July 14, 2015

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." I Corinthians 13:4-8

I am enjoying revisiting this portion of Scripture for the Summer! I love meditating on familiar verses and seeing fresh new insights!

What blesses me today as I studied is the thought that God is loving while I am not. 

How does that bless me?

It blesses me to be reminded that I don't love as I should.

It blesses me to know that God loves me like He does even though I don't love as I should.

It blesses me to know that I can receive the love God has for me!

It blesses me to know that He wants to give me His love and love through me if I will receive His love by faith.

God is patient. God is kind, God always behaves consistent with His holy character. He rejoices in truth and never rejoices in evil. He always hopes, He always trusts, He always hopes and He always perseveres. He never fails!

That is a wonderful list of things God is that I'm not but want to be. It is an inspiring list of wonderful things I can be through the power of God's love!

I am jealous, boastful, proud, rude, self-centered, irritable, vindictive, I rejoice in evil and resist truth. I not hopeful, I'm not trusting, and I give up easily. I often fail.

But I can be different!

The power of His love can change me from how I am to how He is!

I love that!

July 13, 2015

"Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness." James 3:13-18

The word "understanding" is a key word in this portion of Scripture. James used a word here that is used exclusively in this text and it connotes a "specialist". It takes a "specialist" to receive and properly apply wisdom. How would you like to be known as someone who specializes in wisdom? Could you live with that?

How do you know when someone is a wisdom specialist? Do they have a business card? Do they get a title? If you want to pick them out of a crowd what would you look for?

That is essentially the point of this portion of Scripture. A practitioner of wisdom demonstrates a very distinct lifestyle. He has attitudes and actions that set him apart from those who do not understand true wisdom.

So, wisdom is intensely practical. It is not just subscribing to a particular set of beliefs or creeds. Wisdom is not a matter of what you know but what you show. Knowledge is important and you certainly must know the correct things. But simply having head knowledge doesn't guarantee a change of heart or behavior. The world is filled with highly educated and very knowledgeable people who live ungodly lives because knowledge tends to puff up a person with pride. Pride and wisdom are mutually exclusive.

Show me a wise person and I will show you a humble person. The wise person understands that knowledge brings power and he respects that power. Wise people understand that there is a responsibility that comes with knowledge. Humble people live under accountability to the power and the responsibility of knowledge.

The wisest man who ever lived summed up the wisdom, knowledge and understanding interface this way, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6e

Do you need to "wise up"? Are you trusting in what you know or are you living out what you believe? Has your knowledge puffed you up with pride or has it humbled you? Do you seek to use your knowledge as leverage to promote yourself at the expense of others?

The truth remains, if you really believe it your life will show it.

July 12, 2015

"(love) Is not rude....." I Corinthians 13:5

After spending the past week condemning rudeness, this post may sound like a contradiction initially but stay with me.

I would define rude behavior as anything ill-mannered or demeaning directed at another person. Rude behavior can be either intentional or careless.

Rude behavior usually arises out of being self-seeking, irritable or vindictive as indicated here in verse 5.

Most people recognize rude behavior when they see it. Especially when it is happening to them!

But here is the tricky part!

There is a day coming when the behavior we cherish and value as believers will be considered rude by most people in our culture. We can already see instances of it happening.

You may be familiar with the Christ-owned bakery out in Oregon whose owners were considered rude because they chose not to bake a wedding cake for a same-sex couple's wedding. Beyond being considered rude, their decision was ruled illegal and they have lost their bakery business.

While it once would have been considered rude for the same-sex couple to insist this couple bake their cake instead of simply finding a baker who would, that has flipped one hundred and eighty degrees.

Saying to someone that Jesus is the only way to salvation and only those who trust in Him will be save may soon be considered a rude statement because it is so exclusive and discriminatory.

Verbalizing your belief that the Bible is absolute truth and anything contrary to it is wrong will soon be branded as an intolerant and rude statement.

Having doubts about climate change being caused by human activities and expressing those doubts will soon be considered rude and crude by many in our culture.

Love is not rude.

But as our culture grows increasingly confused over the meaning of real love it will be a challenge to avoid offending their notions of rudeness.

Make sure you are vitally connected to Christ so you can be clear on the concept!

July 11, 2015

"(love) Is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not easily provoked, does not keep a record of wrongs." I Corinthians 13:5

The Christian faith is primarily about relationships. It requires a personal spiritual relationship with God through Christ by faith. And, it involves relationships with other people. All you need to do is look at the Ten Commandments and you realize the centrality of relationships. The first four commands have to do with God and the next six apply to relationships with others.

When Jesus reduced the Ten Commandments down to one it still centered on relationships, "Love God with all your being and love your neighbor as yourself."

Since our vision at FredWes is to love people to life we are dedicating the Summer to learn from Paul's detailed description of love to the Christians at Corinth in Chapter 13. Love is patient and love is kind but love is not rude.

You cannot act rudely and be successful in relationships so we have devoted the week to learning how to avoid being rude.Rude behavior is destructive to relationships at all levels.

If you want to avoid being rude seek ways to serve others rather than being self-seeking. When you feel yourself wanting or needing to be the center of attention look for a way to serve someone else.

Another way to avoid being rude is to value people and relationships highly. If developing and protecting relationships are a high priority for you, you will be more tolerant and less easily irritated by others. If small things provoke you then you will struggle in relationships.

A third issue in developing strong relationships is learning to get over things quickly. Forgive easily and keep short accounts. When you become vindictive you will struggle with relationships.

Healthy relationships are a key component to happiness. Rudeness will damage relationships and rob you of happiness.

Love is not rude.

Choose not to be rude.

Open your heart to the love of God. Get your relationship right with Him and ask Him to help you get over being self-seeking, irritable and vindictive.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

July 10, 2015

What if you could change your world in a powerfully positive way just by being courteous and well-mannered?

Why would you not do that?

If you are a Christ-follower God is calling you to use your influence to draw people toward Him.

"It (love) is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs." I Corinthians 13:5

"You are the salt of the earth......You are the light of the world...." Matthew 5:13 & 14

The way you live your life is to influence others like salt which adds flavor, purifies and preserves when it is sprinkled on something. Do you have that sort of impact on your world?

Is your community a better place because of your involvement in it?

It should be! That's what God expects from you!

Your daily walk should shed the light of Biblical truth to guide others toward God. 

Are you living in a way that pushes back the darkness and shines His light?

You should be! God calls you to live that way!

The call of God upon His people is the call to love Him with your whole life so He can love others to life through you!

But that can't happen if you behave rudely.

If you post crude and hurtful things on the internet, that rude behavior reflects a lack of love.

If you treat store clerks or restaurant servers rudely you are not being salt or light. You are being a insult to His light!

If you snub or ignore people who visit your church service, you are not salt or light. You are an insult to His love.

If you can have an evangelistic impact just by courteous and well mannered why wouldn't you do that?

According to Paul in verse 5, you are rude because by nature you are self-seeking, you are short-tempered, and you are vindictive. Those are the attitudes and character flaws that cause you behave rudely toward others.

Before you can love others, you need to encounter the love of God! You must submit your unloving nature, your self-loving nature to His transforming love and grace.

Surrender the self-seeking part of your nature to the Spirit of God.

Confess your irritability to God and allow His love to transform your nature.

Choose to forget what you have forgiven and release past hurts so you can experience future blessing!

There is a world to win and once we begin to BEHAVE in a way consistent with our BELIEFS God's light and love will translate into salt and light!

July 9, 2015

Watch this brief video clip: 

  http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nationnow/2015/06/29/pastor-joel-osteen-heckled-       lakewood-church/29469585/

These guys were really rude!

When I first heard this story last week I thought : "Oh, no! Was this terrorism?"

My attitude changed from concern to disgust when I learned that those who had done the heckling were FROM ANOTHER CHURCH! I have concerns and questions about Joel Osteen's ministry but I cannot imagine going to his church to heckle him!

God help us!

This is an example of the sort of behavior Paul had in mind when he wrote to the Christians at Corinth: "It (love) does not dishonor others, is not self-seeking, is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs." I Corinthians 13:5

The whole point of I Corinthians 13:4-8 is the necessity of love within the Church of Jesus Christ. Implied in this teaching is that everything that Christians do in the Church or in the name of the Church MUST be done in love and love is NOT rude, nor is it SELF-SEEKING, nor is it IRRITABLE, nor does it hold a GRUDGE.

So, let's examine the behavior of these six hecklers who claim to be fellow Christians.

Was this heckling action during a Christian worship service rude?

Was this heckling action designed to call attention to themselves?

Did this heckling appear to be inspired by anger?

Could these actions have been motivated a grudge against Pastor Osteen?

If the answer to any of these questions is, "Yes!", then their actions are not motivated by love and are under the rebuke of St. Paul!

Someone once opined, "Christians are the only army that shoots their own wounded."

This is a case in point.

God help us!

"Love behaves like it believes."

July 8, 2015

"It (love) does not dishonor others, is not self-seeking, is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs." I Corinthians 13:5

When I look at this verse I wonder why Paul even bothered to include it in his description of Godly love. Isn't it just common sense that love would be courteous and polite?

Shouldn't you expect to be treated politely by Christians when you attend a church?

You would think so, but apparently not. I Chapter 11 Paul reprimands the Corinthians for their rude behavior during their church dinners. When they had church dinners some families were bringing meals and eating in front of people who had no food. That's rude!

In Chapter 12 the Apostle rebuked these church members for being rude and divisive with the exercise of their spiritual gifts.

I'm saddened to say that I have seen Christians behaving badly in some of the churches I have served. It is heartbreaking to see people who should know better behave no better than unconverted people.

I've seen otherwise good guys embarrass themselves (and the church) on the softball field shouting at an umpire. I've seen similar shameful outbursts during church league basketball games.

I once had a Treasurer who disagreed with my servant leadership standard for the Leadership Team members. So rather than sit down and talk it out with me, he began "cooking the books" to make it look like the church was struggling financially when in fact it wasn't. He was trying to undermine confidence in my leadership.

There was a small group of people in one church I served that was upset with me over several issues, but rather than discuss it with me they would stand up and walk out just as I came to the platform to preach. 

I have seen Christians chase people out of parking spots and pews. (usually it was visitors they picked on)

Worst of all, I can painfully recall a time or two that I acted rudely.

God only knows the extent of the damage done to the reputation of The Church and to the cause of Christ by Christians behaving badly. That is why I grieve over these examples I shared. Their behavior did not represent them well nor was it typical of our church.

We know better. We are taught to be polite and mannerly before we go off to Kindergarten. Our parents punished us for rude behavior. So why do we still act rudely at times?

The rest of verse five gives some insight into our rude behavior. 

Love is not "self-seeking", not "easily angered" and "keeps no record of wrong".

There is no doubt that the times I was rude it was because I was caught in a moment of selfishness. I think that would account for the rudeness exhibited in the other scenarios I shared earlier.

Being easily angered often results in someone acting rudely as in the examples of the shameful behavior toward umpires and referees.

Keeping a grudge can be a third cause of rude behavior. Keeping a record of wrongs usually leads to the desire to get even.

"Love behaves like it believes" and rude, selfish, angry, vindictive behavior is not what we believe in!

Will you ask God to keep you from acting rudely today?