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for January, 2009.
By pastorbillwalden
It is true that Christianity often misrepresents the heart of God. That can be said of many other religious groups as well, but I will comment on Christianity and its misuse of the commandments of God.
It takes spiritual maturity to understand the heart of God which is behind a commandment of God. When considering the commandments of God, we must try to understand God’s intentions, not just His words. Why does God issue forth commandments for men to live by? What are His motives? Is God capricious in His decisions about how man should live, or is there a Loving Heart behind those Well Known Words. Are we to simply obey the commandments of God, and not be interested in God’s intentions?
In Matthew 12, we see Jesus confronted and spiritually attacked by the Pharisees, who were the religious legalists of the day. They were the so-called experts in what God had said, but they had lost all understanding in why God had said what he said. They had taken the laws of God, and expounded upon them. They had taken the simplicity of God’s Laws, which were intended for man’s good, and had written commentaries on them. They had created ridiculous scenarios about what God did and didn’t mean.
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By pastorbillwalden
Jesus empowered and sent out His disciples on a preaching and healing tour through Israel. Part of His preparation for them was to teach them about what kind of attitude and outlook a disciple of Christ ought to have. Lest they or we be discouraged, we need to understand…
1. What the cost is for following Jesus.
2. We need to understand the goal.
3. We need to understand the comfort in following Jesus.
We need to be reminded of the Teacher/Student relationship.
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By pastorbillwalden
What a great contrast there is between Jesus’ kingdom and the kingdoms of the world. They are contrary not only in purpose and goals, but in methodology and intention.
In Matthew 10, Jesus empowered His disciples to go on a healing and preaching tour throughout Israel. He told them who to go to, and what to say. He told them not to provide for themselves, but to allow others to support them voluntarily. Jesus orchestrated, empowered, directed, and sent out His followers.
Matthew 10:16 encapsulates what their mentality was to be.
Matthew 10:16 Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
A sheep among wolves is completely defenseless, and must depend upon his Shepherd to protect him. These men were equipped to serve, and even do miracles, but though they were endued with great power, they were never to quit trusting in God for their provision or the words to say when opposed and threatened. Though they were equipped to cast out demons, they were to have the mindset of a sheep depending upon its shepherd. A sheep among wolves always has to depend upon his Shepherd.
Jesus also told them to be as wise as serpents, but as harmless as doves. The wisdom of a serpent is for self gratification, specifically, the gratification of eating its victim. With stealth, patience, and cunning, it stalks its victim for personal gain. With a serpent, its all about personal gain at the expense of another.
Doves on the other hand, are simple, and not dangerous. They don’t have that killer instinct. They don’t prey upon one another, or other birds (that I know of).
Jesus exhorted the disciples and us to be patient, cunning, wise, but to use none of those qualities for personal gratification or self enrichment, and especially at the expense of others.
So, the disciples were equipped with power and were to be wise, patient, shrewd, but none of it for personal gratification. Though they had power, they were to depend on God. Though they were wise and instructed, they were to be simple minded regarding not advancing against others.
Normally, people use all their skills to exploit others. The exact opposite is true for the Kingdom of God. We are to serve God and people, and not advance ourselves with the gifts God has given us.
By pastorbillwalden
Our first grand child was born today, and 7:49 p.m. She was 7 lbs., 13 oz., 20″, and she has amazing hands. Well heck, all of her is amazing.
Our daughter Sarah labored like a champ, and our son in law Caleb coached her wonderfully. Caleb’s mom Marianne is a nurse and supported and stepped in as needed. My wife Debbie was there for incredible moral support.
By the time Isabella was born, all of our kids were there (Chris & Melissa, Jon), as well as Paul, Caleb’s dad, and Caleb’s two brothers (Noah & Luke). With our loved ones around us, the blessing was complete. It was a moment captured in my mind and heart, and I am grateful to God.
It seems like yesterday that I coached Debbie as she brought Sarah into the world. Now my little girl is a mom, and I am a grandpa. God is good. These are the simple yet profound blessings of life. There is nothing like it.
Thanks to all for prayers and support.
By pastorbillwalden
Our daughter Sarah is off to the hospital this morning with regular contractions. We are leaving for Kaiser Vallejo to hopefully meet our grand daughter Isabella. Thanks for the prayers.
By pastorbillwalden
Most of us don’t like being disagreed with. All of us resent an unjust accusations, especially when they comes as we are trying to do good.
Jesus sought to heal a paralytic man, and was accused of blasphemy. Jesus was trying to enhance a man’s life. Blasphemy was punishable by stoning. The two positions couldn’t be further apart, but notice Jesus’ desire to win his accusers to Himself.
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By pastorbillwalden
Matthew 8:18-22 And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side. 19Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” 20And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” 21Then another of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 22But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
Most American Christians understand the concept of the need to follow Jesus at any cost. In this passage, Jesus points out two conditions that His disciples must be willing to accept: Jesus comes before creature comforts, and Jesus comes before family.
Some who follow Jesus fail these requirements in obvious ways. Other followers of Christ fail in more subtle ways. It is the second scenario that I wish to consider.
For some Christians, owning a home or homes has kept them from following Jesus closely. They haven’t rejected Him, but they have become extremely distracted and preoccupied with that which will pass away.
There is nothing inherently wrong with home ownership, but in America, it is almost considered a “God given” right to buy a home. In many minds, the Gospel includes “The American Dream”. Don’t misunderstand me, we can be homeowners and still follow Jesus. But does our home ownership compete with our efforts to follow the Lord? If owning and maintaining a home keeps us from following Jesus according to His desire for us, would we forsake home ownership?
We buy a home, and then chant the mantra about “being good stewards” of that “which God has given us”. I don’t think that the Lord would lead us to stewardship that would leave him as 2nd or 3rd on our list of our priorities. We assume that God want us to be homeowners, but for some Believers, renting would be more spiritually freeing.
For some Christians, family relations are not good, and are not viable competitors against our devotion to Christ. However, in some families, devotion to family rivals or eclipses our devotion to Jesus. This is an insidious trap. Family devotion seems so “Christian”, and yet it can become more important to the Believer than his or her relationship with Jesus.
The Christian who is overly devoted to family is a prime candidate for replacing Jesus with family. In their minds, “family devotion” is the “Christian” thing to do, therefore, it can never be wrong and can never go too far. But devotion to family can go too far, and we can exalt our devotion to family over and above our devotion to Christ. It’s not that we reject Jesus, it’s just that family relationships become His competition.
I am thankful for all who desire to follow Jesus. I am thankful for my salvation. May we all be very careful in these two seemingly innocent aspects of life. May we never allow even “good” things to hinder our devotion and obedience to Jesus. Be careful to not allow the good to replace the best.
By pastorbillwalden
I continue to be amazed at the love of Jesus Christ for humanity. He loves those that we would not love. He approaches those we would avoid. He speaks to those whom we would turn away from.
In Matthew 8, Jesus healed three people: a leper, the slave of a Roman centurion, and a woman. All three of those people were considered “undesirables” during those days.
Lepers were hideous to look at, and were physically dangerous to be around. Romans centurions were the backbone soldiers of an army that occupied, dominated, and offended Israel. Women were considered 2nd class citizens by many of Israel’s spiritual elitists.
Yet Jesus loved each one of these people, and showed it in wonderful ways. Read more »
By pastorbillwalden
It has been well said that wisdom is the right application of knowledge.
We may know that we ought to do something, and yet, for some reason, not do it. In my experience so far, not doing what I know I should do has always brought regret.
Conversely, I have never regretted doing what I have known I should do. Never once. I have always been immensely glad when I have done what I have known was the right and needed thing to do.
Jesus made this precept very clear to His listeners.
Matthew 7:24, 25 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.”
Regarding one’s life with Jesus, He taught us that two things will prove a man wise.
1. Hearing the words of Christ.
2. Obeying the words of Christ.
It is a simple equation. It is not difficult to understand the mechanics of Jesus’ promise. Jesus said that every time we hear AND do His words, we are building our house (life) upon Him. He promised that though storms will come against us, our lives will stand if we have heard and obeyed His words.
I thank God for this promise. The simplest man can obey Jesus. To build on the Rock of Jesus, one doesn’t have to be popular, talented, or advantaged. The poorest man or the richest man are equal in this. Age makes no difference, nor does experience. This is Jesus’ wonderful promise to all who will hear and do what he says.
“Thank You Lord for this wonderful promise. May we see the simplicity, and yet the profundity of your Word. May we not be foolish in thinking that hearing Your word is all that is needed. May we be found obeying Your word, and being very glad as a result. The unbelieving world may think us simpletons, but may we be assured that building our lives on You is the wisest decision we can make.”
By pastorbillwalden
Worry and anxiety is a common problem among all people. God’s people are not immune from this struggle.
Unbelievers try to keep a good attitude, and they make a sincere effort to talk themselves and others into having a calmer spirit and not worrying.
They say things like, “There’s a reason for everything that happens”, or, “It will all work out in the end”, and other such adages. I don’t blame them for saying such things, and for wanting to have hope and reasons to not worry.
The Christian, however, is given reasons by God Himself about why they ought not to worry. We don’t have to hope for hope, wish for something good to happen, or try to have a good attitude based upon some blind faith in some ambiguous god or imagined superior force.
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