Kingdom Hearts

Recently, I posted a message about today, May 5th, being “Feed the Dump People Day.” This is an opportunity to feed the people who are living at a dump in Santa Ana, Honduras who wake up each morning wondering whether or not they will eat. You can find what I wrote here. Also you can go to this link or this link to read even more about this special day and effort.

I am grateful for people like Trey Morgan, who have such kingdom hearts. Trey has put forth this effort to raise money in response to a friend of his that does missionary work there. As little as $20 can feed these people for a day. It is our hope that you will consider giving to this cause. You can read more about where to send what you can at Trey’s page. I will also post the information here as to where to send the money.

Any amount will be appreciated. Whether you can help or not, please pray for this effort.

Thank you!

Here are some things for us to all strive for:

1. Give people more than they expect–cheerfully (Philemon 21).
2. Do not believe everything you hear.
3. Smile (even when answering the phone). Callers can hear it in your voice.
4. When you say, “I’m sorry,” look the person in the eye.
5. Spend some time alone (Matthew 14:23).
6. When you say, “I love you,” mean it (1 Peter 1:22).
7. Don’t let a dispute ruin a friendship (Proverbs 27:10).
8. Do not judge people by their relatives (Matthew 7:1).
9. Do an anonymous kindness each day (Ephesians 4:32).
10. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson (James 1:2-4).
11. When you make a mistake, admit it and take the immediate steps to correct it.
12. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling, threats, or bringing up history.
13. Love deeply and passionately. It is the only way to live completely.
14. Never forget that your identity as a Christian hinges upon your love for others (John 13:35).
15. Take time during the day to pray (Luke 18:1) and give attention to God’s word (1 Timothy 4:3).

It is no fun for someone to say unkind things to us or to someone that we deeply care about. Perhaps the most difficult aspect of such a scenario is not listening to it, but rather keeping ourselves in check and making sure we don’t bite back. Boy, do I ever struggle with this!

Jesus found Himself in similar situations often throughout His ministry. Sometimes He responded with questions of His own. Sometimes He had a direct answer. And sometimes He chose to say nothing at all. And the only conclusion we can draw is that however He responded, He did it without sinning (Hebrews 4:15) and therefore left for us the perfect example. Obviously God wants us to follow Christ’s example (1 Corinthians 11:1). Jesus Himself reminds us that part of what characterizes those who belong to His kingdom is serving others as lights and salt in the world (Matthew 5:15).

Paul in his letter to the Colossians gives us a tremendous charge:

“Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person” (Colossians 4:5-6).

What is the purpose of salt? We have all heard before how it preserves, purifies, and enhances. That is one lesson here about the effect our speech ought to have on others. I remember one day as a child, I was with my step dad feeding our cows and I pointed to a salt block and asked him what that was. After telling me it was a salt block, I then preceded to ask him why it was there. He told me it was to make the cows thirsty so they would drink water. Does our speech, which is supposed to be seasoned with salt, make others thirst for God?

Also, notice, Paul says to let our speech ALWAYS be this way; not just when it is convenient. But even when we are not treated in the same way. This is an example of why I believe that it can be really difficult to be a Christian at times. But in reality, instead of griping about being in fishbowls, we should accept with gladness the fact that we should be held to a higher standard. The reward is great. Not only in that we have a heavenly home to look forward to, but what a great sense of peace and security it can be to walk in this life, knowing we are hand in hand with Jesus, and not allowing the world to negatively affect us!

Please pray for me that I will do a better job with this; accepting the fact that I am held to a higher standard as a child of God.

It is amazing how truly blessed we are, materially speaking! I remember going to Jamaica for the first time in 1997 on a mission trip and while there, thinking to myself and aloud, “Man, the poor people in the United States are much richer than the rich people of Jamaica.” I am not sure if we can really know how blessed we are until we see how unfortunate some circumstances are in which others are forced to live. And this especially lies true with regard to our material wealth.

• Can you imagine being so hungry that you would be willing to go to the city dump and find food that was thrown away in order to eat and feed your family?
• Are we able to fathom what it must be like to want to move your family to live at the city dump in order to have access all day to food thrown away?
• What would it be like to live in shelters put together at the city dump; shelters made of sticks and garbage bags?
• How would you feel about living in a place that has an odor so bad that most people would gag when they smell it?
• How did Jesus respond when He walked upon such a place?

Here is an article written about such a place in Santa Ana, Honduras. Please take a couple of minutes to read this. It is powerful. For a video with some footage of what life is like here, along with an interesting perspective on this, click here.

Thankfully we have missionaries there to help these people with food and clothing, as well as to teach them about the good news of Jesus Christ. There is always a need for funds to help feed these people. And it doesn’t take a lot. There are a lot of hungry souls at this dump, but $20 per day allows the missionaries and workers there to make sandwiches to feed these people. What could you give up for a week to save $20? It wouldn’t be much, and think what it would mean to the dump people in Santa Ana, Honduras.

Tuesday, May 5th, in 12 days from today, there will be a very special day and I pray that you will participate. You can read more about “Feed the Dump People Day” right here but what Trey Morgan wants to do for his friend who is a missionary there is help raise $2500 to feed hungry people who live at this dump. This is an opportunity for each and everyone of us to help fulfill what Jesus discusses in Matthew 25:31-46. Here is an opportunity to have the kingdom hearts Jesus promoted throughout His ministry. We make a daily habit of asking, “What will we eat today?” while the dump people are asking, “Will we get to eat today?”

What can you give? Can you give $50? $20? $10? Whatever you can give will be appreciated and it WILL make a difference. Please consider this. More importantly, please pray for these people that the efforts here will not only noursish and strengthen them physically but that spiritually speaking, these precious souls may come in contact with the gospel. I will provide more details soon on where you can send finanical help. But for now, please take note of May 5th and consider making a commitment to help out with “Feed the Dump People Day.”

Thanks for reading!

Here is something I ran across over the weekend when cleaning off my desk here at the house. I don’t know who wrote this, but it is excellent. I hope you enjoy:

• Return everything you borrow
• Stop blaming other people
• Live within your means
• Be humble
• Listen more; talk less
• Every day, do something nice and try not to get caught
• Strive for excellence, not perfection
• Be on time
• Don’t criticize anyone
• Be even kinder to unkind people
• Take time to study God’s word and pray
• Admit it when you make a mistake
• Understand and accept that life isn’t always fair
• Let someone cut ahead of you in line
• Don’t argue
• Know when to say something
• Know when to keep your mouth shut
• Don’t make excuses
• Don’t sweat the small stuff

–Author Unknown

Perhaps one of the greatest challenges we face as Christians is to have compassionate hearts. When we look at the world around us, we see too many haters. There are those who hate Truth. There are those who hate God. There are those that hate the very thought of Christianity. They even hate on each other. Many simply hate the very things that Christianity promotes (i.e., goodness, kindness, relying on God, assembling with the saints, having pure speech, abstaining from ungodly environments and influences).

Because hate is so common outside of the church, it is especially devastating when found in the church. An emotion at the opposite end of this spectrum is compassion. Notice what Paul says in one of his epistles:

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Colossians 3:12-14).

These are qualities that go a long way in making us the compassionate Christians God desires us to be. Compassion is the ability to have a tender response to the sufferings of another person. And this includes exercising tender hearts toward those whose actions cause their own hardships. Haven’t we all been there? Compassion allows us to share the suffering or feelings of one another because of our common humanity, but more importantly because of our common faith. Paul said in Romans 12, to rejoice with those that rejoice and weep with those that weep.

Jesus gives us the perfect example of compassion and being genuinely concerned about those who needed spiritual and moral direction in their lives:

“And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest’” (Matthew 9:35-38).

In so many ways, these people were spiritually confused because they didn’t know who to follow. Jesus didn’t get offended. He didn’t take it personal and throw His hands up and say, “Well forget these people then! Just let them get what they deserve!” He sought to reach out to and love them despite their shortcomings. I cannot help but think that if we had the same attitude toward those who reject us or Christianity, maybe we would make a lot more progress in winning them over.

Hating is easy to do. But it takes a great deal of spiritual maturity and wisdom to kindly deal with people in a compassionate way. May we always make the effort to care! People are hurting. And they need a shoulder to lean on. They need to know they are valued and cared for, no matter how deep a hole they may have dug for themselves. People need help in dealing with devastating events in their lives. Our compassion and efforts to reach out to them is our opportunity to walk with Jesus (1 John 1:7), as well as imitate Him (1 Corinthians 11:1).

There are many New Testament passages that establish the superiority of Christ (Matthew 7:28-29; 28:18; John 6:68; John 14:6; Ephesians 1:21-23; Philippians 2:9-10; Colossians 1:18). Here are some reasons why He is superior:

1. Because of His preeminence. The word “preeminence” as expressed in Colossians 1:18 comes from a Greek term meaning “to be first.” Jesus ranks at the top of any “hierarchy.” He is first in all things. This makes Him superior.
2. Because of His peculiarity. Jesus is peculiar in two ways. (1) His nature. He is both God and man. He is deity and He is flesh. See John 1:1-5, 14 and 1 Timothy 2:5. (2) He is the fulfillment of prophecy. Jesus fufilled prophecy by way of His birth, His perfect life in an imperfect world, His arrest and trial, His crucifixion, His death, and even in His resurrection and ascension into Heaven. No other being can successfully claim that they are the fulfillment of prophecy as Christ was. Many have tried, but to no avail. His peculiarity makes Him superior.
3. Because of His pattern. Jesus lived a perfect life. He went through the trials we experience and did it without sin (Hebrews 4:15). He serves us not only in that He died for our sins and gives us the hope of eternal life, but He left for us the perfect pattern of how to live. Take note of how He dealt with sin. He didn’t stand for it. But He was not afraid of being associated with sinners as He made the effort to teach them and have an influence on them. Look at how he dealt with man. He was in the presence of those that most would not be seen with. He prayed for His enemies (Luke 23:34). He laid down His life for those who wouldn’t even believe in His very name. He is the perfect pattern for us with regard to humility (Philippians 2:5-11). Jesus is also the perfect leader (Hebrews 2:9-18). Man fails in their leadership. Man is not perfect. Men as leaders break promises, forget things, make honest and legitimate mistakes, and do not always have the correct answers. But not Jesus. He is the captain of our salvation (Hebrews 2:10). Because He is the perfect pattern, He is superior to all else.
4. Because of His power. Jesus reminded His followers that all power had been given to Him in Heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). This power and authority makes Him superior because no man or institution can rightfully claim such. How blessed we are to serve an everlasting and merciful God that places the hope of our salvation on One as powerful as Jesus Christ.

Jesus’ superior nature should be a tremendous comfort to us. As we strive to walk in a partnership with Him as citizens in His kingdom, may we take great joy in Who we serve and in what we are accomplishing. And may His presence in our lives provide a sense of peace and security for us. In a world of constant struggle for power, isn’t it reassuring to know that God is still and ultimately in control?

Thank God that Jesus reigns supreme!

Ruth is a great narrative about how kindness is played out in the lives of three individuals; Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz. Ruth is a Moabite (Gentile or non Jew) who had married a Hebrew. The setting is during the days of the Judges and it was a time when there was a famine in the land. Resources, including food, were scarce. As the beginning of the book of Ruth reveals, her husband dies and leaves her as a widow. But she remained close to her mother-in-law (Naomi), her late husband’s mother. It is time for Naomi to return from Moab to go back to her own country. Ruth wants to return with her, although she is not a Hebrew. She does this out of friendship to her mother-in-law. Of course, Naomi tries to talk her out of it but Ruth’s loyalty would not bend. So they end up going back to Bethlehem. They were poor. Once there, Ruth goes to gather barley and grain from the fields, as it was harvest time. She happens upon the fields of a rich Hebrew man named Boaz. Boaz was a distant relative of Naomi and Ruth’s late husband. And what we see take place at this point of the story is a beautiful picture of God’s providence come into play. There are a lot more details that could be conveyed here, but in short, Boaz ends up marrying Ruth, and she bears him a son, who ultimately turns out to be the grandfather of King David.

There are some great lessons to learn from this story:

• Loyalty and commitment to God as well as toward those we love
• Faith and trust in God
• Rest from hardship. God is indeed our refuge
• The value of doing our best to stay true to God’s commands

Another lesson that I think is important in this story is the value of kindness. First, we learn it from Ruth in how she wanted to be there with her mother-in-law. In fact, Ruth’s very name is a Hebrew term that means “friend.” Kindness is a desire to be there for someone else, genuinely because their best interest is at heart, and not our own selfish motives. Once in Bethlehem, she even went to the fields to gather the grain so her mother-in-law wouldn’t have to do it. Throughout all of this, it is clear that Naomi not only recognized Ruth’s kindness, but was prayerful that God would deal with Ruth (and her other daughter-in-law) kindly also:

“But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, ‘Go, return each of you to her mother’s house, May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.’”(Ruth 1:8)

We also learn about kindness from Boaz, in how he dealt with Ruth. He didn’t keep her from taking from his fields. In fact, he encouraged it by instructing his workers to allow it. Ruth thanked him for his kindness. In celebration, Naomi gave all glory to God by acknowledging His kindness for the good deeds of Boaz:

“And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, ‘May he be blessed by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!’” (Ruth 2:20).

In a lot of ways, the lesson teaches us that our kindness can only lead to kindness being demonstrated toward us. Notice the words of Boaz to Ruth:

“And he said, “May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich’” (Ruth 3:10).

Boaz goes on to tell her that as a near kinsmen (or redeemer) he will look into marrying her so long as a nearer kinsman does not claim her first. This is an example of how putting God first allows for good things to happen in our lives (Matthew 6:33).

I doubt there is much arguing as to how kindly God has dealt with us when we are so undeserving. But the challenge for us now is how kind have we dealt with others? Even toward the ones with whom we are associated that may not deserve it. The New Testament is replete with exhortations for us to be a kind people.

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).

“But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive” (Colossians 3:12-13).

The term for kindness that we see here means not only doing serviceable and good things for others, but also denotes graciousness and pleasantness on the part of the one doing the good deed. Are we a pleasant people to be around due to our kindness? Have we made this a priority? Is this a way that those who are not Christians are able to identify us as God’s family?

In talking about the kindness of the Father, Jesus gives us a good working definition of it:

“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:35).

If we are expected to demonstrate such kindness toward our enemy, then surely we must be able to see the charge for us to exercise this toward one another as brethren.

Thank you for reading!

An obviously popular passage among us, and in my opinion one of the key texts in all of the New Testament is found in Acts 2:42-47. Peter has just preached the gospel to those in Jerusalem, and as a result, the listeners were pricked in their hearts (v.37). This conviction led them to ask what they needed to do to be saved by this gospel. Peter responded by telling them to repent and be baptized in order for their sins to be remissed. This is very consistent of course, with Ananias’ words to Saul in Acts 22:16, when he said “Rise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name.” Acts 2:41 tells us that those who received Peter’s word were indeed baptized and that they were added by the Lord to the church as a result (cf. v.47).

It is what we see taking place after this that now becomes so important for us as God’s children today.

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47).

We understand that these are not precise commands that involve crossing “t’s” and dotting “i’s.” Rather it is an example of how the early Christians lived. And therefore, we understand that these are some principles laid forth that are nevertheless expected of us because we are Christians:

• Devotion to teachings of God’s word
• Devotion to fellowshp
• Devotion to prayer
• Devotion to unity
• Devotion to being there for one another and helping each other out
• Devotion to worshipping together
• Devotion to being joyful and excited about Christianity
• Devotion to being generous and having a benevolent spirit
• Devotion to good reputations with God and man (even among those in our communities)

And we see throughout the book of Acts that they consistently lived this way. Obviously, some had their shortcomings, as evidenced by the letters to various churches and individuals that comprise the New Testament. But by and large, there is no denying that this is a good model as to how we should carry ourselves as citizens in God’s kingdom; that is to live joyfully seeking to introduce to others God’s kingdom and His way of righteousness. We do this by way of teaching of course, but also by way of example (Matthew 5:13-16). And in that process, it seems that in addition to the fact that God loves us and is with us (Mark 10:27; Philippians 4:13; Romans 8:28-31), the love that we actually have for each other (John 13:35; 1 Corinthians 13; Ephesians 3:17; 1 Thessalonians 3:12; 1 Peter 4:8) is what is supposed to carry us through and keep us going, even in difficult times.

I don’t know where I would be without brethren and the relationships with which God has so blessed me.

Also, one of the more intriguing aspects of Acts 2:47 in my opinion, is the favor they had with man. Our reputations as Christians individually, and as the church collectively, are so important to our cause. We will never enjoy the success of adding to the kingdom if our respective communities do not see us actually living the gospel in love and unity. May each of us have as our priority maintaining good and positive reputations!

Jesus had just received the news about John the Baptist’s death. He wanted to be alone so he withdrew to a solitary place. Perhaps on some levels there was sadness. Obviously John meant a lot to Jesus. There is little doubt however, that Jesus likely realized an even more significant meaning behind John’s death that had to do with His own ministry. Whatever the case, He felt that He needed some time alone. But crowds of people followed Him and because of His compassion, instead of enjoying any sense of “alone” time, He healed many of their sicknesses. Also, in that same evening, He fed the five thousand.

What happens over the course of this same evening and on into the next morning has always intrigued me. Apparently after the feeding of the five thousand, still needing some time alone, He sent His apostles on a boat to the other side of the Sea of Galilee from where they were. They were planning to continue His ministry there the next day. Meanwhile, Jesus planned to send the crowds of people back to their own cities. This allowed Him to have the time He needed to be alone and pray to the Father before later catching back up with His disciples. Obviously, this in and of itself, is a tremendous lesson to us in that sometimes we need to allow our busy and hectic lifestyles to stop and spend time alone with our great God (i.e, Psalm 46:10). But I think there is another lesson (actually many more) to learn here.

There was a storm that night and His disciples, whom He had sent on the boat, were in the midst of it. Consequently, they were being tossed by the strong winds and waves of the sea. There is no doubt that they were quite afraid, and understandably so. Shortly after 3 AM, Jesus came to them walking on the water. This sight startled the disciples even more as the text reveals to us that they thought He was a ghost. It is at this point that Jesus assures them it was He and that because of this, they need not be afraid.

“But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27).

“To be of good cheer” as expressed here means to lighten the spirit or mood; be full of cheer and joy; and comfort. It seems to me that more Christians today should be this way. In any event, based on what Jesus is telling them here, Jesus’ mere presence in their lives was enough to give them joy, comfort, and peace despite the storm. And us today? We are all faced with storms in life. In fact, “storms” are likely one of the most predictable aspects of our lives. In some facets, life itself can be a storm (1 Peter 5:8). And in this passage, Jesus gives us all the confidence in the world that we will indeed get through our storms. He also gives us security when He states:

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

Paul also seems to have understood this quite well during his time in prison (Philippians 4:13). Again, there are many lessons to be gained from this text, as we are all familiar with what happens next with Peter attempting to walk on the water with Jesus. There are some great lessons on faith here. Maybe Peter should have had more faith; maybe he shouldn’t have taken his eyes off Jesus; maybe his mistake was allowing the “stormy winds” of life to distract Him from Jesus. After all, it was when he noticed the winds that he sank. But I have to admit also; I actually wonder if Peter’s biggest mistake was getting out of the boat to begin with. Can’t we all think of times when we get ourselves into trouble by thinking we can get out of the boat and walk on water when it just isn’t possible? There is only one Jesus, and maybe the lesson here is for us to stay in the boat and allow Jesus to come to us. It seems to me that when we start thinking we can do what only Jesus can, we get ourselves in trouble. And as a result we set ourselves up for failure through our own inabilities, inconsistencies, and imperfections. Perhaps this is where Peter’s faith lacked. He thought he could do what only Jesus could when he should have just stayed in the boat.

Certainly, Jesus does tell us to “come” to Him (Matthew 11:28), follow Him (Luke 9:23), and seek Him (Matthew 6:33). And indeed, we must. These same disciples did. But when we come upon life’s storms, especially those that are beyond our control, perhaps there is some wisdom behind staying in the boat and allowing God to take care of it.

Have a great day!