I was a police officer in Moab, Utah, in 1964. The picture is of me and my police dog. Butch was a wonderful companion and well-trained.
“A righteous man has regard for the life of his animal, but even the compassion of the wicked is cruel.” (Pro 12:10)
Journal,
I have so many wonderful memories of my pets through the years. My particular love has always been for dogs.
With this in mind, I would like to tell you a story about Mr. Smokey.
It happened in the late 60s. I was a preacher in the making, but my fulltime job was as an agent with Prudential Insurance Company.
During my canvassing time, I enjoyed going to a trailer park near the back gate of Fort Polk. I had a number of clients there. Actually I really liked working with GI families. (I had not long been out of the Navy.)
Anyway, when entering the park, the first trailer on the left had a fenced in front yard. Behind the fence was this very large but also quite handsome German Shepherd. It was my habit when passing the yard, to shake the fence and make fun with the dog by barking at him. It was never in a mean way. I was just picking at him. (His name was Smokey.)
This day it was different. After my little disrespectful tiff with Smokey, I walked on down the street. What I did not know was that Smokey had managed to lift the lock on the gate. He runs down the street ever so softly, jumps up on my back, and says ‘wolf’ right in my ear. Smokey drops to his feet and heads back to his yard. (Think I heard doggy laughter. Can’t be sure.)
People sitting on their front porch saw everything and they roared. Had I been a chicken, there would have been an egg in the middle of the street.
Smokey looked a lot like this German Shepherd.
Course that pretty much settled the score with Smokey and me. From that time on when I walked by his yard, I’d say, ‘Good day, Mr. Smokey. How are you today. So good to see you again. Talk with you later, Mr. Smokey.’ (Something like that.)
The truth of the matter is that Smokey always knew I was playing with him. He just figured that it was time for pay back.
Is there a lesson here? Perhaps the lesson has to do with compassion. The Bible does speak of …
The Kindness of the Lord
Some of the greatest teachings of the Lord had to do with kindness and compassion. Perhaps it was because of the rigidness of the religious leaders of that day. He often pointed to their lack of compassion.
Follow Lord’s teachings on what our attitude in life should be —
“Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
“If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
“If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount.
“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.
You can tell a lot about a man by how he treats his animals.
“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” (Luk 6:31-36)
The apostle Paul said that it is the kindness of the Lord that leads men to repentance.
The apostle also instructed the young minister, Timothy, about the use of kindness. Listen –
“The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth.” (2Ti 2:24-25)
Gentleness is the Very Nature of Jesus
Place your cursor over a Scripture reference and it will appear.
David said that it was God’s gentleness that made him great. (Ps18:35)
Teach your children to love animals.
The Bible says that Jesus was like a gentle lamb led to slaughter. (Jer11:19; Isa53:7)
Jesus said that if we would learn to walk with Him, we found find Him gentle and humble. (Matt11:28,29)
Peter said that the our witness to the lost, must always be in gentleness. (1Pe3:15)
Yes, it disturbs me greatly to see any animal mistreated.
Think about it. Would you really like to be like Jesus? Seek to walk in the spirit of gentleness.
How about a kiddie song just for the little ones – Of course you older folk can listen in.
“SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION, ‘BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU, GENTLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY, EVEN ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A BEAST OF BURDEN.'” (Mat 21:5)
Journal,
If you really want to know the kind of man Jesus was, read the gospels. The trait that describes Him most of all is found in the word ‘gentleness’. Jesus was gentle and compassionate and kind to all. About the only time you see Jesus at odds with anyone is with hardened hearts of religious leaders, or if He needed to make attitude adjustments in His disciples.
It’s all there. Jesus loved children. He would gather them in His arms. The Lord associated with the lowly. He allow lepers to touch Him. He responded to any who called out to Him. One thing that always stood out for me is how the Lord interposed so often in the lives of women who were being mistreated. Jesus cared for everyone with respect. The Lord expects no less from us.
My point is simple – Jesus came into our world to bring redemption and to undo the works of darkness. But He also came to provide example of life. The term Christian means to be Christ-like.
The apostle Paul said it this way:
“Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification. For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, ‘THE REPROACHES OF THOSE WHO REPROACHED YOU FELL ON ME.'” (Rom 15:1-3)
The most beautiful picture of Christ and the footprints He leaves in our lives is found in this Psalm:
“Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land. Lovingkindness and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth springs from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven. Indeed, the LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its produce. Righteousness will go before Him and will make His footsteps into a way.“ (Psa 85:9-13)
Did you catch it? Jesus left His footsteps with us as a way that we are to live.
This week I was privileged to read a letter sent to my son Nathan…
… from a dear lady in our congregation. She is a single mom raising children on her own. Her letter was so heart warming that I asked permission to share portions of her letter on my blog. It spoke highly of the men in our congregation. Actually Lynn has not been a member of Christian Challenge very long. But what she had to say about our ministry touched me deeply.
Here goes…
About the Manly Man
Snippets from a letter to Nathan by a single mom – Used by permission
… One of the things I really enjoy about Christian Challenge is that, per capita, we have more men in attendance and involved than any other denomination … or church that I have ever seen.
… What the world is missing today is it’s men. The family not only requires its physical needs to be met, but its spiritual needs.
There’s a lot to meeting those needs. The leader has to be a prayer warrior and receive and give instruction in God’s Word and His will; learning and teaching to hear His voice and live your life according to His ways.
… It was so refreshing to see men who want this for their own families. I know that the world doesn’t do this and it is a forgotten art for men as the leaders of their families. But, I see an active desire and pursuit of this at Christian Challenge.
… You and your father display that manly role as an example to the other men. I think the men in the church stay because they see God’s intention for a husband and father in you and your dad. They know that it’s right even though they may not exactly why they are drawn to you both.
It was encouraging for me as a mom, as I struggle to help my son be a man, to bring him to a place where he sees other men seeking God. He’s spent his younger years with mostly women who usually run Sunday school for the younger kids and VBS. Not so at CCI.
As a Christian woman, I see the role of the men and women much more clearly. I don’t see myself as that “independent, I rule the world” kinda woman any more. It’s much different now.
I am thankful for you and the other men in the church, especially my sweetheart.
Lynn
Mistaken ideas of manliness
Thank you Lynn.
Some frame the idea of manliness in terms like, be tough, be in charge, let no one see you cry, be a man, be the head of your family, command respect, show no weakness, discipline with a firm hand, be a fighter, and so on. Those are terms that speak to the warrior side of our nature but in themselves they don’t truly set forth Biblical manliness.
It is without question that the man should be both the protector and the provider for his family. Yet protector and provider are not merely warrior terms. They speak of love and endearment.
For example the Biblical way of being head of the family means to love your wife and children the way that Jesus loves the church. It means to treat your wife as an equal heir of the grace of life. It means that the same way that Jesus provided love and grace for all around Him, we are to do likewise. Jesus showed us how the power of life is bound up in the word gentleness.
What many don’t realize is that gentleness is not a sign of weakness. In a Biblical sense it is a sign of strength. Gentleness reveals the ability to control power and to use strength in a proper manner.
Notice how David links salvation, victory, and manliness with God’s gentleness:
“The God who girds me with strength and makes my way blameless? He makes my feet like hinds’ feet, and sets me upon my high places. He trains my hands for battle, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, and Your right hand upholds me; and Your gentleness makes me great.” (Psa 18:32-35)
Pay close attention to how Isaiah describes Jesus in His second coming:
“Behold, the Lord GOD will come with might, With His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him and His recompense before Him. Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, in His arm He will gather the lambs and carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.” (Isa 40:10-11)
To appreciate more fully the idea of God’s men being gentle, we also need to understand…
God’s gift of maleness and femaleness
This brings us back to God’s original plan for the human family. The Bible says both Adam and Eve were created in the image of God. But Adam was created first and as such, had covenant responsibility for the family of man. In his relationship to Eve, Adam was not to be without Eve, and Eve was not to be without Adam. Each were given nature traits that belonged to them alone.
With this in mind there is a sense in which the woman can serve as a type of the Holy Spirit and the man as a type of God’s Word. Both are needed for life. The Word without the Spirit can produce legalism. The Spirit without the Word can produce instability.
Jesus said,
“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.”(John 6:63)
Finally, when it comes to covenant issues, there is no stronger spiritual working power on this planet than a man and his wife who are in spiritual union. All the promises that relate to ‘two’ people doing something, find their greatest impact in the godly marriage.
Consider this promise:
“Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.”(Matt 18:19)
Where would this promise work any better than in that of the godly married?
May I leave this with you. We all have room to grow. We have all failed in many things. If you are struggling with any that I have shared, please take time to listen to this special song – ‘I Believe, Help Thou My Unbelief.’ — I shared it in an early blog. It still rings true —
“Let me sing now for my well-beloved A song of my beloved concerning His vineyard. My well-beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill.” (Isa 5:1 NASB)
x
Journal,
A most beautiful picture of our covenant life in Christ is found in the analogy of the Vine and the branches. The Vine had long been a symbol of Israel’s covenant relationship with the Lord. The Psalmist said,
“You removed a vine from Egypt; You drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared the ground before it, and it took deep root and filled the land.” (Psalm80:8,9)
Isaiah drew attention to the vine, in saying,
“Let me sing now for my well-beloved a song of my beloved concerning His vineyard.” (Isa5:1)
And over the entrance of the Holy Place in Herod’s temple was the symbol of the grape vine. The grape vine represented Israel. So when Jesus spoke of the Vine and branches, His Hebrew disciples already had this covenant symbol fixed in their thinking. The sad side of the story was that when the leaders in Israel rejected Jesus Christ, they became dead branches to be discarded. The Vine of Christ would only include true believers.
(You can read a prophetic picture of Israel’s loss as the Vineyard of the Lord in Isaiah 5:2-7, and in Matt21:33-46)
With that in mind let’s take a closer look at our new covenant experience in Christ, by drawing from the analogy of the Vine and the branches.
It takes place in the upper room.
Jesus is sharing some awesome things with the disciples in preparing them for the cross and the things to come. It is during this time that He says,
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.
“You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.
“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
“If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
“My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.” (John 15:1-8)
There is a much more to the analogy of Jesus being the ‘true Vine’ than meets the eye. Jesus has always been the true vine. But let’s leave that be for now. What we want to do is bring this into the new covenant experience.
x
The word ‘abide’ is the key in this prophetic analogy.
Abide carries strong covenant overtones. The Greek word‘meno’means to stay in place, or to remain within a sphere. As for covenant overtones, we have a picture of this when God speaks to Abraham, and says,
“I am God Almighty; walk before Me and be blameless. And I will establish My covenant between Me and you.” (Gen17:1,2)
Notice the Lord says that He will do the establishing of the covenant.
So, we do the walking, God does the establishing. Believers are to live by faith in the Lord Jesus. We are to walk in the knowledge of God’s strength and presence and of His love, that is, a love that we can never be separated from! This is our completeness.
The issue of abiding is at the very heart of the new covenant. We share our life with Christ. He shares His life with us. It’s not half life we share. We share in the full life of Jesus. He shares fully in our life.
The word covenant in Hebrew is the word‘berith.’In Greek it is ‘diatheke.’Both words speak of a declaration of the will of God concerning His own commitment, promises, and conditions by which He enters into relationship with man.
God is the one who establishes the covenant. He is the initiator and completer. For this reason the vine is a vivid picture of our new covenant relationship with God.
The believer has one role in the Vine life. He is to look to the Lord Jesus for everything in life. Yet it is this one truth that believers sometimes stumble over. It is so easy to concentrate on working for Lord, and not on abiding in Him. Of course the end result is often frustration and even burn out.
The truth of the matter is that God has designed us to be faith-dependent on Jesus. This alone is the true secret of power!
Paul discovered this truth the same way that many of us do. The apostle said,
“Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me– to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me.
“And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
“Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2Co12:7-10)
There is no question that Paul was a man of great zeal. His eagerness for the Lord was to be admired, but this eagerness also became a danger point in Paul’s life.
And Paul found that prayer by itself could not take care of the problem. He had to learn the vine secret. When Jesus said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness,'” the apostle recognized that he was attempting to do too much on his own.
And so, what did Jesus tell the disciples about their vine life? He said, “Without Me you can do nothing.”
x
Our perfect example of the vine life is Jesus Himself.
In His earth walk, not one time do we ever see Jesus defensive or frustrated. Can we be like that? What was His secret? To answer that question, we need to ask another question. How many times do we hear Jesus say that He does nothing on His own initiative?
That is the key. (For your study consider the following Scriptures; John 5:30; 8:28; 8:42; 12:49; 14:10.)
Keep ever before you that the victory we walk in is the victory of the cross, that is, God’s finished work in Christ. It is the victory of Jesus that we are to abide in. It is His rest that we enter into. We are to trust in the Lord to work out His will in our life. It is in this arena of trust that the quiet life of abiding takes over.
Listen to these Scriptures:
“And the work of righteousness will be peace, and the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.” (Isa32:17)
“The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high; He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. And He will be the stability of your times, a wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is his treasure.” (Isa33:5,6)
“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matt11:29)
x
Now let’s go a step further.
It is in learning how to abide that we learn the outflow of God’s will. It really isn’t hard for any child of God to learn the flow of God’s will. There are only two things we need to know. First, we need to understand that God has a perfect will for all of His children. This includes His general will, and His specific will.
And, secondly we need to know that God is the only One who can work His will in our life. We don’t work God’s will. God works His own will.
Consider these key Scriptures:
“So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” (Phil2:12)
Notice it says that God is at work in each of us according to His will and for His own pleasure. Now for an even broader picture;
“Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Heb12:20,21)
Again notice that it is the God of peace who equips us ‘in everything‘ to do His will. He does this through our relationship with Jesus Christ. Again note that God’s work has to do with His pleasure. God is pleased to work with all His children.
There is no part of a believer’s life that the Lord is not vitally concerned with. This includes our mess ups. God can take the most terrible things of our own doings, and turn them to good. This is why the prophet of old could say,
“The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” (Lam3:22,23)
The Lord never ceases to love and care for His people. Perhaps David said it best of all. He said,
“You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, and Your right hand upholds me; and Your gentleness makes me great.” (Psa18:35)
x
The Lord’s gentleness.
The Hebrew word for gentleness, ‘anavah’, speaks of meekness, humility, condescension. This word paints a picture of a father giving tender instruction to his young child, in helping the child learn lessons of character. Our Father is a loving Father.
What is it that we need to learn from the Father? Let me share three simple keys to the Vine life that we need to learn. These keys include much of what we have already studied. But it will do well to review them again.
The 1st key to a victorious life is simply learning to abide in Christ. We discussed this earlier, but it needs to be reemphasized. Remember that it is His fruit that we bear. Therefore, we must learn to let our faith settle in Him absolutely. This is where God receives glory.
The 2nd key to a victorious Christian life is found in the second half of verse 7. Jesus said,
“…and My words abide in you.”
The Greek language has two words for word. Logos means thoughts and conceptions, or arrangements. It is in our meditations and study that God’s Logos flows. However, this is not the word Jesus uses here. Here Jesus says, ‘…if my Words (rhema[hray’-mah]) abide in you…’
Rhema speaks of that which has been uttered by a living voice. We are always to seek from the Lord Himself, that is, His voice in our hearts, for instructions for our lives. This is Christ ministering His Word in the heart of a believer. There are many voices in world, but there is only one voice we are to seek for and listen to.
The 3rd key is the love key. Jesus said,
“Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.” (John15:9.)
To abide in His love is to keep always before us His love for us.Menomeans to settle down in the knowledge of His love. God’s love is your protection. The apostle said that nothing can ever separate a believer from the Father’s love for us that is found in Christ Jesus.
So now you know the story of ‘the covenant of the Vine.’
Here is your song. There is a message in ‘God Will Make A Way”. Listen carefully. The Lord wants to speak to your heart.
x
Don’t be discouraged. The Lord will see you through.
“SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION, ‘BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU, GENTLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY, EVEN ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A BEAST OF BURDEN.'” (Mat 21:5)
but its spiritual needs. 
