It’s Not Alright

“That’s alright”, “No big deal”, “It’s okay”. these are all too often the responses we say or hear when we or someone else asks for forgiveness. Is it really okay? Well, no. It’s not okay or else what was the problem in the first place?

Think of it, when you offend or mistreat someone they give you a reaction. This reaction apparently was not a reaction that condoned your behavior in some sense so you realize you have messed up. Perhaps the person tells you what the offense is and you acknowledge it, confess it, and ask for forgiveness. Most of the time the asking of forgiveness is really you just saying, “I’m sorry.” This is where our afore mentioned responses come into play.

But it’s not alright. Not at all. There was a problem. Simply saying sorry is not enough. Now, I do not mean this in a way that leads to other unspeakable repercussions, reparations, and the like; there could be a place for that depending on the severity of the offense, but asking forgiveness is different than just saying, “I’m sorry.”

You are bond to that person until they release you by forgiving you. That’s a whole different way of looking at this than just saying sorry. Paul Washer emphasizes this much in his sermons and teachings. Forgiveness is not flippant but bounding. It ties the one person to the other in the offense.

Asking forgiveness takes humility. Pride says it is okay and we can just move on from the situation. Pride says just get over it because it is not that big of a deal.

James 5:16 tells us to confess our sins one to another, to pray for one another that you might be healed. And the effective fervent prayer of the righteous man avails much. This can be viewed in a couple ways but the main point is to confess to one another your sins and not to just stop at that. Pray together. That takes humility. If you have sinned confess it. If you have sinned against another, confess that, and to that other brother. After the confessing comes prayer and that fervent prayer produces healing for both soul and friendship. A forgiveness is requested and granted. Why? Because both parties have themselves been forgiven the greater offense against God by Christ and his blood.

Forgiveness is a big deal. Ask for it. Give it. Because without it, its not alright.

October 7, 2021 0

Wisdom: The Treasure of God

Plunder. I used to plunder as a boy. I would go into dad’s house or my grandparent’s home and look through things. I would pull out drawers and open up cedar chests looking for trinkets and treasures. I doubt I stole them, but I would take them and ask about them. Sure I would get into trouble at times, but it seems to me now I would get some sort of a rise out of the ones whom home I plundered. A good one. They would take the thing and hold it, perhaps a picture, and tell me about that moment in their life.
They would smile, point at things, then proceed to give a little story. It was wonderful. Still is wonderful now that I look back on it more and more. Some of those grandparents are gone now and I have photos of them I can show my kids.

The things is, I hope I keep that plundering mentality. As an adult that could sound a little illegal, but what I mean is I hope I keep that same curiosity. I love to find treasures still. I find myself going to thrift stores, yard sales, marketplaces, and looking at old photos on walls just to wonder what the things mean or who they belonged to. It really is fun. Sometimes I’ll come across a deal or a fascinating story. I do love a good story. I think we all do.

Job 28 comes to mind when I think of plundering. Mining the depths of the earth where no bird has seen or other animal has tread to find precious and beautiful stones is certainly in the same line of thought. The amount of money, time, and lives that have been spent in search of these fine materials is innumerable and it would stretch the mind to try to fathom the distance men would go to find them. We see gold, silver, diamonds, or other precious stones as valuable due to their rarity and difficulty to acquire. They are beautiful to the eye and useful to the amount of influence one can have upon their surrounding social economic environment.

But the chapter changes. Wisdom is seen as the greater treasure. To mine the depths of God, his word, and his truth. A man cannot live on bread alone, but every word that comes from the mouth of God (Deut. 8:3). What is more, the things of this earth are compared to wisdom. Precious stones and metals mentioned in the first half of the chapter. They fall utterly short. The value of wisdom is not known (v. 13), it simply cannot be valued (v. 16). Who knows the value? Who knows where you can find wisdom? Only Abaddon and Death have heard of it (v. 22). But God knows the way of wisdom and he knows its place. He has created all things and calls his creation to search it out.

Proverbs 25:2 says, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter. But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.” (NASB) May we search out the things of God. He has called us to it. Christ is wisdom personified and in him is life! Seek God and know true wisdom.

Job 28:28 “And to man he said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding.'” (NASB)

October 7, 2021 0

Not Ashamed

I preached from Romans 1:16-17 last Sunday at a church in upstate South Carolina. The church members were a faithful bunch with hoary head and strong conviction. The building is just as you would imagine; a southern brick church building with a welcoming vestibule that opens to a large sanctuary with Sunday school rooms tucked behind the wall of the choir loft. Stain glass windows line the sanctuary lighting the wooden pews aligned in three sections in front of the center looming pulpit.

I certainly appreciated the large pulpit. One that could not only hold a Bible and notes but could withstand the blasts of preaching. Many music stands have lost their intended use by being made more lofty than they are. Barely holding up sheet music is one thing —holding a leather bond sword is another. That could be an old mountain man preacher’s preference, so be it.

The thing I appreciated most about the church was the few moments after I arrived. There was no one to meet me or guide me to where I was to go. My family and I wondered into the back where the Sunday school rooms were. Every room was filled. One door was open which allowed a friend of mine to meet us as she saw us walking by. She went to get her husband who in turn got the chairman of deacons. The chairman was a younger man, much younger than the average aged person there. He had a weight about him, a look of time spent in ministry. I later found out it was youth ministry; God bless him. But this younger man brought me back to a room full of men. Men who all welcomed me with smiles and handshakes — something quite uncommon by today’s standard of greeting.

These men intended to pray with me before I preached. I appreciated the opportunity knowing this would allow me to peak into the spiritual strength of this particular church. I was not ready for what happened next. Each man took a turn praying for me. Starting on my right and circling the room until the prayer chain ended with the chairman who escorted me into the room. Over ten men said my name outloud to God.

As the first man spoke my name, tears began to swell up in my eyes. I have often said a man could do nothing greater for me than to lift my name to the Father in Heaven. To hear these men meek but bold in prayer brought many things to my mind. One thing was highlighted though; I was a small man unworthy to stand among such giant men of faith. I did not need to know who was who or who has done what in that church. I knew these men as I heard them pray. They were men who tarried with Christ in prayer. They knew their Lord and wanted his help that morning.

As they finished I thanked them and moved from the room quickly. Tears now streamed down my face, even this mountain preacher’s face, down to the beard (Psalm 133:2). I looked none of them in the eye, I just left the room.

I preached with the power from on high and left that church knowing there are others who have not bowed the knee to Baal (1 Kings 19:18). This church is not ashamed of the Gospel. (Romans 1:16). O God lift up other churches like these. SDG!

October 3, 2021 0