Pehaps you've seen the caption above on the Internet, Not My Circus, Not My Monkey. It refers to the refusal to get involved in someone else's drama. I think it is wise counsel. I would like, however, to apply this principle to King of drama: Satan.
As Christians, we are not called to battle Satan or disarm him or even defeat him. He is already defeated. At Calvary, Jesus "disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross" (Col 2:5). Our charge, instead, is to refuse to allow him to tangle us up into a web of deception, which as the "father of lies" (John 8:44), he is very, very good at. Rather than face him toe to toe, we are instructed to "Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James 4:7).
Did you happen to notice the reason for the armour of God? You may have assumed it was to allow you to engage Satan in battle, defeating him by the power of God. Not! Again, Satan was defeated at Calvary. The Word says, "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take you stand aganist the devil's schemes" (Eph 6:11).
Satan is defeated, bound, unable to wage a full frontal attack. But he is crafty and deceitful, fully able to intice people into a drama that is not theirs, causing them to lose sight of their high-calling in Christ, focus on the attraction to their lower self and get caught up in a drama that has nothing to do with a Kingdom dweller - a child of King Jehovah himself.
As a Christian, I have a mission while living on planet Earth. That mission is not to engage in petty squabbles, reprisals or pay-backs. I am not here to set the record straight or straighten out the crooked. My mission is to walk the "straight and narrow way" (Matt 7:13-14), encouraging others to join me on that path to Glory Land. I can't afford to let Satan get me side tracked.
Just remember, the next time Satan tries to get you all wound up in one of his webs of deceit, entering into a drama that severs relationships and causes division, it really is not your circus, and not your monkey. Jus' Sayn.
Friday, October 31, 2014
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Knowing Your Enemy
Back in my day, when dinosaurs roamed the land, young boys on a school bus would reach across the seat in front of them and flip the ear of whoever might be sitting there. That person, thinking it came from whoever was sitting in the seat behind them would turn around and smack them. While that would probably result in suspension, perhaps a visit by the police or maybe even a lawsuit for the emotional and physical injury, back then, it was considered great fun.
The idea was misdirection, getting the person two seats ahead to believe the person behind them was the antagonist. You could play the same game in a crowded hallway. You can also use this tactic to win elections such as the Democrats labeling the Republicans as racists when Democrats started the KKK and more republicans voted for the Civil Rights Acts (Do you happen to recall which party blocked the integration of schools here in Little Rock? Democrat is correct). And, after 50 years of the Great Society, poverty is the same percentage of the population and the Black community is still suffering a disportionate amount of poverty. This is not to say that the Republicans are saints, they are, after all, politicians - jus' sayn that the Democrats have been better at misdirection.
There is a world-wide war going on. People are being blown up, heads are being cut off, cities and even regions being taken over by force. The politically correct are saying these groups have nothing to do wih Islam, that they have highjacked the religion as a front. Well, they think they are Islamic, they have called for Islamic Jihad, they seek to establish Sharia Law wherever they go. While their barbaric ways certainly do not resonate with all Muslims, they believe themselves to be Muslim. Also, in less dramatic ways, Muslims are taking over communities and neighborhoods in various countires, even here, insisting on Sharia Law. The Qu'ran itself calls for the violent subjegation of all non-Muslims or infidels. In countries where Islam is the majority, there are no minority rights.
All of that is on a large country-wide and even world-wide scale. Bringing it down to an individual or personal scale, we face an enemy that is a master at misdirection: Satan. We are given to think that the person who offends us is our enemy when he actually is a prisoner of Satan, who is being used to work against you. The individual needs your prayers for reconciliation rather than you power of retaliation. Our "battle is not against flesh and blood but against the spiritual forces of evil..." (Eph 6:12). The individual needs help not harm. We are told specifically to "love our enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matt 5:44).
It is important geo-politically to know our enemies and not be fooled by misdirection. It is even more crucial that spiritually and personally we recognize the true enemy. Jus' Sayn.
The idea was misdirection, getting the person two seats ahead to believe the person behind them was the antagonist. You could play the same game in a crowded hallway. You can also use this tactic to win elections such as the Democrats labeling the Republicans as racists when Democrats started the KKK and more republicans voted for the Civil Rights Acts (Do you happen to recall which party blocked the integration of schools here in Little Rock? Democrat is correct). And, after 50 years of the Great Society, poverty is the same percentage of the population and the Black community is still suffering a disportionate amount of poverty. This is not to say that the Republicans are saints, they are, after all, politicians - jus' sayn that the Democrats have been better at misdirection.
There is a world-wide war going on. People are being blown up, heads are being cut off, cities and even regions being taken over by force. The politically correct are saying these groups have nothing to do wih Islam, that they have highjacked the religion as a front. Well, they think they are Islamic, they have called for Islamic Jihad, they seek to establish Sharia Law wherever they go. While their barbaric ways certainly do not resonate with all Muslims, they believe themselves to be Muslim. Also, in less dramatic ways, Muslims are taking over communities and neighborhoods in various countires, even here, insisting on Sharia Law. The Qu'ran itself calls for the violent subjegation of all non-Muslims or infidels. In countries where Islam is the majority, there are no minority rights.
All of that is on a large country-wide and even world-wide scale. Bringing it down to an individual or personal scale, we face an enemy that is a master at misdirection: Satan. We are given to think that the person who offends us is our enemy when he actually is a prisoner of Satan, who is being used to work against you. The individual needs your prayers for reconciliation rather than you power of retaliation. Our "battle is not against flesh and blood but against the spiritual forces of evil..." (Eph 6:12). The individual needs help not harm. We are told specifically to "love our enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matt 5:44).
It is important geo-politically to know our enemies and not be fooled by misdirection. It is even more crucial that spiritually and personally we recognize the true enemy. Jus' Sayn.
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Hedging Our Faith
While you may not be a gambler, you've probably heard the phrase, "hedging your bets." It means to not put all your money on one outcome or one horse. Hedge funds are a similar concept from the world of investments. Many, including myself, invest in mutual funds, which allows for overall growth even when some of the stocks fall. "Don't all your eggs in one basket" is the cliche I grew up with - perhaps you did too.
Malachi dealt with the ancient Israelites during a time when they employed this strategy with God, who required they bring a thithe of their flocks and fields to provide food for the temple class or Levites. It was also used to provide for widows and orphans. The people were encouraged further to bring in offerings above the tithe.
And the people gave, they brought in their thithes, but not all of it. They held back in their giving in order to insure they had enough for themselves. They didn't always bring in the very bestt as it could also produce the best. They gave less to God and kept more for themselves, just in case. It was logical, it made perfect sense, it was totally wrong and cost them more than they knew.
God spoke through Malachi saying, "Bring in the whole thithe that there might be food in my house. Test me in this and see if I will not open the flood gates of heaven pouring out such a blessing that it cannot be held" (Mal 3:10). What they did not know was that giving to God according to faith is not a capital loss but a capital investment. There was no need and, in fact, no way to truly hedge against God. God's promises are a certainty, man's efforts are always in doubt.
What about you? Do you hold back on giving what you feel led to give, just in case you get in a pinch or to insure you have enough reserve? Even setting money aside, do you find that when you "let go and let God" that you tie a string on your problem, drawing it back from time to time to attempt to manage it? Do you hedge on your faith? Jus' Askn.
Malachi dealt with the ancient Israelites during a time when they employed this strategy with God, who required they bring a thithe of their flocks and fields to provide food for the temple class or Levites. It was also used to provide for widows and orphans. The people were encouraged further to bring in offerings above the tithe.
And the people gave, they brought in their thithes, but not all of it. They held back in their giving in order to insure they had enough for themselves. They didn't always bring in the very bestt as it could also produce the best. They gave less to God and kept more for themselves, just in case. It was logical, it made perfect sense, it was totally wrong and cost them more than they knew.
God spoke through Malachi saying, "Bring in the whole thithe that there might be food in my house. Test me in this and see if I will not open the flood gates of heaven pouring out such a blessing that it cannot be held" (Mal 3:10). What they did not know was that giving to God according to faith is not a capital loss but a capital investment. There was no need and, in fact, no way to truly hedge against God. God's promises are a certainty, man's efforts are always in doubt.
What about you? Do you hold back on giving what you feel led to give, just in case you get in a pinch or to insure you have enough reserve? Even setting money aside, do you find that when you "let go and let God" that you tie a string on your problem, drawing it back from time to time to attempt to manage it? Do you hedge on your faith? Jus' Askn.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Unfair!
One of the rallying cries of this administration has been a call to fairness. Their notion is that America has been unfair to the poor and disadvantaged and the way to achieve fairness is to take more money from the rich (the 1%) and spread it around to the poor (the 99%). However, most of it winds up in the pockets of other rich folks in the form of Pork Barrell Spending by Congress.
It is also though that America is unfair to its minority groups and holds them down by race, gender, sexual preference, etc. I've often thought it odd to refer to women as a minority when there are more women than men. Nonetheless, women and other seg groups are thought to be held down by the Good Ole Boys, otherwise known as white males.
This has been historically true but I wonder, in an age where the President is African-American, women serve in all levels of society and other minority groups are given priority much of the time, how true it is that anyone but one's self is doing the holding down? Celebrities, multi-million dollar ball players, civic leaders and politicians are from all stripes. Apparently some don't buy in to the notion that their race, color or gender determines success.
However, be that as it may, there is inequity in America, indeed, in the world. Life is truly not fair. To have been born in America, as much as it is trashed by some, is considered to be winning the lottery of life compared to nearly every other place on earth. Why do you think, despite the tune beat by the media drum, that everyone is still coming to America? It is not perfect here but, compared with the rest of the world, it is.
Some are born into poverty, some into riches; some men, some women; some this color, some that; some live in freedom, others in slavery; some are tall, some short; some beautiful, some homely; and on it goes. Life is unfair, the world in which we live is fallen. In God's Kingdom, there is "neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Gal 3:28). But in the world, there is no equity. You get what you got and you have to play the hand you are dealt.
The Good News, however, is that "our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us" (Rom 8:18) - a glory that does not come to us fairly. Our salvation is not based on equity or fairness. If it did, you and I would have to pay the cost. As it is, however, "we are saved by grace through faith - a free gift of God" (Eph 2:8-9).
No life isn't fair - Thank God! Jus' Sayn.
It is also though that America is unfair to its minority groups and holds them down by race, gender, sexual preference, etc. I've often thought it odd to refer to women as a minority when there are more women than men. Nonetheless, women and other seg groups are thought to be held down by the Good Ole Boys, otherwise known as white males.
This has been historically true but I wonder, in an age where the President is African-American, women serve in all levels of society and other minority groups are given priority much of the time, how true it is that anyone but one's self is doing the holding down? Celebrities, multi-million dollar ball players, civic leaders and politicians are from all stripes. Apparently some don't buy in to the notion that their race, color or gender determines success.
However, be that as it may, there is inequity in America, indeed, in the world. Life is truly not fair. To have been born in America, as much as it is trashed by some, is considered to be winning the lottery of life compared to nearly every other place on earth. Why do you think, despite the tune beat by the media drum, that everyone is still coming to America? It is not perfect here but, compared with the rest of the world, it is.
Some are born into poverty, some into riches; some men, some women; some this color, some that; some live in freedom, others in slavery; some are tall, some short; some beautiful, some homely; and on it goes. Life is unfair, the world in which we live is fallen. In God's Kingdom, there is "neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Gal 3:28). But in the world, there is no equity. You get what you got and you have to play the hand you are dealt.
The Good News, however, is that "our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us" (Rom 8:18) - a glory that does not come to us fairly. Our salvation is not based on equity or fairness. If it did, you and I would have to pay the cost. As it is, however, "we are saved by grace through faith - a free gift of God" (Eph 2:8-9).
No life isn't fair - Thank God! Jus' Sayn.
Monday, October 27, 2014
Faithful Martyrdom
In Luke 15:11ff, we read the story, which is often referred to as the Parable of the Prodigal Son. It narrates the journey of a son who leaves his father's house, wastes all his money and comes back asking to hire himself out to his father, who restores him instead to his position as son.
The story isn't, however, just about the wandering, faithless son. It is equally about the steadfastt, faithful son, who stayed with his father, worked the land and obediently did as he was asked. This son had the appearance of one who loved his father and served him loyally, setting aside his own aspiratons, unlike the younger, unfaithful brother.
Truthfully, the older brother was no more selfless than the younge one, no more faithful. While the younger brother left with his inheritance, the older brother stayed for his inheritance, not his father. The evidence is seen when the broken-hearted father rejoices over the return of the lost son. The older brother does not celebrate his father's gain of a lost son, instead he laments the return of a loser brother.
The older brother stews over the fact that, while he labored, putting off personal desires, it was his brother, who gave in to all his passions, that was given a party, killing the fattened calf, which was costly tribute for a wasteful returnee. He, on the other hand, who had borne the work in the heat of the day, stayed behind to build up this property had never even had a goatt served up for him.
The older brother really didn't care about the father or what the faither cared about. He cared about getting what he deserved and was not predisposed to share anything with his brother, despite the joy he could see it brought to his fathers heart.
Aren't you glad that we never act like him, tha we never serve out of a sense of duty instead of serving in love. Aren't you glad that we always welcome in the waywardd, regardless of how they left or what they've done in the past? Isn't it too bad that too often we have the heart of the older brother as calloused and bruised as it was? Aren't you glad we're not the older brother? Or, are we? Are you a faithful follower or a faithful martyr? Jus' Askn.
The story isn't, however, just about the wandering, faithless son. It is equally about the steadfastt, faithful son, who stayed with his father, worked the land and obediently did as he was asked. This son had the appearance of one who loved his father and served him loyally, setting aside his own aspiratons, unlike the younger, unfaithful brother.
Truthfully, the older brother was no more selfless than the younge one, no more faithful. While the younger brother left with his inheritance, the older brother stayed for his inheritance, not his father. The evidence is seen when the broken-hearted father rejoices over the return of the lost son. The older brother does not celebrate his father's gain of a lost son, instead he laments the return of a loser brother.
The older brother stews over the fact that, while he labored, putting off personal desires, it was his brother, who gave in to all his passions, that was given a party, killing the fattened calf, which was costly tribute for a wasteful returnee. He, on the other hand, who had borne the work in the heat of the day, stayed behind to build up this property had never even had a goatt served up for him.
The older brother really didn't care about the father or what the faither cared about. He cared about getting what he deserved and was not predisposed to share anything with his brother, despite the joy he could see it brought to his fathers heart.
Aren't you glad that we never act like him, tha we never serve out of a sense of duty instead of serving in love. Aren't you glad that we always welcome in the waywardd, regardless of how they left or what they've done in the past? Isn't it too bad that too often we have the heart of the older brother as calloused and bruised as it was? Aren't you glad we're not the older brother? Or, are we? Are you a faithful follower or a faithful martyr? Jus' Askn.
Sunday, October 26, 2014
The Yoke's On You
Jesus calls out "Come unto me all who are heavy burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me...and you will find rest fo your souls" (Matt 11:28-29). How is that? How is it that taking on a yoke brings rest? A yoke being an instrument to connect an ox to a plow, how can it bring rest?
The answer is found in the ancient practice of using a double yoke to train a young ox, which would struggle with the plow if put in a yoke by itself. However, if put in a yoke with an older, experienced ox, the young ox would have help pulling the plow and, follwing the lead of the other would learn from it and find rest relative to the frustration of trying in vain to pull alone that for which it was not equipped.
The fact that Jesus calls those who are "heavy burdened" suggests he is calling those already in a yoke, trying in vain to pull a load for which they are not equipped. They are yoked to relationships, which are hung up on so many snares that they cannot pull it any further. They are yoked to financial stress that is so heavy that they strain in vain to make forward progress. They are yoked to fears, worries, health issues, ignorance, loss, pain, etc.
Whatever it is that you are trying to pull by yourself, the yoke's on you, and you are not equipped to pull it alone. You need to cast off your single yoke and take on the double yoke of Jesus in which you will be pulling with the Master by your side, help you with the load and teaching you how to make forward progress.
For this to happen, however, you have to be willing to give up control of your walk. You will have to lay down your yoke in which you are in the driver's seatt and step into the yoke of Jesus with him in control. You will have to "walk in the light as he (Jesus) is in the light" (1 John 1:7). The choice, of course, is yours. But the consequence of your choice is beyond your control and without Jesus you will not find rest. Jus' Sayn.
The answer is found in the ancient practice of using a double yoke to train a young ox, which would struggle with the plow if put in a yoke by itself. However, if put in a yoke with an older, experienced ox, the young ox would have help pulling the plow and, follwing the lead of the other would learn from it and find rest relative to the frustration of trying in vain to pull alone that for which it was not equipped.
The fact that Jesus calls those who are "heavy burdened" suggests he is calling those already in a yoke, trying in vain to pull a load for which they are not equipped. They are yoked to relationships, which are hung up on so many snares that they cannot pull it any further. They are yoked to financial stress that is so heavy that they strain in vain to make forward progress. They are yoked to fears, worries, health issues, ignorance, loss, pain, etc.
Whatever it is that you are trying to pull by yourself, the yoke's on you, and you are not equipped to pull it alone. You need to cast off your single yoke and take on the double yoke of Jesus in which you will be pulling with the Master by your side, help you with the load and teaching you how to make forward progress.
For this to happen, however, you have to be willing to give up control of your walk. You will have to lay down your yoke in which you are in the driver's seatt and step into the yoke of Jesus with him in control. You will have to "walk in the light as he (Jesus) is in the light" (1 John 1:7). The choice, of course, is yours. But the consequence of your choice is beyond your control and without Jesus you will not find rest. Jus' Sayn.
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Eyes to Hear?
The prophet Habakkuk cried out to the Lord, "How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? (1:2). God's response was not to give him an audible answer but to direct him to "Look at the nations and watch - and be utterly amazed" (v. 5). The Lord was telling Habakkuk to listen with his eyes.
We would like to hear a word from the Lord. We would like God to tell us directly and specifically what he is doing and what we are to do. But God doesn't necessarily choose to speak in a still small voice. Certainly we can hear God in our quiet times as we study his Word and draw near in prayer. But the answer we seek may be revealed in His activity around us.
As humans, we tend to take note of the mess we are in and cry out, like the prophet, "How long or why me or what gives?" Possibly God will speak directly to your heart or in a dream or even in a voice as clear someone next to you. But so often, God speaks in his activity. Instead of gazing so intently at the mess, perhaps we should look longinly for the Master. Rather than ask "How long or why me?" perhaps we can look for God's hand in things and try to discern what he is doing and how we should be responding.
For instance, instead of lamenting "Why did my job get cut?" why not look for the opportunity God is now affording you? Very possibly God is freeing you from one place to allow you to go to another that will open up new vistas for you. I have been fired once in my lifetime. I didn't know what I was going to do but God did. He opened doors for me that brought me to the place I am now and provided for me in a way that wasn't possible before. Looking back, I can see clearly how God was walking with me and supporting me, even carrying me at times.
I would still love to hear God speak audibly. I must say that I am a bit jealous of those who say, "God spoke to me and..." It is not that I have never heard God speak but for me it has always been an impression more than a voice. More often, it has been in what I see around me. God has, for the most part, chosen to give me "eyes to hear" rather than ears to hear his word for me. Perhaps that will be how he choses to reveal his will to you as well. Jus' Sayn.
We would like to hear a word from the Lord. We would like God to tell us directly and specifically what he is doing and what we are to do. But God doesn't necessarily choose to speak in a still small voice. Certainly we can hear God in our quiet times as we study his Word and draw near in prayer. But the answer we seek may be revealed in His activity around us.
As humans, we tend to take note of the mess we are in and cry out, like the prophet, "How long or why me or what gives?" Possibly God will speak directly to your heart or in a dream or even in a voice as clear someone next to you. But so often, God speaks in his activity. Instead of gazing so intently at the mess, perhaps we should look longinly for the Master. Rather than ask "How long or why me?" perhaps we can look for God's hand in things and try to discern what he is doing and how we should be responding.
For instance, instead of lamenting "Why did my job get cut?" why not look for the opportunity God is now affording you? Very possibly God is freeing you from one place to allow you to go to another that will open up new vistas for you. I have been fired once in my lifetime. I didn't know what I was going to do but God did. He opened doors for me that brought me to the place I am now and provided for me in a way that wasn't possible before. Looking back, I can see clearly how God was walking with me and supporting me, even carrying me at times.
I would still love to hear God speak audibly. I must say that I am a bit jealous of those who say, "God spoke to me and..." It is not that I have never heard God speak but for me it has always been an impression more than a voice. More often, it has been in what I see around me. God has, for the most part, chosen to give me "eyes to hear" rather than ears to hear his word for me. Perhaps that will be how he choses to reveal his will to you as well. Jus' Sayn.
Friday, October 24, 2014
More Than Conquers
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?...No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom 8:35-39).
So what? What does itt mean to us that we are more than conquers? Does it mean that we will live on easy street, that the righteous will have no struggles, no losses, no pain or sorrow? I know that is the impression of some and the message of many televangelists, who insist that we should live in prosperity, free from sickness and sorrow, if only we'd faithfully support their TV ministry...
The Bible, however, does not suggest or support that notion. In the passage above, the verse I did not include (36), gives us the answer to that question: "As it is written: 'For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." What do you think - if the apostles faced life as sheep to be slaughtered for their faith, should we expect to skip along in life with rose petals falling on our heads as rainbows dance above us? Not!
This isn't heaven, this is planet earth, the fallen world. Here we must live behind enemy lines, here we must live among the unrighteous, here we must even die with those who know not the Lord. We must endure the same circumstance as those who have fallen into enemy hands. The rain falls on the righteous and the unrighteous. The recession impacts the faithful and the faithless. We all age, we all experience loss, we all die.
So how is it different for the righteous? Listen to the prophet Habakkuk: "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, thoght the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the sttalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength..." (3:17-19). As conquers, we overcome. By God's power, we gain the victory. But there is no overcoming if there is no struggle, no conquering when there is no enemy. God doesn't take us around, over or under the fray; God takes us through it. Yes, we struggle. But we win and that knowledge gives us reason to rejoice always.
Beyond that, as more than conquerors, we don't just overcome the enemy, we set the prisoners free. By our faithful and joyful living among those captured by the Enemy, those fallen in the fray, we lift them up by sharing "the reason for hope that we have to all who ask us" (1 Pet 3:15). Jus' Sayn.
Beyond that, as more than conquerors, we don't just overcome the enemy, we set the prisoners free. By our faithful and joyful living among those captured by the Enemy, those fallen in the fray, we lift them up by sharing "the reason for hope that we have to all who ask us" (1 Pet 3:15). Jus' Sayn.
Thursday, October 23, 2014
2nd Call
In Jonah 3:1, the Lord comes to Jonah after he tried to run away from God's call to go preach to the Ninivites. God did not come in judgment to cast Jonah aside, rather he came with grace to call him to his side. God came to Jonah with another chance, a 2nd call to do the right thing.
Many years ago, I watched a war movie in which a 2nd Lieutenant ordered the platoon sergeant to take a hill that had a machine gun nest. The sergeant sat down on a stump. The 2nd Lieutenant asked him what he thought he was doing, to which the sergeant replied, "I'm giving you a 2nd chance to make the right decision." That is what God gave Jonah. And that it what He offiers us time and time again.
Jeremiah, on the other hand, receiving a 2nd call, was not being given another chance to get it right. Instead, he received a 2nd call to add revelation and understanding after having answered the first call in obedience (cf. Jer 33:1f.). Jeremiah, being faithful to answer the 1st call, was ready to receive a 2nd call of deeper meaning and greater service. Jonah's 2nd call was to give him a 2nd chance to obey God's command.
Both Jonah and Jeremiah were ultimately faithful to God's call, only Jeremiah was faithful from the firstt and therefore, building upon the foundation of the prophet's faith, God took Jeremiah to greater heights of revelation and ministry.
What about you? Are you waiting on a 2nd call to allow you to step up to a higher plane of service and intimacy with God. Or, are you in need of a 2nd opportunity to make the right decision? Does it seem God has been silent lately? Perhaps you should go back to the last thing you knew He wanted you to do and take a look. Did you accomplish His task, take that step, submit to His will? Or do you need to go back, accept the call, and become obedient to the Father? Jus' Askn.
Many years ago, I watched a war movie in which a 2nd Lieutenant ordered the platoon sergeant to take a hill that had a machine gun nest. The sergeant sat down on a stump. The 2nd Lieutenant asked him what he thought he was doing, to which the sergeant replied, "I'm giving you a 2nd chance to make the right decision." That is what God gave Jonah. And that it what He offiers us time and time again.
Jeremiah, on the other hand, receiving a 2nd call, was not being given another chance to get it right. Instead, he received a 2nd call to add revelation and understanding after having answered the first call in obedience (cf. Jer 33:1f.). Jeremiah, being faithful to answer the 1st call, was ready to receive a 2nd call of deeper meaning and greater service. Jonah's 2nd call was to give him a 2nd chance to obey God's command.
Both Jonah and Jeremiah were ultimately faithful to God's call, only Jeremiah was faithful from the firstt and therefore, building upon the foundation of the prophet's faith, God took Jeremiah to greater heights of revelation and ministry.
What about you? Are you waiting on a 2nd call to allow you to step up to a higher plane of service and intimacy with God. Or, are you in need of a 2nd opportunity to make the right decision? Does it seem God has been silent lately? Perhaps you should go back to the last thing you knew He wanted you to do and take a look. Did you accomplish His task, take that step, submit to His will? Or do you need to go back, accept the call, and become obedient to the Father? Jus' Askn.
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Love and Forgiveness
In Luke chapter 7, verses 36-50, we read about the sinful woman breaking an alabaster jar of perfume and pouring it on Jesus' feet, which she had washed with her tears and dried with her own hair. The Pharisee, who had invited Jesus thought to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman this is, that she is a sinner."
Jesus, knowing what was in his heart, said to him, "You did not offer a bowl of water to wash my feet, but this woman has washed them with her tears." He was referring to the practice of hospitality of the day in which a guest was afforded the respect of a foot washing upon entering the house, which the Pharisee neglected.
Jesus was pointing out the stark difference in the sinful woman and the prideful Pharisee, saying, "she has been forgiven much, therefore she loves much." The Pharisee did not display the love as the woman did for he did not love much, thinking himself not in need of much or any forgiveness. He believed himself to be righteous but instead was only self-righteous.
The woman was not in need of more forgiveness than the Pharisee, she merely recognized her need more clearly than he. She felt more love because she felt more need of forgiveness and was open to accepting more grace than he. They were both "sinners" but she knew her sin, having had it pointed out so often by men like this Pharisee, who believed himself above declarations of sin.
Do you realize that you "sin and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:23)? Do you further realize that "God so loved you that he sent his only Son to die for you" (John 3:16)? Do you realize that his forgiveness is not only for the sins you have already committed but that "the blood of Christ continually forgives your sins" (1 Jn 1:7)?
When you get depressed, he loves and forgives you. When you think evil thoughts, he loves and forgives you. When you lie, he loves and forgives you. When you are gluttenous, he loves and forgives you. When you turn away from him, he loves and forgives you. When you sit in judgment, he loves and forgives you. When you spread gossip, he loves and forgives you. When you steal, he loves and forgives you. When you sin sexually, he loves and forgives you.
Did you know that nothing you have done or will do negates his love and desire to forgive you, that "nothing in all creation can seperate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus" (Rom 8:39)? Did you know that? Did you know how much you are loved and forgiven? If you do, can you possibly do anything less than love Him with all your heart, knowing how much He forgives? Jus' Askn.
Jesus, knowing what was in his heart, said to him, "You did not offer a bowl of water to wash my feet, but this woman has washed them with her tears." He was referring to the practice of hospitality of the day in which a guest was afforded the respect of a foot washing upon entering the house, which the Pharisee neglected.
Jesus was pointing out the stark difference in the sinful woman and the prideful Pharisee, saying, "she has been forgiven much, therefore she loves much." The Pharisee did not display the love as the woman did for he did not love much, thinking himself not in need of much or any forgiveness. He believed himself to be righteous but instead was only self-righteous.
The woman was not in need of more forgiveness than the Pharisee, she merely recognized her need more clearly than he. She felt more love because she felt more need of forgiveness and was open to accepting more grace than he. They were both "sinners" but she knew her sin, having had it pointed out so often by men like this Pharisee, who believed himself above declarations of sin.
Do you realize that you "sin and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:23)? Do you further realize that "God so loved you that he sent his only Son to die for you" (John 3:16)? Do you realize that his forgiveness is not only for the sins you have already committed but that "the blood of Christ continually forgives your sins" (1 Jn 1:7)?
When you get depressed, he loves and forgives you. When you think evil thoughts, he loves and forgives you. When you lie, he loves and forgives you. When you are gluttenous, he loves and forgives you. When you turn away from him, he loves and forgives you. When you sit in judgment, he loves and forgives you. When you spread gossip, he loves and forgives you. When you steal, he loves and forgives you. When you sin sexually, he loves and forgives you.
Did you know that nothing you have done or will do negates his love and desire to forgive you, that "nothing in all creation can seperate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus" (Rom 8:39)? Did you know that? Did you know how much you are loved and forgiven? If you do, can you possibly do anything less than love Him with all your heart, knowing how much He forgives? Jus' Askn.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Follow Me
I was just reading in John chapter one and noticed Jesus' call to Phillip. It was the same as all the other apostles, "Follow me" (v. 43). There was not explanation as to where they were going, how long it might take them to get there or what kind of challenges there might be along the way. He simply called him to follow.
Why would that be? Why not map it all out for Phillip, revealing to him the full extent of the journey before them? Because Phllip didn't need to know all the particulars - he needed to know only one thing: he was to follow Jesus.
I have, and perhaps you have too, been unable to find a particular location (obviously before the age of GPS, so perhaps you haven't). Not being able to find my way, having no idea where this place was or how to get there, I would call for directions and someone on the other end would say, "Just stay where you are, I come to you and you can follow me home.
In those occasions when this happened, the individual did not explain where the place was, how long it would take to get there or how many turns there might be - all the individual would say is, "Follow me." I didn't need any more instruction than that. They came to me, I followed them and we arrived at the destination desired. All I had to do was keep their tailights in view. As long as I kept my eyes on the one leading me, I didn't need to concern myself with the details.
It is precisely that way in our journey to heaven. We do not know the way and lacking in a celestial GPS, we need Jesus to come to us so that we can follow him home. We don't need advance directive as to how long that might take, where all the turns will be found, what kind of things we may encounter along the way - we only need to keep our eyes on Jeuss.
This is the essence of biblical study. It is not the accumulation of spiritual data, it is opening our hearts and minds to God's revelation of Jesus' path before us. As we see where Jesus leads us in His Word, we simply follow that path. Navigating the journey home is not a matter of acquiring special knowledge and charting a course but one of accepting the call of Jesus and following his steps.
And, by the way, if you slip and fall or get sidetracked from the path, Jesus won't just go on without you. He will stop and help you up or pause to call you back to the path, he will "never leave you as an ophan" (Jn 14:18). Jus' Sayn.
Why would that be? Why not map it all out for Phillip, revealing to him the full extent of the journey before them? Because Phllip didn't need to know all the particulars - he needed to know only one thing: he was to follow Jesus.
I have, and perhaps you have too, been unable to find a particular location (obviously before the age of GPS, so perhaps you haven't). Not being able to find my way, having no idea where this place was or how to get there, I would call for directions and someone on the other end would say, "Just stay where you are, I come to you and you can follow me home.
In those occasions when this happened, the individual did not explain where the place was, how long it would take to get there or how many turns there might be - all the individual would say is, "Follow me." I didn't need any more instruction than that. They came to me, I followed them and we arrived at the destination desired. All I had to do was keep their tailights in view. As long as I kept my eyes on the one leading me, I didn't need to concern myself with the details.
It is precisely that way in our journey to heaven. We do not know the way and lacking in a celestial GPS, we need Jesus to come to us so that we can follow him home. We don't need advance directive as to how long that might take, where all the turns will be found, what kind of things we may encounter along the way - we only need to keep our eyes on Jeuss.
This is the essence of biblical study. It is not the accumulation of spiritual data, it is opening our hearts and minds to God's revelation of Jesus' path before us. As we see where Jesus leads us in His Word, we simply follow that path. Navigating the journey home is not a matter of acquiring special knowledge and charting a course but one of accepting the call of Jesus and following his steps.
And, by the way, if you slip and fall or get sidetracked from the path, Jesus won't just go on without you. He will stop and help you up or pause to call you back to the path, he will "never leave you as an ophan" (Jn 14:18). Jus' Sayn.
Monday, October 20, 2014
Coming Down With Age
One of my hospice patients has AIDS. In talking to some of my co-workers about his diagnosis, I told them I thought I had caught AGE. It wasn't full-blown yet, bu in June I'll be 60 - not exactly ready to be put out to pasture but I can see the gate from here.
Compared to my patients, who tend to be in their 80s - one turned 106 last week - I'm still relatively young. Relatively is the opporative word. I can feel the difference in my energy level, my strength and stamina are waning, I wear orthopodic inserts in my shoes and I injured my right knee just getting up off the floor after trying to get a kink out of my back. Oh yeah, Father Time has my number.
However, that's on the outside. On the inside, I just feel like me. In fact, I tend to forget the outside me is much older than the inside me wants to admit. So, when the young bucks wanted to climb of the cliff and dive into the water, I was the first one in (my head and neck aches reminded me the rest of the day). When they are lifting heavy weights to test the limits of their strength, I'm pumping iron right with them (of course my heart is out-pumping them all and I was the first one to reach the limit). And, when they were drawing on a 70# combine bow, I drew it back as the bonespur in my right shoulder screamed and I yelped as the string raked across my left forearm.
Outwardly, I am wearing thin and running down, but inwardly the clock is not advancing and the miles are not adding up. Inwardly, I am growing stronger and increasing in vitality. I don't just mean the silly and prideful urge to prove I've still got it (whatever it is), I mean that I have a zest for life, a hope for tomorrow, an energy within that is not lessened by age or mitigate by mileage. In my inner being, my spiritual self, "Though outwardly I am wasting away, inwardly I am being renewed day by day" (2 Cor 4:16).
Yes, physically I have come down with age and my condition is terminal. But spiritually I have become "a new creation in Christ - the old is gone and the new is here" (1 Cor 5:7). In Christ, all things are made new and the condition is eternal. I'm coming down with age but rising up ageless. Jus' Sayn.
Compared to my patients, who tend to be in their 80s - one turned 106 last week - I'm still relatively young. Relatively is the opporative word. I can feel the difference in my energy level, my strength and stamina are waning, I wear orthopodic inserts in my shoes and I injured my right knee just getting up off the floor after trying to get a kink out of my back. Oh yeah, Father Time has my number.
However, that's on the outside. On the inside, I just feel like me. In fact, I tend to forget the outside me is much older than the inside me wants to admit. So, when the young bucks wanted to climb of the cliff and dive into the water, I was the first one in (my head and neck aches reminded me the rest of the day). When they are lifting heavy weights to test the limits of their strength, I'm pumping iron right with them (of course my heart is out-pumping them all and I was the first one to reach the limit). And, when they were drawing on a 70# combine bow, I drew it back as the bonespur in my right shoulder screamed and I yelped as the string raked across my left forearm.
Outwardly, I am wearing thin and running down, but inwardly the clock is not advancing and the miles are not adding up. Inwardly, I am growing stronger and increasing in vitality. I don't just mean the silly and prideful urge to prove I've still got it (whatever it is), I mean that I have a zest for life, a hope for tomorrow, an energy within that is not lessened by age or mitigate by mileage. In my inner being, my spiritual self, "Though outwardly I am wasting away, inwardly I am being renewed day by day" (2 Cor 4:16).
Yes, physically I have come down with age and my condition is terminal. But spiritually I have become "a new creation in Christ - the old is gone and the new is here" (1 Cor 5:7). In Christ, all things are made new and the condition is eternal. I'm coming down with age but rising up ageless. Jus' Sayn.
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Depth vs Dabbling
The number one, best-selling Book of all time remains the Bible. It is available to 98% of the world's population in over 1800 languages. In this country, as ungodly as it seems to be, 79% of adults believe the Bible to be sacred literature. 88% of American households own a Bible and on average, each household possesses 4.7 Bibles. Yet, only 37% of Americans read it once or more a week and only 19% can be said to be truly engaged in Bible study.
What this tells us is that while the Bible is held by the vast majority to be sacred (although that number drops from 79% to 64% among the Milennial Generation), only a smal percentage regard it as essential to their daily lives - the same percent (19%) who consider it of no value. Most Bible-belivers are obviously dabblers in Scripture. Few search it out in depth.
What I have just shared with you is not academic to our faith, it is anemic to our faithfulness. How one regards and reflects on the Bible is not simply a matter of choice, it is a matter of consequence. The Bible, as sacred literature, is actually sacred and life-giving. The Bible contains the very words of God and therefore, "They are not just idle words for you - they are your life" (Deut 32:47).
As the apostle Paul affirms, "All Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in rightiousness, so that the servant of God may be throughly equipped..." (2 Tim 3:16-17). Conversely, if we fail to engage in a pursuit of God's Word, we are only partially equipped. Equipping requires depth, dabbling leaves us ill-equipped.
So, what say you? Are you comfortable with the amount of Bible reading and contemplation you currently do? Are you growing in grace and increasing in righteousness? Or, are you coasting along with a minimal amount of Scriptural consumption that leaves you anemic and lacking in power against the spiritual forces and physical circumstances of life? Jus' Askn.
What this tells us is that while the Bible is held by the vast majority to be sacred (although that number drops from 79% to 64% among the Milennial Generation), only a smal percentage regard it as essential to their daily lives - the same percent (19%) who consider it of no value. Most Bible-belivers are obviously dabblers in Scripture. Few search it out in depth.
What I have just shared with you is not academic to our faith, it is anemic to our faithfulness. How one regards and reflects on the Bible is not simply a matter of choice, it is a matter of consequence. The Bible, as sacred literature, is actually sacred and life-giving. The Bible contains the very words of God and therefore, "They are not just idle words for you - they are your life" (Deut 32:47).
As the apostle Paul affirms, "All Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in rightiousness, so that the servant of God may be throughly equipped..." (2 Tim 3:16-17). Conversely, if we fail to engage in a pursuit of God's Word, we are only partially equipped. Equipping requires depth, dabbling leaves us ill-equipped.
So, what say you? Are you comfortable with the amount of Bible reading and contemplation you currently do? Are you growing in grace and increasing in righteousness? Or, are you coasting along with a minimal amount of Scriptural consumption that leaves you anemic and lacking in power against the spiritual forces and physical circumstances of life? Jus' Askn.
Saturday, October 18, 2014
Seeing God In The Dark
Job was a very righteous man, perhaps the most righteous man of his generation as the Lord pointed him out to Satan saying, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil" (Job 1:8).
And yet, his knowledge of God was blurred; things of God's nature were hidden from his sight. At the end of his ordeal of suffering, he would admit before the Lord, despite his great blessings and his personal devotion to God throughout his life, "My ears have heard of you but now my eyes have seen you" (42:5). Job did not truly see God until He was revealed in Job's suffering.
Job discovered that it was God, not his wife or his good friends, that stood by him despite his calamity. Job found out that God's presence is not withdrawn just because hard times have come. It was revealed to him that God's nature and his love for us is not challanged by the circumstances of life. He discovered that God's power is not dependent on man's personal goodness. He learned that God's power to heal and bless has no limits and there is no place to which man can fall that God cannot recover him. It was revealed to him that God is truly sovereign and alway right, regardless of how we feel, think or believe.
Perhaps you have experienced the Job effect of coming to see God more clearly in suffering or loss. Possibly, like Job, your faith experienced a watershed moment during a flood of pain and loss. So often, in the middle of a tragedy, we feel a peace that cannot be explained. Sometimes we discover how God's blessings flow in the current of tribulation. So often, it is in the darkest of times that we become most open to see the light of His presence. Have you noticed the increase in your prayer life when life's circumstances close around you?
We may grow up hearing about God and his goodness, but it is not until we experience it for ourselves that it becomes real. The stories we heard from our parents and others we trust make an impression, but the experience of God's help in a time of disaster changes our outlook entirely. James said, "Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds...that you may be mature and complete" (Js 1:2-4).
The next time you face dark times, instead of wailing, "Why me God?", you might ask, "What can I learn from this, how can I grow, where can this take me?" When life takes you through a valley, God stands ready to bring you to a mountain top. In the darkest of times, the light of His pesence can shine the brightestt. Look with eyes of faith and watch the light shine in the darkness. Jus' Sayn.
And yet, his knowledge of God was blurred; things of God's nature were hidden from his sight. At the end of his ordeal of suffering, he would admit before the Lord, despite his great blessings and his personal devotion to God throughout his life, "My ears have heard of you but now my eyes have seen you" (42:5). Job did not truly see God until He was revealed in Job's suffering.
Job discovered that it was God, not his wife or his good friends, that stood by him despite his calamity. Job found out that God's presence is not withdrawn just because hard times have come. It was revealed to him that God's nature and his love for us is not challanged by the circumstances of life. He discovered that God's power is not dependent on man's personal goodness. He learned that God's power to heal and bless has no limits and there is no place to which man can fall that God cannot recover him. It was revealed to him that God is truly sovereign and alway right, regardless of how we feel, think or believe.
Perhaps you have experienced the Job effect of coming to see God more clearly in suffering or loss. Possibly, like Job, your faith experienced a watershed moment during a flood of pain and loss. So often, in the middle of a tragedy, we feel a peace that cannot be explained. Sometimes we discover how God's blessings flow in the current of tribulation. So often, it is in the darkest of times that we become most open to see the light of His presence. Have you noticed the increase in your prayer life when life's circumstances close around you?
We may grow up hearing about God and his goodness, but it is not until we experience it for ourselves that it becomes real. The stories we heard from our parents and others we trust make an impression, but the experience of God's help in a time of disaster changes our outlook entirely. James said, "Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds...that you may be mature and complete" (Js 1:2-4).
The next time you face dark times, instead of wailing, "Why me God?", you might ask, "What can I learn from this, how can I grow, where can this take me?" When life takes you through a valley, God stands ready to bring you to a mountain top. In the darkest of times, the light of His pesence can shine the brightestt. Look with eyes of faith and watch the light shine in the darkness. Jus' Sayn.
Friday, October 17, 2014
Sin In The Camp
In Joshua chapter 7, the Bible gives the narrative of Achan, who took items devoted for destruction and hid them in his tent. These items were of great value and were only going to be destroyed, why shouldn't he keep some for himself? Who would it hurt, who would know?
A husband, sitting before his computer screen late at night, downloads pornography thinking the same, "Who will it hurt, who will know?" A wife, after the kids have gone down for a nap, flirts in a chat room reasoning, "What will it hurt, who will know?" A teller kites some cash from his drawer intending to replace it before anyone knows, thinking "Who will it hurt, who will know?"
One day thatt husband forgets to log out and his wife, dusting off the computer pulls up an image that wounds her soul. The husband of the flirtatious wife hears the sound of a message coming in on his wife''s computer and opens it to read the sexual banter of another man directed to his wife. The teller gets sick and doesn't come in to work the day he planned to replace the money and the auditors show up a day earlier than he expected. Who will know? Who knows? But someone will and in fact, Someone does from the start - God. And, by the way, so do you.
Achan's sin was noticed by the Lord and the moral weakness brought into the camp of the People of God weakened them and brought defeat in their military campaign. Innocent soldiers were killed, their families suffered great loss and God was dishonored. Who would know, who would it hurt? In Achan's case, everybody came to know and an entire people were injured as well as himself and his family.
Pornography is a victimless crime except for the women and children who are exploited in its production, the wives of husbands who divert time, money and attention to digital stimulation and the individual's character, which is hammered by the onslaught of crass and licentious imagery. Cyber-sex is victimless except for the spouse who is denied the attention given to another an the emotional capital invested in a fantasy relationship, or worse, the digital recipient decides to appear in the flesh, calling or showing up at your house. The teller, loses his job and the ability to provide for his family or possibly winds up in jail. Who will it hurt? That is an unknown until it does. But, as Moses wrote in Numbers 32:23, "You can be sure your sin will find you out."
Sin is a serious thing. The battle with the spiritual forces of evil is real (Eph 6:12) and you can be sure that there will be collateral damage. People will be hurt that you had no intention on hurting. Your family, your friends, your co-workers, people who look up to you - everybody has people around them that are injured when their sin comes to light. And, your sin will come to light someday, somehow, somewhere. Jus' Sayn.
A husband, sitting before his computer screen late at night, downloads pornography thinking the same, "Who will it hurt, who will know?" A wife, after the kids have gone down for a nap, flirts in a chat room reasoning, "What will it hurt, who will know?" A teller kites some cash from his drawer intending to replace it before anyone knows, thinking "Who will it hurt, who will know?"
One day thatt husband forgets to log out and his wife, dusting off the computer pulls up an image that wounds her soul. The husband of the flirtatious wife hears the sound of a message coming in on his wife''s computer and opens it to read the sexual banter of another man directed to his wife. The teller gets sick and doesn't come in to work the day he planned to replace the money and the auditors show up a day earlier than he expected. Who will know? Who knows? But someone will and in fact, Someone does from the start - God. And, by the way, so do you.
Achan's sin was noticed by the Lord and the moral weakness brought into the camp of the People of God weakened them and brought defeat in their military campaign. Innocent soldiers were killed, their families suffered great loss and God was dishonored. Who would know, who would it hurt? In Achan's case, everybody came to know and an entire people were injured as well as himself and his family.
Pornography is a victimless crime except for the women and children who are exploited in its production, the wives of husbands who divert time, money and attention to digital stimulation and the individual's character, which is hammered by the onslaught of crass and licentious imagery. Cyber-sex is victimless except for the spouse who is denied the attention given to another an the emotional capital invested in a fantasy relationship, or worse, the digital recipient decides to appear in the flesh, calling or showing up at your house. The teller, loses his job and the ability to provide for his family or possibly winds up in jail. Who will it hurt? That is an unknown until it does. But, as Moses wrote in Numbers 32:23, "You can be sure your sin will find you out."
Sin is a serious thing. The battle with the spiritual forces of evil is real (Eph 6:12) and you can be sure that there will be collateral damage. People will be hurt that you had no intention on hurting. Your family, your friends, your co-workers, people who look up to you - everybody has people around them that are injured when their sin comes to light. And, your sin will come to light someday, somehow, somewhere. Jus' Sayn.
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Too Busy
In Luke 10:30ff, Jesus tells the parable of a man who is beaten by thieves and left on the side of the road nearly dead. A priest comes along and passes by the other side of the road. Later a temple worker came upon the man and kept going as well. Finally, a Samaritan, who was regarded as an enemy and of little worth, came by and took pity on him This Samaritan dressed his wounds and took hm to a nearby inn, paying for his keep and giving the innkeeper money to care for the man until he could return.
The point of the parable was a response of Jesus to a man who asked him who his neighbor was that he should love as the Word directs and the answer is whomever God puts in our path, needing our help. A side question that comes up is why did the priest and the temple worker pass by, why did God's appointed ministers fail to take advantage to minister to this man so obviously in need?
The parable doesn't reveal the answer to that question and Jesus doesn't elaborate on that thought, so we are left to conjecture. Perhaps they were afraid to get involved as the thieves might still be nearby waiting for someone to stop or that the man was feigning his injuries to lure them in. Possible but not really likely as the context gives the clear implication that they were choosing not to be neighborly.
It is more likely that they felt themselves too important to be delayed by this messy task. They may well have had duties to attend to and somewhere to be. Possibly they were heading to the Temple and didn't want to be late or defiled by his blood. I don't actually think so as they were going down the road, which indicates away from Jerusalem. Whatever the reason, they couldn't be bothered to stop, they had other things to do and could not be dettained by this man's needs. They were too busy.
Too busy, other more important things to be given attention than the ministry opportunity God had placed in their path. Has this ever happend to you, or should I say lately, where you pass up an opportunity to help someone along the way because you had important, even possibly church, work to attend? Do you find yourself simply too busy with important, godly things to take on even one more opportunity to reach out to someone? Do you find yourself too busy to give attention to anyone who is not on your schedule of events. Would you have to pass by or would you stop for a ministry opportunity God presented to you today?
What I'm wondering is: Are you too busy to answer the Spirit's call to service? Or to put it simply, "Are you too busy?" Jus' Askn.
The point of the parable was a response of Jesus to a man who asked him who his neighbor was that he should love as the Word directs and the answer is whomever God puts in our path, needing our help. A side question that comes up is why did the priest and the temple worker pass by, why did God's appointed ministers fail to take advantage to minister to this man so obviously in need?
The parable doesn't reveal the answer to that question and Jesus doesn't elaborate on that thought, so we are left to conjecture. Perhaps they were afraid to get involved as the thieves might still be nearby waiting for someone to stop or that the man was feigning his injuries to lure them in. Possible but not really likely as the context gives the clear implication that they were choosing not to be neighborly.
It is more likely that they felt themselves too important to be delayed by this messy task. They may well have had duties to attend to and somewhere to be. Possibly they were heading to the Temple and didn't want to be late or defiled by his blood. I don't actually think so as they were going down the road, which indicates away from Jerusalem. Whatever the reason, they couldn't be bothered to stop, they had other things to do and could not be dettained by this man's needs. They were too busy.
Too busy, other more important things to be given attention than the ministry opportunity God had placed in their path. Has this ever happend to you, or should I say lately, where you pass up an opportunity to help someone along the way because you had important, even possibly church, work to attend? Do you find yourself simply too busy with important, godly things to take on even one more opportunity to reach out to someone? Do you find yourself too busy to give attention to anyone who is not on your schedule of events. Would you have to pass by or would you stop for a ministry opportunity God presented to you today?
What I'm wondering is: Are you too busy to answer the Spirit's call to service? Or to put it simply, "Are you too busy?" Jus' Askn.
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Killing Your Ox
In 1 Kings 19:19-21, Elijah anoointed Elisha as prophet to Israel. Elisha asked for and was granted permission to say goodbye to his family. In his farwell, he killed the oxen that pulled his plow and chopped up the plow to burn, roasting the pair over it. His goodbye was final, he was burning his bridge in a literal sense behind him. For Elisha, there was no turning back, no backup plan, no backing out.
When I felt the call to ministry, I was encouraged to stay in the military until retirement and then go to preaching school. That way, I'd have retirement pay and medical to get me through training and a way out in case it wasn't right for me. As I came to the end of time at Harding, I was advised to stay and complete a business degree as I already had two years under my belt and it would give me a back up plan. I was not, however, choosing a vocational path, I was answering the call of God. I didn't want and didn't need something to fall back on. I would fall into the arms of God. Never have there been any guarantees but never has God let me fall. Through it all, God has seen me through.
When one answers the call of God to become a Christian, to become a minister, to become a missionary, whatever the call might be - there must be a reliance on God and a commitment to the calling or one is actually making a personal choice rather than answering a personal call. Do you think God would call you to a ministry that was beyond your capacitty to fulfill? Perhaps on your own you would fail, but not with His empowering. If you think you might not be able to fulfill it, that means you don't think God is able to sustain you. In other words, you aren't really certain God is calling you.
Even if what God calls you to seems implausible, it most certainly is not "for with man this is impossible but with God all things are possible" (Matt 19:26). When God calls you and you respond in faith, "Nothing will be impossible for you" (Matt 17:20). It's not time to develop a backup plan, it is time to devote yourself to God's purpose. So, go ahead, kill your ox. Jus' Sayn.
When I felt the call to ministry, I was encouraged to stay in the military until retirement and then go to preaching school. That way, I'd have retirement pay and medical to get me through training and a way out in case it wasn't right for me. As I came to the end of time at Harding, I was advised to stay and complete a business degree as I already had two years under my belt and it would give me a back up plan. I was not, however, choosing a vocational path, I was answering the call of God. I didn't want and didn't need something to fall back on. I would fall into the arms of God. Never have there been any guarantees but never has God let me fall. Through it all, God has seen me through.
When one answers the call of God to become a Christian, to become a minister, to become a missionary, whatever the call might be - there must be a reliance on God and a commitment to the calling or one is actually making a personal choice rather than answering a personal call. Do you think God would call you to a ministry that was beyond your capacitty to fulfill? Perhaps on your own you would fail, but not with His empowering. If you think you might not be able to fulfill it, that means you don't think God is able to sustain you. In other words, you aren't really certain God is calling you.
Even if what God calls you to seems implausible, it most certainly is not "for with man this is impossible but with God all things are possible" (Matt 19:26). When God calls you and you respond in faith, "Nothing will be impossible for you" (Matt 17:20). It's not time to develop a backup plan, it is time to devote yourself to God's purpose. So, go ahead, kill your ox. Jus' Sayn.
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
One Way
When Moses gave the Law of God to the ancient Israelites, he warned them very severely, "Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you to the right or to the left..." (Deut 28:14). This warning was followed by a litany of curses that would follow any such departure.
Jesus' warning was just as absolute as he assured his disciples, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). He completely dismisses any other path to life - no Buddha, no Mohammed, no whomever or whatever else. Any other path is leaves one empty of God's presence and blessings.
Why so strict? Why so narrow? Why wasn't Moses more open-minded? Why wasn't Jesus more tolerant of individual choice? Why insist on one way only? Shouldn't a loving God be accepting of diversity? Isn't that the loving way? Is it?
Let us suppose that you wanted to go to a certain country that was accessible by only one flight on a particular airline at a set time each day. So I tell you that you must take that airline at that time and no other. Let us further suppose that you didn't want to get up that early or take that airline. Would it be loving of me to say, "That's OK, you chose any airline you want and arrive at the airport at whatever time you like." Would that be loving, given I know that it won't take you to the place you want to go? Of course not. It might make you feel better at the moment. It might keep you and me from being at odds. But it would not be loving and you would not feel loved as you were told at the counter you missed the only flight that goes there.
When Jesus called his disciple to "come follow me," they weren't given a choice of paths because if they chose any other way but the way he was going, they would not be with him. If I give you directions to my home, you aren't then allowed to take any road in any direction to get there. When you are following someone to their home, you can't just decide to turn off to the right or left when they are going straight. You really have tto follow them, turn for turn.
In this country, we believe in diversity. Diversity is our right in the pluralistic society; however, just because it is our right does not mean it is right. Since there is one God and he has given us One way, our right to choose another is wrong. He would not be loving God to permit diversity knowing that his Son is the only way and that his path is the only path. Jus' Sayn.
Jesus' warning was just as absolute as he assured his disciples, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). He completely dismisses any other path to life - no Buddha, no Mohammed, no whomever or whatever else. Any other path is leaves one empty of God's presence and blessings.
Why so strict? Why so narrow? Why wasn't Moses more open-minded? Why wasn't Jesus more tolerant of individual choice? Why insist on one way only? Shouldn't a loving God be accepting of diversity? Isn't that the loving way? Is it?
Let us suppose that you wanted to go to a certain country that was accessible by only one flight on a particular airline at a set time each day. So I tell you that you must take that airline at that time and no other. Let us further suppose that you didn't want to get up that early or take that airline. Would it be loving of me to say, "That's OK, you chose any airline you want and arrive at the airport at whatever time you like." Would that be loving, given I know that it won't take you to the place you want to go? Of course not. It might make you feel better at the moment. It might keep you and me from being at odds. But it would not be loving and you would not feel loved as you were told at the counter you missed the only flight that goes there.
When Jesus called his disciple to "come follow me," they weren't given a choice of paths because if they chose any other way but the way he was going, they would not be with him. If I give you directions to my home, you aren't then allowed to take any road in any direction to get there. When you are following someone to their home, you can't just decide to turn off to the right or left when they are going straight. You really have tto follow them, turn for turn.
In this country, we believe in diversity. Diversity is our right in the pluralistic society; however, just because it is our right does not mean it is right. Since there is one God and he has given us One way, our right to choose another is wrong. He would not be loving God to permit diversity knowing that his Son is the only way and that his path is the only path. Jus' Sayn.
Monday, October 13, 2014
Exposed
When I was a small child, I believed that if I pulled my covers over my head, the boogie man, or whatever other montrous thing that might be in the dark, could not see me. I felt safe from the peering eyes and the listening ears of the darklings, those things that only come out at night and certainly visit bedrooms on those occasions when you are in there alone.
Perhaps you had a similar belief. But now, as adults, we put those foolish ideas behind us. We no longer believe in boogie men or darklings - although, somehow we are not totally at ease in the dark. And, certainly we no longer believe that hiding under a quilt would somehow hide us from intruders, keeping us safe from exposure.
Kind of - we don't believe in hiding under the covers in the dark but we tend to believe that we can hide under the cover of darkness. We believe, as adults, that as long as no one sees us, or at least no one who knows us, sees what we're doing or hears what we're saying, we are protected from exposure, that we can do what we want without fear of it coming to the light.
Husbands watch porn on the Internet after their wives have gone to sleep. Wives engage in cyber-sex when their husbands are at work. So called "friends" talk smack about you behind your back. Clerks take store products when no one is looking. Tellers slip a little cash into their own pockets. Employees slip in late or slide out early when the boss isn't around. They all think they are under the covers, that no one will know, that they are safe from exposure. Not!
Many of those husbands and wives wind up divorced. Clerks and tellers end up fired or worse. Employees are called on the carpet and ex-friends are kicked to the curb. Somehow, someway, the truth came out - the dark cover was pulled back to the light of day.
And even if they had managed to keep the wool pulled over the eyes of their spouse, friend or employee, there is One who bears witness to it all. The Lord God is taking note and "there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open" (Luke 8:17). Whatever you think you will get away with, you won't.
If there is something you are about to do or say that you would hate to be exposed to the world, to your friends, to your family or to the Lord, don't. All will one day be brought to light. Sooner or later, you will have to face up to what you do. Make sure what you do or say wears well because you will have wear it in the open one day. Jus' Sayn.
Perhaps you had a similar belief. But now, as adults, we put those foolish ideas behind us. We no longer believe in boogie men or darklings - although, somehow we are not totally at ease in the dark. And, certainly we no longer believe that hiding under a quilt would somehow hide us from intruders, keeping us safe from exposure.
Kind of - we don't believe in hiding under the covers in the dark but we tend to believe that we can hide under the cover of darkness. We believe, as adults, that as long as no one sees us, or at least no one who knows us, sees what we're doing or hears what we're saying, we are protected from exposure, that we can do what we want without fear of it coming to the light.
Husbands watch porn on the Internet after their wives have gone to sleep. Wives engage in cyber-sex when their husbands are at work. So called "friends" talk smack about you behind your back. Clerks take store products when no one is looking. Tellers slip a little cash into their own pockets. Employees slip in late or slide out early when the boss isn't around. They all think they are under the covers, that no one will know, that they are safe from exposure. Not!
Many of those husbands and wives wind up divorced. Clerks and tellers end up fired or worse. Employees are called on the carpet and ex-friends are kicked to the curb. Somehow, someway, the truth came out - the dark cover was pulled back to the light of day.
And even if they had managed to keep the wool pulled over the eyes of their spouse, friend or employee, there is One who bears witness to it all. The Lord God is taking note and "there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open" (Luke 8:17). Whatever you think you will get away with, you won't.
If there is something you are about to do or say that you would hate to be exposed to the world, to your friends, to your family or to the Lord, don't. All will one day be brought to light. Sooner or later, you will have to face up to what you do. Make sure what you do or say wears well because you will have wear it in the open one day. Jus' Sayn.
Sunday, October 12, 2014
No Good Deed...
You've no doubt heard the old saying, "No good deed goes unpunished." If you've lived very long at all, you've most likely seen this cliche in action. You had the best intentios, you did your best to help, you hoped for the best outcome for them and they didn't appreciate what you did, perhaps they were angered and even retaliated against their perceived injustice.
This negative result from a positive action can make one gunshy in offering help again. Why would I want to go through the trouble trying to help when it ends up bringing me trouble? Doesn't seem to make sense. Maybe if we try harder and approach it smarter, we will get the reaction we desired. Maybe. However, I wouldn't count on my effort to determine their reaction. "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Tim 3:12).
There are some forces in the world working against good prevailing, "the spiritual forces of evil" (Eph 6:12). Satan doesn't want good intentions to become reality so he helps to twist and bend perception to see our good efforts as bad treatment. You try to show someone how to overcome their financial struggle and they accuse you of judging them. You try to point out to a co-worker a better way to approach a task and they think you are boss them around. You offer a genuine complement on someone's mustache and she gets offended (OK, that time you did mess up).
Sometimes the good we intend to do is rejected because the perceived cost is too high for the benefit. Trying to get a child to see the benefit in keeping his room clean, keeping her grades up, keeping their nose to the grinding wheel, whatever - seems to be too much for too little. They will not understand and likely will not appreciate what you are trying to do until much later, if at all. But, all those mean things you did, trying to instill self-motivation, self-discipline, work ethic, good hygene, good manner, etc., really were from the best of intentions. And, regardless of how they were perceived or received at the time, were worth the effort.
The reason for doing good deeds even when they so often do not go unpunished is that they are good and the possibility that good will emerge remains even after you have been slighted or malignedd. It may take a while for the good to emerge but it never will if the seed isn't planted. A farmer isn't guarnteed a harvest everytime he plants but if he doesn't give up, he will have a bountiful harvest - that is what keeps them going even when their best efforts bring about the worst results.
Despite the ristk, do good anyway. You may not receive a good response from the individual but you will receive a reward from the Lord. You may not see good results today but the opportunity to produce good is offered and it may emerge later. You may never be appreciated by the other but you can look at yourself in the mirror without regret. The cost is worth the benefit. Jus' Sayn.
This negative result from a positive action can make one gunshy in offering help again. Why would I want to go through the trouble trying to help when it ends up bringing me trouble? Doesn't seem to make sense. Maybe if we try harder and approach it smarter, we will get the reaction we desired. Maybe. However, I wouldn't count on my effort to determine their reaction. "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Tim 3:12).
There are some forces in the world working against good prevailing, "the spiritual forces of evil" (Eph 6:12). Satan doesn't want good intentions to become reality so he helps to twist and bend perception to see our good efforts as bad treatment. You try to show someone how to overcome their financial struggle and they accuse you of judging them. You try to point out to a co-worker a better way to approach a task and they think you are boss them around. You offer a genuine complement on someone's mustache and she gets offended (OK, that time you did mess up).
Sometimes the good we intend to do is rejected because the perceived cost is too high for the benefit. Trying to get a child to see the benefit in keeping his room clean, keeping her grades up, keeping their nose to the grinding wheel, whatever - seems to be too much for too little. They will not understand and likely will not appreciate what you are trying to do until much later, if at all. But, all those mean things you did, trying to instill self-motivation, self-discipline, work ethic, good hygene, good manner, etc., really were from the best of intentions. And, regardless of how they were perceived or received at the time, were worth the effort.
The reason for doing good deeds even when they so often do not go unpunished is that they are good and the possibility that good will emerge remains even after you have been slighted or malignedd. It may take a while for the good to emerge but it never will if the seed isn't planted. A farmer isn't guarnteed a harvest everytime he plants but if he doesn't give up, he will have a bountiful harvest - that is what keeps them going even when their best efforts bring about the worst results.
Despite the ristk, do good anyway. You may not receive a good response from the individual but you will receive a reward from the Lord. You may not see good results today but the opportunity to produce good is offered and it may emerge later. You may never be appreciated by the other but you can look at yourself in the mirror without regret. The cost is worth the benefit. Jus' Sayn.
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Empty Jars
In Matthew 25:1-13, Jesus tells the parable of the 5 wise and 5 foolish virgins who were waiting for the bridegroom's arrival. Not knowing just when he would arrive, the wise virgins brought extra oil for their lamps while the foolish ones did not. When they heard announcing of the groom's arrival, the wise virgins trimmed their lamps and lit them. The foolish ones asked for soe of their oil. The wise ones said they could not as that might leave everyone with too little oil. They told them instead to go buy some oil. While the foolish ones weree out buying oil, the groom came and all who were present entered into the celebration hall together. When the foolish virgins got back, the doors were shut and they found themselves locked out.
Sounds harsh, doesn't it. I mean, they were trying. They simply made an error in judgment. Why should they be judged so harshly? Preparation doesn't necessarily have anything to do with judgment, it has to do with readiness for the momentt.
When the ice and snow comes this winter and you hit a slick spot, you need to already be prepared with adequate tire tread or you are going to find yourself slipping and slidding instead of driving. If you find yourself in a spin on ice, you need to have already known how to pull out of a spin or you will not recover from the spin - it's too late then to learn (although you will be taking a crash course in physics).
The apostle Peter said, "Be prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks for the reaason of the hope within you" (1 Pet 3:15). It is through daily Bible study, prayer and quiet time that we get prepared to provide adequate answers to those who ask us faith questions. If we are not prepared to answer a question when it is asked, we will have missed that opportunity. And, the opportunity with that person may be lost forever.
We don't have to be Bible scholars to nagivate matters of faith anymore than we have to be professionally trained drivers to navigate icy roads. But we do have to preparee in advancee to be ready for that moment when our best driving skills or our best biblical understanding will be called upon if we are to rise to the occasion at that moment. We need to put the oil in our jars before the moment we need to light them. Jus' Sayn.
Sounds harsh, doesn't it. I mean, they were trying. They simply made an error in judgment. Why should they be judged so harshly? Preparation doesn't necessarily have anything to do with judgment, it has to do with readiness for the momentt.
When the ice and snow comes this winter and you hit a slick spot, you need to already be prepared with adequate tire tread or you are going to find yourself slipping and slidding instead of driving. If you find yourself in a spin on ice, you need to have already known how to pull out of a spin or you will not recover from the spin - it's too late then to learn (although you will be taking a crash course in physics).
The apostle Peter said, "Be prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks for the reaason of the hope within you" (1 Pet 3:15). It is through daily Bible study, prayer and quiet time that we get prepared to provide adequate answers to those who ask us faith questions. If we are not prepared to answer a question when it is asked, we will have missed that opportunity. And, the opportunity with that person may be lost forever.
We don't have to be Bible scholars to nagivate matters of faith anymore than we have to be professionally trained drivers to navigate icy roads. But we do have to preparee in advancee to be ready for that moment when our best driving skills or our best biblical understanding will be called upon if we are to rise to the occasion at that moment. We need to put the oil in our jars before the moment we need to light them. Jus' Sayn.
Friday, October 10, 2014
A King To Fight Our Battles
Through Samuel as prophet, priest and judge, God had ruled over Israel directly - they lived in a Theocracy. But they wanted a king with flesh on him, someone they could see and touch, and prove to the other nations they were on par with them. They wanted "a king to lead us and go out before us and fight out battles" (1 Sam 8:20).
As much as the people put their trust in a king, just as Samuel had warned them, the kings tended to bring the people more problems then solutions, more cost than benefit. It was only those times when the people turned to the Lord did they truly prosper, only the Lord could protect them from warring nations around them, only the Lord could be their banner and their shield.
We're deep into election season. In a few weeks we'll have an opportunity to perhaps shift the balance of power in the senate, ejecting Leader Reid from his throne and setting another "king" of the senate in power. And, if all goes as many hope it will go, in two years we can turn the presidential dial from the left to the right. And then, all will be well, we will have a king to lead us and go out before us to fight our enemies.
Really? All will be well if we can get the socialists out of power and put in capitalists? Not! It may be an improvement, perhaps we will be able to actually drill on public lands and open the pipeline between Canada and the US. Taxes may even get shifted around a bit. There will certainly be a different slant on the rhetoric.
But do you suppose that right-leaning politicians will be essentially different than left-leaning ones? Considering the true state of the Union, where morality is turned on its head, drugs (legal and illegal) are the driving force of our economy, when we have become tthe largest debtor nation in history and the godless, near inhuman Islamic Fundamenttalist Wacko Terrorists are everywhere - what do you think the chances are that Washington will be our savior?
I'm not hopeful - in them. But I am hopeful in Him. Regardless of who is president or controls the balance of power in congress, Jesus Christ is King of my life! And, He is my Savior. He will provide me the victory, even if I lose everything here (again). If we, as a nation, turn our hearts toward Him, he will give us the victory, even against such odds.
Regardless, however, what we do as a nation, I will follow the Lord. I will put my trust in Him. I will rest in His power and trust in His goodness. "And my God will meet all [my] needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus" (Phil 4:19). Jus' Sayn.
As much as the people put their trust in a king, just as Samuel had warned them, the kings tended to bring the people more problems then solutions, more cost than benefit. It was only those times when the people turned to the Lord did they truly prosper, only the Lord could protect them from warring nations around them, only the Lord could be their banner and their shield.
We're deep into election season. In a few weeks we'll have an opportunity to perhaps shift the balance of power in the senate, ejecting Leader Reid from his throne and setting another "king" of the senate in power. And, if all goes as many hope it will go, in two years we can turn the presidential dial from the left to the right. And then, all will be well, we will have a king to lead us and go out before us to fight our enemies.
Really? All will be well if we can get the socialists out of power and put in capitalists? Not! It may be an improvement, perhaps we will be able to actually drill on public lands and open the pipeline between Canada and the US. Taxes may even get shifted around a bit. There will certainly be a different slant on the rhetoric.
But do you suppose that right-leaning politicians will be essentially different than left-leaning ones? Considering the true state of the Union, where morality is turned on its head, drugs (legal and illegal) are the driving force of our economy, when we have become tthe largest debtor nation in history and the godless, near inhuman Islamic Fundamenttalist Wacko Terrorists are everywhere - what do you think the chances are that Washington will be our savior?
I'm not hopeful - in them. But I am hopeful in Him. Regardless of who is president or controls the balance of power in congress, Jesus Christ is King of my life! And, He is my Savior. He will provide me the victory, even if I lose everything here (again). If we, as a nation, turn our hearts toward Him, he will give us the victory, even against such odds.
Regardless, however, what we do as a nation, I will follow the Lord. I will put my trust in Him. I will rest in His power and trust in His goodness. "And my God will meet all [my] needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus" (Phil 4:19). Jus' Sayn.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
No Mommy, No Daddy, No Difference?
So, with the Supreme Court's decision not to make a decision, same-sex marriages in Arkansas now become a legal right. I, for one, am not against them having a legal right to marry, but that does not mean I believe it is right to define marriage as sometthing that occurs between a couple of the same sex. From a biblical perspecttive, I am certain it is wrong. Jesus was very clear in Matthew 19 that "from the beginning, God made them male and female and for that reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife and the two will become one flesh" (vv. 4-5).
Setting apart the Bible for those that do not accept its authority or agree with what I think is a clear teaching, there is a very practical reason for me to think that a family unit built upon a same-sex foundation is a bad choice: It affirms that whether one has a mommy or not makes no difference. It also affirms that having a dadddy or not makes no difference. A two-woman couple does not allow a child to grow up with the benefit of a father's love, support and example. A two-man couple does not allow a child to grow up with the benefit of a mother's love, support and example.
A same-sex couple denies children of the close intimacy and proximity with the influence and underrstanding that comes from one of the opposite sex. Men and women are not the same, we are absolutely different. Mommies and daddies are not the same. Little boys need a daddy's example of what it means to be a man and how a man is to treat a woman. Little girls need a daddy's love and a picture of how they should be treated by a man. It is equally true of a mommy's influence on what it means to be a woman and how a woman is to treat a man and how a man should expect to be treated by a woman.
God made mankind both male and female. We are not the same. As an individual we are not complete. It is only when a man and woman join together that they become one whole flesh or prson in the image of God. Mommies and Daddies do make a difference, both of them. Jus' Sayn.
Setting apart the Bible for those that do not accept its authority or agree with what I think is a clear teaching, there is a very practical reason for me to think that a family unit built upon a same-sex foundation is a bad choice: It affirms that whether one has a mommy or not makes no difference. It also affirms that having a dadddy or not makes no difference. A two-woman couple does not allow a child to grow up with the benefit of a father's love, support and example. A two-man couple does not allow a child to grow up with the benefit of a mother's love, support and example.
A same-sex couple denies children of the close intimacy and proximity with the influence and underrstanding that comes from one of the opposite sex. Men and women are not the same, we are absolutely different. Mommies and daddies are not the same. Little boys need a daddy's example of what it means to be a man and how a man is to treat a woman. Little girls need a daddy's love and a picture of how they should be treated by a man. It is equally true of a mommy's influence on what it means to be a woman and how a woman is to treat a man and how a man should expect to be treated by a woman.
God made mankind both male and female. We are not the same. As an individual we are not complete. It is only when a man and woman join together that they become one whole flesh or prson in the image of God. Mommies and Daddies do make a difference, both of them. Jus' Sayn.
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Higher Learning
When we graduate high school, the valedictorian usually says it's our time, we're stepping out to take on the world. Actually, it's time to enroll into college because we haven't learned enough to get a decent job, let alone take on the world.
Graduating college, we think the world will come to our feet seeking our sage wisdom. What actually happens is that you are lucky to land a job and you are at the bottom of the totem pole. You discover that you have much to learn, things college may never even have addressed. Attending graduate school only postpones that reality for a couple of years. In the eyes of the rest of the world, a new hire with a graduate degree is someone seldom correct but never in doubt.
The reality is that there are so many things to learn about life, work, family, finances, etc. that we are not ready to even contemplate until later in life as we begin to face them. Time, education, opportunity and experience are all factors in learning, and they don't all occur to the same degree just as you are getting our degree. Wisdom, the kind of knowledge that makes you truly valuable, comes only with the passage of time and the application of education and experience.
The point being, you haven't finished your education when you graduate high school, college and graduate school or whatever. You are hopefully ready to begin your education that will continue for a lifetime. And wisdom will come along the way and develop as you go.
That is not only true in secular educaton, it is equally true in spiritual or biblical training. Reading through the Bible one time doesn't even begin to equip you. Graduating Bible college or seminary only touches the hem of the garment of biblical knowledge. There is a lifetime of Bible study, prayer and revelation from the Spirit ahead of you. The process of growing in wisdom and knowledge never ends. It must be a lifetime pursuit because you can't even hear "The Rest of The Story" until you've digested what you heard already.
Listen to what Jesus says to his early disciples: "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. Bu when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth..." (Jn 16:12-13). The same is true for you and me. How ever much you know about the Bible, spiritual or kingddom truth, there is much more to learn, which will require the Spirit to reveal to you as you go. Keep you head in the Book, you back bowed in prayer and your hands busy in His service so thatt you are ready to receive the next installation of the Truth. Jus' Sayn.
Graduating college, we think the world will come to our feet seeking our sage wisdom. What actually happens is that you are lucky to land a job and you are at the bottom of the totem pole. You discover that you have much to learn, things college may never even have addressed. Attending graduate school only postpones that reality for a couple of years. In the eyes of the rest of the world, a new hire with a graduate degree is someone seldom correct but never in doubt.
The reality is that there are so many things to learn about life, work, family, finances, etc. that we are not ready to even contemplate until later in life as we begin to face them. Time, education, opportunity and experience are all factors in learning, and they don't all occur to the same degree just as you are getting our degree. Wisdom, the kind of knowledge that makes you truly valuable, comes only with the passage of time and the application of education and experience.
The point being, you haven't finished your education when you graduate high school, college and graduate school or whatever. You are hopefully ready to begin your education that will continue for a lifetime. And wisdom will come along the way and develop as you go.
That is not only true in secular educaton, it is equally true in spiritual or biblical training. Reading through the Bible one time doesn't even begin to equip you. Graduating Bible college or seminary only touches the hem of the garment of biblical knowledge. There is a lifetime of Bible study, prayer and revelation from the Spirit ahead of you. The process of growing in wisdom and knowledge never ends. It must be a lifetime pursuit because you can't even hear "The Rest of The Story" until you've digested what you heard already.
Listen to what Jesus says to his early disciples: "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. Bu when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth..." (Jn 16:12-13). The same is true for you and me. How ever much you know about the Bible, spiritual or kingddom truth, there is much more to learn, which will require the Spirit to reveal to you as you go. Keep you head in the Book, you back bowed in prayer and your hands busy in His service so thatt you are ready to receive the next installation of the Truth. Jus' Sayn.
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Questioning God
Yesterday, visiting with a new patient, a familiar question came up, "Why God?" The patient, experiencing a disease he never envisioned and facing on outcome he thought would be years down the road, openly wondered "Why me?" Or, in other words, "Why does God allow this to happen to me? What is his justification?" Do you see the real question here? What right does God have to bring this on me or to allow it to happen to me? Who does God think he is?
We don't say it quite in that way, but that is the implication of our asking, "Why me?" Job found himself in the middle of a world class personal crisis. He lost his children, his wealth and his health. He openly challenged God's choice to allow this to happen or his right to bring it upon him. At one point he said, "If only there was someone to mediatte between us...someone to remove God's rod from me...then I would speak up without fear of him..." (Job 9:33-34). Job thought that an umpire between him and God would rule in his favor against God.
Like so many today who are facing trials or calamities in their lives, Job wanted to know what God was thinking, what justification did he have, why me? God gave Job an anwer but it wasn't the answer to why, it was the answer of Who: "Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge" (Job 38:2)? God's answer was, "Who do you think you are and who do you imagine I am?"
God put's Job in his place as a man, asking, "Where were you when I laid out the foundatin of the earth" (v. 4)? Job, just how do you imagine you can begin to question me? Do you really think you have a grasp of the cosmic level my decisions? Do you believe that you even have a clue of the spiritual battles that are in play? Do you, as a man, deign to sit in judgment of the Architect of the Universe, the One who exists before the universe was brought into being? Really?
My answer to my patient was that I haven't had any answers to why since I was in my mid-twenties or so. Back then, I had answers, or so I thought. Today, I don't know why but I do know Who. I know God and that God is good. I also know that God is right and that his will is to be desired, even when we don't enjoy the process or understand how good could come from it. I have learned to replace the question "Why God?" with the answer "God is!" God is in control. God is just. God is good. God is able. God is love. Jus' Sayn.
We don't say it quite in that way, but that is the implication of our asking, "Why me?" Job found himself in the middle of a world class personal crisis. He lost his children, his wealth and his health. He openly challenged God's choice to allow this to happen or his right to bring it upon him. At one point he said, "If only there was someone to mediatte between us...someone to remove God's rod from me...then I would speak up without fear of him..." (Job 9:33-34). Job thought that an umpire between him and God would rule in his favor against God.
Like so many today who are facing trials or calamities in their lives, Job wanted to know what God was thinking, what justification did he have, why me? God gave Job an anwer but it wasn't the answer to why, it was the answer of Who: "Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge" (Job 38:2)? God's answer was, "Who do you think you are and who do you imagine I am?"
God put's Job in his place as a man, asking, "Where were you when I laid out the foundatin of the earth" (v. 4)? Job, just how do you imagine you can begin to question me? Do you really think you have a grasp of the cosmic level my decisions? Do you believe that you even have a clue of the spiritual battles that are in play? Do you, as a man, deign to sit in judgment of the Architect of the Universe, the One who exists before the universe was brought into being? Really?
My answer to my patient was that I haven't had any answers to why since I was in my mid-twenties or so. Back then, I had answers, or so I thought. Today, I don't know why but I do know Who. I know God and that God is good. I also know that God is right and that his will is to be desired, even when we don't enjoy the process or understand how good could come from it. I have learned to replace the question "Why God?" with the answer "God is!" God is in control. God is just. God is good. God is able. God is love. Jus' Sayn.
Monday, October 6, 2014
Living By Faith
Coming back from a vist with friends, I apparently took one switch-back curve a little too fast as the back tire slid out and I dropped to the ground. The drop itself was not bad, but that sudden stop on the bottom was not nearly as pleasant. It hurt a bit but I'm not really hurt other than a sore spot or two. I think I might have fractured my ego, however.
My bike, on the other hand, wasn't as well-protected as I with my leathers, helment, boots and gloves. It sustained a terrible crunch to the crash bar and the left foor board looked to be bent out of recognition. The floor board was not really hurt to speak of, it was mostly dirt jamed in between the rubber and the metal. The crash bar did it's job of absorbing the brunt of the crash while protecting the rest of the bike and it's rider's left leg.
It looked bad at first. I took it off, tried to bend it back into some kind of shape but simply didn't have the tools or the bronze by myself to effect much change. I made some progress but not enough so it would fit back on the bike. It didn't look good until I talked to my friend and brother in Christ, Martin. He invited me to come out to his home shop, where there was lots of space and lots of tools to hammer out the problem, and hammer we did.
Two men, one sledge hammer and an assortment of wooden block over the course of about an hour, and we had that bar looking near enough to normal to give it a try hanging it back on the bike. Much to our surprise, it fit back on with that first attempt. It isn't perfect but if you look close enough to tell, you're looking too close.
My point, beside recognizing the help Martin provided, is to point out a biblical truth. What appeared to be a real bummer and the end of my expensive crash bar turned out to be the beginning of an exceptional day. Martin and I had wonderful fun working together on the bar, we had a nice ride afterwards, great conversation over a terrible meal. Martin asked me, "Explain to me how that after taking 45 minutes to get the food to us, the burgers are cold." I couldn't imagine. But we both agreed that we enjoyed a warm conversation over a cold meal.
The way things looked to be and the way things turned out to be were quite different. That is why the Bible says, "We live by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor 5:7). What is seen is the circumstances life brngs to bear but what God is doing in and through those circumstances is the unseen power that empowers our faith to fear not but trust in God to bring about good. Holding on to God in the middle of a storm, expecting him to bring us through it and even to prosper us in the process is faith. It is not having a blind eye to reality, it is having an open heart to providence. Jus' Sayn.
My bike, on the other hand, wasn't as well-protected as I with my leathers, helment, boots and gloves. It sustained a terrible crunch to the crash bar and the left foor board looked to be bent out of recognition. The floor board was not really hurt to speak of, it was mostly dirt jamed in between the rubber and the metal. The crash bar did it's job of absorbing the brunt of the crash while protecting the rest of the bike and it's rider's left leg.
It looked bad at first. I took it off, tried to bend it back into some kind of shape but simply didn't have the tools or the bronze by myself to effect much change. I made some progress but not enough so it would fit back on the bike. It didn't look good until I talked to my friend and brother in Christ, Martin. He invited me to come out to his home shop, where there was lots of space and lots of tools to hammer out the problem, and hammer we did.
Two men, one sledge hammer and an assortment of wooden block over the course of about an hour, and we had that bar looking near enough to normal to give it a try hanging it back on the bike. Much to our surprise, it fit back on with that first attempt. It isn't perfect but if you look close enough to tell, you're looking too close.
My point, beside recognizing the help Martin provided, is to point out a biblical truth. What appeared to be a real bummer and the end of my expensive crash bar turned out to be the beginning of an exceptional day. Martin and I had wonderful fun working together on the bar, we had a nice ride afterwards, great conversation over a terrible meal. Martin asked me, "Explain to me how that after taking 45 minutes to get the food to us, the burgers are cold." I couldn't imagine. But we both agreed that we enjoyed a warm conversation over a cold meal.
The way things looked to be and the way things turned out to be were quite different. That is why the Bible says, "We live by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor 5:7). What is seen is the circumstances life brngs to bear but what God is doing in and through those circumstances is the unseen power that empowers our faith to fear not but trust in God to bring about good. Holding on to God in the middle of a storm, expecting him to bring us through it and even to prosper us in the process is faith. It is not having a blind eye to reality, it is having an open heart to providence. Jus' Sayn.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
In Palaces and Prisons
It stands to reason that someone living in a palace would be satisified, having everything the world has to offer, while someone in prison would be miserable, having everything the world has to offer taken away from them. And yet, it ain't necessarily so.
King Solomon lived in a palace and had everything that could have been imagined in the way of wealth, power, fame, etc. At the same time, he was the one who pinned the book of Ecclesiastes,which says in part, "I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure...Yet when I surveyed all haty my hads had done...everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun" (Eccl 2:10-11).
The apostle Paul, on the other hand, while sitting in a prison, shackled and awaiting a very uncertain future - everything taken from him and the very real possibility that even his life was about to be taken as well, was "praying and singing hymns to God" (Acts 16:25). He was in a prison when he pinned the letter of Phillipians, which tells us to "rejoice always" (Phil 4:4).
How is it possible? How can one be depressed in a palace while another is rejoicing in a prison? Solomon and Paul give us the answer using both sides of the coin, negative and positive:
Solomon's negative spirit is found in the words "nothing was gained under the sun" (Eccl 2:11) or from a purely worldly vantage point. If our hope and our happiness is attached only to what the world can give us, we will not be ultimately happy because the world takes away everything it gives. You can gain nothing that you won't lose; not health, not wealth, not power - nothing. As you look down the road, everything spirals downhill.
Paul's positive spirit is given foundation later in Philippians chapter 4 when he says, "I have found the secret of being content in any circumstance...I can do [deal with or endure] all things through Christ who gives me strength" (vv. 11-13). Paul knew that our "light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since we know that what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal" (2 Cor 4:17-18). The glory we gain in Christ will never be taken away. It is truly gain. Jus' Sayn.
King Solomon lived in a palace and had everything that could have been imagined in the way of wealth, power, fame, etc. At the same time, he was the one who pinned the book of Ecclesiastes,which says in part, "I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure...Yet when I surveyed all haty my hads had done...everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun" (Eccl 2:10-11).
The apostle Paul, on the other hand, while sitting in a prison, shackled and awaiting a very uncertain future - everything taken from him and the very real possibility that even his life was about to be taken as well, was "praying and singing hymns to God" (Acts 16:25). He was in a prison when he pinned the letter of Phillipians, which tells us to "rejoice always" (Phil 4:4).
How is it possible? How can one be depressed in a palace while another is rejoicing in a prison? Solomon and Paul give us the answer using both sides of the coin, negative and positive:
Solomon's negative spirit is found in the words "nothing was gained under the sun" (Eccl 2:11) or from a purely worldly vantage point. If our hope and our happiness is attached only to what the world can give us, we will not be ultimately happy because the world takes away everything it gives. You can gain nothing that you won't lose; not health, not wealth, not power - nothing. As you look down the road, everything spirals downhill.
Paul's positive spirit is given foundation later in Philippians chapter 4 when he says, "I have found the secret of being content in any circumstance...I can do [deal with or endure] all things through Christ who gives me strength" (vv. 11-13). Paul knew that our "light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since we know that what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal" (2 Cor 4:17-18). The glory we gain in Christ will never be taken away. It is truly gain. Jus' Sayn.
Saturday, October 4, 2014
What's In Your Wallet?
Have you seen those Capital One ads, where someone asks, "What's in your wallet?" The premise is that each of us steps into the fiscal world daily facing financial opportunities and challenges, which require a credit card to master. In order to come out a winner, you need to be carrying their card with it's particular benefits and services.
Well, I can't speak for Capital One and don't have a lot of faith in credit cards in general when it comes to helping most people get a financial advantage. For most folks, credit cards work to increase the debt burden, not increase their financial well-being.
But I can speak with confidence about the One, whom you should never leave home without - no, not American Express - rather, the Holy One of Israel, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Alpha and Omega, the Great I Am! It is the Spirit of God himself that you should carry into the daily fray that will allow you to be victorious over whatever you must face in life, financial or otherwise.
This is the truth revealed in the story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17. The little shepherd boy steps into the battle field against the battle-seasoned giant warrior. Goliath was the odds on favorite. David did not appear to have any chance at victory at all. But David knew something that Goliath had no clue about:
"[45] David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. [46] This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands..." (1 Sam 17:45-46). David appeared to have just five smooth stones in his sling pouch, but what he actually had was the very Sprit of God in his heart.
As you go out each day, it matters little what's in your wallet if God's not in your heart. And if God is in your heart, it matters little what's in your wallet. Jus' Sayn.
Well, I can't speak for Capital One and don't have a lot of faith in credit cards in general when it comes to helping most people get a financial advantage. For most folks, credit cards work to increase the debt burden, not increase their financial well-being.
But I can speak with confidence about the One, whom you should never leave home without - no, not American Express - rather, the Holy One of Israel, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Alpha and Omega, the Great I Am! It is the Spirit of God himself that you should carry into the daily fray that will allow you to be victorious over whatever you must face in life, financial or otherwise.
This is the truth revealed in the story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17. The little shepherd boy steps into the battle field against the battle-seasoned giant warrior. Goliath was the odds on favorite. David did not appear to have any chance at victory at all. But David knew something that Goliath had no clue about:
"[45] David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. [46] This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands..." (1 Sam 17:45-46). David appeared to have just five smooth stones in his sling pouch, but what he actually had was the very Sprit of God in his heart.
As you go out each day, it matters little what's in your wallet if God's not in your heart. And if God is in your heart, it matters little what's in your wallet. Jus' Sayn.
Friday, October 3, 2014
Singing in the Rain
In 1952, Gene Kelly starred in the block-buster romantic comedy, "Singing in the Rain." The scene that captured the heart of the movie was Gene Kelly's famous dance routine in the rain. The notion advanced was that of finding joy in an otherwise damping situation.
There is a very similar passage in the Bible, which reads, "Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night?" (Job 35:10). The biblical author advances the truth that God gives us reasons for singing even in our dark moments.
Jesus warn us that "the eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be filled with darkness" (Mattt 6:22-23). Jesus reveals to us that we control the impact our environment or circumstances have on us by how we choose to focus. We can focus on the problems or the solutions, what we are lacking or what we possess, the positive or the negative.
What we choose does not change the circumstance, it does not stop the rain. But it does change our attitude, it does change our circumspect, which can change how we feel. Whether we are dark and depressed or light and hopeful depends on how we choose to look at things, upon what we choose to focus.
We can allow ourselves to be mired down with the questions of life: "Why me? How could this happen?" Or, we could focus on the Answer to all life's questions and circumstances, we can "set y[our] sights on things above, not on earthly things" (Col 3:2). We should "sing and make music from y[our] heart[s] to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Fatherr for everything..." (Eph 5:20). We could be "singing in the rain." Jus' Sayn.
There is a very similar passage in the Bible, which reads, "Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night?" (Job 35:10). The biblical author advances the truth that God gives us reasons for singing even in our dark moments.
Jesus warn us that "the eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be filled with darkness" (Mattt 6:22-23). Jesus reveals to us that we control the impact our environment or circumstances have on us by how we choose to focus. We can focus on the problems or the solutions, what we are lacking or what we possess, the positive or the negative.
What we choose does not change the circumstance, it does not stop the rain. But it does change our attitude, it does change our circumspect, which can change how we feel. Whether we are dark and depressed or light and hopeful depends on how we choose to look at things, upon what we choose to focus.
We can allow ourselves to be mired down with the questions of life: "Why me? How could this happen?" Or, we could focus on the Answer to all life's questions and circumstances, we can "set y[our] sights on things above, not on earthly things" (Col 3:2). We should "sing and make music from y[our] heart[s] to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Fatherr for everything..." (Eph 5:20). We could be "singing in the rain." Jus' Sayn.
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Numbering Hairs
I talked with a woman yesterday who told me that when she was born that her father, having no money, gave the doctor a ham for his services. While it may seem that he had gotten a bargain or cheaped out, the fact is that a ham to a poor farmer during the Great Depression was extremely valuable. It was perhaps the mostt valuable thing he had to offer at the time, cerrtainly something that would make a true impact on his family.
In Luke 12:7b, when Jesus says, "you are worth many sparrows," it may not seem like a lot of value is placed on us. Really? I'm worth a bunch of birds? Wow! Yes really. You are worth a bunch of birds that God created out of love and "not one of them is forgotten by God" (v. 6). God cares deeply for all his creation, but nothing compares with man. Do you recall the Creation Narrative in Genesis? Godd speaks the universe and every living thing into existence, except man. With man, God scoops up clay, forms it with his hands and breathes his breath of life into it. Mankind alone was fashioned in God's image.
That special relationship and value is seen in the statment fournd in verse 7a, "Even the very hairs on our head are numbered." The image is that of a new mother counting fingers and toes of her newborn, checking closely to make sure everything is OK with her baby. But God doesn't just count them, he numbers them. When a hair falls our of your head, he knows which one - "There goes hair number 3,412. That beautiful scalp I gave you is so much easier to see now."
Do you get the picture of how much God cares for you, how intimately concerned he is with your welfare, how much of himself he invest into your life? You, like a newborn infant in in the arms of its mother, are loved deeply and affectionately to a degree that is impossible to quantify. Jesus really really loves you, this I know. Jus' Sayn.
In Luke 12:7b, when Jesus says, "you are worth many sparrows," it may not seem like a lot of value is placed on us. Really? I'm worth a bunch of birds? Wow! Yes really. You are worth a bunch of birds that God created out of love and "not one of them is forgotten by God" (v. 6). God cares deeply for all his creation, but nothing compares with man. Do you recall the Creation Narrative in Genesis? Godd speaks the universe and every living thing into existence, except man. With man, God scoops up clay, forms it with his hands and breathes his breath of life into it. Mankind alone was fashioned in God's image.
That special relationship and value is seen in the statment fournd in verse 7a, "Even the very hairs on our head are numbered." The image is that of a new mother counting fingers and toes of her newborn, checking closely to make sure everything is OK with her baby. But God doesn't just count them, he numbers them. When a hair falls our of your head, he knows which one - "There goes hair number 3,412. That beautiful scalp I gave you is so much easier to see now."
Do you get the picture of how much God cares for you, how intimately concerned he is with your welfare, how much of himself he invest into your life? You, like a newborn infant in in the arms of its mother, are loved deeply and affectionately to a degree that is impossible to quantify. Jesus really really loves you, this I know. Jus' Sayn.
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Effective Faith
Regarding the faitth of his audience, James wrote, "You believe in God? Good! Even the demons believe and shutter" (James 2:19).
In stark contrast to that, Paul looks at a lame man in the city of Lystra and "saw that he had faith to be healed" (Acts 14:9).
Two faiths in the same God but only one was effective, the other had no teeth - nothing with which to hold on to the object of faith. So what was the difference?
Perhaps a couple of stories may shed some light. The story is told of a woman who very much wanted the tree in her back yard to be gone but didn't have the money to have it taken out. So she decidedd to pray one night that God would remove it for her. The next morning, seeing the tree still standing said, "Just like I thought, it's still there." See any problem with this faith?
Another story from the pages of my own life experience is of a woman whose husband I baptized after 30 years of marriage. For all that time, she served God faithfully and faithfully prayed for her husband's salvation. For 30 years, she continued trusting in God's power to change him. Do you see the difference in this kind of faith?
Effective faith in God has two very critical components: 1)"Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance in what we do not see" (Heb 11:1) - Trust; and 2) "Faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead" (James 2:17) - Investment.
Effective faith trusts in God to act and itself begins to move in that direction. The wife continued going to church and continued praying for her husband. Effective faith doesn't wait to see results, it acts on the premise that the results are forthcoming. I watched a movie recently that protrayed this effective faith. It was entitled, "Faith Like a Potato." During a drought, a preacher/potato farmer prayed to God and then planted his potatoes, believing that God would provide. Despite all evidence to the contrary and all of hell's attempts to destroy his faith, he held fast and the potato harvest was bountiful.
Effetive faith is not just believing that God exists or that he could accomplish something. It is not even simply a leap of faith but it is a walk of faith with confidence that God will be faithful, that he will provide. Jus' Sayn.
In stark contrast to that, Paul looks at a lame man in the city of Lystra and "saw that he had faith to be healed" (Acts 14:9).
Two faiths in the same God but only one was effective, the other had no teeth - nothing with which to hold on to the object of faith. So what was the difference?
Perhaps a couple of stories may shed some light. The story is told of a woman who very much wanted the tree in her back yard to be gone but didn't have the money to have it taken out. So she decidedd to pray one night that God would remove it for her. The next morning, seeing the tree still standing said, "Just like I thought, it's still there." See any problem with this faith?
Another story from the pages of my own life experience is of a woman whose husband I baptized after 30 years of marriage. For all that time, she served God faithfully and faithfully prayed for her husband's salvation. For 30 years, she continued trusting in God's power to change him. Do you see the difference in this kind of faith?
Effective faith in God has two very critical components: 1)"Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance in what we do not see" (Heb 11:1) - Trust; and 2) "Faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead" (James 2:17) - Investment.
Effective faith trusts in God to act and itself begins to move in that direction. The wife continued going to church and continued praying for her husband. Effective faith doesn't wait to see results, it acts on the premise that the results are forthcoming. I watched a movie recently that protrayed this effective faith. It was entitled, "Faith Like a Potato." During a drought, a preacher/potato farmer prayed to God and then planted his potatoes, believing that God would provide. Despite all evidence to the contrary and all of hell's attempts to destroy his faith, he held fast and the potato harvest was bountiful.
Effetive faith is not just believing that God exists or that he could accomplish something. It is not even simply a leap of faith but it is a walk of faith with confidence that God will be faithful, that he will provide. Jus' Sayn.
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