Standing Naked in the Sun

Fig leaves are large

I learned something about swimsuits the other day that I never saw before. I think this thought came from Sarah Fallis' new book.

To set up the "revelation" in its proper context, notice a short list of points:

In Genesis 3:7, after eating the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve "knew they were naked" and sewed fig leaves together to make a covering. They were attempting to hide their nakedness. It makes sense to use those leaves! Notice a few things about fig leaves:

1. Fig leaves are large enough to provide adequate cover for the body's private parts. That is why they were used. They are very large leaves.

2. Fig leaves are not "see through". What they covered themselves with would have been adequate to prevent others from seeing the private parts through the leaves.

3. This fig-leaf covering was about decency and shame. (It was not worn to prevent lust. Adam and Eve were married (Genesis 2:24-25). Lust would have been a foreign concept in the situation.) They covered themselves (their private parts) to cover their shame of being naked.

Now consider a comparison of fig leaves and swim wear
1. Modern swimwear (bikinis, even one-piece swimsuits) cover about as much as fig leaves would cover. (Google fig leaves. They are large and they sewed several together).

2. Swimwear covers private parts and is not see-through (usually).

3. Swimsuits are used to cover the private parts while swimming, exactly like fig leaves did--and there is no possibility of swimsuits getting dry and crumbling!

4. I can see no difference between swimsuits and fig leaf coverings. Can you?

Now for the part I did not realize:

After sewing fig leaves together and making a covering for themselves, God visited them in the Garden of Eden and they hid from Him. What was the REASON Adam gave for hiding? It is found in Genesis 3:10. "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid BECAUSE I WAS NAKED." Adam, in his "swimsuit" was still naked and indecent.

Christians, don't spend your summer naked in front of people of the opposite sex. Keep your clothes on and find adequate swimwear that actually covers your body. (Yes, there are plenty that do.) It's a matter of decency.

Is Your Mind Glowing?

A Mind Map. Start Thinking Differently.

What do you suppose Jesus looked like when He was transfigured? As descriptive as Matthew chapter 17 is, I still have unanswered questions. 

We know that Moses had a similar glow after coming from the presence of God (Exodus 34:30). This “glory” was seen at various other times during biblical history and seems to indicate the presence or authority of divinity. 

There was a fundamental difference between what Moses experienced and what Jesus experienced. Moses’ face glowed because he was in the presence of God. The reason Jesus glowed was not because the Father was in the area. Jesus was transfigured. He went through a kind of metamorphosis. He revealed the glory of God to His disciples.

This was such an important event that Peter wrote about it later in his life in 2 Peter 1:16-21. Peter reported that they were “eyewitnesses of His majesty” on that day (verse 16). I’m sure it was an incredible experience.

The word “transfigured” used by Matthew is metamorphoo. It is where we get the word, metamorphosis. Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind...” The word “transformed” is also metamorphoo. The same word is used in both places. Is that significant? Is it a coincidence?

I don’t think it can be explained by coincidence. Jesus transfigured into divine glory. Aren’t we also able to transform into similar glory? Obviously bodies will not literally glow as we mature in Christ. If the glory Jesus exhibited was the divine nature of God being revealed, wouldn't we exhibit some kind of "glow" if we partake in that divine nature? At least symbolically that must be true as we metamorphoze our minds. What is it the end of that metamorphosis?  

It seems that Jesus’ transfiguration and our transformation were what Peter had in mind when he wrote 2 Peter 1:3-4. “His divine power has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature....”

Don’t miss the importance of those two verses. We are able to share in the divine nature of God. As we consider Romans 12:2, we can see that we can transform our minds similarly to the way Jesus transfigured His body. In a sense, our thinking can “glow” because it is transformed into the divine nature. 

Shouldn’t this knowledge affect us? 

Maybe it’s just an intellectual point of discussion for some, but not for me. It's also not a metaphysical exploration on my part. I am aware of the symbolism that is being expressed in our metamorphosis. However, the glory of the Lord shining in the face of Peter made an impact. Peter, John, and James saw the Savior in a new light.

Does anyone see your mind as something different? Or do you tend to think like everyone else in this world?

Is your mind “glowing” from God’s presence? 

Meditate on that idea for a while and see what you come up with. Share your thoughts below! 

Here are some points that jump out at me.

1. Read the Bible, not just books that explain the Bible.
2. Stop dimming your "mental glow" by putting bad things in it.
3. When you speak, people ought to know that there is something different about the way you think if you are a Christian.
4. Stop asking PEOPLE what to think about different topics and start asking GOD what to think about them.
5. If you have not read the Bible all the way through, you cannot know how to think according to the divine nature. It is not natural. It must be learned. (That does not mean salvation is impossible, especially if you are new to the Word. The more you learn the more you grow. God's grace fits in somewhere.)

Leaders See Deeper Meanings

Nehemiah Saw More Than Walls

Look at the challenges you must lead people to overcome. Do not assume they see the problem in the same light as you. Is there deep,  emotional reason for them to achieve victory? Is there hope that they can accomplish it? Have you given the solution and thrown down a challenge to them?

Nehemiah was a great leader. He led the Jews to rebuild their city walls after they were destroyed by the Babylonians. The walls sat broken and charred for more than 70 years. He rallied the people of God and rebuilt them quickly and efficiently.

Nehemiah is a good example of leading people to accomplish a goal. It took such a man to get the people going in the right direction. People lived day after day in Jerusalem. As they walked outside to go to work they could easily see the rubble lying in the sun. The charred remains must have been a constant reminder that they were a defeated nation.

It took Nehemiah one visit to Jerusalem to make a difference. It is amazing how he accomplished it. He saw the walls for what they were and called the people to action to remedy the situation.

Nehemiah 2:17 states, "I said to them, 'You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.'"

After such a speech the people rallied behind him and rebuilt the walls. Sound a little too simplistic? It is possible that Nehemiah had a long speech and this is the cliff notes. It is also possible that these two sentences is all it took. Many of the greatest speeches in history were short.

Winston Churchill rallied a nation to hold their borders against a relentless German attack with five words. He walked to the podium and said with great style and enthusiasm, "Never, never, never give up."

Jesus taught one of the greatest lessons in the history of civilization. Reading it today takes about 10 minutes.

So Nehemiah rallied people with a couple of sentences. Here's how that happened.

1. He saw the walls for what they were. The people saw rubble and charred stone. He saw reproach.

2. He did not ask them to rebuild the walls. He asked them to restore their dignity by getting rid of the reproach.

3. He asked them to work with him, not for him.

See like a leader, not like a follower. Then share that vision with others.

Making An Eternal Difference

How many seeds come from one kernel of corn?

The answer completely depends on how the kernel is used. If you take a kernel and plant it, and if it grows to fruition, it will produce many more kernels. That number could easily be multiplied many times. All you have to do is plant some or all of the kernels of corn that grow from it.

Then again, it could also simply rot.

Your life is that way. You can make a powerful impact on others. You can make a difference - and a difference that actually MATTERS in the long run.

Imagine sitting in Heaven one day and a stranger approaches you. He tells you that someone you taught and baptized taught him the truth. He put two and two together and realized that you were part of the reason he was there in Heaven. How would you respond?

Do we ever have any idea what kind of impact we can have on people around us in this world? The concept both terrifies and excites me!

People do not come to Christ by accident.

If you want to make an impact on others, you have to get the Word out! The Word of God is the seed from which Christians grow. But we need to be wise in how we spread the seed.

The Secret to Being A Great Friend

Everyone Needs Friends

Why did Jesus make friends? We know that He did. People flocked to Him. Some people did hate Him and eventually almost everyone left Him before His death, but He certainly made many friends during His ministry.

Perhaps the word "friend" is not the best description of His followers, but try telling people like Zacchaeus in Luke 19 that Jesus was not a friend to him. Try telling that to Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. Try telling the 9,000 people He fed on those two occasions that Jesus was not their friend. Try telling that to the "inner three" (Peter, James, and John). Friend? Oh, He was much more than that, but the world never saw such a friend as Jesus!

As you study the Bible you will notice that Jesus was a people-person. You could almost always find Him around other people teaching, ministering, and spending time developing relationships. He did not build these friendships in order to take from them. He did it in order to serve others. He Himself said that He "did not come to be served but to serve" and to "give His life a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:28).

Consider how we can apply the Master's example to our own lives.

Hebrews 10:24 tells us to "consider one another in order to stir up love and good works." The word "consider" is from a compound Greek word. Part of the word means "to perceive with the mind." The other part is a modifier that denotes intensity. In other words, we are to carefully consider how we can encourage others to express love and do good things.

Relatedly, 1 Peter 3:8 tells us to be compassionate toward others. "Compassion" means to share the suffering of others. It implies an emotional and a mental connection between people. In order to properly be compassionate, I need to understand what people are experiencing. The same is true for showing people consideration in stirring up love and good works.

If I do not know a person, I cannot properly show that person compassion. I can show pity, but that is not technically the same as compassion. People resent pity, but they appreciate compassion.

So if I want to help someone, I need to take the time to get to know them first. Let me tell you from personal experience that if you wait until someone is in need to try to get to know them, you will miss many opportunities to serve. People trust who they know. If they do not know you and you do not know them, they will usually not trust you to help and any help offered may be considered more of an intrusion than a help.

This is the secret to being a great friend: Make friends with the goal of serving them.

Sooner or later people will need a friend. If I am close to them and the opportunity arises I can be like Jesus and serve them with what they need. This is both an honor and a privilege to a friend. Another advantage to getting to know others is that when you need a friend (and we all do eventually) you will have one!

It might seem odd to some of you to talk about how to be a friend, but this is a skill many do not develop. Many people are selfish. They only seek friends for what they can get out of them. These people find only loneliness and the only "friends" they have are those who help from pity and not compassion.

Why do you have friends?

Be sure to build your friendships so that one day you will have the opportunity to be of service to them in some way. This is the heart of the "second greatest commandment" - love your neighbor as yourself.

I am grateful that Jesus came to serve. He taught me how to do it. I am glad that He was a friend to others. He taught me what a true friend is.


Meditate upon Proverbs 18:1 sometime: "A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; he rages against all wise judgment."

The Path of Sinners

Know where a path goes before stepping on it.

“Thus says the Lord to this people: ‘Thus they have loved to wander; they have not restrained their feet.’ Therefore the Lord does not accept them; He will remember their iniquity now, and punish their sins” (Jeremiah 14:10).

Restraint is a part of life. It must be learned and it must be based on principles from God for life to be worthwhile. Unfortunately, many people fail to learn to restrain themselves beyond what is acceptable in society. The reason that is a problem is because what is acceptable in society is not always what is acceptable to God.

A wise person will look at his ways and live according to the Word of God. Proverbs 1:15-16 is part of a warning to avoid the enticements of sinners to do wrong. “My son, do not walk in the way with them, keep your foot from their path; for their feet run to evil and they make haste to shed blood.”

It is unfortunate that we often walk on the path with sinners until the path becomes too evil for us. We will go so far, but we have "standards". We set arbitrary limits. We will only have so many drinks. We will only go so far in “making out” with a boyfriend or girlfriend. We will only say certain words. We will only drive so fast. We will only walk in small steps toward hatred. We will only say so much about others in gossip. We will only walk toward sin until we start to feel guilty, then we will hurriedly flee that path.

The problem with going down that road is that the next time it does not feel as uncomfortable and we do not feel as guilty. So we travel a few more steps.

Look carefully at the road you are on today. Where is it going? What are the results of your choices in life? Are you on the path of sinners?

Notice how one of the wisest man to ever live said we should treat the way of sinners. “Keep your foot from their path.”

Why do we push limits and see how close we can get to sin before we are punished? It is usually because our hearts are at the end of that road, caught up in the desires for sin. When separated, our hearts and our bodies will move toward each other. The heart will pull the body unless the body remains steadfast. If our hearts are caught up in sinful desires, we will find a way for our bodies to arrive there.

Keep your heart focused on Jesus and upon His word and keep your feet from the path of sinners.

Understanding and Help for Managing Distress and Despair

First there were bombs exploding in Boston. Then there was the horrifyingly powerful explosion in the little Texas town, West. These are stacked upon other troubling times in our country. It's enough to make you want to roll over and go back to sleep in the mornings. But we know life doesn't stop even if our worlds seem to.

We all suffer tragedies in life. Sometimes the tragedies affect large numbers. At these times we share the pain. And sometimes the tragedies are very personal. 

I've felt the emptiness and the numbness of grief as much as the next person. How many times have we sat in front of our televisions or computers with a look of shocked disbelief? Our eyes have been glued to video screen watching endless reports--knowing that there is nothing new but hoping to hear some new fact. We just want to hear something that will help us understand why it all happened.

Sometimes the answers are just not enough. How can we understand senselessness and depravity? And yet we long for something to make sense.

I know what these questions can do and what seeds these tragic events can plant. Each one of us faces danger when difficult times come. The danger lies beyond the immediate.

Distress can cause feelings of isolation

Feelings do not always represent facts. They are simple expressions of beliefs we hold. Our hearts do not decipher the information or judge it correct or incorrect. It acts as if the information is always right. These feelings also emphasize and expand those beliefs, adding even more ideas. Consider some seeds distress can plant in our hearts.

Distress can make us feel isolated from God.

"How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide your face from me?" (Psalm 13:1).

It is perfectly natural for us to feel isolated in challenging times. After all, there is no way we can see God or hear His voice echoing in the clouds. Sometimes this causes us to doubt Him. It may cause us to question His nature or even His existence.

Difficult times may also cause us to question ourselves. "Am I a bad person?" "Am I being punished for something?"Knowing our nature, it is easy for us to assume the worst about ourselves as an explanation for why things happen. I can't remember how many times I felt like this in my life. My prayers felt like they did not make it past the ceiling. I felt completely alone and completely at fault - empty and wondering if I could ever make it through this life and into the next one.

Distress can make us feel isolated from others.

"How long will I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily?" (Psalm 13:2a)

When we face difficult times, we get tunnel vision. We assume no one can understand us. Our miseries are so intense, so painful, we forget that others also have suffered. We also tend to think no one cares.

Perhaps that last thought is not meant to be an insult to others but more of an insult to ourselves. There have been many times in my life when I felt like I was not worthy of someone caring about me. If I am such a miserable person, why would anyone care?

Isolation feeds upon itself. These dark thoughts can be amplified by intense situations of grief and distress. At the end of this vicious cycle of self doubt and isolation is nothing but darkness and despair. If you have reached such low points, you are not alone, but you certainly feel like you are.

Distress can cause feelings of hopelessness

"How long will my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and hear me, O Lord my God; enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; lest my enemy say, 'I have prevailed against him'; lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved" (Psalm 13:2b-4).

 Distress amplifies the dark thoughts that it helps foster. In times of trouble seeds of doubt and grief are often given permission to grow. The end result can destroy a life. Before that destruction, however, is a sense of hopelessness.

How many people have faced feelings of desperation? Have we all looked at ourselves and truly felt like there was no hope?

I have faced the deep feelings of hopelessness and despair. And then I realized some things.

I realized that feelings do not define me.

I realized that there are some things far more important than whether or not I "matter".

I realized that there is One who created me and deserves my service no matter what I feel or think of myself.

I realized that God's goodness and purity DESERVE my dedication and my life.

And these realizations saved my life.

I was not intelligent enough to discern these things myself. I am thankful that the Word of God taught me these vital lessons. And I am thankful that I paid attention and chose to believe them.

There is ALWAYS hope with God!

"But I have trusted in Your mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me" (Psalm 13:5-6).

Feelings are based on ideas. Not all of our ideas are correct, but our feelings do not discern them. The way to change the way we feel is to look at what we believe. Do you have a wrong view of yourself? Do you see your situation in the wrong light?

No one is wise enough to determine what the right information is without God's input. Jeremiah rightly said, "Oh, Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself. It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps" (Jeremiah 10:23).

We may look at what others say and think it works. We might even figure some things out over time. But the best way to know the proper view of self and situation is to go to the Bible. Let God tell you what to believe. Let those thoughts be the basis for your emotions and your life.

Don't allow the seeds of distress and bitterness to take root in your heart. Don't follow anyone but the Lord. Jesus said, "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). He will provide you LIFE.

Helpful Hints

Is distress weighing you down? Do you need some help getting through the murky times? Maybe you just need a light to guide your way. Here are some practical things you can do TODAY to make a difference. 

• Reach out. You are not alone even if you feel like you are. Make some new friends. 
• Reach up. Maybe it sounds cliche, but God has the answers you need.
• Ask yourself why you feel the way you do. What is the underlying idea? This may take a while to find, but it will be good when you do!
• Start reading the Bible. You probably have at least 3 of them. Dust it off and put it in your brain and heart.
• Start reading the Bible for what it says, not what you want it to say.
• Find people who believe in the Bible. I strongly suggest finding a Church of Christ in your area. And now that you mention it, here is where I preach. We would love to see you if you live near us!