Tag: God

Diplomatic Immunity

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“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” – 2 Corinthians 5:20

A little while ago, I read where an ambassador from another country committed a crime here in the states, but since he was an official diplomat, he was let go due to what is known as diplomatic immunity. It was a relatively minor crime, but something that if you or I did, we would have been prosecuted for. Just because he has been given special credentials, he is allowed special privileges. That being said, if he was to abuse that privilege, his immunity would be revoked and he would no longer be allowed to represent his country.

When we accept Jesus, we are made into what the scripture calls an ambassador of Christ. It’s a right term, since we are ordered by Jesus to represent Him in an official way. In Mathew 28, Christ says, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” That is called His “Great Commission” and it is not a thing to be taken lightly.

Just think of it, the God Almighty and creator of the universe is appointing each of his children to spread the gospel and lead people to Jesus. It doesn’t say just friends or family or even people of our same race and color, He says, “all nations.” I hear that and I need to step back from myself for a moment, thinking about who am I to deserve Christ to not only suffer and die for me, but to also have the honor of being an ambassador for Him to all people. Honestly, like the old song goes, you are nobody until somebody loves you. I’m not anyone important in and of myself, but I am a real somebody as soon as God places His credentials upon me. “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)

We are children of the Most High God and, therefore, we are royalty. We are sent forth from Heaven as ambassadors into strange foreign lands. We are to conduct ourselves in way worthy of our Lord. Archbishop Fulton Sheen said that he shaved twice daily, because he was representing Christ in everything he did and did not want others to see Jesus in poor appearances. That’s showing a great attitude for life. If you are not doing or saying certain things in front of certain people, you probably shouldn’t be doing or saying those things at all. Put your best foot forward, so to speak. Keep the mindset that you may be the Christian that makes the difference in somebody’s life. You may be what leads someone to Jesus or you may be what drives someone away from Him.

The best part of being an ambassador is that we have that diplomatic immunity through the blood of Jesus Christ. We live in a sinful world and we are products of it. Our actions aren’t always what they should be. That’s why we need Jesus and His grace to forgive our sins. If you mess up, come to Jesus and admit it, then move on knowing that you already have been forgiven. Don’t abuse that grace though. If you love somebody and know that person loves you as well, you don’t want to fail them. Jesus loves you and is with you always.

Remember that not only are you forgiven for your shortcomings, but that is also what you can put forth to someone who doesn’t know Christ. They, too, can be forgiven and have the peace of God that surpasses all understanding. As an ambassador of Jesus, that is what you bring to the empty table of a non-Christian. You represent the King of King and Lord of Lords. Your country is one not made with human hands, eternal in the heavens.

God’s blessings to you.

DH

The Ten Commandments

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“I am the LORD your God, which have brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me.” – Exodus 20:2-3

Sometimes, with all of the craziness of everyday life, it’s good to get back to the basics.  One thing that seems to go away from peoples’ minds is the fact that there is a right way to live this life and a wrong way.  One way leads to life and that’s God’s way.  Making your own rules up as you go along is truly the wrong way.

God created us as His children and He loves us very much.  Just like all good parents, God wanted to instruct His children on how to live the best that we could.  So one day, God made 10 rules, called commandments, for us to live by and He gave them to a man He trusted named Moses. God knew Moses would pass the commandments along to the rest of us.  Moses lived over 3000 years ago, but the rules God gave him to follow are just as important now as they were back then.

It’s just like when as a kid, our parents give us rules to protect us: to look both ways before we cross the street, to not hit our brother or sister.  They give us rules because they love us and know what’s best for us, and those rules never get too old to follow.

Please remember that each commandment is equally as important as the rest of them, one is not more important than the other. I’m only giving a brief overview of the commandments right now for the sake of time, but these really deserve a much deeper Bible study.

The first commandment is to put God first.  This means that nothing should be more important than God – a hobby you enjoy, tv or video games, even your friends and family should not be more important than God. When you make our Lord the top priority, it will keep your mind and heart more focused on His desires for your life and not just your own.

The second command is to worship only God.  This is like the first commandment in that God wants our love, and He doesn’t want us to bow down and worship a statue just because we can’t see Him.  In other words God is the only one that we should pray to or look to for our completion.  Not sports heroes, not movie stars, just God.

The third commandment is broken all the time nowadays it seems.  God commands us to use His name with respect.  Many people use God’s name like a swear word, or say it when they’re upset.  God wants us to use His name when we’re talking to Him, or telling others about Him in a nice way.  To use His name in these other ways is very disrespectful and hurts God to hear it. You wouldn’t say your mom’s name as a bad word, so don’t use God’s.

The forth commandment should be easy, we are to remember God’s Sabbath, which means His day of rest.  God wants us to take one day of the week and just rest from all of the stress.  When God made the world in six days, He rested on the seventh day.  This gets harder when you get older, there always seems to be something to do, but remember God commands us to take a day off.  Like my mom used to say, “it’s good for what ails you.”

The fifth commandment might be a little tricky for some of you, but it’s very important (like all the other commandments) that you follow it.  He tells us to honor our father and mother.  That’s a tough one if you had not gotten the blessing of a good set of parents.  So many people I meet have dad or mom issues from poor parenting during their early years.  Non-existent parents are sometimes better than abusive or addicted parents.  That being said, God didn’t say to love them or even respect them, but honor them.  You honor your parents by not only forgiving them of their shortcomings, but especially by becoming a better person yourself through a more godly life than what they lived.  Frankly, even the best parent should be held up as a warning instead of an example. Honor your parents

The sixth commandment says don’t kill people.  This doesn’t mean just kill, but the original term written means “an unlawful taking of an innocent life.” It doesn’t mean that a police officer or soldier who needs to take the life of an evildoer in order to protect the lives of good, law abiding citizens.  God understands and the Bible is replete with God-sanctioned wars and the like.  It is unfortunate, but there is evil in this world and true evil will never allow a harmonious existence with good.  That being said, we must go as far as we can to forgive those who wrong us and lead a peaceful life.

The seventh commandment is for those who are married.  God tells us to be faithful in marriage.  He wants us to love our wife or husband someday and treat them with respect. Marriage is important and should be treated like it is. This even extends to what Jesus said about committing adultery of the eyes, so to speak.  If you are married, you are joined with that one man or one woman.  If you cheat or even look upon another person lustfully, you are not only defiling yourself, but your spouse as well.

The eighth commandment is don’t steal.  This means that we shouldn’t take something that doesn’t belong to us.  You wouldn’t want people to take your favorite item, so don’t take anything that isn’t yours.  Remember that God is in control and He will provide what we need.  You will never lack for anything if you are faithful to God.

The ninth commandment is don’t lie.  It is always better to tell the truth, and while you’re at it don’t do anything that would make you want to lie.  Usually parents, police, or other authority figures know when you’re lying anyway.  We know you did it, just admit it.  And if you do something wrong and don’t get caught by another person, God sees and hears everything and He already knows that you did wrong.  Don’t lie about it and make the situation worse.

The tenth commandment is don’t covet.  This means that we shouldn’t wish to have things that someone else has.  I know there is always a new muscle car or pair of shoes – there is always something that we want to get.  It’s important to remember that these things aren’t really important.  God is the most important thing and should be in your life (remember the first commandment).

Now I know this list might seem nearly impossible to follow all the time, but God gives us His best and we should try to do our best for Him, too. When we mess up, and we will, remember that things will be OK if we stick close to our Heavenly Father. God loves and forgives us through the finished work of Jesus on the cross.

God’s blessings to you.

DH

Daniel and the Lyin’s Den

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“Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men.” – Daniel 2:48

Many people have heard about Daniel in the lions’ den and how God sent His angels to shut the mouths of the lions to protect Daniel. God did this because Daniel was a good and faithful servant.  Even when the unbelieving king Darius signed the order for everyone to only bow and pray to his statue, Daniel immediately went home, opened the windows so everyone could see, and knelt down to pray to the one true God.  Thus, Daniel was thrown into the den of the lions as punishment.

One of the main takeaways from this particular story is not only does Daniel obey God, but he does it in the midst of a pagan, unbelieving ruler. How many of us can say that we work for a person or persons that is sometimes less than ethical?  How often do we see people and even some so-called friends do things that isn’t right according to God’s standards?  If we are honest with ourselves, we live in a society that rewards unethical behavior and people who “do whatever it takes.”  But that’s not how God wants this world to act.

I like the old saying about, “Integrity is what you do when nobody’s watching.” In truth, there is always somebody watching, and that person is Jesus Christ.  No matter what this world says, if you can’t do something with integrity, then it shouldn’t be done.  The rat race of corporate America tells you that it’s OK to break a few rules now and then to get more money.  People who are after a few more bucks write up contracts that aren’t worth the paper they are written on, and for what?  A few more steaks in the freezer?  Even Jesus Himself said, “What does it profit a man that he should gain the world and loose his own soul?”  Money, sex, prestige, whatever the reason is, we aren’t even gaining the whole world.  We are only selling out for a small part of this world, and it’s a world that will pass away.

What will be left is your eternal soul. In the end, forever, you and I will be in Heaven or hell, period.  If you are a born-again Christian, you know where you will end up and that’s with our Father in Heaven.  But there is a job to do before then.  As a child of the Most High God, it is our job to follow Christ in word and in deed.  When you turn your life over to Christ, you are not immediately taken up to Heaven.  You are left in this world to show others what’s right and to turn them from their sinful ways.  Just like Daniel, in whatever job you do and wherever pays your salary, you are to show integrity and honesty is everything you do.  You may be the only experience that someone will have with a Christian, so be a good experience.  You represent the holy name of God, so show people what that means.

A company or any place will be blessed because you are there. You are a light for the world to guide by, and that light better shine towards Jesus.  Daniel showed his earthly king what his Heavenly King was all about, and it prospered Daniel and those around him.

Daniel is a great example of how a Christian should act, even when working for an unbelieving boss. Eventually, those around Daniel, including the king, would come to see what a wonderful and powerful God that Daniel served.  Let those you meet and also work with see what a wonderful and powerful God you serve, today and every day.

God’s blessings to you.

DH

Concealed Carry

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“Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee” – Psalm 119:11

The world has a way of throwing things at you that are unexpected. I don’t know too many people who wake up in the morning and expect to have moments of rage, lust, or envy.  Those types of things just happen to all of us, but we do not need to be subject to them.

Sin is everywhere and there’s a bullet of sin with your name on it right now. The devil is a sharpshooter. He’s really good at knowing just where to hit each of us where it hurts the most.  He finds our weaknesses quickly and without warning.  If we aren’t ready to handle those problems and desires, we could fall at any minute.  That’s where Jesus comes in as our grand protector.

When you accept Jesus Christ, you have a new and very powerful weapon in your arsenal. Now, you are able to fight back and the devil never sees it coming.  Sin thinks that you are still the same easy target you always have been, but you’ve got a secret weapon.  With God by your side, the bible says that no weapon formed against you shall prosper.  When the devil shoots, you can shoot back.

Just as with any weapon, the more you practice with it, the better you will become. As with everything, start out with prayer.  Spend time with Jesus daily.  I’m a big believer in a morning holy hour and have preached this for as long as I can remember.  Even if you can’t muster but 10-15 minutes in the morning, you will be better equipped to handle what the devil throws your way.  Prayer will help you know God’s desires for your life.  Prayer will also help you to know the good from the bad in this world.  You can’t hit the bullseye if you don’t spend time with your weapon.

The devil is gunning for your. Don’t bring a knife to a gun fight.  Instead, bring a rock.  Bring The Rock!

God’s blessings to you.

DH

No Peacocks In Heaven

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“God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” – James 4:6

We went to the zoo a little while ago and saw many animals, but one of them that stood out were the peacocks. They walked around with their beautiful feathers fanned out, almost with an air of arrogance about them.  Just then, I saw a teenage boy parading around and showing off for his girlfriend.  Now, I don’t think for a second that we are descended from apes or anything, but that situation made me think that the teenage boy might have been born from a peacock.

Many times in scripture we see God being angry with people for thinking they are high and mighty. God is just like any good parent and wants His children to know the value of staying humble.  I know that there has been times in my own life that God taught me humility, and those were lessons that I won’t soon forget.  Humility brings about peace and kindness, because you realize that we are all on the same level as brothers and sisters in God’s holy family.  We all deserve love.

Only God deserves the top spot in our lives and as soon as we think that we’ve somehow earned that spot ourselves, we are headed for disaster. It’s ok to acknowledge that you have certain gifts and be happy about them.  Some people are good artists or singers.  Some are good at sports.  I’m a good preacher.  That’s not pride or arrogance talking, that is simply an acknowledgement of a gift of the Holy Spirit. The problems come when you start thinking that your skills and talents came from anything you did in and of yourself.  Your blessings are just that, blessings.  The Bible doesn’t say that I can do all things just because I’m Daniel Harlow and I’m awesome.  It says that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  No Christ equals no strength.

My mom used to tell me not to get ‘too big for my britches’. I like the old country way of putting things into simple terms.  That is much like the Apostle Peter wrote, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time” (1 Peter 5:6)  God is not impressed with your stylish cars or clothes.  Not once have I ever thought that I’d rather have a fancy movie star as a daughter rather than my own girls that love me deeply.  God loves you and you are important to Him just the way you are.  You have no need for a Rolex in Heaven.  You came into this world naked and you’ll leave just the same.  Billy Graham put it best when he said, “I’ve never seen a hearse with a U-Haul trailer.”

Sometimes it’s the simplest things in life that really bring you the greatest rewards. Humility is the gateway to Christ’s Kingdom and the key to our Heavenly Father’s eternal blessings.  You can’t lift yourself higher than what God can lift you.

DH

Music To Our Ears

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Our good friend is a music teacher and has spent a good portion of her life honing her skills in all things music. One thing I’ve learned from her is that a well trained ear can easily pick out a discordant note. The same thing can be said for our souls.

When you spend time with Jesus through prayer and reading the scriptures, your soul becomes better tuned to what God has to say about things. A well trained ear picks out a bad note and a well trained soul picks out the lies of the world.

There are unfortunately many people in this world calling bad things good and good things bad. We need to figure out what God says is a sin and call it what it is. “There are ways that seem right to a man, but the end of those ways  are death” Proverbs 14:12

It’s hard to know what’s right sometimes, but the more time you spend with Christ, the easier it is to pick out the bad things. When you accept Jesus into your life, the Holy Spirit lives inside of you. You’ll feel those tugs in certain directions from temptation, but you’ll have that still, quiet voice within you telling you right from wrong. The more time you spend in prayer, the louder the Spirit’s voice is inside of you. Pretty soon, doing the right thing comes easy.

If you haven’t accepted Jesus, take the time to do it right now. If you have already been saved, then I urge you to make a daily commitment to spend time in the Word of God. Make a Holy hour for yourself (even if it isn’t a full hour) to pray and read the Bible. Your day will go better, your life will be fuller, and your ears better trained to hear the truth. And the truth isn’t a something, it’s a somebody, and His name is Jesus Christ.

God bless you.

DH