Author: pastordarryl68

Love. Live. Serve. Minimizing me...making much of JESUS! Loves God, family and crossroads|church. Husband, father, teacher, student, servant and worshiper.

Show No Partiality

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As followers of Jesus, we know the Golden Rule – the idea that we’re supposed to treat others as we would want to be treated. We understand that regardless of how much money someone has, we ought to treat them like we would treat someone with little in their bank account. Regardless of their ethnicity, social status, wealth status, and any other difference, we ought to treat everyone with kindness and respect. We know all of that.

But do we live it out well? Or do we think about celebrities as if they are deserving of special attention? How do we act when we see a music idol or sports star on TV…or if we happen to meet them in-person? How do we act when someone with a celebrity or someone with a lot of money walks into the room? Do we idolize those types of people without even knowing it? Do we think about them as more important than others due to their “special” differences, i.e., the differences that we favor for one reason or another? That’s favoritism. That’s partiality. That type of thinking is biased.

Celebrities need Jesus. Music idols need Jesus. Sports stars need Jesus. Rich people need Jesus. We have all sinned. No mere human is perfect, so there’s no good reason to idolize anyone. We should treat all humans well, without showing partiality to anyone. It’s not just about head knowledge; it’s about obeying God’s Word.

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. ~ James 2:1

To Sabotage or To Redeem

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The best way to sabotage a relationship that God has given to you:

  • become hyper-focused on where you disagree or how you’re different
  • dwell on the things you don’t like about the other person or wish were different to better accommodate you
  • fixate on the way they ignore how you try to control the way they think, speak, or what they do

The best way to redeem a relationship:

  • focus on the pleasure they bring to their Creator as an image bearer
  • focus on what they bring to the table and offer to others besides you
  • remind yourself of what they have given/done for you
  • ask yourself why God has allowed you to be part of their life
  • focus on their heart

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. ~ 1 John 4:7

After the Butker Dust Has Settled

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I have no respect or love for the NFL and even less for the idolatry that it elicits from presumed Jesus followers. It pains me to see the cultural indoctrination of such idolatry in children.

Though I’m a long-time resident, I’m indifferent to the KC Chiefs, mostly for the reasons cited above. I’m not a fan of Travis Kelce or Patrick Mahomes, and I doubt I’ll ever wear their numbers or names (or anyone else’s) on any of my clothing. That’s a personal choice- no condemnation to those who partake in that multi-million dollar-a-year industry.

But Harrison Butker…

Based on his recent commencement speech, I became a fan of Harrison Butker, not as a kicker, but as a fellow man and as a man of faith. I don’t even share his Catholic doctrines, but I’m proud of him for standing up for the compromised beliefs of his church and for having the courage to address Catholic concerns in an open crowd of Catholic educators, clergy, families, and graduates. Someone tried to make the case that it’s a liberal arts college and not everyone in the audience is Catholic. So? That doesn’t change the fact that they chose to attend a CATHOLIC liberal arts college that invited a CATHOLIC to speak at commencement. Honestly, he makes some references to what appear to be specific examples that his audience is familiar with, of which I have no knowledge. I don’t have to share all of his beliefs (which I don’t) to support his right to believe them and state them confidently among those united under the Catholic tradition at a Catholic liberal arts college. Even if I did believe and support all of it, I may not have said everything quite how he said it, but I support his right to say it.

I am not Catholic and do not share his love for their doctrines, but I’m proud of him for calling out the church, the priesthood, and the laity based on their beliefs and values unified by their common catechism. I’m proud of him for calling out the hypocrisy of those politicians who say they also share the presumed common doctrines of the church. I’m proud of his conservative values. I’m proud of how he elevated the home. I’m proud of how he affirmed women who choose marriage and motherhood as a career. I’m proud of how he elevated his wife, who chose that career. I’m proud of him for being a role model of belief and worship of the one true God, conservative values, God-ordained marriage, and parenthood.

I’m also proud of Chiefs owner @TaviaHunt for supporting him and backing him up with her own tribute to marriage and motherhood of daughters.

I read and heard a lot of accusations that he was anti “this” and conveying hate speech toward “this” group. We weren’t listening to the same speech. None of us want someone putting words in our mouth. Just because I’m elevating my church for qualities that I appreciate and are meaningful to me, it doesn’t mean I hate other churches or that I hate people who don’t go to church. It just means I love my church and I’m proud of my people…in a holy way. Butker was simply elevating specific values that he believed in among an audience he thought my love and appreciate the same values.

People turned his positive accolades of something he appreciated into negative harassment against people or choices he never mentioned. I don’t share some of his Catholic standards, but I sure don’t think he was being “anti-protestant” simply because he was elevating centuries-old Catholic doctrines to an audience at a Catholic liberal arts college. Just because someone speaks positively or promotes a value they admire doesn’t mean that they are conveying hate toward those who don’t share those values. It doesn’t mean they are “anti” other values that other people might have. If I can’t speak highly of something I value, a product I like, a preference I have, or an act that I appreciate without someone taking offense because they have different preferences than me, communication is over in our culture. If I have to agree with you on everything, then one of us is not necessary. If this is who we are as a community, we’re in a world of hurt. People hear what they want to hear whether it’s being said or not.

If you’re interested, here’s his whole commencement address…not the snippets and sound bites being pulled from it, twisted and blasted.

The Cost

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In 2 Samuel 24, when presented with the opportunity to worship Yahweh by giving the very minimum effort (building an altar on King Araunah’s threshing floor on King Araunah’s land using King Araunah’s oxen and materials), King David resisted firmly. Instead, he bought the threshing floor on which to build the altar and the oxen to sacrifice. He said, “I will not offer anything to Yahweh, my God, which costs me nothing.“

Follower of Jesus, when our maximum effort is to offer the bare minimum expected – whether to Yahweh, to our family, to our employer, to our team, or even to the stranger on the street – is that not a betrayal of what Jesus says makes us a disciple? What did Jesus say? “If anyone is to be my disciple, let him deny himself, take up his cross (the symbol of ultimate sacrifice), and follow me.”

Question to ponder before the Lord: What is the cost I’m paying toward the Kingdom of God?

Through the Lens of the Word

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It is incredibly disheartening when churches and/or denominations view the Word of God through the lens of their culture. Scripture is the lens through which we should view, assess, and compare the culture in which we live —no matter what generation or century, no matter which part of the world or people group. Scripture is our standard, not our culture.

When the church adapts to the culture to accommodate its pewsitters’ preferences rather than being the vehicle through which culture discovers Jesus, is regenerated by His Holy Spirit, and through whom they are conformed to His Word and His Way, it is no longer the church. Therefore, the church must view the culture through the lens of the Word of God, not the other way around.

And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. ~ Colossians 1:18

The Kingdom of God Has Arrived

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Jesus Christ IS King…NOW. He reigns…NOW. His Kingdom is established…NOW. His Kingdom is being expanded…NOW.

He is a perfect King. He is a gracious and merciful King. He is a forgiving King. He is a welcoming King. He is a faithful King. He is a worthy King.

His subjects…oh goodness, we’re still learning and being transformed. We don’t always get His Word correct. We don’t always execute His decrees with accuracy. We ourselves do not love and obey Him with the same commitment that we expect from those who don’t even know Him. We don’t always represent HIM well.

I thank Yahweh today for the Spirit of the Most High God, the Holy Spirit. I’m thankful today that He dwells in and HELPS those who have come to King Jesus in repentance and faith, those who have been regenerated and are being conformed to His image.

His Kingdom come, His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. It IS happening.

I’m sorry to the watching world that it is taking some of us longer to learn to surrender, to deny self, and to take up our cross (our symbol of complete sacrifice) to follow Him.

We WILL do better. Keep watching. Keep learning. Keep your eyes on the King more than on me! I wait with Earnest Expectation and Blessed Hope to look just like Him!

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” ~ Matthew 3:2

Leveraging Who You Are

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The best thing you can do to leverage who you are and what you’ve been given to make a difference in the world, your community, your church, and your family is to…
— stop making excuses.
— stop blaming others.
— stop playing the victim.
— stop assuming the worst of God, others, and yourself.
AND…
— start honoring Yahweh, your Creator and Designer.
— start believing in the work of Yahweh in and around you.
— start loving.
— start forgiving.
— start being PRESENT.
— start being generous with who you are, what you have, and what Yahweh has taught you and shown you.
— keep forgiving.
— keep learning.
— keep being.

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. ~ Colossians 3:17

You Can’t Out Give Yahweh

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It is “religious” to ask, “What is the minimum I must give? What is the minimum I must share, do, serve, etc., in order to meet the ‘standard’?” It is religious to ask, “What does the law or the code require?”

From the heart and character of Yahweh, the example of Jesus Christ Himself, the apostle Paul, Peter, and the others, being a follower of Jesus INSPIRES just the opposite – “If anyone is to be my disciple, he must deny himself, take up his symbol of humble sacrifice (his cross), and follow me.”

It is the nature of Yahweh AND those conformed to the image of His Son to ask, “What is the most I CAN give and still live another day to serve my King?” To be Christian is to embody the Spirit of humility, sacrifice, compassion, hospitality, and generosity, to go the extra mile, to turn the other cheek, to leverage our strength, our earnings, our gifts and talents for the testimony of the King and for the good of His Kingdom.

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. ~ 2 Corinthians 9:6

Jesus Moves Us

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Right, wrong, or indifferent – we are known by the company we keep.

If we hang out with crude people, we’ll be known by the same crudeness as those we hang out with.

If we hang out with those who have loose tongues, gossip, backbite, tell lies, and bare false witness, we’ll be known by the same traits as those we hang out with.

If we hang out with false teachers and wolves in sheep’s clothing, we’ll be known by the same falsehoods.

If we hang out with hypocrites and vipers, we’ll be known for the same.

One may argue or legitimize their relationship by pointing out that Jesus dined with publicans and sinners. Fair enough. But point me to a narrative where Jesus spent time with broken, corrupt, or morally decrepit people who:

  • did not immediately repent and follow Jesus;
  • did not lash out against Him;
  • did not regret having a conversation with Him;
  • or brought Jesus into their behaviors.

You’ll never find a situation in all of scripture where Jesus spent time with broken people and loving them meant joining them in their brokenness, corruption, or debauchery—not for a second.

Instead, in every situation, He loved them so much that He walked counter to them…He pointed them to a new life, a new heart, a new Kingdom. He reached over and pulled them out of their stink without getting any of it on Him. He died FOR their sin…not IN their sin.

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” ~ Matthew 4:17

Growth is Healthy

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Healthy things grow. If it’s not growing, it’s diminishing, dying, or dead. In the life of the follower of Jesus and in the church, the same is true.

Sometimes people stay stationary and the things around them grow, change, and transition. A solid, consistent, spiritually fit person might walk out all of Christ for all of life by teaching the same class or doing the same type of discipleship for years and years, but the people around them develop and grow and take on new ministry and relationships of pouring into others.

Sometimes people develop and grow out of one form of ministry into another as they themselves grow.

Sometimes a church grows and develops people in loving and obeying Jesus and then sends them out of the fold as workers in other communities, cities, and countries to teach them how to know, love and follow Jesus into His Kingdom.

Sometimes a church grows and develops people who grow and develop people who grow and develop people to know, love and follow Jesus into His Kingdom and the church body just grows and grows.

Sometimes a church does both. But the follower of Jesus and the church of followers of Jesus that is alive in the Spirit and healthy will ALWAYS grow.

He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. ~ 2 Corinthians 9:10