Lift Your Eyes

Oh that men would look to the Most High God... If only we would yield ourselves to His will. We would find the peace that has forever eluded our race. We would find the happiness that has only existed in our dreams. We could find that ‘Better Way’ that our songs and poetry tells us about. We could come out of our solitary existence and know that we are a part of something so much greater…

The Bible, the Revealed Word of God, shows us that there is a beginning, a purpose and an ultimate destiny to history. It reveals to us that there is a spiritual dimension that interacts with our world and has affected our history. God, our Creator, reveals to us that there is a right way to live to achieve health and happiness. He reveals His laws to us so that we may know that right way. God reveals to us there is missing dimension in human psychology and that there is an evil intelligence working against us. Without understanding these revealed truths mankind operates in the dark. The sad fact of human nature is that mankind doesn’t even want to know these things. Human beings want to put, even the knowledge of, God out of their minds. That knowledge stands witness against the purposes of the human heart. Our very nature rebels against the way of our Creator.

Yet another blow was struck against the Way of God recently. The Ten Commandments, the law of love, so offend the godless that they can’t tolerate even the sight of them. The supreme court of the land has yielded to the twisted reasoning of those that make war against the truth. It doesn’t matter much at this point. Even most of those who claim a knowledge of God have put the law of liberty out of their minds. The Ten Commandments have become only a symbol…a dying vestige of the truth they represent.

This is only one small voice amidst the rush and throng of humanity. I use it to say this: Beware…The God of Heaven will not be tossed aside. The Creator of the universe is still on His throne. He sees, He cares, He rewards the obedient and He punishes the unrepentant. His purposes will be served. One day every knee will bow to Him. Every tongue will confess that He is God.

While there is time, while you draw breath…turn your heart to your Creator. If you do that your eyes will be opened to the thousands of miracles He performs every day all around you. It is only in Him that you’ll find the love for your fellow man that makes life worth living. It is only in Him that you’ll find real life at all. Freedom doesn’t lie in lawlessness…that’s the way of chaos and destruction. Freedom lies in our willing obedience to our Creator.

Our Witness

Most Christians will tell you they believe in putting sin out of their lives…but most couldn’t tell you the biblical definition of sin. The Bible, the revealed Word of God, says that sin is the transgression of Gods law. The cornerstone of Gods law is the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments are the only part of scripture actually written by the very hand of God. He spoke them directly to the people of Israel assembled at the foot of mount Sinai. They heard His voice and were terrified. They asked Moses to intercede for them and the law of God became known to many as the law of Moses. They remain the law of God however, and yes, they were written in stone…

The ninth of the Ten Commandments says: “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” (KJV) Other scriptures tell us plainly that God hates lies and that no liar will enter His Kingdom. The spirit of the ninth commandment goes beyond lying however. Christ expounded on the commandments and taught that the spirit of the commandments also binds us.

Any attempt at deceiving others in thought, word or deed is a part of bearing false witness. While there are many honest Christians that would not overtly lie, there are those that would turn back the odometer on their car or not disclose a fault in a home they want to sell. There are those who would attempt to deceive by not speaking up when they should. There are those who rationalize cheating on their taxes or taking advantage of others in other ways. These are also attempts to deceive others and they are contrary to the spirit of the ninth commandment. That makes all of them sin.

Perhaps the most common practice of bearing false witness against ones neighbor is gossip. It can seem innocent enough simply to pass on a story one heard about a third party. In a court of law that would be referred to as ‘hearsay’ and would be inadmissible as evidence against a defendant. To speak ‘against’ any other person without first hand knowledge of their actions is gossip. Gossip is, however harmlessly intended, a violation of God’s ninth commandment. By gossip we can harm the reputation of another person in ways that they can’t even defend against.

As Christians, we should control what comes out of our mouths. What comes out of us should always be truthful. It should never intend to deceive. It should never be hurtful and it should never be used to tear down another person. (That doesn’t mean we should never correct someone for doing wrong. In correction, however, the goal should be to uplift someone…not tear them down.)

Search your heart and ask yourself if what you are saying or doing is an attempt to deceive someone else. Does what comes out of your mouth harm or uplift others? What comes out of you is a reflection of what is inside of you. Is it the province of light…or darkness?

Scripture teaches us that Satan is the father of deception. As Christians we should put all forms of deception out of ours lives as an act of worship to The Most High. Our individual walk with God should be one wherein we seek to become more like Him on a daily basis. His Holy Spirit will lead us into becoming more like our Father IF we listen to it… We have the freedom of choice.

With Outstretched Arms

There is a joke about the afterlife to the affect that when the subject of the joke dies he goes to hell. He finds that he is there condemned to an eternity of having his arms and hands held outstretched at his sides among all the other inhabitants of hell. They are all unable to use their hands to feed themselves. To make their condition worse they are all within arms reach of a banquet table filled with all the finest foods and beverages. Each tries to eat and drink and are all unable to do so. Hence they are all miserable. It seems they are only concerned with getting for themselves in hell.

The picture then changes to Heaven to find a similar scene. The inhabitants there also have their hands and arms held outstretched at their sides. They too are within reach of a banquet table filled with an unimaginable feast. But in Heavens scene the inhabitants are full of joy and laughter. The difference is that in Heaven the inhabitants use their outstretched hands to feed one another.

Now the world has distorted the images of Heaven and hell beyond all recognition of the Biblical images revealed to us, but the joke still contains a good lesson. There are two ways of life, the way of get and the way of give. Both ways are open to us. We have the freedom to choose which way we live, no matter what condition we find ourselves in. The fact is that, no matter how miserable a condition we find ourselves in, we still have it within our power to choose. We can choose the way of getting and seek only for ourselves. Or we can choose the way of giving and thereby uplift others.

Uplifting can be something very simple, like telling someone to have a good day or offering them a drink of water when they are thirsty. Or it can be very profound, like showing mercy or offering forgiveness. Uplifting always involves reaching out to someone else. In reaching out to someone else we acknowledge their existence and their value. In reaching out to someone else we open ourselves and in so doing can be transformed.

While I know that Jesus the Christ was resurrected and now intercedes for us with God the Father as our high priest and is no longer on the cross, I can’t help but to think of Him with outstretched arms hanging on the cross. He reaches out to us, showing mercy and forgiveness. He redeems us, seeing something of value in us, something God deems worthy of eternal life. He set us an example of how to live. He lived the way of give until He gave His last breath…for us.

Each of us has the power to choose the way we meet life, as solitary individuals intent only on getting for ourselves, or as reaching out to others and, in so doing, uplifting our fellow man and becoming a part of something much bigger. God offers us the choice, what we do with it is up to us.