Luke 7:34
The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, He's a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!

Jesus kept friends with sinners, the unwanted, the unloved, the despised because He wanted to share His love with everyone and bring them hope. This was completely different and radical thinking for the religious people at the time who were caught up with outward holiness, the appearance of righteousness, looking the part and playing church. All the while the religious folks were just as messed up inside as everybody else, and if not, more so, with their hearts far from God.

Matthew 15:8-9
8 This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; 9 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.

Mark 12:38-40
38 And in his teaching he said, Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces 39 and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 40 who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.

The religious were so self-righteous and holy that they not only could not be associated with other religious folks who did not meet their self-imposed standards, and even more tragic was that they were even too good to be seen or associated with sinners / unsaved.

Matthew 7:3-5
3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, Let me take the speck out of your eye, when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

Some often quote the following portion of Romans 12:2  “…be not be conformed to this world…” and disregard its context, thinking it refers to all the horrible sinners or “those people” who do not every hold every little theology quirk they do and hide in their little religious bubbles. This is one of those scriptures that must be read in it’s entirety, for it reads, “…be transformed by the renewal of your mind…” We are being called to think differently, and called out of our worldly ways of thinking and selfishness, to have the love of Jesus in us, so that others might see Jesus through us.

What about not being unequally yoked with unbelievers?

2 Corinthians 6:14-15
14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial (Gk. Beliar or Belial, from a Hebrew. term meaning “worthlessness” or possibly “destruction”)? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?

“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers“, this command is Paul’s main point in 6:14–7:1. To be “unequally yoked” is to be “hitched up” and is thus an example of being allied or identified wrongly with unbelievers. In context, it refers to those who are still rebelling against Paul within the church, whom Paul labels as unbelievers (2 Corinthians 13:5). Paul was writing about the legalists who were going back to the law and doctrines of men to save themselves were making grace and the cross null and void. By doing this they really did not believe in it’s power to save them because the only justification is through the cross.

Paul was not telling us to hate or to exile these people, but exhorting us not to ally ourselves with these people and become as they were. Always remember that the heart of the gospel is love and that we are called to be salt and light and examples of truth in the darkness; we cannot be seen if we are hidden.

Matthew 5:13-16
13 You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. 14 You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

If we hide and do not let our light shine, how can God’s love in us been seen by others? If we are not salt, which preserves and brings out the flavor and enhances food, how can the world benefit from our flavor if we keep our salt on the shelf? Jesus was very clear that we need to be less concerned with lifting up ourselves over others and judging others to make ourselves appear more holy than another. It is all about Jesus, and whatever we do should be for the glory of our Heavenly Father for everyone to know and praise Him.

I have seen people “unfriend” others who did not share the same views they did or because their righteousness was greater than those they “unfriended“. We have all been guilty of this on social media sites and in our own lives. When somebody leaves our church, changes denominations or shares a different view than we do, suddenly we can no longer be friends. This is a very sad and unchristian way of thinking. Paul spoke about quarreling over disagreements and keeping unity in Christ.

Ephesians 4:1-4
1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each others faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.

Ephesians 4:31-32
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

In truth we must also be careful who we associate with, and have the spiritual maturity to not become allied with “unbelievers” so that we fall. The point of this article is not to ask people to go become as “unbelievers“, but to be examples to others by allowing them to know us. Not everyone is spiritually capable of being salt and light, without their salt losing it’s flavor and their light going out. This should not should not be the final state in one’s Christian walk, but a temporal one. Our inability to have unsaved friends, or friends that do not share the same theologies we do, is not a sign of spiritual maturity, but of spiritual immaturity.

Remember we are called to the world, to go into it, be examples of Jesus, share His love, and be seen by what we do as a reflection of Christ; to be salt and light. We cannot be witnesses if we are not witnessed, and when we are witnessed, do people want what we have or do they run from it?

Psalm 142:5 (NLT)
...you, O LORD...are my refuge. You are all I really want in life...

Here are just a few of the MANY artificial life sources that Christians mistakenly focus on and use:

Denominational Distinctive. I have seen “Christians” who are really consumed and concerned with their identities as Pentecostals, Baptists, Catholics, etc.  Their denominational distinctive has become their source of identity and personal worth. They live to prove why their group is the right one and why/how other groups are “lacking” or “in error”.

Political ideologies. Whenever their political party loses, some folks are devastated; they view it as a personal loss. Whenever someone on TV attacks or mocks their position, they take it as a personal offense.  These folks derive life from seeing political opponents lose and also from the expansion and implementation of their political agendas.

Secondary Christian Beliefs.  These may include important christian teachings about the “end times”, creation (i.e. literal genesis interpretation), predestination and forms of baptism. While these are all important things to study and discuss, they should never be the focus or a “source of life”.

Extreme patriotism. I know I may be treading on thin ice with some folks on this one, so please hear me out as I cautiously explain. There is NOTHING wrong with loving our country. We are commanded by God to love everyone. The problem arises when we love our country MORE than Christ OR when we try to “serve two masters” (i.e. God and country).  Christ was quite explicit that we cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24).  Our christian love for others must extend BEYOND our country to the ENTIRE WORLD. The way some folks express their patriotism is almost idolatrous. Though Christ did occasionally mention his Jewish heritage, HE never went “out of his way” to FOCUS ON or express his Jewish patriotism.  If anything, He went out of his way to verbally chastise the Jews and point out their arrogant and idolatrous patriotism. If we aren’t careful, our patriotism can become a form of idolatry and a form of pride as well as an artificial life source.

If you’re a true follower of Christ, you have to concede that none of these things were designed by God to give you life or give you worth.  At some point EVERYTHING WILL FAIL YOU.  This is a promise!  The only true source of life is JESUS CHRIST.  Christ came to “give life and life in abundance” (John 10:10) HE IS THE FOCUS. HE IS THE REASON. ONLY HE GIVES MEANING AND VALUE TO LIFE.

All other things only provide ARTIFICIAL LIFE.  What is more, if you are receiving life from any other source, YOU HAVE MADE AN IDOL OUT OF THAT THING.  An idol is ANYTHING that takes the place of God. God is the “giver of life”. We should look to HIM as our life source and NOTHING ELSE.

If you are getting all of your life and all of your worth from Christ, then nothing else really matters. Your politics can be attacked, secondary beliefs can be disproved, your denominational distinctives can be scrutinized or even ridiculed without you feeling like you personally are being attacked or discredited.

God is still on the throne and HE is still in control. Get all of your worth and all of your life from Jesus Christ.

What things am I “getting life and worth” from that I shouldn’t be? This is a question that we should ask ourselves regularly.

Psalm 68:26 (NLT)
“Praise God, all you people...praise the Lord, the source of life.”

• Finish high school
• Go to college or a tech school
• Find a decent paying job / career
• Meet a great girl and get married
• Have kids

Life is a constant growing and learn process that has a natural sociological / cultural evolution that leads to growing up, becoming a husband and most likely a father. The Bible has a few guidelines for husbands.

Ephesians 5:25, 28-30
25) For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up His life for her...28) In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. 29) No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. 30) And we are members of his body.

This is powerful passage, much more than we may realize. In these scriptures we are shown that the role model for how we are to care and love our wives as Christian husbands is, Jesus. We are to treat our wives just as if they were our own body, and be ready to die for them as Christ died for us. How is that for a standard?

As husbands we are also challenged to be the spiritual leaders and the heads of our households, with Jesus as our covering. For Jesus to be the head we must have a daily walk with Jesus; this means we may need to pray and read our Bible a bit more.

1 Corinthians 11:3
But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.

Women are called to submit to their husbands and respect them as God has ordained, but this doesn’t mean that men are to be over powering kings and controlling brutes. Instead as husbands we should give, love, and share everything with our wives because this is what God has shown us by His love for us. Peter tells us that women are the weaker vessel and we must show them honor, respect, understanding and kindness for they have the same promise of grace that we have.

Ephesians 5:22-24
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

1 Peter 3:7
Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

The Marriage Covenant

Our society has a very distorted view of marriage that has infected the church and the minds of both young men and women. The Bible sees marriage as a covenant, where the world sees marriage as a contract. What is the difference?

A covenant is an unconditional and solemn agreement to remain in harmony together despite the circumstances. This means that as husbands we must love our wives despite our ever-changing emotions and grow with them in love because our wife is whom God has given us to care for.

Today marriage is not typically viewed as a covenant, but as contract that must be maintained to be valid; basically it’s valid as long as the other person maintains our happiness. The contractual view of love and marriage is shallow, and seeks to fulfill itself through emotionalism. The contract is often more about what you can get out of the contract, rather than giving of yourself without expecting anything in return. The Biblical view of marriage is the opposite of selfishness and fleeting emotionalism, it is about sharing, giving of yourself and learning to love through good and bad times.

Preparing To Be A Husband

What about preparing to be a husband and what should Christian young men prepare their lives for?

Ephesians5:31-33
31 As the Scriptures say, A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. 32 This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. 33 So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Whether or not a young man is dating someone, he should be thinking about his future, for someday he will most likely get married and he’ll need a plan, yet in our society men often neglect to plan ahead, as if marriage is not the norm. A young man often finds himself in a quandary when they enter into a relationship with no plan for the future, or a career or home to bring their bride to when marriage comes into the inevitable picture.

Should young men be thinking of marriage at a young age? If a young man isn’t ready to get married they certainly should not be thinking of getting married, however they should be thinking of what they need to do when they do get married. This means planning ahead and preparing for the “M” word. The Bible says that Jesus Christ left to prepare place for us (His bride), and by His example, a man must also prepare a place for our bride.

John 14:2-3
2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

In the gospel of Luke, Jesus gives warns us about starting something and not being able to finish it. Jesus tells us that we should to think ahead, plan and be ready to finish what we begin. This means that if a young man is ready to enter into a relationship with a woman, it is because he is ready to put away being a child, provide and care for a wife; if not, his relationship is only seeking to feed his selfishness.

Luke 14:27-29
27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him.

1 Corinthians 13:11
When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.

Have A Life Plan

What plans should a young man make before courting? It’s always great to have long-term goals, to write them out and then work on a plan to achieve those goals. Here are some goals one may wish to achieve before marriage:

• Go to college
• Start a career
• Save money
• Purchase a home or have a place to live
• Own a car
• Move out of your parent’s home

In Biblical times, men typically made similar types of preparations before taking on the responsibility of a wife. It also was very common for a young man to prove himself to a young girl’s father that he was an able suitor; in some societies the groom even paid a dowry for his bride.

Proverbs 18:22
He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.

If we truly have the love of Christ, then that love will reflect in us. A Christian young man who does not plan to care for his wife, and/or does not wish to provide for his wife, may not truly understand the love and the sacrifice Jesus made for us, and thereby does not have the love of Christ. Instead he is only seeking to fulfill his own selfish needs and his mind is set instead on worldly things.

1 Timothy 5:8
But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

1 Timothy 3:4-5
4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church?

I want to share a personal testimony before I wrap up this article, and I hope that this in no way comes across as pompous.

After college, I found myself single, living on my own, with a promising career, and I was ready to be a husband. I went to the Lord in prayer and fasting for 6 month (just to be clear, intermittent fasting y’all). A preacher once said, “be specific when you pray”, so I made a list. At the top of my list I asked for a Godly woman who loved and served the Jesus; who would good for me and who I would be good for. I also asked Jesus to help me be the man and husband she needed me to be. I am not going to lie; I also had somewhere on my list, “God please let her be hot too”.

Eventually God provided a wife that had also been praying the same prayer (“God please provide a hot husband” – sorry I had to get that in there). My wife was able to come into covenant with me, with a place provided for her, that I had been working on for her; even though I did not know her. For her, this was a Godly romance because I had made a plan to care for her, with God as my covering and her as my wife.

My wife Asha and I will be married 9 years in August; I adore her, I cherish her, I pray for her, I love her and I keep her because she is whom God has provided for me. Asha and I still talk and text throughout our day, and we can’t wait to see each other at the end of the day.

In closing I leave you with this thought to remember: True love and romance begins with the love of Christ in us that says, “I have not met my wife, nor do I know her, but I am preparing myself and a place for her, just as Christ did for me”.

Piper, Carson and Keller on Sustaining the Covenant of Marital Love

One of the discussions was in regards to the fact that food was often given in place of money. Historically food was often given in place of money as tithes, but its important to understand that it was “in place of” because the point was to tithe or offer up the best of what was of value to a person. In the ancient world, money or a monitory system where money was backed by banks or a government wasn’t the same then as it is today and often world salt and spices were also often used as currency. To use the argument that tithes were only food would be not only historically inaccurate, it would also overlook the heart of what a tithe or offering was, which was giving what was of value

There were three categories of tithes practiced under the law. According to A Book of Jewish Concepts by Philip Birnbaum, they were the First Tithe, Second Tithe, and Poor Tithe. The three tithes are called in Hebrew: ma’aser rishon, ma’aser sheni, ma’aser ‘ani, respectively. Israelites were also required to contribute terumah (gifts to the priests) from the fruits of their fields before they paid their tithes to the Levites.

First Tithe consisted of one-tenth of the whole produce of the soil, which was to be assigned for the maintenance of the Levite priests, and out of this the Levite priests were to dedicate a tenth to God for the use of the high priest.

Second Tithe the owner was consume in Jerusalem (Deut 14:22-27), and the actual second tithe of produce could be converted into money, plus a fifth of its value, and reconverted into food in Jerusalem (Deut. 14:24-27).

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia states: “the second tithe was the remaining nine-tenths had to be set apart and consumed in Jerusalem. Those who lived far from Jerusalem could change this Second Tithe into money with the addition of a 5th part of its value. Only food, drink or ointment could be bought for the money (Ma`aser Sheni 2:1; compare Deut 14:26). The tithe of cattle belonged to the Second Tithe, and was to be used for the feast in Jerusalem (Zebhachim 5:8).”

Third Tithe called the poor man’s tithe, took the place of the Second Tithe in the third and sixth year of the seven-year cycle culminating in the sabbatical year. According to A book of Jewish Concepts (p. 383). It should also be noted that the kings sometimes neglected to follow the Law of Moses and did not always keep the tithing system.

The ancient world didn’t have grocery stores like they do today, so one could not run down to the grocery store to buy food as we do today. Ancient people didn’t work jobs in industry like they do today, so the access to money outside of the city was not as common and also not as practical since it was more important to be able to produce and trade your own food and because of this food often used as currency. To give food as an offering or tithe meant that you were putting your trust, your life and means to survive in God’s hands to provide for you and your family to live throughout the year.

Under the new covenant free the legalism of the law in all aspects of our lives by the power of the cross (Romans and Galatians). We are not to do the bare minimum to just satisfy the law or give tithes unwillingly in order to uphold the law. We are to give from our hearts, to give as much as we could give to God, so that our blessings can be a blessing and to reach others with the gospel. This means that giving isn’t just about money, but about giving of our worship, our lives, our finances and ourselves to Christ. If simply give because we are trying to keep a law, then it means nothing if our hearts are bitter about giving.

Throughout the Bible we are given many examples of what God wants from us in regards to giving. In the Cain and Able narrative, God did not accept Cain’s offering and Cain becomes bitter about it. When Cain asks God why his offering was not accepted, God tells him there was sin in his heart.

Genesis 4:4-7
4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his  face fell. 6 The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do  not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”

In the book of Luke we find a women who gave her last two coins whom Jesus pointed out in the temple.

Luke 21:1-3
1 While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box. 2 Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins. 3 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “this  poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. 4 For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.”

Jesus pointed out that she freely gave all she had and put her trust in God to keep her. Jesus discusses giving and how we are to give, and that giving isn’t to be done with pride or to show others how much we can give.

Matthew 6:2
When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts  of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they  will ever get. 3 But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your  left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4 Give your gifts in  private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

We can get caught up with a heart of giving that expects or even demands something in return. We often hear words like God will return it one hundredfold or double what you give. The problem with this way of thinking is that it places God in our debt. Instead of giving freely, we are giving God a loan with a huge interest rate, from which we can profit. This not giving freely or trusting in God, it’s just a bad loan.

The book of Matthew is a big chapter on giving and trusting God in all things and how God wants to give.

Matthew 6:19-21
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for  yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 6:25-30
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 ? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What  shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and  your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the  kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

If we look back at the Abraham and Isaac narrative, we see that God asks Abraham to give up his most prized possession, his only son. Abraham was a man of great faith and trust in God. He left his people, his family, the life he knew, and took his family out with to a new land, with only his faith in God, not knowing where he was going. Remember there was no Bible, no churches, no community of believers to gather support from, and Abraham, by faith, stepped out as God had vaguely instructed him. I use the word “vaguely” purposefully because God only told him that we was going to take him to a new land that He would show him, but he didn’t say where or what this land was, other than He was going to bless Abram.

Genesis 1:1-2
Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.

With that said we are able to see that Abraham was willing to give up all he had, even his only son if God asked, not because he thought God would spare Isaac, but because he knew all he had was God’s, for Abraham had already given everything to God. Abraham trusted God to provide, and God wanted to show him that He was a loving God that would keep him and provide everything for him; thus the ram God provided to take Isaac’s place.

What does this mean? It means that when we let God be the author of our lives, when we trust Him with all we have, and believe that He provide for us in all things; this includes our finances. God can do great things in and with our lives, but the hard part is letting go and letting God work. When we truly trust God in all things, and we give Him everything it is not difficult to give of what we have because we know our “things” are not ours to begin with, they are God’s. This is not limited to money, but also includes our relationships, our time, our lives, our love, our precious possessions and honor God with them.

Under the new covenant we should go beyond 10% and the bare minimum in our giving, which would not be limited to money. God wants us to trust Him, and to give freely without bickering, regret or pride; if not our offering is tainted with self, it isn’t something God wants from us. If we are preoccupied with a 10% monetary tithe or looking to place God in our debt by expecting a bigger return to our investment, then we have missed the point of what Christ was trying to teach us about giving and trusting in Him.

My wife and I prepared our son for the day ahead of him. We brought his iPhone so he could play games and watch movies, we even set him up with earphones so he would be wrapped up in his own world of iPhone entertainment. I told Avery that a long day was ahead, and I wanted him to try his best to be quiet, good and patient, and I even resorted to bribery. I told him that if he behaved himself, I would take him to the store to pick out a toy.

The day of the conference came and he sat quietly playing with his iPhone for a few hours; my bribe had worked, so far. After a quick lunch break we went to our last session. Then 15 minutes into the session, Avery’s iPhone battery died. Like a three-year-old, he became restless, agitated and bored. I reminded him about the reward that awaited him, but it did little to stave off his boredom.

The last session ended and so did Avery’s last bit of waning patience. He was ready to go; he was pulling on me, fussing, crying, basically throwing a fit. Inside I wanted to give him a good shaking and say “boy, you had better get right, or I will go old school on you”, but I didn’t. The little guy had been good all day, and I understood that he was misbehaving because he had enough, so I refrained and offered grace, but I had also had enough. I grabbed Avery and made bee-line to the nearest men’s room.

I’ll let you in on a little secret, 99% of the time our bathroom excursions do not result in spankings, yet they produce 100% results. The idea is not to punish the behavior, but to correct it, and remove him from the situation so I get his full attention.

I knelt down and looked Avery in the eyes. I let him know I understood why he was frustrated, I told him that I was very proud of him that he had been so patient and good all day, but his current behavior would not be accepted. I reminded him again of the reward that awaited him, but he needed to get right. I hugged him, kissed him and told him I loved him. Then I asked him for a hug, and he hugged me, kissed me on my cheek and said, “I love you daddy, I’m sorry.” Avery left the restroom happy and calm. Later that day, as promised, I took him to pick out a new Spider-man toy, and as a special treat we went to the Rainforest Cafe, where he sat by a mechanical tiger.

Our heavenly father loves us, He knows we are not perfect, He knows we will make mistakes and will sin. God sent His only begotten son Jesus to save us from our sins, so we could live without condemnation, be redeemed through the cross and saved by grace. Jesus didn’t do die for us because we are perfect or because it would make us sinless, but to take on our sins, so we could be redeemed to the Father, in spite of our sins.

Our Father wants us to succeed, He want us to go to heaven, He sets us up to win, the same way I gave Avery an iPhone to play with to keep him from acting up. He has given us the promise of a reward in heaven, the same way I promised Avery a toy, not because he was perfect or because he wouldn’t make any mistakes, but because I love him in spite of his mistakes. Even though Avery acted up, he had it in his heart to be good and he asked for forgiveness, so I spared him and showed love towards him.

God isn’t the boogeyman, He isn’t out to get us, He does not revel in our failure and He certainly doesn’t expect us to be perfect. Why else would He give us grace? I am not saying grace gives us free reign to sin, but that our righteousness is like filthy rags to God, and He still loves us. Even when we fall and make mistakes our Father loves us, forgives us, and blesses us because He wants us to have the reward He promised us.

A friend of mine, Pastor, Jerry Snider, says that sin is anything that separates you from Jesus. This a a big statement, with a broad meaning because what might be sin for you may not be sin for someone else. Now I understand that some of you may read this and ask how can sin be sin for me, but not somebody else? In truth, this statement is Biblical. Let’s look at a passage in Romans (yes I am aware the context pertains to food, but I believe that the same applies to everything).

ROMANS 4:13-17
13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a  brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is  unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean.  15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ  died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

1 JOHN 5:17
All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.

JAMES 4:17
So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

This means that we might might have things in our lives we have overcome and do not struggle with, but for our brother it might be different. For instance we may be able to go to the beach and have a great time without falling into sin. Our brother might find himself falling into lust, chasing women and fornication; these things separate him from God. The beach itself is not bad, but the sin our brother has yet to overcome, is.

Notice that I use the word “overcome”. As Christians, saved by grace, we should not live under our sins, but overcome them through Jesus. Yes, this means we can and should overcome our issues, rather than living with legalisms and standards to avoid our sins, or else we will live bound in condemnation, without true freedom in Christ.

Just a real quick note, obviously this doesn’t apply to sins such as murder, sexual sins…etc. these are sins to us all. Another thing I should point out is that some may point out that universals sins would be the 10 Commandments, but we no longer keep the 4th commandment, keeping the sabbath day. We should actually remember the heart of what the sabbath was, which was to have a time for you and God. Jesus said the sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath, it was supposed to be a blessing, not the curse it turned into through religious legalism (Mark 2:27–28).

1 JOHN 4:4
Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

1 JOHN 5:4
For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world— our faith.

ROMANS 5:1-5
1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance  produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put  us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

With the law (I am referring to our justice system and Old Testament law) there are levels of crimes (sin), thus levels of punishment and atonement for different crimes (sins); we find this ideology in Catholicism. Through the law there are levels of atonement according to the crime (sin). The law seeks only to punish for breaking the law, and it doesn’t teach how to overcome sin, change the heart or offer correction. This means that the law doesn’t care if our hearts are changed, only that we do not break the law and if we do the atonement fits the crime. The issue with this Biblically is that if we do not change our hearts and thinking, then we are still guilty of sin, even if we keep the law; Jesus discusses this in Matthew 5.

God seeks a relationship with us, to save us from ourselves by correcting our sins, rather than punishing us for them. We are corrected for our sins through the Holy Spirit, so that we may live a life that overcomes sin, with a changed mind, and a new heart for good things.

With God, all sin is the same and there is no difference between sins, for it all separates us from Him. God does not require different levels of atonement for our sins, He provided Jesus as our savior, who atoned for all of our sins. By grace, sin is sin, and thus there is but one solution; Jesus Christ. Our atonement / justification comes through Jesus for all sins and there is no distinction for levels of sin or persons because we are all sinners; there aren’t levels of sinners, just sinners.

ROMANS 3:10-12
10…”None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”

ROMANS 3:22-24
22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who  believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

JAMES 2:10
For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.

As Christian who understand that it’s only by the grace of Jesus that we are saved, we should live humbly, and not judge others because we are all imperfect sinners. Going to church every Sunday does not lift us up over somebody who doesn’t attend because living for Jesus is not about puffing one’s self up against another; that is then sin of pride. We should never think ourselves more highly than another, or think we are more righteous than our brothers, thinking that our sins are foolishly less than theirs; all sins are sins and none are righteous.

ROMANS 12:3
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

1 JOHN 1:8-10
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have  not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

As Christians we should help and love one another through adversity and sins. Glory should always be in Jesus and not ourselves, for He is the reason we have life, redemption and hope.

Matthew 5:17-19
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I  have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say  to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will  pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do  the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

The first thing we should do is have handle on what the word “fulfill” means?

1. to carry out, or bring to realization, as a prophecy or promise.
2. to perform or do, as duty; obey or follow, as commands
3. to satisfy (requirements, obligations, etc.):a book that fulfills a long-felt need.
4. to bring to an end; finish or complete, as a period of time: He felt that life was over when one had fulfilled his threescore years

Jesus “fulfills” all of the Old Testament in that it all points to him, not only in its specific predictions of a Messiah, but also in its sacrificial system, which was to be satisfied through the cross. Jesus was also declaring that the Old Testament as a body of “God-breathed” literature would not be set aside or abolished. The questions are then, are we bound to the law and doesn’t this then contradict Paul’s letters in the New Testament?

Colossians 2:14
14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

Ephesians 2:15-16
15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making  peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

The key here is verse 16 “reconcile us both to God…through the cross“. Jesus paid the debt of our sin and the requirements of the law through the cross. Jesus didn’t destroy the Law, but satisfied/fulfilled it so we would no longer be bound by it. Let’s take this further by reading what the Bible says about this to help us see the context of this scripture.

No one (except for Jesus) has ever succeeded in keeping the law

Acts 15:10-11
10 Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke  on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been  able to bear? 11 But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”

It is One Law containing the whole package of rituals and sacrifices as well as the Ten Commandments.

Galatians 3:10-13
10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is  written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” 11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by  faith.” 12 But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them  shall live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is  hanged on a tree”—

Our sin was a debt that had to be paid, just as if you had committed a crime. Jesus came, not to destroy the law that you broke, but instead place Himself between you and the law so you would never have to face punishment or serve time to pay for your crimes/sins. The cross pays our debt and reconciles us to God. That is an incredible thing, Jesus became our scapegoat and took our blame so we would never have to deal with keeping the law. This means we are free from works of the law and trying to justify ourselves through self-imposed standards and ordinances because the law cannot bring salvation.

Romans 3:20
For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

Does this mean we are to be lawless and does grace give us the license to sin?

Romans 3:31
31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

If you stop there, then you miss the context of what Paul is trying to say. He shows that because Abraham had faith in God and believed, he was made righteous by his faith. Paul also warns that basing your Christian walk on law, legalism, and works you make the promise null and void because it all depends on something we can’t hold unto; faith.

Romans 4:14-16
14 For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15 For the law brings wrath, but where  there is no law there is no transgression. 16 That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the  one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,

Now this still doesn’t quite explain by what Jesus and Paul meant by upholding the law if we are free from the law through the cross, by God’s grace.

If we go back to Matthew 5 we find that Jesus show the problems with the law and why it doesn’t work. Jesus gives the example of being angry enough to murder your brother, but you do not murder, thus keeping the law, however your heart if filled with anger, murder and hate. In God’s eyes you are still sinning. He also gives another example of wanting to commit adultery, but you don’t, thus keeping the law, but you still have lust in your heart and in God’s eyes you commit the sin in your heart.

Jesus wants us to be changed in our hearts and minds by His spirit. He wants us to overcome our sins, rather than avoiding them through laws and standards, for we are to overcome by the blood of the lamb and the promise we have in Jesus. How awesome is our God who took on our debits of sin and paid it for us?

Jesus came to bring us the “Gospel”, which means “The Good News”. This means living for Christ is supposed to be a positive experience, filled with love peace and tolerance.

Matthew 11:30[]hr]For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Jesus is clear that the thief’s way is to kill and destroy, but Christ’s way is to bring a good life for us and to free us from the heavy yoke of religion and legalism. Regardless of our denominations or church affiliations, we can often get caught up in a very ethnocentric view of living for Christ through our traditions, personal beliefs, self-imposed standards and personal legalisms. This creates division in the body of Christ, something Paul warned against in his writings.

Ephesians 4:3-4
3) endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4) There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of  your calling

Ephesians 4:30-32
30) And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31) Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32) And be kind to  one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Paul was also clear that we shouldn’t argue over words, traditions, or things we have no clear answers for, yet we do this still, for not only does this divide the body of Christ, but our families as well. It can be very easy to get caught up in our own self-righteousness, so much that our own ideals, pride and self-importance can overshadow the love, peace and gospel that Christ brought us. We can easily forget that living for Christ is about letting go of self, and getting beyond our little petty issues and differences so that we may live in peace with one another.

1 Corinthians 13:1-2
1) Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2) And though I  have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all  knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

I heard a story the other day about two Christian families that broke my heart. A young couple had broken away from their family’s church traditions and taken on a new road in Christ; it was a road that the parents did not approve of. The parents were obviously hurt with the new path the young couple had taken, and cut off all communication with them, and forbid their children from having any communication with their siblings.

My thoughts were, how could this behavior be of Christ? Jesus didn’t come to bring bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, division, destruction and certainly not to divide the body of Christ and certainly not our families. How can we for a moment think that our great God of love would want division for our families? How must God see us when we treat each other in this way? Do we think that if we differ in appearance, opinion and tradition from another fellow Christian, that somehow the God we serve, worship and love is a different God?

Paul dealt with this spirit in his writings to Timothy. In his church, the saints were pushing away from the teachings of Christ, seeking after self-righteousness, filled with pride, holiness as a means of gain, teaching false doctrine and bringing legalism into the church.

1 Timothy 6:3-5
3) If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, 4) he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, 5) and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of  the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.

2 Timothy 2:22-25
22) So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and  peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23) Have  nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 24)And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but  kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25) correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth

If we are truly filled with His love and His Holy Spirit, then His love and grace should be in us, and we should be a reflection of Him. Isn’t this what the meaning of Christ is all about? Living for Christ should go beyond our traditions; after-all its supposed to be about Jesus, not us.

If we think that creating strife and division within the body of Christ over opinions justifies being un-Christ-like, then we have missed the whole meaning of Christ, and maybe the god you serve is a different god who brings bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, division, and destruction. If this is the case, then it might be time to reevaluate the way you are living, for your god may be the god of self, religion, traditions and pride. These are all things that separate us from God, for we know Jesus is none of these things, and anything that separates us from Him is sin.

In whatever we are doing, we should always ask ourselves, “Am I keeping the greatest commandments Jesus has given us?”

Matthew 22:33-40
36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Cain and Able both brought separate and different offerings unto God. Able brought the firstborn of his flock as an offering and Cain brought the fruit of the ground. I have heard some people teach that Able’s sacrifice was accepted over Cain’s because God prefers blood sacrifices and made the connection with the Law of Moses, which led to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus at the cross. I can see how this viewpoint can make a great postmodern sermon, however it is not in Biblical context of the Cain and Able narrative. The plain fact is both of these offerings were perfectly acceptable in regards to types of offerings.

NOTE: Before the Law and during the Law, giving the first fruits of the ground were acceptable offerings to God (Leviticus 2:12-14).

Cain’s was angry and upset that God didn’t accept his offering. God went to Cain and asked him why he was angry and upset, and explained to Cain that if he did what was right, he would be accepted (note that being accepted by God is different than being loved by God). God also warned Cain that sin was knocking at his door and warned him to get a handle on it, or it would overcome him. What we find here is that God was not concerned with the type of offering Cain gave, but with the condition of his heart and sin that was on the verge of overcoming him.

Let’s apply this to praise and worship; our offering of praise and worship unto God should be a personal offering from our hearts. This means our personal offering of worship is between God and us, thus our measure will be different than another’s measure. By the same token, if we force worship on our congregations and beat worship out of them, then their worship will cease to be an offering and will become a burden and a tax upon God’s people (Jesus didn’t come to burden us with works and religion, but free to us from its burden – Matthew 11:28-3). When we put ourselves between the worshipper and God by passing judgment and trying to put conditions on another’s offering and replace it with our own offering, we take away from their offering and taint the offering that was meant for Jesus.

Now let’s get back to the Cain and Able narrative.

It is important to note here that despite Cain’s anger, and the condition of his heart, God still came to Cain to speak with him and advise him. God was trying to help Cain understand that He wanted Cain’s heart over the offering of meat or fruit. Cain obviously didn’t listen to God’s warning and Cain allowed the sin in his heart to overcome him, which led him to kill his brother Able.

After Cain committed the sin of murder, God went to Cain to speak to him. God told Cain that he would be a fugitive and a wanderer and that the ground would no longer yield for him. Cain made a plea to God for mercy because God’s judgment was more than he could bear. Cain also feared for his life from those who would seek vengeance for the murder he had committed. God heard Cain’s plea and showed him mercy, but more than mercy God entered into a covenant with Cain by marking him and declaring that if anybody should kill Cain, God’s wrath upon them will be sevenfold.

From this narrative we see the measure of God’s abundant and unconditional love for us. Just think, we don’t have to earn God’s love, He already loves us. We also see that God is more concerned with the condition of our hearts, not the condition of our offering. God’s grace is given freely through the cross; an amazing gift that we don’t have to earn – Romans 3:22-25. Religion makes serving God about what we can do, rather than what God has done. This is why God hates religion because it separates us from His love and denies His grace.

From what I have been able to find, Halloween was not about the devil or witches, but was a Pagan day to remember the dead. Ancient people believed the dead came back to visit, good and bad spirits. They did things to welcome the good and ward off the bad ones. The Catholic Church in an attempt to refocus these traditions as people converted to Christianity, created All Saints Day. This is a day celebrated on the first Sunday after Pentecost in Eastern Christianity, in honor of all the saints, known and unknown. Those who have died and are with God watch over those still living, and the saints are held to intercede with God on behalf of the living. The living pray to the saints and remember in intercessory prayers to God all who have died, particularly their deceased relatives and friends. Over the years some used this day to commune and worship the devil, witchcraft, sacrificing virgins and other evils. There are also Pagan traditions rooted in both Christmas and Easter, but we have not given these holidays to the devil. Easter for instance has at least 3 cultural traditions, the Jewish passover, Christianity, and Eostre. Eostre was a German goddess which gave name to Easter and feasts were held in her honor. The fact that Easter also has Pagan roots, has not stopped us from remembering the cross and the resurrection.

NOTE: I am simplifying this, so if you want a more detailed study on this, there are plenty of resources online or at your local library.

Do and have people done bad things on Halloween and used it to worship the devil or practice witch craft? Yes. Now I am not saying dress your kids up like devils and witches, or worship spirits, but certainly we can enjoy the holiday as Christians and get a little candy from or neighbors, maybe throw a party and enjoy another season God has given us.

I am a Christian, thus I live as a Christian for Jesus, and my heart is for Him. If my neighbor uses his/her computer to watch porn on the internet, it doesn’t mean that my computer is then bad too, it means my neighbor’s heart is not for God; it doesn’t mean that his sins are my sins. God made the Earth, days, months, years and the seasons for us, not the devil. When we decide that a day is the devil’s, what we are really saying is we are afraid of the devil (a bully) and we are letting him take what God has rightfully given to us.

Romans 14:14
I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean.

First, yes I know this passage was primarily dealing with food, but earlier in the passage Paul deals with day that people uphold over others as an example of food, so I think the same principal applies here. What Paul is saying here in Romans 14:14 is that if you think something is evil / unclean, then it is evil because you give it life to be evil. Paul makes it clear that NO THING itself is evil or unclean, it is our hearts that makes a thing evil or unclean. Paul was also dealing with various cultures in the church bumping heads and judging each other over which should be kept and were justified in regards to food, festivals, sabbath, circumcision…

Colossians 2:13-16
13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. 16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on  you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a  new moon or a Sabbath.

Romans 14:5-9
5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies  to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die  to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

The truth is traditions and holidays do not make you justified before God, they do not save you or send you to hell. If we keep that thinking then we deny the power of the cross to save us because we are only justified through the blood of Jesus Christ and not by works or anything we do on our own.

Romans 3:22-25
22 The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.

I believe that it’s high time as Christians that we break free from the bonds of religion, live in freedom and confidence in that the power of the cross is enough. We can no longer let the devil win every battle and take away our inheritance, our joy, our festivals, our music, our dances or our freedom. Let us live victorious in Jesus and live our lives for Jesus.