All Kindreds

As I finish up my study of Psalm 22, I looked at verses 22-31 and how many times it is mentioned that the LORD will be praised and worshipped.  The circle starts with Jesus, and adds another band of worshippers throughout the verses as the circle expands.  Look at the list of people who will praise the Lord!

1. “I” v.22
2. Ye that fear the Lord v.23
3. All the seed of Jacob v.23
4. All the seed of Israel v.23
5. The afflicted v.24
6. I (“my praise”)
7. Meek v.26
8. Those that seek Him v.26
9. All the ends of the world v.27
10. All the kindred of the nations v.27
11. All the fat upon the earth v.29
12. All they that go down to the dust
13. Seed v.30
14. “They” (the seed) v.31
15. A people that shall be born

The culmination is that even the unborn generation will be counted among those who praise the Lord!  However, it is verse 27 that struck a chord with me.  Around the throne in heaven we know that there will be redeemed people from every kindred, tongue, people, and nation (Rev. 5:9).  This verse tells us the same thing – people from all kindreds of nations will praise the Lord!  And its exciting to me that there are people from all nations right here in New York City where we are planting a church.  We have the opportunity to see God fulfill His Word as we will people of all nationalities!

Who is my neighbor?

In Luke 10 we find the story of the Good Samaritan.  Jesus was prompted to teach this lesson by a question from a young lawyer who asked, “Who is my neighbor?”  Jesus illustrated the love and selflessness of a “neighbor” through the story of the Good Samaritan. 

Several times in Scripture we find that the second greatest commandment is to love our neighbor as ourselves.  I am sure that many of us fail to keep this commandment on a regular basis.  We are so often consumed with ourselves, our schedule, our needs, our property, our family, etc. that we don’t even see the people around us.

Romans 13:8  Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

Recently my daughter asked me, “Who is that, Mommy?” as she pointed to our neighbor on the sidewalk.  I replied, “That’s our neighbor,” and then explained that a neighbor lives next door to us.  Almost immediately I realized that while this definition would do for now, there is much more to a neighbor than just living next door.

Warren Wiersbe said, “My neighbor has less to do with geography and more to do with opportunity.”

You see, it’s not just the people next door, as I told my daughter.  It’s everyone around us – those “Divine appointments” that God allows into our lives each day.  People that we contact in business, play, and all around us.  I wonder how many of these “neighbors” or “opportunities” I have missed because I was so focused on my own agenda?

And yet, while the scope of a neighbor is very broad, I also realized that I must reach the neighbor next door.  God gives us opportunities to reach people all around us, but He plopped an easy, obvious “opportuntiy” right out our front doors.  It’s not just the people next door, but that’s a great place to start. 

Now that the weather is warmer and our kids are meeting play mates in the neighborhood, I am looking forward to building relationships with my neighbors on our new street.

Too Comfortable in the Graveclothes

In my devotional book today, author Joanna Weaver points out how we are often bound in the graveclothes of our flesh, just like Lazarus was in John 11.  Even though we have been set free from the power of sin, we often choose to remain in its bondage, rendering our service to God ineffective. 

“In a sense, the graveclothes that hindered Lazarus describe well the graveclothes that hinder us as Christians:

• His feet were bound, affecting his walk with God.
• His hands were bound, limiting his work for God.
• His face was covered, clouding his watchfulness.
• His mouth was covered, muffling his witness.”

Weaver points out also that sometimes we are so comfortable in our familiar graveclothes, that it seems to radical to allow the Lord to help us unwind them so we can be set free.  I hope that living in my graveclothes does not characterize my life.  Yet I know that so many times, I become all too comfortable even with what I rationalize as “little” sins.  And so I find excuses to just continue on, not willing to let the Lord strip off the binding sin so I can reach my full potential for Him.

I miss a day here, then a couple days there, in my Bible reading and quiet time with God.  Soon it seems natural to start my day running without pausing to spend time with Him.  Without listening to His voice and seeking His will for my daily activities.  The longer I continue in this pattern, the easier it is for me to ignore Him each day.

I find excuses not to talk to that person about the Lord or to turn the conversation toward spiritual things.  Much easier to just slip a tract and hope they might read it.  But then I stop giving the tracts, and soon I do not even see the people around me as hell-bound sinners for whom Christ died.  I have become comfortable in not sharing the Gospel.

These are just a couple of areas where I have noticed that I too often prefer my graveclothes to the raiment of walking in the Spirit.  The Lord offers us the solution to this apathy.

Revelation 3:17-22  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 

18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 

19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 

20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 

21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. 

22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

A Loving Believer…

“A loving believer is the greatest argument for a living Savior.”

~Pastor Jim Bickel

Let’s be loving in our interactions with others today!

They Had Been With Jesus

From Acts 4

Peter and John preaching:

vs. 12  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. 

The result among the people:

vs. 13-14  Now when they [the people] saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.   And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.

The result among the magistrates [the “enemies”]:

vs.15-16  But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,  16 Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.

God can do great things through those who will take time to be with Jesus, and then boldly proclaim His Word and His message to the people.

A World We Never Touch

The lyrics from this song have been stuck in my head lately.  They have caused me to contemplate what I am doing to touch the world around me with the love of Jesus.

He walked along the shores of Galilee.
From clay he formed the healing balm that caused the blind to see.
When stones of wrath weighed heavy in their hand,
He knelt to write His mercy in the sand.
Jesus came to set the captives free;
showed us by the way He lived, the way we need to be.
Our love is more than words could ever say -
We must touch them with compassion to help them find their way.

How can we reach a world we never touch?
How can we show them Christ if we never show them love?
Just to say we care will never be enough.
How can we reach a world we never touch?

Could we be so busy being saved?
Trying to impress a world, that’s long since lost its way?
We pride ourselves in being set apart,
Yet we don’t take time to touch a broken heart.
Even if we found the time to care,
would we take the risk involved in always being there?
While we hold the very thing they need so much –
Sometimes the Word of God can pass through just a simple touch.

How can we reach a world we never touch?
How can we show them Christ if we never show them love?
Just to say we care will never be enough.
How can we reach a world we never touch?

We hide behind these walls and the security of friends
While beyond the stained glass windows, the world is lost in sin.
How can we reach a world we never touch?
How can we show them Christ if we never show them love?
Just to say we care will never be enough.
How can we reach a world we never touch?

There is a particular person that always comes to mind when I hear this song. May you reach out and touch someone today.  As you let the love of Jesus be displayed through you, you can change someone’s life for eternity!