Today’s post is by guest writer Keith Ward.

“In other words, compassion in ministry is not so much the characteristic of a certain type of personality, as the characteristic of the person with a certain set of priorities.”  D. A Carson in Jesus’ Confrontation with the World.

This is true, not because a scholar said it, but because it summarizes the Bible truth on the subject (1 Pet 3:8, 1 Jn 3:17).

A number of conclusions/observations follow:

First, if I am not compassionate, it is not because I was born that way or “just the way I am.”  It is because I choose to not have the proper priorities in my thinking about others.

Next, Jesus’ compassion on the woman at the well illustrates.  He was hungry, tired.  He saw her need and was so energized by helping her that the Twelve were amazed and he said, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.”  The apostles learned a compassionate heart in three to five years. Think on that the next time a class teacher says they were slow to understand.  I have walked with Jesus about 50 years and find myself somewhat short of where I need to be in this regard.  How about you?

We do not need a personality transplant.  We need to re-set our priorities. A lot less than 5% of the NewTestament concerns the worship and work of the church.  Yet we spend most of our time and energy as Christians there!  Jesus’ compassion flowed when among the people: sinners, workers, crowds, the infirm.  WE NEED to get out of the building.

Peter summarized Jesus’ life, “He went about doing good.”

 Certainly, Sunday worship must be right, by the pattern.  But Christianity is the life everyday and must be marked by doing good for those who do not deserve it just as we did not deserve God’s goodness.

Our priorities fuel our compassion…or lack thereof.  When much of our energy, time, and conversation concerns house, health, career, the kids’ ball schedule, and social engagements, even if we are engrossed with teaching a wowser of a Bible class in order to impress folks with our ability, compassion is a sometime thing.  When our priority is people: to show kindness, to help, to listen, to reprove the works of darkness, to shine a light to guide; when we commit each day to greet each person with the love of God which was shed in our hearts, then compassion flows naturally as it did from our Lord and example.

What is your priority?

Whose end is perdition, whose god is the belly, and [whose] glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. (Phil 3:19)

Put on therefore, as God's elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering; (Col 3:12)

Keith Ward

Today's post is by guest writer Keith Ward.

It is such a simple problem—if faith comes by hearing, why doesn’t everyone believe?  Paul clearly states that not all obeyed the “glad tidings,” which matches our experience (Rom 10:16-17).  In fact, few believe.

 Shall we blame God?  Perhaps the problem is that most never have an opportunity to hear the word?  That seems to match the reality of billions of people and relatively few Christians of any shade, much less those preaching the whole gospel.  But, Paul declares, “Their sound went out into all the earth and their words unto the ends of the world” (10:18).  When we note that God manifested himself clearly in the things that are made, “his everlasting power and divinity,” the reality is that the gospel is available to any with open ears (Rom 1:18-20).   Most of us can relate stories that are ridiculously unbelievable concerning an honest seeker finding the gospel over insurmountable odds—how about the Ethiopian Eunuch?  The Philippian Jailor?  God’s word is available.

 Well, then, if the word is God’s power and it is available to all, why do the majority fail to have faith?  Paul is especially concerned that the majority of the chosen people, his people the Jews, had not found faith in Christ.  He points out that they had been warned that this would come to pass.  Israel would be provoked by other nations finding God and God declaring himself to them while Israel was left behind. (10:19-20).  This failure to believe is an open refusal to face facts, and the reason most never come to faith.  And Israel’s failure is often reflected in the churches of Christ where people will not hear the reading of scripture that does not match “the way we have always done it.”  As Daddy used to say, “It goes in one ear and out the other.”  Whether it be that the work of the preacher is not visiting the sick, or that the Lord’s Supper is to be a fellowship and communion with others not with oneself alone in his thoughts, or that the church was not given a name or any number of other ideas, THE people do not hear, but those without prior understanding—usually new converts--have open hearts.

 Paul identifies the problem as the same one Jesus described in the parable of the soils.  There was no problem with the seed.  There was no problem in the manner of sowing.  The problem was the hearts into which it fell, or, “all the day long did I spread out my hands unto a disobedient and contrary people.”(10:21).  People do not hear because they do not want to be accountable to do what the gospel says and thus they turn away or never expose themselves to truth that might inconvenience their choices. Others have that contrary attitude that seeks exceptions and excuses and problems, and never yields to the things that are heard.

 So, indeed, Faith does come to ALL who hear the word.  The disappointment is that so few, in or out of the church, will hear.

 Keith Ward

(For hints, help, and instructions on using this blog, click on the FAQ/Tutorial page on the left sidebar)

(Today’s blog is by guest writer Lucas Ward)

Snakes are a fact of life in North Central Florida. Out in the rural area I grew up in -- a mix of cow fields, piney woods and swamplands -- we had eastern diamondback rattlesnakes, timber rattlesnakes, cottonmouth moccasins, pygmy rattlesnakes, coral snakes and the occasional copperhead. Not to mention the many varieties of non-venomous snakes. One of the first things Dad taught us was to watch where we were walking. You kept your eyes on the ground 10-15 feet ahead of you and swept your eyes back and forth 7-8 feet on each side of the path you were walking. If you wanted to look up and admire the sky/clouds/trees then you stopped walking and looked up. You then looked back down at the ground before taking your first step. Since snakes are very well camouflaged, you don't look for snakes, you look for smoothness and roundness. Whether walking through high grass or brambles or through the forest, smooth, round things stand out of you are looking for them. While you may not see that diamondback rattler as a snake in the pile of leaves under the shrub, you will likely notice something smooth against the more jagged background. Nathan and I got very good at seeing the snakes and staying away from them. Whenever we had people from church over, we often took the poor, deprived city kids on walks through the woods that surrounded our property. Before we left, however, we always warned them to stay behind us and stop if we stopped. We knew that they weren't aware of the potential dangers and that our parents and theirs were counting on us to keep them away from the snakes. 

I was taking a walk with my roommate one night about a year ago. We walked down the road to the bridge over the Santa Rosa Sound and then came back. Suddenly, he says "look out, snake!" and I jump because the thing is right between my feet. We then notice that it was dead -- and not poisonous anyway -- and of no danger. But it kind of got to me that I had almost stepped on a snake. ME! The North Florida backwoods boy who was watching for snakes since I was 7 or 8 years old. Wow, that's not good. That's almost as unbelievable as Dad hitting himself with an axe, but, then again, that has happened recently too. You see, I've been living in town for the last 18 years. I've gotten out of the habit of always watching every footfall. There just aren't snakes in town. Not with anything near the frequency there was back home. (We used to regularly kill 4-5 rattlesnakes a year and about as many of the other poisonous varieties.) So, I had gotten complacent. Now, if I was in the woods for some reason, taking a hike, or whatever, then I still have enough of the country boy in me to watch where I'm going, but in town I was careless. 

The big snake, Satan, sometimes catches us in the same way. When we are in a situation where the temptation level is high, we are on guard. When we think things are safe, we sometimes slip up. We don't lose our tempers and scream at the jerks at work or the jerks on the road, or the general jerks we meet in the world, but then we come home and our wife/husband or kids says something a little off and we lose it big time. At the beach, surrounded by people in skimpy bathing suits, we are careful to keep our libidos in check, then at church on Sunday one of our sisters leans over and her blouse hangs loose and before you know it we are considering things that are best left unpondered. Just like snakes can sometimes find their way into the biggest of cities, The Snake can attack us when we least expect it. We can never let our guard down too far, no matter how safe we feel. 

There's one thing I know, though. The streets of gold are snake free.

Lucas Ward

Today's post is by guest writer Keith Ward.
 More and more I hear people talk about how “the Lord opened a door to me,” or some variation such as, “This is an opportunity from the Lord.” 

 My first thought was how nice it is that more and more people are putting the Lord God into their decisions and their lives on an everyday basis. Then, further, that it was nice that they were not too scared of being labeled “Pentecostal” to talk about God working through them.

 But then I began to wonder how I am to know whether a door is an opportunity from God or whether it is an open trap from Satan. Of course, if the thing is wrong in and of itself, we can be sure. But, not all Satan’s traps are baited with lusts/evil; some are baited with distractions and time-wasters and faith-weakening actions that are not of themselves sinful. We do agree that God is not whispering the answer in our heads, so how can we know? 

 Well, the Apostle Paul could not tell according to Acts 16. He started for Asia. To all measurements this holy man could take, Asia was the door. The Spirit had to say, “No.”  Later Paul would call Ephesus a “great door and effectual,” but not yet, the Spirit said. Then he looked to Bithynia for it likewise seemed to be an opportunity for the gospel, but again the Spirit said, “No.”  Finally we know the Spirit led him to Philippi.  None of the choices were sinful, but only one was God’s door at that time. Absent such a direct leading from God, no one can know whether a thing is a door or a side road into a bog, not even so spiritual a man as the Apostle Paul.

 Some have so fiercely latched onto the idea that their choice is an opportunity from God that even advice from sincere, older, godly men with a whole lot more experience they denounce with, “You do not as much faith as I do.”

 Does no one else see the potential for an almost arrogant spirit in this attitude? First, God chose ME. Second, I listen to no one, not even brethren with knowledge, brethren with love for the Lord and love for me. Third, I turn it into a matter of faith and I have enough to make it go. Often, when the door slams, the opportunity sinks without a trace, and their faith goes with it.

 Looking back through my life, I can discern a few times that now appear to me to have been God’s door of opportunity. But is that how God views them? Again, I see many times I slogged through the bog, slowed by mud and briars and in danger of varmints. But, is that how God views those times?

 I doubt that at 11:30 pm, Paul and Silas, being in severe pain from a beating and after hours of being locked in stocks, were thinking of their inner prison as a door of opportunity. By dawn, they knew that it had been. All we can do is the thing they did—however they could at that moment they served the Lord. They sang and prayed. Wherever we are, we need to be doing what we can, making the best decisions we can to accomplish God’s work. We must not let ourselves become too enthusiastic, and certainly not too arrogant, to hear wisdom.

 A thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.  Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.  But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong, 2 Cor 12:7-10.

 Keith Ward

Today's post is by guest writer Lucas Ward.
I went to the men's study Friday morning. It was an intro class to the first big section of the study called "Unpacking the Past."  The author called us to honestly look at our past, at the things that shaped who we are, the events that molded our lives and face up to them and learn from them or we can never take control of our lives. We will always be responding to stimuli we don't even acknowledge. He showed what he meant by talking about his childhood and the things that formed him. The negative things he had to overcome came from his father never saying he loved him, or was proud of him, never really talking to him, teaching him, or showing much interest. He was there, but he wasn't REALLY there. These were all things that affected how this teacher lived his life for years until he confronted it and decided to move on. In the discussion period after the class some of the men also talked about how their fathers were distant figures who were never emotionally involved in their children's lives. 

It made me think, and I brought this up in discussion, that I must have been even luckier than I thought in who I got as a father. I've (almost) always known and acknowledged that my dad did a great job as a dad, but the comparison really makes it stand out. Dad got up every morning earlier than he had to so he would have time to read us a chapter out of the Bible while we were eating breakfast. Then he would walk us to the bus stop and we would play catch until the bus came. After he had to give up preaching, he got a very good job as an insurance salesman that paid very well, but most of the contacts and sales meetings were, of course, in the evenings. He quit that job and took one that paid a much less because he felt he was missing us growing up. He wanted to spend time with us.

Perhaps what I most appreciate today -- and appreciated least then -- was that Dad taught us to work. We had what I like to call a "minifarm". Five acres with hogs, chickens, dogs and cats, and a garden so big that not only did we gorge ourselves on fresh produce all summer long and freeze and/or can enough to last us the remainder of the year, but we kept pretty much the whole church (200 people) in free, fresh produce all summer long. We came home from school and had chores to do in the afternoon. We worked hard most of the weekends and throughout the summer. Dad showed us first hand the need for responsibility, hard work, and doing things right the first time. As hard as we worked, Dad always made time for fun. We'd get up early and work hard throughout the morning and early afternoon, then take off and go swimming in one of the local swimming holes, or we'd play baseball or basketball or football -- nice to have a fifty yard long field almost equally wide to play in. Dad regularly told us he loved us and was proud of us. Before bed every night we gathered for a family prayer. He was involved.

That's not to say Dad didn't mess up sometimes. He definitely wasn't perfect, but that brings me to my earliest memory. It occurred, I believe, in South Carolina, from which we moved a week after my third birthday, so it was early in my life. I'm not real sure exactly what happened, just that Dad was angry with me about something and hollered. Mom stopped him and said something, again I'm real fuzzy here, but what I remember clearly is Dad stopping, getting down on the floor so he could look me in the eyes and say he was sorry. He meant it. He said he was sorry, that what he said was something he should never have said and repeated that he was sorry. He then prayed, with me, to God for forgiveness. I've never forgotten. To this day, I am willing to admit when I'm wrong -- I'm stubborn, but if the facts are there, I'll admit it -- and apologize. I've apologized up hill and down hill. I'm willing to listen when others approach me. I try to analyze myself and my actions honestly. Do you think Dad's example might have had something to do with that?

My dad isn't perfect. There were times I was so mad at him I thought I'd never want to see him again -- of course, some of those times were because I wasn't perfect. He messed up, but he loved us. He tried his best, and tried to keep getting better and learn from his mistakes. He studied the Bible for help in getting better. He was there for us, taught us the things he thought were important about being a man, spurred us onward and propped us up. He taught us about God. 

Thanks, Dad.

Lucas Ward

(For hints, help, and instructions on using this blog, click on the FAQ/Tutorial page on the left sidebar)

Today's post is by guest writer Keith Ward

Somehow Dene and I were talking about the figurative language God uses to describe heaven and she said that a 4th grader once told her in a class that it seemed to her that all you did in heaven was more church, sitting around and singing all the time and she was not sure she wanted to do that forever. Her point was that we need to use figures and expressions of heaven that give our children a real hope, a motivating hope, not something to dread like having to sit still in church. Of course, the picture will need to be changed as the children grow older. But, is there anything sacrilegious about saying heaven is like playing with the puppy all day, or Disney World where you never get tired and there are no lines, or a favorite game, or gameboy?

Before you react, consider the silliness of God’s picture, but it still communicated something to hope for to motivate those people through persecution. A city with walls so high and thick as to be absolutely impregnable communicated the hope of security and safety to people who rarely enjoyed much of either. But, then, the gates never closed! What security is there in that? And, I doubt gates of pearl would be much good against battering rams anyhow. But, the awesome beauty attracts a lively hope.

Or, streets of gold. To people who lived day to day, often unsure of their next meal, just think how much food there would be in a city where they could afford to use gold for paving. What a stable economy. Wouldn’t the housing be sumptuous?

And the tree of life bearing 12 manner of fruit, yielding its fruit in every month. But how are there months in a place where there is neither sun nor moon but God is its light? But, for those in fear of disease and death, a picture of a constant and flavorful source of life motivated them to try a littler harder to overcome.

A lack of focus on hope has made our service lifeless and gutted our attempts to change and to grow.

Our purity has become less than it ought to be, less possible, less a concern because we are living on outdated figures of heaven that provide no motivation to us. If heaven means a garden with no weeds or diseases and no off season, dream on. If it is flying like a bird, singing beautifully, running with the wind, hearing the music that is beautiful beyond all the composers, if it is plenty, security, health in whatever terms you dream, then dream on and gird up the loins of your mind to make your heart sing and your life pure to be worthy of the sacrifice that made your dreams possible.
 

Keith Ward

Today's post is by guest writer Lucas Ward.

One of my personal rules of exegesis (if I may use such a fancy word to describe my inexpert attempts to understand the Bible) is that if something is repeated in multiple accounts of an event or if the same concept is repeated several times, then it must be more important than usual. For example, the Gospels record Jesus healing on the Sabbath at least 5 different times. The Holy Spirit was probably trying to emphasize something there. Or if multiple Gospels record the same event and one phrase is repeated word for word in each account, there is probably a point of emphasis there.

Matthew, Mark, and Luke all mention the same thing when telling of Judas coming to the garden to betray Jesus into the hands of the priests, et al, who wanted to kill Him. They all say that he was "one of the twelve." What is the emphasis? The level of betrayal. We've all heard the story so many times that some of the emotional impact may be lost. But Judas was one of the twelve. This wasn't the betrayal of an outlying disciple, one of those few hundred who were around much of the time, this was one of the twelve. This was a man who had been selected from among those disciples and exalted to a higher position. This was one who had been gifted with the power to heal and cast out demons. This was one who was always with Him. When Jesus fled the crowds to have a period of peace, He took Judas along. When He vacationed in Phoenicia and Caesarea Phillipi, He took Judas along. Judas was there, privy to the most private aspects of Jesus' life. Judas had access that few others could imagine. Judas betrayed Him. 

Am I any better? 

Heb 10:26-29 "For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which shall devour the adversaries. A man that has set at nought Moses law dies without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses: of how much sorer punishment, do you think, shall he be judged worthy, who has trodden under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing, and has done despite unto the Spirit of grace? 

I have access to God that the faithful who lived prior to Christ would be astonished at (Heb 10:19-22), yet all too often I decide that I'm going to do what I want to do rather than living for my Lord (who died for me). When I do that, I count His blood as an unholy thing,.something common and not worth any effort. I trample Him, to get to my desires. 

Am I any better than Judas?

Are you?

Lucas Ward

(For hints, help, and instructions on using this blog, click on the FAQ/Tutorial page on the left sidebar)

Today’s post is by guest writer Keith Ward

            The title tends to be a phrase we rush through between the glory and fear we express at the thought that we can call God our father and explanations why it is or is not proper to say, “Thy Kingdom come” (1Pet 1:17).  Who is even sure what “hallowed” means any way?

            Bible dictionaries say, “To causatively make, pronounce or observe as clean,” or, “To set aside for divine service.”  We are more familiar with the thought, “to make holy,” but have no better understanding of what we must do in a practical way to accomplish this.  One gains a better understanding by reading through all those dull rules in Exodus and Leviticus:

            The Tabernacle was made holy because God was there and all who touched the altar were hallowed by that act.

            If Israel was to be called God’s people, they had to show proper respect for His holiness by keeping themselves clean.  The lists of rules that one must obey to be clean, and the meticulous rituals for purification of uncleanness emphasize the separateness of God and how special it is to be called his people – special and fearful.

            One who violated the hallowed nature of the Sabbath in a minor way was stoned (Num 15:32) and one who was unclean in the most minor way could not partake of the Passover even if his uncleanness happened by accident (Num 6:6-8; 9:6).

            As generations passed, Israel became less awed to be God’s possession and less careful to hallow God by their actions. Finally came the day that God had enough and left the temple; neither it nor the people would any longer be hallowed by his presence among them (Ezek 8-10). In the course of His departure, God ordered a slaughter similar to that for the sin of Baal-Peor (Num 25:1-9; Ezek 9:1-6). As He instructed the angels to spare those with His mark from the divine slaughter, we learn what God considers the true hallowing of his name: “Set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry over all the abominations that are done.” It clearly was not sufficient to refrain from most of the sins; it was not even enough to avoid them all.  One had to be in abject mourning that those things were being done at all. Then, and only then was the name of God hallowed.

            So, now, how do we feel about saying, “Hallowed be thy name?” Do we measure up any better than those Israelites did?  Going to service of the church and sincerely clearing our minds of all worldly thoughts and cares to truly worship is not enough to hallow God.  Refraining from the various evils in our society is not enough.  Saying these 4 words—Hallowed be thy name—demands that we mourn that sin is being committed at all, anywhere, by anyone, for all are in the presence of God.  

            How can we claim we mourn the sins when we laugh at them on our favorite sitcoms?  Is it an expression of our sorrow at the lusts of the world to peruse the swimsuit issue or watch the lingerie TV specials?  Can we claim to be hallowed by having touched the presence of God on Sunday if we appear at the beach scantily clad during the week?  Will praying a lot and studying a lot make up for all the ways we show that we wish we could participate in these things, if only….?  Where will the “man with the writer’s inkhorn” find anyone to mark among us?

Keith Ward