Ruth chapter 2 has to be one of my favorite chapters in the Old Testament because of its portrayal of our relationship with Christ. I don’t want to over-spiritualize the text. It’s a real story that happened in a real time and place. But it’s also a picture. In fact, the whole book of Ruth is a picture of our relationship with Christ.
Are you happily married? If you’re smart (and you’ve been married more than two years), you’ll realize that’s a question that depends on how things are going in the moment. Am I happily married? I am today – not sure about tomorrow. But I am securely and joyfully married.
Here’s a link to the whole series.
Last week I wrote about the first of several relationship principles for life and that was It’s Not About Me. Today I’m moving into Ephesians 4 for the next several principles for relationships.
On June 14, 1997, I woke up excited. I got dressed and drove to Scottsville Road Baptist Church and sat in the parking lot for a long time. My bride was inside wondering if I was sitting outside having second thoughts. I was really just thinking about how I was going to get through the rain and into the building without seeing her. The rain stopped. I made it inside. The day was awesome!!
One of my favorite websites is The Daily Spurgeon where my friend Nick spends a lot of valuable time culling the pages of Spurgeons sermons and works to offer up a daily couple of paragraphs from one of history’s greatest preachers. Today, Spurgeon echoed something that has been on my mind lately about Loving the Brethren.
Basically, we can stand against what we interpret to be biblical error, we can expose falsities, and we can disagree strongly, but we ought to love the brethren and the sistren (my own word). I disagree with many modern movements and emphases and I’ll mention those errors in my teaching, but I love godly people who seek the glory of Christ. Just a thought. We ought to love each other even when we disagree – pretty simple.
What do you think of Amish people?
Just a few years ago, an Amish community suffered a terrible tragedy. What was demonstrated by the residents was forgiveness, togetherness, and integrity. The world watched and mourned with them, albeit from a distance, as they sought no particular glory for themselves. The world’s opinion of them, in general, is that they are “good people.”
Of key words mentioned as the fruit of the spirit, the middle three are “longsuffering/patience, gentleness, goodness.” In reading news from Christianity in recent days, I wonder if these aren’t being forgotten. Frankly, it seems that theologically conservative Christians are involved in a war among the ranks.
When I was in high school, dating was popular. Okay, it’s always been popular. I dated… or at least I went on a few dates. There arose here and there those opportunities to ask a girl to go out, and I had a few first and even second and third dates here and there. But I never felt motivated to
I remember meeting Angie for the first time. We sat in a classroom full of old computers by ourselves talking (I don’t have any idea where we were supposed to be. We talked and talked. Soon we did a double-date with a couple of friends and watched the classic Cool Runnings. And that was it. She was kind of done… or so she thought.
I called her repeatedly and we would talk for great lengths of time. I somehow managed to convince her Mom and Dad I was a good guy, so her Mom’s persuasive abilities came into play as well, encouraging her daughter to “give this guy another shot.” I groveled, begged, and conned Angie into another date on January 5, 1995. The rest is history, and I’d do it all over again!! Why? She was worth pursuing, and still is.
I married a woman of excellence, and I’m proud of her. She dresses the part. She’s graceful, elegant, cute, funny, stylish, encouraging, and beautiful. She cares. She loves. She serves. She laughs. She’s awesome. I pursue her still!
Now Angie and I find ourselves immersed together in lives that are at times, busy, crazy, and hectic. We’ve been praying for a second (or more) child for over five years. We’ve been through an ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage, and surgery that we were hopeful would help the situation. Through it all, I’m so glad we get to find ourselves in each other’s arms. I would not want to live life any other way. Angie, you are so worth the chase!
Most people will never ponder that question, especially men. We’re too busy scrambling for romantic ideas. Jay Leno said men like to call February 14 “Extortion Day.” I think it’s nice to be able to set aside a day to be extra-sweet to that one who means so much to us. But have you ever known much of the history of the holiday?
Mark Driscoll has shared a pretty neat article about it that I wanted to pass along – I found the bottom line of it quite sobering. Go ahead and be sweet to your mate – it is a great opportunity to restore some chivalry to our animalistic culture. But also stop and think about a man who gave up his life for his greatest love – Jesus.
Valentine’s sacrifice was no great feat at all compared to the One who would ultimately “lay down his life for His friends.” You are Jesus’ greatest love! Is He yours?
photo credit: aprilzosia
Everything you say and do comes from the heart… everything! That’s exactly what Jesus said, along with Solomon and other biblical writers. And that’s what Andy Stanley tells us in his book It Came From Within.
Most of us like to think like the Pharisees, that our problems have to do with what goes into our bodies, but Jesus challenged that thinking with the revolutionary thought that the only things that ever get said or done are those things that are lurking inside of us. Our words and our actions originate deep inside, in the heart.
I became a Pastor in February of 1997, almost 12 years ago. In that 12 years, I’ve learned a lot about the Scriptures, about theology, and about the methodologies of ministry. But one of the most important lessons I’ve ever learned is to really love people. In one of my early pastorates, I received some advice that, had I taken it, would have in some respects stripped joy all but completely from my life. I was told never to get close to anyone. Always remember that “they” might turn on you. Never trust, never have close friends. I’m so glad I refused that advice.
Even in a leadership situation where I was hurt by many of the words of other people, God also taught me to love people without condition. When Angie and I moved to Kentucky, we fell in love with many people. We enjoyed almost eight wonderful years at Scottsville Road Baptist Church because we loved the people, and they loved us back. It made parting difficult, but God taught us so much there.
Now, living in northwest Arkansas and serving Bethel Baptist Church, we feel overwhelmed and blessed with some of the best friends we’ve ever had and one of the most loving churches in the entire world. This morning, I was reading a sermon by W. A. Criswell on love and he had these words to share…
However, eloquent we may be, however gifted, however wonderfully blessed of God with nine and ten talents, if our spirit is crude and rude and rough, if our heart is not filled with the milk of human kindness, if we’re not actuated and motivated by a wonderful care and concern for God’s fellow creatures, our eloquence is like sounding brass and clanging cymbal. Our gifts of the spirit are nothing and our very philanthropies fall to the ground.
I want to challenge every Pastor, every leader, every fellow human being reading this post to remember to love people. Open up, take the risk, make a connection, trust someone, show affection and appreciation, and lavish upon yourself the joy of loving others, beginning with Jesus Christ.
I'm a Christian, a Pastor to Bethel Baptist Church in Bentonville, Arkansas, a husband to Angie, a Dad to Ella, and I also enjoy graphic and web design. I'm a huge fan of Chick-fil-A and have a little dog named Beau!
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