Taking the Right Path (Nov 28)

Mat 7:13-20 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: (14) Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (15) Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. (16) Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? (17) Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. (18) A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. (19) Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. (20) Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

So, the other day, I was hiking through a park with a somewhat extensive trail system. Most of the trails are not marked or blazed, but you can tell pretty easily where they go. Now, in this particular park, there are a lot of elevation changes. So, if I want to go from point A at one end of the park to point B at the other end, it would be a terrible idea to just walk in a straight line. I’d be going up and down very steep and long hills and crossing streams and mucky areas. But if I follow a trail, it will twist and turn me all through the woods, but eventually get me there. But sometimes, there is a wye in the path. Sometimes, I might see another path that looks like it is going in a better general direction of where I want to go. But if I had a map of the trail system, I’d be able to see that after a hundred yards, it cuts over in another direction, or that just before it gets to the destination, there is a huge chasm that I wouldn’t be able to cross. It would be better, then, to stay on the correct path, even if it doesn’t always seem to be headed towards the destination. It may take a detour or follow a few strange twists and turns, but that is all to work around the terrain (and avoid that impassable chasm that I made up earlier).

This reminds me a little bit of a passage from the book, Pilgrim’s Progress, by John Bunyan. If you’ve read the book, you’ll remember that Pilgrim was on a journey from his The City of Destruction to The Celestial City. He journeys through the Wicket Gate (and so begins the journey on the straight and narrow path) and to the House of the Interpreter, where he finds deliverance from his burden and becomes Christian. The allegory continues as Christian makes his way to the Celestial City, meeting various people along the way and passing through various cities and such that are an example of various situations that any Christian will encounter in his or her own journey of the Christian life. I couldn’t remember the particulars of the passage in the book, so I looked it up online and will share a little snippet from a summary on Wikipedia:

Along a rough stretch of road, Christian and Hopeful leave the highway to travel on the easier By-Path Meadow, where a rainstorm forces them to spend the night. In the morning they are captured by Giant Despair, who takes them to his Doubting Castle, where they are imprisoned, beaten and starved. The giant wants them to commit suicide, but they endure the ordeal until Christian realizes that a key he has, called Promise, will open all the doors and gates of Doubting Castle. Using the key, they escape.

As Christian travels the straight and narrow path throughout the allegory, he occasionally turns aside for one thing or another, but in this instance, he (and his companion) leaves the path to walk on another one that is easier to walk on and appears to go to the same destination. But it doesn’t and the bad decision leads to a place of doubting and despair and the two go through much trial.

So, I guess what I’m saying is it would be a good thing to have the trail map! When you reach a split in the trail, you can look at the map and easily discern which path to follow in order to get to the correct destination. And when you’re tempted to take a shortcut instead of following the trail in a big end around loop, you can again whip out the map and see that you’re going that way to avoid a really huge ravine, over which it might be dangerous and difficult to pass.

Joh 14:5-6 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? (6) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Joh 10:1-5 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. (2) But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. (3) To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. (4) And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. (5) And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

Psa 119:105 NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Joh 16:13-14 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. (14) He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

Disguising Slander (Nov 21)

“Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, Him I will destroy; the one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, Him I will not endure.” – Psalm 101:5

Once upon a time, I overheard someone speaking with another person. They were asking for prayer for someone, and then went on to say things to put them down. Oh, and, pray for them about that. Now, as it would happen, I knew that the things were not true. So, here is one person slandering another, but the curious thing is, they disguise it as something good: a prayer request. I’m sure we’ve all heard it; perhaps some of us have done it. People like to disguise slander and gossip as something else so it doesn’t seem so bad. But unfortunately, slander is still slander, gossip is still gossip, and bad is still bad.

Slander – the utterance of false charges or misrepresentations which defame and damage another’s reputation; a false and defamatory oral statement about a person.

Gossip – rumor or report of an intimate nature; a chatty talk, often detailing personal or sensational facts about others.

Gossip and slander seem pretty similar, except that slander is a lie and gossip is usually true (or mostly true). The point is, although God does call us to pray for others and to ask others to pray for us, He also tells us not to speak bad things about others. It does not change the nature of our conversation if we simply call it something else.

1Ti 5:13 And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.

1Pe 4:14-16 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. (15) But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. (16) Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.

Tit 2:1-6 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: (2) That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. (3) The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; (4) That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, (5) To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. (6) Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.

Prov 10:18 He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.

Prov 11:9 An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbor: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered.

Prov 17:9 He who covers a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates friends.

So, let’s not say hurtful things about others, even if we disguise it as something good. Instead, let’s pray for one another. Let’s encourage one another and speak things that are good and honest and bring glory to God, hope to the heart, and a smile to the face.

Heb 10:24 Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds.

Eph 4:29 Do not let unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Prov 12:18 Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Prov 15:30 A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones.

A Leg to Stand On (Nov 14)

The other day, I was standing in the parking area at the end of 3rd Ave in Ford City, when I heard a screech. When I looked up, I saw a car round the turn off of the bridge, slowing down in a cloud of dust, and one of the rear wheels just kept on rolling. I stood there and helplessly watched as the wheel rolled on down the street, missing traffic in the other lane. It crossed into the oncoming lane for awhile, and then cut down 2nd Street, cut through someone’s yard, flirted with hitting the house, then crossed the avenue, passed narrowly between some parked cars, all before rolling up the hill and coming to rest in the grass. The car’s driver, meanwhile, had managed to get the car off the road, where it sat, awkwardly balancing on the remaining three wheels. You see, cars don’t drive well without all four wheels. They’re not balanced correctly. They wouldn’t have the support. The same goes for a chair, a stool, or even a person. If you’re standing there minding your own business and I sneak up from behind and knock out one of your legs, you’re going to fall. Sure, you could probably balance on one foot for awhile, but your body is balanced in such a way as to stand on two legs. A dog or cat balances on four legs. If you’ve seen a three-legged animal, they usually get around OK, but it’s a bit of a struggle.

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “without a leg to stand on” or “he doesn’t have a leg to stand on.” It basically means that the person has no chance of success in their venture. It’s a metaphoric idiom which transfers a lack of physical support to arguments or theories. You’ll often hear it used with regards to legal issues. If someone tries to bring a lawsuit against another when they, in fact, are the one in the wrong, or they don’t really have evidence, or it’s for some other silly reason, people will often dismiss the threat and say, “Oh, don’t worry about losing this case; he doesn’t have a leg to stand on.” You’ll hear it in arguments and debates, or in regards to false accusations. Basically, the person has no support. They have nothing to back up their claims. They have nothing to help them out. Lacking support, they’ll just crumble and fall. Their venture is doomed to failure.

Those guys that were in the car that I mentioned earlier were driving around with all four wheels. But, apparently, the lug nuts were loose and when the one wheel spun off, they lacked support, and found themselves stuck by the road. So, here you are, walking through life on your two feet. Your life is a testimony and proof of the words that you speak. You say you’re a Christian. You tell people that God is great and that they need Him. You talk about healing, deliverance, protection, leading and direction, peace, joy, encouragement, and so many other things that come with the Christian walk. People are watching your walk. They’re watching whether you stumble. They’re watching how it will turn out. So, does your life have substance? Do your words have support? Does your God show His greatness in you? Do you have a leg to stand on? Or do you lose a wheel and come screeching to halt on the side of the road?

1Co 16:13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.

Rom 5:1-2 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (2) By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

1Co 2:3-5 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. (4) And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: (5) That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Php 1:27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

Jud 1:24-25 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, (25) To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

You’ve got God’s Word to stand on, you’ve got faith in a faithful God to stand on, and you’ve got a God that is able to keep you from falling…so don’t buckle or stumble…you’ve got a leg to stand on!

The Real Thing (Nov 7)

I’d like to begin by sharing a devotional by Chris Tiegreen:

We are called by Jesus to love one another. Love is the defining characteristic of the Christian community; Jesus called it His “new command” and said it would distinguish us as His disciples (John 13:34-35). He did not lay it out for us as a good option; it was an order. Obedience requires that we love Him and that we love others.

Knowing that, we usually try to put on love—or at least the appearance of love. Even when we cultivate bitterness in our hearts toward another, we cultivate smiles and warmth on our faces. Our words and our inner feelings do not always match. We act loving because we know we are supposed to; but we do not feel loving. That’s a problem.

Which is genuine love? When Paul tells us to love each other sincerely, does he really expect our feelings to fall in line with obedience? Is it acceptable to act loving rather than to be loving? It’s a start, but we can’t be content with that. Our feelings change slowly, especially when we’ve been offended or slighted. In such cases, we can at least act as we know we are supposed to act. But we cannot stop there. We must guard our hearts diligently. That is where all actions will eventually flow from. At some point, obedience must include sincerity. Otherwise, it doesn’t come close to the character of God.

Think about that. Does God love us reluctantly? Does He say, “You’ve sinned so much that I don’t have strong feelings for you, but according to My promise I’ll treat you lovingly”? Of course not. There is no internal contradiction in God’s attitudes. He is not superficial in the least. His love is real—the most authentic, genuine love there is. So must ours be.

How can we get there? Genuine love is so hard, especially when we’re told to love our enemies! Fallen, sinful natures cannot fulfill that command. The answer must be supernatural.

Trust God to live His life in you. That’s what our life in the Holy Spirit is all about. Ask Him not to reform your character by giving you love, but to replace your character by giving you His. His love is utterly sincere. Ours must be as well.

Romans 12:9-10

(9) Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. (10) Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another;

1 John 4:7-11

(7) Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. (8) He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. (9) In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. (10) Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (11) Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

“Has God commanded something? Then throw yourself back on God for the means to do what He has commanded.” – Watchman Nee