Philippians 4:8

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

In Philippians 4, Paul writes a long list of things that he wants the saints there to focus their thoughts on. He uses many adjectives to emphasize that we, as Christians, need to be thinking on godly thoughts. It is these things that should be running through our mind as the day goes by. When we have time to ourselves in order to meditate, we should be thinking about godly things. And yet so often we wind up thinking about things outside of this list.

The world is contantly bombarding us with images. A good comparison might be London during World War II. The Germans bombed the English non-stop, hoping to batter them into submission. We too are bombed non-stop. The radio plays music that often times strays from godly thoughts. Sometimes its crude humor, other times its vulgar language, and often it is just bad or even hateful attitudes being expressed. Television is no better, often adding visual stimuli to the problem. Thrown in those whom we often come in contact with, and we see that there unholy things abound, trying to penetrate into our mind and cause us to surrender.

Despite the sheer volume of the attacks, like the English, we must stay resolute in our cause. We can never surrender. Our mind is the most important battelfield that has ever been fought on. We might think that it really does not matter what we think on, because as long as we do not act on it, it is okay. Not only is this idea false (see the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5), but its misleading. What we fail to realize is that our thoughts become our actions. If we are not careful about what we think about, we will soon be amazed at what we find ourselves doing.

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

Genesis 6:6

The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.

In Genesis, as God surveys the world, he sees a world full of corruption and evil. It grieves His heart to see the world in this state. He had no desire to see the world like this. He had such great plans for the world and for man, that man would be in communion with Him. And yet the sin that man insisted on committing ruined that vision for the Lord. The world that was before Him was not what He desired. It was so far from His vision that He even regretted that He had made man.

God created each one of us too (Psalm 139:13). As a proud parent of a newborn child might do, God had a sense of expectation for us. He gave each of us unique gifts and abilities. He knew the good we would be capable of doing. He saw the different roles that each of us might play in His kingdom. The question we must ask ourselves is this: Is God disappointed in what we have become? He knows if we have pushed ourselves to serve Him and His kingdom. If we have allowed unrighteousness and sin to reign in our mortal bodies, He has known that as well. These things greatly sadden our Father. There may come a time when he even regrets our existence.

The comforting news is that throughout the whole time that Noah was preparing for the Lord’s judgment, we know that Noah preached to the men of that generation. God was still reaching out to them, still waiting for them to repent. He would have offered them salvation had they chose to accept it. If we too have not being living our lives according to Him, His hand is still outstretched to us. Until the finall judgment comes, He still will allow us to reconcile with Him. We should be anxious to take advantage of that oppurtunity.

The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.

Genesis 4:7

“If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

     Many times we can feel as if we are the victim to sin. “The Devil made me do it!” is our cry. We try to pass the buck on to him, as if everything was out of our control. This is really very common in our society. People do not wish to take responsibility for themselves. It was the other persons fault that we punched them, not ours. They should not have said that. It really comes as no suprise then, since we allow ourselves the fantasy of others controlling us, that we believe that sin is what controls us.

     The problem with that line of thinking is that it is not Biblical. Here, God tells Cain two things important for our discussion. The first is that sin is waiting for us. Sin desires us. There is no doubt that sin tries to put a stranglehold on our lives. It wants to be our master, to dominate every aspect of our lives. We know that Satan is just looking for weaknesses in us that he can exploit. Sin is always there, trying to pull us in its direction. It is just waiting for us to fall, hoping that it can devour us.

      The second, and crucial, thing that God told Cain is that Cain must master sin. This is a message of hope, even though it is shrouded in responsibility. God would not command us something that we can not do. He wants us to master the sin in our lives, to take control of ourselves and keep sin at bay. And since that is what He expects from us, that means that we can do it! Granted, the discipline and work it takes to master sin can be a lot harder than the irresponsibility of letting sin have dominion. But to rule over sin is incomparably more desirable than sin ruling over you.

“If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

Genesis 4:7

“If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

      Today’s world is full of depressed people. In our country in particular, this seems surprising. Despite the state of the economy right now, we are an affluent nation. We take convenience and luxury for granted, even treating them as necessities. We have instant communication with people all over the world. We have freedom not afforded to people throughout time. Yet people are still constantly depressed. The amount of self-help and self-esteem books are staggering. Television shows air daily showing all these different people who are depressed loathe themselves. Considering all the blessings we have, should we not be a much happier people?

     What many people are learning today is the same lesson that Cain learned centuries ago: sin affects us. Especially when we know better. Many times the problem with our lives is not that we do not know what to do, but that we lack sufficient committment to do it. When we sin and we fall short, we are upset and disappointed with ourselves. This is a heavy burden for us to carry around. Even worse is the fact that our sin separates us from God. We are no longer have communion with Him. Considered we were created for such a communion, that takes a toll on us.

     The problem of discontent in our lives, then, has an easy solution. Thousands and thousands of pages have been written trying to help people to be happy. And yet God summed it up for Cain in one easy question. There are no special techniques and  there is no need to spend time in a dream world. We do not need money, people, or things in order to have joy in our lives. If we would only obey the commands of God and practice righteousness, conetentment is within our grasp.

 “If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

Genesis 3:4

     The very first time we introduced to Satan, he shows us one of his most powerful tactics. When He is discussing the fruit of the tree of knowledge and good and evil with Eve, he tries to confuse her about what God’s will really is. The lie that finally pushed her over the edge was that she would not surely die. Now Eve should have known better. She knew the commandment well enough that she could tell Satan herselve what it was. And yet she decided to listen to Satan instead.

     Satan has not stopped using that lie. It is just as powerful today as it was back then. We want to believe it to be true. We would really prefer that we could go against the Lord’s will and there be no consequences. Would it not be nice if we could fall to our desires and it not impact our eternal lives as well as our relationship with God? Since we would prefer it that way to begin with, all it takes from Satan is a gentle nudge that direction. A great example is people’s attitude toward sex these days. “Well if you love each other, I do not think God will judge you for that.” That is Satan talking, whispering in their ear what it is they desire.

      We need to be constantly on guard against this particular tactic. We have to continually watch ourselves, and our motivations. Why do we believe this? Why am I changing this view? Is it because that is what the scripture says, or because it is what I want it to say? Satan will try to sneak in, mixing half lies with the truth so that we can appease our conscience. However, it is a huge mistake to take heed to his words. The Lord keeps His word. Just as Eve recieved the punishment she was promised, if we defy the Lord’s commands, we too will receive punishment.

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.

     Imagine you are looking to buy a house. You look at two houses that are almost exactly the same. Each finished construction in the past three months.They both have three bedrooms, two baths, a dining room, a living room, and a game room for your children. Both houses are in the same neighborhood. Each have a spacious backyard and a beautiful garden in the front yard. It would come as no suprise if you were to discover that the prices for the houses were similar, the difference being a paltry $1000.

     While at first there may not be much difference in your mind, you would be wise to bring an inspector in. One of the main things that inspectors do is check the foundation. After the inspector checks out both houses, you discover that there is actually a huge difference between the houses. While the first house has a foundation as solid as a rock, the second house foundation is crumbling as the inspector gives you the report. Cracks will be starting soon, and if the conditions are just right, the house could collapse entirely. Given that there is only a difference of $1000 between them, which house would you choose?

     Our Christian lives can often times these two houses. Many times two Christians will look very similar. They may be at church at all the same times, give the same amount of money each week, and even serve on the table together. But if one looks at their foundations (that is whether or not they fully submit themselves to doing God’s word) they realize that the really are not all that similar at all. One will hold firm in the day of judgment, and the other will not. Which house are you?

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.

Ecclesiastes 1:2

“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”

     In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon gives his outlook on all of life. He goes through everything that he tried in order to find the meaning, that happiness. He tries work, he tries laziness. He tries wisdom and foolishness. He tries drunkness and physical pleasure. Solomon was a rich man, and there was nothing that exceeded his grasp. If he wanted to try it, it was only at his command. And yet, in trying all these things he comes to one inescapable conclusion: life is vanity.

     Vanity is an apt descriptrion for our life. It is frustrating to deal with money, because you work to spend it, and then its gone. There never seems to be enough. It has amazed me that men and women of all stations have money problems. And even if they do have money they want, money alone does not bring happiness. This one aspect of our lives really shows just how vain it can be. We kill ourselves every week working for a paycheck (and it is indeed necessary to do so) yet it never is enough. It takes most people years to get to a point where they can stop working, if that point ever comes.

     There is only one thing that we can work for that is not vain, that does not come to an end. That is the life after this one. Our eternal life is what we should be working for. It is the only thing that does not vanish with time. This is why Jesus tells us that our treasures should be in Heaven. In doing so, we put our treasures in the only place where they can not and will not be lost. By investing our time and efforts into our eternal salvation, we do the only thing in this life that is not just vanity.

“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”

 Isaiah 6:9

Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

     In Isaiah 6, Isaiah finds himself in the presence of God. He is terrified about the thought of this because he knows without a doubt that he is unworthy to be in the same room as the most holy God. Imagine all the things running through His head, replaying those particularly heinous sins that he has committed that he can not quite forget about. And yet he is told not to fear, and a coal is placed to his lips, and he is cleansed. As you read the story, the relief he feels is almost palpable.

     It is in this context that Isaiah gives his memorable quote, “Lord send me!” After seeing the glory of God, and having his fear of judgment removed, Isaiah could not contain himself. He wanted to do whatever he could in order to serve the Lord and show his gratitude. So when the Lord asked for volunteers, it did not matter what it was the Lord wanted, He was going to do it.

     We should follow the example of Isaiah. While it is only a taste of His glory, the Bible shows us a great deal about the glory of God. When we see that, and recognize are own sinful status, we should have great relief and joy at the point of our salvation. Because we have been made righteous and given the ability to stand in the presence of the Lord, we too should be willing to do whatever the Lord requires of us. When He asks, we should loudly say, “Lord, send ME!”

Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Revelation 4:8

And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME.”

In Revelation 4 we see a beautiful throne scene with God at the center. When John looks at the throne scene, one of the first things that catches his eye are these amazing beasts. One is like a man, another is like a lion, another like an eagle, and yet another like a calf. All of these creatures have six wings and are full of eyes, able to see all things. These beasts are meant to convey power and awe. If we were to see one, we would probably border on being terrified. This is one of the points that the image of the beasts is trying to convey.

Yet these beasts, in all their might, are not the focus of this vision. In fact, they have their focus continually on the throne and the One who sits upon the throne. John hears them saying how holy the Lord God Almighty is. They do not say it just once. They continue to say it over and over again. These beasts of great power, when in the presence of the glory of God, do nothing but offer praise to His greatness.

This is an important lesson for us to understand and apply. God is incredibly worthy of praise, and a deeper look at this vision shows you that this is really just the tip of the ice berg. Many times we find ourselves content with only offering little parcels of praise for God. Other times we only feign praise towards Him. This is a terrible injustice. We need to recognize how great and awesome our God is. He is worthy of constant praise, not just from the four beasts but from us as well, whether it be in the form of words or deeds.

And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME.”

Matthew 18:15

“If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.

Many times people hide what they are angry about. If someone does something to offend them, rather than let the person know how they feel, they carry around a grudge. Sometimes they try to hurt the person. Other times they might just avoid them. In all of these cases, the anger, which may even be justified, winds up hurting one or both of the people in the confrontation.

Anger is something we were created with. Like all desires and feelings, it has its proper place in our lives. It would be a mistake to try to get to a point where we do not feel anger. Instead, we want to channel the anger, recognize the source, and use it to solve a problem. If our anger is truly righteous, then we indeed should be angry. God wants us to. He also wants us to use that anger to enact change.

Most change that happens on a wide scale happens because people get angry enough to take action. Our anger should also cause us to take action. One action is to protect the weak. However, the more common application is to help our brother or sister in Christ. When they wrong us, they violate not only us, but God as well. God told us that we are to love our neighbors. Anytime we do not, we are sinning against Him. What our anger does is cause us to confront our brother. However our motives must be pure. Instead of trying to injure them, we must look to have reconciliation. In fact, that is what God did for us by sending His Son. He moved toward peace with those who wronged Him. We must follow that example.

“If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.