Satisfaction in life

Proverbs 30:7-9 (NLT)

7 O God, I beg two favors from you; let me have them before I die. 8 First, help me never to tell a lie.    Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. 9 For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name.

These are the words of Agur son of Jakeh. These verses are a prayer to God to learn the wisdom never to live and secondly to learn how to live modestly, neither in poverty or in riches.

According to Amnesty International, North Korea has a vast network of gulags that imprison over 200,000 people. The most feared camp is known as "Total Control Camp 14." In Camp 14, hunger is so rampant that prisoners behave like "panicked animals" at mealtimes. Teachers at the camp school beat students to death for minor infractions. Medieval torture devices are employed in dungeon-like underground cells. And human relationships are so degraded that prisoners inform on family members.

The book Escape from Camp 14 tells the gripping story of Shin Dong-hyuk, the first known escapee from Camp 14. Shin was born in Camp 14, but at the age of 23 he escaped, finding his way to South Korea and eventually the United States. Today, Shin lives in Seoul, South Korea, a nation that in many ways resembles the United States and other developed countries.

In a 2012 documentary, Shin reflected on the nature of true freedom and happiness. Towards the end of an interview Shin said:

When I lived in the labor camp, I had to suffer a lot of pain …. But in South Korea you have to suffer when you don't have enough money. It's exhausting. It's all about money. That makes it tough for me here. When I think about it, I rarely saw someone committing suicide in the camp. Life was hard and you were an inmate your whole life. But in South Korea many people attempt suicide. They die. It may look like the people here don't want for anything. They have clothes and food. But there are more people committing suicide here than in the camp. There are news reports about that every day.

The interviewer asked, "What do you miss about the life in North Korea?" Shin got out his cell phone and started looking at it and tapping the screen before he said:

I miss the innocence and the lack of concerns I had. In the camp … I didn't have to think about the power of money like I do in South Korea. Though I don't miss everything from that camp …. I don't know how else to say it: I miss my innocent heart.

[Matt Woodley, managing editor, PreachingToday.com; sources Camp 14—Total Control Zone, directed by Marc Wiese (2012, Produced by Engstfeld, Germany); Andrew Salmon, "Escape from Camp 14," The Washington Post (4-27-12)]

Shin lived and understood the words of Agur. For while having nothing he recognized people were grateful for the things they received. Yet those who had opportunity to gain power and money were never satisfied; they wanted more and often gave up on life obtaining it.

Father grant us the wisdom to be satisfied with what You have given us and let us always give thanks.    

Wounds of the faithful

2 Thessalonians 3:3 (NLT)

3 But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.

In the beginning of this chapter the apostle asks for prayer from the church that the Lord’s message would be delivered; that it would be spread and honored; that those Christians in bondage to wicked and evil people will be rescued. Then the apostle reminds them that whatever their efforts may be; the Lord is faithful and will strengthen and guard his flock from evil.

[In his novel Ah, But Your Land Is Beautiful, Alan Paton tells the story of Robert Mansfield, the headmaster of a school in South Africa during the days of apartheid, a cruel system of racial segregation. When Mansfield's school was barred from competing against a black school, he finally took a stand against apartheid and resigned his post. A friend said to him, "You know you will be wounded. Do you know that?"

Mansfield replied, pointing to heaven, "When I go up there … the Big Judge will say to me, 'Where are your wounds?' If I say I haven't any, he will say, 'Was there nothing to fight for?' I couldn't face that question." [Alan Paton, Ah, But Your Land Is Beautiful (Scribner, 1996), pp. 66-67]]

For those that have faith and believe The Lord will be with them wherever they go. They may still suffer wounds as they fight against evil, but the wounds are reminders of battles fought and won. They are reminders that God was with them. They are reminders they fought for a good cause.

As I read Robert Mansfield’s words I thought there is plenty to fight for here in this world. There is civil unrest. There are wars that keep appearing. There is poverty around the world. There are those who are ill and are not being cared for. There are those who have never experienced God or the Salvation of His Son Jesus Christ. Yes, there is plenty to fight for and that is what God made us for – to fight those battles for Him.

Finding strength

Isaiah 40:31 (NLT)

31 But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

This is a prophecy of promise that those who trust in The Lord will find strength to accomplish their tasks that they were meant to perform in this life.

Eighty-six year old Joy Johnson, a veteran of 25 New York City marathons, died with her running shoes on. Johnson, who was the oldest runner in this year's marathon, fell at the 20 mile marker in the event. She crossed the finish line at about eight hours. After the race she returned to her hotel room, lay down with her shoes on, and never woke up.

Amazingly, Johnson didn't run her first marathon until she was sixty-one years old. The only hint of the sport was the verse from Isaiah 40:31 which hung on the kitchen wall in her family farm home in rural Minnesota: "But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."

Ironically, the career gym teacher, Johnson was a stranger to personal exercise until she took a three-mile walk in 1986. Then she started jogging and competing in 10-K races. By 1988 she had competed in her first New York City Marathon. Three years later she recorded her best time at age sixty-four with a time of 3 hours and 55 minutes.

A few years ago she told a reporter about her exercise regimen. She would wake up at 4 A.M., drink her coffee while reading her Bible, and then set out on an eight mile pre-dawn run. "When you wake up it can either be a good day or a bad day," Ms. Johnson said. "I always say, 'It's going to be a good day.'"

The devout Christian ran every day but Sunday so she could attend church. Johnson sang hymns to herself to pass the time while running. According to Johnson's daughter, "She was always a happy runner—and besides her faith and family, this was something she loved the most."

[Greg Asimakoupoulos, Mercer Island, Washington; sources: Michael Winter, "NYC marathoner, 86, dies after her 25th race," USA TODAY (11-5-13); Natasha Velez and Bruce Golding, "Marathoner dies happy after chasing dream to last mile," New York Post (11-5-13)]

The verse hanging in Joy Johnson’s kitchen gave her strength to run. She counted on the promise “They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” She ran, she fell, and she got back up and finished the race. The she walked to her hotel where she laid down and died and went home to be with Jesus. For 25 years she had held to that promise, but now she was finally at home with The Lord.

Wisdom of another

Proverbs 20:5 (NLT)

5 Though good advice lies deep within the heart, a person with understanding will draw it out.

This proverb tells us that a person with understanding can draw out the knowledge that lies within a person that is concealed from them deep in their heart.

When Tim Keller moved his family to New York City to start Redeemer Presbyterian Church, he asked his wife Kathy to grant him three years of long hours, and after that, he promised, things would change.

Kathy agreed to Tim's request, but when the three year mark came and went, Tim said, "Just a couple more months." Still, the months flew by with no change. Although Kathy was incredibly patient and restrained, she did have to get Tim's attention. Tim writes what happened next:

One day I came home from work. It was a nice day outside, and I noticed that the door to our apartment's balcony was open. Just as I was taking off my jacket, I heard a smashing noise coming from the balcony. In another couple of seconds I heard another one. I walked out on to the balcony and to my surprise saw Kathy sitting on the floor. She had a hammer, and next to her was a stack of our wedding china. On the ground were the shards of two smashed saucers.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

She looked up and said, "You aren't listening to me. You don't realize that if you keep working these hours you are going to destroy this family. I don't know how to get through to you. You aren't seeing how serious this is. This is what you are doing." And she brought the hammer down on the third saucer.

I sat down trembling. I thought she had snapped. "I'm listening. I'm listening," I said. As we talked, it became clear that she was intense and laser focused, but she was not in a rage or out of control emotionally. She spoke calmly but forcefully. Her arguments were the same as they had been months before, but I realized how deluded I had been. There would never be a convenient time to cut back. I was addicted to the level of productivity I had achieved. She saw me listening for the first time, and we hugged.

Finally I inquired, "When I first came out here, I thought you were having an emotional meltdown. How did you get control of yourself so fast?'"

With a grin she answered, "It was no meltdown. Do you see these three saucers I smashed? I nodded. 'I have no cups for them. The cups have been broken for years. I had three saucers to spare. I'm glad you sat down before I had to break any more."

[Timothy Keller and Kathy Keller, The Meaning of Marriage (Dutton, 2011), pp. 145-146]

Sometimes we need someone wise or close to us in order to pull the truth out of us that we already know. Tim realized he wasn’t being honest with himself. His admission came when he said, “I was addicted to the level of productivity I had achieved.” It took the wisdom of his wife to draw out this conclusion that he had locked up in his heart.

Trust Christ with your life

Matthew 10:39 (NLT)

39 If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.

The Apostles were being sent out as missionaries to go to the people of Israel. Jesus gave them some words of wisdom as they were about to depart. One reminder was the verse above. If a person holds on to their sinful life it will be eventually lost; but for those who give up their life for Jesus they will find a new life intended for them.

Christ says, "Give me all. I don't want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want you. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good. I don't want to cut off a branch here and a branch there. I want to have the whole tree down. I don't want to drill the tooth, or crown it, or stop it, but to have it out. Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think are innocent as well as the ones you think are wicked—the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you myself: my own will shall become yours."

—C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

So often we want to hold onto parts of our life, even the damaging parts. A show that hosted Dr. Drew called Celebrity Rehab was about celebrities with addictions. They went in for treatment because they had a hard time letting go of their problems. Many had held so tight to their addictions and for so long they were about to die. As some of the shows went on we learned some did die, because they went back to their old habits.

Christ calls us to give up our entire life and turn it over to Him. As we release ourselves to Christ, we begin to change. I have known some people who had very corrupt lives, but gave up their life to Christ. They changed so quickly people could no longer believe they were the same person. This is what Christ wants, for us to do, release everything to Him; even the things we think are good about ourselves. Christ will then give us back a life that is worth living for. Are you willing to let go and trust Christ?

Do not provoke your children to anger

Ephesians 6:4 (NLT)

4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.

God has given each parent power over their children that should not be abused. Do not be wrathful towards them, impatient, or provoke them to sinful actions. Instead children should be nurtured and instructed in the ways of The Lord. It is a great duty of parents to ensure their children have a good education and are brought up in the ways of The Lord.

According to researcher Elizabeth Marquardt, many people in our society have bought into "the myth of the good divorce." But after the first national study of the inner lives of children of divorce, Marquardt concluded, "We found that even young people who grew up in a so-called 'good divorce,' one in which their divorced parents got along reasonably well and stayed involved in their lives, still suffered negative effects." For example:

Twice as many children of divorce say they felt like a different person with each of their parents (43 percent versus 21 percent).

More than three times as many agreed with the statement: "I was alone a lot as a child." Seven times as many "strongly agreed."

Two-thirds of kids from intact families went to a parent when they needed comfort. Only one-third of children of divorce did the same; they were more likely to turn to friends or siblings.

Sixty-four percent say life was stressful in their family, compared with 25 percent for intact families.

Three times as many say they love their mother but don't respect her. Four times as many say they love their father but don't respect him.

Over 50 percent of young adults from divorced families say that family life after the divorce was stressful, as compared to 6 percent from happy marriages, and 35 percent from unhappy but low-conflict marriages.

53 percent say they experienced many losses in their lives, as compared to 37 percent from happy marriages and 42 percent from unhappy but low-conflict marriages.

Marquardt summarizes the study by stating: "The idea that a 'good' divorce is good for children is popular. But we found that while an amicable or 'good' divorce is better than a bad divorce, it is inaccurate and misleading to describe the children's experience as 'good.'"

[Elizabeth Marquardt, Between Two Worlds (Three Rivers Pres, 2006); Patrick Kampert, "Wounds of Divorce Linger Long Past Childhood," Chicago Tribune (11-13-05)]

It is difficult enough being a good parent to children, even more difficult when the parents can’t be good partners towards each other. For if they can’t handle a partnership in life how can they display a good relationship in their Christian walk with God; not saying it can’t be done, but it surely is more difficult.

Asking God for help

Psalm 68:4-5 (NIV)

4 Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him—his name is the Lord. 5 A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.

Here the psalmist calls out for others to sing praises to God who is Lord of all. The Lord is one to be extoled for His greatness and majesty.   We are to rejoice in song because of His good deeds. He is a father to the fatherless, a defender of widows and remains holy through all He does.

A friend of mine was speaking to me about his father. He said there were there things he learned over time about his father. His father worked hard; he was persistent; and he never asked for help. He said his father would start a job for someone and then kept at it until it was done. If there was something he found he couldn’t do by himself, he learned a way to get the job done without help.

Then my friend asked, which of those three things do you think I learned? His answer was the third item. He learned to do things without the help of anyone else. It is not always a bad trait, but it can be frustrating and difficult when help is needed and you don’t ask for it.

As I thought about my life, I also was one not to ask for any help. I grew up without a father and my single mom counted on me to get things done. Even when it seemed impossible I found a way to accomplish my tasks without asking for help. There was no one around but me, so I had to be my own helper.

Like my friend, I came to the conclusion it is a difficult task being your own helper. You are alone. You are often exhausted. Sometimes you become frustrated because the job gets difficult and you refuse to turn to anyone for help. You even push people away at times because you believe “I can do this alone.”

Then comes along your children and instead of teaching them how to do the difficult things, you step in as you always have done and take over the job without help. You fail to teach them what they need to do. You become impatient and say, “Here, let me just do it.” You really cheat your kids out of learning about life when you do that. I have to say I was guilty many times of doing that exact thing.

The Bible tells us God is a father to the fatherless and I know God was watching over me in my younger life. I know God was willing to help me, but I often did things myself just as I always did. Even when I needed help with the difficult things in life I would struggle along, while God was saying, “Why don’t you let me help you?”

The question for all of us today is, “Why won’t we let God help us?”  Are we too proud to ask? Do we just not want a relationship with someone who can help? Are we just stubborn and impatient? Whatever the reason may be take time to ask God to help you today through some of the difficult moments.

Peace with enemies

Proverbs 16:7 (NLT)

7 When people’s lives please the Lord, even their enemies are at peace with them.

If we make it our care to be reconciled to God, and to keep ourselves in his love, he will incline those that have been envious towards us, and vexatious to us, to entertain a good opinion of us and to become our friends. ~ Matthew Henry

The Kenyan actress, Lupita Nyong'o, who received the 2014 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in 12 Years as a Slave, offered this moving reflection on the nature of true beauty:

I remember a time when I too felt unbeautiful. I put on the TV and only saw pale skin. I got teased and taunted about my night-shaded skin. And my one prayer to God, the miracle worker, was that I would wake up lighter-skinned … [But] every day I experienced the same disappointment of being just as dark as I had been the day before. I tried to negotiate with God: I told him I would stop stealing sugar cubes at night if he gave me what I wanted; I would listen to my mother's every word and never lose my school sweater again if he just made me a little lighter. But I guess God was unimpressed with my bargaining chips because He never listened.

And when I was a teenager my self-hate grew worse … My mother reminded me often that she thought that I was beautiful but that was no consolation: She's my mother, of course she's supposed to think I am beautiful … And my mother again would say to me, "You can't eat beauty. It doesn't feed you." And these words plagued and bothered me … until finally I realized that beauty was not a thing that I could acquire or consume, it was something that I just had to be … And what my mother meant when she said you can't eat beauty was that you can't rely on how you look to sustain you. [Essence, "Lupita Nyongo Delivers Moving 'Black Women in Hollywood" Acceptance Speech" (2-28-14)]

There are many enemies against us in this world. Sometimes one of those enemies can be ourselves not listening to what God is saying to us. For God tells us that we are precious in His sight. We just need to stop and believe what He is telling us.

Listening to the words of Jesus

Luke 11:13 (NLT)

13 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.

Jesus was teaching His disciples about prayer; so He used several parables to help them understand. Here it this example it was about us giving good gifts to our children. Most good parents want to do good things for their children and yet even these good parents have sin in their lives. God who is perfect and loves us as His children is ready to give to each of us the Holy Spirit just for asking.

Clare de Graff writes in “The 10-Second Rule” (Howard Books, 2013), pp. 52-53 -- I've imagined this scene in my head: I'm playing baseball with Jesus. The stands are full of fans, but out there on the field it's just him and me. I'm the pitcher. Jesus is the catcher, behind home plate. He settles into his crouch, ready to play, and I look for his signals—simple commands. What pitch will he want me to throw? I wait in anticipation, but also with one eye on the crowd. What will they think of me?

He signals a fastball.

I think for a moment and shake my head—no, not a fastball.

Next he signals a slider.

This time I look toward my teammates in the dugout for guidance. Then I glance up at the fans. No, I'm not comfortable with that one either.

He gives me yet a third signal.

No, not today, thank you!

Then I imagine Jesus silently and slowly withdrawing his signaling hand back into his mitt. There's a deep disappointment in his eyes. He's decided to let me throw whatever I want. So I do—and then I wonder why there's just no team spirit anymore!

Has Jesus stopped giving you signals?

I doubt it. He never stops speaking to his children. Is there a signal God's been trying to give you, even as you read this sentence that you've ignored because you just don't want to obey?

I know in my life there have been plenty of times I have failed to listen to Jesus, but Jesus still loves me and still wants to speak into my life. All I need to do is put myself to the side and listen. Father I pray that we all learn to stop in life, put aside our own desires, our own wants, and listen to what has been planned for us through Your Son Jesus Christ.  

The heavens declare the glory of God

Psalm 19:1-2 (NKJV)

1 The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. 2 Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge.

From the things that are seen every day by all the world the psalmist, in these verses, leads us to the consideration of the invisible things of God, whose being appears incontestably evident and whose glory shines transcendently bright in the visible heavens, the structure and beauty of them, and the order and influence of the heavenly bodies. [Matthew Henry]

My wife and I picked up our daughter from a meeting the other night. It was nearing sunset and it had been raining on and off during the afternoon. As we drove up to the building people were looking up into the sky. As we got out of the car we could see why; there was the most beautiful rainbow laid against an orange sky. Never before had I seen anything like this. The sky was completely orange and painted on front of the orange were the colors of the rainbow in a complete arch from one end of the ground to the other.

It’s true what The Bible says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. All around us are beautiful things created by God. Then on special occasions there are even more beautiful and fantastic things never seen before that God places before us. They are so special people stop, look and stand amazed.

The Bible will often talk about fearing God, but it’s not fear like you are about to be punished or disciplined. It is an overwhelming feeling of awe knowing the power, the majesty, and the love of God. If you have ever had that experience you realize the great power of God, what He is capable of doing and that we are small and powerless compared to Him; yet God loves us and would do anything for us. He loves us enough even to paint a beautiful rainbow to remind us of a past promise.

Know He is God

Psalm 46:10 (NLT)

10 “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”

This is proclamation from God that all who are with or against God will know Him. For God will be exalted before every person, in every nation throughout the world.

Let his own people be still; let them be calm and sedate, and tremble no more, but know, to their comfort, that the Lord is God, he is God alone, and will be exalted above the heathen; let him alone to maintain his honour, to fulfil his own counsels and to support his own interest in the world. Though we be depressed, yet let us not be dejected, for we are sure that God will be exalted, and that may satisfy us; he will work for his great name, and then no matter what becomes of our little names. When we pray, Father, glorify thy name, we ought to exercise faith upon the answer given to that prayer when Christ himself prayed it, I have both glorified it and I will glorify it yet again. Amen, Lord, so be it. [Matthew Henry Commentary]

Two commands direct us from the small-minded world of self-help to the large world of God's help. First, "Come, behold the works of the Lord." Take a long, scrutinizing look at what God is doing. This requires patient attentiveness and energetic concentration. Everybody else is noisier than God. The headlines and neon lights and amplifying systems of the world announce human works. But what of God's works? They are unadvertised but also inescapable, if we simply look. They are everywhere. They are marvelous. But God has no public relations agency. He mounts no publicity campaign to get our attention. He simply invites us to look …

The second command is "Be still, and know that I am God." Be still. Quit rushing through the streets long enough to become aware that there is more to life than your little self-help enterprises. When we are noisy and when we are hurried, we are incapable of intimacy—deep, complex, personal relationships. If God is the living center of redemption, it is essential that we be in touch with and responsive to that personal will. If God has a will for this world and we want to be in on it, we must be still long enough to find out what it is (for we certainly are not going to learn by watching the evening news)." [Eugene Peterson, Earth and Altar (InterVarsity Press, 1985), pp. 77-79]

Take time each day to acknowledge the plans and the beautiful works of God. Give praise to the one who leads us to salvation through Jesus Christ. Take time to slow down and develop a personal relationship with both God and Christ so you will understand the importance of your life.

Learn to forgive

Colossians 3:13 (NIV)

13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

A straight forward command, “Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”  The apostle wants to impress on Christians, since they have been forgiven of their sins that they too should learn to forgive others who have sinned against them.

In June of 2012, Carl Ericsson, a 73-year-old South Dakota man, was sentenced to life in prison after admitting to the murder of a former high school classmate. Friends and family members were shocked that the once-successful insurance salesman seemed to snap. Ericsson had been married to his wife for over 44 years.

But after the murder, Ericsson's secret finally came out. For over 50 years he had simmered with a belated grudge: He was still mad about a classmate who had once pulled a jock strap over his head during a high school locker room prank. Norman Johnson, the classmate and murder victim, was a star athlete on the track team. Ericsson was a student sports manager. According to Ericsson's confession, on one occasion Johnson put a jock strap on Ericsson's head, humiliating him and planting the seed of resentment that would continue to grow for over half a century. Apparently, throughout their lives, Norman Johnson continued to outshine Ericsson. Prior to his murder, Johnson had competed in college football, earned a degree, and then taught and coached at his alma mater for more than three decades.

After holding the grudge for over 50 years, Carl Ericsson rang Johnson's doorbell and shot him dead. Ericsson told a judge, "I guess it was from something that happened over 50 years ago. It was apparently in my subconscious." During his sentencing, Ericsson turned to Johnson's widow and apologized, saying, "I just wish I could turn the calendar back."

[Matt Woodley, managing editor, PreachingToday.com; source: Cameron Smith, Bizarre S.D. murder caused by resentment over 50-year-old locker room jockstrap prank," Yahoo Sports Prep Rally blog (6-18-12]

We are to learn to forgive, not so much for the sake of others, but for ourselves. If only Carl Ericsson had forgiven his old classmate and put aside the grudge he held; most likely there would have been no murder.

I know too many people who keep a grudge believing they are tormenting someone else, when actually they are tormenting themselves. The other person may have forgotten all about the incident. The other person may not have even known what they did. So when you hold a grudge you may be the only one who knows the problem.  

Father I pray for those holding onto anger and resentment. I pray they forgive the other person even if they haven’t heard the words I’m sorry. I pray they bring peace back to their own life so they can enjoy it without an old burden weighing them down. I pray this in Jesus name, Amen.

LIve for Christ

Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV)

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior, tells us metaphorically that there are two gates in life; a wide gate and a narrow gate. The wide gate leads to self-indulgent ways that lead to destruction. The narrow gate is focused on the life of Christ and living the life Jesus would desire for us to have.

Haddon Robinson, from his sermon "Love Keeps Going" writes: Several years ago, I helped lead a tour in Turkey of the churches mentioned in the Book of Revelation. On the last night, we were in the city of Izmir and were having dinner at one of its nicer hotels. Our guide had been in the United States at least ten years and spoke English flawlessly. As we were eating, he began to ask us questions, serious questions about the Christian faith. I said to him, "If you're a follower of Islam, and if you died tonight, would you be sure you could stand in the presence of Allah?" "No," he replied. "There are five things that Muslims should do. I've done two out of five."

Then we began to talk about the gospel. We talked about it long into the night, and before we left I said to him, "Look, you're serious about our conversation, I know. It would not be faithful of me not to ask you if right now you'd like to put your trust and confidence in Jesus Christ." He said to me, "You don't know what you're asking me. Do you know what would happen if I did that? If I announced it to anybody, my wife would leave me. My family would disown me. My boss would fire me. I may want to leave to go back to the United States, and the government would not give me an exit visa. I'd give up everything. You go back home tomorrow. I would not expect you would support me, and I would starve to death in my own culture." As far as I know, he did not trust Christ that night. But there are people who have made that decision and suffered all of that loss and endured those hardships because they are Christ followers.

There are people in this world who are afraid to follow Christ because they may be persecuted, abandoned, and even shunned by their family.

Jesus tells us in John 15:20-22, “Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.”

The Lord speaking to Ananias after Paul’s conversion said, “I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” The Lord doesn’t promise us an easy life, but He does promise a rewarding one. We are also promised an eternal life with Christ in heaven where there are no more tears. Live for Christ, He died that we would live.

A cheerful giver

1 Chronicles 29:11 (NIV)

11 Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.

As the gifts for rebuilding the temple are brought in, King David in the assembly of all the people praised The Lord for all of His greatness, majesty and dominion over everything.

Stewart Ruch III, speaks to us from the sermon "Why We Give to Worship and Mission,": My in-laws are missionaries in Brazil. For years they rented a house that they used not only for their own family but also to practice hospitality for people in their community. One day a wealthy widow in Brazil approached my in-laws and said, "I want to buy the house you are renting and give it you. Please take this as a free gift, without any strings attached. I can afford it, and I want to give it to you." It was a beautiful, gracious and unexpected gift.

For the next twenty years, at no point did my in-laws ever say, "This is such an incredible gift; somehow we have to earn the money so we can pay her back. We must repay this debt." They knew that they could never repay this woman for her generosity. So what did they do? Naturally, they brought her close. They became family, and they included her in all their activities. My in-laws kept thinking about ways to express their gratitude and to honor her. "As she has given to us," they kept saying, "we don't have to give back to her; we want to give back to her. The gift she gave to us didn't come with strings attached, but it has bonded us to her forever. We belong to her and she belongs to us."

As a Christian, if you're troubled by the thought of giving back to God, it won't help to hear someone say, "Just get over it and start giving more." Instead you need to hear this: "Believe that you belong to God. Christ has purchased you and your salvation based on his gracious gift. You didn't deserve and you can't earn it. It was a free gift." If you're still trying to figure out how much you can keep and how much you should give, there is a gap in your understanding of God's grace. Once we start to realize what God has done for us, we will give freely, naturally and joyfully.

It is impossible to repay God or Christ for all that has been done for you. Accept the blessings and let them turn to joy in your heart that you may give freely with joy what you can. Learn to give back to others that they too may experience joy and spread the word of God’s good news.

2 Corinthians 9:7 says, “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

A soft answer versus a harsh word

Proverbs 15:1 (NKJV)

15 A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.

This proverb is making a comparison between a soft answer that is tender, soft and delicate versus a harsh answer that is painful, hurtful and offensive. The soft answer turns away wrath, while the harsh word stirs up anger among each other. As king Solomon kept his mind on peace and provided simple lessons to keep it.

Oswald Chambers once wrote - A man who is continually criticized becomes good for nothing, the effect of criticism knocks all the gumption and power out of him.

When a person is continuously beat down with painful, hurtful and offensive words they tend to coward at anything said to them for fear of more hurt and more pain. They have been through battles many times and they realize the outcome is always the same. So they turn inside to themselves, saying nothing and feeling nothing.

There are others though that respond to harsh statements and give back just as strongly as the manner in which they received. Most often it becomes a battle of words that can even turn into a physical fight.

When someone attacks with harsh words, stop for a moment and thing about the person, think about the conditions and think about anything that may have been a trigger. Maybe they are tired and frustrated themselves and just want to vent their frustration on someone else. Maybe it’s time to listen instead of react.

If there was an accidental mistake or a bad choice of words, maybe a simple “I apologize” would cure the situation. There are some who may say, “Why should I apologize, I did nothing wrong.” However a few kind and soft words may be all that is needed to calm an argument. There is no harm in an apology and it can relieve tensions quickly.

If the words were really hurtful and damaging to you; instead of striking back with your own hateful and angry words, take a moment and process your feelings. Maybe you could say something as simple as, “I feel really hurt right now about what was just said, because I was making my best attempt to do something nice and it just seemed to turn out all wrong.”  Notice how the person expresses their feelings without actually making an accusation. Most often when someone connects to another’s feelings they sympathize with them and soften their words and may even apologize.

Follow the words of the Apostle James, “let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.”

Trust in the righteousness of Christ

Hebrews 9:27-28 (NLT)

27 And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, 28 so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.

There is one sure thing; everyone at one point in their life will die. It is the end to all relationships in this world. Once death comes we find out life goes on, not as we knew previously, but a new life, an eternal life. It is at this point many will receive God’s mercy and grace of salvation that Christ provided through His death.

[Alison Ritch, of Birmingham, Alabama wrote: My four-year-old, first-born daughter is—in typical first-born fashion—an agonizer. She agonizes over decisions, weighing her options, sometimes paralyzed by the fear of making a choice that will rule something out. A typical example might go like this: She decides she wants juice instead of the water in her glass at breakfast. She comes into the kitchen with her glass of water and asks for juice, but she clutches the glass instead of emptying it in the sink. "I want juice," she says aloud, "but I want my water, too! What if I get thirsty for water? But juice is so sweet and yummy! Oh, what am I going to do?" She had a choice to make. It takes a little extra money to purchase juice, so we always tell the kids they have to choose during breakfast time—it's one or the other. Plus, her little stomach couldn't take both. So there she was, carton in hand while agonizing over her tap water.

It reminds me of how I often come to Christ. I come clutching whatever I'm sure of, whatever I think I have—my righteousness, my things—and ask him for, well, him. I pray, "Lord, fill me with your Spirit. Jesus, I want more of you." But my heart continually goes after what I think will fill me, prove me, justify me, satisfy me. I clutch my reputation, my talents, my possessions. But here's the painful truth: I cannot be filled with Jesus when I won't empty out everything else.

In the third chapter of Philippians, Paul tells the Philippian church that he considers all his former qualifications as garbage because of the far greater worth of knowing Christ. But he doesn't just say that his reasons for "confidence in the flesh" are considered trash in comparison to knowing Christ—although that is certainly true. In verse 8, he writes, "For [Christ's] sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ" (emphasis mine). Paul knew that if he wanted Christ, he had to throw everything else in the dumpster. Just like—however difficult the choice is—my daughter has to choose between water and juice, we have to choose between Christ's righteousness and our own, Christ's riches or ours. We cannot have both.]

Christ died to take away the sins of many people. However, there are some people who trust in their own beliefs or as the Apostle Paul called it, their own garbage. There is no one greater than Christ to remove the sins of the world. Trust in the righteousness of Christ!