Crown or Cancer Podcast

A worthy wife is a crown for her husband,
    but a disgraceful woman is like cancer in his bones. – Proverbs 12:4

Am I a crown or a cancer to my husband? Crown or cancer to those around me? Am I a healthy thing or an illness?

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1806754/episodes

DO GOOD TODAY

Sin isn’t only about dong things you shouldn’t. We purposely complicate sin. We complicate it to make it beneficial for us. Is this really a sin? How far can I really go with this? If you have to ask, you probably shouldn’t.

Now, let’s focus on the other aspect of sin in James 4:17

Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.
James 4:17 NLT

James says when you don’t do what you should, it’s a sin. How about that? There’s a reason Proverbs says, “don’t withhold good when you can do it (3:27)”, because you should do it. In fact, it’s a sin. Why?

I believe it’s because when you’ve experienced the Goodness of God, you shouldn’t keep it to yourself. The Goodness of God should spew into every aspect of your life, making you want to do good whenever and wherever you can because you hope people will see God in it!

What good can you do today? Who came to mind for you to help or simply encourage today? Do it today. Don’t withhold it!

Why Do We Do It?

In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.- Matthew 5:16 NLT

Doing good things is not about you. It’s about honoring God. It’s always important to do good things, but it’s more important to do them for good reason. The reason is to point people to God.

It’s easy to fall prey to praise. We all want to be recognized for the good we do, but we have to be careful. We can’t believe that we do good out of our own ability to do so. It’s God that grants us the ability and desire to do good. Why? We do so, so that people will see it and see God at work. Once you truly see God at work, you can’t help but praise Him.

That’s why we do all the good that we can, while we can, and when we can. We want God to get all the praise that we can give.

Conquer Evil

Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good. – Romans 12:21 NLT

This statement seems easy enough right? Don’t let evil conquer you. Hopefully, most people wouldn’t want that to happen. Certainly, a Christian wouldn’t want that to happen.

If we look through this chapter in its entirety it’s about using your spiritual gifts, serving others, and loving and living in harmony even with your enemies. It’s about choosing kindness rather than revenge when we feel entitled to the latter.

Sin is evil. Any time we’re choosing to disobey God’s will, we’re sinning. So when we opt for revenge, we’re giving evil room in our lives. When we don’t use our gifts to glorify God but for selfish ambition, evil just gained a little more influence. Choosing hurt over harmony is not conquering evil with good.

Let’s not box evil into demonic activity and witchcraft. Evil isn’t just human sacrifice or mass murders. As hard as it is to stomach, those aren’t the only things that are evil. Evil is sin in general. Sin is against the will of God. So we must conquer evil in all its forms with the truth and goodness of God all the time.

After all, we are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus (Romans 8:37).

Revelation 14

https://youtu.be/oFC1z_pJWYs

There is eternal Good News.

Romans 12:9

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.
Romans 12:9 NLT

Paul will call you out. As you read the Bible, you begin to see that he is serious about people knowing and growing in their relationship with the Lord. If that means hurting your feeling by speaking the truth in love, he’ll do it.

He says don’t pretend to love people. Don’t let love be lip service, but genuinely love and care for people. Love is sacrificial so be willing to sacrifice for people.

Hate what is wrong. Whatever God says is wrong, hate it. Since he’s addressing love in this verse, hate anything that goes against godly love. Hate sin. Hate the mistreatment of people. Hate injustice. Hate what isn’t love by God’s standard.

Hold onto what is good. What is good? God is good. His love is good. His care for people is good. Hold onto good–hold onto God.

Try to Do Good

See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.
1 Thessalonians 5:15 NLT

You can try. Everyone isn’t easy to get along with. That’s understood. In fact, if it wasn’t understood you wouldn’t see so many verses like this in the Bible, but they’re there because God knows how difficult we can be.

Yet, He still commands us to try. Now, it will take an indwelling of Holy Spirit to successfully do this, but you’ve got to try. When I see this word “try” I feel like there are two things to keep in my mind:

1) You can try of your own effort and see how difficult this is, likely not accomplishing the good that God is calling us to.

OR

2) You can intentionally try with a heart to please God and witness the help of Holy Spirit to accomplish this good.

I’ve tried number one. I’ve failed miserably. I’ve tried number two. And I’ve experienced Holy Spirit giving me a heart that hurts when evil is done and one that breaks when good is trampled on. But I’ve also experienced a desire to do good and an ability to do so because of the empowerment of Holy Spirit.

The phrase we most know is that if it were easy everybody would do it. I believe if were easy we wouldn’t need Holy Spirit, and quite frankly, that’s just not true.

Stunned – 1 Corinthians 4:5

I read 1 Corinthians 4:5 the other day. Here it is in several versions.

New International Version
Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.

New Living Translation
So don’t make judgments about anyone ahead of time—before the Lord returns. For he will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due.

King James Bible
Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

When I read this on Sunday, I couldn’t go any further. I was stunned and stopped in my tracks. I was so overwhelmed by the magnitude of this verse. I am in awe of God. I spent the day with that scripture in mind and couldn’t even read anything else until later in the day.

I will only share a few points because I want/hope you will read the verse and meditate on it for yourself.

1) God will bring to light what’s been hidden in the dark. He will reveal hidden motives–good and bad.

This is both exciting and scary. I know my heart’s motives and they aren’t always good. Yet, I know when my motives and intentions have been pure.

2) Praise will come from God. This idea is what stopped me. God will praise what I’ve done?

To be honest, that doesn’t even make sense to me. God, perfect and pure, holy in Majesty, will praise the good works I’ve done? He’ll praise the card I sent? He’ll praise the volunteer hours? He’ll praise holding the door open? He’ll praise the good that I was able to do through Him.

Please read that verse again. Sit with it. Ask yourself the same question I’m posing. God will praise the good I’ve done? How incredible is that?

Favor in Ungodly Places – Daniel 6

Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy. So they concluded, “Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with the rules of his religion.” – Daniel 6:4‭-‬5 NLT

This is the chapter that tells of Daniel in the lions’ den. It’s so good that we’ve got to take this bit by bit. So let’s break this up.

1) Out of envy, the other administrators hate Daniel. Daniel is wise, faithful, and respectful. He’s humble and loves God. So naturally, in a society like Babylon he’d be hated. Don’t miss that, he’s all that we should be, but the culture that surrounds him hates him.

2) When you’re different for being godly, opposition will come. It’s inevitable. It shouldn’t come for doing what you’re supposed to, but in a fallen world it will come.

3) I mentioned this a few days ago and it’s necessary to repeat. If their is a “flaw” to be found, something anyone can use against you, may it be your life’s faithfulness to God.

How many of us can say that if someone wanted to bring us down, the only way they’d be able to is in connection with our religion?

These people are jealous and the king is so prideful that they approach him with a decree that for the next 30 days the king is the only one that should be worshipped in Babylon. If not, it’s off to the lions’ den for the law breakers. So what’s Daniel’s response? I’ll end with this:

But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God. – Daniel 6:10 NLT

Why Lord?

Lord, you always give me justice when I bring a case before you. So let me bring you this complaint: Why are the wicked so prosperous? Why are evil people so happy? You have planted them, and they have taken root and prospered. Your name is on their lips, but you are far from their hearts. But as for me, Lord, you know my heart. You see me and test my thoughts. Drag these people away like sheep to be butchered! Set them aside to be slaughtered!
Jeremiah 12:1‭-‬3 NLT

Can’t you just feel the agony of Jeremiah? Don’t you relate? I find myself often wondering, why? Why Lord? Why are the wicked doing so well?

I even spoke with my grandmother last night, and I said I don’t know how these people sleep at night. In an instant I thought, but who says they’re sleeping? They actually may not be.

We don’t know the demons these people face in their days. And God is still just and will allow justice to be served. We just have to be patient.

Jeremiah asked questions that any person who is trying to live right would have. What’s going on God? I’m trying here and they’re living for selfish gain and gaining. How can this be!?

But I’m mindful that the Bible tells us to not grow weary in well doing. We aren’t to fall into comparison of how much better we are compared to others. All of our righteous deeds are like filthy rags before a perfect God.

In the next few verses we see God’s response to Jeremiah’s questions. But today I just want to leave us with Jeremiah’s point of view. And I want to acknowledge that God is fine with us respectfully asking questions. He’s the one with the answers. And He also wants us to respectfully listen to His response because it’s not always what we want.

Soon we’ll see how He responds to Jeremiah’s genuine questions.