Jim Wilson's Blog, page 12

Showing Hospitality

“Do not neglect to showhospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares”(Heb. 13:2).

What I have to sayabout this is primarily an observation. That is that Christian people do notgive much hospitality. When they do, it is to friends who then return thehospitality. But this text says to give hospitality to strangers. That is not entertaining your friends or giving dinnersback and forth.

The text gives us amotivation: some have entertained angels unawares. I remember talking to peopleabout this, not recently, but when we lived on the East Coast. They were notabout to invite strangers to their homes! They were not concerned that they mightbe missing angels. They were concerned that the people they entertained mightbe crooks or thieves who would take advantage of them. They do not expect toentertain angels; they only expect to be taken advantage of. As a result,hospitality goes by the board.

“Do not neglect to showhospitality to strangers.” Thisis not good advice; it is a command.When we neglect it, we are disobeying God.

Even if we do notget an angel, entertaining strangers is a great witness to those strangers.This is not the kind of hospitality that says they owe us a dinner now; it isone-way giving. Because of this, the people we show hospitality to areprofiting, not just from the dinner, but from the love of the host and hostess.This love that you have when you open your house to a stranger is the kind thatthe Lord Jesus speaks of; it is the kind of love we are to have as Christians.It is selfless. It is not watching out for yourself; it is watching out for thegood of the other person. “Do nothing from selfish ambition orconceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to theinterests of others” (Phil. 2:3-4).

This sort ofhospitality seems to be happening less and less in the Christian world. This isan encouragement to reverse the neglect. There are certainly people who needthe food, but there are also people who need the love that you can give tothem.

If you are notprepared for this, use your spare time to get prepared. Spend time in the Wordseeing what the Scripture says about it. Get trained to give hospitality tofriends and strangers alike. That is the natureof the Christian home—characterized by hospitality.

How do you trainyourself? Start by inviting a bachelor or two—someone who is easy to entertain.That will get you more prepared to invite others. When Bessie and I were ayoung married couple, Bessie told me that if I wanted to invite a bachelor homefor dinner, I should go ahead and do it anytime I wanted. She didn’t have tohave any advance notice. But if I was going to invite a couple or a woman, shewanted a week’s notice, because she was concerned about her housekeeping. Sheknew that bachelors wouldn’t pay any attention to it.

You need to eitherkeep your house spic and span all the time, or be willing to invite people over when it’s not spic and span. Don’tbe concerned about it. Our foolish pride gets in the way of hospitality. We areafraid of criticism of our house, our home, instead of loving people. If youwant to practice, practice by inviting bachelors, or tramps, or people who arehomeless. They will be very grateful and not critical. Don’t do nothing. Workyourself into giving hospitality to people who need it.

This post coordinates with today's reading in the SamePage Summer Bible Reading Challenge. If you are not in a daily readingplan, please join us at TotheWord.com. We would love to have you reading withus.

How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships

Sin’s Deceitfulness & God’s Purging

The following was written by Brad Scheelke, manager ofour bookstore (Oasis Books) in Logan, Utah.

“But encourage one another daily, as long as it is calledtoday, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness” (Heb. 3:13).

Notice that: 1) sin is deceitful, 2) this deceitfulnesshardens people, 3) hardening can be prevented, 4) giving encouragement daily isa means of prevention, and 5) every individual is important. The importantindividual is the other person. Self died on the cross with the LordJesus Christ. Now it is His life living within and overflowing to others.

This warning about hardness and unbelief continues throughHebrews 4:13, where the focus shifts to our hope in the Lord Jesus Christ'swork for us. Notice verses 12 and 13:

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than anydouble-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints andmarrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in allcreation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid barebefore the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Heb. 4:12-13).

Here the word of God resembles a surgeon’s knife that isalive and at work. Notice what the tool is cutting: the thoughts and attitudesof the heart. It seems that God is getting rather personal with each of us. Iam not exempt; none of us is. Some pretty ugly things get cut out of my heart.The question is, do I see this as good for me and for others? It is oftenuncomfortable and can be hard on your reputation.

In Psalm 51, King David, whose adultery and murder arerecorded for all to see, clearly identifies his behavior as evil and calls onGod to cleanse his heart. Notice that cleansing brings back the joy ofsalvation and enables him to lead sinners to God. Am I willing to deal with myown sin so clearly? Have I come to the point of welcoming the surgeon's knife?Is this not the kind of encouragement that Hebrews 3:13 is speaking of? As wespeak to one another about God’s word and how it applies to our lives andrelationships, God’s Spirit can apply the Word to my heart to cut outwickedness that has been unrecognized, excused, or even coddled by me.

The death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ aresufficient to carry us to the Father's presence in glory. So there is nothingto fear in having my sin exposed, unless of course I wish to enjoy it further.Whether a person is in God's Kingdom or still in the kingdom of darkness, thereis an intense cultural pressure to keep the surgeon's knife away from the humanheart.

Books provide a natural opportunity to speak to issues ofthe heart. So at Oasis Books in Logan, UT, we have a large display of “goodbooks” near the front door. These books are generally of two types: 1)biographies that show God faithfully at work in the lives of people and 2) booksthat point the way out of sin and into God's righteousness. We all need to seeever more clearly the faithfulness of God and the deceitfulness of our own sin.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trialsof many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith developsperseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature andcomplete, not lacking in anything” (James 1:2-4).

What does this passage say is God's way to the abundantlife? Why do we hesitate to travel this path? Good testimonies can help workthis verse deeper into our souls. Books that deal with sin clearly can help usdeal with our resistance to God’s way to holiness. In evangelistic conversationsat Oasis, we often read aloud specific passages from good books to wet aperson's appetite for the encouragement available. Sometimes it is anuncomfortable encouragement.

Here are a few books we recommend:

As she was dying of breast cancer, Isobel Kuhn wrote anencouraging autobiography called In the Arena. Here is her theme:“[Hudson Taylor] said: ‘Difficulties afford a platform upon which [God] canshow Himself. Without them we could never know how tender, faithful, andalmighty our God is.’ I found it so too. From a bed of sickness I have had timequietly to review my life, and as I gazed, it seemed that my most valuablelessons have been learned on these platforms. How often I have failed Him, I donot like to think. But of His tenderness and faithfulness there was never anend. As you read, I pray that you may not focus attention on how dark thetrial, but rather on the power of God that was manifested there and theemergence into light.”

In her book Green Leaf in Drought, Isobel Kuhnrelates the story of a missionary family going through great trials. The themeis Jeremiah 17:7-8:

 “But blessed is theman who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a treeplanted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fearwhen heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year ofdrought and never fails to bear fruit.”

Here is the passage from Kuhn’s book that has encouragedsome to a higher vision of trials:

These “four anchors” they found inAndrew Murray's formula for trial:

1)   Say, He brought me here. It is by His will I amin this strait place and in that fact I will rest.

2)   He will keep me here in His love and give megrace to behave as His child.

3)   Then He will make the trial a blessing, teachingme the lessons He intends for me to learn.

4)   In His good time He can bring me out again—howand when He knows.

So let me say, “I am 1) here byGod's appointment; 2) in His keeping; 3) under His training; 4) for His time.”

A.W. Tozer concludes his booklet “Five Vows for SpiritualPower” with these thoughts:

I wonder if you would be willing topray this kind of prayer: “O God, glorify thyself at my expense. Send me thebill—anything, Lord. I set no price. I will not dicker or bargain. GlorifyThyself. I’ll take the consequence.” This kind of praying is simple, but it’sdeep and wonderful and powerful. I believe, if you can pray a prayer like that,it will be the ramp from which you can take off into higher heights and bluerskies in the things of the Spirit.

In his simple book The Key to Everything, NormanGrubb writes,

There isn’t a single problem inhumanity except our self-reactions, not one. 

·      The Devil is no trouble. He was dealt with 2,000years ago.

·      Your neighbor is not your trouble.

·      Circumstances are not your trouble.

·      The only trouble is your reaction.

We also encourage those who seem to know the Father toinitiate conversations with other believers about God’s word and faithfulness.Those seemingly oblivious to their own sin, but keenly aware of the sins ofthose around them, we seek to sensitize to the magnitude and deceitfulness oftheir own sin.

Here is the beginning of the chapter entitled “The GreatSin” from C.S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity:

Today I come to that part ofChristian morals where they differ most sharply from all other morals. There isone vice of which no man in the world is free; which everyone in the worldloathes when he sees it in someone else; and of which hardly any people, exceptChristians, ever imagine that they are guilty themselves. I have heard peopleadmit that they are bad-tempered, or that they cannot keep their heads aboutgirls or drink, or even that they are cowards. I do not think I have ever heardanyone who was not a Christian accuse himself of this vice. And at the sametime I have very seldom met anyone, who was not a Christian, who showed theslightest mercy to it in others. There is no fault that makes a man moreunpopular, and no fault which we are more unconscious of in ourselves. And themore we have it ourselves, the more we dislike it in others.

Reading this paragraph to someone often leads toconversation about the corruption of the human heart, the deceitfulness of sin,and the power of the gospel. (You will have to read Lewis’ chapter to satisfyyour curiosity!)

It is encouraging to watch God at work giving people thevision that difficulties are friends sent from Him to refine us into the imageof His Son. Some even seem excited about it and are eager to tell others ofwhat they have found. May God mold us all to welcome these friends with purejoy. And let us encourage one another to this end.

If God has helped you put out this welcome mat, then youmight appreciate a little book If by Amy Carmichael. If we are willingto apply it to ourselves, it turns up the heat to help us see our “little sins,”the purging of which will greatly benefit those around us.

This post coordinates with today's reading in the SamePage Summer Bible Reading Challenge. If you are not in a daily readingplan, please join us at TotheWord.com. We would love to have you reading withus.

How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships

Forgiveness with No Regret

Over the years, I have had several people tell me that they cannot forgive themselves. They probablymean that they will not forgivethemselves. They make it sound like they are incapable of forgiving themselves.

In either case, this problem is not found in the Bible.There is no teaching or example of people forgiving themselves or not forgivingthemselves.

My question is, “Who do they think they are—God?” In theBible, we find that God is faithful and willforgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If that is true,we should thank God for this forgiveness and cleansing. If a person feelsunforgiven, it may be that his sorrow for his sin is not godly sorrow. Godlysorrow leads to repentance, which leaves noregret.

“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads tosalvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death” (2Corinthians 7:10).

If he still has regret, it proves that his sorrow is notgodly. It is worldly sorrow. That kind of sorrow is remorse. It is not godly.It leads to death. Here are words I hear: “If I were God, I would not forgiveme.” Thank God that you are not God! There is no sin too great for the graceof God. Grace is always greater than our sin.

“The law was brought in so that the trespass mightincrease. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more” (Romans5:20).

This post coordinates with today's reading in the SamePage Summer Bible Reading Challenge. If you are not in a daily readingplan, please join us at TotheWord.com. We would love to have you reading withus.

How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships

God’s Triumphal Procession

Give praise to God, for He is the Lord! Give thanks to Himtoday for His great provision. He is Jehovah Jireh, the God who provides! Whata great joy it is to serve God. Every activity, every thought, every action canbe our expression of worship toward God. Honor Him wholeheartedly, and we willreflect His attributes, the fruit of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace,patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

In chapter 2 of the book of 2 Corinthians, Paul begins hiswonderful teaching on the New Covenant, what it means to us as believers, andhow it perfectly reflects God's glory.

"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphalprocession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of theknowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who arebeing saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death;to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task? Unlike somany, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christwe speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God”    (2 Cor. 2:14-17).

In our present society, we are preoccupied with winning,whether in sports, business, school classes, or family relationships (forexample, sibling rivalry). Unfortunately, many of us are not winners by theworld's standards. However, God promises to always lead us in His triumphalprocession. In other words, we will be triumphant if we are following God'sleading for our lives. As we walk in His ways, we will possess an aroma thatall around us will be able to smell. As the Scripture points out, some will readilyaccept this aroma while others will reject it. Therefore, do not be surprisedat this as we experience it in our lives.

- Jim & Bessie Wilson

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How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships

Followers of Men

In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, he was concernedthat some of the churches were followers of men. He mentions it several times:

“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our LordJesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and thatthere be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind andthought. My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed methat there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, ‘Ifollow Paul’; another, ‘I follow Apollos’; another, ‘I follow Cephas’; stillanother, ‘I follow Christ.’ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you?Were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I did not baptizeany of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptizedin my name. (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, Idon’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me tobaptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the crossof Christ be emptied of its power” (1 Cor. 1:10-17).

“Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people wholive by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. Igave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, youare still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy andquarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are younot mere human beings? What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Onlyservants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each histask. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow”(1 Cor. 3:1-6).

“In the first place, I hear that when you cometogether as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent Ibelieve it” (1 Cor. 11:18).

The problem of men-followers did not get solved, even though itwas addressed. It still has not been solved. We can pray for God to fix it, andif we are part of the problem, we can confess our part in this disunity.

This post coordinates with today's reading in the SamePage Summer Bible Reading Challenge. If you are not in a daily readingplan, please join us at TotheWord.com. We would love to have you reading withus.

How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships

Jesus Christ Crucified

“When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquenceor superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For Iresolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and himcrucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. Mymessage and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with ademonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men'swisdom, but on God's power” (1 Corinthians 2:1-5).

Paul’s resolution caused his feelings—weakness and fear andmuch trembling. The result was a demonstration of the Spirit’s power. It wouldhave been easy for Paul to count on, and trust in, his own eloquence andsuperior wisdom. His converts would have been the result of man’s wisdom, notof God’s power.

That may be one of our problems in evangelism today. We getconverts based on man’s wisdom. A simple resolution might make the difference:“to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”

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How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships

How Paul Prayed for the Unsaved

“I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscienceconfirms it in the Holy Spirit— I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in myheart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ forthe sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel. Theirs isthe adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving ofthe law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, andfrom them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, foreverpraised! Amen” (Romans 9:1-5).

“Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for theIsraelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that theyare zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they didnot know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish theirown, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. Christ is the end of the lawso that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes” (Romans 10:1-4).

Do you see the parallels in these two passages? Here theyare: sorrow, anguish, brothers, heart’s desire, prayer, Israelites. This is howPaul approached evangelism: emotional intensity in prayer to God for unsavedpeople.

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How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships

Where Immorality Starts

“So they are without excuse; for although they knew God theydid not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in theirthinking and their senseless minds were darkened” (Romans l:20-21 RSV).

The increasing decadence that is described in the last halfof Romans l has its start by a choice described in verse 21: they did not honoror give thanks to God. All idolatry and immorality start here. Althoughthis was written about people who had only natural revelation (and they werewithout excuse), how much more inexcusable are those who have specialrevelation and have been redeemed.

Thanksgiving is the basic means of praising God. It is, forour benefit, a means of avoiding a critical and complaining spirit. "Ineverything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerningyou” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV).

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How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships

Our Calling

“But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this iscommendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered foryou, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps” (1 Peter2:20-21).

Do you have a calling? Yes! What is it? To this you arecalled:

Do good.

Suffer for it.

Take it patiently.

If we do good, suffer for it, and take it impatiently,this is not commendable before God. Two out of three is not good enough.

Christ, in His suffering, left us an example that we shouldfollow in His steps. We are to imitate Jesus in His goodness, sufferings, andpatience.

The book In His Steps was written more than 100 yearsago. It is a novel about a group of people who wanted to follow Jesus by askingthe question, “What would Jesus do?” The fallacy in the book is that it tookimagination to come up with the answer. The answer is in the text—do good,suffer for it, and take it patiently. We already know what Jesus would do.He has already done it. He is our example, and His action is our calling.

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How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships

Whatever Pleases Him

“Why should any of you consider it incredible that Godraises the dead?” - Paul the Apostle, in chains, before King Agrippa andGovernor Festus, Acts 26:8.

God is God! He created the universe and every microscopicpart of it.

“Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him” (Psalm115:3).

I’m with Paul. I think it is incredible that anyone thinksGod raising the dead is incredible. God is God!

This post coordinates with today's reading in the SamePage Summer Bible Reading Challenge. If you are not in a daily readingplan, please join us at TotheWord.com. We would love to have you reading withus.

How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships