Thought 4 Today

I heard a sermon many years ago that's stuck with me in an uncanny way. The general idea was that Christians can get a good idea of how well they are walking with the Lord based on the number of broken relationships in their lives. For example, if you're a person who just can't get along with anyone, then you become the single common denominator in all of your relationships--by simple mathematics, YOU are the problem. That being accurate, your walk with the Lord must need some work! I have long thought this to be true, and it certainly is true if you continuously have broken relationships within the Church, meaning other believers. However, as I've been reading through the Old Testament again, I've become convinced of a new understanding on this issue. Let's face it, there were many Old Testament prophets and other figures who were simply hated by everyone (or nearly everyone) around them (Jesus included!) They were hated because they were holy, they spoke the truth, and their actions were righteous. That doesn't mean today's Christians should become "self-righteous" and break relationships with others without a great amount of effort, humility and grace, but it is always going to be a problem for some that you are doing your best to walk with Jesus. Let's face it, some broken relationships are inevitable. I believe we should continue to pray about the situation, and for the other person(s), but that doesn't mean we're required to be best friends with those who hate the Lord. "Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord." Romans 12:19 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Have you seen any place on the planet that doesn't have at least some jealousy and quarrelling going on amongst its inhabitants? Probably the only way you wouldn't find one is if you went somewhere where there was only one person! But... if you were there long with the other person, I'd bet there would be a quarrel sooner or later! Unfortunately, if we find this in the church of Jesus Christ, it is actually a sign that we are seriously off track with God. If you have jealousy among members of your youth group (or the "grown-up" church for that matter), then you've got more trouble than you think. Jealousy and fighting are fruit of the sinful nature and have no place in the Body of Christ. They're only there because spiritual babies are there and babies always want things their way or else they throw a fit. A strong Christian will gain humility from his or her time with God, and that humility will continuously remind them that it's always about God and what He wants and NEVER about us and what we want. "Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly--mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not mere men? What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe--as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building." 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Imagine you turn on the news and watch as the leader of the free world dances down the street in his underwear! Absolutely everyone is shocked! Some cry for immediate impeachment. Others cry "he's insane!" But that's not the weirdest thing. Some seem not only to understand his actions, but 30,000 others join in--actually following him down the city streets! As crazy as it seems, this is only partly fiction! Overcome with the joy that can only come from God, King David danced in the city streets so vigorously, his robe fell off, leaving him dancing in his underwear in front of everyone! How undignified! His own wife seeing him from a window mocked him. To which he said, "I will celebrate before the LORD. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes." (2 Samuel 6:21b-22) And yet we find in our day and time, it's simply unacceptable even to speak of God outside of a church or worship center. How far we've slipped from where God would have us is known only to Him. This I know for sure though, I will become even more undignified than this!" Will "political correctness" stop you from dancing for the Lord? "David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets. As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD , she despised him in her heart... When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, 'How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!' David said to Michal, 'It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD's people Israel-I will celebrate before the LORD. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.' And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death." 2 Samuel 6:14-22  Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

I've been on a few diets in my life, and most people my age will agree that they work for a while, but they don't help you keep the weight off for long. The problem with diets is that they may help you reduce your calories, or your carbs, but they don't help you change your lifestyle. Subsequently, the majority of dieters immediately return to their before-diet weight, and then they add a few more pounds for good measure. This is similar to the person who "tries religion" for a while, and then returns to their old ways when they don't see (or feel) any real change. Being a Christian is not going on a diet from sin. Becoming a Christian means dying to self completely, allowing the Holy Spirit to permeate everything that is you, and to give you a new life--a totally new life! It means death to sin. I've seen a few bumper stickers that read, "Try Christianity." They might as well be working for the devil, because any Christianity that is simply "tried" is not the real thing--there is no change from the inside out! At best, starting a diet from sin (or trying Christianity) will just make a dead person smell a little better for a while. "In reply Jesus declared, 'I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.'" John 3:3  Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

"Then the Lord said, 'Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer.'" Amos 7:8b Unless you're a brick layer or a carpenter of some sort, you probably don't spend much time playing with a plumb line. Basically, it's a string with a weight on one end. Someone who is building a strong wall will no doubt want it to be perfectly vertical, straight and true. This is accomplished by judging the wall against the perfect standard of a plumb line. Through the prophet Amos, God was bringing truth and judgment to Israel. They had built upon the wall that was Him (perfect, straight and true) with all types of idolatry and sinfulness. Unfortunately for many Christians, we do the same thing today. We acknowledge God as our Savior, and then we allow the enemy to pull us off the path far enough that we begin to erect statues to ourselves and place idols where God's wall should be being built in our lives. We would do well to remember that one day a plumb line will be taken to what we've built. Will it stand the test? "By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames." 1 Corinthians 3:10-15  Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Of all the things God is concerned about, being convenient just isn't one of them. He often uses inconvenient requests and difficult timing to jerk us out of our comfort zones. Once He does that, getting our attention turned completely on Him seems much more likely. Of course, even then some refuse to focus on Him, choosing to dive directly back into whatever is "convenient." Several day later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, "That's enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you." Acts 24:24-25  Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Of all the love affairs people have, the most pervasive and intense are our love affairs with ourselves. It starts almost with our first look in the mirror. Love at first sight, if you will. What God needs to do is help us understand that He loves us far more than we could ever love ourselves. In fact, the love we have for ourselves is actually in the way of Him loving us. If we are to ever understand God's love, we've got to forget about "self" and focus that love on Jesus! "No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God." Jesus of Nazareth (John 6:27)  Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Although I'm staunch in my support of pro-life and pro-family candidates, I must be honest that the two don't always go hand in hand. While I struggle with the fact that half of all the people in the world today are pro-abortion (although they would surely say "pro-choice") and many more seem to be fine with federally funding research that would destroy human embryos in favor of "science," I'm frankly concerned for the future of our nation. I see churches who call themselves "Christian" support platforms that Jesus would never have supported and I watch as fellow pastors and ministers clearly make judgment calls that are not theirs to make biblically. The whole situation leaves me wondering. Is our nation so distant from God that we could slip this far and few would notice? Maybe so... but God is still on the throne and nothing that happens has escaped His eye! Although these days are troubling in many ways, maybe they will somehow cause us to turn to Him again. When times come that we can no longer trust even our government, thanks be to God that we can still trust in Him! "But I trust in you, O LORD ; I say, "You are my God." Psalm 31:14 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate