Category Archives: Love & Works

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August 4, 2025

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Attitudes & Behavior, Bible Stories, Family, Friends & Fellowship, Love & Works, Today: Make it Count

I’M BUSY

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Those who want to come with me must say no to the things they want, pick up their crosses, and follow me.” [Matthew 16:24 (GW)]

bee on sunflower“I’m so busy!” If there’s even a remote possibility that we might be asked to do something we’d rather avoid, we can cut off the request at the pass by starting the conversation with those words. It’s the perfect out. On the other hand, when said to us, we can’t argue with it.

Both Luke and Mark tells the story of four men who weren’t too busy to carry their paralyzed friend on a pallet to see Jesus in Capernaum. Once there, they were unable to get their friend through the mass of people crowding into the house where Jesus was preaching. Undeterred by the crowd, they hauled the paralyzed man up to the roof, dug a hole through the thatch, and lowered him down to the room. Determined to bring the paralyzed man to Jesus, these friends weren’t too busy, even when helping him became a major undertaking and an engineering feat!

Consider Job’s friends—despite their business and family obligations, they weren’t too busy to drop everything and travel from their homes to offer him solace. These men didn’t just stop by to leave a covered casserole and offer quick condolences; they silently sat with Job for seven days. While there were errors in their theology, their intentions were good.

Mark tells us about a blind man in Bethsaida whose friends brought him to Jesus and begged the Lord to touch and heal him. The man regained sight because his friends weren’t too busy to bring him to the Lord. Consider the seven men the early church commissioned to serve the needs of the widows in their midst. These men already had jobs and other obligations but Stephen, Philip, and the others weren’t too busy to take on an extra task for the church.

No matter how filled our calendars are, we all manage to find time to do the things important to us. Even though Martha was busy preparing supper for Jesus and the disciples, she could have found time to listen to Jesus. It’s simply a matter of priorities. How much of our busyness is necessary and how much is needless or unproductive? How much of our time is spent working ineffectively, keeping busy while accomplishing nothing, or giving undue importance to trivialities? Are we intentional about the way we spend our time? While God doesn’t expect us to give an automatic “yes” to every request, He probably doesn’t want an automatic “no” either and “I’m busy” is just an easier way of saying, “No!”

Being busy can hinder more than our relationships with people; it hinders our time with God! No matter what’s on our schedule, we must never be too busy for Him as was Martha. Yet, we often start our prayers with that very complaint or answer His call with that response. He knows exactly how busy we are and how we spend (or waste) our time and energy. We need to listen and pray before deciding we’re too busy for friends, family, or God. Even though He runs the entire universe, God is never too busy for us; how can we possibly think we’re too busy for Him? Jesus told us the greatest commandment was to love God and the next was to love our neighbor as ourselves. May we never find ourselves too busy to do either one!

One reason we are so harried and hurried is that we make yesterday and tomorrow our business, when all that legitimately concerns us is today. If we really have too much to do, there are some items on the agenda which God did not put there. Let us submit the list to Him and ask Him to indicate which items we must delete. There is always time to do the will of God. If we are too busy to do that, we are too busy. [Elisabeth Elliot]

I encourage you to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, dedicated to God and pleasing to him. This kind of worship is appropriate for you. Don’t become like the people of this world. Instead, change the way you think. Then you will always be able to determine what God really wants—what is good, pleasing, and perfect. [Romans 12:1b-2 (GW)]

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July 7, 2025

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Attitudes & Behavior, Church & Worship, Love & Works, Money & Wealth, Wisdom & Guidance

TITHE OR GIVE?

You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” [2 Corinthians 9:7 (NLT)]

Tithe means ten percent and the concept of the making a tithe is first found in Genesis. After being blessed by Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a “priest of God Most High,” Abram/Abraham gave him a tenth of all the goods he recovered from Kedorlaomer’s army after rescuing Lot. [14:20] After Jacob asked for God’s protection and provision, he pledged a tenth of his future blessings to Him. [28:22]

In Deuteronomy, Leviticus, and Numbers, we find the tithing laws given to the people of Israel. With three tithes, rather than 10%, the required tithe was more like 23%. The first tithe was the Levitical or sacred tithe. The Levites oversaw the tabernacle and worship and Aaron’s family was set apart for priestly duties. As a theocracy, Israel’s Levites and priests also acted as government officials. Unlike the other tribes, the Levites did not receive an allotment of land upon entering Canaan. Instead, their share of the nation’s wealth came from this tithe. The Levites then tithed their tithe and gave it to Aaron for the priests.

The second tithe, the tithe of the feasts, underwrote the required pilgrimage festivals of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. This tithe provided for both travel and the feast (that would be consumed by the landowner) with the stipulation that the Levites were to be included in their feast. The third tithe served as a welfare net for the poor. Given every third year, kept locally, and given to the Levites, it was for foreigners, widows, orphans, and others in need. Although no tithes were collected from the land on the seventh (Sabbath) and 50th (Jubilee) years or when there was drought or famine, tithing was mandatory at any other time and God expected the Israelites to fulfill this obligation.

In addition to the tithe, every male over twenty was required to pay an annual temple tax of a half-shekel (about two days wages) for the Temple’s maintenance. More like an entry fee than a tax, this was a standard amount regardless of income; the rich were not to give any more nor were the poor to give any less! In effect, the Temple tax and tithe were involuntary taxes that funded the Temple and the nation of Israel.

Other giving, such as the items for the Tabernacle’s furnishings given to Moses, the precious stones and metals David collected for the Temple, and the widow’s two copper coins were not mandatory. Unlike the tithe and temple tax, those were voluntary offerings. Rather than coming from the Law, they came from the heart!

When the first Jerusalem council met and the Apostles settled the issue of whether Gentiles had to abide by Jewish Law, the question of tithing never arose because, rather than the required tithe and tax of the Old Testament, we find offerings in the New. We read of believers selling their property and possessions and sharing the proceeds with those in need, of the church in Antioch sending relief to the church in Judea with “everyone giving as much as they could,” [1 Cor 11:29) and the Macedonian Christians who, though poor and beset by trouble, “overflowed in rich generosity” when sending relief to Jerusalem. [2 Cor 8:2] While Paul wrote of giving regularly, proportionally, generously, and out of love, he and the early church fathers never imposed a legalistic requirement for what that amount or proportion should be.

As Christ followers, we shouldn’t need a rule about giving—unless it is this: “Give obediently, generously, and with joy!” Jesus told us, “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” [Mat 6:21] It seems that, as long Jesus has our hearts, He should have our treasures, as well! Does He?

Give me five minutes with a person’s checkbook, and I will tell you where their heart is. [Billy Graham]

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” [Matthew 6:19-21 (NLT)]

All must give as they are able, according to the blessings given to them by the Lord your God. [Deuteronomy 16:17 (NLT)]

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June 16, 2025

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Attitudes & Behavior, Bible Stories, Love & Works, Money & Wealth, Obedience

JUSTICE

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? [Micah 6:8 (ESV)]

…learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause. [Isaiah 1:17 (ESV)]

Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy. [Proverbs 31:8-9 (ESV)]

viceroy butterflyIn 1 Kings 21, we learn of Naboth, the owner of a vineyard adjacent to King Ahab’s palace in Jezreel. A choice piece of real estate, Ahab wanted it for himself and offered to purchase or exchange it for other land. Property, however, wasn’t to be treated as a real estate investment—it was to remain in the family to which it had been allotted. Because Jewish law prohibited Naboth from selling his ancestral land, he rejected the king’s offer. Angry at his neighbor’s refusal’s, Ahab acted like a spoiled child, took to his bed, and refused to eat. Upon learning the reason for her husband’s sulking, Jezebel hatched a devious plan. She arranged for false accusations to be made against Naboth that would result in his immediate death. Jezebel’s evil plot went as planned and, upon news of their neighbor’s death, she told Ahab the land was his and he took it for himself!

Consider David—the king who took his neighbor’s wife, impregnated her, and then murdered her husband. When the Lord sent Nathan to confront David about his sins, he told the adulterous king a story about a rich man with several flocks and herds and a poor man who had but one ewe that had become a member of his family. When a guest visited the rich man, rather than slaughtering one of his lambs for the night’s feast, he took the poor man’s only ewe and served it for dinner. Outraged at the injustice dealt the poor man, David said the rich man deserved to die and must repay the poor man four times the lamb’s original cost. Until Nathan pointed out that David was that very man, the king (who had power, palace, and plenty of wives) hadn’t considered the injustice of his actions.

“Injustice is the second biggest sin the Bible talks about after idolatry,” said Jenn Petersen, Director of Mobilization for the International Justice Mission. Wondering if she were correct, I checked my ESV Bible. While idol, idols, and idolatry are used 157 times, the words justice (112) and injustice (26) ran a close second with 138 uses. Moreover, the word “just” indicating morally right or fair was used more than 40 times! In comparison to these sins, adultery was mentioned only 39 times, murder 59 times, and theft, steal, and stealing a total of 33 times. It seems justice is important to God.

Often defined as a violation of someone’s rights or unfairness to another, injustice is an act that inflicts undeserved hurt. The KJV dictionary defines injustice as (1) “Iniquity; wrong; any violation of another’s rights, as fraud in contracts, or the withholding of what is due. It has a particular reference to an unequal distribution of rights, property or privileges among persons who have equal claims” and (2) “The withholding from another merited praise, or ascribing to him unmerited blame.” In short, injustice is any act that violates God’s moral law.

Because it corrupts His world, God hates injustice; nevertheless, it seems part and parcel of today’s world. As Christ followers, how do we respond to the injustice around us? We err by limiting justice to a set of rules or to causing harm to someone as did Jezebel, Ahab, and David. Injustice can be found in what we fail to do, as well. There is injustice in any lack of charity—in not loving our neighbors as ourselves. Every time we fail to extend a helping hand when it is in our power to do so, we are as guilty of injustice as were the priest and Levite who ignored the injured man in the parable of the Good Samaritan or the rich man who ignored the cries of the beggar Lazarus at his gate in another parable. Let us always remember that, regardless of where they live, every man and woman is our neighbor!

While we easily see the injustice of the evil Jezebel and Ahab and people like Stalin, Lenin, Hitler, Mao Zedong, and Idi Amin. I can’t help but wonder if, like David, we fail to have 20/20 vision when it comes to our own behavior. Let’s not forget that, whenever we minister to those less fortunate, we are ministering to the Lord Himself!

Helping “all people” is not optional, it is a command. [Timothy Keller]

“For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” Then they also will answer, saying, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?” Then he will answer them, saying, “Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” [Matthew 25:42-45 (ESV)]

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March 10, 2025

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Attitudes & Behavior, Holidays & Holy Days, Love & Works, Obedience, Temptation & Sin, Wisdom & Guidance

FASTING THOUGHTS

You have heard that our ancestors were told, “You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.” But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! … You have heard the commandment that says, “You must not commit adultery.” But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. [Matthew 5:21-22a,27-28 (NLT)]

little blue heronWe tend to think of fasting during Lent as abstaining from certain foods, drinks, or activities. Several years ago, however, I was asked, “What if you fasted regret? What if your friends fasted comparison? What would be the fruit of fasting stinginess?” Those questions proposed an entirely different kind of fast than refraining from sweets or social media. In truth, fasting from things like self-righteousness, discontent, and criticism is probably harder (and more meaningful) than giving up energy drinks or dining out.

Even though we have freedom of speech, we can’t shout “Fire!” in a crowded theatre or “Bomb!” in the security line at the airport. In the silence of our minds, however, we can shout anything at anyone, anywhere, whenever we want, with no one ever knowing! We can secretly call people unpleasant names and even wish ill upon them! We can be charming and polite to the ex-spouse who abandoned us while we wreak all sorts of revenge on them in our minds. We can be civil to the false friend who betrayed us or the contractor who deceived us while, in our imaginations, we’re hitting back to even the score. We appear to have “turned the other cheek” when, in our hearts, we haven’t.

Since our thoughts are far less easy to control than our actions, we’d like to think of them as less important. When we entertain wicked, vengeful, or hurtful thoughts, we think we’re not sinning because we’d never actually do the terrible things we’re picturing. Since we won’t burn down the house of the man who deceived us or climb in bed with the sexy hunk at work, we think we’re innocent of wrongdoing by thinking about them. But are we? Remember the words of Jimmy Carter that nearly cost him the 1976 election: “I’ve looked on a lot of women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.” Upon reading Jesus’ words in Matthew 5, Carter’s confession, while ill-advised politically, was true! While thoughts and actions can have vastly different results, our Lord made it quite clear that our thoughts are as important as our actions. Jesus knew the evil thoughts of the Scribes and he knows ours.

Fortunately for Jimmy Carter and the rest of us sinners, when Jesus told us to cut off our hands or gouge out our eyes if they cause us to lust, He was using hyperbole; otherwise, we all would be missing both hands and eyes. Nevertheless, Jesus was stressing the importance of avoiding sin. Sin is not a matter of the eyes and hands; it is a matter of the heart!

While we can’t control the temptations of this fallen world, we can control our evil thoughts. We can renounce every one of them and replace them with godly thoughts. Max Lucado describes it this way: ”You can be the air traffic controller of your mental airport. You occupy the control tower and can direct the mental traffic of your world.” Lucado explains that, when we keep the runway filled with godly thoughts, the bad ones circling around have no place to land. Our thoughts about other people are as much a part of love for them as are our actions.

Instead of fasting from caffeine or social media during Lent, what if we deliberately and prayerfully fasted from things like anger, lust, envy, animosity, conceit, disdain, spite, and impatience? How would our lives change if, instead of only forty days, we fasted from them all the time?

We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. [2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (NLT)]

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. [Philippians 4:8 (NLT)]

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December 5, 2024

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Attitudes & Behavior, Holidays & Holy Days, Love & Works, Wisdom & Guidance

FEAST OF ST. NICHOLAS

Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” [Matthew 19:21 (NLT)]

St. NicholasTomorrow, December 6, is the Feast of St. Nicholas (or Sinterklass). Although it is difficult to know fact from fiction, we do know that St. Nicholas was born around 270 AD in Patara, a city in Lycia (modern day Turkey). The son of wealthy and devout parents, it was his uncle, the Bishop of Patara, who took charge of his spiritual life. Nicholas became the Bishop of Myra in Turkey, quite likely attended the council of Nicaea, spent seven years imprisoned under Diocletian Persecution, and died on December 6, around 343 AD. While we don’t know much about the man, he must have had a great impact on the early Christian church because, by 450 AD, churches in Asia Minor and Greece were named in his honor and, by the mid-6th century, the Emperor Justinian dedicated a church to him in Constantinople.

When Nicholas’ parents died, legend has it that he distributed the money and property he inherited to those who begged him for help. Taking seriously Jesus’ command to sell his possessions and give to the poor, he selflessly gave away his entire wealth. It’s said that wherever he saw suffering or need, he gave in secret and expected nothing in return. The best-known story of this revered saint is that he secretly provided money for three girls whose father was so poor he couldn’t provide them with dowries. No dowries meant no marriages which meant they’d be sold into lives of servitude. Nicholas secretly provided each girl with a bag of gold (some say by putting it in their stockings that were drying by the fire). This legend evolved through the centuries into the custom of gift giving on the eve of his saint’s day.

Tonight, in memory of the cherished saint, children throughout Europe will put out shoes, boots, or stockings to be filled with small gifts like coins, oranges, nuts, candies, and cookies brought by the Saint. These little gifts are meant to be shared with others rather than kept for oneself. In some countries, the legendary saint is said to be accompanied by the demonic Krampus who leaves coal in the shoes and stockings of naughty children (or possibly beats them with a stick)!!

From what we know of him, Nicholas loved God more than anything. I wonder what he would think of the way his name, faith, and generosity have turned into such crass commercialism. While he is the patron saint of children, seamen, brides, the hungry, and scholars, he is not the patron saint of credit card companies, malls, shoppers, catalogues, or Amazon! Nicholas certainly wouldn’t approve of the way Santa Claus has eclipsed the Christ child in the hearts of many.

As we move into this holiday season, perhaps we should emulate St. Nicholas, the original Santa Claus. His life wasn’t about how many presents were stacked under his tree; it was about dedicating his life to serving God and helping those in need. Perhaps we should pare down our Christmas list so that our gifts are as simple as fruit and nuts and must fit into a shoe or stocking. Let us also remember that those holiday gifts are to be shared. After all, it is Jesus, not Santa, who is the reason for the season!

Give generously to the poor, not grudgingly, for the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do. There will always be some in the land who are poor. That is why I am commanding you to share freely with the poor and with other Israelites in need. [Deuteronomy 15:10-11 (NLT)]

Blessed are those who are generous, because they feed the poor. [Proverbs 22:9 (NLT)]

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September 16, 2024

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Bible Stories, God's Plan, Love & Works, Obedience, Today: Make it Count

SUPPORTING ROLES

And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. [Hebrews 11:32-34 (NTFE)]

pipevine swallowtail butterflyHebrews 11 lists the great examples of faith found in the Hebrew Scriptures. Every story, however, has a supporting cast and, while we may not remember or even know their names, they played an important role in everyone’s story. We know Moses is one of those heroes of faith but what of the midwives Shiphrah and Puah? If they hadn’t defied Pharaoh’s orders to kill newborn Hebrew boys, Moses wouldn’t have lived long enough to be found by Pharaoh’s daughter let alone lead Israel to the Promised Land!

We know the promised Messiah was to come from David’s line but that line nearly became extinct in 841 BC when Judah’s king Ahaziah died and his mother, Athaliah, seized the throne for herself. To secure her position, the queen mother murdered Ahaziah’s children (her grandchildren) and the rest of the royal family! The Davidic line remained only because Athaliah’s sister, Jehosheba, rescued Ahaziah’s infant son Joash. At great risk, she kept the boy hidden for six years until the time was right for him to be named king.

We recall the names of Esther and her uncle Mordecai but probably not that of Hegai, the eunuch in charge of the king’s harem. Without his coaching and assistance, Esther never would have captured the heart of Xerxes, become queen, and been able to save the Hebrew nation from extinction. We revere the name of David but probably don’t know the names of his thirty-seven “mighty men” listed in 2 Samuel 23. We know of Jeremiah but not Ebed-melech, the court official who risked his life to rescue the prophet from the cistern where he had been left to die.

What of those heroes of faith whose names we don’t know—people like the slave girl who told Naaman about the Samarian prophet who could heal him of leprosy? It was her testimony that introduced the Syrian warrior to the one true God of Israel. What of the king’s cup-bearer who told Pharaoh that Joseph could interpret his dream? Without his action, the story of Israel could have ended in Genesis! We only know her as the widow of Zarephath but this nameless woman fed Elijah the last of her oil and bread during a time of famine. We know Gideon but not the names of his 300 valiant men who bravely fought 135,000 Midianites. When outnumbered by 450 to 1, most soldiers would have fled, but those nameless men belong in the “Hall of Faith” along with Gideon!

The New Testament is not without its unnamed heroes of faith—consider the boy who gave his lunch, the widow who gave her two mites, and the four friends so committed to the paralytic’s healing they cut a hole in the roof and lowered him down to the Lord! What of the nameless shepherds and Magi who worshipped the newborn king? We don’t know the names of the woman at the well, the hemorrhaging woman, the Ethiopian eunuch, the repentant thief on the cross, or the Syrophoenician woman who was determined to have Jesus heal her daughter, but they were just as much heroes of faith as were Moses and Abraham.

Every story, play, or movie has both major roles and a supporting cast. While we may have the lead role in our own personal story, we are just supporting actors in the Kingdom’s story. Nevertheless, we are as essential to God’s scenario as were Shiphrah and Puah, Gideon’s 300 and David’s 37, the woman at the well, and those four faithful friends! For the most part, those supporting actors didn’t even know their own importance; nevertheless, acting in faith, they simply followed God’s direction. Let us take the small (but essential) roles God has given us and play them as well as all the unsung heroes of faith did!

There are no small roles, only small actors. [Konstantin Stanislavski]

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. [Hebrews 12:1-2 (NTFE)]

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