Growing Through Luke

“Why can’t you decide for yourselves what is right? When you are on the way to court with your accuser, try to settle the matter before you get there. Otherwise, your accuser may drag you before the judge, who will hand you over to an officer, who will throw you into prison. And if that happens, you won’t be free again until you have paid the very last penny.”--Luke 12:57-59 (NLT)

No church can do what God called it to do if the people are caught up in conflict. The same goes for your work and your family. Do you know what's crazy about conflict? It usually starts with something insignificant.

Consider the infamous feud between the Hatfields and McCoys. In 12 years it claimed the lives of twelve people: three Hatfields, seven McCoys, and two bystanders. The conflict started over the ownership of a hog. Even though both sides hated each other, I'm sure neither Hatfield nor McCoy believed a hog was worth more than the lives of their children.

Jesus offered some sage advice about dealing with difficult people:

Realize that you can be the one who's wrong.

To paraphrase Jesus' words: "On the way to court try to patch things up with the difficult person, because when you stand before an impartial judge, he may decide that you are the one who is wrong." Whenever we disagree with someone, it's only natural to believe that we're in the right. After all, no one would hang on to an opinion that they thought was wrong. It doesn't matter how right you think you may be, realize that you can be the one who's wrong from time to time.

Realize that you can be the one who offers to reconcile.

It isn't easy to "turn the other cheek," but I have found that most people are willing to resolve a conflict and put it in the past regardless of who's at fault. However, there is the occasional difficult person who'd "rather fight than switch." When a Christian brother or sister takes a step toward reconciliation, the other person will usually take a step too.

Realize that you can be the one who doesn't make matters worse!

Hey! If it is you who is the difficult person, then this will be an impossible task! Difficult people think they have to have the last word. Difficult people think they have to return an insult. Are you a difficult person? Be honest. How do you react when someone cuts you off in traffic? Difficult people keep things stirred up much longer than necessary. In last week's reading, Jesus challenged his followers: "You must have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other" (Mark 9:50b) This means you realize that you can be the one who doesn't make matters worse. You might not be able to make the situation better, but as a follower of Jesus, you certainly don't have to make it worse.

Jesus dealt with difficult people. But in those dealings, he never compromised the truth and he never stopped loving them: "Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34a). It isn't always easy, but it is possible to live in peace.

Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.--Romans 12:17-18

Growing Through Mark

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA!

Mark is the shortest book of the four gospels. It gives us a clear, concise picture of Jesus' service and sacrifice. Jesus constantly serves others throughout the book of Mark--even to the point of death (Mark 15:37).

Chapter 8 in Mark's gospel presents a pivotal event. In verse 29, Peter makes the good confession: "You are the Christ." That faith-response is a statement that each and every one of us is expected to make if we intend to become a Christian:

For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.--Romans 10:10

The key verses (Mark 10:43-45) in Mark's gospel provide an unequivocal challenge to all who read them! In his 1989 Inaugural Address, George Herbert Walker Bush, the 41st President of the United States of America, stated:

We meet on democracy's front porch, a good place to talk at neighbors and as friends. For this is a day when our nation is made whole, when our differences, for a moment are suspended.

And as my first act as President is a prayer. I ask you to bow your heads:

Heavenly Father, we bow our heads and thank You for Your love. Accept our thanks for the peace that yields this day and the shared faith that makes its continuance likely. Make us strong to do Your work, willing to heed and hear Your will, and write on our hearts these words: "Use power to help people." For we are given power not to advance our own purposes, nor to make a great show in the world, nor a name. There is but one just use of power, and it is to serve people. Help us remember it, Lord. Amen.

Lake Christian Church's ongoing goal to serve the world is reinforced by Christ's words in Mark 10. Let's remember the high price that was paid to gain our freedom--both our national freedom and our spiritual freedom--as we celebrate Independence Day! 

"But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”--Mark 10:43-45 

Growing Through Matthew

Scripture Twisting

Matthew 14:6-12--⁶ But at a birthday party for Herod, Herodias’s daughter performed a dance that greatly pleased him, ⁷ so he promised with a vow to give her anything she wanted. ⁸ At her mother’s urging, the girl said, “I want the head of John the Baptist on a tray!” ⁹ Then the king regretted what he had said; but because of the vow he had made in front of his guests, he issued the necessary orders. ¹⁰ So John was beheaded in the prison, ¹¹ and his head was brought on a tray and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. ¹² Later, John’s disciples came for his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus what had happened.

Jehovah's Witnesses teach that it is wrong to celebrate birthdays and holidays. They use this passage to mislead people into believing that birthday celebrations are pagan events because Herod killed John the Baptist at such a party. A person can only draw such a conclusion from the text if they employ poor hermeneutics. Jehovah's Witnesses are notorious for twisting Scriptures!

About the only thing we can say regarding this passage is that it's unwise to make rash promises. Absolutely nothing in the context leads us to think that we should not celebrate someone's birthday. (By the way, I turn 50 on August 10th!)

Paul, in 1 Corinthians 8, was inspired by the Holy Spirit to teach Christians that eating meat offered to idols was not wrong as long as doing so didn't cause another Christian to stumble. We glean from Paul's instructions to the Corinthian Christian Church that Jesus' followers are permitted to participate in birthday parties and holiday festivities as long as no one is harmed (Colossians 2:16).

Growing Together Through the Bible

I'M BACK! 

Due to hip replacement surgery in March and an untimely, painful hip dislocation in May, I have been out-of-commission for a few months. I have had to focus my energy on priority ministry items. Consequently, the Growing Together blog had to be put on the back burner.

Lake Christian Church concludes the journey through the Old Testament on Sunday, June 26th. Hopefully, you have read all the OT books beginning with Genesis and ending with Malachi. It has been an exciting faith-adventure!

LCC's Old Testament sermons are available online.

Before we open the pages of Matthew's gospel, we need to ask an important question:

"What about the four centuries without a prophet?"

The time period between the Old & New Testaments takes place between 430 BC and AD 25. This period without a prophet's message from God permitted the Old Testament to be preserved. Scribes copied the Law and the writings of the major/minor prophets. The office of scribe was valuable because, in addition to copying God's Word, they collected and protected what we now know as the Old Testament.

The writings were studied, applied, and shared (Ezra 7:10) with the people--even people living outside the Jewish community. In addition, synagogues were built throughout the known world to serve as educational centers where people gathered to learn the Word of God.

After Ezra's day, strict regulations were enacted concerning how scribes copied the Law and prophetic writings. Special inks were developed to write God's Word on animal skins. Not only that, scribes were expected to speak the words aloud as they copied them. Without the benefit of today's computers and copiers, God's Word was reproduced with uncanny accuracy!

We can grow together through the Bible because it is God's Word--authoritative and reliable!

Growing Through 1 & 2 Kings

But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him.--1 Kings 12:8

Rehoboam failed to follow good counsel and rashly rejected the elders' ideas. How ironic that the son of the wisest man on earth would not take the advice of his dad's proverbs which underscore the importance of hearing and heeding the good advice or good counsel:

• Proverbs 11:14--For lack of guidance a nation falls, but many advisers make victory sure.
• Proverbs 15:22--Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.
• Proverbs 24:6--For waging war you need guidance, and for victory many advisers.

Rehoboam listened to his buddies rather than to wise advisers--with disastrous consequences! God has provided you with a variety of sources for obtaining wisdom to assist with the decisions you must make. Sure, like Rehoboam, you can reject help so you can proudly proclaim, "I did it my way!" Or, you can use your Bible, the leading of the Holy Spirit, church leaders, and the sage counsel of older brothers and sisters in Christ to help you in your decision-making process.

It wasn't just Rehoboam that rejected the resources God provided for holy living. There were other kings who lived in opposition to the will of God. For example:

Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king...he did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as his father Manasseh had done.--2 Kings 21:19-20

Real revival didn't happen in the kingdoms until the people returned to the ultimate resource for living: The Book of the Law. God's Word is alive and active (Hebrews 4:12) and has the power to restore faith and change lives!

Hilkiah the high priest said..."I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord." ...When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes. [He said]..."Great is the Lord's anger that burns against us because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us."--2 Kings 22:8; 11; 13

Don't neglect God's Word! Read it every day. Let it restore your faith and revive your life.