You're no Jesus!!

I overheard two men talking in the barber shop about judging a person's character. One man said, "You can judge a man's character by the people he associates with." Everyone kind of shook their heads or nodded that they pretty much agreed with that statement. After a short pause another man said, "Yah, and you can also judge a man's character by who he avoids!" Again, everyone kind of nodded in agreement. Then someone said, "Yes, but doesn't the Bible say that Jesus was the friend of sinners, tax collectors and prostitutes?" "I'm like Him?" To which the first man replied, "I know Jesus Christ, and you're no Jesus!"

Moral of the story: Jesus "associates" with sinners in order to take them out of their sin. Men all to often associate with "sinners" because they enjoy both the friendship and the sin. Jesus closest associates were His disciples and it is His followers He calls His friends.

Birds of a feather, flock together!!

The "Wise" and the "Foolish"

I would rather be seen as a fool before men than to be seen as a fool before Almighty God.

I Corinthians 3:18-19
"Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight."

I Corinthians 2:14
"The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."

We live in a day when evil is counted as good and good is counted as evil. This is true of behaviour, ideas, things, and people

Trials and Tests

Another thought from Charles R. Swindoll gleaned from the Living Insights Study Bible.

"Generally speaking there are two kinds of tests in life: adversity and prosperity. Of the two, the latter is the more difficult.

When adversity strikes, things get simple; survival is the goal. It is a test on maintaining the basics of food, clothing and shelter.

But when prosperity comes, watch out! Things get complicated. All kinds of subtle temptations arrive, pleading for satisfaction. It is then that one's integrity is put to the test."

Charles R. Swindall

The Gift of Prophesy

Many godly Biblical scholars will tell you that the gift of prophesy in our present times, with the completion of the N.T. Scriptures, is the "forth-telling" of the Word of God, rather than "fortelling future events". Good men have made predictions about the future only to have to wipe the egg off of their faces and adjust their calculations when things didn't turn out the way they had "prophesied".

In 1 Corinthians 14 we read of the New Testament gift of prophesy. We are told to "pursue love, yet desire spiritual gifts, but especially the gift of prophesy". (vs.1)

"-One who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation." vs. 3. A gifted person will have an unusual ability to make God's word clear and applicable to everyday life and to special circumstances so that the hearers are built up in their faith (edified), encouraged to press on (exhortation), and comforted (consolation) in the difficult times which all who live godly in Christ Jesus must endure.

There is another element in vss. 24,25. "--the secrets of his heart are revealed." I have heard many times of people who visit a church, listen to the preacher, and become angry because they are absolutely certain that someone has been talking to the preacher about them. Somehow, the sermon, which may have been prepared days or weeks before its delivery, contained elements, given by God, that were meant for one particular person in the audience.

Then there are the insights God gives a "prophetic" person into the lives and thinking of people around him (or her). An uncanny ability to see behind the smoke and mirrors into what is really going on. Some of this is, I am sure, a natural ability gained through years of interaction with people on various levels. But at times, I believe, it is something God reveals in order to bring conviction, edification, exhortation and consolation.

The Gift of Prophesy. Use it carefully and use it wisely, but use it, it is a gift from God, and a gift to be desired.

Take up the Challenge

I am reading a devotional by Charles R. Swindoll (one of my favorite author/preacher) "Come Before Winter and Share My Hope". At the end of a chapter entitled Letters of Reference he makes a challenge to study closely the New Testament book of III John to see what criteria the Apostle John used to evaluate the character of three men; Gaius, Diotrephes and Demetrius.

I have read III John countless times but never with this thought in mind. It was very revealing and touched my heart as I know it will your's if you TAKE UP THE CHALLENGE.

Selective Indignation

I knew a man who became very indignant about the infanticide commonly practiced against female babies in a certain Asian country. But he seldom said a word about the abortion of millions in his own nation.

A business man expresses deep indignation toward lying politicians in general and lying liberal politicians in particular, but routinely swindles his customers by not delivering the "goods" he has promised.

A lady became highly indignant when someone spoke negatively about her best friend but she remained strangly quiet as the conversation shifted focus and someone with whom she had only a casual acquaintance was sliced, diced and hung out to dry.

Indignant, highly indignant.
Silent, strangly quiet.

Next time you feel "indignation" rising, pause, take a deep breath, count silently to 10 then ask yourself, "Is my indignation selective or am I consistently reacting to the violation of a principle."

GO FOR THE SWEET SPOT

Upmmh -- Whack! You can hear the ball meeting the "sweet spot".   Nothing quite like that sound!  It rises off the bat like an arrow in flight arching high - up, up over the field, over the stands - it's out of the park.  The fans rise from their seats, victory shouts fill the air and the batter, poised for a sprint to first, loosens up and settles into a comfortable lope around the bases into the arms of his teammates.  What a way to make it home! 

Upmmmh, spreechkk!  A fast grounder into right field. Come on! come on! faster, faster,  whap  AHhh, safe at first.  Steals second - another grounder and he's on third.  A line drive along the right field foul line - run, run, the ball is at first and streaks toward home.  He's sliding in at full speed hands outstreched toward home base.  The umpire yells and waves his arms - he made it.  SAFE  but almost out.

Next batter up - same scenario- but the umpire yells- waves his arms. OUT  but almost in.

Reminds me of a couple of verses in God's Word, the Bible.  
In Acts 26:28 we read that King Agrippa, after listening to the gospel preached by the Apostle Paul, replied, "ALMOST thou persuadest me to be a Christian." 
ALMOST in but OUT!   ALMOST saved but lost!  Almost, almost.  Close but not close enough.

The next verses have to do with the believer who barely makes it in.  At the Judgement Seat of Christ his life gets reviewed by the all knowing God.  All is laid bare, even the hidden motives of the heart.  He wasted his life and the record of all he did was destroyed.  A child of God, yes, but little to show for it.

In 1 Cor. 3:15 we read, "If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire."

And in Hebrews 6:8, "but if it (the field) yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and CLOSE to being cursed, and it ends up being burned (off)."

ALMOST SAVED IS COMPLETELY CURSED
ALMOST CURSED IS COMPLETELY SAVED

How much better to go for the "sweet spot".  Receive Jesus as Saviour and Serve Him as Lord.