At the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Benjamin Franklin said "We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately".  He knew that unity was the key to victory in the fight against tyranny.

As Christians, we face a greater threat than King George of England.  The Devil has a global kingdom full of demonic minions ready to pounce on us at the slightest sign of weakness. 

One of the greatest weaknesses of Christians in the free world is their tendency to disunite - to leave their fellow believers over the smallest of issues.  Gossip, arrogance, slander, holding on to grudges, and the like have separated many a Christian from his/her church.

God wants us to GROW UP and learn to forgive and to confront others in love so that his family (the church) could enjoy love and peace.  A church that can do this is a mature church full of the Holy Spirit and will bring maximum glory to God.

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Ephesians 4:3

Loyalty

“Drop ‘Loyalty’ from your vocabulary”.  These were the words of Pastor Andy Stanley to a crowd of pastors and other Christian leaders.  He followed that up with a statement that loyalty didn’t even make it to the “fruit of the Spirit” list.

While I’m sure he believes in loyalty, Andy understands that loyalty is not something we demand from people; it is something people freely give.  Loyalty is earned by leaders who through love and service have won the hearts of faithful friends and followers. 

In the Bible there are many examples of loyalty, perhaps none more famous that Ruth’s loyalty to her mother-in-law, Naomi.  But Naomi did not demand it; just the opposite, she urged Ruth to return to her people and remarry after the death of her husband (Naomi’s son).  But Ruth remained loyal. Naomi had obviously been a great mother-in-law to Ruth, so Ruth was not about to let her go alone.

So Ruth uttered those famous words to Naomi:

“Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. ¹⁷ Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.”

Ruth 1:16-17

Be loyal to those who love you and seek your good.  Never demand it.  Earn it by loving and serving others.

Cause and Effect

I got pooped on by a bird today.  I was sitting under a tree reading my Bible.  A bird was perched on a limb of that same tree, right above me.  The bird had to take care of his business, so he just let it fly---right on me.  Why was I pooped on today?  Because the Law of Gravity states: "You sit under a bird that needs to poop; you get pooped on".

Minutes before I got pooped on I read this:

The LORD has brought her grief because of her many sins. 

Lamentations 1:5b

The verse is talking about the city of Jerusalem.  The Lord summoned the Babylonians to destroy the inhabitants of Jerusalem because of their many sins.  The Law of God says: "the LORD disciplines those he loves" (Proverbs 3:12).  Discipline always involves pain and grief.  

So as surely as poop falls on a person who sits under a tree with a pooping bird in it, so grief and discipline will come upon those whose life is full of sins.  The Law of Cause and Effect rules.

Does God Have a Tattoo?

A lot of people hate tattoos.  Many others sport them with great enthusiasm. Many people get a tattoo to honor their girlfriends or mother or other significant people in their lives.  Some have had to erase ex-girlfriends names from their arms or backs (ouch, I think that must hurt).

I don't know if what God is describing is a tattoo, but look at what he says through Isaiah:

"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne?  Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands...

Isaiah 49:15-16

Is an engraving in the hand a tattoo? I'll let you decide.

But here's the greater point - God will never forget about you.  No matter how low in life you are, how terrible you feel, how beaten up Satan has you, God says "I will not forget you!"

Next time you feel lonely, unloved, forgotten, or despised, REMEMBER that God has your name engraved on the palm of His hand.

Waiting

Country Singer Brad Paisley wrote a song called “Waiting on a Woman”.  In it an old man tells his story how since 1952 he’s been waiting on his wife who makes him late everywhere – but he’s learned not to mind, because she is worth the wait.

Well I still haven’t learned to patiently wait on my wife, but one thing I know, God wants us to learn to wait on Him:

¹⁵ This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says:  “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it… ¹⁸ Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!

Isaiah 30:15-18

To wait on God is to trust Him in every situation of my life.  Singles want to get married yesterday; Businessmen want to get promoted “right now”; sick people want to be healed “today”; and those in economic crisis want to win the lotto just this once.

But God wants us to trust in Him before, during, and after we hit the bumps of life.  Notice what God says is required to gain inner strength:

·        “Repentance” – I need to analyze my life and confess my sins to God

·        “Rest” – to rest in Him is to Trust that He has it all figured out and will act on my behalf in His good time.

·        “Quietness” – sitting still before God in Prayer and in meditation of His Word.  Letting His Presence fill me.

·        “Trust” – Depending on Him to rescue me.

This is called “Waiting on God”.  Not taking matters in my own hands, but waiting for His mighty arm to work on my behalf.

But why should I trust Him and wait on Him?   Because “the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion.”

Bad Leadership

Leadership is a choice you make, not a place you sit.  Anyone can choose to become a leader wherever he is.  You can make a difference no matter where you are.  –John Maxwell

Israel had many political leaders who were not biblical leaders:

Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, 2 to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless.

Isaiah 10:1-2

We have too many who sit in positions of leadership, in business, in political offices, and even in the church who are not biblical leaders.  Instead of having a “Serving” mentality they have a “Serve-us” mentality.  They rule only to serve themselves at the expense of the people they are supposed to lead.

Missions, Faith & Sacrifice

Recently I read the story of a rural South Carolina church that has about 200 members and a 200 year history. It had never sent out a missionary and not one of its members had ever gone on a short-term mission trip.  To their credit, they had given money to help other missionaries, but as to personal involvement they were a zero.

A new pastor came in whose heart God touched in the area of missions.  As he explored the possibilities of doing some mission work, God led him and a few from his church to Mali, Africa.  Once they returned and reported that quite a few former Muslims had put their faith in Christ, the church got excited and more of them joined in future trips.  Teams from this church are now going to Mali about every six weeks to preach Christ and disciple those whom have believed.

Each believer who goes to Mali must pay their own way – over $4,000 each trip.  Some have gone multiple times.  They’re not rich – remember they’re from rural South Carolina.  But what they lack in wealth, they have in FAITH.  God has provided.  One man is a contractor, if he doesn’t work, he doesn’t get paid.  Not only does he pay for his trip to Mali, he doesn’t get a pay check for the two weeks he is there.

What are we giving up to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to friends, neighbors, and other people of this world?

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations”

Matthew 28:19