Don’t let those warm and peaceful times pass you by. In those moments is where you can meet with God, be renewed, and soak in life before it passes you by.
Author: ForCommonGround
Detox
A poison or venom that causes sickness, and even death, when present in the body.
Toxin
As a parent of two little girls I am constantly on the lookout for potential hazards that could harm my children. For some reason the main instrument of investigation for little ones is their mouth. So it is very easy for toxic things to enter a child.
The most toxic thing to the human body is not from a snake, spider, or any living organism. It’s not even chemicals from paints or lead or cleaners. Any parent would be proactive about protecting their children from any of these. Without a doubt we are very aware of keeping ourselves safe from these as well.
So what is the most toxic thing to the human body? It’s a nasty three letter word and it infects and affects everyone. It is the root to every problem plaguing societies, individuals, and even nature itself. The most toxic thing is sin.
“For the wages of sin is death…”
Romans 6:23(a) ESV
Toxins of all sorts can cause sickness and physical death, but sin reeks havoc on everything and causes a much worse death…a spiritual death…and if left untreated, an eternal death.
Lies, murder, adultry, gossip, sexual immorality, cowardous, pride, greed, covering, and on and on it goes. Sin, left unchecked, will spill over into the lives around us and have a ripple effect possibly for generations to come. Sin puts people into bondage. The Bible refers to it as slavery. It causes anxiety, depression, anger, and addictions.
As I said, we all are infected with sin and our sin can infect others. As a parent, I not only need to protect my kids from worldly toxins, I also need to protect them from infectious sin, even that which lives within my own heart. Sin can creep in through the most inconspicuous ways. Movies, tv, books, relationships, and yes, even from parents. As a husband, friend, teacher, or whatever the role may be, it is vital that I deal with the toxins within me.
Even though sin is the most toxic thing it is also the most curable. Other toxins may lead to cancers or other incurable illnesses. Some may result in near instant death. But sin, it can be eradicated in an instant.
“…but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6:23(b) ESV
Jesus made a way for a sure fire detox. Around this time of year there is a barrage of detox methods, healthy eating plans, exercise routines, five step programs to new habits, how to achieve that new career, etc…January 1st is a day for new beginnings for many people. Why not make it a new beginning by allowing Jesus to detox the sin within? What better goal for the new year than spiritual renewal?
There is nothing more hindering to life than sin. There is nothing more dangerous to ourselves, our children, our spouses, and any other relationship, than sin. And there is nothing more liberating that the freedom that Christ can give to everyone who asks for it.
As anyone knows who has tried this detox before, it is both instant and a life long process. January 1st can be the beginning of a new year, and a new life, full of hope and promise. No sin is too toxic for the cleansing blood of Christ. No life is too far gone because Jesus creates an entirely new person.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV
God bless brothers and sisters! May you find new life, new hope, and new freedom in the year to come.
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Anti-Trump Protesters Are Making Him Look a Whole Lot Better
I’ll keep this short and to the point. No matter the words that Trump spoke during his campaign that made him out to be a divisive and crude candidate, those words are now being overshadowed but an angry hate-filled mob. Perhaps one of the best things that could’ve happened to help his image was to have many of those who don’t support him and the election put on a vulgar display as many of them have done since Election Day. Don’t get me wrong, the only thing that will completely erase his shady past will be if his actions now as a President, husband, and father reflect a humble and repentant heart with a desire to serve the best interests of this nation.
His opponents say that he will tear this nation apart. So what do many of them do? They lead march after march and paint their foreheads with labels like, “not my president” and smash windows and vandalize buildings. All of these protests serve one purpose: they breed division. They’ve even gone so far as to call upon our electoral college to ignore the popular votes on their states. Are you kidding me? I am not a fan of Trump’s character which is the biggest reason I didn’t vote for him, but every bit of hate speech spoken by his opponents makes them look a whole lot worse. Some people continue to say how much they fear they have with a Trump presidency yet it’s been Trump supporters who have been beaten on the streets.
This post is by no means meant to prop up Donald Trump or make him out to be a stand-up guy. Only time will reveal his current character and ability to be our President. But I would just plead with my fellow countrymen who are causing controversies and division, striking fear, and spreading vile speech on social media and in the streets to stop and take a good long look at what they are doing and saying. They say they want a nation of inclusion and peace yet they are doing things to create the exact opposite atmosphere. I am a huge fan and advocate for the democratic process and free speech but the Anti-Trump movement has been the epitome of hypocrisy. Want inclusion? Be inclusive. Want peace and unity in our nation? Be unified. Fear an administration that is discriminatory? Don’t discriminate. After all, its not our president who sets the cultural and ethical patterns of society; It’s society itself.
Let’s be the example of love, unity, peace, kindness, and goodness that we want to see in our leadership.
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No Shocker Here!
I’m going to take a break from my usual posts and address…you guessed it…the elections. Before you click off this post (because you are so sick of election stuff) just know that I am not pushing a party agenda or talking trash in any way. This is meant to calm the common rhetoric we’ve seen since Tuesday. I say it’s common because there are always protests following elections and in some cases, states try to leave the union (like Texas four years ago). So as an American Government teacher, I wanted to provide some information that may just calm some people down.
I’ll be the first to admit that I was wrong about my predictions for election night, but I was not surprised. I’ve been telling my students for nearly two years that the national political trend predicts a Republican candidate as President. A look back through election results dating back to 1968 shows that the results from 2016 are right on schedule. No political party has dominated our government for an extended amount of time since 1968. When a party controls either branch of government for a long amount of time, that is known as a party era. One has not existed since the Democratic Era between 1932 and 1968 where Eisenhower was the only deviant from the party. Prior to that era, the Republicans controlled the Executive from 1860-1932 with only a few Democratic presidents in between.
While there have been 6 Republican presidents compared to 3 Democrats since 1968, the time difference is not so big. Republican presidents have controlled the white house for 28 years and Democrats for 20. More importantly to note, most of the time Congress, as a whole or at least one chamber, is controlled by the opposing party so those presidents are at a political stand still for a portion of their term(s).
-1968-1976 Nixon (R) and Ford (R)
-1976-1980 Carter (D)
-1980-1992 Reagan (R) and Bush Sr. (R)
-1992-2000 Clinton (D)
-2000-2008 Bush Jr. (R)
-2008-2016 Obama (D)
-2016-? Trump (R)
A lot of factors play in to this phenomenon: One, overall our nation is fickle in their political support. Popular and political culture changes with the seasons. Two, party loyalty is stronger than ever. Those who regard themselves as Republican or Democrat truly bleed red or blue and are becoming even more polarized. Three, there is an ever growing number of independent voters whose votes are up for grabs each election. Four, there are more swing states (ones who could vote either party) since 1968 than in prior decades.
While the election results may be a surprise to some, the current power switch is nothing new. More than likely the trends will continue and no single party will run our nation for a long amount of time. Most importantly, its all over and we can move on past the bickering and mud-slinging towards unity. Love him or hate him, Trump is our president and he is probably the least partisan one this nation has ever had. Only time will tell if that is good for us or not.
I call on my Christian brothers and sisters to continue in spreading love and encouragement. No matter our leader, our mission has not changed. We are, and always will be, about our Father’s business. Let’s help to bind wounds and stand for truth. The sun will continue to rise and the seasons will come and go as they always have until that glorious day that our Savior calls us home. No matter what color people think they bleed, Jesus Christ bled and died for us and that is what matters most. We need to speak life and hope and break down political, race, and gender lines that only serve to hinder and divide us.
Pray hard and love much!
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Paying Attention to Your Christianity – Old Path Musings
(Not original photo)
Hebrews 2:1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.
Paying Attention to Your Christianity
Paying attention to how your Christian life is going is important. As things in this world get more and more debased, we need to pay closer attention to what is being taught. That is because the heart and mind can easily be drawn off course. In the book, Pilgrim’s Progress, Christian, more than once, got off the Celestial Pathway for one reason or another. Most of the time, it was because he failed to heed Evangelist’s instructions. He let some things slip in his life and listened to other people, like Mr. Civility, Mr. Worldly Wiseman, and others.
An Urgency to Living Right
When we give earnest heed to something, we make it a priority in our life. Earnest means that it is urgent, it needs to happen now and cannot be put off. It takes an urgency to live right. There is often just a short time from when a temptation is presented and a decision is made to move toward sin. You need to be paying attention so that you are not drawn away by your own lusts, that reside in your heart. When you let something slip, it means you lose traction, you lose stability. When we let Bible teaching and doctrine slip out of our heart and mind, we are letting our walk with God slip. That is why we need to be in church regularly, read our Bible each day, and put good, godly thoughts in our mind all day long. Make sure you are paying attention to your Christianity today. If you don’t, eventually, you are getting out of the race.
by Dan Cler | Nov 4, 2016 |
https://apple.news/AlfqUk5ICQOKeZJYVjRxj9A
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Three Questions That Run Our Lives
All people go through life with one of three questions looming over them and the decisions they’re faced with from day to day.
#1-How do other see me?
#2-How do I see myself?
#3-How does God see me?
For the follower of Christ, it’s simple because the answer is the same to all three questions: Jesus. When God looks at His children, He sees Jesus.
For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Colossians 3:3 (ESV)
Therefore when we look at ourselves, we are supposed to see ourselves through His sacrifice and the new life that He has purchased for us. Obviously we don’t actually look or act or think like Jesus often times but He is our new identity and our goal is to be like Him.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
-2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
Because of that, we are meant to reflect Jesus to others. Our goal is never to display ourselves to the world but to put Him on display through our love for others and standing for what He taught.
You are the light of the world–like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.
-Matthew 5:14 (NLT)
Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.
-1 John 2:6 (NIV)
For those without Jesus (and sometimes Christians too), the answer to the three big questions can vary drastically. The answer to question #1 often times dictates the answer to question #2. The answers comes from words spoken to them, friends they have, their appearance, likes on Facebook posts and tweets, affirmations, successes, etc…Sometimes people will translate their own view of themselves towards how they perceive others, and even God, may see them. This can be either out of insecurity or even pride. People like this think things like “I’m a failure” or on the other end of the spectrum, “I’m the best thing since sliced bread”. Because they have thoughts like those they assume that obviously others must see me that way too. In reality, neither of those statements are true. No one is hopeless and no one is the greatest thing this world has ever seen.
Point is, we cannot answer questions #1 or #2 accurately without first knowing the answer to #3. I work in a high school where I see teenagers trying to create an image for themselves that they hope will win them acceptance from others. They dress a certain way, listen to certain music, where their hair in a particular style, follow all the popular people on Instagram, want to drive the right cars, etc…believing this will get them “in” with who they want to be “in” with. That’s what it all boils down to isn’t it? We all want to be accepted, loved, safe, etc…When we don’t feel that way ourselves, we try to get those things from others. When that doesn’t work we feel hopeless and depressed.
For some, life will pass them by without even giving consideration to question #3 which is where we have to start. Think about it. Why do we go to an imperfect source of love (people and ourselves)? Why do wait so long to look at the One who invented love and paid the ultimate price so that we can be accepted despite our choices and failures and struggles in life? Why do we expect anyone (ourselves included) to give us the answers we need accept the One who created us?
Believer, start with Him. You are chosen. You are His child. You are forgiven and loved. You are accepted and you are new. Start with that and live free.
Everyone else, start with Him. You are being called. You are loved. You can be forgiven and new and accepted. Start with Him today and live free.
It’s all about question #3. God bless!
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In His Presence
Sunday October 23rd was the conclusion to the Holy Feast Calendar based on the seven Holy Feasts laid out by God in the Old Testament. Several friends and family members of mine met to honor the feast known as Tabernacles. Other names include the Feast of In-gathering, Feast of Booths, or Sukkot. A lot of people don’t spend much time investigating and studying feasts like this because it sounds to unfamiliar. In fact, I think most Christians even may skip over these when reading the old testament or read them but miss the relevance and connection to us as followers of Christ. But…they are jam packed with so much details about God’s redemptive plan for humanity and all of them point to some character attribute of Jesus Christ and His past and future work here on earth. In one of my previous blogs I introduced a little on the feasts. This post is all about the Feast of Tabernacles.
I love the feasts and Tabernacles is one of my favorite. Some of the feasts are meant to be solemn but other are meant to be full of rejoicing. Now there are obvious reasons to be joyful and full of hope with all of the Holy Feasts and in Tabernacles we are actually commanded by God to celebrate and be full of joy and thanksgiving. How awesome is that? So here is a little taste of why this feast is so cool, most of all for Christians.
The theme of the feast is in the title. The tabernacle, or dwelling, is a common symbol used for God’s presence among His creation. In Exodus, God commands Moses to build a tabernacle in the wilderness. Why? Because God wanted to dwell among the nation of Israel. Later on Solomon would build the first temple which had a similar layout as the tabernacle and served the same purpose…God’s presence among His people. Fast forward to John chapter one and we see an even greater representation of God dwelling among us.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14 (NIV)
The Word is obviously Jesus, who was the full embodiment of God in the flesh. Jesus is the tabernacle and the temple. The word “dwelling” in this verse is actually the same word used for “to tabernacle”. If that’s not enough to blow your mind and prove the significance of this feast for Christians, then lets keep going.
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV)
As believers in Christ we too are tabernacles/temples. God no longer just appears to us in temples and tents and churches, God’s Spirit is dwelling/tabernacling in us. Those who just look at this feast from it’s old testament meaning are missing more than just one piece of the puzzle. Yes, it originally pointed to God dwelling among Israel and them living in temporary homes known as booths while on their journey to the promised land, but all of that was a foreshadowing of greater meaning later on.
11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.
1 Peter 2:11 (ESV)
Just as the Israelites wondered in the wilderness and dwelt in temporary homes before reaching the promised land, so too are we. The word “sojourner” means a traveler…someone passing through. You’ve seen the bumper stickers. “We are not of this world”. They come from the statement Jesus made when praying in the garden of Gethsemane the night before He was crucified. We, as Christians, are passing through this world on our way to THE promised land, which is actually our home.
For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ…
Philippians 3:20 (NASB)
So this Feast has a past significance (the tabernacle, the temple, and Jesus coming to live on earth), a present significance (God’s Holy Spirit living in us), and also a future significance.
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.
Revelation 21:3 (ESV)
This is what we celebrate when we celebrate the feast. We honor God’s faithfulness in the past, present, and future. We praise Him for wanting to be among us and that He has allowed us to be in His presence. This is only a taste of what this feast means of humanity. I encourage anyone in search of knowing more about God’s character and His plan to research all of these feasts. Knowing these unlocks so much of the bible and gives us so much hope that He is control. That’s something we need in these difficult days.
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The Gospel in the OT
The first four books of the New Testament are often referred to as the gospels because they contain the life of Jesus (the earthly one anyways). But a close read of the Old Testament will reveal the same gospel message. That’s because God has been writing it since the beginning, because humanity has needed it since the beginning. Just check out this text from Psalm 73:
“I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you. Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.”
Psalms 73:22-25 ESV
There it is. The depravity of humanity, his/her separation from God, God’s faithful pursuit of humanity, and the resulting heart change of someone who has found salvation in the Lord!
God is so good!
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Oh to hear those trumpets sound!
“Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall not do any laborious work, but you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD.'””
Leviticus 23:23-25 NASB
At sunset on Sunday, October 2nd, millions around the world joined in a biblical holy day known as Rosh Hashanah, aka the Feast of Trumpets. I would venture to say that most of those observing this day are our Jewish brothers and sisters, but many are followers of Jesus Christ (Yeshua).
Four years ago my wife and I embarked on a journey of discovery that has been, well, quite amazing. Feeling a mix of conviction and curiosity, we decided to dive into a study of the Holy Feasts that God had commanded His followers to honor. There are 7 specifically outlined in Leviticus 23. Three take place in the spring, one in the early summer, and three more in the fall months. Taken as a whole, they are a beautiful picture of God’s redemptive plan for His creation.
We have learned a lot of incredible things by studying these feasts. Among them is that every single feast is a record of something Jesus has either already done for us or is going to do for us in the future. That’s why a lot of Christians have gotten on board with learning about these feasts and observing them to the extent of honoring Christ. Every sacrifice made during these feasts were related to some aspect of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice for us. Now that doesn’t mean that Christians are supposed to make the animal sacrifices that are outlined in these feasts. That would be meaningless and empty in light of Christ’s once and for all sacrifice. But the call to sacrifice has not changed. Romans 12:1 says to be a daily living sacrifice. But, Every Old Testament event that these feasts were tied to were but a foreshadowing of Jesus (Yeshua).
I’ve already talked more about the feasts than I planned to because I really just wanted to focus on the ones happening this fall. Come springtime I’ll be highlighting the sweet truths contained in those feasts.
Rosh Hashanah carries with it a meaning of newness. Trumpets (shofars) are sounded which marks the beginning of both a serious series of days and a rejoicing moment looking ahead because of what it points to. This feast ultimately signifies the moment when Christ will take His bride. It’s the moment that all Christians look forward to the most. We will get to be with our Savior forever! For that reason, Rosh Hashanah is our new beginning in the most real sense.
For others, meaning those not devoted to Christ, this marks the beginning of the days of Awe leading up to judgment day, which happens to be ending today on the feast calendar (October 12). This day is known as Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement. In the bible, it discusses this feast as the great day in the year when the high priest would offer a sin sacrifice for the nation. The High Priest (Jesus) has made that once and for all sacrifice. Prior to that, the Yom Kippur sacrifice would earn people’s entrance into the Book of Life for the following year. Are you seeing the foreshadowing here? The ultimate sacrifice of Christ bought His followers entrance into THE Book of Life for all eternity. So for Christians, the ten days of awe are glorious reflection on His amazing goodness, culminating in The Day of Atonement when we honor Christ for inscribing our names in the Lambs Book of Lamb. How awesome is that!?
Coming up this Sunday, October 16, we have the final of the seven Holy Feasts of the Lord, Sukkot or Tabernacles. More to come on that…but it is amazing!
God bless my brothers and sisters. Be encouraged that God is and has been in control since the beginning of time.
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Only dead fish swim with the stream
“A particular activity or cause that has suddenly become fashionable or popular.”
-Bandwagon
Most people have heard of bandwagon fans. Every time a new team rises to the top of the ranks in any given sport we see their jerseys, hats, tweets, posts, etc all over the place. The media probably feeds this phenomenon but I wouldn’t say that it causes it by any means. There is something inside people that makes them want to hop on the wagon. The bandwagon analogy doesn’t just pertain to the sports world either. With most every hobby, passion, ideology, philosophy, and much more, there is a bandwagon effect. I would say that bandwagons are harmless for the most part, and even fun to tease people about, until it involves critical aspects of someone’s life or becomes more of pattern in a person’s life. That is what this blog post is addressing.
Behind the bandwagon effect lies a much deeper issue…insecurity. Bear with me here. By default, a person who jumps on the wagon is someone who wants to be associated with what is popular at the time. They might even be very outspoken about what is acceptable or praised in society at that moment. But, as we know, society changes about as often as teams rise and fall from prominence.
To jump on and off the bandwagon is the easier path in life. One never has to be disappointed, weather hard times, go against the flow, or be challenged. It may be easier to live this way, but it is far less fulfilling, impactful, and authentic. It could also be said that these people are either absent of true conviction or too fearful to stand by them. Their insecurity drives their beliefs deep down so that they choose the crowd over conviction. In perspective, a bandwagon lifestyle is fake. It is a projected image that doesn’t match reality. The life is no more dangerous than when it comes to our faith in Christ. Just as a bandwagon fan, is no fan at all so too a bandwagon Christian is no Christian at all. And there are plenty of impostors out there wearing the Christian fan garb and speaking the Christianese language, but only when it’s safe, and only when it doesn’t require changing their lifestyle, and only when it doesn’t require standing up for truth.
The title of this post is part of a quote from Malcolm Muggeridge, an English journalist. I believe it captures the bandwagon life. Those who follow the flow of society don’t have a promising future ahead of them. The fish who survive and have purpose, are those who choose to swim upstream, against the current. Few people choose the current, but those who are spiritually alive refuse the flow. That’s because Jesus is at the headwaters not the mouth of the river.
I am not advocating anarchy or outright rebellion, but I am promoting the idea of being counter-cultural. There have always been, and I would venture to say, there always will be aspects of culture that is anti-biblical. So to be a Christian is to be counter-cultural. To be a Christian means we have to go against the flow for a lot of issues in society. To be a Christian means we will have to weather hard times and that the majority will criticize us at one point or another. To be a Christian means that we have the strength of the Holy Spirit to thrive in the midst of hostility and adversity. Jesus didn’t send us out into the world to flow with it, but to change it. And He promised that we wouldn’t go alone.
The goal of the Christian is not the acceptance of society, but acceptance by the Savior. He wrote the rule book of life, not men. He decided right and wrong, not men. And what was right in the beginning of time will still be right when this world comes to an end. The judgement standard of this world is Jesus Christ, not cultural norms. What separates the bandwagon fans of Jesus and His die-hard followers will be whether or not they live that way. Besides, the bandwagon doesn’t pass through the pearly gates only those who followed Him in life do.
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. 15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
Matthew 7:13-23 (NIV)
