11-1-2023 – A Word to the Wise – Those of you who know me know the main focus of my research for the past thirty years has been the gifts. Three passages of Scripture deal directly with gifts. Romans 12:4-9, I Corinthians 12:27-30, and Ephesians 4: 11-14.

Problems begin to occur when we group all three passages under the heading Spiritual Gifts. They are not. There are two distinct groups. The rightly titled Spiritual Gifts are found in Corinthians and the Ephesians passages, but a distinctive different group is found in Romans.

The Corinthians and Ephesians passages are labeled Spiritual Gifts- as such, they are given to members of the church. These gifts did not exist before the death of Christ. They were only given to support the churches and only appear after the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

In contrast, the gifts described in Romans existed from the moment God created man. These gifts are clearly present and identifiable in many Old Testament characters.

Another difference between the two groups is that the gifts described in Romans, which I call Motivational, or Enduring Life Gifts are singular in nature, one given to each person. In contrast, an individual may have more than one Spiritual Gift. The specific purpose and quality of the gifts are different.

Motivational gifts are not to be confused with traits or personality characteristics, which may be psychological, mental, physical, cognitive, or emotional in nature. All these names suggest a humanistic type of interpretation.

The Motivational Gifts each have specific qualities that may be attributed to them. They are given by God at conception and mark the person as owned and created by the Creator. The Lord does not use the gift to control the person but gives value to the creation.

The Motivational gift supersedes all other gifts, talents, or attributes given to an individual. In other words, the motivational gift is primary- it’s going to rule how the individual sees and experiences the world. Once we understand the differences between spiritual gifts and motivational gifts, then their individual purposes become clear.

10-27-2023 – A Word to the Wise – Jesus Healing

Matthew, Mark, and Luke introduce us to an interesting event in Jesus’ ministry. He has just healed a man possessed by demons. The man Legion, begs to follow Jesus, but Jesus tells him it is more important to testify to his family and friends what had been done for him. Jesus then turns and goes towards home, that is Capernaum.

Once there, He is immediately met by the crowds and is met by a ruler of one of the synagogues, Jarius, who begs Him to come and save his desperately sick daughter. So He goes. On the way, the crowds swarm about Him.

As He goes, his path chances to cross that of another person who has no intention of revealing her presence or intention. Not out of a heart of deceit but rather humility. She had been bleeding vaginally for some twelve years, been too many doctors endure the humiliation of exams and useless treatment, and was at her wit’s end.

She sees Jesus and knows because of what she has heard about Him that this is the solution to her problem. Seeing He is in a hurry, after all the head of the synagogue is asking for His help. She, not wanting to interrupt Jesus, nor draw attention to herself, steps out of the crowd and touches His garment. That is all it takes, and she knows it. Immediately she is healed. She knows it, feels it, and it is time to slip away, in silence.

But it is not to be. “Who touched me,” the Master says. Midst all of these people, Jesus stops and asks this question. Right in the middle of the street. Who touched me? Sure, Jesus could have honored her desire for anonymity, but He does not. Before He left that place, everyone would know what had happened.

You see, Jesus wanted the people to know that secret suffering was just as important to Him as obvious trauma.

The women gave up. anonymity was not possible, so terrified at the public nature of the situation, fearful of what Jesus will say to her, anxious that she may have violated Him in some way, she steps forward.

I did it! And the words just tumbled from her lips. The years of painful humiliation all of it. Jesus knows that the emotional side of problems has to be addressed. He encourages her to empty out all of the fear and bitterness. Having told it all, Jesus replies simply—give up the fear—be at peace … you’re free of the physical and emotional anguish.

But the story does not end here. Jesus interrupted as He was on the way to heal another woman-girl stops to bring attention to everyone the predicament of this one and is now informed that it is too late. Jarius’s daughter is dead. Dead…she is dead. Just leave Him alone. It is too late, your precious daughter is dead.

Jarius is no doubt overwhelmed with the pain of loss, my daughter is dead. My little girl, the apple of my eye, it is too late.

Jesus just ignores it. He says to Jarius, “Just believe.” Jesus sets out with renewed urgency. This time leaving the crowd behind, He takes Peter, James, John, and the father, and they make their way to Jarius’s house. He no more than arrives than is confronted with the ridicule of the crowd at the family home. They laugh at the idea that the daughter will be just fine. Jesus did not even bother to reply just tells them to get out. Taking the parents and His disciples, he enters the room, takes the little girl’s hand, and says gently, “Time to get up,” and she awakes and gets up. They were astonished. How did He do this?

Now the contrast. Jesus heals the demoniac and tells him to tell others. He proceeds to heal a woman, who wants to be secretive in front of the whole world, and now He tells this father and mother whose child is returned to them from the dead—tell no one. Why?

Why, tell the demoniac to speak it abroad, the secretive woman’s suffering revealed to everyone, and now this popular church leader…tell no one?

Let’s see if there is a pattern here. Turn back to the first of his ministry.

Mark 1:21ff Jesus cast out a demon from a man publically on the Sabbath. He then heals Peter’s mother-in-law privately. That same evening when the Sabbath is over, He heals a multitude of people publically. However, He will not allow the demons He cast out to speak.

The next incident is a man with leprosy, who He heals privately and insists that He tell no one. Mark 1:40ff). The man did just the opposite. A few days later (Mark 2), Jesus, in Capernaum preaching publically, heals a paralytic Mark 3 again publically, and on the Sabbath, Jesus restores a shriveled hand, then turns and publically heals many in large crowds.

Mark 4 has Jesus privately calming a storm for his disciples. Chapter 5 tells the story of Legion, who He heals privately and tells him to make it public. The two incidents with the woman that we have recounted occur, and in Mark 6, Jesus goes to His hometown Nazareth where He could only heal a few sick people because of the unbelief of the town.

I wonder what it all means. Do you know?

10-15-2023 – A Word for the Wise – Who Did Jesus Not Like

Most of us feel loved by the Lord. We have been taught all of our lives, “For God so loved the world…. Yet I firmly believe there is a difference in being loved by the Lord and being liked by the Lord.

Even among the apostles, there were those singled out for a special relationship. This is seen in the events surrounding the Transfiguration and then again in the Garden before His death. There are some in scripture who befriend Jesus. John, at Jesus’ death, the women who provided for His ministry are but a few.

It is obvious that there are those who Jesus forms bonds with, those He is fond of. His family members were not a part of this group. In fact, they are often at odds with Jesus and His ministry. There are others as well.

In John 5, we meet a man who Jesus heals then singles out for a later admonition. In verse 14, Jesus warns the man not to return to his sinful behavior, or he will be worse off. The man then turns and betrays Jesus to His enemies. I doubt Jesus liked the man…He loved him and used His power to heal him, yet Jesus is not fond of the man.

In contrast, John 9 gives us another personal encounter. Jesus heals the man and goes on His way. Subsequently, the man is challenged and ridiculed by the Pharisees. Jesus makes a special effort to find the man and talk to him. There is a bond between the two.

The healing of the demoniac reveals this same type of encounter between Jesus and another person.

These few form quick and long-lasting bonds with the Lord.

The enemies of Jesus, though He died for them, it is evident that He did not like them. I suspect in our time, the same may be true. Those the Lord loves are many; Those He likes are few. Which are you?

10-14-2023 – A Word to the Wise – LOVE

There are many myths about love.

Love is a feeling.

Undying love

Unconditional love

A myth is a gift-wrapped lie. Perhaps the greatest myth is that love should be unconditional.

THE NONSENSE OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

We are a people who like to proclaim unconditional love as the height of love. Somehow, we have developed the idea that unconditional love is a biblical concept. It is not. Love is never ever unconditional. The Lord always demands obedience. It is not that perfect obedience is obtainable, but rather that we work towards being obedient. John reiterates this in I John 2;” He who says “I know him” but disobeys his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps his word, in him truly love for God is perfected.”

The truth is love is very conditional and must be exercised judiciously. The concept of unconditional love is a humanistic idea.

Jesus, in Luke 6, states, “ If you love those who love you, what credit is it to you?.” Closer examination reveals that what is given, is to God with man merely the recipient. Love for God is judged by behavior to man. Love is action and behavior towards one’s fellow man as evidence of loving God.

Two areas of our lives most often popularized by the idea of unconditional love are those to whom we love in a sexual way and our children. In the former, we may pledge undying love, a pledge that is quickly forgotten with the hardships of marriage. In the latter circumstance, our children, we may proclaim we love unconditionally, yet rarely would we pass the test for such love. In actuality, we would see our love as a future investment which we cash in as they learn to respond to us. After all look at all the effort we place on getting them to express their love for us.

I suspect some may find this idea rather harsh. But observe the attitude of parents which deliver an infant grossly deformed. Because they cannot show the infant off and receive accolades on what a perfect baby they have, they tend to put distance between them and the child. The child is rejected because the parent will not receive a reward. What is the reward? The positive attention of others.

Part of the problem lies in how we have come to define love. Love is an attitude which leads to specific types of behavior. It does not discriminate about the recipient. Once discrimination creeps into the behavior, then the test of love has failed. Let’s discover something about this quality we call love and the behavior it exhibits.

We live in an era which creates tests for everything. We test our vehicle emissions, our water for chemicals, our eyes for glasses, our children for their intelligence. All tests, whatever their purpose, measure test subjects against a standard. The quality of the standard chosen ultimately determines the value of the conclusions reached.

The Scriptures provide a variety of tests and set certain standards by which performance is measured. Such a test is provided for evaluating the quality of love. Actually, several tests are provided for the character quality of love.

Much like gold, love may have impurities. In much the same manner that gold is purified, so love is purified. Whereas fire is used to rid gold of its impurities, sacrifice is used to purify love. One can say, in fact, that the element of sacrifice is the one ingredient which determines the quality of love.

10-13-2023 – A Word to the Wise – The more one studies biblical topics the more frequently it seems one comes across those who deny basic biblical events. Whether it be the Creation story, the Flood, or Crossing the Red Sea it seems denial, retelling, and myth-making seems to be the process in which the Lord is left out and the facts denied.

I have reached the conclusion that there is one place besides heaven where there is no denial, no atheist, nor agnostic. Scripture makes it clear that in hell, there is no doubt nor denial, just an awful awareness that God Almighty exists and man, along with the demons, wish it were not so.

10-12-2023 – A Word to the Wise – Satan’s lies

Very early in life, usually about two or three Satan begins to plant seeds in the hearts of children, which then bear fruit throughout their life. They are very simple ideas based on the actions or behaviors of others. Examples of seeds might be one’s parents are not dependable based on failures to keep promises. Or both parents working dumping the child in a daycare center may result in the seed of abandonment. Sexual abuse by an authority figure results in rebellion towards authority. All of these seeds have simple beginnings, yet Satan carefully nourishes them with events in the child’s life that reinforces the original lesson.

Perhaps a father promises to take his child to the show. The child waits all day for his father to come home and fulfill his promise. Something happens at work, and he gets off late. He comes home and has forgotten his promise the child has not forgotten, and Satan merely says to the inner child, “I told you he could not be trusted.”

Jesus addresses this in His parable, the wheat and the tares. “Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ 28” ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time, I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’ “

One may glean from this passage an important direction for dealing with Satan’s lies.

Awareness of the lies is essential; they must be gathered up and marked for destruction. However, at this point in a child’s life, they are not rooted out because if they are, then the good plants can be destroyed as well. Now how is this possible how can the good be intertwined with the lie in such a manner that it is at risk?

In the example, the father may not even remember the event, in which case nothing can be done. However, knowing the adversary’s tactic, what will probably happen is the child will be prompted to remind the father. The father will justify, explain, and deny the promise, and the situation has now been worsened in the child’s spirit. The father could simply admit to his failure and ask for forgiveness, and the child would probably forgive but tends not to forget. The wise father could make a record of his failures, and later on in life, when the child is now a father himself, sits down with him and show him the list of failures, which would indicate to the child that those promises and failures were important to the father. Now the seeds could be completely removed, and forgiveness, mercy, and gratitude replacing bitterness and failure.

Examples: in my own life, very early in life Satan told me that you could not depend on others. They would abandon you, reject you, or die on you. He reaffirmed this lie throughout my youth, and I accepted it as a reality that I never challenged.

When I married, the first year, Satan told me a bald-faced lie; my wife he said would die before our twentieth anniversary. Based on the abandonment and deaths early in life, the lie was believable.

Obviously, this worked in my emotions and caused me to put emotional distance between us. After all, she was going to die. So, I never allowed her to get close because she would die. In our twenty-first year, the Lord prompted me with a question, “How long have you been married?” Twenty-one years Lord, you know that. “I thought Mary was supposed to die before you had been married twenty years? Immediately the lie was apparent, and immediately I could see the consequences of the lie.

When Satan lied to God and told him Job would fail, the only thing God said was prove it!

9-18-2023 – A Word to the Wise – After a while, your heart gets hardened to all the violence. It is not that you do not care rather just a sense of helplessness over what you see.

Element 342, May 5, 1984.

Very sad evening.

Shortly after leaving Southeast station, the emergency signal is emitted over the radio! “342 authorized code 3 on a shooting 3033 Grand.” The red lights light up passing cars, and the siren wails its mournful tone once again.

Silence rules as we both try to picture the location. “342, the suspect is a black male, 6’1, with a blue shirt and blue jeans.” Suspect has fled the scene after shooting his four-year-old daughter with a shotgun. ‘342 received.’ Pulling up to 3033 Grand, we hear cover elements approaching. Walking up to the porch, we first hear the screaming mother and then observe a young child lying in the living room covered with blood. The scene is indescribable.

Tim pulls the mother aside, and I kneel beside the little girl compressing a wound in her chest. Blood still streams from everywhere.

The ambulance pulls, and two medics run up, and they start first aid. The little child is immediately loaded into the ambulance.

Tim gets the information from the hysterical mother, and we go to the car.

He says that the mother and father had been arguing over money, and the father went and got his shotgun to threaten the mother. The suspect stepped out on the front porch, and his wife starts screaming at him again. He turned and fired through the front door striking the child. Throws the shotgun down and runs, then fleeing the scene on foot.

We start a street-by-street search. At the intersection of Park Row and Trunk, we observe a black male fitting the general description barefoot walking in the street. We stopped beside him and got out.

I observed blood on his shirt and asked his name. He said, Leroy Reeves.

He admits that he shot the child. I tell him he is under arrest and start to cuff him. He admitted that he and his wife had been fighting over money and that he went to the bedroom and returned with his shotgun.

A radio check confirmed a long arrest record for drugs, burglary, and assault.

We take him back to the scene to get further information from his wife and confirmation that he is the person. Driving up, she sees him in the backseat of the squad car and starts running towards the squad car, screaming for us to kill him, that he did not deserve to live. We leave.

For the first time and the only time I ever remember, I get out my Miranda card and quietly read him his rights, and then I asked him if he had shot the child. He again admits that he had. We booked him into jail, for attempted murder and injury to a child.

The child died later that evening.

I reflect later on the death of the child. I wish I could have prevented or intervened before her death. It is a sad loss. No doubt the man will reflect for years to come on the instant he pulled the trigger and ended the life of his baby girl. Such a senseless argument.

There is a lesson here about anger and how easily it gets out of control.

9-16-2023 – A Word to the Wise – The highest kind of love has its root in humility. It is not difficult to learn the first part of mature love. That love which is able to deny self and care for the welfare of others. Particularly does this love come naturally when expressed for loved ones. Some even may feel genuine love and concern for humanity in general.

But when we get to the kind of love that is able to love our enemies, we find we are over our heads. Here we find it necessary to have a deeper, stronger character than we have ever imagined. This type of love demands strength that is only acquired through humility.

Who is my enemy, one might say. Everyone who opposes the cross of Christ Jesus. Whether that be husband, child, mother or father, or even self at times. Every attitude or behavior, regardless of the owner, that challenges the Lord is an enemy of the Lord. How is that enemy treated? Better than mother, or father, brother, and sister. Where does one get the strength, the courage, the stamina, to stand against evil? Those traits flow from the quality of humility.

Humility can only be established by our personal relationship with God. When I behold God as my creator and really feel the significance of being the created, the honor of God becomes real, the acceptance of self-inevitable. Out of all of this comes the humility that enables me to love my enemy.

Humility gives one a sense of worth because it has its roots in one’s relationship with God. Now many confuse feeling worthless with being humble. However, there is no spiritual relationship between worthlessness and humility. Every man has his own gifts of God. To deny them, to call them worthless, would be to defame God. Humility is knowing whom and what you are before God.

Test what I say. Love your neighbor as yourself. Now if you are worthless, you would see him also as worthless, but if you see your worth, then you can also acknowledge his. This is a very basic step in gaining humility.

Many people have such a case of inferiority, though, that they are afraid to approach humility. Inferiority, like worthlessness, is unrelated to humility. God never said man was worthless — he said he was helpless. He never said we were inferior, rather he created us superior to all of his creatures. That superiority is not for the purpose of ruling over but to care for and protect.

9-15-2023 – A Word to the Wise – I came across a letter from my very wise mother that I would like to share. It was written some fifty years ago, yet still carries a profound message.

It is important whether our mates are able to fulfill our needs. In fact, are we able to receive our needs?

Some never learn to receive. To accept we are incomplete humbles us– to reach out and accept (not take) our needs teaches us humility.

If we have not learned how to receive; humbled ourselves to the point of acceptance –we may well perish in the very presence of it.

The first 12 years of our lives are given almost wholly to receiving—any failure in this pattern must be corrected.

So question yourself. How did you receive? Or did you ever really receive. Every day brought some good gifts or bad gifts—how did you receive them?

Did you feel I want none of these things—they do not fill my needs—I am starving for_______ what?

If you receive them, is it possible, they would have been like a surprise package. Lo, perhaps your need had been hidden inside all the time.

Why does the scripture say, “It is more blessed to give than receive? Remember, if you only read words, they condemn; if you understand, they give life. Christians not understanding, or twisting this scripture will become hard empty starved people. They have nothing to share because long ago, they closed the valve through which they receive.

Jesus was a channel through which God the Father flowed. We can never differ from Jesus. Only be like the same channel—a channel is open at both ends that which is permitted to flow in becomes the fruit as it flows out.

9-12-2023 – A Word to the Wise – THE ACQUISITION OF MERCY: Why And how

Patience is obtained through endurance of unpleasant situations or circumstances. How often I hear, “I will not ever pray for the Lord to teach me patience again.” Usually, this follows a very trying experience. The person is unwilling to undergo the character training necessary to produce the character quality of patience.

The character quality of Mercy is obtained in much the same manner; however, it involves the experience of significant pain, emotional, mental, physical, or spiritual. Acquiring Mercy is very painful. Not long ago, I was explaining to a client the painful process necessary if one was to develop the trait and its benefit to others. The individual let me know quite bluntly they had no desire to acquire Mercy, they would do just fine without it. How unfortunate. It reminds me of the rich young ruler who came to Jesus wanting to be a disciple. Once learning the cost, he decided to choose a different path.

So, it is with Mercy. Perhaps we should offer a glimmer of insight into the benefits of the merciful before we count the cost. Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, tells us that the one who is merciful will obtain Mercy. We will see something of the value of that blessing shortly.

Recently there was a film release, which symbolizes just how important Mercy is in the lives of others. Stephen King’s popular serial released book set in Louisiana circa 1935 was adapted for film in 1999. It portrays a death row prisoner John Coffey found guilty of murdering two nine-year-olds. Coffey is discovered holding the bodies of the children in his lap. Coffey, played by Michael Clark Duncan, a huge 7-foot 330-pound black man awaits execution on what is known as the Green Mile. Paul Edgecomb, played by Tom Hanks, is one of the guards responsible for his eventual execution.

The central thought for us is how the trait of Mercy is portrayed. A miraculous element is suggested; however, I believe that this ability is obtainable and useable by those who desire to make the necessary sacrifices. The cycle displayed in the movie is reminiscent of the actual stages of a Mercy employing these abilities experiences.

First, Mercy observes one hurting. The source of the pain may be physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual. Second, Mercy places himself in contact with the person hurting. Three, Mercy takes the pain off the other person. Fourth, there is an awareness on the part of the Mercy that a transfer of pain has occurred and that they are now hurting. Fifth, the Mercy then goes through the process of giving up the pain to the Lord. Sixth, deep fatigue sets in. Seventh is the recovery stage.

These different stages are necessary for Mercy if he is to successfully reduce the suffering. Each stage requires training brought about by a lifetime of painful experiences, and an unselfish willingness to take another’s pain. Now why would anyone want to go through all of this pain? Is it worth it? God’s Word tells us that this is exactly what Jesus did for us and leaves us with the example that we might do it for others.

Who are those most apt to develop these skills? First of all, those who have been given the gift of Mercy which represents about 30 % of the general population. Second-born children are another group representing a large segment of society who tend to desire this trait. A combination of the two, one possessing the gift of Mercy and second-born individuals, makes the ability very intense. Material on the Motivation Gifts gives more details on all seven gifts, particularly the gift of Mercy.