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QUARTERLY JOURNAL

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The Hidden Flaw of Easy Livin’

Posted on Jul 8, 2019 in Quarterly Journal | 2840

“Then the five men departed and came to Laish and saw the people who were there, how they lived in security, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and unsuspecting, lacking nothing that is in the earth and possessing wealth, and how they were far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone.” – Judges 18:7 ESV

According to 1 Kings 16:31, King Ahab’s sin was not only that he did wicked and evil things but it was the easiness of how he did those wicked things that was his real problem, “Ahab found it easy to walk in sins…” Wicked behavior is a problem but ‘easy livin’ is man’s real problem. “Easy livin’ , many times comes because of how a person thinks about himself. Job lived easily until God decided to test his heart. ‘Easy livin’ can lead to self-righteousness and idolatry in a person’s heart. ‘Easy living’ contributes to the flaw in people’s lives when they place things and other people, their, idols, on the altars of their hearts instead of putting the Lord where He belongs in their hearts.

The People of Laish were a vivid image of people who totally disregard God’s warning, “Mortal man, he said, tell your people what happens when I bring war to a land.” The people of that country choose one of their number be a lookout (Ezekiel 33:2 GNT). They were living so well, doing what they wanted to do, that they couldn’t even tell what was happening around them. There was no lookout and the people who were trying to warn them every Sunday during church worship services were hardly ever listened to. The time will come when people will not listen to true teaching anymore. The Lord always warns His people to be watchful and ready. But they will find more and more teachers who please them and say what they want to hear. But God’s people need to be prepared always for whatever the enemy may bring our way.

Sometimes the Lord Himself brings things into our lives to test us and to see what we are made of. Those that adhere to the ‘easy living’ free-spirited and careless lifestyle always get caught unprepared and not ready. They will be doing everything that they were always doing and they will get caught off guard, just like the people during Noah’s day and just like the ‘easy living’ lifestyle of the people of Laish; “Sidon was too far away to protect them. Even though their town had no walls, the people thought they were safe from attack. So, they had no asked anyone else for protection, which meant that the tribe of Dan could easily take over Laish” (Judges 18:7 CEV). The people of Laish did not have anyone in any type of authority that would make their lives difficult. As a result of a lack of anxiety, the people of Laish lived carefree. Living carefree is alright if our confidence is put in the right place.

The right place for our confidence should be in the Lord, our Savior Jesus Christ. If we have our trust in Jesus then the Lord will answer our petitions, protect us, and provide for our needs. How are you living?

Submitted by Trustee Stanley Ridley

Jul '19

What are you Waiting For?

Posted on Jul 5, 2019 in Quarterly Journal | 1420

Jul '19

“…called unto the fellowship of His Son…” – 1 Corinthians 1:9 KJV

I wonder if I would sound like Carol, Donna, or Marissa if handed a microphone, and asked to sing. Alone in my car, I think I come pretty close. But as much as I wish I could, singing is not my calling. I do okay with the sanctuary choir, and I’m really good in the shower, but publicly – not so much. As much as I love praise and worship, I think I can cross singing of my list. So during my morning mediation just the other day, yet again, I wondered what God has purposed for me, and I confess that I have most probably looked in all the wrong places, and at other people, coveting their gift – wanting to live a life of significance.

I have often struggled with purpose, and question when I might do that great work for the Lord. I have a short list of things that I think I can do, but none of them seem significant enough. But I can hear my Savior calling. So in that moment during my mediation, I told Him again that where He leads me I will follow [even with one eye open] just in case He needs my help. Truth is, living a life of significance requires great sacrifice, and I don’t know if I’m ready. When called to His purpose we may have to pass the endurance test, and I don’t know if I can go the distance. Sometimes where He takes us is not really where we want to go. This year, my brother lost his wife, who had just turned 60, and I didn’t want to go there. My husband lost his oldest brother, and I didn’t want to go there. Sometimes God’s purpose takes us places that would never choose for ourselves, and while we declare that we want His will, I wonder.

I think I would like to be the next Martin Luther King, doing great things for humanity, having great impact in the World, not for notoriety, or fame, but merely to serve God, but I don’t think I could turn the other cheek. The older I get, and with each passing year, I wonder when He’s going to call me to that great thing, and if I’ll be ready. For a certainty, I know that God’s calling on our lives is not fantastic. We’re not just living, waiting for something to happen, and to jump in. His will for our lives is an expression of His love for us. So while in my mediation thinking about what He would have me to do, I surrendered again accepting that He knows what’s best for me. While His path may be a path of pain, life’s delays, difficulties and problems builds character in our lives and cause us to trust Him, in ways that I could not otherwise. Our Lord honors faith, and He promises wisdom for our next step. He wants us to understand His will. If we try to figure out everything in our lives, we become very frustrated, doing what we feel His will is, and allowing others to direct us. The error is that we don’t ask for His direction. We act on our feeling. Our feelings are unreliable, and our minds too finite.

God’s will is rooted in relationship. When we get to know Him, what we think becomes secondary. When I asked him again, He said, ‘You already know what I want you to do with your life! Why haven’t you done it?’ and much like the conversation He had with Job when Job questioned His purpose, to me, He said, ‘How much longer will you go to the end of another day, week, or year without doing what you already know to do? What are you waiting for?’ Selah.

Submitted by Deaconess Irene Gardon

Jan '19

God Looks at the Heart

Posted on Jan 4, 2019 in Quarterly Journal | 2850

Jan '19

“You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.” – Matthew 7:16-17 NKJV

Appearances can be deceiving. True character is shown by one’s life and actions, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit; nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, by their fruits you will know them.” Being a follower of Christ will make you different from those around you.

As Christians, we are not be like the world. The world focuses on what is attractive for the eyes and drawing attention to oneself. Our Christian influence and witness are affected by our appearance, but it is only effective if we are authentic and genuine on the inside.

The spiritual implications of our appearance include more than just the way we look and dress – the outward adornment through clothes and jewelry. Appearance includes lifestyle and the expensive homes and cars and gadgets we accumulate to impress others, can lead to covetousness and greed. The testing of guilt of the heart by the Lord was introduced to us in Numbers 5:11-31 (Please Read it).

We must stand before the Lord and give an account of ourselves. Those that we have trespassed against will not be guilty of doing anything wrong, but we will suffer for our sins if we do not truly repent and ask for true forgiveness. We ought not just say we are sorry but have a true change of mind and heart by confessing what we have done, by asking for forgiveness and demonstrating the authenticity of our humility by seeking to give restitution to those whom we have harmed.

The thief on the cross didn’t get baptized in water. He didn’t get the right hand of fellowship. He didn’t take Sunday communion. He wasn’t on the Usher Board. He didn’t sing on the choir. He didn’t even go to church, but he did do one thing for himself and one thing for the rest of the world. He confessed before the Lord that he was guilty of doing wrong which allowed the Lord to bring him into paradise, and he demonstrated to us that God really cares about our hearts.

When Christ came, His physical appearance was not attractive, His spiritual qualities kindness, compassion, thoughtfulness, undying love, were obvious to everyone, and He is our example. Will we confess that we are guilty, and that Jesus is King? When we do those two things, we will join the thief on the cross in paradise.

Submitted by Trustee Stanley Ridley