Truth

Winning By Losing

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How do you know when you’ve won?

In sports, it’s easy. The final buzzer sounds, and you check the scoreboard. Arguments can be won in the courtroom based upon the ruling of a jury. A promotion at your job might even be won by your performance.

But how about in life and death? Can you “win” at life?

I’m not suggesting that life is a game, but I do get the sense that many of us believe it is. We are told to “play with the cards you are dealt” and a variety of other idioms exposing this undertow of philosophy. Since this perspective prevails, we must have some sort of definition for what constitutes winning.

It’s an interesting activity to consider what one would need to happen or accomplish to consider life a “win.” I imagine having healthy, enjoyable relationships with our loved ones would be on the list. Being financially literate and creating generational wealth may also cross our minds. Perhaps there’s even a list we have started that literally states all the things we want to do before we die. The thought of a life with many of those things left unchecked may bring on a panicky depression, motivating us to “live life to the fullest” while we still can. A life with unfulfilled aspirations is not typically chalked up as a win.

This question has been on my mind as I’ve been challenged by what has recently transpired in Afghanistan. I think about what certain members of the Taliban consider a winning life. Or, how members of Al-Qaeda or ISIS would answer such a question. These three groups can undoubtedly differ in their belief systems and complexity is richly interwoven within their history, but it’s well documented that many would declare their life a “win” if it brings many other lives to an end.

This horrific reality has once again been pushed to our frontal lobe. While one celebrates victory by blasting an AK-47 into the sky, another mourns as they hide for their lives. There is no simple way to neatly package such a situation and I don’t intend to speak on behalf of anyone. I simply look to call to attention that “winning at life” certainly isn’t relative like we often claim it to be.

If winning isn’t relative in sports, court, or the workplace, then why would it be in matters of life and death? It’s here that I am comforted in the renewing power of God’s word to reveal to us the truth of this world. He shows us that life is won not through acquiring, building, or even enjoying. Rather, it is won by losing.

God’s son, Jesus, tells us that the one who loses his life for Christ’s sake will find it. He tells us that the greatest among men is actually the one who serves the most. He showed us that a winning life doesn’t look like we often think. Moreover, Jesus didn’t live as some detached religious figure who merely espoused things He didn’t actually do. His words always point to His own actions.

It was the worst moment in human history that God chose to also be the greatest. As the Roman soldiers laughingly mocked Him, the religious leaders looked on in pleasure as Jesus’ righteous blood flowed onto the  Golgotha soil.

Jesus let out His last breath, and victory was far from His disciples’ minds. They scattered, afraid for their lives. Yet it was in this moment, that their victory – and the victory of all those who place their belief and hope in Jesus – was secured. Jesus rose from the dead three days later in triumphal procession.

Many more have made the decision to follow Jesus and suffer with their Lord. Yet they not only consider their persecution a win, but actually rejoice that it is happening to them and pray for the souls of those who plan their slaughter. Their eternal hope in Christ’s atoning work for their sin is a victory no bullet can rip through, or knife can decapitate.

For my brothers, sisters, and I, we know our lives have already been won for us. The closest thing to winning in this life we now know, is if in our death, many are pointed to the one who also offers them true victory. Especially those who commit such acts and think they’re pleasing God.

In the coming weeks, as reports continue to surface, my hope is that you reflect upon your own understanding of a winning life and then run to the only One who offers true victory.

 

Scripture References:

Luke 9:24 – Lose your life for Christ’s sake and find it.

Luke 22:26 – The greatest is the one who serves.

Philippians 3:8-10 – All is counted loss compared to knowing Christ Jesus

Acts 5:41 – Rejoicing to be counted worthy of suffering for Christ

Matthew 5:44 – Pray for those who persecute you

Father, Meet Me There

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Father, meet me there

In the winds of confusion

Where my mind flaps like a flag

And I’m slow to dismiss delusions

Father, meet me there

On the seas of sorrow

As I float on painful depths

And dread tomorrow

Father, meet me there

By the fountain of joy

Where gratitude comes easy

And the days bright as koi

Father, meet me there

Atop the steps of success

Where pride subtly lurks

And I puff out my chest

Father, meet me there

In the waiting room of desire

When my wants seem like needs

And I’m consumed to acquire

Father, meet me there

At the crossroads of decision

For several paths beckon

And clouded is my vision

Father, meet me there

Behind the bars of rebellion

Discipline me in love

And show me the cell I’m in

Father, meet me there

In the ruins of apathy

Built by the self-consumed

Point me back to your majesty

Father, meet me there

In every situation

For every duration

At every location

Father, meet me there

For you are here

I know you’re near

Yet you’re already there

Thank you Father, for meeting me there.

No More, No Less

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I had a bad habit as a kid of embellishing things.

My parents would graciously respond to all of my exaggerated hyperboles the same way.

“Okay. What really happened?”

Part of it might be because I’ve always loved a good story. Or maybe it’s because I wanted to influence their view on something rather than just present the facts. Either way, my family quickly learned to take what I said with a grain of salt.

Even today when I recount something, I have to fight the strong urge to add in or enlarge certain details. It’s quite easy to do and (sometimes) hard for the listener to detect. After all, can they really disprove the size of the fish I caught last summer? Or can they see my bank account to verify I make as much as I said I did? We perceive an easy benefit without a likely cost. This is not reality.

This simple equation is the principle behind lying or manipulating the truth. We place a premium value on a fabrication while setting the truth aside as if it were an old orange peel. Of course, such a scenario manifests in a variety of ways. Perhaps the most staggering is in the dissemination of God’s words.

Recently, I have been reading through the book of the Biblical prophet Jeremiah. The ancient nation of Judah, God’s chosen people, rebelled against their God in pursuit of false gods which resulted in all kinds of appalling behavior – such as sacrificing their own children. God speaks through His anointed prophet Jeremiah announcing the land He gave Israel will be invaded by Babylon as He judges the land for its sin. The people had many chances to return to God and receive mercy, but at the time of much of Jeremiah’s writing, the Babylonian exile is set in stone after numerous rejections of His merciful offers.

Jeremiah is tasked with bringing this terrible news to his fellow countrymen. So much so, that I’ve started to think that the phrase “don’t shoot the messenger” comes from this account. There are many attempts on his life, even by his own family. Everybody hated this dude.

Why? He spoke just what God told him to say. Words of defeat, death, and desolation. He urged the people to relent of their wicked ways and return to the God who made them to avoid the impending destruction. They didn’t like that message. So, they tried to silence him. Rather, they tried to silence God.

Alternatives to Jeremiah’s words began to sprout up like weeds in a garden. The first was by a guy named Hananiah. Jeremiah had prophesied that the Israelites would be in exile 70 years, Judah’s old king named Jeconiah would die in Babylon, and that those who brought their necks under the “yoke” of Babylon would survive. Hananiah announces later that same year that the exile would only last two years as the yoke of Babylon was broken and that Jeconiah would be brought back into Judah. Hananiah’s prophesy contradicted Jeremiah’s at every point. Obviously, Hananiah’s message was a little more palatable than Jeremiah’s and required no remediation of behavior.

While Jeremiah ironically hoped Hananiah’s message was true, he wisely reminded the people to examine a true prophet by seeing which actually happens. After 37 years of Babylonian captivity, Jeconiah aka Jehoiachin was freed – but he did not return to Judah. He lived in Babylon till his death, well cared for by Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar’s son and successor, Evil-merodach. Hananiah didn’t see the end of that same year he made the false prophecy. He died because he turned the people from God and made them trust in a lie he created.

Even after, more weeds arose. Two men named Ahab and Zedekiah (not to be confused with the kings of Judah with the same names) spoke lies claiming to be from God while sleeping with their neighbors’ wives. In judgement, God consigns them to be “roasted in the fire” by Nebuchadnezzar. A so-called prophet named Shemaiah rebukes the priest Zephaniah for not chiding Jeremiah with stocks and neck irons for telling the people that their exile will be long, and they should settle in Babylon by building houses and planting gardens. Just like Hananiah, Ahab, and Zedekiah, God judges Shemaiah for making His people trust in a lie. Shemaiah’s family line is ended, and he is forbidden from seeing the redemption of the land that comes after the exile.

We see many here with a position of religious standing and influence proclaim something different than what God has actually spoken. The result is that people are ALWAYS driven AWAY from God. Had they listened to God’s words through Jeremiah, they would have repented of their sin, returned to God, and been saved from God’s wrath imposed through Babylon.

While those reading aren’t citizens of Judah and the nation of Babylon no longer exists, God’s words still do. He tells us that though all things will pass away, His words never will. His true word ALWAYS leads us TOWARDS Him. To change His words or claim He said something he hasn’t may not always be obvious, but it always results in death. Yours and those listening to you.

So, this begs the question– what is God’s word? What does it say?

The central message is one of His glory and our salvation through belief in the death, resurrection, and ascension of His Son Jesus Christ. Open it up to see true justice, amazing grace, and eternal hope. Sin is not justified. Instead it is explained in great detail and always exposed as leading to death. Judgement is promised, yet so is a way out for those who humble themselves before the Lord.

God’s word. It always points us to Jesus Christ. It always points us to our desperate need and His gracious supplication. It’s my prayer that you hear and see it in every post, action, and word I speak. No more, no less.

Scripture References:

Jeremiah 22:24-27 – Jeconiah won’t return to Judah but will die in Babylon

Jeremiah 25:12 – Babylonian exile will be for 70 years

Jeremiah 27 – Yoke of Babylon, death for those who rebel, life for those who submit and obey God

Jeremiah 28 & 29 – Hananiah, Ahab, Zedekiah, and Shemaiah’s false prophecies

2 Kings 25:27-30 – Jehoiachin dies in Babylon, but thrives under Babylonian captivity after surrender

Isaiah 13:9, Jeremiah 51 – Babylon destroyed (539 B.C.)

Matthew 24:35 – All will pass away, except for God’s words

Truth Seeker

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Why do you believe what you believe?

It’s a question that regularly crosses my mind as I scroll through my social media feeds. Housed in these digital courthouses, a plethora of issues are discussed daily. Sometimes in civil, respectful ways. Sometimes with toxic abhorrence.

There are times that logging onto Facebook feels like I’m walking into a 5th grade science fair where the majority of students have chosen to make one of those baking soda and vinegar “volcanoes.” Instead of these two common household items, insert any opposing commonly held belief system – whether political, religious, social, or even just about sports! Pressure builds, bubbles, and finally releases in an explosive decision. Maybe in the form of harmful language typed the person would never say to another’s face. Or possibly with the unfriending or eliminating someone from your virtual friend pool.

The contentious climate our nation finds itself in has created more of this than ever. Whether it concerns the COVID-19 pandemic, race relations and societal injustice, or the upcoming election, there’s a lengthy buffet of arguments to dish out onto your plate each day.

The upheaval of society and a recent study in the book of Jeremiah has me asking myself amidst this chaos,

“Are you looking for truth?”

I find it easier to speak my thoughts on something rather than listen to another’s. I find it easier to point out other’s flaws rather than my own. I find it easier to dismiss someone because I disagree with them than building a relationship while acknowledging differences. None of these instinctual pulls jive with truth seeking. In fact, I believe these tendencies lead us to an echo chamber where we only listen to people we agree with, which is a breeding ground for deception.

In the days of Jeremiah, his homeland of Judah was in peril. God had rescued the nation of Israel from Egyptian oppression and provided them with the land He promised to their forefather Abraham. Yet they were unfaithful to God and cheated on Him with false gods. They disobeyed God and lived double lives, surrendering their hearts to idols yet claimed to still be God’s faithful “spouse.”

For their sin, God promised judgement and appointed Jeremiah to relay this message to the people that they might repent, return to God, and once again enjoy His blessing on their land. They didn’t listen.

“Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, look and take note! Search her squares to see if you can find a man, one who does justice and seeks truth, that I may pardon her. Though they say, ‘As the LORD lives,’ yet they swear falsely. O LORD, do not your eyes look for the truth? You have struck them down, but they felt no anguish; you have consumed them, but they refused to take correction. They have made their faces harder than rock; they have refused to repent.” Jeremiah 5:1-3

Despite the discipline they received, the people were too blind and hardened to be convinced of the truth. They chose a lie instead. What did they do to one who told them something they didn’t want to hear? They persecuted Jeremiah. They sought his life, mocked, and berated him and regarded him as a laughingstock. However, the people of Judah weren’t laughing when the prophesied “disaster from the north…a destroyer of nations” or Babylon, came and conquered Jerusalem in 587 B.C.

Truth and justice, as mentioned in the text, was not sought by anyone in the streets of Jerusalem. If it had been, they undoubtedly would have returned to God who is truth and is justice, and God in His grace would have spared the whole city. The evidence didn’t matter to them and neither did truth. They sought what they wanted to seek, and it earned them desolation.

I want to be careful here. I’m not saying America is Judah. But I do see many modern parallels that are addressed by this text when examined in its context. Truth is impartial, as is its creator. It doesn’t have a political affiliation or skin color. Man is not the author of it, no matter how bad we might want to be. Nobody is immune to ignoring the truth and seeking a lie. As one deals with God, so they deal with truth.

I’m also reminded as I write of the maddening refusal of the religious leaders in Jesus’ day to accept the fact that He raised a man named Lazarus from the dead. Instead of considering that Jesus may be who He claimed to be with this miracle as proof, they conspired on how to kill Lazarus. They would rather destroy the evidence, than accept the conclusion to which it pointed.

This tragic rejection of truth would be outdone when Jesus rose from the dead after laying His life down that the sins of mankind may be forgiven. When the guards standing outside the tomb told the religious leaders what had happened, once again, they denied the undeniable and circulated a theory that the disciples had come and stolen Jesus’ dead body. They didn’t want the truth, so they didn’t want Jesus.

As we navigate the complex issues of our time, may we run to God who is the truth. Not a political talk show, not social media, not what we’ve always heard, and especially not ourselves. May we seek truth and examine the source of our beliefs. May this practice drive us to “the way, the truth and the life,” Jesus Christ.

Scripture References:

Jeremiah 2:26-28 – Judah’s condition during Jeremiah’s time.

Jeremiah 4:6-7 – A “destroyer of nations” is their punishment.

Jeremiah 4:14 – God calls Jerusalem (and all of Judah) to repent.

Jeremiah 5:1-3 – They refuse to repent.

John 12:9-11 – They would rather kill Lazarus than believe in Jesus who raised him from the dead.

Matthew 27:62-28:15 – Jesus rises from the dead before their eyes, they try and cover up the evidence.

John 14:1-7 – Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

For Him

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Sometimes the smooth gradient of everyday life is confronted with a question.

These questions are rarely the sort that demand an answer in the moment, making them easy to limbo underneath. These sorts of questions threaten to rattle our comfortable way of life. So, we naturally avoid contemplation because it often brings friction.

Eventually though, the questions become unavoidable. Life circumstances have a way of continually bringing us back to the same questions no matter how good we are at avoiding them.

This is especially the case with one question that has resided in my mind since my early adolescence.

“Why do I exist?”

This is a question that I am confident most ask at some point in their life.

Some try to do the most good they can in hopes that it will somehow positively benefit them in whatever happens after death. Others see pleasure as the ultimate goal of their existence and reject any notion of an afterlife. Many even believe there is no reason for their existence, they just exist.

These are only several of the many explanations we come up with for the “why” of our existence.

How often do we say “why” to that why?

What I mean is, are you truly satisfied with the understanding of your existence? Do you ever question it, even if you are confident you have it figured out? One genuinely seeking truth questions and is not afraid to place their own preconceived notions under the microscope.

I have found great comfort in what the Bible teaches regarding our existence and the more I live, the more I see its truth. Rather than existing simply for our own sake, our existence is not ultimately about us. As Colossians 1:16-17 states:

“For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through Him and for Him.”

Not only are we told how we exist in this verse – which is a whole other conversation – we are taught that it is not only us, but all things that exist for Him. “Him” refers to Jesus Christ, who is called “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation” just a verse prior to the ones above.

Essentially, we are shown here that the entire package of our existence is wrapped up in God Himself. It is He that is our significance, security and purpose. In other words, when He is receiving glory, then we are fulfilling our purpose.

I find it ironic that often the biggest names of the Bible are people who actually did very little when all is said and done. It is common knowledge to our culture that Moses parted the Red Sea. But did He really hold up the two banks of water? No, God did! He simply walked across dry land.

We can reflexively admire and revere the men and women of the Bible who God used to carry out His purposes. Naturally, we do the same with ourselves, regardless of our view of God. We want the glory of God. We want to be revered. We want to have influence. We want to be admired. We are duped thinking its why we exist.

When we believe we exist for anything but God himself, we are attempting to walk upstream as a raging rapid flushes against our legs. It results in hopes that produce nothing but empty accomplishments. Yet when we agree with what God says about us – that we are His creation in existence for His glory – we flow with the current. Things are as they should be.

This does not mean that your existence suddenly becomes a cake walk when you submit it to the will of God. It does mean that you can walk with true purpose that exists outside of yourself. You can walk in works the God has prepared in advance for you to do, that HE might receive glory.

Everything is already set-up – we just need to ask Him to help us to follow Him.

I hope that the words of God will penetrate your heart and soul and you will give your answer to the question of “why do I exist” a serious second or third look.

Scripture references:

Colossians 1:15-17 – All things exist through Him and for Him.

Exodus 14 – The Israelites cross the Red Sea.

Philippians 2:13 – It is God who works in us to glorify Him through good works.

Galatians 2:10 – God prepared these good works in advance for us to do.

Because I Said So

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No child enjoys hearing these four words. They form a sentence that sends the son or daughter spiraling into a flurry of frustration, no matter the situation.

“Because I said so.”

I remember hearing these words and hating them. They made it impossible to get what I wanted. My plans didn’t prevail because a higher authority said otherwise. If I went ahead and ignored those four powerful words, I knew I could expect some sort of painful discipline.

It’s no mystery that when we’re told we can’t do something, that becomes the thing we want to do the most. But to be told we can’t do something because a certain someone said so? That’s where things get ugly.

We don’t like that because it shifts our perceived authority over our lives to someone else. It makes us feel enslaved and oppressed. We rebel and throw tantrums to try and take back some semblance of control, no matter how self-destructive.

At 25 years old, I seldom hear those words anymore but am still tempted to throw those same tantrums. It seems our world has a great way of mutely cutting us off with a wagging finger saying, “Because I said so.” How we long for the day when we can freely declare “Because I said so” and go about our business with no outside interference. Some believe that they have a self-governing life where all their decisions are made with those four simple words.

It shouldn’t take long, however, to see that we are not in control. One untimely diagnosis, one stolen credit card, one little spark catching your house on fire can all derail life as we know it. The reality of our powerlessness really tends to sneak up on us in the catastrophes. It shouldn’t have to, though.

Consider the fact that you must pay taxes. If you don’t, you’ll be thrown in prison. Does anyone really want to pay taxes? Or, take your emotions for example. Can you control how you feel? Look at something as simple as breathing. Is there a fresh air supply for your every moment because you said there would be?

What we say often doesn’t go. Even if it did, I’m not so sure we’d love the destination. I find that my way is often a way to more losses than wins.

This is why I’ve been becoming more and more okay with the truth that virtually nothing is “because I, Brian Hilton, said so.” Of course, I’m not saying that we have no ability to make decisions, but I am saying that there is one who can say those four words with no room for anyone’s rebuttal.

A lot of people don’t like that idea, which is what turns people off to God. Many have an understanding of God that is similar to their view of tyrannical dictatorships. He’s restrictive, harsh and doesn’t serve our best interests.

But if I may ask respectfully, what is the source of that understanding? Because when I open up the Bible, I see that God saves me from myself. When I look at my life, I see that I have no good thing apart from Him. When I look at my heart, I see that the only reason I can have any hope or joy at all in this life is because He says so.

Consider Romans 8:31-32 which says,

“…If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave Him up for us all – how will he not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?”

When we know God and walk with Him, we can’t lose. It is that fear of loss or being kept from something good that fuels our rebellion of His authority. But shown here, God’s absolute authority over all things is our best-case scenario.

However, it’s clarified that this is true “if God is for us.” This naturally begs the question – how do we get God to be for us? The answer to that is found in verse 32 as the author, Paul the Apostle, notes that God did not “spare his own Son but gave Him up for us all.” Why and how would God give up His Son?

The “why” is found many places throughout scripture, but pretty profoundly in the oft-quoted John 3:16 which reads,

“For God so loved the world that He gave His One and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

It’s because God loved the world that he gave His only Son. A decision prompted by love for us and the desire for our ultimate good, not some sort of power trip.

The “how” of God’s giving up of His son is well described earlier in Romans. Consider Romans 3:25-26:

“God presented Him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in His blood. He did this to demonstrate His justice because in His forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished – He did it to demonstrate His justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”

So, God’s love for the world motivated him to offer His son, Jesus, as a “sacrifice of atonement” which in turn “justifies…through faith,” sinners. Every one of us falls in this “sinner” category. Evidence of sin can be found in our natural position against God. Again, we want to be the ones to say, “because I said so.”

Thankfully, we are not in authority. God is. We deserve to be judged for our sins, but through faith in Jesus Christ, we have an atonement because God said and did so. We simply must believe in Jesus and turn away from our plans, to His.

This is where I’ve found a new love for this phrase. No longer does it matter what others say about us, or even what we say about ourselves. Remember, if God is for us, who can be against us? What He says about us is what goes – and He says I’m forgiven in Jesus through faith. He says I’m His child. He says I have all that I need in Him.

While our feelings might not always grasp this due to the inevitable hardships we will still face in this life, I’m thankful for the firm foundation that what God says goes. This brings freedom, security, and true comfort that isn’t shaken by circumstance.

There’s nothing that can rival the joy I partake in considering a clamoring voice listing all my inadequacies, flaws, past, present and future sins questioning God on how I could be saved. In a calm yet firm voice, God says through Jesus –

“Because I said so.”

 

Scripture References:

Isaiah 50:8-9 – “…Behold the LORD God helps me; who will declare me guilty”

Romans 8:31-39 – “…if God is for us, who can be against us?”

1 Corinthians 4:3-4 – “…I don’t even judge myself…it is the LORD who judges me…”

Daniel 3:6 – “…we have no need to answer you in this matter…”

1 John 4:4 – “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world…”

Romans 8:28 – “…all things work together for good for those who are called…”

Psalm 118:6 – “The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

Revelation 12:10-11 – “…the accuser of the brethren has been thrown down…”

Communication Factor

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The past two years I was blessed with the opportunity to work on the grounds crew of a golf club who hire migrant workers all the way from Mexico to come up and work every March through November.  Hailing from Vera Cruz, Mexico, a place riddled by drug cartels, most of these men speak very little to no English which presents some interesting challenges during the course of the work day.  However, all these guys are hilarious and awesome people, so the miscommunication was usually very entertaining for both English and Spanish speakers alike.  Despite the language barrier between the Americans, Mexicans, and single Jamaican on the crew (shout out to Gopie) everything that needed to be done, always was finished by the end of the day.  There were some days where I was absolutely blown away by the efficiency that was displayed, with such an inefficient method. 

 

                One day this past fall, I was working side by side with a man from Mexico named Samuel.  Samuel is a small, skinny man who sports a grey goatee off of his wrinkly face.  Smoking about a pack of cigarettes a day while being in his sixties having done manual labor his entire life, the man musters up the strength each day to weather the elements and earn money for his family back home.  Serious respect.  Anyway, we got to talking on this blustery fall day.  I asked “You excited to go back Mexico and see familia?”  Wow.  Who would have known something as simple as that would spark such a grammatically incorrect yet involved conversation?  Samuel started telling me about his daughters, and how one of his daughters was a widow because her husband was murdered by the cartels.  She had 3 kids to raise with no job and no husband to provide.  Samuel knowing my minimal grasp on the Spanish language simply said it was “No Bueno”.  He got that across to me amidst the massive wall separating us conversationally, so I decided to tell him about something’s that were going on in my life.  I realized how I hadn’t had a good conversation like this with someone who even spoke ENGLISH in a while!  Everything was straightforward, to the point and perhaps most important, we both really had to think about what the other was saying in order to understand.  Later on in the day, Samuel, out of the blue came up to me and said “We no good understand each other for Tower of Babel!”  I just started laughing hysterically, partially because of how funny he sounded saying it (a common occurrence for us to laugh at the language barrier), and because of how blown away I was!  We then started talking about various Old Testament occurrences including The Tower of Babel, Daniel in the Lion’s Den, The Battle of Jericho, and also talked about Paul from the New Testament a little.  It then hit me like a bag of bricks, there still is a universal language…The Gospel!!

 

In Genesis chapter 11, the first verse states that at the current time, there was only one language.  Then people travelling from east find this big plain in the land of Shinar (most likely modern day Iraq) and decide to build a gigantic tower “with a top that reaches the heavens so we can make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the whole earth”. (v.4). God decides to punish them for their pride and protect them from dangerous unification by “confusing” their language.  This was the origin of miscommunication between Samuel and I, and millions of others!

 

If God eliminated having only one language, but wants us to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Matt.28:19), then how do we do so when the other countries speak a different language then we do?  The Gospel isn’t bound down by words, its living.  The Holy Spirit lives in us and communicates to others through our actions.  Even if there is a physical language barrier, there will never been a spiritual language barrier between us.  The Gospel is for everyone!  Not just English speaking Americans, or Spanish speaking Mexicans.  The consistency of our sinful hearts needing to be saved that will exist in all of us until we accept Jesus Christ into our lives by faith transcends words.  Which is why through hand motions, broken words, and tears there is amazing ministry going on all over the world, because it is Spirit led, sincere, and truly from the heart.

 

Jesus says we should let our Yes be Yes and our No be No in Matthew 5:37.  How often do we communicate like Jesus though?  He was always truthful, honest and loving with his words.  Mark 1 and 2 provide a good lesson on how to communicate with one another. 

 

  • Mark 1:15…short, honest, and sincere.

 

“The time has come,” he said.  “The kingdom of God is near.  Repent and believe the good news!”

 

  • Mark 2:17…truthful, and patient with the wishy washy Pharisees after they questioned him about eating with “sinners” and tax collectors.

 

“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but

 

sinners.”

 

                Unlike us, he had every right to be harsh with these people and to flip things around and judge them as we often do with people who do things contrary to what we think they should do.  Jesus was without sin though, and we are overflowing with it.  It puts things in perspective to know that we never have the right to judge anyone yet we always do, and he had every right to, and was calm, patient and slow to anger.  Another way we need a savior.

 

The latter half of Matthew 5:37 says that “anything beyond this (simple, truthful answers) comes from the evil one”.  Sadly, rarely are people upfront about things.  Or if they are, it’s out of bitterness and sin, not truth.  Instead, they choose to people please and aim to earn the acceptance of man rather than of their Savior.  Ironically, people pleasing really is only done with self-glorification in mind…we only do it to make things easier on ourselves, rather than thinking about the others best interests.  Our yes’s are not yes’s and no’s are not no’s, and this is a very devastating place to be for everyone, nobody wins! 

 

We can be strong though, when our confidence isn’t in compliments from others or approval of man but resting solely in God and his word.  It’s an amazing freedom, and serves as an opportunity to build better more meaningful relationships with people when we are bold in Christ and learn to communicate as he would.  He’ll provide amazing ways, just like he did with Samuel and I, but most importantly, he’ll teach you how to better communicate with him!  He’s the best person to talk with around.