Our minister recently posed a situation to our congregation. He asked all of the young people from seniors in high school down to stand. If the children were too young to stand on their own, he asked the parents to stand with them. Then he went through the audience and asked certain children to be seated. When he finished, there were about 10% of the children in our congregation still standing. “These,” he said, “are the ones that will remain faithful when they leave for college.”

As we looked around the building, the reality of what he was saying was incredibly obvious. Yes, according to statistics, we are losing 60% to 90% of our young people.

When all the children were seated once again, our minister then asked, “What is the difference between those who leave and those who stay?” The answer is discipleship. Put aside this article and read John 6. Read the entire chapter and then consider the following example.

Jesus had fed 5,000 men. He took 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes, and turned them into a meal for thousands. Jesus left the crowds and sent His disciples away in their boat. Early in the morning Jesus appeared walking on the sea, and Peter made his famous unsuccessful attempt at walking on water too. These were two miracles that offered a sample of what Jesus had to offer.

The next day, the crowds searched for Jesus, and knowing the disciples had entered their boat without Him, they boarded boats and headed for Capernaum. They found Him, but Jesus was wise to their motives. They had come for food, not because they sought the message. But the real “food” was in the message and not in the miracle of the loaves and fishes.

There among those who had witnessed the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000, Jesus gave His famous lesson on being the bread of life and their need to eat His flesh and drink His blood. He identified this analogy as spiritual rather than physical, but the crowd couldn’t bear it. They left Him. Though the disciples remained, He questioned their desire to stay and revealed that one of them was the devil.

So, what does that chapter have to do with our losing 60% to 90% of our young people? It’s simple. The crowd was not willing to hear what they needed to hear. They were not willing to be disciples. Jesus lost thousands, while only a small number stayed.

Now, back to our minister’s lesson. In Matthew 19:13-15, parents were trying to attach their children to Jesus. They brought them to Jesus, but the disciples were trying to keep them away. The consequences of one who does this is found in Matthew 18:6. “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.”

We would never actively, intentionally cause a child to sin (at least most would not), but parents are passively keeping them away from discipleship. Here is how it happens:

• Negligence—Jesus is at the bottom of the parent’s priority list.
• Parents are not helping children move toward a faith of their own.
• Jesus is not important to show up on the parent’s priority list.
• Children see a lack of character (drinking, smoking, cursing, gossiping etc.)
• They see a lack of Bible knowledge. Parents don’t teach the Bible at home.
• Children have unfiltered influences. Children are in charge of where they go, what they watch, their choice of friends, etc.
• Parents just stand back and let other things slide in between.

This passive attitude is Satan’s tool for capturing our children. We see it happen with the disciples. Luke 22:3 says that Satan entered into Judas. That is exactly what happens with our children. If they are not well-grounded in the faith, they will be easy prey for the roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.

The formula for solidifying a disciple is found in Matthew 28:19-20. Make disciples, baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the things Jesus commanded. That is a true solid foundation.

Sandra Oliver

As a whole, diverse cultures are good. From observing the created world around us, it is evident that the Creator likes variety. He intended for mankind to spread all over the globe (Genesis 9:1), and He knew that they would eventually have their own separate manners and culture. Indeed, when men disobeyed God’s command to fill the earth, the Lord made the different languages to confuse them and scatter them (Genesis 11). Surely, the various languages influenced the people groups even more to develop their own distinct civilizations. Today, studying different cultures is interesting and can enrich our lives as we learn how others view certain perspectives. However, there are many areas of our cultures that, as Christians, we must ask ourselves where do we stand on these issues?

Christianity has always been countercultural. Christ came in human flesh at a time when Rome ruled the known world. Most people proclaimed Caesar as lord. First-century Christians proclaiming that Jesus is Lord clashed with their counterparts in all aspects of life, and it is no different today. Or, is it? I fear many Christians love the world and the things here more than the Lord Who they claim is their Master (1 John 2:15-17; James 4:4). Many of us are looking at self (or others like us) – seeing a reflection of ourselves and our own self-imposed, worldly standards instead of looking to God’s Word – the Standard – to see what we should be. The Sermon on the Mount is a great outline of how a follower of Christ lives in opposition to worldly cultures. Let’s examine some key points of this beautiful message.

Our Relationship With God

Matthew 5:3-12 records the beginning of the Lord’s lecture with the well-known Beatitudes. God has the authority to give commands to His creation. He made mankind with free-will, and God allows us to choose whether or not to serve Him. God has mercifully and lovingly given us all that we need to come to Him (2 Peter 1:3; Jude 3). Briefly here, the Lord summarized those qualities of being found in favor with God. The culture screams, “be you,” “be your own boss,” “follow your heart,” etc. Our Creator wants us to submit to and follow Him by recognizing that we totally depend upon Him (poor in spirit), mourning for our sins that have separated us from Him, humbly submitting to what He has said as we continually hunger and thirst for righteousness, leading us to live pure lives and sharing the good news with others (being merciful peacemakers). The fact is that we have all declared our loyalty to someone or something. For many in the world, that service is to self. For Christians, Christ is our King, and we cannot love anything or anyone more than Him (James 3:4-10; 1 John 2:15-17).

Our Relationship With Others

“Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them…” (Matthew 7:12 NKJV). The Golden Rule, that we all fail to uphold from time to time, sums up true love. The world has a different definition of love – one based upon feelings instead of what is best for another. Christ exposed the heart of the matter: anger (Matthew 5:21-26), lust (Matthew 5:27-32) and lying (Matthew 5:33-37). If we are truly following Him, we will “love your neighbor as yourself” (Romans 13:9; Galatians 5:14; James 2:8). When the culture declares, “revenge on those who have wronged us,” “do what makes you happy,” or “dog eat dog power struggle for the top,” Christ’s followers ‘turn the other cheek’ (Matthew 5:38-42), “love for enemies… and pray” for them (Matthew 5:43-48), forgive those who repent (Matthew 6:14-15), and take the speck out of a brother’s eye (after we have removed the plank from our own, Matthew 7:1-5). How wonderful our relationships with our spouses, coworkers, etc. would be if everyone applied the Lord’s teachings!

Our Lifestyle of Holiness

In short, the Christian’s life is one of little concern for man’s culture around us but rather for the will of God. Our attitudes, manifested in our lifestyles, are different from that of the world’s (Matthew 5:10-16; 6:1-8, 16-34). The Lord concluded His sermon with the sobering comparison of the fool to the wise man (Matthew 7:24-27). What distinguishes the two? The difference is whether or not we are doers of His Word (Matthew 7:21-23). “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21).

Emily Fisher

“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17, ESV)

The term “righteous” or “righteousness” is found over 500 times in the Bible, over 140 of those in the New Testament. Thirteen of those instances are from the words of Jesus. Every instance comes from the same Greek word, dikaios, meaning, “upright, keeping the commands of God.”

Interestingly, though, the word also means the opposite. In English we might liken it to the word sick. “I am sick (not feeling so well).” Or, “That jacket is sick (its great)!” As in English, so in Greek: context determines the manner in which the word is being used.

Knowing this helps us understand what Jesus meant when he used the word “righteous.” For example, look at these two statements of Jesus in Matthew 13:

Many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them (v.17)

Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear (v.43).

Here, Jesus means the term in its ideal sense, “upright, keeping the commands of God” (Thayer). In fact, this is the sense in which Jesus almost always used it in Scripture.

But look at these parallel passages from Mark 2 and Matthew 9.

They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance (Mark 2:17).

But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance (Matthew 9:13).

Here, Jesus contrasts “righteous” with “sinners,” but perhaps not in the usual way, as in “those who are already forgiven” with “those who have yet to be forgiven,” though these are perfectly acceptable ways to use the terms. But Jesus is making a different, less obvious comparison.

The context of this statement is this:

And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? (Matthew 9:10-11).

Clearly, Jesus is answering the Pharisees. And in so doing, he is likely using the second, opposite meaning of the term righteous, defined by Thayer as, “those who seem to themselves to be righteous, who pride themselves to be righteous, who pride themselves in their virtues, whether real or imagined.

If you plug that definition in to Jesus’ statement, it makes perfect sense:

I came not to call the righteous [those who seem to themselves to be righteous] but sinners, [those who do not seem to themselves to be righteous] to repentance.

Or, it can be condensed even more:

I came not to call the self-righteous, but the unrighteous, to repentance.

This parallels other sayings of Jesus, particularly in dealing with Pharisees – like when he told them they were blind because they had sight (John 9:39-41), or when he compared their pretentious prayers to that of a penitent publican (Luke 18:9-14).

They thought themselves righteous; they were anything but. Jesus was never more severe as he as with the self-righteous.

The lesson they needed most – and perhaps professing Christians need reminded of today – is that the self-righteous never really are righteous unless they are unrighteous.

R. Kelley

I Corinthians 12:5 “There are different ways to serve. But they all come from the same Lord.”

My job was to document the youth group’s trip to Mexico and my goal was to make sure each child was represented in photograph. Simple job – or at least I thought so. But perusing through the plethora of photographs each evening made one thing quite clear: Some children live in the spotlight and others abide in the shadows.

Apostles and brothers, Peter and Andrew, remind me of that youth group. Although business partners, each brother differed in temperament and talents, but they found unity by using their distinctive gifts in ministering to Jesus. Peter served out-loud while Andrew served in the quietness of the day to day.

Peter epitomized spotlight-ministry, demonstrating some the most ambitious acts of bravery as well as the greatest colossal fails. Peter was the boisterous one, the spontaneous fighter, and the outspoken advocate. It was Peter whom a crucified and risen Savior summoned by name. And it was a spirit-filled Peter who stood before the crowds on Pentecost and mightily preached the resurrection to the Jews. It doesn’t get more spotlight than that!

However, nothing you just read would have happened without the quiet spirit of Andrew. It was Andrew who brought Peter, the loud one, to the Messiah. Without his introduction, all the boisterous kingdom-works of Peter would have been lost. Andrew must have been the approachable one for others came to him seeking Jesus. Although we think of Andrew as ministering in the shadows, the major role he played in the story of the Messiah cannot be argued.

Most of us fall into one of these two categories. We may do whatever it takes to get the job done, utilizing our talents in an out-loud, in-the-spotlight fashion. Or we may serve Jesus with a quiet demeanor, behind the scenes, lifting and supporting those in the spotlight.

The good news is that our Father does not favor one talent above another. He created our entire array of abilities for His godly purposes. How sad to have a pot-luck meal where everyone showed up with only deviled eggs. Each guest would leave unsatisfied and hungry for more. In the same way, if we all brought to God’s table identical talents and personalities, those seeking Jesus would leave hungry for more.

In whatever way you minister, whether in the spotlight or the shadows, you are valuable to our Father. So, dear Sisters, persist mightily today remembering, “There are different ways to serve. But they all come from the same Lord.” 

Father God, help us see our talents through your eyes. May we rejoice in using them to Your glory.

Blessings,

Rita Cochrane

Bask in the Affirmation

Luke 15:1-2 “Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, ‘This Man receives sinners and eats with them.”

An uncomfortable scene took place in Luke 15 as a crowd of religious leaders and “sinners” gathered around Jesus. Surely both groups felt ill at ease around the other. The Scribes and Pharisees looked down upon those they deemed sinners and the “sinners” surely sensed judgement from the religious leaders.

Both groups came to Jesus with purpose that day. The religious intended to trap Jesus. The “sinners” searched hope from the Savior.

Standing in the crowd, the Scribes and Pharisees complained how Jesus associated with sinners. In their eyes, everyone (excluding themselves) fit this category. Ironically, their rude accusation held more truth than they could imagine, for Jesus was indeed surrounded by sinners. The prideful, the gossipers, and the greedy stood all around Him. Without a doubt, those who lied, cheated, and judged others stood there too. And just perhaps, some in that group were adulterers and robbers. But had it dawned on the Scribes and Pharisees that Jesus realized these sins in their hearts also?

Jesus responded that day with a parable of a shepherd who willingly left His flock to rescue one lost and distressed little lamb. And when the good shepherd found the lamb, He lovingly carried it on his shoulders to safety where great rejoicing erupted.

What a beautiful description of our Heavenly Father whose redemptive love defies comprehension. Under no circumstances would I have been so kind if forced to leave an entire flock behind to hike the mountains searching for one defiant sheep who chose to wander away. Had I been that shepherd, there would have been absolutely none of that shoulder-carrying. Pretty sure I would have grabbed that lamb by the scruff of his wooly little neck and spanked his fluffy behind all the way home, accompanied by a stern warning of never wandering away again, for there would be no more rescuing. Lost would mean forever lost!   (Now, aren’t you forever grateful that God is God and I am not!)

Whatever our sins, we can rest assured it was represented in the crowd surrounding Jesus that day. And friend, no one can speak forgiveness and redemption into our lives like our God. Just as the Good Shepherd carried that little lost sheep on His shoulders, God’s strong and mighty shoulders will carry us back into his flock. His Word constantly reminds us we are beautiful, precious, and worthy of redemption. So, bask in the affirmation that we are loved and our Good Shepherd desires to redeem us!

Father God, your loving redemption defies our comprehension, and we praise You!

Blessings,

Rita Cochrane

They cower over me, standing tall

And on my knees, I begin to fall

A perfect place to find true peace

Begging God my giants to defeat

Like a lost sheep, crying in fear

My God, my God, are you there

Reach out LORD, touch my soul

To be again, complete and whole

My legs are weary, can’t go alone

At night I weep and cry and moan

My broken heart; it’s much to bear

God Almighty, do you truly care

How long must I weep in sorrow

Are these giants here tomorrow

I beg, I plead, down on my knees

Take my burdens, let them cease

Fill me up with the strength to fight

To slay these giants with your might

I know you’ll always fight by my side

As long as I always with, you abide

Indeed no giants no matter the size

Can keep me from winning my prize

I’ll keep running the Christian race

Despite the giants I continue to face

Thank you, Father, you are my Rock

For with you, my giants will be struck!

(Deb Hibbard)

If you lived in the early seventies, you may have seen a comedy show staring Flip Wilson. One of his memorable  expressions was, “The devil made me do it!!!”  This has long been a standard part of the blame game, going all the way back to the garden of Eden. Adam blamed his disobedience on Eve, and Eve blamed it on the serpent. She may as well have said, “The devil made me do it!”
The blame game continues to this day. Have you watched the news? No one wants to admit they have done something wrong. “It’s not my fault. I never would have done it if I hadn’t been provoked.” And they proceed to justify their deed. It is always someone else’s fault.
Scripture is filled with examples of those who either listened to the wrong person, or decided their way was better than God’s way, or went down any number of roads that took them down a dark path.
When Cain murdered his brother, I wonder if he was prepared for the consequences. God said to him, When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth. And Cain said to the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear!  Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground (Genesis 4:12-13). He was personally responsible for Abel’s gruesome death and reaped the consequences.
Then there is the account of the deluge of water that covered the earth, destroying all but eight people. Noah preached for a hundred years while building the massive vessel (2 Peter 2:5). The people could have listened and turned to the Lord, but they did not and paid a tragic price for their wickedness.
One of the classic accounts of casting blame on another is the first king of Israel, Saul. At the beginning of his reign, he was little in his own eyes, as Samuel described him. We might say he was humble. God told him to attack the Amalekites and utterly destroy them, do not spare man or woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey, Saul attacked the Amalekites, but he took King Agag alive, and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good.
God came to Samuel and said, I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments (1 Samuel 15:11). Samuel went to King Saul and said, Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord? Saul said, But I did obey the Lord. I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal.
Samuel said, You have done a foolish thing. You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command (verses 19-21). Saul then confessed to Samuel that he had sinned, that the reason he did it was because he feared the people, so he obeyed their voice. He asked for pardon for his sin, but it was too late. Samuel went no more to see Saul until the day of his death (verse 35).
James lets us know that the devil doesn’t make us do anything. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death (James 1:14-15). We have control. We can choose to run from that which tempts us, or we can choose to give in to our own desires. We must take personal responsibility for our actions because there are consequences. Paul wrote, Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life (Galatians 6:7-8).
Our God is long suffering with His children when they violate his will and with sinners who have not yet obeyed Him. But do not be fooled, there certainly will come a day of reckoning! (2 Corinthians 5:10).

Today’s Verses: Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matthew 7:21-23).

Audios available at http://christianwomanaudiodevotionals.abiblecommentary.com

By Teresa Hampton

Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” NAS

We readied our cameras and waited in anticipation of one of the most famous sights our nation has to offer. Within moments, the earth would erupt, shooting water high into the air, the likes of which we had never witnessed and whose tales had been recounted for centuries.

Old Faithful!

Beside us sat a family, who had also traveled cross-country to behold the glory of Old Faithful. But, as steam escaped the ground announcing the approaching explosion, an orange garbage truck pulled up to the visitor center with loud clashing sounds and began dumpster trash removal. Immediately, their little boy took off sprinting toward the truck, the grandfather right on his heels. The child jumped up and down and clapped his hands as the dumpster was lifted high into the air and came clanging down on top of the truck to unload its contents. Simultaneously, behind them Old Faithful spewed in all its glory.

As both the dumpster and the geyser spectacles subsided, a frustrated grandfather returned with a little boy unable to contain his excitement. The man, who had just missed Old Faithful’s glorious display for trash removal, let out an exasperated sigh. But a little boy who witnessed no part of Old Faithful shouted, “An orange garbage truck is the best thing ever!”

Unfortunately, the grandfather and his grandson missed all the grandeur of the geyser to watch garbage being collected. To rephrase Matthew 6:24, No one can watch two spectacles; for either he will see the one and miss the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot watch Old Faithful and trash removal.

I’m reminded of Martha, a friend of Jesus, who takes a bad rap for her hospitality. Martha’s problem was not in her eagerness to serve, but like that little boy, Martha found herself distracted from what was most important at that moment. There would have been time later for hospitality, but she focused on her surroundings when she should have focused on her Savior.

How often do we do the same thing? Do we, too, embrace non-vital affairs and miss God’s goodness? Are we so excited over trivial earthly matters that we ignore our devotion to God? Can we become so overly attentive to self-improvement that we overlook spiritual improvement?

Life challenges us to establish priorities. Will we focus on an orange garbage truck or Old Faithful? Will we place more value on this passing life or on a glorious God? Sisters, may we place our eyes first upon our Savior.

Father God, may our gaze be ever upon You and Your will for our lives.

Blessings,

Rita Cochrane

I Corinthians 12:5 “There are different ways to serve. But they all come from the same Lord.”

My job was to document the youth group’s trip to Mexico and my goal was to make sure each child was represented in photograph. Simple job – or at least I thought so. But perusing through the plethora of photographs each evening made one thing quite clear: Some children live in the spotlight and others abide in the shadows.

Apostles and brothers, Peter and Andrew, remind me of that youth group. Although business partners, each brother differed in temperament and talents, but they found unity by using their distinctive gifts in ministering to Jesus. Peter served out-loud while Andrew served in the quietness of the day to day.

Peter epitomized spotlight-ministry, demonstrating some the most ambitious acts of bravery as well as the greatest colossal fails. Peter was the boisterous one, the spontaneous fighter, and the outspoken advocate. It was Peter whom a crucified and risen Savior summoned by name. And it was a spirit-filled Peter who stood before the crowds on Pentecost and mightily preached the resurrection to the Jews. It doesn’t get more spotlight than that!

However, nothing you just read would have happened without the quiet spirit of Andrew. It was Andrew who brought Peter, the loud one, to the Messiah. Without his introduction, all the boisterous kingdom-works of Peter would have been lost. Andrew must have been the approachable one for others came to him seeking Jesus. Although we think of Andrew as ministering in the shadows, the major role he played in the story of the Messiah cannot be argued.

Most of us fall into one of these two categories. We may do whatever it takes to get the job done, utilizing our talents in an out-loud, in-the-spotlight fashion. Or we may serve Jesus with a quiet demeanor, behind the scenes, lifting and supporting those in the spotlight.

The good news is that our Father does not favor one talent above another. He created our entire array of abilities for His godly purposes. How sad to have a pot-luck meal where everyone showed up with only deviled eggs. Each guest would leave unsatisfied and hungry for more. In the same way, if we all brought to God’s table identical talents and personalities, those seeking Jesus would leave hungry for more.

In whatever way you minister, whether in the spotlight or the shadows, you are valuable to our Father. So, dear Sisters, persist mightily today remembering, “There are different ways to serve. But they all come from the same Lord.” 

Father God, help us see our talents through your eyes. May we rejoice in using them to Your glory.

Blessings,

Rita Cochrane