These days, oh boy, these days, have you ever heard someone say, “Don’t judge me!”, which is often said with anger? 

         A thin, famished-looking young man, dressed in plaid pants which were too short, wearing a poke-a-dot collared shirt, large sunglasses, and a black derby hat, before anyone could say anything, he said, “Walk a mile in my shoes, see what i see, hear what i hear, feel what i feel, THEN maybe you’ll understand why i do what i do, ‘till then don’t judge me.” He said all that to no one in particular, all said with a sneer on his face and condescension in his voice. No one had said anything, no one made a face or rolled their eyes at him, yet there he was throwing his defense out. What in the world was going on with him that he was absolutely compelled to say all that to no one in particular. When he said it all, no one replied, no one did anything but continue on with what they were doing. His comment made no difference, did nothing and changed nothing.

         These days, we hear it all the time, especially on college campuses. It’s almost as if when the words are spoken, “don’t judge me”, they feel it lets them out of being liable, magically winning immediate unanimous approval from everyone around. All the person has to do is say the magic words, “Don’t judge me” and suddenly they’re untouchable.

         i was at a coffee shop waiting for a friend. A slightly overweight young woman, who may have been on a diet, got a cookie with her morning coffee. i noticed with a glance and thought to myself that the cookie looked pretty good, still, i said nothing, just sat there with my coffee. But, she saw me looking at the cookie. She glared at me and out her mouth came, “Don’t judge me”. And i wondered, judge her about what?

         To me, i puzzled within myself, what do these people mean when they say those three magic words that suddenly make them home free? “Don’t judge me!” They use the words as if it’s a Harry Potter magic spell. Truly though, i believe what they’re really saying is more the unspoken agenda of “don’t think less of me”, “don’t think i’m a bad person”, and “don’t even think you’re better than me”. Honestly, it all just looks like fear to me. But fear of what? Public opinion? Looking as fat as is actually the truth? Appearing as silly as we truly are?

         Some even go so far as to pull scripture out of context, declaring “Even Jesus said judge not lest you be judged.”

“Don’t judge me!”

         Do any of those folks have any idea how completely impossible it is for any one of us to not have an opinion of right and wrong? We may not want to admit it, and it may be buried underneath layers and layers of politically correct thinking, but we all, absolutely all, have preferences and personal opinions. We can’t hide in the “no judgment zone” forever, that’s not life, nor does life work that way. Exercising our ability to judge, deciding right and wrong, is how we decide to be moral or immoral, ethical or unethical, principled or unprincipled. Hiding in the “don’t judge me” phrase makes us morally, ethically, and principally stupid. Yes, i said stupid, and my definition of stupid is ignorance that has been told and refuses to listen.

         As C.S. Lewis said, “God is our one and only, sole ally in the universe, and we have alienated him from ourselves.” i say, It is an absolute necessity for us to make God’s preferences and standards to be our standards, and if He didn’t set the standard there would only be darkness, chaos, dying, and death.

         “Don’t judge me” seems to be a way of someone telling us they want what they want, and they take no responsibility for any standards. In 1st Corinthians, however, the Greek word is different than in other places where the word “judge” is concerned. In this case, Paul uses the Greek word, anakrino, which is also translated as “scrutinize,” “investigate,” “discern,” or “examine.” So while Jesus forbids us from “judging” others in the sense of condemning them, we are still called to “judge all things,” using our power of intellect to investigate the world and discern the truth. Ahh, the truth, is that what is ultimately being avoided? “Don’t judge me”, “talk to the hand ‘cause the ears don’t wanna hear.” Think my friend, use your brain and think.

         Here is a beautiful catechism: Having a moral conscience being present at the heart of the person, instructs and urges them at the appropriate moment to do good and to avoid evil. It also judges particular choices, approving those that are good and denouncing those that are evil. It bears witness to the authority of truth in reference to Ultimate Goodness to whom we are drawn, and it welcomes God’s standards and preferences. When we listen to our moral compass, a man who lives with concern and has thoughts for the future can hear God speaking.

         i am confident that for those who hide in “Don’t judge me”, their moral compass is, by degrees, becoming blinded through the habit of rebellion and purposeful wrongness. They seem to think their ignorance is somehow invincible.

         Many think saying “Don’t judge me” seems to let them out of having a conscience, the very feedback loop which enables them to assume responsibility for their actions. i’m astounded that they think just saying magic words like, “Don’t judge me”, somehow relieves them of any culpability for their actions.

         i have thought it would be interesting to have a conversation with someone who invokes the “Don’t judge me” phrase, asking them, in their opinion, just what, exactly, do they believe they’re being judged about, and what do they mean by their use of the word “judge”? Somehow, i just don’t think the conversation would go well. Maybe some of us are so afraid of offending anyone or being accused of being intolerant, we’re forgetting how to tell right from wrong. i figure, anyone who claims, “Don’t judge me” has already judged themselves and has, on some level, already realized the wrongness of their actions. What do you think?

          We say the weather is ugly, the tree is a sorry excuse for a tree, or ultimately, if “they” hadn’t done this then “i” wouldn’t have to do that. What and how we choose is our responsibility, and the weight of our choices does not rest on anyone but ourselves. My decisions are mine alone and belong exclusively to me to embrace or resolve. i find it odd how often i don’t consider that there is really nothing wrong with the weather. The weather is the weather, but instead, i say, “the weather is ugly today”. Is it really, truly, that the weather is ugly, or is it more that i don’t prefer it?

On a very hot day in July, i was putting up new fencing. Oh my gosh, it was hot and i was soaked through with sweat. i decided i would sit under a nearby tree in the shade to rest and dry out a little. When i sat down, in a few moments i realized i was just as hot and wet as i was when i was standing in the sun pounding fence posts in the ground. i looked up and saw that the tree i was sitting under was actually a scrubby-looking thing with not many branches or leaves. Immediately, out of my mouth came the words, “You are one sorry excuse for a tree, why do i even let you grow here?” Exactly then the Lord swept in upon me and posed me a question, “Is the tree poor, or did you not prefer it? Is the tree at fault or did you simply choose poorly?”

A week later, a friend of mine came over. As he entered the house he said, “The weather is really nasty outside.” So, with a chuckle, i posed him the question God had posed me, “Is the weather really nasty, or is it more that you don’t prefer it?” i knew he was a man committed to the truth, so, although it was a defining moment, he didn’t shift the responsibility of his choice of words or accuse me of asking too many questions. Instead, he reconsidered the platform from which he made decisions. In his chair, he squirmed left, then right, and slid me an uncomfortable side glance. He then said, “Ugh, you’re right. i did blame the weather for my preferences.” Instead of accusing me of being too forensic, like a wise man, he applied the question to himself and how he thinks.

In light of that, let’s consider how often someone poses a piercing question, and instead of allowing the question to do its work in ourselves, we shift the responsibility of applying God’s wisdom to, not how we could be better, but how they, yes “they” have intruded upon us, and we accuse them of being interrogators, and question askers. i find it pretty amazing how many believers play into the idea of creative evolution by being reluctant to inquire of their own motives rather than admit they’re real motivation is in another place. Hebrews 13:14, “For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.” The world is not our home, and it is surprising how many believers decorate their lives as if this is their final destination, dressing it up as if this is home with Jesus. They try and convince us that Earth can be made into Heaven. It doesn’t remotely look like even a simplistic idea of Heaven and we end up feeling more like exiles on Earth. “i don’t have a problem, you just ask too many questions.” Do you see how the responsibility of addressing what is really going on with us gets shifted, saying “You ask too many questions”?

We say, “these are terrible shoes”. Are the shoes actually poor or is the truth more that i have neglected to take care of them? “The test was too hard”. Is the test too hard, or is the truth more that we neglected to study enough or maybe we simply didn’t understand the material? We say, “If God would only…” this or that. Is it that God didn’t act, or is the truth more that we neglected to participate with Him and trust He will reply at the right time with the right answer? We say “If the people of my congregation weren’t so needy, then i wouldn’t be too busy to spend time with my family.” i actually heard that. Is it that they are so needy the real cause of being too busy, or is the truth, more closely, that it isn’t the fault of needy people that i don’t spend sufficient time with my wife and kids, but more because i am choosing to do something different?

Our choices are our responsibility. It is not my mother’s fault i didn’t go to college, i was the one who elected to do something else. We must cease to shift responsibility to things or other people in and effort to explain why we can’t, don’t, won’t, or didn’t. Remember, if you’re too busy, you’re the one who said, yes. No one m-a-d-e you too busy but you.

Isaiah 49:20, “The children of your bereavement will yet say in your ears: ‘The place is too narrow for me; make room for me to dwell in.’”

Friends, let us be responsible and ask the Lord for wisdom. We all so desperately need His wisdom. What do you think?

We all make a myriad of decisions about everything, everyday, whether to have a sandwich or a protein shake, to turn left or right, to speak or not, etc, etc, you get the picture. We live our lives in a constant state of choosing based on our developed sense of preferences. We are largely known by our preferences. The Lord has empowered every human being to be able to make decisions, some life changing, and some so subtle they are virtually unnoticeable, i call them micro-decisions. Simply put, decisions, of all sorts, carry immense weight, shaping our lives and futures. Not to be too philosophic but i can’t think of another way to say it; each choice, big or small, ripples through time, influencing outcomes, relationships, and opportunities. Thoughtful deliberation is crucial, as poor choices can lead to regret, while wise ones foster growth and success. Over and over God emphasizes through themes and narratives the need to learn to make good decisions. So, how will we do that? I figure one way we learn to make good decisions, largely, is from making bad ones and learning from them. Another is through prayer and diligently searching for God’s wisdom.  James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” Another is allowing God to develop character, Fruits of the Spirit, in us that we would hourly and daily come into alignment with His will. Our character heavily influences our ability to make good decisions. One way Karl Barth defined faith was calling it, “trust training.” Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Trusting God always leads to right discernment, and righteousness lead to wise, fruitful decisions that honor Him.

From the Mission in Vacaville, Calif, as written by David Crone, the following is a list of great decisions i thought worthy of putting forward for our consideration, hopefully, to influence what, how, and why we decide the things we decide.

“These are some of the decisions which define who we are as a community and how we choose to live our lives. These decisions are not destinations, but rather journeys…”, they are about the way we go our way in Christ.

• We have decided that teaching the gospel without demonstrating the gospel is not enough. Good preaching, good doctrine, and being good people are not enough.
• We have decided that having a good church club is not enough, good fellowship is not enough, and just being a member of that club is not enough.
• We have decided that having good Bible studies is good, but not good enough, that just making it to heaven is not our goal, and that knowing about God without truly knowing and experiencing God is meaningless.
• We have decided that having good programs is not enough, that change without transformation is intolerable, and that staying where we are is not an option.
• We have decided that gifting without character is futile.
• We have decided that singing songs without worshiping is empty, and having meetings without God showing up is pointless.
• We have decided that having faith without works is not enough and having works without love is not acceptable–that our function comes out of our relationship first with the Father and second with each other.
• We have decided that reading about the book of Acts without living the book of Acts is unthinkable.
• We have decided that confident faith is good and bold faith is better.
• We have decided that hearing about the Holy Spirit without experiencing Him is silly, that believing in His presence without seeing it manifested in signs and wonders is hypocrisy, that believing in healing without seeing people healed is absurd, and that believing in deliverance without people being delivered is absolutely ridiculous.
• We have decided to be Holy Spirit filled, Holy Spirit led, and Holy Spirit empowered–anything less doesn’t work for us.
• We have decided to be the ones telling the stories of God’s power–not the ones hearing about them.
• We have decided that living saved but not supernatural is living below our privilege and short of what Christ died for.
• We have decided that we are a battle ship not a cruise ship, an army not an audience, Special Forces not spectators, missionaries not club members.
• We have decided to value both pioneers and settlers: pioneers to expand our territory and settlers to build on those territories. But we are not squatters, people who take up space others have fought for without improving it.
• We have decided to be infectious instead of innocuous, contagious instead of quarantined, deadly instead of benign.
• We have decided to be radical lovers and outrageous givers.
• We have decided that we are a mission station and not a museum.
• We have decided that it is better to fail while reaching for the impossible that God has planned for us than to succeed settling for less.
• We have decided that nothing short of His Kingdom coming and His will being done in our world as it is in heaven will satisfy.
• We have decided that we will not be satisfied until our world cries out, “Those who have turned the world upside down have come here too” (Acts 17:6).

i realize, that’s a lot to think about, but if we simply begin the process to think, think, think, and consider carefully before the Lord, indeed, our decisions, choosings, and preferences will change. Oh yes they will! Let our decisions reveal our constant determination to set our face toward Kingdom life. We must decide to put those decisions into gear, let the clutch out, and follow Jesus, who is The Way God has appointed for us.

Today is about the truth, the truth in Christ, who is Ultimate Goodness.

We are known for and by our preferences. Our preferences and options which we hold dear, reveal us to all who know us. A preference is a greater liking for one idea, or it is our personal inclinations or desires which guide our choices reflecting subjective tastes or priorities. An option is a group of available choices or possibilities in a given situation which may or may not align with our preferences. Preferences are not dictated by options. Paul wrote in Philemon 1:8-9, “Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you.” He preferred to appeal to them by discussion, truth, and scripture rather than be a hardened rule-maker, walking around declaring commands and passing out penalties. He wanted them to come to righteous conclusions within themselves concerning being honest, being obedient to Christ, and telling the truth of who Jesus was and who they were in Christ. Did you get that? Not what we decide but what God has decided. His will far surpasses ours. It is wonderful to know you are a preference, but it’s another thing to then find out you were, actually, only an option. Kinda’ sad huh? Have you ever thought you were a preference only to find out you were merely an option?

If lying is a curse, and curses have no weight, then honesty is an honor, abides in glory, and glory has weight, as in, the weighty presence of the glory of God. We love and hate the truth, and yes, i realize, hate is a very intense word. We can’t hide from the truth, nor do we find it all too easy to tell sometimes. We say truth is serious, has heaviness and gravity, and is bottom-line important. Some consider it a burden to bear which causes pressure, yet the truth is always influential and necessary. Glory finds it’s feet in the truth. In our judicial proceedings, we are supposed to possess the weight of truth in all it’s ramifications while exercising the weight of authority, both being dispensed by the weight of the law. Our legal system has weight, authority has weight, and the truth has the ultimate weight.

If we want to possess the wisdom and authority to prosper the Kingdom of God in ministry, then making the truth an utmost action item on our list should be paramount. The truth is more than facts, more. it exposes the motivations behind the actions. As example, a man stole an apple, that’s a fact, but the truth is he had not eaten for three days and was so hungry he was compelled past his moral boundaries to take what was not his. As another example, a man was driving down the road when another vehicle approached and passed him at a high rate of speed, recklessly passing, causing him to swerve around. When he finally got closer to the other vehicle due to traffic, as he rolled his window down to angrily yell at the reckless driver, the reckless driver rolled down his window and said frantically, “My house is on fire.” That actually happened to a friend of mine. Ahhh, the truth was quite revealing, and grace was found for the other fellows circumstances.

On Sept19, 1692 in Salem Village during the witch trials, a man refused to be taken to court, and as a result, he was stripped of his clothes, a board was placed on his body and then heavy rocks were slowly laid on the board to crush the truth out of him in hopes of forcing him to admit what they wanted of him. It was like a metaphor in that the people believed the weight of truth, a rock, was going to crush a confession out of the man. It didn’t work, he didn’t confess anything but commitment to Christ, and he died, of course. Odd that no one confessed the truth they were wrong to do what they did. We can trace the idea of the weight of truth from Biblical truth to legal truth, and then the truth of individual conscience. But in the end, the truth, the whole truth in Christ, is like an anchor which keeps us grounded, even though the more honest and truthful we are about ourselves and the world around us, the more it all seems to contradict the truth as our society sees it.

Being honest and committed to telling the truth with all our heart gives us momentum in the Spirit, we have weight to accomplish and make a difference. Let’s not be mistaken, owning the truth about ourselves can be terribly not easy, but if we want to step into ministry, then we’ll need His authority.  And if we’re going to get authority from the Lord, we’ll have to let Him develop our character, and that requires honesty which may seem crushing to some, and liberating to others, all at the same time. We can’t hide from it, and we can’t hardly bear to own it, but own it we must.

How bad are we willing to be truthful with what the Lord has given us? In 2 Chronicles 18, Ahab and Jehoshaphat were going to go to war against Ramoth-gilead. Jehoshaphat, who wasn’t so sure about going to war, called for Ahab to bring out the prophets to hear what they had to say. The most prominent prophets of Ahab came and said, “Yes, go up! You’ll be fabulous!” Jehoshaphat still wasn’t so sure, so he asked if there was a man of God in the house. Ahab said he had one guy in prison but he never said anything nice about the King. In those days, to prophesy anything to the king other than what he wanted to hear was a good way to get killed, but this guy, Micaiah (me-kaw-yeh-hoo’), was dedicated to telling the truth as the Lord gave it to him. When asked if they should go to war, at first, he said, “Oh yes, go up, you’ll be great”, and Ahab commanded him to tell the truth. So, he did. He told Ahab he was going to die. Ahab was angered and said he’d deal with Micaiah when he got back. Micaiah said, “If i ever see you again, i’m no man of God”, wherewith, Ahab said to feed him on bread and water, and that’s the last we hear of the man of God. The prophet spoke the truth, even to the peril of his own life because devotion to God was more important than saving his own life. Micaiah had hi-fidelity, he was loyal to his source to the end.

Jesus is the truth and there are no lies in him. We dishonor ourselves and the gospel with the lies we tell ourselves. The Lord wants us to have planet changing authority, but it doesn’t come by unrealistic ideas of ourselves being more than God says we are. With each other, the Lord inspires us to build friendships with those who are willing to own a bridge between each other which can bear up under the weight of the truth. i’ll say again, false hope is far more cruel than the truth ever thought about being. Think about that.

Being honest, honors the Lord. Telling the truth is Christ like. Being responsible for our actions is part of telling the truth and being honorable. It takes real God-built character to live like that.

My paraphrase of John 16: 13, When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act with fidelity and truth are his delight.

Incidentally, fidelity means loyal to our source, Christ Jesus. Psalm 145:18, “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”

Here we are again, we ourselves, and you, in another semi-live broadcast of Outposts, brought to you from the beautiful, benevolent cascading banks of the Ockluhwahhah River.

In much of Christian tradition, it is true, there are a lot of deep things to consider, but i’ll be the first to say, i’m totally not a traditional person nor do i personally feel the need to follow tradition in order to know Jesus or to be right with God. Tradition in this case simply means, my interpretation, “This is what we always do.” In fact, Jesus had a something to say about the detriment of the “traditions of men” in Mark 7:7-8 ^“They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men. You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.”

Paul also had something to say about traditions in Colossians 2:8 “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.”

!BUT! Not all tradition is wrong or would lead us to become divided. There is also something to be said for some things which we call tradition. One tradition in our faith is the Salutation and Benediction, and i thought it would be interesting to think on this fun-to-consider topic.

Salutations and benedictions, the words we use to open and close dialogue. How we begin and end is as important as how we do the in-between of all our interactions.

A salutation and benediction is an utterance of good wishes, the form of blessing pronounced by an officiating minister at the closing of divine services, or by friends at the arrival into fellowship or at the parting of ways. A salutation is the bestowing of blessing and greeting and a benediction is often employed as the blessing, extension of hope and conclusion. They are like bookends.

i have a habit, when parting company with friends, i typically say something like, “Be strong and courageous”, or, “Jesus knows your name and never let that out of your sight.” Those are a type of casual benediction. Until now i never realized how often i do this.

Think about it. Do you have similar little things you typically say when entering or leaving the company of friends? Do you extend to them, in words, some wishes of goodness, encouragement, or the pronunciation of a blessing of some sort? Or do you you, as a benediction just say, “Bye”, and leave as if you couldn’t wait to get away from there? Well, if we’re honest, there have been times most of us have just said just “Bye”, but as I hope you perceive, that’s not exactly what we’re talking about.

There are many salutations and benedictions in the Bible as examples of how to open or close a conversation or a meeting. Many are truly a little stiff sounding to me, maybe even too official, but they are examples we can adapt and tone down as needed. Here’s a benediction i’m sure we’ll all recognize taken from Psalm 121:7-8: “May the Lord preserve you from all evil: he shall preserve your soul.  The Lord will preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.”

As i just said, i realize that’s probably a bit, how should i call it? The word “stiff” comes to mind, not to mention it’s pretty religious sounding, but you get the idea. Most of us leaving our friends after a time of conversation and coffee probably would not say things in that order but maybe more subtly, like, “My friends, know it is GOD who guards you from every evil; He guards your very life, coming and going, just like He guards you now, and always. I’ll see you later.” Even that sounds a bit stiff and religious. i’d probably shorten it up while keeping the theme.

Other times, as we wave good bye, we might say, “Lord bless you”. That’s a type of casual benediction. Salutations are similar, like in Matthew 28:9, Jesus said, “all hail”, meaning something like, “Good morning!”. It’s an impersonal way of saying, “Be cheerful!” or “Good to see you!” i must admit that a few times i did try opening with the greeting, “All hail”, and people looked at me like i was crazy. i figured a simple “hello” was probably better next time.

Here is an interesting salutation which I found in Luke 1:26-29, “In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.  The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.”

The angel of the Lord opened his salutation by saying “Greetings” which in Greek it’s the same word Jesus used in Matthew 28:9 for “All hail” or maybe “Good day!” or “Hi there!” I had to chuckle at the part where Mary was “greatly troubled at his words and wondered, what in the world kind of greeting is that?!” The word there for “troubled” means “wholly disturbed”.  (chuckle) Evidently it was a greeting quite different than what she was used to in her culture, not to mention it was spoken to her by an angel, which i would think would shake anyone up. Either way it was the introduction to tidings of gladness and joy with a prophetic word to follow as you can read in the following verses if you’d like.

When meeting our relatives in Christ, or exiting from them, what are your salutations and benedictions? There’s a great deal to be said in how we enter and exit the room which can set the tone for the next meeting. How do you enter and exit when among friends?

i suppose we could say, “Exit, stage left” but that benediction is just a little comedic and too loose. Here’s another benediction from Romans 15:13, “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” Or more in today’s vernacular, “May the God of hope fill you up with joy and peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope!”

Do you think people would remember us differently if we took the time to express to them that kind of desire on their behalf when leaving? Notice how Paul starts his parting words with the word “may” or “moreover”, which is a way of expressing his desire of possibilities on behalf of those to whom he had written the letter. Paul points out that salutations and benedictions with his own hand were the way others would know it was really from him. In 2 Thessalonians 3:16-18 he gives his final greetings, which would be his salutation and benediction, “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you. I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand, which is the distinguishing mark in all my letters. This is how I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.” i suppose he wrote that because there were those who accused him of not being genuine.

Do you see it? It’s about how we treat people. It’s how we come in and go out of the congregation. I don’t mean we should make long salutations or benedictions necessarily; people would think we were a little too grandiose, or maybe just more self-absorbed and unbalanced than they already suspected. But consider yourself to be something of a statesman, well spoken, easily understood, someone who puts others at ease, and obviously has blessing and prosperity at heart for others. How we express ourselves to other people is part of expressing the gospel to the world. It’s not just “what” we say, but also “how” we say it. My wife advised me one time that, many times, our ability to be heard can turn simply on our tone of voice and facial expressions. We can say a hard thing softly with a gentle smile and be heard, just like we can say a soft thing with a hard tone of voice and angry demeanor, and not be heard, at all.

A salutation is a greeting. According to Webster’s 1828 dictionary, it’s an act of paying respect, and expressing kind wishes, and that is sincerity of heart type of kind wishes, not the fabrication of a facade. In his definition of salutation, Mr. Webster made it a point to write, “In all public and private addresses, use the forms of salutation, reverence and decency.”

God wants us to grow up and be mature believers, to walk circumspectly; meaning to take all things into consideration, watchful on all sides, and that includes manners, conduct, and conversation. Exodus 23:13 says “And in all that I have said to you, be circumspect”, with “circumspect” meaning to take all things into account. Let’s break down the idea of being “circumspect” a little more. In addition to “taking all things into account”, it is also acting with caution, thoughtfulness, and discretion. It involves carefully considering consequences, avoiding rash decisions, and weighing risks. To say we are acting circumspectly means we are cultivating understanding that leads to right action, and even promotes wisdom. That is a lot to take in, but it’s applicable none the less.

I realize the topic of salutations and benedictions seems like an odd topic maybe, but what I’m getting at is to encourage us all to be the statesman, the emissaries who God is bringing us to be, and that is an honor from God and a diligence on our part. Being a statesman of sorts doesn’t come over night, no one wakes up in the morning full of statesmanship. No. It comes from the Lord alone and is a learned thing.

A few years ago i realized God was calling me to a deeper understanding of people, who they are, what they’re about, their habits, their fears, hopes, and dreams. Honestly, i was uncomfortable with this but the Lord “made me to know” that if people made me uncomfortable then my discomfort started with myself, because after all, i was a people also. i didn’t have a “them” problem, i had a “me” problem. i felt He wanted me to be a better communicator and to have a deeper understanding of what i meant when i spoke, and how i communicated what He said. Slowly, i began to realize how often i did not look or sound like someone anyone would want to talk to.

So, i enrolled myself in a local Toastmasters club. In case your not familiar with Toastmasters, it is a learn-by-doing workshop in which participants hone their speaking and leadership skills in a no-pressure atmosphere. It was an excellent adventure in learning how to communicate in more than just words. Friends, personal presentation is also part of communicating. Not only have the words of the Lord to share, but present yourself as someone others would want to talk to.

All that to say, simply put, the Lord wants us to be better communicators, He wants us to learn to be well spoken, able to communicate not our heart, but His, with the words He uses and with the attitudes of His Heart. We, as the Body of Christ, need to learn to give away Christ in us with all His intents and purposes. i want people to catch what the Lord has, not what i have. If you have met me alone then nothing was gained, but if you’ve met Jesus, ahhh, now you’ve got something. No one ever got healed because of my name. No one ever was delivered because of who i am. So with all my heart, i want to communicate Jesus to a lost and dying world in the most effective way possible, which means i need to learn to speak more kindly, smile more often, and present myself as friendly. i want to confer blessing and encouragement on people who are drowning in a world of despair and hopelessness. Listen to me, in a world cloaked in despair where real and imaginary shadows suffocate hope, for many, each step feels like wading through tar, heavy and unrelenting. We can not fathom the war going on in the hearts of people around us, where dreams dissolve into a gray abyss, and laughter is no better than a distant echo. We need to know that without Jesus, hopelessness binds like chains, pulling people deeper into silence. Yet, within that darkness, is Jesus who, to many, starts as a faint spark in the thickening gloom and calls to whomsoever to rise, and breathe again.

i want to make sure i communicate e-x-a-c-t-l-y and o-n-l-y what is on the Lord’s heart, and to do that, one thing i must learn is to become more well spoken and to be a better communicator. And for all of us, we don’t want to be so easily misunderstood because we are poor communicators who didn’t take the time to learn to effectively give away what God has given us. My friends, neither should we be so mystical no one can relate to us.

In John 20:19, Jesus greeted the apostles. He didn’t just say, “Hi!”. He spoke a salutation that was more meaningful, short, and concise, an image of comfort. He said, “Peace be unto you.” My guess is when Jesus said “Peace to you” there was also peace imparted to them. Not only was it a greeting, but a declarative. In vs. 21 He repeated His salutation and declaration, “Peace unto you: as my Father has sent me, even so send I you.”

Learning the structure of scripture is just as valuable as the content. Everything, everything, everything in our Bible, from cover to cover is important because God never says or does anything for nothing, which is why salutations and benedictions are what i call, a fun-to-consider topic. There are no extra words, or surplus people, nor are there any irrelevant stories or themes.

My friends, that makes good sense. Think about it.

Salutations and benedictions are joyful, unifying calls to faith; words of assurance. The words salutation and benediction mean to say good, to voice goodness, the goodness of God which is based on Truth, not just facts, it is voicing the goodness of God based on The Principle Himself, God. Wade Tisdale wrote that “Goodness is the inevitable result of the certainty and righteousness of The Truth who is Christ, God, who is all good and there is no shadow in Him.”

i’m Social Porter and this has been Outposts. This production has been brought to you by Living In His Name Ministries, Louis Williams & Sons, Morris Kaplan, Kevin, Tommy, and Perry of the Mebane Freedom League, Area 22 Guitars, Ada Huntley of Justus Pharmacy, Joy way out in Crooked River Ranch, Sisters Coffee, and Trinity Bakers, the sweet spot on main street where there’s always something good in the oven.

Come let’s go together and become the well spoken statesmen God has called us to be. Let’s all be better communicators, not just for ourselves, but so our family, friends, and the world around us would better understand us when we open our mouths.

i must draw this evenings program to a close and i’ve chosen probably one of the most well known benedictions of all time to end with. It’s from Numbers 6:24-26 – “The Lord bless you, and keep you: The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you:  The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.” What a beautiful way to part company, wouldn’t you say?

                    2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, the new has come!”

The Mission church in Vacaville, Cal. made the following one of it’s tenants of faith in their publication “Decisions That Define Us” by David Crone. Point number four, “We have decided that having good programs is not enough, that change without transformation is intolerable, and that staying where we are is not an option.”

Many of us have left where we were and are headed to where we will be and that’s a God thing for us who are led by the Spirit. Change is good, very good. But have you been transformed, more than merely changed, not just in mind, but in composition or structure; changed in character or condition? Did we just change habits and direction, or are we allowing God to transform us into the likeness of His Son? That is not only “transformed”, past tense as a one time event or a one night stand, but “transforming”, as in an ongoing process with a future. Don’t conform, be transformed. To change is to be “fixed and complying”, but to be transformed requires a metamorphosis. Change and transformation, though similar, differ in scope and impact. Change is often reactive and incremental, whereas transformation is profound and is a fundamental shift in identity and purpose. i see it like this: change tweeks the surface, but transformation redefines our very core. We don’t get to be a new creation simply by complying with the rules so we can be fixed. To be a “new creation” requires an entire metamorphosis, the old you must die in order that the new you can emerge. Only God can do that.

Philippians 2:14-15, “Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world …”

Having a mind set that hates sin is good, but more importantly, do we love Jesus? Hating sin is good, loving Jesus is best. Being aware of the plans of hell is good, but being aware of what God is doing is best! There is a difference between “good” and “best”. Many of us are, daily, working to cease from our superficial murmuring and our outward sneering criticism of everyone and everything, along with under-our-breath-complaining and passive-aggressive finger pointing. Those are good things to cease practicing, VERY good in fact. But have we been transformed and are we being transformed due to the fingerprints of God on our body, mind, and heart? Transformed … meaning, not only do we outwardly do the right thing, but inwardly, the world’s teaching no longer grips us nor do they drive us like waves driven by the wind, starting in ripples when we are young but shortly the wisdom of the world like swells with momentum and distance. Who we used to be is dead by the power and blood of Jesus, and He has grown in us a heart for becoming and overcoming. Also, it is grace for us to keep in mind that the process of transformation, as seen in Romans 12:1 and 2 Corinthians 3:18, it takes time. Be kind to yourself in the mean time.

Re-education is not transformation. Reformation is not transformation. Rehabilitation is not transformation. Real, lasting transformation is strictly in the habitation of God alone.

One day i was whining about how few miracles of healing and wonders we see in this country, asking the Lord, in all sincerity, “What are we doing wrong Father, that these things are not happening?” i’d suppose more than a few of us have asked similar questions of God. But, are we actually doing something wrong, or is it more closely, simply not the season, yet? The Lord said to me, “Doing miracles, signs, and wonders is excellent. Ahhhh, but transforming the heart of man, now THAT is a wonder to behold!” A transformed life is an effective testimony to the power of God’s Word. Are you shining brightly, or are you subtly troubled, and clouded by complaints and contention?

Re-education, re-formation, rehabilitation are things of change, but change without transformation is not acceptable. i don’t want us to merely change, my heart is for us to be transformed, having not merely turned over a new leaf as causal as putting on a different shirt, but having begun a new life. It is not just a re-vamped order and method; it is a whole new order of God’s creative energy which we live out in Christ. We are not just re-imagining an old paradigm, but entering into something new that is transformational, not just being saved but living “in and as” the beauty, grace, and electrifying, over-the-top, presence of God.

In 2 Corinthians 5:17, “all things” means “all things“, and no part of “all” means anything other than “all“. “New” means not just changed, but transformed. See Romans 12:1-2.

Got transformation? Not just salvation, and by NO means belittling the importance of salvation, don’t mistake me, but not simply salvation and that’s all there is, but beauty, grace, life, and love. It’s not enough to just have “fire insurance” by gaining salvation. God’s intent is that we come into the full likeness of His son, Jesus. Got transformation?

          Even when we live under the pressing need for honesty, even at that, we are often compelled to keep some things secret. Sometimes, there comes a ripping in our soul as there grows the increasing inner conflict of self-disclosure versus keeping a secret in mortal fear we will be discovered. Lies and fear are weights, not wings. Secrets are necessary sometimes, after all, there are somethings which are, indeed, no one’s business but our own. Consider also that God has secrets, but He does promise us, in the end, all things will be revealed. Some secrets are necessary, but when keeping too many, they become a growing burden which eats away at all we are.

The Lord knows all of our lives and sees our tortured selves as we hide, and slide, and make alibis, while the rich, colorful world in our heart slowly, almost, imperceptibly, fades to bleak shades of grey scale, all from the burden of lies we tell ourselves and others.

We tell ourselves the truth that we are more than conquerors, but then we stretch it in our imagination to believing some of the wildest things you’ve ever heard. The Lord says He is with us, and all power in Heaven and earth is in Christ who is in our hearts. We figure His power is our power, so we go around rebuking trees, binding shadows, cursing weeds, commanding ourselves to walk on water, all the while our house is a mess, we need a bath, we’ve got bills to pay, our spouse and kids need our attention, and the lies we tell ourselves just bow us to the ground in broken expectations and sweeping disappointment. Eventually, all our self-deception and lying causes us so much pain, it eats up our mental real estate and costs us all our emotional capital until we’re so poor, not only do we struggle to pay our bills but we can’t even pay attention.

i think a lot of folks often feel stuck. We can’t seem to live, and it’s not time to die, i suppose it looks a lot like being constipated. Within ourselves we feel like a frail spirit , and we’re carrying our disappointments around, in backpacks, knowing they will never release us, not for one second. The lies we tell ourselves cry out and plead to be resolved, while binding us up in chains in the mean time. Only Jesus can set us free, but we do have to be willing to let the graveyard of old things give up it’s dead, letting the dead be dead.

i tried my hand at being a pastor for 2 ½ years. i struggled, and tried, crashed and burned every week where no one could see me. Oh man! Honestly, i don’t know what i thought, but i’m pretty sure i had a twisted idea of what it meant to be a pastor. i cried a lot. God transformed me, a lot. Every week i tried again, every week was extraordinary, every week i was glad and was also slammed with disappointment at the same time, and every week, long about Wednesday, i would get emails of complaints about how we didn’t do this, didn’t say that, shoulda’ sung this, prayed too long, not long enough, just murmuring and complaining. Oh man! Late one Sunday afternoon, sitting alone on the porch, i had a revelation, i had been lying to myself telling myself i could be that person, but the truth was, i did NOT have what it took to legitimately wear the title, it was simply not my gifting. That was the day i realized we can out run our sound thinking by assigning ourselves a title for which we have no particular gift. In fact, the weight of the lie that i WAS that person was such a burden, my feet got slower and slower, till i was, metaphorically, dragging my feet, barely able to stand. Interestingly, i watched other people who were also bent over from the weight of their own lies. People who told themselves they were prophets, but there was very little evidence of it. Oh they tried alright, gave it a valiant effort, but their words just fell to the ground to be swept up with the dust. Yet others told themselves they had no real gifts, all the while exhibiting beautiful teaching or serving gifts with extraordinary insight, but outright denying God’s gift in themselves.

We tell ourselves we know the Lord, yet many can’t tell of His attributes. We say we go to church because it’s the right thing to do, but we never question what it is we are so insistently attending? We vehemently tell people not to judge us, yet we have only a faint idea of what it is about ourselves we don’t want them to judge. We tell ourselves with frothing anger that so-and-so owes us an apology, but yet we won’t, ourselves, own our actions. And what’s worse, we may have apologized for our wrong actions but then we point out how the other person did such-n-such too. “You’re just as bad as me!” Our lies will bow us down so bad they’ll make our back crack under the weight of lies.

In the Bible, a lie is a curse, and to be cursed is to have no weight, as in no weight to change not one thing. Glory has weight, curses do not. Light has weight, darkness does not. With that observation, what is it about lies which is said to, “weigh on our conscience” so heavily? i believe the weight of lies is the burden or the violation of our conscience, the shame we bring to ourselves, and the dishonor of not being honest. When we are not honest, we simply are not honest and it wears us down. Like a file scrapes off chunks of wood, lies scrape off chunks of our conscience, until our lies don’t bother us much anymore. They tend to multiply, for it takes an additional lie to cover over the last lie, thus, the weight on our conscience of dishonor, brings more dishonor in our continuation to hide, and the shadows grow longer in our mind and heart. All the while, we grow further and further from the Lord, who loves us and merely bids us to come clean with Him.

We must elect to be honest. It doesn’t hurt much except our pride. Being honest is as healthy as eating good food, and drinking clean water. i believe there is glory which grows in our hearts when we are honest with God and ourselves. And if you do elect to throw off the weight of lies for a life style of being honest, prepare yourself for indirectly making others uncomfortable. They will squirm, often they will stop calling you, maybe avoid you at the store, or not respond to emails or texts. But you and i, we’re going to just keep on being diligent to get out from under the weight of the lies we’ve been told and believed for the sake of convenience, or maybe even because the lies sounded highly probable to our already saddened state of mind.

2 Kings12:15 tells about the workman who were so honest, the people didn’t have to call them to account because they were straight up about all they did. They didn’t lie about where the money went, they didn’t lie about the work they said they did — but didn’t, they didn’t lie using some future promise to make everything balance out, nor did they lie about when the work would be finished. They were honest, and God had it recorded in the Bible. Can you imagine, being so honest, the Lord wrote your name in the Bible for everyone, everywhere, to see forever?

The weight of lies will bow us to the ground, and only God can lift us up. Psalm 3:3 says the Lord is the glory and the lifter of our head, but friends, we’ve gotta be willing to abandon our disillusionments too.