Listen for the Cross-examination

"In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right, until someone comes forward and cross-examines." Proverbs 18:17 (NIV)

Imagine the conversation between Eve and the Serpent in the Garden of Eden. He was clearly very skilled in making the argument that the things God told her could be otherwise interpreted. In fact, he told her that she would "not surely die" if she partook of the forbidden fruit. One of the things that made his words so effective at introducing doubt was her own desire. We are told that the fruit appealed to Eve's eye, looked delicious for eating and according to the Serpent, had the additional benefit of giving her at least one attribute of God. She therefore ate and introduced disastrous consequences that all of humanity still experiences today. It is submitted for your consideration that we are predisposed to entertain assertions such as those offered by the Serpent because of our own desires. It is written that, "each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust" James 1:17.

Beloved, we ought to praise God for the advocate He has given us in Jesus (1 John 2:1). We can think of him not just as a lawyer who argues our case before God against the accusations of Satan, but one who has also already served our sentence and paid our debt, thereby releasing us from condemnation. You see Satan tried the same thing with Jesus that he did with Eve, however, he completely and utterly failed when the Lord refused him and answered him (cross-examined if you will) with the Word of God. He was unwilling to turn rocks into bread after a 40 day fast because it is the Word that sustains. He refused to throw himself toward the ground from dizzying heights to prove God would save him because he was unwilling to put God to the test. And he refused to accept the keys to the world from Satan for the "small" price of bowing down to him because he was only willing to worship God. Jesus knew better and did better because he sought the will of God and not his own.

Today there are many alternative views of what is good, bad, right and wrong. There are many who will tell you of different ways to achieve enlightenment, receive salvation, gain "heaven" and even reincarnate. To some these things are convincing as evidenced by the tremendous number of adherents to these different philosophies. Let us; however, wait for the cross-examination. There is more to know than what they say. May the Lord help us to overcome our own desires and seek His.

Increasing in faith,

Lee

From Whom Will You Hear It?

"And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father’s house --for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’  But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”  Luke 16:27-31

A man known only as being rich, dressing well and eating sumptuously, found himself in the unenviable position of being in a place of torment after his death.  During his life, it is evident that he did quite well for himself; however, there was a man named Lazarus whose place of torment was at the rich man's gate.  Despite seeing him there begging and covered with sores, the rich man could not be bothered with displaying the slightest grace or mercy toward him.  In the end, their places were reversed.  Lazarus, in death, enjoyed peace and comfort.

The point being made here is not so much about the current situation of either man, but the pleas of the tormented to get the truth and reality of life after death to his relatives.  In short, he begged that a warning, even one from beyond the grave, be sent to them that they might avoid his fate by seeking the righteousness that he failed to embrace.  Unfortunately, the request was refused.  Why?

Beloved, there are scant few of us who have not been exposed to the truth.  What is determinative regarding our afterlife is what we do with the information.  Jesus' "Parable of the Sower" is an excellent example of what can happen when we receive the word of truth and why.  It is demonstrated in the parable that the spreading of the seed (the word of truth) is both ample and wide ranging, allowing everyone access.  The impartation of the information originated with God communicating directly with man, then through His son and now through the written, preached and taught word of the Bible.  It is available to everyone everywhere.  We have every opportunity to embrace it while we yet live.  Abraham refused the rich man's request because if there was/is no willingness to receive and repent based on all the ways righteousness is offered now, offering it yet another way will also fail to convince.  

There is no better evangelist than the living Lord (Heb 1:2).  Let us strive to hear him and encourage others to do so through us.

Pursuing a transformed life,

Lee

One Thing

"Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, 'One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.'  But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property."  Mark 10:20-21

Most every Christian is familiar with the story of the rich young ruler.  Famously, he approached Jesus and asked what he must do to inherit eternal life.  Jesus directed the man's attention toward six of the Ten Commandments.  Parenthetically, each of them had to do with how we are required to treat others.  The young man assured Jesus that he had obeyed all of those commandments since he was a child.  Then Jesus, with love and compassion for him, uttered the words, "One thing you lack."

Fully embraced and understood, those words are jarring, shocking and terrifying.  Before reading further, close your eyes and meditate on them and what you think they mean.

***

Imagine going through your life and doing the very best you can to serve and please God.  Imagine feeling that you had done everything that you knew how to do to adhere to being the type of person the Creator of the universe made and desires you to be.  Imagine feeling really good about it and being ready to take the next step to secure your eternity. You've attended worship faithfully, prayed and studied daily, sacrificially given of your means, been morally upright and shared the gospel with others. Now imagine having it revealed that there is "one thing you lack." 

Beloved, it is critical that we are cognizant of any such "one thing" that may exist in our lives.  This means that we must constantly take inventory of anything that could cause us to turn away from God, despite our best efforts to live lives that honor Him.  For the rich young ruler, it was his unwillingness to give up his vast and valuable earthly possessions that cost him the heaven that he had modeled his life to obtain and specifically requested.   

What can be required of you by the Lord that you would refuse?  Do not be quick with your answer.  Recall, for example, that Abraham was asked to sacrifice his promised son.  Would any of us do that?  And let us not simply focus on things we may be asked to do on the spot.  The implications are far greater when we consider the things that do not please God that are a part of our daily lives, despite our Christian claims.  These are things to which we might have become blind or we may be fully aware of but unwilling to cease.  Do not let "one thing you lack" keep you from the place that has been prepared for you. 

Remember this also: despite claiming to keep all of the commandments all his life, his decision to not share his wealth for the benefit of others showed the truth about his claims.  We are rarely as pious as we might think. 

In pursuit of a transformed life, 

Lee

Which is the Real You? 11/5/2013

"Do not eat the bread of a selfish man,or desire his delicacies; for as he thinks within himself, so he is. He says to you, 'Eat and drink!' but his heart is not with you.  You will vomit up the morsel you have eaten, and waste your compliments." Proverbs 23:6-8

We are all familiar with people who say one thing yet mean quite another.  Perhaps we are those people ourselves from time to time.  The thought process of today's Scripture is that in an effort to be well thought of, a person may display hospitality and generously invite someone to their home and offer them their finest.  All the while, however, he or she is focusing more on the inconvenience and the disappearing of their goods.  With every bite, the cost is added up and held against the guest.  Therefore, the true measure of a person is not as much what they say or do but what is in their heart.  Further, what is in the heart will eventually be revealed.

Beloved, no one enjoys a two-faced person.  They are inconsistent and insincere in all of their ways.  They cannot be counted on to be truthful and they operate from questionable motives.  The point here is not to root out and expose people with these characteristics.  They will eventually do that themselves.  Our goal should be to constantly self-examine, ensuring that we are not guilty ourselves.  We are members of the body of Christ and should conduct ourselves as he did without guile on our lips or malice in our heart.  We are called upon to be tender, loving, sincere and caring for others more than for ourselves.

Let us consider the words of the prophet Isaiah as we interact with one another: 
"He who walks righteously and speaks with sincerity,
He who rejects unjust gain
And shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe;
He who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed
And shuts his eyes from looking upon evil;
He will dwell on the heights,
His refuge will be the impregnable rock;
His bread will be given him,
His water will be sure."
Isaiah 33:15-16

Committed,

Lee

Alignment 9/4/2013

"If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;" 1 John 1:6

Let's face it. Not everyone who claims to be a Christian behaves like one should. If the estimated 247 million Christians in the US alone truly reflected the teachings of Jesus in word, thought and deed, Christianity would not be experiencing the decline that has been documented. Our children would not be leaving the church as they enter adulthood at the levels they are. And our country would not be in the state of moral degradation that it clearly is. But this is not about what others are or are not doing. This is about self examination.

Beloved, the questions about why things are as they are must begin with a long look in the mirror of Scripture. We as individuals must make an honest determination about how much the word and will of God exists in our lives. It is the easiest thing in the world to do to cast stones at others or point out the "motes of dust" in their eyes, but are we as quick to recognize deficiencies in our own lives? The Scripture says, "For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does," James 1:23-25.

It is beyond both our ability and our commission to "fix" the whole world. That is strictly within the purview of God. We can, however, do all within our ability to be in alignment with His will as reveled in His word in our own lives. It would be amazing how "fixed" the world would become if everyone focused on ensuring the orderliness of their own houses.

Committed,


Lee

Witness II 8/13/2013

"John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, 'This was He of whom I said, He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’” John 1:15 (NKJV)

Yesterday we discussed the power of witness. We approached it from the standpoint of how we today can accept and believe the reality of Christ. Accepting and believing, however, is short of the full intent of witness for us.

In Jesus day, particularly at his prosecution by the local religious leaders, many false witnesses were sought and obtained to testify against him. There was a strong desire to discredit him, defame him and ultimately, end his life. After all, he claimed to be the very son of God, even God in the flesh which was considered blasphemy by the religious elite. One wonders what their religion was all about if they rejected the prophesied Messiah. Nevertheless, there were problems with their witnesses. "Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none. For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies did not agree" Mark 14:55-56. Then as now, for witness to be credible, it must be consistent and found in the mouths of more than one.

Beloved, our witness is true because it comes from those who were there. Further, we can testify to the truth of our own experiences with the Lord. We are then called upon by him to share our witness with the world. What he told the apostles remains true for us today: "...but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” Acts 1:8. We know that the false witnesses gathered by the Adversary are still active. Let us combat falsehood with truth. "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so" Psalm 107:2.

Committed,

Lee

Extending the Invitation 5/31/2013

"When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, 'Will you give me a drink?'  (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)  The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)"  Jn 4:7-9 (NIV)

Beloved, the gospel is not a secret and Christianity is not some sort of exclusive club (insofar as that everyone is welcome).  In fact, it could be compared to the Ark on which Noah vigorously invited everyone to join him and his family due to the impending deluge.  Noah cared for his fellow man.  It could just as easily be compared to a hospital where the sick are invited to come for healing (which everyone could use in some form).  Doctors, nurses and hospital staff are dedicated to this pursuit.  The key to both of these analogies is the invitation.  The key to the invitation, with the understanding that love and compassion drives it, is how it is made.

Jesus, our great example and inspiration did three great things to extend the ultimate invitation.  First, he went where he would not normally go.  There was a hundreds of years old schism between Jews and their compromised relatives, the Samaritans.  Samaria was avoided by Jews and the name was often used as an insult.  Samaritans in turn felt the same way about the Jews.  So it was completely out of what would be expected for someone of Jesus' knowledge and de facto authority to even be in Samaria.

Second, Jesus did what he might not normally have done.  It was highly unusual for someone who was considered a rabbi to be in a private conversation with a woman, particularly one who was "involved."  Speaking of involved, Jesus later demonstrates knowledge that she is co-habitating with a man that is not one of the 5 husbands she has had.  Some even accuse her of harlotry.  Added to this, he asked her for a drink.  Because the passage later reveals that he had nothing with which to draw water, he could only have drunk after her or use her vessel.  There are all kinds of ceremonial purity issues here, nevertheless, Jesus, because of his great love, was some place he should not have been, doing something he should not have done.  This is said from the standpoint that once his apostles returned and came upon this scene, they had some serious unarticulated questions, but would not even acknowledge the presence of the woman.

Finally, Jesus met her in the location and the condition that she was.  It was entirely unlikely that she would ever leave her confines to seek Jesus for the truth.  She did not even know who he was and she had her own understanding of truth (vs. 20).  It was therefore necessary that if she was to ever experience the safety of the Ark or the cures associated with the hospital someone had to make the information known.  Someone had to go to where she was and minister to her even in her sinful condition in a loving way.  Jesus has done the same thing for you.  Will you do likewise for someone else?  Will you extend yourself to extend the invitation?

Committed,

Lee

The Outer Expression of Inner Truth 10/8/2012

"If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit." Gal 5:25

One of the hottest singing groups in the 80's was a duo called Milli Vanilli. Their first album went 6 times platinum and they won a Grammy that year for Best New Artist. The only problem was that the members of the group were not the actual singers. This was discovered during a concert at which the recording jammed and continued to play the same line over and over. The duo continued to lip sync for a while but ultimately ran off stage in humiliation. It was the scandal of the decade in the music industry.

Beloved, as Christians, it is critical that our Christian faith not be just a profession but a heartfelt Spirit filled lifestyle. Otherwise put, our video must always match our audio. To proclaim a relationship with the living God but live a life that is outside of His will and way is hypocrisy that does not fool God at all despite the fact that others may be influenced and enamored by what they see.

More important than what others think is being honest with one's self. Paul affirms that if we "walk in the Spirit, we will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want" Gal 5:16-17.

In short, if we claim to be children of God, let it be true on the inside and shown on the outside in both word and deed.

Rejoicing in the Lord,

Lee

Admitting When You Are Wrong 10/3/2012

"Then the men became extremely frightened and they said to him, " How could you do this?" For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. So they said to him, "What should we do to you that the sea may become calm for us?" — for the sea was becoming increasingly stormy. He said to them, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will become calm for you, for I know that on account of me this great storm has come upon you." Jonah 1:10-12

Have you ever been dead wrong and known it? Of course this is a rhetorical question. We all have at some point in our lives and this has surely happened multiple times. The real question is about how we handle it. For many, the automatic response is to continue to bull our way through and stand on our manufactured correctness no matter what. It must be asked what this accomplishes. Among the answers are estrangement, deterioration of trust and credibility, damaging of relationships, ostracisation and being labeled a liar.

Suppose instead that we humble ourselves and admit our error? We are all human and subject to the same mistakes. 1 Cor 10:13 reveals to us that "no temptation has overtaken us except that which is common to man." None of us are busy creating new ways to be wrong. Character and integrity, however, are revealed in how we handle the realization that we are outside of where we need to be.

Beloved, Johan knew that he was wrong. Seeing the affect of his actions on others, he immediately owned the problem by identifying himself and explaining that he was to blame. Further, he accepted responsibility by instructing his shipmates to throw him overboard and let God deal with him. In so doing, he confined punishment to where it belonged, upon himself. He caused the lives of the innocent to be spared. He gave them information that influenced them to worship God. And he ultimately received forgiveness for the mistake that he made.

Let us always pursue the freedom that accompanies truth by acknowledging our errors, admitting our fault and taking responsibility for our actions. God blesses these humble acts with forgiveness. We may similarly find that our neighbors will too.

Rejoicing in the Lord,

Lee

Traditionally Speaking-724/2012

"So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us." 2 Thess 2:15

"Tradition" can be a dirty word in the church today. As we contend with one another about the way things ought to be done, the word "tradition" comes up all of the time. The argument is about what the bible says vs. what we have fallen into the habit of doing. There are times that we have done something a certain way for so long that it rises, in the mind of some, to the level of scriptural authority. In fact, a visitor who was looking for a new church home recently told me that he could not continue to worship with us because we have a separate children's worship service and that this was against what the bible says. Of course the bible doesn't address this topic or anything like it anywhere, but because this brother was unaccustomed to such a practice, it put us on the outside of what he thought was right. It put us outside of tradition.

Beloved, the only tradition that matters is that of the apostle's teaching. The bible is clear in its central and fundamental messaging. We must hold to the gospel tradition that involves the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and savior, Jesus. We must love God with all of our hearts, souls and minds and we must love others as ourselves. Naturally, this list could be considerably lengthened, but everything on that list would come back to these three statements. So the message does not change but the methodology does. The scriptures were written thousands of years ago when there was no internet, automobile, printing press, cameras, church buildings, PA systems and the like, yet we use these things to advance the message.

Let us be sure that we do not invalidate the word of God by human tradition which establish and hand down; for we often do many things such as that, Mark 7:13.

Rejoicing in the Lord,

Lee

Living in Denial-4/23/2012

"Jesus said to him, 'Truly I say to you that this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.' Peter said to Him, 'Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.' All the disciples said the same thing too." Matt 26:34-35

Peter's denial of Jesus is one of the most sobering and tragic narratives in the New Testament Scriptures. The argument could easily be made that Peter was the Lord's closest companion and most staunch supporter. He was always one who seemed to take the lead among the apostles, the one whose faith allowed him to walk on water and the one who used violence to defend him in the Garden of Gethsemane. How then could it be that he would be the one whose denial is graphically documented for all time?

Beloved a better question is "Have I denied Jesus?" Our knee jerk reaction is "No!" We may, however, need to rest our knees and give the question some serious thought. Denials can take many forms. Have you ever taken a position contrary to what the bible teaches? Have you ever said or done anything that is counter to your faith. Have you failed to stand up for what you know is right or looked the other way when you saw someone in obvious need? Do your friends know you as one person and your church family knows you as another? Peter is certainly the poster child for such denial, but all of the other apostles made the same claim of fidelity and each of them, except John, abandoned him in his greatest our of need.

In truth, none of us are exempt from this great sin. Despite our occasional lack of faith, it is important to know that we serve a loving and forgiving Lord. Peter was famously restored to fellowship and standing among the apostles when Jesus asked him three times, "Do you love me?" His answer was in the affirmative then Jesus said, "Follow me."

Rejoicing in the Lord,

Lee

Who is Your God?-2/3/2012

“Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects. For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you." Acts 17:22-23

The apostle Paul found himself in Athens, Greece, the one time center of the civilized world and the home of things such as democracy, the world's prevalent language and perhaps most importantly, philosophy (which literally means "love of wisdom"). It was a popular thing for intellectuals and want to be intellectuals to sit around thinking about and discussing many things, such as existence, logic, aesthetics, morality and religion. As was his custom, Paul began share with all who listened, the way of God. The people were inclined to hear because they were always interested in hearing something new. Some believed and some did not.

Beloved, humanity has changed little. Everyone still has an opinion about everything and it is not difficult to attract followers to just about anything. There is no credible way to accurately quantify the number of religions practiced on the planet. Suffice it to say, most everyone is looking to believe in something higher than themselves that will eventually answer all of our questions. For this dilemma, Paul offers the one true living God.

Even in Christ, we must ask ourselves what we truly believe. It is true that we may claim Christianity and even attend worship in a church building, but whom do we truly serve? Is it our possessions? Our relationships? Our vocations? Our habits? If you are unsure, examine where you spend most of your time and resources. This may very well be a strong indicator.

Surely God wants us all to have life, and that more abundantly. But let us always remember who provides that life. Let us remember that, "The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation," Acts 17:24-26.

Rejoicing in the Lord,

Lee

Let the Redeemed Say So-1/26/2012

"And they were not able to withstand the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke." Acts 6:8

Stephen was a man full of the Holy Spirit. We are introduced him early in Acts 6 as one of the men chosen to see to the daily ministrations of the Hellenistic widows. They were not called deacons, but were considered the first. It happens that Stephen was also a powerful and passionate proclaimer of the word who also had spiritual gifts that allowed him to perform great wonders and signs among the people. Unfortunately, his message was not popular with everyone. He soon found himself with detractors and disputers who ultimately had him brought to the ruling counsel to give an account of himself and to answer the false charges of blasphemy levied against him.

Beloved, there is much we can learn from Stephen. He was absolutely fearless in speaking up for the cause of Christ. He was not ashamed of the gospel nor afraid to tell the truth to whomever would listen. God encourages us all to speak as His oracles or the very utterances of God (1 Pet 4:11). When we do this, there will be people who will disagree but the truth cannot be disputed. We must know that, "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but to us which are saved it is the power of God.

Stephen so angered the establishment that they dragged him out of the assembly and stoned him. In the midst of this event, however, Stephen was given a wonderful gift: "But he being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God" Acts 7:55. Consider this the highest most divine support of the man, the message and the method.

Let us be not afraid to stand up for the Lord in whom we believe or better put, "let the redeemed of the Lord says so!"

Rejoicing in the Lord,

Lee

Word is Bond-7/1/2011

"The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance." 2 Pet 3:9

We put a lot of stock into what people say when it comes to things they say they are going to do. Failure to deliver on promises or just plain lying are some of the biggest offenses we know and can tend to label a person for life. We also put a lot of effort into making sure that those things are done. Today there are lengthy contracts, the legal vocation, notarizations and sworn testimonies to keep people honest and provide for remedies if they are not. Seldom will we take people at their word on important matters.

Beloved, we must always strive to be people of our word because we serve a God of His word. Jesus said that we are to live lives that are credible enough not to have to make promises that are based on the surety of things that are beyond us but to instead let our yes be yes and our no be no, Matt 5:33-37.

As Christians, we have faith in the promises of God. We have that faith because He has never lied and has always done what He said that He would. We have that faith because we earnestly desire the day that we will shed our current circumstances in favor of being with Him for all time. This He has promised and will do. Let us do likewise in all things.

Loving Like Jesus,

Lee

Truth-DD 5/23/2011

"Behold, now is "THE ACCEPTABLE TIME," behold, now is "THE DAY OF SALVATION" 2 Cor 6:2

This past weekend, the world was treated to a tempest in a teapot. Though more credit is given here by simply mentioning it than it really deserves, it is important that those who are current or potential believers know that there is truth to be obtained. That truth comes from the Source of all truth. The truth has been made known to us through the divinely inspired scriptures.

Beloved, there are many things for us to know. God has been generous in His provision of knowledge about Himself, His will and His expectations of us. He has assured us that those who are the called according to His purpose can look forward to an eternity with Him. NONE of us knows the exact timing but we can be 100% sure that the day will come.

That said, it is important that we be in a constant state of readiness for when that day arrives. The "acceptable time" is that which God saw fit to send his only begotten to the earth to carry out his mission of love and reconciliation. The "day of salvation" is every day between the resurrection and his second coming. Since we do not know the timing of the second event, we must diligently pursue the truth found in His word and live according to that which is found there. Not only will this prepare us, but it will shield us against false doctrine and those who would mislead based on their own version of truth.

Loving Like Jesus,

Lee

Keeping Your Word-DD 3/1/2011

"But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment." James 5:12

In biblical times, it was common practice for people to make a profession and base its validity on things greater than themselves, such as heaven or earth. Sound familiar? Have you ever heard anyone swear on their mother's grave or their children's lives or some other such thing?

It was also common to make these professions without them being held or understood as binding oaths. Rabbi Akiba taught that "a man might swear with his lips, and annul it in his heart; and then the oath was not binding."(from Adam Clarke's Commentary) To us, it would be like making a promise or a statement and crossing our fingers. We feel that it relieves us of the burden of fulfilling the statement should it be necessary to do so. In short, it is a license to lie.

Beloved, we must be a people of our word. When you are telling the truth, it is not necessary to fortify it and it is not necessary to hedge it. The danger in doing either is one of becoming a hypocrite. Where there is hypocrisy, there is judgment. Let us be people of our word in everything that we do and say.

Loving Like Jesus,

Lee