“Let those who love the LORD hate evil” (Psalm 97:10).

Christians do not knowingly love evil. Even when we are tempted by evil we know evil is bad. We do our best to resist temptation and evil. Those who love God hate what evil does in our lives and in our society.

But what happens when Christians are unable to discern what is good from what is evil? What happens when Christians unknowingly love evil and embrace evil? Not because they intended to, but simply because they didn’t know any better?

How can something like that happen?

The devil knows that Christians aren’t going to endorse sin. So, what does the devil do? He makes Christians ignorant of sin and evil.

• How do Christians know what sin is? The Bible tells us.
• How do Christians know how to live a victorious life? The Bible tells us.

So, what happens when Christians don’t know the Bible?

Yup. That’s where we get in trouble. The devil’s greatest weapon is Christian’s ignorance of God’s word.

Reading and studying God’s word is God-honoring work. It doesn’t just happen. You have to be intentional about reading God’s word. And it’s not easy. You have to work at understanding it. Oftentimes, to properly understand God’s word, it means reading commentaries and joining Bible studies where the Bible is clearly explained.

Friends, thank you for spending a few minutes with me, and most importantly, with God’s word every day. May God bless your reading and studying of God’s word.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).

Starting things is easy. Finishing things is hard.

Starting is exciting. Nearing the end is exciting. It’s the in-between part that is so dang hard.

How many diets, exercise regimen, books, programs have we started? How many have we finished?

The problem is the middle part. The middle part is dreadfully boring. It’s wearisome. It’s tiring. It gets to be so routine. So, what are we to do in the middle part? That’s where almost every one of us finds ourselves in the journey of faith. What do we do in the middle part?

We all want to finish well. We want to be able to say, like the Apostle Paul, “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.”

There are two perspectives needed to do this:

• When things get hard, boring, wearisome, tiring, remember why you got started. Remember what your life was like before you got started. Remember the motivation, the hopes, the longings that made you start to begin with.
• Secondly, when things get hard, remember the ending. Remember what awaits you. Remember why you’re doing what you’re doing. Choose what you want most over what you want now. Remember how you want your life story to end.

It is these two perspectives that will help you to keep on keeping on in the middle part of your faith journey.

• Remember why you started
• Remember how you want your life story to end

Keep at it. There is no other life than the life of a disciple that is worth living.

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts” (Colossians 3:15).

What an odd phrase.

What does it mean to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts?

First, I didn’t know I had such power. Second, what does it mean to let the peace of Christ rule in my heart when there is only chaos and uncertainty?

The Greek is helpful.

The Greek literally reads “and the peace of Christ, let rule in the hearts of you.”

While in the English we have two words, “let rule” in the Greek that is one word. The Greek word that is translated as “let rule” means to act as an umpire, to arbitrate, to make the call. The word is used when you have a situation where there are opposing views, you are to let this rule, act as the umpire, to arbitrate, to make the call.

When we look at the world and there only seems to be pain, chaos, and uncertainty, we are to turn to the peace of Christ and let that rule, arbitrate, and make the call.

This word “let rule” is written in the 3rd person present imperative active voice. Here’s what that means:

• Present tense – ongoing action, never ending. Not a one time event
• Imperative – a command, not only good advice
• Active voice – you must choose to allow this to happen

You can prevent God’s peace from ruling in your hearts. We do that when we only focus on the problems and neglect to see the myriad of ways in which God is at work in our world. The headlines of our news programs and newspaper will never report it but everyday:

• Husband loves and cherishes his wife and children
• Wife loves and honors her husband and children
• a Christian goes out of his/her way to show grace to a neighbor going through a hard time
• Small group leader prays for and calls one of the people in their small group
• a neighbor picks up the trash that got dumped in the neighbor’s yard
• Someone bakes a batch of cookies to give to his/her pastor!!!
• Someone checks in with a friend they haven’t heard from in months

There are thousands upon thousands of acts that never get reported. But it doesn’t mean that isn’t happening.

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts…”

You do this by choosing to let Christ’s peace rule, arbitrate, make the call about the world we live in. Don’t let the devil fool you into thinking that only the devil’s at work.

God is at work all around you. You reading this truth is proof.

Have a great day and be a blessing to the people around you!