Would You Warn a Child Who Loved Running in Dangerous Traffic?

In Romans 1:16-32, Paul gives us our priorities. He starts by saying, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.” Then he strongly condemns specific sins that lead people to Hell. 

Sometimes we think the gospel should be shared without offending people involved in sinful lifestyles. For example, many pastors refuse to preach boldly about homosexuality and the killing of the unborn for fear they'll offend people who'll quit attending church. 

Of course, the only sins treated this way are those approved by culture. No one is afraid of offending gossips, liars, murderers, or thieves.  

But Paul understood the power of the gospel, so he preached quite boldly about the very sins some modern pastors avoid. He understood that there is no salvation without repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10; Matthew 4:17). See Why Salvation Requires Repentance.

Think of it this way: suppose a small child enjoyed running on a busy highway. But we knew that if we warned him, he'd get angry. Would we keep quiet so he'd be happy continuing in his harmful behavior? 

No. We'd be ashamed if we failed to warn the child running in traffic. And we should be ashamed if we fail to warn people headed down the highway to Hell, whether their sins are culturally acceptable or not.

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Please see How, Who, and What to Judge According to Scripture to confirm that God commands us to warn people about sin. And I also encourage you to read We Must Stop the "Judge Not" Shame Game. 

The Bible Love Notes book, Lies in Disguise, offers scriptural principles to combat popular half-truths so we can warn people with wisdom and grace.   

  

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Journal Is a Verb

When did the word “journal” become a verb? 

It used to be considered a noun: “A personal record of occurrences, experiences, and reflections kept on a regular basis.” (source) 

But journaling, like googling, is now a verb. And journaling is a great tool for spiritual growth. 

We can journal our:

1.  Prayers—to remember requests and record answers. Philippians 4:6-7 

See The Beauty of Answered Prayer.

2.  Bible study—writing out verses, insights, and applications. 2 Timothy 2:15 

This can even be done in creative ways: Creative Bible Study. You might also want to check out the women's Facebook group Jesus Journaling.

3.  Personal psalms—pouring our hearts out to God in sorrow or joy. Psalm 62:8

4.  Love letters—praising God’s character and thanking Him for our salvation. Psalm 103:1; 77:12  

See Praise and Nothing Else.

5. Blessings—regularly recording our many blessings. This is especially important when going through difficulty or discouragement. Psalm 103:2  

See Happiness Diary.

Even if you aren't someone who typically enjoys writing, I encourage you to give it a try. It really does improve our quiet time focus and gives us a record of things God has done in our lives. 

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If you'd like some ideas for making ordinary composition books into attractive journals, see 3 Inexpensive Journals.

I encourage you to check out the Wisdom for Life Devotional. It offers a blank space (usually a half page) after each devotion where you can journal your thoughts. And the 100 one-minute devotions are designed to challenge, encourage, instruct, and inspire your love for God's Word. 

 

And please spread the news about Bible Love Notes Free Subscriptions.

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When Babies Praise God

Today I'm sharing one of the 100 devotions from my book, Wisdom for Life, called:

When Babies Praise God

I feel privileged to have become a believer when I was pregnant with my daughter. God used many aspects of my pregnancy to teach me spiritual truths. When our daughter was born, I was keenly aware of God’s miracle of new life, both physically and spiritually. 

He taught me another truth through my baby daughter’s habit of sweetly cooing while she slept. When she accompanied me to my weekly Bible study shortly after her birth, her coos were sweet background music to our prayers. 

Psalm 8 begins with praise and says the most remarkable thing: “Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger” (vv. 1–2). 

I am convinced that baby coos are a form of praise to our God. 

After Christ cleansed the temple, the Pharisees were indignant because children were crying out to Him in praise. Jesus referred His critics to Psalm 8: “Have you never read: You have prepared praise from the mouths of infants and nursing babies?” (Matt. 21:16). Psalm 8 also says the praise of infants silences God’s enemies. If the praises of babies can shut the mouth of Satan, let’s do our part to do the same.
 

For Further Thought

Consider using your daily activities as praise prompts. For example, when you wash the dishes, praise God for His purity. When you drink a glass of water, thank Him for being living water to your thirsty soul. Think of activities that remind you of God’s character so you will remember to praise Him throughout your day.

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See 6 Ways to Be Infused with Joy and Practical Prayer Prompts.

If there are mothers in your life who love God's Word, Wisdom for Life would make a great Mother's Day gift, and it's on sale on Amazon and Lifeway.

 

To read about the interesting background of Wisdom for Life, plus additional places to order it, see Wisdom for Life.

 

 
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I'm a Recovering Pharisee

Years ago, my good Christian friend Jan told me she was a “recovering Pharisee.” I could identify. I’ve also gone through legalistic, self-righteous stages in my Christianity that I regret.

Don't get me wrong. Scripture clearly instructs us to judge, correct, and rebuke error, but we must do it with an accurate view of biblical truth. 

Self-righteous legalism breeds: 

1. Superiority—thinking we're better than other Christians because of non-essential practices or doctrines.(1)

2. Lack of compassion—blaming people for their difficulties in life.(2)

3. Unhealthy fear—worrying that the slightest insignificant detail might lead to God's wrath.(3)

Paul was a recovering Pharisee too.

He didn't keep quiet about sin. In fact, he used God's Word to teach, rebuke, correct, and train in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).

But he recognized and admitted his own sins and had compassion on others.(4)

Love for Christ always leads to righteousness, but righteousness does not necessarily lead to love for Christ (John 14:21).

We shouldn't have a permissive attitude toward God's commands, but neither should we have a self-righteous attitude.(5) 

Recovering Pharisees want to speak the truth in love, and they pray for that perfect balance of grace and truth that fills the pages of God's Word (Ephesians 4:15; John 1:17). 

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(1) See Handling Non-Essential Differences Humbly and Biblically - Romans 14
(2) See Job's Judgmental Friends
(3) See To Fear or Not to Fear - That Is the Question
(4) Paul confesses his sins (1 Timothy 1:15-16), stresses compassion (Ephesians 4:32), and explains the true source of righteousness (Romans 3:22).
(5) To look at the other extreme, the "Judge-Not" Christians, see "Judge Not" Scripture out of Context. 

 

Lies in Disguise offers clear guidelines for appropriate and inappropriate types of judgment. 

It will give you wisdom for dealing with situations we face repeatedly. 

💙 Currently available from the publisher with a discount: Lies in Disguise. Also available on Amazon and CBD. And in the UK: CLC-UK or Eden UK.

 

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Are You Tired of Hearing About the Battle?

If you're tired of my devotions about standing firm, I understand. I get weary standing against secular lies, immoral politics, and half-truths promoted in Christian books and movies. I'd rather cuddle up with comforting Bible truths and ignore the hard things.

After all, we're living in a time in history when God's true children are hated for speaking truth, no matter how graciously we do it (2 Timothy 3:12-13). 

But we can't hide when we need to prepare. We can't remain silent when we need to speak up: 

“Prepare your minds for action...Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed...live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires...be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy...remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time here as ‘temporary residents.’” 1 Peter 1:13-17

Jesus stood firm for our sake, knowing it would cost Him His life. Let's return that love by standing firm in our faith, even if it forces us to address hard subjects when we'd rather cuddle up with easier truths. Why? Because “the one who stands firm to the end will be saved” (Matthew 10:22). 

And let's never forget the blessings promised in Matthew 5:11-12 and Luke 6:22.

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See Keep Contending for the Faith and Our Edomite Brothers.

Lies in Disguise offers a biblical look at the things in our world that deserve our attention, prayers, and voice. 

I encourage you to let it help you stand firm in grace and truth. Click the image to read more about it and find out where to order it!

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