Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for He has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

Hebrews 13:5, ESV

 

I have noticed something from watching my grandkids that I believe reveals one of the secrets of true contentment: When they are busy with simple things, they are pretty happy.

 

For example, my wife recently bought a large set of tiny toy figures that our niece had outgrown and brought them to the worship in a bag one night. Our three-year old granddaughter asked her what was in a bag she had brought and when she found the little toys she immediately showed her big brother (all of four) and they sat down contentedly on a pew where they were occupied for a full hour. 

 

A day or two earlier, we had a surprise visit from our other set of grandkids. The six- and seven-year-old occupied themselves with a plastic bat and ball set, while our nearly two-years old grandson gave his full attention to a small kitchen set, only occasionally taking a break to lap up some water from a puddle on the ground or the backyard birdbath. Before you turn us in for child endangerment, his mother stopped him immediately as soon as she saw what he was doing.

 

My point in all of this is that kids seem to make themselves content with whatever they have available. Whether it was some toys that had only cost a few cents each, a $6 bat and ball set complete with a ball launcher, or a donated kitchen set from a friend, they were genuinely happy. And I know from experience that this is not a "one-off" situation, because the smaller ones cannot wait to get ahold of the bag of small toys again, and the other grands have played with the same kitchen set for years.

 

It brings back memories of my own childhood when I rode the same bike, year in and year out, played catch with a "pitch-back" or shot hoops for hours on end. Like my grandkids, if I got bored with my outdoor activities, I just came inside and read a book. (Fortunately for me, my grandkids are still at the "getting read to" stage, so I get to enjoy that part, too.) 

 

And when I was growing up, there was the soda pops! I can still remember getting ice-cold Dr. Peppers when we would visit my grandparents or my favorite aunt. That was back before they ruined the flavor with corn syrup sweetener instead of the pure cane sugar of my youth. I can still feen the burn of that tasty liquid on my throat, and the way it made my eyes water when I took too big of a sip. It is the stuff that memories are made of, to be sure.

 

I guess what I'm getting at is that it is the simple things in life that often make us the most contented. It's true that our grands will probably prefer video games as they get older, then fancy cars, and then big houses. However, if memory serves me, video games have a way of hypnotizing us into a perpetually bored state (just look at the faces of those who play them too much), fancy cars eventually need fancy-priced repairs, and the big houses come with big bills that must be paid. Before too long, we are no longer content with our big-boy toys, cars and houses, and we are left anything but content.

 

The inspired writer of Hebrews had it right. If we can keep our lives free from the love of money (as well as the things money can buy) and learn to savor those simple pleasures that are often little more than the things that are right in front of us, we will learn what true contentment is. And of course, for the Christian, this will mean that the real source of contentment is the One who will never leave nor forsake us... even when we are trying to lap up that nasty puddle-water that grabs our attention from time to time.

 

Are you content? If not, maybe it's time to re-focus on the One from whom all true contentment comes from in the first place. Perhaps then we can learn to enjoy all of life's simple pleasures.

 

Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart. 

I Peter 1:22, NKJV

 

Society is rapidly deteriorating. At the heart of this deterioration appears to be a lack of love for one another, and we can witness that lack of love in the everyday conversations and interactions of people. Turn on your favorite "unbiased" news source, and it is likely that you will find a heated debate over the day's most pressing issues. Only this new kind of debate is really not a debate at all - it's an argument! Turn to your preferred business channel, and you will likely find the same type of sordid conflict, regardless of how innocuous the subject may be. Why, even on the sports channel, people cannot seem to converse without resorting to conflict and mean-spirited accusations towards anyone who dares to hold a different opinion.

 

Our "entertainment venues of television and the movies are often filled with disrespectful conversations that soon degrade in violence over the slightest of disagreements. Popular culture has seen a "rap" style of music that is often a battle of the music stars insulting one another to a rhythmic beat. Then we have the "race hustlers" in every genre of the industry who seem intent on doing little more than spreading disharmony through the propagation of racial tensions.

 

And it is not limited to our media either. If you have been to a political town hall meeting in recent years, or even a local school board meeting, you have likely been shocked at the harsh manner in which people speak to one another. I realize that we all have different opinions, but how can we treat one another so badly at the same time that we are talking about the well-being of our communities, nation and children? And this should not be a surprise to us, for even at church meetings that are held for the specific cause of spreading the Gospel or for helping people with genuine needs, these forums often devolve into bitter words and evil accusations towards our fellow Christian's motives.

 

What is going on?

 

Well, it should not surprise us when the people of the world cannot get along, but it ought to shake us to the core when we witness (or sometimes even take part in) uncivil and unloving conversations between those who represent themselves as brothers and sisters in Christ. So, if we want to diagnose the problem, we really have to go no farther than this: If we are experiencing a hatefulness of conversation and conduct, it is for the simple reason that we have abandoned our duty to love one another deeply from the heart!

 

It is a matter of contrast that will help. The opposite of good health is sickness. The opposite of winning is losing. And the opposite of love is hate!

 

In John 13:34, Jesus said this: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another." The apostles to whom Christ was speaking to might have been startled at the idea that loving one another was a new commandment but, of course, it was the way Jesus qualified the statement that made it new: They were to love one another as their Lord had loved them.

 

And this, I believe, is the key! If we are ever to return to a civility in conduct and in speech, we are going to have to first love one another as Jesus loved us. When we have this kind of noble love for each other, it is hard to remain in conflict because when you care so deeply for someone else, it is almost impossible to treat them in a hateful way. Just imagine how different society would be if our gatherings really were for the promotion of what was best for each other. I believe that our public forums would quickly be elevated into civil meetings where people really did respect and honor one another above themselves. We would then be seeking how to work together to solve our problems, rather than remaining in fierce competition to get our way over everyone else's.

 

If we truly loved one another as Jesus loves us, I believe we would see a change - in our nation, in our communities, in our schools and in the Lord's church. The problem can indeed be solved, but it will have to begin with a return to this basic principle: If we want to get rid of the hateful speech and conduct, we are first going to have to return to a genuine love for one another. And while the problems we face may seem insurmountable, with love, they can be conquered. 

 

One last thought: My children and grandchildren are worth any amount of effort and hard work necessary to restore this much needed civility to our society. Aren't yours?

 

 

 

Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction. Malachi 4:5-6, ESV

Who is the man who fears the LORD? Him will He instruct in the way that he should choose... Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles. Psalms 25: 12 & 22, ESV

 

These two passages were written over 500 years apart, but they addressed the same basic theme. The second was written by King David, who pointed out the need for mankind to learn God's ways, as well as the need to have God rescue their nation. The first verse we read from above was written through inspiration of the Lord by the prophet Malachi. We find from Christ's own words that the Elijah that was to come would be John the Baptist, who would fulfill this prophetic message by preparing Israel, God's chosen people, for the Messiah. It was indeed a warning that if the fathers could not turn the hearts of their children back to God, that God would utterly destroy the land.

 

And even though Christ did come and die for the sins of all mankind, Israel's fathers were unable to turn the hearts of their children back to God, and the nation of Israel was essentially destroyed when the Romans wiped out Jerusalem, including razing the temple to the ground. It is important to note that while Israel was a nation comprised of the physical descendants of Abraham, the Israel of today is described by God as a spiritual nation, made up of those who have become obedient to His Son, and faithful to His ways... but that's another lesson for another day.

 

What I wanted to talk about today is what happened to physical Israel. Why did God almost completely destroy this nation of Abraham's descendants? Many of them loved Israel (as did God) but their mistake was that most of them had begun to place their allegiance to their nation, rather than to the Lord. As a result, even though these people were true patriots in many ways, they had placed their devotion to God second to their devotion to their country. And because of this fatal mistake, they not only lost their nation, but many lost their eternal souls as well.

 

One of the reasons we study history is to prevent us from repeating the same mistakes that the men who came before us made.

 

Fast=forward to America in 2025. We have a lot of people who are true patriots. They love God and country, but not in that order. As a result, we have a lot of patriots who identify as Christians, but we have far too few Christian patriots. While this distinction may seem subtle, it is not really subtle at all. When people put their allegiance to their country before their devotion to God, bad things happen. People get into fights over whose brand of patriotism is superior. As a result, sides are drawn, and so-called patriots begin to divide the very nation that they claim to love. Or worse, people begin to follow a nationalistic set of leaders who define patriotism by their obedience to man's commands, rather than God's What you end up with then is a divided nation on its way to destruction. 

 

This is precisely what happened to Israel, and I am very much afraid it is what is happening to America now. While I don't believe that America is somehow God's modern-day, "chosen people", I do know that there was at one time a large percentage of Americans who were Christians and who were, therefore, part of God's spiritual Israel as are all people of all nations who are followers of Christ. Because so many Americans were genuine followers of Christ, America has been richly blessed. However, just as the physical nation of Israel fell away from their devotion to God and were destroyed, it appears that America has chosen to take that same reckless path.

 

And unless we parents begin to turn our hearts towards our children and begin once again to raise them up in the instruction of the Lord, we will suffer the same fate as the nation of Israel did some 2,000 years ago when God removed His protection from them. It should be noted that God did not leave Israel - Israel left God!

 

This is what has happened to America, in my opinion. America as a nation was started by men and women who were as a majority devoted to Christ. They knew that no nation would succeed that did not love God and follow his ways, and they did love God, and they also appeared to have been devoted to His ways. As a result, America has received many blessings from being in God's favor. These blessings always follow those who are devoted to God, and Americans for many years were indeed devoted. They loved God and country - in that order - and built a nation (with the assistance of God) that was the envy of all nations. 

 

And as long as the hearts of the parents were such as to be determined to raise their children in God's ways, as Christians, America continued to be blessed. But then, something happened!

 

Americans began to feel that their success stemmed from the fact that they were Americans, and for the first time began to consider themselves patriots before they considered themselves to be Christians. In their arrogance, they began to expel God and Christ from the public realm. No longer could Christianity be held up as the highest standard in our schools, and soon it was hard to find Christ's influence in any other important area, be it in our government or in our powerful corporations.

 

And as we continued this process of ridding God from the public square, we replaced Him with a secular humanism that worshipped the created rather than the Creator. And somewhere along the line the hearts of the fathers ceased to be towards their children, because a people who have abandoned God always end up forsaking their own children. The interesting thing is that many of these fathers are indeed patriots - they love their country, without question. But since they made the mistake of placing country before God, they eventually became a godless society that is, as Robert Bork so accurately stated, "slogging towards Gomorrah". 

 

I think we all recall from our knowledge of history how things turned out for Gomorrah!

 

So, what is the solution? It's the same as it was some 3,000 years ago when King David saw that God's protection was inextricably linked to Israel's devotion. It is the same as it was 2,400 years ago when Malachi prophesied that destruction of Israel could only be prevented by the hearts of the fathers turning towards their children, and this always came about as a result of the devotion to God.

 

In short, if America ever wants to become great again, we are going to have to return to God and to Christ. Until we return to being servants of the Lord, we can never enjoy the protection that He has always provided for His servants. To be very clear, we are going to have to be Christians before we are Americans (or any other nationality you might prefer). The effective patriot has always been one who loves God and country in that order. Any other type of patriot is certain to have their beloved nation suffer the same fate that the nation of Israel did some 2,000 years ago.

 

If America is ever to enjoy a return of God's blessings and avoid a certain doom, the hearts of the fathers must be refocused on the hearts of their children. Before that ever happens, we are going to have to have those hearts fully devoted to God! Nothing else can save our nation. More important, nothing else can save our souls.

 

 

And as He was now approaching... the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles they had seen.

Luke 19:37, NASB

But they cried out all together, saying, "Away with this man..." And Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again. But they kept on calling out, saying, "Crucify, crucify Him!"

Luke 23:18, 20-21, NASB

 

One of the reasons that we need to be careful of popular opinion is that it can quickly turn into a mob mentality. Such was the case in the hours leading up to Jesus' death. He came into Jerusalem a hero, beloved by all, who even praised God joyfully just at the sight of this man who had performed so many beneficial miracles. Less than 24 hours later, the adoring crowd had turned into a frenzied and hateful mob intent upon His death. So, what happened?

 

It's a question we need to answer, because by understanding what happened to Jesus, we can then do our best to make sure that such a terrible event does not happen in our lives. The fact is that when Jesus came into town, He was a much beloved man whom the majority of the people adored - and why not? He had fed thousands of them, he had likely healed thousands more, and He had even raised a few of them from the dead. So, how did this crowd turn against Jesus?

 

The answer is as disturbing as it is clear. They were turned away from Jesus (or at least a large percentage of them) because they were not used to thinking for themselves. Knowing this, the jealous Jewish leaders seized upon an opportunity to skillfully manipulate this crowd into doing their will. It only took a few suggestions here and there, calling Jesus' character and motives into question. A few not-so-subtle threats followed, and the very people who had been treated so well by Jesus now switched their loyalties in just one day. Though they had seen with their own eyes the righteousness of Jesus, their leaders easily persuaded them not to trust their own experiences and instead rely on the counsel of those in charge. After all, the leaders were leaders for a reason, and the people were used to being told what to do by them.

 

So, when the leaders said that Jesus was a blasphemer, a large portion of the crowd believed them. Even though there was not one scrap of evidence supporting these slanderous accusations! And the people then did something that we often do: they allowed their leaders to think for them. They were quite used to this because, like most people, they were not used to thinking for themselves. So when these leaders encouraged the crowd to demand that Jesus be put to death - this sweet and loving man who had done nothing but good - the people followed the leader and did just that.

 

Looking back on it, we are likely inclined to shake our heads and wonder how the people could be so gullible as to turn against a good man (a man who turned out to be the very Son of God) and demand his death. But before we go too far in our condemnation for this particular crowd, we might do well to consider just who it is that we are following in our times.

 

Consider your own situation. If you hear something from your most "trusted news source", do you accept it without question? Before answering that you would not, keep in mind that this news source very likely despises the same people that you despise, and supports the same people that you support. And speaking of who we support, are you automatically inclined to believe their side of the story even before you have thoroughly investigated it for yourself? Think about how quickly we are inclined to become furious with somebody just because someone on our side says that we should.

 

The fact is that people are most easily swayed in groups, and those who seek power are all too aware of this tendency. So, they divided us up into sides and convince us that we are disloyal to our cause should we ever dare to disagree with the opinions of the majority. If someone we trust says we've been cheated, then we believe with all our heart that we've been cheated. If someone on our side states that the other side consists only of liars and thieves, then we are immediately convinced that this is so. And we don't question these assertions and accusations because we have become so used to letting someone else do the thinking for us that we have forgotten how to think for ourselves.

 

When this occurs, bad things nearly always happen. Friendships are separated, wars are started, and sometimes a Savior is crucified... all because we have become so lazy as to stop thinking for ourselves. As a matter of fact, even when we are tempted to have a different opinion than the mob, we are reluctant to say so. After all, we all know what happens when we challenge the mob - they have a way of turning on us!

 

This is why we all need to be reading the Bible for ourselves. People are too accustomed to letting someone else do the thinking for them when it comes to religion. After all, that's what we have pastors and priests and preachers for, isn't it? But we should all be asking ourselves, "What if they are wrong?" You might be thinking, "who am I to believe that I may know more than the preacher?" but this type of thinking can have some very serious consequences. We know this is true by seeing how quickly a crowd turned in Jesus' day from being ardent supporters to vehement opponents, all because they believed that their religious leaders had all of the answers.

 

The mob, even when it is dressed in Sunday clothes and carrying Bibles, can be a very dangerous thing indeed. Those who wish to be pleasing to God will not fall prey to such pressure. If we really do love Jesus, we are going to have to stop listening to the crowd and start listening to God. Anything else will surely end in disaster. But for those who do put in the extra effort to go to God's word for their information, they will find a peace and joy that they may have never believed possible. And someday there will be heaven! To get there. we are going to have to abandon our tendencies to trust the crowd to do the right thing and begin to start thinking for ourselves.