Exercising Mercy (Part 2)

Yesterday, I posted part one to this thought about having mercy on those who messed up. Today, I will continue the thought with more Bible to encourage us to have mercy and to forgive.

Luke 5:30 “But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?”

Do you remember what Jesus said about the guy who looks on a woman in lust? God says he has committed adultery already in his heart. The standard of excellence God asks of us for is far beyond anything we live. We all ought to strive for Christlikeness, but as we do, we must understand how far we fall short. Because of that, we ought to have mercy on others.

John wrote that if you hate your brother, you are a murderer. He then asks how you can say you love God? (1 John 3:15)

Those first-century critics accused John the Baptist as well as Jesus.
Luke 7:33 “For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil.”
vs. 34 “The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!”

Twice, this crowd of shameless judges accused Jesus of being friends with sinners. (We better all be glad Jesus will be a friend of sinners, otherwise we would have no hope.)

Luke 15:1 “Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.”
vs. 2 “And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.”

Luke 19:5 “And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.”
vs. 6 “And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.”
vs. 7 “And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.”

Mark this down and thank God for it!! Every time you lift your voice in prayer, Christ bows His ear to a sinner.

God bestows every blessing in your life, knowing he is doing so to a person filled with greed, selfishness, arrogance, pride, fear, doubt, and a judgmental spirit. God blesses sinners!

Every time we knock on a door and invite someone to church, we invite a sinner, a fallen, condemned, Hell-bound sinner to enter our church

Every time we shake hands with a guest in our church, we do so with a hand that is selfish, and loves the things of this world more than the things of God. What gives us the arrogance to act as though others are bad and we are good?

As Jesus stood by the woman supposedly taken in adultery (John 8), He asked that the one without sin cast the first stone. In the presence of the almighty God, they all walked out – from the greatest to the least. Jesus was the only One without sin, and He cast no stones, but instead He had mercy.

Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.”
Matthew 6:15 “But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

Do you know there are people sitting out of church across America today that would like to be in church, but they know the spirit of God's people – therefore they will not go back to church. Not because of their desire to be out of church or because of their sin, but because of the attitude of God's people, these castaways are out of church and may never return again.

If someone broke the law, allow the law to do its duty; you go on loving people. If someone cannot teach or lead in a ministry, that is fine. (For logical reasons, most churches have rules on who can teach and serve in leadership and who cannot.)
…But mercy and love are commands of God.

1 Corinthians 6:11 “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."

God says that when a person is saved, they are washed, sanctified, and justified. How much like God are we?

Pastor

Exercising Mercy

Most of us go through life with a hope for justice, fair treatment, and a decent chance for a happy life. As we age, we come to understand that boyfriends and girlfriends hurt us, referees are crooked, and life in general can be painful. Adulthood arrives on the scene with an even more painful sting. Our experience with injustice and corrupt people begins perhaps on the playground, but it certainly finds us again before we get too old. The question is, "How do we respond."

God makes it clear that all have sinned; in fact, He says that the liar will go to hell along with the murderer.

Revelation 21:8 “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

We have all broken the commands of God. We have all lived in a way that deserves death and Hell. With that obvious fact in mind, how do we respond to sinners around us? James gives us some direction.

James 2:8-12 “If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:”
James 2:13 “For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.”

Judgment without mercy? That is no place you want to live. We all should desire mercy daily! Yet, if we do not exercise mercy on those who do wrong, we are in grave danger. Yes, the law can do as it pleases, but we are not the law. We are to live like the people of God.

Jesus had many dealings with judgmental people, and they did not fare well in His world.

Matthew 9:10 “And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.”
vs. 11 “And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?”

Hosea 6:6 “For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.”

Matthew 9:13 “But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Also see Matthew 11:19.)

Remember what Jesus said to Peter when he suggested offending people and forgiveness?
Matthew 18:22 “Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.”

As the passage about mercy, if we mess up on this, it will have serious consequences.
Matthew 18:35 "So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.”

Let me be clear; God has been extremely merciful to all of us, and He expects us to do the same.

Pastor

Get to the Real Trouble

Good Morning,

I heard some conservative media folks talking about certain troubles in our nation, and one asked the question, “Why?”   They were seeking an agenda.  These are good people, but they are missing a heart and head full of Bible.  

Much of the wrong in the world has a very clear “Why?” It is the devil.  Most people do not talk about God; they just beat around the bush.  A small group may speak of Him, but very few will address evil and the source of evil, Satan.  The same is true of people who will speak of Heaven compared to the number who will converse about Hell.  It is just more difficult to deal with evil.  

In reality, evil has always been present in our world, and if we do not address its origin, we will fail miserably at addressing the blessing of this life.  Of course, the answer is, we need the Lord. 

Think about our modern world.  What is being attacked, and how illogical are those attacks?  Who really wants to defund police?  Only Satan. He wants anarchy and totalitarian rulers.  Who would get young people to question their gender?  The wicked one is most pleased by that.  How about traditional roles in the home; who would try to get men to follow and woman to be the leaders?  

Allow me to take this principle a step further.  Let us think about the average “wholesome” movie, like Hallmark.  The men are almost always soft and feminine.  Women are often following a career and the man is following the gal.  Like so many other newer shows, women are rescuing the guys, solving their problems, and answering their questions – it just goes on and on.  You may even see two men sharing their deep feelings – NEVER do two men sit around sharing their heart (unless perhaps they are queer, then they might, I would not know).  

Society has been taking away anything on the playground that develops strength, courage, tenacity, or individualism.  Young couples are assured that it is okay not to buy a home, not to move out on their own, and not to try to be independent.  Parents are being told how to run their homes, and businesses are being forced to operate according to the whim of the local or national rulers.  Decision making, independence, and responsibility are being pushed out of life.  Only Satan would suggest such a thing.  

I remember a cigarette commercial from my childhood in which the slogan was, "I'd rather fight than switch."  The man had a black eye, and he was not about to change his cigarette, even if it was a fight.  What a passive, soft culture of males we are training!  Female superheroes, and women with women lovers brings males to think if they were more feminine that women might like them.  Since "I Love Lucy,” Hollywood has slowly cultivated strong, dominant women and weaker and indecisive men.  Any strong man is made out to be a fool or an unliked ogre. 

The trouble? We do not truly believe what the Bible says about evil, and we do not believe what the Bible says about right and wrong. Talk show hosts and conservative leaders can say all they want, but until they come to grips with the fact  that there is a devil and a Holy God Who gave us a  holy Book, they will all just be shooting in the dark.

Do not forget the beauty of life with God and His Word.  Enjoy it all you can. Do not allow the crazy, obscure, confused ideas around us to bring frustration and confusion to your heart. We serve a great God with a Book full of clear instructions. Let us rejoice in the clarity in the truth He put before us.?

Pastor

Common Sense

Good Morning,

We hold a Bible in our hands with an enormous section called “The Law,” and we know Jesus said, “If you love me keep my commandments,” yet somehow, we have a perspective on Christianity that says to do, “whatever you think right.”

Consider the most basic things like alcohol. The vast majority of church goers will say there is nothing wrong with drinking, as long as you do not get drunk. Most of our religious Americans will say adultery is not a good idea, but rare is the sermon when a pastor dares to cross the line of “legalistic preaching” by publicly condemning moral misconduct.

Our secular government has what was called a “sin tax” on substances like tobacco, booze, and (I believe) gambling, yet few people are willing to call anything like that sinful. The current culture dictates a “whatever you think” and “no one should ‘judge’ another” philosophy as correct.

Secular society now accepts the ideas of questioning genders and seeking to normalize perversion with a question mark on reality. We refer to mankind as advanced animals via evolution, yet we speak of every animal as male or female and recognize the vital distinction in every area of agricultural life. No one buys a thousand chicks, with no concern about gender (at least, not if they desire to raise laying hens). Roosters are of little value in that area. When someone buys a papered pet dog, the question, “Would you like a male or female?” will most certainly be asked.

Regarding the home, any sane person in any culture understands this to be a man and a woman and usually children. In fighting fruit flies, one non-chemical method used is to introduce sterile males into the area where fruit flies are found. Breeding takes place and no offspring are produced. How difficult is that to understand? Countless millions of people blindly stand on the “I just feel” kind of reasoning. Truth is absolute and must be loved and sought. To live according to the “whatever you think” idea is foolish. That is the kind of decision we make at the ice cream counter, not on abortion, opioid use, and religion.

Someone may feel it is unfair for God to threaten people with Hell, but that is what the Bible says. Some “nice” preacher may say Hell is only separation from God but not eternal fire; but that preacher will face God over that proclamation. What we feel about Hell does not matter one iota; only what God says matters.

Judas felt that it was okay to betray the Saviour. Absalom felt that it was justifiable to seek to remove his father from the throne and take the kingdom for himself (2 Samuel 15). Ananias and Sapphira (his wife) (Acts 5) lied about their giving and sought praise from men - God killed them - but I would guess they thought it was okay to be deceitful about their giving. None of these people thought it would do any harm to do what they did; they did what they thought would be okay.

Paul and John had their share of critics and slanderers, who, it seems, felt it was acceptable to criticize the Apostles,
3 John 9 “I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.”
vs. 10 “Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.”

2 Timothy 4:14 “Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:”
vs. 15 “Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.”

These men have discovered that their “feelings” are not a sound argument of comparison to the presence of the Lord. Like Eve, who for the past six thousand years has regretted trusting herself and personal opinion, each of us must face the fact that our hearts are deceitful ( Jeremiah 17:9).

The Bible says that men who do not work “walk disorderly” (2 Thessalonians 3:6,7,11), but society excuses lazy, slothful living and rewards it with government handouts. The issue is not about opinions and feelings, the issue is truth. Good old-fashioned ideas of right and wrong are not very popular in our current society, but they are still right.

Let us reflect back to the first comments about the Ten Commandments. As God was giving Moses the command to have no idols and not to bow down to them, Aaron was making golden calves, and the people were dancing naked to wrong music.

Exodus 32:17 “… There is a noise of war in the camp."
vs. 18 “And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear.”
vs. 25 “And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:)”

Opinions were unimportant; three thousand people died that day in judgment.

I speak or write often on this subject because we are bombarded with the idea that our feelings justify our actions. When some crazy person shoots folks or drives his car into them, we tend to wonder what happened. What happened is a stupid society taught too many people that their feelings justify their actions. I do not excuse anyone for their evil behavior, but educators and media are much to blame.

The Bible, Sunday school, and church are the moral compass of society. Let our goal be to get everyone back under the influence of the Lord, and then, perhaps, common sense will be a little more common.

Pastor

Right in our own Eyes

Good Morning,

While reading through the book of Judges, I feel as though I am reading a story of churches in America today.
Judges 17:6 “In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”

The thought is repeated at the end of the book:
Judges 21:25 “In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”

When there is no king or authority, each person does what he thinks is right. Without the Bible as a guide, without men of God to instruct people in the ways of God, right becomes very subjective.

The first half of the theme is presented twice more:
Judges 18:1 “In those days there was no king in Israel…"
Judges 19:1 “And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel…"

The trouble was, the people had no Bible to which they were loyal. They needed a Bible and someone to hold their feet to the fire of obedience. They needed someone to lay down the law of right and wrong.

Today, many pastors set their own standard for the manners of a pastor. They choose their own set of right and wrong, their own fashions and associations, and their own rules for behavior. Paul told Timothy how he ought to behave in the house of God. Paul commanded Timothy to:
2 Timothy 1:13 “Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me”
2 Timothy 3:14 “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;”

On occasion, I hear from a pastor and I wonder if I am speaking to a surfer or a sports commentator. His vocabulary matches anything but a man of God. His dress is certainly nothing distinctive for a pastor. I remember Everett Gaylor (a retired Baptist preacher who is now in Heaven) came to our church in the early days, and stayed until he went to Heaven. He often said, "The church is getting so worldly and the world so churchy that you cannot tell one from another." Now, I am not sure about the world becoming churchy, but a worldly group of churches and pastors often criticize the manner of living preached in their home churches.

The point is, too many pastors are doing what is right in their own eyes instead of listening and honoring the older pastors who have taught them.

What brought Israel out of Egypt? Humble obedience and submission to every detail of God's Word. What brought Israel across the Jordan River? Obviously, the Israelites were different; they lived quite differently than the Egyptians. When Rahab the harlot joined the people of Israel, she had to start out "outside the camp" for a time because she was from the world.

Simple obedience got the children of Israel this far; but, for some reason, everyone started trying out their own ideas rather than continuing in the things they had learned. Leadership is vital; doing what is right in our own eyes is suicidal. We need to be devoted to the Word of God and loyal to a man of God; both are consistent with the Bible.
?With all our hearts, we need to seek out the Scriptures and love them. Likewise, we need a pastor to guide us in the Word, in order that we would not lean unto our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6) or do that which is right in our own eyes. I heard a young pastor say that he and others were going to "redefine fundamentalism." How pitiful for some young pastor to think he can redefine what we have embraced and loved for generations. Fundamentalism is not his to redefine, neither does he have enough wisdom or experience to redefine what he has yet to figure out. The problem is we do what is right in our own eyes and fail to have a "king" in our lives.

Judges 17:6 “In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”
Judges 21:25 “In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”

For four hundred years, the children of Israel followed their own path. Without loyalty to God or a spiritual leader, they repeatedly made wrong choices. They would be blessed, but then forget God and find themselves in bondage; that pattern repeated itself over and over again.

Judges 3:7 “And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Balaam and the groves.”

Only a brief time of victory passed before they would backslide again:
vs. 12 “And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD.”

After a short deliverance, again, the Israelites drifted back into sin:
Judges 4:1 “And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, when Ehud was dead.”

Today, many pastors and Bible college teachers are changing the Bible because it seems RIGHT in their own eyes; they are justifying worldliness because it seems RIGHT in their own eyes; they are changing the old songs of the church because it seems RIGHT in their own eyes; they are bringing dance teams and rock bands into the church because it seems RIGHT in their own eyes.

Parents are failing to keep their children in Sunday school because having them involved in sports seems RIGHT in their own eyes. Christian mothers are trying to raise children without the father because it seems RIGHT in their own eyes. Well-meaning parents are sending their inexperienced seventeen or eighteen-year-old young people into hell holes called university campuses because it seems RIGHT in their own eyes. This list of decisions based upon feeling something is “right in his own eyes” goes on and on, but one thing is sure — we must get back to the Bible.

Judges 21:25 “In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

Reading our Bibles, listening to much preaching, and staying active in a good church are all extremely important. Doing what is RIGHT in our own eyes can do a great deal of damage.

Pastor

Purpose Defined

Dear Friends,

A few years ago, our daughter and her family were visiting from out of state.  One of her children was getting so sick she chose to make an emergency room visit.  After calling a friend who works there, we were met with not only medical help but a friend.  We chatted for a while, then the nurse said something very important, "I am not here to be a friend but to get him well."  Then she pulled out two syringes and thrust the needles into the chubby little thighs bringing about extra noise to the emergency room, but also bringing help to the little one.

Many times, we do not do what we should do because we are stuck on being nice or friendly, or striving to avoid hurting people.  In reality, we have forgotten our purpose.

In each situation, we must know our purpose.  Why are we here?  What is our duty or role?  
Mark 1:35 “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.”
vs. 36 “And Simon and they that were with him followed after him.”
vs. 37 “And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee.”
vs 38 “And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.”

Jesus had risen before the sun to pray.  Peter found Him to tell Him how many people were waiting to see Him; Peter assumed Jesus would come straight to the crowds.  Instead, Jesus pointed out the reason for all actions, "...for therefore came I forth."  There was a reason Jesus came, and that reason had to motivate His every action.  In this case,  Jesus came to preach all over the area, not just to stay in one little village and preach.  It is the same for all of us.  The father has a responsibility to provide for his family, therefore, he must work.  He has children to raise, a marriage to nurture, and a church in which to serve.  Many things motivate our actions, but few are based on feelings.  

Jesus explained the events to come and that His life would be forfeited.  Peter did not think that was a good idea at all; Peter had his own idea of what was good and bad.

Matthew 16:22 “Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.”
vs. 23 “But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.”

Peter was thinking like a man and loving the things a man would love; rather than thinking like God.  Peter simply did not want Jesus to have to die.  Was that so bad?  But Jesus said, "...for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men."  God had a will that had to be fulfilled.  

Jesus called him "Satan."  Anyone who tries to prevent us from doing the will of God is satanic.  This principle fits with countless areas of life from disciplining children to reading our Bibles.  Some things are right; the subject is not up for debate. 
 
Rarely, have young people had serious trouble in our school, but it has happened. When the young person finds himself in the principal's office, tears of remorse are often present (not because of physical discipline; we do not do that).  Our principal, having done this job for decades, is not moved at all by tears.  Someone’s crying is no reason to change your course of action.  Regarding children, Proverbs 19:18 says, "Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.”  Crying should not convince you to change your course of action.  

Crying reporters should have ZERO effect on legislation.  Loud cries of hired protestors should carry no weight at all in political situations.  Children, still underage to vote, should be told to stay out of politics until they have reached the age at which their opinion is respected.   We have a system of legislation that allows the majority to rule when votes reach a certain point.  Screaming people do not or should not overrule the will of the populace.  (With a Constitutional Republic, the majority should not overrule the rights of the individual either, but that is another subject.)   In summary, feelings, emotions, tragic situations, and hurt to some or many does not change the necessity of doing right each day.  

Capital punishment is right because God says it is right, but it is also right because our legal system says it is right.  The fact that a life is being taken as punishment is not reason enough NOT to administer justice.  Some people commit deeds worthy of death.  To allow emotions to rule in a courtroom, a classroom, or the baby's room is wrong.  We are a people of laws and rules, both as Americans and as Christians.  Emotion is good but must always be subject to right and reason.  Why are we here?  What is our duty?  What are our obligations?  These questions ought to dictate our daily lives.  

For a mother to homeschool her children requires her to step out of her "mom" shoes and put on “teacher” shoes.  Switching roles is not easy, and many people cannot do it.  For a busy manager to be a good husband, he needs to determine when he is to be "husband" and not answer the phone from work.  When one child requires extra care, a wise parent must not neglect the other children because of the one’s special needs.  Each child needs mom and dad, and each one needs unique training; duty may cause you to step away from the needy child so as to fulfill your responsibility toward the other children.  Yes, you are in college and dating, but you have to pay your bills,  pass your classes, and walk with God.  To allow one responsibility to create failure in another area is folly.  

Each day, a mom needs to prayerfully ask God, "What am I to do today?"  Each college student or father needs to ask the same question; life is far too complicated to allow our actions to be determined by the feelings and emotions of the hour.   

Pastor