Think for Yourself

"The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going."

Proverbs 14:15

Consider these things:

1. God gave me a conscience, a mind, and the freedom to make choices.
2. God gave me the Bible to show me the Truth, and the Holy Spirit to guide me.
3. God will hold me accountable for my decisions, and He will dispense rewards accordingly.
4. God instructs me in His Word to "study to shew thyself approved unto God...rightly dividing the Word of truth."

Furthermore, God has warned us of the folly of "believing every word."  To the contrary, He commends the man who "looketh well to his going."

When it comes to distinguishing truth from error--right from wrong--there are three common approaches:

1. Think for yourself.
2. Let others do the thinking for you.
3. Don't think at all.

Don't Think At All--

These are the types of people with a happy-go-lucky approach to life.  They are cavalier in their choices.  They don't give much thought to Divine authority, judgment, or consequences.  They don't ponder the ramifications of their decisions; they only do what human impulse leads them to do.  If it feels good, do it.  No worries!  These kind of people certainly don't "look well to their going."

This approach in life will always prove to be difficult at best, and damning at worst.  Proverbs 13:15 teaches us that the "way of transgressors is hard."

If you never take time to ponder, seek after, and discover spiritual Truth, you will find yourself tripping and stumbling through life.  You'll never seem to find the stable ground of peace and contentment.  You be spinning your wheels, trying to attain the promised blessings of life, yet coming up short every time.  You'll face the natural consequences of foolish decisions--consequences, by the way, which will mock your earnest desire for a peaceful life.

Furthermore, apart from a deep, honest, and sober consideration of one's soul, a sinner will find himself hopelessly guilty as he stands before God some day.  He will be held accountable for his sins, and he will have to pay the eternal consequences thereof.  He will have no excuse; for the Word of God and the message of salvation have been made readily available.

What a tragedy it would be for a man to be sentenced to suffer the consequences of divine retribution because he wouldn't take time to think about his soul!

Let Others Think for You--

This is the second approach with regard to determining what is true and right.

"The simple believe every word..."

It's much easier to let others do the thinking for me, and then I just follow their lead.  But this is not the way God wants us to live out our Christian lives.

Cults teach their adherents: "Believe us and follow our teachings...don't listen to anyone else...don't seek the Truth on your own...just do what we say, and you'll be right with God."

How many millions of people around the world have been led astray from the true God and from eternal salvation, because they blindly follow a tradition or religion?!  This is allowing others to think for us.

As Christians we must be students of God's Word.  We must know the Book and live the Book!  And we must let the Bible be our sole authority and guide.

The old adage is true,

"The Bible says it, I believe it, that settles it!"  

Sadly, however, it's often the case that Christians live by this rule,

"The preacher said...and that's settles it."

Don't make the mistake of blindly following, mimicking, or obeying the teachings of men.  Make sure that the decisions you make are Biblically founded and pleasing to God alone.  If you trust someone so much that you'd be willing to let them think for you, to the point that you fail to see any need to think for yourself, you are taking a gamble on life, and you're forfeiting the intellect, resources, and freedom to choose that God has provided.

Think for Yourself--

"...but the prudent man looketh well to his going."

Take a good look at your life.  Evaluate where you are and where you're going.  Then ask yourself, "Am I doing what God wants me to do?"

Everyone is on a path.  There is a path of blessing and a path that leads to regret.

The path of blessing is the path that is led by the Holy Spirit as He guides you in following the instructions of God's Word.  As we obey the Bible and yield to the moving of God's Spirit, the promised blessings become eventual realities.

The path of regret is the path that is led by the inherent foolishness of our sinful hearts.  It is the wide path, largely chosen by the overwhelming majority of humanity.  It is the path--though often popular and promising--that leads to destruction and regret.  This is the path that is apart from God's Word and void of His influence.

Someone once said, "God is my audience."

To that I might add:

God is my Father.
God is my Guide.
God is my Judge.
God is my everything.

Let's make sure that if there's anyone whose word we believe, it's God!

Look well to your going; don't go through life carelessly and ignorantly, and don't depend on others to tell you what to do.  Seek out God through His Word, and do what pleases Him and Him alone.

You Can't Argue a Changed Life!

"And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, 

they could say nothing against it."

Acts 4:14

In our teen class, we just began a series called, "The Changed Life."

When a person is born again, he a new creature (II Cor. 5:17).  Everything is different!

How he thinks...

How he feels...

Before long, these changes in his thinking and his feelings begin to affect the way he lives out his life.  This is the normal process for a born-again child of God.  It's called spiritual growth.

How important is the changed life?

As a pastor, it's not seldom that I meet people and discuss with them their need for eternal salvation.  Sometimes, people are very receptive and will listen with an open heart.  Sometimes people are "too busy" to listen.

Then there are people who seem as though they have a disdain for anything that has to do with God, the Bible, church, or religion.  They aren't as interested in listening to the Bible's message as they are in telling you why Christianity is a hoax, a cult, or a fable.  These are scorners.  They are enemies of the cross.  They are hostile towards Christ, and they seek to prevent the gospel from spreading.  This is the devious, hindering work of Satan.

Although we can't know all of the reasons why a person would be so venomous towards the gospel, one thing we do know is that there is, there always was, and there always will be great opposition to the work of evangelism.

In chapters 3 and 4 of Acts, there was severe opposition to the work which the apostles' were beginning to accomplish.  Though thousands of people were receiving and believing their message, there were many high-ranking government and religious officials who were trying to put an end to the spread of Christianity.

When considering how we can best influence our world with the good news of salvation, we must learn a lesson from Acts 4:14-16.

We see here the influence of a changed life!

People can say there is no God.  People can say the Bible is a work of fiction.  People can say the church is full of hypocrites.  But no one can argue the reality of a changed life!

When this lame man was made to walk, according to Acts 4:16, it was:

"a notable miracle"

"manifest to all"

When a common, sinful, worldly-minded individual becomes a "new creature" in Christ, it, too, should be:

"a notable miracle"

"manifest to all"

And when such a transformation is observed by others even the enemies of Christ "cannot deny it" (vs. 16).

May we let our light shine by showing that God has changed our lives!  Let's be sure to exemplify Christlikeness in showing love to others, keeping our minds and bodies pure, rejoicing in faith amidst trials and affliction, and giving highest honor to God above all other worldly affections.

Your unsaved friends, co-workers, neighbors, and family, might reject and argue your message...but there's one thing they cannot deny: your changed life!

And truly, a changed life is a "notable miracle," and something that will have lasting influence when it is "manifest to all."

Repeating Matters

"He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; 

but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends."

Proverbs 17:9

The devil loves to divide.

Marriages.  Homes.  Churches.  Nations.  Communities.  Friendships.  

The foundational cause for disunity in each of these examples is, of course, our sinful flesh.  But here, in Proverbs 17:9, God shows us a specific and all-too-common reason why relationships seem to be short-lived and tedious.

A few years ago, as I was reading my Bible one morning, I came across this verse, and as I read it, the light bulb of the Holy Spirit's conviction went on in my heart!  God showed me something that morning of which I was guilty, particularly in my marriage.

You see, whenever a husband and wife get into a fight (whoops...I mean, if the kids are listening...a "discussion"), each contender feels that he is "in the right" going into the battle.  And the object of the fight is to prove and persuade the other party, so that they'll come to the point of admitting, "You were right; I was wrong."  That is the point of VICTORY!!  [Of course any honest married man knows, truth be told, that, most often, both parties were "in the wrong" in some way or another.]

Did you know that one of the greatest weapons to use in one of these marital battles is the weapon of "repeating matters"?!

Repeating matters is when I (the husband) remind my opponent (the wife) of all the times in the past that she failed and was indisputably wrong.  And if I can build my case with enough examples of past failures, then there's a good chance I'll win this battle with no sweat!  For you see, as I repeat matters in our argument, she will recall all of her past failures, and upon remembering all the times that she was wrong, she will inevitably and sweetly wave the white flag of surrender, thus ending the argument and restoring the loving intimacy that a Christian couple should have.  And they live happily ever after!  What a great, God-given weapon that husbands and wives can use to fight the devil and bring love and reconciliation in their homes--this weapon called repeating matters!

Right?

NOT QUITE!!!

If you are married, you are thinking one of two things:

1) This guy is crazy to think that repeating matters solves anything!

2) This guy has a bad case of New England sarcasm because everyone knows that the weapon of repeating matters doesn't work that way at all!

You see, God convicted my heart that when it comes to relationships--especially relationships that God intended to be characterized by love, peace, and intimacy--the higher goal is to fight for unity, not for the title of being "right".

God wants there to be harmony in the home, not strife.  God is not concerned with how often a husband is right, but with how often he is Christlike.

And so I came to the conclusion that day that, although repeating matters is indeed a weapon, it's not a weapon of God that defeats the devil so that relationships flourish; rather, it's a weapon of the devil that defeats God's purpose and causes relationships to dissolve!

There is a weapon, however, from Proverbs 17:9, that we can indeed use to help our relationships thrive--it's called covering transgressions.  This is the opposite of repeating matters.  It's when I choose to overlook and sometimes even pretend not to notice the shortcomings of my partner.  And let me tell you, this weapon works!  It's very similar to the tools called "forgiveness" and "grace"--both of which, coincidentally, share the same Manufacturer as that of covering transgressions.

I'm by no means a perfect Christian, nor am I a perfect husband.  And I still have a tendency to use past failures as ammunition from time to time.  But when I do, the Holy Spirit often reminds me (through the sound of an audible voice proceeding from the smirking face of my wife) that I am "repeating matters." And at that, I realize that I am using the wrong weapon against the wrong person.

Let's not let the devil divide our families, churches, and friendships.  Let's overcome the devil by heeding God's Word and following the example of Christ, "who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not, but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously" (I Peter 2:23).

Dealing with Tears

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." 

Revelation 21:4

The life that we now live is full of tears.

Tears of grief.
Tears of regret.
Tears of longing.
Tears of suffering.
Tears of shame.

There is such deep pain experienced throughout our life's journey.

A dad who never comes back from war,

A mom who just can't fight the cancer anymore,

A paralyzed child through no fault of his own,

A woman abused, abandoned...alone,

A man who's wrecked his home, and oh what he'd give

A second chance to have, his life to relive!

But alas, these things cannot be undone.

Christians are not exempt from tears.  They suffer like anyone else--sometimes due to the choices of others, sometimes due to the circumstances of this sin-cursed earth, and yet, sometimes due to the consequences of their own mistakes.

But there's great comfort in knowing that the tears shed by a child of God are not hidden or forgotten.

The Lord said, "I have seen thy tears" (II Kings 20:5).

According to Psalm 56:8, God has a bottle and a book that contains our every tear.  He sees, He knows, He remembers, He cares...about every one!

Tragedy happens.  Tears follow.  But what deep anguish to go through tragedy and shed tears without a comforter--without hope!  Such is the plight of a man who knows not the Lord!

"So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter." 

(Ecclesiastes 4:1)

I recently came upon a song that touched my heart:  "There is a Higher Throne," sung beautifully by the Galkin Evangelistic Team on their album, Consider Him, which can be purchased here from iTunes. This song speaks of the promised blessing of eternal fellowship with the Lord, our Shepherd-King.  The second verse reads:

And there we'll find our home, 

Our life before the throne; 

We'll honor Him in perfect song

Where we belong.

He'll wipe each tear-stained eye

As thirst and hunger die.

The Lamb becomes our Shepherd King; 

We'll reign with Him.

It was the statement, "He'll wipe each tear-stained eye," that really moved me.  To me, it makes a difference that God Himself will be the One who wipes away my tears.  It won't be an angel.  It won't merely be Time.  It'll be the loving, compassionate hand of my Abba that caringly wipes away my tears...and that, once and for all!

One final thought:

I know God has decreed that all tears will be finally wiped away, and for that promise I am deeply grateful!

I only wonder if we will still have tears in our hearts.  Oh, not for sin!  Not for shame! Not for sorrow!  But for the same reason why the sinful woman of Luke 7:38 "stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears."

You see, someday we will come face-to-face with our Shepherd-King.  And forevermore we'll worship at His throne, praising Him with hearts full of thanksgiving, for the amazing grace of God that saved a wretch like me!

Too Much of a Good Thing

"Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, 

lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it."

Proverbs 25:16

We know that a Christian should hate what God hates and love what He loves.  We know that a Christian should love God with all of his heart, and hate evil.  We know that a Christian should delight himself in the Lord, and should abstain from all appearance of evil.  Regarding the path of wickedness, God says to:

"Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away" (Proverbs 4:15).

We also know that God has graciously given us good things to enjoy in our lives.  He has given us family, food, friendships, and even...fun things!

There are no Biblical prohibitions or warnings against things like: having a picnic with your family, going to a sporting event, or playing a board game with some friends.

And like honey, these things are good things.

"My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste" (Proverbs 24:13).

I'm personally grateful for the "good" things of life.

Let's remember, however, that God never intended the good things of life to give us the deep, lasting satisfaction that our souls crave.  God is the only "good thing" that brings true contentment.

Idolatry is when a person attributes more value to something--anything--than to God.  So often, we think that if we can accumulate lots of "good things" we'll be happy.  Or, if we can somehow manage to move from one good circumstance to another good circumstance, avoiding all bitter situations and trials, then we'll be content.  And so, we find ourselves pursuing the good things of life--even to the point of idolatry.

Good things are good...but only to a point.  Too much of a good thing causes sickness.

Let's be careful not to fill our lives with good things to the point of spiritual sickness.  We must remember that family and friends, hobbies and sports, education and careers, rest and recreation, and so on...though they are blessings from the Lord, these things must never take God's place as our heart's greatest love and pursuit.

A person who has every good thing the heart could desire, but who lacks a thriving, intimate relationship with God, will be no more content than King Solomon, who, at the end of his life, made his lament:

"Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: 

for all is vanity and vexation of spirit." 

(Ecclesiastes 2:17)

But if a person will walk with the Lord, abiding in Him, he will be fruitful, stable, and furthermore...content!

"For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." 

(Philippians 4:11)

Give thanks to God for the "honey" He gives.  Enjoy it.

But don't depend on it.  Don't worship it.  Don't pursue it...to the neglect of the Living Water, by whom the longings of the soul are satisfied.

All my life long I had panted

For a drink from some clear spring,

That I hoped would quench the burning

Of the thirst I felt within.

Feeding on the husks around me,

Till my strength was almost gone,

Longed my soul for something better,

Only still to hunger on.

Poor I was, and sought for riches,

Something that would satisfy,

But the dust I gathered round me

Only mocked my soul’s sad cry.

Well of water, ever springing,

Bread of life so rich and free,

Untold wealth that never faileth,

My Redeemer is to me.

Hallelujah! I have found Him

Whom my soul so long has craved!

Jesus satisfies my longings,

Through His blood I now am saved.

Nine Missions Conferences Later...

It was 9 years ago this month that Christy and I came to Rhode Island to serve at Greater RI Baptist Temple. We arrived just in time for the start of the 2003 Missions Conference.

What an exciting time in our lives! Our first full-time ministry! A new home, new friends, a new pastor, and a new church family!

And what better way to start off our new ministry at GRIBT than with the annual missions conference!

For these reasons the month of October will always hold a special place in our hearts.

This past Sunday our pastor rightly explained,

"Missions is not a program of our church; it is the purpose of our church."

I love the missions conference! It's my favorite time of the year.

Let me share a few reasons why.

I love the missions conference:

1. Because it helps me to take my focus off of myself and materialism, and to direct it back to where it ought to be: world evangelism! The preaching, the music, the decorations in the auditorium, the testimonies, the video presentations, and so on...all of these things create a marked emphasis on the "Great Commission" that Jesus left us to fulfill.

2. Because it reminds that there are just some things in life that really matter most; namely, the salvation of the lost.

3. Because it challenges me to prove my faith in God's provision and to show my love for Him as I pledge missions support for the upcoming year.

4. Because it causes me to remember how faithful God has been over the past year (and all other previous years) in miraculously meeting the needs of my family.

5. Because I get to meet and spend time with new and veteran missionaries, who are always an encouragement to my spirit. There's always something inspiring and refreshing about a husband and wife who have offered their lives to the Lord as living sacrifices, and who are forsaking all in order to bring the gospel to the lost around he world. Missionaries are usually very grateful people, who rarely ever complain. How sweet it is to spend time with such heroes of the faith!

6. Because it reminds me of the loving, merciful, compassionate, long-suffering heart of my God and Savior Jesus Christ. Our Lord is not merely the Creator and Sovereign of the universe, but He is also the Good Shepherd of the sheep and the Savior of all the world! He loves all people of all races from all nations and tribes, and He desperately wants all men to come to the knowledge of the Truth, that they might be saved! I'm so glad my God loves sinners...of whom I am chief!

May we not soon forget the importance of missions as we move towards the holidays and into the new year.

And let us follow the example set by the missions-minded church of Thessalonica, of whom it was said:

"For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God- ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing" 

(1 Thessalonians 1:8).

A Poor Man But a Good Friend

"All the brethren of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him! he pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to him."

Proverbs 19:7

Here in this verse, we read a divinely-inspired observation of truth--no one wants to be the friend of a poor man!

This oberservation is supported by a similar, yet more telling, statement in Proverbs 14:20, "The poor is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends."  Can I say it again--no one wants to be the friend of a poor man!

Are you poor?  Are you struggling to make ends meet?  Do you find that your expenses border on outweighing your income?  Does it seem like you're always trying save a buck here and there, just so you can get through the month?

I don't personally know a lot of rich people.  I know they're out there; I just don't know many.  Most of the people I know are carefully managing their budget and limiting their expenses.  They can't "afford" a cavalier approach to their personal finances because things are so tight.  They can't just throw money around!

So are these poor people cursed?  Is it an invariable fate that poor people will suffer the plague of loneliness for as long as they live (or, at least, until they hit the jackpot)?

This may seem true, but it's not.

You see, a poor man may have friends, so long as he is a friend!

Don't let your poverty stop you from being a good friend!

The underlying truth of Proverbs 19:7 is that no one enjoys being around people whose poverty defines and dominates their friend-worthiness.  It's interesting to note than in the previous verse, God gives us a contrasting observation:

"Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts."

Proverbs 19:6

In other words, if you want to have friends...be a giver.  

Furthermore, consider Proverbs 18:24, which reads, "A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly."

If you want to have friends...be friendly.

No one wants to be the friend of a poor man, especially when that poor man is:

Often complaining...

Always looking to get...

Apparently jealous of others...

Always letting others know that he's poor!

So what's the answer for us (viz., those of us who are not rich)?  How can we make ourselves more friend-worthy?

Be friendly.  Make it a point to always put others first, seeking to be a blessing rather than receive one.

Be thankful.  Never complain about being poor (or anything else, for that matter).  People enjoy being around those who are positive.

Be a giver.  You don't have to be rich in order to be a giver.  Look at the Macedonians in II Cor. 8:1-2.  Give the gift of a kind word...or the gift of your time...or use your creativity to give an inexpensive gift of thoughtfulness.

"SO WHAT if I have friends?  I don't care...I'll just keep to myself."

Friendships are one of the means through which God allows us to minister--both to the brethren and to the lost.  So we must not deceive ourselves into thinking that a self-centered, isolationist attitude is pleasing to the Lord.  Let's keep in mind that God wants us to follow the pattern of His Son, who, though He was poor, yet  was a "friend of sinners."