Stumbling Blocks

Have you faced stumbling blocks in your life? Have there been people who have gotten in the way of progress? Have you been a stumbling block to someone else? Has the stumbling block been due to a judgmental attitude?

We don’t often think of stumbling blocks. On the other hand, we do think about speed bumps or brick walls. They equate to being much the same. Both are meant to trip someone up or slow them down, much like a stumbling block as mentioned in Scripture.

Notice the Apostle Paul points out the genesis of being a stumbling block as passing judgment on someone else. If you are like me, you have never thought of it that way. Yet, it makes perfect sense. If we have determined a person should not be allowed to do something, we put stumbling blocks in their pathway.

Here is an example. Let’s assume someone we know wants to pursue a career that we don’t think they are suited to pursue. We may tell them horror stories we have heard from others in that career. Or we may lay out the multitude of requirements they must meet, attempting to make it sound insurmountable. In either case, we have judged they are not to pursue that career and are putting stumbling blocks in their path in hopes of changing their course.

How should we react? First, there is nothing wrong with laying out the requirements for the career if we also provide the positives. Making a list of pros and cons for any task we or another person is undertaking goes along with making wise decisions. The other key part to this is knowing whether the person wants our advice or not. In the case of our children, sometimes they think they know, but we have years of experience we can draw on to provide advice. Yet, if they truly won’t listen, we must allow them to learn on their own. We cannot be a stumbling block to their experiences. We cannot always keep them from making mistakes.

I pray we all stop judging one another. I pray we determine not to be a stumbling block. I pray each one of us are willing to provide wise advice, but only after we have spent time in prayer. Stop passing judgment. Do not be a stumbling block. Provide wise advice. Look at the pros and cons. Be prayerful. Trust God is at work.

Romans 14:13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.

Not An Orphan

Do you sometimes feel as though you are all alone? Does it seem as though you have been abandoned? Have you ever felt the divine presence of God in your midst? Do you realize Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit to live within all His followers?

Feeling alone is not a good feeling. It can be gut wrenching. It can be horrifying. It can be depressing. Yet, all of us will feel that way at some point or another during our lives. It is at that very moment we are to reach out to God and ask Him to make Himself evident to us.

As part of our prayer when we feel alone, we should confirm we know that Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to be with us. We should acknowledge He is with us, even if we cannot see Him. It is when we do this that we can ask Him to make His presence known to us.

Jesus told His Apostle’s, and us by extension, that He would send us a helper, advocate, comforter, the Spirt of truth. We can take comfort knowing Jesus has done exactly what He said He would do. We can be strong and courageous knowing the Holy Spirit is always there with us, and because He is God just as Jesus and the Father are God, we have God with us at all times.

We are not orphans left to fend for ourselves or beg for our dinner. We are children of God who are loved by Him more than we will know until we are with Him for eternity. The definitive question for each of us is, “Will I accept Jesus Christ and His promises for my life?” The answer cannot be flippant, off the cuff, half-hearted, nor based on peer pressure. It must be an honest answer that comes from the depths of our heart and be fully meant. God knows our heart and He knows whether we have fully committed or not.

I pray we all fully commit to God. I pray we accept Jesus and His promises. I pray each one of us ask God to reveal Himself to us, especially when we feel all alone. Accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. Accept Jesus’ promises. Reach out to God when you feel lonely. Know that God is always with you. Commit yourself to God. Know that Jesus has not left you as an orphan. God loves you.

John 14:18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

Be Equipped

Why do we read? Why do we study? Why do we watch the news? Why do we ask questions? There might be a wide variety of answers to the questions I’ve just asked. But the general answer is…we want to know.

Why did God see fit to have men write the books of the Bible? For one thing, God wants us to know about Him. But as Paul writes to Timothy in today’s passage, it is also to equip us to do the good works God has planned in advance for us to do.

Paul states Scripture is useful for teaching. In other words, we learn by reading it. We also dig deeper into the meaning of it. We use it to teach our children and those who are new to Christianity. We use it to train one another in the ways of God, to grow closer to Him, and be prepared to answer for our faith.

We don’t typically like to think about it being used to rebuke someone or be rebuked by it. Yet, it is written for that reason…and we need to be rebuked when we get off the path God desires us to be on. Correcting is very similar. We do not like being corrected, but when we are in the wrong, we need the correction. Especially when we have gone chasing after worldly pursuits that are leading us to destruction.

As we are taught, rebuked, corrected, and trained, we are prepared for the doing good works for God. It is important we go about doing those good works, most importantly teaching others about Jesus. If we are unwilling to teach others about Jesus, what does that say about us? It says we are not really secure in our faith, or we haven’t truly learned the lessons we need to learn. After all, why wouldn’t we want to tell everyone we meet about the saving grace of God through Jesus Christ?

I pray we all read the Bible to learn more about God. I pray we correct our ways based on the teaching of the Bible. I pray each one of us use our knowledge of God to do good works. Read the Bible. Learn about God. Accept rebuking when needed. Be willing to be corrected. Be trained in righteousness. Be equipped to do good works.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Choose Wisely

Who are your close friends? Who do you hang out with, do things with? Where are you looking for a partner? What are you looking for in a spouse? Are you looking for key components in their personality? Are you looking for them to have like beliefs?

When I was younger, I didn’t really pay much attention to who I became friends with. It just kind of happened. Perhaps I worked with them, and our personalities clicked. I may have been introduced to them by someone else. But I didn’t evaluate them to make a conscience decision to befriend them.

Take a look at what the Apostle Paul writes to the church in Corinth in today’s passage. He warns against being yoked to unbelievers. We may think that warning is irrelevant, it doesn’t apply to us. We may think it means we never associate with someone who is an unbeliever. Both thoughts are incorrect.

We must associate with unbelievers if we are to tell them about Jesus. If we do not interact with unbelievers, we will never bring anyone new to Christ. But that doesn’t mean we need to become close friends, even if we are being friendly toward them. At least, not until they have committed their life to Christ.

The same is true for marriage. Though it happens, it is extremely rare that a person who is a believer in Christ and one who is not make a marriage last a lifetime. They have opposing interests that eventually pull them apart, unless one or the other make a significant change. Too often, the believer gets pulled away to their own destruction.

This also applies to business partnerships. Unless you hold the same values, the partnership will be rocky and likely fall apart. There will be disagreements on how to conduct business. One is concerned solely with making money, while the other is concerned about providing a quality service. Opposing viewpoints will be the genesis of a split.

I pray we all evaluate our close friends and partners. I pray we decide to partner with fellow believers. I pray each one of us commits to Christ and following wise advice in all our relationships. Be committed to Christ. Be friendly to others. Listen to wise advice. Choose your close friends wisely. Choose your partner wisely.

2 Corinthians 6:14-15 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?

Promises In Context

Do you look for guarantees? Do you purchase the additional warranty on electronic items or vehicles? Do you desire promises to be kept? Do you always keep the promises you make? Do you know there are promises that are always kept?

We do want guarantees, warranties, and promises kept. If fact, if a business attempts to find a loophole in a warranty, we get upset and fight to hold them accountable. We believe certain people or things should be dependable, something we can count on.

There is someone we can count on—God. He always keeps His promises. For instance, looking at today’s passage, Jesus tells us that where two or three gather, He is there with them. He also states, if we agree with one another, God will grant it. Unfortunately, we often take this promise out of context.

Let’s say we were to promise to buy our kids ice cream on our way home from a baseball game. We would not stop to buy ice cream on the way home from the store. Nor would we stop to buy ice cream on the way home from work. It would only be after the baseball game. The same holds true for God’s promises.

Jesus has just told the Apostle’s how to deal with sin within the church. He goes into a little detail about how to deal with someone who won’t own up to having done a brother or sister wrong. At that point He makes the statements in today’s passage. In other words, He didn’t say everything we agree on will be granted. We cannot simply agree to spend millions of dollars to build a new building because we think it is a good idea and expect God to give us the money.

When does this apply? It applies when we are in tune with God, when we have spent time in prayer, when we have honestly sought God’s will and come to agreement that we are going about His will. God’s promises can be trusted. We just cannot take them out of context.

I pray we all trust in God’s promises. I pray we ensure we read them within the context they were made. I pray each one of us seek to follow His will so that we experience His promises in action. Trust God’s promises. Read His promises in context. Seek God’s will. Spend time in prayer. Spend time contemplating. Spend time meditating. Experience God at work.

Matthew 18:19-20 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

Intentional Greeting

How do you greet one another? What if you were sending a letter to someone far away? When was the last time you sent a letter to a family member? Do you send letters to other organizations? Do you reach out to former colleagues?

The art of handwriting a letter on paper has nearly disappeared in our high-tech world. To sit down and write a letter requires a fair amount of thought, especially if you are writing with a pen. No one wants to write half a page only to make a mistake and need to start over.

But what if we were to write a letter? What if we were to write a letter to a church we formerly attended, but left due to a job move? Let’s assume we left on wonderful terms, loved all those we left behind, and really want to reach out to them. You know, we want to let them know what we have been up to and to encourage them to continue their good work. How do we greet them?

Most of us are likely to give a very short salutation. A simple “Church Family,” “Brothers and Sisters,” or “Hey Y’all.” However, that is not how Paul greeted the churches he sent letters to. His greetings were far more formal and lengthier. Not only that, but he greeted them at the beginning and the end of his letters. That is a bit weird to us. It’s not our cultural norm.

Regardless of putting a greeting at the beginning and the end of the letter, look at the greeting Paul uses to end his first letter to the Corinthian church. He includes all of those who are with him. He tells them to greet one another with a hug, as we might say today. He includes his cohorts in the greeting. Wouldn’t it be nice to read a letter that came from a group of people?

I pray we all spend a little time thinking about how we greet one another. I pray we intentionally greet one another. I pray each one of us are willing to greet one another warmly. Think about greeting others. Be friendly. Be loving. Care for one another. Ensure others know you care for them. Be intentional.

1 Corinthians 16:19-20 The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house. All the brothers and sisters here send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.

Do Not Judge

Are you judgmental? How judgmental are you? Do you only offer judgement on the most severe offenses? Or do you pronounce judgement on the smallest thing someone does that you do not agree with? Do you judge others in the same way you want to be judged?

Our culture has become very judgmental. For the smallest thing someone does there is someone else who is condemning them. We all feel it. We despise others judging us. Yet we turn around and do the same to others.

Jesus tells us not to judge others or we will be judged (Matthew 7:1). He continues by saying that we will be judged in the same way we judge others (Matthew 7:2). What if we were to spend some time meditating on His statement? Perhaps we would ask Him to fill us with the Holy Spirit and change us from the inside out. Perhaps we would begin working on ourselves to stop, or at least reduce, our judging of others.

Though Jesus uses cities in His statement today, the concept is the same. To escape our own destruction in the day of judgment, we need to repent of our judgmental attitudes. We need to go to God with a broken heart, realizing we have been disobedient, and ask for forgiveness. We need to change our behavior or face harsh judgment.

Why is this important? First, every instruction God gave in the Old Testament and Jesus gave in the New Testament is for our own good. Second, to make the world a better place, eliminating judgment over preferences is sorely needed. Third, and most important, Jesus did not come into the world to condemn it, but to save it (John 3:17).

I pray we all determine to eliminate our judgmental behavior. I pray we seek God’s forgiveness for our judgmentalism. I pray each of us ask the Holy Spirit to change us from the inside out. Stop being judgmental. Stop condemning others. Ask for forgiveness. Ask God to change you. Be like Jesus.

Matthew 11:20-22 Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.”

Work or Gift

How do you feel about work? Do you like to work? Would you rather get what you need without working for it? Is there a way to get what you need by merely believing it will be given to you? What if there is?

We all work to earn a living. There is nothing wrong with working hard. In fact, it is looked upon favorably by employers and co-workers. We often hear that you need to work hard to accomplish your dreams. From a human perspective, that is true.

On the other hand, we can get what our heart truly desires and everything we need by believing in Jesus Christ. We may not achieve our dreams. Instead, we will get something far better than our dreams. We will be gifted eternity with God.

When we work at our jobs, our pay is not a gift. It is something we are owed, something we have earned. Despite what some may believe and our general behavior, we cannot earn our way into eternity with God. It is a gift of His wondrous grace. The only requirement is that we believe in His Son, Jesus Christ. But that is the tricky part, isn’t it? We can’t merely say we believe. We can’t fake it. We can’t fool God. It must be a real, heartfelt belief.

When we believe with our entire heart, we become changed. God comes to live inside us in the form of the Holy Spirit. He begins changing us from the inside out. When we believe in Jesus with our whole heart, we will never be the same again. And…that’s a good thing.

I pray we all continue to work for a living. I pray we accept the gift God is willing to give us. I pray each one of us allows the Holy Spirit to change us from the inside out. Work for a living. Accept God’s gift. Accept eternity with God. Believe in Jesus with your whole heart. Be changed by the Holy Spirit.

Romans 4:4-8 Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

“Blessed are those

whose transgressions are forgiven,

whose sins are covered.

Blessed is the one

whose sin the Lord will never count against them.”

Act Where You Are

Do you sometimes wonder what God is doing in your life? Have you looked at your situation from God’s perspective? Have you asked what God wants you to do where He has put you?

God has a plan for each one of us. Our part is to go where He wants us to go and do what He wants us to do. If we know we have gone where He wants us to go, we must then do what He wants us to do. That can be where the rub is, can’t it?

Sometimes we don’t know what God wants us to do. Sometimes it may be a hard thing we don’t want to do. That’s when we balk. That’s when we procrastinate. That’s when we may outright refuse.

We might want to take a look at Esther as an example of how to do the hard thing. No, she didn’t really want to do it. She faced potential death. She could have been banished. But she took on the task of doing what needed to be done in the face of it.

We must remember that God will see us through the task He puts before us. He will provide what we need to complete it. When we trust God to get us through it, He provides us with strength, courage, wisdom, and any other resources we need.

So, what has God put before you to do? Are you willing to trust Him to carry you through it? How do you know He hasn’t put you where you are to carry out the hard task before you?

I pray we all take on the tasks God puts before us. I pray we trust Him to provide what we need to complete the task. I pray each one of us asks God to reveal what He wants us to do. Do want God wants you to do. Trust Him. Be courageous. God has put you right where He wants you. Act where you are.

Esther 4:14b “And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

Courage By Faith

What does it mean to be courageous? Does it mean to be bold? Does it mean you are never afraid? Would you like to be courageous? Do you want to know how to be courageous? Do you know you can be courageous?

We hear of the courage of those who go to battle. We hear of the courage of a co-worker who stands up to the boss. We hear of the courage exhibited by someone who takes down a prospective robber in a convenience store.

Being courageous often includes bravery. Courage is facing difficulty despite, perhaps, being fearful. It is doing what needs to be done even if it is challenging. It is doing the right thing despite facing the possibility of being ridiculed. But being courageous doesn’t start with courage. It starts with being on guard.

Now, that sounds a bit odd, doesn’t it? Being on guard sounds a little hesitant or standoffish. But that isn’t what it is. It is being observant, being prepared, being ready to act. The next contributor to courage is faith. Again, that sounds a bit out of place. What does faith have to do with courage? When we have faith it will all work out as God has planned, we can then take action without fear. Not only that, but our faith also reinforces God is in control. Our faith feeds our courage.

When we act with courage, having been prepared and trusting God, we are strong. Strong enough to do the right thing, regardless of the consequences. Strong enough to stand up to the evil we see all around us. Strong enough to perform the good works God has prepared for us in advance. Oh, and remember this, do it all in love. It makes all the difference in how we go about doing the good works.

I pray we all are courageous. I pray we are prepared, and trust God is in control. I pray each of us act on our faith, being strong in the Lord, and go about doing the good works God has prepared for us. Be on guard. Stand firm in your faith. Be courageous. Be strong. Do everything in love.

1 Corinthians 16:13-14 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.