CHRISTIAN ETHOS IN ACTION – “If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?” (Luke 12:26).
The phrase “if you”, as it applies to you (and me) as a disciple of Jesus, appears one hundred twenty-four times in the English Standard Version (ESV) of the New Testament.
First, we will be confronted with various situations and circumstances from the Bible and, we will discover how we are to respond in these examples. Secondly, I have personalized (rephrased) our study verses for you to memorize. By this, we can bring the Gospel to life as we go and defeat sin along our way.
Today we, as Christians, are confronted with questions about how we should deal with matters such as the worries of life, anxiety, God’s provisions, brevity of life, seeking the Kingdom.
“If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?” (Luke 12:26).
IN CONTEXT
“And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If thenyou are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you.” (Luke 12:22-31)
REPHRASED and personalized to memorize:
“Therefore, I confess that I will not be anxious about my life, that is, what I will eat, nor about my body as to what I will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. When I consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value am I than the birds! And, can I by being anxious, add a single hour to my span of life? If I am not able to do as small a thing as that, why should I be anxious about the rest? I consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. And, if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe me! I will no longer spend all my time seeking what I am to eat and what I am to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and my Father knows that I need them. Instead, I am seeking His kingdom, and these things will be added to me.” (Luke 12:22-31)
DO NOT BE CONFORMED – BE TRANSFORMED
Retraining your mind to believe and practice the Word of God, can often be challenging. However, Romans 12:2tells us and encourages us, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect”, and we are told to “do all things heartily as unto the Lord” and to be faithful, wise and fruitful servants of the Lord, even multiplying the good things He entrusts to us.
God provides – all the time. Stay vigilant. Stay alert, watching for His provisions. They are already there, just like the MANA in the desert. Just appropriate them and give thanks!
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
NEXT: (Coming Soon. Please bookmark this page or subscribe).
CHRISTIAN ETHOS IN ACTION – “Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” (Mark 9:23).
The phrase “if you”, as it applies to you (and me) as a disciple of Jesus, appears one hundred twenty-four times in the English Standard Version (ESV) of the New Testament.
First, we will be confronted with various situations and circumstances from the Bible and, we will discover how we are to respond in these examples. Secondly, I have personalized (rephrased) our study verses for you to memorize. By this, we can bring the Gospel to life as we go and defeat sin along our way.
Today we, as Christians, are confronted with questions about how we should deal with matters such as illnesses, demons, faith, forgiveness, healing.
Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” (Mark 9:23).
IN CONTEXT
‘”And one person from the crowd answered Him, “Teacher, I brought You my son, because he has a spirit that makes him unable to speak; and whenever it seizes him, it slams him to the ground, and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes stiff. And I told Your disciples so that they would cast it out, but they could not do it.”
“And He answered them, “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!” And they brought the boy to Him. When he saw Him, the spirit immediately threw him into convulsions, and falling to the ground, he began rolling around and foaming at the mouth.
“And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to kill him. But if Youcan do anything, take pity on us and help us!” But Jesus said to him, ‘If You can?’ All things are possible for the one who believes.”
“Immediately, the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief!”
“When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him again!”
“And after crying out and throwing him into terrible convulsions, it came out.” (Mark 917-26)
REPHRASED and personalized to memorize:
“Jesus, I know You can, can do all things. Have pity and help me!”
“IF I CAN?” – Jesus’ question to the father.
Oddly, in our text, the father asks Jesus to help him and his son, “If He can”. And, Jesus replies with an interrogatory, “IF I CAN?” The man immediately, and correctly, begs for help with his unbelief.
There are other times that doubt plagued even the disciples:
“But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated to them. And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful.” (Matthew 28:17). But Jesus sent them anyway.
“But Thomas, one of the twelve, who was called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. So, the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.
“Eight days later His disciples were again inside, and Thomas was with them. Jesus *came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be to you.” Then He *said to Thomas, “Place your finger here, and see My hands; and take your hand and put it into My side; and do not continue in disbelief, but be a believer.” Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:24-29). But Jesus showed Thomas anyway and helped him is his disbelief.
Dear Friends, let’s always remind each other, that “it is with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” (see Romans 10:10).
Say it. Believe it. Do it!
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
NEXT: (Coming Soon. Please bookmark this page or subscribe).
CHRISTIAN ETHOS IN ACTION – “And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.” (Matthew 21:21)
The phrase “if you”, as it applies to you (and me) as a disciple of Jesus, appears one hundred twenty-four times in the English Standard Version (ESV) of the New Testament.
First, we will be confronted with various situations and circumstances from the Bible and, we will discover how we are to respond in these examples. Secondly, I have personalized (rephrased) our study verses for you to memorize. By this, we can bring the Gospel to life as we go and defeat sin along our way.
Today we, as Christians, are confronted with questions about how we should deal with matters such as usefulness and uselessness, miracles, faith, doubt, authority over circumstances, effective productive prayer.
“And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.”(Matthew 21:21)
IN CONTEXT
“In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.
“When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?”
And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you,if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” (Matthew 21:18-22)
REPHRASED and personalized to memorize:
“When I saw it, I marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?”
And Jesus answered me, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” (Matthew 21:18-22)
WHAT YOU BELIEVE YOU KNOW vs WHAT JESUS SAYS
Herein lies what I will call, ‘the line of contention’. The Bible and Jesus say one thing, and our denominational teachings say quite another – either in disbelief or in going too far. Looking at these matters as it is ‘one way or another’ could be aptly named ‘a binary trap’, from which there is no escape.
BALANCE
Very few people would dare say Jesus approached life and spiritual matters with a balance between earthly means and ways, while staying true to His nature as God.
Jesus was both man and God, and He lived both the aspects of His earthly nature and His Divine nature to their absolute fullest.
And, so should we live both our natures – our human nature, as it is controlled by our ‘new birth spiritual nature’ to the absolute fullest. Our balance is only found in Jesus.
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
NEXT: (Coming Soon. Please bookmark this page or subscribe).
CHRISTIAN ETHOS IN ACTION – “Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” (Matthew 19:21).
The phrase “if you”, as it applies to you (and me) as a disciple of Jesus, appears one hundred twenty-four times in the English Standard Version (ESV) of the New Testament.
First, we will be confronted with various situations and circumstances from the Bible and, we will discover how we are to respond in these examples. Secondly, I have personalized (rephrased) our study verses for you to memorize. By this, we can bring the Gospel to life as we go and defeat sin along our way.
Today we, as Christians, are confronted with questions about how we should deal with matters such as obtaining eternal life, the commandments of God, perfection in character, treasure in heaven, the requirements in following Jesus.
Matthew 19:21 – Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect (complete in all its parts, full-grown, of full age, especially of the completeness of Christian character),
go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
IN CONTEXT
“And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If youwould be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
When the young man heard this, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. (Matthew 19:16-22)
REPHRASED and personalized to memorize:
I said to Jesus, “What do I still lack?”
“Jesus said to me, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS – KNOW THE RIGHT THINGS TO DO
This young man asked, “what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” This is a common misconception, for many, about salvation. If it were that simple, it would certainly be a cheapened grace and a trivial and ineffective salvation – which would be no salvation at all.
Ephesians 2:8-9, informs us that, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Salvation is by God’s Grace (that is, unearned and ‘un-earnable’ favor) through our faith (a belief and a trust in Jesus that is so complete that we are willing to surrender our way of thinking, acting and living and to follow Jesus in His ways.) Then we will walk in the ‘good works’ God prepared ahead of time. And you will have treasure in heaven
It’s all about Him – and we are the beneficiaries of such a Great God and of His great salvation!
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
NEXT: (Coming Soon. Please bookmark this page or subscribe).
CHRISTIAN ETHOS IN ACTION – “So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” Matthew 19:17.
The phrase “if you”, as it applies to you (and me) as a disciple of Jesus, appears one hundred twenty-four times in the English Standard Version (ESV) of the New Testament.
First, we will be confronted with various situation and circumstances from the Bible and, we will discover how we are to respond in these examples. Secondly, I have personalized (rephrased) our study verses for you to memorize. By this, we can bring the Gospel to life as we go and defeat sin along our way.
Today we, as Christians, are confronted with questions about how we should deal with matters such as goodness, God, entering into life, the commandments, finding perfection, and following Jesus.
“And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”
And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.”
He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” (Matthew 19:16-21)
REPHRASED and personalized to memorize:
And he said to me, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If youwould enter life, keep the commandments.”
I ask Jesus, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
I ask Him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” Jesus says to me, “If youwould be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
BEING POSSESSED
In these verses, the ‘rich young ruler’, after talking to Jesus, “went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions”. Apparently, this young man could not fathom becoming destitute on Jesus’ account.
This was and is not about possessions. It is about being possessed. This young man was possessed by his wealth. Wealth and possession was his calling, his mission on earth and his master.
What is your calling, mission and master?
“For the gate is narrow, and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” Matthew 7:14.
CHRISTIAN ETHOS IN ACTION – Matthew 17:20, “So, Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20.
The phrase “if you”, as it applies to you (and me) as a disciple of Jesus, appears one hundred twenty-four times in the English Standard Version (ESV) of the New Testament. First, we will be confronted with various situation and circumstances from the Bible and, we will discover how we are to respond in these examples. Secondly, I have personalized (rephrased) our study verses for you to memorize. By this, we can bring the Gospel to life as we go and defeat sin along our way.
Today we are confronted with questions about faith, unbelief, speaking the Word, ‘moving mountains’, impossibilities and possibilities.
(“And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”)
“So, Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20.
REPHRASED and personalized to memorize:
“So, Jesus says to me, because of my unbelief; for assuredly, He is saying to me, “if I have faith as a mustard seed, I will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for me.” Matthew 17:20.
Dear friends, God tells us that our “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (see Romans 10:17). If you believe this, then memorizing and internalizing Matthew 17:18-20 is important to strengthening your faith and make this Word come alive within you.
Remembering that it is HE Who does these works through us, by His Grace, let’s get this done!
CHRISTIAN ETHOS IN ACTION – Drive-Through Salvation & Spiritual Fast Food?
Have you ever heard the following before?
“Please, bow your heads and close your eyes and repeat this prayer after me. “Heavenly Father, I know that I am a sinner. I believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins. I do now receive him as my Lord and personal Savior. I promise to serve you to the best of my ability. Please save me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
“For all who prayed this prayer, CONGRATULATIONS! You are NOW, a child of God!! (Congregational applause) Please pick up some literature after our service. It will tell you what to do next.”
It is called, “The Sinner’s Prayer”. But, is It Biblical? And, is it enough to save a person’s soul and get them into heaven? Is the ‘sinners prayer’ biblical?
Is it enough, to utter a scripted prayer, and expect a magical transformation of your life and a free pass to heaven?
Perhaps this little mimicked prayer, almost like an incantation, will get a person thinking about salvation, but, the Bible seems to consider this a more serious matter and addresses it a bit differently.
The Bible and Jesus say there has to be a commitment to follow Jesus in His teachings and His commandments. It takes commitment, discipline and endurance.
The facts are that neither Jesus nor His disciples ever used a “sinner’s prayer” to induce people to follow Jesus.
And, neither Jesus nor His disciples minced their words on this important matter. They just gave it straight and then you either dropped what you were doing, what you had been, and followed Him – or not.
What are we to do? Has Jesus changed His mind about how we are to follow Him and become a Christian? Of course not. Then, why are so many pastors and churches serving up “DRIVE-THROUGH SALVATION” & “SPIRITUAL FAST FOOD”?
Furthermore (and more importantly), the Apostle Paul, in 1st Corinthians 9:25, addresses salvation and the endurance it requires. He uses a metaphor of an athlete, and he says that every athlete exercises self-control in all things. Those athletes do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we, as Christians receive an imperishable wreath.
He also says “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1).
I dare say that the vast majority of Christians in our world today are like a runner who, when the starter’s gun sounds, they simply stand up at the starting line, prance about admiring their runner’s garb, chatting with other entrants about the aspects of running a race, but never running the race – while the ‘true runners’ disappear down the track.
This is actually a serious matter, and it would seem, from the condition of the church and of our world, that an inertia, a malaise has settled over the Church. We are , so to speak, ‘prancing about, admiring our garb, but not ‘entering the race’, the mission of Christ. And, we are standing on dangerous grounds.
I believe, to start with, it is time we ask ourselves, WHY DID JESUS COME INTO THE WORLD?
I will cite six reasons Jesus said He came into this world, which give us six examples to follow. And they are not simply suggestions:
TO TESTIFY TO THE TRUTH
John 18:37“Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this purpose, I have been born, and for this I have come into the world: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice.”
TO BRING A SWORD
Matthew 10:34, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. Verse 35, For I came to TURN A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; verse 36, and A PERSON’S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD.”
TO FULFILL THE LAW
Matthew 5:17 “Do not presume that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill the Law and the Prophets.”
TO CALL SINNERS
Mark 2:17 “And hearing this, Jesus *said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
TO SAVE THE WORLD
John 12:47 “If anyone hears My teachings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.”
TO CAST FIRE & BRING DIVISION UPON THE EARTH
Luke 12:49 “I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled! Verse 50, But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! Verse 51, Do you think that I came to provide peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather to create division; “
“WHAT HE REALLY MEANT?”
Jesus has told us, in John 14:12, “Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I am going to the Father. Verse 13. And whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Verse 14. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”
I have heard so many preachers, bible teachers and detractors alike, try to justify or explain away these Words of Jesus because they just cannot fathom the gentle and sweet ‘dashboard Jesus’ saying such things as we find in the verses cited. These same confused preachers really get tied in a knot over John 14:12. They will begin their commentary of teaching it with, “what this really means is…”.
Jesus said what He meant and meant exactly what He said. He is our model for our counter cultural resistance to the growing global threat of Communist-Marxist-Globalism, And we need to get on with it.
Jesus had a divine appointment with a cruel Roman cross. Read what He said when Peter proposed to get in the way of His mission:
Matthew 16:21- 23, “From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.”But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”
We do not literally have an appointment with a crucifixion, but, the Bible is clear in Galatians 5:24, that “Those who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” and again in Galatians 2:20, the Apostle Paul reminds us that, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” which must be true for all who follow Jesus because we are on mission with Jesus. Our ‘old self’ must die so our new selves can follow and serve Him.
Jesus always, taught the Will of His Father, then, demonstrated what He taught. He expects us to do the same. Ephesians, chapter six, gives us a clear teaching and picture of the type of preparation and the kind of resolve we are to assume.
Ephesians 6:10-17, tells us, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
Stand, i. e. continue safe and sound, stand unharmed: Acts 26:22.
Stand ready or prepared: Ephesians 6:14. One who does not hesitate, does not waver, of one who vanquishes his adversaries and holds the ground, also of one who in the midst of the fight holds his position against the foe, to persist, continue, persevere: (so as not to fall from thy faith).
Jesus’ example of steadfast, unmovable courage; this is our example and our command to do the same:
CONFRONTING THE STORM
Mark 4:35-41, “On that day, when evening came, He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
CONFRONTING DEMONS
Luke 8:26-33 “Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. And when He came out onto the land, He was met by a man from the city who was possessed with demons; and who had not put on any clothing for a long time, and was not living in a house, but in the tombs. Seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell before Him, and said in a loud voice, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me.” For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had seized him many times; and he was bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard, and yet he would break his bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert. And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion”; for many demons had entered him. They were imploring Him not to command them to go away into the abyss.
“Now there was a herd of many swine feeding there on the mountain; and the demons implored Him to permit them to enter the swine. And He gave them permission. And the demons came out of the man and entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.”
CONFRONTING GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
John 19:8-12 ”Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid; and he entered into the Praetorium again and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. So, Pilate said to Him, “You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?” Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason, he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.” As a result of this Pilate made efforts to release Him, but the Jews cried out saying, “If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar.”
BEFORE THE RELIGIOUS ESTABLISHMENT
Matthew 24:57-67, “Those who had seized Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together. But Peter was following Him at a distance as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and entered in, and sat down with the officers to see the outcome.
“Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death. They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward, 61 and said, “This man stated, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days.’” The high priest stood up and said to Him, “Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?” But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, “I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus *said to him, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy; what do you think?” They answered, “He deserves death!” Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him.”
Jesus did not draw back. (He proceeded boldly to the Cross and secured our salvation!) We must not draw back. Jesus has all authority in heaven and on the earth and is with us until the end!
Remember, Jesus came to earth for these stated reasons – and these same reasons are our method and our calling:
TO TESTIFY TO THE TRUTH. We are to testify to the truth!
The Truth is a Person. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” When confronted with evil, lies, perversion or deception, we are to testify to the Truth – that is Jesus.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14.
Examples of what your response could be:
On Homosexuality: “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality.” (1 Corinthians 6:9)
“We know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, the sexually immoral, men or women who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine.” 1 Timothy 1:8-10
On Transgenderism: “God makes no distinction when it comes to salvation whether you are Jew or Greek, slave nor free, male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (see Galatians 3:28), but, God says, “A woman shall not wear a man’s garment, nor shall a man put on a woman’s cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God.” (Deuteronomy 22:5).
On Abortion: “God created us in his own image”. (Genesis 1:7) “Children are a gift of the Lord; The fruit of the womb is a reward. (Psalm 127:3-4). “You shall not murder.” Exodus 20:13.
On Teaching children homosexuality, transgenderism, critical race theory, sexual perversions: “It would be better if a millstone were hung around the neck of someone and they were cast into the sea than that they should cause one of these little ones to sin. (Luke 17:2).
TO BRING A SWORD. We are to bring the sword of the Word of God!
It is critical that you know the Word of God. It is the “Sword”, the Word of God, that will enable you to fight this battle. It is the full armor of God that will protect you as you engage the adversary. (This takes work, discipline and endurance. For the capable, anything less is laziness, sloth and disobedience to God.
TO FULFILL THE LAW. We are to fulfill the same law!
TO CALL SINNERS. We are to call out sin and to call sinners to Christ Jesus!
TO SAVE THE WORLD through Jesus. In a very real sense, this, too, is our calling, by lifting the Name of Jesus, telling others and leading them to Him
TO CAST FIRE & BRING DIVISION UPON THE EARTH. This, too, is our calling! The Word of God is a stumbling block to those who do not believe, dividing A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; (Matthew 10:35-36)
Dear Brothers and Sisters, read, understand and follow the example set by Jesus in His thought, speech, action and behavior. We are not relieved of our ‘new spiritual nature’ to ’turn the other cheek’, and to give to those who would take from youand to the one who begs from you. Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.” (see Matthew 5:38-48). At the same time, in balance, we are not to shrink back, for the Lord takes no pleasure in those who shrink back. (see Hebrews 10:38-39). We are to stand tall and stand firm in the face of evil.
This is not hyperbole, nor is it philosophy nor metaphor. Now is the time to gird ourselves up with the full armor of God and follow our Lord, the King of Kings into battle.
Once again, please remember the distinction: Our struggle is not againstflesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places and must be fought with Spiritual Armament.
Someone once wisely said, “Lead, follow or get out of the way”. (Thomas Paine, Lee Iacocca, or George S. Patton. And, depending on which one of these might have said it, it carries a different message.)
Jesus said similarly, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”We are called on an earthly mission and to an eternal destiny. You will either lead, follow or be left behind.
CHRISTIAN ETHOS IN ACTION – The phrase “if you”, as it applies to you (and me), as the reader and disciple of Jesus, appears one hundred twenty-four times in the English Standard Version (ESV) of the New Testament. First, we will be confronted with various situation and circumstances from the Bible and, we will discover how we are to respond in these examples. Secondly, I have personalized (rephrased) our study verses for you to memorize. By this, we can bring the Gospel to life as we go and defeat sin along our way.
Matthew 12:7, “And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.”
Today we are confronted with questions about putting traditions and religious ritual law above necessity, justice and mercy, mercy versus sacrifice, condemning the guiltless and the innocent.
Matthew 12:1, “At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. Verse 2. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.”
Verse 7. And if youhad known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. Verse 8. For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
REPHRASED and personalized to memorize:
Matthew 12:1, “At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. Verse 2. But when the Pharisees and I saw it, we said to Him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.”
Verse 7. And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. Verse 8. For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
Dear friends, it may not be grain fields we find ourselves dealing with, but it is about putting religious traditions and rituals above the needs of the guiltless and innocent. We are to Show justice through mercy, Christian community over legalism.
“The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27).
“Christian Ethos in Action”. The phrase “if you”, as it applies to you (and me), as the reader and disciple of Jesus, appears one hundred twenty-four times in the English Standard Version (ESV) of the New Testament. First, we will be confronted with various situation and circumstances from the Bible and, we will discover how we are to respond in these examples. Secondly, I have personalized (rephrased) our study verses for you to memorize. By this, we can bring the Gospel to life as we go and defeat sin along our way.
Today we are confronted with questions about your status in the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of heaven suffering the violence of men, having the ability to hear, understand and believe prophecies.
“Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, and if youare willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Matthew 11:11-15.
REPHRASED and personalized to memorize:
“Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet even I, who is least in the kingdom of heaven, is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, and if Iam willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. I pray to have ears to hear, and I pray I hear.” Matthew 11:11-15.
Dear friends, we know that faith comes from hearing and hearing through the Word of Christ. What was spoken has come to pass. Pray for understanding and wisdom. The Day is near.
“Christian Ethos in Action”. The phrase “if you”, as it applies to you (and me), as the reader and disciple of Jesus, appears one hundred twenty-four times in the English Standard Version (ESV) of the New Testament. First, we will be confronted with various situation and circumstances from the Bible and, we will discover how we are to respond in these examples. Secondly, I have personalized (rephrased) our study verses for you to memorize. By this, we can bring the Gospel to life as we go and defeat sin along our way.
Matthew 7:11 – If youthen, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Fatherwho is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
Today we are confronted with questions about our evil nature, about asking God in prayer through seeking, knocking, finding, giving good gifts and finally, about how to treat others through it all.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?
If youthen, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
“So, whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
REPHRASED and personalized to memorize:
“If I ask, it will be given to me; seek, and I will find; knock, and it will be opened to me. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. If my son asks me for bread, will I give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will I give him a serpent?
If Ithen, being evil, know how to give good gifts to my children, how much more will my Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
“So, whatever I wish that others would do to me, I will do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Let’s please remember that when we give, it will be given back to us. And a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will also be put into your lap. For with the same measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” (see Luke 6:38).
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
PS: Living the Christian ETHOS leads to a full and abundant life. It is the way and the life that Jesus teaches and models. Let’s just do it.
“Christian Ethos in Action”. The phrase “if you”, as it applies to you (and me), as the reader and disciple of Jesus, appears one hundred twenty-four times in the English Standard Version (ESV) of the New Testament. First, we will be confronted with various situation and circumstances from the Bible and, we will discover how we are to respond in these examples. Secondly, I have personalized (rephrased) our study verses for you to memorize. By this, we can bring the Gospel to life as we go and defeat sin along our way.
Today we are confronted with empty prayer, trespasses, forgiveness, God, heaven, temptations, and avoidance of evil. Let’s begin.
Matthew 6:14 – “For if youforgive others of their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”
Matthew 6:7-15, “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For if youforgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
REPHRASED and personalized to memorize:
Matthew 6:7-15, “And when I pray, I will not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. I will not be like them, for my Father knows what I need before I ask him. I will pray then like this:
“My Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give me this day my daily bread,
and forgive me of my debts,
as I also have forgiven my debtors.
And lead me not into temptation,
but deliver me from evil.
For if Iforgive others their trespasses, my heavenly Father will also forgive me, but if I do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will my Father forgive my trespasses.”
Please, let’s confess our sins to one another and pray for one another, that we may be healed. Remembering that the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”
“Christian Ethos in Action”. The phrase “if you”, as it applies to you (and me), as the reader and disciple of Jesus, appears one hundred twenty-four times in the English Standard Version (ESV) of the New Testament. First, we will be confronted with various situation and circumstances from the Bible and, we will discover how we are to respond in these examples. Secondly, I have personalized (rephrased) our study verses for you to memorize. By this, we can bring the Gospel to life as we go and defeat sin along our way.
Today we are confronted with love, hate, neighbors, enemies, prayer, persecution, good, and evil. Let’s begin:
Matthew 5:46 – For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love (ag-ap-ah’-o; to love; wish well to, take pleasure in, long for; denotes the love of reason, esteem) your neighbor and hate your enemy.’But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect(tel’-i-os; having reached its end, complete, perfect; (a) complete in all its parts, (b) full-grown, of full age, (c) especially of the completeness of Christian character), as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:43-48)
REPHRASED and personalized to memorize:
“I have heard that it was said, ‘I shall love my neighbor and hate my enemy.’But I say I must love my enemies and pray for those who persecute me,so that I may be a son of my Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if Ilove those who love me, what reward do I have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if I greet only my brothers, what more am I doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? I am, therefore, must be perfect, as my heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:41-48)
“It is for freedom’s sake that we are being made free”.
Please, let’s pray for one another along this way.
This will be a long-running daily devotional study on “Christian Ethos in Action”. The phrase “if you”, as it applies to you (and me), as the reader and disciple of Jesus, appears one hundred twenty-four times in the English Standard Version (ESV) of the New Testament. First, we will be confronted with various situation and circumstances from the Bible and, we will discover how we are to respond in these examples. Secondly, I have personalized (rephrased) our study verses for you to memorize. By this, we can bring the Gospel to life as we go and defeat sin along our way.
Today we are confronted with resentments, murder, liabilities, anger, judgment, insults, a question of the fires of hell, prison and reconciliation. Let’s begin:
Matthew 5:23–26, Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you…”
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 26 Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
REPHRASED to memorize:
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. So if I am offering my gift at the altar and there remember that my brother has something against me, I will leave my gift there before the altar and go. First I will be reconciled to my brother, and then come and offer my gift. I will come to terms quickly with my accuser while I am going with him to court, lest my accuser hands me over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and I will be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, I will never get out until I have paid the last penny.”
“It is for freedom’s sake that we are being made free”.
Please, let’s pray for one another along this way.
Your Brother and Friend,
When a person is intent of living the Christian life, working to obey and serve God in all they do, sometimes, when in a tough spot, they may be tempted to ‘claim a promise’ or ‘proclaim an answer’ in the name of The Lord.
There is a common misconception that an answer to prayer or a miracle should occur quickly, even instantly or ‘on demand’. That thankfully may occur, but it is usually on a rare occasion; and ‘demanding’ anything of God can be a risky endeavor, even if it is disguised as ‘claiming a promise’. However, tread carefully. Matthew 4:7 warns not to “put the Lord your God to the test.’”
It is true, however, that God answers prayer – all the time. Although, God usually performs His Word over time – over a long period of time. That is usually how it is when God pronounces His blessings or curses.
God has defined the curses and the blessings, which all brought about in one’s life by a person’s or a nation’s obedience or disobedience to God’s Word – and, again, it is important to remember they occur over time; usually a long period of time. Sometimes, it takes so long to occur that we may think God may have forgotten to bless us or that we may have escaped the penalties of our sins. Whichever is fitting, do not lose hope – or beware – it all will come to pass.
To Wit:
Psalm 103:8 “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.”
Numbers 14:18, “The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
(Please note: You can read extensively about these prophetic promises and warnings in the book of Deuteronomy. It is important to read what follows in its entirety in order to lay the groundwork which leads to, both freedom from The Law and Sanctuary in Christ, that is by returning to His standards of Holiness and Righteousness – without which, you cannot enter the Kingdom of heaven. “Not by our works but by faith in Christ, knowing that faith without works is dead”.)
Deuteronomy 27:9 tells us, “Then Moses and the Levitical priests said to all Israel, “Keep silence and hear, O Israel: this day you have become the people of the Lord your God. 10You shall therefore obey the voice of the Lord your God, keeping his commandments and his statutes, which I command you today.”
11 That day Moses charged the people, saying, 12 “When you have crossed over the Jordan, these shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. 13 And these shall stand on Mount Ebal for the curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. 14 And the Levites shall declare to all the men of Israel in a loud voice:
15“‘ Cursed be the man who makes a carved or cast metal image, an abomination to the Lord, a thing made by the hands of a craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ And all the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen.’
16 “‘Cursed be anyone who dishonors his father or his mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
17 “‘Cursed be anyone who moves his neighbor’s landmark.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
18 “‘Cursed be anyone who misleads a blind man on the road.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
19 “‘Cursed be anyone who perverts the justice due to the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
20 “‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his father’s wife, because he has uncovered his father’s nakedness.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
21 “‘Cursed be anyone who lies with any kind of animal.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
22 “‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his sister, whether the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
23 “‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his mother-in-law.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
24 “‘Cursed be anyone who strikes down his neighbor in secret.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
25 “‘Cursed be anyone who takes a bribe to shed innocent blood.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
26 “‘Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
(There are those who would tell you that this was written just for Israel and just for that time. That is a lie. These are the prophetic Words of God, breathed out for all people who are called by His Name, for all time!)
15. “But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you.
16.Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the field.
17.Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.
18.Cursed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock.
19.Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out.
20. “The Lord will send on you curses, confusion, and frustration in all that you undertake to do, until you are destroyed and perish quickly on account of the evil of your deeds, because you have forsaken me.
21. The Lord will make the pestilence stick to you until he has consumed you off the land that you are entering to take possession of it.
22. The Lord will strike you with wasting disease and with fever, inflammation and fiery heat, and with drought and with blight and with mildew. They shall pursue you until you perish.
23. And the heavens over your head shall be bronze, and the earth under you shall be iron.
24. The Lord will make the rain of your land powder. From heaven dust shall come down on you until you are destroyed.
(Please note: I am in no way suggesting that anyone can be saved by ‘good works’ or Godly ethical mindset or ethical behavior. To clarify this matter, please carefully read Deuteronomy 28, verses one and two, in particular.)
Deuteronomy 28:1, “And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.
2. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God.
3. Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field.
4. Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock.
5. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.
6. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.
7. “The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.
8. The Lord will command the blessing on you in your barns and in all that you undertake. And he will bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
9. The Lord will establish you as a people holy to himself, as he has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in his ways.
10. And all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you.
11. And the Lord will make you abound in prosperity, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your livestock and in the fruit of your ground, within the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give you.
12. The Lord will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands. And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.
13. And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall only go up and not down, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, being careful to do them, 14. And if you do not turn aside from any of the words that I command you today, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
(Being a Christian (or calling yourself a Christian) and living otherwise does not entitle you. Hearing and serving, (doing) the Word of God with a willing, humble and contrite heart, desiring to please and to serve God from your innermost being, shows your true intentions, and it takes both – inside and outside.)
So, there it is. We are not saved by our good works – our Christian Ethical behavior – but we are blessed by God as a result of them.
Choose Life, That You and Your Offspring May Live.
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
One last reminder. God’s Word is balanced. Sometimes in spite of our best efforts and sometimes for what seems to be ‘no good reason’, instead of blessings we encounter troubles, trials and tribulation. DO NOT MISTAKE THIS FOR A CURSE. It is not a curse. God has told us that,
“The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”
Are we, the Church, to strive to reclaim the “high ground” God has given us as a nation and a people? If so, then we, the people who are called by His Name, must humble ourselves, pray and seek Him, and turn from our wicked ways. (see 2 Chronicles 7:14)
Even then, don’t mistake or forget these important realities:
It is a fact that we are exiles, living in a foreign land. (1 Peter 1:1).
It is a fact that our citizenship is in heaven. (Philippians 3:20).
It is a fact that our struggle is not against flesh and blood. (Ephesians 6:12).
It is a fact that we are to live in a manner worthy of the Gospel. (Philippians 1:27-30).
It is a fact that we are to live in a manner worthy of our calling. (Ephesians 4:1).
It is a fact that we are to be going, and making disciples and teaching them. (Matthew 28:16-21).
It is a fact that we must walk by faith and not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7).
Our “high ground” is defined in these 7 realities. Our “high ground” is the Kingdom of God, and the highway leading there is the clearly marked by God’s Standards – The Laws of Christian Ethics, if you will.
At this point, I will say that you can go to any internet search engine and look up “Christian ethics” and find any number of definitions. I did, and it left me wondering why there are so many variations of the term? As a result, I prefer to go to the Bible and get the truth on this matter. I have found that this can be a daunting task! But I will do the best I can.
NOTE: The reason this is importantto know and even more important to understand is that we, the Church, are being inundated and compromised with worldly views, attitudes and mindsets, and we must identify what the Bible and the Gospel says, identify how far we have drifted from our Spiritual roots and find our way back home – time is growing short and God has called us as ambassadors of Christ to lead the way home. “As the Church goes, so goes this nation and the world”.
One of the earliest examples I found of a type of “God-centered Ethos” and humankind’s violation of God’s Ethics, is in Genesis 2:15, Here it seems, God has established a rule or a law for Adam and Eve to obey: “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. Verse 16. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, Verse 17, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Subsequently, we see in Genesis 3:1-13, that the serpent (Satan) uses deceit and lies to convince Adam and Eve to sin (what could humorously be called ‘unethical behavior’); Eve disobeys God’s instruction (a sin of disobedience and rebellion toward God (i.e., what could be called ‘unethical behavior’); Adam and Eve hide from God in shame and fear; Irresponsible blaming follows – Adam blames Eve and Eve blames the serpent for their ‘unethical’ or sinful behavior:
Verse 6, “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. (they, like many in our churches today, reasoned that if it feels good to me, then it must be okay, so they sinned, or, what could be called ‘unethical behavior’). Verse 7. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
Verse 8. “And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Verse 9. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” Verse 10. And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” Verse 11. He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree, of which I commanded you not to eat?” Verse 12. The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Verse 13. Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
Theologians call this ‘The Fall’. “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. (Romans 5: 12–13)
And, it is still going on to this day!
Now we see how sin (a.k.a., transgression, or, ‘unethical’ Christian behavior) entered the world and how it was imputed to all people. We can also see that sin ‘was not counted without a law’, in other words, people could not distinguish ‘sin as being sin’ without the establishment of a standard of right and wrong, that is, a standard defining what is good and what is evil, what is ethical and that which is unethical behavior – in other words, standard as “a law”.
The foregoing scripture does not mean that our ignorance of the law excuses us as being innocent when breaking the law. Quite the contrary. Sin pre-existed the law, and this simply means that without the standard of a law people were ignorantly unaware they were violating God’s law, and therefore guilty of sin and suffered its consequences.
So, God gave a law and that law, as described in Galatians 3:24, was necessary as a tutor or schoolmaster and guardian to bring us to Christ, as our means to be justified by faith, and to guard us against the devastating effects of sin.
I would like to pause and say that if you agree with and act on what is being written here, you likely will be considered a ‘legalist’ or called a ‘fundamentalist’ by some Christians, as in a pejorative sense. But this would just be another sign of ‘my-way-or-no-way’ Christianity.
But for now, back to The Law. For simplicity (if that is even possible at this point), the Ten Commandment is the most referred to and the most concise description of The Jewish Law (The Torah) – which is the basis for our Christian Ethos. (Remember, The Torah Law was given as a tutor or schoolmaster and guardian to bring us to Christ at a future time, as our means to be justified by faith, and to guard us against the devastating effects of sin at the time it was first given.
By this, we can know it is at the very least, ‘unethical’ and harmful to people, by God’s standards, to hold to any other god than the LORD; or, to use the name of the Lord in vain, to fail to keep the Sabbath holy, to dishonor your father or your mother, to murder, to commit adultery, to steal, to lie, to covet.
But it does not end here. Moses goes on to describe the self-destructive severity of violating “God’s Law” and the extreme advantages and blessings one receives by following and obeying The Law.
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
NEXT: CHRISTIAN ETHICS: Choose life that you and your offspring may live. (coming soon).
Stand, i. e. continue safe and sound, stand unharmed: 
CONFRONTING THE STORM
CONFRONTING DEMONS
CONFRONTING GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
BEFORE THE RELIGIOUS ESTABLISHMENT
