Sheep Food

  “IF...any person is ‘in Christ’, they are a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Cor. 5:17). The key operative word there is...’IF’. Friends.... we need to have an honest, but uncomfortable discussion here... We’ve all heard that expression about putting lipstick on a pig; and how it still remains to be a ‘pig’, no matter how nice you ‘dress it up’. I would submit to you that we have a full blown crisis in the modern day ‘church’ world, which should come as a surprise to no one who is familiar with Paul’s warning found in 2 Tim. 3:1-7. You might go look at that now, and notice that the list of carnal fruit he is describing...is aimed at those who have an outward ‘form of godliness...but deny the power’[ of God to transform them]. They are ‘always learning but never coming to the knowledge of the truth’ (5,7). Let me be clear here: because of the fall in the garden (Rom. 5:12) the ‘spiritual DNA’ of all of humanity was ‘corrupted’...

  We all know what it is to come up on some road construction where they have one lane shut down for a stretch of distance, which means you have only one lane open for 2-way traffic to get through. And oftentimes, that open lane is ‘blind’ to you because it may curve or have dips and hills and you have no clear vision to the other end where traffic resumes to a normal two lane road. So a construction worker is assigned on both ends with a sign on a pole, with one side saying ‘STOP’, and the other side usually reads: ‘SLOW’. I kid you not, every time I see one of those people out there, with a lunch box and water bottle close by and usually a two-way radio in hand, I think to myself: “Gosh...how boring would that be to stand there all day long and flip that sign back and forth?” And yet...what an incredibly important job they have. Imagine coming up on such a scene in a mountain pass with sharp curves and steep drop offs where some of those passes might not even have guard rails; ...

  [Kleptomaniac] - a person with a rare, chronic mental health disorder characterized by an irresistible urge to steal items that are generally of little value or not needed. It is classified as an ‘impulse control disorder’, where individuals experience intense tension before the theft, followed by relief or pleasure during it. ‘Shoplifting’ might be the term we are most familiar with; and because it’s such a prevalent ‘crime’ today, the price of goods are increased to offset the cost of security and preventative measures that many small and large businesses alike incur to fight against those losses. There are multiple reasons as to why people are ‘compelled’ to steal things that are not theirs, taking things they have not paid for; but the key word here is ‘steal’. I believe the 8th commandment addresses this area of sin that God takes great exception to; and yes, stealing is a ‘crime’ in our secular society as well. Charges vary depending on the value of that which was taken i...

  “Now on that very occasion there were some present who reported to Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. And Jesus responded and said to them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans just because they have suffered this fate? No, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or do you think that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse sinners than all the other people who live in Jerusalem? No, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:1-5) Jesus was not issuing ‘threats’ here to those in attendance; He was pleading with them by warning them. “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish”. You should note that He repeated Himself twice there, and whenever God repeats Himself...it’s usually for good reason. Something else we should all know about the Lord...He is ‘longsuffering toward us, not willing that an...

  It made for a great ad-campaign used by Alka-Seltzer years ago and quickly became a popular catchphrase, as many slogans do in our culture today; but can I just state for the record here...that ‘trying out Jesus’ is not recommended. He’s not some sports car you take out for a spin on a Sunday afternoon to see how you ‘like the feel’ in case you want to purchase it. Here’s why: ‘trying something out’...does not require any commitment. There’s a reason Jesus advised us to ‘count the cost’ before you decide to actually follow Him (Luke 14:25-33). Yes...many have been coaxed and encouraged to ‘try Jesus’ and may have ‘come forward’ or ‘raised a hand’ at some point in time, perhaps ‘walked an aisle’ to repeat some ‘prayer’...but many indicators would suggest those actions or attempts at giving Jesus a try...don’t last long. And I point you to the story of the parable of the sower to make my case. (Matt. 13:3-9,18-23) Yes, it was evident that many people back in the day who saw Jes...

  Simple question for any professing ‘believer’: If we have been set free from sin, as Paul mentions twice in Rom. 6:18,22...why do we continue to ‘sin’, or break God’s laws? And if you feel compelled to just ‘try harder to not sin’, can I just tell you as humbly as I can... you have it backwards. It has nothing to do with ‘trying harder to do better’. Yes, it has taken me awhile to get to this place in my understanding what has been laying there in all of our Bibles for us to read ever since it was printed; but Jesus came to set us free where we could actually ‘go and sin no more’ (John 5:14; 8:11). And those who actually ‘abide in Him’...who have been ‘born again’ or ‘born of God’...do just that (1 John 3:6,9; 5:18). Because those who ‘know the truth’...and whom the ‘Son has set free’...they are ‘free indeed’! (John 8:32-36). I do remember early on though, as I was studying and walking this out and trying to share and communicate what I firmly believe the Holy Spirit was teachin...

  When God made it known to Adam and Eve early on that ‘in the day that you eat off that one tree in the garden...you shall surely die...’ (Gen. 2:17) ...who was the first one on the scene to cast doubt on what God said and then actually twisted it around to say just the opposite in order to deceive Eve? It was the ‘crafty serpent’ who appeared asking: “Did God really say this...?’ (Gen. 3:1). Then, after some subtle twisting of what God said, the serpent flat out told Eve...’you shall surely not die!’ (2-4). Yes, that would be the same ‘serpent’ John wrote about in Revelation 12:7-9, who was cast down from heaven, a.k.a. ‘Satan’ and the ‘Devil...who deceives the whole earth’. So when both Adam and Eve ate off that tree, we are told: “the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked...” (Gen. 3:7). Prior to this ‘incident’, they knew no shame (Gen. 2:25), but now ...when they heard God’s voice as He walked through the cool of the day there in the garden, they...

  One of the many things we can give God credit for...is the fact that when He begins to deal with ‘sin and sinners’, He usually starts with His own people first. Before He pours out His wrath on all those ‘wordily sinners’, He first begins by calling out the sin in His own ‘camp’ (Joshua 7). When Israel continued to rebel against God’s law, they crossed a threshold and suffered the consequences for it, as the prophets of old warned would happen (Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel). God brought Babylon in to destroy the city and the temple before the people were taken into ‘captivity’ for 70 years. (Did you catch yesterday’s message, by chance?). Then, after those 70 years passed, God called His people out of Babylon because next on the list was Babylon itself who was going to suffer God’s wrath (Jer. 50-51). Interesting historical side note here- but less than 5% of those exiles in Babylon heeded God’s call to ‘come out’. I only share that because we read in Revelation 18:1-5 where Go...

  I’ve said it before and will say it again: God is not out to ‘get you’; But He did send Jesus to ‘get you’. (John 3:17-18) ...And what is so troublesome is many in the ‘church’ today...still don’t ‘get it’. “But if you will not hear it, My soul will weep in secret for your pride; My eyes will weep bitterly And run down with tears, Because the Lord’s flock has been taken captive.” (Jer. 13:17) Who...did Jeremiah say was ‘taken captive’? In the book of Isaiah, we read in chapter 5... a sobering passage that reveals how God deals with His ‘vineyard’, when He came looking for ‘good fruit’ but found only bad fruit (5:2-4). It says that God was going to ‘take away its hedge, and it shall be burned and trampled down’ (5). Then, in verse 7 we are told who this ‘vineyard’ represents – the ‘house of Israel’, which is oftentimes, a picture or ‘type’ of the church (God’s chosen people). Would you now please read vs. 13 aloud as we learn who are ‘taken into captivity’. Does your Bible say...

  God’s assessment of mankind: “They don’t know where to find peace... They have no fear of God at all.” (Rom. 3:17-19- NLT) So why do you suppose there is ‘no fear of God’ today? The answer is rather simple, or so I would think- the law has been lost, just as it was in the days of Josiah (2 Kings 21-23) When we are not taught the law of God, we can’t understand what ‘sin’ is. When we fail to understand what sin is, then we cannot comprehend God’s judgments. Where there is no understanding of judgment, then why would anyone grasp the concept of the ‘fear of God’? (would you allow a toddler to approach a cliffside if they have no concept of the ‘law of gravity’?) The fear of God is the beginning of knowledge. (Prov. 1:7) “My people...are destroyed for a lack of knowledge...” (Hosea 4:6) “Therefore My people...have gone into captivity because they have no knowledge.” (Isa 5:13) “Come...and I will teach you the fear of the Lord” (Ps. 34:11) “Obviously, the law applies to those to ...

  A few quotes made by Jesus- “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” “...How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” (Mark 2:17; John 5:6; John 5:40; Matt. 23:37) At the ‘end of the day’...as we like to say, when we’ve laid aside all the commentaries and devotionals and turned off all the devices that funnel countless voices into our heads; and when we have nothing else to add to our theological debates in an attempt to narrow the divide of our doctrinal differences, there really are only...

  “...And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” (Acts 11:26) I’ve been saying this for years, that we in the ‘church’ would probably do well to let others (those on the outside)..refer to us as ‘Christians’ ('Christ-like')...instead of us publicly making that proclamation. And it has nothing to do with being ‘ashamed’ to make such an admission either. If we are a true follower of Jesus...we shouldn’t have to tell anyone; they will know! “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” – Jesus (John 13:35) If you didn’t catch yesterday’s message, I beg you...please stop here and go read it now? I believe I mentioned recently in one of my previous posts that the boys (my twin grandsons) are at that age now where they want to do everything...’by myself’!. “I can do this Papa...I don’t need your help!”. And so I’m learning patience as I step back and wait a little bit...until they come to me and ask for my assistance, which ...

  I was ‘scrolling’ the other day through Instagram and came upon this reel that stopped me in my tracks. It’s shared from a secular point of view, but please...take your time with this and read through the transcript I've posted here:  (caution- 'steel-toed slippers' advised) -- We love to believe we are ‘good people’ because we’re kind to strangers. You can be kind to animals and kind to the delivery person who drops packages off at your house. You can be kind to every stranger who crosses your path. But the real test of character isn’t how you treat the barista or the cashier at the store. It’s how you speak to the people who live with the real you. Kindness to strangers is not the measure of our character. Kindness at home is the real test. Strangers don’t carry your history. Strangers don’t activate your wounds. Strangers don’t mirror the parts of you that you still haven’t dealt with or maybe have avoided for years. Your spouse does. Your kids do. Your home does. A...

  It’s one of those many verses...that can give you pause when you come across them as you read through the Bible. This one is found in Matthew 24 where Jesus had been asked by His disciples...”Tell us what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age” (3), (which Paul seems to suggest is ‘already upon us’ (1 Cor. 10:11). Jesus began with a serious and repeated warning to be on guard against widespread deception (4-5). He goes on to spell out other ‘signs’ that would be unfolding and how there would be much division as ‘nations would be pitted against nations’ as well as various kingdoms. (7). Interesting side note here, but that word ‘nation’ come from the same Greek word that we get ‘ethnicity’ from; just saying. But it’s the somber warning found in verse 19 that always catches my attention: “But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!” At first glance, you have to wonder what He is trying to convey here; does God have it...

  So which ‘besetting sin(s)’ in your life (Heb. 12:1) that you struggle with to overcome...have proven to be a formidable match for the power that is declared to be found in the name of Jesus, and in the power that comes through His shed blood? I only ask because Jesus seemed to suggest that we would ‘know the truth’ and that this ‘truth would set us free...from all sin’. (John 8:32-36) It's a fair question, honestly. And it’s one I have had to confront myself and come to terms with in recent years. Either God’s word is ‘truth’...and ‘works’...or we are just playing religious games, guilty of ‘walking in a form of godliness while denying the power’. (2 Tim. 3:5). Or is it possible that you were ‘sold a counterfeit’ gospel, as Paul warned might happen in 2 Cor. 11:3-4 ...where you would end up ‘receiving another spirit’...and even following ‘another Jesus’. The other alternatives to consider is that a person can still be ‘in the dark’ or ‘ignorant’ to the truth (Acts 26:18) wh...