Guilt by Association

Hannah wanted to be a SAIL volunteer, an upperclassmen who mentors incoming Freshmen during orientation.  She would be assigned a group of students and she would show them the ropes, so to speak, of  high school.  She loves her school and she's a great communicator,  so it was a real shock when she was not chosen to participate.  She spoke with her guidance counselor and discovered that she had received the approval of her teachers, but administration had "black-balled" her.  They said that she had been involved in a bullying incident.  She was heartbroken and now she knew first hand the cost of hanging out with the wrong crowd.  The principal called it guilt by association.  Maybe, she had not actually bullied anyone, but she was present when it was going  on. 

The dictionary defines guilt by association as the attribution of guilt (without proof) to individuals because the people they associate with are guilty. 

So, are we responsible for the actions of another person?  Are we guilty because we hang out with those who are guilty?  Wikipedia calls it "association fallacy" or a red herring.

Jesus associated with sinners, but he lived a sinless life.  Yet, even he was deemed guilty by the Pharisees because he ate with tax  collectors and touched those who were unclean. 

The more I ponder this query, the more I have come to realize, we are all guilty by association- our association to humankind.  We are born into a sinful world, with a nature that is bent toward sin.  We are like our father, Adam, who ate of the forbidden fruit and disobeyed God.  We are sinners, all of us.  "As it is written, there is none righteous, no not one:"  Romans 3:10.

So maybe you haven't murdered anyone or robbed a bank, but you are guilty; guilty of not telling the whole truth, guilty of copying some one's work, or guilty of not being completely fair with everyone.

If we continue reading Romans 3, in verse 19, we find, "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God."

One day when we stand before God, we will have no excuse, we know in our own heart that we are guilty, that we deserve the just punishment for our sins.  Here, we are all on level ground; everyone is the same.  We have no excuse, all the world is guilty before God. 

Have you come to realize that you are a sinner, helpless and hopeless to save yourself?  If so, then you are at the right place.  The place we all must come to.  The place of forgiveness through Jesus Christ who gave his life as a ransom for all who are guilty by association. .

My Favorite Promise

On Tuesday, this week, an unusual question came up at our ladies Bible Study.  "Do you think promises in the Bible are hard to recognize?"  We agreed that sometimes they do seem hidden and we tend to read right over them without stopping to thank God for his marvelous promises in his Word.

With this question still fresh on my mind, I considered what I felt to be God's best promise for me, personally.  I found my answer in John 14:26.  It is a promise that I rely on every day of my life. It is a promise that brings me peace and assurance. It is a promise that has kept me from sin.  It is a promise that has kept me on the path that God has for my life.  It is the promise of the Comforter or the Holy Spirit.

In John Chapter 14,  Jesus is explaining the role of the Comforter; which in the Greek is parakletos, meaning "called alongside".  It is through the Comforter that Jesus continues his ministry here on earth, by walking alongside every believer.  In this loving relationship we abide  in Christ and Christ abides in us and we abide in the Father and it is through this abiding relationship that Christ makes himself known to us.  This unique and wonderful experience is only for those who love Christ and obey him.

Look again at verse 26.  Christ promises us that the Holy Spirit will teach us all things and he will remind us of all the things that Jesus said.  You can see why I would count this as one of my favorite promises.  I cannot even count the times the Holy Spirit has spoken to me through this exciting, abiding relationship.  A thought from out of nowhere urges me - "Call your parents".  A gentle nudge prompts me- "Pray about this."  A recollection from long ago reminds me- "I answered that prayer."  A timely suggestion directs me- "Forgive them and love them."

How does one experience this promise for himself?  In Acts 2:38-39, Peter is preaching on the Day of Pentecost, Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord shall call.

God's Word is filled with precious promises and I can hardly wait to discover another one.

Solomon, a type of Christ

There are many lessons to be learned from the study of the Old Testament.  Recently, when reading  1Kings, I discovered that Solomon is a type of Christ, or a typology.  A typology is defined by Webster as "a doctrine of theological types; one holding that things in Christian belief are prefigured or symbolized by things in the Old Testament".

Certain elements of Solomon's life are prophetic of Christ's life.  In my reading of 1Kings I discovered six interesting facts about Solomon that pointed to Christ and his ministry in the New Testament. 

1. Chosen by his father (1Kings 1:30).  David had many sons, but only one could be king and David declared that assuredly Solomon would reign after him.  Jesus, too was chosen by his father and declared to be the Son of God at his baptism (Matthew 3:17). 
2. Instructed by his father (1Kings 2:1).  Before he died, David charged his son, Solomon, to carry out his final wishes.  In fact, David had been instructing his son since a child.  We can read these admonitions in the book of Proverbs.  Jesus was always getting away from the crowds so that he could pray and he always did the will of his father (John 5:36).
3. Overcame his enemies (1Kings 2:24).  Solomon carried out his fathers wishes by killing his enemies.  Jesus overcame the enemies of God when he died in our place so that we could be forgiven of our sins and become the children of God  (Romans 5:8-10). 
4. Possessed supernatural wisdom (1Kings 3:28).  The people feared Solomon because they saw that the wisdom of God was in him; there was no one like him.  Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man (Luke 2:52).
5. Established peace (1Kings 4:24).  Solomon had peace on all sides round about him and every man dwelt in safety.  Peace prevailed under his rule.  Jesus, too, will one day establish a kingdom of peace that will never end because he is the Prince of peace. 
6. Built the Temple (1Kings 5:5).  Solomon fulfilled his fathers desire to build the Temple in Jerusalem which became the center of Jewish worship.  He wanted to make a place for God to dwell with his people.  Jesus built a spiritual temple of believers who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, therefore becoming the dwelling place of God (Ephesians 2:21-22).

It is exciting to see that the Old Testament and the New Testament compliment one another.  God's Word is complete and there are pictures of Jesus through out.  His message of love can be seen from Genesis to Revelation and his salvation is found from cover to cover.

Largeness of Heart

During the reign of King Solomon, Israel reached a pinnacle in her history.  It was a time characterized by peace and prosperity.  In 1Kings 4 we read that the borders of Israel were expanded to the largest that they had ever been or have been since.  Solomon's wealth was incredible; possessing horses and chariots by the thousands.  And all of this was because of his great wisdom.  Verse 29 tells us that, "God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore."  It is amazing what God can do with a heart that is surrendered to him.

Have you ever known anyone with largeness of heart?  The size of a persons heart it seems, is in direct relationship to their wisdom.  A large heart has an increased capacity to love.  It is compassionate, patient, and merciful to others.  A large heart is honest, true, and does what is right.  A person with a large heart listens and does not make snap judgements. 

Jesus expressed largeness of heart.  He always had time for those who came to him.  He had compassion on them, and healed the sick, the lame, and the blind.

We generally think of wisdom as a characteristic of an old man with gray hair, but neither Solomon nor Jesus were old men.  Wisdom is not gained with age; wisdom is imparted by God.  He gives wisdom to those who ask.  If you are a believer, you are filled with the Holy Spirit and God's wisdom is available for the asking.  God was pleased to give Solomon wisdom and he will be pleased to give you wisdom, too.  And along with his wisdom, he will give you a heart that is large.  

THE GIFT
God gave me a special gift when I lost my daddy.

The night before Daddy's funeral service, I returned home from the funeral home exhausted from a day of tears and sadness.  As I stepped out of the car, I looked up into the night sky, and there blazing from north to south was the most beautiful, brilliant shooting star I have ever seen.  It seemed so close, I felt like I was witnessing some miraculous event.  I could only stand and stare as I watched it disappear from sight.  Of the five other people in the car with me, only one, Lauren, the youngest granddaughter saw it.  She confirmed that what I had seen was real and not just the product of my exhaustion and grief.  Me, the oldest daughter and Lauren, the youngest grandchild, were privy to the glory of God that night. 

For me that shooting star represented my daddy's life; beautiful, brilliant, blazing with the fire of God.  Our lives, too, are like shooting stars.  God breathes into us his life and we are set ablaze.  We journey through this life from our birth until our death.  Some of us burn brightly, some are only glowing faintly, and some have no light at all.  For all of us though, our lives are over in a moment, and we are only a memory.  Those who burn brightly, like my Daddy, do so because God's glory is poured into their hearts by the Holy Spirit through Christ Jesus and that makes all the difference in a person's life. 

God was living in my Daddy and God's presence brings light and knowledge; it brings direction and hope; it brings peace and love.  What about you, are you filled with God's presence?  Does your life look like a shooting star, blazing a trail of light, hope, and love across a starry night sky?

"Ye are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."  Matthew 5:14-16

Cause and Effect

"Girls who eat their vegetables get to have dessert."

"If you stay on your bed and rest, then we will go outside and play afterward."

I'm watching my daughter-in-law, Teresa as she teaches our two granddaughters, Kate and Audrey.  She does a wonderful job of taking care of them and they are very well-behaved.  Teresa is teaching them, even at one and three, that the choices they make have consequences. 

Life is full of choices.  Moment by moment, day by day, we make choices that will effect our future.  I am who I am today, because of the choices I made when I was a child, a teen, and then a young adult.  It's pretty scary to think of just how important the formative years are.  Will I be truthful and honest?  Will I work hard and do my best?  Will I choose to do the right thing?

Every cause has an effect.
Every action has a reaction.
Every choice has a consequence.

And before you know it, you are a grandmother and you look back at your life and clearly see that the choices you made brought you to the place where you are today.

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.  Psalm 90:12.

Lord, help us today to make the right choice.

Even Before I Knew

 In the early morning darkness, I watched as she walked down the steps and to the street where the school bus was waiting.  As it disappeared around the corner, it occurred to me that we hadn't prayed.  In the 45 minutes since the alarm clock went off, we had hurriedly dressed, combed her hair, breakfasted, and checked her backpack for homework.  But in that span of time we had never stopped to thank God for rest or ask his help and direction for the day. 

I quickly offered a prayer for protection for Hannah and then I realize, God has been here all along; his holy angels are ever watching and guarding his little ones.  Once again, I am awed by how wonderful our God is.  He is faithful, even when I am not.  He never forgets me.  He is never too busy or distracted to care for me.  He was thinking of me while I slept.  Each morning he wakes the sun and pushed the darkness away just for me.  He gives me all I need for life, and he does it faithfully every morning.

"Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations."  Deuteronomy 7:9


Rest assured, God is way ahead of us.  He planned for this moment long before I even knew him.  He knows exactly what I need even before I ask.  He is ever working in my behalf to teach me, to lead me, to care for me, and to prepare me for the things that lie ahead. 

"But God commended his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."  Romans 5:8

Comforting, isn't it?  Even before I knew I needed a savior, he provided one!