Having Compassion

Having Compassion

The very thought of having Jesus as our mediator is overwhelming. The amazing distance between Jehovah God and a human seems like a chasm which cannot be crossed. Yet, Jesus did this very thing! He emptied Himself and took on the form of feeble, helpless mortals. He lived among us and having returned to heaven, He received the glory He once had. The end of all of this is that we have one who understands our frailties and can sympathize with us in our troubles. One word seems to sum up so much of the way He lived among us. That word is compassion.

Compassion is almost unknown among many in our society. The heartless slaughter of the unborn, the ruthless killings in schools and workplaces and the beheading of “unbelievers” are all evidence of the absence of the godly nature of compassion. However, the problem is far greater than the extreme aspects of the heartless cruelties listed above. Study the life of Jesus and look at how often Jesus manifested compassion to those ordinary people around Him. Then, take time to look at yourself to find areas where you can be more compassionate like Him.

Jesus had compassion on the poor. In Matthew chapter 14, we read of the feeding of the 5,000. The very next day, Jesus rebuked the multitude because they only followed Him because they loved the loaves and fish He gave to them (John 6:22, 26). Yet, He fed 4,000 of them again. What is remarkable are the words found in Matthew 15:32. “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have…nothing to eat.”  So few of us would understand such compassion that He had on those whose motives were so wrong.

Jesus had compassion on scattered sheep. Mark records the feeding of the 5,000 and adds another thought to the compassion of Jesus. “Jesus when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd” (Mark 6:34). The Good Shepherd’s heart was moved toward those who had no spiritual direction in their lives. Think about this and those “shepherd-less” people around you.

Jesus had compassion on widows. He was in village of Nain when He saw a widow ready to bury her only son. “He had compassion on her and said to her, ‘Do not weep’” (Luke 7:13). There were those other religious leaders who saw helpless widows as a source of financial gain, even taking their houses from them (Matt. 23:14). Jesus’ heart was so different from theirs.

So, take time to look at yourself. How compassionate are you to others?  What changes do we need to make to have the compassion of Jesus?

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The Concept of Truth

What is Truth?

“What is truth?”  Pilate asked Jesus that question and didn’t stick around for an answer (John 18:38).  It’s too bad he had not been in that upper room with Jesus and his disciples on the previous night, because Jesus had clearly defined truth while he was praying to his Father on behalf of his disciples.  He prayed, “Sanctify them in the truth; your Word is truth” (John 17:17).

With Truth Comes Freedom and also Slavery to Christ.

With Truth Comes Freedom and also Slavery to Christ.

There you have it, from the Son of God himself.  What is truth?  It’s God’s Word, plain and simple.  The Bible, the Holy Scriptures, Genesis through Revelation…they contain the truth.  They are the truth because they are the Word, the same Word which “became flesh and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).  Jesus, the Word, the only begotten from the Father, is full of grace and truth.  He is God (John 1:1), and the Scriptures are his Word.

The writers of the Scriptures were inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:19-21; Eph. 3:3-5), who in turn received his message from Christ (John 16:13-15), who in turn received it from God the Father (John 12:49-50).  Jesus and his Father are one (John 10:30).  Therefore, it is not only the “words in red” in your Bibles which belong to Jesus.  “ALL Scripture is breathed out by God…” (2 Tim. 3:16), and the words which the inspired writers wrote in Scripture “are a command of the Lord” (1 Cor. 14:37).  They are all truth, because they come from Jesus…and Jesus is“the truth” (John 14:6).

If you’re reading this blog, chances are that you are interested in the truth.  Perhaps you are searching for the truth.  If so, know that God is pleased with you because he “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4).  My goal is to use this blog to teach you God’s Word and God’s Word alone, and you will profit by it if you receive the Word with “meekness” and “hold it fast in an honest and good heart” (Jms. 1:21; Luke 8:15).

Perhaps you desire to challenge or examine the truth.  If so, then you will find plenty to challenge in this blog because my goal is to do nothing more or less than to use this blog to “preach the Word” (2 Tim. 4:2) in its entirety (Ps. 119:160; Acts 20:27).  I encourage any and all questions or challenges presented in sincerity and civility, because the Lord has commanded me and all other faithful Christians to “prove all things” and “always (be) prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Thess. 5:21; 1 Pet. 3:15).  Finding biblical, logical answers to your questions and comments will help me to grow as a Christian and strengthen my faith (Prov. 27:17), and so I welcome them…as long as they are presented in a civil manner.  Those who prove themselves to be interested in nothing more than persecution will receive no response and their comments will be deleted (Matt. 10:14-15).

Perhaps you know the truth and want to know it better, defend it and proclaim it.  If so, then you’ve come to the right place.  Our faith comes from God’s Word (Rom. 10:17), and we are called to contend for it (Jude 3), be reminded of it (2 Pet. 3:1-2), grow in it (2 Pet. 3:18), and share it with others (Mark 16:15; Matt. 28:19-20).  I encourage you to share this blog with the lost and with the brethren, and it is my hope that this blog will help all of us to be stirred up “to love and good works” (Heb. 10:24).

Jesus said to those who believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32).  Friends, it’s not enough to simply believe in Jesus (Jms. 2:14-26).  We must also obey him (Heb. 5:9; Matt. 7:21-27).  So let’s abide in his Word.  Let’s be his humble servants in all aspects of our lives.  Let’s know the truth and be set free from the bondage of sin!  I’m looking forward to starting this journey with you.

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Man-made Religion

Manmade Religion

Does Your Religion Match that in the Bible?

Does Your Religion Match that in the Bible?

We live in a world with a lot of different religions.  Depending on who one asks or where they are, questions on religion will produce a wide variety of answers.  There are some stark differences between Christianity and all other religions in that the central figure of Christianity is attested to have been crucified and resurrected by a considerable number of eyewitnesses , all of whom suffered horrific persecution and in most cases death as a result of their testimony.  If one were to visit the grave site of religious leaders such as Mohammed, Buddha and others they will find these people are dead and they occupy those graves.  On the other hand, if one could visit the tomb of Christ, it does not contain His body.  And a great number of people who lived during that time lived lives of extreme suffering because of their testimony that He arose from His grave alive.

His coming was prophesied by people who lived hundreds to thousands of years before He lived.  His message of love and compassion stands in stark opposition to the self serving messages of other religions.  But one of the most compelling facts of Christianity is what was done by God on behalf of mankind.  Man sinned and thereby lost fellowship with God.  God desired for man to be reconciled to Himself so He left heaven and appeared on earth as a man and was rejected and slain by those He came to save.  And in the end, His death at the hands of mankind served as a substitutionary punishment for the sins of mans and provided the means for the forgiveness of transgressions and the means of restoration to fellowship with God for all.  In short, God, in the form of the man Jesus Christ, paid the penalty man deserved for his own transgressions.

This act on the part of God was prophesied by numerous people who could not have known the future.  It is not humanly possible to fabricate such a story thousands of years before it happened and then have it carried out with the pinpoint accuracy that it was.  A hoax conceived thousands of years prior to its completion which ended with the death and resurrection of the central figure, prophesied and carried out like it was is completely beyond the ability of mankind to achieve.  The Bible was written by about 40 different authors over a period of time spanning roughly 14 centuries.  From beginning to end it has a central theme which focuses on the deliverance of mankind from His sin.  The only explanation for the existence of Christianity is undoubtedly a result of divine accomplishment.  Christianity cannot be a product of man’s invention.

No other religion on earth can make the claim to authenticity with the same undeniable stamp of divine achievement.  No other religion on earth reduced its central figure to the status of a servant to all and resulted in his death at the hands of man for the transgressions of man.  No other religion on earth can start this grand plan thousands of years in advance and bring it to fruition through hundreds of generations of people.  No other religion on earth can provide the supporting documentation of this plan from start to finish with the overwhelming wealth of manuscripts that Christianity enjoys.  Christianity is the only religion on Earth that is unmistakably not a religion of manmade origin.  And as such, it is the only religion of the ones to choose from that is authentic.

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Thy Mouth

Thy Mouth

What comes out of your mouth?

What comes out of your mouth?

Many of our problems in life occur because we say the wrong thing, or we say it at the wrong time, or we say it in the wrong way. In fact, it has been shown that a thirty-second speech can damage a thirty-year career, a thirty-year marriage, or thirty years of reputation. Now, as Solomon wrote Proverbs, he was aware of the power of the tongue, and when we read his thoughts on this subject in Proverbs, we can find God’s wisdom in small doses telling us to either shut up, build up or speak up.

There are some verses, in plain English that warns us to be cautious about what we say and to never miss an opportunity to keep our mouths shut. In Prov. 17:9, 14, 27, “. . . he that repeateth a mat-ter separateth very friends . . . The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water . . . He that hath knowledge spareth his words . . .” Solomon goes on to state “He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace” (Prov. 11:12); and, “Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth . . .” (Prov. 26:20-22). Thus, while certain thing are necessary for life: food, water, protection; some things are not necessary, such as stating out opinions on every subject or having the last word in every argument, or demanding our way in every discussion or defending ourselves from every criticism or drawing a line on every issue. Sometimes, we just need to keep our thoughts and words to ourselves.

Next, there are things that build us up. God hasn’t called us to take vows of silence like medieval monks. He gave us the re-markable capacity for human language because He wants us to build others up. In Prov. 10:11, 19, Solomon states, “The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life . . . he that refraineth his lips is wise.” Solomon goes on to state that tongues of the wise is health (Prov. 12:18), pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul and health to the bones (Prov. 16:23-24) and, “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life . . . and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!” (Prov. 15:4, 23). Some-times, we need to take a train, track down someone, buy them a steak and encourage them with wise counsel. All people need wholesome words and by speaking that builds up, we will revive those who are dead in sin, we will comfort those who are in distress, by which, we can show the way to eternal life.

Then, Solomon also shows us that there are times when we need to speak up, such as Prov. 31:8-9, “Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction. Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.” We can open our mouths on behalf of those who cannot speak such as a stranger, or orphan. And, we can open our mouths to speak about righteous living in all boldness, not caring for the harsh criticisms of wicked and unjust men.

These verses in Proverbs are the circuit breakers and surge protectors for the soul. The air around us is often static with anger, and our social atmospheres change as often as the weather in Missouri. So, we need to install some of today’s verses as spiritual circuit breakers, committing them to memory and to conscious thought. And in doing so, we will become more and more like Jesus, for no one ever spoke as He did. And I’ll tell you, the book of Proverbs describes, when describing the wise person, a pen portrait of our Lord Je-sus. May we all remember to know what to say and when to say it.

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Faithful Friend

A Faithful Friend

In Job 16:2 Job responds to his “friends” by telling them, “Miserable comforters are you all!”

A good friend is always there.

A good friend is always there.

Job was experiencing more trial and heartache than anyone could possibly bear and needed the comfort and compassion of a true friend, but what he got was anything but what he needed. He goes on to express his utter feeling of abandon and helplessness. He feels like he has not only been abandoned by his wife and friends, but also by God. Do we ever feel like this?

Peter said that as Christians we should have “compassion for one another; love as brothers,” and “be tenderhearted, be courteous” (1 Peter 3:8). Not every “friend” will be the kind of friend we need, but the Lord will! God had not abandoned Job. In fact, the Lord was protecting him even in the midst of his trials. We have the promise that Jesus will always be there for us. The Hebrew writer said, “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). We need to be better comforters than Job’s friends were. “A friend loves at all times” (Proverbs 17:17).

Yet a true friend will still speak the truth. In Proverbs 27:6 we are told, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” Understanding this truth Paul asked the church at Galatia, “Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?” (Galatians 4:16). As Christians we need to remember that standing for the truth does not necessitate a rude, ugly, or insensitive spirit. In fact, we are to always respond with love and kindness. One can certainly rebuke another in love, discipline with compassion, and counsel with sensitivity.

Because the Lord is a faithful friend we too need to be faithful to the Lord. James writes , “Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful” (James 5:11). Thank God that we have a friend that will never forsake us. But to be a friend to Jesus one must be obedient to Him. Jesus said, “ You are My friends if you do whatever I command you” (John 15:14). The converse is simple and profound, “If you do not do the things which Jesus has commanded commanded then you cannot be His friend.” And the one who is not a friend of the Lord is His enemy. Do you want to be an enemy of Jesus?

Be a true friend to someone today, be a friend of Jesus today. And be a faithful friend to the end!

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