Happy Easter!

Today we celebrate an empty tomb! Christ the Lord is risen indeed!

And because He lives, our world is changed. "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" II Cor. 9:15






Happy Easter, everyone! Snoodles is taking a day or two off, and will rejoin you very soon. Much love and blessings to all!

Friday Slowdown

As we contemplate Christ's sacrifice of Himself for us, I thought this song was particularly moving. Please listen and consider the words . . .this is why He came.



May all of us experience the love and peace of God's love this Easter season.

Are you addicted to the approval of others? Part II

We're studying Proverbs 29:25:

The fear of man lays a snare, But whoever trusts in the LORD is safe. Prov 29:25 

We looked in detail at the fear of man yesterday, so today we need to keep moving forward and work our way to "trusting in the Lord."

The fear of man, and trusting in the Lord are polar opposites. It's kind of like when we are using a vegetable peeler on carrots....if we keep on scraping down further and further, we will get to the core -- and that is, that the fear of man is a worship issue. We are placing our affection and our trust in man, when we are supposed to place it in our Father. When we live our lives in the light of what others may think of us, we are allowing that to control our lives -- instead of allowing God to control.

At that point what people think of us, their approval or disapproval, their pleasure or displeasure with us, assumes control of our lives and is a snare, or trap for us.  And if we are caught in that trap, we will not be able to be the wise Christians that we are called to be. If we are fearful of what others may think, will we confront sin in the life of a fellow believer? Nope. Will we question their interpretation of a Scripture, even when we have insight from the Spirit? No way. Will we shade the truth so as not to offend others? Yep. So this trap will cause us to sin, and sin, and sin.
 
The Hebrew word "trust" here means to hide for refuge or to be bold or confident, to have hope. To have such confidence in something that you know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you can rely on it. Doesn't that sound like a great description of how our faith makes us rely on God?

The word "safe" here means to be inaccessibly high . . . like a very tall city wall, or a fortress upon a mountain top. If we trust in the Lord, that is the kind of safety and peace that we can experience.

The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble. And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You (Psalm 9:9-10). 

The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and trust in Him. And all the upright in heart shall glory (Psalm 64:10) 

The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The LORD is for me among those who help me; Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me. It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in princes. (Psalm 118:6-9)

If we are addicted to the approval of others; if the fear of man has taken control of our lives, then we need to ask our Father to help us.
Jesus died and rose again, to make us fully approved before God the Father. We don't need to continue thinking about others' opinion of us, or even thinking better about ourselves . . . we need to think more about Him, and how to bring Him glory for the great gift He gave us!

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,  (Hebrews 1:3)
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.(Philippians 2:9-10)

Praise the Lord!    

I'm indebted to the site www.yourchurch.com for some of the thoughts in this study. 

Prov 29:25 Are you addicted? To approval? Part I

Fear of man will prove to be a snare,
    but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.

At first glance, we might look at this verse and think, "Not me; I don't live in fear of man."  But do we? Are we looking for approval from our sisters and brothers in Christ, or from the world at large?  Do we love that approval . . .are we addicted to it?  We could put this in other ways: pleasing people, wanting their stamp of approval on our actions, or our way of life. Going out of our way to make others happy with us. Are we approval junkies?

The phrase "fear of man" in this verse implies something bad - and it is. But like so many things in life, something negative can develop from something that is good. The fear of man, or the seeking to please others, is not always bad --- let's look at some verses:

1. Children are commanded in the Word to obey and please their parents: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother.  (Proverbs 10:1)

2. In marriage, we make a commitment to please one another:
“The married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, 34 and his interests are divided…the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband” (1 Cor 7:33-35).

3. Servants (employees, too) are to work in ways that please their masters (employers):
“Slaves are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative,  not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior” (Titus 2:9-10)

4. Although we have Christian liberty, we are to consider what is pleasing to others:
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.  Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God,  just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved” (1 Cor 10:31-32). 

So, pleasing people is not a problem in itself -- it's actually a good thing. Sin can distort the good gifts and desires that come from God -- the problem isn't people, or their approval; the problem is being addicted to that approval.
The "fear of man" and the desire to please people becomes sinful when it becomes an overwhelming desire . . . when it becomes too important . . . when we long for it too intently.
So, how can we tell if we have a sinful fear of man, an addiction?
Well, it can be seen in an insatiable desire for approval, or as a controlling fear of rejection. Let's look at this more closely . . .
Do we struggle with peer pressure?
Are we over-committed? Have trouble saying "no" because of what others might think?
Do we "need" respect from our spouse or our friends and acquaintances?
Do we second-guess our decisions because of what others might think?
Do we often lie? Experience jealousy?
All of these are evidences that we might have a problem with approval . . . tomorrow we will explore how to be free of the problem!

Prov 29:24 It IS our business

The accomplices of thieves are their own enemies;
    they are put under oath and dare not testify.

Ever heard of the phrase, "a partner in crime"?

A partner in crime is someone who shares in someone else's sin . . . that can happen in two ways. We can participate in the sin with the first person, or we can help cover up or ignore the sin after the fact.

The root of the Hebrew word that is in the original documents has to do with giving testimony to something that's being covered up. The same word is used in the context of an ointment that gives off an aroma that is difficult to conceal.

The accomplice, or partner in crime shares in the thief’s sin and doesn’t give up the deed even when he hears the victim cursing the thief. The point here is that the person who is an accomplice to sin is every bit as bad as the person initiating the sin. We can’t run with people intent on committing sin and not be one of them, and not share in their guilt. In fact, we will even go so far as to help conceal their crime.

What I took from the proverb was that we are partners in crime, if we hear about a sin and don't say anything about it. If we take no action, we are an accomplice.  I believe the Bible tells us that the Christian, when they are aware of sin in the congregation or they perceive that there has been a sin committed, must speak up, preferably to the sinner first, and not hold their peace, lest they be an accomplice to the sin.

If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them.  Anyone who encourages such people becomes a partner in their evil work. II John 1:10-11

It really IS our business. We must help a brother or sister who is heading the wrong way by speaking to them in the Biblically correct manner. In Matthew 18 we find these instructions:

If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, then you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church....."

If we say nothing, we are a partner in crime. How many people, young and old, have had their faith in Christ shaken or destroyed, because a sinner in the congregation was allowed to continue, and Christians stood by, saying nothing? We must not be accomplices, or partners in crime. We must stand for the truth.  
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

Proverbs 29:23 It's not about us

Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor.

As a history buff, I love to read and study about people who have shaped the past, and in doing so, are still shaping the future. I read once about how Thomas Jefferson chose to write his own epitaph . . .

Here is the epitaph on his grave marker in Virginia:

"Here was buried Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, of the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, and father of the University of Virginia."

Wow! Would you like to know some of the things he left out? There's quite a list:

1. He was a delegate from Virginia to the Continental Congress.
2. He was the second governor of Virginia.
3. He was the US Ambassador to France.
4. He was the very first US Secretary of State.
5. He was the Vice President of the US under President John Adams.
6. He was the President of the US, elected to two terms.

He could have had all of those things listed on his tombstone, but he chose to leave all of those off the marker!

Today's verse talks about pride. Most of us would agree that pride is often a vice that destroys many of us, or at least destroys our testimony. We accomplish something in life and we cannot wait for the world to learn of our deed and praise us for doing it. And, what’s more, many of us keep re-telling the story years after our accomplishment.
Some people learn how to handle pride. Thomas Jefferson handled it by having a desire to be a servant. As I read further, I saw that he told his daughter, "The things that are not on my inscription are the things the people did for me," he said. "The things that are on it are things I did for the people."

As good an example as Thomas Jefferson was, our Lord Jesus was the best example of all:

"For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give My life as a ransom for many." Matthew 20:28

 It's good to remember on this week leading up to our Easter celebrations, that it's not about us. It's about Jesus. It's about His becoming flesh, and dwelling among us, and giving His life for us. 

Praise His name!

Friday Slowdown

This old hymn is so loved and well known that there are three different towns that have laid claim to being the birthplace of the song!  In George Bennard's biography, it tells of the traveling evangelist having written one verse in one town, finished the text in another, and set it to musical accompaniment in a third.
No matter where it was written, it has been a steadfast favorite of Christians everywhere. There is so much packed into this hymn that it might be well to read it, before giving it a listen:

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.

O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.

In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.

To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.