Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord; Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.–Hebrews 12:14-15

 

From all appearance, it looks like this will be a beautiful day, but you will not enjoy it. Nor will you appreciate the fact that you will have plenty to eat and that you can walk on your own two feet. You are bitter and it colors the way you see everything. Don’t make it worse, by trying to ignore it. Adrian Rogers wrote:

Bitterness is an emotional cancer that consumes many a person who once had the bloom of eternal springtime in his heart. Where does it come from? Usually from being hurt. Perhaps you were abused as a child, rejected by someone, fired from a job, or even bypassed at church.

Bitterness sets in when the hurt goes unresolved. There is a solution. If you’ve been wronged and bitterness has become so strong that you can almost taste its bile within your mouth, then it’s time to pursue it with a holy vengeance. With the Spirit’s spade, root it out. Draw a circle that takes in those who have wronged you. Forgive them for Christ’s sake!

Bow before the Lord this morning and ask for grace and power to uproot the bitterness that has taken hold in your heart and is robbing you of the joy you desire.

‘I’ve had a few arguments with people,” comedian Buddy Hackett once confessed, ‘but I never carry a grudge. You know why? While you’re carrying a grudge, they’re out dancing.” Think about it!

You’ve heard people say, “Keep looking up” and you know what they mean. The problem is that most people don’t look up far enough. If we really want to be helped, we must keep our sights on heaven (2 Cor.4:16-18). Pastor Greg Laurie put it this way:

“When we are young, we tend to think more about how God will bless us, guide us, and provide for us in this life. But as we get older, if we are smart, we also will start thinking about our future destination. If you are preparing for a trip, you probably will check the forecast for where you will be going, because you want to know how to prepare. As Christians, we are preparing for a journey, and the destination is heaven.

Deep inside us, there is a longing for a place we have never been. We are not dazzled by the world’s enticements like we once were. We see these things for what they are, and they no longer have the magnetic pull they once had. But the things of God pull us even more toward Him.

This unique quality that we have inside us, this longing for heaven, is put there by God. C. S. Lewis described it as “the secret signature of each soul.” It is like the little boy who, when asked how he knew his kite was still on the end of the string, replied, “I know it is there, because I can feel its pull.” I know heaven is there, because I can feel its pull. And I know that one day I will be there.

—— Another way to translate this verse is simply, “Think heaven.” As Warren Wiersbe has said, “For the Christian, heaven isn’t simply a destination; it’s a motivation.”

Is heaven your motivation today?

 

Our profession and practice are not always in agreement–we are human and we fail. But, we should never use that to excuse our failures. We must keep the ideal before us and strive to be the best we can be.

 

These words from Turning Point helps us in this area. “It’s time we lived as if we really believed our truths. If we really believed Romans 8:28, that God works all things together for good, we’d be consistent optimists. If we really believed in the power of the blood, we wouldn’t keep beating ourselves up over sins long ago forgiven. If we really believed that Christ was always with us, we’d be hard pressed to recall a lonely hour. If we really believed the world was lost and hell-bound, we’d be shouting the Gospel from the rooftops. And if we really believed Christ was coming soon, we’d live every day in anticipation of His imminent arrival.

Yes, we do believe. But sometimes we act as if we didn’t. Faith isn’t just vague intellectual assent, and hope isn’t mere wishful thinking. Jesus wasn’t just a bearded, white-robed character in a picture Bible, and heaven isn’t just pie in the sky bye and bye.

These are realities, as true as true can be. It’s time we believed our beliefs. The world can only be set aflame by those who live out their faith every day.”

Believe your beliefs and doubt your doubts; don’t make the mistake of skeptics of believing their doubts and doubting their beliefs.–Anonymous

 

 Suppose you are God, some men seem to do that, and this is your planet. Now suppose you are going to choose one man with whom you will build a great nation to represent you upon the earth. What qualification would you look for?

 

God chose Abraham, a man who would be faithful to provide spiritual guidance for his family. That’s what we need today! Someone said, “A boy loves his mother, but he follows his father”. As a general rule that is true. Dad, you need to stop and think about where you are leading your family.

 

The great military hero, Gen. Douglas McArthur said, “I don’t want to be remembered as the great General who led armies and liberated the people; I want to be remembered as the Christian father who prayed and read the Bible with his children.” God give us more such men!

 

If you have such a father–treat him right. If you are such a father–thanks! If you want to be such a father–get busy! For good or bad, your example influences your family, and you get only one chance to get it right–don’t delay.

 

 One father said, “If I had it to do all over again. I’d love my wife more in front of my children. I’d laugh with my children more. I’d listen more, even to the youngest child. I’d be more honest about my own weaknesses and stop pretending perfection. I would pray differently for my children. I would be more encouraging and bestow more praise. And finally, if I had it to do all over again, I would use every ordinary thing that happened in every ordinary day to point them to God.” That’s good advice!