Humanity Has A Flaw….

Humanity has a flaw that is unconquerable when left to themselves to remedy it. That flaw is a short memory. How often do we get caught up in the desire to have or do something, regardless if necessary, and we forget God. We fail to ask Him. We fail to consult the Almighty. It’s because we allow the “now” to be more necessary than the past. We forget because we want, so we rationalize away “what’s right”. Over time it affects our memory, and slowly but surely, we lose the value on the past. God isn’t as important as before, and we fail to pass on this paramount truth. We fail to teach our children about God, to fear God, and to pursue God. When a culture forgets God, or even takes Him for granted, it loses its way. Idolatry, pain and suffering, and waywardness follows. Sin becomes a daily ritual and it’s not until we come to the realization that we brought it upon ourselves that we admit we need God to be first in our lives (need His help). Fortunately, God is forgiving. When we seek Him with all of our heart, we find Him, not because of our doing, but because of His mercy and willingness to forgive. The key to this cycle is not repeating it. When God gave the Ten Commandments, it came with a promise. Those that follow honoring our parents will be blessed to the third and fourth generation. Those that don’t will be cursed to a thousand generations (meaning forever). Our parents represent God to a child, so teaching them to be respectful has a huge benefit. It’s our job to love God with all of our hearts. Then pass that love on to our children. We do that by remembering all that God has done for us. We teach our children about God, and we do it not only by our words but by our actions. If your not an authentic follower of Jesus, you’ll never be able to convince your children that His ways are best. You’ll just be setting them up for a great fall when they realize your authenticity is as fake as a politician’s promise. They will question and doubt God because of you. And they will be cursed just as you are. Real believers point others to Jesus, not because they think it will earn them “brownie points” with God, but because they know it’s the only real thing they can count on to live real life, extending it beyond the grave. Teach your children to remember, honor, and respect God. It’s what He wants.

7 For what great nation has a god as near to them as the Lord our God is near to us whenever we call on Him? 8 And what great nation has decrees and regulations as righteous and fair as this body of instructions that I am giving you today?9 “But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren. 10 Never forget the day when you stood before the Lord your God at Mount Sinai, where He told me, ‘Summon the people before Me, and I will personally instruct them. Then they will learn to fear Me as long as they live, and they will teach their children to fear Me also.’ Deuteronomy 4:7-10

29 But from there you will search again for the Lord your God. And if you search for Him with all your heart and soul, you will find Him. Deuteronomy 4:29

39 “So remember this and keep it firmly in mind: The Lord is God both in heaven and on earth, and there is no other. 40 If you obey all the decrees and commands I am giving you today, all will be well with you and your children. I am giving you these instructions so you will enjoy a long life in the land the Lord your God is giving you for all time.” Deuteronomy 4:39-40

Save Lives…..

Why do we follow God and preach the gospel? Because it frees enslaved souls and saves lives. We speak from firsthand experience.

6 The words of the wicked are like a murderous ambush, but the words of the godly save lives. Proverbs 12:6

Our Supreme Court System…

If you’ve ever wondered where the idea of our Supreme Court system came from, here it is. In the Bible. Deuteronomy (and Exodus - same story) chapter 1, to be specific. Notice it was established by God, an idea given to Moses by his father-in-law (Exodus 18), and God made it work. If we incorporate our action and procedures God’s way, they will be effective and establish consistency. God is a God of order, structure, and peace. Notice the original reason this came about, too many people, too much bickering. Sound familiar?

9 Moses continued, “At that time I told you, ‘You are too great a burden for me to carry all by myself. 10 The Lord your God has increased your population, making you as numerous as the stars! 11 And may the Lord, the God of your ancestors, multiply you a thousand times more and bless you as He promised! 12 But you are such a heavy load to carry! How can I deal with all your problems and bickering? 13 Choose some well-respected men from each tribe who are known for their wisdom and understanding, and I will appoint them as your leaders.’14 “Then you responded, ‘Your plan is a good one.’ 15 So I took the wise and respected men you had selected from your tribes and appointed them to serve as judges and officials over you. Some were responsible for a thousand people, some for a hundred, some for fifty, and some for ten.16 “At that time I instructed the judges, ‘You must hear the cases of your fellow Israelites and the foreigners living among you. Be perfectly fair in your decisions 17 and impartial in your judgments. Hear the cases of those who are poor as well as those who are rich. Don’t be afraid of anyone’s anger, for the decision you make is God’s decision. Bring me any cases that are too difficult for you, and I will handle them.’18 “At that time I gave you instructions about everything you were to do. Deuteronomy 1:9-18

Wickedness Breeds Instability….

With the world striving for comfort, peace, and stability, our behavior plays a large role determining if we receive it or not. When we think only of ourselves and perform wicked acts, peace, comfort, and stability will never be attained. Wickedness breeds instability. Why? Because wickedness opposes God. There is no peace for the wicked. How can peace, which comes from God, enter into your life when you are rebelling against Him? It’s like robbing a store, and expecting the owner to welcome you back to shop there anytime you want. If you steal from God, don’t expect Him to grant you the fruits of the Spirit. The Spirit’s job is to convict us, to get us back into the right relationship with God. Practicing evil only drives us further from God. There is no peace or stability for the wicked, just chaos waiting to explode.

3 Wickedness never brings stability, but the godly have deep roots. Proverbs 12:3

Murder Isn’t Accidental….

Murder pollutes a land. Murder is when a person kills another person for selfish reasons. Murder isn’t accidental, it’s either purposely selfish or it’s not. That leads me to abortion. Abortion is purposely killing a child for selfish reasons. Economics, lack of confidence in oneself, most health issues, or relational issues are all selfish reasons, and thus dictate murder. America has over 62 million murdered babies since legalizing abortion in 1973. Our land is polluted, and it’s defiled. How can we expect blessings from God when we continue to pollute our land with murder? We can’t. Until we reconcile this one habitual sin, and start honoring life, America will never have peace.

33 This will ensure that the land where you live will not be polluted, for murder pollutes the land. And no sacrifice except the execution of the murderer can purify the land from murder. 34 You must not defile the land where you live, for I live there myself. I am the Lord, who lives among the people of Israel.” Numbers 35:33-34

The Greatest Injustice…

Have you ever thought about what crime Jesus committed that He was crucified for? None. The Jews claimed He was guilty of blasphemy, but if what He said was true, then it wasn’t blasphemy. The government of Rome didn’t have an accusation. Pilate asked the question to the Jewish leaders, “What crime has He committed”? They never answered Pilate; they just kept on shouting “Crucify Him”. In Mark’s gospel he called the Jewish crowd a mob. If you think about it, it’s exactly what a mob does. They were emotionally charged, had no legitimate reason to crucify Jesus, but kept shouting louder and louder to Pilate. A modern day example of this would be the riots going on under the name of peaceful protests (as the media calls them). Mob rules. The saddest part of this is that Pilate gave into them. The spineless coward catered to this “mob rules” mentality. He had no conviction because Jesus hadn’t violated any Roman law. Yet in all of this, in the midst of all the wrong doing, God had a plan. And it was His plan to punish Jesus, and innocent man, the lamb with no defects, by placing all the sins of the world on Him as if He was guilty of committing every single one. The wrath of God was released on Jesus. And He took it. If you ever want to see an example of injustice, here it is. The injustice laid upon Jesus turned out to be the greatest gift of grace the world has ever known. It connected, and fulfilled the promises of the OT and the NT. And most importantly, it saved all that believe and place their trust in Jesus. Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe, sin had left a crimson stain, He washed us white as snow. The biggest travesty in life took place on a cross on a hill in Israel over 2,000 years ago. But it was also the greatest event in human history as well. And even though the Jewish leaders and the Roman government didn’t recognize it, the world owes Jesus everything for being the willing sacrifice, taking the punishment we all deserve, unjustly accused of things He didn’t do, all because God loves us. The next time you watch an injustice happen, may it be a small reminder of the greatest injustice to ever take place on this earth. And may it remind you that God allowed it to happen to rescue you from Hell. Now that’s real love, without any excuses.

9 “Would you like me to release to you this ‘King of the Jews’?” Pilate asked. 10 (For he realized by now that the leading priests had arrested Jesus out of envy.) 11 But at this point the leading priests stirred up the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas instead of Jesus. 12 Pilate asked them, “Then what should I do with this man you call the king of the Jews?”13 They shouted back, “Crucify Him!”14 “Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has He committed?”But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify Him!”15 So to pacify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned Him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified. Mark 15:9-15

There Are No Regrets When It Comes To….

To live a disciplined life one must humble oneself in order to submit to this lifestyle. In order to learn one must set aside his pride, which allows self-evaluation. Pride keeps us from admitting wrong doing, and thus prevents us from fully learning from our mistakes. We all know someone who is prideful, look in the mirror. Anytime you see someone or yourself hating to be corrected, there’s a good chance that person’s priorities don’t involve humility. As I’ve always said, “discipline yourself, so others won’t have to”. Are you a life-long learner? Are you humble at heart? Do you live a disciplined life? Pride keeps us from humility. Why not put it to rest today, take up your cross, and start following our Savior. There are no regrets when it comes to being sold out to Jesus, well maybe one, not doing it soon enough.

1 To learn, you must love discipline;it is stupid to hate correction. Proverbs 12:1