Hurt Feelings?

What Happens When You Get Offended

It happens to any human that lives to be the age of ten. Sooner or later someone is going to hurt your feelings. Maybe they make fun of something you are wearing. Or a group of friends goes out to eat together and you are left out. Or maybe the attacks are much worse. Maybe someone attacks your character or says something about you that is not true. How do we deal with this? What is our normal course of action?

Sooner or later someone is going to hurt your feelings.

Sooner or later someone is going to hurt your feelings.

The honest truth is that Christians do not handle conflict very well. Too often we either do nothing at all, trying to avoid any form of conflict, or our emotions propel us to overreacting. Isn’t it interesting that the church is made up of individuals—many of whom have trouble getting along—and yet our pulpits often remain silent about what to do when you get your feelings hurt? I think many of the “problems” we have in the church today could be fixed or avoided if we would just spend some time discussing hurt feelings.

Here’s what I intend to teach my children regarding getting their feelings hurt.

You will get your feelings hurt. In fact, I’ve probably already been one of the ones to hurt your feelings. Congratulations—welcome to the human race. This is one of those things that you will deal with the rest of your life, because people are not perfect.

The first thing I want you to do the next time you get your feelings hurt is to stop and ask yourself if you are really all that important. Part of the reason our feelings are hurt is because someone offended us—which means we probably have a pretty high view of ourselves. “How dare them do that to me?!” Or, “How dare them say that about me?!” Before you ask questions like that, check yourself—and remind yourself that you are not God or His sinless Son. In fact, what you are is a sinner in need of a spotless sacrifice. Don’t forget that.

Second, do your best to treat the offending person the way you would want to be treated. In Matthew 7:12, Jesus commanded, “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” This is a tough one, because if you feel hurt your normal tendency may be to lash out or punish the offender. Treat them how you would want to be treated. Because the reality is you may not know the entire situation. How many times are people wrestling with things (e.g., sickness, death of a loved one, stress at work, etc.) and you have little to no knowledge of it. Yes, they may have hurt your feelings—but you just be the recipient of something that is even more troubling in their life. It doesn’t excuse their behavior, but hopefully you might be able to better understand and be more compassionate.

Third, follow Biblical principles. The Bible has advice to both those who are offended and those who offend. In Matthew 18:15 Jesus admonishes, “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.” So have the courage to talk to them. Likewise, in Matthew 5:23-24 we read, “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” Sadly, when someone hurts us we expect them to do what Scripture says and come to us, but rarely do we go to them as Jesus recorded in Matthew 18. Both parties have a responsibility. Part of the reason I wanted you to first ask yourself if you were that important is to check your pride. Pride has stopped more relationships from healing than probably any other issue. Swallow your pride and talk to the person. You might be surprised at how quickly something can be cleared up when you just sit down and talk.

Lastly, remember these are just your feelings. The Bible records in Jeremiah 17:19 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it?” Some people want to “speak their mind” when their feelings get hurt. However, what you should be doing is speaking the mind of Christ. At the end of the day God is what matters. Do not allow your hurt feelings to slow you down from your ultimate purpose. Satan would love for Christians to be caught up in petty feuds over hurt feelings. This one is a tough one—and you will have to constantly be working on it. Just remember when you lay your head on your pillow that even if all your friends make fun of you, there is still a God in heaven who loves you!

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Repent or No Forgiveness

Repent or No Forgiveness

Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord…

Acts 3:19-20a

What does it mean to repent?

What does it mean to repent?

 

What does it mean to repent?  The word is translated from the Greek word metanoeo, which literally means “to change one’s mind.”  To illustrate, if you and I get in a car to head to McDonald’s, and on the way we see Taco Bell and decide we’d rather have a taco than a Big Mac, and so we pull into Taco Bell instead of going to McDonald’s.  Guess what we’ve just done?  We’ve repented of McDonald’s…that is, we changed our minds about McDonald’s.  Not only that, but our actions also changed as a direct, unavoidable result of changing our minds.  We decided to go to Taco Bell instead of McDonald’s, and our actions followed suit.

God wants us to repent of sins.  He wants us to change our minds about our sin.  He wants us to stop glorying in our sin and letting it reign in our lives (Rom. 6:17-18).  He wants us to start having the same sorrow over our sins that he has, which in turn will lead to our repentance, and thus to our salvation (2 Cor. 7:9-10).  That’s why we are told to repent before being baptized in order that our sins will be forgiven (Acts 2:38).  In baptism we die to our old selves, are buried with Christ, and rise to a new life (Rom. 6:3-5).  How can any of that happen without repentance first?

Repentance is so much more than simply acknowledging that we’ve sinned, although that certainly is part of it (1 John 1:7-9).  The Bible speaks of “bearing fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matt. 3:8; Acts 26:20).  We show that we’ve truly changed our minds about our sin through our actions, and the Bible talks about what actions show a mind changed from the carnal to the spiritual.  Actions which manifest the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) rather than the works of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21) show whether repentance has truly taken place, and it is our actions which show the true condition of our heart (Mark 7:20-22).

Repentance…without it none of us will be forgiven.

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What Made the Difference?

What Made the Difference?

Have you ever thought about how small the Bible was which was read by the man after God’s own heart? He had access to those first five books, the books of Moses. Perhaps he had access to the book of Job. He would have known of the books of Joshua and Judges. The book of Ruth was more than a record of a woman from Moab—it was a story about his own great-grandmother. There were thirty other Old Testament books which would eventually complete the revelation God gave the Jews, but David never had access to them. Only nine books—yet, the truths contained in them were enough to change the shepherd boy into being a man after God’s own heart.

“His delight is in the law of the Lord and in His law he meditates day and night.

“His delight is in the law of the Lord and in His law he meditates day and night.

God knew the importance of the Bible in changing rebellious hearts and making them like His own heart. Listen to the words God gave to David (and to all the kings) hundreds of years before Israel had a king. “Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. And it shall be with him, and shall read it all the days of his life…that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren that he may not turn aside from the commandment…” (Deut. 17:18-20). There was enough in those first five books (those which Moses described as being the one the Levites had in Moses’ day) to change the heart of any man. Yet, hearts were rarely changed. How could this be? What was the difference in the heart of David and the hearts of almost all of the other kings? What was the difference between him and those high officials who crucified Jesus?

It was not that godly men read the Bible, and the ungodly leaders did not read the Bible. James, the Lord’s brother, said, “For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath” (Acts 15:21). The ungodly Jewish leaders knew the Sabbath, the law, circumcision, punishment for adulterous women and washing of hands. The Jews preached Moses and read the law, but it only changed the heart of a few of them. Why?

Hear the words of the man whose heart was like God’s heart. “His delight is in the law of the Lord and in His law he meditates day and night…My voice shall hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up…In fear I shall worship toward Your holy temple. Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness…Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight…Lead me in Your truth and teach me…” (Psa. 1:2; 5:2, 7-8; 19:14; 25:5).

What was the difference? When David read the Bible, he longed for it to change him. There is a vast difference in reading the Bible every day and reading it like David did!

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LA ASISTENCIA

LA ASISTENCIA
Dentro de las dificultades que debe enfrentar la Iglesia de Cristo en Latinoamérica, la asistencia es uno de los más grandes. En realidad es un asunto complejo ya que si surgiera la pregunta: ¿Cual es el Problema más grande que enfrenta la Iglesia de Cristo en Latinoamérica? Mi respuesta sin una gota de duda sería; La ignorancia Bíblica o el poco conocimiento de la misma, y gran parte de este mal contribuye el hecho de no atender a los servicios de la Iglesia.
El día del Señor es de suma importancia por muchas razones:

La asistencia es necesaria e importante pero no solo para algunos actos de adoración.

La asistencia es necesaria e importante pero no solo para algunos actos de adoración.

  1. Jesucristo resucitó de entre los muertos , el primer día de la Semana (Mr.16:1-9; Lc. 24:1,13,21).
  2. En el primer día de la Semana El fue declarado ser el hijo de Dios (Rom.1:3-4).
  3. El E.S vino a los apóstoles el primer día de la Semana y empezó su misión de conversión (Hch.2:22-36).
  4. El primer día de la semana comenzó la Iglesia Gloriosa de Cristo cuando como tres mil almas se convirtieron al Señor (Hch.2:41-47).
  5. Es en el primer día de la Semana cuando los discípulos participan de la cena del Señor (Hch. 20:7) y cuando dan su ofrenda (1Co.16:1-2).
Y las razones pueden ser más, pero con estas basta para entender que es importante reunirse este día con la Iglesia. El autor a los Hebreos en el capitulo 10 se extiende a presentar razones del porqué es importante reunirse con la Iglesia. Si la Iglesia es el cuerpo de Cristo (Ef.1:21-22; 5:23) entonces reunirse con la Iglesia sería algo similar como reencontrarse con el cuerpo del Señor, ¿Quién rechazará tal oferta? hay cientos que sí lo hacen. Pero la asistencia al culto de adoración no es algo en lo que se falla a Dios solamente sino que es un proceso de desnutrición para el individuo mismo y hasta un hecho de desánimo para los hermanos que son fieles y que están preocupados por los ausentes. Cada domingo es una oportunidad para alimentar el alma con la palabra de Dios para rectificar las cosas que  no están bien y para aprender lecciones Bíblicas  que de otra manera se tornan casi imposibles de auto-aprender en casa, ya sea por el tiempo o la falta de experiencia. La no asistencia a los servicios de adoración es uno de los problemas mas graves ya que al igual que un carro que no se ha encendido por un mes y luego se trata de arrancar no arranca o tiene muchas dificultades porque el motor está frío, de igual modo los cristianos se enfrían y cada domingo que pase sin asistir a la iglesia, más difícil será hacer el intento la próxima semana. Dentro de la Iglesia ,de tiempo en tiempo pasa a ser un cáncer dañino, altamente contagioso, donde aquellos débiles en la fe observan y copian: “Chencho no fue el domingo, yo tampoco”. Atrae tantos otros males y pecados como la mentira. Usted ve a un hermano que no llegó al servicio de adoración y usted logra preguntarle el porqué de su ausencia, la banda de  excusas y mentiras sale a desfilar por la calle del pecado. Oh el hombre siempre ha tratado de justificarse  así mismo ante Dios desde los tiempos de Adán en el Edén, que no nos sorprenda, esto no es algo nuevo: ¡Es que no fui porque mi bebé estaba durmiendo! ¡Vieras que me dolía el pelo! ¡Tuve que faltar porque no tenía zapatos! Creo que ningún ministro o miembro puede justificar a los que plantean estas absurdas excusas, lo cierto es que Dios si conoce bien el corazón y es El quien justifica o castiga sin embargo ha sido claro en su palabra escrita la Biblia.  Me parece muy triste que para el día del juicio final se escuchen excusas tan vacías y necias como las anteriores, el mismo autor  a los Hebreos dice: “¿como escaparemos si descuidamos una salvación tan grande?…” (Heb.2:3). Pablo escribe a los hermanos cercanos a su corazón, a los Filipenses: “ …Ocupaos en vuestra salvación con temor y temblor.” (Filip. 2:12). 
Bien, la asistencia es necesaria e importante pero no solo para algunos actos de adoración. Algunos solo llegan toman la cena y se van, están ellos desestimando y menospreciando los demás actos de adoración que son de igual importancia. Otros no se quedan para las clases bíblicas oponiéndose así a su propio crecimiento espiritual. Pero también hay otro grupo más, que sí asisten los domingos, si se quedan en las clases pero fallan los Miércoles o los Martes o cualquier otro día de la semana que la Iglesia se reúne. A ellos Permite preguntar ¿Es usted un discípulo a medias?  Si esta es su actitud si lo es. En Hechos 2:46 la Biblia enseña que los discípulos estaban juntos “Cada día”, ¿Significa esto que la Iglesia debe reunirse todos los días?, ¿Y mi trabajo que?. En el contexto el día de pentecostés o también conocido como la fiesta de las semanas los judíos de la dispersión se reunían todos en una localidad céntrica y de ahí salían en peregrinación a Jerusalén, era una de las tres principales fiestas más importante de Israel y quizás una de las preferidas ya que tenía que ver con su prosperidad en la agricultura. Por lo general tocaba al final del cultivo de Cebada y el inicio del cultivo de trigo (Lv. 23:15-16). Cuando estos Judíos que habían venido de muy lejos escuchan la predicación de Pedro y se convierten al Señor, en su crecimiento espiritual debían permanecer en la doctrina de los apóstoles (Hch.2:42). Cuando leemos en el 45 de Hechos 2 que vendían sus propiedades y sus bienes y lo repartían, esto indica que los que residían en Jerusalén estaban ayudando a estos visitantes a establecerse ahí, por tal razón podían reunirse todos los días, su prioridad no era la agricultura ya más, y aquellos que tenían bienes la prioridad no era como enriquecerse más y más sino como crecer espiritualmente, como ayudar a otros a crecer de la misma manera y eso solo se logra estando juntos tal y como lo enseña en v46.  Su deseo hacia Dios, su hambre por la justicia y amor a la verdad puede ser reflejado (aunque no siempre) en su fidelidad a los servicios de la Iglesia. Jamás debe de verse como una obligación cristiana (aunque lo sea), sino más bien como una oportunidad más para crecer, un par de horas más invertidas en mí mismo para la eternidad. Cuando este problema sea solucionado en las congregaciones de nuestra Latinoamérica, podremos ver Iglesias fuertes, con amplio potencial para alcanzar a un mundo perdido que agoniza.
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Deluded Hearts

Deluded Hearts

I recently had the privilege of going to visit Ralph, one of our congregation members who was hospitalized in Tulsa. During our visit, a member of the medical staff there came in to check on things and this hospitalized brother, in typical fashion, introduced me as his preacher. The hospital staff member then made a comment suggesting that that made us brethren. When Ralph then inquired as to whether he was a member of the church of Christ, he said: “I don’t think it makes any difference where you go…”

Many claim to love and serve God faithfully, but do not follow God’s words

Many claim to love and serve God faithfully, but do not follow God’s words

A couple of weeks ago I was out in the church building parking lot and happened to get involved in a friendly conversation with a close-by neighbor who was baptized into Christ here along with her family several years ago, but who have since fallen away, or become ‘out of service’ members as some might refer to such. I carefully commented on the fact that it would sure be nice to see them back in services again on Sunday. “We’re going to ‘———- church,’” she said. I commented that I’d never seen that church in the bible. She giggled nervously. I said, “Well, if a person is going to claim that they believe in God and His word, then they certainly shouldn’t be going to a church they can’t find in His word, should they?”

You just have to sit back and wonder sometimes when – or worse yet, if – people are ever going to ‘get it.’ When are those who claim to love the Lord and trust His word, actually going to open it up and see, study, believe and obey what it says in black and white? Because if they ever do, then this ludicrous and satanically-orchestrated idea that it simply doesn’t make any difference to God almighty where one chooses to attend church or how one chooses to conduct worship would never rear its ugly and soul-destroying head ever again.

Nadab and Abihu didn’t think it made any difference whatsoever to almighty God where they got the fire to offer on His altar – but God surely showed them that it made all the difference in the world (Leviticus 10:1-2)!

The man picking up sticks to start a fire on the Sabbath apparently didn’t think it made any difference whatsoever to almighty God if he transgressed God’s commands for His holy day over something so “trivial.” But he was wrong – dead wrong (See: Exodus 31:13-17; Numbers 15:32-36).

King Saul insanely thought he could somehow violate the direct commands of almighty God in favor of following his own feelings instead. Not only was that “foolish,” but fatal (See: 1 Samuel 10:8, 13:5-14, and all of chapter 15).

For centuries, countless people – and in many cases, those who claimed to love and serve God faithfully – have in reality, foolishly and fatally chosen to follow the desires and dictates of their own deluded hearts, instead of choosing to learn and follow God’s divinely-inspired words (Deuteronomy 2914-29; 1 Kings 12:25-33; Jeremiah, chapters 3-23; Ezekiel 13:2-17).

Jesus solemnly warned his apostles that “Yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father or Me” (John 16:2-3). Saul of Tarsus “thought” he must, and in fact he did exactly that – and more. But as he soon found out, following your own heart and what you may think or feel, as opposed to learning and following only God’s holy word and exactly what it says, only makes a person wrong – dead wrong – no matter how deep their convictions to the contrary might be (Acts 26:9-11).

It defies any semblance of common-sense, logic, or biblical reasoning, when one who claims to love God (John 14:15), claims Jesus as Lord (Luke 6:46), and claims to be religious, rejects outright the word of God which will judge us all on the last day (John 12:48); when they think they can “get saved” by a process never seen or mentioned in the word of God (such as the “sinner’s prayer”); that they can attend a church never seen or mentioned in the word of God; or that they can practice worship never seen or mentioned in the word of God, and yet, that the God Who had that word written down for their instruction, will somehow still be pleased with, and not reject them, who rejected Him!

Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6)! And one cannot do by faith, that which one cannot find in the word of God (Romans 10:17)! “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked…” (Jeremiah 17:9). And therefore, as God further informs us, “he who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be delivered” (Psalm 28:26). Don’t be fooled by your feelings! Learn and do God’s will (Matthew 7:21-27)!

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