He Wasn’t Smart Enough

He Wasn’t Smart Enough

Our cat Bosco was killed by an automobile on highway 8 in front of our house. We had Bosco for 4 ½ years, and are thankful for the time we had him. He enriched our lives and was a wonderful companion. Living on a busy road, I expected that one of our cats would end up being killed, but I didn’t think it would be Bosco. Just a few days before he died, I was bragging on what a smart cat he was, because he looked both ways before he crossed the street. (I saw him do this one time.) In the end, Bosco was not smart enough to avoid death.

smart cat

Smart won’t save you. Humble and obedient will.

The culture in which we live prides itself on intelligence. This manifests itself in an almost god-like status we assign to higher education, government, and post-secondary education. We live in a meritocracy where those who can achieve through their intelligence are rewarded whereas those who cannot scrape by. We’ve forgotten the biblical admonition, “Knowledge puffs up” (1 Corinthians 8:1). Knowledge makes us proud; intelligence breeds arrogance; being smart creates haughtiness. Death, however, is the great humiliator; all are equal in the casket. Jesus said, “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:25-26).Human intelligence cannot prevent death; we’re not smart enough, and never will be (Hebrews 9:27). The imperative, then, is to live for Jesus hoping in Him to save us.

 

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In All Things Charity

In All Things Charity

A Latin quote: “unitatem in necessariis, in non necessariis libertatem, in omnibus caritatem.” Attributed to Marco Antonio de Dominis in his work De Repubblica Ecclesiastica, published in 1617, it is translated into English as “Unity in necessary things, in non-necessary – liberty, in all things charity.”

Charity Love

Marco Antonio de Dominis

The idea, and variations of the quote, have worked their way around theological circles for four-hundred years. Thomas Campbell, in his Declaration and Address before the Christian Association of Washington in 1809, worded it thusly: “In matters of faith, unity; in matters of opinion liberty; in all things, charity.”

Though the quote can be traced back to 1617, the ideas therein are all quite biblical in nature.

In those necessary matters of faith: unity.

We read in the Bible, this plea, “I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. (1 Corinthians 1:10; ESV)” And then again, we are to be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:3-6; ESV)”

In things that are merely matters of opinion: liberty.

Concerning this, God tells us, “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. (Romans 14:1; ESV)” The same chapter goes on to explain that we should be convinced of our own opinions, but not try to force them on others. In other words, we have liberty concerning those things God has not commanded.

The main difficulty is in determining what are truly matters of opinion, and what are matters of faith. In the end though, if God has spoken on it, giving us guidance, a thing ceases to be opinion and becomes a part of the faith, because we believe the word of God is true (cf. Romans 10:17). However, even in such disputes, or especially in such disputes, it is necessary to remember the last admonition…

In all things: charity and love.

Our world has an absence of charity in regards to both matters of opinion and matters of truth. We see this lack of charity in our manifold political debates, with each side assuming the worst of the other. We see this in personal interactions as people scream and yell at one another, cursing and swearing. And, sadly, we even see this in religious discussions, where, much like politics, we are quick to assume the worst of those who disagree with us, and much like both political and personal arguments, we are quick to resort to name calling and the like.

The Bible tells us: “And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth. (2 Timothy 2:24-25; ESV)” Likewise, “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (James 3:17-18; ESV)” And, lest we forget, let us remind ourselves of the command of Christ, “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you. (Matthew 5:44; ESV)”

There is a place in religion for absolutes and for standing on those absolutes; and the Christian faith definitely has some absolutes that we should hold fast (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:2, Ephesians 4:4-6, 2 Timothy 1:13). Likewise, there are matters of opinion in this world, and so long as these things don’t touch on the actual practice of our faith, we should be willing to let people do their own things (cf. Romans 14). But no matter the circumstances, no matter the disagreement, no matter what someone else has said or done, and no matter what we are afraid they are going to do, we must remember that it is in love and charity towards the other that we are most like Christ (cf. John 13:34-35). In all things, at all times, charity is always appropriate.

 

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Entering and Leaving Our Gethsemane

Entering and Leaving Our Gethsemane

Perhaps as we meditate, we should spend more time with Jesus in Gethsemane. On the night of His betrayal, that garden was filled with intense emotions. Do not just read what happened there but take time to feel the emotions: the emotions of the sleeping disciples whom Jesus rebuked; the emotions of Judas as he betrayed the Lord; the emotions of the mob; the emotions of the disciples as they fled. Above all, share in the emotions of Jesus.

gethsemane garden

Try to imagine what Jesus went through.

They entered Gethsemane, and He left eight apostles and took Peter, James and John with Him to another place. These three men then saw something they had never seen. Their Lord had always seemed so strong and powerful, but now in their presence, “He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed” (Matt. 26:37). They saw Him in a way they had never seen Him before. They heard Him say, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”

He prayed, then He came and found them asleep. He had asked them to watch with Him, but they failed. His soul was even more burdened, and the Bible described how great this burden was. “And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the earth” (Luke 22:44). He returned to the three disciples and found them asleep. This time he did not wake them to share His grief and agony with them. He simply returned for the third time and prayed, “Not My will but Your will be done.”

There are at least two ways to look at this simple prayer. One could look at it as though the burden was so great, He was just ready to quit—the fight was not worth it. He was like a frustrated wife or teen who looks at the “master” and throws up their hands and says, “Whatever, I quit. You win.”

However, this is not where Jesus was when He prayed. It is not the prayer of one who had hopelessly fought a losing fight, nor one who had no hope and was driven by circumstances into surrender. It was a prayer of perfect trust. He was talking to His Father He had known eternally. It was a prayer from the heart of One who was loved to a God who is love. He trusted in God and this changed Him.

Notice how He then changed. The mob arrived; the arrest; the mockery of several trials. He entered Gethsemane in gloom and left this garden with calm assurance. He was a victim, but He understood He was a victorious victim. What made that difference? What changed a troubled soul in great agony to one of calm assurance? It is simple. He talked to the Father. When you are in despair and you are almost ready to quit, talk to the Father, and His peace will change you and give you the victory.

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LAS EMOCIONES DE JESUS

LAS EMOCIONES DE JESUS

Muchas personas tienen una idea de un Jesús “seco”, un Cristo que no sonreía que no tenía expresiones de tipo “común y corriente, alguien que se aprecia más a un robot. Esta idea no está más alejada de la realidad porque de hecho la Biblia nos ha permitido por indicaciones observar las emociones del Maestro. El Señor Jesús además de poseer una naturaleza divina, también era de carne y hueso (Juan 1:14), un ser humano real. Así compartió con nosotros toda la gama de emociones que un individuo normal podría experimentar al ser residente del planeta tierra. Dios en la carne pudo perfectamente bien sentir  felicidad, tristeza, hambre o sueño incluso enojo e ilusión.

emociones de jesus

Jesús, como todos los hombres, experimentó muchas emociones.

¿Qué circunstancias de la vida hicieron llorar a nuestro Señor? ¿Qué lo hizo feliz? Un estudio de este tema es emocionante y gratificante para entender de una mejor forma la naturaleza de la segunda persona de la Deidad; Jesucristo.

Es muy difícil para un ser humano esconder sus emociones mas intensas. En la última década  la red social “Facebook” ha sido tan popular, al punto que han incorporado iconos para expresar las emociones. Con solo colocar una “carita”se puede expresar al público cuál es mi estado de ánimo en el momento. El libro de Isaías habla proféticamente del Señor Jesús como “un varón triste y experimentado en dolor” (53: 3). Tres veces en el Nuevo Testamento hay un registro de Jesús llorando, lo cual es muy significativo. Pero básicamente sus emociones más intensas tomaron lugar al rededor de sus amigos pero también sus enemigos.

Jesús lloró por sus amigos.

El recuento de Juan 11:35 afirma conmovedoramente: “Jesús lloró“. El término griego para “lloró” es “dakruo” en griego, usado solo en este pasaje del Nuevo Testamento lo que realmente capta nuestra atención. Literalmente significa “derramar lágrimas”. Sugiere un llanto silencioso y tierno. La ocasión de esta conmovedora escena está relacionada con la muerte de Lázaro quién era su amigo. La Biblia no provee más detalles sobre las lágrimas de Jesus y más allá de eso nos impacta el hecho de que el sabía que iba a resucitar a Lazaro por las claras indicaciones del contexto. Sin lugar a dudas, en esa ocasión se pudo haber escuchado la caída de un alfiler al suelo. La pregunta completamente valida surge: ¿Qué precipitó las lágrimas del Maestro en este momento? . Seguramente no fue el dolor de la desesperanza (Puede comparar 1 Tes. 4:13) porque Lázaro estaba en un mejor estado de ser. Tampoco fue un llanto de soledad, porque el Señor sabía que su amigo volvería con su familia y sus asociados en el presente.

Es el hermano Marshall Keeble (Un predicador afroamericano del pasado) quien sugiere que Jesús lloró porque reconoció que devolvería a Lázaro a una vida difícil (véase Juan 12:10), una vida donde tendría nuevamente la posibilidad de pecar habiendo estado ya en un lugar de seguridad (hadez), sin duda alguna es una sugerencia aceptable. Sin embargo, es mas probable la opinión que sugiere que Cristo lloró por pura simpatía por aquellos cuyos corazones se estaban rompiendo en este momento. Juan  escribe: “Jesús entonces, al verla llorando, y a los judíos que la acompañaban, también llorando, se estremeció en espíritu y se conmovió, y dijo: ¿Dónde le pusisteis? Le dijeron: Señor, ven y ve”. Qué reconfortante es saber que nuestro gran Sumo Sacerdote realmente comparte nuestros sentimientos (cf. Hebreos 2:17). Si quisiéramos ser como Cristo, debemos aprender a empatizar verdaderamente con los demás (cf. Romanos 12:13). Jesús expresó sus emociones humanas y no tuvo pena en hacerlo, ¿Porqué razón nosotros en muchas ocaciones nos da pena? Dios en la carne lloró por otros y por esa razón es probable que Juan 11:35 sea uno de los versículos más potentes y conmovedores en el N.T.

Jesús Lloró por sus Enemigos.

El Señor Jesús no solo lloró por sus amigos sino por todos aquellos que buscaban su mal y ruina. Usualmente uno no llora por alguien que le ha causado mal mucho menos por alguien que le causará mal en el futuro. Conozco a un hermano en Cristo que fue maltrato en su propia oficina por alguien más y una vez expresó que él no deseaba el mal de esa persona pero que tampoco quería saber nada con respecto a este hombre que le causó mal. Bien la naturaleza de Dios en la carne es revelada en Mateo 23 cuando el llora por sus enemigos. No hay duda alguna que esto es el sello de un buen Maestro. El Señor practicaba lo que él enseñaba ya que en el sermón del monte había enseñado el amor a los enemigos. Cuando el Hijo de Dios contempló el destino inminente de su amada ciudad Jerusalén, que estaba a punto de crucificarlo, lloró audiblemente (porque así lo indica la palabra griega “klaio”) con verdadera angustia (Compare con Lucas 19:41). Sin lugar a dudas ahí en Mateo 23, el Señor aquí evidenció una gran tristeza al anticipar los horrores que descenderían sobre los judíos rebeldes que estaban a punto de asesinar a su propio Mesías. Estos horrores vendrían a ellos en la destrucción de Jerusalén en el año 70. Ezequiel escribió: “Diles: Vivo yo, dice Jehová el Señor, que no quiero la muerte del impío, sino que se vuelva el impío de su camino, y que viva. Volveos, volveos de vuestros malos caminos; ¿por qué moriréis, oh casa de Israel?” (Ez. 33:1).

En verdad, nosotros también debemos llorar por los perdidos. El Señor fue Dios en la carne pero también fue hombre. Hay muchas otras emociones que él experimentó y por esa razón puede comprender nuestras debilidades en ese aspecto. Las emociones no son malas, han sido creadas por Dios al incorporarlas dentro de la esencia del ser humano, solo hay que saber usarlas en el momento correcto y de la forma correcta, con el grupo de personas correctas.

 

 

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Do You Love Your Friends?

Do You Love Your Friends?

Do you have any denominational, generally religious, or even atheistic friends, neighbors, and/or family members? How much do you love them? No, I mean, how much do you really love them? Do you really love them – so much so that you would be willing to risk or to do almost anything in order to see them spend eternity in heaven with you? (You know, like the old love songs’ lyrics would claim about “climbing the highest mountain” and/or “swimming the deepest sea” for those you love and etc? Or better yet, as Romans 5, Philippians 2, and a plethora of other Scriptures state, just as the love of Jesus made Him more than willing to brave and to endure infinitely far more for the lost than either of even those two earthly things would entail?)

Friends and Family

Do you love them? Do you really love them?

The question is: Do we love our lost denominational and non-religious family, friends, and neighbors, enough to want to see them in heaven – despite what it might cost us personally, to help ensure that they get there? Or, are we so selfish, as to put our desire for their momentary friendship and social support during this brief and vaporous earthly life, ahead of their eternity, that we are willing to remain silent about the truth of God regarding their lost estate, because we don’t want to potentially lose their momentary earthly friendship by bringing up Biblical truth?

I am reminded of the parable of the talents which Jesus told in Matthew 25; and how that the servant of His who hid what he had been given instead of investing it for a return, was cast out, right alongside, into, and amongst those who were lost. In other words – and to the point of this article – he joined those very people whom he had refused to invest God’s truth in, in their misery, having become one of them through (in this case) his own disobedience and unwillingness to share with them, what God had given to him.

We, as New Testament Christians, have been given – and have taken full advantage of – the life-giving gospel truth in all of its glory, splendor, and soul-saving simplicity by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Himself, to share with our lost family, friends, and neighbors:

“For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required.” “But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.” (Luke 12:48; 1 Thessalonians 2:4)

And so, I am begging each and every member of the Lord’s church who has never or not even recently shared the gospel truth with lost loved ones, to please stop and reconsider why. Is their momentary earthly friendship so important that we are willing to watch them be sentenced to eternal hell on Judgment Day, simply because we chose to keep silent and not share the soul-saving, life-giving, gospel truth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ with them today?

Brethren, we can continue to pray with every breath we take, that God will help our congregations to grow… but it will only and ultimately be an effort in futility, until and unless we prove that we have the faith to move forward, get going, get our hands dirty each and every one (Eph. 4:14-16), continually seeking to invest and plant the soul-saving gospel truth of God’s holy word into the hearts and souls of our lost loved ones. God is more than ready (Exod. 14:15; 2 Ptr. 3:9). Are we?

(P.S.: If you need help in learning how to better and more effectively reach out to everyday folks with the gospel, check out “Effective Everyday Evangelism” at: www.amazon.com/author/douglasdingley.)

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