To Do Great Things …

Microsoft’s has recently been running a series of commercials advertising their updated larger tablet, the Surface Pro. I don’t really pay attention to commercials—thankfully I can usually fast-forward through them. But watching more playoff football lately, I have seen their commercial too many times: and I finally paid a little attention to what they said: “To do great things, sometimes you gotta break the rules.”

What? One initial thought I had was: “What great things have they done by breaking the rules?” Another was: “What great things have they done at all?” Maybe I kid, maybe not.

I guess if you don’t think about it, then what they’re saying makes perfect sense … Actually, it makes no sense at all. I presume Microsoft is trying to seem “hip,” but it seems to me that they are missing the target completely.

The main point to me is that if we really want to do great things — like making it to heaven forever — then we won’t accomplish that by breaking the rules, but rather, by keeping them:

• 1 John 2:3–6  By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.
• 1 John 3:22, 24  … Whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. … The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
• 1 John 5:3  For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.

Jesus taught that there’s a vast difference between those who do what He commands and those who don’t:

Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell — and great was its fall (Matthew 7:24–27).

Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does (James 1:21–25).

God wants us to know His will and do His will. As the Lord said to His apostles: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. … You are My friends if you do what I command you” (John 14:15; 15:14).

To do great things, sometimes you gotta keep the rules!

Hillary Clinton and the FBI

I'm not sure what to think about the recent announcement that the FBI is intending to indict Hillary Clinton. My initial reaction was: "Right. It's not going to happen."

Also, I must say that it's disconcerting that CNN doesn't even have a reference to Hillary Clinton and the FBI … at all. Fox News has it as a headline. Clinton herself is being quoted as not concerned at all about the FBI's probe or even the threat of an indictment.

She's probably right not to be concerned. Her husband was the first president since Andrew Johnson to be impeached. Rather than infamy, Bill Clinton seems to have enjoyed "famy." It's almost as if he didn't lose one night's sleep over the entire issue.

I am more cynical today about politics and politicians than ever before. And I sincerely believe that as a spiritually vapid nation that we're getting what we deserve—whether we're talking about Hillary Clinton in office, or Donald Trump.

Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil. Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him. But it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear before God. (Ecclesiastes 8:11-13).

I Hate Hate

I am overwhelmed by how I feel concerning what happened by a murderous group of people claiming to be motivated by their god.

I don't have the answers. But I know this: Hatred is learned, and the people who thrive in their hatred of others will come to and end—because we will all come to an end.

Life under the sun is tragic. Thankfully, there are glimpses of beauty, kindness, and gentleness—these are the glimpses of heaven.

And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:2-4)

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. (James 1:17)

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. (Titus 3:3-8)

When we see someone new, or come across a new idea—what do we immediately consider? Do we think about differences or similarities? If you're like me, you quickly go to the differences: whether we're talking about the color of someone's skin, their language, how they walk, what they drive, etc.

Making Crooked What God Has Made Straight

Paul said to Elymas the magician: "You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?" (Acts 13:10 ESV)

Not everything in the Bible is difficult to understand.

There are those who know the truth, but simply refuse to comply with it; and therefore, they do whatever they can to make the simple truth seem hard to understand.

In the first century they were identified as Gnostics, and 1 John addresses it. There were many forms of Gnosticism, and quite honestly not all of the forms were anti-truth or anti-God; but most of them were because they sought to elevate man by means of himself rather than elevating man by means of God (see Colossians 2:20-23).

There's a difference between self-righteousness and true righteousness. Self-righteousness is based upon what "self" thinks, and can be unreliable; true righteousness is based upon the reliable standard of what God our Creator—whose ways and thoughts are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9)—thinks.

Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness
because of my enemies;
make your way straight before me.
For there is no truth in their mouth;
their inmost self is destruction;
their throat is an open grave;
they flatter with their tongue. (Psalm 5:8-9 ESV)

Predictable Unpredictability

It's been interesting watching the development of the storm trackers tracking TS Erika.

It just goes to show that no one really knows what's going to happen with it — the forecast has changed a lot in the last 24 hours, and will probably change even more as it gets closer to us.

Jesus said, "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today" (Matthew 6:34 NLT).

Come what may, God is good and we must trust in his promises —

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust (2 Peter 1:2-4 NASB).

The Gospel of Jesus' Wife

Here is the link to the Internet article which generated my thoughts: Gospel of Jesus' Wife.

There is much to debate and think about over the discovery of a business-card-sized papyrus which is put forth to be a fragment of a Gospel of Jesus' Wife. Interestingly, an entire document is missing, but we have in this fragment key words: Jesus, wife, and Mary.

Our postmodern world will celebrate this "find" as indisputable proof that Jesus Christ was nothing more than a mere man and married; denying entirely the Gospel of Jesus Himself (Mat 28:19-20; 1Co 15:1-5).

Jesus claimed to be more than a flesh and blood man (John 10:30 | 17:21). Unlike the apostle Peter, Jesus accepted worship (cp. Acts 10:25-26 with Mat 14:33; 28:9, 17). And unlike Peter, Jesus did not have a mother-in-law (Mat 8:14).

It is sometimes disgusting how far people will go to blaspheme the name of the Son of God. They do not want the truth, they do not seek the truth, and will do anything to make others disbelieve too.

Doubt is celebrated while the truth is maligned.

And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed — for our testimony to you was believed. To this end also we pray for you always that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power; in order that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. (2Th 1:9-12).

Perfekt Imperfektion

The older I get, the dumber I feel about nearly everything. Like King Saul, my self-assessment is pretty simple: "I have played the fool" (1 Sam. 26:21).

I actually hate myself because of how insecure I am.

I know that I'm not perfect, but there are days (or moments) that my imperfection is really known by all.

I wish better for my girls: thankfully, they have their mother to help them deal with life. I feel sorry for them sometimes that I'm there to undo what she's accomplished in them.

I am also very thankful for God's longsuffering (2 Pet. 3:15).