“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”  (Ez. 36:26 NIV)

Delineation between good and evil

When I think of what it means to be hard-hearted and evil, I think of some of the characters I saw as a child in old Disney films, such as the jealous evil queen in Snow White and the wicked Cruella Deville, in 101 Dalmatians. These early Disney films had a very clear delineation between good and evil and left no doubt as to who was good or who was evil.

Not so much today!

The lines have become blurred. One example is the Disney movie, Maleficent, which is a sympathetic version of the evil villain of Sleeping Beauty. Instead of being pure evil in this film, she is depicted as being simply misunderstood. I imagine this fuzziness about good and evil is confusing to today's children.

The Bible clearly defines evil

“He went on: ‘What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.’” (Mark 7:20-23 NIV)

We must hate and reject evil

“Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.” (Psalm 97:10 NIV)

Reject every kind of evil

“Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong.” (Isa.1:16 NIV)

“Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” (Psalm 34:14 NIV)

“Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.” (James 1:21 NIV)

“But test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.” (1 Thess. 5:21 NIV)

The Lord will rescue you from every evil attack

“The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (2 Tim. 4:18 NIV)

“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Col. 1:15-17 NIV)

Atoms are the basic building blocks of ordinary matter

Atoms can join together to form molecules, which in turn form most of the objects around you. Atoms are composed of particles called protons, electrons and neutrons.

The mystery of what holds the atom together

The nucleus of an atom is positively charged while electrons are negatively charged. The neutrons are electrically neutral, and so the electric force won't hold them in. Furthermore, the protons are all positively charged and so they all repel each other. This creates a big physics dilemma. If everything within the atom is negatively and positively charged and naturally repel each other, what is it that holds them all together? The answer to the question is debated much with many theories, both old and new, involving things like quarks and gluons. Physicists all agree that there has to be some other force that holds protons and neutrons together, but that's were their agreement ends - it all comes down to guesses and theories.

The so called, “strong force”

Even though they are not in agreement as to what it is that holds atoms together, physicists have named it "the strong force." In addition, they claim the strong force is also responsible for binding the quarks and gluons into protons and neutrons.

All things were made through Jesus

All these physics discussions are frankly beyond my ability to wrap my brain around. I have chosen a simpler answer found in the Bible, “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Col. 1:17 NIV). That explains it to me!

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made." (John 1:1-3 NIV)

"For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” (Rom. 6:14 KJV)

Did the devil make you do that? 

The late great comedian, Flip Wilson, said jokingly in one of his famous Geraldine routines, “The devil made me do it.” But, as a person united with Christ and set free from the power of sin, the devil has no power or authority to make you do anything! He is a liar and deceiver who will tempt you to do wrong things, but the final decision is entirely yours to make.

You have genuine safety and freedom in Christ!

When Jesus sets you free, you are “free indeed.” (John 8:36). Sin can only dominate you if you allow it to. The Bible commands us not to give the devil a foothold. (Eph. 4:27). 

We are no longer enslaved to sin!

“We know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin." (Rom. 6:6-7 NIV)

You are free from the law of sin!

“For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death." (Rom. 8:2 NIV)

You were called to freedom!

“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." (Gal. 5:13 ESV)

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” (2 Cor. 8:9 NIV)

This is called the great exchange!

This is the gospel — the good news that our sins are laid on Christ and his righteousness is laid on us.

This great exchange happens for us not by works but by faith alone. When you receive Christ as your personal savior you instantly become enriched.

Here is what you get in the great exchange

·      Forgiveness according to the riches of His grace. "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight." (Eph. 1:7-8 NIV)

·      Every special blessing in Christ. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” (Eph. 1:3 NIV)

·      You have been brought to fullness in Christ. “And in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.” (Col. 2:10 NIV)

·      Your needs are supplied according to His riches in glory. “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:19 NIV)

·      You have a great inheritance. “To obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.” (1 Peter 1:4 NIV). “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.” (Eph. 1:18 NIV)

“But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, And will be secure, without fear of evil.” (Prov. 1:33 NKJV)

It’s hard, if not impossible, to escape hearing bad news. It comes relentlessly in many forms; by tv, radio, cell phone and other devices. It even comes by every form of social media. It’s instant, intrusive and scary!

As I write this, there is talk of the possibility of world war three because of Russia’s attack on Ukraine. The fact is, no one really knows how these things will work out for sure. Everything changes from moment to moment. Talking heads and commentators of every political flavor tell us how we should think and believe about what’s unfolding before us.

Who are you listening to?

Are you listening to the world or to God? The answer to this question can and will make a huge difference how you’re feeling right now. According to the Bible passage above, if you listen to God (you read His Word and learn to recognize and hear His voice) you will “dwell safely, And will be secure, without fear of evil.” That’s a great promise!

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” (John 19:27 NIV)

”Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12 KJV)

”Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Josh. 1:9 ESV)

”The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.” (Psalm 28:7 ESV)

“The fool says in his heart, ‘there is no God,'” (Psalm 14:1 KJV)

Happy April Fool’s Day!

This is the day dedicated to pulling some kind of practical joke on others. I have to admit that I have pulled a few pranks on others and have been a victim of a few. All were done in fun. But, the Bible says that “being foolish” is very serious stuff! In fact, Jesus says in Matthew 5:22, that calling someone else a fool can even put a person in serious jeopardy because of the seriousness nature of it. Contextually, Jesus was referring to those who are unrighteously angry. In another place, God called a man a fool who was selfishly planning to build bigger barns to hoard his wealth rather than using it for God’s Kingdom work. (Luke 12:20).

Only a fool could say such a thing

The Bible also says that a “fool says in his heart there is no God.” And when you think about it, only a fool would ever say such a thing. In order to be able to say that there is no God, you would have to have actually looked every single place in existence for God, including behind every rock, behind every bush, and behind every place in the entire universe! That is impossible! In order to say there is no God, you’d have to be God! It really is a foolish statement to make.

A promise for the non-foolish 

And here is a great promise as an answer to a fool who says there is no God. “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” (2 Tim.1:2 KJV)

“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household.” (Eph. 2:19 NIV)

There has been much written in the press lately about illegal aliens in our country and what to do about them. One answer, although not popular, is for them to do what the law of our country requires to become a citizen. Unfortunately, many illegals want to stay in our country, enjoy all of the benefits and privileges without doing what's required to become a citizen.

Religious Illegal Aliens

In the same way, many religious people, who call themselves Christians, are actually religious illegal aliens, because they have not done what is necessary to become a member of God’s citizenship.

Jesus spoke about them

He said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 NIV). He also said, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.” (John 10:9 NIV). He said, anyone who attempts to “enter any other way, is a thief and a robber.” (John 10:1). When Jesus said these things, many religious people, such as the Pharisees and other religious leaders of that day, became very angry and plotted to kill Him.

Just because you are a religious leader doesn't mean you are a citizen of God’s Kingdom

In fact, many religious leaders will find out at the day of judgement that they were not legal citizens of God’s Kingdom. Jesus said, “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matt. 7:22-23 NIV)

The great news is we can easily become legal citizens of God’s Kingdom by personal faith in Jesus!

“If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Rom. 10:9 NIV)

Therefore…

Our citizenship changes when we become born again, and therefore become "fellow citizens with God’s people." (Eph. 2:19 NIV)

“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.” (Eph. 1:13-14 NIV)

I love blackberries!

As a youth, I loved to pick blackberries. I was fortunate to live in a community where they grew wild everywhere. I loved to eat them raw and any way they were prepared. I loved them in cobblers, pies, and on pancakes. I especially loved them made into jelly.  We made large batches of it each year. Blackberry jelly cooking on the stove filled our entire house with its wonderful fragrance. When it was done cooking it was poured into small jars and then hot paraffin wax was poured into the top of each one to create an airtight seal. The seal protected the jelly from anything that could contaminate it. The jars were then placed on a shelf in the pantry ready for us to use them throughout the rest of the year. One of my favorite things to do was to open a fresh jar of jelly by removing the waxed seal with a kitchen knife and get a whiff of the wonderful fresh blackberry aroma.

God has sealed you!

Similar to the waxed seal on jars of blackberry jelly, when you believed, God placed a protective seal on you with His Holy Spirit. It is there to keep you safe and guarantee your inheritance as His possession until the day of redemption. This is something to praise God about! (Eph. 1:13-14)

You can be assured

“I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” (2 Tim. 1:12b KJV)

“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:28 NIV)

"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had.” (Rom. 15:5 NIV)

When I was in my early 20’s I worked as a drywall installer, also called a sheet-rocker. My partner and I were what you would call in those days, highballers, because we were very fast at it! In fact, we often completed two houses in one day. Back then we nailed drywall on with a hammer (it's screwed on these days), and I figured out, at 48 nails per sheet, that I hammered in about a million nails every three months! That's a lot of nails! All that lifting and hammering made me very strong in those days.

Eventually I changed jobs and started doing something less strenuous

Many years later, my son John, was installing wallboard on the ceiling of a house he was working on and asked me if I would give him a hand since I knew how to do it. I agreed, and grabbed my old set of tools and jumped right in. I was happy to see that I could still swing a hammer and lift the heavy board! It was like I had never stopped…. well, for a very short time, anyway. I soon ran out of energy, and got tired. Sadly, even though I knew what to do and was willing to do it, I was no longer in my 20’s and didn't have the strength or endurance I once had. I felt bad about it, but John just smiled, and said, “it's okay Dad!” I knew he was trying to be encouraging to me and I appreciated it. I continued to help him that day, but he did most of the heavy lifting.

Endurance and encouragement

Endurance is defined as the act of working very hard without stopping, even in the face of difficult situations or pain. Encouragement is defined as an expression of support or approval, or is words or actions that assist or inspire someone or something.

In our walk of faith, God gives us both endurance and encouragement, and He expects us to do the same for others

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (Heb. 10:24-25 NIV)

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” (1 Thes. 5:11 NIV)

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” (2 Cor. 1:3-4 NIV)

"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” - Thomas A. Edison

“If you are going through hell, keep going.” - Winston Churchill