Wrong For All The Right Reasons
“Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.” -Jesus
Acts of the Apostles 10:15 NLT
Peter’s prayer time was interrupted with an “Amber Alert” from heaven. Someone named Cornelius was lost and needed to be saved. There was only one problem- Cornelius was an outsider, a Gentile.
The Jew vs. Gentile tension was deep, but not intrinsically born out of hatred or racism. It was a matter of Jewish laws regarding holiness and separation.
The Jewish people rightly discerned that they were chosen of God, divinely favored, and special in God’s eyes. However, their view of being favored blinded them to the fact that God’s love and favor was not limited to the Jews. God has always loved the world- every tribe, every tongue, every person – saint and sinner.
For Peter, it was not about separation from Gentiles, but separation unto God. He wasn’t driven by hate, but by holiness. Still, his lines of holiness were drawn in the wrong places, so Jesus called a meeting.
I’m not sure what it was about Peter and the number “3” – but 3 denials of Jesus and 3 “Do you love me‘s” from Jesus were now followed by 3 visions from Jesus, along with a clear message: “Peter, your lines are drawn for all the right reasons, but in all the wrong places.”
Sometimes a sincere (but misplaced) desire for holiness can actually hinder one’s ability to minister to people, especially outsiders. Although standards of holiness are right, Jesus often wants us to press beyond our invisible lines in order to reach outsiders. This is not about compromise; it’s about compassion.
I wonder…
- Am I separating myself from any person/group that Jesus wants me to draw close to?
- Am I willing to minister to people at the cost of being criticized?
- Am I listening to and obeying Jesus when it comes to reaching lost people?
Jesus- if my lines of holiness are misplaced and hindering me from reaching people, I welcome Your interruption into my life. Show me how You see people, so that I can see them as You do.
Joy on the Other Side of Sorrow
There is kind of joy only found on the other side of sorrow. It is a deep, satisfying, enriching joy that only comes to those willing to muddle through the mire of sorrow.
Too often we avoid grief. We run from sorrow. We fill the emptiness with busyness. We drown out the silence with noise. We drink, smoke, medicate ourselves, or eat as an escape. We’re constantly running, but from what?
The people of Israel lived that way for years. They had run from God – He was too strict. Year after year, generation after generation, they sought their own happiness and avoided any feeling of shame or guilt. They lived how they wanted.
Enemies came in. Their land was devoured. They were taken captive. The walls of protection were destroyed. They were forced to face themselves.
A man named Nehemiah heard of the condition of the city and its people. He surveyed the losses and prayerfully developed a plan. The walls needed to be rebuilt, as did the people.
The prophet/scribe Ezra stood before the people and read from an ancient scroll, a long-forgotten manuscript of God’s laws and covenant promises.
A crowd began to gather. This generation had never heard these words before. They all stood. Still. Silent. They listened with their ears…and with their hearts. The word of the Lord pierced through years of sin. The people wept.
It is impossible to experience the joy of forgiveness without walking through the sorrow of remorse.
They recognized and repented from sin, and their sorrow was turned to joy. Slavery and bondage gave way to freedom and joy.
Nehemiah said to the people:
“…And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10 ESV
That kind of joy is found only on the other side of godly sorrow.
Instead of running from guilt, shame, sorrow, and regret, recognize that these can be used by the Holy Spirit to lead you into a joy you never thought possible.
Let Jesus turn your sorrow into joy!
Songs of Hope in the Midst of Injustice
Years ago Carrie and I walked into a old, family-owned BBQ restaurant in a small town in North Carolina. As we entered the door every person inside turned their heads ever so slightly toward us. That split-second encounter seemed to last for three minutes. It felt like an old western movie when the city slicker walks through the swinging saloon doors, the piano player stops playing, everybody stops talking, and then one person says, “You ain’t from around here, are ya?
Even though I live right near that restaurant, I still felt a little out of place.
Believers often feel this tension. We are from here (this present world), but our true identity is found beyond the limitations of humanity. We are not merely earthly beings; we are eternal beings, whose home is not where we came from, but where we have not yet been.
Whether or not you realize it, you are living simultaneously in two distinct realms – an earthly realm of natural matter and a spiritual realm from which everything was created and by which all things are sustained. You are a spiritual being living within the limitations and injustices of a physical world.
Daniel was likely a teenager when his people were defeated and taken captive by the Babylonians. Daniel was one of a multitude of people taken away from his home and brought to Babylon to be educated (indoctrinated) into a Godless culture. Although many of the Jews succumbed to the pressure and embraced Babylonian ways, Daniel was one of a remnant who refused to bow. Daniel realized that God was just as present with him in this foreign land as He was in Jerusalem.
Reflecting back on those days of captivity, the psalmist posed this question:
How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land? Psalms 137:4 ESV
We live in a world troubled by pain, confused by injustice, riddled with disease, and crippled by fear and hatred. Colleges have shifted from education to indoctrination, and it has become politically incorrect to adhere to or even suggest a standard of truth. As believers we came from this world, but we belong to a different one. Still, there is peace to be found, and a song to be sung.
In the midst of pain believers sing songs of hope. In the midst of tragedy comes songs of peace. In the midst of injustice God gives us songs of trust. “He has put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to my God.” (Psalm 40:3).
Our songs are not merely a means of momentary escape from the physical realities we face, they are prophetic declarations that give us entrance into the spiritual realities that determine our world. Through the portal of praise we enter spiritual dimensions where batttles are waged and won in prayer, and where victory is secured and celebrated by His word.
Whether yours is a foreign land called cancer, or depression, or victimization, or depression, or fear…there is a song of deliverance to be sung. Declare these words and lift up your song!
You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah” Psalms 32:7 NKJV
Baby Names, Name Changes, and the Names of God
My wife and I recently had lunch with some good friends, who are expecting their third child. I asked, “Have you thought about names yet?” The conversation meandered around various suggestions in search of the perfect name.
Names are significant for many reasons: some names are passed down from family members, or in honor/memory of loved ones; some are meaningful because of the inherent meaning of the name; and some names just sound good to the parents. (And sometimes you wonder, “What were the parents thinking??”)
Through Scripture, names are revealed to have deep meanings, so much so that God sometimes changed people’s names to reveal a greater purpose He had for their lives. Abram became Abraham. Sarai became Sarah. Jacob became Israel. Simon became Peter. Saul became Paul.
Often overlooked, however, are the many names of God, and the significant revelations contained within each! For example, in Revelation 19, Jesus is called by several different names within just a few verses.
Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True…
…and he has a name written that no one knows but himself.
He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.
On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
Revelation 19:11-13, 16 ESV
Each of His names reveals an element of His character, His power, and His promise to us!
- Jesus is Faithful to His promises and True to His word in your life!
- Jesus is the Word of God, the very truth and breath of God that authoritatively speaks promises over your life.
- Jesus is King and Lord over everything that attempts to have any element of power or control over you.
- Jesus has names that you don’t even know of- He is more than you can imagine and has all the bases covered.
Jesus is the name above every other name! You can trust Him! Declare His name(s) over your life today!
How to Handle Accusations
It’s one thing to be falsely accused; but what about when the accusations are accurate?
The Apostle John describes satan as both a liar (John 8:44) and the “accuser” (Rev. 12:10). There are times when satan will accuse you falsely, and even attempt to get you to believe his lies. But there are also times when his accusations are indeed accurate, and his goal is to ensnare you in shame, fear, and hopelessness.
John’s revelation shows that Jesus is the One who was, who is, and who is to come. In other words, as it pertains to your life, Jesus is Lord of your past, Lord of your present situations, and Lord of your divine destiny! And Jesus has conquered the accuser who would say otherwise.
And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. Revelation 12:10 ESV
The day is coming when the enemy will be eternally defeated and rendered powerless. All injustices will be brought to justice and every person will be accountable for his/her acceptance or rejection of the only Savior, Jesus Christ.
Until then, God desires to give every person the opportunity to choose life through Jesus. Meanwhile, the enemy relentlessly accuses.
How, then, do we overcome these accusations, especially when they are true?
- Remember that your past is not just YOURS anymore – Jesus bore your sins, carried them to the cross, and paid for them with His blood. Your past is covered, and you are clean!
- Remember that God’s grace empowers you to overcome!
- Testify of Jesus’ work that has made you “the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.” (2 Cor. 5:21)
In fact, after John describes satan as an accuser, he follows it with this powerful truth:
And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Revelation 12:11 ESV
Today, don’t allow the accuser to determine your outlook on life. You are who Jesus says you are!
Pastor Dale Jenkins 