Remembering A Dark Past

Yesterday, millions of Americans celebrated the annual observance of Juneteenth, the holiday commemorating the announcement of slavery's abolition in the state of Texas. Although the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Lincoln almost three years prior to this date, it was not until June 19, 1865 that the first official declaration of freedom for all slaves was made in Galveston, Texas. On that day, General Gordon Granger and 2,000 of his men arrived to take possession of the state and enforce the law that Lincoln's signature had put in place three years earlier.

This is a day that brings joy to every freedom loving American. However, it is also a day that brings to memory one of the darkest parts of our great nation's history. Though not every slave was treated as badly as others, most accounts and photos we see from the 1850's and 1860's tell a grim tale of human oppression.

The basic problems are these:

1. A slave's person is deemed the property of another human being.
2. A slave's will is completely subject to the "owner's" authority.
3. A slave's labor is obtained against their will by coercion.

Truly, one of the most sinister and perverted states of mind any man can have is to view another human being created in the image of God as his own property. Consider these basic Bible principles:

1. Since all human beings are created in the image of God, they are all equally worthy of our respect (Genesis 1:28).
2. All human beings are loved equally by God (John 3:16).
3. Every man and woman is to love their fellow man as themselves (Matthew 22:39).

It is difficult to imagine very many scenarios that violate more principles of God's word than the practice of slavery. And though this nation has come a great distance in the past 150 years, the problems of racism still exist (and perhaps always will). As long as there are men and women who will not demonstrate love and compassion for everyone on an equal plane, this will always be a problem -- amongst all races.

At the very least, let's do our part to show the world that the people of God will not only speak about "the golden rule," but will actually live it as well. The next time you hear someone use a derogatory racial term, let them know (kindly) that you do not concur. The next time someone stereotypes a certain group or tells an off-color joke about a certain set of people, don't laugh (not even that nervous and uncomfortable laugh). This is an area where we can have a significant impact on a regular basis.

Let your light shine every day.

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Renewing The Mind

Conforming to the ways of the world is what comes naturally. Without any effort, one's life will be molded into a perfect image of the lost souls of this realm. However, God calls men and women to be transformed. The result of this transformation will be a life acceptable to God.

The word of God says,

I appeal to you, therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your rational service. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:1-2, ESV

Mind renewal, then, includes at least these two factors:

1. Testing (1 Thessalonians 5:21)
   
2. Discernment (Ephesians 5:10)

The polluted "version" of Christianity that encourages one to check his or her mind at the door has no power. Salvation comes by the grace of God when we will engage our minds in the pursuit of righteousness.

That's true renewal of the mind.

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Power-Packed Prayer

13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
James 5:13-16, ESV

Three components of effective prayer seen here in these verses:

1) Persistence (v. 13-14)
2) Faith (v. 15)
3) Confession (v. 16a)
3) Righteous living (v. 16b)

Prayer is packed with power when these components are present. When we communicate with the Lord in the way he has prescribed, prayer has "great power as it is working."

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The Art Of Imitation

It has been said that imitation is the highest form of flattery. One of the talents upon which I prided myself as a "wee lad" was imitation and character impressions. I would carefully observe and give my best imitation of famous athletes, actors, recording artists, etc. I was even
able to use this gift to irritate my big sister. Did you know that God cares a great deal about whom and what you imitate?

The African Grey Parrot (pictured above at right) is almost universally considered one of the most intelligent birds in the world. Reports of "Greys" with 1,000-word vocabularies is not uncommon, and presumably, a five-year-old "Grey" has similar understanding to the average five-year-old child! African Greys have an uncanny ability to mimic voices and sounds...which, of course, caused me to ask for one as a kid (I never got one). For a hilarious and remarkable illustration of this bird's amazing abilities, see the video I've posted below.

Whether we are willing to acknowledge so or not, we all put our imitation skills into practice on a daily basis. The way we speak, the mannerisms we use, and our general outlook on life are often virtual mirror images of our parents, or some other influential person in our lives. Imitation is
indeed an unavoidable practice. God acknowledges so in His word. Imitation is neither good nor bad inherently. The determining factor in our approval (or disapproval) in God’s sight is how we use our observation and imitation techniques.

When John wrote under the inspiration of God, he implored Christians to use discretion in selecting both whom and what we imitate:

Beloved, do not imitate evil, but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God
3 John 11, ESV

God would not have His people to be naïve. It would be a mistake to surmise that we are immune from inappropriate imitation. Likewise, it should be obvious to every man that the Lord will not accept attitudes and actions which conflict with His will.

John’s plea for our wisdom here comes down to choosing role models. Basketball great Charles Barkley was dragged into the spotlight several years ago for renouncing his responsibility as a role model. Who should our role models be in life? More specifically, for this study, who should our role models be in the spiritual realm? God cares!

An example of God’s concern for our role model selection is the case of Diotrephes. In the brief epistle of Third John, we learn of Diotrephes, a man who earned a place in the annals of the New Testament church for his haughty spirit. There can be no doubt that the original recipients of John’s letter were quite impressed by the illustration of Diotrephes. When they were instructed not to “imitate evil” in the context of Diotrephes’ behavior, the point was most assuredly well taken.

Truly, the same warning must be heeded today. May we never find ourselves using spiteful and unkind methods to accomplish our own agendas. Likewise, we are repeatedly warned of the dangers of wanting to be like the world (including the religious world) around us. The nation of Israel was warned of the foolishness of such a decision on more than one occasion. The Lord instructed them in one place...

...take heed that you be not ensnared to follow them [heathen nations], after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? - that I also may do the same.’
Deuteronomy 12:30, ESV

The same foolish mistakes men make today are merely repeats of those made in the long ago.
How sad it is that some churches of Christ feel the need to “compete” with the denominational world in anything! The sectarians have failed to meet God’s challenge of resisting conformation while promoting transformation (Romans 12:1-2). Now some congregations of the Lord’s church are imitating something that has already failed! Solomon, in his wisdom, said it best: “There is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

Neighbor, we have something, Someone too good to emulate to become involved in “keeping up with the Joneses!” The Lord cares who and what we choose to imitate. Shun all that is evil, and imitate that which is good, and you will be eternally grateful for having done so.

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The Secret To Daniel's Success

The secret to Daniel's success is not really all that much of a secret, for it has been recorded in the pages of Scripture for about 2,600 years!

When Daniel had been found alive by King Darius after a night in a den of lions, this was the explanation given by Daniel himself:

My God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.
Daniel 6:22, ESV

Well, that was rather predictable, right? That same cause and effect has been observed and related in Bible story after Bible story. Ahhh, but you would be forgetting the rest of the story!

How was it Daniel was found to be "blameless before him [God]"? This did not come about by accident, but with a determined effort to live a holy life unto the Lord. Rewind your "mental video" of the account of Daniel back to almost the very beginning of this book.

When Babylon had conquered Judah, King Nebudchadnezzar summoned for some of the people of Israel (Daniel 1:1-3). As part of his decree, he requested some of Judah's finest young men to be brought forth (v. 4). Among these young men were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (the latter three being more widely known as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego).

King Nebudchadnezzar's plan for these young men was for them to be educated in the ways of the Chaldeans for three years (v. 4-5). When young Daniel was offered the king's food and wine, he declined. There was quite apparently something associated with the meat and drink at the King's table that would have conflicted with Daniel's religious convictions.

But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.
Daniel 1:8, ESV

Regardless of what the reasons may have been, this attitude of unwavering faithfulness to his God in the midst of a crooked and ungodly society would prove to be the key to Daniel's success. The key word is "resolved."

Daniel's success came in the form of surviving a night in the midst of a hungry den of lions. Your success and mine will come by overcoming our adversary the devil who prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).

If we will "resolve" to do what is right and shun what is wrong, we can experience success. If we wait until we come to the "fork in the road," my friend, it is probably already too late! Be resolved even now to be faithful to the Lord your God!

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Thoughts On 'The Christian Graces'

Verses five through seven of Second Peter chapter one are commonly referred to as, "The Christian Graces."

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.
2 Peter 1:5-7, ESV

Consider these brief thoughts relative to "The Christian Graces":

1. All of us need these.
2. All of us need all of them.
3. None of us are born this way.
4. Adding these to our character will enable both others and ourselves to see that we are a child of God.

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How To Follow In The Footsteps Of Jesus

From time to time, we sing an old hymn entitled, Footprints Of Jesus. The chorus of this song reads...

Footprints of Jesus, that make the pathway glow; we will follow the steps of Jesus where e'er they go.

For those who understand the nature of Christ (God's Son and the Savior of mankind), following in the footsteps of Jesus is the prime objective. Consider the words of Peter's God-breathed message...

For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.
1 Peter 2:21, ESV

But how does one truly follow in Christ's footsteps?

B -- Believe in him (John 1:12)

Y -- Yield to him (Romans 12:1)

G -- Go to him in prayer (1 John 5:14-15)

R -- Read & study his word (2 Timothy 2:15)

O -- Obey his commands (John 15:14)

W -- Work for him (1 Corinthians 15:58)

I -- Ignore the works of darkness (Ephesians 5:11)

N -- Nothing held back (1 Thessalonians 5:19)

G -- Give talents and resources (Matthew 25:20; 2 Corinthians 9:7)

I -- Increase in fruit (John 15:8)

N -- Neglect not God's gift (1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:6)

G -- Gather with the saints (Hebrews 10:25)

R -- Redeem the time (Ephesians 5:16; 2 Timothy 2:4)

A -- Abstain from every form of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22)

C -- Conquer Satan and temptation (James 4:7; Matthew 26:41)

E -- Expect Christ's return (Hebrews 9:28)

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
2 Peter 3:18, ESV

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Be Sure Your Sin Will Find You Out

Here's an interesting story out of South Charleston, West Virginia:

A man who thought he was asking a friend about a drug deal instead sent a text message to the state police and was arrested, authorities said.

Joshua Wayne Cadle, 19, allegedly sent the message this past Wednesday to a phone number that used to belong to an unidentified friend. The number is now held by the State Police.

"He text messaged that and asked his friend if he wanted to buy some reefer," Moore said.

Another trooper who received the message responded and set up a meeting. Moore arrested Cadle on Wednesday night in the parking lot of a shopping center in South Charleston.

Cadle was charged with delivery of a controlled substance and possession with intent to deliver.

Not all sin involves that which is illegal. One can gossip, lie, harbor hate, be negligent in serving God, and the like without fear of prosecution. Some sins, however, are also against the laws of civil government. The story above is a classic example of a man's sin costing him freedom both spiritually and physically.

The Bible says:

But if you will not do so [obey], behold, you have sinned against the LORD, and be sure your sin will find you out.
Numbers 23:32, ESV

You may go through life and never break a single law, and therefore, never have the fear of losing your freedom. Then again, men have led lives of crime without ever being detected. They were so adept at "getting away with it" that they went to their graves innocent in the eyes of the law. But not in the eyes of the all powerful God who sees and knows all -- even that which nobody else does.

Whether or not our sin "finds us out" in this life, there will be no way to cover it up as we stand before the Judge of all creation.

Friend, deal wisely with your sin now, for you can do nothing about it then!

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A Balanced Life

These days, we hear about the importance of balance on a regular basis. Balanced diet, balanced bank account, balancing one's time wisely, balance beams........okay, that's one too many.

Truly, balance is a virtue. You and I should be striving for spiritual balance. The Bible says,

Therefore, be very strong to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left...
Joshua 23:6, ESV

The people of God ought to avoid extremes. We should be committed to being Biblical -- ignoring terms such as "conservative," or "liberal." Can we not simply strive to be "Biblical?" Consider a handful of practical suggestions on creating and maintaining balance:

God's people ought to be...



SELF-RELIANT, but not Self-sufficient


STEADFAST, but not Stubborn


TACTFUL, but not Timid


SERIOUS, but not Sullen


UNMOVABLE, but not Stationary


GENTLE, but not Hypersensitive


TENDERHEARTED, but not Touchy


CONSCIENTIOUS, but not Perfectionistic

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The Christian And The World

But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Galatians 6:14, ESV

On a Sunday evening earlier this month, I preached a sermon based upon Isaac Watts' classic hymn, When I Survey The Wondrous Cross. In that study, we noted how many of the thoughts expressed in that beloved hymn center around that God-breathed statement Paul made to the church of Christ in Galatia (see Galatians 6:14 above).

When I make the commitment to follow Christ, thereby sacrificing "all the vain things that charm me most," I am presented with indescribable blessings and riches eternal. At the same time, I am presented with a great challenge: To strike a balance of living in the world while, at the same time, not partaking in the evil deeds thereof.

Consider a handful of ways the Bible describes the Christian's relationship to this world (or age):

1. Delivered from it (Galatians 1:4)
2. Crucified to it (Galatians 6:14)
3. Dead to its elemental spirits (Colossians 2:20)
4. Not conformed to it (Romans 12:2)
5. Unknown by it (1 John 3:1)
6. Hated by it (John 17:14a)
7. Not of it (John 17:14b)
8. Loves it not (1 John 2:15-17)
9. Unstained by it (James 1:27)
10. Shuns its friendship (James 4:4)
11. Messengers to it (John 17:18)
12. Victorious over it (1 John 4:4; 5:4-5)

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Like A Cedar In Lebanon

The cedar tree is mentioned some 75 times in the text of the Bible. The cedar trees in Lebanon were, at one time, the most prominent in the world.

In Psalms 92, the Bible says:

The righteous flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of
sap and green...
Psalms 92:12-14

The wood, bark, cones, and even the leaves were saturated with resin. The inside, or "heart," had a reddish cedar color, and the exterior was whitish.

King Solomon selected these famous trees for the construction of many of his famous structures, especially in the Temple (1 Kings 6:15). Scripture refers to them as "lofty and lifted up" (Isaiah 2:13, ESV). In a symbolic way, the great cedars of Lebanon suggest grandeur, beauty, power, and majesty. Given the physical makeup, there are several loose spiritual applications we can make from this tree:

1. The heart is a reddish color, bringing to mind a heart that has been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb of God, -- Jesus Christ.
2. The exterior is a whitish color, making us think about a life holy and without blame.
3. The wood, bark, cones, and leaves are filled with resin (the sap of life), which calls to our remembrance our commitment to present our whole bodies as living sacrifices, filled with the Spirit of life.
4. The cedar of Lebanon is tall, stately, and very beautiful to behold, symbolic of one's stand for the Lord, reflecting and projecting His beauty.

While I would certainly hesitate to say these allusions are inherent in the text, understanding the makeup of the great cedars of Lebanon is very helpful in reminding us of these fundamental spiritual truths.

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