How Should We “Tell It?”

“Love . . . always looks for the best.” (1 Corinthians 13:7 MSG).

I have been told by my close friends that I sometimes have unrealistic expectations, both of myself and of others. It’s not that I expect perfection of any human, especially myself, but I do have high expectations. Of course, this can, and often does lead to disappointment, but every once in a while, it leads to something wonderful, and that is the basis for my continuing high expectations. I want to show a connection between our expectations and our words or how we “tell it.”

We all know people that “tell it like it is,” right? They tell the honest and ugly truth, which can be great, but can also be a weapon if the truth is spoken absent of love. Indeed, Jesus identified Himself as truth in John 14:6 by stating, “I am the way, the truth and the life (emphasis added).”

In Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus, he was concerned about dissension in the church, which can be caused by how we “tell it.” Paul was certainly aware of the Old Testament warning in Proverbs 18:21. “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Paul was focused on our unity in the faith, knowledge of the Son of God, and Christian maturity. Paul’s letter links the importance of truth and love when we speak. A key verse from Ephesians Chapter 4 reads: “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature Body of Him who is the Head, that is, Christ (Ephesians 4:15, emphasis added). Speaking the truth in love is a fruit of Spiritual maturity.

When we have high expectations of someone, you don’t tell it like it is. We can speak the truth in love and tell it how it could be. What does that mean? It’s means you believe in what God wants to do in and through that person, and you affirm God’s purpose for them, and hopefully they will do the same for you. All of this should be done truthfully, lovingly, and privately. This is Proverbs 27:17 “iron sharpens iron” and love in action.

An excellent example of the good fruit of telling it like it could be comes from Bruce Wilkinson, author and teacher. Years ago, he was a new professor at Multnomah University, and at the first faculty meeting, he received his class assignments. Another professor saw his sheet and said, “Bruce, you’ve been given two section A classes. They’re the brightest students in the university. They’re really engaged and a joy to teach. You’re fortunate to have section A students in your first year.”

Bruce discovered that to be true—he absolutely loved teaching those kids. They were so much more fun to teach than the other classes. They were smarter and asked better questions. At the end of the year, Bruce told his department supervisor, “Man, I sure hope I get the section A classes again next year!” The supervisor told him, “Bruce, there is no section A. We canceled that program six years ago.”

When Bruce went back and checked his grade books, he found that those “section A” classes may not have been advanced placement, but they received higher grades and wrote more thoughtful term papers than his other classes. Bruce realized—because he expected them to be better students—they rose to the challenge. He had high expectations because his supervisor told him like it could be regarding his students. I would argue that Bruce was not lied to but rather he was told how it could be. Then, he accordingly established his expectations and what “could be” became reality.

My mother gave me some parenting advice many years ago. She told me that most children are equal in terms of intelligence and capability. The only difference is the level of expectations of them from their teachers and parents.

Throughout our lives we all will shape the people around us by our expectations of them, and the reciprocal is also true. On my better days, I expect the best from others, and it is at these brief moments that I am hopefully reflecting the lasting love of Jesus. You may ask how expectations are connected to love?

I stand steadfast on the words of the Apostle Paul in his letter to the church at Corinth. “Love . . . always looks for the best” (1 Corinthians 13:7, emphasis added). Lasting love is forward-looking, optimistic, and bathed equally in truth, hope, and grace.

I think the greatest, and most difficult, lesson that we can learn in life is how to love others as Jesus loved others. It is hard to love some people, and the truth is I cannot do it. However, you and I can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. (Philippians 4:13). If we let God’s love flow through us, we can tell it like it should be by speaking the truth in love.

I love hearing success stories from people that were raised in disadvantaged situations, but somebody was in their life on a daily basis to mentor and inspire them. The focus of the child shifts from the current situation to what could be through hard work and the favor of our Lord.

Paul wrote in Philippians 2:5, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” I think the Mindset of Jesus was one that tuned out the voices of the flesh, society, and the enemy and tuned in the Voice of God. As we grow and mature as Christians, we can have the same mindset as Jesus, and we can tell it like it “should be.” Jesus expects our best. God sets a very high expectation of us in Matthew 5:48, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

This is not an unrealistic expectation but rather a command regarding how it “should be.” Indeed, this is how it “will be” when the Son presents us to the Father, if on earth we havedeclared with our mouths, “Jesus is Lord,” and believed in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead. Telling it like it “should be” is inspirational and the key to unlocking the chains of low expectations.

Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for the gift of our tongues. Forgive us for the times we dishonor You by speaking words of death regarding other members of the Body. Send your Holy Spirit to reveal to us the sin that clings so tightly and help us repent of anything that separates us from You. Give us a new heart and Your Spirit so that others may see You and come to know You as Your Holy Spirit guides us to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with You. Amen and amen.

Meet the Author

Todd Shupe is a Men’s Ministry Specialist through the General Commission of United Methodist Men and a Certified Lay Speaker with the Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. He is a Board Member for Gulf South Men, an Action Team member for The Kingdom Group, and a Board Member for the Lagniappe Community Walk to Emmaus. Todd is a Past President of the Baton Rouge District of United Methodist Men and remains active in this and many other local, regional, and international ministries. Todd is the proud father of Emma and Kyle and resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

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The Heart of the Problem is A Problem of the Heart

“Sin lurks deep in the hearts of the wicked, forever urging them on to evil deeds” (Psalm 36:1 TLB).

The human heart can be a dark place. When God is not pursued, and people declare themselves as Lord the result is dark. Yes, the light overcomes the darkness, but darkness rules where there is no light. We become savages. We victimize the vulnerable, spread gossip, and give in to every sinful desire of the flesh.

Dark hearts lead to a dark society where people suppress their better selves and rise based on intimidation, bribery, and blackmail. A dark society rewards power and force and downplays the Fruits of the Spirit.

Jesus taught, “Out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander” (Matthew 15:19). The heart of the problem, is simply a problem of the heart. We truly need a new heart and a renewed spirit that seeks Him above all else.

To be clear, in the Christian theology, humanity is treasured, priceless, and is destined for Glory. We are created in God’s image. But we have squandered our inheritance and dishonored God by ignoring Him and flowing another voice. Yet there is hope! And his name is Jesus. He came to rescue us from us.

I love the book of Genesis because it is so foundational to Judeo-Christian theology. It is in this book that the “first mention” often occurs, which is when a word or term is first used. The introductory use is often filled with foundational instruction and understanding. As with all Scripture, it is always important to remember the context and to use Scripture to interpret Scripture.

Most Jews and Christians will point to Genesis 3 as when sin first entered the world. The serpent came to sew seeds of doubt with his typical goal to deceive, divide, and destroy.

Yes, sin entered the world in Genesis 3, but the word “sin” does not appear until Genesis 4. The first teaching on the dynamics of sin is in the context of Cain’s bitterness towards his brother Abel, and the fact that Abel’s sacrifice was accepted, and Cain’s wasn’t. It’s in this context that we have the first mention of sin.

“Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 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.’ 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” (Genesis 4:6-8).

Cain was just warned by God that sin is imminent in his life, “crouching at your door,” its intention is “to have you,” and provided an escape route, “you must rule over it.”

I suspect that the Apostle Paul had Genesis 4 in mind when he wrote his first letter to the church in Corinth. “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it (1 Corinthians 10:13, emphasis added).

So, how do we “rule over sin”? Romans 7:21-24 provides insight. “I have discovered this principle of life–that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?” This “other power” that is at work in Paul is the same other power that is at work in all of us. In the book, “The Four Voices: Taking Control of the Conversation in Your Head” by Patrick Morley, founder of Man in the Mirror and author, he identifies the four voices inside all of our heads as God, the enemy, our flesh, and society.

Sin is so much more than “a mistake” but rather the result of saying no to God and yes to one of the other three voices. Sin is just like the enemy in that both seek to deceive, divide, and destroy you and me. Sin searches for our soft spots, which are typically one or more of the following: pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth.

Throughout Scripture, God demands blood for the redemption of sin, and that is as true today as it was in the beginning. The only difference is our sin has been paid by the blood of Jesus on Calvary. Colossians 1:22 (emphasis added) reads, “But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical Body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation (emphasis added).”

Jesus wants us to be reconciled to Him and died for this purpose – to preset us holy to God. Our free will is a two-edged sword. We are free to earnestly repent of our sins or not.

Romans 6:22-23 tells us that each of us will ultimately end up in heaven or hell even though we have been “set free of sin”. “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (emphasis added)” Please note that a “gift” has not fulfilled its intended purpose if it is rejected by its intended recipient. The recipient of each and every gift has free will to accept or reject any gift.

Some people think that if the blood of Jesus covers their sin, then they do not need to repent of their sin. Matthew 18:18 goes directly to the problem of unrepented sin. Jesus taught, “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” In short, if you are bound by sin on earth, so shall you be similarly bound in heaven.

Repenting from sin is much, much deeper than saying “I’m sorry” or feeling regret for our words, thoughts, or actions. True repentance is a sacred, holy, and private conversation in the presence of the Holy Spirit and is completed by confessing the sin to the Holy Spirit and asking for His help to literally turn your focus away from that sin and toward your Lord and Savior.

In 2 Corinthians 7:10 Paul writes, “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” True repentance from our soul bears fruit that is seen by God and leads towards reconciliation and salvation. God wants us in righteous relationship with Him and sin separates us from Him. The blood of Jesus will cover our repented sins. The unrepented sinner does not listen to the Shepard’s voice on earth, and their salvation is a matter of theological debate.

Jesus warns us in Matthew 7:21-23 of the perils that await those that “practice lawlessness.”

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”

Jesus only gave us two laws. He told us in Matthew 22:37-39, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you are living in unrepentant sin, ask yourself this one question. Am I loving God by living in unrepentant sin?

We have free will to repent or not. Choose wisely.

Prayer: Dear good and gracious God, Thank you for your love, grace, and mercy. Thank you for Jesus and the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting that is available to us through Him. Send Your Holy Spirit upon each of us to search us and reveal everything that separates us from You. Help us to wisely use our free will to earnestly and sincerely repent of the sins that Your Spirit has revealed to us. Amen and amen.

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Lessons Learned Under A Broom Tree

“A voice said to him, Why are you here, Elijah? He replied, “I have been most zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts, but the Israelites have forsaken your covenant. They have destroyed your altars and murdered your prophets by the sword. I alone remain, and they seek to take my life.” (1 Kings 19:13-14 NIV).

The broom tree is a desert shrub that grows across Arabia and throughout the Judean wilderness. Its deep roots draw in the moisture of land that is otherwise barren. In the Bible, desert shrubs such as the broom tree appear in moments of despair as well as times of divine encounter.

Chapter 21 of Genesis describes a young mother who was sent away into the wilderness. With little to sustain her, she wandered until her water supply completely ran out. Placing her son under a broom tree to die, she then sat down and wept. Job describes the broom tree as a place of desolation, ruin, and abandonment (Job 30:3-4). The Psalmist connects the broom tree with mourning, distress, and punishment (Psalm 120).

For many Christians the broom tree is most often associated with Elijah. Elijah is first mentioned in 1 Kings 17, where he proclaimed a drought as penalty for the evil deeds of the kings of Israel.

Elijah later presented himself to King Ahab, telling him to summon the prophets of Baal and Asherah on Mount Carmel, along with all the people of Israel. He confronted the people and told them that if they prepared a sacrifice and called on Baal, he would prepare a sacrifice and call on the Lord. Whichever caught fire would then demonstrate who was the true God. The worshippers of Baal prepared their sacrifice and called upon him from morning until noon, with no answer.

Then Elijah rebuilt the altar of the Lord, prepared the sacrifice, and poured four jugs of water on it. He called upon the Lord, and the Lord answered him by sending down fire to consume the altar.

After this, the prophets of Baal were seized and killed. When King Ahab told his wife Jezebel what Elijah had done, she vowed to kill him. Elijah was terrified and fled into the desert, where he prayed for the Lord to take his life, then fell asleep under a broom tree. A messenger from the Lord came to him twice, urging him to eat and drink. After doing so, he journeyed 40 days in the wilderness to Mt. Horeb, where he hid in a cave. Then…..

“A Voice said to him, ‘Why are you here, Elijah?’ He replied, ‘I have been most zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts, but the Israelites have forsaken your covenant. They have destroyed your altars and murdered your prophets by the sword. I alone remain, and they seek to take my life.’” (1 Kings 19:13-14 NIV). Elijah was anxious, angry, and tired.

The good news is that God met with Elijah at the broom tree. He revealed himself to Moses in a thorny acacia. He also heard Ishmael’s cries from beneath the bush and directed his mother to a well in the desert. He rescued Isaac by revealing a young ram whose horns were caught in a bush so Abraham could sacrifice it instead of his son, Isaac. God shows up in some very thorny situations.

The lesson of the broom tree is that sometimes when God meets us in the desert times of our lives, God provides us relief like a broom tree. The shade is not enough to last us forever, but enough to help us take the next steps. It is enough for us to sit under for a few minutes to draw strength for the next step and then the next step. The journey is not always short, sometimes it takes a long time to get through it. Elijah’s journey took over a month to go from Judah to Mt. Horeb in the hot Egyptian desert. When he met God at Mt. Horeb, he was still struggling, still searching for a solution to his problem. God did not make his circumstances disappear. God did not give him much sympathy. However, God did give Elijah direction, sustenance for the road, a renewed purpose and later, in that same chapter in 1 Kings, a companion on the road—all things that kept Elijah going.

The broom tree also offers us an image for our mission and ministry. We, like broom trees, spring up in all kinds of places. We can provide shade for those in need of encouragement and sustenance. Some will come and stay and plant roots in our shade and become part of the plant (Body of Christ) that offers even a little more shade to others. Others may only stay for a moment, just long enough to get the energy to take the next step. Sometimes a brief rest, a kind word, a simple sandwich may be just what God uses to help someone take the next step. It has been said that sometimes we are the windshield and sometimes we are bug. Similarly, sometimes we are the broom tree (the giver), and sometimes we are the traveler (the taker). Sadly, some in life are forever determined to remain as the latter.

When we are exhausted or depressed, we can be strengthened under the broom tree. It is there we can find shade when we are traveling through the dry, hot wilderness. It is there we can find warmth when we are cold and miserable. It is there we can find nourishment when we are hungry and thirsty. It is there we find communion with God, as His angels minister to us, like they ministered to Elijah, serving him the bread and water. This world needs more broom trees providing random acts of kindness and kind words.

Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for the broom trees that you provide us in our time of need. Help us to be rooted in You in such a way that the Fruits of Your Spirit are manifested in our words, thoughts, and actions. Help us to remember that our strongest witness is often absent words but rather in simple acts of kindness. Amen.

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Will I See My Pets in Heaven?

“’And God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant I am making between Me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between Me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.’ So God said to Noah, ‘This is the sign of the covenant I have established between Me and all life on the earth’” (Genesis 9:12-17 NIV).

Pets are good for humans. They provide love, joy, and companionship so we know they are good. James 1:17 teaches us, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights.” So, pets are from God, and they are very much good. Humans that are wise will take actions regarding pets that honors God.

I think many of us have wondered if we will see our pets in Heaven. To answer this question, we can determine what God values by reading His word to see what He values. It is noteworthy to me that God instructed Noah to load his arc with animals, not plants, even though plants were created earlier than plants in Genesis 1 and 40 days of flooding would certainly create anaerobic conditions that would certainly kill all plants and animals besides fish. According to Genesis 7:8-9, “Pairs of clean and unclean animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground, male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah.” God created and valued/values animals and they are included in His covenant with man in Genesis 9.

I have been blessed to have had so many pets in my life. As a young boy, I learned the Creation Story and animals are most certainly part of Creation. Psalm 50:10-11 reads, “For every beast of the forest is Mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is Mine.” I also learned that animals were put here on earth for companionship and a food source, but the earth and all plants and animals on the earth belong to God, and as such we dishonor God if we abuse His earth or His animals. I support the wise and humane use of animals, but I am equally opposed to the misuse and abuse of animals.

John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, taught that humans are stewards of—and responsible for the care of—God’s creation. When they failed to protect His perfect creation, humans sinned against God, and when pain and suffering then entered the world, animals had to endure it, too. The bond God had created was broken, and humans’ exploitation of and cruelty to animals began. Wesley spoke with anticipation of a new creation in which God would restore animals to their intended glory.

Martin Luther, who founded the Lutheran church, held a view similar to Wesley’s, saying, “In Paradise there was complete harmony between man and animals; one day again that harmony will be restored and all creation will be made anew as Christ will be in all and all.”

Scripture is rich in describing the Paradise that awaits Christians upon our Healing. We all look forward to seeing the Father’s Face as the Son presents us as perfect, clean and without sin. I am confident that any Perfect resting place for me will also include all of my beloved pets from throughout the years.

Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for the blessing of pets. Their unconditional love, companionship, and goodness is a constant reminder to us that they belong to You as do we. Help us to be good stewards of all pets and all animals and to make decisions regarding all of Your creatures that bring honor and glory to You. Amen!

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In Search of Equity in the Vineyard and Today’s Society

“But He answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’” (Matthew 20:13-15 NIV).

The terms “equity” and “fairness” are often used to support an argument in favor of one person that has less resources and against the other person who has more resources. As a result of our actions in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3, we live in a fallen world and as such there is pain, injustice, and unfairness. I really wish Adam and Eve had made a roux and turned the snake into a coubion stew!

Now, greed, injustice, and unfairness are prevalent in our society. There are winners and losers in a zero-sum game for resources. My understanding of Scripture is such that God is less interested in equity on earth than He is in us accepting Him as Lord and Savior and leading others to Him.

For those who have been blessed with many resources, they would do well to be generous and remember that to whom much is given, much is required (Luke 12:48). Also, they would also be wise to heed the words of Micah 6:8, “ O man, what is good: and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”

Yes, the Lord wants us to do nice things for each other – to practice justice, love, and mercy. John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist church, summed it up with the three rules: Do no harm. Do good. Stay in love with God. On our better days, we all make progress in all three categories, but sadly, on other days we fail. The good news is that although we are all prone to greed and other sins, God’s love remains steadfast, and we are reminded in Psalm 118:8 to put our trust in Him, not men.

I think God also knows that as sinners, we will fall short, and all of our “good” acts are in reality “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6) in His presence. In short, good deeds are a manifestation of our faith in Him, but there is certainly no salvation through works. Jesus is the way, not our good acts.

The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard in Matthew 20 is a powerful reminder that God uses a different metric than us to decide equity and fairness. If we work longer than a peer, we want more money than our peer and we will argue that it is not “fair” or “equitable” to pay our colleague the same as us since we have more seniority. The reality is each worker in the vineyard agreed to work for a given wage, and at the end of the day they received what they were promised.

I wonder what would have happened if someone had formed a union among the vineyard workers and negotiated a raise for all workers and a bigger raise for those that work longer hours. Would this person truly be showing love to these workers if he/she was exclusively focused on collective bargaining and did not point the workers to Christ for eternal salvation? Would the workers be better served in the long-term by the extra dollars on earth or by life everlasting with the Father?

If the owner of the vineyard wants to give the new hires the same wage as those with more seniority, that is at the discretion of the owner. The owner is the owner, and we are not. God is God, and we are not. Clearly, this parable is also teaching us that those that come to Christ later in life after years of denying Him will also receive the same reward as those that came to Christ early in life – the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting with the Father. There is no extra reward in Heaven for life-long Christians as compared to those that recently accepted Christ prior to their death. The reward for the life-long Christian is that of an entire life spent in and for Christ.

A lack of equity and fairness can rob us of our peace, but a life lived in Christ and for Christ will grant us a peace that transcends all understanding. A lack of equity is certainly one of the many troubles that we face on earth, but we can take comfort in the Words of our Lord and Savior in John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

The pursuit of equity and fairness is a noble pursuit but one that will always come up short. I do not like a lack of equity or fairness and understand that sometimes those with less resources are responsible for their situation and sometimes they are not. Regardless, I suspect that the enemy smiles when we continually forgo our calling for evangelism and discipleship in pursuit of chasing the ever-elusive goal of equity and fairness.

Jesus told us that the poor will always be with us. To me, he was telling us that we will always have inequity and unfairness and we should indeed do all the good we can to help them and in doing so we are showing the love of Christ. Just because the poor will always be with us is not an excuse to become complacent but rather it is an acknowledgment that equity and fairness will never be found on this fallen earth.

Yes, we will always lack equity in resources, but we do not lack equity in our ability to be in covenant with God and reach Him through His word and prayer. We all have equity in our ability to submit ourselves to God and live out our faith by daily showing the Fruits of the Spirit. Salvation is equally available to all, and this is the greatest equity to be found on earth!

Prayer: Dear God, We have not been an obedient church and we fall short in so many ways. Life is often unfair, unjust, and resources are not distributed in an equitable manner. Help us to understand that true equity exists in our access to reach You through your Word and through prayer. Grant us discretion on how to best use our time to bring honor and glory to You and to show true love to our neighbor. Amen.

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Creating And Enforcing A Boundary Does Not Make You A Donkey

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” (Genesis 2:15-17 NIV).

All was well with God’s creation on earth for the entirety of the first two chapters of Genesis. Then, the story turns as we failed to obey His instructions, and the rest of the Bible is His loving actions to bring us back into relationship with Him. The fall and exit from the Garden of Eden was due to our failure as humans to honor His rules. Another word for rules is boundaries. God established a boundary regarding the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Once that boundary was broken, Adam and Eve were no longer welcome in the Garden and we all today deal with those consequences in the form of pain, physical death, and toiling for food.

Speaking of boundaries, I recently read a good book on the subject by Lysa TerKejurst entitled, “Good Boundaries and Goodbyes: Lovoing Others WIthout Losing the Best of Who You Are.”

You my know her from her appearances on K-LOVE radio and her Proverbs 31 ministry. In the book she talk about the pain she experienced when her hsuband had violated the sanctity of their marriage and she subseuqnetly instilled boundaries. When the boundaries were broken, she enforced them and filed for divorce.

She now must deal with the snipers in her life that have launched a whisper campaign against her. How could a Proverbs 31 woman divorce her husband. God hates divorce so why would she do this? Why not show love instead of drawing up boundaries. Why is she trying to control him with these boundaries?

I think it is important to understand that our God is a God of boundaries. He has established boundaries on us and very likely understands the need for us to establish boundaries on others if we are to love ourselves as we love Him. We can, and should, still love those in our life with whom we have placed boundaries, but now we do so in a different manner. One that is healthy for all parties and respects and honors God.

Some of us do not honor the speed limit, and the consequence of failing to obey that boundary is a speeding ticket. It is natural to try to blame “the system” for the ticket but the real fact is we were speeding, we failed to honor the boundary, and we will suffer the consequences. In rural areas, a no trespassing sign is fairly common. The landowner is not a donkey because he wants to keep people off of his land. The property line is the boundary. Your trespassing, and disregard of boundaries, is done at your peril.

If a person has established a boundary in their life it is probably not because they have a desire to control somebody else. More likely, they do have a very strong desire to enforce a boundary around the things that they hold dear, which is likely their family, their self, their ministry, and their work. The boundary was likely instilled because somebody in word or action became a threat. Lysa wrote in her book, “Remember all the work you’ve done to draw boundaries was not about controlling someone else’s behavior. It’s about paying attention and being honest about how someone’s poor behavior and lack of responsibility is possibly controlling you. And when people close to us are acting out of control, that’s when we run the greater risk of lacking self-control. When a relationship shifts from being difficult to being destructive, it’s the right time to consider a goodbye.”

So, if we feel compelled to label the boundary setter “a donkey, unchristian, mean, controlling, psycho, etc.” because they have established a boundary and we are unwilling and/or unable to respect that boundary, then perhaps it is time for us to entertain the possibility that the true “donkey” is the one looking at us in the mirror. Perhaps it is now time for us to do one of the most difficult, most necessary, and also most rewarding tasks that we can do as a human. It is time to find our quiet place and invite the Holy Spirit in to search us and reveal to us all of the many times that we have failed to respect and honor this other person, and consequently have failed to respect and honor our Lord and Savior. If this process cannot be done honestly and sincerely, then there is no need to do it. Also, if this process is attempted without the invitation and presence of the Holy Spirit, there is no need to do it. This is an important process, a sacred process. This is part of our pruning and sanctification. This is a task on our own personal road to Damascus.

Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for the boundaries that you have placed in our lives as we know that they are for our own good. Forgive us for the times in which we fall short of honoring your boundaries and when we fail to honor the boundaries of others. Amen.

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Grace Or Truth?

“For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17 NIV).

One of the more interesting debates in contemporary Christian circles is the debate regarding two terms – grace and truth. The question inevitably becomes – Do you stand for grace or truth? My progressive friends tend to favor grace, and my conservative friends tend to favor truth. My Christian friends understand that this is a false question and favor both.

I don’t mean to be trite, but I certainly can sympathize with Pontius Pilate’s response to our Lord and Savior after He identified His purpose as coming into this world “to testify to the truth.” As we all know, Pilate infamously responded, “What is truth?”

Sometimes no answer to a question is the best answer. Jesus did not respond to the question from Pilate, but I wonder if He considered offering the same response that He previously offered to Peter after He had explained in Matthew 15 the parable of food and cleanliness. “Are you still so dull?” Jesus said to Peter. I suspect the proponents of grace are thinking the same of those advocating for truth and vice versa.

One can selectively select Scripture to make an argument for either grace or truth. However, Scripture is not intended to be selectively harvested to advance anything or anybody of this world.

In Christian theological terms, grace without truth is incomplete or distorted. Grace, which represents God’s unmerited favor and forgiveness, is inseparable from truth, which encompasses God’s revealed Word and moral standards. Without truth, grace may lose its transformative power and become a license for unrighteousness or a distorted understanding of God’s character and purpose. Thus, a balanced and coherent Christian theology recognizes the indispensable relationship between grace and truth.

Grace without truth can become a form of permissiveness or indulgence. An exclusive focus on grace allows one to unwisely feel secure in a life of unrepented sin due to the absence of the

refining and correcting element of truth. This can lead to moral relativism where any action or belief could be considered acceptable, regardless of ethical or doctrinal standards.

On the other hand, truth provides the foundation, the rules and guidelines for understanding our world and our faith. It allows us to navigate our spiritual journey with clarity and purpose.

However, truth without grace can become legalism, an adherence to the letter of the law without the transformative, compassionate, and forgiving spirit of grace. The truth is we are all sinners and all fall short of the glory of God.

Therefore, grace and truth are not mutually exclusive but complementary. In Christian theology, this is exemplified in Jesus Christ, whom the Gospel of John describes as full of “grace and truth” (John 1:14, emphasis added). Grace forgives and heals, truth guides and corrects.

Together, they form a balanced and holistic approach to faith and spirituality. Either term without the other is incomplete.

God reveals His divine nature of grace and truth to each through Holy Scripture. Our understanding of God and His nature is exponentially increased by inviting the Holy Spirit to be with us as we read, study, and meditate on His Holy Word and ask the question – Dear Lord, What message are You teaching me this day?

From a Wesleyan perspective, grace without truth is insufficient for sanctification. John Wesley believed in sanctification, or the process of becoming more like Christ. Grace without truth is insufficient for sanctification because it does not provide the moral and theological guidance necessary for a believer to grow in holiness.

Grace without truth is also contrary to the means of grace. Wesley outlined means of grace, which are practices that draw us closer to God and allow us to experience His grace more fully, such as prayer, Bible study, and communion. Grace without truth can be contrary to these means, as they all require an understanding and application of biblical truth.

Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for revealing your nature of grace and truth to us through Holy Scripture. Equip us dear God with the Sword of the Spirit and the complete Armor of God as we stand strong not in our strength but rather in Your mighty power and Your righteousness against all principalities and powers that do not submit to Your authority in heaven or earth. All honor and glory is Yours. Amen.

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Finding The Voice Of God

“A third time the Lord called, ‘Samuel!’ And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’ Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, ‘Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’ So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ Then Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’” (1 Samuel 3:8-10 NIV).

I have empathy for the young Eli in 1 Samuel 3. The Lord audibly called out to him three times, but Eli thought the voice was from Samuel rather than God. Why? According to 1 Samuel 3:7, “Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.”

Today, many people also struggle to hear the voice of our Lord. We clearly hear the voice of our flesh, society, and the enemy, but the gentle whisper of our Lord can be hard to discern. God is clearly speaking but unfortunately many of us are not hearing.

Many of our questions to God are seeking a yes or a no response. The answer is not found in a magic eight ball but rather through time spent in prayer and patiently waiting.

A “yes” response can be discerned through the Holy Spirit within us all. A “yes” answer will give us confidence that we are proceeding in accordance with God’s will and the Spirit within us will grant us peace. If you don’t have peace, the answer is likely “no” or “not now” but it is certainly not “yes.”

God also speaks audibly and directly from Himself as he did to Eli and on numerous occasions in Scripture. The Voice may come out of nowhere, but you will absolutely know that it is from God. It is a supernatural experience that is hard to explain. Of course, any voice or word we hear must line up with Scripture so that it does not contradict something God has already spoken.

God speaks to us through Scripture. He does not speak to us by opening the Bible and randomly place your finger on a verse. That is kind of like the magic eight ball approach to things. Rather, He will speak to us as we read His Word diligently and continually. The key is to invite the Holy Spirit to be with you as you read to guide, teach, and interpret. I like to begin my reading by asking, “What message are you teaching me”?

God is speaking to each of us. We just need to pay attention, filter out the other voices, and patiently and expectantly wait for an answer, which will come at the perfect time.

Prayer: Thank you for speaking to us. Help us to hear Your voice and to quiet all other voices that do not submit to Your authority. Forgive us for the many times that we do not listen or simply and sadly ignore Your voice. Continue to speak to us, pursue us, and refine us. Amen.

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Gentleness is Strength

“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1 NIV).

I am blessed to have so many good friends. I enjoy talking with them and spending time with them, but I probably learn the most by watching them. I have seen many of them go through rough patches, but through it all they remain calm. Some people foolishly interpret their gentleness as weakness. These men are gentlemen. They are gentle, men, and very strong. There is no truer form of strength than gentleness.

A common theme throughout Scripture is the need to surround yourself with good people. This is important because we tend to pick up habits and attitudes from those that we are with. Just as “iron sharpens iron” so can dirt dull iron. The Apostle Paul warns us of such “dirt” in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (emphasis added), “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.”

When we are with argumentative and rude people, there is a good chance that we will take on those characteristics. For instance, if somebody gets angry with you, you get angry back. If somebody is really miserable and you hang around that person long enough, you get miserable too.

The Bible offers a different way to respond: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1). A sign of true strength is when another person raises their voice is to lower yours. When you do that, you’re demonstrating strength under control.

Another word for strength under control is gentleness. Gentleness defuses conflict. It de-escalates anger. A gentle person does not overreact and is not driven by their emotions. A gentle person is showing one of the precious and beautiful Fruits of the Spirit.

The Greek word in the Bible for “gentleness” is the word prautes. Some older English translations of the Bible translate prautes as “meek.” The word “meek” isn’t used much anymore because meek has become a synonym for weak. But gentleness—or prautes—is anything but weak.

In fact, the word prautes was used to refer to a wild stallion that had been tamed. Think about that image. A wild stallion has tremendous brute strength but can be dangerous and unpredictable. But if you tame that stallion, it’s still just as strong, but the strength is brought under control. The strength is bottled up for the master’s use.

When you learn true gentleness, you don’t become weak. You just bring your strength under God’s control and use it for His purposes.

Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for the teaching of Proverbs 15:1. Help us to tap into the strength of your Spirit to respond to rudeness with kindness. Amen.

Meet the Author

Todd Shupe is a Men’s Ministry Specialist through the General Commission of United Methodist Men and is in training to be a Certified Lay Minister through the Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. He currently serves as the President of the Baton Rouge District of United Methodist Men and is a Board Member for Gulf South Men and serves on the Action Team for The Kingdom Group. He is a volunteer for the Walk to Emmaus, Grace Camp, and Iron Sharpens Iron. Todd resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

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Grapes, Giants, and God

“They gave Moses this account: ‘We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan.’ Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, ‘We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it’” (Numbers 13:27-30 NIV).

I recently heard a story on the radio in which a study had shown that individuals that were optimistic before they began a large task were more likely to finish the task than those that had a negative attitude. We all know that the optimist sees the glass half full, and the pessimist sees the glass half empty. Yes, …. and the engineer says the glass has been incorrectly manufactured for this application.

Sometimes in life the task before us seems impossible. Some people will focus on all the obstacles to success and then not ever get started. There are usually two different ways to approach an obstacle in life. The story of Israel’s twelve spies always helps me when I am facing an impossibility.

In Numbers 13 Moses sends twelve spies into Canaan to explore the land. They came back and gave a glowing report of the land of “milk and honey” but were but scared to take it because it was heavily fortified, and the people were “giants.” Caleb was among the twelve species and saw the same things as the others, but when he gave his report, he was focused on the positive attributes of the land, “the grapes,” and made no mention of any obstacles.

God called this kind of faith a “different spirit.” “But my servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land he entered, and his descendants will take possession of it” (Numbers 14: 24, emphasis added). Caleb knew that God wanted the Israelites to have this land (the Promised Land from Exodus 5) and any real or perceived obstacle in the way would be removed because he knew the battle belongs to the Lord.

I think we all have been in situations in which we can see and feel “the giants” around us. It can be paralyzing, and alone we simply cannot proceed. However, if we claim the victory of Philippians 4:13, then we can do it but only through Him.

Peace requires action. After the others gave their pessimistic account of the situation and stirred up the crowd, Caleb “quieted the people” (Numbers 13:30). He chose confidence over fear. He used his words to bring peace to a chaotic situation. You may recall Jesus using His words to rebuke a storm and saying, “Peace, be still (Mark 4:39).” He was calm while the situation around Him was anything but calm.

Jesus told us in this life we will have trouble. Amen? We can either view the trouble as an obstacle or an opportunity. Successful people chose the latter. Caleb saw the opportunity of an “exceeding good land.”

Caleb also knew “If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us in….” (Numbers 14: 8, emphasis added). He searched his own life by prayer to be sure there was nothing within him that was “out of alignment” with the perfect will of God. We cannot face the giants if God is not with us. Sin separates us from God. John 15 is a familiar Scripture of the Vine and the branches. God will be pleased with us, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you” (John 15:7).” The key to “remaining in Him” is to “confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16).

The prophetic perfect tense is a literary technique used in the Bible that describes future events that are so certain to happen that they are referred to in the past tense as if they had already happened. Caleb supernaturally saw into the future and envisioned his enemy defeated before the battle began. Numbers 14:9 reads, “Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us…” This is important because the battle had not even started but yet “their protection had been removed.”

This prophetic perfect tense is perhaps best summed up in Mark 11:24. “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” David believed in advance of the battle that God would help him defeat the giant Goliath. Jesus has conquered death, and He can certainly conquer walls, armor, and any real or perceived “giant.”

I think a big part of prayer is to pray to God with gratitude for the victory before the battle. God may not always give us what we want, but He certainly will give us what we need as promised in Philippians 4:19. “But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” If we are seeking the same things for our life as God is seeking for us, then we know that we are seeking the things that we need. This is the message of Psalm 37:4. “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

God wants us to see the grapes each day. If giants are present and they are trying to interfere with God’s plans, then they will surely be defeated before the first stone is cast.

Prayer: Thank you for the encouragement from Holy Scripture. Help us to step out in faith and show our appreciation for whatever outcome will occur to our problem. We know that whatever happens, You will walk with us, and somehow good will come I am from it. Help our hearts and minds to truly understand that if You are with us, then who can stand against us? Amen.

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Gentleness is Strength

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Grapes, Giants, and God

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