One of the most oft committed sins in America is the irreverent use of God’s name. Every day innumerable people use God’s name as if it is so much trash. They use it in cursing, swearing, and joke telling, and toss it around in conversation, writings, and songs with careless disrespect. It is used as careless epithets and exclamations to emphasize a statement.
Folks need to be taught better. They need to know the greatness of Almighty God, and that His name is holy and reverend (Psalm 111:9). Instead of using His name carelessly, people should be giving “unto the Lord the glory due unto His name” (Psalm 29:2 and 96:8). David wrote, “The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble… Let them praise Your great and awesome name.” (Psalm 99:1,3)
Consider this. God, through Moses, gave Israel His law, which included these words, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.” (Exodus 20:7) Further, the people were taught to “fear this glorious and awesome name, the Lord your God.” (Deuteronomy 28:58)
Jesus declared, “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:36, 37) Remember, Jesus and the word He spoke will judge us.
Anyone who says he or she respects God should think very seriously about how he or she uses His name. Even though one may not cuss, so to speak, and use God’s name in a vulgar way, there are many times when “Lord” and “God” are used in a frivolous way and in so doing this shows a lack of respect for God. Think about God before you use His name carelessly.
Consider the following passages:
“To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours.” I Corinthians 1:2
“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Colossians 3:17
Remember, calling ON the name of the Lord is much different from calling OUT the name of the Lord. God has given us the privilege to call upon His name in prayer and praise. Let us revere Him and give Him the respect He calls for and deserves.
See you when the saints meet, Lord willing.
Love, Tony
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Weddings or Marriages?
I don’t know the man who wrote the following words. I copied them from a bulletin who copied it from another bulletin. The writer is Eugene Peterson. I like what he says so I pass it on. I hope you will appreciate it. Here are his words:
“As I talk with people who come to me in preparation for marriage I often say, ‘Weddings are easy; marriages are difficult.’ The couple wants to plan a wedding; I want to plan a marriage. They want to know where the bridesmaids will stand; I want to develop a plan for forgiveness. They want to discuss music of the wedding; I want to talk about emotions of the marriage. I can do a wedding in twenty minutes with eyes shut; a marriage takes year after year of alert wide-eyed attention.
“Weddings are important. They are beautiful; they are impressive; they are emotional; sometimes they are expensive. We weep at weddings as we laugh at weddings. We take care to be at the right place at the right time and say the right words. Where people stand is important. The way people dress is significant. Every detail - this flower, that candle - is memorable. All the same, weddings are easy.
“But marriages are complex and difficult. In marriage we work out in every detail of life the promises and commitments spoken at the wedding. In marriage we develop the long and rich life of faithful love that the wedding announces. The event of the wedding without the life of the marriage doesn't amount to much. It hardly matters if the man and woman dress up in their wedding clothes and re-enact the ceremony every anniversary and say, ‘I’m married, I’m married, I’m married’ if there is no continuing tenderness, no attentive listening, no inventive giving, no creative blessing.”
These words hit the nail on the head. I, too, have performed numerous weddings over the past 41 years and have jokingly said at times that I would rather do a funeral than a wedding because funerals don’t get “undone.” But it isn’t funny.
Marriage is for one man and one woman for life. When asked by the Jews why Moses gave “certificates of divorce” (read Matthew 19:3-9), Jesus said “from the beginning it has not been this way.” Jesus had defined marriage as a man leaving his father and mother and being joined to his wife in order to become one flesh. (v. 5)
The bond of marriage is too easily tied with a slip-knot today. People are giving more attention to weddings than to marriages. Ceremony means more than matrimony. “Matrimony”, by the way, is defined as “the union of man and woman as husband and wife.” (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary). Build your marriage on God.
See you when the saints meet, Lord willing.
Love, Tony
“As I talk with people who come to me in preparation for marriage I often say, ‘Weddings are easy; marriages are difficult.’ The couple wants to plan a wedding; I want to plan a marriage. They want to know where the bridesmaids will stand; I want to develop a plan for forgiveness. They want to discuss music of the wedding; I want to talk about emotions of the marriage. I can do a wedding in twenty minutes with eyes shut; a marriage takes year after year of alert wide-eyed attention.
“Weddings are important. They are beautiful; they are impressive; they are emotional; sometimes they are expensive. We weep at weddings as we laugh at weddings. We take care to be at the right place at the right time and say the right words. Where people stand is important. The way people dress is significant. Every detail - this flower, that candle - is memorable. All the same, weddings are easy.
“But marriages are complex and difficult. In marriage we work out in every detail of life the promises and commitments spoken at the wedding. In marriage we develop the long and rich life of faithful love that the wedding announces. The event of the wedding without the life of the marriage doesn't amount to much. It hardly matters if the man and woman dress up in their wedding clothes and re-enact the ceremony every anniversary and say, ‘I’m married, I’m married, I’m married’ if there is no continuing tenderness, no attentive listening, no inventive giving, no creative blessing.”
These words hit the nail on the head. I, too, have performed numerous weddings over the past 41 years and have jokingly said at times that I would rather do a funeral than a wedding because funerals don’t get “undone.” But it isn’t funny.
Marriage is for one man and one woman for life. When asked by the Jews why Moses gave “certificates of divorce” (read Matthew 19:3-9), Jesus said “from the beginning it has not been this way.” Jesus had defined marriage as a man leaving his father and mother and being joined to his wife in order to become one flesh. (v. 5)
The bond of marriage is too easily tied with a slip-knot today. People are giving more attention to weddings than to marriages. Ceremony means more than matrimony. “Matrimony”, by the way, is defined as “the union of man and woman as husband and wife.” (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary). Build your marriage on God.
See you when the saints meet, Lord willing.
Love, Tony
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Overcoming Unbelief
In Mark 9:17-29 is an account of Jesus casting out a demon from a man’s son. This man had asked, “But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” Jesus replied, “’If You can!’ All things are possible to him who believes.” The response from the boy’s father was imploring and with tears he said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.”
How often have you felt like that? Don’t we frequently look at what others are doing or have done and think to ourselves, “I know I (or we) could do that.” or, “We should be able to do that.” But, what keeps us from fulfilling our potential or reaching goals? We have the desire. We believe in God. We know that God has given increase and promises to do so for us. We accept the power of God. What, then, keeps us (either personally or as a congregation) from our goals or potential?
Could it be that we have developed what might be called an ‘intellectual faith’? Do we “believe” with our mind but not trust with our heart? The man whose son was possessed very likely had heard of Jesus’ miracles and perhaps had seen some. But this was his son involved. He was emotionally involved in this case. He knew what he had heard and seen but what if his son was too far gone? What if Jesus was unable to help this time? After all, the disciples couldn’t do it ( v 18). Doubts and fears gripped him now. He had ‘intellectual faith’ but could he really trust?
We are a Bible-believing people. Yet, sometimes it is difficult to really be a God-trusting people. We look at what has been done and what we want to do and read “all things are possible to him what believes.” But-- Can I … or Can We…? Perhaps it is time we as individuals and as a congregation cry out with tears, “Lord, help our unbelief.”
See you when the Saints meet, Lord willing.
Love, Tony
How often have you felt like that? Don’t we frequently look at what others are doing or have done and think to ourselves, “I know I (or we) could do that.” or, “We should be able to do that.” But, what keeps us from fulfilling our potential or reaching goals? We have the desire. We believe in God. We know that God has given increase and promises to do so for us. We accept the power of God. What, then, keeps us (either personally or as a congregation) from our goals or potential?
Could it be that we have developed what might be called an ‘intellectual faith’? Do we “believe” with our mind but not trust with our heart? The man whose son was possessed very likely had heard of Jesus’ miracles and perhaps had seen some. But this was his son involved. He was emotionally involved in this case. He knew what he had heard and seen but what if his son was too far gone? What if Jesus was unable to help this time? After all, the disciples couldn’t do it ( v 18). Doubts and fears gripped him now. He had ‘intellectual faith’ but could he really trust?
We are a Bible-believing people. Yet, sometimes it is difficult to really be a God-trusting people. We look at what has been done and what we want to do and read “all things are possible to him what believes.” But-- Can I … or Can We…? Perhaps it is time we as individuals and as a congregation cry out with tears, “Lord, help our unbelief.”
See you when the Saints meet, Lord willing.
Love, Tony
Sunday, July 5, 2009
The Truth That Brings Freedom
In John 8:31, 32 Jesus says, “If you continue in my Word, then are you truly disciples of mine, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
In Acts 5, the apostles had been put into prison for preaching the message of Jesus. The Lord sent His angel to set them free. The angel then gave them God’s message, “Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.” (v.20) This is consistent with what Jesus said in His commission to the apostles in Matthew 28:18-20, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; teaching them to observe everything that I have taught you.”
The apostles could not compromise the message God gave them to preach.. They knew the consequences of preaching “all the words” could land them in jail. They would suffer even death for preaching the whole truth. The high priest reprimanded them because, as he said, “you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching (doctrine).”
Later, in Acts 20:27, Paul tells the elders of Ephesus, “I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.” Peter writes in 2 Peter 1:3 that God “has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness.”
In religion today there are differences. Different ‘churches.’ Different messages. Different ‘truths.’ Different ways of salvation. And these differences cause confusion among honest, searching people. With the apostles’ preaching, there was no doubt about the message. All were told the same thing. They didn’t each form their own opinions. They preached “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth” - to borrow a phrase. That’s what the world needs today. That is what the church should be doing today. I believe that’s what people are really wanting to hear today. They are wanting to hear a message of freedom.
God has not given us the freedom of choice in religion - except to choose to accept or reject. He has offered what will save, bring freedom from sin. When the same thing is preached and taught today, it will get the same results in the twenty-first century that it did in the first century when the apostles were preaching it.
The truth that sets men free today comes from preaching “all the words of this life.”
See you when the Saints meet, Lord willing.
Love, Tony
In Acts 5, the apostles had been put into prison for preaching the message of Jesus. The Lord sent His angel to set them free. The angel then gave them God’s message, “Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.” (v.20) This is consistent with what Jesus said in His commission to the apostles in Matthew 28:18-20, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; teaching them to observe everything that I have taught you.”
The apostles could not compromise the message God gave them to preach.. They knew the consequences of preaching “all the words” could land them in jail. They would suffer even death for preaching the whole truth. The high priest reprimanded them because, as he said, “you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching (doctrine).”
Later, in Acts 20:27, Paul tells the elders of Ephesus, “I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.” Peter writes in 2 Peter 1:3 that God “has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness.”
In religion today there are differences. Different ‘churches.’ Different messages. Different ‘truths.’ Different ways of salvation. And these differences cause confusion among honest, searching people. With the apostles’ preaching, there was no doubt about the message. All were told the same thing. They didn’t each form their own opinions. They preached “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth” - to borrow a phrase. That’s what the world needs today. That is what the church should be doing today. I believe that’s what people are really wanting to hear today. They are wanting to hear a message of freedom.
God has not given us the freedom of choice in religion - except to choose to accept or reject. He has offered what will save, bring freedom from sin. When the same thing is preached and taught today, it will get the same results in the twenty-first century that it did in the first century when the apostles were preaching it.
The truth that sets men free today comes from preaching “all the words of this life.”
See you when the Saints meet, Lord willing.
Love, Tony
