Burunche’s Blog

James 1: 22- 25 “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves. For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom, and continues to do so—not being a forgetful hearer, but an effective doer—he will be blessed in what he does.”

Folks in the American West can generally size up someone quickly. If a fellow claiming to be a rancher shows up and talks big but doesn’t live up to the things he says, his neighbors are likely to describe him as one of those guys who is “all hat and no cattle.” The guy looks and sounds impressive – like somebody wearing a big ten gallon cowboy hat. But at the end of the day, the fellow is a phony with nothing to show for himself.

The way the Apostle James writes, he could have been a rancher in Wyoming. By the time James wrote this epistle, he had lived a long life and had observed many of the Roman and Jewish politicians as they postured and preened before the public. James had also watched a number of people who claimed to be Christians. And one specimen James had noticed repeatedly was the man – or woman – who would sit in church and listen as if he or she was the most sincere believer ever. But once church was over, such people would walk out with unchanged hearts.

Today we have a lot of people who are mouthing slogans and accusing others of insensitivity. But the question is this: when someone quits talking, what do they do? Do they actually go on and help people, or do they just spread more bitterness and discontent? Where is the fruit? What kind of fruit is it?

Jesus also warned his hearers about the need to walk the walk and not just to talk the talk. Matthew 7:21- 23 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’ “

Today, what kind of a believer are you? Are you just going through the motions or are you truly a doer of the Word? Are you truly following Jesus and doing the will of your heavenly Father, or are you following someone different? Are you “all hat and no cattle?”

PRAYER: Father God, forgive us for being phonies! Forgive us for talking big and not following through. Help us to truly love you, to truly serve you, and to truly follow you all the days of our lives. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

James 1:19 – 21 “My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and every expression of evil, and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save your souls.”

Recently the news has been flooded with horrific images of neighborhoods being looted and burned. Recent social media has been full of angry posts promoting violent causes, criticizing violent causes, criticizing those who are not violent enough, etc. Jesus said that we would know a tree by its fruits. At the end of the day, what kind of fruit is this anger bearing? Is it actually accomplishing anything?

It was Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. who said “Anger is fake power. We don’t acutally control anyone with anger. When we choose to use anger it ends up controlling us.” The Apostle James told his hearers that “man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires.”Both men are correct.

Throughout the world, there is a need for social change. Injustice is not limited to any particular country or to any particular skin color. Insofar as all of us are human, all of us have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) Unless we undergo a holy heart transplant, each one of us is capable of unspeakable evil.

One problem today is a lack of humility. Rather than acknowledge that each of us has a sinful nature and that only through God can we be changed, we choose to behave as though we are really superior beings. Many of us appear to believe that those who do not agree with us whole – heartedly are deserving of punishment; meanwhile, we do not know their hearts. Believing that we alone know what is best, we blunder on our way, hacking at those who are not measuring up to our particular set of standards.

James has the answer for us: we are to be quick to listen and slow to speak. We also need to examine our own hearts. Rather than jumping to conclusions about others, we must look inside ourselves. Have we treasured hatred, slander, vicious attacks? Are we thrilled at violence and bloodshed? What moral filth and expressions of evil are we cherishing in our own hearts and calling it righteous indignation?

Do not prize anger. You might think that you are controling your anger, but in the end, it will control you. And anger feeds into self – pity and self – pity feeds into bitterness, and bitterness feeds into anger. And all the time this is happening, you are digging a deeper pit inside your soul.

PRAYER: Father God, we confess that we are the problem and not the solution. We have judged others but have allowed ourselves to become people of anger and people of hate. Lord, change us into people of love, for only then can you work through us. In the mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.

RESPECT – WHAT DOES THIS ACTUALLY MEAN???

When we moved to the American South many years ago, one of the things we had to learn quickly was the use of respectful forms of speech. Children growing up in states such as Mississippi or Tennessee would never simply tell a parent, “Yes,” or even worse, “Yeah.” Instead, it was “Yes, Ma’am!” or “Yes, Sir!” These phrases were not merely a formality but they were a sign of respect, an acknowledgement that the person to whom one was speaking was a person of worth and dignity. We soon learned to appreciate this manner of speaking and adopted it.

What does it mean to respect someone? It means that you value them, that you follow what they say. If a person you respect advises you to do something, you act. If a person in authority gives you an order, you obey.

Years ago J. B. Phillips wrote a book entitled “Your God Is Too Small.” For many of us, our problem is not that we consider the greatness of God, but that we have no idea how great God really is. Don Moen wrote a song “Be Magnified, O Lord.” Most of us have put God off in a little corner in our lives, a little box. But God is the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe. How can you possibly squeeze an infinite Being into a tiny container and say to Him, “Stay there until I want you!”

Consider this: God made you! God knows every cell in your body. The Bible says that even the hairs on your head are numbered. At any moment, any of us can cease breathing and die. Even if you go to the gym and work out for two hours every day, even if you train so that you can win the Iron Man Triathlon in Hawaii, no matter what you do, you can still die.

When I was in junior high school, one of my friends lost her father in a freak accident. Her father had been eating popcorn and had fallen asleep in his easy chair. One of the pieces of popcorn blocked his airway while he was asleep, and he died.

God controls our circumstances. We did not choose to be born into a certain time or place. We did not choose to be born to a particular family. We did not choose the location in which we were to grow up. God made all those choices. Now, you might be angry that God did not send you to a different situation, but consider this: perhaps God chose you especially for that set of circumstances because He gave you special gifts that would help you overcome them and demonstrate His glory.

What is the opposite of respect? Well, there is a term “disrespect.” “Disrespect” means that you have no regard for someone, you do not consider them as being of any importance, and that you have no intention of minding anything they might say. Now, here is the thing: if God truly is all – powerful and all – knowing, why would you choose to ignore Him? If you had been captured by someone who could kill you at any moment, would you follow commands from that person, or would you taunt them and rebel? Common sense would advise you to be careful.

God is not only all – powerful and all – knowing, but He is also all – loving. Psalm 95:6-7 tells us “O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, the sheep under His care.” God cares for us more than we can care for ourselves because God knows us far far better.

Today, let us respect God! Let us worship God! Let us bow before God and acknowledge that He is our Maker and that He is the One controling our lives.

PRAYER: Father God, many of us have never learned how to respect anyone. Please help us to see how great you are and how magnificent you are. Lord, move in our hearts so that we will learn how to respect and reverence you. In the mighty and precious Name of Jesus. Amen.

Psalm 68: 4 – 6: “Sing to God! Sing praises to His name. Exalt Him who rides on the clouds — His name is the LORD— and rejoice before Him. father of the fatherless, and a defender of the widows, is God in His holy habitation. God settles the lonely in families…”

Many of us struggle with the concept of fatherhood. Some people have had fathers who were engrossed in their work. Other fathers may have been wonderful men, but they might never have experienced being the child of a loving and protective father. These men had no clear example to follow. Still others either had abusive fathers or never even knew their fathers.

When you have never experienced the love of a good father, you have no idea what to think. If your clearest memory of your father is the times he beat up your mother, you will naturally shy away from the term. But it’s time for all of that to change.

Cindi McMenamin, a Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer, says: “The Bible speaks of God as the ultimate Heavenly Father. (https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/10-ways-god-is-the-perfect-father-in-case-yours-wasn-t.html) Scripture says God’s ways are “perfect” (Psalm 18:30), that He is a “faithful God who does no wrong,” and is “upright and just“ (Deuteronomy 32:4). That makes Him the perfect Father you never had. If you didn’t have a father who was approachable, loving, and had your very best in mind, God – as your Heavenly Father – is waiting to more than make up for what you never had.”

Ms. McMenamin goes on to list 10 ways in which God is the perfect Father:

1. 1. God’s patience and kindness never runs out. Psalm 103:17 “from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children.” God is always forgiving, never holds a grudge, and forgives you your past.

2. God the Father is always approachable. God never has a “bad day.” When you pray, God listens. Hebrews 4:16 says “Let us “draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

3. You don’t have to earn God’s love. Earthly fathers frequently lay out unrealistic expectations, but God does not do that. Romans 5:8 says, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” While we were messing up, God was already making a way for us to be with Him.

4. You will never blow it enough to lose his love. Since there was nothing you could do to earn your Heavenly Father’s love, there is nothing you can do to lose it. Romans 8:38-39 tells us, “Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

5. God has your very best in mind. Romans 8:32 ““He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”

6. God the Father loves you enough to discipline you. Proverbs 3:11 – 12 ““do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.” I had a foster sister who came to stay with us when she was 16 and I was 6. My sister refused to believe that my parents loved her until the day my mom swatted her bottom for something she did. That’s when my sister realized that my parents loved her enough to discipline her.

7. God’s timing is perfect. Psalm 84:11 says “No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” God knows what we need and when we need it better than we do. Trust Him.

8. God gives wisdom generously. Some fathers give advice and if it isn’t heeded, that’s it. No more help. But James 1:5 says“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” God doesn’t punish you if you don’t get it right the first time.

9. God lets you make your own choices. Romans 8:28 says ” God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” But please realize that God knows that you might mess up. God is not sitting in heaven, hitting his forehead with his hand and saying “Why did I give that guy the chance to do that?” God can redeem our mistakes, if we will only confess them.

10. God knows you intimately. God doesn’t have to guess what you are thinking or feeling. Psalm 139:1-3 “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways”

Yes, God sees everything in our hearts. God knows us better than we know ourselvs. But the miracle is that knowing everything about us, God still loves us. If your earthly father was a disappointment, forgive him! You have no idea how bad things might have been for him. It doesn’t matter. You have a perfect heavenly Father. Run to Him!

PRAYER: Father God, many of us are afraid to call you that name. Our fathers have failed us. Lord, please help all who read this to embrace you as their perfect Father and to forgive their earthy fathers for their mistakes and inadequacies. Lord, thank you for loving us! In the mighty Name of your Son, Jesus, Amen.

In many African languages, there are phrases for “your fathers” or “my fathers.” Yesterday a friend came to help us at the house. When I was asking him about his kiosk he had just opened, he said, “Oh, yes, my father helped me.” I had to ask to find out whether this was his biological father or one of his father’s brothers. You see, the idea is that children will honor their biological fathers but also honor their uncles as additional fathers. It is also expected that these fathers will help whenever they can. “Fathers” have helped their “children” get educated, get started in a trade or a business, and in so many other ways.

For many in Saboba and Damongo and even in Kumasi, Bob Young is considered one of their fathers. Over the years, Bob has welcomed a steady stream of young people into our home where he has helped feed them, educate them, clothe them, and encourage them. Even today, Bob still gets phone calls and messages from these children who are now adults with families.

Bob is the one who makes the family phone calls to our kids in America, to his cousins and to his remaining brother. For those of you who are sad because you haven’t been able to have elaborate celebrations for birthdays, etc., welcome to our world. Over the years, we have missed countless such celebrations as we have continued to work at the AG Hospital in Saboba. Not once has Bob complained about our being unable to be with family at all of these special times. We miss our families terribly and must settle for phone calls and prayers and messages on Facebook.

Being married to a surgeon is a really tough proposition. Until the last few months, I was on call on a regular basis and even now I am still on back – up. This means that I can be called at any moment, and that in turn means that Bob might be wakened up at any time. My commitments to my patients have meant that we could not take the in – country vacations that other missionaries have enjoyed. Not once has Bob complained.

Bob is the spiritual head and high priest of our household. We pray together. We worship together. But in the final analysis, if a decision has to be made, we pray about it and Bob has the final say.

This Father’s Day I wish to praise God for giving me Bob Young as a husband. Bob, I love you! Let us go forward together with Jesus!

Galatians 4:3 – 7 “So also, when we were children, we were enslaved under the basic principles of the world. But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive our adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, you are also an heir through God.”

I have terrible news for you! All of us were born into slavery and there wasn’t a thing we could do about it! You see, all of us were born with a sinful nature. No matter how much we might try to boost ourselves up, we would always sin!

“Oh,”but you say, “I don’t sin. I always speak the truth. I am always loving. I am always kind. I am always patient. I am always honest.” Hmm. And what happens if you are driving and someone ahead of you is driving very slowly and occupying the road so that you cannot possibly pass them? What happens if you are at work and a lazy co – worker dumps his or her work on you for the tenth time this week? What happens if your spouse has one annoying habit and he or she repeats that same action over and over? What happens if a friend shows you a new possession and asks for your opinion? Nope! The Apostle Paul was right.

Romans 7:18 – 20 says, “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh; for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do. Instead, I keep on doing the evil I do not want to do. And if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.”

Each and every one of us is a slave to sin. During the time of Paul, there was one way that a slave could become free. If someone paid the price for that slave, then the slave could be freed. And if a wealthy man was willing to not only pay the price to redeem the slave but also would go through the adoption process, then that slave would be regarded as a child of the rich man, with all the rights and privileges that a natural – born son or daughter would receive.

Here is the good news, the best news we can possibly have. Even though we are all sinners, God has made a way through His Son Jesus Christ for us to be redeemed from our slavery to sin and to become children of God. How can this happen?

Nothing we can ever do is good enough for us to earn our way into heaven. But Jesus laid down his life as a blood sacrifice so that those of us who would accept that sacrifice and confess our sins and believe in Jesus would have eternal life.

In the last few months, businesses have failed. People have seen those things in which they have trusted crumble into nothingness. But God gives us everlasting promises that are faithful and true. So the choice is up to us: do we continue as slaves to sin, or do we acknowledge that we are sinners and ask for Jesus to help us? Do we accept Jesus’ sacrifice and turn away from worshiping ourselves?

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and that nothing I have done, am doing, or will do, is enough for me to earn my way into heaven. Please forgive my sins. Thank you for loving me and for dying for me. I accept your sacrifice for my sins. Please cleanse me and help me to follow you all the days of my life. Amen.

Galatians 5:13 – 15 “For you, brothers, were called to freedom; but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is fulfilled in a single decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out, or you will be consumed by each other.”

Today there are many protesting and demanding various freedoms. The question is “freedom from what?” or “freedom to do what?” Only small children assume that they can always get their way, no matter what the adults think. Becoming an adult includes learning that many freedoms have limitations. I might wish the freedom to park my car in the middle of the highway, but if I do, others will not be able to use the highway properly. I am likely to wind up with a crumpled vehicle and several lawsuits!

Freedom of speech is a critically important freedom; yet, there are those who wish to silence anyone who does not agree with them. Destroying monuments because they were erected by someone from a different time with whose beliefs you do not agree is senseless. Far better to leave those monuments and to point them out as examples of why change had to come. In rural America, there is a saying, “After all, everybody is good for something, even if they just serve as a bad example.”

John Donne observed so many years ago, “no man is an island.” Even if we are isolated due to COVID – 19, we still wish to express our feelings and opinions. Destroying books and movies because we do not like the viewpoints expressed accomplishes nothing and leaves us with a diminished world view.

When God created the human race, He gave us free will. We are free to choose good or evil, to choose darkness or light. We can choose to love or to hate. We can choose to accept God or to reject Him, and God will honor those choices. But in choosing to reject God, we are choosing to reject all that will make our lives good and meaningful and positive. The speed of darkness is the speed of light. Either the light is going to come into our lives and become brighter and brighter, or darkness will enter and eventually engulf us.

How can we best exercise our freedom? Galatians 5 has the answer: serve one another in love. The entire law is fulfilled in a single decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

In life, what goes around, comes around. The measure you give out is the measure you receive. If you act violently, others will oppose you violently. If you are selfish, do not expect that others will be gracious and generous to you. What goes around, comes around.

Yes, we all have the freedom to choose the paths we will follow. But with those choices come consequences. There is no choice that does not carry with it some result. If we choose to be people of peace, then others may be encouraged to respond in peace. If we act in love, we encourage others to do the same. But make no mistake! If you insist on violence and destruction, others will respond in the same spirit. And Galatians 5:15 must serve as a warning: “But if you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out, or you will be consumed by each other.”

PRAYER: Father God, today we thank you for the freedom to choose! Please help us to make wise choices so that our lives will be fruitful. Help us to serve others in love, even when they are attacking us and insulting us. And help us to be people of peace, so that others around us will catch the vision and become people of peace as well. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Matthew 5:11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.”

 NO DOUBT ABOUT IT! Jesus left his listeners scratching their heads in amazement and confusion whenever he taught! When Jesus gave the teachings for what we call the “Sermon on the Mount,” he was at the beginning of his ministry. For many of Jesus’ listeners, this was the first time they were hearing him. And the ideas Jesus was putting forth were radical.

Human nature hasn’t changed since Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. Cain killed Abel because he was offended that Abel’s sacrifice was acceptable to God while his was not. The spirit of offense is alive and well and creating havoc today, even among Christians.

What is Jesus saying here? Do you have to become a doormat to be a Christian? Far from it! One of the big problems the church in America is facing right now is that rather than standing for righteousness as American culture has deteriorated, churches have settled for programs and leadership conferences and other events and exercises. In the process, we have failed to address problems of poverty and discrimination. When situation ethics began to be taught in colleges in the 1960’s, the church turned a blind eye, perhaps hoping that it would go away. (Situation ethics embraces the idea that there are no moral absolutes but that each situation must be judged on its own merits. But if you have no standards because you have no moral absolutes, how can you evaluate anything?) Christians have refused to take unpopular stands on a number of moral issues and we are seeing the results.

For many Christians in the West today, our problem is not that we are being persecuted for righteousness ’ sake but that we have tried to avoid persecution and controversy whenever possible. There’s an old country song that says “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.” At the same time, 2 Timothy 2:23 – 26 tells us “But reject foolish and ignorant speculation, for you know that it breeds quarreling. And a servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome, but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, and forbearing. He must gently reprove those who oppose him, in the hope that God may grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, who has taken them captive to his will.”

So how do we strike a balance? First, we must recognize that the Bible clearly lays out standards of right and wrong. We cannot claim to sympathize with one group if we are physically attacking another group. Second, we must be “wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” We must be careful not to ally ourselves with those who merely wish to manipulate us, lest we find ourselves being included with those preaching violence and destruction. Third, we need to look at our situations and see what God might already have built into them. Whom do you know who needs help or prayer? Do you have means to help or do you know someone else who can help? Fourth, we need to value the people who are trying to bring peace. Slogans and inflammatory rhetoric simply encourage people to become more violent, rather than less. Fifth and most important, we need to pray earnestly and then to listen to the Holy Spirit. God is not a God of confusion, but a God of peace. If God has brought you into a particular situation, then He has something prepared for you to do, even if it is as simple as sitting and listening to another’s pain. We must be careful that in our desire to help and to heal, we do not begin to criticize other Christians who view situations differently. Ask God to help you to see those around you with His eyes.

PRAYER: Father God, we confess that we have not stood for righteousness and that we have avoided criticism and insults whenever possible. Lord, help us to be your hands and feet. Let our hearts break with the things that break your Heart. And guide us so that we will be kind to everyone and forebearing. In the mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.

Matthew 5:43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even Gentiles do the same? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.”

Jesus spoke these words to a crowd of several thousand people, and many of those people must have wondered what on earth he was talking about! When Jesus was giving this teaching, the Romans ruled Israel. There were advantages to being part of the Roman Empire; the roads were better, new cities were built, and the Romans brought in strong administration. But the Romans also imposed heavy taxes and sternly enforced the payment of those taxes. As far as the Jews were concerned, every Roman soldier who strode down the street served as a constant reminder that they were second class citizens in their own country. There is nothing new about colonialism; it’s been around for thousands of years.

Even the Jews themselves had many social distinctions. There were the working class fellows, the carpenters, the fishermen, and the farmers.There were the tradesmen, who generally felt themselves to be a cut above men who worked with their hands. There were the religious scholars who felt that they were definitely in a higher class. And then there were those who had sold out to the Roman regime and become tax collectors. The tax collectors were wealthy, but their fellow citizens hated them.

As if these distinctions weren’t enough, there was also the constant tension between Jews and Samaritans. When most of the Jews were carried off into Babylon, the remainder fled to Egypt. The Babylonians brought in poor people from other lands to settle in Israel so that the land would remain fertile and productive. These people brought their own gods with them, but also began serving the God of Israelas well. As far as the Jews were concerned, the Samaritans were a mongrel people who were pagans with a thin veneer of Judaism. To the Jews, there was little difference between a Samaritan and a dog, and they might even have favored a dog over a Samaritan. And yet, it’s possible that there were even a few Samaritans hanging around at the back of the crowd, waiting to hear what this strange teacher had to say.

When Jesus began telling this huge crowd of people that they were to love their enemies and pray for those who persecuted them, this teaching was revolutionary. It’s likely that while Jesus was speaking, each individual in that crowd was envisioning the people they most hated or feared or looked down upon. One fisherman might be thinking, “You want me to forgive Isaac? That no – good loafer who spoiled my best net without so much as a word of apology?” And one of the ladies might have thought, ”Humph! Forgive Mariam? After what she was saying about me the last time I fetched water from the village well? Well! I know what I’m going to do about Mariam and her lies!” And if there were any Roman soldiers standing back and watching to make sure that everything remained peaceful, it’s likely that many of those sitting close to the soldiers were looking at them out of the corners of their eyes. “Well, there’s Claudius! The last time he sauntered down the street, he picked up some of my oranges and never even paid for them! And now you want me to forgive him?”

But Jesus never bothered saying what people wanted to hear. Jesus was teaching about the kingdom of God and what men and women should do to become part of that kingdom. And even today “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” is still one of the foundational teachings about the Kingdom of God and also one of the hardest things to actually do. Frankly, none of us can forgive and pray for our enemies on our own; it takes the grace of God. But praise God, He will give us that grace if we ask.

PRAYER: Father God, please give us your grace so that we can love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. We can’t possibly do this on our own. Help us to truly become citizens of your heavenly kingdom. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Psalm 1”Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the Law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does.”

I have known some really great teachers in my life, but one of the best ones I ever knew was my mother. Even before Mom completed her B.A. so that she could teach high school English, she was already teaching her kids all sorts of things. Mom was a tool user; she could use carpentry tools and do simple electrical repairs. Mom could hang wall paper, and in those days, that’s what most of our houses had. Try hanging wall paper sometime and you will gain new admiration for anybody who is good at it!

Mom gave impromptu biology lessons while cutting up chickens for the freezer. My first lesson in how tendons worked came from Mom. Mom was an organic gardener before it was trendy, and we learned a great deal about ways and means of protecting the vegetables without using lots of pesticides.

When Mom began teaching high school, she would bring home stories about some of her most challenging students. I have written elsewhere that Mom literally bullied many of the underachievers into excellence and encouraged others so that they completed high school and went on for further training rather than becoming high school drop-outs. Years later, I met one of Mom’s former students who still raved about how inspiring Mom was as a teacher. Mom taught in a small town high school in rural Illinois where she probably worked with 150 students during the course of a year. But Mom’s influence with those kids was enormous, and later on, they returned to thank her and to honor her.

Psalm 1 describes a person whose life is always green and flourishing. Notice, those verses say nothing about the person’s income or social standing. In the end, those things count for very little.

When computers first came into widespread use, there was a saying “GIGO,” “Garbage In, Garbage Out.” That saying still holds true, not only for computers, but also for our minds. If we meditate on God’s word day and night, it will refresh our spirits and we will continue to be fruitful throughout our lives. But if we insist on meditating on bitterness, self – pity, envy, hatred, resentment, and continually dwell on these things, we will find ourselves becoming depressed and increasingly angry with everything and everyone around us.

Today we have a choice. What scenes are we going to play on the movie screens in our minds? We can choose to turn towards God or away from Him. But in turning away, we will be slowly dying inside.

PRAYER: Father God, today help us to focus on you and not on the things that cause us to become bitter and hateful. Help us to realize that you do love us and that you want us to have abundant lives. Give us a hunger for your Word, so that we will become fruitful and remain so all of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.