Righteous Etiquette

"How do you react when someone suggests you have done something wrong? Do you move to correct the mistake or deny that you need to correct it? After Cain's gift was rejected, God gave him the chance to right his wrong and try again. But Cain refused. The next time someone suggests you are wrong, take an honest look at yourself and choose God's way instead of Cain's."

Life Application Sudy Bible devotion
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Genesis 4:6-7 NLT
“Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”

Digging Deeper

     This devotion truly reminds us of God's heart and goodness. After Adam and Eve fell into sin, and God banishes them from the garden, He doesn't reject them completely and abandon them, but continues to speak and show them the right way to live and avoid sin, speaking even to their children. 

     In Genesis 4:6-7, God takes the time to speak to Cain about his unacceptable offering.  God notices his countenance and asks Cain why he's angry and looks dejected.  God proceeds to speak to Cain, admonishing him to do what is right and acceptable and how to avoid the temptation of sin when it stands "crouching at the door".  He not only could see Cain's anger on his face, but God came to Cain and wasted no time in reminding him of what is right, teaching him the righteous etiquette needed that would make his offering acceptable.

     Just as God tried to help Cain and keep him on the right track, God does the same for us, even more.  He told Cain to subdue the sin that crouched at his doorway like a thief and to master it.  Cain was able to master his sin and subdue it, or God would not have told him so.  But Cain chose to hang on to anger, to hate, to murder; to all that was unacceptable in God's eyes.  I heard a wise, young lady once say, "Anger leads to death".  We are no different than Cain.  We have the choice to let go of what is unacceptable and leads to death.   We have the Spirit of the resurrected Christ residing within us to help us overcome our sin and subdue it. 

1 John 5:3-5 NIV

In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

God loves us and desires that we live acceptable lives.  When we fall short of his righteousness, God still cares about how we feel and why.  He is just as determined to speak to us, admonish us, and guide us back to truth as he did Cain without delay. 

-Is there an area in my life that is not acceptable to God?

-Is there a sin that crouches at my doorway like an unforeseen thief?

-What areas in my life have I allowed myself to be vulnerable to the enemy?

-Are there places in my spiritual house that need fortified.

-Has God tried to speak to me about it and show me truth?  Have I rejected it like Cain?

-Did I reject God's admonishments?  It's time to count the cost of past mistakes, and say, I'm ready to change, submit this to Christ, and ask the Holy Spirit to empower me.

Just a Little Love

One of the most powerful lines spoken in A Charlie Brown Christmas is by Linus.  After Charlie Brown suffers from the ridicule of the Peanuts gang for choosing a meek and scrawny Christmas tree, he becomes disheartened.  Up to this point, even though the Christmas season is here and have every reason to be happy; he isn't.  Distraught, he blurts out and asks if anyone knows what Christmas is all about.  Yes, Charlie Brown, someone knows what Christmas is all about.  In true, gentle Linus-fashion, Linus  tells Charlie he knows what Christmas is all about.  Linus proceeds to walk to the middle of the stage, calls for lights out, and begins to recite the Gospel of Luke, chapter 2.  When he is all done, a great peace comes over Charlie Brown, and he smiles.  He walks over, picks up his tree, and takes it home.  He sets it down in front of Snoopy's dog house, only to observe that his dog has won first prize in the Christmas decorating contest.  In an attempt to decorate his tree, he grabs one of the over-sized Christmas bulbs and places it on his tree, only to watch it sag under the weight.  Charlie Brown feels defeated again.  Shortly afterwards, Linus and the rest of the gang show up, and Linus makes a very simple but powerful statement as he wraps his blue blanket around its base- "It's not such a bad tree.  It just needs a little love."  Borrowing the decorations from Snoopy's house, they surround the little tree and decorate it in a frenzy.  Stepping away, the Peanuts gang and Charlie Brown are all smiles as the meek and scrawny tree is transformed into a full and vibrant Christmas tree.
     The little sagging tree was a reflection of Charlie Brown's heart.  Many people feel that emptiness and loneliness, even more so around the holidays.  A little love and adornment was all the tree needed to become full and vibrant.  People are no different.  A little love and adornment (encouragement) goes a long way.  God gave us the greatest gift of love anyone could give - His son, Jesus Christ.  The emptiness people feel is real, and only Jesus Christ can fill them and make them whole - full and vibrant with life!  Let us not become so busy in life, that we pass by those who feel empty and weighted down by the cares of this world.  Just as Linus wrapped his small blue blanket around the base of the tree; smiles, words of encouragement, or even some homemade baked cookies are a few simple ways to embrace others with the love of Christ. 

Ephesians 3:16-19 NLT

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Proverb Series: Know When to Sing

Proverbs 25.20  "Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar poured on soda, is one who sings songs to a heavy heart."

Jesus promises us in Matthew 5:4, "Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted." 

I have attended many funerals.  Like all funerals, Christian or not, they are a sad occasion for the families that have lost their love ones.  Like most people, I attend the visitation or the funeral service in order to offer my condolences and encouragement.  We never really understand the latter side of the beattitude - "for they will be comforted" until we, ourselves, have suffered a similiar loss.  It truly teaches us what it means to comfort others.






All of us respond differently when these occasions come upon us.  For some us, it is too painful to go and console others, because the loss of our loved one is still so very real.  For a couple of years, after my mother's death fom ovarian cancer, it was extrememly difficult to attend visitations.  I did anyway because I knew how important it was to receive comfort, to know that others were thinking of me and my family.  Within 6 weeks of my mother's passing, my husband's father died unexpectedly, and three other funerals took place that year; friends whose mothers had passed.  Standing in the long vistation line, waiting for our opportunity to share our sympathies seemed like an eternity.  The closer I got to the grieving family the stronger the sense of loss came back to me.  When I arrived to convey my feelings, I would lose it every time.  That deep, sorrowful lump would leap from my chest into my throat, leaving me speechless, with only a heartfelt, wet hug to offer.

There is nothing wrong with tears and grieving with others.  God grieved and was sorry he had created mankind (Genesis 6:6), Jesus himself wept over the death of his friend, Lazarus (John 11:30-36), Jesus told his disciples that they would grieve for a little while, but that their grief would turn to joy (John 16: 16-22), the believers grieved the death of Stephen (Acts 8:2), they mourned the death of Tabitha (Acts 9:36-39), the elders of Ephesus cried and grieved when the Apostle Paul told them that he would not be returning (Acts 20:35-38), and we know that when we do not rid ourselves of bitterness, anger, rage, slander, and every kind of malice, we grieve the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4: 29-31)!  Why does the Holy Spirit grieve, because the wage of sin is death!  Death brings loss, and loss brings a grieving heart.

There is this false Christian ideal floating around, and has for some time, that when someone who is a Christian passes away that we should not grieve, but rather rejoice! "They are in a much better place" is the common phrase of comfort.  The adoption of this attitude comes from that frequently quoted Scripture from I Thessalonians 4:13-14, "Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. ¹⁴ We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him."  Yes, the Scripture says we do not grieve like those with no hope.  The Scripture does not say, we do not grieve at all.  Yes, we grieve, but we grieve with hope!  It is this hope that gives us the peace and strength to keep living on in Christ, because we know, though loved ones are no longer with us, we will see them again.

Proverbs 25.20 tells us, "Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar poured on soda (wound), is one who sings songs to a heavy heart."  Friends, there is a time to sing a song, to rejoice with others, and then there is a time to mourn with others.  Romans 12:15 encourages us to do just that, "rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn."  I remember very well when my mother passed.  The vistation line lasted for three hours.  People I knew and people I didn't know stood in line to let me know how much my mother meant to them.  I was surprised by the attendance of dear friends of mine, I had not seen in years, come and express their sorrow.  It meant everything to me.  It brought great strength to me in those hours and days following her death.  There was one exception that evening.  One encounter that did not comfort me.  A women came through the line expressing her excitement, rejoicing about my mother's home-going.  At that moment, I thought, she might as well have come in wearing a party hat and carrying a cake with candles.  Awful thought, I know. I didn't know her.  She didn't know my mother.  She knew my uncle.  She went to his church.  I understood where she was at.  I understood that she didn't understand the beattitude that Christ spoke about - those who mourn shall be comforted.  I understood that day, that she missed an opportunity to comfort, to grieve with hope with someone.  That day, her rejoicing felt like a blast of cold wind. 

Not the kind of blog that leaves you inspired, I'm sure.  I read that Proverb today and was taken back to that moment in time.  I was not offended by her behavior.  It may be that she had never lost anyone close to her, yet; unable to express empathy in the form of words or an embrace.  A comforting embrace is a universal language that brings strength to those who grieve.  People need to know they are not alone in times of loss.  When we have Christ, we have the blessed hope of eternity with us to share.  When we walk in the fullness of the Holy Spirit, the Great Comforter, then we possess the ability to comfort others.  Save your song for another day.  In time, you will be able to sing that song when their hearts are not so heavy.

"Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted."    

Cross references:

1. 1 Thessalonians 4:13 : S Ro 11:25
2. 1 Thessalonians 4:13 : S Mt 9:24
3. 1 Thessalonians 4:13 : Eph 2:12
4. 1 Thessalonians 4:14 : Ro 14:9; 1Co 15:3, 4; 2Co 5:15
5. 1 Thessalonians 4:14 : 1Co 15:18

Move Forward

  

This live well insight was drawn from Exodus 14:15 when the Israelites were complaining to Moses about how he led them out into the desert to die, and how better off they would have been if they had remained in Egypt as slaves.  Moses turns to God for help, and God gives him a rather surprising answer.

          Turning to our heavenly Father for help is what we do in times of trouble or great difficulty.  The Word declares in Psalm 121: 1-2, “I lift my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”  Our help does come from the Lord!  But maybe God is waiting on us – to push through the pain, the discomfort, the difficulty, the fears, or the hard work, so we can get on the other side of it to see His hands at work helping us!  

Real Faith Takes Bold Steps

In a devotional I read from "Parenting by Design" put out by Christianity.com on November 23, 2011 entitled “Faith in the Unseen”, I am reminded of the Scripture I posted to my FB page - 2 Corinthians 4:18 "We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but rather on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, and what is unseen is eternal."

 Today's devotional is about Noah's decision to take a bold stand for righteousness for the spiritual well-being of his family in the midst of nay-sayers, persecution, and social ostracism. Could you imagine the consequence that would have come to mankind had Noah disobeyed?  But it was his faith in God that rescued his family from spiritual shipwreck.  It was his faith in God that changed the history of mankind.  He fixed his eyes on what he could not see – what was eternal, instead of what he could see.  Anyone can possess faith for what they can see, but real faith exists in the hope of what we do not see that is yet to come. 

It reminds me of two instances in my life when I did not walk in faith. 

Was It Fair That Jesus Was Crucified?

     Having been given the opportunity to share during an adult Bible study, I chose to share from a book I was just finishing entitled Exquisite Agony : Healing for Christians who have been hurt by other Christians written by Gene Edwards. Mr. Edwards takes us through a insightful approach to the Crucifixion, scene by scene. We read Luke 23: 26-43 - the familiar Scriptures of Christ's crucifixion. Then I began to read a few excerpts from Exquisite Agony.

Jumping Ship to Calm Your Storm

This past Sunday my son was ill, and as moms always do, I stayed home with him, missing morning worship. Realizing my soon-to-be 11 year old would want to "veg" in front of the wii station, I quickly made plans for us to spend time reading God's Word. I decided we would read the book of "Jonah", thinking he would be familiar with the story, which he was to some extent. Thank you God for Sunday school! He reassured me that he knew all about Jonah, and proceded to tell me that there wasn't a book of "Jonah" in the Bible.