They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love, But They’ll Know We Are Mature by Our Unity. 1 Corinthians 3:3.

Imagine the unity of being a new Christian in the early church. You and your friends witnessed the life and death of the long-awaited Messiah. You heard Jesus pray that you would all be one, see John 17:21. Talk about a ‘Shared Cultural Moment’![1] You were a witness to the crucifixion and resurrection—or at least you can say it happened during your lifetime! What could create a more powerful sense of unity between believers? We are all on the same team, right? But the unity did not last, and Paul confronted the Corinthians about it:

“It has been reported to me … that there is rivalry among you…. Each of you says, ‘I’m with Paul,’ or ‘I’m with Apollos,’ or ‘I’m with Peter,’ or ‘I’m with Christ.’ Is Christ divided? Was it Paul who was crucified for you? Or were you baptized in Paul’s name?” 1 Corinthians 1:11-13.

The Christian church in the U.S. is divided into an estimated 200 denominations. Do you think we have rivalries? You bet we do. Is that wrong? Perhaps it depends—is this a friendly rivalry between brothers, or is this a bitter feud? There is nothing wrong with playing in a church softball league and battling your Christian brothers and sisters on the field. But Jesus said people would know true believers not by their competitiveness but by their love, John 13:35.

Do you love members of other churches?

Do you love members of other denominations?

Jesus does. You should too. Otherwise, you are fleshly and immature.

“I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, because you were not yet ready for it. In fact, you are still not ready, because you are still fleshly. For since there is envy and strife among you, are you not fleshly and living like unbelievers? For whenever someone says, ‘I’m with Paul,’ and another ‘I’m with Apollos,’ are you not unspiritual people? What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth” 1 Corinthians 3:2-7.

Unity is important. When the lost complain about the number of denominations, only love can answer the charge. If you do not love the people who attend other churches, you will never be able to persuade someone to attend yours.

Denominations are a normal result of disagreement; I do not believe they are wrong per se. After all, each of us has a right to worship with those with whom we agree. And even if we are kind to each other and “agree to disagree,” it may make sense to worship in different places. Churches must make many decisions about what they believe and how they exercise that belief—find a church that you can agree with.

But even in the best church, you will sometimes disagree with your pastor and leaders. Without a mature spirit of unity and forgiveness, you will not be able to get involved and stay involved with your local church.

Paul takes it even further: without a mature spirit of unity and forgiveness, you will not be able to mature from milk to solid food. Do you really want to remain a baby Christian forever?

Humble yourself and be humble not only toward your pastor, but about your pastor, your favorite Bible study leader, or author: “No one should boast in human leaders” 1 Corinthians 3:21.

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[1] The following events have something in common: the Kennedy assassination, the attacks of 9/11, the TV broadcast of the Moon landing, STAR WARS hitting the theaters, and even the Ice Bucket Challenge. When everyone you know is paying attention to the same event, that event becomes a “Shared Cultural Moment.” Few things are more unifying. When everyone you know is watching the same thing on television, then during that day and for days—even years—after, you know you can talk to anyone and they will identify with you and be able to understand your feelings. Shared Cultural Moments create an incredible sense of unity.

FAHRENHEIT 451. Acts 19:19.

What do you think of book burning? Heating printed pages to 451 degrees Farenheit? Most Americans are against it—and against censorship of any kind. But believe it or not, some great legal minds have advanced arguments in FAVOR of censorship. In fact, we ALREADY censor child pornography. Some argue we should censor all pornography (as we once did)—because it does nothing good for the world. I agree.

But aside from censorship by the government, consider VOLUNTARY censorship. Do you own anything you should destroy? Any books you should burn?

When Paul was preaching in Ephesus, God worked miracles through him. Incredible things were reported:

“This became known to everyone… And many became believers… and those who had practiced magic collected their books and burned them in front of everyone. They calculated their value and it came to 50,000 pieces of silver” Acts 19:19.

That must have been a raging inferno, a huge conflagration, a massive pyre. But aside from the size of the roaring flames, consider the value. Fifty-thousand silver coins in today’s money is worth $4-5 million. That’s a lot of money! Why didn’t the former magicians take their books to a used book shop? Half-Price Books would have paid them a fortune! Or they could have auctioned off their best spells and potions on eBay, right? Why throw away such a valuable investment?

But as with horoscopes—magic is not harmless fun, it’s evil—and once the magicians repented of their sins and found Christ, they wanted to destroy the works of the devil, not pass them on to someone else.

What do you own that needs to be burned? What websites need to be blocked? What friends need to be shown the door? Sometimes God calls us to RADICAL OBEDIENCE. Even to the point of setting something on fire.

God, speak to us. Lead us. Draw us to you and show us what parts of our lives or habits we need to burn so we can be 100% dedicated to you.

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One Reason to Ignore the Ratings System. Acts 19:19.

When I was a kid, I imagined that the day I turned 13, my parents would rush me off to a PG-13 movie. And four years later, on my 17th birthday, I’d go out and watch all the R-rated movies I could afford. It was as if there were something magical about the ratings and the dates, as though the day I hit 21, I would be magically transformed from a college student into a completely mature and perfect man. But that’s not the way life works, right? Some mature faster than others. Some never mature at all.

More importantly, there is no magic to the ratings systems for TV, movies, games, etc. Someone makes a judgment call. Sometimes they get it wrong. Some R-rated movies are much cleaner or “milder” than some PG-rated movies. Like I said, it’s a judgment call.

But more important than any ratings system, God expects you to use your judgment—to use GOOD judgment. Don’t watch things just because the rating looks okay. The rating is a guide, not a guarantee. And a misapplied rating may be a Trojan Horse—you trust the rating without questioning it, and two hours later, your mind is full of darkness or evil or fear. It is not worth it. You can turn it off halfway. If there’s trouble, stop and take a break. Get away and ask yourself if you really want to see this (or read it or listen to it). There are better things to do with your time.

In Acts 19, God worked amazing miracles through Paul. Demons were cast out of people and everyone in Ephesus was amazed.

“And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of everyone: and they counted up the price of them and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the Word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing” Acts 19:19.

Remember how much Jesus was sold for? Thirty pieces of silver. These burned books were worth 50 THOUSAND pieces of silver. That’s almost 2,000 times more than they paid Judas to betray Jesus. They say this was 50,000 day’s wages. In other words, all the money three people could earn in fifty years! It’s an incredible sum. But no one said, “let’s sell the books and donate the money…” The occult books could have commanded a high price–they were financially valuable. But the books were so filled with evil that burning them was the only thing the new believers could do.

Could you ever destroy your possessions? Could you burn a favorite book or movie if God put that on your heart?

Think about that—not everything is worth watching or reading. Some things need to be destroyed. I bet you can think of some things you have watched or put in your mind that you regret. Are you willing to burn them? Why not? (*I’m not encouraging you to start a fire. I’m interested in your heart.) Are you willing to admit that they are wrong?

Sometimes I hear kids say, “It’s okay. It’s fine. I’m fine. It won’t affect me.”

But it will affect you and you are not “fine.” All of us are vulnerable. If we put bad things in our heads, we will suffer. We are called to “guard our hearts,” (Proverbs 4:23) and to “hate evil, you who love the Lord” Psalm 97:10. Do hate evil? Do you hate it enough to burn it? If you do not hate evil, then do you really love the Lord? You know God hates evil. Why don’t you?

Pray: Dear Jesus, help me to hate evil. Help me to use good judgment and not to simply rely on ratings. Help me to guard my heart. Show me when I’m watching or reading or listening to something bad. Help me change. Help me turn it off and use good judgment. Fill me with a hate for evil. Help me to hate evil so much that I can burn it. Help me to see the ways the enemy uses bad things to draw me away from you. I want to love you and serve you with my whole heart. Thank you.

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INFLUENCERS. 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13.

We hear about “social media influencers.” Most are young people with a talent for engaging an audience. Celebrities, including singers, actors, and athletes (so many soccer players!), top the lists, but even the highest ranks include four members of the Kardashian family—the family of OJ’s lawyer—who, like Paris Hilton, are merely “famous for being famous.” Further down the list are non-celebrities, once-unknown kids who have made a name for themselves with makeup videos, prank videos, and more.

But why make these people “influencers”? Does an actor’s opinion on politics merit attention? Should the choices of a high-school dropout who is now a famous singer have any credibility? Do you really want to be influenced by people your grandmother might call “empty-headed ninnies”? Do the choices made by celebrities indicate that they possess wisdom?

Who have you chosen to influence you? You get to choose!

“Now we command you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to keep away from everyone who walks irresponsibly…. For you know: YOU MUST IMITATE US. We were not irresponsible among you; we did not eat anyone’s food free of charge; we labored and struggled, working night and day so we would not be a burden. We did it to make ourselves an example to you, so that YOU WOULD IMITATE US. In fact, when we were with you, this is what we commanded you: ‘if anyone will not work, neither let him eat.’ …Brothers, do not grow weary in doing good” 2 Thessalonians 3:6-10,13.

Paul dares to say “YOU MUST IMITATE US” (meaning Paul, Timothy, and Silvanus). Are we willing to imitate them?

Do we examine the lives of apostles and elevate them to a place of influence?

What about mature believers we know personally?

Are we looking to the best Christians for influence?

Or are we blindly following the lost (the blind), both friends and famous?

Ask yourself: WHOM DO I IMITATE? Choose the best examples you can. “Be imitators of us and of the Lord” I Thessalonians 1:6.

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INCENTIVE. 1 Corinthians 9:7-10.

Satan is the father of lies; one of the worst is COMMUNISM.

Communism KILLS. Karl Marx blamed the world’s problems on class warfare: the rich have the capital (money) and keep the poor impoverished, jealous, and resentful. Marx invented COMMUNISM: everyone works, the government takes everything, and then hands out money in a way that is “fair.” But humans are CORRUPT and people end up MISERABLE.

Marx defends killing property owners, the religious, and other troublemakers—and the numbers are unbelievable. Where Nazism killed 8 million, Communism has slaughtered 100 million(!)—and the numbers keep climbing.

(The notion that Communism is an economic system is just a cover story—this is a GENOCIDE system!)

Communism FAILS. Workers know that no matter how hard they work, they will be paid the same. Thus, they become lazy, refusing to work a second longer than their laziest neighbors. The result is a nation where no one works and there are shortages of EVERYTHING, especially food. People starve and the nation goes bankrupt. That Communist or “collectivist” process killed the USSR. But Communist China has survived by letting people keep a small fraction of what they earn, thus creating INCENTIVE. People work hard when they know they will enjoy some fruits of their labor.

“Capitalism” was Marx’s insulting name for our system, but incentive-based Capitalism was God’s plan:

“Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Who shepherds a flock and does not drink the milk?… He who plows ought to plow in hope [of harvesting], and he who threshes should do so in hope of sharing the grain” 1 Corinthians 9:7-10.

“If any man will NOT work, neither let him eat” 2 Thessalonians 3:10.

The Bible has the answers for EVERYTHING, even global economics. Have you figured that out yet? It is not just happy thoughts to read snuggled in your recliner with a cup of coffee.

This ain’t a poetry reading! This is the OWNERSHIP MANUAL for life on earth: politics, criminal justice, history, psychology, art theory, education, family life—it’s all there.

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HARD WORK IS THE RIGHT THING. 2 Thessalonians 3:7-8, 10; 1 Thessalonians 4:11.

There is a notion that spiritual people should not involve themselves in hard work, but stay inside, keep their hands clean, think deep thoughts, and somehow make themselves more spiritual by doing less.

That is ridiculous!

Jesus had dirt under his fingernails.

And a farmer’s tan.

And scars on his hands from years of hard work.

His father was not a priest, but a carpenter. A craftsman.

Never did Jesus avoid hard work.

(Nor were the spiritual disciplines of fasting and prayer easy and pleasant—it’s not sitting on the deck with coffee and a prayer journal—as valuable as that is. When Jesus prayed, He went to WORK.)

Even Paul, raised to a life of scholarship, a brilliant Pharisee, worked as a tentmaker. And after he was saved and became the apostle to the Gentiles, the writer of 13 epistles, possibly HEBREWS (#14) and another four letters now lost, a man who suffered as much persecution as anyone ever has—received 39 lashings from the Jews five separate times, was scourged by pagans (who don’t stop at 39), was beaten with rods 3X, shipwrecked 4X, spent 36 hours adrift in the deep, was stoned and left for dead, imprisoned numerous times—Paul continued to work.[1]

Paul never RETIRED to enjoy the benefits of being “Christian royalty.”

“You must imitate us. We were not irresponsible among you; we did not eat anyone’s food free of charge; instead, we labored and struggled, working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you” 2 Thessalonians 3:7-8.

“We encourage you, brothers—lead a quiet life, attend to your own business, and work with your hands, just as we have commanded you” 1 Thessalonians 4:11.

This is good news, don’t you see? God loves work. You don’t have to be a missionary or an apostle. God put us here to be a blessing by working and serving others. Your work is a holy and spiritual act of service. GOD CALLS YOU TO WORK. Never think that what you do does not matter. It matters!

And people who refuse to work? God says, “If anyone will not work, neither let him eat” 2 Thessalonians 3:10.

Thank God for the blessing of a hard day’s work!

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[1] http://www.biblecharts.org/apostlepaulcharts/15%20-%20The%20Sufferings%20of%20Paul.pdf

Cooking Thought for the Day. Revelation 3:14-22.

Have you ever put something like spaghetti in the microwave then sat down to eat it only to find it had cool spots in it? Isn’t that the worst—when you expect it to be hot and it’s lukewarm? Yuck.

Jesus talks about Christians with lukewarm faith in Revelation 3:14-22:

“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

 The Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the Creation of God [notice the three interesting names for Jesus], says this:

 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.

Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

Are you lukewarm or are you hot in your faith?

It is easy to convince yourself you are on fire for God when you measure yourself in comparison to other people—particularly lost people. If they are cold enough, all of us might seem hot by comparison. But measuring yourself against the lost is a mistake. The true measure is to measure your life against the standards in the Word of God.

A second mistake is to put the really “on fire” Christians in a different category. To say things like, “well, she is a missionary,” or “he’s going to be a preacher,” or “her dad is a minister.” Those people are just like you. Anyone can be on fire for God—and anyone can be cold or lukewarm in their faith. Those you may be tempted to call ‘All-Star’ Christians are just like you, with the same problems, fears, selfishness, and temptations.

God calls us to take our faith seriously. To work at it. In fact, the Bible actually uses the phrase “work,” when it says to “WORK OUT your salvation with fear and trembling.” Philippians 2:12.

Are you working at it? Are you reading the word? Praying fervently? Do you pray “without ceasing” as Paul commands in 1 Thessalonians 5:17?

When you finish spending time with God, do you feel like it was a workout? Or was it more like a stroll? Why not put some effort into it? Do you want your prayers answered? Do you need His help and guidance and wisdom and peace? Sometimes “You have not because you ASK NOT.” James 4:2.

Are you asking?

Are you praying?

Are you reading?

Are you studying?

Are you growing?

Or are you lukewarm?

Ask God to help you WORK OUT your salvation. Ask Him to show you ways to grow in Christ. Ask Him to give you a deep desire for Bible study and prayer. Ask Him to help you take it seriously. Tell Him you don’t want to be lukewarm, but on fire for God—and ask Him what you can do to make that happen.

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ROSE-COLORED GLASSES. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.


When I was a child, John Conlee sang a song about perspective:

“But these rose-colored glasses that I’m looking through,

Show only the beauty, ‘cause they hide all the truth.”

I remember asking, “What are rose-colored glasses?” Mama told me it means you don’t see the negatives.

That is not a bad thing. If you are THANKFUL, if you EXPECT GOOD THINGS to happen, if you have undying HOPE and OPTIMISM, if you LOVE LIFE and consider every challenge an adventure, how can you not be happy?

Einstein agreed, “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

If you choose to believe the latter, everything in your life will become sweeter and more colorful. As a Christian, I DO believe it: God is supernatural. His existence is outside the natural world, thus, by definition, a miracle. And being God, everything He does is a miracle. And He is involved in our lives every day. Therefore, we are surrounded by miracles EVERY DAY!

The Bible encourages a positive perspective.

“Rejoice always! Pray without ceasing. And in everything GIVE THANKS, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

I have found myself praying prayers of thanks recently. I get in the car and just start telling God how thankful I am—for my life, my family, my job, my other job, my truck, the dogs, our house—everything, even the bad things, disappointments, all of it.

How can I be thankful for hard things? Because I trust God. I TRUST HIS KIND HEART, so I am thankful for everything life brings. And thankfulness increases happiness. Just as “dark stories” put a dark view on life, thankfulness makes all of life blaze with the glory of the most beautiful, sunny day. Then you begin to see that everything really is a miracle.

MAKE GIVING THANKS PART OF EVERY DAY.

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ECCLESIASTES Part 2: THE KEY TO GODLY ADULTHOOD IS TO RECOGNIZE HARD TRUTHS, BUT CHOOSE JOY AND SERVE GOD.

After the wisest man who ever lived (1 Kings 4:31) encourages adults to face hard truths and take life seriously, he adds the unexpected, “now lighten up.”

It is as though Solomon says: Work hard, do what’s right, remember one day you will face judgment—and HAVE FUN! While living wisely, choose joy!

The truth is, your earthly life is no more permanent than a foggy breath on a cold morning. (But in Heaven, you will reign with Christ forever! 2 Timothy 2:11-12). Nevertheless, trying to find meaning in this life is like trying to capture smoke in your hands, Ecclesiastes 1:14.

Solomon says yes, you must REMEMBER THE HARD TRUTHS about life on earth.

BUT THEN—now that you know the hard truths—REJOICE! CHEER UP! Enjoy life! (Does Solomon still sound like an angry old man?) Solomon says rejoice, just as Paul would write a thousand years later: “Rejoice always” 1 Thessalonians 5:16. And Solomon gives examples—we can CHOOSE to enjoy the following:

  1. Enjoy your work! (2:24).
  2. Enjoy your spouse and family! (9:9).
  3. Enjoy your food and drink! (8:15).
  4. Enjoy your youth! (11:9).
  5. Enjoy your old age! (11:8).
  6. Enjoy your prosperity! (7:14).
  7. Enjoy your struggles! (2:10).

This is a picture of GODLY ADULTHOOD: recognize the hard and painful truths of life—and remember there is a time to be serious (there is a time for everything)—and choose to find joy in everything He gives you. CHOOSE JOY. It really is a choice.

God, remind us to ENJOY THINGS. Help us to be thankful—for food, for work, for youth, for age, for money when we have it, and for STRUGGLES when we don’t. Make us “shining, happy people” who give You glory and make You look good by our good attitudes.

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ECCLESIASTES Part 1: A MESSAGE FOR ADULTS—WORK HARD, GO TO FUNERALS, BE SERIOUS.

Ecclesiastes is misunderstood because a few influential preachers have described it as cynical words from Solomon during a period in his life when he was not following God. However, Solomon encourages readers to worship and obey God nearly twenty times in twelve chapters.

A better understanding is that this is a book for ADULTS. Ecclesiastes confronts readers with the hardest truths of life, truths children cannot grasp, and that adults don’t talk about, perhaps fearing they will destroy someone’s faith.

But Solomon faces hard truths head-on, confident our faith will not die but grow. He argues you should face hard truths, go to funerals, and take life seriously enough to obey God who is your Judge.

HARD TRUTHS SOLOMON WANTS US TO FACE:  

  1. Life is not fair: good people suffer and bad people prosper (8:14).
  2. Life can be absurd: random chance affects everything (9:11).
  3. There is a time for everything, even war (3:1-8).
  4. There is no one on earth who does not sin (7:20).
  5. There is evil where there should not be: in government and law enforcement (3:16, 8:11).
  6. When you gain great wisdom you gain great sorrow (1:18).
  7. Even reading, writing, and studying books can make you weary (12:12).
  8. When you gain great possessions, the stress of ownership ruins your sleep (5:12).
  9. Money never satisfies (5:10).
  10. There is nothing new under the sun—your achievements are not a big deal (1:9, 2:11).
  11. No one knows the future (7:14).
  12. Funerals are better than birthdays, because funerals give wisdom (7:2).
  13. No matter what you achieve—you CAN’T take it with you (5:16).
  14. After you die, everything you achieved may go to fools (2:19).
  15. After you die, everything you achieved will be forgotten (1:11).
  16. After you die, YOU will be forgotten (1:11, 2:16).
  17. The wisest way to live is to enjoy your food (8:15), enjoy your family (9:9), work hard (9:10) and enjoy your work (2:24), enjoy being young (11:9), enjoy being old (11:8), and remember and obey your Creator and Judge, remember He has already accepted your works (9:7), He gives you JOY (2:26, 5:20), and it is He who put a sense of ETERNITY in your heart (3:11).

God, give us the courage to face hard truths. Prepare us to talk about them with the lost and grieving, and equip us to point others to the hope found only in Jesus.

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