Have a Positive Impact on the Children 

Last week I received a phone call from my former college roommate letting me know that he was a grandfather now. His first grandchild had been born the previous day. After congratulating him on this joyous event, I decided to share my perspective as a longtime grandparent of more than 18 years, as well as someone preparing to welcome his eighth grandchild into the world within the next couple of weeks. I confirmed what a joy the smiles, laughter, and other interactions with those little ones can be. However, I also shared my belief that having a positive, Christlike influence on those grandchildren is one of our biggest purposes during this season of our lives.

In Matthew 18, Jesus talked about the impact we can have on “little ones”. While He may have intended for these truths to apply also to God’s children through faith, or believers, within the context it seems to be referring mainly to young people. They are words to remember in connection with all children, whether they are our own children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, the children at church, or the kids in our neighborhood. “Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me” (v.5) “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones” (v.10). “It is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish” (v.14). We should especially pay attention to Jesus’ word of warning – “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depths of the sea” (v.6). Jesus considered it a serious matter to negatively impact such a child!

Let’s make sure we are being faithful role models and godly examples to the children within our circle of influence. We should be seeking to point them to Jesus. We can sow the seeds of truth and God’s Word into their lives. We can show them the same kind of great love that God has shown to us. We can pray for them.

As students and teachers head back to school, it should remind us what an impact that experience can have on young people. What they are taught, what they see in their teachers, and how they interact with classmates can have a profound effect on their lives. Therefore we need to be praying for all those involved as they begin another school year. Pray that students will be discerning when it comes to the content of what they may be taught in the classroom. Pray that they will be able to recognize what is true and what is false, what is right and what is wrong, what is good and what is evil. Pray for their protection, both physically and spiritually, from the dangers lurking in our society today, including in our schools. Pray that they will choose their friends wisely.

Likewise, let’s pray for the teachers. Pray that they will have wisdom in knowing how to carry out their duties and to appropriately handle discipline in the classroom. Pray that they will truly care for their students and seek what is best for them. Especially pray for Christian teachers who seek to be a godly influence on their students. Pray that they will be faithful to their Christian values as some of them work within an environment that may not be favorable toward their faith or may even be working against it.

Children are important to Jesus. They should be important to us too. Let’s be a positive influence in their lives. And let’s pray for them, including that their school experience will be a good one. 

 

Jesus Takes Away Your Spiritual Trash 

It was garbage pick-up day for my elderly parents. My dad had wheeled his trash receptacle down to the curb as usual. However, later he noticed someone in a truck taking their neighbor’s garbage while ignoring my parent’s trash. Thinking they had been forgotten, they called the waste service. They were informed that their workers had not made it to their neighborhood yet. The business had actually received several other calls about an unauthorized individual who seemed to be collecting a few select people’s garbage. Why would someone do that? I guess in our day you have to wonder if this person had some nefarious purpose, such as looking for personal or financial information that could be used for identity theft.

Meanwhile, the neighbors whose garbage was taken, also mistakenly thought my parents’ trash had been forgotten. So they graciously decided to make an exchange, rolling my parents’ still-full trash can over to their curb as their responsibility while leaving my parents with an empty receptacle. It was all rather confusing until the real garbage workers showed up later, collected everyone’s waste, and straightened it all out.

This strange situation got me to thinking about what Jesus has done for us. He took our sin – our moral filth – our garbage – upon Himself. His receptacle was empty of any uncleanness. He was pure and sinless. Yet the Bible declares that God “made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (II Corinthians 5:21). Jesus graciously exchanged our sin for His righteousness. He didn’t take our spiritual garbage in order to steal our identity but rather to help us discover our identity in Him. Because of Him and His sacrifice for our sin, we can have our hearts cleansed of the guilt and condemnation that we deserve. We can be forgiven of our sins and find our place in God’s family as one of His beloved children. God no longer sees the mess we have made of ourselves, but He sees the righteousness of Christ in us. And even better yet, He changes us so that we can actually quit making such a mess but start living more in line with His will for us.

Some of us may want to argue that we aren’t such a big mess, at least not when compared to other people we know. We may look at ourselves as being basically good people. However, it is kind of like the garbage receptacles we sometimes see. Some people’s trash is unbagged, messy, and overflowing out of the cans. Another person’s trash may be neatly tied up in one little bag. Nevertheless, it is still all garbage. The Bible rightly notes that “we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). Your sin may not seem as bad as someone else’s, but it is still sin. It still falls short of God’s standard. Instead of comparing ourselves to others, we should compare ourselves to Jesus. In light of His purity, we all have fallen short of the mark, no matter how good we think we may have been.

This exchange Jesus has executed on our behalf doesn’t take place automatically. We have to choose to accept it. He has made it possible for us to be righteous, but we have to recognize our need, repent of our sins, believe in what He did for us on the cross, and put our trust in Him to cleanse us. Have you done that?

Let’s be thankful for Someone who so loves us that He not only takes away our spiritual garbage but leaves us with His own righteousness and purity in its place. What a Savior!

 

Remember Your Heavenly Citizenship 

As I write this, our country is still reeling from the attempted assassination of a presidential candidate. Meanwhile, political conventions are going on as part of the process during a tumultuous election year. There are deep divisions in the nation over its direction and future. In the midst of all the political fervor, let’s be reminded of a few truths as we seek to be faithful followers of Jesus in these days.

The Bible reminds us that “our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20). That doesn’t take away from our civic responsibilities here on earth. It doesn’t mean that we need to separate the spiritual from the physical to such a degree that we isolate ourselves or refuse to participate in the political process. We have a duty to pray for our leaders and to get involved in order to uphold moral values, as well as to seek to live in a society in which we can “lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence” (I Timothy 2:1-2). Not to do so would be neglecting our God-given responsibilities.

However, at the same time we need to keep in mind that our heavenly citizenship takes priority over our earthly citizenship. Therefore the way we conduct ourselves in the political realm should be in harmony with our faith in Christ. Our political fervor should not be more intense than our spiritual fervor. Our political values should not cause us to set aside our Christian values. Our loyalty to a political candidate should not come before our loyalty to God. We are citizens of the kingdom of heaven first, and secondarily we are citizens of this world.

At this point, I have no idea what the motives may have been for the person who tried to carry out this assassination. Maybe he mistakenly thought he was doing something needed and good for our country. Maybe he believed he would be eliminating a threat to our nation’s wellbeing. I don’t know. However, the taking of life and the resorting to violence was not the way to deal with the situation. Hopefully, we would all condemn such actions. However, we have to be careful not to take other actions in the name of politics that run counter to the way the Lord wants us to conduct ourselves as believers.

For one thing, let’s not compromise truth for the sake of politics or party affiliation. Regardless of where we are politically, we need to stand for biblical truth when dealing with the moral and social issues of our day. Where the Bible is clear on matters such as valuing life, seeking justice, sexual identity, and showing compassion, we need to uphold those standards whether or not it aligns with our political party.

Additionally, we need to guard against calling evil good or good evil. Not everything your political opponents do is evil and not everything your political party does is good. Be willing to recognize and point out the good and the bad. Similarly, let’s not ignore or make excuses for the faults and ungodliness of those candidates we support out of concern of turning voters away from them. Let’s not deny the physical or mental limitations of an aging candidate nor gloss over the vengeful spirit of an arrogant candidate. And I believe it is a shame that both main party candidates feel free to use such foul language in their public discourses that you wouldn’t want your young children to listen to them.

This world is not our home. Nevertheless, we live here and ought to be concerned about its condition, including what takes place in society and government. However, let’s not get so caught up in the politics that we fail to be good and faithful citizens of our heavenly kingdom. Jesus is our one Lord and King.

 

Make Sure You Are Actually Experiencing God 

My wife and I were sitting in a park watching a Fourth of July fireworks display. As the night sky began to light up with the beautiful illuminations, I found myself momentarily distracted by a small group of pre-teen girls standing a short distance away. What first annoyingly caught my eye was the bright light from their phones. Then I noticed that they weren’t actually watching the fireworks. They were busy posing for pictures with the light display behind them. They had their backs turned to the main event as they took selfies or as their companions snapped their photos. And it turned out not to be a momentary, quick photo session. It seemed to go on for quite some time. As I tried to keep my own attention focused on the wonderful fireworks, it struck me how these individuals were so intent on documenting their presence there that they were missing the actual show.

 Let’s be careful not to be guilty of similar actions when it comes to our encounters with the Lord in our lives. Let’s not get so caught up in just “showing up” or in the appearance of being in the Lord’s presence that we miss out on actually experiencing Him. There is something to be said in favor of just being there, whether it is at a worship service, in a personal prayer time, or opening up our Bibles to read. We need to be present in order to give ourselves an opportunity to be touched by the Lord. However, are we simply putting in our time, fulfilling what is expected of us, putting in an appearance in order to impress others or to try to impress God, or are we actually encountering the Lord in those moments? Are we meeting Him, contemplating His glory, listening for His voice, and fellowshipping with Him? Are we simply in the vicinity of the spiritual fireworks of God’s glory and power, or are we experiencing it for ourselves?

If selfies and photo ops had been available in Jesus’ day, there were some religious leaders who probably would have been experts at its use. Those Pharisees would have been taking selfies to document their pious activities, letting others see how godly they were. They would have posted their location every time they were at the temple or synagogue. They would have taken a selfie whenever they gave an offering or did a good deed. They would have made sure someone was getting it on video as they were praying their long prayers or as they were reciting the scriptures. They would have loved social media. Nevertheless, in the midst of all their appearance of godliness, they were missing out on the actual experience. When the Son of God Himself showed up, they could have “beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). But instead, they turned their backs on Him. “He came to His own and His own did not receive Him” (John 1:11). They were so busy with their appearance of being close to God that they missed the fireworks when He actually showed up.

It is good to be active in religious activities and busy in church work. However, let’s not allow those things to become a substitute for actually encountering the Lord and experiencing Him working in our lives. Let’s not fall into the modern prevalent trap of focusing more on appearances rather than on the experience itself. Go to church, but be sure you meet God there. Pray, but really talk to and listen to the Lord. Read your Bible, but hear what God wants to say to you and learn about His will for you. Experience God yourself.

 

Watch Out for Distractions 

I know a young driver who recently had what fortunately turned out to be only a minor mishap. I understand that he was reaching over to steady a bag in the passenger seat of his vehicle when he ran off the side of the road, slightly damaging his truck. Such momentary distractions while driving have resulted in much more serious accidents at times, even deadly ones. Many of us had to learn that lesson at some point after we first hit the road as licensed drivers, sometimes having to learn the hard way. No matter how skilled we may be at navigating a car, all it takes is a little distraction to cause us to lose our focus and end up in an accident. These days cell phones are a prominent culprit, but it can also be simply looking away for a moment in order to adjust the radio, correct a child, grab a cup, or talk to a passenger. It doesn’t take much and it doesn’t take long, but the effects can be devastating. Hopefully we have learned to keep our eyes on the road and not to allow anything to draw our attention away from the important task of driving.

We also have to watch out for whatever might distract us as we seek to follow Jesus. It isn’t always the obvious temptations, the moral failings, or the enemy attacks that throw us off track. Sometimes it can simply be something that takes our eyes off Jesus or away from the path on which He is leading us. It may not even be a bad thing. However, it is something or someone that deflects our attention away from our main task and mission as a follower of Jesus and gets us focused elsewhere. Before we realize it, we find ourselves off the narrow road trying to find our way back. Or we may even end up stuck in a ditch or plowed into a tree as we survey the damage and seek a way out.

Jesus seemed to be warning about the possibility and effects of such distractions in the parable of the sower when He referred to how “the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches” can hinder God’s Word from bearing fruit in our lives (Matthew 13:22). Paul also pointed to such a danger, advocating that we follow His example of keeping focused on the “one thing” while we “press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14). He also warned Timothy to be “a good soldier of Jesus Christ”, including not getting too entangled in the affairs of this life (II Timothy 2:3-4). We have a Savior to follow, a calling to fulfill, and a mission to accomplish – we dare not let anything distract us from it.

Nevertheless, it can be easy to lose our focus. We get caught up in the necessary routines of life and lose sight of what is most important. We get to looking at the visible, here-and-now and forget about the invisible realities related to eternity. We get busy carrying out our other roles in life and forget that we are soldiers of Christ involved in a battle for souls. We get distracted by politics, jobs, family, or sports. Don’t get me wrong – those aspects of our lives can be important and valid parts of the good road on which Jesus calls us to travel. However, they can also become distractions if we allow them to get out of their proper place. 

Are we letting anything cause us to take our eyes off Jesus and His purposes for us? Keep your eyes on the road. Don’t let anything distract you from “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).

 

The Bible Lets Us Know What Is Coming 

One day recently I was surprised to receive my Wednesday local newspaper in the mail on Tuesday. My first thought was that someone had made a mistake, but then I remembered that the following day was a holiday in which the post office would be closed. However, it still was a little eerie to read the news that was dated for the next day. It reminded me of the old TV show in which a man regularly received what was described as “tomorrow’s newspaper today.” He was supernaturally given advanced notice of events and used that knowledge to avert certain disasters, save people from harm, or help prepare for some occurrence. I was a little disappointed when I examined my day-early newspaper and didn’t find any such prognostications that I could use to make a difference, alter the future, or make advance preparations.

While we rightly categorize such a concept as a fantasy, there is a sense in which we actually have received “tomorrow’s newspaper today.” We don’t receive such a supernatural communication on our doorstep or in our mailbox each day. However, God has provided us with some revelation in the Bible about what the future holds. It typically doesn’t provide us with specific dates, but it does give us a clear picture of certain trends we can expect, along with some definite events. Are we paying attention to what it reveals about what is ahead for us? Are we responding appropriately by trying to avoid disasters, warning others, and preparing for what is to come?

One of the most significant events the Bible foretells is the glorious return of Jesus. He will come back to earth to receive His faithful followers to a wonderful destiny of spending eternity with Him while ushering in a time of final judgment on those who have refused to put their trust in Him. If we truly believe that future headline, shouldn’t we be preparing for it? In connection with that truth, the Bible instructs us to watch and be ready. We need to make sure our hearts are right with God and that we are faithfully living for Him. However, it should also motivate us to urgently be warning others, praying for them, and witnessing to them. If we knew in advance that some disaster was going to befall certain people, wouldn’t we make an effort to help them avoid it if we could? Shouldn’t we be doing that in light of our knowledge of Christ’s return?

There are precursors to that main event of which we also need to be aware and be taking appropriate action. The Bible lets us know that leading up to the return of Jesus there will be hardships and persecution for His people. Therefore we need to be getting so grounded in our faith that such tribulation and opposition will be less likely to cause us to stumble. Some of us need to focus less on the hope of escaping such adversities by means of a “rapture” and put more effort into spiritually preparing for the possibility of our having to suffer or even die for our faith before Jesus comes back. The Bible also reveals that many will be deceived by false prophets and their teachings. What are we doing to avoid falling victim to such deception? We need to be spending time in God’s Word, becoming more familiar with the truth, and teaching those truths to others. Between cultural pressures and new technology such as artificial intelligence, along with Satan working to blind people’s hearts and minds, it is getting more difficult to discern truth and will be easier to be deceived.

So let’s study tomorrow’s newspaper. God has given us warning and an opportunity to get ready. Let’s make good use of it.

 

A Word Search for Today’s World 

One of my Father’s Day gifts was one of these word search puzzle books. I am sure you are familiar with how those work, as you examine a page full of rows and columns of letters looking for the ones which spell out certain words, usually words following a particular theme. I don’t know if my daughter gave me that present because she knew I would enjoy it or because she thinks I am getting more elderly and need to work to keep my mind sharp. Either way, I appreciate it.

This gift got me to thinking about some words and concepts which I believe need to be searched for and rediscovered in our day. They seem to be getting more difficult to find not only in today’s world but also within the confines of the Christian church. One such word is “repentance.” As politicians, social activists, media influencers, and Christian ministers talk about the remedy for the woes of our society today, I hear very few make reference to the need for repentance. Of course, in order to do that, you would have to acknowledge the existence of another word that has largely disappeared from view these days, and that is the concept of sin. One of the greatest problems and greatest needs in the world today is that we are embracing sin and refusing to repent. You will find many other words and phrases in that puzzle – love, acceptance, tolerance, inclusion, non-judgmentalism – but sin and repentance are hard to find. However, those concepts are very prominent in the Bible. Jesus began His ministry calling for people to repent (Matthew 4:17). Later He said that He came to call “sinners to repentance” (Matthew 9:13). Why aren’t we issuing such a call in our day?

Another word that is missing in our culture and many of our churches today is “holy.” We may find it in reference to God as we sing a praise song or extol His greatness, but I don’t often hear it being applied to His followers. We often focus on our faults, shortcomings, and ungodliness while emphasizing a gracious God who forgives us. And that is a wonderful truth. However, God doesn’t call us to remain ungodly while enjoying the status of being forgiven. He calls us to be holy as He is holy. He wants not only to forgive us but to cleanse us. He intends for us not to remain slaves of sin and sinful living, but to be set free to live for Him and to become more like Jesus. We need to rediscover God’s call to be a holy people – a people devoted to Him who are letting Him purify their hearts and enable them to live godly lives.

Let me mention one other word we seem to have forgotten these days – “character.” A person’s character is important. As we evaluate people, especially our leaders, we tend to emphasize other words and phrases – skill, talents, good policies, fighter, charisma, clever, boldness, getting the job done. However, if a person isn’t of good character, he can’t be trusted to use whatever other qualities he may have for good purposes. He can’t be depended on to do what he says or to stand up for what is right, regardless of what he may have done in the past. Character matters, whether in church leaders or political leaders.

What words would you add to this list? We are living in a puzzling world that is choosing to ignore some important concepts. While we acknowledge their absence in our culture and pray for a turnaround, let’s make sure we aren’t neglecting them in our own lives. Regardless of what others do, let’s confess our sins, repent, and seek to be holy people of good character.