Who Teaches Blasphemy?

Text: Titus 2:1-15

So how does a young minister teach those who are older than he how to behave and who and what to teach? Titus must have faced this dilemma during his ministry, because Paul took the time to outline a number of things Titus needed to cover. First, he would need to take care that he, himself was on solid ground. Paul told him to "speak the things which become sound doctrine."

Next, Paul addressed what Titus should teach older men. They were to be "sober, [vigilant,] grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience."

Then, saying aged women were to have a "likewise" attitude, [like that required of aged men,] Paul honed in on the specifics Titus was to teach "mothers" in the Church. In reality, these were grandmothers and elder saints, some of which were widows.

But at the root of it all, everyone is "older" than someone else. We all have the responsibility to teach those who are coming along behind us, physically and/or spiritually. The points Paul outlined form the parameters in which these women had the right, duty, and privelege of teaching...

By their own behavior...

• as becometh holiness
• not false accusers
• not given to much wine
• teachers of good things

They are to teach younger women...

• to be sober
• to love their husbands
• to love their children
• to be discreet
• chaste
• keepers at home
• good
• obedient to their own husbands

Why? "...that the Word of God be not blasphemed!" Paul goes on to give detailed instructions concerning what Titus should teach young men and servants. In each of these groups, there is the underlying theme of the grace of God through which He gave Himself for us and redeemed us from all our iniquity. Thus, it is our duty to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.

In Romans 2:21-24, Paul spoke directly to teachers of the law with this caution...

Whatever you teach others, you need to teach yourself!

• If you teach stealing is wrong - why would you steal?
• If you teach adultery is wrong - why would you commit adultery?
• If you abhor idols - why would you commit sacrilige?
• You say you know the law - why do you break the law? By doing so, you dishonor God!

The result of this inconsistency is found in verse 24, "For the Name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you." What an indictment! [Note: in this sense, "blaspheme" means to speak or hold in disrespect; to speak evil of, slander or abuse.]

All around us, people are watching our life and comparing it with what we say. For our words to bear weight, they must be backed up by the way we live. To believers and unbelievers alike, every teacher; be it young or old, he or she, Jew or Gentile, bond or free; has the reponsibility to be an example. Anything else brings reproach upon the Name of Christ and His Bride - the Church, and is not profitable for anyone involved.

How to Handle People Problems

[A Devotion based on Romans 12]

"She gets on my last nerve!"

Nancy stormed into my cubicle, red-faced and breathing heavy. She was at the end of her tether with another co-worker, (Heather,) who had the nasty habit of blaming others for her errors. In addition to the blame game, Heather was adept at making everyone else look bad so she could look good at their expense. Over time, Heather had made an unenviable name for herself among her peers and it looked like she was getting away with it, because supervision seemed oblivious. Nancy, however, was her particular target. Heather took every opportunity to cast doubt and suspicion on Nancy and her efforts. Nancy was having trouble dealing with the flack.

Though retired for some time now, I reflected back on this situation while studying Romans 12 recently. Here are five ways Paul recommended handling "people problems."

1. Verse 12 - Be patient. This is not easy, but Jesus said, "In your patience possess ye your souls." (Luke 21:19) Through patience, we outwait the problem. Time is a great rectifier. You can rest assured the truth will out because God keeps good records. Things left in His hands have a way of working out for your good - He sees to that.
2. Verse 14 - Bless persecutors. Jesus devoted three of the beatitude verses to those who are persecuted. (See Matthew 5:10-12.) Some of the key words are, "for righteousness sake" and "falsely." He also said, "Rejoice and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward." Wow! That's contrary to the world's advice, which focuses on getting even. Paul said, "Bless... and curse not." Don't waste your time or your focus. Trust in and rest on the promise, "If God be for us, who can be against us?"
3. Verse 16 - Be humble. Don't be conceited. Don't consider yourself higher than others and be kind to those who are in low positions. Strive for balance in your relationships.
4. Verse 19 - Don't take revenge. Don't "recompense evil for evil." (See verse 17.) Leave room for God's wrath. Remember God said, "Vengeance is Mine: I will repay." Besides, what if you're holding a grudge but they have repented and God has forgiven them?
5. Verse 21 - Defeat evil with good. Overcomers will feed their enemy if he's hungry and give him a drink if he's thirsty - and in so doing, become a witness to him as well as against him. (See also I Peter 3:14-17.)

Now comes the rub! These five helps in solving people problems amount to a tall order. The flesh balks at turning the other cheek. Rejoicing over your enemy's come-uppance (when it comes) is a natural and very human reaction. At times, the only way we can muster up any patience is in the hopes that their come-uppance will make it all worthwhile.

So, how do we get our minds wrapped around God's idea of what should be done with people problems? The answer is found in Romans 12:1-2... A transformed mind - like the mind of Christ.

"I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

With regard to Nancy and Heather - there came a day when Heather got caught in her own manipulations. Nancy was vindicated and so were several others. The playing field was leveled and peace reigned in the office for a while. But, people being people, a new set of people problems surfaced. For you see, as long as the flesh is here to contend with, we'll all need to return and revisit Paul's Holy Ghost inspired wisdom on how to handle people problems!

Signature Scent...

God has a signature scent, one that's associated with His very essence. If you spend time in His presence, you know that His love poured out on your soul heightens and affects every one of your senses. Even as a child in an Apostolic church, I remember times when worship rising from the people of God mingled with a blue-ish haze that filled the sanctuary. It was visible, tangible, audible and breathable; satisfying even the taste buds. During these times it was easy to see why the Psalmist said, "O taste and see that the Lord is good!"

In the instructions God gave for the building of the Tabernacle and the gathering of all the things that were to be used in its service, we learn the composition of the fragrance that was to be particularly His. (See Exodus 30.) Associated with burnt offerings and as a holy, anointing oil, these were special recipes - guarded and handed down from generation to generation of priests, only the sons of Aaron could prepare them. They were not to be replicated or used for any other purpose that to be a sweet fragrance to God.

Later, in the Psalms, He let us know our praise and worship is also a sweet savor. God treasures and stores these times of communion. As they fill our hearts, they rise up into His nostrils and prompt Him to pour out many rich treasures and blessings from His vast storehouse. He places great value on obedience, which to Him is more important than even a costly sacrifice. Thus, obedience becomes a vital ingredient in the aroma of wholehearted worship.

This pleasing aroma flows both ways. His presence fills the hungry heart with good things. And His heart is thrilled and leans close to enjoy the lifting of holy hands and hearts heavenward. Praise, worship, sacrifice, and willing offerings are key ingredients of the aroma that pleases the heart of God. Best activated by a close relationship with Him, the word, communion, is an accurate description of what happens when God and man are in sweet fellowship. Before he was saved, the Gentile centurion, Cornelius' steady offerings had piled up into the heavens as a memorial to a man who was seeking after God. Evidently, God couldn't resist Cornelius' hunger. Drawn like a magnet to steel, He dispatched an angel, dealt strongly with the man of God, and opened a new dispensation - all to meet Cornelius' need.

This begs three questions... 1.) What kind of fragrance pleases God? And, 2.) How is it released?

The thing that triggers the release of this fragrance into the presence of God (and others) is brokenness.

• When the circumstances of his life broke Joseph again and again, the result was not bitterness, but the realization that God was in the breaking and used it in the blessing that followed.
• When the woman broke her alabaster box of fragrance over the feet of Jesus, the aroma filled the room, speaking not only of His suffering, but of her adoration and thankful heart.
• When Jesus broke and blessed the little - five loaves and two fish - He gave it to His disciples, who distributed it (in a pattern of what would follow,) and the hunger of many was satisfied.
• And when the sinless body of Jesus was broken and freely offered, it resulted in the salvation of the world!
• Your brokenness allows the perfume of God's presence to fill your world and become a precious ointment that testifies... "O taste and see that the Lord is good... He satisfies the hungry heart... He makes broken things every whit whole..." and releases an irresistably sweet aroma.

The aroma of fresh-baked bread or a hot apple pie triggers mouth-watering images of good things nearby. No wonder God uses this analogy to illustrate both the hunger our heart and His ability to satisfy all who hunger and thirst after His righteousness. His promise is, "they shall be filled!" The question has never been can He? or even will He? The only remaining question has to do with me and you...

3.) What kind of odor does my life present to God - and to others?

• Am I like the children of Israel in the wilderness who frustrated Him with their complaints and murmurings?
• Am I like King David who knew how - and gladly worshiped God with all his heart, mind, soul, and strength?
• Have I gone after other gods and other loves, replacing the devotion I owe him for all His kindness, mercy and benefits with a not so secret wandering eye?
• Am I like Josiah, who saw his failures in the Word and turned himself and everyone around him back to God?
• Do my lips say one thing - and my heart, mind, and actions say something else entirely?
• Or am I like Daniel and his three young friends who purposed in their heart that no matter what, everything they did was going to be God's way and for His glory?

I too have a signature scent. The odor I present to God and to those around me is based on the choices I make. It's a unique recipe I put together every day I live. If I choose to please myself; my flesh, its desires and agenda, if I seek after the things of this world and its system - my recipe becomes a stench in His nostrils and to those around me.

But if I choose to please Him and to set my heart and mind on heavenly things; it brings glory to God and makes my world more aware of Him and His goodness. I become a living testimony, and a catalyst of His redemptive plan.

Either way, this "signature scent" reminds Him of what He did at Calvary! (See II Corinthians 2:15.) Disobedience crucifies Him afresh, makes His sacrifice of no effect. But if my choices are born of a willing, obedient heart - the result is:

• an odor that is pleasing to Him,
• the joy of His salvation,
• His smile of approval, and,
• an irresistable force that moves the most obstinate of obstacles!

There is coming a day and a place when and where the fragrance of His joy and ours will combine into a holy, sweet incense, a perfume that will permeate heaven's atmosphere with a communion more perfect and complete than mortal senses can even imagine. We in Him and Him in us! Praise perfected! (No wonder worship is the most heavenly of occupations.) That day will be glorious indeed. But until then - every day - we're putting together our signature scent; the fragrance by which we'll be known throughout eternity!

Note: This thought was inspired by a recent Our Daily Bread devotion.

Things That Last

What would you give for something that lasts
A hundred years or more?
Does it measure in multiplied dollars and cents?
Or in bank accounts by the score?

What would you give for the trust of a child?
Can you buy it with trinkets rare?
How do you restore it once it is gone?
Can you carry it here and there?

What of the love of your husband, your friend?
As he goes through his day, when it’s through?
Is your home a haven of comfort and peace?
Can his heart safely trust in you?

What of the trust of the wife of your life?
Can she sail with a calm, serene mind?
Are you courageous and bold? or blustery and cold?
Do your children lag far behind?

And what of the souls you pass every day?
Their lives are so barren and bleak:
Lost, without God, they long for the Light
You enjoy every day of the week.

Moment by moment, day by day,
Life’s sand slips through the glass;
Weeks turn to months and months into years,
We learn that life comes – to pass.

Think of the things that you can pass on,
When your life here on earth is complete;
Their worth is counted – soul by soul,
And laid at the Master’s feet.

What will you invest in what you’ve been given?
That’s the reason behind this small rhyme;
Is it gaudy and cheap? Or crafted to keep?
Will your workmanship pass the test of time?

By Marjorie Kinnee

Christmas - 2008

The recipe for the year just spent,
Was bound together with kindly consent.
Holding measures of joy, and a measure of fear,
Spiced with laughter and a measure of tears.

There were pieces of chocolate – dark and bitter,
Mixed in with moments of sugary glitter.
Blended together, the bitter and sweet,
Make memory’s contribution complete.

Momentous moments in seconds of time,
Shared smiles and tears on an upward climb;
Each man’s outcome so clearly his own,
Yet each man’s progress is commonly known.

The future is out there
Its course has been staked.
But to us at this point,
It’s a cake not yet baked.

For the ingredient list of a human life,
Goes on and on through sorrow and strife;
Years of loss and years of gain,
Follow years of joy and years of pain.

We sum each year by a critical moment,
It’s crystallized, characterized, set up to foment;
"1998! – how well I remember,
That’s when my grandson was born in November!"

We toss in ingredients with scarcely a thought,
An unkind word, an opinion unsought;
And thus we assemble our life’s recipe,
Rarely taking account what the outcome will be.

Too soon, we give up and flee the fight,
When victory’s crown is almost in sight.
Too easy, we’re swayed by popular opinion,
And find ourselves caught in the enemy’s dominion.

But just ahead the oven’s fire
Will test the ingredients we acquire.
The proof’s in the final product, you see,
What we put in will last for eternity.

Christmas – 2008
Marjorie J. Kinnee

Shared Sorrow...

A "Hmm..." moment regarding recent disasters around the globe.

China doesn’t want workers, just money and machinery. Politicians assure everyone that they are doing everything they can; complete with photo-ops, hugs and televised speeches, but the magnitude of the earthquake and the sheer quantities of victims stagger the mind and belie the words. Exhausted relief workers sit by the sides of roads trying to catch their breath before heading on into more carnage. People, too afraid to sleep in buildings, choose to sleep on the ground out in the open as the earth continues to rumble beneath their feet. The media is filled with images of parents weeping over their dead children. For many, it’s their only child, (due to governmental birth control regulations). Mothers Day just past, the photos are a striking reminder that life is fragile and tragedy can transform a normal day into continual temblors of grief. Face after face, each one different, yet each one sharing a common denominator, sorrow. So many faces, so much distress, it numbs the mind... and the numbers keep climbing.

The rulers of Myanmar (Burma) claim they don’t need help. Ask the Burmese people whether they need help as thousands swell the cyclone’s toll. Yet with frustrated hand-wringing and "for shaming," the world sits on the sidelines, plane and boatloads of help at the ready, waiting for permission to enter, while millions huddle in misery out in the open or in temporary shelters, enduring heat and the stench of dead bodies all across the landscape. Disease opens her mouth to swallow the residue. Under pouring rain and sodden skies, with the threat of a second cyclone looming, they sit exposed and defenseless, an unwilling sacrifice to implacable gods. Their leaders spirit away the trickle of relief they allow into the country, while doling out rotten rice to a fraction of those who so desperately need nourishing food. Words from long ago echo across time, "Is it nothing to you, all ye who pass by?"

Throughout, there have been reports of bravery, courage and selflessness. It is right and proper that such be recognized, but when and wherever these stories are told, you can be sure there is an even greater number of unsung heroes. And in their lives and actions the world sees the truth of the words, "Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for a friend."

Thus it is that in the midst of horrendous suffering and chaos, the gold in the human spirit gleams brightest. Spurred on by inner strength beyond their own, they plunge forward into the unknown intent on saving, helping, rescuing, doing what they can to bring hope and light into troublesome times and events. It was this spirit that sent the NY firemen into the World Trade Towers. It was this spirit that sent one lone man in his own boat into the flood waters of Katrina's aftermath to rescue hundreds who were stranded on rooftops and upper floors. It was this spirit that urged the good Samaritan to forget about his own safety and minister to the needs of the wounded man laying by the side of the road. We are not given his name, just his nationality. But he not only ministered on the spot, he also put himself out to take the wounded man to further help and provided for the man’s continued care when duty called him on. That Samaritan’s actions became an illustrated sermon in answer to the question, "Who is my neighbor?"

"Love your neighbor as yourself" – strong words, convicting words, words to remember, but not only in times of tragedy. The hardest part of loving your neighbor as yourself is constancy – becoming the illustrated sermon throughout your life. One thing is sure. Those who make a practice of caring and sharing in the lives of others and who consider others’ needs ahead of their own are legitimate heroes in anyone’s book. When it comes to character – the man or woman, boy or girl who fleshes out this commandment day in and day out far surpasses the shallow, self-centered attention grabbers of this world. And in the end, when we all give an account, this kind of gold, where’re it may be found, can stand the closest of inspections.

The Clothesline . . .

There was something to be said about the clothesline of yesteryear. It was an incentive to making sure one had bleached and cleaned wash loads as well as possible – because your laundry was on display and you were too! It whipped in the wind like flags in a stiff breeze. Sheets and large items were hung on the outside lines, the inner lines were reserved for personal items. Your neighbors and even passers-by could and would form a positive or negative opinion based on the things you hung out and the way you hung them on the line.

The internet provides a place for aired laundry of a different sort... it has become a modern day Mars Hill or Speakers Corner. As it was back then, so it is today. Many don’t care what they hang out for all to see. That's why you see and hear so much of the snivel and the whine and the bitter vetch aired there.

Many seek a voice and the internet provides a platform without parameters or governance – anything goes. Each man does what’s right in his own eyes. It’s a whole new world out there. Caution and discretion can be flung to the four winds. What once was only done in secret is now hung out like so much dirty laundry for public display. Vicious arguments, language that reveals a mindset steeped in the gutter, photos and video clips displaying a penchant for notoriety in milder forms, and real and implied depravity at worst, fictitious "biographical" material, and a willingness to hold any and everything sacred up for ridicule – this kind of laundry is readily available on the internet – MySpace, FaceBook, and YouTube are just some of the purveyors.

From the outset, it seemed wise to stay away from chat rooms and such. The amount of time they consume was unconscionable. Subsequent revelations have made them seem even less appealing and often downright sinister. They sing a siren's song... "Come – your notions are as good as anyone else’s – spread them abroad – I'll make it easy for you to see and be seen, hear and be heard. Tell your story like you'd like it to be. Don't fret about negative opinions and old-fogey logic. What do they know? Besides, what harm can it do? It’s your life!"

Funny that we, (the human race,) never seem to learn from the past. (Those who do are blessed indeed.) The traps are the same old tricks. But dressed in modern clothes, they intrigue us all over again with heady suggestive thoughts. Like our forebears, we succumb and make the same mistakes all over again, thus proving generation after generation, millennia after millennia, that the Word of God is right and true and applicable to all generations.

One of the good things about hanging out your laundry is the sun. Something about the sun and the wind work together in synergy. Soap, bleach, scrubbing and lots of water both for washing and rinsing do their part. But the sun and the wind together not only dry the laundry but they also purify and refresh the fabric. What’s more, the smell of line dried, sun-bleached clean linen is unforgettable!

Is the internet all bad? Of course not. There are many good uses for technology of all sorts. But to maintain a savor of the grace that brought us out of darkness into His marvelous light, one must embrace the need for His Light to permeate everything, action and deed. We are washed, we are cleansed and we are on display for all to see – trophies of His grace. His desire is for us to share the good news of His goodness and mercy wherever we go. He said we’re salt and light. As such we cannot be hid. But we do not draw men to ourselves, we point them to the One who can save them just as He saved us. With that mindset, the internet is just one more place that needs to be filled with the knowledge of the Lord!