, nor have they gone on to make amends. They are using the label “cancel culture” to shield them from accountability.

 

Assumption 7 – We rebut the notion that White privilege augments our lives. Perhaps you are being lifted by a race-based privilege but surely it is not I. 
The two-word term packs a double whammy that inspires pushback. 1) The word white creates discomfort among those who are not used to being defined by race. And 2) the word privilege sounds like a word that doesn’t belong to those who have struggled. White privilege is not the suggestion that people have never struggled, or everything accomplished is unearned.

 

The best metaphoric description I have heard is that “privilege feels like people of color are trying to cut ahead in line, meaning America is now trying to cater to others before you. The line-cutting angers you, although you never question why you should occupy the first position. That implicit assumption — I should be tended to before all others encapsulate how privilege is viewed as natural, invisible, and a whites-on-top racial hierarchy.”

 

Assumption 8 – Juxtaposing Biblical Justice to Social Justice, Systemic Racism and being Oppressed. 
Biblical references to the word “justice” mean “to make right.” Justice is, first and foremost, a relational term — people living in right relationship with God, one another, and the natural creation. Biblical Justice means loving our neighbor as we love ourselves and is rooted in God’s character and nature.

 

Biblical Justice is a penetrating analysis of using power unjustly to affect the human condition and stems from social, individual, environmental, and spiritual causes. The fear leading to the parsing of the experiential definitions is that if authority and power are given up, People of Color will use the power in the same ways as has been used on them. But the congregants of color understand an eye for an eye leaves everyone blind.

 

Biblical Justice is based on the character of God and gives us a model for changing how power is used in this world. As Christians, the building blocks of social justice lie in human dignity, human flourishing, and the sacredness of life. The source of justice is God’s perfect righteousness and radical love for all.

 

One writer explains the misrepresentations this way, “Just as I may consider myself a patriot, yet disagree with aspects of the Patriot Act, in the same respect we should be able to have objective conversations about specific policies or behaviors without chastising those raising concerns as though they broadly do not think lives of Black people matter.”

 

“God values perseverance in community more than visible success;
and faithfulness in calling more than felt comfort in community.”

 

If your instinct is telling you, it’s more comfortable to retreat or reassure yourself that you are correct, think instead, what actions can I take to surrender to God’s perspective instead of my own?

 

From the balcony, the solution, while challenging, can be accomplished. Jesus engaged in dialogue with people, others felt he shouldn’t, to demonstrate love. Think about what your Christian example of love might do to heal some of the fissures in America. We want to love God, live like Him, and demonstrate Him to a watching world.

 

In this case, we will work to arrive at solutions built on biblical virtues of contentment (Philippians 4:11–12), unity (John 17:21), and humility(Colossians 3:12).
Solutions that demonstrate a surrendered soul to the Will of God.
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Your Calling Is Calling

 

This virus and election season have exposed our innermost thinking, beliefs, attitudes, and actions. Many have looked to those called by God for understanding and support. Yet, some influential Christian leaders are saying to overlook the wrongs of politicians, who support their self-interest, but condemn the wrongs of those considered the “other”. Many people ask me why Christians plant their flags on things not spoken of in the Bible but ignore what is clearly laid out? So rather than giving my opinion, I took to the phone, called ten pastors to hear their answers to the question. The most common responses were “what the scripture meant was” and “God uses flawed people to do his work.”

 

The first answer, I believe, is the foundational basis of the challenge this country faces—interpretation based on self-interest rather than self-sacrifice. We tend to ignore the parts that challenge us or call us to make that great sacrifice. It’s much easier to point the finger at someone else. But as momma used to say, “when you point to what you think is someone else’s issue, there are always three fingers pointing back at you and your issues.” Or to use scripture. “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?” (Matt. 7:3). From Lucifer’s desire to be like God to the last sin we committed, every sin committed is grounded in self-interest.

 

The second answer, I agree God used flawed people. For instance, the stories of Zacchaeus and Matthew, both tax collectors who cheated people. Jesus spent time with them, and once knowing Jesus, they turned their lives around. Zacchaeus paid back all whom he’d cheated, and even more, than he had taken. (Luke 19: 1-10) Matthew dropped everything and became a disciple. (Matthew 9:9) Just two of the many examples that demonstrate they repented, and because they came to know Jesus, their lives became different. People could see evidence of their faith.

 

 

2021 will provide us an opportunity for a mental and spiritual reset. Love instead of hate; understanding instead of judgment; critical thinking instead of homogeneous bubbles; values instead of violence; dialogue instead of division; sacrifice instead of self-interest; influence instead of control; Imago Dei instead of class systems; living out the Word instead of talking about it.

 

People are walking away from the Church in record numbers. When they can’t hear what you’re saying because of what they see you doing, you have to ask yourself – what are your patterns of behavior saying?

 

Your calling is calling you. Will you answer the call in 2021?
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Writing Our History In The Present

They Called For Change

 

Black thinkers and activists, from the poorest of the poor to those with great power and means, have been critical in challenging America to do the right thing.

 

Their voices mattered. Their words — some reflected here — express deep outrage and suffering but also tremendous love and hope for their community and their country. Some of their calls for justice have been answered through legislation or litigation; other demands remain painfully timely. Together, they offer a powerful opportunity to honor the past while working together to create a better, more just future for all.

 

 

SOURCE: From Harriet Tubman to John Lewis, they called for change by Kim Gallon (research) and Tre’ Seals (portraits), AARP, October 7, 2020
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R U Looking 4 A King?

Scripture transcends ideology, identity, party allegiance, and is full of clear specific instructions on how we should treat each other. Today, I’ll let scripture speak for itself and in the words of Ray Charles, “do what it do. . .” Those who are serious about finding and following a king will heed Christ admonition that “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40).
Read them carefully and consider how to apply them in your life:

 

Leviticus 19:11 Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another.

 

John 13:14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.

 

John 13:34 A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

 

John 13:35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

 

Romans 12:10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.

 

Romans 12:16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

 

Romans 13:8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.

 

Romans 14:13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.

 

Romans 15:7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

 

Romans 15:14 I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another.

 

Romans 16:16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings.

 

1 Peter 4:9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.

 

1 Peter 5:5 Be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

 

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

 

1 John 3:11 This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.

 

1 John 3:23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.

 

1 John 4:7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

 

1 John 4:11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

 

1 John 4:12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

 

1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

 

James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

 

James 5:9 Don’t grumble against each other, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!
Hebrews 13:1 Keep on loving each other.

 

2 Thessalonians 1:3 We ought always to thank God for you, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

 

1 Thessalonians 4:18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.

 

1 Thessalonians 4:9 Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.

 

1 Thessalonians 3:12 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.

 

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

 

Colossians 3:9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices

 

Philippians 4:2 I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord.

 

Ephesians 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

 

Galatians 5:26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

 

Galatians 6:2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

 

1 Corinthians 12:25 There should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.

 

Galatians 5:15 If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

 

1 Corinthians 11:33 When you come together to eat, wait for each other.

 

Romans 1:12 That is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.

 

Ephesians 4:16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

 

Philippians 2:3-5 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.

 

We change our moral and ethical behavior by letting Christ live within us, so that he can shape us into what we should be. The scriptures call us to love as we have never loved before. This requires radical humility (next issue’s topic).

 

 

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Pulling Down Strongholds – Part IV

 

Today, we close out Strongholds with special message from a mentor and friend Pastor Max Ludaco, Teaching Minister at Oak Hill Church in San Antonio, Texas. He is a best selling author including his latest book Jesus: The God Who Know Your Name which has been one of our past recommendations. He reminds us that this sermon, preached in the past, is still relevant today. You will be blessed by his insightful message.

 

Does one prevailing problem stalk your life? Where does Satan have a hook in you? Some are prone to cheat. Others quick to doubt. Maybe you worry. Yes, everyone worries some – but you own the national distributorship of anxiety. Perhaps you are judgmental. Sure, everybody can be critical, but you pass more judgments than the Supreme Court. What is that one weakness, bad habit, rotten attitude? Where does the devil have a stronghold on you? Ahh, there is the word that fits–stronghold–fortress, citadel, thick walls, tall gates. It’s as if the devil has fenced in one negative attribute, one bad habit, one weakness and constructed a rampart around it. “You ain’t touching this flaw,” he defies to heaven and he places himself squarely between God’s help and your:

 

– explosive temper – fragile self-image
– voracious appetite – distrust for authority

 

Seasons come and go and this Loch Ness monster still lurks in the watery lake bottom of your soul. He won’t go away. He lives up to both sides of his compound name: strong enough to grip like a vice and stubborn enough to hold on. He clings like a bear trap; the harder you shake, the more it hurts. Strongholds: old, difficult, discouraging challenges.

 

The term stronghold appears at least fifty times in the Bible. It commonly referred to a fortress with a difficult access (see Judges 6:2; I Sam. 23:14). When King David first saw the city of Jerusalem, it was an old, ancient, cheerless fortress inhabited by enemies. No wonder it was twice called a stronghold (see II Sam. 5:7,9).

 

The Apostle Paul uses the term to describe a mindset or attitude.
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh (for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds), casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ; and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience shall be made full.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-6 ASV)

 

We do not grit our teeth and redouble our efforts. No, this is the way of the flesh. Our weapons are from God. They have divine power to demolish strongholds. Isn’t that what we want? We long to see our strongholds turned into rubble, once and for all, forever and ever, kaboom! Maybe it’s time for a different strategy.

 

Have you asked others to help you? Everything inside you says: keep the struggle a secret. Wear a mask, hide the pain. God says just the opposite: “Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed” (James 5:16 MSG). Satan indwells the domain of shadows and secrets. God lives in the land of light and honesty. Bring your problem into the open.

 

I know a young couple who battled the stronghold of sexual temptation. They wanted to save sex for the honeymoon, but didn’t know if they could. So, they called for help. They enlisted the support of a mentoring, understanding married couple. They put the older couple’s phone number on speed dial and asked their permission to call them, regardless of the hour, when the temptation was severe. When the wall was too tall, they took the tunnel.
Maybe it is time to get drastic. I had a friend who battled the stronghold of alcohol. He tried a fresh approach. If I ever saw him drinking, he gave me, and a few choice people, permission to slug him in the nose. The wall was too tall, so he tried the tunnel.

 

One woman counters her anxiety by memorizing long sections of Scripture. A traveling salesman asks the hotels to remove the TV from his room so he won’t be tempted. Another man grew so weary of his prejudice toward non-whites, that he moved into an ethnically diverse neighborhood, made new friends and changed his attitude.

 

“God’s power is very great for us who believe. That power is the same as the great strength God used to raise Christ from the dead and put him at his right side in the heavenly world.” (Eph. 1:19, 20 NCV).

 

Ask for help. Get drastic. Try a fresh approach. Who knows, you may be a prayer away from a breakthrough.

 

©Max Lucado, September 2015
used by permission
Heavenly Father, I thank you for the ministry of Pastor Lucado. Help me to be drastic in my actions as I breakdown the strongholds in my lives. This body of mine is your temple. Satan you are trespassing on my Father’s property and in the name of Jesus whose I am and whom I serve, its time for you to go!!!
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Pulling Down Strongholds – Part II

 

We are now in the early phase of a medical and economic disruption unmatched in most of our lifetimes. It has crashed economies, broken health-care systems, filled hospitals, emptied public spaces, separated people from their workplaces and their friends. This fast-spreading virus is prompting some economists to even predict a U.S. recession. This current need for social distancing is high-stakes and non-negotiable. Social Distancing, a term that epidemiologists are using to refer to a conscious effort to reduce close contact between people and hopefully stymie community transmission of the virus. We are in a grey area now with much contemplation on how we go about daily life. We’re all participants in the world’s largest natural experiment in behavior change.

 

Psychologists sometimes describe the barrier to behavior change as the conflict between wants and should. This can be described as strongholds. We know we should choose the side salad, but we want the basket of fries. We know we should shelter in place but we’re bored and want to get out. We know the Bible instructs us that we should love our neighbor, but we want to think of ourselves as different than them. When we consider our susceptibility, we fall victim to the illusion of invulnerability.

 

I’m reminded of the rich ruler in Mark 10:17 – 27 who thought he was doing everything right but was so consumed with his money that Heaven had became a distant dream. One of his problems was that he considered himself to be faultless concerning the Law. Stronghold! With surgical precision, Jesus simply touched on the one issue that exposed the greed the ruler did not even suspect he had. He should have listened to Jesus but he wanted to keep his money. He was not willing to make the change and follow the Lord if that meant he must share his wealth with others. He broke two commandments – he did not love his neighbor as himself, and he did not love the Lord with all his heart. He had made an idol of his wealth, and he loved it more than God. Stronghold! The rich ruler needed the Savior, and the financial fears the world is showing today demonstrates so do we.

 

Allow me to ponder with you that maybe. . . just maybe God is trying to show us that our dependence needs to be on him and not on our finances. I’m not saying God sent Covid-19 but maybe. . . just maybe since our finances have become our strongholds, He’s allowing us to see that finances can’t save us. Freewill individualism, the belief that people are expected to survive on their own. Maybe. . . just maybe the coronavirus outbreak will shock us into understanding just how much damage financial strongholds have inflicted upon American society. In Deuteronomy 15. God says, if you followed the Law, as you claim to do, there wouldn’t be any needy people among you. But there are, because of your unfaithfulness. In other words, Jesus makes it plain that we can (should) solve this problem at any time we want.

 

I read a post that gives us something to think about, “In three short months, just like He did with the plagues of Egypt, God has taken away everything we worship. God said you want to worship athletes; I will shut down the stadiums. You want to worship musicians; I will shut down Civic Centers.  You want to worship actors; I will shut down theaters. You want to worship money; I will shut down the economy and collapse the stock market. You don’t want to go to church and worship Me, I will make it where you can’t go to church. “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” Maybe we don’t need a vaccine. Maybe we need to take this time of isolation from the distractions of the world and have a personal revival where we focus on the ONLY thing in the world that really matters. JESUS!” 

 

The future is uncertain, the economy is in turmoil, but God is still on the throne breaking strongholds. As we approach Easter, maybe . . . just maybe we reflect on the greatest “should” ever, the uncommon love of the Cross.

 

God, we come to you with our lamentations, our worries and our fears. Wrap them in the mantle of your love. Fill us with peace so that we may share it with the world. Let us exult daily in your glory as we look forward to the resurrection.

 

In Jesus name we pray. Amen
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Pulling Down Strongholds – Part I

Dr. I. David Byrd,  March 15, 2020

“If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And if I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profiteth me nothing. . . ”                    1 Cor 13:1-13
The perniciousness of this world renders too many Christians invisible in our society. There is an assumption that only certain groups are “true” followers of Christ and represent the moral compass. This fatal flaw weakens our witness and causes nonbelievers to look at religion, in the vernacular of the young people, “side eyed“. Differences in doctrine causes Christians to treat each other in ways that cause the unbeliever to think – why would I want to be part of that? We often forget that every human and every human system is corrupted by sin. Sin causes us to place hope in earthly leaders and political parties in which no final hope exists. Moral or immoral has been replaced by winning arguments through political agendas that are creating a divided Church. We have forgotten the fact that Jesus came to win hearts, not arguments!
Please welcome our first guest writer, Robert L. Deffinbaugh who teaches us that,
“While all Christians now share in the “unity of the Spirit” (Ephesians 4:3), we do not all share in the “unity of the faith” (Ephesians4:13). We Christians disagree, in part at least, because as 1 Corinthians 13: 9-12 tells us, our knowledge is partial and incomplete. We tend to disagree over those things we do not fully know, even though we may believe we do know. Love is the means God provided for us to live in harmony and unity, even though there is a diversity of doctrine in matters which are not fundamental. Paul’s instruction on love then becomes absolutely vital to our Christian walk and to our Christian unity. If we want to discover what that difference is, we shall find it less in a distinctive semantic range of a particular word group than in the descriptions and characteristics of love given in the Scriptures.
Paul’s approach to teaching us about love is very different. He does not instruct us about the importance of distinguishing between Greek words for love. He begins in verses 1-3 by showing that spiritual gifts have only minimal value, unless they are exercised in love. In verses 4-7, Paul does not attempt to give us a very technical definition of love; instead, he describes love in a way which makes it very clear what biblical love looks like. And his description makes it glaringly evident that the Corinthians had indeed lost their first love.”
We see this today, as some Christians have adopted a self-fulfilling kind of love instead of the self-sacrificing love of Jesus. It is impossible to have this love unless God helps us set aside our own natural desires so that we can love and not expect anything in return. Here is what I mean:
  • Love is patient vs.  jumping to social media to pronounce it’s discontent.
  • Love is kind vs. allowing attacks and sarcasm to infiltrate our language.
  • Love does not envy vs. disguising our envy with spiritual criticism of other Jesus’ followers.
  • Love is not proud vs. a failure to show compassionate servant leadership.
  • Love does not dishonor others vs. falling into the trap of throwing shade at another person’s success to put in question how valid their excellence truly is.
  • Love involves unselfish service to others vs. a focus on every person for themselves.
Sin causes us to think more highly of our selves than we ought. And our desires become our idols; strongholds! To assume “we” are right and “they” are wrong; Strongholds! To assume “we” know better what someone needs to do than “they” do; Strongholds! To believe “we” can win souls to Christ by controlling “them”; Strongholds!
These examples aren’t for just anyone. It’s the plea of an early church leader to Jesus’ followers. His plea? That those who follow Jesus may be extremely odd because of their care and concern for all people – which is only possible as we walk in the power of Jesus.
Jesus, please help me in these areas today. I sometimes get caught up and lose sight of the fact that our identity in and loyalty to you transcends political allegiance and personal agendas. Help me to love as you love. Our love for one another should be a shining example to the world.
In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

 

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I Can’t Do This Alone – Part I

Dr. I. David Byrd  February 1, 2020

 

The Bible says, “He’ll never leave you nor forsake you.” You believe in His Word. It’s the guiding principle of your life. But when faced with a severe illness of a family member or a uncontrollable, devastating loss you can become “conflicted” in your faith. It may seem like the current state is too much to handle on your own. You are supposed to press on physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually but you are exhausted and overwhelmed. Your burdens seem to be crushing you. It’s when we’re weary, exhausted and struggling, that we often tend to shrink back and isolate ourselves. We privilege silence without even knowing it.

 

To surround ourselves with the fellowship we need, we must take the treacherous step to be real and open. We must allow close friends to support us in the midst of our circumstances. We often do not want to admit our need for help. We are taught from a young age that we should be independent; conditioned to believe that asking for help is a sign of weakness or failure. We struggle with pride and want to prove our ability in the eyes of the world. While this may be our mindset, it is not the mindset of Jesus.

 

Paul Tripp says in his book, Whiter Than Snow: Meditations on Sin and Mercy, “We weren’t created to be independent, autonomous, or self-sufficient. We were made to live in a humble, worshipful, and loving dependency upon God and in a loving and humble interdependency with others.”

 

I’m reminded that even Moses couldn’t do it alone. Exodus 17 tells the story of his friends having to hold up Moses arms to ensure victory for the Israelites.

 

“As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning,
but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.
When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him
and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side,
one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset.”
Exodus 17:11-12

 

Moses hears from God and understands the responsibility God has placed on him by simply holding his hands up. Aaron and Hur couldn’t take his place. They couldn’t do his job. But they could support him as he endured what God had called him to do. God designed us to need people for fellowshipping, helping, encouraging and supporting one another. Regardless of how much power we have, ultimately, we need someone else to lean on. Someone else to lift our hands up, someone else to encourage us as we journey through our circumstances.  Don’t try to go it alone.

 

Dear Lord, I never realized the stress that I was bringing upon myself by assuming that I was capable of handling problems on my own. I must learn to trust your way and accept that I can’t do it alone. Forgive me for trying to do things apart from community. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

Thank you for allowing me to speak into your life. Hey, spend a few moments of quiet time discovering your personal application of what you just read by clicking this link  myTime with God

 

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Stay In Peace, Not In Pieces

Dr. I. David Byrd October 15, 2019

 

Because of Peter’s decision to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and bring the Gospel to the Gentiles, all of humankind has the opportunity to live in relationship with our Lord and Savior. Our common identity in Christ can lead to the healing of our divided and sinful nation. “He made no distinction between us and them, for He purified their hearts by faith” (Acts 15:9).

 

In The Book of Acts, F. Bruce provides a poignant summary for believer to contemplate:
“Like the early church, If believers today do their part to reach out to all who are lost, church congregations will eventually be compromised of people from different racial and cultural backgrounds. When this happens, we most often see our propensity to label and categorize. We are most comfortable with those who are just like us. Clearly, at the root of these tendencies is the ugly sin of prejudice. The more we understand the gospel and embrace God’s version of the body of Christ, the more we begin to transcend these differences. More than merely getting along, we will be able to honestly and authentically say from our hearts that we love each other.”

 

Are you in a mindset to be used to accomplish God’s purpose in someone whose experiences differ from your own?

 

Father God,

 

Throughout your Word you declare, define and demonstrate love. I admit it’s hard to sometimes love people I feel are different or don’t deserve my love. However, I can’t truly love you if I can’t love those you love. So today, I repent and ask you to renew my heart and mind so I may witness to the world through my actions as well as my words.

 

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

 

Thank you for allowing me to speak into your life. Hey, spend a few moments of quiet time discovering your personal application of what you just read by clicking this link  myTime with God