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Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God. - 3 John 11     Someone once said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If this is true, then the things we imitate are honored in our hearts and minds. Which, of course, begs the question, "What are we imitating from our culture?" What has the church imitated or borrowed from the culture in which it exists? Who should be imitating w

When Yahweh takes pleasure in anyone’s way, He causes their enemies to make peace with them. – Proverbs 16:7     I have learned through years of serving the Lord that it can, at times, be unpleasant. I've also learned that serving Christ is not a popularity contest. It isn't. Serving the Lord can often be difficult. I've seen and experienced conflict, strife, and opposition. Every “family” has a little from time to time, and this includes the family of God.   Still, for years

This is why, if I come, I will remind him of the works he is doing, slandering us with malicious words. And he is not satisfied with that! He not only refuses to welcome the brothers himself, but he even stops those who want to do so and expels them from the church. - 3 John 10   I have never met anyone who really "liked" conflict; however, conflict has always been a part of the life and church. There will always be differences of opinion between one person and another, and c

All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord evaluates the motives. - Proverbs 16:2 Justification can be good or bad, depending upon your perspective. For example, justification in the biblical sense is a wonderful thing. It is the righteousness of Christ imputed to the regenerate sinner, the declaration of innocence by a just and holy God. On the other hand, justification (when used to describe our motives behind less than stellar decisions or actions) can be a terrible

I wrote something to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have first place among them, does not receive us. - 3 John 9     As play on the infamous words of Abraham Lincoln, "You can please  some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot please all of the people all of the time!"   In my 40 years as a minister of the gospel, I have seen a lot of opposition to my plans and ideas. Often, the opposition was necessary in order t

The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil. – Proverbs 15:28     As a pastor, I have been (at times) led by the Holy Spirit to lead in ways that were not well-received by some "members" of the church. The result was that some "gushed evil." For example, over the decades I have been called (among other names) an "arrogant dictator" and a "bulldozer." One very refined, elderly lady once told me that "every dog has his day and that my

Therefore, we ought to support such men, so that we can be co-workers with the truth. - 3 John 8     While serving as missionaries in Africa, my wife and I would sometimes attend meetings of the Baptist pastors in our country. It was an opportunity for us to catch up on country-wide efforts and to also be reminded of the partnership we shared in the ministry there.   It is not possible for one person, even one ministry or denomination, to accomplish all the work that the gosp

A man takes joy in giving an answer; and a timely word — how good that is! - Proverbs 15:23 So, you're having coffee or whatever (coffee is more spiritual) with a friend, when he or she asks, "Could I get your advice on something?" At first, you are intimidated (possibly) because you don't want to answer wrongly. Perhaps you're even honored that your friend considers your counsel to possess some value. Then there is even, I might call it, "the impossible, third possibility,"

... since they set out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from pagans. - 3 John 7     In West African culture, before a person is allowed to leave the home of someone they have been visiting, the visitor must "ask for the road." Sometimes, the person being visited will respond, "I give you the half," meaning that he or she looks forward to your speedy return.   John wrote that some Christians in his day had "set out for the sake of the name (of Christ)" and they had

Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly. – Proverbs 14:29   I used to have a bad temper and would often "fly off the handle." As a child, I was known to "pitch fits" and throw rocks, a great equalizer when your brother and cousin are twice your size! Perhaps, it was frustration over being bullied or just a way to “scare” away an “enemy,” but like the old cartoon character, Yosemite Sam, being loud and crazy sometimes worked. Wi

... they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God.... - 3 John 6     For most of my ministry as a pastor, our family lived in a parsonage, also known as the "fishbowl." Due to the proximity of our house to the physical church building, we often felt like we were being watched. We literally lived "before the church" each and every day whether we wanted to or not.   Was this a bad thing? Often, we ha

There is profit in all hard work, but endless talk leads only to poverty. - Proverbs 14:23 We have a saying in America that goes like this, "Talk is cheap." This, of course, means that it is easy to talk about doing something (or talk about having done it), but a lot harder to actually do it. I have for many years asked the question, "When all is said and done, what will have been said and what will have been done?" Has God told you to do something, which you have not done?

Dear friend, you are showing your faith by whatever you do for the brothers.... we ought to support such men, so that we can be coworkers with the truth. - 3 John 5,8   In the late first century, men of God traveled from church to church preaching the gospel and expanding the work of God into new frontiers. These men were often totally dependent upon local congregations of believers to meet their needs in order that they might continually devote themselves to the work of the

Where there are no oxen, the feeding-trough is clean, but an abundant harvest comes through the strength of an ox. - Proverbs 14:4 Living as I do (in the middle of Pennsylvania farming country) it is easy to understand that it (farming) is a messy business. A gentle breeze on a summer day often carries the pungent reminder that cows, pigs, and chickens produce more than milk, ham, and eggs! In other words, if you want a "clean" job, then don't farm. The same can be said about

Dear friend, you are showing your faith by whatever you do for the brothers, and this [you are] doing for strangers.... - 3 John 5 In the southern US, when a child behaves badly, we often say that he is "acting up." Of course, we all feel that bad behavior should be corrected, just as good behavior should be encouraged and yet I was just thinking this morning that it might not be a bad thing to "act up" every once in a while. Let me explain. John told his friend that when he

Without guidance, people fall, but with many counselors there is deliverance. - Proverbs 11:14 One of the "jobs" of a pastor is to provide biblical pastoral counseling in a context of general care and feeding of the local flock. Most pastors consider the counseling they give to be "biblical," because they work very hard to separate their personal opinion from God's objective truth, no matter the situation. While they certainly aren't always successful in these endeavors, most

For I was very glad when some brothers came and testified to your [faithfulness] to the truth -- how you are walking in the truth. - 3 John 3 The apostle John was "very glad" when he heard that his friend (Gaius) was walking in the truth. What is the significance or importance of a person "walking in the truth?" Why should we do the same? A walk in the truth is not without risk, but it is secure for all eternity. A walk in the truth is not without fault, but it is full of Go

When there are many words, sin is unavoidable, but the one who controls his lips is wise. - Proverbs 10:19     Typically, in American society, we value or esteem those who don't talk too much. Even if a person lacks great intellect, we may consider him to be intelligent simply because of his silence. Of course, many of us are familiar with the old adage (attributed to Mark Twain) that goes like this: “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool

Dear friend, I pray that you may prosper in every way and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. - 3 John 2     When we pray for our friends, what should we include in those prayers? Usually, our prayers are for good health (or something similar). We might also pray for their prosperity or work. Sometimes we even pray for their family. In other words, we seem to most often focus on the "externals" (tangible, material things) and avoid the "internals" (things that are

Instruct a wise man, and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man, and he will learn more. - Proverbs 9:9 There are many possible indicators of a person's wisdom. Some, like gray hair and advancing years, may be cultural, while others may be more measurable, like advanced academic degrees. There is, however, another mark of wisdom that has nothing to do with age or education. In fact, age and education may hinder its development. It is teachability. The truly wise will r