Decide to protect life!
Today’s devotion builds on the thoughts from Sunday’s Sermon – Week 2 of “Fan or Follower – Value Life” (LISTEN HERE).
Decide before hand.
As I write this, Hurricane Ian is making its way toward Florida with intensity of a strong Category 4 hurricane. This is truly a dangerous storm and one that will exhibit the power of God and I pray also the mercy of God.
As the hurricane approached this week, news outlets had images of people lines up to get water, empty shelves of toilet paper, and generators gone. People were trying to prepare and searching for the supplies to do it. Evacuations have been issued and looking at projected flooding from the storm surge, evacuating certain areas was wise.
All of this to protect life.
Property can be replaced, lives can’t.
As Florida faces a strong hurricane, those that decided before this week to do what was necessary to protect their property and lives are much better off. They didn’t have to wait in long lines, they have ample supplies and their house has storm shutters ready to be deployed.
When emergency happens, we react. But if we can decide how we will react and prepare to react that way, life in an emergency is more manageable and calm.
Playing on Team Life as a follower of Jesus takes pre-deciding how we will handle certain circumstances. It means deciding before hand how we will engage with our life and the lives of others. The decisions can be difficult, but better to make them before you have to so when you find yourself in a challenging circumstance, you default to the decision you already made.
So what’s the decision as a player on Team Life? Protect life. Period.
Because we see the intrinsic value of life, we will decide in favor of protecting life.
How?
- We are willing to give up our life for someone else.
1 John 3:16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.
How does this play out? Jesus invites me to consider the life of someone else more valuable than my own. So, I decide that if a threat arises to my family or congregation and I am in position to save another person’s life, I am willing to risk my own to save theirs.
2. We do what we can to protect the life of the unborn.
Protecting the life of the unborn is a challenge in our culture where many are fighting for the right to end life in the womb, rename an unborn baby as “tissue,” or denying the reality of the heartbeat heard on sonograms.. Crazy things are being said to ignore the plain facts that a mother is carrying a new life in her womb, not just random tissue of her own body. God designed the womb of a woman to be the perfect place for his knitting project:
Psalm 139:13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be
There is no question from the truths of the Scripture and for that matter biology that life begins at conception. A follower of Jesus carries this perspective. The only choice is whether one allows that life to take its course under God’s protection and plan or intervene as a human to take the life of another human being. So, to be blunt, the choice of a woman is to protect the life God is forming or to terminate that life. I know the discussion is complicated, but the decision is simple. A new life begins at conception and has intrinsic, unique and individual value, worth and significance before the Lord. Therefore, life must be protected.
If I may present one more very challenging side of this. When a follower of Jesus decides that life in the womb is indeed life and worth protecting, we will protect life, no matter HOW that life came to be. Much discussion gets made of pregnancies caused by rape or incest and the right to terminate a life brought about by these horrendous sins. I struggle with this logic. The argument is made that if a woman who was raped carries the baby to birth, seeing the child continues to perpetuate the wound of sin that began the pregnancy every time the child is seen. So, the conclusion is that the pain of living with the child is too great and the life is worth terminating to avoid the lifetime of reliving the rape or incest.
Can I offer a different course of action to be considered by God’s people? What happens when I trust that life is a gift of God and is in his realm to allow or terminate? I must conclude that even though sin (rape, incest, sex outside of marriage, etc.) brought the life into existence, doesn’t automatically negate the fact that a life was created. What happens when I trust that God just might have allowed that life for a purpose in his eternal plan while that life engages on this earth? Think of the offspring of Bathsheba…raped by King David (2 Samuel 11-12). Think of Moab, the son of incest of Lot and his daughter (Genesis 19:36-38). Both of these relationships ended with a child being used in God’s plan of bringing Jesus into the world (Solomon & King David). God can use a child conceived in sin, to be a blessing to his kingdom. What happens if I view the perpetrator through the lens of grace and forgiveness (I may never trust or interact with them)? Do I see the child as a reminder of the horrible sin or see the child as God bringing some good out of a very horrible situation?
I invite your reflections. I pray for the strength to engage in these decisions if and when the situation arises. Life is worth protecting no matter who it is and how their life began.
Make the decision today to protect life.
Apply: What is one thing you can do today to value life and protect it?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for bringing me into this world. Strengthen me for the work and challenge to protect the lives you have created, knit together, and for which you determined purpose.
Raca! You fool!
Today’s devotion builds on the thoughts from Sunday’s Sermon – Week 2 of “Fan or Follower – Value Life” (LISTEN HERE).
Ever called someone “Raca”?
Ever told someone, “You fool!”
Ever think doing this could put you before a court or land you in the fires of hell?
Jesus gets us thinking about what we are saying.
Matthew 5:22 Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
At first read, we maybe dismiss Jesus’ words and say, “He’s exaggerating.” But they are shocking in their sternness which must lead us to pause and understand what would be the connection between calling a brother, “Raca” or telling someone, “You fool.”
First, these aren’t joking words. These are insults.
“Raca” has the connotation of “blockhead.” Someone who is brainless, stupid, and incapable congruent thought. The word maybe seems silly to us, but it would indicate anger or hatred brewing in the heart. Perhaps we might call it today, “hate speech” which could end up with us being dismissed from our job or even brought on charges before a court. It was serious because it was used in Jesus day as an expression of anger or hatred toward another person’s life.
Similar with “You fool.” The Psalms call a person a “fool” who believes there is no God. The Greek term translated fool is “moron.” Again not only an attack on one’s intellect, but also on their character. It indicated they were not a person of integrity, faith grounding, or moral compass. Again, words that came from a heart of hatred and bitterness.
Bottom line, it’s just not loving, uplifting, or expressing value and appreciation for the other person’s life. And if it’s not love, comes from a heart of hate, and devalues the life of another, it is murder. And no one who continues in murderous activity or thought, will enter eternal life. So, Jesus words are accurate. A heart full of hate is a heart headed to hell.
1 John 3:14-15 Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.
Tough teaching for us today, but the reason Jesus gives it to us is because he loves us like he loved Cain. “Sin is crouching at your door. Watch out or it will master you.” Anyone who loves us is willing to warn us. Jesus does both. Because he desires the Spirit of God to master your heart and drive out any bitterness, rage or anger, that may not lead to physical murder, but certainly have murdered a person in our mind.
Ephesians 4:31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Ultimately, Jesus exposes sin in our heart to bring healing to our heart. When we struggle to love, we have Jesus who loved us and loved perfectly for us. He spoke from the cross words of forgiveness and love to those he had every right to call “Raca” or “You Fool” but instead said, “You’re forgiven.”
Luke 23:34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
He does the same for you.
Apply: What relationships tempt your heart to fire off insults? What happens when you view that person through the lens of Christ’s love and forgiveness?
Prayer: Father, thank you for affirming your love for us when you have every right to call us “Raca” and “You fool.” Move us with your love to do the same for those around us. AMEN.
What lurks in your heart?
Today’s devotion builds on the thoughts from Sunday’s Sermon – Week 2 of “Fan or Follower – Value Life” (LISTEN HERE).
Matthew 15:18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.
Hands only do what the heart drives them to do.
Motivational speakers don’t speak to hands, they speak to influence the heart so that the hands can be more productive or skillful at their tasks.
The heart is a powerful part of our body. We think of it as just the “pump” of our blood throughout our bodies. We think of it as a physical organ, vital to the sustenance of life. However, the heart is also an emotional and electronic impulse center, perhaps at times more powerful than the brain. Our mind provides rational thought, our heart provides emotional feelings. Jesus targets the heart, because our heart can move us to irrational things. Advertisers know this as “every decision is an emotional decision.” You can spend way more on a car, furniture or home because it “feels” right.
The point? The heart is a powerful motivator for good or evil. What drives our heart, drives our actions and really our lives.
So Jesus goes after the heart, because he too knows that the heart leads to the actions of the hands.
Murder is an action of the hands. Anger is an emotion of the heart. While the mind may override anger and prevent physical murder, Jesus condemns anger that desires the demise of someone as equally damning as murder itself.
Matthew 5:22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.
A great case study is the first murder in the world recorded in Genesis 4.
Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”
8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.”While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
The Lord warned Cain about his anger, resentment and hatred toward his brother Abel. The issue wasn’t the offering Cain brought, the issue was his heart was angry and bitter. From the anger of his heart came the murder in the field.
One of our professors at Seminary said, “Never underestimate the power of the sinful nature. It can lead you to do things you never think you will do.” When our sinful nature controls our heart and Satan gets a foothold of anger lurking within, it certainly has potential to lead to murder, but just as bad is a strong desire for the demise of another person, even if that person is never murdered.
1 John 3: 14b-15 Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.·
Hatred in the heart leaves no room for love in the heart. Hatred devalues another person and their life, wishing it to be gone. This is the mission of “Team Death.”
The danger of hatred is why Jesus gives such strong warning against it and why multiple encouragements are given such as Ephesians 4:31-32:
Ephesians 4:31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
With the Lord’s blessing, the Spirit of God drives out hatred and anger and we see people with eyes of compassion and forgiveness, valuing their life rather than wishing for the end of it.
Apply: Where is sin crouching at your door? Take time today to repent of it and allow the love and forgiveness of the Lord to replace any anger or hatred which lurks within.
Prayer: Lord thank you for your love and grace which chose to love us even when you had every right to be angry and hate us. As we bask in your grace, lead us to have your heart of love instead of a heart of hatred. AMEN.
At Least I Haven’t Killed Anyone…
Today’s devotion builds on the thoughts from Sunday’s Sermon – Week 2 of “Fan or Follower – Value Life” (LISTEN HERE).
“I’ve never killed anyone.”
Fortunately that is true for a vast majority of people.
So it is easy to read the Fifth Commandment, “You shall not kill” and move on with a confident checkmark that indicates, “I’ve kept that one!”
It may even be a caveat to our evaluation of the commandments when we say, “At least, I’ve never killed someone.” We could dishonor our parents, let a little curse come out of our mouths, or take a pen from work…but AT LEAST, I haven’t killed anyone.”
Like that is the BIG commandment…if you break the other ones, ok, but once you’ve killed someone THEN you are a huge lawbreaker.
Jesus knew this. He knew we would want to skip past the fifth commandment with a confident check mark, or minimize the other commandments by making killing someone the worst thing you could do.
So he pokes a little deeper in our hearts to help us evaluate if we are on “Team Life” or “Team Death” this week.
I’d love to quickly check the box of the “Do not murder” commandment and consider myself “holy” in regard to this command, but after spending about two minutes on Jesus’ words, I realize I don’t easily remain on “Team Life” and can easily shift uniforms and play for “Team Death.”
See if you agree.
Matthew 5:21: “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
If you were listening to Jesus say this for the first time, your self-righteous ego would be shaken at best and crushed at worst.
Wait…
You mean being angry with my brother is subject to the same judgment as killing my brother?
You mean if I insult someone, I’m called to account?
You mean if I call someone a fool, I’m in danger of hell?
That’s what Jesus is saying. That is what we will dig into this week.
As we face the spiritual battle to be part of “Team Life” instead of “Team Death” it will be easy to look at the “big things” (I haven’t murdered, I support the unborn life, I believe God starts and ends life, etc.) and move forward confidently as a follower of Jesus.
However, these “big things” maybe are the “easy things” of being a fan of Jesus. It’s easy not to kill. It’s easy to express our support of unborn life. It’s easy to acknowledge life begins and ends with the Lord.”
But Jesus calls us with these words to actually get on the field to understand our opponent and understand “Team Life” and what it means to not just NOT murder, but to support, encourage, and promote life to the glory of God.
Ready to follow? Let’s get out of the stands and onto the field to combat “Team Death” with the strength of the Lord and the power of his word!
Apply: What do you think Jesus is saying to you in these words about murder?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for valuing my life enough to give your own for mine. Help me to learn more about what it means to value and fight hard for life…every aspect of it. AMEN.
Shine brightly!
Today’s devotion builds on the thoughts from Sunday’s Sermon – Week 1 of “Fan or Follower – Shine Brightly” (LISTEN HERE).
Have you ever been in complete darkness? Darkness that has not even a glimmer of light anywhere. Darkness so “thick” that you can’t see your hand in front of your face. I remember two such instances. One was in a cave after they turned out the lights. Second was years ago in the solitary confinement cell on Alcatraz in the San Francisco Bay (they don’t let tourists experience solitary confinement anymore…)
Darkness is nice if your are sleeping. If you are trying to live and move around, darkness is no fun. Even for the brief periods of complete darkness, there was a yearning that began to have some sort of light. It didn’t take much light. A small flashlight cast a glow throughout the cavern. A sliver of light through the door began to illuminate the room.
I would guess that no one wants to live in darkness.
Isaiah prophesied of the light that would dispel darkness (Isaiah 9:2):
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.
Jesus was and is the light of the world (John 1:4-5):
In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
And so Jesus calls us to be light in the world.
Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Again the people in our lives may not always acknowledge the darkness in their lives (just like we can at times be blind to it), but God has put us in this world to bring light to the lives of the people around us.
Light gives guidance. As yesterday’s devotion stated there are many aspects of life that are being stolen and destroyed without truth and direction. God’s Word is a “lamp for my feet and a light on my path” (Psalm 119:105). So many answers to life’s questions are illuminated by the verses of Scripture.
The light we give off is a reflection of the light God has shone on us. As we live out the love of Christ, we simply reflect the love we have received from him. (1 John 4:11) Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
When we were in the cave, the guide turned on the flashlight and led us out of the cave. Light points us to where safety and security can be found. Light moves us from the danger of darkness to the safety of illumination. The ultimate goal of being a light in the world is to point people to their heavenly Father. People will notice when your words and actions are kind, loving, thoughtful, and humble. People will notice when you pause your agenda to take time to care for someone else. People will notice that you are trustworthy, dependable and full of integrity. People will notice that you are slow to anger and willing to seek understanding. People will notice when you are full of joy, willing to be gentle, and go through life with an inner sense of peace.
When they wonder how and why you can be this way?
You take the flashlight and shine it on your heavenly Father so that they can see his love, grace, and forgiveness, just as you have seen it and been blessed by it.
Shine brightly! The world around you needs it!
Apply: What blessings have you experienced as you have been able to shine the light of God’s love into someone else’s life?
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for shining your love into my heart and life. Cause me to shine brightly for you each and every day of my life! Use me wherever you can to bring your light into the darkness of life and point people to you as their saving, loving Father in heaven. AMEN.