Grains of Sand

The Rock and the Hard Place

2012-01-30T08:32:00.000-05:00

Jacob was on his way to his mother’s family home. He stopped for the night to rest. During the night God confirmed the covenant that He made with Jacob’s grandfather, Abraham.

“I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you” (Genesis 28:13-14, NIV).

Interesting note that God didn’t say that He was the God of Jacob. He was, because He is God over all—and He wasn’t. Jacob wasn’t ready to submit to God yet. In fact, Jacob couldn’t have cared any less for the generational blessing that God was confirming with him. Jacob, typical of all that he had done to this moment in supplanting his brother and lying to his father, was only concerned about himself.

Jacob’s spiritual journey was beginning. This vision gained him a God-consciousness that he doesn’t seem to have had prior to this experience (Genesis 28:17). Here in Bethel, he built his first altar.

But he wasn’t “there” yet, fully committed, fully aware that he wasn’t the center of the universe. Notice his vow to God: “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father’s house, then the Lord will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth” (Genesis 28:20-22, NIV).

Jacob wasn’t concerned with the covenant or future generations. He only cared about himself. He bargained with God, demanding that God act first and then, if he was satisfied with the results, he’d respond accordingly. That isn’t the way it works with God. We obey and then God acts.

The mercy of God caused the Almighty to overlook the impudence and He blessed Jacob anyway—for the sake of the future generations that Jacob was ignoring, and for Jacob’s sake too. His journey to faith and obedience was just beginning. It was going to be, as it had been, a rocky road—some people choose to live their lives out doing things the hard way. But God, patient and merciful, continued to move the man toward the goal.

He's faithful even when we aren't.

A Little Distance Sometimes Helps

2012-01-26T10:03:00.000-05:00

Another famine and another decision to make. When Abraham was faced with famine in Canaan he chose to go to Egypt. He got himself into trouble. His son, Isaac, faced with a similar situation is commanded by God not to go to Egypt. Instead he chose the second worst and went to live with the Philistines (Genesis 26:2). God allowed this (26:3-6) and even promised to bless Isaac while he was among the Philistines, but like his father before him, he got into trouble (26:7-11) and compromised his faith while he was there.

It’s interesting to notice the progression. Isaac goes to Gerar and God blesses him, but with the passage of time, Isaac is driven farther and farther away from the Philistines until he ends up back in Beersheba (26:23).

The issue was water. Every time Isaac dug a well the Philistines would come along and fill it up with sand. Isaac would then move farther out until finally, “He moved out from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth, saying, ‘Now the Lord has given us room and we will flourish in the land” (Genesis 26:22, NIV).

Oddly enough, Isaac moved from there to Beersheba. Here the Lord spoke to him and confirmed again the covenant He had made with Abraham. “Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord. There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well” (Genesis 26:25, NIV).

We are not told that there was an altar in Philistia, but there was an altar in Beersheba. I might be stretching verse 22 a little but I sense a double meaning in what Isaac said. He had flourished materially in Philistia and at the expense of the Philistines, but now, separated from their pagan practices and their vindictiveness, and the temptation to cave in to the demands that came with living among them, Isaac ccould flourish spiritually. He could have stayed by the well that he had named Rehoboth, but he moved even farther away. It seems as though Isaac had understood an important spiritual lesson.

Distance is a great protector of virtue. Sometimes, for the sake of our spiritual well-being, we need to move away from the things, and people, most likely to cause us to offend God.

A Trade Imbalance

2012-01-25T08:35:00.000-05:00

Genesis 25 ends the story of Abraham and begins that of Isaac. Oddly enough, considering the Isaac was the son of promise, we know relatively little about him. It’s as though we skip a generation and go from the patriarch Abraham to the story of his grandchildren, Esau and Jacob.

The twins had a pretty rocky relationship, aided and abetted by parents who showed too much favouritism.

Esau was the eldest—by a hair, or a heel—so to him went the larger portion of the family inheritance. It was a great privilege but one that Esau didn’t value. One day, coming home from the hunt, he came across Jacob cooking up a pot of stew. Esau was hungry and bartered away his inheritance for the price of a bowl of red lentils. The Scripture records: “So Esau despised his birthright” (25:34, NIV).

He threw away something of great value for something of little value.

I got to thinking about how this story applies to me. As a child of God I have huge privileges. But how often to I “give away” those privileges for something temporary and less satisfying in the long term?

How often do I give up time for intimacy with God for a computer game or a couple of hours in front of the TV?

How often do I have better things to do than Kingdom things?

How often do I spend my money on what “rust and moth” will eventually destroy (Matthew 6:19) rather than invest in missions or easing the suffering of those who have nothing?

How often do I pray about the physical well-being of others without giving any consideration to their spiritual well-being?

How often do I forget to be thankful for the blessings of God and take them for granted?

How often am I like the man who looks in the mirror and then turns and walks away without making any of the changes God has shown him (James 1:23)?

There might be more Esau in me than I’d care to admit.

The Key to Real Success

2012-01-24T08:50:00.000-05:00

Genesis 24 was a timely reminder this morning.

Abraham sent a trusted servant out to find a wife for Isaac from among his own people—another one of the patriarch’s precautions in not having really close dealings with the pagan world that surrounded him (See Genesis 14:21-24; 23:7-16). He wanted a believing woman as wife to his son (24:1-4). The son of the covenant couldn’t have divided loyalties within his own household.

The task wasn’t a simple one and the servant was justifiably nervous. But he was also a man of faith. Genesis 24:12 (NIV) tells us, “Then he prayed, ‘O Lord, God of my master Abraham, give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.’” Then he asked for a specific sign that would tell him which woman was the one God had chosen for Isaac.

There is some excellent counsel in this story for those looking for life partners. It is essential that a believer marry a believer. But not just any “warm and breathing” believer will do. God had a specific woman for Isaac even though there were probably other women who might have qualified.

But beyond eharmony.com, God-style, there is another lesson here. It’s the lesson of a man who asks for God’s definition of success. True, the servant had a very specific goal in mind, one that he believed was God’s will for his master. But at the same time, he did not presume that he knew how to reach that goal without God.

We all have goals for today—things that need to be done. We may even have an idea of how we need to go about accomplishing that “to-do” list. But that shouldn’t stop us from committing the process to God,

Is it possible that the servant was just going through the motions here? The servant’s statement, after the mission was complete, shows us his sincerity. He describes more of the prayer that he had offered at the beginning of his search: “Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so I may know which way to turn.” (24:49, NIV). He wasn’t looking for a “rubber stamp” from God. He was looking for the will of God.

And that’s a good plan for today’s “to-do” list.

Being Obligated

2012-01-23T08:32:00.000-05:00

There is an interesting parallel between Abraham’s dealing with Ephron in Genesis 23 and his dealing with the King of Sodom in Genesis 14. In both cases, the patriarch is doing business with two pagans. From Ephron he wishes to buy some land and a cave where he can bury Sarah. The King of Sodom is grateful for Abraham’s help in returned some captives, including Lot, and their possessions that were taken as the result of a war between the city-states.

The King of Sodom offers to give Abraham part of the booty that was confiscated. It would have made him an even richer man than he already was. Abraham refuses saying, “I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and have taken an oath that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread of the thong of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’” (14:22, 23, NIV). Abraham would not be beholden to a wicked man who denied God.

When Sarah died, Abraham asked to buy the land he wanted to bury her in. The owner, very graciously, offered to give Abraham the land and the cave. Abraham refused and asked Ephron to name his price. “Abraham agreed to Ephron’s terms and weighted for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weight current among the merchants.” (23:16, NIV). Abraham would not be beholden to an apparently kind man who denied God.

In life, we must deal with a world that denies Christ. That’s good because how else can we influence them for good and for God. But to be obligated to an unbeliever, however nice that person may be, is what Paul means when he writes in 2 Corinthians 6:14-17 (NIV): “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.’ Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”

Considering how often Paul repeats himself, and the example we have of Abraham’s insistence, we know how important this issue is to God—as it should be to us.

Lot: Portrait of a Modern Man

2012-01-19T08:08:00.002-05:00

Abraham’s nephew, Lot, looks so much like today’s average believer.

2 Peter 2:7, 8 described Lot this way: “…and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)…”

The word “righteous” has several meanings, two of which perfectly fit this man: “of those who seem to themselves to be righteous, who pride themselves to be righteous, who pride themselves in their virtues, whether real or imagined” and “in a narrower sense, rendering to each his due and that in a judicial sense, passing just judgment on others, whether expressed in words or shown by the manner of dealing with them.”*

Lot hated what he saw around him in Sodom, the city that God was about to destroy because of its wickedness. And though he himself was a good man in an evil society, he apparently was not intolerant enough of evil to speak against it, or move away from it so that it wouldn’t contaminate his family. It doesn’t appear that he tried to instill the values that he claimed to hold on his own family.

He was a leader in a sinful city but had no apparent spiritual influence on that city (Genesis 19:1) probably because his “religion” was a private matter that he kept to himself. Traditionally, the political and economic leaders of a society sat at the city gates, which was where God’s messengers found him.

He was willing to prostitute his daughters to the world he chose to live in (19:6-8). Lot’s daughters, in turn, prostituted themselves with him (19:30ff).

Lot listened to God’s messengers and fled the destruction, but he didn’t abandon his belief that life was better for him surrounded by evil than it was to get as far away from it as possible (19:18-20).

It's interesting to note that when Abraham asked God to spare the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 18, he did not mention his nephew by name. But God knew who Abraham was concerned about, and chose to honour the unspoken request and rescue Lot. It was not Lot's righteousness that saved his life, but God's response to Abraham's faith. Lot was bordering on what Paul described to Timothy as, "People will be lovers of themselves...rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power" (2 Timothy 2, 5, NIV).

Sin bothered Lot—but not enough for him to stop accommodating it. The story sounds strangely familiar.

* Strong’s Concordance

Let's Have the Good news First

2012-01-18T08:28:00.000-05:00

I’m not sure what difference it makes but often people will ask if we want the good news first, or the bad news. Either way we have to deal with both so does it really matter which one comes first?

In Genesis 18, three strangers arrived at Abraham’s door (or tent flap, in his case). “Abram” (father) had become “Abraham” (father of many) at God’s command, indicating the number of descendants that he would have. “Sarai” (princess) had become “Sarah” (noblewoman). But despite the name changes, Abraham still had not had a son by Sarah, as God had promised.

When the three visitors arrived, Abraham greeted them with great deference. He perceived that they were divine messengers. In fact, one of them is referred to as “the Lord” (18:10). As was the custom, Sarah was not present during the men’s conversation over dinner, but like many of her kind, she was eavesdropping behind the closed tent flap.

The good news? The Lord promised that within a year Sarah would produce the long awaited child of the covenant that God had promised to Abraham. From behind the tent flap, Sarah laughed at the suggestion. The Lord didn’t let her get away with her doubts. He responded by saying, no doubt loud enough so that she would be sure to hear: “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (18:14, NIV).

Realistic Baby Sculptures by Camille Allen—Google Images

The bad news was that the Lord’s companions were on their way to Sodom and Gomorrah. The inhabitants of these cities had grown so wicked that God had decided to bring judgment on them. Lot, Abraham’s nephew, was still living in Sodom and Abraham tried to save the city by asking that Lord to spare it if there were at least a few righteous people living in it.

In a way, Abraham doubted God’s mercy when he asked if God would spare the city if there were only ten righteous people in it (18:32) and then stopped asking. The God who is merciful to two old people in giving them a child is just as merciful to save a city for the sake of one righteous man. It shouldn’t take any more faith to believe God for one as it would to believe God for the other.

Sometimes we stop believing too soon, forgetting that nothing is impossible for God.

On the Way to the Heart

2012-01-17T08:19:00.000-05:00

Every once in a while I post on other sites besides my own. On occasion I revisit my past when I post these articles—lots of lessons have been learned over the years! A couple of times a month I do that on Journezine, once a month I do it on InScribe and once a month I do it on Jewels of Encouragement. Today I'm at Jewels remembering how important the stomach is to spiritual health. Sound odd? Check it out for yourself and let me know.

http://www.jewelsofencouragement.com/2012/01/lessons-from-bread-machine.html

Grace Without Exceptions

2012-01-16T08:34:00.000-05:00

Has anyone ever asked you this question: “Knowing what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently?”

Most of us can think of circumstances in our lives when, if we had known the consequences at the time, we would have made different choices.

As I read Genesis 16 earlier this morning, I was impressed with yet another example of the grace and mercy of God. The story is that of Hagar, the Egyptian servant who was given by Sarai to Abram so that Abram could have the son that Sarai apparently couldn’t give him.

When the deed was done and the servant became pregnant, Hagar gloated, Sarai fumed, and Abram ended up sending Hagar and the unborn child out into the desert to fend for themselves.

Historically we know that from Ishmael sprang the Muslim nations (Genesis 12:8) who have been mortal enemies of the Jews, and just about everyone else, since then. This fulfills the prophecy of Genesis 16:12: “He [Ishmael] will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.”

God saved Hagar and Ishmael from certain death that fateful day in the desert and sent Hagar back to Abram to live under his protection and to have her baby.

Some people may ask why God spared the life of a woman and a child when He knew what the result of sparing those lives would mean.

That’s the grace and mercy of God at work.

We can hate Islam and despise Muslims (though none of us have clean hands, nor do any of us deserve the mercy of God). We wrongly judge the whole for the actions and attitudes of a few. But God teaches us a huge lesson here. If He, knowing the future, could still show His love and compassion as He did, can we do any less?

Consider the Moth

2012-01-13T09:02:00.000-05:00

Consider the moth. He is attracted to the light and tries to get as close to it as he can. If he gets too close…

In Genesis 13 we find Abram and his nephew, Lot, having some challenging times. They were both rich men, which meant lots of herds and flocks. Their herdsmen and shepherds were having problems sharing the grass and the water and fights were breaking out between them. Abram called Lot in for a meeting to resolve the issue and magnanimously, gave his nephew first choice of all the land that they could see. What Lot saw were the fertile plains along the Jordan. If he noticed the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (13:13), he shrugged the implications of living near them aside.

“So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east…Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom” (13:12, NIV).

When we catch up to Lot a few chapters later, in Genesis 19, we discover Lot living in the city of Sodom. That was to have tragic consequences. But before we get to that, consider the implication of flying too close to danger. Consider the moth.

We play with sin. We may not commit some of the sins that the unregenerate do, but we try to get as close as we can so that we “fit in.” We may even sanctify our flying close to the “candle” by telling ourselves that we are just trying to identify with the people we are trying to influence for good. Therein lies the subtle danger. The “why” becomes critical and honesty really is the best policy. Are we really concerned about men’s souls or simply wanting to be as much as possible like the men whose souls we claim to be concerned about? Are we strong enough in the Lord to resist the temptation of flying too close? And when God calls us to fly close (and He does) are we making sure that we stay even closer to Him so that the temptations around us don’t succeed in overwhelming us?

Lot got caught, just like a moth. And it cost him much more that the fertile plains of the Jordan could ever repay him.

Word to the wise.

"Altared" State

2012-01-12T07:55:00.000-05:00

“…There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.” (Genesis 12:8b, NIV)

Abram didn’t built altars everywhere he went. It seems he skipped those places, like Egypt, where he shouldn’t have been in the first place (12:10ff). That would make perfect sense. But in all the places that the Lord took him, the patriarch’s first order of business was to build an altar. There at the altar he praised God and offered himself and that place to the Lord.

stock.xchng photo

I got to thinking about all the places I go. Do I build an altar when I arrived in the office? Do I build an altar when I enter the grocery store? Is there a dentist’s altar, or a bank altar, or a library altar?

Of course I’m not talking about the physical pile of stones that Abram would have constructed, but do all the places I go become places of praise and commitment?

Can I sit in the hairdresser’s chair and thank God for that place and commit it, the experience, the hairdresser, and myself to God? Can something so mundane become a holy place?

It’s easier to build an altar when I enter the church than it is to build one when I walk through the door of the dentist’s office. But is a church any more of a place to sanctify than that dentist’s office? A hospital bed might be a hard place from which to build an altar, or a funeral home. But are they any less worthy of becoming holy places if God has brought us there?

Abram recognized that God had brought him to each of these places where he built his altars; that each one was a blessing, and that in each place he was meant to be blessing.

My prayer is that every place He takes me be a place where I can build an altar.

Dying Before the Journey Has Ended

2012-01-11T08:44:00.000-05:00

Have you ever begun something that you never managed to finish? I doubt that there are many of us who can’t answer a resounding “yes” to that question. We sometimes conduct postmortems on why we didn’t finish a project. Oftentimes we’d rather not even discuss it!

In Genesis 11 one of these unfinished projects comes to light. “Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there.” (11:31, NIV)

We often are reminded of Abraham’s call to Canaan and assume that he left from Ur to follow the command of God. Technically he did, but it was his father, Terah, who started the journey. From the way the text reads it was Terah who, for some unmentioned reason, packed up his family and headed to Canaan.

Except, he didn’t finish the journey. We aren’t told why Terah stopped at Haran or why he didn’t get started again. He died without getting where he had originally intended to go.

Not every dream is worth chasing. Sometimes we are foolish or short-sighted when we choose projects to pursue, or things into which we invest our lives and resources. We choose badly or don’t count the cost.

Some dreams are worth pursuing, but we lose heart before we realize them or we get distracted and never get back on track. We don’t know what prevented Terah from finishing what he started but we probably know why we haven’t finished what we’ve started.

As we begin a new year, the traditional time for goal-setting and reevaluation, it’s probably a good time to look at what we haven’t finished (or started yet) and determine whether or not that dream is worth pursuing; if it is a “God-thing” that He wants for us. Then we have to discover what is keeping us from finishing what we have started (or should start) and ask Him to help us remove the obstacles to the fulfillment of His perfect plan for us.

There’s nothing worse than dying before we’ve finished the perfect journey.

I Call You Cousin

2012-01-10T08:45:00.000-05:00

Ham probably didn’t notice much change in his status as a result of his disrespect of his father, Noah, as recorded in Genesis 9. The punishment for Ham’s crime was actually directed against his son and his son’s descendants (9:18, 24). But even the grandchildren and great grandchildren didn’t feel the effects of their forebear’s sin. That would come a lot later.

Canaan was to be a slave to his brothers. Now Canaan was the son of Ham, but Canaan would also become the name of a nation of people who would settle in the land that God would eventually give to His people, Israel. The prophecy would come true, generations later, as Israel took control of the land God has promised them and subjugated the Canaanites.

But before the time for Ham’s crime was served by his descendants, the fortunes of his family were quite impressive. Genesis 10 describes Nimrod as a mighty warrior and, “a mighty hunter before the Lord” (10:9). Ham’s branch of the family was to become a fierce lot. They founded empires: Babylon and Nineveh, among other places. Their clans reached out to Gaza and provided the foundations for the nation of the Philistines. They became the Hittites, Jebusites and the Amorites.

Mighty nations all—and thorns in the flesh of the people who were to become the nation of Israel.

What impresses me here is the understanding that all the history that was to follow these families described in Genesis 10 would revolve around a battle between brothers. All that happens in our world today is a battle between brothers. We all stem from the same roots, the same family. We are all related.

That fact should give us pause to think about how we treat even the strangers who cross our paths. Certainly the relationship is a complicated one, but even VERY distant cousins deserve some respect.

I know it sounds naïve. None of us can change the world by being nice to the cousin whose name we don’t even know. But if we all treated the next stranger we meet like a long-lost cousin, maybe the world might change for the better just a little. Enough “littles” will eventually end up to be a lot.

Promises Shouldn't Be Like Pie Crust

2012-01-09T09:13:00.000-05:00

Photo: stock.xchng

My mother made the best pie crust in the world. She gave all the credit to Tenderflake and often told me about her struggles in the early days on the farm when her parents rendered their own lard. The consistency varied from year to year which made pie making a bit of a challenge—you could never be sure how the crust was going to turn out. Making good pies was a matter of reputation since the threshing crews that came through to help with the harvest were experts in pie crust and if a certain farmer’s wife presented them with tough, inedible crust, the whole neighbourhood would soon know about it. When it come to pie crust, we want tender, flaky and melt-in-your-mouth.

Someone once said that promises are like pie crusts—lightly treated and easily broken. Unfortunately, that is often true. Promises are easily made and just as easily forgotten. “Tender” is good in pie crusts, but bad in promises.

We often make better promise breakers than we do promise keepers. Happily, God is not like us, though we are commanded to be like Him. Unlike us, He keeps His promises.

Noah, and those who followed him, were constantly reminded of God’s faithfulness to the promises He has made. Genesis 9:13,15 (NIV) tells us: “I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth…between me and you and all the living creatures of every kind.” The reference, of course, was to God’s promise never again to cut off all life on earth through a flood.

But the rainbow serves also to remind us of more than that specific promise. It also serves to remind us that all of God’s promises are just as unbreakable. We may claim them inappropriately or consider them broken because we don’t have the patience to wait for God to work out all the details leading to their fulfillment. We may expect God to keep His part of the contract when we aren’t willing to hold up our end. But the cracks in the system are inevitably ours, not His.

He keeps His promises. And that assurance is what makes getting up in the morning possible.

Feeling the Pain

2012-01-06T08:39:00.000-05:00

Only what functions perfectly can understand how terrible dysfunction is. If we think that dysfunction is a modern phenomenon, we are wrong. Dysfunction is as old as sin.

Only perfection can feel perfect pain. You and I think we know what pain is, but if we were capable of feeling pain as God feels it, its weight would crush us underneath the load.

God saw the dysfunction and felt the pain.

“The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.” (Genesis 6:5, 6, NIV)

We are inoculated against dysfunction because all of us are, to one extent or the other, dysfunctional. We don’t fully feel the pain of sin because we are, saved by grace or not, sinners tainted by sin and still prone to a certain level of rebellion against God.

But God sees it all and feels it all.

There were exceptions during those early days of human history—mighty few—but at least some. “Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord…Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.” (Genesis 6:8,9, NIV). Noah followed the footsteps of his great, great grandfather, Enoch (Genesis 5:24). Righteous in God’s eyes and blameless in the eyes of his neighbours—he was the epitome of the two great commandments that Jesus gave us to love God with everything we are and have and to love our neighbours as we love ourselves.

Though the presence of one righteous man must have provided a little consolation for God, the overwhelming presence of sin, and the dysfunction sin caused, brought pain to His holy heart.

And we thought God was above all that.

Does the presence of sin in the world around me grieve me? Do I think before I sin about how much pain I will bring to God if I make the wrong choice? Does the sin in my life grieve me and drive me to repentance?

Telling Your God Stories

2012-01-05T08:39:00.000-05:00

We were introduced yesterday to Lamech who, like his great, great grandfather, Cain, was an unrepentant murderer. Cain’s heritage to his children and their children was likely a twisted version of his own history that led his descendants to believe that their evil actions could be justified.

Genesis 5 introduces us to another Lamech. This one was a descendant of Seth, the son God gave to Adam and Eve after the death of Abel and the exile of Cain.

Lamech’s father was a godly man. It was said of Enoch that he “…walked with God, then he was no more, because God took him away.” (Genesis 5:24, NIV). It appears that Enoch passed on some of that heritage to his son. Lamech became the father of Noah. Names meant something in the ancient past, denoting expectations and describing characteristics of a particular child. Noah’s name sounds like the Hebrew word for “comfort” and his father, Lamech, pronounced these prophetic words on this son: “He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the Lord has cursed.” (Genesis 5:29, NIV)

Two men with the same name but with very different heritages: one who could justify murder, and the other who could pronounce a benediction on his son.

Storytelling was once the principle means of passing on information. It became the heart of preserving heritage and belief systems. The story, the history, was passed from father to son down through the generations. In some parts of the world today it is still the best way to reach people with the Gospel. These two Lamechs were influenced by the stories they were told about God passed down by their forefathers. How the story was told affected whether its impact was negative or positive.

Do you pass on the God stories of your life to your children and grandchildren? Only you can give your story that touch of personal family history and heritage. How do you tell those stories? Does God have a “good reputation” in your stories? Do you make opportunities to tell HIS-story to your children and grandchildren rather than leaving that privilege in the hands of others?

Who tells the story and how it is told can have an eternal impact. Ask the Lamechs.

Rewriting History

2012-01-04T07:14:00.000-05:00

Genesis 4:23b, 24

“I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me. If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times.”

Lamech was Cain’s great-great grandson. Considering how long people lived in those days it is likely that Cain was still alive when Lamech said these words. During his lifetime how many times did Cain tell the story behind his exile, and at what point did it get to be his parents’ fault, his brother’s fault, God’s fault? When did the story began to be about how he had been wronged and how justified he had been in killing his brother, Abel? From Lamech’s words we get the idea that there was no longer any sense of wrongdoing associated with murder.

History somehow got twisted. On Cain’s part there was no acknowledgment that he had offended God, that he was wrong in killing his brother, that God was justified in the punishment that He meted out—in fact, merciful in the judgment He meted out in banishing Cain. All God got from Cain was whining and whimpering about how badly off he was going to be (4:13, 14). It was all God’s fault if things didn’t turn out well for him.

In the generations between Cain and Lamech, wrong became right, evil took on the robe of sanctification. Cain managed to rewrite history. By the time Lamech told the story, Cain was the saint rather than the sinner.

We aren’t told what the consequences of the “rewrite” were except for this curious note at the end of the chapter: “At that time men began to call on the name of the Lord.” (4:26b).

Evil had gotten so rampant by that time it seems, that there was no other place for men to turn but back to the Lord.

I wonder how long it will take for men today, overwhelmed with the evil their “rewrites” have caused, to turn back to God?

When God Walks

2012-01-03T07:13:00.000-05:00

Genesis 3

What does the God sound like when He walks?

“Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.” (3:8, NIV)

Is it the sound of wind rustling through the trees? Is it a rumble as the earth moves beneath His feet? Does the thunder roll ahead of Him announcing His coming? Is there the sound of rushing water? What does God sound like when He comes?

However He may manifest Himself I only ask that He clear away the noise in my life so that I don’t miss the sound of His coming to me or the words that He wishes to speak.

I ask that He keep me close to Him this day so that when I come to its end I will not be ashamed of what I have said or done and feel the need to hide myself from Him—as if I could!

If I listen for His sound, and if I take heed to His words when He speaks, I will likely not have any reason to hide when the end of this day comes.

A Commandment Before the Commandment

2012-01-02T08:06:00.006-05:00

Genesis 2

Before calendars were invented, God put His into effect. Before commandments became “official” because they were written down, God gave some basic rules. The history of the beginning of the world given for us in Genesis One denotes “morning and evening” to mark off days. When we get to Genesis Two we find God “resting” from His creative work and making that day of rest holy, set apart, sanctified, reserved for the purpose of rest rather than work.

“By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing, so on the seventh day he rested from all his work, And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” (Genesis 2:2, 3, NIV)

Later God would issue a command about this day of rest but from the beginning He set the example by resting—even though God doesn’t need a rest. This rest didn’t mean that God abandoned “essential services.” The Jews would later make it impossible for their people to lift a finger on behalf of another on the Sabbath (as did the church), something that God never intended. He comes to our aid, provides for us, maintains the universe and orders the sun to rise and set on rest days just as He does on every other day.

The argument about this seventh day has gone on ad nausea for centuries. The truth is that calendars and the days assigned to them are human inventions, manipulated by men to suit their particular purposes and cultures. It’s the principle that counts here, not a fixed date or day. God showed us by example that one day of seven was to be set apart as holy because even if He doesn’t need to restore Himself physically and spiritually, He knows that we do.

Party or Prayer

2011-12-29T08:33:00.000-05:00

Reading: Revelation 15, 16

My touch causes sparks to fly. I touched my phone last night to answer a call and the spark was great enough to temporarily cut off the call and turn the display black.

I would like to be able to say that I have some special power in my touch. But alas, the sparks only fly from my fingertips because it is so dry in the apartment now that winter has set in.

But there is One whose touch carries with it the power of salvation, righteousness and judgment. Truth is, He only has to speak and the power of that Word is irresistible.

“Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages. Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed” (Revelation 15:3, 4, NIV).

This section of Revelation describes the judgments of God, a solemn reminder to not ignore the voice of the Lord when He speaks and before He must take corrective measures.

But just look at the descriptive words in this brief passage:

· Great

· Marvelous

· Almighty

· Just

· True

· King

· Holy

· Righteous

And then the words, by implication, that also describe Him:

· Fearsome

· Full of glory

· Worthy of worship

When sparks fly when I touch things, the only response is for me to go out and buy a humidifier. I have no real power. As we come to the end of another year and anticipate the coming of new one, fraught with all kinds of challenges and possibilities, it seems a good time to look to the One who has the real power. It seems a good to time to stop and worship, to start 2012 the way we mean to carry it on—at His feet.

How will you begin this New Year?

Maranatha

2011-12-27T09:44:00.000-05:00

Reading: Revelation 8-11

The chief meteorologist for the Weather Channel was being interviewed this morning. He was asked about the most significant weather that happened during 2011. He mentioned several things, referring to these as being of “almost Biblical proportions.” I wondered if he really knew what “Biblical proportions” were? It’s an interesting phrase, considering that many in his audience would not know the meaning of the statement.

As I’m reading through Revelation, I am reminded of “Biblical proportions” as John describes some of the events of the times about which he prophesied. Whatever one believes about when all these terrible things are going to happen, the truth is that they are terrible and terrifying.

I wonder if somehow the end of a year triggers in people that fear of events to come. I noticed that a lot of the movies scheduled to be shown on television during this coming weekend have to do with terror. No one would admit that somewhere back in the recesses of their minds, lies some thoughts of “Biblical proportions,” some sense that when the end comes it will be terrible and terrifying even though the content of these movies is far from Biblical.

One thing few seem to focus on is the flip side to the terrifying coin.

“The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.’ And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: ‘We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign.’” (Revelation 11:15-17, NIV).

As I read these verses this morning, part of a song kept running through my head.

“Come, Lord Jesus, come,

Come, Lord Jesus, come,

Come, Lord Jesus, come.”

The song itself is an invitation to repentance, but this one line, repeated three times, if also an invitation to the believer to embrace, not terror at the final events, but inexhaustible joy at the promise of a time when there is absolutely nothing more to be afraid of because Christ reigns.

Maranatha! O Lord, come.

Countdown

2011-12-26T10:43:00.000-05:00

Reading: Revelation 6-8

Countdown.

The cradle is tightly bound to the cross. The first coming of Christ is connected unflinchingly to the second coming; once in humility and then again in glory.

For God, there is no counting of days as we know it. We count the days until the 2012 dawns and a new year begins, but time doesn’t have the same meaning for Him as it does for us, though He is perfectly aware of it. But He knew the hours, days, weeks, months and years that would pass from the time His Son left heaven to become a child in a manger to the time when His Son returned, resurrected, to Him. And though the centuries have passed, He has ordained the moment when that beloved Son will come again in glory.

It seems appropriate to finish the year reading about the stages and ages of the plan of God as it moves toward a completion and a new beginning.

This life is, at times, pitiless. Thankfully, this life is not permanent.

John records the create gathering of the saints from every tribe and nation in Revelation 7. They have suffered. But because they are the redeemed that suffering is over and they stand before the throne of God knowing at last exactly what their salvation means.

“…they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (7:15-17, NIV).

In a sense we have a “first coming.” It’s brief when we hold it up in the light of eternity. It’s painful despite the bright spots. But what we cling to and anticipate is that “second coming,” the coming into His glorious presence.

We spend this week counting down the days to 2012 and anticipating all that a new year, a fresh start might mean. May our eyes be fixed on a different “new year,” one that won’t end with the same disappointments and regrets and losses that this life inevitably brings.

Have a Blessed Christmas

2011-12-23T15:49:00.001-05:00

Reading: Jude

“To those who have been called,

who are loved by God the Father

and kept by Jesus Christ…

I desire for you a Christmas adorned by His presence, hovering, covering, and flooding your hearts during this special season of the year.

“…Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance” (Jude 1, 2, NIV).

No Greater Gift

2011-12-22T08:59:00.001-05:00

Reading: 3 John

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth” (3 John 4, NIV).

We used to struggle with what to get mom and dad for Christmas. It’s not that they had everything. There was always one more gadget that we could have purchased, destined to gather dust on some shelf. After my mother’s death I got more use out of the blender my brother had bought her one Christmas than she ever did (it’s still going more than 25 years later). The truth is, my parents needed very little. And they wanted even less.

My parents weren’t demonstrative types. In some ways that characteristic made it easier to identify those things that they really valued. I know they valued who I became much more than they valued any of the gifts I ever gave them.

When I graduated from seminary my mother was recovering from a broken leg. There was no way she was going to be able to make the 500 mile trip to see me graduate. I was also the class valedictorian—a rare privilege since I was the first woman in the history of the school to be chosen. My dad was needed at home so I didn’t expect to see him either.

Just as we were to walk up the aisle to begin the ceremony, someone handed me a note and told me that my father had just come in with my pastor and his wife. The note was from my mother. I opened it and in the note she told me how proud she was of me. How I got down that aisle is still a mystery to me. My eyes were so full of tears that I could hardly see where I was going.

Later I was told that my dad had cried all through my address. He was a man of few words but the tears said it all.

I think I gave them both a good gift that evening. They certainly gave me one. For them to know that one of their children was walking in the truth was a blessing that could never be measured in dollars and cents.

For those of you who have children, and for all of those who still have parents, remember what the best gifts are this Christmas season. God sent His Son, the perfect example of One Who not only walked in truth, but WAS the truth. As children there is no better gift we can give than to walk in truth. As parents there is no greater thing that we can praise in our children, and be grateful for, than when they walk in truth.

It's All About Motives

2011-12-21T08:44:00.000-05:00

Reading: 2 John

I suppose I could be accused of seeing the Ten Commandments everywhere I look these days. That’s the natural outcome of preparations for the series that I am teaching beginning in January. But honest, I saw them again as I was reading 2 John this morning.

Traditionally, we see our relationship to God in the first four commandments:

· No other gods

· No images

· No misuse of God’s name

· Honouring the Lord’s Day.

We consider that the last six of the Ten Commandments have to do with our relationship with others:

· Honour your parents

· Don’t murder

· Don’t commit adultery

· Don’t steal

· Don’t lie

· Don’t covet.

Keeping the rules turns into legalism if the proper motivation for keeping those rules is not in place and John, who seemed to turn from crusty, fire-breathing fisherman to the apostle of love after his encounter with Jesus, addresses the motivation factor which turns the potential for legalism into Christ-honouring lifestyle.

“…I ask that we love one another. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love” (2 John 5b, 6, NIV).

When we look at these verses and compare what John is saying to what God handed down to Moses, we can see the vertical and horizontal connections between the two. Vertically, we show our love to God and honour the first four commands by walking in obedience and giving God the respect that He deserves. Horizontally, we honour the last six by walking in love. We do nothing that would harm our neighbor.

The motivation makes all the difference in the world.

Give in to the Urge

2011-12-20T10:38:00.000-05:00

Reading: 1 John 1-5

The introduction to this letter reminds me of a little kid with a secret that he just can’t wait to tell. The adults are busy doing whatever it is that adults do, and this little kid is tugging on the back of dad’s coat and clinging to mom’s leg to get their attention. He has something to say and if he doesn’t say it soon, he’s just gonna BURST!

He’s had an experience that he can’t wait to share, and everything else has faded into insignificance. FINALLY, his mother and father stop to listen—perhaps more in frustration at his insistence that anything, but at least they stop to hear what he has to say.

“Little” Johnny says: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared, we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete” (1 John 1:1-4, NIV).

He saw it. He touched it. He knows it works. And he can’t wait to tell anyone who will listen all about it. Isn’t that how every believer should feel about his experience with Jesus, the Word of life?

But the statement that most strikes me is, “We write this to make our joy complete.” I might have said, “I write this to make your joy complete” because I want you to know the Saviour the way I know the Saviour. I want you to be joyful because of the new life you have found in Christ. But John’s joy seems to come from simply sharing what he knows and has experienced personally.

A child might be disappointed when his parents go back to whatever it was that was so important before they listened to what he had to say. But the “busting” has been relieved. He’s told them what he wants to tell them. He’s done what every instinct in him was driving him to do.

For the believer, the instinct that drives us to share what we know about Christ, is strong. We look for opportunities, or “tug on a few coattails” to make some opportunities. We can’t NOT share. And regardless of the reaction we get, once that dam has burst we can go away feeling the joy of the Lord because we've let it all hang out.

If just sharing Christ with someone brings joy, how much more joy can we anticipate feeling when that person responds favourably to the message?

Christmas is a perfect time to share the message. I love these Flash Mob events because they are a perfect vehicle for getting “church” out of the building and putting it on the street where it needs so desperately to be heard. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vnt7euRF5Pg&feature=player_embedded

But however we do it, let’s respond to that inner drive that pushes us to tell the story of Christmas. That will bring us joy and perhaps some long overdue "Joy to the World."

Between the Times

2011-12-19T08:54:00.000-05:00

Reading: 2 Peter

I was researching the Celebration of Advent the other day and came across something that impressed me. Advent, according to its original purposes, is a celebration of the birth of Christ when He came as Saviour. But Advent is also celebrated in anticipation of that moment in the future when He will return as King and Judge. The author writes: “In this double focus on past and future, Advent also symbolizes the spiritual journey of individuals and a congregation, as they affirm that Christ has come, that He is present in the world today, and that He will come again in power. This acknowledgement provides a basis for Kingdom ethics, for holy living arising from a profound sense that we live “between the times” and are called to be faithful stewards of what is entrusted to us as God’s people” (http://www.crivoice.org/cyadvent.html ).

That thought stayed with me as I read these verses from 2 Peter earlier this morning. In the last chapter of the letter, Peter refers to The Day of the Lord, that great and terrifying moment when Christ returns to take His children home and to judge the world. Peter writes: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live godly and holy lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming…So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him” (2 Peter 3:9-12, 14, NIV).

The world wasn’t prepared for the first Advent, for the coming of Christ as a babe in Bethlehem. Most people missed it. No one will miss His second Advent. Christ’s first Advent signaled the coming of the age of grace, the opportunity for people to repent. His second Advent will signal the end of that age when there will be no more opportunity for repentance.

We are strangers, pilgrims, wayfarers, living "between the times," celebrating one "time" while living in anticipation of another "time" that could come at any moment.

As we celebrate the birth of Christ we can’t ignore His coming as King and Judge. Christmas affords us the opportunity to talk about why Christ came. It also affords us the opportunity to renew our commitment to live lives of which we will not be ashamed when He returns.

Wisdom is a Lifestyle

2011-12-15T07:13:00.000-05:00

Reading: James 1-5

My online dictionary defines wisdom as:

· the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise.

· the soundness of an action or decision with regard to the application of such experience, knowledge, and good judgment.

· the body of knowledge and principles that develops within a specified society or period.

James gets even more specific, showing us that wisdom is as practical as a shopping cart in a grocery store. His definition of godly wisdom morphs into something perhaps quite different from what we might expect. He writes: “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness” (James 3:17, 18, NIV).

Godly wisdom is not based on human knowledge or experience. It is based on the character of God. It is pure, which explains James’s earlier statement that when we lack wisdom we need to ask God (James 1:5) since He is the only One who is pure.

Out of that purity comes a whole list of characteristics that often fly in the face of natural inclination. Wisdom is much more than knowing what the right choice is between “A” and “B.” Wisdom is godliness, a heavenly reaction to an earthly situation. Wisdom is the essence of “doing the right thing.” This makes good sense in this context since the book of James is all about the practical application of Christian principles.

We all need that kind of wisdom, and God is more than willing to give it to us if we ask.

The God Who Speaks

2011-12-14T07:34:00.000-05:00

Reading: Hebrews 9-13

The book of Hebrews is so rich. As I’ve read through it this week so many things jumped off the page. Since I have a series of studies on The Ten Commandments cooking away on the back burner of my mind, there was one verse in particular that struck me this morning as I read these wonderful chapters.

In Hebrews 12:18-29, the writer is describing in general terms the experience that Israel went through at the foot of Mount Sinai when God handed down The Ten Commandments to Moses. The Israelites had just come from a country of many gods. The Egyptians had a god for just about everything. But not a single one of those gods ever spoke to anyone about anything. At the foot of Sinai, God’s chosen instrument, Israel, watched as God descended on the mountaintop. Clouds, thunder, lightening, a display of power that had them shivering in their sandals, met them as they waited.

The silence of the false gods of Egypt sharply contrasted with the awe-inspiring voice of Jehovah when He spoke.

The writer to the Hebrews warns his readers: “See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks” (Hebrews 12:25, NIV).

Those familiar with the history of Israel are aware that God’s people didn’t always respond to God’s instructions when He spoke. The consequences of that refusal to listen and obey were disastrous. So the writer reminds his audience that they would do well to listen to God’s voice, and not only to listen, but to comply. He ends this brief section saying: “…worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28, 29, NIV).

Paul described this “worship” in terms of listening and obeying this God who speaks by saying: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship” (Romans 12:1, NIV). He then goes on to describe what this sacrifice looks like in practical daily living.

God has spoken through His Son (Hebrews 1:1, 2) and He has left us His written Word. The end of a year always seems to signal a period of reflection in us, and as we think about this God Who speaks it seems appropriate that we consider renewing our vows to listen to, and to obey His voice during this coming year.

I'm Sorry, But I'm Away From My Desk Right Now..."

2011-12-13T07:11:00.000-05:00

Reading: Hebrews 5-8

No one is indispensable. We think we are. We act like we are. We’d like others to consider that we are—and appreciate us accordingly. I chuckle over the times I’ve announced that I was moving on and people have told me that they don’t know what they will do without me. Funny how life goes on so smoothly after I’ve left! I should either be insulted by their insincerity, or have my ego battered and bruised at the discovery that I really am NOT indispensable, or I should, as I do, laugh and say “You see—you got along just fine.”

But there is one Person who is indispensable and I’m so glad He’s on the job right this moment.

“…because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them” (Hebrews 8:25, NIV).

This verses refers specifically to salvation. Jesus never retires from the job of saving a repentant sinner. He never goes on holidays and tells a sinner to come back in two weeks. A sinner’s plea doesn’t go to voice mail.

Extending the picture, the same is true when the believer comes to Him with a need, or praise, or just to talk. There is no “I’m sorry, but I’m away from my desk right now. If you leave a message, I’ll get back to you….”

“Permanent priesthood.” “Always lives to intercede…”

Those are some of the most encouraging words in the Scripture.

Are You Resting?

2011-12-12T07:21:00.000-05:00

Reading: Hebrews 1-4

It’s such a simple truth.

“Then again God set a certain day, calling it ‘Today.’ This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted: ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.’ For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day, There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his” (Hebrews 4:7-10, NIV, emphasis mine).

It’s still God’s “Today,” the day of salvation.

That salvation, that “Today” of rest was proclaimed from the beginning of time. Creation tells the story. After God had finished His work of creation, He rested. It wasn’t because He was tired from all the activity because God never gets tired. He never sleeps. He never takes a day off or goes on vacation. God “rested” in order to give us an advance preview of what salvation was all about.

When we come to faith in Christ, we enter that Sabbath-rest that the writer to the Hebrews is telling us about. We can stop working for our salvation—as if that could have ever saved us. We rest our destinies, not on our own efforts, but on the divine provision for our forgiveness that Jesus bought and paid for on the cross. He did it all so that we can stop trying to do what is impossible for us. We can stop working and rest in the grace of God, the undeserved favour that He shows us when He forgives us.

It’s still “Today.” But it won’t be forever, hence the warning not to “harden your hearts.” In the meanwhile, the invitation is still extended. We are invited to drop all our efforts at the foot of the cross and to rest in Him. As Paul reminds the Corinthians: “…now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (1 Corinthians 6:2, NIV).

Come in and rest.

Read the BIG PRINT

2011-12-09T16:12:00.000-05:00

Reading: 2 Timothy 1-4

Paul saw in Timothy a younger version of himself. Paul referred to himself as a “…herald and an apostle and a teacher” (2 Timothy 1:11, NIV) and told Timothy that because of the exercise of his gifts in the service of the Lord his mentor had suffered persecution. But Paul was not ashamed or deterred by the price he had paid in following the Lord and he didn’t want his young protégé to be either.

As he began this second letter to his beloved son in the faith, he encouraged Timothy to use his gifts to the best spiritual advantage possible. But he didn’t make light of what this boldness was going to cost the younger man. What he, Paul, had suffered, so Timothy would also suffer. “…I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join me in suffering for the Gospel, by the power of God…” (2 Timothy 1:6-8, NIV).

I’m not sure how many of us would respond to an invitation to suffer for the Gospel. Okay, we understand there might be a certain amount of suffering involved in being “a herald and an apostle and a teacher” but that’s usually found in the fine print not in big, bold letters at the top of the contract. This idea makes me wonder how whoever our church interviews for the position of our next pastor would react if at the top of his job description he read the words, “must be willing to suffer for the sake of the Gospel.”

Hmmmmm, considering what Paul might have meant by that statement, I have a feeling that most candidates would hightail it out of town in a hurry. Paul had been beaten, left for dead, shipwrecked, and a host of other things. He had denied himself a wife, gone hungry, been exhausted, and cold (easy enough to do in our part of the world!). But he embraced the experience—and so did Timothy.

It was no light matter for a young man to walk in Paul's shadow. Nor was it a light matter to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. Paul once said, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1, NIV).

We all know where that took them.

Perhaps it’s time to review the job description—for all of us.

Those in Charge

2011-12-08T09:17:00.000-05:00

Reading: 1 Timothy 1-6

Yesterday, I had slipped and fell on the street. This was the second time in three weeks and it happened in almost the same spot both times. This time I smashed my head against a chunk of ice/snow/sand/salt, melded together and lying at the edge of the sidewalk. No great damage done, thank the Lord. A few scratches on my face, more abuse to already abused knees, and the right lens of my glasses will have to be replaced. But that beats a broken leg or hip or whatever else could have happened.

I sent an email to the city Public Works department to advise them that this particular section was extremely dangerous and perhaps needed a little more attention that what it seems to be getting.

It never occurred to me to pray for the salvation of the city engineer to whom my email was addressed.

So when I read these verses from Timothy this morning I was reminded that my duty as a believer goes beyond being a good citizen—or reporting slippery sidewalks!

“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 1-4, NIV).

We love to critique the performance of our civic authorities. We might even occasionally pray that they be just in their dealings, be given wisdom when they make decisions on our behalf. But how often do we pray for their salvation? The authorities over us will only be just and wise if they are surrendered to the One who IS just and wise. They will only preserve our freedom to follow Christ if they too are following Him.

As citizens of an earthly kingdom we have a duty to practice good citizenship. As citizens of a heavenly kingdom, we have a responsibility to be concerned as much for the souls of our elected officials as we are for potholes, taxes, slippery sidewalks and garbage disposal.

When was the last time you prayed for the salvation of the authorities over you? When was the last time you told some public official that you were praying for him?

Keeping Faith

2011-12-07T10:14:00.000-05:00

Reading: 2 Thessalonians 1-3

Today, in Colombia, millions of lighted candles will line streets and window ledges. December 7^th is celebrated as the day that Mary and Joseph pass through on their way to Bethlehem where Mary will give birth to Jesus, the Saviour of the world. The belief is that the candles indicate to Mary and Joseph the homes where they are welcome to rest during their journey. Those who live in those homes expect that God will reward their hospitality by blessing them during the coming year. This festival of lights always impressed me, even though the tradition is based on fiction and not fact. It impressed me because there was an anticipation, and expectation, a joy to it that so many traditions lack. People believe.

As Paul writes to the Thessalonian church, he compliments them on their faith and the perseverance that is the result of that genuine faith.

“We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring” (2 Thessalonians 1:3, 4, NIV).

Unlike the traditions that we hold dear, faith in God and perseverance in the face of whatever might come along to deny the reality of that faith, is never futile. God rewards faith. Colombians expect a blessing on their homes and families as a result of the exercise of their faith demonstrated by the lighting of the candles. Paul tells us that the reward of our faith is not primarily going to result in getting something checked off our personal wish list. He writes: “…we constantly pray for you…that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 1:11, 12, NIV, emphasis mine).

In the end, the exercise of our faith and whatever might result from it, is meant to bring glory to God through us and in us. The Thessalonians exercised their faith and were penalized for it, not by God, but by the society around them. Paul compliments them on believing that God would bring glory to His name as a result of their faith despite the material and physical losses they suffered because of the exercise of it.

It’s not easy stay positive in a negative world, to stay faithful in a faithless one, to persevere when everything tells us to quit. Perhaps that makes the reminder in 2 Thessalonians 3:3 all that more important. Paul writes: “God is faithful…” God’s faithfulness to His promises is His response to faith. He will deliver. We can count on it.

Our Magnum Opus

2011-12-06T09:14:00.000-05:00

Reading: 1 Thessalonians

I realized something the other day. If I videotaped my teaching sessions, and made my handouts into a book, I’d have more credibility with some people. For the most part, the only difference between what I do and what the bulk of the gurus of the modern mentoring/discipleship/Bible Study crowd is a skinny shining disc, and a publisher’s name on a book spine.

Today I also learned a new word (http://www.jewelsofencouragement.com/2011/12/lets-hear-it-for-opuscule.html ). It’s opuscule. My spell checker doesn’t recognize it as a word, but it is. Opuscule means a minor or small work, literary or musical.

I do a lot of opusculating in the literary sense–lots and lots of minor works. I’ll never have a CD and no publisher is going to come looking for me. But none of that is the bottom line of life. What is that “bottom line” is Paul’s prayer for the believers at Thessalonica as recorded for us in 1 Thessalonians 3:12, 13, “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones” (NIV).

Paul’s goal for the Thessalonians is more like a Magnum Opus (great/greatest work). While I opusculate in some areas of my life, I pray that my character is, by the grace of God, becoming an opus of mind-boggling magnitude. In the end, that will be what pleases God and a work of eternal value.

Christmas and Other Things

2011-12-05T08:37:00.000-05:00

I'm posting over at Journezine this morning (thanks, Laury) so go over and check it out: http://www.journezine.com/on-this-particular-christmas-day/

But I do have a verse for today. The whole book of Colossians was my assignment this morning but I didn't have to go far to find an "aha."

Paul begins the letter by complimenting the Colossian believers on the wonderful reports he's received about them. Because of what he has heard the apostle has been praying for that church and his prayer is a significant one.

"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you" (1:9a, NIV). We're going to stop there for a second. I confess that as my prayer list gets longer, the content of my prayers for individuals gets shorter. But Paul didn't settle for a "Lord, bless the Colossian church." He must have a had a huge prayer list, but the length of the list didn't stop him from being specific about what he was asking on behalf of the people on that list.

"...and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding" (1:9b, NIV).

Then come a list of outcomes when this request is granted–as Paul is confident it will be.

"And we pray this in order that (1) you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: (2) bearing fruit in every good work, (3) growing in the knowledge of God (4) being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might (5) so that you may have great endurance and patience, (6) and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light" (1:10-12, NIV).

I covet prayers like that on my behalf, and I'll bet you do too. So my prayer for you today echoes Paul's prayer: May God fill you with the knowledge of His will and grant you wisdom and understanding so that all the outcomes might be your experience today, and tomorrow, and every day.

When it is My Business

2011-12-02T09:40:00.000-05:00

Reading: Galatians 1-6

“It isn’t any of my business.”

No one like a busybody. We don’t appreciate people meddling in our affairs, telling us what to do, or what not to do. Because of our aversion to those kinds of people we easily develop a “live and let live” policy. It uncomplicates relationships, makes life a whole lot less messy, and gives us the freedom to do as we want without the expectation of being confronted with our own moral and ethical faux pas.

The trouble is that such an attitude is anti-biblical. Oh I don’t mean to say that being a busybody is biblical, but sometimes minding our own business can be.

Paul’s letter to the Galatians is mostly a clarification of works versus grace. But when he gets to the end of the letter he targets those who claim grace as a license for sin (5:16-21) telling his readers that those who truly are Spirit-filled, resist the old habits that once characterized them and replace those old habits with the fruit of the Spirit as described in Galatians 5:22-26.

But here’s the point. When a brother sins, it IS our business. “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you may also be tempted. In this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, but each one should carry his own load” (6:1-5, NIV).

What is the law of Christ? Paul mentions it a few verses earlier in Galatians 5:14: “…Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you are a believer you will not be able to allow another believer to fall into sin, or to embrace a sin, without putting up a fight for the restoration of that other person. But you will do it with humility, gentleness, and fear, knowing that you are no better than anyone else.

But you have to make a brother’s sin your business, not as a busybody would, but as a believer concerned about the spiritual growth of another believer and as one who knows that the health of the rest of the body of believers, the church, will be compromised to the extent to which sin is not dealt with.

The apostle goes on to say: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows…Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (6:8-10, NIV).

We often quote this latter part of the passage to mean acts of kindness. There can be no greater kindness than to be the instrument God uses in the life of a brother to pick him up, dust him off, and set him on the road to blessing once more.

God Esteem Versus Self-Esteem

2011-12-01T11:23:00.000-05:00

Reading: 2 Corinthians 10-13

“If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness” (2 Corinthians 11:30, NIV).

You have got to be kidding? Who does THAT?

Current thinking says we must build ourselves up, bolster our self-esteem, look good, be strong, promote our pluses and downplay our minuses.

Paul had different ideas.

Why would anyone allow himself to be so vulnerable, especially someone so much in the public eye and so eager to show how “cool” the Gospel was? After all, people jump on bandwagons that make them feel good about themselves.

As Paul continues his letter he tells his readers why boasting about weakness rather than exalting strengths is the right thing to do.

Paul had a problem, the nature of which we are not told, though the general thought is that it was a physical problem of some kind. He asked God to heal him and after the third time God delivered a definite “no” as the answer to the apostle’s request. “…he said to me,” writes Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9a (NIV), “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Paul wanted to exalt Christ through his life more than anything else. So he was actually enthusiastic about putting his worst foot forward. Often when we talk about our minuses, our expressions and speech patterns take on a distinct whine and are covered by a “poor me” cloud. That wasn’t how Paul dealt with his weakness.

It’s more like “Don’t trip over my white cane, but let me tell you how God is working in spite of my limitations” or “Hey, I was in jail last week for preaching the Gospel, but let me tell you about the cool people I met there that God put there so that I could witness to them.” He writes: “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9b-10, NIV).

We want so desperately to escape or downplay the negatives in ourselves or in our lives. But it is in those negatives that God does His best work. Perhaps the lesson is to embrace our weaknesses and ask God to use them for His glory.

Less Really is More

2011-11-30T10:29:00.000-05:00

Reading: 2 Corinthians 5-9

I was researching some material yesterday for an upcoming series of studies I am preparing. During that research I came across some astonishing facts about money. J. John writes in Ten Laws of Love Set in Stone that: “At the beginning of the year 2000 the three richest people in the world together had more wealth than the poorest forty-seven countries put together. A total of 342 people had more money than half the world’s population put together. We might not be in that 342, but we are rich by the standards of most of the world” (page 37).

One of the commercials that really annoys me is that of a well-known actor and political activist who comments on how much money is devoted to bailouts and other things by rolling out lines of money with his foot. Then he puts down one single bill on the floor to demonstrate how much money goes to feed the hungry. He’s probably right, but my reaction to him is: “And where do your millions go except to travel around the world in support of petty dictators who oppress the poor while making themselves rich?”

There is often a disconnect between what we say and what we do. And it was this disconnect that Paul was seeking to avoid when he wrote to the Corinthian church about how they needed to handle their money. He reminded them of the generosity of the Macedonian churches (8:1-6) and then he wrote: “But just as you excel in everything–in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us–see that you also excel in this grace of giving…Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have. Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: ‘He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little’” (8:7-15, NIV).

This “grace of giving” is much more than a rant against the “haves” of the world, or tokenism, or a means to thumb the nose at the establishment. The grace of giving is taking steps to equalize things, to bring balance between those of us who “have” and those of us who “have not.” Paul wasn’t addressing the needs of the world. Rather he was talking about the needs among the believers in the churches with which he was associated. The early church was famed for the grace of giving, the sharing of plenty among those who had less (Acts 2:42-47). Should it be any different in our churches today?

Eternal Perspectives

2011-11-29T09:52:00.000-05:00

Reading: 2 Corinthians 1-4

When Paul writes his second letter to the Corinthians, the resurrection theme we saw in the first letter appears again. The apostle gently reminds his readers that someday they, like him, will be presented before God. Those who accept the message of reconciliation because of their labor of love will bring great glory to God on that day… “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For the light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes no on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18, NIV).

Paul has described some of what he has gone through as a messenger of the Gospel (4:8-11). He had been beaten, left for dead, shipwrecked, persecuted, imprisoned, misrepresented, hungry, cold, and frustrated by a physical limitation that held him back. Characterizing what he had gone through during the course of his ministry as “light” boggles the mind.

But perspective is everything. In this last statement he refers to the physical limitations, and contrasts them with the spiritual resources that he has. Paul recognizes that when his focus is on temporary, the “momentary” he could easily get discouraged and want to give up. When he turns his eyes toward heaven and realizes the eternal value of all that he has to deal with temporarily, his whole mindset changes.

It’s easy for me to focus on the challenges and frustrations of life and ministry. It’s easy to be reminded how much my hips, knees and hands hurt because the outward is showing the wear and tear of age. Focusing on those things takes me on a road that leads nowhere good. But remembering that what I do, what I am, what I give of eternal value to the work that God has called me to do, and the spiritual resources that God has promised, changes how I think, how I feel, and how I react.

Paul will go on in chapter 5 to discuss the frailty of “the earthly tent” a little more fully (5:1-10), ending again with the reminder that our focus needs to be on the eternal rather than the temporal. That perspective makes all the difference.

Resurrection: God's Silver Star

2011-11-28T10:40:00.000-05:00

Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:58

It seems like a cruel joke.

How many times have you heard someone quote 1 Corinthians 15:58? The New International Version states it this way: “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

More often than not it is the last statement that we hear the most frequently. We take comfort in it and claim it as a promise for success in ministry. Eventually, we believe, we will see souls saved, believers growing in their faith, the church impacting the community and the world, if we just “keep on keeping on.”

Small problem. Success in ministry is not what Paul is talking about. That wonderful little word “therefore” is the clue.

Apparently there was some discussion in the Corinthian church about whether or not resurrection after death was really true. All of chapter 15 gives us Paul’s argument on the subject. Some were insisting that since that there was nothing after death that they might as well just do whatever they wanted while they were alive. This discussion contains that famous verse from which the saying: “Eat, drink, and we merry for tomorrow we die” comes from (1 Corinthians 15:32). And some of the Corinthians were practicing that saying so wholeheartedly that Paul had to urge them to repent (15:34).

What did it matter then if they tried to introduce people to Jesus and encourage their faith journeys if there was no heaven or no hell? What difference did it make if believers grew in faith and matured if there was no “well done” waiting for them at the foot of the throne of God? Why put out all the effort and expense to impact the community and the world with the message of grace when cold, hard ground was the last stop whether people believed or not? Who cared if they indulged in all the excesses offered by the world of their day? There were no consequences, right?

Paul ends his defense of the truth of the resurrection by telling the Corinthian believers that death wasn’t the end. God wasn't playing a cruel joke on them by asking them to live in expectation of something that wasn't going to happen. There was a resurrection. There was a life beyond the grave. There was a heaven to be entered and a hell to be avoided. There was a “well done” to be sought. There are eternal consequences to the temporal choices we make.

“Success” in ministry through faithful service is not the point of this passage (there are plenty of Biblical examples where faithful service did NOT result in “success” as we might define it). Paul was making a theological point here–what we believe about the next life influences how we act in this one.

The Law of Love and Liberty

2011-11-25T08:28:00.000-05:00

Reading: 1 Corinthians 7, 8

The Corinthian church enjoyed its freedom in Christ—to excess. That sounds like an oxymoron. How can freedom not be, well, free? As in no restrictions, no limits, no rules.

So it must have been a rude awakening for the Corinthians to receive Paul’s letter through which he reminded them that the Law of Love needs to be applied to every liberty in life.

“Be careful, however that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak” (I Corinthians 8:9, NIV).

The specific issue here was eating meat that had been offered to idols and then resold to the general public (since idols are on no salt, no fat, no protein, no nothing diets). Paul makes a point of saying that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the meat since an idol is nothing. So for the believer who is secure in his beliefs, a hunk of meat is simply a hunk of meat—neither good nor bad in itself.

The lesson was that those who had no problem eating what the idols couldn’t, and were perfectly justified in doing so, needed to be conscious of those among their number who were still tender about eating what had been used in a pagan ceremony. For the sake of not leading a brother astray, the stronger believer was to refrain from eating that meat.

No biggie—choose something else to set on the table.

The answer seems obvious, but I guess it wasn’t since Paul had to write to the believers in this church about the issue. And it wasn’t simply that the weaker believer would be confused or offended. Paul used a very strong word to describe the result of not practicing the Law of Love.

“So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge” (8:11, NIV, emphasis mine).

How often do we think about the impact that the exercise of our liberties has on others? And if we don’t think about it, can we plead ignorance and get away with it when we face Christ at the judgment?

According to Paul, the damage is not confined to the destruction of another brother—bad enough. When we don't practice the Law of Love and restrict our liberties for the sake of others it is sin for us, and it is a sin against Christ. Paul writes: “When you sin against your brother in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.” (8:12, NIV).

If nothing else, this final statement should give us pause for thought every time we are about to exercise our legitimate freedoms. It certainly did for Paul: “Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall” (8:13, NIV).

One Hundred and Twenty-one, One Hundred and Twenty....

2011-11-24T08:18:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends. And to all the rest of you, there is every reason to still be thankful even if there isn't a turkey or a ham filling the house with savory smells, or pies waiting to be devoured, or family arriving on the doorstep.

Apart from the material blessings for which we give thanks to God, what are some of those spiritual blessings in Christ that you are thankful for today? Play Santa and make a list and check it twice to make sure you haven't missed any.

In Possession of Everything

2011-11-23T10:25:00.000-05:00

Too much self-doubt is as dangerous as too much self-confidence.

There are all kinds of factors that come into play when we are looking for reasons why we doubt ourselves. We can "blame" any one of them for making us who we are. In the end we are what we allow ourselves to be and no one can be blamed for that except ourselves.

Paul had some great words of wisdom to share as he began his letter to the believers in Corinth. Before the apostle dropped the bomb on them about the chaos in their community, he told them this: "...in him you have been enriched in every way–in all your speaking and in all your knowledge–because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful" (1 Corinthians 1:4-9, NIV).

This is an important passage to remember when we doubt that we can do, and be, what God has asked us to do and be. It's all there for us, and God is faithful in guaranteeing that what He has gifted us with will do what He intended it to do in us and through us.

We certainly have reason to doubt ourselves, but we never have reason to doubt God. "It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God–that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written, 'Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.'" (1 Corinthians 1:30, 31, NIV).

Hope Well Placed

2011-11-22T09:18:00.000-05:00

Reading: Romans 15, 16

The book of Proverbs says that: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life” (13:12. NIV).

Last night, Sidney Crosby returned to captain the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team after almost a year’s absence due to a concussion. I suspect he might have known something about “hope deferred” as the doctors and coaching staff held him off from playing in order to be sure that he was fully recovered. Watching his teammates play the game that is his life while he sat on the sidelines must have been a difficult experience. As I watched Crosby as the singing of the national anthem came to an end prior to the game, I saw him cross himself. Whether or not it has been his habit to stand with his head bowed and then to cross himself before every game, I don’t know, but every eye in the hockey world was on him last night. Was he grateful to God for that “longing fulfilled?”

After a while a hope unrealized becomes an incredibly heavy weight to bear. The longer the fulfillment of that hope takes, the more difficult it is to maintain that glimmer of “maybe soon” in the face of the cold reality of “it feels like never.”

Paul’s passion was to bring the gospel to the Gentiles, to see them fully integrated and accepted into the church of his day. He had given everything to accomplish the mission God had tasked him to complete. Despite his successes at reaching the Gentiles, for as many as came to faith there were still many more who didn’t. Added to this, their integration into the faith community was not an easy process. As he ended his letter to the Roman church, he encouraged unity and understanding, tolerance and acceptance of those who came to faith from traditions different than those the community was accustomed to. He quoted the Old Testament to remind the Jewish believers that their prophets had foretold the entrance of the Gentiles into the family of God.

But he knew the process of acceptance and unity would be a long one. Just before he wrapped up his remarks and sent his greetings to particular friends, he writes: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13, NIV).

He recognized that as each group, Jews and Gentiles, struggled to accept each other, there would be times when the coming together seemed impossible, when tempers would be frayed and feelings hurt. He encouraged them not to put their trust in their own ability to resolve the issues but to look to the Source who guaranteed the fulfillment of the longing of their hearts. Hope comes from Him and because of Him. Paul reminds them that, not only was God the Source, but He didn't jealously guard the hope that they needed. Rather, He would abundantly pour it out to them through the Holy Spirit who now resided in each one of them.

It is only when our hope rests in God, whatever the circumstances, that we can be certain that what we long for will be realized. And throughout the process, however long it may take, God supplies the joy “in spite of” and the peace “in the face of” while we wait for the God of hope to satisfy the longing.

He IS Coming Back–Honest!

2011-11-21T10:16:00.000-05:00

Reading: Romans 12-14

In the days of the early church, the followers of Jesus expected the imminent return of the Lord. In part that explains the urgency they felt as they spread the Gospel to the far corners of their world. The Lord had left them a commission, a task to fulfill, and they were certain that the time was short in which to do what Jesus had asked of them. The imminent return of the Lord is something that has been preached, taught, sung about, and argued over, for centuries.

These days we hardly hear a whisper about it. Those who fought over pre-, post-, and A-, have mostly gone on to heaven where they could now care less exactly how the Lord is going to return. We don’t sing much about heaven or about the Second Coming. With the aid of modern technology we live in a fantasy world where someone, somewhere, will let us know via Skype or FACEBOOK when all the nations of the world have heard the Gospel and then we can worry about getting our house in order for the Lord’s return.

In the meanwhile, life goes on.

The “rules” haven’t changed. No one is going to get advance warning of Christ’s return–no technology will ever be that good. He will come “at an hour when you do not expect him” (Matthew 24:44, NIV). Earthquake counters and war watchers will not be able to predict His return.

The simple truth that we are much closer to that return than were those who lived in the period of the early church, should remind us of just how important Paul’s instructions in Romans are. He writes:

“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not covet,’ and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does not harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law”

Why?

“AND DO THIS, UNDERSTANDING THE PRESENT TIME. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because OUR SALVATION IS NEARER NOW THAN WHEN WE FIRST BELIEVED. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies or drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissention and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature” (Romans 13:8-14, NIV, emphasis mine).

By the time Paul wrote to the Romans there were things on his heart that went beyond the urgency of the mission. He saw that those who claimed to be followers of Christ were not only losing their urgency to spread the Gospel, but also had lost the urgency to live as people who didn’t have a lot more time left to model Christ. When Jesus didn’t come back, that urgency turned into an apathy that was reflected in how they lived out their lives. Paul doesn’t urge his readers to complete the mission. That would be impossible unless they returned to modeling the Saviour Who had sent them on that mission.

It is also interesting to note that Paul only focused on the second half of the commandments, the last six dealing with man’s relationship to man rather than the first four which dealt with man’s relationship with God. I suspect he was thinking about Jesus’ words “…if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23, 24. NIV).

Fix what’s wrong in your love relationship with man, then come and express your love for God and complete His mission through lives that reflect His glory. Why? Because He’s coming back, and whether it is sooner or later shouldn’t make a difference to those whose priorities are right.

A Voice From the Earth

2011-11-11T09:18:00.000-05:00

Reading: Acts 13-15

The heavens, and the earth, continue to declare the glory of God.

In Pursuit of the Comfort of Truth

2011-11-10T09:52:00.000-05:00

Reading: Acts 10-12

The snow is beginning to fly. It will be a while before we get a real snowstorm. Right now we are still in the “in between” period that marks the transition of fall into winter. But still, it's cold and windy and the flakes are falling, suffering an identity crisis as they try to decide whether they really are snow or should actually be hail or rain. It’s a good day for stew and that is exactly what is now beginning to fill the apartment with the slow-cooked richness of a nice piece of beef shank. Comfort food for cold weather.

Cornelius wasn't looking for a nice bowl of comfort food on a winter-like day. But he was looking for comfort. He was a good man “…devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly” (Acts 10:2, NIV). That wasn’t what he said of himself but what others testified about him. When the messengers came to Peter to ask him to come to the centurion’s house, they said: “He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people” (Acts 10:22, NIV). Astonishing, considering that Cornelius was one of the much-hated Roman invaders.

But Cornelius knew that something was missing in his spiritual journey. There was an anxiety, an uneasiness about his spiritual state. He was looking for the comfort that only Truth could bring him. So he sent for Peter. When Peter arrived we are told that Cornelius had gathered his household around him and he said to his guest: “…I sent for you immediately, and it is good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us” (Acts 10:33, NIV).

People like Cornelius, who covet more of God, never feel content with their spiritual state. They aren’t complacent. They are not comforted by the status quo but by the Truth of the Word of God. It’s why they go to church with eager anticipation, why they go away satiated when the Word of God is taught faithfully and worship is God-centered. It is why they go away empty when the Word gets muddied up by human philosophy, and worship is self-promotion and morphs into entertainment.

Cornelius was ready for more. And Peter did not disappoint. Cornelius and his household came to faith that day. You see, the centurion was a good man, religious, but not apparently, a Christian. Yet another reason for Truth to be uncluttered and worship to be focused on its true Object. It makes finding the Source of Truth that much easier.

Do I look at worship, not as a “filler” but as a “filler-upper?”

Do I come to church in eager anticipation of hearing from God?

Do I pray that the one delivering the message will be a spokesperson for God rather than just a speaker?

Do I care as much as Cornelius did to pursue the Truth with all the means at my disposal?
Do I find my supreme comfort in God's Word?

Good questions to ask any day.

Stop and Listen

2011-11-09T09:16:00.002-05:00

Reading: Acts 8, 9

I was reading a friend’s post earlier this morning (http://www.jewelsofencouragement.com/2011/11/you-cant-get-there-from-here.html ) and it resonated with me. Jan used the analogy of a GPS (Global Positioning System) to describe how God gives us direction in our lives (God’s Positioning System).

GPS has its uses but, confess it, sometimes you’d just like to chuck it out the window under the wheels of the semi-trailer two feet behind your back bumper! That pleasant, but annoying voice telling you to do what you can see with your own eyes is not what needs to be done, does get on the nerves. How do you explain to a GPS that you are NOT going to take the most common route because you know a less-traveled and more pleasant route along the side roads?

As I was reading the passage from Scripture assigned to me for today, I was reminded about what Jan had written and how it might have applied to the main character in the passage. Saul, as he then was called, was in desperate need of a GPS. Physically he was on the right road. He was on his way to Damascus and it doesn’t seem like he was having any trouble finding his way. But though he was on the right road, Saul was on the wrong path. Religious fervor fed by Stephen’s death and the consequences of that (Acts 8:1) sent Saul on a rampage. He knew what direction he was going in and how he was going to get there (Acts 9:1, 2).

An ordinary GPS has a pleasant, friendly voice so when it tells you that you’ve missed your turn or that it has to recalculate, it does so politely. Saul would not have listened to attractive, soft-spoken or polite. He had killing on his mind.

So God yelled!

A blinding light and a sound like thunder (Acts 9:3, 7) threw him to the ground. It was a good thing he was walking and not driving!

Yesterday, another friend posted a comment on FACEBOOK that also fits here. She said that she was thinking of taking a break from social media for a while but still hadn’t made up her mind if she would, or could, do it. I responded to her post by saying that I had recently read that sometimes fasting doesn’t have anything to do with food. The writer of this particular book commented that if we wanted to hear God’s voice and grow more intimate with Him, we might need to schedule a “fast” from the communication devices that consume our lives. God really doesn’t want to have to shout. He’d prefer to whisper as He once did in the ears of the prophet, Elijah (1 Kings 19:11-13).

Saul’s head was full of murder. There was no room for the gentle voice of God so the Lord had to take drastic measures to get his attention.

Perhaps it’s time for us to take a communication break, to shut out the noise of the world over which God is trying to shout. Perhaps it’s time to tune everything and everyone out and just let Him talk. In the process we might discover that though we may have been on the right road, we have not been on the right path. Or, we may find out that we have missed the road completely.

We might also discover that we’ve been on the right road and the right path, but God has been trying to tell us to take a break at the nearest rest stop and just listen.

Big People Needed for Small Tasks

2011-11-08T08:54:00.000-05:00

Reading: Acts 6, 7

They needed someone to look after the local food bank.

It might seem a little odd in this age of discovering “spiritual gifts” and finding one’s “sweet spot” to see that the early church leaders didn’t take an inventory of the likes and dislikes of the people they chose for the task of looking after the needs of the widows in the congregation. There isn’t anything intrinsically wrong with taking an inventory of a potential candidate’s strengths and weaknesses, but sometimes we miss the best by deferring to the good when we judge who can fill a vacancy in the church.

The leaders of the church in Acts may have checked out whether Philip or Stephen, or any of the others (Acts 6:5) actually liked handing out food to the needy, but they looked for other qualities first.

“Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom” (Acts 6:3, NIV). One of those selected, Stephen is described as “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit” (6:5, NIV).

The principle of “warm and breathing” often characterizes how we pick people to do kingdom ministry today. So desperate are we to fill vacancies, or to supposedly keep people engaged in “church,” that we allow just about anyone to do anything. Or we justify placing certain people in some responsibilities because the job is not a “spiritual” one. Bad idea, especially when we are shown here that even those looking after the storeroom needed to be Spirit-filled.

Also interesting is that both Stephen and Philip were gifted in other areas. Philip’s name appears in other parts of Acts as an evangelist (Acts 8:4-8, 26ff; 21:8). Stephen is described as “a man full of God’s grace and power [who] did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people” (Acts 6:8, NIV). It turns out that he was a pretty good preacher too! Perhaps the example of these men gives weight to what Jesus said in Luke 16:10 (NIV): “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much…”

The apostles recognized the spiritual nature of food distribution that these men had been called to do. “They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid hands on them” (Acts 6:6, NIV). And when the right people, Spirit-filled people, were engaged in the right tasks, “…the word of God spread” (Acts 6:7, NIV) and the church grew.

There is no better model for church growth than the one we find in Acts. They even had the Food Bank covered.

Holy Boldness or Not-So-Holy Huddle?

2011-11-07T09:57:00.000-05:00

Reading: Acts 3, 4

You have to admire these people. They went from a huddle of scared rabbits “…with the doors locked for fear of the Jews” (John 20:19, NIV) to the “Bring it on!”, “Is that all you got?”, “Come on, hit me again!” in the days and weeks after Pentecost.

From scared to scary–at least for the local authorities. The magistrates and religious leaders couldn’t shut them up. They just HAD to talk about Jesus. They just HAD to meet daily and worship, pray, learn, and fellowship. These believers in Jesus, followers of the Way, created such a buzz that many joined their ranks.

It was a “God-thing,” the power of His Spirit unleashed in people who wanted God’s kingdom to come to earth more than anything else in the world. They put everything on the line, including their lives, to fulfill the mission that Jesus had sent them on before His ascension. They took “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation” (Mark 16:15, NIV) very seriously.

That commitment got the followers of Jesus into big trouble. But it is in the stew pot of suffering for the sake of the Gospel that we most admire them. Peter and John are arrested and asked who gave them permission to preach and heal. Standing before the magistrate, Peter preaches Jesus and says: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12, NIV).

It’s obvious that these men haven’t received a doctorate in anything. Even a diploma is foreign to them. What they do have is the Spirit of God and the life lessons of Jesus and that sends their critics into a tizzy.

They are threatened, but stand firm: “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19, 20, NIV).

Then Peter and John go back to the other believers to report. I don’t think they locked the doors this time. And it certainly doesn’t appear they were afraid anymore. They praise God for His sovereign power and pray for boldness to continue to speak the truth (Acts 4:24-30). In their prayer they acknowledge that Jesus’ death was predetermined by God. It’s almost as though they are doing a “Your will be done” as they pray that prayer.

Did their prayer sound something like this: “We know that Jesus died because it suited Your purposes to allow that. If we die, we know it will be because it suits Your purposes to allow that. You know the threats being made against us. We embrace the consequences of those threats. Now give us boldness to speak Your Word and glory Your Son through our actions.”

To the death, whatever it costs. That’s commitment.

The followers of Jesus got what they asked for: “…the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly” (Acts 4:31, NIV).

Many of them also received a death sentence. And perhaps that’s where we get stuck as followers of Jesus. We want the fullness of the Spirit and the holy boldness, but the price tag of total commitment that comes with them is too much to pay.

The doors to blessing are still locked and we remain huddled in fear not knowing what God could do in us and through us if we’d just die to self to live completely for Him.

Transitions

2011-11-03T10:05:00.000-04:00

Reading: John 15-17

Before prayer meeting last night a group of us were commiserating each other on our aches and pains. You see, we are in this difficult transition period between crisp, dry fall and cold, dry winter. It’s rainy and damp and cold. And everything in our bodies is stiff and achy; hands, hips, legs, ankles and even toes.

Transitions can be tough.

The Apostle John is recording the last mini-series Jesus will share with His disciples before He goes to the cross. While they might not fully understand, they know that somehow they are about to enter into that nether world of transition—Jesus gone and the Holy Spirit not yet come.

The Lord has a lot to share with them. Their foggy minds can’t capture all that He is saying now, but later they will remember and be glad that He took the time to patiently explain what they needed to do, and then to pray for them.

Chapter 15 tells us that the disciples needed to endure the pruning, abide in Him, obey Him, bear fruit and love each other. They would be misunderstood and hated for all those things, but they were to do them anyway.

In chapter 16, Jesus reminded them that though they would have to go through this transition period without His physical presence, the Holy Spirit would come and accompany them. He would give them direction and teach them all they needed to know. They would grieve and they would have trouble. But He would still be with them. He would give them peace. They could also be assured that they would overcome whatever obstacles were placed in their path.

Then comes the wonderful prayer that Jesus offered in chapter 17. He prayed for unity, that, “they may be one as we [God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit] are one” (17:11, NIV). They would need each other just as every member of the physical body is dependent for its health on the other members. He asked for their protection because transitions can be discouraging and the temptation would be to walk away, give up as the pressure increased, or give in to sin without the eagle eye of their mentor on them. ”My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one” (17:15, NIV). He prayed “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” (17:17, NIV). The Lord’s desire was that these disciples be even more grounded than ever so that their spiritual growth would continue.

Transitions are scary—just ask the disciples. But they can also be times of pruning away the dead and encouraging new growth. Successfully getting through the transitions depends on how successful we are at following the instructions Jesus gave for their passage.

Resting on the promise

2011-11-02T07:12:00.000-04:00

A simple word for today....

Heavenly Minded

2011-11-01T09:23:00.000-04:00

Reading: John 11, 12

I love the story of the raising of Lazarus. It’s just full of little side stories, trails that lead us off to lessons and insights. The relationship between Jesus and these three siblings, Martha, Mary and Lazarus, is unique in the Gospels. John remarks that: “Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus” (11:5) so it blew everyone’s mind that He didn’t hurry to Bethany the moment He got the news that Lazarus was sick.

Martha, the strong one, was likely looking after all the arrangements and entertainment of the people who came to commiserate with the sisters after Lazarus was buried (11:19). When Jesus did arrive she rushed out to meet Him before He even got to the house. They had a significant theological discussion before she took Jesus to the tomb where her brother has been laid to rest.

“Jesus wept” (11:35), writes John.

I wonder why. Jesus knew what He was about to do. Perhaps He was feeling the pain of His dear friends who had suffered this tragedy. It’s more than likely His tears were an acknowledge of the consequences of the sin that had made death a reality in the first place. The passing of Lazarus probably reminded Him of what was coming in His own life that would provide a remedy to the problem of sin and death. I suspect the Lord was sorry He had to call Lazarus back from heaven. Great for his sisters, a wonderful testimony to the witnesses present, a powerful illustration of an eternal truth–but Lazarus would have to come away from the joy of being whole, perfect, in the presence of God and His angels just to come back, get sick (or murdered), and die all over again.That alone is enough to make anyone cry!

To be a fly on the wall of that kitchen in Bethany once the visitors were all gone and Jesus was alone with his friends and disciples, would have been something special. Did Jesus and Lazarus talk about heaven, their eyes meeting , exchanging knowing glances that the others would not understand? The two men now shared something that none of the others had yet experienced.

I wonder…

“Sorry, my friend, but I needed to bring you back here for a while in order that my Father’s Name would be glorified.”

“No problem, Lord. Having been there once only makes the anticipation of returning that much sweeter.”

“You know that you are going to get into trouble when you talk about this with others?”

“Yes, I know, but it’s okay.”

Sure enough, the authorities tried to kill Lazarus (12:9-11) but I suspect he would be the first one to understand and appreciate the words that Jesus would speak after that grand entrance into Jerusalem when he said: “…unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be…what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” (John 12:24, 28, NIV).

Heavenly purposes tend to dim earthly attractions.

The Enigma of Trust

2011-10-28T08:37:00.000-04:00

Reading: John 1, 2

Trust is as basic a necessity as food, clothing and shelter—but much harder to hang on to.

Jesus knew the reality of that. Early in His ministry the crowds followed Him, eager to hear from the “new kid on the block” and to see the miracles that He did. It was the best show in town—at least for that moment.

John 2:23 (NIV) says: “Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name.”

We put a lot of stock in those last four words: “believed in his name.” But Jesus didn’t. Verse 24 goes on to say: “But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men.”

The Lord was compassionate, loving, forgiving; but never naïve. That’s a balance we sometimes find hard to achieve. The disappointments we suffer at the hands of others often make us bitter, angry, and protective. “I’ll never let myself be hurt by so-and-so again!” comes the cry of a wounded heart.

I suspect that some people close to the Lord thought He was naïve and tried to warn him. I can almost hear them whispering, “Don’t trust so-and-so. He’s just pretending to believe.” That might explain verse 25: “He did not need man’s testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.”

We are never told that Jesus accused anyone who claimed to be His follower of NOT being a true believer. He knew that eventually the tiger pretending to be a puppy would show his stripes.

But the main message here, I think, goes back to that truth that even though Jesus wasn’t naïve about what people were like, He never failed to be compassionate, loving and forgiving.

And that’s a good lesson to learn and example to follow.

Holy Heartburn

2011-10-27T08:17:00.000-04:00

Reading: Luke 23, 24

Does my heart burn when I read the Scriptures? Does it burn when the Word of God is taught? I have to confess that it doesn’t always. When did someone else’s heart burn when I taught from the Scriptures? I'm afraid to speculate on that one.

For the two men traveling the road to Emmaus an encounter with Jesus resulted in heartburn.

“They asked each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?’” (Luke 24:32, NIV).

In the physical realm, heartburn isn’t a pleasant thing. I suspect that there might have been some uncomfortable moments for these men as they listened to Jesus, whom they didn’t recognize, explain things from the Old Testament that they should already have understood.

But more likely the burning hearts were caused as these two men instinctively recognized the voice of God even when they didn’t see God in this “stranger” who was walking beside them. They knew Truth when they heard it and it impacted their lives.

The Scriptures say that the disciples were “kept from recognizing him” (24:16, NIV). In this case they needed to focus on the message more than the messenger—even when that messenger was the Lord Himself. It’s hard to imagine that knowing it was Jesus walking with them might have been a distraction and detract from the heart burning message He wanted to deliver to them, but for some reason the Lord hid His identity from them until after the sermon.

Their hearts burned.

Sometimes my exposure to the Word of God ends more in a dull thud than it does in flaming fire. Perhaps that highlights the reason why I need to ask God before I read His Word, go into the service or a study, or teach from the Bible, to give me and the others present, a good case of holy heartburn. The Lord knows how much we need it.

Letting the Word have the First Word

2011-10-26T11:29:00.001-04:00

Reading: Luke 21, 22

There are times when sermons and studies resemble nothing more than a series of personal illustrations or human philosophy lightly brushed with a phrase from Scripture. The Word of God becomes the illustration for the story instead of the story illustrating the Word of God. While the illustrations and the philosophy might have a positive impact, it is only the Word of God that will have “the last word” as it were. That means it should also have the first word.

Luke 21:33 (NIV) tells us: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” This verses couples beautifully with this promise from Isaiah 55:10, 11 (NIV): “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish the purpose for which I sent it.”

I wonder why I often settle for stale crumbs when I can enjoy the steak and potatoes of God’s eternal Word? I also remind myself that though the stories I tell and the examples I give might be entertaining and informative, anything of eternal value is going to come from that eternal Word of God that He promises to bless.

And isn’t that blessing from God what I most want–for myself and for others? If nothing else, that thought should drive me to let the Word speak, and other voices keep silent.

Prayer is a Constant

2011-10-25T09:10:00.000-04:00

Reading: Luke 19, 20

“’It is written,’ he said to them, ‘My house will be a house of prayer’” –Luke 19:46, NIV

Words from the famous preacher of a bygone century, Charles Haddon Spurgeon that remind us that prayer needs to be constant, as much in the good times as the bad times.

“And, now, I said I would say a word as to why WE ought to pray especially, and that shall close the sermon. Beloved friends, this church ought to pray without ceasing…We have lacked nothing because we have not lacked prayer. I do not doubt we might have had much more if we had prayed more; still prayer has been mighty here. Now, brethren, suppose you had no pastor, suppose the preacher was gone from you…you would pray, would you not? Will you not pray for me then while I live? If you would pray for another to come, will you not pray for me while I am here? I desire to discharge my office before you in God’s sight with all earnestness, but I cannot without your prayers, and as being gone from you, you would lift up many sighs, and you would with prayers ask for a successor, pray for me while I am yet with you. Beloved, you have prayed very earnestly for the pastor when he has been sick, your prayers have been his consolation and his restoration; will you not pray for him now that he is able to preach the gospel, that his health may be sanctified to God’s service, and the ministry of the truth may be mighty in the winning of souls. I ask it of you; I think I might claim it of you. I do beseech you, brethren, pray for us.

Suppose again, dear brethren, there were no conversions in our midst, would not you pray? And since there are a great many conversions, should that be a reason for leaving off? Shall we worship God the less because he gives us more? Instead of one prayer which would go up were there no conversions, there should be ten now that he continues to work salvation among us.

Suppose we were divided, and had many schisms, and jealousies, and bickerings, would not the faithful ones pray in bitterness of spirit? Will you not pray since are there are no divisions, and much Christian love? Surely, I say again, you will not treat God, the worse because he treats you the better. That were foolish indeed.

Suppose we were surrounded today with hosts of persecutors, and that error everywhere crept into our midst and did us damage, would you not pray, you who love the Lord? And now that we live in days of peace, and error, though it prowls around, is kept out of our fold, will you not commune with the Lord all the more? I will say it yet a third time, shall we pray the less because God gives us more? Oh no, but the better he is to us the more let us adore and magnify his name.”

From Spurgeon’s sermon, Pray Without Ceasing, published by Spurgeon Ministries, Kingston, Ontario, Number 239, January 2011, www.spurgeonministries.com

Thankful is as Thankful Does

2011-10-24T09:34:00.000-04:00

Reading: Luke 17, 18

“So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty’” –Luke 17:10, NIV.

A number of years ago this verse came up in a Bible study I was doing with a group of ladies. I got a surprising reaction from one of them. She took serious exception to the word “unworthy,” declaring that all that she was doing “for the Lord” made her very worthy–in God’s sight and in the sight of everyone who should be admiring her dedication. Not too much farther over in Luke Jesus tells the story of the Pharisee and the publican who came to pray in the temple. The Pharisee was full of himself, and went away without God’s forgiveness. The publican recognized his unworthiness and went away rejoicing and at peace with God. Jesus said: “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:14, NIV).

Unhappily, the gal in my Bible study never did learn that lesson.

It’s not that it’s such an easy lesson to learn either. Pride clouds our vision, making us believe that somehow we’ve paid God back for all His blessings and we can now sit back and bask in His appreciation of how wonderful we are. It is true that someday those who are faithful to Him will hear that glorious voice say: “Well done, good and faithful servant…Come and share your Master’s happiness!” (Matthew 25:23, NIV). But we’re not there yet. Honesty demands that we recognize that we can never do enough to pay God back for all that He has done for us. The idea of “unworthy” simply reminds us that we don’t deserve all that God showers on us. We will be forever in His debt. But thanks to Jesus that debt is now paid in full for us–He’s the worthy One.

Today, when everything is all about feeling good about oneself, the idea of being “unworthy” doesn’t sit very well. But “unworthy” isn’t the same as feeling worthless. If we were worthless God would have walked away from us a along time ago. Instead, He sacrificed His Son in order to bring us back into relationship with Him. He provides for us. He embraces us. He works with us, and in us, to make us like Him. He never lets go of us even when we try to wiggle out of His hand or, worse yet, bite that hand through our disobedience and willfulness. No, we are worth a great deal to God.

And it is out of grateful hearts for what He has done that we love Him and serve Him. There is no question of repaying the debt. It is simply a question of expressing our thanks.

Going Under For the Last Time

2011-10-20T08:46:00.000-04:00

Reading: Luke 8, 9

You’re going down for the last time. The water is up to your chin and each wave fills your mouth and nose with water. You raise your hand, desperate for someone to see your plight and come to your rescue. From the distant shore comes the triumphant voice of the old revivalist preacher, “I see that hand!”

But you’re still going down, overwhelmed by wave after wave of life events. And it doesn’t seem like anyone is going to help. You are going to drown.

Enter Jesus. He’s been there all the time, but you’ve been so busy struggling to save yourself that you didn’t notice His hand reaching out to grab yours.

Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia

And you answer His question with tears generated by both shame and expectation: “Yes, Lord, where was my faith?”

Because I Told You To

2011-10-19T08:46:00.000-04:00

Reading: Luke 5-7

I wonder if the Guinness Book of World Records has a category for the number of times someone has used the phrase, “because I told you to”?

Peter put a slightly different twist on the saying in Luke 5:1-11. It seems that this took place when the disciples were still pursuing their “regular” jobs even though they were followers of the Lord. Jesus had just finished one of His usual marathon teaching sessions. In fact, He had to borrow one of the fishing boats so that the crowd wouldn’t overwhelm Him. The fishermen had apparently been out all night fishing and were now closing up shop for the day, but when Jesus was finished teaching he told them to gather the nets they had just finished washing and head out to deep water.

If Peter had been a child he might have said, “Why?” If Jesus had been Peter’s parent he might have answered, “Because I told you to.” Peter skipped that step and relied: “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets” (Luke 5:5, NIV).

There are great faith lessons in this story. There are wonderful lessons about work ethic in what happened here. Of course, there is a terrific example of obedience as well.

Peter was the fisherman. He was the expert. What did an itinerant preacher and a carpenter’s son know about fishing that Peter didn’t know?

Once Peter and the others began to follow Christ in “full-time” ministry, they would come to know that “full-time” meant exactly what it implied. Fishing for men has nothing to do with a forty hour work week or a 9 to 5 job.

The big fisherman could have put up an argument and asked Jesus for an explanation. He didn’t. He simply obeyed.

But what also interests me is what happened after the fisherman hauled in the huge catch that ended up in their nets because they did as Jesus had told them to do. Luke tells us that they were amazed at the number of fish that miraculously appeared when and where they would not normally have appeared. But Peter doesn’t go “Wow, Lord, that was awesome!” He runs up to Jesus, falls on his knees and says, ”Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:8, NIV).

This episode reminds me so much of Isaiah’s experience in Isaiah 6. When Isaiah saw the glory of God, he didn’t say, “Wow, Lord, that was awesome!” He fell on his face before God and confessed his sin.

Peter saw the face of God. And when he did, he also saw himself for what he was. There is an interesting progression here. We might think that we need to have an experience with God and then act in faith, follow and obey Him. It appears that the reverse is also true. We need to act in faith, follow and obey Him and then we will see His face. God is not at our command; we are at His.

Peter was wise enough to know that he shouldn't ask “why?” and that he shouldn’t wait for, “because I told you to.” Am I?

The Family Tree

2011-10-18T08:53:00.000-04:00

Reading: Luke 3, 4

I recently got the urge to track down as many members of my family tree as I could. Somewhere buried underneath piles of papers in my brother’s apartment is an envelope containing my mother’s family tree, painstakingly put together by my mother’s cousin, Charlie. As far as I know dad’s side of the family has never been done. And, as it happens, I’m having a harder time tracking down my father’s family members than I have finding my mother’s side.

One of the items left over when my brother and I sold the family home was a suitcase full of pictures. Some of these have helped me in my search, but others are a complete mystery. I have no idea who they are, how (or if) they are related, There is one that is particularly intriguing. His name is Ferdinand Bloedow and he was a minister. Apparently he moved out west, and died in the 30s in Winnipeg, Manitoba. But I don’t know how he’s connected to my mother’s family. “Bloedow” turns out to be a fairly common name. I suspect he’s a cousin of my grandfather’s but I really have no idea. I hate not knowing!

As I was reading through these two chapters from Luke, I came across an interesting statement. Luke records the beginning of Jesus’s ministry and, detail person that he was, he includes a genealogy of the Lord tracing him all the way back to God. Imagine, all this without benefit of Ancestry.com ! But that’s not what caught my eye. Luke writes: “Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry, He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli, the son of…” (Luke 3, 23, 24, NIV) and you know how the rest goes.

Luke is writing this letter to assure the friend, Theophilus (1:3, 4) that what he has come to believe is the truth. That’s where that little “so it was thought” comes in. In Jesus’s case, He was the Son of God by “blood” as it were, and Joseph’s son by adoption. On the other hand, I am a Wilfred Schultz’s child by blood and God’s child by adoption.

I’d like to be related to Ferdinand. I know nothing about him, but it would be nice to have a “Reverend” in my family tree—sure beats a horse thief or a serial killer! Having a reverend in the family is a bit like ending the list with “God” as Luke did in describing the lineage of Jesus. That’s impressive. But people in Jesus’ day didn’t grab hold of the “God” connection. They looked at His “dad,” Joseph, the carpenter. Whether or not Ferdinand is a relation of the mine, people will know me as Wilfred, the mechanic’s daughter. Overseas I worked among a socioeconomic group who would have rejected me under normal circumstances because of my heritage–unless the mechanic owned a string of garages, he was pretty near the bottom of the social order. What “saved” me was being an educated foreigner. But even that didn’t make my message any more acceptable to most people.

Many people believed that Jesus was simply a carpenter’s son from Nazareth (4:22-24) and rejected his message because of it. He was simply too “blue-collar” for most people–certainly those in His hometown. But even those who knew nothing about His lineage rejected Him. Theophilus believed so he wasn’t thrown off by the “so it was thought” or the implications of being a carpenter’s adopted son. He had faith in the implications of the God-connection.

As Hebrews tells us: “…without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6, NIV). In the end it isn’t the family tree that counts but the faith in the Father of the only family that does count–the family of God.

Changing the Subject

2011-10-13T08:43:00.000-04:00

Reading: Mark 8, 9

We’ve all been there. The conversation takes a turn that is uncomfortable for us and we try to change the subject. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t

Jesus and His disciples were on their way to Capernaum. If the Twelve had been modern day teenagers we would have seen them texting each other so that their Master wouldn’t know what they were saying. As it was, they kept their voices down, thinking He wouldn’t know what the conversation was all about. When they got to Capernaum, the Lord asked them what they had been discussing. Mark records: “But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest” (Mark 9:34, NIV).

If that wasn’t uncomfortable enough, the Lord speaks the famous words that not too many modern believers like any better than the disciples did. “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all” (Mark 8:35, NIV). And to illustrate the kind of humble servanthood He is speaking about, Jesus picked up a small child and invited His macho-men to learn a lesson in humility.

Once, in one of our overseas church plants, we elevated a new believer to the post of elder in the church. The position went to his head and we had endless grief because of it. Later, someone remarked we should have first assigned him to nursery duty until he proved that he could be a servant even to the smallest child. Then he might have been ready for a higher position. At the very least we should have paid attention to the lesson Jesus was teaching in this passage.

The message was an uncomfortable one for the disciples so, in Mark 9:38, John (whose mother wanted thrones at the right and left of Jesus for her boys) changes the subject. His choice of conversation simply revealed how deep-seated their pride had become. John told Jesus about a man who was driving out demons in Jesus’ name. Because he wasn’t one of their group, the disciples had ordered him to stop. I guess John thought that Jesus would pat him on the back for protecting their “turf.”

He was wrong. Jesus rebuked John and then returned to the subject that John had so wanted to walk away from—servanthood. Jesus told them that they had to think micro long before they thought macro. They were to think women’s work (Mark 9:41-50).

Serving water and babysitting was not exactly what the disciples thought “kingdom business” should be all about. Perhaps they were jealous of the man who had been casting out demons since they had so recently been rebuked because they had not been able to cast one out of a boy whose father had brought him to Jesus to be healed (Mark 9:14ff). It appears that the disciples had gotten such “swelled heads” that they had ceased to demonstrate their dependence on God. Earlier (Mark 6:7-13), Jesus had given them the gift of healing and casting out demons, but it appears that they had lost that ability because they weren’t praying as much as they should have been (Mark 9:29).

How often do I “change the subject” when God is speaking to me about something I’d rather not hear? How often do I pull out my "trump card" and tell Him all that I am doing in His name when He reveals something I should be doing, but am not? How often do I rebel against the idea that my “exalted position” means nothing if I’m not willing to do the humblest task that He assigns? The lesson Jesus taught the disciples remains a lesson that I need to learn today.

Interruptus Evangelicus

2011-10-12T07:32:00.000-04:00

Reading: Mark 6, 7

I catch myself complaining when my plans get interrupted by other people’s agendas. To tell the truth, it isn’t a surprise that I complain. It doesn’t sneak up on me as though it were something alien to me. I choose to complain.

There was no one busier than Jesus was during those brief three and a half years that He had to complete His ministry. In the account we have for us in Mark, He had gifted His disciples with the ability to do miracles, divided them into teams, and sent them out to do ministry (6:7-13).

When they came back they reported everything that had happened. Now Jesus wasn’t the only “show” in town; His disciples must have also garnered a reputation for themselves. The crowds where so big and came so often that Jesus and His team didn’t have a chance to eat (6:31). It looks like He didn’t pay much attention to His mother’s concerns about His physical and emotional state as reported back in Mark 3:20, 21.

But the Lord wasn’t unaware of the need for food and rest. Mark reports the Lord saying: “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (Mark 6:31, NIV). They went away, by boat, to what they thought would become a spiritual retreat for them—only to discover that the crowds had gotten there ahead of them. Did Jesus complain? Did He send the crowd home, telling them that He was “off the clock?”

“When Jesus landed and saw the large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things” (Mark 6:34, NIV).

I don’t know what Jesus did about “nuisance requests,” but He never denied anyone His help where there existed spiritual hunger, and this was one of those times. Later, after the crowd had been fed, both spiritually and physically, Jesus “went up on a mountainside to pray” (Mark 6:46, NIV). He took the time He needed to spend in the presence of His Father and renew His strength.

Don’t we all need that discernment, and that compassionate heart that Jesus had? Don’t we all need to be able, like Him, to separate nuisance from genuine need and respond with grace and personal sacrifice, if necessary? I believe that the ability to discern, and the open heart and generous hand to respond to genuine need, come in direct proportion to those quiet times in God’s presence. As Isaiah had said some many years before, Jesus knew that: “those who hope (or wait) in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not be weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31, NIV).

First Things First

2011-10-11T07:23:00.000-04:00

Reading: Mark 4, 5

It caught my attention this morning how often Jesus told people not to talk about the miracles He had performed for them. The book of Mark is the shortest of the Gospels and the writer squeezes a lot of the highlights of Jesus’ earthly ministry into relatively few chapters, making the journey a particularly intense one. The shortness of the book makes the Lord’s instructions not to talk about His miracles that much more pronounced.

Of course, He didn’t want the demons He cast out of people (Mark 3:12) to talk about Him—who needs that kind of publicity? When the miracles were public there wasn’t much He could do about the crowds reaction. His fame became so great that He had difficulty getting into the towns without attracting a huge following (Mark 1:45; 3:7-8). Where He could, He asked those who benefitted from His miracles to limit who they spoke to about them (Mark 1:43-44; 5:19, 20, 43).

I asked myself why Jesus didn’t want His miracles to be broadcast far and wide. Wouldn’t that attract a much bigger audience, give Him a much broader platform from which to speak?

The clue might be found in Mark 1:36-38 (NIV).

“Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: ‘Everyone is looking for you!’ Jesus replied, ‘Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.’”

Daniel Henderson, author of Transforming Prayer, often talks about the need to seek God’s face before we seek God’s hand. As much as the miracles that Jesus did drew a crowd to Him, and provided Him with the opportunity to share the good news with more people, He also knew that the vast majority would come to Him, not to hear the message, but to receive the miracle. The miracles might prolong physical life, but it was only through the message that eternal life would come. The message was the priority.

I also find it interesting that Jesus even made the message a challenge for people to understanding, often speaking in parables so that only the most spiritually hungry would persist in seeking Him (Mark 4:11, 12). Even the disciples had a hard time understanding!

It’s so easy to get sidetracked, to overlook the best when the good is more spectacular, to ask God to show His hand when what we really need is to see His heart.

Today I know I will look for His hand. But I pray that before I do that I will ask Him to show me His face.

Thanksgiving

2011-10-10T11:44:00.000-04:00

Every Day Is Tax Season

2011-10-07T10:23:00.000-04:00

Reading: Matthew 21, 22

Nuances are sometimes so subtle that we miss them entirely. Though I’ve read Matthew 22:17-22 many times over the years, it wasn’t until this morning that I had an “aha” moment and noticed something that I hadn’t realized before.

Here’s the story. The Lord was approached by His critics during the last few days of His earthly ministry. This wasn’t unusual—they were always hanging about looking for some way to trap Him in His words or actions. But this time they were desperate to find some way of getting rid of Him. It was no secret that the Jews did everything they could to thumb their noses at their Romans oppressors, and withholding taxes that went into Roman coffers was one of those ways of resistance. On this occasion the Lord’s enemies tried to catch Him by asking Him if He thought it was okay to pay taxes to Caesar. Whatever response He made would surely get Jesus into trouble with someone!

“But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, ‘You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying tax.’ They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, ‘Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?’ ‘Caesar’s,’ they replied. Then he said to them, ‘Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.’ When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away” (NIV).

Coins were imprinted with image of Caesar in those days, just as our coins are imprinted with the heads of key political or governmental figures in our history. We’ve heard the application of these verses many times, but did you notice (and you might have because you are sharper than I am) the subtle message that the Lord gives by using this illustration of the image stamped on the coin?

Back in Genesis 1 where we have the record of the creation of the world, this note is recorded: “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness…So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:26, 27, NIV).

I owe my taxes to my government. They printed the money I use to pay my bills, to buy what I need, that I “recycle” back to them so that they can look after health care, security, unemployment insurance, and the myriad of those things the citizens of the country benefit from. The value of that money depends on the gold reserves that the government guards in their coffers. Like it or not, my physical wellbeing is more in their hands than it is in mine.

But just as the government’s authority over those taxes is imprinted on the money that I use, so is God’s image imprinted on me. I belong to Him, and I “owe” Him. That’s the subtle “dig” to the message that Jesus delivered that day to His detractors. He was telling them that they needed to pay their dues to the One whose image was imprinted on them. He wasn’t talking about religious observance, or buying their salvation. Just as my tax contributions wouldn’t keep a rabbit in clover for more than a week, I’d never be able to pay for all that God has given me. What Jesus is saying is that I owe Him everything, and the allegiance, the commitment, the heart and soul and life, is what He asks back of those who bear His image.

Jesus’ critics went away “amazed.” Something tells me that they didn’t understand the underlying message. They were amazed that Jesus so easily slipped out of their trap. They didn’t realize they were still caught in one themselves.

Leading From the Bottom Rung

2011-10-06T09:07:00.001-04:00

Reading: Matthew 17-20

Many mothers are ambitious for their children—sometimes to a fault. My own personal hot button is Toddlers and Tiaras, a TV “reality” show that comes pretty close to child abuse in my book.

Wanting your kids to succeed in life isn’t necessarily a bad thing, nor is it uncommon. Take the case of James and John’s mother in Matthew 19, 20. Jesus opened the door to the discussion in Matthew 19. Peter commented that the disciples had given up everything to follow their Rabbi and he wondered what was “in it” for them as a reward for their sacrifice. Jesus answered: “I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (19:28, NIV).

Mother heard this, or the boys reported Jesus’ comments to her and she followed up. If her boys were to sit on thrones, they should sit on the thrones closest to the Lord, shouldn’t they? So a little later, she approached Jesus to ask for a favour: “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right hand and the other at your left in your kingdom” (20:21, NIV).

She hadn’t considered what it was going to cost to get her boys to the top. She didn’t understand what “follow” meant and the Lord was quick to explain that the position a) came with a price tag and, b) was not his decision to make (20:22, 23).

Then came the reality check. Selfish ambition is not a kingdom trait, but servanthood is. “Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever want to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many'” (20:25-28, NIV).

Are we as ambitious when it comes to providing opportunities for our kids to practice servanthood and sacrifice for the benefit of others as we are for them to bring home trophies, gain status, and become successful as the world defines success?

That was probably a sobering question for this mom—and her sons.

Bread Making 101

2011-10-05T10:51:00.000-04:00

Reading Matthew 13, 14

Bread making is part science and part art. My mother used to make the best bread in the world. I have tried countless times, without success, to equal her. I have used her recipe, her pans, and her technique. But it never turns out like hers did. When messing with yeast, there is no room for cheating. Exact measuring is required. Too much, or too little, salt, sugar, or flour will give you a less than satisfactory product. If the liquid is too hot, or not hot enough, disaster could be the result. Too much kneading, or too little, can have an effect. Even altitude and atmospheric conditions can make a wreck of your bread. That yeast needs the right conditions to produce the expected results.

Jesus often used elements that were familiar to His audience to explain spiritual truths. As a boy he must have observed Mary in the kitchen making bread because He knew all about yeast.

Jesus said: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough” (Matthew 13:33, NIV).

The Gospel, which is foundational to entrance into the Kingdom of God is like yeast–it needs the proper conditions to do what God intended it to do. And we, as God’s bread makers in the world’s largest bakery, provide the conditions for the mixing of that yeast. Sometimes we’re not too careful about following the directions exactly. We add a little too much sweetness and love, the “sugar,” and the urgency to the Gospel diminishes and the people put faith off for another day thinking it to be not all that important. Too much judgment, like salt, can also cause people to back away. Too much pressure, like kneading, also causes people to distance themselves while too little pressure equals few results at all. You get the picture.

It’s interesting to note that just a few chapters later in Matthew, Jesus uses yeast to describe something very different from the Gospel. He says: “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (Matthew 16:6, NIV). Error can have just as powerful an impact on people as truth can. All it needs is the right conditions to flourish.

I left home when I was just seventeen so I’d didn’t have a lot of opportunity to work in the kitchen with my mother. Having the recipe, the pans, and handwritten instructions was all good, but would have been better if I had been with her, watched her, and allowed her to look over my shoulder and tutor me as I made the bread. So it is with handling the “yeast” of the Gospel and avoiding the “yeast” of error. Sticking close to the Master Baker and observing how He mixed judgment with mercy, forgiveness with faith, righteousness with reliance on Him alone, obedience with resting, and servanthood with the privilege of sons, all in perfect combination, is one way to provide the right conditions for sharing the Gospel and avoiding error. Submitting to Him and listening for His promptings and course corrections as to how we handle the truth that we want to present to others can also keep us from ending up with a less than successful result.

The truth is, even Jesus didn’t always see the results that He wanted despite the perfection of the Gospel and His presentation of it. In bread making, the atmospheric conditions can change the results even if all the other factors are perfect. I can’t change the weather, but I can make sure that all that does rely on me is looked after as well as is possible. The rest lies in more capable hands than mine.