You May Be Ruining Your Reputation

Even though we have a whole market of products available to repel insects, flies, and mosquitoes – any insect for that matter – can still be quite a nuisance. Now imagine a time, thousands of years ago, when the same market of repellant products did not exist. Flies and other pests were overwhelming, not just as an aggravation to leisure times but also as a liability to valuable merchandise such as food, drink, or even fragrances.

With this context in mind, Solomon, the author of Ecclesiastes, provides this insight, "As dead flies cause even a bottle of perfume to stink, so a little foolishness spoils great wisdom and honor."

Solomon clarifies that little foolish things that slip into our lives can dramatically affect us. Moreover, little foolish choices can outweigh big wise decisions. Envision this Scriptural reality: foolishness weighs more than wisdom when one's reputation is on the scales!

When Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes, there was no indoor plumbing, meaning people bathed less than once a week. The atmosphere was ripe with fleshly stench, and perfume helped mask the smell of disgraceful body odor. Because of the great need for perfume, the apothecaries held a position of honor in Jerusalem. The guilds belonging to them had special bazaars where they made their essential products available.

Understandably, the sweet-smelling perfumes sold in the marketplaces attracted flies. And if the flies succeeded in accessing the products, they could ruin the entire batch, causing it to smell bad through such effects as fermentation.

Dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off a stench… -Ecclesiastes 10:1 (ESV)

But, even more interestingly, "dead flies," as directly translated from the Hebrew text, actually means "flies of death." This variation in understanding brings us to a greater level of clarity. It suggests these flies are considered to be CARRYING DEATH – transporting dangerous bacteria from dead carcasses to society. So Solomon is not referencing flies that flew into perfume and died. Instead, he is warning of a type of fly that carried death! These "flies of death" poisoned and contaminated anything they contacted. They may have been little things – just flies – but they caused massive destruction and loss.

Why is all of this important? Because it is a spiritual metaphor. King Solomon is revealing a spiritual truth through a natural occurrence. Therefore, it is helpful to read Ecclesiastes 10:1 in conjunction with Ecclesiastes 7:1.

Dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off a stench; so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. -Ecclesiastes 10:1 (ESV)

A good name (or reputation) is better than precious ointment…-

Ecclesiastes 7:1 (ESV)

The point is that the enemy wants to bring dead flies – the flies of death – into your life so he can destroy the sweet-smelling things in it. In this context, the sweet smell in your life refers to your reputation. It is the good name God is trying to give you in your community, business, and relationships – especially your meaningful connections.

Take a minute and think about this: What is your reputation?

There is no one you want a better reputation with than the people who know you the best. But unfortunately, this is often not our reality because, too often, the people who know us the best respect us the least.

We are all wrestling with little things, but these little things become significant over time. Therefore, we must be cautious about the little things – the little follies in our lives – because, as Christians, we must never be a stumbling block to someone in need of Christ. Of course, we can't always get it right, but please acknowledge this reality. If sin doesn't bother you any longer, there's something wrong in your heart, and you probably need to have a come-to -- or, back to -- Jesus moment! It's time to repent before the Lord.

Unfortunately, hypocrisy starts small. It's the little things in our lives that can lead to becoming a thoroughly hypocritical person, and no one wants this to be their reputation. The Pharisees were prime examples of this failure. They looked great on the outside, but they were still a mess on the inside. Don't let this be your story. Don't appear to be one thing when you're something else. One of the most powerful things the Church can do is stop trying to live in a realm of pretense and start living out authenticity.

My encouragement is for you to hear what Solomon tried to teach us: dead flies – little foolish sins – can creep into your life in one place and begin to outweigh the wisdom you are displaying in other areas.

If you're struggling with hypocrisy in the church, you're probably not alone – we all come short of our goal at times. But, if you are a follower of Jesus, you must take time to evaluate and acknowledge your reputation. Are you a hypocrite? Have you unknowingly allowed dead flies into your life that are now poisoning your meaningful relationships and bringing a stench to your walk with God? Perhaps, even stopping someone else from stepping into their meaningful relationship with God and others?

The people who know you the best should respect you the most.

Allow this to be your story.

I invite you to view this message in its entirety at this link: https://youtu.be/bybm_0IrRE8

WATCH IT | DISCUSSION GUIDE| MESSAGE NOTES

We want to connect with you and help you take your next steps!

1. Do you have a relationship with Jesus? This decision is the first step in receiving peace in your life. If you are ready to give your life to Jesus, we would love to celebrate with you at 3trees.com.

2. Do you need to rededicate your life to Jesus? If yes, please connect with us at 3trees.com.

3. Do you feel God prompting you to take your next steps? If yes, BEGIN is waiting for you! You can walk through our ONLINE BEGIN class at 3trees.com/begin

4. Would you like to make a difference in our community? Join our captivate team! Visit 3trees.com to find out how you can participate in community outreach opportunities.

5. Subscribe to EricGilbert.org using this link:https://www.ericgilbert.org/subscribe. You'll be able to receive updates directly to your email inbox as we post blogs every Monday, Thursday, and Friday morning.

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Clearing Out the Clutter

You have a space that you’ve intended to clean… it’s been on your to-do list for a while now. Maybe you’re waiting for spring?

For me, it's my spice cabinet. It’s where I keep spices, oils, sauces, and flavors. But, unfortunately, it's cluttered and difficult to find what you’re looking for.

Recently, my husband Jared mentioned that I need to clean out the cabinet. I agreed with him and had purposed in my heart to do so, but if I’m honest, I procrastinated because I didn’t know where to begin.

The other night, Jared opened the cabinet, and as he reached for a spice, a glass of vanilla fell from the second shelf, landed on my new phone screen, and shattered it. I finally saw the need to clear out the clutter.

After my phone had broken, I sat down and looked at the damage the clutter had caused and made it a priority to MAKE SPACE.

Our hearts are a sacred space that we are responsible for tending to. Scripture states, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23 NKJV). Another translation states, “Above all else, guard your heart…” (NIV).

What are the things we find important?

It differs for everyone. For many, it’s faith, family, friends, career goals, good financial status, etc. For many, it is enjoying life, being a good person, having a good reputation, and feeling good about how we live.

All of these things are great! I would even say these are all very positive things. So we aren’t bad for investing some time into these things.

However, scripture says, “Above all else, guard your heart…”

WAIT. That means that you must pay attention to what is in your heart, not just what you do... It means ABOVE ALL ELSE, make sure your heart is guarded.

The passage of scriptures goes on to state that we shouldn’t gossip or speak of corrupt things, we should fix our eyes on what’s ahead, give careful thought to what we do, keep from evil, and BE steadfast in all our ways.

What if started paying more attention to what is in our hearts? What if we made sure our hearts are pure?

Based on what I am learning in scripture, a guarded heart looks like this: loving, selfless, kind, generous, caring, gracious, compassionate, noble, good, faithful. A heart devoted to God’s Truth and His Presence. What if THIS is our highest priority?

If all we do flows from our hearts then our actions and our words truly show what’s in us… the schedules we keep and the lives we lead are a mirror of what our hearts value.

If we want to know the “pulse” of our hearts, we can listen to what we talk about: do we gossip? Do we try to make others look bad? Do we complain? Do we hold grudges? Do we envy? These things can clutter up our hearts so much that we cannot find what matters most.

If we want to know the status of our hearts, we can look at our actions: are we kind to people? Are we forgiving? Do we give generously? Do we serve faithfully? Do we live a life devoted to PRAYER and God’s WORD? Do we care for others EVEN IF they don’t deserve it?

Here is the truth straight from scripture: “…For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (I Samuel‬ ‭16:7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

There is no shortage of things to fill up your heart. No shortage of distractions from what matters most. There is no deficit of things to take the eyes of your heart off of Jesus.

The Lord longs to fill us with more of him. Based on His word, he wants to work IN us and THROUGH us, but there has to be SPACE for Him. No one can clean out the cabinet of your heart but YOU.

Today, I encourage you…

Ask God to show you how to clear out any clutter in your heart. Take time and LISTEN to what He speaks to you.

What needs to be laid down on the altar to make space for more of His Presence? Maybe it means less social media, a more-focused prayer time, and more time in His Word. Perhaps it means forgiveness and laying down fear.

As you clear out the clutter, you will find that there is MORE SPACE for Jesus… and where He is, everything changes.

The Answer Is Not Trying Harder, It’s Loving Deeper

This past Sunday our church had the privilege and honor of welcoming Pastor Roy Ellis as our guest speaker! He brought us a wonderful message titled, Loving Deeper, stating “It’s not about trying harder, it's about loving deeper.

In Greek, the word agapē is the highest form of love. In the New Testament, it is the fatherly love of God for humans, as well as the human reciprocal love for God. (1)

The Apostle Peter, was asked by Jesus “Do you agapē me?”, two times. And each time Jesus asked Apostle Peter this question, he responded by saying, “Lord you know I philia you.”

In Greek, the word philia means “affectionate regard, friendship”, usually “between equals”. (2)

Pastor Roy Ellis points out that at this time Peter had just denied Jesus three times, and he may have felt very ashamed and unworthy of the highest form of love Jesus was asking for. Peter had messed up, some might say he blew it, but each time Jesus receives his answer He reminds him of his purpose... reaffirming him and loving him.

The third time Jesus asks him, he says “Peter do you philia me?” This is powerful, it shows us that Jesus met Peter right where he was. He came down to his level, but He was also showing Peter just how far he could go. That he could move from philia to agapē love, there was room to go deeper with Jesus.

“Sometimes you and I, we know God loves us. But sometimes we blow it! And we don’t feel worthy of His love, and the enemy uses that to try and prevent us from loving deeper. In essence, the answer is loving deeper to fulfill your purpose.”

- Pastor Roy Ellis

We all have a purpose to fulfill, but it is very hard for us to accomplish what God has planned for us by just trying harder. It’s loving deeper that enables us to step into true service to others. It is through deep love that God enables us to do more. He takes us to a deeper, more meaningful life, through our love of Him and others.

“The Martha’s in the church haven’t discovered the blessing of the Mary’s”.

- Pastor Roy Ellis

Martha is busy preparing something the Lord didn’t ask for. She’s trying harder, but Mary knew that loving Jesus was enough. Mary pursued Him first, she listened to Him, she positioned herself in a position of love and adoration for Jesus.

Trying harder may result in us failing. The Apostle Peter tried harder but ended up denying Jesus three times, but Jesus's response to Peter was love. The love of God will change your heart faster than any amount of effort you can put forth.

You can accomplish a lot for the Kingdom of God when you do it out of the motivation of deep love for God. You may find that when you are doing things with the right motivation, deep love for God, you can accomplish more than if you are trying and striving harder. You don’t become frustrated, worn out, anxious, or face spiritual burnout if your motivation comes from the right place.

“The answer is not trying harder, the answer is loving deeper. For when we love deeper we will serve His purpose for our lives more effectively.”

- Pastor Roy Ellis.

It’s time for us to desire God more. To love Him deeply. It’s time to stop striving and trying harder, and just lift our hands saying, “Father, I agapē you, I live for you.” No amount of work will earn you a seat in Heaven, it is only surrendering to Jesus, and loving Him deeply with the right motivation.

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

- 1 Corinthians 13:13

I invite you to view this message in its entirety at this link: https://youtu.be/k8bOHct8Xfc

WATCH IT | DISCUSSION GUIDE| MESSAGE NOTES

We want to connect with you and help you take your next steps!

1. Do you have a relationship with Jesus? This decision is the first step in receiving peace in your life. If you are ready to give your life to Jesus, we would love to celebrate with you at 3trees.com.

2. Do you need to rededicate your life to Jesus? If yes, please connect with us at 3trees.com.

3. Do you feel God prompting you to take your next steps? If yes, BEGIN is waiting for you! You can walk through our ONLINE BEGIN class at 3trees.com/begin

4. Would you like to make a difference in our community? Join our captivate team! Visit 3trees.com to find out how you can participate in community outreach opportunities.

5. Subscribe to EricGilbert.org using this link:https://www.ericgilbert.org/subscribe. You'll be able to receive updates directly to your email inbox as we post blogs every Monday, Thursday, and Friday morning.

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1) agape | Definition, Scripture, & Uses - Encyclopedia Britannica

2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_words_for_love