John 4:31-38 Complete Jewish Bible

³¹ Meanwhile, the talmidim were urging Yeshua, “Rabbi, eat something.” ³² But he answered, “I have food to eat that you don’t know about.” ³³ At this, the talmidim asked one another, “Could someone have brought him food?” ³⁴  Yeshua said to them, “My food is to do what the one who sent me wants and to bring his work to completion. ³⁵ Don’t you have a saying, ‘Four more months and then the harvest’? Well, what I say to you is: open your eyes and look at the fields! They’re already ripe for harvest! ³⁶ The one who reaps receives his wages and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that the reaper and the sower may be glad together — ³⁷ for in this matter, the proverb, ‘One sows and another reaps,’ holds true. ³⁸ I sent you to reap what you haven’t worked for. Others have done the hard labor, and you have benefited from their work.”

What is the meaning of talmidim?

SHARE. The Hebrew word for disciple is talmid. This word stresses the total relationship between rabbi (teacher or master) and disciple (student). A talmid of Jesus’ day would freely give up his entire life in order to be with his teacher.

This is the deep relationship between Master Rabbi Gamaliel and Saul/Paul.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Greetings, family of God.

As we gather ourselves here in God’s name and for His Glory alone, today, we find ourselves in the strength and presence of the Almighty, our hearts beating in rhythm with His divine purpose, our spirits yearning for His divine wisdom.

We are here to on this day to immerse ourselves in His Word, to drink from the fountain of His truth, and to be nourished by His everlasting love. We are here to grow, to learn, to change, and to become more like our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Today, we are going to focus on a message that is as timely as it is timeless, a message that is as relevant today as it was when Jesus first spoke these words over two thousand years ago. It is a message that calls us to vigorous action, which challenges us to step out of our comfort zones, and which compels us to make the above, beyond most of every opportunity that God places in our path.

It is a message that is encapsulated in the words of Jesus in John 4:35, where He says, “Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.”

Let us read this scripture together, allowing the words to sink into our hearts, to stir our spirits, and to ignite a fire within us that cannot be quenched.

John 4:35 (The Message)

^34-35 Jesus said, “The food that keeps me going is that I do the will of the One who sent me, finishing the work he started. As you look around right now, wouldn’t you say that in about four months it will be time to harvest? Well, I’m telling you to open your eyes and take a good look at what’s right in front of you. These Samaritan fields are ripe. It’s harvest time!

As we consider these words, let us open the entirety of our hearts unto the Holy Spirit, asking Him to reveal to us some of the vast array of truths which have been hidden within them, guide us as we seek to apply these truths to our lives.

Now, imagine with me, if you will, a farmer who has been given a field full of wheat. The sun is shining, the rain has been plentiful, and the wheat is golden and ripe, ready to be harvested. But instead of going out into the field with his sickle, the farmer sits on his porch, reading his daily newspaper, looking out at the field, and says, “I will wait, it four months more and then the harvest.”

This is the picture that Jesus paints for us in John 4:35.

He is calling us to be like the farmer who sees the ripe wheat and immediately hops into his harvester, goes out to the business of harvesting it, not the farmer who procrastinates and misses the opportunity. He is calling us to be vigilant, to be proactive, and to be diligent in our efforts to increase our witness for Him, to enhance our relationship with Him, and to solidify our relationship with God.

As we delve ever deeper into this message today, let us keep this image in mind, allowing it to guide our thoughts, to shape our attitudes, and to influence our actions. Let us be the farmer who seizes the opportunity, who reaps the harvest, and who brings glory, honor, to God through his diligence and his faithfulness.

May God bless each and everyone of us as we embark on this journey together, and may He use this message to draw us closer to Him, to strengthen our faith, and elevate our wisdom, to equip us for the work which He has called us to do.

Taking Advantage of Every Opportunity

Friends, I believe we are all familiar with the concept of seizing the day, making the most of every opportunity. But how often do we actually rigorously apply this principle to our spiritual lives? How often do we vigorously take advantage of every opportunity to increase our witness for Jesus, enhance our relationship with Him, build and edify His Kingdom, and solidify our relationship with God?

Let’s make a well considered effort to consider the words of Jesus in John 4:35.

He challenges us here to open our eyes and see the opportunities around us.

The fields are ripe for harvest. The enormous opportunities to share His love and truth are abundant. We just need to open both our eyes and seize them.

Now, let’s think about what it means to increase our witness for Jesus.

It’s not about grand gestures or high-profile acts.

It’s about the small, everyday actions that reflect His love and grace. It’s about showing kindness to a stranger, offering a word of encouragement to a friend, or spending much needed time in prayer for someone who is in real need. These are the GOD opportunities we all have every day to shine His light in the world.

When we take advantage of these opportunities, we not only increase our own witness for Jesus, but we also enhance our relationship with Him. Every act of love, every word of truth, every moment of prayer and worship draws us closer to Him. It deepens our understanding of His heart and aligns our will with His.

In the original Greek language of the New Testament, the word for “look” in John 4:35 is “theoreo.”

https://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/kjv/theoreo.html#:~:text=Theoreo%20Definition,to%20view%20mentally%2C%20consider

It means more than just a casual glance.

It implies a deep, careful, deliberate observation.

It’s a call to pay strict attention, to be alert, to be aware of the opportunities around us.

So, Jesus is not just telling us to look at the fields.

He’s telling us to really see them, to recognize the opportunities they represent.

So, let’s open our eyes. Let’s see the opportunities around us.

Let’s seize every opportunity to increase our witness for Jesus, enhance our relationship with Him, and solidify our relationship with God.

The fields are ripe for harvest.

The opportunities are abundant. Let’s seize them with both hands.

Taking Advantage of Every Opportunity

Scripture Reference: John 4:35 (NIV)

“Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.”

In our walk with Jesus, we are called to seize every GOD opportunity that comes our way. This is not just simply about making the most of our time, but it is also about maximum effort, about maximizing our impact for the Kingdom of God.

Firstly, we need to increase our witness for Jesus.

This means sharing the Good News with those around us. We are all called to be ambassadors for Christ, to spread His love and grace to the world. This is not a task for the few, but a very sacred responsibility for all of us who follow Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:20 The Message

^16-20 Because of this decision we don’t evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don’t look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life emerges! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We’re Christ’s representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them. We’re speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he’s already a friend with you.

Bringing, Taking, Your Christian Values to Your Job

Colossians 3:23-25 The Message

^22-25 Servants, do what you’re told by your earthly masters. And don’t just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you’ll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you’re serving is Christ. The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t cover up bad work.

In today’s diverse, dynamic work environments, integrating personal faith and professional responsibilities can be both a rewarding and challenging endeavor.

For Christians, living out their faith in the workplace is a powerful testimony of their beliefs, especially because actions are louder than words.

We will explore further in this message how you can bring your Christian values to your job, balancing your professional responsibilities while maintaining your integrity and faith. 

Understanding the Importance of Faith at Work 

Faith is not just a private affair but a guiding force in all areas of life, up to and including work.

Here are some reasons why integrating faith in the workplace is essential: 

1. Integrity and Honesty: Christian values emphasize integrity and honesty. These principles foster a trustworthy environment, essential for building strong professional relationships. 

2. Service and Compassion: Jesus taught the importance of serving others. Bringing this attitude into work can transform the way you interact with colleagues, clients, and customers. 

3. Work Ethic: Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” This encourages a strong work ethic, aiming for excellence in all tasks. 

4. Conflict Resolution: Biblical teachings on forgiveness and peacemaking can guide you in resolving workplace conflicts effectively and gracefully. 

Practical Ways to Live Out Faith at Work 

1. Demonstrate Integrity 

One of the most potent ways to showcase our Christian faith is thru integrity.

This means being honest, transparent, and consistent in your actions.

Avoid engaging in gossip, deceit, or unethical practices, even if they seem commonplace in your workplace. Your commitment to integrity will not only please God but also earn you great respect from colleagues and superiors. 

2. Practice Kindness and Compassion 

Kindness and compassion are core Christian values. In a professional setting, this can mean offering to help a colleague who is struggling, listening actively when someone needs to talk, or showing empathy towards others’ situations.

These small acts can create a more supportive and positive work environment. 

3. Serve Others 

Adopt a servant leadership mindset, focusing on how you can serve others rather than seeking personal gain. This can involve mentoring junior employees, volunteering for less desirable tasks, or simply being available to assist where needed. Serving others not only reflects Christ’s message of love but also fosters fellowship, friendship, respect, teamwork and collaboration. 

4. Maintain a Strong Work Ethic 

Commit to performing your job to the best of your abilities. Show diligence, punctuality, and dedication in all your tasks.

As Colossians 3:23 reminds us, work as if you are working for the Lord. This attitude can inspire those around you and set a high standard for performance. 

5. Handle Conflict with Grace 

Workplace conflicts are inevitable, but how you handle them can set you apart.

Use biblical principles such as forgiveness, mercy, patience, and peacemaking to navigate disputes. Avoid the obvious retaliations or harboring of grudges.

Instead, strive for reconciliation and understanding, promoting a peaceful and cooperative work environment. 

6. Pray Regularly 

Incorporate prayer into your daily routine, even at work.

Pray for your colleagues, your supervisors, and your organization.

Seek God’s guidance in your professional decisions and challenges. This not only strengthens your faith but also brings a sense of peace and direction. 

7. Share Your Faith Wisely 

While it’s important to share your faith, it’s equally important to do so respectfully and sensitively. Be mindful of your workplace policies and your colleagues’ beliefs. Look for natural opportunities to share your testimony, such as during personal conversations or when asked about your values. 

Overcome Challenges in Integrating Faith and Work 

Bringing your Christian values to the workplace can present unique challenges.

Here are some common obstacles and how to overcome them: 

1. Balancing Faith and Professional Expectations 

Sometimes, workplace demands may seem at odds with your faith.

For instance, you might face pressure to compromise your values to achieve business goals.

In such cases, it’s crucial to remain steadfast in your beliefs and seek creative solutions aligning with both your professional responsibilities and Christian values.

I once knew a Christian who had to leave a high-pressure sales environment that made customers and clients uncomfortable; they found a new job where they were more highly valued, expectations were much more realistic for sales. 

2. Navigating a Diverse Work Environment

In a multicultural workplace, colleagues may have different beliefs and values.

Respect and understanding are key.

While it’s important to live out your faith, it’s important to respect others’ perspectives.

This creates a harmonious work environment where everyone feels valued and respected. 

3. Dealing with Persecution or Discrimination 

Unfortunately, some may face discrimination or persecution because of their faith. It’s important to know your rights and seek support if necessary.

Organizations often have policies against religious discrimination.

Stand firm in your faith, and remember Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:10 (AMP),  

¹⁰ “Blessed [comforted by inner peace and God’s love] are those who are persecuted for ^[a]doing that which is morally right, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven [both now and forever].

The Impact of Faith in the Workplace 

Integrating Christian values into your professional life can have a profound impact, both on a personal and organizational level. 

1. Personal Growth 

Living out your faith at work can lead to personal growth. It deepens your relationship with God, enhances your character, and builds resilience.

As you navigate challenges and serve others, you develop qualities such as patience, humility, and perseverance. 

2. Positive Work Environment 

When employees bring their values to work, it creates a positive and ethical work culture.

This can lead to increased trust, better teamwork, and higher morale.

Colleagues are more likely to support each other and work collaboratively towards common goals. 

3. Organizational Success 

Organizations that embrace diverse values, including Christian principles, often experience greater success.

Ethical practices, strong leadership, and a commitment to service can enhance the organization’s reputation and attract loyal customers and employees. 

Practical Tips for Integrating Faith

Here are some practical tips to help you bring your Christian values to your workplace effectively: 

1. Start Your Day with Prayer 

Begin each workday with prayer, asking God for guidance, wisdom, and the ability to reflect His love through your actions.

This sets a positive tone for the day and helps you stay focused on your faith. 

2. Create a Support Network 

Find like-minded colleagues who share your faith.

Forming a support group or prayer circle can provide encouragement and accountability.

This network can also be a source of strength during challenging times. 

3. Be a Role Model 

Lead by example. Demonstrate Christian values through your actions and attitudes.

Your behavior can inspire others and create opportunities for meaningful conversations about faith. 

4. Use Scripture for Encouragement 

Keep Bible verses or inspirational quotes at your desk or on your phone.

These reminders can provide comfort and motivation throughout the day.

Verses like Philippians 4:13, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength,” can be particularly encouraging. 

Philippians 4:10-14 The Message

Content Whatever the Circumstances

^10-14 I’m glad in God, far happier than you would ever guess—happy that you’re again showing such strong concern for me. Not that you ever quit praying and thinking about me. You just had no chance to show it. Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. I don’t mean that your help didn’t mean a lot to me—it did. It was a beautiful thing that you came alongside me in my troubles.

5. Volunteer and Serve

Look for opportunities to serve within your workplace.

This could involve organizing charity drives, participating in community service projects, or simply helping colleagues in need. Serving others not only benefits the community but also strengthens your, your companies witness. 

Integrating faith into the workplace is a journey that requires deep faith and implicit trust in God, Jesus, Spirit and personal courage, wisdom, and grace.

By demonstrating a commitment to integrity, practicing kindness, serving others, maintaining a strong work ethic, handling conflicts with grace, praying regularly, sharing your faith wisely, you bring your Christian values to your job.

Despite challenges, the impact on personal growth, workplace culture, and organizational success is profound. As you live out your faith at work, you not only honor God but also inspire and positively influence those around you.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 133 The Message

133 ^1-3 How wonderful, how beautiful,
    when brothers and sisters get along!
It’s like costly anointing oil
    flowing down head and beard,
Flowing down Aaron’s beard,
    flowing down the collar of his priestly robes.
It’s like the dew on Mount Hermon
    flowing down the slopes of Zion.
Yes, that’s where God commands the blessing,
    ordains eternal life.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://translate.google.com/

1 Corinthians 15:58 Complete Jewish Bible

⁵⁸ So, my dear brothers, stand firm and immovable, always doing the Lord’s work as vigorously as you can, knowing that united with the Lord your efforts are not in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:58 Amplified Bible

⁵⁸ Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord [always doing your best and doing more than is needed], being continually aware that your labor [even to the point of exhaustion] in the Lord is not futile nor wasted [it is never without purpose].

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Sometimes it can be really hard, almost impossible to do your best. Maybe you have a teacher at school who never gives out grades that you feel are fair, so you want to stop even trying. Or perhaps you’ve got a boss at work who never seems satisfied, and unable to see how hard of a worker you are and you’re frustrated.

It can be really easy in life, utterly frustrating, to let what others think and say discourage us from doing our best at school or a job. However, we shouldn’t be letting other people have the final say in how hard we work for God judges us.

Whether we are at work or play, we should be doing all things for glory of God.

So regardless of whether your boss or teachers notice, you should always be doing your best for God. God always notices and he will reward you in time.

So challenge yourself to do your best in everything you tackle each day.

Take satisfaction, the sweat on your brow, the dirt and grime on your hands and feet in working hard and you’ll be excited to see how far that attitude takes you.

What should we take from, understand, the message of 1 Corinthians 15:58 is?

1 Corinthians 15:58 serves as a eminently practical call towards perseverance, dedication, and unwavering commitment in our up/down Christian journey.

It emphatically encourages believers to remain strong, steadfast in their faith, immovable in their convictions, the Gospel message, active in serving the Lord.

What does it mean to be “steadfast and immovable?” To be steadfast is to be firmly fixed and not subject to change, to be firm in belief and determination, and to be loyal and faithful. Likewise, to be immovable is to be unyielding and incapable of being moved or diverted.

What is the meaning of “your labor is not in vain”?

Apostle Paul encourages us in 1 Corinthians 15:58, “Your labor is not in vain.” This is a potent, refreshing reminder that no matter how difficult or seemingly meaningless our work appears, it brings growth to the Kingdom of God and it is meaningful to God because it brings Him glory, and for that reason, it is not in vain.

How do we become steadfast and immovable? A building or structure that is stable and immovable must be built upon a strong foundation. If you and I desire to become steadfast and immovable disciples of the Master, we must build up our faith appropriately and effectively upon Him as our foundation.

In 15:58, he is calling the Corinthians to participate in this ministry, to give themselves also unto the work given by the Lord of serving and building his church. Throughout 1 Corinthians, then, ‘the work of God ‘and ‘the work of the Lord’ is the particular work extending the gospel and establishing churches.

How do you give yourself fully to the work of the Lord?

We give ourselves fully to God’s work when we work hard at whatever God has given us to do. And, whether we are at work or at play, we give ourselves fully to God’s work when we freely allow the Lord to use the challenges, opportunities, and frustrations of our daily work and play to help us become more like him.

What are the qualities of a steadfast person?

Steadfast implies a sureness and continuousness that may be depended upon. The steadfast leader is dependable, reliable, constant and unwavering. S/he stays on God’s course, follows through, develops good habits and keeps them.

Is steadfast the same as faithful?

Some common synonyms of steadfast are constant, faithful, loyal, resolute, and staunch.

While all these synonyms mean “firm in adherence to whatever one owes allegiance,” word steadfast implies a steady and unwavering course in love, allegiance, or conviction.

What is a steadfast person like?

Someone can be steadfast in a belief, an effort, a plan, or even a refusal. Whatever it is, it means that the person will calmly hold firm to the chosen position and follow through with determination. Definitions of steadfast. adjective. marked by firm determination or resolution; not being shakable.

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
– 1 Corinthians 15:58

 I love this verse, I love this chapter. 

The whole of 1 Corinthians 15, is a glorious picture of the resurrection of Jesus. And not just his resurrection, but the resurrection of all who trust in him.

1 Corinthians 15:58 Empowers, Encourages Us to Utterly Trust in the Promise of the Resurrection

This whole chapter is just filled with hope…

With joy over the reality of our resurrection bodies. 

That when we die, when Jesus returns, he’s going to resurrect our bodies to be like his body.

And when you get to the end of this chapter… You see just a triumphant proclamation about death being swallowed up in victory… Death having no more sting, the sting of death, the power of sin is the law… But thankfully to God, he gives us final victory through His Only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 29 Complete Jewish Bible

29 ⁽⁰⁾ A psalm of David:

⁽¹⁾ Give Adonai his due, you who are godly;
give Adonai his due of glory and strength;
² give Adonai the glory due his name;
worship Adonai in holy splendor.

³ The voice of Adonai is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
Adonai over rushing waters,
⁴ the voice of Adonai in power,
the voice of Adonai in splendor.

⁵ The voice of Adonai cracks the cedars;
Adonai splinters the cedars of the L’vanon
⁶ and makes the L’vanon skip like a calf,
Siryon like a young wild ox.

⁷ The voice of Adonai flashes fiery flames;
⁸ the voice of Adonai rocks the desert,
Adonai convulses the Kadesh Desert.
⁹ The voice of Adonai causes deer to give birth
and strips the forests bare —
while in his temple, all cry, “Glory!”
¹⁰ Adonai sits enthroned above the flood!
Adonai sits enthroned as king forever!
¹¹ May Adonai give strength to his people!
May Adonai bless his people with shalom!

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Genesis 3:6-13 Complete Jewish Bible

⁶ When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it had a pleasing appearance and that the tree was desirable for making one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her; and he ate. ⁷  Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together to make themselves loincloths.

⁸ They heard the voice of Adonai, God, walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, so the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Adonai, God, among the trees in the garden. ⁹ Adonai, God, called to the man, “Where are you?” ¹⁰ He answered, “I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” ¹¹ He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree from which I ordered you not to eat?” ¹² The man replied, “The woman you gave to be with me — she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.” ¹³  Adonai, God, said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me, so I ate.”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

We came from God. We were made to be like God.

We could not be happy, humbled, joyous, satisfied with this incredible miracle?

So, what was Adam’s problem?

So, what was Eve’s problem?

So, what is our problem?

Genesis, again, holds the answer.

Chapter 3 tells the story.

In the beginning, everything God made was good, very good.

The instructions Adam is given are simple enough, easily understood, no complexity there, the directions we are each handed are simple enough.

Genesis 2:15-17 Complete Jewish Bible

¹⁵ Adonai, God, took the person and put him in the garden of ‘Eden to cultivate and care for it. ¹⁶ Adonai, God, gave the person this order: “You may freely eat from every tree in the garden ¹⁷ except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. You are not to eat from it, because on the day that you eat from it, it will become certain that you will die.”

But then time passes.

But then things change.

But as with any change, then things always seem to get more complicated.

But then, somehow, confusion knocks us upside our heads and we get dizzy.

We were “introduced” to alternatives, to choices and a host of contradictions.

It seems as though there came to Eve this unannounced, most uninvited guest.

There was this tree and now entering the scene is this smooth talking serpent.

There are no formal introductions, no polite greetings, no knocks on any trees.

And neat as you please, as if it were the most natural of acts, they’re conversing.

Nobody seems to be expecting any trouble, no one seems to be on highest alert.

But, here, can anyone sense the incredible tension with is building as a volcano?

God had put Adam and Eve in a perfect place, a garden called Eden, where they could eat from any tree except one, the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

God said to Adam, “Do not eat from it, because in the day you eat of it you shall surely die.” What about Eve? Did anyone feel the need to ensure understanding?

Genesis 3:1-5 Complete Jewish Bible

3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any wild animal which Adonai, God, had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You are not to eat from any tree in the garden’?” ² The woman answered the serpent, “We may eat from the fruit of the trees of the garden, ³ but about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden God said, ‘You are neither to eat from it nor touch it, or you will die.’” ⁴ The serpent said to the woman, “It is not true that you will surely die; ⁵ because God knows that on the day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Adam and Eve are in the garden minding their own affairs and tending to the tasks which God assigned to them, and the serpent comes slithering along and a wildly bizarre, strange conversation ensues between the serpent and with Eve.

He speaks to the woman.

Why didn’t Eve think anything was strange here, did all the animals speak?

Why didn’t Eve question the serpents motives behind this sudden engagement?

Taking quick, sudden advantage of the situation, the serpent further asks “Did God really say to you that you shall not eat from any tree in the garden?”

Amazingly, Eve unaware she was being set up, actually answers him. “We can eat from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ’You shall not eat from the tree that is in the midst of the garden, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’”

Then the serpent replies, “You will not die. God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Right now, don’t you wish Adam had jumped into action and said, “Liar, liar, pants on fire!”? But no! He just stood there and watched as Eve took the bait.

Let’s sum this up… God has spoken: Do not eat of the tree or you will die. The Serpent has spoken: Eat from the tree and you will not die but become like God.

Now they have two messages, one from God and the other from the serpent.

Their choices (did they even have an awareness of what choices are?)- who will they listen to? God who made them? Or this strange serpent who seems to know so much, and accuses God of lying and withholding something from them?

Do you hear voices, words, encounter choices that are contrary to God’s Word?

I’m not talking about a mental disorder, I’m talking about influences that would “smoothly” invite you, entice you to taste forbidden fruit… Watch out!

Who you look to for information and who you listen to for guidance determines more about your God awareness. spiritual wellbeing, than you may now realize.

But back to Genesis 3. We have all the advantage here, don’t we? We get to be the seated audience of this event and overhear the conversations and actions.

We already know this story.

In fact, this story is so familiar we can almost recite the words from memory.

But, strangely enough, when the tempter pulls his smooth talking ways on us, for some reason, things get contradictory, confusing and we can tend to forget.

The serpent’s offer is that they will become like God if they eat. The truth is, they are already like God! He made them to be like him! They can’t become more like God by disobeying God! That’s twisted! Besides, if God is so bad that he lies and withholds good things from them, why do they want to be like him?

But, here comes the text’s real point: The fruit looks good! And when I look to lust after the fruit, my heart becomes clouded and I too lose that good judgment I have when I’m in the audience watching Adam and Eve do the same thing.

There’s a sparkle of temptation and delight in that fruit, one that blinds me from the light of truth, from the simple uncomplicated instructions God gave us. So, Eve stops thinking about God’s warning and starts thinking about her own lusts, wanting’s, her desires, her yearning for this new forbidden wisdom.

Suddenly she decides. She reaches out for it. Was her heart beating faster? Was there excitement of anticipation in her hands? Was she nervous? She took the fruit, ate it, and gave to Adam who was with her, and he ate. And in just that singular moment, the human family fell deep into sin and separation from God.

Their eyes were indeed opened, but not in God’s likeness, but in shame and nakedness, chaos, confusion, fear, sin, punishment that would lead to death.

James describes this scene for us. 

James 1:13-25 Complete Jewish Bible

¹³ No one being tempted should say, “I am being tempted by God.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, and God himself tempts no one. ¹⁴ Rather, each person is being tempted whenever he is being dragged off and enticed by the bait of his own desire.  ¹⁵ Then, having conceived, the desire gives birth to sin; and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death. ¹⁶ Don’t delude yourselves, my dear brothers.

¹⁷ Every good act of giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father who made the heavenly lights; with him there is neither variation nor darkness caused by turning. ¹⁸ Having made his decision, he gave birth to us through a Word that can be relied upon, in order that we should be a kind of firstfruits of all that he created. ¹⁹ Therefore, my dear brothers, let every person be quick to listen but slow to speak, slow to get angry; ²⁰ for a person’s anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness!

²¹ So rid yourselves of all vulgarity and obvious evil, and receive meekly the Word implanted in you that can save your lives. ²² Don’t deceive yourselves by only hearing what the Word says, but do it! ²³ For whoever hears the Word but doesn’t do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror, ²⁴ who looks at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵ But if a person looks closely into the perfect Torah, which gives freedom, and continues, becoming not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work it requires, then he will be blessed in what he does.

Sin separates us from God. Sin distorts and destroys God’s likeness in us.

Listen to what happens next.

They see their nakedness and try to cover themselves.

Then they hear the sound of God coming…

oh no! Not God! Cover Up! Hide! Hide from God! Run to the trees. Get away from his presence! Why? Sin clouds, separates us from God, makes us hide from him.

But it does even more terrible things to us.

Listen both intensely and intently. Adam and Eve run from God and hide, but God calls to them: “Where are you? Adam answers, I heard you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked so I hid myself. God replies, Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I told you not to eat?”

Now. Freeze frame!

Here’s Adam’s chance.

God’s questions are clearly for Adam’s sake.

Will Adam bow, broken and repentant before God? Will he confess his sin and seek God’s forgiveness? No. What if Adam had said, “Lord, I disobeyed you, I ate the fruit, and I didn’t protect the woman you gave me, please forgive us.”

What do you suppose God would have done in that case?

We will never know, will we?

And that is an undeniably significant problem …

It is not written down for us in the Scriptures.

Instead, listen to Adam’s response to God:

“The woman that you gave me, she gave me fruit from the tree and I ate.”

In other words, “God, it’s not my fault!

It is her fault and by the way, you are the one who gave her to me.”

What is he doing?

Blaming God? YEP!

Blaming Eve? YEP!

Blaming self – taking responsibility for his own actions? NOPE!

Adam attempts to hide behind blame. In doing so he accuses both the woman and God for his sin. Do WE hear that? Do WE understand what has happened?

Does Adam sound like God with these words?

No! Who does he sound like?

Who in this story blames God of lying, keeping good things from his children?

The conniving, manipulative, gas lighting, smooth talking, slithering Serpent.

Doesn’t Adam sound a lot like that now?

Amazing! What has sin done in Adam?

He sounds a lot more like the serpent, than God.

Sin has turned him into an Accuser and a Liar.

That is what the word Satan means: accuser.

Instead of becoming more like God, they have become like Satan, God’s enemy.

Instead of acquiring the image of God, they are stained with the image of Satan.

Do we understand what is lost when we sin?

Do we see what we become when we take that fruit that looks good, when we know God said, “Don’t do it?” but do it anyway? Sin gives live birth to death.

Listen intently, intensely, to our condition when we sin: 

Ephesians 2:1-3 Complete Jewish Bible

2 You used to be dead because of your sins and acts of disobedience. ² You walked in the ways of the ‘olam hazeh and obeyed the Ruler of the Powers of the Air, who is still at work among the disobedient. ³ Indeed, we all once lived this way — we followed the passions of our old nature and obeyed the wishes of our old nature and our own thoughts. In our natural condition we were headed for God’s wrath, just like everyone else.

[Olam Hazeh (Hebrew meaning “This World“) is the world in which we live, where each of us is given the opportunity to honour the Name of the Lord by performing “Mitzvot” and learning and teaching Torah, according to his or her gifts, behaving in an honest and decent manner with our fellow human beings.]

We came from God, but we have a problem, don’t we.

That problem originated here.

Death began here.

Distortion of God’s image in us began here.

Listen intently, intensely to

Romans 5:12-14 Complete Jewish Bible

¹² Here is how it works: it was through one individual that sin entered the world, and through sin, death; and in this way death passed through to the whole human race, inasmuch as everyone sinned. ¹³ Sin was indeed present in the world before  Torah was given, but sin is not counted as such when there is no Torah. ¹⁴ Nevertheless death ruled from Adam until Moshe (Moses), even over those whose sinning was not exactly like Adam’s violation of a direct command. In this, Adam prefigured the one who was to come.

1 Corinthians 15:20-24 Complete Jewish Bible

²⁰ But the fact is that the Messiah has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have died. ²¹ For since death came through a man, also the resurrection of the dead has come through a man. ²² For just as in connection with Adam all die, so in connection with the Messiah all will be made alive. ²³  But each in his own order: the Messiah is the firstfruits; then those who belong to the Messiah, at the time of his coming; ²⁴ then the culmination, when he hands over the Kingdom to God the Father, after having put an end to every rulership, yes, to every authority and power.

Is this true?

Is this really where sin began?

Is this just a religious story that attempts to explain away the human struggle with evil?

Listen intensely, everything else in the Bible deals with what happened here.

I tell you, that if this is not true, we might as well just simply trash our Bibles, because everyone who knew God in it, including Jesus, believed this to be true.

If it is not true, we have no idea where we came from or what our problem is or what the answer is. But if it is true, and it is, God has revealed to us the root and fruit of our problems in this world!

So, Where did we come from? God! You and I were made in God’s image. What is our problem? Sin. You and I are living in a world made by God but marred by sin.

We are separated from God and therefore we are separated from one another.

The farther we are from God, the awareness of His Truth the less human we are, and all the farther we’ll become from one another. Separation from God causes separation from one another. Unawareness of Sin is the worst human disaster.

God is always aware of sin always grieved by His awareness of our unawareness.

How acute, how severe, lethal to our souls, is our present state of unawareness?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 139 Complete Jewish Bible

139 ⁽⁰⁾ For the leader. A psalm of David:

⁽¹⁾ Adonai, you have probed me, and you know me.
² You know when I sit and when I stand up,
you discern my inclinations from afar,
³ you scrutinize my daily activities.
You are so familiar with all my ways
⁴ that before I speak even a word, Adonai,
you know all about it already.
⁵ You have hemmed me in both behind and in front
and laid your hand on me.
⁶ Such wonderful knowledge is beyond me,
far too high for me to reach.

⁷ Where can I go to escape your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I climb up to heaven, you are there;
if I lie down in Sh’ol, you are there.
⁹ If I fly away with the wings of the dawn
and land beyond the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand would lead me,
your right hand would hold me fast.
¹¹ If I say, “Let darkness surround me,
let the light around me be night,”
¹² even darkness like this
is not too dark for you;
rather, night is as clear as day,
darkness and light are the same.

¹³ For you fashioned my inmost being,
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I thank you because I am awesomely made,
wonderfully; your works are wonders —
I know this very well.
¹⁵ My bones were not hidden from you
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes could see me as an embryo,
but in your book all my days were already written;
my days had been shaped
before any of them existed.
¹⁷ God, how I prize your thoughts!
How many of them there are!
¹⁸ If I count them, there are more than grains of sand;
if I finish the count, I am still with you.

¹⁹ God, if only you would kill off the wicked!
Men of blood, get away from me!
²⁰ They invoke your name for their crafty schemes;
yes, your enemies misuse it.
²¹ Adonai, how I hate those who hate you!
I feel such disgust with those who defy you!
²² I hate them with unlimited hatred!
They have become my enemies too.

²³ Examine me, God, and know my heart;
test me, and know my thoughts.
²⁴ See if there is in me any hurtful way,
and lead me along the eternal way.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://translate.google.com/

Matthew 13:3-9 The Message

A Harvest Story

13 ^1-3 At about that same time Jesus left the house and sat on the beach. In no time at all a crowd gathered along the shoreline, forcing him to get into a boat. Using the boat as a pulpit, he addressed his congregation, telling stories.

^3-8 “What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road, and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn’t put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled by the weeds. Some fell on good earth, and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams.

⁹ “Are you listening to this? Really listening?”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

We all get busy, sometimes extraordinarily. Life throws obligations at us from every direction. However, we must be careful to prioritize what matters most.

Here in Matthew’s Narrative, Jesus used the Parable of the Soils to describe how the “daily cares of this life” can quite severely hinder us (Matthew 13:3-9).

A man sows seeds (the Word of God), but the seeds are destroyed in various ways. In one example, thorns rise and choke out the new plant, the Word. Jesus explains the raising thorns represent the cares of this life. Not disturbing or abominable sins, just everyday concerns that slowly replace our first priority.

We are to seek first the kingdom of God, but life sometimes gets in the way.

One key way we see the kingdom is by participating in the local church. We don’t just get involved because there are consequences when we don’t.

We become part of a local church because God calls us to an abundant life, which we cannot experience or receive without joining the body of Christ.

But what are some more specific ways we gain abundant life from a local church? What reasons does the Bible give to prioritize the family of God?

Here are seven reasons to get involved in church even when our schedule is full.

1. Community and Fellowship

The Lord doesn’t call us to live Christianity in isolation.

We need community and fellowship. 

Hebrews 10:24-25 emphasizes this:

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Gathering together with other believers, we encourage, support one another.

God is within himself a relationship.

The mystery of the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as one—reveals the importance of friendship.

The only aspect God considered “not good” in the Garden of Eden was Adam being alone.

Genesis 2:18-25 The Message

^18-20 God said, “It’s not good for the Man to be alone; I’ll make him a helper, a companion.” So God formed from the dirt of the ground all the animals of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the Man to see what he would name them. Whatever the Man called each living creature, that was its name. The Man named the cattle, named the birds of the air, named the wild animals; but he didn’t find a suitable companion.

^21-22 God put the Man into a deep sleep. As he slept he removed one of his ribs and replaced it with flesh. God then used the rib that he had taken from the Man to make Woman and presented her to the Man.

^23-25     The Man said,
“Finally! Bone of my bone,
    flesh of my flesh!
Name her Woman
    for she was made from Man.”
    Therefore a man leaves his father and mother and embraces his wife. They become one flesh.
    The two of them, the Man and his Wife, were naked, but they felt no shame.

Being made in the image of God, that perfect creation required Adam to have a relationship with someone like himself and yet distinct, complementary, Eve.

Adam didn’t need Eve because of sin.

On the contrary, God designed them that way.

In the new covenant and the church, no part of the Body of Christ can say to another, “I don’t need you” (1 Corinthians 12:1).

This redemptive community reflects the original design—by the Spirit, we need one another because we’ve been redeemed.

Our brothers and sisters in Christ are a spiritual family, more eternal than our blood relatives alone (although we hope they are saved, too).

Together, we combat division, loneliness and isolation, finding support for our spiritual growth into God’s purpose for us.

2. Spiritual Growth

Active participation in church activities, such as Bible studies, sermons, and discussion groups, youth groups, local volunteer in mission, across the globe, food pantries, clothing outlets, thrift stores, service to the homeless and the marginalized, the impoverished, etcetera provides a structured environment for deepening our understanding of God’s Scripture and Christian principles. This regular engagement with God’s Word fosters a more profound spiritual experience and a depth of spiritual maturity and a closer relationship with God.

Colossians 3:16 highlights the importance of this mutual edification: “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”

Communal learning and teaching enrich our faith.

Through our participating in church, we can learn from others and share our insights, creating ministry, creating a dynamic and supportive environment.

Teaching within the church is also a powerful tool for personal spiritual growth.

Taking on teaching roles challenges us to study the Bible more diligently and clearly communicate our faith.

This process not only strengthens our own understanding but also inspires and educates others within the community.

Engaging in correct biblical teaching transforms theological intellectualism into practical applications, making faith more relevant and actionable.

The church community provides accountability and encouragement, essential components for spiritual growth.

Fellow believers can offer real support, guidance, and constructive feedback, helping individuals, both believers and non-believers, stay committed to their faith journey despite busy schedules.

3. A Space to Use Our Spiritual Gifts

Each of us possesses unique gifts bestowed by the Holy Spirit, intended to serve and edify the church community.

Participating in church activities allows individuals to discover, hone, and employ these gifts for others’ benefit and God’s glory.

Since God gave us spiritual gifts for Christ’s Body, we can’t find or develop them apart from the church.

A spiritual gift isn’t a natural talent.

God imparts supernatural abilities from the Spirit, beyond our human abilities, for mutual edification.

These gifts, mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, Romans 12:6-8, Ephesians 4:11, include wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, tongues, interpretation of tongues, serving, teaching, encouragement, giving, leadership, and mercy.

Each gift serves a unique purpose and contributes to the unity and growth of our streets, neighborhoods and local, state, national, and global communities.

Using these gifts as we are summoned, covenanted to do, effectively ministers to one another, build up, edify the church, and ever advance God’s kingdom.

1 Peter 4:10 underscores this responsibility: “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” This verse emphasizes that spiritual gifts are not meant to be kept idle but constantly, actively, used to serve the church and its members.

Regular involvement in church offers practical opportunities to develop these gifts and find a deeper sense of our purpose.

This active engagement also allows for mentorship and feedback from more experienced members, further refining and further enhancing these abilities.

4. Worship and Praise

Spiritual disciplines find more power when done with others, especially corporate worship, prayer, and praise.

Matthew 18:20 emphasizes the power of gathering together: “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

God is always present everywhere, but Jesus manifests more in communal worship.

When we unite in praise, worship and prayer, we invite the Holy Spirit to move powerfully among us, bringing encouragement, healing, and spiritual growth.

Psalm 27:4 New Living Translation

⁴ The one thing I ask of the Lord—
    the thing I seek most—
is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
    delighting in the Lord’s perfections
    and meditating in his Temple.

Psalm 133:1 further teaches how beautiful and strong unity can be: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”

These verses celebrates the harmony and blessing from both believers, as well as, non-believers in the House God built, being, living and worshiping together.

These psalms compares our unity with the High Priest’s anointing oil. With Christ as our high priest, this represents the Holy Spirit’s anointing upon us when we practice these disciplines. Jesus even teaches how God’s answer becomes more sure when two or more agree in prayer (Matthew 18:19).

Acts 2:43-47 New Living Translation

⁴³ A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. ⁴⁴ And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. ⁴⁵ They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. ⁴⁶ They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity^[a]— ⁴⁷ all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

Participating in corporate worship allows us to join our voices in praise, lifting our hearts in collective adoration of God. This shared experience enhances personal faith and can lead to profound spiritual encounters. Group prayer connects believers, allowing us to intercede for one another and share burdens.

Our full schedules shouldn’t isolate us from God’s power and His own power of transformation available when we participate in corporate praise and prayer.

5. Service Opportunities

John 13:34-35 New Living Translation

³⁴ So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. ³⁵ Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

Serving others is a covenanted, very fundamental aspect of the Christian faith, reflecting Jesus’ ministry, teachings and actions. By participating in church-led service projects, we can all impact our communities and embody Christ’s love.

James 2:17 emphasizes the importance of active faith:

“In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”

Engaging in service opportunities, such as food pantries, feeding the homeless, supporting local shelters, or participating in mission trips, brings this principle to life. It allows Christians to practice their faith in concrete, meaningful ways.

Involvement in service activities helps address pressing social issues and alleviates suffering.

Many churches organize outreach programs that provide food, clothing, education, and medical care, school supplies, after school activities, to the underserved. By volunteering, by contributing time and resources to these initiatives, we can help meet a community’s physical and emotional needs.

These opportunities provide personal growth and fulfillment. They encourage us to step far outside our comfort zones and engage with diverse populations.

In addition, serving alongside fellow church and community members and local businesses fosters an enormous sense of deep camaraderie and shared purpose.

It strengthens the bonds within the congregation and builds a supportive network of people committed to making a difference. This collective effort amplifies each person’s contribution, showing the power of unified action.

6. A Reminder that God Is Our Source and Provision

Psalm 23 Authorized (King James) Version

Psalm 23

A Psalm of David.

¹ The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
² He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
³ He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
⁵ Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Many times, our schedules become full because we try to provide for ourselves.

Taking time to get involved in church reminds us that God is our source and provision, as we see in the Sabbath principles.

Regular church attendance and participation reinforce the truth that our sustenance and well-being come from God, not from our efforts alone.

Exodus 20:8-10 emphasizes the significance of the Sabbath: “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God.”

This ancient, time honored commandment teaches the need to set aside time for rest and worship, acknowledging God’s sovereign role as our provider.

Under the New Covenant, we aren’t bound by a specific day, but the deeper abiding principle remains. By attending church, we intentionally take a break from our busy schedules to focus on prayer, praise, worship and rejuvenation.

Involvement in church activities helps us recalibrate our priorities, ensuring that our relationship with God remains at the center of our lives.

True rest and true provision come from trusting in God rather than constantly striving on our own. Taking some time for church fosters a healthier work-life balance. It provides an opportunity to disconnect from career pressures and reconnect with our faith community, family, and ourselves. A work-then-rest rhythm is essential for maintaining physical, emotional, and spiritual health.

7. The Great Commission

Jesus gives a universal command and mission in Matthew 28:19-20:

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

Attending church isn’t the end goal.

We are sent by the Resurrected Jesus from the church community to the world.

Active participation in church life teaches us how God sends us to others and how in His resurrection power, it enables us to engage in this crucial work.

Church involvement provides numerous opportunities to share the gospel and disciple others. We can spread Christ’s message to people who have not heard it through organized outreach programs, mission trips, and community events.

These structured activities, experiences, make it easier to find ways to witness.

God’s family trains for discipleship, offering resources, education, mentorship that equip believers to grow in their own faith and to help others do the same.

Sunday school classes, Bible study groups, and discipleship programs provide the tools and support for effective evangelism and spiritual mentorship.

The church community acts as an outpost of heaven, the kingdom culture here on earth. Church involvement allows us to model Christ-like behavior, showing the gospel by how we live instead of what we say. This very visible testimony can inspire and encourage, empower, others to seek a relationship with Christ.

The church is not an ordinary organization founded by just anyone. The church is founded by Jesus Christ, the Lord and Savior who is the head of the church.

According to the Bible, the church is the body of Christ.

Belonging to the church is a privilege not to be taken for granted.

The church is here to continue the work of Christ on earth and to build God’s kingdom.

You and I need the church in order to be equipped for service, to enjoy the fellowship of other believers, and to honor our Lord through faithful worship.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Isaiah 1:18-20 Authorized (King James) Version

¹⁸ Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord:
though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;
though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
¹⁹ If ye be willing and obedient,
ye shall eat the good of the land:
²⁰ but if ye refuse and rebel,
ye shall be devoured with the sword:
for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

Isaiah 2:1-4 Authorized (King James) Version

2 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

² And it shall come to pass in the last days,
that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established
in the top of the mountains,
and shall be exalted above the hills;
and all nations shall flow unto it.
³ And many people shall go and say,
Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
and he will teach us of his ways,
and we will walk in his paths:
for out of Zion shall go forth the law,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
⁴ And he shall judge among the nations,
and shall rebuke many people:
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruninghooks:
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.

Psalm 20 Authorized (King James) Version

Psalm 20

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.

¹ The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble;
the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;
² send thee help from the sanctuary,
and strengthen thee out of Zion;
³ remember all thy offerings,
and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah.
⁴ Grant thee according to thine own heart,
and fulfil all thy counsel.
⁵ We will rejoice in thy salvation,
and in the name of our God we will set up our banners:
the Lord fulfil all thy petitions.

⁶ Now know I that the Lord saveth his anointed;
he will hear him from his holy heaven
with the saving strength of his right hand.
⁷ Some trust in chariots, and some in horses:
but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
⁸ They are brought down and fallen:
but we are risen, and stand upright.
⁹ Save, Lord: let the king hear us when we call.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://translate.google.com/

Mark 8:14-21Amplified Bible

¹⁴ Now the disciples had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. ¹⁵ Jesus repeatedly ordered them, saying, “Watch out! Beware of the ^[a]leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” ¹⁶ They began discussing this with one another, saying, “It is because we have no bread [that He said this].” ¹⁷  Jesus, aware of this [discussion], said to them, “Why are you discussing [the fact]  that you have no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? ¹⁸ Though you have eyes, do you not see? And though you have ears, do you not hear and listen [to what I have said]? And do you not remember, ¹⁹ when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces you picked up?” They answered, “Twelve.” ²⁰ “And [when I broke] the seven  [loaves] for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?” And they answered, “Seven.” ²¹ And He was saying to them, “Do you still not understand?”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Hardened Hearts and Hardened Bread

Psalm 95:8-9 Amplified Bible

⁸ 
Do not harden your hearts and become spiritually dull as at Meribah [the place of strife],
And as at Massah [the place of testing] in the wilderness,
⁹ 
“When your fathers tested Me,
They tried Me, even though they had seen My work [of miracles].

A hard hardened heart is as useless as a hard hardened loaf of bread.

At Meribah the Israelites complained to Moses because they had no water (Exodus 17:1-7). They were so convinced that God couldn’t provide for them that they simply lost their faith in God.

When someone’s heart becomes hardened, that person is so stubbornly set in their ways that they cannot turn to God. Hard hearts don’t turn that way overnight; it is the result of a long series of choices to disregard God’s will.

Because that generation of Israelites persisted in stubborn disobedience, God chose not to let them enter his “rest,” the land he had promised their ancestors.

What would keep people from the ultimate blessing of entering God’s rest?

Unthankful hearts, to begin with.

Not listening to what God calls them to do. Being stubborn about doing things their way and not God’s way. Doubting that God is working in love in their lives.

When the Promises Are Mixed with Faith

4 ^1-3 For as long, then, as that promise of resting in him pulls us on to God’s goal for us, we need to be careful that we’re not disqualified. We received the same promises as those people in the wilderness, but the promises didn’t do them a bit of good because they didn’t receive the promises with faith. If we believe, though, we’ll experience that state of resting. But not if we don’t have faith. Remember that God said,

Exasperated, I vowed,
    “They’ll never get where they’re going,
    never be able to sit down and rest.”

^3-7 God made that vow, even though he’d finished his part before the foundation of the world. Somewhere it’s written, “God rested the seventh day, having completed his work,” but in this other text he says, “They’ll never be able to sit down and rest.” So this promise has not yet been fulfilled. Those earlier ones never did get to the place of rest because they were disobedient. God keeps renewing the promise and setting the date as today, just as he did in David’s psalm, centuries later than the original invitation:

Today, please listen,
    don’t turn a deaf ear . . .

^8-11 And so this is still a live promise. It wasn’t canceled at the time of Joshua; otherwise, God wouldn’t keep renewing the appointment for “today.” The promise of “arrival” and “rest” is still there for God’s people. God himself is at rest. And at the end of the journey we’ll surely rest with God. So let’s keep at it and eventually arrive at the place of rest, not drop out through some sort of disobedience.

Hebrews 4:1-11, we are encouraged to enter the eternal rest that Jesus has won for us through his death and resurrection by being faithful followers of Christ.

The good news of salvation in Jesus is that there are no hearts so hard that the Holy Spirit cannot soften them. Jesus had encountered many hard hearts in his teaching and preaching ministry, yet he lived and died to offer salvation to all.

Reignite Your Passion for the Lord …

Have you ever found yourself abnormally impatient, or more commonly short-tempered, or acting more arrogantly than normal and you’re unsure why?

None of us are perfect, and we all have our less-than-proud moments in life that keep us close to the cross, but if you’ve noticed these tendencies increase for a prolonged period of time, chances are you’re suffering from a hardening heart.

A hardened heart is unmoved by things others would be compassionate about. It is a heart that is rebelling against God.

In Mark 8:17-18 Jesus accused his disciples of having hardened hearts when they did not believe or understand how Jesus could use a small batch of bread to feed a massive crowd, saying, “Have ye your heart yet hardened? Having eyes, see ye not? And having ears, hear ye not? And do ye not remember?”

A hard heart is characterized by an inability to perceive spiritually.

When people are hardhearted toward God, they are spiritually blind and deaf—they can’t see spiritual truth or hear the Lord speak to them.

So how can we ensure our hearts remain “soft” and open to the things of God, and how can we with Holy Spirit intercession, regain closeness with Him after realizing our hearts have indeed become hardened? 

1. Repent and Believe the Good News (Psalm 51)

The first step might seem obvious, but it’s important: we need to repent!

God appears to take hardened hearts very seriously throughout scripture, with the phrase “hardened or hardness of heart” mentioned more than 20 times in the Old and New Testaments.

This can be seen in Matthew 13:15, when Jesus says, “For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes— so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.”

We only harm ourselves when we harden our hearts. And since we’re unable to hear fully from God or even receive healing when our hearts are hardened, we need to ask for forgiveness for turning away from Him and re-surrender our whole hearts before even beginning to move back towards the right direction.

2. Ask the Holy Spirit to Reveal the Source of Your Hardness 

Psalm 51:10-13 New American Standard Bible 1995

¹⁰ Create ^[a]in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew ^[b]a steadfast spirit within me.
¹¹ Do not cast me away from Your presence
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
¹² Restore to me the joy of Your salvation
And sustain me with a willing spirit.
¹³ Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners will ^[c]be converted to You.

Have there been wrongful patterns of thinking, lies you’ve believed about yourself, others, or God, or alignment with activities or beliefs that misaligned with Him? Then, it’s time to infuse your mind and heart with revelatory truth obtained through studying the Word and time well spent praying with Jesus.

It’s not enough to decide not to be “hard” anymore. We need to replace an inaction with an action. Kind of like replacing good healthy nutritious food away from junk food when starting a help regime.

Hardened hearts are often a sad consequence of bitterness and unforgiveness towards others or ourselves. Think of the last bitter or angry person you’ve interacted with. Were they kind and warm, or were they cold and dismissive?

We can’t remain close to God and exhibit godly characteristics when carrying unforgiveness in our hearts. So often, we’re unforgiving towards ourselves or another without fully realizing it.

After a time, the resentfulness just builds and takes over, affecting our ability to be open-hearted and loving because we’re so tired by our pain.

When dealing with a hardened heart in the past, I found that it helps to invoke a spirit of thankfulness. When focusing your thoughts and turning your affection to the Lord, meditating on all that he’s done for us and all He continues to be for us -our sources of strength, comfort, and guidance- it’s much easier to reignite the passion for Jesus that softened our hearts in the first place.

If you’ve been feeling a bit hardened or ambivalent towards the Lord recently, consider setting aside times of worship and meditating on the love of God and His faithfulness throughout your life.

It’s almost impossible to remain ambivalent or distant towards the Lord, when sincerely worshipping Him for how good He is!

3. Heart and Soul, Hands, Feet: Love and Serve Others

Psalm 100 New American Standard Bible 1995

All Men Exhorted to Praise God.

A Psalm for ^[a]Thanksgiving.

100 Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.
² Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful singing.
³ Know that the Lord ^[b]Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, and ^[c]not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

⁴ Enter His gates with ^[d]thanksgiving
And His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
⁵ For the Lord is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting
And His faithfulness to all generations.

Another way to reignite a hardened heart is to intentionally love and serve others. I’ve found a direct correlation between seasons of hard-heartedness and my self-absorption. When living for ourselves, with lots of focus on what makes us happy, the concerns of the flesh, we tend to care and serve others less.

When we do not love others, we ignore so many direct commands in the Bible, like 1 John 4:7, that keep us close to God. We are, of course, utterly loved by God regardless of any action we fulfill or any strings attached.

But when we’re in close communion with Him, that love is meant to outpour into the lives of people around us. How we love and care for others serves as a litmus test for the condition of our hearts. (John 13:34-35) A hard heart doesn’t have the capacity to help and serve others. It’s way way too wrapped up in self.

John 13:34-35 Amplified Bible

³⁴ I am giving you a new commandment, that you ^[a]love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too are to love one another. ³⁵ By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love and unselfish concern for one another.”

If you feel an imbalance between the amount of time and energy you spend either in prayer or physically helping or serving people around you, consider whether this is a result of a hardened heart, and think about ways to begin sowing into the lives of others.

This is a very effective way of reigniting your relationship with the Lord because our LOVE without Him, is nothing but a “clanging symbol,” 1 Corinthians 13:1.

Serving and loving others forces us to connect with God because we really can’t affectively love others without being in relationship with Him.

God cares about the condition of our hearts above all else because we can’t be close to Him without an open and vulnerable heart. If you feel you’ve been hardened for a bit, or perhaps even years, it’s nothing to feel guilty about.

God’s not mad at you.

But He does want access to our whole heart because he knows the only true way to peace and joy is by being in constant, complete intimacy with Him.

Let today be the beginning of your heart-softening process, feel the relief and wholeness that comes when forgiving, letting our guard down, love fully again.

4. Declare His Praises Over and Over Again

Psalm 51:14-17Amplified Bible

¹⁴ 
Rescue me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation;
Then my tongue will sing joyfully of Your righteousness and Your justice.
¹⁵ 
O Lord, open my lips,
That my mouth may declare Your praise.
¹⁶ 
For You do not delight in sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You are not pleased with burnt offering.
¹⁷ 
My [only] sacrifice [acceptable] to God is a broken spirit;
A broken and contrite heart [broken with sorrow for sin, thoroughly penitent], such, O God, You will not despise.

The church is called to be a witness, and a witness is one who declares and demonstrates.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9

Notice the structure, You are … that you may. 

This is our primary task as Christians.

We are indwelt by Jesus Christ so that we may demonstrate the life and character of the One who lives within.

The responsibility to fulfill this calling of the church belongs to every true Christian. All are called, all are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, all are expected to fulfill their calling in the midst of the hardened chaotic world. The expression of the church’s witness may sometimes be corporate, but the true responsibility to witness is always the individuals. It is your individual responsibility and mine.

But here a problem re-emerges: the problem of possible counterfeit Christians.

It is easy for the church (or the individual Christian) to talk about displaying the character of Christ and to make grandiose claims about doing so.

However, the image Christians project is not always the true, biblical image of Jesus Christ. Humility, patience, love, unity, and peace — these are the truest marks of Jesus.

Christians are to witness, but not arrogantly or rudely, not with an attitude of holier-than-thou smugness, not in sanctimonious presumption, and certainly not against a background of ugly church fights, Christian against Christian.

The church is not to talk about itself.

The church is to fearlessly sing about the Lord their God and Savior Jesus!

Psalm 27:1-6 Amplified Bible

A Psalm of Fearless Trust in God.

A Psalm of David.

27 The Lord is my light and my salvation—
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the refuge and fortress of my life—
Whom shall I dread?
² 
When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh,
My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell.
³ 
Though an army encamp against me,
My heart will not fear;
Though war arise against me,
Even in this I am confident.

⁴ 
One thing I have asked of the Lord, and that I will seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life,
To gaze upon the beauty [the delightful loveliness and majestic grandeur] of the Lord
And to meditate in His temple.
⁵ 
For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter;
In the secret place of His tent He will hide me;
He will lift me up on a rock.
⁶ 
And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me,
In His tent I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

It is to be lowly in mind, not boasting of its power or seeking to advance its prestige. The church cannot save the world — but the Lord of the church can.

It is not the church for which Christians are to labor and spend their lives, but for the Lord of the church. The church cannot exalt its Lord while it seeks to exalt itself. The true church does not seek to gain power in the eyes of the world.

It already has all the power it needs from the Lord who indwells it.

Further, the church is to be patient and forbearing, knowing that the seeds of truth take time to sprout, time to grow, and time to come to full harvest.

The church is not to demand that society make sudden changes in long established social patterns. Rather, the church is to exemplify positive social change by shunning evil and practicing righteousness, thus planting seeds of truth which will take root in society and ultimately produce the fruit of change.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 150The Message

150 ^1-6 Hallelujah!
Praise God in his holy house of worship,
    praise him under the open skies;
Praise him for his acts of power,
    praise him for his magnificent greatness;
Praise with a blast on the trumpet,
    praise by strumming soft strings;
Praise him with castanets and dance,
    praise him with banjo and flute;
Praise him with cymbals and a big bass drum,
    praise him with fiddles and mandolin.
Let every living, breathing creature praise God!
    Hallelujah!

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://translate.google.com/

Matthew 18:15-20 English Standard Version

If Your Brother Sins Against You

¹⁵ “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. ¹⁶ But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. ¹⁷ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. ¹⁸ Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed^[a] in heaven. ¹⁹ Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

“Been there, Done that ___Ain’t Going Back!”

One of the most difficult things to face in life is when the church hurts you.

Part of the reason it is so challenging is that you expect church to be a safe haven. It’s one thing when people who don’t profess to know Jesus hurt you.

It’s becomes an entirely different scenario when those who know Jesus do the same thing.

In the boxing arena, there is a time honored saying that the punch that hurts the worst is the one you don’t see coming. For many of us, who have “been there and done that,” this is exactly how church hurt feels. It’s the punch you don’t see coming or even expect and that is the one that does the most damage.

If you stay in church long enough, then at some point, you may get hurt.

Not because people are trying to hurt you, but because people are human.

In their sinful human nature, even though they are Christians, they have the capacity to hurt you. However, this means the same potential lives in us, too.

The reality is if you are in church long enough, you could hurt someone, too. So, what do you do when you are the one who has been hurt?

The steps you take in the aftermath and how you immediately respond are critical. If you don’t respond promptly and correctly, this can set off a chain of reactions, like a mile long chain of dominoes, that can be difficult to overcome.

Step # 1 – Acknowledge It, Shout It Out Before God

Psalm 13 English Standard Version

How Long, O Lord?

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

13 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
    How long will you hide your face from me?
² How long must I take counsel in my soul
    and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

³ Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
    light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
⁴ lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”
    lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

⁵ But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
    my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
⁶ I will sing to the Lord,
    because he has dealt bountifully with me.

When you get hurt by a church, sometimes you stop and ask in wonder, did that really happen?

I vividly remember being in a situation where someone made many accusations about me that were not only untrue, but completely miles far from the truth. My initial response was deep shock, as I could not believe what had just happened.

After the initial shock wore off and I recognized that what had happened was real, my shock turned to tears. My tears were my way of acknowledging the situation and not living in denial. This is a crucial step because you cannot begin the healing process without acknowledging the truth of what just occurred.

In these critical moments, it is okay to be upset, hurt, angry, or whatever other emotions you may feel. Remember that God will deal bountifully with your soul.

Emotions are natural and part of who we are, so it is okay to feel how you feel.

I am not about the business of telling you to act on those feelings but simply recognize how you feel in that moment.

This is where your healing journey will begin.

Step # 2 – Pray for Healing and Wisdom

James 5:13-20 English Standard Version

The Prayer of Faith

¹³ Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. ¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. ¹⁶ Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.^[a] 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and  he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. ¹⁸ Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

¹⁹ My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, ²⁰ let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

The next critical step is to pray.

You might say prayer should be first.

If you pray first, there is nothing wrong with that. However, sometimes the moment of hurt is so deep, intense, it becomes all too challenging to pray.

It’s like the boxer who get hits and is a little woozy. Before they can continue to defend themselves or to fight back, they must first gather themselves. Once you have gathered yourselves, then you can pray. Here are some things you need to accomplish in prayer.

• Get your feelings out
• Allow God to begin the healing process
• Seek wisdom on how to deal with the situation

The reason these things are critical is that even though you are hurt, you don’t want to stay hurt. Some people get hurt by the church and they never recover from it. That’s why your initial responses are vital because getting them wrong can have unbelievably devastating, unrecoverable, long-term consequences.

Step # 3 – Get Your Feelings Out… Don’t Keep Them In

Psalm 42 English Standard Version

Book Two

Why Are You Cast Down, O My Soul?

To the choirmaster. A Maskil^[a] of the Sons of Korah.

42 As a deer pants for flowing streams,
    so pants my soul for you, O God.
² My soul thirsts for God,
    for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?^[b]
3 My tears have been my food
    day and night,
while they say to me all the day long,
    “Where is your God?”
⁴ These things I remember,
    as I pour out my soul:
how I would go with the throng
    and lead them in procession to the house of God
with glad shouts and songs of praise,
    a multitude keeping festival.

⁵ Why are you cast down, O my soul,
    and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
    my salvation^[c] 6 and my God.

My soul is cast down within me;
    therefore I remember you
from the land of Jordan and of Hermon,
    from Mount Mizar.
⁷ Deep calls to deep
    at the roar of your waterfalls;
all your breakers and your waves
    have gone over me.
⁸ By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,
    and at night his song is with me,
    a prayer to the God of my life.
⁹ I say to God, my rock:
    “Why have you forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning
    because of the oppression of the enemy?”
¹⁰ As with a deadly wound in my bones,
    my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me all the day long,
    “Where is your God?”

¹¹ Why are you cast down, O my soul,
    and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
    my salvation and my God.

After you have gotten your feeling and emotions out to God in prayer, then it is time to get them out to someone else. I am not saying you turn on your camera and go blasting your entire life story on every available avenue of social media.

Not only is that unwise, but it will not allow you to heal in the way God requires.

It is best to speak with a trusted friend or counselor and let them know how you feel. The one you choose should be someone who can listen and not one who is going to respond emotionally. If you know that person is emotionally charged and their initial response is to get back, then choose someone else to talk to.

The point here is to first put the focus on you and how you are dealing with the situation. Not on those who hurt you. It is critically important for you to settle your emotions properly so that you can know how to move forward with God.

That’s why when someone has hurt you, before you deal with anyone else, the first person you must deal with is you. When you are hurt, it is possible that a seed of bitterness has been planted in your heart. If you don’t recognize it, you will give room for that seed of weeds to grow and establish a root in your heart.

This is where these things can go from bad to worse to unimaginably “nuclear.”

Step # 4 – Look for Support

Acts 9:26-27 English Standard Version

Saul in Jerusalem

²⁶ And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. ²⁷ But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus.

As you begin the long journey towards healing, it is helpful to have someone supporting you through this process. The reason I say this is that at some point it will be necessary to address the transgressions with the ones who hurt you.

The purpose of support is not to build an army in your favor but to build a system of support with people who can help you sift through your emotions, your motives, and ensure you are doing okay. That means being okay in your walk with the Lord and being reconciled with those in the body – the church.

Step # 5 – Approach Those Who Hurt You

2 Corinthians 5:11-21 English Standard Version

The Ministry of Reconciliation

¹¹ Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. ¹² We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. ¹³ For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. ¹⁴ For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; ¹⁵ and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

¹⁶ From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.^[a] The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. ¹⁸ All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; ¹⁹ that is, in Christ God was reconciling^[b] the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.  ²⁰ Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. ²¹ For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

This step may be the most challenging.

With reconciliation in mind, now is when you confront the ones who have hurt you. This can be even more frightening if the ones who hurt you are people who are in positions of leadership. You may wonder, perhaps even obsess over, how to even approach them or if they will even be receptive to what you have to say.

Honestly, everyone may not receive, even utterly reject, what you have to say.

Some will deny it, reject it, and possibly even reject you. However, this step is necessary not just for their sake, but for yours. Because you are not sure how people will respond, that’s why this is not the first step in the process.

You need to turn to God, search out His Scriptures, address how you feel first, which helps you correctly, Godly, judiciously approach this with that right perspective and without unforgiving malice, anger, or venom in your heart.

There are different ways to approach and deal with the situation. You may go directly to the one who hurt you. Depending on what occurred and who they are, you may need to work through the elder board or leaders of the church. If you are not comfortable with a face-to-face meeting initially, then it is appropriate to use gracefully written communications, whether that is a letter or email.

Hopefully, prayerfully, this will lead to reconciliation, but even if it doesn’t, you still need to let them know. This is a critically vital part of your healing process and it will also help guide you back to God for what your next steps should be.

Step # 6 – Forgive

Matthew 18:21-35 English Standard Version

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

²¹ Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” ²² Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

²³ “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.^[a] 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.^[b] 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. ²⁶ So the servant^[c] fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ ²⁷ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. ²⁸ But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii,^[d] and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ ²⁹ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ ³⁰ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. ³¹ When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. ³² Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ³³ And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ ³⁴ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers,^[e] until he should pay all his debt. ³⁵ So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

You don’t know how the ones who hurt you will respond to you approaching them about it. In the best-case scenario, they will acknowledge how they hurt you and ask for forgiveness. Unfortunately, I and no one else can’t promise you that will be the case. There may not be a “Hollywood” ending to this scenario.

Regardless, your responsibility is to forgive them.

Remember that seed of bitterness that turns into a root I mentioned earlier?

Unforgiveness waters that seed and allows it to grow into a root. The longer unforgiveness stays wedged in your heart, the more work that is required to remove it. That’s why you must forgive. Not for their benefit, but for yours.

We have a friend who was very active in church. However, she had a situation where she was hurt badly by the church. Honestly, the situation was not good at all. In her case, the pain caused her to eventually walk away from the church and then we believe she even walked away from her relationship with Jesus.

I know the church represents Christ, but let’s be clear, the church is not Christ.

Don’t blame Christ for the actions of imperfect people. Jesus did not hurt you, they did. As difficult as it may be to do so, it is important for us to recognize this difference and separate them. If you don’t, this can cause you to be mad at God and blame him and curse Him for something he had nothing to do with.

That’s why you must forgive.

If not, then you give life to that hurt, it will permeate your life, and it will continue to hurt you repeatedly, harder and harder, throughout your life.

Step # 7 – Re-evaluate Your Relationship with That Church (Not All Churches)

Ecclesiastes 3:16-22 English Standard Version

From Dust to Dust

¹⁶ Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. ¹⁷ I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work. ¹⁸ I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but beasts. ¹⁹ For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity.^[a] 20 All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return. ²¹ Who knows whether  the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth? ²² So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. Who can bring him to see what will be after him?

If you have gone through these steps and even if you have forgiven, it will still be time to re-evaluate your relationship with that church or denomination.

While I believe all offenses can and should be forgiven, that does not mean it is always going to be possible to reconcile and restore all church relationships.

Sometimes the offense may be so egregious that while you forgive and still love those people, it may be time to seek other fields, find another place of worship.

Let me caution you should you deem it necessary to find a new church home.

Do your best not to judge every church based on your experience with that one.

I know this is difficult, but I have seen so many people write off every church because of their experience at one.

Hebrews 10:19-25 English Standard Version

The Full Assurance of Faith

¹⁹ Therefore, brothers,^[a] since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, ²¹ and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²² let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts  sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. ²³  Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ²⁵  not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Through the hurt and the pain, God speaks directly, and has called us to be in abiding fellowship with each other. As the body of Christ, we need each other.

However, in this situation, it may mean you need to have an abiding fellowship with a different part of the body of Christ.

If you decide to leave that church, that does not mean you have been handed an unlimited amount of credit to talk badly about that church, the leadership, and even the experience you had there. If you do that, then it is likely you may have not forgiven and you are yet carrying around seeds of bitterness in your heart.

That’s why I began this process with dealing with your wayward emotions first.

One Final Thought … God Still Loves the World!

John 3:16-21English Standard Version

For God So Loved the World

¹⁶ “For God so loved the world,^[a] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. ¹⁹ And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. ²⁰ For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. ²¹ But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

If you are in a situation where the church has hurt you, I can feel your pain.

However, through the pain I want to encourage you to deal with the hurt letting God and His love go before you and guide you, move you forward in His grace.

Don’t let it linger and fester because that is not good for you. Make sure you address all your emotions and feelings first and then go back and deal with that situation. This will not undo what was done to you, but at least it will position you alongside God to heal so this hurt does not dominate the rest of your life.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

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