HOW TO RUB PEOPLE THE “RIGHT” WAY

Do you ever wonder where saying come from?  Sayings like “rubbing people the wrong way”?

In Colonial days, wealthy ladies were proud of their wide-board oak floors.  At least once a week servants would wet-rub and then dry-rub these floors to make them shiny.  It was a very simple task involving running a wet mop along the grain of the wood and then a dry mop. 

But sometimes a careless worker would mop across the grain and it would produce streaks on the floor.  When that happened, the lady of the house would scold the servant for "rubbing the floor the wrong way."  That is where we get our phrase "to rub someone the wrong way." Unfortunately, I am afraid that we often take pride in “rubbing people the wrong way”.

The lesson today is “how to rub people the RIGHT way. And there is one surefire, fail-safe, foolproof, guaranteed way to rub someone the right way.  It works any time, any place, on practically anybody, and the way to do it is by encouragement. It is especially a great thing to do when someone is really having a bad day,

Encouragement is something we all need in our lives. Human nature is so quick to tear down rather than to build up.  For every word of encouragement we probably hear ten words of discouragement. 

The Bible talks often about “spiritual gifts”.  One that often seems to be overlooked often is “encouragement”. When writing about our gifts, Paul says “…… God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well……. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. (Romans 12:6,8)

Far too often we are guilty of taking the time to discourage someone, but never taking the time to encourage someone.  There is an old saying, "Write your criticisms in dust, your compliments in marble."  But so often we do just the opposite.  As the old saying goes:

Once I did bad and that I heard ever; Twice I did good, but that I heard never.

Encouragement must be pretty important because it is mentioned several times in the Bible:

So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.  And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another… (Hebrews 10:24-25

Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. (Ephesians 4:29)

Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. (1 Thessalonians 5:14)

We all get discouraged and we need encouragement.  There is not any place that we need it more than in our homes and in our churches.  Don't ever underestimate the importance of the mutual support that we gain from one another when we both give and receive encouragement. 

Today we are going to look at a man who made the Encourager's Hall of Fame.  He was everyone's best friend.  He may have been the most popular Christian in the early church.  By studying his life we can learn how to be an encourager.

We can all be a person who brings blessings to others.  Let’s take a look of one of the great encouragers in the New Testament, Barnabas.

Now Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also called Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement), Acts 4:36

One of those things we see about Barnabas that was so encouraging was that ol’  Barney put his money  where his mouth was.  Barnabas ". . .having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet."  (Acts 4:37)  The first church contained many poor people, and many times when people would come to Christ they would lose their jobs. 

Furthermore, a great revival had broken out on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem (Acts 2), and many people had come to know the Lord Jesus who lived in other places, but they stayed behind because they wanted to receive instruction; they wanted to be in fellowship with other believers and they wanted to grow in the Lord.  So their backs were financially against the wall.  Well, Ole Barney, being the encourager that he was, took a valuable piece of property, sold it, and gave it to the apostles to help meet the needs of the people.

You see, an encourager sees a need, and then says, "I will give what I can, and I will do what I can, to meet that need."  But now don't get the idea you have to have money to be an encourager.  You may not be rich in money, but every one of us has so much we can give to others as a gift of encouragement.

Sick people don't need money, they need a word of concern.

Lonely people don't need money, they just need a few minutes of time.

Hurting people don't need money, they just need a touch on the shoulder.

Discouraged people don't need money, they just need a word of hope.

You see, an encourager is a selfless person.  He's always trying to think how he can bless somebody else, or help somebody else, or strengthen somebody else.  By the way, you see this same trait again in Barnabas over in Antioch.  " and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord. "  (Acts. 14:22-24) 

After Paul (his name was Saul before he met Jesus) met Jesus on the Damascus road, he ended up back in Jerusalem.  Well, word got out very quickly that public enemy number one was back.  You see, at that time the church considered Saul of Tarsus the most dangerous man in the world.  Nobody would speak to him.  In Jerusalem he was the most hated and most feared man in all of Israel.  In Acts 9:26-27 we read:  " When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to meet with the believers, but they were all afraid of him. They thought he was only pretending to be a believer! Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them how Saul had seen the Lord on the way to Damascus."     

Everybody else shut the door.  James, the brother of Jesus, he wanted nothing to do with Saul.  Peter, who had the keys to the kingdom, kept the door locked.  John, the apostle of love, said,  "I love anybody but Saul."  Andrew, who loved normally to introduce people to Jesus, said, "Forget it" when it came to Saul.

Then notice v.27, "Then Barnabas. . ." Here comes ole Barney to the rescue.  Here comes the Minister of Encouragement.   

That is the mark of a real encourager; he will champion the underdog.  He will jump on the

bandwagon when everybody else is jumping off.  He'll walk into your house when the whole world has just walked out. 

Barnabas was an encourager, and encouragers don't look to the past, they look to the future.  Barnabas didn't look at what Paul had done; he looked at what Paul could do.  He said in effect, "Don't look at the man for what he was.  Look at the man for what he is." 

Let’s set a goal for us all to become encouragers. It is very possible that we all could have this special gift.  So if we have the gift “to encourage others” we need to get to doing it.  When people come to church they ought to find bridges going up and barriers coming down.  We ought to tear down the barrier of racism, and build up the bridge of acceptance.  We ought to tear down the barrier of prejudice, and build up the bridge of love.  That is what an encourager does.

If we want to rub people the right way, every chance we get bring a blessing to others; break barriers for others; build bridges for others.  The amazing thing we will find is that we are encouraged in the process.

 

 

God will give you more than YOU can handle: I guarantee it.

 

Hayward’s note:  This lesson is based on a “blog” by a young lady, Kayla Lemmon.  It was shared on Facebook by Lara Huey Walton, daughter of 2 of my very good friends from my early years, Donna and Larry Huey.

From Kayla:

There’s a certain phrase I’ve come to really dislike.

All my life, I’ve heard this phrase whenever I go through a rough patch. *And by rough patch, I mean a prickly, gnarly patch that leaves me bleeding to near death*. You’re probably familiar with those kinds of “patches”.

“God will never give you more than you can handle” is the phrase I’m referring to.

And it’s a sweet sentiment, really. The people who say it are speaking from caring and concerned hearts.

BUT–it isn’t true.

I know that sounds harsh, but I promise I haven’t suddenly lost my mind or have become an angry-with-God bitter woman who hates the world. Actually, when I realized the simple fact that God can–and will–give us more than we can possibly bear, it got easier.

And it all started to make more sense.

I’ve often trudged through trials that overwhelm me. Ever since my childhood, there have been trials that have made me “grow up” pretty fast. But granted, I know for a fact you’ve had your own fair share too, because that’s the reality of life. But this last trial is the one that shook me to my core and had me searching like a mad woman for answers as to why it was happening–and how I could possibly even survive it.

I lost my Dad to cancer last month–if you’re a follower of mine, this is old news. But–it was absolutely horrific.

Every day leading up to his death was like walking through every level of hell–slowly– for lack of a better term. There’s no other way to describe it. The images…the sounds…the sleepless nights…the cries for God while we look on, helpless…the torment of rubbing morphine in his cheeks, praying it’ll absorb–but to no avail. The horrible, wrenching pain that came with lifting him up, laying him back down, lifting him up, laying him back down…because he became so restless and cried out for “home” every few minutes. And all along, in the back of my mind, I reminded myself that millions of people go through this, and have already gone through this, very thing. And it is simply unbearable. If you disagree–it’s because you haven’t been there.

This trial was so consuming that I hate to even put it in the past tense–sometimes it still consumes me. Yesterday, at my Dad’s memorial service, it consumed me all over again.

I’ve suffered from nightmares where I relived the memory over and over mercilessly–I sometimes see his face on strangers that pass and worry that I’m going crazy. I cry over sad songs in the car and torture myself with stacks of pictures and yellowed photo albums. It’s beyond just missing him. And even with a firm testimony of the gospel and with peace that he is exactly where the Lord prepared him for, it is still too much for me to handle at times. It steals my breath–and it can steal my joy.

So, the other day, I turned to the scriptures. I needed help.

I wanted to know where that phrase was that people kept repeating to me in church and at work and over the phone. Why did the Lord “trust me so much”?! Why did He think I could handle these kinds of trials?

And then I realized: I couldn’t find that quote because it isn’t there.

It never mentions anywhere in the scriptures that the Lord won’t give you more than you can handle. Yes, in 1 Corinthians 10:13, (The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.)  it speaks of Him giving us an escape from temptations so that it’s not too much to endure or handle.. But when it comes to pain, trials, heartache, and burdens– not once does it say it won’t be more than we can endure. Instead, it beautifully says this instead:

“²⁸ Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you …….. and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”.” (Matt. 11: 28-30)

The words struck my heart, as you can imagine. Christ is speaking to those of us who are carrying burdens much too heavy for our own shoulders. And in that one verse he simply states the reason why we are given more than we can handle: It’s so we can come to him. It’s so we can trust him enough to hand over our heavy, crippling burdens and let him carry the load.

You might be heavy laden right now like I was before reading and re-reading and re-reading once again this scripture that has never stuck out to me as much as it has lately.

You might be to your breaking point with sadness or drowning in debt. You might be overwhelmingly angry at someone at church or aching under the pressures of raising children or maybe the inability to have them. You might be dealing with a terminal disease and you still have young children. And chances are–you might need your Redeemer to find you on the path and take up that heavy cross you’re dragging. Besides, even he tells us that he’s more equipped to carry it, so why not hand it over?

I’ve come to learn–slowly but surely–why I need Him.

I suppose it’s because of pride that I always thought I could just do things on my own. (Hayward’s note: Unfortunately this is true of many strong Believers.  Trust me, I know!) I’m strong, I’d say. I’m a tough cookie. I can help others through their tribulations while carrying mine all by myself. Well…wasn’t I wrong. (Hayward again: YEP!)

I didn’t really know what needing him meant until I had no other choice. I didn’t know what it meant until I wrapped my arms around my middle so I wouldn’t fall apart–or the time I choked on tears and yelled toward Heaven. Or the times when I was utterly alone, and the silence was too much to bear. Those are the times that taught me he’s not just a want or a convenient symbol of love or a reason to do good deeds.

No, he’s the very air we breathe.

And he’s the only one who can make it bearable when life is simply anything but.

From Jesus calling devotional for this Sunday morning:  I will not show you what is on the road ahead, but I will thoroughly equip you for the journey. My living Presence is your Companion each step of the way. Stay in continual communication with Me, whispering My Name whenever you need to redirect your thoughts. Thus, you can walk through this day with your focus on Me. My abiding Presence is the best road map available.

“My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”  (Exodus 33:14)

HOW TO HAVE A HAPPIER A NEW YEAR

We always like say Happy New Year to other folks and have them say it back to us.  But how can a person really have a happier New Year?  Let’s take a look at some things that we can get from God’s Word to actually help us do this.

 “¹⁵ I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. ¹⁶ I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. ¹⁷ Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.”  John 13:15-17.

Jesus spoke these words to His disciples after He had washed their feet. In order that they not forget the example of humility that He had given them, the disciples were told that happiness is not found in merely knowing these things but in doing them.

Let us look at four things Believers can do to ensure having a happier new year.

I. BELIEVE

A powerful, active faith will enable us to defeat discouragement and give us the strength to live victoriously in Christ Jesus. Our faith in His power to supply every need that we will have in this New Year will give us every reason to rejoice. Let us rejoice in the following evidences of His power to bless His children.

His power to save: “Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.”  Hebrews 7:25

His power to strengthen: “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”   Philippians 4:13

His power to protect:
“This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

His power to provide:

³¹ “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ ³² These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. ³³ Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”  Matthew 6:25-34

“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want…”   Psalms 23:1

“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:19

II. BEHAVE

Someone once said: "What we do speaks so loud that others cannot hear what we say."  And another true saying is “we may be the only Bible a person ever “sees”.  For this reason, the Word of God places great emphasis on the believer living a Godly and Holy life. Our behavior should demonstrate Christ in the following areas.

In our daily life:

² Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”   Romans 12:2

In our witness before the world:

“…let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”  Matthew 5:16

In our church fellowship:
“so that if I am delayed, you will know how people must conduct themselves in the household of God. This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth.” Timothy 3:15

III. BEWARE

To be fore-warned is to be fore-armed. The Word of God gives us ample warning to beware of certain and real dangers that confront us in our daily Christian life.

(See recent lesson: Spiritual Deceivers and Other Biblical Truths)

Of the deception of men:
“Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.” Colossians 2:8-10

Of the trap of the devil:
“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8

Of our own self:

"Then he (Jesus) said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”  Luke 12:15

IV. BELONG

It is impossible for anyone to be genuinely happy without a sense of "belonging". It has been said that "a man is not an island unto himself."

Every child of God can rejoice in the blessing of belonging to Christ and His church.

To Christ/God:

 “because you belong to Christ…” Mark 9:41

“God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world.” 1 Corinthians 7:23

And maybe the greatest thing the Bible tells us about “belonging”:  “….we are the children of God:  ¹⁷ And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.  Romans 8:16-18

To the church:

^“20 Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. ²¹ We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. ²² Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit”.  Ephesians 2:20-22

“⁴⁶ They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity— ⁴⁷ all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.”  Acts 2:46-47

And finally do as Paul tells us: “¹⁶ Always be joyful. ¹⁷ Never stop praying. ¹⁸ Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

WHO DIED AND MADE YOU MY JUDGE?

Hayward’s Note:  So many people seem to misunderstand, in my opinion, of what judging really means.  Sooo, I did some research and came up with this lesson.

 

Did you know that Matthew 7:1 (“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.”) is quickly replacing John 3:16 as the most memorized and quoted verse in the Bible?  It is true!

 

For instance, let’s look at a few statements.  Let’s see if you agree with them.

1.   Pre-marital sex is wrong.  Two people living together out of wedlock are living in adultery.

2.  Homosexuality is a sin. Homosexuals need to repent of this sin in order to be right with God.

3.   Abortion is murder. It is the taking innocent human life.

4.  Lying in order to get a job or a promotion is a sin.

And the list goes on and on of things that are not “grey”. Paul tells us that “⁹ Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, ¹⁰ or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. ¹¹ Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”  (1 Corinthians 6:9-12)

Today when these sins are even mentioned, the “world” will immediately say the Bible says  “Do not judge others” . Then they will say something like this, “Well, who died and made you judge?”

 

That brings up this question: is it ever right to pass judgment on the actions of others?  We need to be very careful how we answer that question!  We might think that Jesus would have said “No! It is never right to judge another.”  Instead, Jesus said, “It depends! There are times when you can judge and times when you cannot judge.”

 

“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. ² For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.  “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? ⁴ How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? ⁵ Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.” (Matthew 7:1-5)

 

These verses spoke by Jesus have something very important to say about the matter of judging one another.  Whether we admit it or not, we all engage in judging from time to time.  Some people have even made it their lifestyle to judge others by their standards.  Let’s look at what Jesus has to say about this vital matter.

 

Judge means “to pronounce judgment; to expression of strong disapproval or harsh criticism.”  It refers to “act the part of a judge; or to pass judgment on the words and deeds of another.”

 

In this scripture in Matthew, Jesus says “Do not judge others”.  Does this mean that all judgment is wrong?  No!  There are some occasions mentioned in the Bible where Christians are called on the exercise judgment over others. SO is there a time to judge “actions”, yes - but we have a very short leash!

In Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth, he writes “I am told that a man in your church is living in sin with his stepmother.”  (2 Corinthians 5: 1b) He condemns the man and his actions and calls on the church to do the same. He writes “¹² It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. ¹³ God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.”  (2 Corinthians 5:12-13)  Jesus said, ²⁰ Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions. (Matthew 7:20)  As we can see here, there is some judging of actions going on in these verses.

 

There are times when the church must exercise discipline against a wayward member. This will require judging their fruits according to the Word of God.

¹⁵ “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. ¹⁶ But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. ¹⁷ If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector. (Matthew 18:15-17)

So, what is Jesus talking when he says “Do not judge others.”?  Jesus is talking about looking at people and attempting to judge their motives and their real spiritual condition (in other words, questioning their salvation) based on what we see in their lives. The idea here is that the judge presumes to know the condition of another person’s heart.  He sets himself up as judge and jury and proclaims the guilt and innocence of all those around him.  This is the attitude that Jesus condemns!

 

Anyone who sets himself up as the judge of others will himself face judgment someday! “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged …… The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.^”  The critic forgets that he will also face God in judgment, “Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God.”  (Romans 14:12)  One day God will use the same yardstick to judge the critic that he used to judge others!  That is a scary thought!  We should consider these verses the next time we think about sitting in judgment of another person.  Luke writes these words spoken by Jesus: ³⁷ “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you.”  (Luke 6:37-38)  By the way, for every person we watch and criticize, there is someone else watching us and criticizing our life!

 

Here is the bottom line: We have no right to judge and criticize the lives of those around us.  There are a few good reasons why we should really strive to do this. Here is a few:

 

 We shouldn’t criticize because we don’t always know all the facts:

 A check-out person at a store once wrote to an advice-columnist to complain that she had seen people buy "luxury" food items—like expensive birthday cakes and bags of shrimp—with their food stamps. The writer went on to say that she thought all those people on welfare who treated themselves to such non-necessities were "lazy and wasteful."

A few weeks later the columnist devoted an entire column to people who had responded to the check-out chick. One woman wrote:

“I didn’t buy a cake, but I did buy a big bag of shrimp with food stamps. So what? My husband had been working at a plant for fifteen years when it shut down. The prawn casserole I made was for our wedding anniversary dinner and lasted us three days. Perhaps the checkout person who criticized that woman would have a different view of life after walking a mile in my shoes.”

Another woman wrote:
“I’m the woman who bought the $17 cake and paid for it with food stamps. I thought the check-out woman in the store would burn a hole through me with her eyes. What she didn’t know is the cake was for my little girl’s birthday. It will be her last. She has bone cancer and will probably be gone within six to eight months.”

There is no way any of us can know exactly why someone is doing something. We can save ourselves - and other people - a lot of grief by quitting altogether trying to figure out people’s hidden motives for behavior - and instead love and accept them.

 

2.  Don’t criticize because we all fail God and sin, (1 John 1:8-10).

3.  Don’t criticize because we do not know the content of the other person’s heart.

4.  Don’t criticize because, when we do, we are attempting to assume the authority of God, ⁴ Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall”.  (Rom. 14:4)  “If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law.” (James 4:11-12)

 

The problem with judging others is that we are often guilty of the same or worse sins ourselves, 2 You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things. (Rom. 2:1). None of us are anything to brag about!  While we look at the way some people dress, act, and at the outward signs of sin in their lives; we are often blind to the prejudices, hypocritical spirit and other sins that lurk within our own heart! What makes me think that I am in any position to straighten anyone out when I am in such a mess myself? Here is the hard part.  Here is the truth that is so hard to swallow.  Jesus is saying that the sin of the critic is often greater than the sin of the person being judged!  And we are revealing a heart that lacks genuine love for our neighbor.  Jesus said , ³⁹ “….. “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  (Matt. 22:39) That ought to make us stop and think before we tear another person down, just because they don’t live up to our standards!

       

When our own heart has been fixed; when our own vision has been cleared up, we will able to reach out to a fallen brother or sister, or a lost sinner in the right spirit.  We will not approach them with a spirit of judgment, reproach and condemnation; but we will be able to come to them with a spirit of compassion and restoration.  That is the way it should be done. “6 Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. ² Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.” (Gal. 6:1-2) There ought to be a desire to help a wayward brother/sister and to win a lost sinner.  Neither is possible as long as we have a judgmental, critical attitude.  When we walk in love one with another, we will be in the business of building up and not tearing down!

 

It is not wrong to confront a person with his sin.  It is wrong if you don’t.  Listen to these verses: “⁵ An open rebuke is better than hidden love!”  (Proverbs 27:5)  “³ So watch yourselves! “If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive.”  (Luke 17:3)  Refusing to confront a person about his sin is just as wrong as a doctor refusing to confront a patient about his sickness.  If you want to understand what Jesus said in Matthew 7:1, you must put right beside it what he said in John 7:24, “²⁴ Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.”  Now that says it all. You cannot judge a tree by its leaves.  But you can judge a tree by its fruit.  You cannot judge a book by its cover.  But you can judge a book by its contents.  The key is not to judge by appearance.

 

In conclusion, we see that it is not only our right to judge the behavior of fellow Christians, but it is our loving responsibility to do so.

But always in love - and with restoration, not punishment, as the goal. That is the way God wants it to happen.

        

 

Spiritual Deceivers and Other Biblical Truths

Spiritual Deceivers and Other Biblical Truths

 

If we read what Apostle John writes in 2 John, we will be reminded us of just how many "spiritual deceivers" there are out there.  John was writing to a local congregation in this letter, telling them to be careful to walk in "truth and love" and to not be taken in by the deceivers or false teachers of the world.

 

⁷ I say this because many deceivers have gone out into the world. They deny that Jesus Christ came in a real body. Such a person is a deceiver and an antichrist. ⁸ Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked so hard to achieve. Be diligent so that you receive your full reward. ⁹ Anyone who wanders away from this teaching has no relationship with God. But anyone who remains in the teaching of Christ has a relationship with both the Father and the Son.

¹⁰ If anyone comes to your meeting and does not teach the truth about Christ, don’t invite that person into your home or give any kind of encouragement. ¹¹ Anyone who encourages such people becomes a partner in their evil work.

 

What is a spiritual deceiver?  It is anybody who teaches other than what the Bible says is true.  It could be a religion that says we can only get to heaven by doing good works.  Or that says there is any other way to Heaven other than through Christ. Jesus said “No one can come to the Father except through me.”  (John 14:6b) It is any false teaching that does not acknowledge the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh, or who doesn't abide in the teaching of Christ.  Such a person does not know God. 

 

Anyone who claims to be a Christian, yet doesn't believe fully in what the Bible says is a spiritual deceiver; we cannot trust their words to be true.  There are many of them out in the world.  Even those "name it and claim it" pastors that we see on TV can be a spiritual deceiver and sadly, a lot of them are.  

 

There is only one way to be assured of the truth, and that is to be familiar with God's Word and to know what it says.  It is by studying it every day, by ourselves, through a small-group Bible study and through worship at a Bible teaching church.   We need to be very careful whom we allow to be our "spiritual teachers", as there are many "seducing spirits" out there, determined to keep us away from Jesus and His truth.  The saying "the devil wants our soul" is fully true, and we must be careful to protect ourselves from the lies that abound concerning our Lord Jesus Christ. 

 

The Truth Shall Set Us Free

 

³¹ Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. ³² And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

³³ “But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?” ⁴ Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. ³⁵ A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. ³⁶ So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. (John 8:31-36)

 

The truth has been under attack since the very beginning of time. We look back at creation and see that Adam and Eve lived in a perfect world and had only one prohibition. That one thing they were prohibited to do was to not eat from the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Of course, Satan came along and said, "Is that really true? Did God really mean that you shouldn’t eat from that fruit which is pleasing to the eye and certainly would taste very good?" Satan attacked God’s truth.

We go down through history and we see that “truth” question comes up time and again. When Jesus stood before Pilate, ³⁷ Pilate said, “So you are a king?” Jesus responded, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.” ³⁸ “What is truth?” Pilate asked. (John 18:37-38)

 

Pilate acted as if he did not know the truth. In our day and age God’s truth is daily assaulted and attacked. In fact we are told that society today no longer accepts or believes in an absolute truth. Everything is “grey” and it depends on the “circumstances” on how the truth is interpreted. Truth depends on how a person determines it is relevant in his or her life.

 

Today, we need to learn again that there is a truth. There is an absolute truth of God and Scriptures. When the Lord tells us there is sin, there is sin. When the Lord tells us there is forgiveness, there is also forgiveness. The Psalm writer says: ¹⁰ For you are great and perform wonderful deeds. You alone are God. ¹¹ Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth!  Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you. (Psalm 86:10-11).

 

We can’t trust our mind to tell us the truth…. We have to trust in the truth. And Jesus is the truth!  He stated this when old “doubting” Thomas asked, “how can we know the way?”  ⁶ Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. (John 14:5-6)

 

Even though the world might disagree, even though Satan would assault the fact that there is truth, there is truth. Jesus is the Truth, and THE TRUTH SHALL SET US FREE!

 

This was the truth then and is the truth now.

 

Often unbelievers say that they know the Bible better than most Christians. Have you ever run into a person like this? Just because people say they've read the Bible doesn't mean they really understand it.  Simply said, they can't.  It is impossible to understand what the Bible says and means without being filled with the Holy Spirit.  If we don't believe in Jesus, we don't have the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of you, and the Holy Spirit is what directs us in the knowledge of the Bible.

 

 Jesus tells his followers that “⁹ The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me.” (John 16:9)  And that “¹³ When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.” (John 16:13)

 

Non-believers don't know the spiritual meaning of the Bible, which is a big book with a big picture.  So when they quote a verse without knowing the context, (Unfortunately many Christians take some scriptures out of context.) it becomes somewhat garbled and vague in the meaning.  The Apostle Paul writes to the church in Corinth, telling them that; “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing.  In their case the god of the world (Satan) has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”  (2 Corinthians 4:3-4)  So we see that they really can't help it!

 

Funny thing about the Bible, it wasn't written for unbelievers, but as a guide for a believer’s life.  And the Holy Spirit is a Christian's ultimate guide to all truth.  So, next time you get into a discussion with a non-believer over the Bible, remember, they don't and can't understand it, it is just words to them, so we can't take it personally when they want to argue with us or call us stupid over it. 

A story was told to show the “truth” of other religions and their main “man” compared to Christians.  A man became lost in his travels and wandered into a bed of quicksand.

Confucius saw the man’s predicament and said, “It is evident that men should stay out of places such as this.” Next, Buddha observed the situation and said, “Let that man’s plight be a lesson to the rest of the world.” Then Mohammed came by and said to the sinking man, “Alas, it is the will of Allah.” Finally, Jesus appeared on the scene and said, “Take my hand, brother. I will save you. The truth is Jesus is the one who can meet our needs this Christmas season and forever.

Dwight L. Moody said “If you want to prove a stick is crooked put it next to one that is straight.”

Jesus is the truth…. What will we do with Him?  Let us not be deceived by the world.