The Ability to Vote Does Not Make You Free

For the patriotic and civic minded citizens of the United States the right to vote is a sacred duty that should not be ignored. When given the opportunity the make sure to go to the polls. While I agree that voting is a very important part of a free society it is not what makes or breaks our freedom. Our Founding Fathers in fact placed limitations on just who could vote, but they were still able to create a free society. Also, places like the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany held elections, but having the ability to vote didn’t make those societies free.

What I want to suggest today is that there are at least four principles of freedom that are so vital to liberty that if anyone of the principles were missing then true liberty would not exist. While it is good that we encourage people to get out and vote, we also have to be mindful that we are dreadfully close to losing our liberty, not because our right to vote is disappearing, but because these four principles are slowly fading away from our society.

Let me briefly explain what these principles are, because I would bet that most of the citizens in the United States don’t even consider the importance of these four areas of life.

The first principle is private property rights. If we are going to live in a free country then people need to have the right to use their property in the way they see best. The trouble is that while we still have private property our government is becoming increasingly more bold in telling us what we can and cannot do with our property. Private property, or the private ownership of the means of production, is the basis of free market capitalism which is the only way to create a truly prosperous economy. Prosperity, as well as freedom, depends on private property rights.

The second principle is the rule of law. A free society needs law to function. Now that can be a law that is written down, such as the US Constitution, or it can be the natural law which is derived from reason (and given to us by God). The reason this is important is because we need to have a standard to hold people accountable for their actions. A society that allows everyone to do as they please is not free but chaotic. The rule of law does not just apply to people but it also applies to the government. One of the major problems that we are facing as a country is the reality that government is ignoring the rule of law, and thus with each passing year, taking away more of our liberty.

The third principle is an educated citizenry. A liberty loving people are educated people. Part of the problem I see in our country is that we have equated educated with degrees. The reality is that we live in a country where the populace is well schooled, but we are woefully uneducated. The Founders of the United States were very educated and well read men. They had a good grasp on economics, history, theology, philosophy, and government. Our political leaders are ignorant about so much of these things. The average politician has no clue about these things. Listening to them talk you wonder if they have even read the document they have sworn to uphold (the Constitution) let alone something like Austrian Economics and free market capitalism. If our leaders are ignorant about these things what does that say about the populace? We have people who have been schooled in the issues of the day so they know what to say about abortion, cap and trade, and the war on terror; but they have not been educated in the founding principles of the country and therefore have hardly a clue about the proper place of the Constitution.

A fourth and final principle I will mention is virtue. The Founding Fathers realized the virtue was essential for freedom. We shouldn’t just look at virtue as another word for morality, because I think it encompasses more than just what we would consider to be moral. Virtue is about things like integrity, hard work, thrift, compassion, and fairness. Virtue is not something that we are born with, but it is something that we are taught. The Founders believed it was the job of the family, of the Church, and of the school to teach and model to the children virtue. Is this not the biggest threat of all to our liberty? We are a society that has lost the importance of virtue, and thus the almighty dollar, pleasure, and selfishness rule the day. This my friends is where we need to start if we are going to reclaim a free and prosperous country. We need to be a virtuous people, and demand nothing less for those who lead us. Freedom depends on the virtue of the citizens.

If you have informed ourself about the issues and the candidates I want to encourage you to get out and vote. It is a very important duty that has been given to us, but I want to challenge you that our country needs more than your vote. It needs you to stand up for private property rights, to demand that the rule of law be followed, to become educated in the founding principles of the United States, and for you to live a virtuous life. Our freedom depends on these things.

There is Good in Hardship

"It becomes more than obvious the longer you walk with God that His teaching environment for us really is life. And allowing us to fail is not a punishment from God, but a part of God's process for shaping who we are." ~ Erwin McManus, Seizing Your Divine Moment

Spiritual growth is not easy. It requires more than reading books, singing songs, listening to sermons, and giving a few dollars. For spiritual growth to happen we have to follow Jesus, and we do that by applying God's Word to our lives.

Since this is the path of spiritual growth Satan, our great enemy, will throw many different obstacles along the way in hopes of tripping us up. He throws out fear, and we hold ourselves back from going into the unknown with Jesus. Satan sits the trap of temptation and we miss out of the experiences God has planned for us as we pursue the pleasures of sin. He digs the hole of guilt and we fall in overwhelmed with the evil we have committed and forgetting to rely on God's grace and forgiveness.

The good news is that God even uses Satan's obstacles as opportunities to make us better people. Just as Joseph told his brothers; "As far as I am concerned, God turned into good what you meant for evil" (Genesis 50:20; NLT), we can recognize the good that can come out of our failures. God is so powerful that He can even turn evil into good!

If we are going to become productive citizens of God's Kingdom it is going to require us to apply what we have heard. God's Word does us no good if all we are going to do is listen to what it says. Ultimately we have to start showing it out in our lives. What many of us Christ Followers need is not another book to read or class to attend, but to simply do the good we have already been taught. Spiritual maturity is the process that happens as we begin to live by faith, regardless of the consequences.

Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything. ~ James 1:2-4; NLT

James says that we should approach trials with joy, because we know God can use them to produce in us the character He desires. Because God loves us He will not waste our painful experiences, our failures, or our troubles. He will use them to make us stronger, and in many cases, He will use them for the benefit of others as well.

When trials, troubles, and failures come our way shouldn't get discouraged and wonder where God is. Rather we should respond with trust knowing that through even the most horrible of circumstances God can bring about His will and create us to be a little more like Jesus.

Pictures From Minnesota

 

Last week I was able to spend a few days with my beautiful girlfriend Jenny as we explored northern Minnesota. Thursday we visited Split Rock Lighthouse, Gooseberry Falls, Betty Pies (a terrific place to have afternoon coffee and a piece of pie), and Grandma's Saloon in Duluth.  Friday we went to the Dead Sea Scroll exhibit at the Minnesota Science Museum.  Saturday we had a good time making pies.  We had a great time together. 

Revolt Against Religion

Two thousand years ago God started a revolt against the religion He started. So don't ever put it past God to cause a groundswell movement against churches and Christian institutions that bear His name. If He was willing to turn Judaism upside down, don't think for a moment our institutions are safe from divine revolt. I am convinced that even now there are multitudes of followers of Jesus Christ who are sick and tired playing games and playing down the call of God. ~ Erwin McManus, The Barbarian Way, p. 114

The Central Thing

The central thing about about the kingdom of Jesus Christ is a personal relationship to Himself, not public usefulness to men. ~ Oswald Chambers

Ransomed Heart Daily Reading: Paradise Lost

Daily Reading for Tuesday, October 19, 2010 

Paradise Lost

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"

The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'"

"You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. (Genesis 3:1-6)

Evil was lurking in that Garden. The mighty angel had once been glorious as well, more glorious than we. He was, if you recall, captain of the Lord's armies, beautiful and powerful beyond compare. But he rebelled against his Creator, led a great battle against the forces of heaven, and was cast down. Banished but not destroyed, he waited in the shadows for an opportunity to take his revenge.

You must understand: the Evil One hates God, hates anything that reminds him of the glory of God . . . wherever it exists. Unable to overthrow the Mighty One, he turned his sights on those who bore his image.

Satan came into the Garden and whispered to Adam and Eve-and in them, to all of us-"You cannot trust the heart of God . . . he's holding out on you . . . you've got to take matters under your control." He sowed the seed of mistrust in our hearts; he tempted us to seize control.

It's the same lie he is using in your life today, by the way: "Trusting God is way too risky. You're far too vulnerable. Rewrite the Story. Give yourself a better part. Arrange for your own happiness. Disregard him."

(Epic , 54, 55)

2010 Storm Lake IA Lock Up: Paul Steele

2010 Storm Lake IA Lock Up: Paul Steele

Would you take some time to support MDA for me today and bail me out?

"Transforming the Will" (Pt 2) Renovation of the Heart Video Curriculum

Here are three guys: Dallas Willard, John Ortberg, and Larry Crabb (though he doesn't say much in this segment) who have profoundly impacted my life through their writing. I hope that you enjoy it and are encouraged by what you hear.

Sunday Quote: Because of the Resurrection

"At the heart of the Christian faith lies the question of Jesus' resurrection. Why did Christianity arise, and why did it take the shape it did? The early Christians themselves reply: we exist because of Jesus' resurrection." ~ N. T. Wright, p. 7, The Challenge of Easter

Introduction to the Restoration Ideal #5

Chapter 3 of Marshall Leggett’s book is the first of several short biographies of the men who were responsible for starting the Restoration Movement. The first biography is devoted Barton W. Stone, especially emphasizing his focus on using the name Christian to describe disciples of Christ. If you are interested in reading about Barton Stone’s life you can do so here.

This how Leggett finishes the chapter:

History credits Stone with being the one who restored the ancient name “Christian” to its proper place. He believed it was the name God had given to His people and the one around which they could unite. He pleaded for all believers to become Christians only (p. 32).

It is this issue that chapter 4 is devoted to, and therefore that is what the next post will be look at. Today I just want to focus on a tangent that I discovered in the chapter. This is what jumped out at me:

The census of 1800 showed that less than one out of twenty persons in Kentucky was a member of any church. This produced a spiritual and moral vacuum (p. 28).

The reason I found this interesting is the fact that we often think that we live in this time of great spiritual decline, and while that is true, the reality is that there have been times in the short history of the United States when the Church’s influence has been very minimal. In other words this should give us great hope because just as there have been revivals in the past we can experience revival once again.

For revival to happen what is required? What is required is for Christians, men and women who bear the name of Jesus, to truly follow Jesus in prayer, compassion, integrity, and proclaiming the truth. It is about truly being salt of the earth and the light of the world.

I want to leave you with this passage from 1 Peter:

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation (1 Peter 2:9-12; ESV).

Needing God's Power

So many Christians have missed out on the real power that is available to them because they misunderstand the work that is involved in salvation; which is the restoration of our true life. Christians have trusted in Christ for forgiveness, to get their ticket punched for heaven, but then try to get by the best that they can. Since they are so weak and controlled by their flesh rather than being led by the Spirit the miss out on the truly abundant life Jesus promises to those he follow Him.

In his book Absolute Surrender Andrew Murray wrote:

The cause of the weakness of your Christian life is that you you want to work it our partly, and to let God help you. And that cannot be. You must come to be utterly helpless, to let God work, and God will work gloriously. It is this that we need if we are indeed to be workers for God (p. 113; Humility and Absolute Surrender).

For such a long time in my walk with Jesus I walked in weakness. I thought it was my job to overcome sin, to break the chains of addictions, and to work up courage. The result of this way of living was discouragement, condemnation, and isolation. I felt like I as such a poser and believed that if I truly loved God then I would naturally want to read the Bible, pray, and serve. Not only would those things come naturally but it would be easy to give up my sins, even sins that had been part of my life for years. The only explanation then that I had when that was not the reality of my life was that I must not love God. What a death sentence that is to a person’s relationship with God.

Thank God that is not what following Jesus looks like! Jesus didn’t die to make up for our shortcomings, Jesus died to give us a brand new way to live life. This new way of life begins and ends with surrendering our lives to God, for it is only through God’s power that we are able to live the life that He has for us to live.

This is what the apostle Paul wrote about God’s power:

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen (Ephesians 3:14-21; ESV).

If we are going to experience God’s power then we are going to have to surrender our lives through prayer. We need to bow our knees before the Father on a daily basis, surrendering our lives to Him and asking for His power to strengthen our lives.

If we are going to experience God’s power we need to invite the Holy Spirit into our hearts. For it is the Spirit working in our inner being that we experience God’s power in our lives. The power that roots us in love, the power that helps us investigate the amazing love God, and the power that allows us to experience the life that is the result of being filled with the abundant life of God.

If we are going to experience God’s power at work in our lives we need to ask God to work in our lives. God is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, and so He has the power to help us overcome the addictions that we have used to cope with the pain of life, to forgive those people who have profoundly hurt us, or to live in courage rather than to be controlled by fear. We don’t experience this power in our lives because we are afraid to ask and we convince ourselves that God doesn’t work like that. Step out in faith and ask God to help you, to heal you, and to bind up your broken heart. He has the power to do more than you can even imagine.

God is interested in you having victory over sin, in living with courage, and experiencing true joy. Don’t think these things rest on your shoulders to achieve, rather trust in God’s love and power to grant these things to you. Surrender your life to Him and ask for His power to live, because Jesus died so that you could live.

What Would Jesus Say to Me?

As I prepare to jump back into Marshall Leggett's book Introduction to the Restoration Ideal I want to remind us of a very important truth: we belong to God and what matters most in our lives is His will.

On page 19 Leggett writes:

Then something happened. The church began to lose its purity. The New Testament church penetrated the world, and it seemed that nothing could stop its momentum. No outside force, not even the power of Caesar, could blunt its progress. However, change began to evolve from within. Whereas the New Testament church had penetrated the world, its successors became penetrated by the world. It ceased to be the sect 'spoken against' (Acts 28:22) and became in vogue; not just in the world, but of the world. The church began to leave the plan Jesus had given.

I wonder what Jesus would say to us? If He sent us letters like the letter He sent to the Seven Churches of Revelation what would He write? I would bet that they would contain much of the same things. I think He would praise us for our willingness to stand up for right and wrong, but I think He would condemn us for leaving our first love. I believe He would be upset by the sexual immorality (from pornography to sexual abuse) that we have allowed to infiltrate our churches. I think Jesus would be upset at how much we have grown to be like the world rather than becoming like Him.

We can lose sight of what Jesus Christ has called us to do. Let's face it it is very easy to get distracted by politics, by technology, by church growth techniques, and by the latest Christian fad that the true mission of Jesus to make disciples of all nations can fall by the wayside.

When you couple distractions with an increasing uninterested public all of sudden we are trying to figure out how to keep the crowd rather than worshipping God, and we seek the advice of "experts" rather than seeking God's will.  What happens is that we begin to look increasingly like the rest of the world rather than the holy nation we were called to be.

But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are a kingdom of priests, God's holy nation, his very own possession. This is so you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. "Once you were not a people; now you are the people of God. Once you received none of God's mercy; now you have received his mercy." Dear brothers and sisters, you are foreigners and aliens here. So I warn you to keep away from evil desires because they fight against your very souls. Be careful how you live among your unbelieving neighbors. Even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will believe and give honor to God when he comes to judge the world (1 Peter 2:9-12; NLT).

What God desires from us, more than a religion that is in vogue with the population and more than political agendas, are people who are wholly devoted to Him. People willing to live differently than the rest of the world, Churches willing to extend a helping hand to people, and Christians who give their passions, time, and money so that disciples are made of all nations.

I want to challenge you today to stop and take a look at your life and your church. Ask yourself, "What would Jesus say to me?" Take some time to pray asking God to show You His desire for your life and church. Consider if what you think is important is the same thing God knows is important.

The only way to be where God wants us to be, the only way we can remain pure, is to give ourselves to what God has commanded us to do. This requires us to understand what He has revealed about Himself in the Bible and trusting Him to show us where we need to be. We can be the People God wants us to be. It begins with out willingness to do things God's way rather than our way.

Francis Chan - The new middle road

Loving Other Christians

{Hebrews 6:10-12; NLT}

For God is not unfair. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other Christians, as you still do. Our great desire is that you will keep right on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God's promises because of their faith and patience.

The central command of the Christian faith is love. Love is what sets us apart from the world and makes us beacons of light in the dark world. If we are going to be lights in the world we need to love.

In this passage we notice the writer of Hebrews encourages his readers to love their fellow Christians. It is through this love, he says, that we demonstrate our love for God. I find it very interesting that he states that we are to care for other Christians. After all shouldn't we love everyone equally?

This is a valid question because we have been told that God loves everyone. I have no doubt that God loves everyone and He desires them all to be saved. The Bible tells us this much. The Bible is also very clear that we are to love other Christians first and foremost. Is this a contradiction?

Perhaps we should take a look at our lives. A teacher can love all the kids in her classroom, but the love she has for them pales in comparison to the love she has for her own children. A guy can love all his friends and buddies, but that love is nothing compared to the love he has for his wife. The fact that God loves the Church differently, and expects us to love other Christians differently, doesn't mean that God doesn't love the rest of the world, but simply points out the special relationship that the Church has with God.

Remember that Jesus didn't die for just a person, but Jesus died for a people. Jesus died for the Church, and that makes us very special to Him. We are God's Children and the Bride of Christ and both of these images remind us that we have a very special relationship with Him.

This might seem unfair, but in reality when Christ Followers love other Christians first it makes the Church a very attractive group to be a part of. The world is a hard place filled with rejection and heartache. So many people are searching for a place to belong and place to be loved no matter who they are or what they have done. By loving each other, rather than bickering and fighting with each other, we become a place of hope in a land of hopelessness.

It also appears from this passage that by loving each other we grow spiritually. The best way we grow in our faith is not through a study or listening to a sermon series, but it is through experience and community. When we are able to do things with other Christians because we enjoy their company and have their best interest at heart we begin to develop the heart of God. We desire the things God desires and we become spiritually sharp and full of passion.

It is by having this heart of God beating in our chests which helps us down the road of becoming the people God created us to be. When we care about the things He cares about we become a little more like Him. The people of faith of old were set apart because they had this heart. They were willing to sacrifice in order to do what God wanted them to do, because they wanted the same thing God wanted.

In our quest to become more like the people God wants us to be we have to start loving other people, first other Christians, and then the people around us. This is how we learn what is most important to God and allow that truth to become part of our hearts.

See the Harvest

 {Matthew 9:36-38; NLT}

He (Jesus) felt great pity for the crowds that came, because their problems were so great and they didn't know where to go for help. They were like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, "The harvest is so great, but the workers are so few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send out more workers for his fields."

I think one of the indications that I have matured in my faith has been my increased compassion for people. When I was younger it was easy for me to negatively judge people because of the bad circumstances in their lives. After all if they would make better choices they wouldn't find themselves in those positions.

While it is true that each of us is responsible for our own actions I have come to realize that many choices are made because people just don't know any better. They have had bad models for their lives and are unaware where to turn for help. They may want to change but don't know what to do. Many of the sin addictions are the result of people wanting to cope with the circumstances of their lives but not know what is the best course of action.

From reading the gospels it appears that when Jesus looked at a crowd He didn't see dirty rotten sinners but lost travelers. Rather than judging people for the mistakes in their lives Jesus showed compassion. He was the one person who could sit in judgment but He chose to extend help instead.

When you believe you have an understanding of truth it is tempting to judge people based on their bad circumstances. It makes us feel superior as we turn the focus off our struggles to the dark sins of the world. It also give us a sense that we are doing God's work since we are standing up for God's truth.

The example we have from Jesus is to have compassion on the world because they don't know where to turn. They are lost and have no idea how to find their way home. Jesus knew their predicament much better than we do; even though it is has also been the story of our lives.

If we are going to show compassion to the world we have to pray. Prayer helps us gain a proper perspective on life and what is happening around us. It also helps us to align our hearts with God's hearts. Jesus tells us that we are to pray and ask God to send workers to go into the fields ripe for harvest. There is a shortage of leaders able to show the lost the way home.

Compassion is not just reserved for our prayer life, but it is also about how we live. Jesus lived in such a way to show the people around Him that He knew the Way they were to travel. As Jesus' followers we have that same responsibility of living our lives in a way to show people that there is a better way to live.

Ultimately what we need what we need is a change of perspective. Instead of seeing the world as dirty rotten sinners we need to see them as lost travelers trying desperately to get home, or better yet a field ready for harvest.

The Best Evidence

{1 Corinthians 13:1-3; ESV}

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

The most important thing we can do in our lives is to love. Jesus, reaching back into the Old Testament, told us that the two most important commandments are to love God and to love people (Mark 12:29-31). Above we read the words of the apostle Paul who says that without love we have nothing. In the light of this truth I have this question for you to consider: Do we live like love is the most important action of our lives?

How is love defined in the Bible? It is defined as service. Matthew 25:31-46, which records Jesus’ teaching on the final judgment, illustrates this reality. We cannot love people (and we cannot love God without loving people) if we do not meet their needs. Our love is seen in what we do. If we love God it will be evident in the way we live and relate with other people.

The best evidence for the truth of Christianity are Christians who love. The atheist can cause people to doubt by citing so-called evidence that dismiss the Bible’s claim, but he/she can never dismiss a persons experience. When the Church is a church of love the world needs no other evidence that God is on His throne. Love is the most important thing for the follower of Jesus Christ and the Church to possess.

The church at Ephesus had many things going for it, but Jesus had something against this church: they had lost their love. This is what Jesus told the apostle John to write to the Ephesians:

2 “‘I know your works, your toil, and your endurance. I also know that you cannot tolerate evil people. You have tested those who call themselves apostles, but are not, and have found them to be false. 3 You have endured and suffered because of my name, yet you have not grown weary. 4 However, I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Therefore, remember how far you have fallen. Repent, and do the works you did at first. If you don't, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 6 But this is to your credit: You hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

7 ‘Let the person who has an ear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. To everyone who conquers I will give the privilege of eating from the tree of life that is in the paradise of God.’” (Revelation 2:2-7; ISV)

The church at Ephesus was a church that had taken a stand. They did not tolerate evil and they made sure truth was taught. These Christians suffered for the name of Jesus. I believe that if this church were around today we would look at it as a model. A true Bible believing and truth-telling church!

For all the good things this church was doing they had missed the point. Yes, they valued truth and morality, but they forgot the most important thing: LOVE. Jesus wants us to understand that the most important thing we can have in our church families and in our lives is love. Without love everything we do is meaningless. Love is essential to living a life that is worthy of Jesus Christ.

How is our love for Jesus seen? Ultimately it is not seen in the stands we take or the truth we proclaim. Our love for Jesus is seen in our obedience to His commands. Jesus told His disciples: If you love me, obey my commandments (John 14:15; NLT). Don’t limit obedience to the don’ts of scripture. Obedience isn’t just about morality, but it is also about completing our responsibility.

Our love Jesus comes out in our commitment to the Great Commission. In other words it is about reaching out and making disciples, not just proclaiming the truth. Making disciples involves more than just sharing the truth with people, it is also about showing God’s goodness to the world.

When we love Jesus not only will we proclaim the truth, but we will also show compassion. It is easy to stand up and telling people the truth God has revealed in the Bible, it is something entirely different to love people indiscriminately.

The Ephesian Church had no trouble with the truth, but they did have trouble with love. They lost the love they had for Jesus and that flowed into a lack of love for people. To be the people God desires for us to be, and thus become the church God wants us to be, we have to love Jesus first, and allow that love to affect every other relationship we have.

Our love for Jesus is best seen in our love for people. We can be right all we want, but if we don’t show compassion to others we will be ignored. If we love Jesus and love people then we will become a magnet, drawing people to God.

Point to Ponder: The best evidence for the truth of Christianity are Christians who love.
Questions to Consider: How has someone shown you love in an unexpected way? What is something you can do to express your love to a neighbor today? Why is it important that we be loving people?
Prayer to Pray: Lord God Almighty, the Lover of my soul how great it is to be numbered as one of Your children. I ask that You will give me eyes to see how I can love the people that are all around me...

Sunday Quote: Plan not to Sin

"Those who let God be God get off the conveyer belt of emotion and desire when it first starts to move toward the buzz saw of sin.  They do not wait until it is moving so fast they cannot get off of it.  Their aim is not to avoid sin, but to avoid temptation--the inclination to sin.  They plan their path accordingly." ~ Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart, p. 119