Obscenity

"The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness."

Proverbs 10:32

"God's righteous men and women have a sense of discernment in what they say.  They are skilled in saying what is acceptable, so the wicked have a talent to speak what is crooked or perverse." Guzik

"The wicked man knows as well what is perverse, and that he speaketh forth. As the love of God is not in his heart, so the law of kindness is not on his lips." Clarke

I was driving to an appointment yesterday when I stopped at a red light.  When the light turned green, the truck in front of me remained stopped.  I patiently waited for a few seconds and realizing that the person inside the vehicle was texting, I lightly tapped on the horn.   I was answered by a hand sticking out of their open window with an obscene gesture.  Sigh

That seems to be the popular thing to do in our world today.  Not only the gesture but the actual obscenity in words and speech.  Seems like there is no refrain, manners or common courtesies when it comes to such profanity.  It's the word used all over the News, by the lips of rioters and even those who serve in Congress.  While watching the State of the Union Address on TV last night, even those who represent our Country wore buttons with the obscenity directed at our National Security Officers.

When I was a kid, that word was the Biggest Badest Word of them all.  To utter such a word was spoken at high risk.  Mouths were washed out with soap, back sides sore from an immediate paddling, and being sent to our rooms with no hope of early release.

But not today.  Obscenity is spoken with no thought of its vulgarity. Not only by men, but by women.

It's expected from those who do not know our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, but by the mere fact of mention in God's Word, obscenity is addressed to Believers.  Obscenity is clearly reproved and admonished in Scripture.  To think that Obscenity had to even be addressed as a problem among Believers is sad, and yet necessary.

Believer, if you have a problem with obscenity, it's time to examine your heart, because it begins with a heart issue.  Jesus taught that speech reflects the heart; evil, corrupt, obscene words indicate an inner issue.  "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh." Words of Jesus, Luke 6:45

Jesus also warns that we will be held accountable for every word we speak and give an account for every careless word spoken. "But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. Matthew 12:36-37

What should our words be?  Edifying.

"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." Ephesians 4:29

"Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man." Colossians 4:6

"Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile." Psalm 34:13

How can keep from speaking words that should not be uttered? By asking God to set a watch over our mouths and lips.

"Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips." Psalm 141:3

Christian, our words should not match those spoken of the world...

    Our words should be spoken in love and with compassion...

        So that the world can know Who our Father is and Who we live for...Christ.

            But that's just me!

"Be careful with your words. Once they are said, they can be only forgiven, not forgotten."

Carl Sandburg

Robbed, or Richly Rewarded?

"But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ." Philippians 3:7-8

"Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching for unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13-14

In context, Chapter three of Philippians is all about leaving behind the Law and pressing toward Jesus Christ. "Paul considered as loss, not only the things already listed in verses 5 and 6, but everything.  In exchange for the confidence in the flesh, Paul gained the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ personally as his Lord and Saviour.   His former 'gains' were all 'rubbish' so that he might gain Christ. Nothing else mattered to him anymore." Walvoord & Zuck

In application, the Lord showed me something the other day in these verses.  He called out 'my perspective' on my life and compared it to 'His purpose.'  Suddenly my life looked completely different.  In all transparency, I have a tendency to look back over my life and find the "I wish" instead of "His Will."

When I reflect on my childhood, which by no means was perfect, I do look back on it fondly.  I grew up with my cousins and grandparents constantly.  My cousins were more like my siblings.  At times, we lived only a few houses away from each other and of course, every holiday and special event was always spent together.  I wanted the same for my children, but being married to a man in the Military, special events and holidays were often spent alone or on rare occasions spent with friends.  Birthdays, graduations, weddings, the birth of children, and even funerals were replaced with cards and photographs.  Cousins seemed more like strangers, and to be honest, I have often felt robbed because it seemed like my life was not spent as I had imagined.

But then the Lord showed me what Paul had lost; and compared to what he had gained, the loss was no longer important to him.  Instead, he put his past behind him.  He forgot about it and kept his focus on Jesus Christ and what all he had gained!

Looking back on my life, I realize that I may not have been where I wanted to be, but I have been exactly where God wanted me to be.

By being where God wanted me to be, I learned of my need of Salvation and my need for a Saviour.

From now on, should I ever look back, I won't look back in regret, I will look back with gratefulness.

I haven't been robbed of anything...

    I've been richly rewarded with everything...

        In Jesus Christ...!

            But that's just me!

Substitutes and Imitations

"For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light." 2 Corinthians 11:13-14

I've been thinking a lot about substitutions and imitations for over a week now.  It all started when I made the mistake to whip up mashed potatoes before I realized I had no milk in the refrigerator.  I quickly Googled substitutes for milk, and then diligently searched for an item that I could use that was stashed in the back of the fridge. Interestingly, there are a lot of substitutes for milk.  In fact, there are a lot of substitutions that can be used for many things when it comes to recipes.

Recently I met friends for breakfast at Perkins.  I smiled when one of them asked the waitress, "Can I substitute toast for an English Muffin?"  The answer, "Yes!"

In Sports substitutions are made for injured athletes.  There are substitute teachers, costume jewelry, and false religions.  If we really take a good look around there are a lot of substitutes, imitations and (beware) just plain fakes.

But there is one thing that cannot be substituted:  The Gospel of Jesus Christ.

"But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." Galatians 1:8-9

And what is the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

"For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures." 1 Corinthians 15:3,4

Friend, be sure you know what you believe and why you believe it.

Substitutions are great for recipes...

    but there is no substitution for Jesus Christ...

        But that's just me!

Religion or Relationship?

"And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and ye are gone away: and what have I more?" Judges 18:24a

There is a sad account for us to read in Chapter 17 and 18 in the Book of Judges.  It begins with a man by the name of Micah who steals silver from his mother.  Not knowing that it was her son who had stolen her silver, the mother then curses the one who has stolen her silver. When Micah hears of the curse by his mother, and so that he would not fall under her curse, he confesses to his mother that he was the one who had taken it and restores it back to her.  Upon the return of her silver, she gives Micah a portion of that to make a graven image and a molten image, to set up in their house so that they could worship them.  And because in these days, there was no king in Israel, and every man did that which was right in their own eyes, Micah did as his mother asked. He even went above what his mother asked of him, and he made an ephod and a teraphim and consecrated his sons to become his priest.

Along comes a Levite.  Micah asks the man where he came from and where is he going, and when Micah learns that he was just looking for a place to sojourn, Micah invites this Levite into his home to be his priest. Micah gives this man a suit of apparel, provisions and a salary.  Once Micah sets up idols to worship, and consecrates a Levite to be his priest, he says to himself, "Now I know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest." Judges 17:13

That my friend, is how false religions and pagan practices begin.  Micah had no business setting up idols to worship, and he had no business consecrating a priest.  

We see the same thing in our world today:  Man made religion.

But religion is temporary and religion will leave you empty.

Micah's story continues in Judges 18.

The children of Dan go out and search the land and as they do so, they lodge in the house of Micah.  They ask the Levite if God is going to prosper the way they are going, and the priest, (who took no counsel of God) told the children of Dan what they wanted to hear.  (False religion will also tell you what you want to hear) Not only did they like what they heard from this Levite, but they liked what they saw in Micah's house, and when they left, they offered a higher position and a higher wage to this Levite, and they took Micah's carved image, the molten image, the ephod and teraphim.

When Micah sees what they have done, he and his neighbors run out to meet the children of Dan, and that is where we hear such tragic words from the mouth of Micah: "...and what have I more?"

You see, Micah did not have a Relationship with God, he erected a Religion.  Without his images and his earthly priest, he had nothing.

Religion is nothing more than a man-made imitation of what seems right.  God created us to worship, and he created us to worship Him. 

Man wants to fill that void with everything and anything but God.

What seems right in the eyes of man?  Works.

But a Relationship with Christ is GRACE. Ephesians 2:8-10

Religion is duty, repetitious prayers, beads, Creeds.

A Relationship with Christ is GRACE.

Religion is temporary.

A Relationship with Christ is eternal.

Micah was left with nothing.

In Christ we have everything!

Practiced Religion...

    or a Personal Relationship with Christ...

        The choice is yours...

            But that's just me!

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Words of Jesus.  Matthew 6:19-21

If I Were to Ask You...

"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?"

1 John 5:4-5

My cousin texted me a few days ago and told me that she had just watched an excellent movie and recommended that I watch it as well.

So, I did and she was right.  I was not disappointed.  The movie is called Overcomer and was filmed in 2019. It's a movie about a basketball coach whose team faces an uncertain future when their town's largest manufacturing plant shuts down.  People move away, and the coach is asked to coach cross-country.  A sport he doesn't even consider a sport and doesn't even like.  His team? One lone girl.   What happens next changes the lives of all involved.

In this movie, her coach asks her, "If I were to ask you who you are, what is the first thought that enters your mind."

This young girl reflects on her life and hesitates to answer, and yet later she realizes that she feels unwanted and unloved.

As the movie moves forward, this young girl gets saved.  Her teacher tells her to go home and read the first two chapters in Ephesians and asks her to write down everything the bible teaches her about Who She Is in Christ.

This is her list-

-I am blessed-

-I am chosen-

-I am adopted-

-I am accepted-

-I am redeemed-

-I am forgiven-

-I am an inheritor-

-I am a gift-

-I am sealed-

-I am empowered-

-I am loved-

-I am saved-

-I am created-

...and Jesus died for me, and I am a child of God!

In Christ, we are no longer defined by our past, by our wealth or poverty, by our career, or even by what others have said we are.

No, we are now defined In Christ!

If I were to ask you...

    Who you are...

        What comes to mind...?

            But that's just me!

Bargaining With God

"If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth." Numbers 30:2

Have you ever bargained with God?  Has there ever been a time in your life when you received a 'wake-up' call and knew that you had to make a radical change in your life?  In a frantic cry for help, perhaps you prayed, 'God if only You...I promise to change!'  I had such a moment the other day, but I will get to that in a moment.

There are several instances in the bible where people attempted to bargain with God.  They negotiated, vowed, or even made deals with God in exchange for divine favor, mercy and help.  

-Abraham negotiated with God concerning Sodom- Genesis 18:23-33

-Jacob's vow- Genesis 28:20-22

-Jephthah's vow-Judges 11:30-31

-Hannah's prayer- 1 Samuel 1:10-11

And that is just to name a few.  There are other examples in the bible for God to prove whether or not He was truly calling a man to do something.  I think of Gideon and the fleece he threw out to God. Not only once, but twice.  Judges 6

The other day I had my wake-up call.  I was sitting in my doctor's office waiting for the EKG and Chest X-ray test results.  Before the tests, the words of my doctor didn't sound promising.  During the tests, I prayed.  Waiting for the results I prayed.

I will be transparent: poor choices in my eating habits had brought me to this moment.  Half-hearted diets, promising myself I will exercise more and laziness to put those self-made promises into action finally came to a crossroad.  I prayed and asked God that if my tests came back clear, I would change my eating habits.  Healthier foods and smaller portions.

Was I bargaining with God in that moment, or was I finally facing reality of a sin in my life?

Whatever it may have been, I could relate with those who had prayed the same prayers.

My tests came back clear.

God doesn't want us to buy His favor...

    We just simply need to ask and trust in His mercy towards us...

        But that's just me!

Waiting and Watching

"Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come." Words of Jesus, Matthew 24:42

"But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch." Words of Jesus, Mark 13:32-37

"Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not." Words of Jesus Luke 12:37-40

"And the Lord direct your hearts unto the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ." 

2 Thessalonians 3:5

"Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh." James 5:8

My little dog, Grace, puts me to shame when it comes to waiting and watching.  We have a Ring camera in our living room, and we can see all of her activity while no one is home.  She is a busy little girl.  She runs from window to window to watch for us.  Sometimes she howls, calling for us.  Other times, she is sitting on the back of the couch, watching out the window for us to come home.  But there is something I've noticed; she never sleeps when we are away. No matter how long we are gone, she is constantly waiting and watching.

When my husband or son is at home, and I have to leave to go somewhere, she gets up on the back of the couch to wait for my return.  She won't even play her favorite game of ball with my husband or son.  No.  She patiently waits for me to come home.  When I drive by the window, I see her stand up in recognition, and then she jumps down from the back of the couch and is already waiting for me when I come in through the door!  Such excitement! Such anticipation!  Such a happy reunion!

I was thinking about this the other day; am I waiting and watching for the Lord's Promised Return?  Does a day go by, maybe two or three, before I realize that I haven't been waiting or watching for my Lord? Do I tend to think that since more than two thousand years has passed, that the Lord won't Return in my lifetime?  Do I even bother waiting and watching?

Lord, Help me to watch and wait...

    in excitement and in anticipation for your Return...

        I think it will be sooner than I realize!

            But that's just me!

The Wedding Day

Harvest  (Band)

Lately I've been thinkin', as I look all around me,

I see by the signs that we're soon gonna be leavin'

The Bridegroom is comin' to take us all away,

Maybe it's tomorrow, I pray that it's today!

We will fly away, in the twinkling of an eye,

Leavin' all our heartaches,

Telling them all goodbye,

We will fly away when He hears His Father say...

"Jesus, go and get your bride,

today's your wedding day!"

Now when we see the Bridegroom on the clouds in the sky,

Will He be telling you hello, or telling you goodbye?

Oh, be sure and be ready, 

To meet Him face to face,

We've got to fight a good fight, We've got to keep our faith!