The Losses of Lawsuits

If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge? ...Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated? 1 Corinthians 6:4,7

I get this question probably every day. Can I sue him? Can a Christian sue another Christian?

Um, did you read the verses today? The obvious answer from scripture is no. I mean, you couldn't have a clearer answer. No!

Here's the deal, both sides lose before a verdict is ever read when you sue your brother or sister in Christ. Did you hear what Paul said? It is already an utter failure for you. How would you like to stand before God on that one someday-an utter failure!

Well how about this one, pastor-can a Christian company sue another Christian company?

Give me a break. As if what applies to the one doesn't apply to the one hundred? The Christian company has a witness to uphold the same way an individual does.

Alright, well, can a Christian sue a non-Christian? Because I've got a claim, man, and I know I could win. I'll even tithe off the winnings.

You know, the Bible doesn't say. But I'll tell you what it does say. The Bible says, if you're only going to do good to those who love you, then what's the point? Even unbelievers do that. We're set apart, proving that we are of Christ Jesus, when we love our enemies and do good to those who persecute us.

Even if you're legally right and you would win your case in the end, so what? It's no win in the end. The greater honor is for you to witness by offering the forgiveness and fellowship of Christ. Get this-we're actually called not only to forgiveness and love, but to kindness. If it were me, I'd show love to all, especially to the ones who are hardest to love, whether they're a believer or not.

The only time I see biblical justification for a lawsuit is defending yourself if someone sues you, and then you'd better get yourself some good counsel. But let me say this, your interests in that court are first about protecting and demonstrating your witness for Christ, then about making sure you receive justice.

The heart of God loves even at the cost of self. Let's do the same.

Prayer Lord Jesus,

When I did You wrong, You didn't sue me; You died for me. How can I not do the same thing? But sometimes it's hard because I've been hurt, sometimes I've lost a lot. I trust You to give me justice, to heal my hurts, and to provide all my needs as I forgive those who've done me wrong.

Amen

Refined

Woe to the rebellious children,' says the LORD, Who take counsel, but not of Me, and who devise plans, but not of My Spirit, that they may add sin to sin; who walk to go down to Egypt, and have not asked My advice, to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt!' Isaiah 30:1-2

You've got some options. You can choose: Carelessly or Carefully.

Unwisely or Understanding God's will.

To be filled with the spirit of the world or to be filled with the Spirit of God.

Those are your choices today, and I can tell you how you are going to choose which option to follow. You will make your decision with one word: Submission.

You might not like the word submission, or the idea of anything remotely like submission, but you do it every day without even noticing. Today, you will choose to submit to something. And speaking directly to wives, this leads us to three priorities concerning your role in your marriage.

First, it leads you to submit to Christ. This is first and foremost the highest priority in your life.

Second, it leads you to submit to the authority that God has placed over you as a wife. Ephesians 5:22-23 makes this clear, saying, Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is the head of the church. If you don't like it, I still can't change it for you-it's God's Word, and it will never change no matter how much you protest.

Third, it leads you to submit to God's Word and the biblical picture for your marriage. God designed marriage, so it just might make sense to follow His plan for it.

Almost no one likes the idea of submission, at least not until they understand the fruit it brings to our lives. Because the fruit is that we are not alone, someone above us is pulling for us, using their position to bring us into everything God has planned for us. A door of blessing and provision is open to us, propelling us into our callings.

Submission to God's plan should never be the bars of a prison; it should be a catapult into our callings. Will you choose to submit to God today?

Prayer Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your good plan for my life and marriage! I'm not sure I understand what Your Word says about submission yet, but I choose to trust You. I choose today to submit to You and to my husband, following Your plan for our marriage.

Amen

Avoiding the Toll Road of Divorce

I suppose therefore that this is good because of the present distress-that it is good for a man to remain as he is: Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed. Are you loosed from a wife? Do not seek a wife. But even if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Nevertheless such will have trouble in the flesh, but I would spare you. 1 Corinthians 7:26-28

What's holding your focus these days? What is your first thought in the morning and your last thought at night? What do you think about on the way home from work or after dinner as you head into your evening activities?

For a lot of people, it is whether they are married or single. For those who are married, they are thinking about the trouble their marriage is in, or how they can make each other happier, or what other things their house needs to be nicer, etc.

And for those who are single, they are consumed with the pursuit of a spouse. They choose their social events by whether other single people will be there. The first question in their mind when they meet a new person is whether that person might be The One. Their singleness consumes their thoughts and defines their identity.

This is not how our lives should be.

Paul writes to tell the church in Corinth these things and he advises them that they should not seek to change their relational status, whether married or single. Marriage is wonderful, but it is hard. And singleness has its own difficulties, but single people are free in many ways that married people are not.

He wants the Church to know that time is short and there are other things that need our attention. He does not want our marriage or our singleness to consume all our thoughts. He wants to lift that burden off our lives so that we can focus on things that really matter-like how we can serve Christ Jesus.

Don't be distracted, looking for ways to ditch your marriage. That's not right. And don't be distracted, consumed by serving your spouse. Don't be distracted by your singleness either, because God knows your needs and will give you your spouse as you serve Him!

Instead, look for ways you can serve God, both within the home and outside of it. Make that your priority and it will save your marriage from divorce, give your relationship purpose, and help keep you strong while you wait for God to give you your spouse.

Prayer Father God,

Thank You for being the strength of my (future) marriage! I choose now to set my focus on You and how to serve You. As I make You my first priority, I know that You will help me with everything else I need to do.

Amen

Redeemed

Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame; for you will forget the shame of your youth and will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore. For your Maker is your husband, the LORD of hosts is His name; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth. Isaiah 54:4-5

There's a saying that goes, If you always do what you've always done, then you'll always get what you've always got.

It makes a lot of sense doesn't it? Unfortunately, so many of us approach life the opposite of this. We go through life until we run into trouble-our children are pulling away from us, our spouse is on edge around us, we keep losing our job-but once we hit that trouble, we don't change. Why?

The devil wants to whisper in our ears, Change is too hard. Change is too high of a hurdle. That thriving marriage, family, and life are just out of reach; I might as well quit trying. He will use all the shadow puppets he can to try to convince us that change is too big a deal, out of reach, impossible, and hopeless.

We must not buy these lies. Instead, we must recognize the truth that God is with us, always and all the time. Trusting in this reality, we can start asking helpful questions: Why isn't it working? Why aren't we happy? Why are we so unfulfilled? Who has convinced us that it can't work?

The truth is that God created marriage and said it was good. God would not have said it was good if it was a death trap full of pain, suffering, wounding, and hurt. He would not have said it was good if it was doomed to fail. No circumstance is beyond His reach to redeem and save!

You have a God today who wants to work miracles on your behalf.

Well, I've never done it that way, Bob, you say. Exactly! Where has what you've done before gotten you, and how do you think you'll get somewhere different?

It's already too late, I'm kicked out of the house. So were Adam and Eve, but you know what, God went with them because He wanted to redeem them and restore them to the Garden. Our verses for today are a promise made to barren women and hopeless fathers exiled as slaves to Babylon. It is a promise made to you.

Will you receive it?

Prayer Lord God,

Please come and be God over my marriage and family! Redeem and restore everything that is lost, broken, and looking hopeless. Show me a different way than I've tried before, a way that leads to Your mercy, love, and redemption.

Amen

Recommitment

The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.' Luke 4:18-19

Hurt people hurt people. Blind guides are worthless. A prisoner is the last person who can set you free.

Yet so many of us assume that when we get married, our hurts will magically go away,

we'll instantly see how to be successful in relationships when we never have been before, and our spouse who is stuck in their past will somehow set us free from ours.

Marriage does not change us, but Jesus can.

When Jesus spoke the words in our verses today, He was run out of His hometown and the people tried to throw Him off a cliff. He miraculously escaped, and do you know what He did next? He went to the next town over for a wedding.

It could very well be that the happy couple had been in the synagogue when Jesus made this bold declaration about Himself. If so, it's easy to think that this couple wanted the change He brought, knowing that marriage alone would not change them. Perhaps you want that change today. If so, then here are three things you need to know:

First, Jesus wants to be invited. He was invited to the wedding, where He then changed the water to wine. Jesus will wait for your invitation before He brings change to your marriage. Second, Jesus wants to be obeyed. Mary, Jesus' mother, told the servants at the wedding to do whatever Jesus told them to do, and only when they obeyed did the water turn to wine.

The change we need will come as we obey Jesus.

Third, Jesus wants to be believed. Those in the wedding who believed in Him became His disciples, and only they became changed like the wine was. They were the only ones who got the point of the whole thing.

We can watch Jesus change lots of things around us, but only when we do these three things will He come and change us. He wants to set us free, open our eyes, and heal our hearts, but it will require change.

Will you let Jesus change you today?

Prayer Lord Jesus,

I am so glad that You have come with the good news of healing, wholeness, and salvation! I know I need these things in my life and my marriage, and I am willing to change in order to get them. Please come change me, I invite You and I will follow You as You do this work in me.

Amen

Core Values

For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:2-3

Have you ever thought of jealousy as a good thing? It can be...if it's godly jealousy.

I remember when I first moved back to San Diego, dating Bonnie at the time, one of the very first things I was invited to be a part of from a ministry standpoint was being one of the chaplains for the San Diego Padres, who, back in those days, needed a whole lot of prayer and seem to still need a lot of prayer today.

One of the passages I remember studying together in the dugout with those guys was the passage that says God is a jealous God. And they're all looking at me like, Explain that. What does that mean?

And I said, It simply means this, guys, that when you take your position on the field, when you run out there to first base or the pitcher's mound, God wants you to honor Him in all that He has given you the ability to do with your life.

Now, whether you're a banker, lawyer, real estate agent, pastor, or anything else, the Lord is looking for you to be loyal. He is jealous for you to be loyal, jealous for you to be living your life for His glory.

I think a great example of this for us these days comes from the athletic realm, and that's Tim Tebow. I am just so excited to see this guy's clear devotion and loyalty to the Lord. He's singing praise songs as he warms up. He is absolutely not embarrassed in any way, shape, or form to make a bold stand for Jesus Christ in terms of saying, He is what I live my life for.

It's very, very clear who that guy's loyal to. And I think it should be just as clear to all of your friends, co-workers, and neighbors who it is that you're loyal to and who it is I'm loyal to. Now I know some Christians have sort of looked at Tebow and said Man, you need to pipe down. Do you know why they say that? It's because they're embarrassed by their own lack of outspoken loyalty.

The reality is that loyalty is proven when it's inconvenient. God is jealous for you; can He rely on you to be loyal when everyone around you abandons Him?

Prayer Lord God,

Thank You that You are jealous of me, that I matter enough to You that You are jealous for me. Help me to know You as the jealous God so that I have the strength to be loyal to You no matter what!

Amen

You've Got Mail

Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. Revelation 3:10-11

Have you been trying hard?

You know what I'm talking about. Have you been pressing in, praying it up, seeking the Lord, living for Him? Have you hidden His Word in your heart? Have you been put-

ting action to the love you profess?

Yes, you have? Oh, good, then I have one more question: Is it always easy?

Ah, I didn't think so, and I will tell you why. You were born into a war. When you became a believer in Jesus, you switched sides in the war. And the more you pursued Jesus, the less like everyone else you became. In a word, you became weird.

There is something strange about you. You do not fit in with the people around you. It's not that you don't like each other, though there are some who are particularly hostile. It's more that you simply are not interested in the same things. You have different passions in life that capture your attention, devotion, and time-and it shows.

It has cost you to maintain this distinction-this holiness-between you and everyone else. It has cost you socially at work, perhaps to the point of missing promotions or raises that you could have received, but didn't because your priorities pulled you elsewhere. Or maybe it has cost you social standing and the niceties of life as you decided to be a one-income home so that you could be more hands-on in raising your children.

If nothing else, then certainly you know the familiar words, Oh, yeah, I'm a Christian, too, and you have learned to wait before you embrace them as a true brother or sister in the Lord. You know all too well that most people who have said these words to you are merely church-goers whose lives look just like everyone else. They aren't different like you.

What has made the cost worth it? You know that Jesus is coming again soon, and when He comes, He will crown you with rewards for your faithfulness.

You are determined to be found faithful. That is why you persevere.

Prayer Lord Jesus,

Thank You that You are coming soon! I choose to persevere in living for You. Please give me wisdom and strength to live strong and finish strong.

Amen