Today's post is by Joanne Beckley in which she shares an essay by Lucy Green.

Whether it is a broken doll, lost good health, or the loss of a husband, we all must suffer great disappointments as we walk through this life here on earth. But I think for every married woman, it must be the loss of her husband that is her biggest challenge.
 
God knows this and has filled his Word with how we are to care for our widows and how the widow is to face her loss. Notice the numerous commands and admonitions: Deuteronomy 24:17-22; 25:5-10; Matthew 15:3; Eph 6:1; 1 Tim 5:4,14
 
But I want to shift this lesson away from our own responsibilities toward widows and focus on the widow herself. Whether married or unmarried, we all face the reality of living alone, now or in the future. But for the married, the death of a spouse carries additional pain and it is this pain that must be accepted and worked through.
 
Since I have yet to face this possible pain, I want to refer you to a short article by Lucy Greene. I came across it a number of years ago and thought it wise to file it away for the very real possibility that I too might find myself in her shoes. As you read this, you may even now be in her shoes. Hopefully this article can help you. I pray it is so.
 
“I became a widow twenty-two months ago. I say twenty-two months just like I did when my babies were little. You never have a twenty five month old, but up until that two year mark you count time in terms of months. Unlike having babies grow with those busy days passing quickly, these months have been an eternity.
 
I never wanted to be a widow, nor the pioneer widow of my peer group, but here I am. Even so, what I am learning and experiencing will smooth the way for those who come after me, though no individual journey is the same.
 
I want to grow older gracefully, but there’s been nothing graceful about the stages of grief that I’ve experienced. Some days I’ve felt at the mercy of unplanned and unexpected waves of emotion that come out of the blue and zap me at the most inconvenient moments. Sometimes it’s even been hard to pray. Somewhere on my journey, I was surprised to realize that I was indeed living in the past and missing the blessings of the present. Intellectually, I knew that was not a good way to live, but I hadn’t recognized it for what it was. My friend observed that I wasn’t letting go, and I thought about that deeply and seriously.
 
Treasuring the past and it’s memories, being thankful for our past blessings and relationships is right and important, but longing for what we no longer can have instead of looking for the joy and opportunities of TODAY is an exercise in futility, and does interfere with our aging gracefully. I am realizing that acceptance of one’s circumstance in life is a quality one must learn as we grow older. It puts us in a better frame of mind for facing so many of the less desirable outcomes of aging.
 
So many things are beyond our control and not the way that we had pictured them. Aging of our bodies, changing financial circumstances, passing of friends and relatives, changes in living arrangements--- to name a few. If we can accept physical appearance, aches and pains, poor health as we age and know that “though our outward man perish, the inward man is being renewed day by day,” (2 Corinthians 4:16) we can be serene when we look in the mirror or try to get up out of a chair. Dependence on God and trusting Him with the future is the key to acceptance. Paul said that he had learned to be content in whatever state he found himself (Philippians 4:11.)
 
Acceptance brings contentment. Contentment is defined as “an uncomplaining acceptance of one’s lot.” You might not like what’s happened to you, but accepting that situation says, “This is the way it is. It’s going to be OK. God will take care of me. I can live with this.” Hebrews 13:5 says, “Be content with such things as you have for he said, ‘I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee’.” In 1Timothy 6:6 we are told that godliness with contentment is great gain. May we adopt that thought as our goal as we strive to age gracefully."  Lucy Greene
 
Although I am not a widow, I can appreciate her pain, and her needs. I can be there for her, if she so desires. But where I may fail in my attempts, she will always have her Lord, her defender and friend.
 
Psalm 68:4 Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Extol Him who rides on the clouds by His name YAH, And rejoice before Him. 5 A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation. 6 God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity; But the rebellious dwell in a dry land.
 
The widow is not alone. She can accept her lot in life and find contentment in her Lord, facing forward with each new day.

Joanne Beckley

Today's post is by guest writer Lucas Ward.
 
John 3:22-24  "After this, Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside. He spent some time there with them and began baptizing.  John was also baptizing in Aenon, near Salim, because there was plenty of water there. People kept coming and were being baptized, since John had not yet been thrown into prison."
         After His interview with Nicodemus, Jesus took His disciples and went out into the Judean countryside to preach the good news.  John was also preaching, at Aenon.  Most modern maps try to place this, but all indicate that they aren't sure exactly where it was.  The only consensus seems to be that it was NOT in Judea.  So, John and Jesus were not together when they taught.
 
John 3:25-26  "Now a discussion arose between some of John's disciples and a Jew over purification.  And they came to John and said to him, 'Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.'"
         At first glance it seems odd that John never tells us exactly what the dispute was and how or why it so affected the Baptizer's disciples.  Upon consideration, however, one wonders if it isn't very clear.  They argued about purification, or washing, and then complained to John that everyone was going after Jesus' baptism -- instead of John's.  The argument seems to have been about the relative worth of each baptism.  John's disciples were left shaken and upset; outraged for John and confused in themselves.  Everyone was following Jesus and John was being forgotten.

John 3:27-30  "John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.  You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’  The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete.  He must increase, but I must decrease.” 
         John's response is a marvel of humility and faith in God.  In saying that we can't receive anything unless it is given from heaven, John is calming his disciples by reminding them that this is all according to God's plan.  He reminds them that he has said all along that someone greater was coming and now there is someone greater here.  This is not a cause for alarm, but rejoicing which leads to his next statement.  In this micro-parable John paints a familiar scene:  a wedding.  None of the groomsmen are jealous of the bride, instead they are just happy for the groom.  John was not the leading man in the drama of his life.  After his short role was over he wasn't even able to share the spotlight, but John was happy to play his role for the glory of another.  "He must increase, but I must decrease."  Surely this is self-sacrificing service.

         God's plan for us is not guaranteed to bring us fame and recognition here on earth.  Maybe the best way for us to serve is by helping to care for the ill and needy:  making phone calls, sending cards, preparing meals, doing chores for those who can't for themselves and just sitting and talking to those whose illnesses have left them shut in, alternately weeping or rejoicing with them.  None of this is as showy as preaching or leading the singing, but it is often more important and impactful in making our churches into familes. 

Matt. 11:11  "Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist."
         Elijah and Elisha raised the dead, preached to kings, commanded the weather, and stopped armies cold.  Daniel saw visions of centuries of future history and the coming kingdom.  Isaiah saw God on His throne and His Messiah coming.  Great as all these men were, as showy as their service was, none were greater than John, who in his humble service proclaimed the Lord's message and then quietly stepped out of the spotlight. 
         Am I willing to submerge my life -- my plans, dreams, hopes -- into quiet, unnoticed service to God?  Are you?
 
John 3:31  "He who comes from above is above all."
 
Lucas Ward

Today's post is by guest writer Keith Ward.

Life is seldom fair-- the wicked prosper; justice is not done; sickness and death strike down the good.  Each of us can easily make a long list of things that have gone wrong in our lives and in the world.  Yet, all about me, I see the beauty and hear the echoes of God’s grace.
            Adam sinned.  We have also sinned and are accustomed to sin, and therefore do not understand exactly how horrific this sin was.  In a perfect world, a man who took a walk with God every evening chose his selfish desires over that fellowship with God.
            God is holy. We who, like Adam, have chosen momentary pleasures over holiness, can barely begin to understand His loathing toward evil and his disgust at sin.  In an hour or a day when we have been pure, our disgust with ourselves over the things we have done gives us a glimmer of a poor reflection of the absolute abhorrence that God feels toward sin.
            Jesus defined God’s hatred of sin, first by telling us of the punishment and then by his sacrifice.  Jesus revealed more about hell than all others combined.  Sin is so appalling that hell’s fire and darkness and worms and beatings and weeping are its just punishment, even the “little” sins you and I do.  Sin is so awful that only the agonizing death of the Son of God could bring about forgiveness.
            God cursed the ground as punishment for sin; He changed creation from the beginning when “it was very good.”  The wonder is that all creation is not thorns and deserts and ugly and foul smelling and nasty tasting, which would certainly be less punishment than sin deserves.  But all around me I see the grace of God – the beauty of flowers, the songs of birds, crickets & brooks, the stars in a clear sky, the sound of music, the wonderful taste of fresh fruit.  All around God has left hints of how beautiful heaven must be.  Yes, our roses have thorns, the winds that fly kites can destroy houses, the bees that make honey can sting. But all around, in the beauty and sweetness, I see the grace of God calling to a better life in hope of a better world where no sin exists and the curse of thorns and ugliness is banished.
            Having been granted such mercy as this, even in our sins, we can but exclaim, “Surely, if you miss heaven, you’ve missed it all.”
 
     And he showed me a river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the midst of the street thereof.  And on this side of the river and on that was the tree of life, bearing twelve manner of fruits, yielding its fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.  And there shall be no curse any more: and the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be therein: and his servants shall serve him and they shall see his face; and his name shall be on their foreheads.  And there shall be night no more; and they need no light of lamp, neither light of sun; for the Lord God shall give them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.  Rev 22:1-5
 
Keith Ward                        
 

Today's post is by guest writer Joanne Beckley.

“But I just want to be happy and free!” How many mothers are faced with this
exclamation from our teen daughters as they stamp their feet? Preceding this reaction was cautionary advice about how a young lady should act. As an older woman teaching and cautioning younger women, I continue to hear this same exclamation!
 
Happiness is not a goal taught in the Scriptures, but rather to be sober-minded. If the repeated cautionary words to be sober are so important, we need to examine why living a sober life can bring happiness. Will the joy in living for Jesus remove the pitfalls in just seeking happiness? Absolutely! Give careful consideration to the Greek word “sophron” - of sound mind, self-possessed, sober, without excesses of any kind, moderate and discreet. The word originally was opposed to drunkenness, but it has a much deeper meaning, an outward action indicating an inward godly heart.
 
In the apostle Paul’s letters to Timothy and Titus, this word occurs a number of times: Titus 2:2,5,6; 1Timothy 2:9;3:2,12. As advised in Vines Dictionary of NT Words, different classes of Christians were strongly advised to be sober. The key to WHY these strong admonitions were being given was because of the extravagances one must be aware of and guard against during particular periods of life. To aged men, the querulousness of old age, to young men, optimistic carelessness toward life, to young women, extravagances in dress and speech. Did you notice the risks that can keep older women from being sober-minded, especially in teaching young women? Even toward ministers they must face the dangers of poor judgment and unworthy conduct. Teaching
and training must include self-control, sound judgment, prudence, and discretion–sobriety!
 
No matter the age or circumstance, every Christian must be a leader in word and deed. To live a sober life requires one to be clear-headed in the midst of a discussion or argument, no matter the provocation. How we are living will reflect our attitude toward others. One must develop the ability to set aside selfish desires. There should be no jealousy or prejudice. Self-control is the aim in becoming mature and it is needed by all. A sober-minded man or woman is in control of their passions and desires.
 
Consider examples in the Bible where there was a failure in sober judgement, a
determination to do something without forethought, not recognizing it was out of anger and for selfish reasons. King David is a prime example (2Samuel 24 and 1Chronicles 21) when he reacted badly to God’s decisions and chose to have a census made of the fighting men in Israel. God punished him and 70,000 men died because of his decision. Thankfully, David recognized his sin. "Behold, it is I who have sinned, and it is I who have done wrong; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let Thy hand be against me and against my father's house." Being sober-minded and with sound judgement is so very important!

Yes, one can indeed be happy and enjoy life. By using self-control and being soberminded–of sound mind–it will help us make wise decisions against what the world falsely claims will bring happiness.
 
Joanne Beckley

Today's post is by guest writer Lucas Ward.

On Sunday, March 17, 1996 Dad showed up to church sporting fresh bandages and with dried blood still caked in his hair.  He had been shot in the line of duty the night before.  While none of his wounds were serious, still HE HAD BEEN SHOT THE NIGHT BEFORE!!!  Several times people exclaimed that he should be at home in bed and asked, "What are you doing here?"  Dad's reply, "Where else would I want to be?"  After what had happened, being in God's house and worshipping with His children was the most desirable thing Dad could imagine.  While this is somewhat extreme, shouldn't our thoughts be the same each week?

1 Cor. 5:9-10  "I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world."
 
          We are surrounded by sin on all sides all day, all week.  We've stopped flinching when we hear the Name of the Lord denigrated.  We find the vulgar commonplace.  We no longer cringe at the completely inappropriate clothing worn by most everyone.  We need refreshing, re-centering, renewal.
 
Ps. 42:4-5  "These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival.  Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation"
 
          The purpose of going to the House of God is to be built up.  Are we feeling cast down?  in turmoil?  Remembering that we can go to God's house again should be a remedy.  Is your faith hanging by a thread?  Are you nearly ready to give into the temptations that are battering you?  Don't stay away from church in shame that you don't measure up; those are the time we should be even more eager to go to the House of God.  "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together" (Heb 10:24-25)  We go to be encouraged.  To be strengthened.  To help others and to accept help. 
 
Isa. 30:29  "You shall have a song as in the night when a holy feast is kept, and gladness of heart, as when one sets out to the sound of the flute to go to the mountain of the LORD, to the Rock of Israel."
 
          Going to the House of the Lord should be a cause of joy.  We are working towards spiritual Zion (Heb. 12) and that describes Heaven in Rev. 21.  The earthly extension of that Kingdom, that City, is the church.  Fellowshipping with, edifying and being encouraged by our brethren while we worship our Father is as close as we can get to heaven on earth. 
         
          Where else would we want to be?
 
Ps. 122:1 "I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the LORD!'" 

Lucas Ward

We are about to reset our clocks for the end of Daylight Savings Time. I hate the change in the spring when I lose an hour of sleep, but love it in the fall when I get to sleep an extra hour. If your clock is set wrong, your whole life will be messed up—late to work, too early for the appointment, or missing an important meeting. The consequences of not having one’s hope set are more severe.
            We often wonder how the early Christians endured their persecutions—being fed to the lions was not a cartoon. Meetinghouses were burned with the worshippers inside; property was seized, families torn apart. As “accountants” who factored in hope, they saw this as “light afflictions” for they knew they had a better possession (2 Cor 4:17; Heb 10:34).
            Somehow, hope has all but disappeared from religious thinking. It has come to mean a wish, a fantasy as in, “I hope I win the sweepstakes,” or triviality like “I hope my team wins.”  Modern religion has become so focused on solving the inequities and hurts of daily living that hope for eternal living is seldom preached. There are ministries to the married, to the divorced, to the singles, to the homeless, to the sick….But, who talks about heaven as though it is a real place of joy inexpressible?
            Paul urged, “Set your mind on the things that are above;” he reminded, “Our citizenship is in heaven” (Col 3:2, Phil 3:20). Life happens and, often, it is not pretty—bad health, heartache, loss. With no hope, life soon becomes dreary and full of despair. For Christians, though, the joy one can find in this life is directly proportional to his level of hope in a life to come.
            Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be” and advised, “Lay up treasure in heaven” (Mt 6:20-21).  Today, most are so focused on laying up treasure for retirement that they do not think beyond the golden years to prepare for the golden streets. What have I done this week that God will treasure and will store up for me until judgment?
            In the Roman Empire, pagan religions were bankrupt, offering only variations of Epicureanism, “Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you die,” or Stoicism, “Endure for the hope of being absorbed into the cosmic nothingness.”  Christianity burst onto the scene with the personal hope of eternal life with THE God who loves you. That hope still awaits the people of God. Security, Life to the ultimate joy of life, never-ending Love to a degree expressed by the cross.
            Don’t forget to set your hope forward.
 
…having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, Eph 1:18-20.
 
Keith Ward

Today's post is by guest writer Laurie Moyer.

Your integrity is one of the most foundational elements of character that you can possess. To be known as a woman of your word creates a reputation that is a city on a hill and light in the darkness. This is the desire of Jesus (Matt 5:14-16) because it gives all who see your good works the opportunity to glorify God. A few verses later He said oaths are not needed for one who has proven that a simple “yes,” or “no,” is all that is required to establish the truth of what they say. How does this happen? It is grown over the course of experience and time. A reputation is not built overnight, and your integrity is also a cumulative reflection of the choices of your life.

The rain cloud in this picture is that it only takes one break of integrity to ruin your reputation. One moment of weakness and inconsistency will counter-act years of pattern behavior. Good habits reinforce making the right choices, but once broken, it is easier to lapse the next time. Praise God that He has said He will forgive our trespasses when we repent! Our mistakes do not need to define our future. Our reputation, however, may take a bit longer to regain. Our pride does not like to be reminded that we have sinned, but we must not ignore failures if we want to learn and grow from them.

You have a reputation with your children, as well. They trust and rely on you. When they are hurt or in distress they come to you for comfort. The accomplishments of their simple world are brought to you for display. “Look what I can do.” Do not tarnish that trust. Their hearts think in such simple terms that a broken promise is not so easily understood with lengthy explanations. When you tell them things you need to be determined to follow them through. I cannot count the number of times I have heard a parent threaten a child in public with punishment in some form and then watch in horror as misbehavior continues and nothing happens. Why do we lie to our children this way? Perhaps these parents never intended to carry out punishment in the first place, but thought the mere threat of pain or deprival would intimidate the child. Why should it? If a child has been conditioned to receive empty threats and wiggle out of them, why should they their parents ever mean what they say? Do not try to bully your child into obedience.

Sadly, when we, in good faith, give a consequence to misbehavior and then retract that punishment later for any reason we are saying the same thing. No, we are not perfect. We may fully intend to do something that circumstances prevent. Those moments we must deal with as they occur and perhaps the best method is to be more careful in what we say in the first place. To say, “We plan to go to Grandma’s house next week,” leaves room for changing circumstances and, more importantly, for the will of God to play out in the daily areas of our lives. James 4:13-16 warns us not to presume to be the one in charge of every future moment. Indeed, it is better not to make promises you cannot keep.

On the other hand, when we say, “If you don’t finish your dinner you don’t get dessert,” we have made a law that we both must live by. It does not matter that it was an impulsive thing to say or that it seemed easier at the time it was spoken. If you are going to dangle sweets as an incentive in front of your child, your “understanding” of why they did not comply does not remove the fact that it happened. Sympathize. Resolve not to be that rash in the future, but you must keep your word...

We have all made mistakes in setting standards for our children. When this happens, admit it to them. If you have wronged them, apologize. Tell them you want to do better. If your rules have changed tell them what the new rules will be from this time on, and resolve to work together to be a family that pleases God.

Laurie Moyer
Taken from Searching Daily a blog by Doy Moyer
 

Today's post is by guest writer Lucas Ward.

When examining how Jesus spoke to people, there seems to be two reactions, neither of which promote growth.  The first follows this pattern:  "I know that Jesus spoke bluntly, but you aren't Jesus so you can't speak to people that way!"  This seems wrong on the face of it because of passages like 1 Cor. 11:1  "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ" and 1 Thess. 1:6  "And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit".  No, none of us are Jesus, but we are told in multiple passages to imitate Him, so I should speak as He did, even if that means being curt.  However, some *ahem* plain spoken men like to declare that Jesus was often brusque to justify blasting away with no regard for the situation, the hearer, or anything else.  This also seems wrong because of passges like Col. 4:6  "Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person" and 2 Tim. 4:2  "preach the word . . . reprove, rebuke, and exhort"  Colossians teaches us to "know how you ought to answer" which surely implies that there are right and wrong ways.  Salt is used as a flavor enhancer in food, so words seasoned with salt means what I say is tailored to "taste" as good as possible to the hearer.  Paul is telling Timothy that there are times for reproval and rebuke, but also times for exhortation.  We must know the situation.  So, how do we follow Jesus' example?  Perhaps we should start by examining it more closely.

Jesus and the Religious Leaders.
          While we might expect Jesus to try to impress these men, or win them over to His side, Jesus does the opposite.  In John 3, when Nicodemus came for a private discussion, Jesus doesn't try to gain a political friend.  Rather, He challenges Nicodemus:  “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?  Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony.  If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?" (vs. 10-12)  In John 6, when the religious leaders peppered Jesus with questions, a categorization of His answers shows His claims were intended to blow up the religious paradigm they clung to.  Famously, in Matthew 23, Jesus declares them all to be hypocrites.  Pretty rough stuff.

Jesus and His Followers.
          Was Jesus desperate to hold onto the disciples He had and to grow their numbers as quickly as possible?  Not if how He spoke to them is any indication.  In John 6, as many of the crowds are shocked and leaving because of the "hard saying", He turns to the Twelve and asks "“Do you want to go away as well?” (vs 67)  Surely, an unequivocal challenge.  Jesus uses the phrase, "O ye of little faith" four times.  Twice to the twelve and twice to the crowds that came to listen.  On at least two other occasions, He referred to the twelve as having "little faith".  Very stern.  (I betcha someone's feelings got hurt. *Gasp!!*)

Jesus and the Sinful Masses.
          Surely, these were the people who needed the stern rebukes.  And yet in Mark 2, Jesus eats with them and tells the Pharisees that it is the sick that need attention and He wasn't here to call the righteous.  In Luke 7, He shows great compassion to the sinful woman whom the Pharisee didn't even want nearby.  In John 4, in dealing with the Samaritan woman with five ex-husbands Jesus was frank, but kind.  He certainly didn't blast away. 
 
          So, what can we learn from this brief examination?  Jesus was often blunt, but His caustic comments were reserved for those who should have known better, and who had raised themselves up as leaders of God's people while ignoring the principles of God's law. He was stern with His followers who weren't keeping up due to lack of effort.  He was kind, compassionate, and merciful to outsiders who were beginning to seek a way out of their sinful lives.  As imitators of Christ, if we were to follow this example it would go along way to us being frank and kind as the situation merits. 
 
Matt. 9:15  "And Jesus said unto them . . ."
 
Lucas Ward

Today's post is by guest writer Keith Ward.
 
Let's see how many questions we can answer with this one text.  Read it slowly and carefully:
"And the word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, when a land sins against me by acting faithlessly, and I stretch out my hand against it and break its supply of bread and send famine upon it, and cut off from it man and beast, even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness, declares the Lord GOD. “If I cause wild beasts to pass through the land, and they ravage it, and it be made desolate, so that no one may pass through because of the beasts, even if these three men were in it, as I live, declares the Lord GOD, they would deliver neither sons nor daughters. They alone would be delivered, but the land would be desolate. “Or if I bring a sword upon that land and say, Let a sword pass through the land, and I cut off from it man and beast, though these three men were in it, as I live, declares the Lord GOD, they would deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they alone would be delivered. “Or if I send a pestilence into that land and pour out my wrath upon it with blood, to cut off from it man and beast, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, declares the Lord GOD, they would deliver neither son nor daughter. They would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness. “For thus says the Lord GOD: How much more when I send upon Jerusalem my four disastrous acts of judgment, sword, famine, wild beasts, and pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast! " (Ezek 14:12-21).
 
I am currently reading a book wherein a noted scholar apologizes for God allowing bad things to happen in the world. The atheists accuse God of genocide and he sets about to prove it is not so. But, suffering does not happen because God allows it, it happens because God sends it. HE says so! (Besides, when one allows someone to steal, lie, et.al unopposed, he is responsible too.) But, again, note: "When I send."  A lot of babies and children died in the flood. When we defend God for what He clearly says He did or make excuses for Him as if He needed our approval, we are sitting in judgment and declaring Him guilty.
 
And, many seem to think that because they attend the right church doing right things, they are OK. A little history lesson reveals that these people in the passage above did the "right" worship (Jer 7:8-12), something we also claim with great pride. Yet God says that though Noah, Daniel and Job were in the church, it would not save you. Only righteous living every day saves.
 
Along with that one, some think that we are the salt that will preserve the USA. Nice one, but a friend looked up every occurrence of salt in the Bible and it is always used of flavor or the use is vague; salt is not used as preservative clearly anywhere (despite the commentaries concerning "Ye are the salt of the earth"). Besides, God said that even Noah, Daniel and Job would only save themselves, not even their own children.
 
"Everybody does it," or "I'm doing the best I can," and, "God's grace through my right worship will cover me," seem to be our belief that God will forgive our daily failures to learn and live righteously like those three men did in the wicked worlds they lived in. The passage is clear that this is not so. Thinking very hard about Jesus' sacrifice on Sunday will not make up for indifferent living all week either.
 
Maybe a serious study in the "things written aforetime" would stop a lot of our foolish reasoning and motivate some to live self-controlled, righteous, and godly lives. (Titus 2:12 -- ESV & NASB).
 
"And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. " (1John 2:3-6).

Keith Ward

Today's post is by guest writer Lucas Ward.

          When Jesus tells Nicodemus in John 3 that he must be born again, Nicodemus is confused.  Jesus elaborates:  “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.'  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (vs. 5-8)  This rebirth is spiritual, not physical, and therefore not blatantly obvious like a physical birth is.  It is more like the wind.
          While I might say, "I see that the wind is blowing," we never actually see the wind.  The only way I can tell that it is blowing is by its effects.  I see that the trees are swaying, the detritus in the street is being swept along, and I feel air flowing across my scalp.  (Insert your own joke.)  Jesus says that those born of the Spirit are like the wind.
          How do we discern who is born of the Spirit?  Are certain people walking down the street with glowing halos above their heads?  No, rather those born of the Spirit are like the wind in that we only can tell because of what they do.  The way we talk, joke and react when angry should be different from the world.  Eph 4:29  "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up"  Eph 5:4  "Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving."  Eph 4:26  "Be angry and do not sin".  Our old friends should be able to tell that there is a difference, and they might not like it:  "They are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you" (1 Pet. 4:4).  Instead of selfish pursuits, love of others is now our defining characteristic:  "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35)
          We claim to be members of the Kingdom of Heaven, which means we must have been born again of water and the Spirit.  Can anyone tell? 
 
Rom. 12:2  "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."
 
Lucas Ward