John 2:16 - Business Among Brothers

John 2:16:
To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!”

There is a concept in the business world called “networking.” It is a great way to increase your market coverage, increase sales, and — ultimately — increase your profits. It works well because it is a way of making friends, and converting them into customers — and vice versa.

Rotary, Shiners, Kiwanis, Optimist, Sertoma and other organizations have a reputation of making the world better through their humanitarian efforts. But, if you polled their members, you would find a strong motivation for joining was the potential for networking. If you are a member of such an organization, or have been involved with them, it is not uncommon to see business deals conducted in social situations. — How many napkins have been used as note pads for large projects?

Getting ahead in the business world is an art form. Any method that gets someone’s attention for your sales pitch, or introduces you to a group of potential customers is a valuable asset. Membership in an organization that has a captive audience for you is worth joining at almost any cost.

As an old commercial used to say . . . “Membership has it’s privileges.”

Networking like this is an old tradition among some organizations. Sometimes it is a good practice, and other times — not so good.

What about when it comes to the Lord’s Body — the church?

There is a fine line here, and it has to do with your motivation. 

Only you — and the Lord — know what motives drive your actions.

In the setting of John 2:16, it could be said that those selling doves and other “worship” items were a great help to those who have come to the temple unprepared, or from great distances. But, apparently these “helpers” had the wrong motivation behind their actions — the kind of motivation that caused the Lord to make a whip and drive them away.

The nature of our relationships with others in the church will cause us to interact on a business level from time to time — and who better to trust than a brother or sister in Christ?

But — are you intent on capitalizing on those relationships? — Counting on them being your customers? — Influencing those relationships for your own gain?

If you have positive answers to those questions, you might look at your motives a little closer.

Here is a test to see your true motivation: 

How do you feel when you find a brother or sister in Christ has gone to someone else and bought goods or paid for services that you also offer?  Are you truly disappointed because you lost an opportunity to serve them — or upset because you lost a sale from some one that “should have bought from you?”

If you are a Christian in business, ask yourself this question . . .

Do you truly see fellow Christians as “brothers and sisters,” or as “business opportunities?”

Romans 12:10:  Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

James 1:2-4: "Olympic" Faith

James 1:2-4:
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sister, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

The Olympic athletes can give us great insight on how faith works — faith that is active and vital.

As children, many of us have visions of ourselves as great Olympic superstars. Maybe we will be the next Bruce Jenner, Mark Spitz, or Michael Phelps. We have a belief in our own ability to be as great as one of the athletes the world watches in amazement.

But — not many of us work at it beyond our shallow belief in ourselves. Not many spend time practicing and struggling to improve our athletic skills and abilities. As a result, we stay the same as everyone else — far from our idea of being the next Olympic Gold Medalist.

Move this example into the world of faith:

Many of us, at some point, have a faith in God.  We believe He exists — but we don’t exercise our faith in Him. When opposition or some obstacle comes along, we falter — and our faith wanes.

Faith is like a muscle — it needs exercise to grow strong.

Those who have an active and vibrant faith have it because of exercise. When those same oppositions and obstacles came along, they worked through them, and their faith came out stronger on the other side.

Hebrews 11 give us a great list of some “Olympic” stars of faith:  Able, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, the prophets . . .

Just take a few minutes and think about what each of them faced in their lives. You will see great obstacles and mighty opposition but, because of their faith, they did not give in — they overcame

Now, back to athletes:  They practice and struggle to develop their skills and abilities. When opposition and obstacles come in their way, they are able to overcome them — often inspiring us in the process — only because of their previous exercise and diligence in training themselves.

As we go through life, we must understand that our faith is only as strong as we make it. If we lean on our faith, and exercise it, we will develop a faith strong enough to hold us up.

How do we build our faith? — Immerse yourself in God’s Word.

Romans 10:17:  Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

The Father has given us what we need to be strong enough to face whatever comes. We need to learn to build our faith in Him — not the world — not other men — not ourselves!

Hebrews 11:1:  Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

James 2:26:  As a body without works is dead, so faith without works is dead.

Luke 5:31-32 - Are You Healthy or Sick?

Luke 5:31-32 (NLT):
Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.”

When Jesus began choosing His disciples, among the first was Matthew, also known as Levi. His choice was a bit controversial because Matthew was a tax collector — not someone the public looked upon as worthy of great respect. In fact, they looked upon tax collectors as sort of “legal” bandits.

Matthew responded to Jesus’ call instantly and left everything behind and followed Him. And, like any of us who discover something of great worth, Matthew wanted to share it. So, he gathered his friends for a banquet in honor of Jesus to give them a chance to meet Him too. It was a great gathering of tax collectors and others sinners — and Jesus was right there in the middle of them, seeming to have a good time.

As it would happen, some of the Pharisees had seen what was going on.  They had seen Jesus eating and spending time in the company of these “scoundrels,” and they just could not fathom why Jesus would let Himself be seen with them.

They asked Him, “Why do you eat and drink with such scum?”

The answer Jesus gave them is one that should cause us all to reflect on how we view ourselves from the inside…

Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor — sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.”

Think about yourself — which group would you be a part of? 

Do you see yourself from the inside as someone who is “righteous?” When you see others who are “sinners,” do you consider yourself better than them? When you see someone obviously drowning in sin, do you think to yourself, “At least I am better than that guy!”?

If you do, you might spend a little time taking a closer look at what Jesus taught about the self-righteous Pharisee who prayed in the temple, “I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.” (Luke 18:11-12)

When we lose sight of our own sinfulness, and convince ourselves that we are somehow “righteous” of our own accord, we deceive ourselves.

Writing to the Roman Christians, Paul quoted a Psalm of David, “No one is righteous — not even one.” (Rom. 3:10) A few verses later, he explains about righteousness (Romans 3:23-26):

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.”

John 15:3 - Have You Been Pruned?

John 15:3
“You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you.”

Grapevines, especially when professionally tended, are amazing. Sometime after the harvest, and before new growth begins, vine growers will take time to trim off all the branches from the previous year, leaving just a few stronger branches, which they tie to a taut wire to hold them firm while they grow for the next harvest.

When the growing season gets under way, it is amazing how little time passes before the bare, clean branches explode with fresh, new green leaves. It seems like they pop out almost over night!

Some grape vineyards have been tended for many, many generations. It is not uncommon to learn that vines planted by great-great-grandfathers are still being tended by great-great-grandsons. Each generation has passed on to the next the knowledge of how to trim, prune, and encourage the vines to produce year after year.

In this passage, Jesus compares Himself to the vine, us to the branches, and God to the gardener. We can see a few important things about our relationship to Him and God through looking at grapes.

There are a few facts that are universally accepted about how to tend to the vines:

— If you want a good harvest you must drastically trim back the vines once each year — as much as nine tenths of the vine’s branches! —

When our own desires are left unchecked, we choke out any new fruit. We can become so comfortable in our own lives that we forget our goal of bearing fruit for the Lord, and become more focused on making our own situations better. We must realize that we need pruning to be fruitful — and drastic pruning!

— Grapes only grow on new wood. —

If not pruned, and left to grow on their own, the vines might produce an abundance of fruit, but the quality is very poor — and sometimes the burden of so many branches and so much poor fruit strains the ability of the plant to support any harvest at all.

Have you ever seen someone busy to the point where they are not accomplishing anything? There are times when we would benefit from stepping back and looking at what it is that keeps us busy. Are we using our resources — our time, money, talents — to the best results? Or are we just — busy?

— Knowing when to prune is as important as knowing how to prune. —

Pruning too early or too late can damage the plant.

The good news? We aren’t responsible for pruning! 

God prunes — He knows when and how we need to be trimmed back for the best results. We simply need to look for His hand at work, and be willing to let go of the parts of our lives that God deems useless for His harvest — and remember that with every snip of His shears, comes the promise of more abundance.

John 14:15 - What Motivates You?

John 14:15:
“If you love me, you will obey what I command..”

Parents hope their children will love them -- and not just love them -- but obey them, too.

Our parents knew that most of our problems with disobedience came from a lack of attention -- we would get distracted -- enticed -- tired.

When we got off the track, they would apply a remedy to remind us -- a gentle swat on the bottom -- a measure of time set off to ourselves -- an undesirable chore to do. You know what worked with you!

Punishment is a time-honored way for parents to encouraging discipline. In fact, when most people hear the word “discipline,” they think of punishment. It has a way of encouraging good behavior because the discomfort of the punishment is worse than obeying the rules.

But, at some point, punishment can lose its effectiveness. Were there times when taking the punishment was more attractive than doing what your parents wanted? Did you get too big to discipline effectively, (or just developed a thick layer of calluses where you sit?)

Parents are smart, though, and when they see punishment is not working, they often turn to the other time-honored method of getting results -- rewards!

A reward can help keep our attention focused! -- How many parents have given rewards for good behavior -- filled little pockets with coins for weeding the garden, or helping to keep rooms clean?

But -- like punishment -- a system of rewards can become less effective, especially when children become young adults and they decide the reward doesn’t merit the effort needed to attain it. Did your parents have enough money to reward you for good grades in college?

Punishment and rewards both have a place in discipline. Each has a time, a place, and a purpose. Both, though, have a point where they can become ineffective.

Hopefully, before that time comes, a parent has been able to build up momentum -- a sort of critical mass -- where the discipline of their children is not based on either punishment or reward, but in stead is based on their love for their parents.

Motivation based on how much pain can be avoided, or how much of a reward can be obtained, does not have a long life. But, when a child has a love for his parents, there is no end to their wanting to please them -- even well after their parents are gone.

Love is a much better system for motivating and maintaining discipline. Jesus knew that. He hopes our obedience is a fruit of our love for Him.

God can give you more than you can imagine, and can punish you beyond your fears -- there is a Heaven, and there is a Hell -- a reward, or a punishment.

God, our true Parent, wants our affection and obedience.

Yes, we should both fear Him, and look to Him for our source of life -- but the true motivation He desires for our obedience to Him is to come from our love for Him.

1 John 5:2-4:  This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

John 13:34-35 - Love Sets Us Apart

John 13:34-35:
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Did you know that corporations spend millions of dollars every year just to keep their names, images, and reputations from being confused with someone else?

Trademarks, copyrights and patents are all designed to help a company control and distinguish itself form others, and they are vigilantly guarded against infringement.

“Aspirin,” “Kerosene,” “Linoleum,” “Videotape” and “Zipper” were once trademarks, but because of a lack of diligence to protect these names from misuse, (or in the case of Aspirin, the spoils of World War I,) they have become generic terms for many similar products.

Especially in our world today, we see many products that look similar, and because of the presence of “knock-offs,” they even bear the same names. But, when you examine them closely, there is some trait, characteristic or element that separates the real from the fake -- the authentic from the imitation.

It is the same with “Christianity.”

The book of Acts, as well as the other letters of the New Testament, show us what Christians are. We see how people seeking God came into contact with the cleansing power of the Gospel, and began to lead new lives -- following the path that leads to eternal life with God and the redeemed. And, it is the same today. The power of the Gospel is as strong now as it ever was. A believer can find his way to God through studying His Word.

But -- what about finding others who are also believers?

Unfortunately, “Christianity” is as full of “knock-offs” as the world is. Many call themselves “Christian” -- and have found others to follow along with them -- but do not follow the true pattern found in the Word of God -- do not follow God’s pattern, but have forged their own similar pattern.

The problem with forging a “similar pattern” is that it is not the “authentic” pattern -- not what God, Himself, through Christ, revealed to us.

As His disciples were gathered together in the upper room, Jesus gave them their distinguishing mark -- they were to have a deep love and concern for each other.

As Christians, our following the teachings of the New Testament -- obeying the Gospel -- is of vital importance. But, the distinguishing element that separates Christ’s true followers from all the “copy-cat Christians,” is how we interact with each other -- how we exhibit our concern for the well-being of our fellow believers.

All of the elements might be in place -- all the doctrinal issues might be just right -- all of the practices might be perfectly aligned with Scripture -- but it is our LOVE that sets us apart.

1 John 3:10: This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.

1 John 1:4: Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

John 13:6-10 - Wash My Feet?

John 13:6-10:
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.”

Have you ever taken the trouble to get all dressed and ready to go to a special event -- like a wedding or a funeral -- only to have a tough time staying clean before the event starts?

It seems everything you come in contact with leaves something behind -- lint -- dust -- stains!

Imagine how difficult it was for the disciples -- they didn't enjoy our carpets, paved walkways, and vinyl flooring. Even though they bathed, as they walked from place to place, their feet would not stay clean.

Jesus, understanding this, used the occasion to teach His disciples. He got up, dressed Himself appropriately for the task, and began cleaning His disciples’ feet before dinner.

As Peter often did, he voiced his opinion… “No, you will never wash my feet!”

He saw the act of washing his feet as a demeaning task for his Master to be doing for him. Maybe the others would let Jesus, but Peter was not about to have anything to do with demeaning the Master!

Jesus explained, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.”

Oh? -- If that was the case, then Peter suddenly saw it all differently -- “Then wash my hands and head as well, and not just my feet!” -- Peter wanted Jesus to know that he was “all in.” He wanted everything to do with Jesus.

But -- and here is the valuable lesson -- Jesus told Peter that he didn't need the “full-body treatment,’ just his feet. Peter was clean already, and just needed a “spot treatment” where he had come in contact with the filth of the world. For Peter, at that moment, it was his feet.

Like Peter, if we have obeyed the Gospel, we have been washed clean by the cleansing blood of the Lamb. Though we try to stay clean, we still have some contact with the world that leaves some spiritual -- lint -- dust --  stains  -- on us. Those “spots” are the parts that need attention.

As Christians, we try to stay clean -- try to be free of the sin and filth of this world -- but we also know that we cannot remain completely clean.

Jesus knows this too. And that is why He -- even now -- washes the feet of His disciples!

Our challenge is to do the best we can to keep clean -- and make Jesus’ task easy.

1 John 1:7:  This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.