Archive for August, 2022
What Does God Require of You? Part Three
“He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8).
“To love mercy” is to willingly show kindness to others.
As with all virtues we can learn from God what is meant by it. Grace is God’s favor shown to spiritual rebels who repent. Mercy is God’s favor shown to those in distress. In His mercy He protects us from harm or punishment we deserve.
Our Lord is spoken of as “the Father of mercies.” (II Corinthians 1:3)
A close synonym for “mercy” is compassion. As followers of the Lord we are to show compassion toward others. “Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like minded.” (Philippians 2:1,2)
In general mercy means to feel sympathy with the miseries of others. God has such mercy toward us and we should show it to others.
Failing to do so results in some such persons as being as upright as a marble column and as cold and hard.
We should even have mercy on ourselves. When we do we overcome inferiority complexes. What might be considered handicaps didn’t handicap these.
Steinmetz, one of the greatest scientists of all times, came to believe he could be useful in spite of the fact his body was terribly deformed.
Milton was blind, but eventually he believed that, in spite of his blindness, he could write poetry that would make life sing — and he did.
Robert Louis Stevenson was sickly. He suffered chronic pain, but during his sickest years, he wrote some of his greatest masterpieces.
Beethoven reached the point at which he believed he could give to the world a composition like the Ninth Symphony, even though he was deaf.
Louis Pasteur made his greatest contribution after he had a stroke.
In showing mercy toward themselves these made of their adversities springboards rather than letting them be stumbling blocks.
On the beautiful Hawaiian Island of Molokai was a colony to which persons inflicted with the dreaded disease of leprosy were sent to live out their lives in misery. A simple noble priest, Father Damien, went there to minister to them. He did so for months addressing them as: “You lepers.” He met with no response.
One day he spoke to them as, “My fellow lepers.”
He had so identified with them as to have contracted leprosy. Thereafter, his ministry met with a positive response. His mercy was their hearts. It so won the admiration of our nation that a statue of Father Damien stands as the only religious figure under the rotunda of our nation’s capital.
All around are persons needing mercy. By showing it you model your loving Lord who has shown all of us His mercy.
What Does God Require of You? Part Two
“He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8).
Consider this trio of truths. The first is morality. “To do justly.”
“To do justly” refers to our ethical response to other people. To “do justly” there must be a standard for what is just and what is unjust. Some conduct is right and some isn’t.
A new virile virus has been loosed in our culture under the guise of a new virtue. Because of its rapidly increasing influence it needs to be reexamined. It is called tolerance.
For generations people have espoused tolerance. The definition normally given is: “the disposition to be patient toward those whose opinions or practices differ from our own…”
That is now called “negative tolerance.”
Positive tolerance is defined as: “every single individual’s beliefs, values, lifestyle, and truth claims are equal.” That’s positive tolerance. It is broadly advocated.
If that is true, then the door to the jail cell should be opened. Positive tolerance has replaced the virtue of justice. Positive tolerance and justice cannot co-exist. They are mutually exclusive.
An advocate of positive tolerance defines for him or herself truth. One opinion is as good as another. Likewise one statement is as good as another. Such a person can state as true what facts reveal as not being true and still say, “I did not lie.” If there are no absolutes there is no truth and no falsehood. In the mind of such persons whatever they say is true.
This time in history is now being called the postmodern era. It is reshaping culture’s concept of truth. Lying is impossible since it presupposes objective reality. To the postmodern mind there is no objective truth. Truth is subjective. That is, what I as the subject define it as. Such a person can say, “I did not tell him to lie” becomes a “true” statement because lies don’t exist. To such a mentality words don’t have a fixed meaning. They mean what the user wants them to mean at the moment. An interpretation may be different from an interpretation tomorrow.
God has expressed His desire for us: “Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.” (Psalm 51:6).
Our value-free, morally neutral, education opens the door for sources in Hollywood, Madison Avenue, and yes, Nashville to bombard young minds with thousands of hours of sounds and images that glamorize immorality and mock Biblical values. Evaluate your system of values based on biblical values.
Your World Has a Flip Side 11/8/98
Acts 16:24-31
Page 1622 Come Alive Bible
JESUS CHRIST’S mandate to take the gospel to the world was taken seriously by the young emerging church. It must be today.
Acts 16: 11 is an epoch passage. It marks the beginning of Paul’s second missionary journey. Summarily, it chronicles the first venture with the gospel into Europe as we know it. There was no Europe or Asia then. The invasion of Europe wasn’t on Paul’s mind, but it was what the Lord had in mind. Thus, Europe became the springboard for the gospel to go into all the world.
Spiritually, their world, like ours, had been turned upside down. They confronted it with such zeal and practical wisdom that it was said of them, “These people who have turned the world upside down have come here also” (Acts 17:6). Their reputation as revolutionaries preceded them.
You have a reputation as a Christian also. What is it? Are you considered a compromiser of the faith; a chameleon Christian; or a champion of the faith? Is consistency a virtue for which you are known?
We confront militant revolutionaries with ardor equal to that of our predecessors of the First Century. In Big Sur, California, is the Esarline Institute which is dedicated to New Age philosophy. In one of their publications, “Psychological Journal,” this statement appeared. “The revolution has begun. The world will be changed. How it will be changed is up to us.”
That is an inscription that might well appear above every church house door. We are to be missionaries to our topsy-turvy world. Humpty Dumpty couldn’t put his broken world back together again. With our resource of Jesus Christ we must begin the reconstruction of ours.
Our current passage of study reveals three aspects of the mission of Christ’s church.
I. IT IS A CONVERTING MISSION
Paul and his companion Silas were put in prison in Philippi for sharing the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. That dingy little cell can be visited today. On the wall is a significant extraction from the writings of Paul.
Upon being falsely accused, improperly condemned, and cruelly imprisoned Paul and Silas didn’t throw a pity party. They didn’t question, “Why did this happen to us?” They didn’t act like the Holy Spirit had departed and forgotten them. Observe verse 25, “they were praying and singing hymns.” Suddenly it was choir practice time. They were “joyful in tribulation.” Suddenly the cursing quieted, the base oaths ceased, weeping and gnashing of teeth became silent.
Note what the other prisoners were doing, “the prisoners were listening to them.” Sure they were. Nobody acted like that under those circumstances.
Oh, by the way the reason they could respond with such confidence is indicated in that plaque on the cell wall today. It reads: “For me to live is Christ.” In effect they were saying we are Christ’s proxy in this cell. We are no less His proxy where ever we are.
Their message of conversion through Christ was so dramatic that members of an excited mob in Thessalonica spoke of them as turning the world “upside down.” That is conversion.
There is an automobile that helps our understanding of the word “conversion.” It is the convertible. With its top up or down it is two different cars. It changes. A life with Christ is changed — converted.
When appealing to a person to enjoy what is known as conversion we are offering them a gift which can’t be imagined. It is heaven. Perhaps if we could help persons grasp the inevitability of an after life and the contrast of the two states they would respond all the more immediately. In reality there is no way we can grasp the grandeur of heaven. We can only compare it with what we know and that limits our understanding. It is like two caterpillars crawling along having a conversation. Fluffy says to Crazy Legs, “I don’t feel well.” “What’s wrong?” asks Crazy Legs.
“I think it must be about time for me to spin my cocoon and crawl in and die and I don’t want to.” “Why not?” presses Crazy Legs, “you will be born again.”
“Yeah, but in the after life I won’t be able to eat green stuff.” “You won’t! What a downer.”
“True, but that’s not all. I won’t have but six legs.” “Six, legs? Bummer.”
“Right, and I won’t be able to crawl around I’ll have to fly.”
“Fly? That is a downer. I didn’t know the next life was so different.”
The next life, the after life, is much more superior to this life than the life of a butterfly is to a creepy crawling caterpillar. We just haven’t experienced it.
Paul had an unsettling reputation. In the city of Philippi it resulted in opposition as he sought their conversion to “spiritual butterflies.”
Philippi was a city in which Roman soldiers loyal to Caesar were stationed to colonize the area. It was a luxury assignment. It was totally Romanized. The citizens were given Roman citizenship. They became a part of Roman culture.
There were few Jews there and those who were there had to gather at the river to worship. There was evidently no synagogue.
A. Lydia, a wealthy business woman from Thyatira, and her household were the first saved. The work of the Holy Spirit in her conversion is described as “The Lord opened her heart” (Vs. 14). She immediately did two things.
-She was immediately baptized. Baptism doesn’t save us, Jesus does. He asked us to be baptized as an evidence of faith in Him. Thus, it is an act of obedience. Recently I baptized a young adult in a wheel chair (Kathy Dean). It took a great effort of her part to be baptized. For her it was really no effort because of her great faith and ambitious desire to comply with Christ’s command. How about you?
-Once the Lord opened the heart of Lydia she opened her house to the apostles and became a “base camp” for the gospel.
B. There was a slave girl who was an occult medium in the city. When a decadent society turns its back on God, it soon turns back to the gods of decadence, and Philippi had.
She followed Paul and his friends around saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation” (Vs. 17). What a compliment!
A battle of gods is about to occur. The Greek text uses the word PUTHONA to describe the girl’s condition. This fortune-telling girl was actually demon-possessed. People with soothsaying gifts were given great honor. It was thought the spirit of a god had inhabited them. There was a superstition that the mythological Greek god Apollo was embodied in a snake at Delphi. This embodiment was called Pytho for python, a snake.
The masters of this slave girl had made of her a pitiful plaything for profit. They used her fortune telling to make money. She had a physical and spiritual need. She was twice a captive. She was the property of her slave master and possessed by a demon. Paul saw her as being in need of exorcism. He confronted her and said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her” (Vs. 18).
Her problems were over. Paul’s were just beginning (Vss. 19 – 40).
C. Paul and Silas were arrested, tried, beaten, and thrown into jail. They had upset the economy.
This would have been an ideal time to throw a pity party. It was a grand moment to complain about God letting them down. They found the good in the bad. They were in with Roman soldiers. That wasn’t their preoccupation. From their perspective the guards were bound to them. That meant they had a captive audience with which to share. These were members of the elite Roman legion, the Praetorian Guard. Thereafter they were reassigned to Rome. Unfolding now is the answer to a question. Later Paul wrote a letter to the church at Rome giving his regards to “those in the household of Caesar.” How did converts get in the palace of the Emperor? They were won to Christ in that jail. Talk about a chain reaction!
In jail they conducted a prayer and praise service (Vs. 25) at midnight.
This impacted the entire jail. The Lord sent an earthquake and burst open the jail. The beautiful story of the jailer’s conversion follows (Vss. 27 – 34).
He questioned, “What must I do to be saved?” (Vs. 30).
Paul’s answer is simple, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved…” (Vs. 31).
Being saved not only involves being absolved of sin. It not only means having Christ righteousness credited to your account. Those are marvelous realities. It also involves Christ coming to dwell in you. He becomes spiritually embodied in the believer.
I like you have seen some strange things. I saw something recently that alerted me to a great spiritual principle. I saw a rabbit carrying an attaché case. He put it down as he passed a basketball goal and shot a three pointer. Upon going in a building I saw a marvel. It was cold in there but he played a piano. Strange as all that seems the wonder of it all is that the rabbit that did all that was dead.
He died and was made into a glove. As a glove a talented human hand entered him and the ability of that hand became the ability of that dead rabbit.
When we die spiritually Christ comes to live within us and His ability becomes our ability. Upon being saved he – – –
- Engaged in an act of mercy. He washed their stripes.
- Shared with his family.
- They were all baptized.
II. A MINISTRY OF CONSERVING
Paul and Silas were actually run out of town. However, they had been successful in beginning what became a burgeoning church. To conserve the faithful, he later wrote them the book of Philippians.
We each need to be involved in a “conservation program” of Bible study and Christian fellowship called the church. Therein, we need to close unthreatening companionship of Sunday School where God’s word is studied with friends who form our spiritual support system.
The gospel had resulted in a conservative revolution in the city. Paul hadn’t dealt with cultural and social issues. However, once the gospel was applied, these issues were successfully dealt with. He didn’t confuse the end and the means. The gospel resulted in a reordering of priorities. Layers of distorted thinking were peeled away and the good news applied to man’s emptiness.
Christ calls for a radical to-the-root change in lives. Such a change is called new life. It calls for repentance, faith, and obedience.
This same kind of conservative revolution has occurred several times throughout the history of the Christian church. A period known as the Reformation was one of the most dramatic. The Reformers saw that their church had been corrupted by indulgences, inquisition, and a quest for political power. They didn’t want to start a new church. They wanted to reform the existing one.
The church must establish a firm doctrinal stance for Biblical integrity and then energetically get on with answering the jailer’s question with the simple answer, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved…”
It must be noted the answer is “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ…” not about Him. We begin by believing certain things about Him and them believe on Him.
In Scotland there is a term lippen. It expresses the condition of a person who is entirely unable to protect or support himself and commits his life, interest, and safe keeping to another.
It is even used of a person crossing a great chasm by walking on a log over the abyss. That person in that act is said to lippen the log. That is, the person is completely dependent upon the log for safe passage. When Paul said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved…” he was saying lippen Him, commit your life, interest, and safe keeping to Him.
What Does God Require of You? Part One
“He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8).
Jesus spoke of “justice, mercy, and faith” and of them said we “ought to” do these things. That means it is to our advantage to live with these three attributes as our character traits.
Visitors to our nation’s capital enjoy the beauty of the Library of Congress Building. In it are beautifully decorated alcoves providing reading rooms. The various alcoves are dedicated to different disciplines: art, history, science, philosophy, and religion. Each alcove has a distinctive design and motto. The committee responsible for choosing the motto for the religious alcove requested prominent ministers to make suggestions. The one chosen: “What does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”
When President Jimmy Carter took the oath of office as our nation’s leader he quoted the prophet Micah: “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).
The prophet Micah, our Great High Priest Jesus Christ, and our former President Jimmy Carter all appeal for us to make these traits our habitual lifestyle. In our current carnal culture these attributes need to be modeled.
At a time in the life of ancient Israel when moral depravity and religious decadence corrupted the people, God sent forth four prophets simultaneously to preach to His people.
Amos and Hosea were His heralds in the North.
Isaiah and Micah sounded forth the truth in the South.
Amos preached justice.
Hosea struck the note of love.
Isaiah called for reverent, humble fellowship with God.
Micah gathered the gist of all three and summarily said, “What does the Lord require of you but to do justly, To love mercy, and walk humble with your God?” (6:8).
Three virtues are mentioned in our text that are described by God as “good.” It should also be noted they are required of us by God. Jesus confirmed this when He said of them we “ought to” do them.
Pause and reflect on how these virtues are lived out by you. Resolutely determine to demonstrate them daily.
I Can Do All Things
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me….” (Phil. 4: 13)
This popular iconic verse needs to be understood to relate to contentment, not conquest. It is not intended to relate to all activities and actions, but to the result of the outcome whether prosperous or the pits. It should be understood to give meaning to the things listed in preceding verses and be content with the result because of the strength Jesus provides. To achieve this contentment, he needed the strength of Jesus Christ.
Unfortunately, many people take this verse out of context and use it to reinforce a “triumphalist” or “super-Christian” mentality, instead of seeing that the strength of Jesus in a life is evident in our ability to be content when we did suffer.
With that confidence builder in mind don’t be reluctant to undertake those things perceived to be within God’s will. Flush from your mind old defeatist attitudes. Drive out the would-be tyrant, failure. Recapture your mind and stock it with positive principles.
There is no such thing as an idle thought. All thoughts work for either or bad. Positive thoughts can make you stronger. Negative thoughts can exhaust you.
Two extremes exist at this point. One is positive thought can achieve anything. Not! The other is Jesus can do it all for me. Not! Together with Jesus as the master of the two wonders can be achieved. Be positive and be dependent. An example of optimum optimism is French statesman of yesteryear George Clemenceau who in his youth fought a number of duels. His second went with him to the railway station to purchase tickets to a duel and was shocked to see him buy a one way ticket.
One way ticket? Said the shocked second. “Pessimistic?”
“Not at all,” said Clemenceau cheerfully. “I always use my opponent’s return ticket.”
No person can live long without realizing that life deals some losses, defeats, and disappointments to all. The optimist is well aware of this and is prepared to accept a share of both. It is at this point Jesus strengthens us most by enabling us to be content.
An aside to contentment is physical health. If you look on the bright side, you just might live longer — much longer, according to some upbeat research. A new study finds women who characterize themselves as having the highest level of optimism live 15% longer than the least optimistic women, and have a 50% greater chance of reaching the age of 85. The most optimistic men live 11% longer.
Not only do they live longer, they live better and are living witnesses of the contentment derived from faith in the Lord. To be content in our chaotic culture is not humanly possible. Therefore, where it exists it is a testimony to the grace of God.
“Therefore, I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his statue?
Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own thing. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6: 25-27 & 34)