I want to take you on a trip down memory lane for a minute. Some of you may remember a famous comedian named Flip Wilson. He had a TV show in the 1970s, and on this show he had such famous characters as Geraldine Jones and Brother Leroy. He also had some famous lines, including one that ties in nicely with the reading we heard from the Book of James. That line was, “The devil made me do it!” The characters in Flip Wilson’s comedy routines often blamed the devil for leading them into trouble, and they were partially right. The devil can’t make anyone do anything, but he can definitely tempt us and influence our choices.

The devil is part of earthly wisdom, and James contrasts earthly wisdom and heavenly wisdom. People’s lives reflect the source of their wisdom. There is “earthly, unspiritual, devilish” wisdom that leads to “envy and selfish ambition” in the individual and “disorder and wickedness of every kind” in society. Against this, there is “wisdom from above” that is “first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits…” Trouble arrives, he tells us, when we act based on earthly wisdom and not out of faithfulness to God.

The Letter of James was controversial for much of Christian history, largely because its emphasis on doing good works seemed to clash with parts of Paul’s writings that emphasized salvation by faith alone and not by works. This passage can help us understand that faith in God and charity towards our neighbor are inseparable. It is our faithful adherence to the “wisdom from above” that spurs us to act gently, justly, and in ways that will yield “good fruits.”

If we have a right relationship with God, we will be understanding people and show concern for others, and therefore we will demonstrate heavenly wisdom. Heavenly wisdom is shown through Jesus, available through the Holy Spirit, written in the Bible and delivered in a steady flow from God to us. Heavenly wisdom is the foundation for our Christian lives. When we draw close to God, he will draw closer to us in response. If we put ourselves under God’s control, we will be open to God’s grace. This will be the ultimate challenge for proud people.

If we trust in God’s wisdom, we will be seen as meek. This is not to be confused with the world’s definition of meekness, which is cowardice and passivity. Earthly wisdom comes from sin and Satan. Earthly wisdom causes chaos, self-ambition and the playing of the “blame game.” Peace is the opposite of selfish ambition. If we bring peace, we will harvest a rich crop of righteousness.

Selfish desires cause people to make war against each other, even in the church. For example, James talks about murder taking place in the church. How could that happen? One possible reason is that the rich were taking the poor to court and basically stripping them of all they owned. Without food or the necessities of life, the result was death. In addition, how many churches have been divided because of selfish desires?

Another example is people who leave a church because they don’t like the Order of Service or the music or the minister or something else. We don’t come to church because of the Order of Service or the music or the minister. We come to church to worship with both God and fellow believers.

We show earthly, sin-filled wisdom when we are estranged from God. James tells us that if we try to get what we want through our own efforts instead of asking God, we will end up being frustrated. Worldly pleasures never satisfy us. They provide short-term pleasure and long-term pain. External conflict is often a sign of internal conflict, because if we are not at peace with ourselves, we are not likely to be at peace with others, especially within the church.

One of the deepest problems in our world is the problem of the human heart. If there were no greed, jealousy, anger, covetousness or any other sin, the world would be a much better place. If we truly loved one another and treated each other with respect, the world would also be a much better place. Unfortunately, this will be wishful thinking unless and until we put others first instead of ourselves. This will be wishful thinking unless and until we seek God’s will for our lives

Wisdom is more than understanding something intellectually. Wisdom must be demonstrated in our Christian lifestyle. Wisdom must be pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruit, without hypocrisy or partiality, and show true justice. This type of wisdom comes only from God. James is concerned with our ability to understand the truth of God’s Word and live it by faith. We do these things by submitting to God, denying ourselves, taking up our crosses daily and humbling ourselves before God. When we humble ourselves before God, we grow closer to him, and when we grow closer to him, offering forgiveness becomes easier over time, our faith will increase and our concern for the spiritual conditions of others will expand. Heavenly wisdom is full of sacrificial earthly action. We must use our circle of influence or friends to make a difference for God. After all, wisdom is not what we know but what we sow.

The main way we humble ourselves before God is through prayer. God makes us ask for what we want and need, even though he already knows what we need and want. He makes us ask because he wants to have fellowship with us, and the only way he can have fellowship with us is for us to talk to him through prayer. Those who humble themselves before God and trust him to provide for their needs will receive his grace. That grace will give us the desire and ability to obey God and respond in a way that pleases him.

Prayer is the lifeblood of our relationship with God, but sometimes we have questions about its power and effectiveness. We will find the answers to those questions when we take them to God, study the Bible for answers and talk to a trusted spiritual mentor. Some of these answers will cause us to question the motives behind our prayers.

God is very concerned with those motives. He’s interested in the state of our hearts. We need to check our motives from time to time. James points out that there are two problems in prayer lives-lack of prayer and wrong motives. Believers don’t get what they ask for when they do not ask or when they ask with selfish motives. Some of us have promised God that we will walk closely with him or that we will spend time in his word only to find that we became busy or tired and therefore broke those promises. We became disappointed with life’s circumstances, so we gave up on the promises we made.

Resisting the devil means that we have submitted to God, and that means going to his word as written in the Bible to counteract our earthly thoughts, feelings and wants. If we obey his word, he will draw near to us, and when that happens, wars will cease. We will not be at war with God, so we will not be at war with ourselves or with others. Prejudice, bitterness, anger and hatred will be uprooted at the foot of the cross. We as Christians must not have any of these things in our hearts because we are all sinners in need of a Saviour in spite of our differences.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)
2. David Jeremiah, “Defeating Temptation.” Retrieved from turningpoint@davidjeremiah.org
3. ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 10 Bible software package.
4. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NKJV (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
5. Cedar, P.A. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 34: James/1&2 Peter/ Jude (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1984)
6. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, NASV (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
7. Dr. Charles Stanley, “Spiritually Satisfied.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
8. Bayless Conley, “The Motive of Faith.” Retrieved from Christianity.comn@crosswalkmail.com
9. Pastor Ed Young, “Make the Most of Your Opportunity.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
10. Michael Youssef, Ph.D., “Coming Back to the Cross.” Retrieved from mydevotional@leadingtheway.org
11. Stormie Omartian, “Maturing in Prayer.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
12. Dr. Neil Anderson, “Your Position in Christ.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
13. Alex Crain, “Not What You Wanted?” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
14. Dr. Charles Stanley, “Does Prayer Make a Difference?” Retrieved from Jesus.org@crosswalkmail.com
15. Billy Graham, “What is the World’s Greatest Challenge?” Retrieved from www.arcamax.com
16. Steve Arterburn, “Fellowship with God.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

The scene in Mark 8:27-38 is the climax of the first half of Mark’s Gospel. This first half focuses on miracles and gradually reveals Jesus as the Messiah. The second half explains the nature of that Messiahship and has far more teaching and far fewer miracles.

Caesarea Philippi was located well into the heart of Gentile territory. Why would Jesus choose this location instead of Jerusalem to reveal himself as Israel’s Messiah? The most likely reason was to state that his followers were not to remain in Jerusalem but were to go to the ends of the earth and proclaim the Good News of the Gospel.

Jesus did not want the disciples to reveal his identity right away because they did not completely understand what that meant, as Peter demonstrated when he rebuked Jesus. Peter’s reasoning was demonic. He was influenced by Satan, hence Jesus’ demand to “Get behind me, Satan.”

Three times Jesus mentioned that his death and resurrection were part of God’s plan, and each time the disciples misunderstood his meaning. They thought that the kingdom meant Israel’s return to power and the end of Roman rule. Christ’s way meant suffering and sacrifice, not political maneuvering. Jesus knew that the freedom people need the most is spiritual freedom from sin and God’s wrath, not freedom from political oppression.

Christ’s death represents atonement for sin, and the beginning of God’s eternal, messianic rule. Nothing can make up for the loss of our soul, but there are many times when we exchange our souls and our lives for worldly things instead of spiritual things. Worldly things do not lead to eternal life. Those who give up their lives for the sake of Christ and the Gospel will find eternal life. This concept was very evident to the readers of Mark’s Gospel because they faced persecution and conflict. They saw this as a challenge to be faithful. We have the same challenge today. The world is still hateful to both Christians and the Good News of the Gospel. 

I read a news story some time ago about a group of young people who were arrested for trespassing and attempted burglary. They drove to a car lot late at night and removed a set of tires from one of the cars on the lot. Unfortunately for them, the lot’s owner saw them on closed-circuit television. While they were busy trying to steal his tires, he picked up their vehicle with his forklift and hid it inside a building. When they finished their dirty work and were ready to leave, they had no transportation.

Many people today are the same. They spend all of their time trying to get material goods that they think will make them happy, when what they really need for happiness is a personal relationship with God. That relationship will provide us with the transportation we need to get to heaven when we die.

We must not let anything or anyone worldly take control of our lives. Self-control is the fruit of the Spirit that the apostle Paul refers to in Galatians 5:22-23. When we have self-control, we can stand up to people and things who try to tell us what we should be and what we should do.

Jesus taught that being great in God’s kingdom means self-denial and sacrificial service. These values are opposite to the world’s values. Self-denial means letting go of self-determination and becoming obedient to and depending on Jesus. Happiness comes from service, and we need to practice service and generosity today. These two things will bring more happiness to our lives than anything else, and they also define what it means to be a Christian. Jesus is calling us to carry the cross of sacrificial living. Words come easy and living the life is more of a challenge, but in today’s world people need to see that sacrificial living leads to fulfillment and real life.

Sacrifice does not necessarily mean martyrdom. It also means doing small tasks such as giving food to a hungry person or a cup of cold water to someone who is thirsty. It also means doing things in the church such as teaching a Sunday school class or singing in the choir. Our willingness to do the small tasks as they are needed is more important than our willingness to die for Christ when that is not needed.

We do not have to do this alone, and we can’t do this alone. We need strength, and Jesus will give us that strength. This strength will allow us to live a life that will bring us blessing and fulfillment beyond our wildest dreams.

If we become suffering servants like Christ was, there is a danger that we might assume that the saving work of Christ is automatic. Mark’s Gospel reminds us that this assumption is false. Christ’s suffering servanthood teaches us about the Incarnation, but the passion of his suffering teaches us about his redemption. Too much emphasis today is placed on the healing of human hurts, which reflects Christ’s loving care for us when we hurt. More emphasis needs to be placed on righting of human wrongs, also known as sin.

This might makes us uncomfortable in the short term. We like our worship to be comforting and uplifting, and while this is a necessary part of worship, it must not be the most important part. The main emphasis must be on redirecting our lives, our values and our priorities. This disruption in our lives is necessary if we truly believe that the heart of Jesus’s message is change or repentance. If we accept this, we have to let go of the lives we have now, no matter how painful the process will be.

Jesus’ message of self-sacrifice won’t always fit neatly into our earthly lives. Words like “Come die with us,” or “Follow Jesus no matter what the cost,” or “Called to sacrifice for the world” aren’t heard very often in churches today. These words are the heart of what Jesus taught. He wants us to follow him by giving of ourselves so that others may know his grace. Believers have resisted this call since it was first made over 2,000 years ago, so it isn’t surprising that the same call is resisted today. How do we as Christians see it?

Our attitude as children of God must centre on a life that is lived in him. In return for his sacrifice we need to make good use of the opportunities Christ sends our way. God wants to be an active presence in our lives, and it is because God has been an active part of the lives of men and women throughout history that the church has survived and thrived. If the church is to survive today, God needs to be active in our lives today. If more people made God an active part of their lives, the world would be a better place (and our churches and offering plates would be full to overflowing every Sunday!).

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)
2. ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 10 Bible software package.
3. McKenna, D.L. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 25: Mark (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982)
4. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NKJV (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
5. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, NASV (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006
6. Paul Estabrooks, “The Cross-Choosing to Follow Jesus.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
7. Rick Warren, “You’re Happiest when You Give Your Life Away.” Retrieved from connect@newsletter.purposedriven.com
8. Exegesis for Mark 8:24-38. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
9. Pastor Ken Klaus, “Let Us Follow Jesus.” Retrieved from lh_min@lhm.org
10. Steve Arterburn, “Will You Have a Ride?” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
11. Pastor Dave Risendal, “What does it mean to be a Christian?” Retrieved from donotreply@wordpress.com

Have you ever heard the old saying “absolute power corrupts absolutely?” The events in 1 Kings 11:1-13 are a good example of the fact that this saying is true.

Solomon was about 60 years old by this time. Among kings in the ancient Near East, taking foreign wives often produced political alliances: for Israel, it led to the worship of other gods-a double disobedience. At first, Solomon’s sin was immorality and sensuality, but eventually it became gross idolatry that divided his heart.  A love of the world and a ceaseless round of pleasure corrupted his heart and produced (at least for a little while) a state of mental darkness.

Some scholars regard Solomon as merely humoring his wives in the practice of their superstition. They also argue that in being present during their respective religious rites, Solomon was only paying an outward homage. Solomon mistakenly assumed that allowing idolatry to exist alongside the worship of God was a commendable form of neutrality. In reality, his actions were sins in God’s eyes. This reminds us of the fact that sin’s victory in our lives most often occurs not by sudden satanic assaults but by slow, moral erosion.

It was bad enough that Solomon took so many wives and concubines and strained the finances of his court. It was bad enough that they were foreigners, and this led to suspicions among the Israelites. What made the situation intolerable was that Solomon took the women from the nations God specifically warned him to avoid. The Scriptures specifically told the Israelites not to marry Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites, but Solomon chose his harem from these very nations.

Even God’s blessing and wisdom cannot compensate for a divided heart. Solomon spoke with the God of Israel in person twice and was singled out for a special blessing. Yet he left a son who was more foolish than he was, and Solomon died knowing the great kingdom God had given him from his father would soon be torn asunder.

Solomon was favoured with gifts from heaven, but he grossly abused them. God pronounced a terrible judgment on Solomon’s household, but not on Solomon himself. God decided to spare a part of Solomon’s kingdom so that He could keep the divine promise He made to King David. God rose up an adversary to plague Solomon. God was not punishing Solomon. God wanted the adversary to turn Solomon’s heart back to God. When we suffer adversity we should examine ourselves to see if there is sin in our lives. That is not always true, but it is something to which we must be sensitive.

Similar situations often happen today. Many pastors in their later years have fallen away from earlier patterns of exemplary ministry. Some were manipulated by younger pastors who use their reputations to support their own causes-causes that those senior ministers opposed when they were younger. Others have given in to inappropriate popular trends that seem to be succeeding in desperate attempts to rescue a ministry that they believe is declining. Others in their senior years become obsessed with establishing some sort of earthly immortality and building monuments in hopes of perpetuating their names.

Solomon’s defiance was not a sudden thing. He planted some seeds early in life and harvested them later in life. The first seeds were seeds of compromise. He made an alliance with Pharaoh and married Pharaoh’s daughter. As a result of that compromise, he began to make concessions in his spiritual walk.

Later, he planted seeds of extravagance. He spent lavishly. He lived lavishly. There were no limits in his budget. He was able to buy at will, build whatever he desired and live wherever and however he wished. Self-control and restraint were not in his vocabulary.

He also planted seeds of unaccountability. Solomon was never willing to be accountable-not to any of his counsellors, not to any of the prophets, not to any of his wives. He never asked for straight answers or listened to sound advice. He was close-minded. He even ignored what God was telling him.

He also planted seeds of idolatry. When harvested, Solomon’s idolatry led to lust and open defiance.

Healthy compromise occurs when we can “give in” without sacrificing our values and beliefs. A different kind of compromise leads us to abandon sound ideas or standards, leaving us morally and spiritually bankrupt. We live in a world full of temptations that urges us to compromise our godly values. When we choose to compromise, we pay a price, even though it may not seem immediately apparent to us or to other people. Satan wants us to believe the lie that no one gets hurt when we compromise our core values, but that lie has cost people their jobs and ministries, children their innocence, and at times it has cost people their very lives.

What happened to Solomon is an example of how God stands ready to deal with His people. We must remember that He is still jealous for our hearts. When we walk against His way, He deals with us.

God never blesses us so we can hoard His gifts. He blesses us so we can share them. Don’t allow spiritual erosion to begin in your life. It’s easier to avoid it altogether than it is to stop it once it has begun. Has God put his finger on something in your lives? Perhaps you’ve crossed the line and are no longer flirting with compromise but have jumped headlong into it. Satan is cunning and powerful. If he can get you to give up what is important to you, he can send you down a dark road that will cost you dearly. Don’t fall for it. Don’t give in. Don’t compromise what you shouldn’t. Trust God and leave the consequences to Him.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; p. 457)
2. A Commentary: Critical, Experimental, and Practical on the Old and New Testaments. Part of Wordsearch 12 Bible software package.
3. Dilday, R. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol 9: 1,2 Kings (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1987; pp. 120-125)
4. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New Kings James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
5. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
6. Dr. Ed Young, “Don’t Allow Spiritual Erosion in Your Life.” Retrieved form ministry@winningwalk.org
7. Charles R. Swindoll, “Defiance: A Biblical Warning.” Retrieved from eministries@insightforliving.ca
8. Charles R. Swindoll, “God’s Attitude Toward Defiance.” Retrieved from eministries@insightforliving.ca

Have you ever noticed that Jesus often does things that we don’t expect him to do? Take the stories we read in Mark 7:24-37, for example. He does two things that we don’t expect him to do.

First, Jesus gave an uncharacteristically rude and abrupt reply to the woman’s request for her daughter to be healed. Jesus is often portrayed as a gentle, kind and caring person, but in this case he gave a harsh response. The woman made a bold move by approaching Jesus in the first place. At that time, women did not boldly approach men. She was also bold by continuing to engage him when he attempted to dismiss her because she was a Gentile.

There was a reason for his reaction. He wanted to encourage the woman to keep asking him to cast the demons out of her daughter. This should remind us that God doesn’t always answer prayer right away, and sometimes he doesn’t answer prayers in the way we want him to answer them. Sometimes he says, “yes’”, sometimes he says, “no,” sometimes he says “not right now,” and sometimes he says, “no, I have something even better in mind for you.”

The Jews hated the Gentiles and referred to them as “dogs.” In Jewish households at that time, people ate with their fingers and then wiped their hands with a piece of bread, which was given to their pet dogs to eat. Since dogs were considered to be unclean, Gentiles and dogs were on the same level in Jewish society. Dogs also ate any crumbs that were dropped from the table. When the woman referred to dogs eating the crumbs from the table, she meant that the Gentiles would accept any scraps from Jesus’s initial ministry to the Jews. Because of the woman’s faith, Jesus healed her daughter without seeing her or touching her.

Jesus was right when he told the woman that he was sent to minister first to the people of Israel, but there would come a time when his ministry of God’s salvation would be extended to the whole world.  After all, Jesus was in Gentile territory, and even in Gentile territory his fame preceded him, so he could not move about in anonymity.

The woman with the demon-possessed daughter knew that Jesus’ first earthly ministry was to the Jews. She was willing to accept this, and she was willing to be called a dog, but her love for her daughter was so great that she was willing to endure Jesus’ harsh remarks. She did not give up, and neither should we. When we persist in spite of harsh treatment and ridicule, Jesus will meet us at our point of need and bless us richly. Everyone who accepts Jesus as Lord will never be turned away.

God sometimes tests our faith for various reasons, just like Jesus tested the woman’s faith with his rude reply. The reasons for these tests range from strengthening our faith to teaching us something. When Jesus was abrupt with the woman, he was testing her faith. Jesus and life can be hard teachers at times. They give the test first and then they teach the lesson. Our response to their tests influences our character, faith and future. By the way, the woman passed her test with flying colours!

Sometimes the life of faith doesn’t turn out the way we want it to. When this happens, we must continue to believe not only because we want to, but because we have to. Jesus is the only one we can rely on in our deepest sadness. Jesus is the only one we can hope in when all hope is lost. Jesus is the only one we can seek out, fall at his feet and ask for even just a small amount of help. Jesus can take our belief and call it faith.

Another way Jesus surprised the people was by healing the deaf man who had a speech impediment. He healed the man in a very personal way-by touching him. Such a miracle was expected of the Messiah, but the fact that this miracle would be done for a Gentile was a complete surprise. By healing the deaf man, Jesus’ popularity reached a new high. He told both the man and the crowd not to tell anyone about what happened (because it was not time for his ministry to be extended to the Gentiles), but they disobeyed him.

In Jesus’ time, sickness was thought to be the result of sin. When Jesus touched the deaf man, he touched someone whom many people considered to be a sinner. Jesus came a long way physically, religiously and socially to get to this man, open his ears and loosen his tongue. By healing the deaf man and the woman’s daughter, Jesus reached out to people who were eager to hear him.

Jesus is for everyone, but what really matters is our relationship with God. Part of that relationship includes regular prayer time with God. How we pray does not matter. For example, it is the custom today for people to close their eyes and bow their heads when they pray, but when Jesus healed the deaf man, he looked to heaven when he prayed. There are no standards or postures for prayer. Prayer is about a person’s heart.

Heaven was the source of Jesus’ power. If we want to see God’s presence at work, we must look at the power behind a miracle, and that power is God. All miracles are God’s blessings. If we meet the needs of other people, we can be a part of God’s miracles in their lives.

Jesus took the deaf man aside as an act of common courtesy. He does not want to embarrass anyone. People’s feelings were important to him. He was sensitive to the deaf man, just like he is sensitive to the cues of everyone he deals with. He reads the situation and acts accordingly. We need to follow his example when we deal with hurting people in our world.

When the deaf man was healed, the people saw God at work in Jesus. They confessed that Jesus was the Messiah. Mark uses this to lead us to the point where we will also confess that Jesus is the Son of God and his Gospel is the Good News of salvation for everyone.

There are a lot of similarities between the deaf man and the disciples. The man could not hear or speak properly, and the disciples could not understand what Jesus was telling them. Because they could not understand what Jesus said and did, their proclamation of the Good News was hampered. They needed Jesus’ touch so that they could see, hear and understand.

We also need Jesus’ touch so we can understand. The church often experiences the same failings. For example, many preachers proclaim the Prosperity Gospel by telling people that all they have to do to become rich is believe when they really need to tell the people to take up their cross and follow Jesus. The church also tolerates any divisions within its midst because crossing these dividing lines makes people uncomfortable. Jesus crossed all sorts of racial, religious and other boundaries during his ministry, and he calls on us to cross those same boundaries today. Jesus’ commitment to enter Gentile territory shows his commitment to those who are different, and he calls on us to share that same commitment.

Our worship agenda is too often “what we get out of it.” In other words, we are concerned more with God serving us than we are with us serving God. We need to recover our ability to be astonished, especially our ability to be astonished by the wonderful things Jesus does in our lives today. The miracles we read about in the Bible seem to be so remote to us, but Jesus still works miracles and changes lives. We need to open our eyes, ears and hearts to the wondrous things of God that are happening all around us. Then, we need to bring a friend to Jesus either in person or in our prayers.

The deaf man represents each and every one of us, and the miracle of his healing applies to each and every one of us. Just as Jesus opened the ears of the deaf man to hear physical sound, he opens our ears to hear the gospel message. Just as he opened the eyes of the blind, he opens our spiritual eyes to see by the light of faith. Just as he cast out demons, he casts out anything that would hinder our Christian journey. We are often deaf to the pleas of those around us, especially the pleas of the poor, the hungry, and the oppressed. We have to open our lives to everyone and listen carefully to what they have to tell us. Listening means that we do not plan our answers while they are talking. Listening means hearing them out without the obligation to give advice or provide them with a solution. When we hear God’s Word we must speak it plainly to a world that has turned a deaf ear to Christianity. When we do, we might just be pleasantly surprised by the reaction we will get.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)
2. Fr. John Boll, “First Impressions, 23 Sunday (B).” Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
3. ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 10 Bible software package.
4. McKenna, D.L. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 25: Mark (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982)
5. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NKJV (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
6. Macarthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, NASV (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
7. Lucado, M: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2010)
8. Exegesis for Mark 7:24-37. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org.
9. Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, 23^rd Sunday of Ordinary Time (B).” Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
10. The Rev. Janet Hatt, “A Young Man Named Pablo and the Syrophoenician Woman.” Retrieved from http://dancingwiththeword.com/
11. The Rev. Dr. Charlene Han Powell, “Desperate Belief.” Retrieved from http://day1.0rg/6783-desperate_belief.print.

The entire book of Song of Songs is a picture of the interaction between God and the faithful, between Christ as the lover in this book and the church. It talks about the life-changing character of God’s unconditional love and its implications for our lives. The interaction between the two lovers represents God’s love for us and our love for Him.

The overall image of this passage is one of joy. The writer is happy to see his/her lover, just as God is happy to see people repent and turn to him. It applies to happy relationships, including marriages. I’ve recently discovered the true meaning of this image because I have a new girlfriend. Joy is something that may be lacking right now as we see the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic spread throughout the world.

The writer of Song of Songs uses a series of images and poems to describe God’s love for us. They represent the joys, the ups and downs, even painful longing when apart. It is a relationship between two people who love each other. In the case of Christians, it is a relationship between us and God. It is a contrast to references comparing an adulterous woman to Israel’s idolatry. It shows the longing, joys and sorrows that occur when we are separated from God. Both humans and God experience these feelings.

Five times in this passage, the Shulamite refers to Solomon as “my lover”-a title that pleases Solomon. Similarly, we can speak of Christ as the best beloved of our soul and feel that He is very precious to us. God is courting us. His love is not just a fling. It is for keeps. We are the beloved in this passage, and then God becomes our beloved. This love comes with great vulnerability. We will be changed by God’s love. Some changes will be wondrous, even ecstatic. Other changes will be devastating, such as suffering with someone whom we love and suffering because of someone whom we love.

The word “margin” represents Jesus Christ. The phrase “hind of the morning” refers to the coming of the kingdom of heaven as announced by John the Baptist. Christ’s voice is indirect. It comes through “the friend of the bridegroom.” Jesus often stands near to us, especially when our lack of faith hides Him from us.

This passage from the Song of Songs is a joyful celebration of love associated with the beauty of nature in springtime. There is a sense of a new beginning or a new and heightened appreciation of what God has created. None of this is experienced and appreciated until the male lover entices the woman to come and experience its delights. If the male lover represents wisdom, he is luring the woman toward an appreciation of the benefits of wisdom. For her this is like the appearance of spring in her life. The coming of wisdom is represented by the appearance of light and warmth after the darkness and cold rains and snows of winter. If the male lover represents Christ, then the lure is to take up the life of discipleship.

“The wall” refers to the prophecies about Jesus in the Old Testament church, especially in spite of the wall of separation that sin built. Both John the Baptist and Jesus gave clear glimpses of the kingdom, but the wall was not completely removed until Christ’s death. Even now Jesus is only seen through the window of His Word, ordinances, and sacraments. We won’t see Him clearly until He returns. His return is represented by the phrase “the rain being over.” Love is the key for each “new song.” In the individual believer now, joy and love are set forth in their earlier manifestation.

Verses 10-13 represent Christ’s offer of salvation to those who accept His invitation. The “little foxes” referred to in verse 15 are insignificant things that will stop the Holy Spirit from doing His work in our world. They can be anything from annoying co-workers to a piece of machinery that isn’t working. If we are aware of these minor annoyances, they won’t stop the Holy Spirit from working in our lives. We can’t neglect these little annoyances because they can cause a lot of damage in the future.

For example, researchers who made several dives to the wreckage of the Titanic challenged the theory that an iceberg tore a 300-foot gash in the side of the ship. The ship’s bow is stuck in the mud, but they used sound waves to “look” at the hull. They concluded that the damage is small-only six small gashes along the starboard hull. Unfortunately, the openings were made at the worst possible places-along six watertight holds.

Similarly, a little lie here, a little cheating there, a little stealing, a little gossip or a little unresolved conflict can lead to serious problems in the future. We must not neglect these holes in our lives. With God’s help, we can take care of them today before they sink us. Contrary to the old saying, sometimes we do have to “sweat the small stuff.” Small, sinful habits stifle small good intentions.

So what are the “little foxes” that can interfere with our relationship with God?  Here are three of them:

1. Selfishness. “I want what I want when I want it.” Other people won’t make us happy. Things won’t make us happy. Only a relationship with God can make us truly happy.
2. Unconscious neglect. In a marriage, husbands and wives must focus on loving each other. Similarly, in our relationship with God, we must focus on loving Him and everyone else.
3. Unresolved conflict. We can’t truly love God if we have conflicts with other people. Unresolved conflict turns to resentment and bitterness. Once they set in, we are on the road to unhappiness and disillusionment if we don’t resolve these conflicts.

Jesus wants us to be sure-footed in our daily walk with Him. He doesn’t want us to allow anything to come into our lives and cause us to stumble on our walk of faith. He does not want us to worry. Worry chokes us and prevents us from living faith-filled lives. A little worry can steal our joy and cause us to distrust God. He can conquer doubt, fear, and worry. When we surrender our lives to Him, we don’t have to worry because He will provide all that we need when we need it.

We need to hear voices that speak boldly of true love; specifically, our love for God and His love for us. When Jesus visits us in tenderness and asks us to arise, can we refuse His request? He has risen so He can draw us to Him. He has revived us so that we can ascend to heaven and enjoy fellowship with Him. God wants to have a deep relationship with His children, but it is easy for us to get distracted by life’s clutter. When we realize that we have sinned against God and against other people we can take steps to correct the problem.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; pp. 869-870)
2. Hubbard, D.A. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 16: Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1991; pp. 288-290)
3. Jamieson, R., Fawcett, A.R. & Brown, D.: Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, Vol. 1 (Oak Harbour, WA: Logos Research System; 1997; pp. 418-419)
4. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
5. The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments. Part of Wordsearch 12 Bible software package.
6. Vikki Burke, “Discouragement and Detours.” Retrieved form dbm@dennisburkeministries.org
7. Richard Innes, “Little Foxes.” Retrieved from www.actsweb.org
8. Alistair Begg, “How to Obtain Blessings.” Retrieved from newsleters@truthforlife.org
9. Richard Innes, “Little Things.” Retrieved from www.actsweb.org
10. Michael Youssef, Ph.D., “Catch the Foxes.” Retrieved from web@ltw.org
11. Dr. Jeff Schreve, “Fox Hunting.” Retrieved from www.christianity.com
12. Joni Eareckson Tada, “Little Foxes.” Retrieved from communicaitons@joniandfriends.org
13. Alistair Begg, “A Spiritual Spring.” Retrieved from newsleters@truthforlife.org
14. Joel Osteen, “The Little Foxes.” Retrieved from devotional@e.joelosteen.com
15. Dave Branon, “Catching Foxes.” Retrieved from donotreply@email.rbc.org
16. Amy Boucher Pye, “Catching Foxes.” Retrieved from donotreply@email.rbc.org
17. Noelle Day, “Don’t Swerve for Squirrels.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
18. Alphonetta Wines, “Commentary on Song of Solomon 2:8-13.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
19. Kathryn M. Schifferdecker, “Commentary on Song of Solomon 2:8-13.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
20. Br. Curtis Almquist, “Participation in Love.” Retrieved from www.ssje.org/category/sermon

All of us have certain core traditions and beliefs that are important to us. They make us who we are, they define our own behaviours and the way we think other people should behave. That is what lies behind the passage from Mark 7:1-8,14-15,21-23.

As usual, the Pharisees and Jesus were having a difference of opinion. The Pharisees were upset because Jesus and his disciples did not take part in the Jewish hand-washing ritual before they ate. To the Pharisees, Jesus and his disciples committed a “sin”.

The Pharisees were not the only people who get upset when traditions are not followed. We get upset when people do not follow our “traditions”. We sometimes have to part with our traditions, and that is not always easy for us to accept. That is one reason why in recent years some congregations have left the Anglican Church of Canada. They were not able to accept changes such as the introduction of the Book of Alternative Services or the blessing of same-sex unions. To them, the status quo is the only way to go.

Another example is the tradition that people who go to church have to wear their very best clothes. I can tell you that it is BUNK! Just look around at the people sitting next to you. Some are dressed up, but some are wearing casual, everyday clothes. Some also believe that ministers have to wear clerical suits and collars all of the time, even under their robes on Sunday morning. Well folks, I hate to disappoint you, but I know a lot of ministers who don’t even wear a suit and tie, let alone a clerical suit and collar. Even I don’t wear my “Sunday Best’ clothes under my robes, especially during warm weather

We must not think that the Pharisees are completely bad. They were dedicated to obeying and pleasing God, and that desire led to distinctive practices such as kosher food and circumcision. These practices helped them to keep their identity as God’s chosen people in a pagan world. Their traditions grew out of a need to keep their identity.

Even though the Jewish law was quite detailed, it left room for interpretation in many cases. The Pharisees used their desire to obey God to create rules to clarify the law in these situations. Over time these rules became so hard and fast that they became a surrogate law that the Jewish leaders regarded as being equal to Scripture. They lost sight of the difference between God’s law and their opinion. Jesus said that this was their sin. Jesus did not condemn all tradition. He only condemned those traditions that were elevated to sacred status. The church is responsible for preserving tradition, but it must make a clear distinction between essential scriptural teachings and non-essential traditions.

When he responded to the Pharisees’ question, Jesus went right to the heart of the issue. The Pharisees wanted to hold on to human tradition at all costs when they should have been more concerned with teaching God’s deeper requirements of love, compassion and justice. God is more concerned with a spiritual cleansing and purifying. If our hearts have been purified, our prayer and behaviour will be in line with what God wants. If we act out of good hearts we will know how to behave even if we don’t know the exact rule for a particular situation.

While a sense of tradition is desirable and necessary at times, a problem occurs when tradition is substituted for true worship or true faith. When the actions associated with our traditions become more important than the meaning of the traditions, we can get sidetracked. The Pharisees were more concerned with strict observance of Jewish laws than they were about true faith in God. The Pharisees were concerned about keeping God’s people distinct and keeping them from becoming assimilated with the larger culture. This effort to be distinct included rigid observance of rules, but the observance of rules covered up their lack of inward love and devotion. They were concerned about not letting germs and pollution go into their bodies, but Jesus said that they and we should be more concerned about the filth that comes out of our mouths-lying, cheating, etc. The Pharisees were concerned about the letter of the law including their rules and regulations, but Jesus emphasized the spirit of the law. We must beware of Christian leaders who appear to be very religious by their actions, but who are really glorifying themselves instead of glorifying God. We should never honour anyone above God. Only he is truly worthy of our praise.

Each and every one of us has a heart problem, and not just a physical one. The heart is a fountain out of which much that affects our lives flows. If the heart is affected by sin, it becomes deceitful and wicked. Therefore, the heart is a source of most of the evil that defiles man. The world is enticing, but for its pull to work, we have to want what it is offering. We do the stupid stuff that we do because it is our human nature. We have to be aware of our sinful nature. When we give in to temptation, we have no one to blame but ourselves.

What we eat and drink can’t hurt and defile us. Only what comes out of us-ungodly words and actions-can defile us. Jesus wants us and his disciples to see that the core issue always comes down to what is in the heart. Ritual external purity is not necessarily the same as genuine interior piety. We are being hypocrites if we vainly honour God with our lips while our hearts are estranged from him. The source of defilement is more internal than external. It is more about who we are than foods or filth we avoid. Jesus defined true piety as a commitment from the heart totally dedicated to loving service of God and for others. Listening and doing are two different things.

Some people who attend church are like that. They carry their Bibles, they bring their offering, they sing every hymn and they listen to every word the preacher says, but it doesn’t change anything in their hearts. They look good on the outside, but their goodness is only skin deep. Their worship is for appearance only and is not from the heart.

That does mean that we cannot be hurt by what comes into our bodies. The obvious sources are smoke, pollution and poor diet, but we can also be defiled from the outside by the environment that we live in. I’m reminded of the example a minister used in one of his sermons a few years ago. He was talking about a discussion he had with his sons one day about how the choices they make can affect their lives. He said, “You are who you associate with” and that is true. For example, if you live in an area with a high rate of crime, chances are that you will either be seen as criminal or become a criminal if you are not careful.

When God looks at us, the first thing he sees is the state of our heart. God doesn’t care about what we look like on the outside. He’s more concerned about what’s on the inside. He has more sympathy and compassion for a poor beggar in rags who has true faith than he does for rich rulers who wear fine clothes but have rotten hearts and souls. If we don’t take time to have our hearts purified by God once in a while, we won’t be able to receive his blessings.

Jesus argued that the observance of purity was not needed because the kingdom of God is for everyone-Jews, Gentiles, those who would observe the purity laws and those who could not keep them. Everyone is equal before God.

Those who are ‘holier than thou’ often have the belief that they can judge others. When that attitude is observed from afar, it is not pretty. It reeks of a superficial, survivalistic and hateful attitude. These people are often the same people who on the surface observe sacred rituals. They have no inward disposition towards God-hence Jesus’ reference to the filth that comes from the inside.

Jesus sets us free to look at ourselves and see our internal, sinful nature. We are free to accept the grace to choose God’s mercy, but we can’t admit that we need outside help. We need outside help to take in goodness and bear good fruit. If our hearts belong to God, nothing else matters.

When people equate tradition with the Law, problems come up. The Pharisees have made the Law more important than God’s rules, just like many of us have made our traditions more important than true faith in God. The Protestant reformation was fueled in part by the desire to break free from corrupt Roman Catholic traditions and rules and get back to true worship of God. Jesus argued that not all of the Pharisees’ rules had to be obeyed. All we have to do is love God with our hearts, not our heads.

We have to ask ourselves what the interests of God are, and what does God think about the way we live our lives. Does the way we live our lives reflect a way of life that is in sync with God and his plan for our lives? While our Christianity should shape our behaviour, it runs deeper than our behaviour. It has implications for how we live our lives, but it is also mysticism before it is morality, faith before it is action, the seed of a new life before it is the fruit of that new life.

Those who would serve the interests of God can do so by giving expression to joy in their lives. Those who feel God’s love have much to offer the hurting and disconnected in our world.

Bibliography

1. Stanley, C.F, The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASB (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc; 2009)
2. Bayless Conley, “Clean and Committed”. Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
3. Les Lamborn, “Lip Service”. Retrieved from www.rbc.org
4. Mark D. Roberts “Defiled from the Inside Out”. Retrieved from www.TheHighCalling.org
5. Greg Laurie, “Frenemies”. Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
6. Exegesis for Mark 7:10-8, 14-15, 21-23. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com
7. Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, 22^nd Sunday (B)”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
8. Wycliffe Bible Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker 8 Bible Software package.
9. McKenna, D.L. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 25:Mark (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982)
10. The Very Rev. Samuel G. Candler, “Why Don’t You Wash Your Hands?” Retrieved from www.day1.org
11. The Rev. D. Francis Wade, “What Matters to God?” Retrieved from www.day1.org
12. Matt Skinner, “Commentary on Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23”. Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/preaching_print.aspx?commentary_id=1381
13. The Rev. Beth Quick, “Lectionary Notes-Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost” Retrieved from www.bethquick.com/pentecost13bnotes.htm
14. The Rev. Beth Quick, “Being 7 Doing’. Retrieved from www.bethquick.com/sermon8-31-03.htm
15. John Shearman’s Lectionary Resource, Year B, Season after Pentecost, Proper 17 Ordinary 22. Retrieved from http://lectionary.seemslikegod,org/archives/year-b-season-after-pentecost-proper-17-ordinary-22.html
16. Daniel B. Clendenin, PhD, “Religious Faith” Worthless or Faultless?” Retrieved from http://www.journeywithjesus.net/index.shtml?view=print
17. “’Skin Deep’ or from the Heart?” Retrieved from http://sermons4kids.com/skin_deep_print.html

In the passage from James 1:17-27, James talks about the goodness of God. God doesn’t tempt us to do evil things, but he often uses life’s challenges to strengthen and perfect us. In the process we become more like God.

Instead of tempting us to do evil things, God gives us good gifts. The phrase “Father of lights” reminds us of God’s unchanging nature. The God who put the stars, sun and moon in their places faithfully presides over our lives and provides everything good, and we must thank him for these gifts. As the old hymn which we often sing on Thanksgiving Sunday says, “All good gifts around us are sent from heaven above…”

In order to receive every good gift from God, we must prepare ourselves to hear God’s Word, especially in times of trial. When we prepare ourselves to hear God’s Word, it will give us a fresh start in life. We prepare ourselves by concentrating our attention, controlling our tongues, containing our anger and cleansing our lives of sin. Wrath doesn’t promote the work of God or God’s righteousness. In fact, wrath violates God’s standard on conduct for believers.

Sin is not compatible with receiving God’s Word. It prevents God’s Word from reaching a person’s heart. God’s Word should be welcomed in the heart, received with anticipation like a love letter, and read with a desire to put its words and commands into practice. James warns his readers about the dangers of sin and deception. An unbridled tongue makes a person’s testimony useless. God will help us control our tongues and our anger. Our words reveal our true personality. Are we a person of God or a person of evil?

A good example of someone who could not control his tongue is the apostle Peter. He had no problem telling anyone what was on his mind or how he felt. That got him into trouble on more than one occasion. For example, In Matthew 16:17-23, he first spoke for God when he said that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God, but moments later he spoke for Satan and Jesus had to rebuke him by saying, “Get behind me, Satan!”

The world can easily deceive us. Many times, when something is presented to us by sources that we believe to be reliable, we will believe it without asking any questions. This is especially true for the lies of Satan, and these lies often lead us into false beliefs. We must not be fooled by what the world says is true. We must focus on what God says is true and trust in him. We must actively study the Scriptures regularly to find God’s truths and then apply these truths to transform our daily lives, especially if we are called on to preach and teach God’s Word. God knows what we need, so when we study the Scriptures he will give us encouragement when we are struggling, rebuke us when we are rebelling, challenge us when we need to step forward in faith and warn us when we are heading down the wrong path.

Simply listening to God’s Word has no lasting value. When we open the Bible, we must plan to do what it says. The Bible is more than a book to carry to church. It gives its readers a way to follow the heart of God and the footsteps of Jesus. God wants us to go beyond merely hearing the word to obeying the word. Casual hearers simply glance at the highlights of God’s Word and continue on their way like tourists. Careful believers mine God’s Word and find new, life-changing treasures. The Bible must have a continuing effect on the life of a believer.

Many Christians within the church today have the same problem as casual hearers of God’s Word. They are spectators who enjoy hearing the Word of God preached and taught every Sunday. Their heads are filled with biblical knowledge and facts, but they fail to put that knowledge into godly living. Their spiritual heads get fatter and fatter while their spiritual bodies waste away because they are not being used, just like a human body gets flabby or wastes away when it’s not used. These people are spiritual freaks who are of little value to themselves, the church or the world. James refers to them as being deceived. They have deceived themselves by hearing the word but not applying it in their daily lives.

Pure and faultless religion is marked by personal ministry. We must respond to the needs of others as Christ did. Pure and faultless religion is also marked by personal purity. We must not be corrupted by the world. Pure and faultless religion is a delicate balance between the positive and the negative. Genuine faith denies the self, takes risks, loves others and always seeks to please God. Believers are enabled by the Holy Spirit to obey God’s law. They are freed from the bondage of sin and enabled to obey God. They can give thanks to God.

Jesus equates the treatment of people in distress with how people treat him. This is the true test of faith. We must conduct our earthly lives in such a way as to not be ashamed to face the Lord. We must be compassionately involved with the problems of the world while remaining holy at the same time. The world is the ordered system that is under Satan’s control. It is opposed to God’s purposes.

We as Christians must show our love to everyone— not just to those who can benefit us but also to those who can’t help anyone. We will be known for our love to those who have been hurt or who have had their hopes and dreams shattered. Christ’s love should encourage us to love God and love people. Our actions must be motivated by Christ himself and not by what we do, say, think or want. Our attitude towards others shows our true attitude toward God. Our actions speak louder than our words, and a relationship with a living God calls for us to do something. We need to get our hands dirty and get into the filth of human pain and sadness while at the same time not allowing that same filth to contaminate us. Failure to help those who need our help means that we risk becoming defiled and impure. Everyone God sends our way is really seeking his listening, compassionate heart at work through us.

If we want to help others, we can start by being good listeners. Quick solutions seldom make people feel better. They need solutions that can only come by listening carefully with an open mind and an open heart. We must listen to others in the same way that God listens to us. When we are generous to others, our gifts are not based on the person’s actions. We reflect the love of a God who delights in giving to those he loves.

If we want to know if we are putting God first in our lives, we must ask ourselves where we turn when we have a decision to make, a problem to resolve or we need guidance. Do we turn to other people or our desires first, or do we turn to God, his word and his principles? God speaks of the riches of his mercy as shown through Jesus Christ. God broadcasts his forgiveness and his love. He proclaims the wonder of redemption and calls on us to repent and come near to him. He is available at all times to hear our prayers, to listen to our concerns and to be touched by the nonverbal communication of our feelings. In return, we must be increasingly acquainted with the voice of God. We must follow God each and every day. We are called on to live out God’s love for us and share that love with the world.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)
2. ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 10 Bible software package.
3. Cedar, P.A. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 34: James/1&2 Peter/Jude (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1984)
4. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, NASV (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
5. Pastor Ken Klaus, “Draw Us to Thee.” Retrieved from lh_min@lhm.org
6. Billy Graham, “Can God Help My Depressed Sister?” Retrieved from www.arcamax.com\
7. Pastor Rick Warren, “How to Get Better Reception of God’s Word.” Retrieved from connect@newsletter.purposedriven.com
8. Dr. Gary Chapman, “Good Gifts.” Retrieved from Oneplace@crosswalkmail.com
9. Dr. Neil Anderson, “Indiscriminate Expression of Emotions.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
10. Michael Youssef, Ph.D.,” Dead Faith or Living Faith?” Retrieved from mydevotional@leadingtheway.org
11. Michael Youssef, Ph.D., “Becoming Doers of the Word.” Retrieved from mydevotional@leadingtheway.org
12. Dr. Neil Anderson, “Modeling Growth.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
13. David Jeremiah, “Angry Birds.” Retrieved from turningpoint@davidjeremiah.org
14. Bills Graham, “What Would You Tell a Foreigner About Thanksgiving?” Retrieved from www.arcamax.com
15. Mike Pohlman, “Being Quick to Listen in a World of Talk.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
16. Richard Inness, “Ask Not What God Can Do for You.” Retrieved from acts@actsweb.org
17. Mary Southerland, “Do Wrinkles Make You Die?” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

When you were children, did you ever play a game called “Follow the Leader”? Well, for those of you who didn’t, or for those of you who have never heard of the game, let me explain how it is played. First, you choose a leader. Then you follow him or her wherever he or she goes and do whatever he or she does. You stomp through puddles, climb over fences, or swing from a tree—all to stay in the game because no one wants to be a quitter.

John 6:56-69 is an example of people who did not want to play follow the leader. The passage marks the end of the “bread of life” discourse that we have heard for the last several weeks. Today, it reaches its climax. Jesus tells his followers that if they abide in him-that is, live in him and believe in him-he will always be with them. Jesus is the source of our life and our sustenance. We need to stay connected to him to be fruitful. Just as God gives Jesus life, Jesus in turn gives his followers eternal life if they believe in him.

The choice to accept Jesus is a difficult one. Godly people will still face difficulties in life, including persecution. God’s ways are not our ways, and that is why the Gospel message is hard to accept. It is costly because in order for us to accept Christ’s death and resurrection as the way to eternal life, we also have to experience our own form of death and resurrection. We have to die to our worldly way of life and rise to a new life in Christ. There are times when our faith in Christ will be harder than we expected. Each of us must answer the question, “Where can we go?” Jesus promises us eternal life. We face troubles in this life here on earth, but they pale in comparison to the joy of Christ revealed in us as mentioned in Romans 8:18.

Worldly life and godly life are always in conflict because they are so different. Worldly life always tempts us with the sinful desires of greed, envy, jealousy, sex, drugs, alcohol and other things. The Christian life calls us to live godly lives now in exchange for a heavenly life later-even if our present worldly life is full of pain and persecution.

Jesus wasn’t interested in whether he was causing offense or not. That does not mean that he did not care for the people he was talking to. On the contrary, he deeply cared for them. Because he cared for them, he preferred to speak the truth instead of speaking what was pleasing. Jesus wanted his hearers to know that what he is saying is the truth, even though it is hard to hear. In other words, Jesus used tough love, in contrast to some preachers who want to “tickle the ears” of their congregations.

Jesus did not try to talk unwilling disciples into staying with him, nor did he try to make things easier so that they would reconsider their relationship to him. He wants eager followers who understand the cost of following him. The Gospel message is not easy to hear and accept. The church is often tempted to soften the impact of the message by removing the offending parts or by preaching something similar to the Prosperity Gospel. Most people do not want to hear this message because it calls on them to change their way of life. It calls on them to give up the world’s ways in favour of a life that will lead them to heaven. The truth is so confronting and so painful that we are often hell-bent on hanging on to our sinful way of life. That does not mean that everyone will refuse to accept the message. Some, like Peter and the disciples, realize that Jesus is the key to eternal life. In return, he will give us the strength we need to be strong in our walk of faith. That strength will mean taking a stand for Christ and being counted. It will make a difference both in us and in the lives of everyone we come into contact with.

The picture that this portion of John’s Gospel paints is not a pretty one, but it is a realistic one, especially when our Christian walk of faith is difficult. The picture is also one of belief and faith, especially when we keep our eyes on Jesus. It produces love, joy, peace, hope and eternal life.

The purpose of the Gospel message is not to convince detractors or turn the hearts of rebels. That is the job of the Holy Spirit. The Gospel message is the means by which our hearts respond to God. The disciples who left heard what Jesus said as a threat—a threat to their way of life, their accepted notions and their grip on reality. Those who stayed heard what Jesus said as a challenge to their way of life, their accepted notions and their grip on reality.

The disciples who continued on with Jesus might not have completely understood what he said, just like sometimes we can’t completely understand what he says. We, like the disciples, might not even be completely comfortable with it, but we are intrigued by what he said. In the Bible, faith is a verb. It is an action by which we consent and act. It is also a process. Peter and the others, like us, need it to grow stronger.

If the disciples-the great heroes of the faith-had doubts, it should not be surprising that we will have doubts. What we can do is embrace them and take them to the one best source for answers-Jesus. Jesus provides the spiritual power that we need in our lives. Without it, we will be overwhelmed by the spiritual and mental challenges we will face. We will be too tired to serve in ministry and will be too weak to engage in spiritual warfare.

If we have faith in Jesus, we have to spread the Good News. We have to be public witnesses for Christ. Sometimes our witness will be in the form of words, but mostly it will take the form of our actions, especially the choices we make in life. If our actions, words and deeds contradict our Christian faith, we are being hypocrites.

If Jesus walked into your dining room tonight to have dinner with you, how would you answer two questions he might ask?

1. Are your goals in life God-centered goals?
2. Are you putting as much energy into loving others as you do in living for yourself?

The Spirit brings forth spiritual fruit in us, equips and deploys us with gifts in service to others, and gives us strength to witness for Christ every day. Our thoughts, feelings, priorities and daily practices are changed to match what Jesus would feel, think and do if he was in our place. We become like Jesus and in turn we love and serve others as Jesus would.

There will be times when our faith is tried and tested. At times like these we must remember that to abandon the faith of Christ will lead to desolation, ruin and death. We must fall back on our personal experience of a living God in which the truth is wrapped up and made flesh for our benefit.

I’m going to close this message by telling you a story about a little girl named Inga. Inga had two older sisters and the two older sisters were in Girl Scouts. Inga watched her sisters go to Girl Scout meetings and she wished she could go and be a part of that real important stuff that they did. She asked her mother if she could go and her mother said, “But, Inga, you’re not old enough to go.”  Inga said, “Well, when will I be old enough to go?” And Inga’s mother said, “Soon.” 

Finally the day came and Inga joined Brownies. She got a little brown skirt jumper and a little brown hat with a little brownie and she got little half socks with a little brownie on it. Her mother even bought her some brown shoes and she dressed up and went to her first meeting and it was just wonderful.

Well, much later when she and her mother and father and sister were coming to church, she asked her mother this question: “I heard about belonging to Jesus. How do I know that I belong to Jesus? We don’t have a uniform like the Brownies. I know I belong to the Brownies because I have a uniform. How do I know that I belong to Jesus?”

Her mother replied, “Well, where do you go on Sunday morning?” Inga said, “I go to Sunday school to learn about Jesus.” 

Her mother continued, “What’s that book in your hand?”  Inga said, “It’s the Bible and the Bible is the stories of Jesus.” 

And her mother said, “How else do you know that you belong to Jesus, Inga? What do we do always before we go to bed?” Inga replied, “We talk to Jesus every night before we got to sleep.” “And Inga, where do we go after Sunday school?” “We go to the big church.”” And what do we do in the big church? We learn about God and we sing about Jesus.” 

Then Inga got this big smile on her face and she said, “I belong to Jesus.” And her mother said, “That’s right.”

When we come to the Lord’s Table to take part in Holy Communion, we know that we draw near to Jesus when we eat the bread and drink the wine. We, like Inga and her mother, also understand that Christ lives in us in a new way, and that we abide in Christ and he abides in us. The Holy Spirit gives us the assurance that we are believers. As Romans 8:16 says, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God”. Only then can we have the inner conviction and witness of the Holy Spirit that we are children of God.

Bibliography

1. Stanley, C.F., The Charles F Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASB (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2009)
2. Swindoll, Charles; Swindoll’s New Testament Insights on John (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Inc.; 2010)
3. Exegesis for John 6:56-69. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com
4. The Rev. Dr. David Lose, “Words of Eternal Life”. Retrieved from www.day1.org
5. Dr. Bill Bright, “A Communist Youth”. Retrieved from Insights_with_Bill_Bright@crosswalkmail.com
6. Charles H. Spurgeon, “Sustained by Feeding”. Retrieved from www.christianity.com/devotionals/faiths-checkbook-ch-spurgeom
7. Berni Dymet, “Believe in Which Jesus?” Retrieved from www.christianity.com/devotionals/christianity-works-berni-dymet
8. Michael Youssef, PhD, “Bearing Fruit”. Retrieved from mydevotional@leadingtheway.org
9. Greg Laurie, “The Witness of the Holy Spirit”. Retrieved from Greg_Laurie_Daily_Devotions@crosswalkmail.com
10. T.M. Moore, “The Holy Spirit & Affections”. Retrieved from www.colsoncenter.org
11. Sergei Sosedkin, “The Right Diet”. Retrieved from today@thisistoday.net
12. Leslie Snyder, “Where Would I Go?” Retrieved from Homeword@crosswalkmail.com
13. Christopher J. Harris, “Power Outages”. Retrieved from www.stramingfaith.org
14. Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, 21^st Sunday, (B)”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
15. Jim Penner, “Spirit-Filled Living”. Retrieved from positiveminute@hourofpower.cc
16. The Rev. Beth Quick “Offended”. Retrieved from www.bethquick.com
17. The Rev. Charles Hoffacker, “The Flesh God Has Married”. Retrieved from www.sermonwwriter.com
18. Jamieson-Fawcett-Brown Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker 8 Bible software package.
19. “No Turning Back”. Retrieved from www.sermons4kids.com
20. Roland McGregor, “Children’s Sermon for Pentecost 13, 8/26/12”. Retrieved from childpage@,cgregorpage.org

When you were children, did you ever play a game called “Follow the Leader”? Well, for those of you who didn’t, or for those of you who have never heard of the game, let me explain. First, you choose a leader. Then you follow him wherever he goes and do whatever he does. You stomp through puddles, climb over fences, or swing from a tree—all to stay in the game because no one wants to be a quitter. We often play follow the leader in our daily lives. There are always leaders in everything we do—in school, in church, or in other activities.

In John 6:56-69, we see that not everyone who heard Jesus’ teachings about the bread of life wanted to follow him. He lost a lot of his followers. In fact, the only people who remained were the twelve disciples.

There is a price to pay when we follow Jesus. He calls us to give up our worldly life with all of its sinful pleasures and follow a life that will lead to even greater pleasures in heaven. For most of us, that is not an easy choice to make. We have grown comfortable in our daily lives. They are like a pair of shoes that we have broken in. They feel so darn good, and the life we are leading feels so darn good. Most of us don’t like change. We get set in our ways. We get stuck in the rut of daily life, and we don’t want to get out.

I’m going to tell you a story about a little girl named Inga. Inga had two older sisters and the two older sisters were in Girl Scouts. Inga watched her sisters go to Girl Scout meetings and she wished she could go and be a part of that real important stuff that they did. She asked her mother if she could go and her mother said, “But, Inga, you’re not old enough to go.”  Inga said, “Well, when will I be old enough to go?” And Inga’s mother said, “Soon.” 

Finally the day came and Inga joined Brownies. She got a little brown skirt jumper and a little brown hat with a little brownie and she got little half socks with a little brownie on it. Her mother even bought her some brown shoes and she dressed up and went to her first meeting and it was just wonderful.

Well, much later when she and her mother and father and sister were coming to church, she asked her mother this question: “I heard about belonging to Jesus. How do I know that I belong to Jesus? We don’t have a uniform like the Brownies. I know I belong to the Brownies because I have a uniform. How do I know that I belong to Jesus?”

Her mother replied, “Well, where do you go on Sunday morning?” Inga said, “I go to Sunday school to learn about Jesus.” 

Her mother continued, “What’s that book in your hand?”  Inga said, “It’s the Bible and the Bible is the stories of Jesus.” 

And her mother said, “How else do you know that you belong to Jesus, Inga? What do we do always before we go to bed?” Inga replied, “We talk to Jesus every night before we go to sleep.” “And Inga, where do we go after Sunday school?” “We go to the big church.”” And what do we do in the big church? We learn about God and we sing about Jesus.” 

Then Inga got this big smile on her face and she said, “I belong to Jesus.” And her mother said, “That’s right.”

The life Jesus calls us to lead is so revolutionary, so different, and yet so rewarding. It offers us eternal life. The disciples, led by Peter, knew that Jesus offers eternal life to everyone who decides to follow him. The disciples, like Inga and her mother, knew that they needed to feed on the eternal spiritual food that Jesus offers, just like we need to eat the spiritual food that Jesus still offers to us today, especially in the form of the bread and wine that we eat and drink during Holy Communion. When we take part in worship, especially when we take part in Holy Communion, we draw closer to God, and we allow him to live in us. Only then will we have the inner conviction and witness of the Holy Spirit that we are children of God.

Bibliography

1. “No Turning Back”. Retrieved from www.sermons4kids.com
2. Roland McGregor, Children’s Sermon for Pentecost 13, 8/26/12. Retrieved from childpage@mcgregorpage.org

UNICEF-the United Nations Children’s Fund-estimates that 353,000 babies are born every day-just over four babies each second. Birth begins a life of 70-100 years and impacts those whose lives overlap with the child’s. Every generation relates most profoundly with those who share their time in history. Jesus is the exception to that statement.

Many people wonder why Jesus didn’t come sooner and why mankind didn’t have the benefit of His birth, death and resurrection immediately after Adam and Eve sinned. The answer is that the time was predicted in the Old Testament, and when it was proper that He should come, that time was complete. The exact period had arrived when all things were ready. It was the time when all prophecies centered in Jesus were fulfilled. It was proper that the world should be brought to see its need of a Saviour, and that a fair and satisfactory opportunity should be given to all men to try other ways of salvation and that they might be prepared to welcome Him.

It was also a time when the world was at peace. There was order under Roman rule. Because of roads built by the Romans, communication between various parts of the Roman Empire was faster and more secure than at any other time in history. The Jews were scattered throughout the Empire. They were familiar with the promises and were looking for a Messiah. They had synagogues where the Gospel could be preached. Thanks to the conquests of Alexander the Great, the same language (Greek) was spoken and understood throughout the Empire.

Figuratively speaking, God’s calendar had a day with a big star on it-then the time was right for Christ to be sent forth into the world. It was the proper time to make God’s plan of salvation known. It was the appropriate time for the people to be freed from the bondage of sin. The fullness of time was the fullness of God’s time to fulfill His promise to Abraham. That fulfillment was Christ’s birth. He accomplished His purpose of providing the way for all of us to become children of God. He came from God to stand beside us as we face evil. He became our brother so He could suffer the punishment we deserve for our sins. Jesus was born under the law so that He could fulfill every claim and demand of the law on our behalf. He fulfilled the moral law in His life and the ceremonial law in His death. Jesus had to be fully God for His sacrifice to be of the infinite worth needed to atone for sin. He also had to be fully human so He could pay the penalty for our sins.

From a human perspective, Jesus’ birth and life on earth were not confined to His own generation. Simeon declared in Luke 2:31 that Jesus appeared “before the face of all peoples.”-old people like Simeon and the very young. Because Jesus is the eternal Son of God, He is alive for every generation following His own.

God, the Creator of the universe, submitted to the rule of others so we could claim His holiness as if it was our own. Talk of being a child of God is common in Christian circles, but how often do we stop and take time to consider what a privilege being a child of God is and what that really means not only to us but to God? When we are heirs because of adoption by God, it means that God is well pleased when we become children of God, exercise our authority and enjoy the fullness of our inheritance.

In New Testament times, some 60 million slaves lived in the Roman Empire. When someone bought a slave, the buyer could either own and use the slave or set the slave free. When God purchases or redeems people through Christ, He does so to set them free. Because we are not natural children of God, we can become sons and daughters only by divine adoption. Because we have been adopted as God’s children, we have the spirit of Jesus-the Holy Spirit, which is in our hearts and reassures us of our relationship with God. He encourages us to speak with love and trust and total openness to God our loving Father, just like a child on his or her father’s lap.

When we receive Christ, His Spirit takes up residence in the core of our being, giving us an internal power that we never had before and transforming our hearts from hateful and rebellion to loving and obedient. Our hearts control our words and actions.  It isn’t easy for us to accept ourselves; to love and be loved, to feel worthwhile to ourselves and others. It is a time of overwhelming grace when we accept the fact that God knows us thoroughly and loves us thoroughly.

When God adopts us, his reaction is similar to that of a little girl named Olivia. Olivia had always liked to hear how her parents loved her from the time they first saw her at the adoption agency. But as she approached her twelfth birthday, the fact that she was adopted didn’t seem so entertaining any more. “I don’t really belong to anybody,” she thought one day as she picked wild berries in a field near her home. “Sure, Mom and Dad took care of me since I was six weeks old, but I’m not a blood relative, so I’m not really a member of their family.”

As Olivia started home, a rather dirty, skinny little dog timidly approached her. “Hi, little guy,” Olivia said gently. “Did someone dump you along the road? Why don’t you come live with me?” It didn’t take much coaxing to get the hungry puppy to follow her home. I wonder if Mom will let me keep him, she thought. Nice word–Mom. I wish it were really true.

Olivia’s mother saw them coming and went out to meet them. “Did you bring company for supper?” she asked, dropping to her knees and stroking the little dog. “I wonder if he has a name? He doesn’t look like he’s got a home.”

“Can I keep him?” Olivia asked eagerly. “We need to find out if he has an owner,” Mom replied. “If not . . . we’ll see.” No owner was found, and Olivia’s parents decided she could keep the dog. She called him Bingo.

“Well,” said Dad one morning, “it looks as if your adopted dog is happy here with you, Olivia.”

“Adopted!” Olivia exclaimed. “Dad, he’s not adopted. He’s my very own dog!”

“Of course he is,” replied Dad, “but he wasn’t always your dog.”

A slow smile crossed Olivia’s face as the truth sank in. That’s right! she thought. Bingo and I really belong together, even if it wasn’t always that way–and Mom and Dad and I belong together, too. Bingo wouldn’t want to be any other place in the world, and neither would I!

“Being adopted isn’t a bad thing, you know,” continued Dad. “In fact, all of us who are Christians are adopted, too. We’re adopted into God’s family.”

Olivia giggled and gave her dad a big hug, “We’re one big, happy family of adoptees–even Bingo,” she said.

For God, adoption matters more than blood. Whatever family race or religion we inherited by blood, our real Parent isn’t finally the one to whom we’re genetically related, but the one who adopts us and makes us heirs to the greatest of estates-the heavenly Kingdom.

Although a human father cannot give his own nature to an adopted child, God can. The Holy Spirit, whom God places within us at the moment of salvation, confirms us as God’s children and stirs us to cry, “Abba, Father!” This term is found only two other times in the New Testament, and means “Dearest Father.” It is the Bible’s greatest argument against legalism.

God’s family includes second-class people, those who are never quite good enough to be members of a church, never included in the social elite, never with enough money to quite fit the mold. Some potential church members might be considered second-class people by church leaders, but God has no second-class children. God’s love reaches down, forgives us and accepts us freely and without reservation.

The bondage of the Law had to precede the telling of the Gospel. It was like the period of development by which children are trained for adulthood. The child is subject to the terms of a will by a loving parent. Eventually the child will be free, but for now the child is restricted by the parent’s rules. The child is no different from a slave.

Through this bondage children learn to trust their parents. Similarly, through the bondage of the Law we learn to trust God. It allows us to pray “Abba, Father” as Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane because we know the joy of being not a servant but a child of God. Before we can receive our inheritance from God, we must respond in faith to His promise.

When a person is saved, the law moves to the side and love moves to the centre. The believer is no longer enslaved to the harsh master of sin, but becomes a mature son or daughter of God. This shift in a person’s essence from slave to child with full rights as an heir of God is immediate, although believers often do not understand it until later in their Christian experience.

When we have a relationship with God, things change for the better. We feel different about our time, money and gifts. We realize that they belong to God, and He allows us to be stewards of them. We can experience His love in each situation. That changes everything. How many Christians today have received Christ’s forgiveness but miss out on living in the freedom they have? We don’t have to live under the impression that we have to earn our salvation.

God is our redeemer and liberator. The goal is freedom-not a freewheeling looseness without purpose and direction, but the kind of freedom where we can be what we are created to be, where we can reach the goals from whose glory we have fallen short. There is no reason for us to return to a life of slavery. We can live in the freedom that Christ has brought us-and that is the best gift we can receive at any time in the year.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, p. 1628)
2. “Part of the Family.” Retrieved from keys@lists.cbhministries.org
3. Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
4. Dunnam, M.D. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 31: Galatians/Ephesians/Philippians/Colossians/Philemon (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982; pp. 78-83)
5. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
6. John North, “Time with God.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
7. Richard Niell Donovan, “Exegesis for Galatians 4:4-7.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
8. Dr. Jack Graham, “What Would It Be Like if Jesus Hadn’t Come?” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
9. Dr. Harold Sala, “No Second-Class Citizens in His Kingdom.” Retrieved from guidelines@guidelines.org
10. Pastor David McGee, “Our Relationship Changes Everything.” Retrieved from www.crossthebridge.com
11. “Living in the Freedom Christ has Given You.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
12. Elisabeth Johnson, “Commentary on Galatians 4:4-7.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
13. Dr. David Jeremiah, “A Man for All Ages.” Printed in Turning Points Magazine, Dec. 2017, p. 45
14. Swindoll, Charles R.: Swindoll’s Living Insights: Galatians/Ephesians (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.: 2015; pp. 89-92)
15. Quinn G. Caldwell, “Real.” Retrieved from www.ucc.org