Perry’s Scope: Christian sermons, lessons, and resources for teachers

Jesus makes an interesting statement in the Sermon on the Mount. He says, ¹⁹ “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, ²⁰ but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).

Notice that he says we are not to primarily seek earthly treasure but heavenly ones. We know that there is nothing we can do to “earn” salvation. It is a gift based on faith (Ephesians 2, et al). We also know that our earthly possessions are momentary at best (2 Peter 3:10). Jesus says that we can place lasting treasures in heaven. What an interesting possibility!

Jesus also told a rich young ruler, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me” (Matthew 19:21). It seems there are ways that we can “provide for our eternal futures” now.

The scriptures show us numerous ways to do this. It is essentially walking in the ways of God (Deuteronomy 13:5). As he told the rich young ruler, we can care for the poor; we can visit the sick (Genesis 18:1); we can clothe the naked (Genesis 3:21); we can bury the dead (Deuteronomy 34:6); and others. It all boils down to what Jesus cited as the first and second great commandments – to love God completely and our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40).

With this in mind, where should we spend the bulk of our time and energies? I heard a speaker recently talk of the enormous amount of wasted time in front of what my dad used to call “the idiot box” (TV). Consider these statistics. We have generally sixteen waking hours per day. That totals 5840 hours per year. If we watch two hours of TV per night we will watch 730 hours per year. Now it gets ugly. Let’s divide our total TV hours by our waking hours (sixteen). We find that we are spending a conservative 45.6 waking hour days in front of the TV every year. It is likely that we watch more than two hours per day.

One of the great ways we can bless God, and according to Jewish thought to gain treasure in heaven, is by the study of his word. Let’s use the same formula for our Bible study. Fifteen minutes per day for 365 days divided by the sixteen waking hour days gives us a total of 5.7 waking hour days per year of study. We watch TV nearly NINE times more than reading our Bibles every year! Where would you guess your prayer life would fall in this scheme?

Which do you think will matter more in the long run? Will the breath-taking results of “The Bachelor” mean more to us than participating in the Lamb’s wedding? Will finding out the next “American Idol” be as important as practicing the Ten Commandments? Will watching this season’s “Survivor” matter more than surviving by the Beatitudes? Will watching the Super Bowl be more important practicing pure religion (James 1:27)?

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

In ancient times a measurement for building was called a “cubit.” Noah was commanded to build the ark of gopher wood that would be three hundred cubits by fifty cubits by thirty cubits (Genesis 6:14-15). In those days, a cubit was the distance from the tip of the finger to the end of the elbow, approximately eighteen to twenty inches.

Do you see a problem with that form of measurement? What if your forearm is an inch longer than my forearm? That would mean our cubits were of differing sizes. We could not really cooperate in building because I could not cut the wood to the correct size for your measurements and vice versa. This would promote blatant individuality.

There is an interesting verse at the end of the book of Judges. It reads, “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21.25, ESV). Everyone in those days was essentially measuring his or her own life by his or her own cubit. There was no standard of right and wrong.

There actually was a standard of right and wrong. It was the word of God that had been given to the Hebrews at Mt. Sinai. The trouble with them (thankfully, not us – please note the intentional sarcasm) is that they neglected the standard.

Imagine for a moment modern builders tossing out their rulers and steel tapes. What kind of house would you have? I am sure it would look very odd if each of the men on the work crew took a hand in measuring. Things would not match up and your house would probably slant at best.

Thankfully as time passed, people became aware of the dilemma. Instead of leaving it up to every man to determine his own standard of measurement, a “builder’s cubit” was developed. This was much like our yardstick or ruler. It became the standard by which people built.

God has given us a standard to build our lives. It is the Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus Christ). His whole life is based on the Word of God. John, in fact, tells us that he is the word incarnate (John 1:14).

Notice Jesus’ standard of judgment for us:

⁷If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. ⁴⁸ The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. ⁴⁹For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak (John 12:47-49, ESV).

God requires standards for us to live by. He does not leave us on our own. Our standard is His one and only Son.

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

CBS has developed a compelling show where the CEO or company owner goes “undercover” within his company, disguised as an entry level worker to see how the company is doing from the employees’ perspectives. The bosses tend to learn a great deal about their management style as well as the satisfaction level of their workers. They also find out some of the better and worse employees within the organization. At the end of the show, the boss reveals himself to the employees – some are rewarded, some are not.

There are similar stories throughout history where an individual of power is hidden as a “regular person.” The myth of the Linden Tree is one of these, where the gods, Zeus and Hermes pretend to be beggars and find only an older couple to be hospitable. This was the reason for the treatment of Paul and Barnabas in Acts 14.

There is a legend that Solomon was temporarily deposed as King of Israel. During his time away from the throne, he was unknown to his subjects. He found some were generous and some were stingy. When he regained the throne, he rewarded accordingly.

Jesus describes a judgment scene in Matthew 25. He blesses some and curses others because of their actions toward Him. Both groups want to know when they had encountered Him. He responds that when they acted or failed to act in compassion to the least of His people, they did so to Him.

Jesus went “undercover” in coming into the world. Some encountered but did not recognize Him. The same is true today! Imagine, the God of the universe taking on flesh to live among us, yet we fail to see Him!

One thing is clear: How we act toward His people will determine how He acts toward us. Treat every person as though he is Royalty and see what comes.

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

Do you remember what it felt like when you discovered the “World Wide Web”? Wasn’t it exciting to know that you had, at your fingertips, access to nearly any subject in the world? If you wanted to learn about the natives in Ecuador, you just entered it in a search engine and you had a variety of articles to scour.

There is a plethora of information available to us (I love using “plethora”). As you may have noticed, some of the information on the “Web” is accurate. Some is not. Snopes.com has become a popular site for discerning minds. Often someone initiates an e-mail with information that seems to be true and then sends it out. Before long, it is forwarded to the masses. Then we find out it is false.

The Enemy of God is much like this. He tends to give us a lot of misinformation, especially about God. Some of that information seems true enough, but when we explore the scriptures we find out that he has lied to us.

He told our parents in the Garden that they would NOT die if they ate the forbidden fruit. They made a bad choice and died. That choice also has consequences to their descendants all these thousands of years later. We DO die.

The Enemy has given the impression that we won’t live. How many people have you heard of who do not believe in an afterlife of any kind? Communism has the worship of man and the denial of God at its very core. It is an atheistic philosophy that says there is nothing after we die. What does the Bible teach? What does the resurrection prove?

Those are just two examples of the Liar. They contradict each other. To those of us with a Western approach to life that seems illogical. However, the Satan is not interested in logic; he is interested in combating God. So, he spins whatever lie he can to deceive us; even when he contradicts what he just said.

The Bible is our “Snopes.” With the surfeit of misinformation about God being handed to us, it is imperative that we know the facts. Check the Book. Listen to what GOD says about God’s things. We can’t go wrong when HE is right.

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

I recently heard Dan Fisher of Yukon, OK tell a story about a church in Germany during WWII. A member of that church said that their church building was located near a railroad track. Each Sunday during their worship services, trains would come by at a particular time. When they discovered that the trains were loaded with Jews going to concentration camps, the church members would sing louder to drown out the noise of the trains. If they heard any screams from the people on the trains, they would sing even louder to cover the cries.

The man said, “Years have passed and no one talks much about it anymore, but I still hear that train whistle in my sleep. I can still hear them crying out for help. God, forgive us who called ourselves Christians yet did nothing to intervene. Now, so many years later, I see it happening all over again in America. The response is the same as it was in my country – silence.”

Dietrich Bonheoffer, a Pastor in WWII Germany said, “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”

Ecclesiastes 3 reminds us that there is a time for everything. There is a time to shut up and a time to speak up. In this time of active national Socialism, American Christians are in a unique position to speak up for God and America. If we do not, we are guilty of taking the nation down.

The Hebrew Bible reminds us that silence is consent. A possible translation for Leviticus 19:16 is, “Do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor.” God has expected his people to take a stand when necessary. The watchman of Ezekiel 33 would be guilty of the blood of his people if he failed to sound the alarm. His silence was consent to the enemy.

Martin Niemoller was attributed with saying, “First they came for the Communists, but I was not a Communist so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Socialists and the Trade Unionists, but I was neither, so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Jews, but I was not a Jew so I did not speak out. And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me.”

Who will stand up for America if we don’t? Who will stand up for the gospel if we don’t? Who will sound the alarm if not us?

FDR was correct when he said, “Americans would rather die on their feet than live on their knees.” The only one to whom I want to bow the knee is to our God, the Giver of Liberty. Let us stand against those who would seek to take the blessings of God from our children.

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

I have been learning about essential oils lately. These are the plants’ life blood. When used correctly, these oils can b used as medicines for us. The Bible even mentions these oils including myrrh, frankincense, hyssop, and many more.

Some ideas and questions occur to me as I think about using the oils. First, God made us from the dust of the earth. Wouldn’t he also provide things from the earth to heal and maintain our bodies? Could that be the reason for the Garden of Eden?

Second, man often interferes, replaces, or neglects God’s plans. When we do,  WE suffer. Pollutants, certain manufactured drugs, etc. often lead to trouble.

Moses told Israel that if they listened to and followed God, they would prosper (Deuteronomy 30:15-20). This principle applies to the physical body. It also applies to the spiritual realm that we are part of.

If we reject God’s plans for our health and well being (remember the food laws in Leviticus?), we will suffer for it. If we reject health guidelines (quarantine infectious disease like leprosy), suffer. If we reject his spiritual counsel, our spirits suffer.

God gives direction for our own good. We are to love (Matthew 22:37-40; Deuteronomy 6:4; Leviticus 19:18); have no other gods; be moral people; honor parents; avoid coveting, lying, stealing, and killing (Exodus 20:1-20). Not only do we honor God when we practice what he teaches, we “do ourselves a favor” in the long run.

It is true that we never regret doing the right things. Conversely we will regret the wrongs we do. God still gives us the basic choices – follow his ways or other ways. His ways are the right ways for many reasons (John 14:6)

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

Somewhere along the way Americans have allowed a separation between “on the job performance” and the character of the individual. Perhaps we are afraid that if we speak out about character, our own words will bite us in our imperfections. Perhaps we just don’t care about character as long as we have “a chicken in every pot.”

Did you know that the US Constitution does not authorize lifetime appointments for Federal Judges? According to Article III, Section 1 they are to” hold their offices during good behavior.” There are accounts of Judges who were impeached for being drunk or using profanity in their courts. These were not examples of good behavior for American citizens.

God does not separate conduct and character. They go hand in hand. Jesus reminds us that it is the heart of a man that makes him unclean, not the foods that go into him (Matthew 15:11).

This is why the “first and greatest commandment” is so important. We are to love God with all of our hearts, soul, and might (Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Matthew 22:37). This is not only inward, it is outward.

As we enter this New Year and new decade, let us resolve to work out what is within (Philippians 2:12). Let us resolve to “shine like stars” (Philippians 2:15). Let us resolve to do this, not only through knowledge of the scriptures, but in displaying it in our lives as well.

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

Recently I heard that the “Arbeit Macht Frei” sign that stood at the entrance to the Auschwitz concentration camp was stolen. Literally thousands of Jews lost their lives at the hands of Nazi atrocities there. The prisoners were used as slave labor until they were used up. Then they were exterminated and their bodies cremated.

The sign’s words are translated to English as, “Work Makes Free.” This was a Nazi lie. It was intended to trick the Jews into thinking that if they just worked hard enough, they would gain their freedom. In the end, most of them perished.

This reminds me of one of Satan’s lies, “Work for Salvation.” He uses any number of ways to get us to believe that if we work hard enough, God will love us more. If we work hard enough, we gain eternal life.

Our God has always been a God of grace. He chose the Israelites and led them out of Egypt through the Sea to Sinai. He gave them the option as to whether or not they would follow Him. When they accepted His invitation, He gave them His conditions and instructions. Obeying God declares one’s love for Him. Thus, if the Hebrews kept the Ten Commandments, they showed their love and had a better life than the pagans who surrounded them.

The same message carries over to the followers of Jesus Christ. He said that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments (John 14:15). The apostle John reminds us that the love of God is keeping His commandments which are not burdensome (see 1 John 5:3). Obeying God is a joy, not a burden.

Why would someone steal the “Arbeit Macht Frei” sign? Maybe they will sell it on Ebay and make some money. Maybe they want the world to forget the atrocities to innocent people. Maybe the Enemy has yet another trick up his sleeve. Be sure you know God and keep His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

Last weekend I took some vacation time and participated in “Christmas at Old Ft. Concho” in San Angelo, Texas. This is an old Indian Wars fort that was constructed in 1867 and closed in 1889. Some great Americans served there.

This is an annual event in which a variety of reenactors turns out. There are “Mountain Men,” Civil War types, Indians, Indian Wars soldiers, and even some Spanish American War soldiers. The community comes out to buy Christmas gifts in the shops and to see demonstrations from the various eras of American history.

This year, the weather surprised us with SNOW and FREEZING temperatures! (Listen closely and you’ll hear my teeth chattering — maybe this years event shoud have been called ‘Christmas at COLD Ft. Concho’). I could not help but think, as I huddled on my bunk in the barracks, of how intelligent and tough our American ancestors had been. They were able to brave the elements and the various hostiles to establish a country “from sea to shining sea.” They did it without the use of modern technology or comforts! I doubt a little cold weather slowed them down.

Then my thoughts turned to our ancestors in the faith. Our brothers and sister of old did a phenomenal thing. They took the gospel to their world in ONE generation! They did not have the communication devices we have. Nor did they did have our advanced transportation. How did they do it? Simply put, one person told another and another and another. Suddenly the gospel filled their world (2 Timothy 2:2; Philippians 1:13; Acts 17:6).

What would it take to get the gospel to our world? It is the same process now as then.

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

Dr. Benjamin Rush was a delegate to the Continental Congress during the American Revolution. He and John Adams became close friends even though they were from different states. Rush was in charge of the Continentals’ medical facilities. During the first year we amassed great losses.

Deeply discouraged, Dr. Rush returned to the Continental Congress, sat down by his friend, Adams, and asked, “John, do you think we can win this war?” Adams’ reply was remarkable. He said, “Yes, if we fear God and repent of our sins.” He put the Revolution on a spiritual level, not merely a physical one.

Our Founders believed that they were establishing a Christian nation. They believed America would be like the “city set on a hill” that would point nations to God. They dedicated themselves to spiritual principles which are found in the pages of the Bible. As a result, we did win the War and America prospered.

You and I face all kinds of battles in our lives. Can we win? Certainly – If we fear God and repent of our sins! What we are engaged in goes beyond church programming. It goes beyond physical concerns. It rests in the spiritual.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12).

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene