Today, the preacher jumps into in the world of politics…

Be it known unto you: this entry is chock-full my opinions – that’s for sure.  I hope and pray that my opinions are based upon eternal truth, but I’m essentially just sharing a perspective which I fear is not being aired very much anywhere anymore.  I welcome comments, criticism, correction and advice.  Except, I don’t want to hear about the imaginary “separation of church and state” that is used to keep some Christians quiet about civil matters.   Legally – the government has to stay out of our religious affairs, but, that doesn’t mean that we have to stay out of their affairs.  It’s a one way street, according to the first amendment (and according to a traditional Baptist distinctive). 

While watching Bill O’Reilley last night, I heard the story about the 50 or so kids in Boulder, Colorado who walked out of class in protest of the inclusion of the phrase “under God” in the pledge of allegiance (if my memory serves me correctly).  Fortunately, in America these kids have the legal right to feel the way they do and to tell people how they feel.  Of course, they do not have the right to walk out of class without permission without being disciplined.  Neither do they have the right to foist their preferences on the rest of the people at the school.  If they don’t like the fact that they live in a nation that historically has Christianity interwoven into many areas of public and private life – fine.  They are foolish to feel that way, but they certainly have every right to be wrong, if they so chose.  And, fortunately, we have a right to say that every one of these kids ought to be lined up and given a good paddling for walking out of class without permission.  Of course paddling is inhumane, unusual, abusive, cruel and id warping punishment – right?  WRONG!  You can taze a kid if he acts up in school, just don’t paddle the kid (what a weird way of thinking).  May I interject a little of Solomon’s advice here?  “A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool's back” – Proverbs 26:3 (by the way, personally, I’m not sure if these kids have earned a rod or a bridle).  Some enlightened x-spurts would whine (after you find one that would agree that their actions were deplorable), “Those kids are too old for that kind of corporal punishment stuff.”  Of course the same child care gurus whine about other kids being “too young” for that kind of discipline.  The Devil tends to burn our candle at both ends on issues like this, until there is no candle left.  I say that the “rod” is no longer useful, only when the kid quits acting like an immature fool.  Until then, he gets what he earns.  I got my last spankin’ at the age of 15, and, trust me, I deserved it justly.  Of course I was humiliated, but, I knew that I had brought it upon myself.  It was probably one of the most valuable whippings I ever received.  Proverbs 22:15 “Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.”  I am well aware that this kind of talk is so foreign to today’s “sophisticated sensibilities” that it sounds absurd to many people – but, frankly, I don’t care.  The truth must be told, no matter how odd it may seem to this “educated” but spiritually polluted society in which we live.

But, I have drifted from my purpose already.  What I really have on my mind today is the Presidential election that is looming on the horizon.  I can’t find a candidate worth voting for that has a chance of being elected.  It seems that the Republican Party is being overrun by dirty old men with multiple living wives, some young enough to be their daughters.  I couldn’t care less about the fiscal policy of any one of them; or their foreign policy perspective.  These men couldn’t even keep their marriages in order – what chance do they have of running a country properly.  According to what I’ve read, some of the most likely candidates (Fred Thompson, Rudi Giuliani, John McCain and Newt Gingrich) are all married to multiple women (divorced and remarried).  I recently heard it accurately called “serial polygamy.”  I might remind us all that no government (and no man) has the jurisdictional power to grant a divorce.  In the words of Christ; “What God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” – Matthew 19:6.  Mit Romney may be part of a church and family that has a polygamist past, but the leading republicans have a polygamist (I’m intentionally abusing the word to make my point) present.  Being divorced and remarried is adultery, plain and simple – Christ said so, not me (Mark 10:11, “Jesus said unto them, ‘Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, commits adultery against her.’”  That seems pretty plain to me.  But, why am I surprised.  The republicans in America have been listening to the pompous Rush Limbaugh for years, and, his marriage woes and number of wives is certainly no secret.

Some will say, “Pastor, stay out of politics.  Stick to preaching the Word.”  My answer: “Read from the story of the life of John the Baptist.”  He spoke boldly and condemningly of the adulterous relationship that king Herod had with his brother’s wife.  Matthew 14:3-4 “Herod laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife.  For John said unto him, ‘It is not lawful for thee to have her.’”  Sure, it got him thrown into prison – but, he was still right in saying what he said.  Was John the Baptist a perfect man himself?  No.  But, he knew that he was responsible to point out such errors, even if those mistakes were in the life of a famous political leader.  We complained about Bill Clinton’s escapade with Monica Lewinski, now it looks like we want to elect men who are no better.  At least Bill is still with the same woman – on paper anyway.  The primary problem with President Clinton was not that he lied under oath (though that was indeed a problem); it was that he was immoral.  Yes, lying is sin.  Adultery (before, during, after or through a divorce) is sin too. 

Don’t tell me that my complaining is worthless.  I’m only fulfilling Proverbs 29:2, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked bears rule, the people mourn.” 

Obviously, I’m not taking this position because I myself am faultless.  I have my own flaws; my own past and present struggles.  But, I do not excuse them – I condemn them in shame.  I stand today upon the authority of the Word of God.  We need leaders in our churches, in our homes, in our business, in our schools – in every place of respect and authority – especially in our nation’s capitol, who are moral men.  Sure, I would like to have a strong Christian president.  But, I’ll settle for one who is still rejoicing with the wife of his youth (Proverbs 5:18, Malachi 2:14-15).  Now, I’m not saying that this is all that matters to me (though, it is a good place to start).  I also want him to be against abortion, against sexual perversions like homosexuality (that even excludes Ron Paul from my favor), against the secularization of our society and in favor of assisting the nation of Israel in their struggle against the violent Muslims (and others) around them (if I were to sit here and meditate a while, I’m sure I could list 100 additional things).  But, what chance do I have of finding such a candidate to support (who also could actually vie legitimately for the position)?  Unfortunately, probably no chance at all.  But, I will decry immorality in our nation and in leaders as long as I have breath.  I am well aware of the fact that it is not popular to talk about divorce and remarriage like this.  I have no desire to hurt people who have been through it.  I know that every case is not the same as some of these.  But, I don’t excuse my sin, and, I certainly am not going to excuse theirs either…

Admittedly – in the end, it is possible (maybe probable) that I will follow the old loathed “lesser of two evils” voting habit, but, I certainly will moan and complain about it all the way to the polls and back.  I’m just sad.  I’m so discouraged about the condition of some segments of the population in this country.  May God be merciful to us and to our children…

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Footnote: I'm not telling anyone who they should or shouldn't vote for.  I can't even figure that out for myself.  I'm just fussing.  I'm just agreeing with what I perceive to be the moral principles of the Bible...

I'm still a Republican (for now) - but not a very proud one...

Imperative Plodding

 “An apple a day will keep the doctor away” - remember the old saying?  Indeed there are some things that we should do daily in order to be prosperous.  The most significant habit in my life has been a daily dose of the Bible.  When I miss it – I’m off in every other area as well.  This is no surprise, for Joshua 1:8 plainly states: “This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; but you shall meditate therein day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” 

On the other hand, there are occurrences; events; opportunities; duties in our lives that are not intended for daily “consumption.”  Consider the life of David for instance.  He did not bring home the head of a giant (First Samuel 17:54) or 200 Philistine foreskins (First Samuel 18:27) every day.  These were unique, once in a lifetime circumstance.  Even as one considers the story of David and Goliath – it is readily apparent that David did not set out to do a mighty thing on the day that he slew that monstrous blasphemer.  He was only doing a simple task: delivering corn, bread and cheese to the battlefield.  He was willing to be faithful in the relatively mundane duties of life, and, while being faithful in that vein, God set a memorable task before him.

I don’t know about you – but there is a part of me that expects to kill one of Goliath’s brothers every day.  One problem with that mentality is that the giant’s brothers are not necessarily available for battle every day.  Another problem with this view of life is that God likely has a different one of his children selected for the other giants.  According to Second Samuel 21, there were four other Philistine giants in the same family as Goliath.  I believe that David was prepared and willing to take them all on (he did gather five stones from the brook).  But, as God would have it, David’s nephew and servants killed these others – not David himself. 

I once overheard a wise man of God speaking about the measure of a successful church.  He commented that a great church is not built on “big Sundays,” but it is built on the “average Sundays.”  Truly a week of dynamic revival preaching is so valuable in the life of a church.  But, the other 51 weeks of the year are equally (or more) important.  The same is true in the life of an individual.  We don’t get saved every day, shouldn’t get married every day, can’t father children every day, aren’t called to the mission field every day, etc.  These moments are so memorable – but it is faithfulness in the other, more mediocre days that allows God to give us those mountaintop experiences. 

This past Wednesday night I was speaking to the choir about the increasingly lengthy list of needs that we are praying about at GBC.  I made the familiar statement; “All sunshine makes a desert.”  We should view superlative moments of success, prosperity, victory and accomplishment as wonderful and intensely sunny days.  I love sunny days.  The warm sunshine on one’s shoulders during a day at the beach is invigorating and refreshing.  But, only a fool would honestly think that 365 days of it would be equally as beneficial or revitalizing.  We benefit from rainy days, snowy days, cloudy days, windy days and just plain old normal days as well.  A good life is not defined but what happens three days a year at the beach, but by what happens on all those regular days.  It’s the rigmarole of daily living that makes a life.

Spiritually – I have wept in prayer, shouted in worship, laughed in thanksgiving, trembled under conviction, ached with desire for holy knowledge and enjoyed goose-bump causing blessings.  I have known the thrill of the confidence that comes with the deeply evident presence of the leading of the Holy Spirit.  But, what about when heaven seems like brass?  What about those many days when everything is just quiet and calm?  Are these days wasted?

I find consolation in the fact that Jesus did not heal people all the time.  I read of him eating, sleeping, walking, talking, hiding and simply fellowshipping with His friends and family.  I am certain that he had many days that were comparatively unremarkable.  He did not clean out the temple every day.  He did not raise a dead man back to life every day.  In fact – He was known simply as “a carpenter” before He started his 3 ½ year ministry.  (Mark 6:3 “Is not This the carpenter, the Son of Mary, the Brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not His sisters here with us? And they were offended at Him.”)  Jesus died once, rose once and ascended once – but He lived more simply on many, many other days.    

Early in my ministry, I preached a message that was particularly dead.  I was horribly discouraged, and so, I called my ever wise father to get some reassurance.  As I recall, he quoted for me the words of Paul to the young preacher named Tim… “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (Second Timothy 4:2).  He said that we are to preach when we feel like it, and preach when we don’t.  I would add to that that I am learning to preach when the people respond, and to preach even when they don’t.  Preach when it is exciting; preach when it’s boring.  Preach when people like it; preach when they don’t.  Preach the whole counsel of God.  Preach the positive and the negative.  Preach the fun stuff and the miserable stuff.  Preach hell hot and heaven real.  Preach to the big crowed and to the small one.  To preach, even when it seems like I’m not making any difference at all.

I know that most of my readers are not preachers, but the principle applies to everyone’s particular calling.  A paramedic may not save the mayors life every day; the fireman may not put out a fire in The Whitehouse every night; the investor may not double his money every month – once, or periodically, sure… but not every day.  We must learn to be faithful doing obscure, minor, simple, normal, mundane, common things, as if they were the highlight of our life.  H.J. Heinz said that his aim in life was merely "to do a common thing uncommonly well" (see heinzawards.net).  That was his aim.  He succeeded.  And, it is our calling from God.  Matthew 25 teaches plainly that it is God’s will that we be diligent and vigorous doing the small jobs.  He (in His own good timing) will use us for big jobs as (and if) He sees fit.  But, the BIG JOBS don’t come our way every day – and that’s OK… right?

It reminds me of one of my favorite (unoriginal and rhetorical) FAQs:

Q:  “How does one eat an elephant? 

A:  “One bite at a time.”

It’s just fine for life to be this way.  We kill the elephant on one day: that is exciting and memorable.  We eat elephant three meals a day for the next year: not so sensational, eh?  But, just as important.

Christian friend, do your duties today – no matter how irrelevant and unimportant it may seem on the grand scale.  We will give an account to God, and will be rewarded even for the cup of cold water that we give to someone in support of the name of a fellow believer (Matthew 10:42).  To my fellow congregators here at Grace B.C., I sometimes quote First Corinthians 10:31 in a similar way to this: “Whether therefore ye eat a cheese burger, or drink a Dr. Pepper (“AMEN!”), or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”  Playing dominoes with my wife is as needful as passing out a tract at McDonalds.  I can glorify God in both ways!

Today I may encounter a giant that needs to be decapitated.  If so – Great!  If not – Great! 

My prayer: “Lord, help me to just be faithful to You and to happily leave the job selection up to You!”

Now, if today’s blog was a little “blah” – that’s not a problem…  lol…

:-)

PS: I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content (or something like that).

Can we bargain with God?

Have you ever been in a predicament that provided an excuse for you to make a bargain with God?  Does this really work?  Who gets the benefit and who sets the terms in these deals?

Recently I have noticed that sometimes people hear and understand their “deals” in life according to God’s declarations of His own will, yet, instead of accepting the “proposal,” they try to rewrite the deal and make some kind of counter offer to God. 

When Israel came to the Jordan River the first time, they were told that, 1) they could go fight and win today, or 2) they could refuse and go die in the wilderness later.  Their answer was, “Neither.”  They chose to go fight the next day, and, they expected God to grant the same blessing that He would have given if they had gone in the first place.  Did God sign onto their plan?  No.  They were defeated in that battle and many of them died early.  Only then they reverted to the original consequences of refusing His good will.  His terms were indeed carried out.

I can remember when Tonya and I were first buying a home.  I remember (foolishly) telling God that if He would give us that house (that we wanted) then I would witness to my neighbors there.  We got the house.  I was actually a witness to some of my neighbors a few times.  And, unfortunately, I still have the house – 850 miles away from where I now live.  Truth is: 1) I should have asked that His will be done concerning the purchase of the house, and 2) I should have been praying for God to help me to be a witness regardless of whether I lived there or under a bridge somewhere.  There are other “deals” that I have made with God: “if/then” commitments – you know, “God, if you will do such-and-such for me, then I will do such-and-such for you.”  I can’t think of a single arrangement that I have lived up to.  Perhaps this was the same experience that the wise king Solomon had trudged through in his own life.  He wrote sharply in Ecclesiastes 5:4-7…

“When you vow a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for He has no pleasure in fools: pay that which you have vowed.  Better is it that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay.   Suffer not your mouth to cause your flesh to sin; neither say before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at your voice, and destroy the work of your hands?  For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear God.”

I have done this exact thing.  I have made commitments and later realized that I didn’t even come close to fulfilling my end of the matter.  I have had to go in shame to the Father and admit that, once again, I had reneged on my part of the deal.

The Jews who came out of Egypt heard the commandments of God from the mouth of Moses.  With the greatest of intentions they joined in on the covenant that God offered to them.

Exodus 19:8, “And all the people answered together, and said, ‘All that the LORD hath spoken we will do.’  And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.”

We might be tempted to commend them for this statement.  But, in truth, they were agreeing to something that they could in no way fulfill.  In this case, God himself set the standards, but even then, they should have carefully considered their own weak condition before making such a deal.  In Acts 15:10 the Apostle Peter admitted that the Jews were not able to live up to the covenant that had been made between them and God.  In reference to the new Gentile believers who were being oppressed by the legalism of some of their Jewish brethren, he said, “Now why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?”

True, hindsight is 20/20, so I’m not trying to be overly critical of them.  I’m trying to learn from their mistakes.  What should they have said instead?  They should have fallen on their faces and cried out, “Oh God, we want to please you now, but, we acknowledge that we are weak and sinful creatures.  We are certainly not going to be able to live in harmony with these principles.  PLEASE, BE MERCIFUL TO US!”  Essentially, they suffered loss for generations while God laid out their living illustrations of human feebleness as examples to you and me of our own need for total humility before Him and for willing reliance upon Him.

It is hard for us to admit, but, we would do well to open our eyes to the fact that we do not have anything that God needs!  In the days of Christ’s pilgrimage on this earth, He pointed out that if God so chose to, He could cause the rocks to burst forth in praise of His name.  We are infinitely dispensable and disposable – every one of us.  Sure, He is gracious and kind.  (He does have the power to instill value in our existence as He recreates His image in us; that likeness which was destroyed by sin).  He offers much to us and does indeed grant to us our “demands” more times than not, even when the result is not good – but, it is not because He is desperate for our help that He gives us what we want.  It’s simply a product of His generous nature.

Instead of bargaining with God (which is a version of legalism), we should simply admit His power and position, while at the same time we declare our own needs and desires.  Then, wrapped around this wiser strategy of approaching God, we place the genuine garment of willing meekness: “Lord, I know that it’s not what I want that matters, but, whatever you want.  Above all I want Your will to be done!” 

Now this is indeed a bargain.

Of course, it is the exact pattern of the gospel.  He offers freely to us that for which we could never justly bargain.  Theologically, the sinner’s prayer doesn’t sound like this: “God, if you’ll save me, I promise that I’ll do better.”  No, it sounds like this: “Dear Lord, please save me.  I want to do better, but, I can’t!”  That is what the perfect life of Christ was all about.  He was perfect for us because He knew that we could never do it ourselves. 

We don’t struggle too much with this reality in relation to our salvation and justification, but we should also remember that it is true about our sanctification as well.  Read Galatians 3:3, “Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?”  The same way that we came to Christ (by faith) is how we are to now live in Christ (by faith).  So, when He gives us opportunities and instructions – rather than trying to work out our own scheme from our own perspective of how things should be done, we are to simply follow Him on and on, one moment at a time, repenting as we fail and rejoicing in Him as He grants victory.  When I tell God what I will do for Him tomorrow (especially when connected with what I think I can offer to Him today) I am venturing away from what it means to live by faith. 

A better prayer: “Lord, what do You want me to do today?  I’m not worried about tomorrow.  I know that you have tomorrow under Your control!”

All I’m saying is that it is absurd for us to think that we can wheel and deal with the Almighty.  Even if He agrees to our terms, we are bound to lose out. 

Note to self: David, don’t be a dummy.  Don’t try to bargain with God.  Just accept the gifts that He freely offers.  And, be submissive to Him now, regardless of what He has done, is doing or will do for you…   

Why?  Because, God is never a debtor.  He has ever once given someone fewer blessings than they “deserved.”

"Hoary Beauty”

Proverbs 16:31 majestically proclaims that “The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.”  This is the verse that I plan on using to get my wife to let her hair turn gray (some day) without dying it or highlighting it.  I, for one, would much rather my hair turn white than turn loose.  (It doesn’t appear that I will have much say in either matter though).

Truly there is a gracious beauty in the face and frame of an elderly saint.  Even when the body is wearing out and the mind begins to falter – years of holy living seem to give a certain priceless sweetness to some of these dear ones that I have met.  They may be fragile, but their duties here on this earth aren’t yet completed.

King David was one of these men of God who lived past the youthful days of strength and independence and into the times of weakness and dependence.   We read of this scenario in First Kings 1:1-4:

“Now king David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat.  Wherefore his servants said unto him, ‘Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and let her cherish him, and let her lie in your bosom, that my lord the king may get heat.’  So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the coasts of Israel, and found Abishag a Shunammite, and brought her to the king.  And the damsel was very fair, and cherished the king, and ministered to him: but the king knew her not.”

This solution (for his constant shivering) would be horrendous and shameful by today’s standards, but one must be extremely careful and reluctant in judging past cultures by modern sensibilities.  The point here is that David was in bad shape because of the feebleness that the years had brought upon him.  The servants of David did what they could to be a help to their waning master. 

 

But, have you ever wondered what crossed David’s mind during these days?  I think perhaps we have one particular prayer that was prayed from the bed of this ancient poet, recorded in Psalm 71.  (I’m preaching from this same passage tonight and have entitled the message, “A Resort for a Gray Head.”)

 

Look at a few of the phrases that David uses and see if they are what you would expect from an old man who is watching the sun set on the horizon of his earthly journey…

 

“I put my trust in You, Lord;

  Don’t let me be confused.” 

 

“Be my strong habitation,  

  Whereunto I may continually resort…”

 

“You are my hope, O Lord GOD:

  You are my trust from my youth.”  

 

“By You have I been held up from the womb:

  You are He that took me out of my mother's bowels…”

 

“I am as a wonder unto many…”

 

“Let my mouth be filled with Your praise and with Your honor all the day.”

 

“Cast me not off in the time of old age;

Forsake me not when my strength fails.”  

 

“I will hope continually,

and will yet praise You more and more.”

 

“My mouth shall show forth Your righteousness and Your salvation all the day;

For I know not the numbers thereof.”  

 

“I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD:

I will make mention of Your righteousness,

even of yours only.”

 

“O God, You have taught me from my youth:

and hitherto have I declared Your wondrous works.”

 

“Now also when I am old and grayheaded,

O God, forsake me not;

until I have showed Your strength unto this generation,

and Your power to every one that is to come.” 

 

“O God, You have done great things:

O God, who is like unto thee!”

 

“You have shown me great and sore troubles,

But, You will quicken me again,

and will bring me up again from the depths of the earth.”

 

“You will increase my greatness,

and comfort me on every side.”

 

“My tongue also shall talk of Your righteousness all the day long…”

 

Now, if you don’t see the beauty and glory of this prayer (from the wrinkled lips of this elderly monarch) then you’re not paying attention to what he said, or else you’re just distracted by something.  This man was communing with God!  Herein he declares his total faith in the God.  This is the God who he has been trusting in all of his life.  He knows that God is not through with him.  He asks for God to be his refuge, his resort and his comfort in these last days of his life.  And, he desires to be a contributing mouthpiece to help reveal (to the younger generation) the truth that he has learned.  God did indeed grant to David that which he requested.  In First Kings 2 we read David’s last lesson to Solomon in verses 1-3:

“Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying, ‘I go the way of all the earth: you be strong therefore, and show yourself a man; and keep the charge of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, and His commandments, and His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do, and whithersoever you turn yourself…’”

 

Are you retired?  Or, maybe you are not retired, but you are tired?  If you have fewer days left on this earth than you have already spent, it’s time for you to pray the prayer of David.  “Lord, I need you!  And, Lord, help me to pass on some wisdom to this younger generation.” 

 

When I visit younger people they don’t usually have time to do much talking and listening…  There are things to do and places to go.  But, when I visit the elderly, it seems that the thing they want the most is to just talk and listen.  David repeatedly mentioned this in his prayer.  He said…

“Let my mouth be filled with Your praise and with Your honor all the day.”

“I will yet praise You more and more.”

“My mouth shall show forth Your righteousness and Your salvation all the day”

“I will make mention of Your righteousness, even of yours only.”

“I have declared Your wondrous works.”

“Forsake me not; until I have showed Your strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.” 

“My tongue also shall talk of Your righteousness all the day long…”

 

To my elder friends and family members: take your ministry of “gab” seriously – it can be a priceless contribution to the continuation of the faith that you hold dear!  Of course, don’t forget to take careful notice the topic of David’s didactic meanderings: he spoke of his God…

 

To my youthful friends and family members: let us not deprive our mentors of the gift that God has given to them.  Let us seek the wisdom and doctrine of those who have “been there” and “done that” many times before, and many times more than we…

 

David put it bluntly.  He said, “I am old and gray headed” (Psalm 71:18).  But, he knew two things very well: 1) that he still needed God, and 2) that others still needed David.  So, he prayed… and, he continued to cast the glow of the beauty of his life experience and his acquired knowledge of God into the recesses of the darkness that he perceived in the lives of the youths around him…  And, think of it, here we are in 2007, and the words of this aged gentleman are still being used by God to help young greenhorns… like me…

Big Words and a Big Job…

“Never use a ten cent word when a simpler one will do.”

I suppose in audible conversations this is a good principle to live by.  But when it comes to thinking and writing, I am certain that it can contribute to intellectual atrophy.  Last time I checked we worship an intelligent God who created us as intelligent beings (the occasional surfacing of the curses of memory loss and inanity among us notwithstanding).  Rich and precise vocabulary is to our mind what brilliant shades and hues are to our eyes; like volume and tone to our ears.  Having 37 different flavors of ice cream is better than having just one…

I fell in love with vocabulary long ago.  When I was a teacher we had a “word of the day” every day, in every class.  I tried to find new and mysterious words that would expand and improve our educational toolbox.  I learned some really neat words, like “juxtapose” and “demitasse.”  Through this love affair with words and definitions I began to realize that there are families of words, the knowledge of which can deepen our understanding of certain concepts.  The first family that I remember struggling with was the group that included the three words: “apathy, complacency and lethargy.”  These words were horribly difficult for me to remember – because I seldom heard them used in conversations – but, I knew that they were significant terms that I needed to retain because they so precisely describe the spiritual nature of most professing Christians.  I was still a teenager at that time, but I can still remember hearing our preacher talking about how most people just don’t care, they have no real interest or core involvement in the business of our Father.  I saw that each of these three words, in their own separate way, served as vivid descriptions of just what I wanted to avoid in my own walk with God.  Just like a bigger fire will instill more respect for the power of combustion than a small one will, these bigger words somehow struck more fear in my heart than the simpler words that could have also been used to describe parasitical believers – like “lazy, bored or tired.” 

Anyway – there is this one particular word that I have forgotten, perhaps more often than any other word.  I can remember numerous times having to go search for it.  Once I had to consult with one of my former genius students to find it.  It’s the word “mandate.”  I only remember hearing it used in political science classes and every four years around the time of presidential elections.  Well, I have a horrible memory… sometimes.  I get this mental block and just can’t seem to retrieve exact things.  I know what I’m looking for in the files of my mind, but it’s so blurry that I can’t see even one detail clearly.  Yesterday, while I was mowing the yard, I was trying to think of this word once again (I don’t know why).  In my mind, I kept encountering the words “ultimatum,” “vendetta” and “moratorium” – but not the one I was looking for: “MANDATE!”

Let’s see here, according to www.dictionary.com…

1.    Ultimatum = a final, uncompromising demand or set of terms issued by a party to a dispute, the rejection of which may lead to a severance of relations or to the use of force.  A final proposal or statement of conditions. 

2.    Vendetta = a private feud in which the members of the family of a murdered person seek to avenge the murder by killing the slayer or one of the slayer's relatives, esp. such vengeance as once practiced in Corsica and parts of Italy.  Any prolonged and bitter feud, rivalry, contention, or the like: “a political vendetta.”

3.    Moratorium = a suspension of activity: “a moratorium on the testing of nuclear weapons.”  A legally authorized period to delay payment of money due or the performance of some other legal obligation, as in an emergency.  An authorized period of delay or waiting. 

4.    Mandate = a command or authorization to act in a particular way on a public issue given by the electorate to its representative: “The president had a clear mandate to end the war.”

Let’s enumerate three things about this ridiculously irrelevant mental conflagration of mine.

1.    All of these words are infrequent characters in my personal dialogues. 

2.    All of them have some of the same letters and visual letter patterns.

3.    All of the expressions can be found in the context of various civil/political type discussions.

What spiritual lesson can we get from this?  (I am one of those people who look for the significance in everything from four leaf clovers to beautiful moonlit nights.  Every good gift comes from God, and, without a doubt, the ability to mull over “big” words {humor me here, they’re big to me, maybe not to you} is indeed an indication of God’s goodness.  I could have been born in 1000 AD in Europe when illiteracy was as common as tree leaves.  Literacy is a colossal blessing from the hand of our Creator – for, without it I couldn’t read and understand His precious Word!)

I have two thoughts from this linguistic circus today.

1.    Just because people know something doesn’t mean that they are aware of it at every given moment or that they can remember it easily.  Our minds are faulty machines.  I should be generous, forgiving and patient with people because we all are flawed in our computing mechanism (to varying degrees).  I want people to be understanding concerning my weaknesses and to cut me some slack sometimes – so, I should do that for others as well.  When someone says they will do something and then they don’t follow through – should I assume that it is because of neglect or rebellion?  No, I might just as quickly and easily figure that they forgot about it, got distracted or even that they did sincerely attempt to fulfill their commitment. 

“David, be merciful and considerate with people – we all have our own handicaps.”

2.    This word mandate, in addition to the definition that I gave earlier, also can mean…

a.    a command from a superior court or official to a lower one. 

b.    an authoritative order or command: “a royal mandate.” 

c.    to authorize or decree (a particular action), as by the enactment of law.

d.    to order or require; make mandatory.

When I was looking for it this morning, I found it while searching for synonyms for the word “empower.”  Did you know that we have received a mandate from God the Father?  Just like a president who is unanimously elected has a mandate to push his agenda through Congress, we have a mandate as well.  As the elect of God we have a mandate to carry out the agenda that we and the Triune God agree upon – namely the spreading of the gospel.  Think of the words of the departing Christ spoken to the church in Act 1:8, “You shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”  We indeed have a mandate! 

My Mom has a ministry that makes me smile.  She goes into stores and puts gospel tracts into cases of beer.  On the one hand I imagine my innocent little mother on the evening news or in jail…  On the other hand I’m reminded of Psalm 24:1-2 “The earth is the LORD'S, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.  For, He has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.”  If the Holy Spirit has led her to insert good news literature into someone else’s property, to her, the laws of man are null and void.  She has a higher authority to answer to.  She may or may not be punished by the secular authorities for her intrusions, but I think of the words of Peter and John in Acts 4:19-20 “Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge you.  For, we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”  They basically said to the judges, respectfully, “You do what you feel you have to do; we will continue to do what we have to do regardless of what you do to us.”

Whether you agree the method of “beer box evangelism” or not – don’t ever forget that we have the authority and power to be witnesses for Christ.  We have a mandate that: 1). no one can take that away from us, and 2). we must never fail to fulfill.

“When God’s work is most beneficial”

 

Faith includes more than just dependence upon God.  We are all always depending upon God, whether we are aware of it or not; whether we like it or not.  In truth, our reliance upon Him in all areas of life upon this earth is not a matter that is at all within our hands.  It is much like the effects of the force that we call gravity.  One may deny that it exists, forget that it is there or even decide to defy it’s principles or resist its power – but, in the end, there is no damage done to the force of gravity just because of our perspective; the physical sway that it has on us is absolutely unchanged.  Truly, a man who stands confidently upon the face of the earth (knowing that gravity will keep him from flying off into space) may be happier and more at ease than the mentally unstable imbecile who fears that gravity may not be real, fears that he misunderstands it, fears that it might cease to function or any other far flung notion – but, in both cases they are each depending upon the force of gravity to hold them down.  Gravitational force is exerted upon them regardless of their opinion or conviction about the matter or their desire to be held down by some “other” force of their own imaginative creation.  I could walk down the road with suction cups on my feet to make sure that I don’t escape the atmosphere – but the reason for my stable and constant abiding upon this planet would not be due to those contraptions, but would still be a result of the effects of gravity.

 

A God fearing saint knowingly depends on God to water his crops with rain.  But, then again, the unregenerate heathen will get no rain unless God allows it, and so he is, as such, at the mercy and will of the Creator – he is dependent upon God though he may have no faith in Him.

 

The word “depend” means “to be contingent: to be affected or decided by other factors.”  There is not one moment of our lives that is not on the brink of disaster and destruction.  In Him we live and move and have our being – like it or not, know it or not, love it or not – without Him we would not even exist.  We do not have power over our own existence, but are completely subject to the laws and principles that have been established by the Almighty.

 

Faith, on the other hand, involves willing acknowledgement of our dependence upon God.  Real faith includes eager agreement with, and grateful surrender to the Truth.  Faith is an attitude that God plants, cultivates, nurtures and harvests within us.  Faith includes humility and favor.  Faith embraces submission; conscious, free-will subordination. 

 

One of my favorite things to do is to mentally list the synonyms of the word faith.  These four come to mind first…

1.       Believe

2.       Trust

3.       Rely

4.       Depend

Even the words “confidence” and “assurance” are inextricably connected to this concept which God calls “faith.”  Another example is the word “wait” – “they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength…”  Clearly faith is included in the context.  This is of gargantuan importance since we were created for His pleasure, and He is only pleased with us when we act within the confines of faith. 

 

I have long been intrigued by “useless faith.” 

 

There are men in Bible who had an attitude that resembled faith, but it was misplaced, misguided, misinformed and wicked.  The prophets of Baal were zealous, committed, bold, faithful and intense in their worship of Baal.  The only problem was that Baal was not actually the one and only true and living God of the Bible.  He was “a” god… imagined and fabricated within the minds of fallen men and manufactured by their own hands.  Their faith was in a powerless object.  Their “faith” was what got them an early ticket to hell.

 

Then there are others who had their eyes on the right object, but fell short of the level of commitment and quality of spirit that makes a difference in one’s life and changes the eternal destination of a person’s soul…  Christ had many disciples who “believed” His words, followed His teaching and example, enjoyed His presence and even experienced the power of His miracles – yet it was eventually manifested that they were not among the living children of the Father.  They assented to the factual nature of the truth but were unwilling to yield to its dominating authority.  Because of there unwillingness to repent, their knowledge of the truth got them into more trouble, rather than helping them out of the trouble that they were already in.  Some of the “believers” were willing to accept reliance upon Jesus for their earthly needs, but never understood the necessity of also committing their eternal destiny into His care.  Others wanted His gift of eternal life, but wanted to come on their own terms – eclectically giving only certain things over to His control, while purposefully retaining other areas of their life within their own sphere of unalienable autonomy.

 

I guess the biggest difference that I see between “faith” and “dependence” is in this matter of what we are leaning on God to do; what “package” do we entrust to His safekeeping?  I am constantly a recipient of His favor and grace in this material world which I enjoy, but, to receive the blessings of heaven – initial acquiescence and progressive self-subjugation to the spiritual and eternal truth of the gospel is required.  I must not resist or ignore God’s power and position.  I must cheerfully comply with His demand of my faith in His Son.  As far back as I can remember I “knew” that faith in Christ was the only way to the Father.  Twenty-two years ago I admitted that this was THE path for me.  I received forgiveness and eternal life that day.  I entered a relationship of peace and joy with “The God Who Is” – The One (and only One) that actually does exist apart from all other things!  I have never once changed my mind.  My sin-sick soul would be damned and worthless were it not for the underpinning of the everlasting arms of God’s Salvation.

 

Can you differentiate between those times in your life when you were willfully trusting God in any way in any area of your life (whether it was your physical, emotional, financial, familial or spiritual well-being), and those times when He was taking care of you without your request for or acknowledgement of His involvement in your life or your dependence upon him.  He holds everything afloat.  When we know that we are on His boat, or when we forget that we are on His boat – either way, He is the captain and without His provision and protection we would all be doomed.

 

I always depend on God.  I’m so blessed that today (as a result of His Word and work) I am both aware of His presence and glad that He is here…  Today I can see my dependence upon Him; His provision for me.  Today I am thrilled with this arrangement.  But, there are some days that I dream that I am independent and self-sufficient. 

 

Hey David! Without Him we can do NOTHING!

 

“Lord, remind me of this reality again tomorrow!”

 

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct Thy paths.”

 

We benefit temporarily from His care and our blind dependence upon Him.  But, if this dependence is recognized, accepted and applied on purpose – well, then the benefits extend and become eternal!

“When God Turns Darkness to Noonday Brightness”

 

There are two very different kinds of valleys that Christians endure.

1. Depressions of our own making
   1. Against God,
   2. Allowing Satan and
   3. Affecting others.  And…
2. Distractions from some other source
   1. Allowed by God,
   2. Administered by Satan and
   3. Amplified by men.

When David killed his close subordinate colleague (the mighty and loyal warrior named Uriah the Hittite) so that he could have Uriah’s wife safely for his own enjoyment – he entered a deep and dark valley of his own creation.  He sinned against God, played into the hands of the Devil and did significant damage to other people.  It was his fault.  He knew better.  He didn’t just fall momentarily and quickly rebound; oh no, he stooped and stayed, schemed and connived, covered and killed in order to provide for his own pleasure and to protect his own skin.  Yet – do we not all know that David sired his sole heir to the throne through Bathsheba, the mother of the great and wise King Solomon… author of three mighty inspired books of the Old Testament, grandfather of Christ Himself?   

 

We must never say, as some were accused of saying in Romans 3:8, “(We be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) ‘Let us do evil, that good may come?’ whose damnation is just.”  On the other hand, if David hadn’t sinned in this way, God would not have been able to show His mercy in the way that He did, in restoring David to fellowship with his Father and blessing David’s union with Bathsheba with this wonderful son.  Surely God could have done something different and perhaps even more wonderful if David had remained faithful, yet undeniably, He turned David’s mess into a beautiful story of compassion.   

 

We could speak of Abraham, Jonah and others who enjoyed similar grace, following mistakes for which they were stupidly responsible.

 

But, moving on to those valleys that we do not bring upon ourselves – consider the blind man of John chapter nine.  

“And as Jesus passed by, He saw a man which was blind from his birth.  And His disciples asked Him, saying, ‘Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?’  Jesus answered, ‘Neither has this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.’”

 

This story is clear enough.  Though he and his family undoubtedly had more troubles and trials than the average person, due to his inhibition, God did something glorious that He could not have done otherwise.  Sure, the man’s blindness was partly a result of the general travailing of all of this cursed creation, but, God, in His infinite power and wisdom turned it around and made a beautiful sculpture from something that seemed wasteful and useless.  He has a Providential habit of doing this, eh?

 

Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”  For our good and for His glory… even our transgressions, if we will humble ourselves before Him in godly repentance, He is willing to lift us up, to exalt us in His own good time – unworthy though we are!  I have seen it repeatedly.  I have failed, was sure that this time He had had enough and would finally give up on me… would turn his back on me… yet, He hasn’t done it to this very day.  In fact, it seems that He turns my blunders into blessings – it is truly amazing!  (Dear Lord, help never to presume upon this grace; never to assume that You will give me another chance).  He has NO OBLIGATION to be this way – other than His own good will…

 

Whether the valley that you are now in (if you are in one) is a product of your own foolishness or a result of someone else’s foolishness – take your burden to the foot of the cross.  Lay your petition before the Father in the name of the Son in the power of the Spirit and stand back to see God work.  I believe that you will be shocked at the magnificent edifices that God can build from broken ruins and soiled, muddy shambles.  Don’t go demanding the miracle – go to Him willing to suffer loss.  Let Him chose the “if, when and where” of the blessings.

 

‘Tis ours to be meek…

            His to be merciful!

 

Glory Hallelujah!  Ain’t God good!?!?!?!

 

He can indeed draw a straight line with a crooked stick (as I have heard my Dad say many times).  He can take the darkest night and cause it to glow with warm brightness, as if the sun were shining mightily overhead. 

 

With God, nothing is impossible… NO ONE is impossible… improbable perhaps, but never impossible…He may sometimes seem to us to be unwilling to fix our problems, but He is NEVER unable!

Points of no Return

 

According to the encyclopedia…

In the 1st century BC, the Rubicon River formed the boundary between Italy and the Roman province of Cisalpine Gaul.  In 49 BC, Julius Caesar made his famous crossing of the Rubicon; as the Roman Senate had forbidden him to enter Italy with an army, this action initiated civil war between his forces and those of Pompey the Great.  The phrase “to cross the Rubicon” has come to mean the taking of a step by which one is committed to a hazardous enterprise.

Microsoft ® Encarta ® Reference Library 2005. © 1993-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

 

If you know very much about history, you were probably already familiar with this story.  In Caesar’s case, his decision brought positive and desirable results (well, in accordance with what he deemed profitable and best anyway – at least for a short time.  Of course, he was murdered a short 5 years later, so the ultimate “benefit” of his choice is obviously debatable).  However, whether or not he was doing well and right is immaterial to our discussion today.  He made a decision that had serious and irreversible consequences.    

 

There are certain points within each one of our lives, at which we have crossed a line, from which we can never return.  There are several examples within the Scripture that I point to here. These decisions turned out to be fatal. 

1. When Moses struck the rock in Zin and disobeyed God concerning the method of the miracle of bringing out water, Moses and Aaron lost all possible hope of leading the Israelites into Canaan. 
2. Ananias and Sapphira (when they lied about the amount of money that they had received from the sale of their property) were not given a second chance, but were smitten down without mercy by the Holy Ghost. 
3. Achan was stoned and burned (along with his possessions and his family) due to his covetous actions in Jericho.  No compassion or reconciliation was even considered.
4. Cain, Ham, Belshazzar and others came to places in their lives, at which where no more opportunities were offered to them.  In each case, there was a plane reached and the destiny determined.

 

The Bible says in Isaiah 59:2, “Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear.”

 

Even the great apostle Paul spoke in First Corinthians 9:27 of the fear that he had that, after having preached to others, he should become a castaway.  He knew that there was the very real possibility that he could cross a line, sinning in such a way, that God would put him on the shelf and not ever use him again.

 

Truly, on a positive note, when we trusted Christ as our Savior, we crossed a river that can never be forded again.  No man can return to a position of condemnation once they have been placed within Christ.  HE has begun a good work in all of HIS children and HE will absolutely perform it.

 

Nevertheless, less appealingly, we must recognize that we can make grave mistakes that make indelible marks on our lives – even to such an extent that we may lose our functionality within the call that God has previously placed upon us.

 

Some of these lines are drawn boldly in the Word, others are not.  How can we predict the extent of God’s mercy or the force of His justice?  It is not ours to spend our time trying to find out how close to the edge we can come without falling.  It should be sufficient enough just for us to be aware of the fact that a ledge does indeed exist.  We should make it our business to stay as far from that precipice as possible.  

 

Even if God were to choose only mercy and never judgment for you and me, at the very least we must remember that words (once spoken), actions (once committed), thoughts (once imagined), errors (once made)… can never be retrieved.  We can apologize.  We can even be forgiven.  But damage is done and scars remain.

 

Let us renew our commitment to God today to do right… every time, every moment of every day.  Don’t ever allow your new nature to have “time off”!  One solitary moment in sin may be the straw that breaks the camel’s back and relegates us to uselessness. 

 

I hate to say this, but it really can happen. 

What is it about children?

 

In Matthew 18:10 Jesus made a puzzling statement: “Take heed that you despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.”  According to my Eclectic Notes on the Bible, “this comforting passage, gives us the happy assurance that children who die go to be with the Lord…”  Other Commentators say that this refers to God’s care for children while they remain upon the earth.  Either way, (FYI – I emotionally prefer the first interpretation, logically the second) it shows a special attention and interest that God gives to children that He does not guarantee to everyone else, except, of course, for His elect.  I’m reminded of Mark 9:36, 37 & 42, where kindly “…He took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when He had taken him in His arms, He said unto them, ‘Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receives Me: and whosoever shall receive Me, receives not Me, but Him that sent Me.’”  Then He vehemently thundered: “Whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in Me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.”

 

Perhaps we are all more familiar with Matthew 19:14, “Jesus said, ‘Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto Me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”  And again, Mark 10:15 “Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.”  Maybe it wasn’t the kids that He was talking about, but their attitude and condition.  On the other hand, what ever attitude and condition He was pointing too was surely in these children – so they were included in His exhortation.

 

I am aiming at shedding a little light on the role that Children play in the ultimate glorification of God and the pleasure that He receives from His creation. 

 

Perhaps the clearest passage dealing with this issue is II Samuel 12:22-23, “David said, ‘While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, “Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?”  But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.’”  Clearly, (in my judgment) David was sure and certain that his son was in the place of peace and rest into which he himself would someday enter.  Some would say that David was only speaking of the grave where (representatively) all deceased individuals gather, but what comfort would that have been?

 

There are a few choices we have in trying to discern where children go when they leave this life.  Thinking very broadly…

1. They cease to exist.  NOT!
2. They are reincarnated.  NOT!
3. They go to Purgatory.  NOT!
4. They go to hell.  WHY?  Based upon what Scripture could this be stated?
5. Some go to eternal bliss, others to eternal anguish – depending upon the spiritual condition of their parents (I’ve actually heard this before).  AGAIN, WHY?  Where is this found in the Bible?
6. They go to be with God.  YES!  Though they were born in sin, they never understood their situation or made an aware decision to resist the God who made them.  Christ’s blood paid for Adam’s sin against His creator, and they have no conscious sin of their own, yet.

I have a child in heaven.  Tonya had a miscarriage between Kayla and Seth.  If that little one had a soul (and, of course, it did) then he or she lives on… somewhere.  If our little unborn child isn’t in heaven, then the abortionist are right and just and wise for “dealing” with unwanted pregnancies.  But, I know that they are wrong, because every conceived human life has an immortal soul!

 

That’s what I believe, but how little I have upon which to base it all.  It’s mostly common sense, compassion and the application of somewhat related theology.

 

Let’s briefly consider some of the more difficult sections in the Bible about children.  This morning I read Psalm 137:8-9 in my devotions; “O daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewards you as you have served us.  Happy shall he be, that takes and dashes your little ones against the stones.”  Hmmm, that’s pretty gruesome, not to mention brutal and sadistic.  It’s like the news story that I read yesterday about the little kid who was shot in the head for no reason, other than who his Daddy was – Why, why, why?  It makes no sense to me.  Yet this is not an isolated passage of Scripture.

 

Some of the Bible is generally ignored because it runs against the grain of our “cultured and civilized” sensibilities.  For example: How many babies drowned in the Deluge?  Or, what are we to think of the Divine commandment in First Samuel 15:2-3, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.  Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.’” 

 

Or, how about Joshua 6:21 where it says that the Jews “utterly destroyed all that was in the city [of Jericho], both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.”  How about in the days of Lot?  Surely there were many babies in Sodom and Gomorrah when the fire fell – maybe not, but that would be pretty odd.

 

Then there is the sticky question, “Who is caught up in the rapture?”  We know that it is the church.  Are infants, the innocent or the ignorant automatically part of the body and bride of Christ?  No!  So do they go up at the trumpet?  I think not!  As such, if the rapture happened today, my baby Elijah would be left here, alone!

 

In the end, I rest on God’s goodness. 

 

On one hand I am thinking like Abraham did in, Genesis 18:25, “That be far from You, to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from You: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

 

On the other hand, I admit that I stand with Paul in asking in Romans 9:20 “Nay but, O man, who are you that replies against God? Shall the thing formed say to Him that formed it, ‘Why have You made me thus?’”

 

Ultimately, we are His possessions… He has the right to do anything!  He doesn’t have to answer to anyone or explain His high ways to me or to anybody else.  Psalm 115:3 says it best, “Our God is in the heavens: He has done whatsoever He has pleased.” 

 

All this being said – I am confident because of revelation, logic, experience and conscience (revelation primarily) that God is a good, loving, compassionate, caring and kind Father.  Whatever He does – it is the BEST that could possibly be done.  I’m not budging on this position about the nature and character of my dear Father.  However, in my flesh I cry out – why does God allow millions of babies to be killed all across this world every year?  Sure, I believe that they wake up in heaven – but, the injustices that He allows are stunning to me.  I know that He is not to be blamed.  Evil, pain, suffering and death are results of His lack of involvement (always because He has been willfully excluded), not because of His involvement in things.  I can blame it on the Devil and the human race; never can I justly place the blame upon God. 

 

I’ll close on a happier note.  I have stated several times recently that I wonder if babies will be babies eternally.  It would surely make heaven a special place.  But, I don’t know.  In fact, I have absolutely no idea at all.

 

This one thing I know – I serve a good God!  The Devil tries to supply evidence to the contrary, but I do here and now, once again, passionately reject it.

 

Father – I worship Thee!  I sure can’t wait to meet your Son face to face…

 

I wonder if I’ll have even more questions then, than I have now.  Surely I’ll have some of the answers to these questions that have replies which are just outside of my reach…

Effective Power

Who is in charge of the local church? 

The right answer is: “Jesus Christ”

 

How does He govern? 

The right answers are:

Through the Word divine,

By the Spirit within, and

In the body itself!

Now, where are the Pastors and Deacons in this list?  Well, they should be in every slot – not as a result of the authority that they possess, but by virtue of the influence that they have – the power of a holy life.  We should be sharing the Word, communicating with the Spirit and mixing with the body constantly, effecting positive change (spiritual growth).

 

Hebrews 13 includes three interesting verses somewhat related to this topic:

Verse 7   “Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the Word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.”

Verse 17 “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.”

Verse 24 “Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints.”

Perhaps this was a reference to the apostles directly – but the reason for the apostle’s power was not so much the office which they held as much as the authority of the Word that they proclaimed and the impact of the life that they lived.  They had a certain responsibility to exert a particular influence for God’s glory on the people who they ministered to – not by commandment, but through their testimony; their conversation; their lifestyle; their example; their influence.  Pastors, Deacons and everyone else in the church should have this exhortative magnetism about themselves that is strong and effectual. 

 

Back in March of 2006, on a Sunday night, I preached a message entitled “Special Effects.”  I spoke about mentoring and how we can influence people for the better.  I took Matthew 5:1-16 as my text.  Verses 13-16 are the primary verses here on the value and clout of our influence.  Read these:

“You are the salt of the earth: but if the salt has lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted?  It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.  You are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick: and it gives light unto all that are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

 

This following quote was in my outline that day (Though I’m certain it was not mine; but I failed to note who I stole it from). 

“Salt is a remedy for unsavory meat, but there is no remedy for unsavory salt.  Christianity will give a man a relish; but if a man can take up and continue the profession of it, and yet remain flat and foolish, graceless and insipid [tasteless, dull, without flavor], no other doctrine, no other means, can be applied, to make him savory.  If Christianity does not do it, nothing will.”

 

If we, through a lack of zeal, fail to influence other to righteousness – then what use are we to the kingdom of God.  We are commanded, empowered and required to be a salty, positive influence on one another and upon the world around us.  If sin or a lack of faith in our lives prevents or hinders our influence from being strong, then we would be wasting our time to try to do by force that which we do not do through a servant-leadership type influence.  I am not here to make people do things against their will – I’m here to be a tool that God can use to cause people’s wills to be properly adjusted and calibrated to the standard of the Bible.      

 

Have you ever been bowling with gutter guards?  Those guards just lay there quietly, but, they do their job well, gently preventing straying balls from dropping into the gutter and becoming useless.  That is what we are to be as Christians - gutter guards, by influence standing in the way of the failures of others.

 

As iron sharpens iron – so a man sharpens the countenance of his friends…  This phrase is both a descriptive principle and a catalytic instigation.  We do always have an influence (good or bad).  We should be on guard to make sure that our influence is positive, not negative.   

 

I have an impact.  The question is, “How exactly do I affect (cause) people and what effect (result) is seen in them as a result of my presence?”

 

If I affect you, then that affect should be efficient; that is, the effects of that effective affect should be evident.  Confused yet?

 

We are to do right, be right, speak right, act right, walk right – ever affecting people within our sphere of influence.

 

The word INFLUENCE as a verb implies many things; pressure, sway, control, persuade and even manipulate.  As a noun it can imply: weight, power, authority or direction.

 

If you have influence on someone then you may inspire them, impact their life, stimulate their mind, encourage their heart or help guide their decisions.  Influence can be a kind of subtle pull and hold that may actually accomplish more than overt visible authority could otherwise bring about.  You may sway people and induce certain behaviors that could have never been evoked with pure authoritarian rule.  If one can prompt people, win them over and impel them into action – the permanence of the behavior is more likely than if it is simply a product of fear and coercion.  I want to motivate people in ways that will be lasting.  We should want to help shape and change folk for the better – with God’s power and wisdom, we can do it.

 

A person may use arguments, examples or the force of personality in this ministry of influence.  There are even certain potential influential advantages that come with wealth, social status, or positions of recognition.  Rather than accomplishing things by decrees and threats, what if the same can be accomplished simply by the sharing of ideas and the passion and consistency that can accompany this sharing?

 

The word influence supposedly comes from the Latin word “influere,” literally “to flow in,” (think fluent).  My life flows into the lives of others – at least it should.  If I am a fluent influence then my influence is obvious and perceivable, direct and effective. 

 

In…

The topics I discuss,

The things that upset me,

The stuff that interests me,

The things that break my heart,

The handling of faults (excusing, refusing or admitting and adjusting),

My behavior in trouble,

The management of success,

The handling of responsibility,

My treatment of failure,

The people I admire,

The places I go,

The way that I dress,

The way that I pray,

The things I read,

etc., etc., etc… I speak with the conversation of my life.  May I always be careful to use my influence (however great or small it is) properly.  I must not mix the language of righteous wisdom with the language of unrighteous foolishness.  One language, one direction; fluent and effective…

 

Behavior is more caught than taught.

 

“My talk talks,

And, my walk talks,

But, my walk talks louder than my talk talks!”

 

Who cares what your position is!  Who cares what weapons of power you wield!  Who cares what kind of threats you can back up with actions!  Live a life of such integrity and spirituality that the wise words which you speak and the holy example that you set is enough to get your purposes (assuming that they are the same as God’s) both heard and adopted.    

 

My apologies – to me, my blog reads very random, abstract and chaotic today.  I’m not at all sure that I said what I meant to say.  I’ll blame it on feeling sick.  I actually started this blog with one question in my mind: “Which is more valuable to have? A: Authority (or) B: Influence.” 

I believe that the answer is… B: Influence. 

 

Illustration # 1: That which God did not accomplish through his rightful authority over mankind, he is accomplishing through the mighty influence of the gospel of his Son.    

 

Illustration # 2: That which a parent can not be assured of despite his/her parental authority, he/she can actually be assured of as a result of his/her influence.

 

The power of influence can be greater than the power of authority.

“Oh, for that Flickering Moment”

 

Anytime I get down in the dumps, I start looking for the rapture.  I don’t know if it’s spiritual or just a copout.  We are to be constantly looking for that blessed hope – always looking, whether life is going well or we are making a mess of it. 

 

The rapture is sometimes discussed like its some kind of a good alternative to suicide.  An ungodly man feels hopelessness and wants to escape from his problems, so he thinks of ending it all; a godly man feels hopelessness and wants to escape from his problems, so he prays fervently, “Thy kingdom come… even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!”  I’m being a bit facetious, of course, but not totally… there is always an element of truth in such levity.

 

There was a time when I did not want the rapture to occur.  I had not gotten my license to drive yet, hadn’t played enough basketball yet, had not reached adulthood yet, wasn’t married yet, hadn’t had sex yet, didn’t have any kids yet, etc…  I’m not really trying to be funny now, those things were very real to me – I didn’t want to go to heaven without those experiences in my bag.  I didn’t want to miss out.  Naturally, it was ultimate foolishness.  Truly, one moment in the presence of Christ would be a more glorious and wonderful thrill than all of the milestones of this life combined.  Truly the rapture is a wonderful promise to the bride of Christ, but what makes it so wonderful?  Is it primarily “what” we will be escaping (from mortality and all of its baggage), or is it the “Who” that we will be meeting?  Obviously it’s the second thing.  Seeing King Jesus – our Savior and Friend – will surely eclipse all other experiences and former priorities.

 

Here is the real question that I have though: Are we close to this glorious event – or not?  I know the academic and theological answer.  1. We are closer than we have ever been (which is wonderful, but that still doesn’t answer my yearning).  2. His return is imminent (not emanate, immanent or eminent – whew, I spent ten minutes trying to find the right word, lol)… uh, He could come at any moment.  But He could have come at any moment in the past, He could come now, or He could wait 1000 more years – right?  Well, we may not be able to categorically and decisively answer the question that I am infinitely interested in, but we can at least explore a few of the evidences and indicators that are in The Book.

 

I am absolutely convinced that Jesus could come today.  Why do I feel this way?  Why don’t I view the coming of the Lord like the unbelieving scoffers who say (according to II Peter 3:3-4) “Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.”  Well, I have been taught the truth from The Word – it surely produces faith and confidence in the promise of God.  Also, the Spirit within me whispers to me over and again, “Today could be the day!” 

 

The timing is a mysterious thing indeed.  In Mark 13:32 we find a very surprising statement by our Master.  Read: “Of that day and that hour knows no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.  Take you heed, watch and pray: for you know not when the time is. For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.  Watch you therefore: for you know not when the master of the house comes, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning.”  Now, I have always believed that the rapture and the second advent of Christ are two different events, separated by at least seven years – but often the coming(s) of Messiah are lumped together in Scripture.  The Old Testament prophets especially seemed to see only one event (though it was spread out over millennia), while the NT authors clearly speak of at least two (I believe three) separate occasions.  But, in all this, the timing is something of a mysterious enigma. 

 

There are indeed signs given for the return of Christ to the Mount of Olives, and, I have always been taught (and do believe) that if we are seeing things that seem to point to the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord, surely the rapture must be that much closer – it’s only reasonable.

 

This discussion could get very long, so let me get right to the five passages that are on my mind today.  I don’t think that there is any way to do justice to this “catching away of the church” without these lengthy quotations.

1. Revelation 3:14-4:2, “Unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; ‘These things say the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; ‘I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot: I would you were cold or hot.  So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth.  Because you say, “I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing;” and know not that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel you to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that you may be rich; and white raiment, that you may be clothed, and that the shame of your nakedness do not appear; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.  Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.  To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne.  He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches.’”

“After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, ‘Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter.’  And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and One sat on the throne.”  Now, there are two things about this passage that stand out to me: 1. The apostle John represents the church being raptured out immediately at the end of the church age dispensation, and 2. The Laodicean style church is indeed the dominant perspective of the believers that I am aware of today. 

2. II Timothy 3:1-7, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.  For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”  Now I know that the whole era from the apostles until today is known as “the last days,” but verse 13 of this same chapter claims that “evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.”  I certainly see a dynamic progression and intensifying of every vice imaginable including the ones enumerated in II Tim 3.
3. I Corinthians 15:51, “Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?  The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God, which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
4. I Thessalonians 4:13-18, “I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.  For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
5. II Thessalonians 2:1-12 “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.  Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?  And now ye know what withholds that he might be revealed in his time.  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now restrains will restrain, until he be taken out of the way.  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

 

Well, without delving into the mammoth task of exegesis from all of these texts, let me simply say as Paul said to Titus: “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.”  And, in the next verse, (2:14), he indicated his reason for looking forward to the rapture.  He reminded Titus that Jesus “gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”  Now, I know that He has begun a good work in me and is continually performing it to greater degrees from day to day, but on that Day, He will completely and permanently sanctify me unto Himself… from all iniquity.  I will then know what is like to be absolutely holy; separate from sin; uninterested in transgressions; beyond temptation.

 

Come and get us, Lord Jesus.  Come soon!

The Devil’s Brew

 

I noticed on AOL News this morning that there was an article about Oktoberfest (which I learned, by looking it up, is a beer festival).  Then – from one of my former pastors – I received a devotional meditation on drinking.  It reminded me of the blessed sheltering that I enjoyed as a kid in the house of the Rev. Arthur Talley, Jr.  The closest thing to alcohol that we encountered growing up was that horrid red cough syrup that made sick kids deny their throat ailments and endure their (our) pain in silence.

 

I’m so grateful that I wasn’t exposed to drinking or drunkenness of any kind during my formative years.  To me… beer, wine or any of the rest of the varied mind altering options was simply distant alien concoctions consumed by some people somewhere other than where I was. 

 

I still remember the first time I was in the presence of an open alcoholic beverage.  I was a Jr. in college (stop laughing at me).  Some of my friends were mixing Vodka, orange juice and Sprite and drinking it in very small, slow portions.  I succumbed to curiosity… not peer pressure.  They did not even offer it to me.  They knew my background and assumed (I guess) that I was uninterested.  Indeed, I didn’t want them to know that I was interested (in any way) in their “foolishness.”  I knew the danger of the stuff and was afraid for it to be it in my system or theirs.  But, I just wondered, what must this stuff taste like?  It smelled like rubbing alcohol.  With trepidation I sipped about a half a teaspoon of the mix.  It only tasted like orange juice to me – must have been a pretty weak mixture. 

 

To my knowledge, the only other time I’ve consumed non-medicinal alcohol was once when I ordered a $7 Coconut Coffee (the price should have been a hint).  I took one spoonful and immediately felt an odd tingling go all the way down my spine.  To this day I do not know if it was the spirit in my drink or the horrible taste, but either way, about that time Tonya read the fine print on the menu and informed me that this drink had coconut rum in it.  It served me right for being idiotically willing to buy a $7 cup of specialty coffee.  The cup remained full.  We paid our tab and left.

 

There are some Christians who like to excuse drinking while condemning drunkenness.  Though I do not agree with their perspective, I certainly understand it.  There are even a few verses in the Bible that are mildly difficult for the absolute abstainer like me to stomach or explain.  Consider these three…

1.      First Timothy 5:23 “Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities.”  This one isn’t too hard.  We can say that this wine was non-alcoholic (in the Bible, “wine” is frequently – though not always – no more than a fresh fruit juice).  Or we can point out that Paul was recommending it for medicinal purposes, not excusing social drinking for pleasure.  In any case, we must be careful in trying to push this verse too far, for he begins by saying “Don’t drink water any more.”  Certainly we wouldn’t presume that this was an absolute command – obviously (in my opinion) he meant for little Timmy to drink “not only water” but also other drinks that would balance out the chemical equilibrium in his body. 

 

2.      Proverbs 31:6 “Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.”  Again, this one isn’t too hard to discuss.  To my knowledge they did not have morphine or Prozac during the days when this proverb was written – so, like whiskey for amputations during the Civil War – this is again a medicinal use of Alcohol.  Come to think of it – I use alcohol every day for my chronic halitosis (it’s called breath spray).  I also use it periodically in the form of Nyquil.  As far as I know, temporary relief of physical or mental anguish is not condemned in the Scripture.  Going to doctors only and not to God with our problems is certainly condemned, but the use of medicine is not.       

 

3.      Deuteronomy 14:26 “Thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusts after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desires: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household…”  This one is a little harder.  The tithing process was a different in those days than what we are accustomed to.  In this context Moses was giving directions for various options that were open to people who lived a great distance from the Tabernacle (or temple to come) in how they could honor God with their substance.  They were allowed to turn their possessions into money in their homeland and purchase an offering after arriving at the House of God.  Among the things that they could buy for the worship of Jehovah was strong drink?!?!  It’s hard for me to imagine that Moses would have been encouraging drunkenness during the worship services, yet the words approving of drinking (to some extent) are undeniably there.  I do know that the leaders of the worship were not allowed to drink the stuff.  About the best explanation I can give is this: remember that Moses was dealing with an incredibly hard hearted people group, right?  He had also regulated their divorce practices because of their unwillingness to draw as close to God’s commandments as they should have done.  Either way, clearly alcohol was (at least) tolerated in this context. 

 

But, should we ignore the rest of the Scripture just because of one (or a few) puzzling or frustrating passages?

 

At this point I would like to quote (in red, without editing) from the meditation that I mentioned earlier (from: Pastor Milton Jones of Heritage Baptist Church).  I agree wholeheartedly with his interpretations of these powerful passages (and with his application too).  He wrote…

 

Alcohol is Associated with Terrible Sins

 

The first recorded act of homosexuality was associated with alcohol.  

 

Genesis 9:20-27 “Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: and he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent. and Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.  And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness.”

 

“And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.  And he said, ‘Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.’  And he said, ‘Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.  God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.’”

 

The sin of incest was associated with alcohol in Lot’s life.

 

Genesis 19:30-38  “Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.  And the firstborn said unto the younger, ‘Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth: Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.’  And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.  And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, ‘Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.’  And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.  Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father.  And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day.  And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.”

 

King Ahasuerus sought to debauch his own wife before his drinking buddies because he was drunk.

 

Esther 1:5-12  “The king made a feast unto all the people that were present in Shushan the palace, both unto great and small, seven days, in the court of the garden of the king’s palace; Where were white, green, and blue, hangings, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and pillars of marble: the beds were of gold and silver, upon a pavement of red, and blue, and white, and black, marble.  And they gave them drink in vessels of gold, (the vessels being diverse one from another,) and royal wine in abundance, according to the state of the king.  And the drinking was according to the law; none did compel: for so the king had appointed to all the officers of his house, that they should do according to every man’s pleasure.  Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women in the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus.

 

On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king, to bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown royal, to show the people and the princes her beauty: for she was fair to look on.  But the queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s commandment by his chamberlains: therefore was the king very wroth, and his anger burned in him.

 

You may be sure that vice of all kinds follows the consumption of alcohol.

 

Proverbs 23:29-33 “Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his color in the cup, when it moves itself aright. At the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.”

 

Hosea 4:10,11 “For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the LORD. Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.”

 

These are life dominating sins!

 

The philosophy of a wise Christian concerning this matter is best summed up in Ephesians 5:18: “Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit…”  Herein he makes two very clear statements: 1. Alcohol tends to excesses, not moderation, 2. we are to be controlled by the Holy Ghost and nothing else.  We would all do well to adopt this perspective.  If for no other reason, avoid drinking because of this one fact; one man’s moderate consumption of the stuff will be used by a weaker individual as an excuse for the excessive consumption of the same disease causing liquid.

 

I prefer to take my view of “adult beverages” (should be called “fool’s beverages”) from God’s Holy Word rather than from the Devil’s unholy and deceptive commercials. 

 

By the way, how much less crime would we have in this country if there were no inhibition diluting drugs (liquors included) available?

 

It reminds me of Ecclesiastes 7:29 “Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.”  Whether by distillation or fermentation, men repeatedly invent ways to avoid focusing upon their standing and condition before the Holy God of heaven.  We try to get things out of order.  God ordained that we would achieve righteousness first and obtain pleasure later.  Instead, we want pleasure now and righteousness later (or never).

 

Just say “No” to God obscuring drugs – legal or illegal; solid, liquid or gas.

 

Anyway, it seems reasonable enough that a man is wiser to be dealing with his problems than he is to be simply masking them (which, of course, would absolutely seem to me to be the general purpose of much of the drinking that goes on, whether at an Oktoberfest, a bar or at home). 

Teaching the Teachable

 

This advice was given to me by one of my mentors very early in my ministry: “Reach the reachable and teach the teachable.  You can spend all of your time trying to force pacifiers into the mouths of baby Christians (who should have been grown long ago), or, you can feed those who will actually receive the truth and apply it.” 

 

Have you heard the phrase, “Don’t cast your pearls before swine?”  This quote is found in Matthew 7:6 “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.”  This principle tells me that I should be wise in how I utilize the allotted resources of time and energy of which God has made me a steward. 

 

On the other hand, in Matthew 18:12-13 we read this; “How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goes into the mountains, and seeks that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoices more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.” 

 

How do these two opposing strategies fit together? 

 

Really, the question is this – at what point do we categorize someone as a pig?  Boy, that doesn’t sound very nice, eh?  Seriously, when do we “give up” on people and return our force and power to the effort of helping those who are willing to be helped?  What is the priority of our personal ministry to people?

 

When I was a teacher, I let lazy students be lazy; I let lethargic students sleep; I let dumb kids stay stupid (if they so desired).  Now, I did not give them good grades despite their bad attitude or behavior – but I refused to let a few kids (who did not want an education) hinder the process of teaching the others pupils who did want to hear and learn.  I centered my attention and passion on the part of the class that was willing to benefit from the lessons that I had to deliver.  I’m not saying that I ignored all the “bad” kids – I didn’t; I just refused to let them monopolize my time or block my efforts with the compliant ones. 

 

I know that God has a special place in his heart for the weak, the poor, the simple, the downtrodden, the outcast, the inferior – the underdog… but He also has a special place in hell for the rebel.  If someone rejects God’s offer for help, God evidently chooses (at some point) to turn His attention to another.  (Just two examples suffice: He deposed King Saul and began to work through David.  He shelved the Jews and began to build His house with Gentiles).

 

When Christ was upon this earth He was rejected by those from His own hometown, so He ministered elsewhere.  He even commanded His own apostles in Luke 10:10-11 “Into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say, ‘Even the very dust of your city, which cleaves on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.’”

 

In Acts, when he entered any new city, Paul always introduced the gospel to the Jews first, but when they refused to humble themselves before the truth – he turned to the Gentiles.

 

In our families, in our churches, in our communities and around the world – may we carefully pay close attention to the attentiveness and the conformity of people to the law of the Lord – these receptive individuals should get extra tender love and care.  And, those who buck against every endeavor of ministry toward them must be left in God’s hands, for only God has the power and patience to continue to work on them and to be effective in that work.

 

In the end, though – we are to simply submit to the Holy Spirit who has every right to send us to any audience, whether they be receptive or not.  Ezekiel, Isaiah and Jeremiah were sent to a very rebellious audience – so, let God be God.  His way is always perfect.  Even if we consider someone to be a hopeless case – if God says to reach out to them, then continue we must.  I, for one, am a product of God’s patient continuance, even through my times of calloused rebellion.  No doubt some of my superiors often thought that I was a waste-of-time-oinker, but, you know the old saying – it’s not over till its over.

 

Admittedly, with me, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.  I tend to judge squeaks as requests for attention – I hope I’m right…  

“One of the Least of These My Brethren…”

 

(FYI… I did not blog yesterday for the third Tuesday in a row – I was out of town and away from my computer all day – anyway, here goes…) 

 

God seems to have a habit of changing people’s names.  But, we seem to have a tendency to retain old worn out, obsolete nicknames and character-flaw or raw-deal adjectives for people. 

 

A name is what identifies you.  Sometimes a name affects one’s image and reputation, but usually, a person’s reputation becomes attached to their name and therefore their name represents something specific.  I’ve delved into this issue before, but it’s on my mind again.

 

Once more a Todd Agnew song is running through my microscopic little brain.  The lyrics read, “Why can’t I be free from who I’ve been?  Why can’t you see me as one of the least of these?” 

 

The poem was evidently written with Matthew 25:34-40 in mind: “The King shall say unto them on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry, and you gave me meat: I was thirsty, and you gave me drink: I was a stranger, and you took me in: naked, and you clothed me: I was sick, and you visited me: I was in prison, and you came unto me.’  Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying; ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and fed You? or thirsty, and gave You drink?  When did we see You a stranger, and took You in? or naked, and clothed You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and came unto You?’  The King shall answer and say unto them, ‘Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

 

It must not be expected that one could immediately exchange his (or her) checkered past for a testimony of holy piety; worthy of respect, trust and admiration – right?  Well, let’s rethink through this concept a tiny bit. 

 

Saul of Tarsus was known as "the persecutor," yet he was radically changed on the road to Damascus – so much so that this murderer of Christians became the leader of that same catholic congregation.  But, don’t forget that even this man (who God dubbed “Paul” instead of Saul) was treated with suspicion and disrespect – at least initially.

 

We still call Rahab “the harlot” even though she is listed in Hebrews 11 among the faithful and in Matthew as one of Jesus’ grandmothers.  I’m not fussing at anyone – Paul called her “the harlot Rahab” in Hebrews 11, even as he was commending her faith as exemplary.  Was this God’s view of her or did the Holy Ghost just condescend (in the process of inspiration) once again to the vernacular and thought pattern of the apostle.  Truly it is a glorious credit to the mercy and grace of God when one sinner is made clean – perhaps to continue identifying them with that sin does remind us of the power of God’s redeeming love and the extent of his willingness to forgive the most despicable of offenses. 

 

On the other hand, there are certain labels from which people just can’t seem to escape; no matter how many years they live excellently after acquiring their derogatory tag.  Humanly speaking, it makes some sense that once someone is known as a drunkard, a murderer or a thief – they never fully escape from that stigmatic identification.  However, there are other “black marks” that seem to stick with people more unfortunately… stickers that were obtained prior to people’s regeneration… labels that sometimes were not even avoidable (especially by an unbeliever).  I’ve seen bankruptcy, divorce or the rearing of rebellious children, held against people, even though it happened before salvation, and sometimes without perceivable fault from the individual being besmirched.  I’ve even been guilty of this myself – many people would prefer that some issues never be discussed, but, really – why is it that men can live like demons (literally) and still enter the ministry after salvation, yet, if a man has been divorced he can never serve as a Deacon or a Pastor (unless all of his former wives die off)?  I’m not trying to compromise or cause a ruckus, I’m just pointing out that we have our own list of unpardonable sins and I’m fairly certain that it is not the same short list that God holds in His hand.  I’m not calling for a revolution, I’m pointing out that we must be willing to be merciful (even as Christ was to the [evidently] unregenerate woman caught in the very act of adultery).  Really, please – divorce is not my topic – it’s the permanence of sin-scars that I’m talking about… sometimes self-inflicted and sometimes the product of victimization (Mrs. Gomer left her husband Hosea for the street life… certainly he was not at fault – yet the pain and shame existed nonetheless).    

 

We know that God is not a respecter of persons (Acts 10:34).  Yet you may remember me for my mistakes rather than for my accomplishments.  I even identify myself with my errors more than with my “good” deeds.  But, God identifies me with what He is turning me into, though – not what I once was.  He’s still working on me.  He calls me by my new name, you know, the one that I never live up to. 

 

It is the bane of the curse of sin.  I don’t pretend that I can change the way the majority of the human race thinks (myself included) – but I can bemoan this circumstance and exult in the contrasting reality of God’s merciful forgiveness and acceptance.   

 

I can hardly imagine God still addressing Thomas as “doubting Thomas” (as we know him).  Lazarus is no longer poor and sick. Peter is no longer impetuous.  I am no longer a child of the Devil. 

 

As far as the east is from the west – so far has God removed us from our sins, Amen?  They are in the depths of the deepest sea; forgotten behind the back of God; out of sight and out of mind – well, out of His mind anyway…      

 

I suppose that it is inevitable that public transgressions (or at least the effects of them) will always be remembered (example: God offers forgiveness to repentant women who have elected to have an abortion, but He doesn’t delete memories or restore life to dead babies).  I don’t know that this remembering is even altogether a bad thing, as long as we don’t treat people as insignificant, second-class, sub-par, inadequate, undeserving or irrelevant because of some sin that God has both forgiven and given victory over.  Matthew 25 tells us two wonderful things: 1. that treating the “least” of our Christian brethren kindly is as valuable as if we did some gracious thing for our Lord Jesus in person; and 2. that there are eternal dividends for Christ-like kindness shown to those who are hungry, thirsty, unknown, naked, sick or in prison (regardless of why they are in that condition).

 

First Peter 2:17 was written by a liberal (generous) soul, “Honour all men.  Love the brotherhood.”

 

Don’t call “Paul the Apostle” by his old title, “Saul the Persecutor” – he was changed.  He had no more desire or association with his old behavior and pre-salvation lifestyle (2 Corinthians 5:17 “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new”).

 

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Footnote:  I am a political and moral conservative, but in how we act toward fellow believers we ought to be among the most liberal in the world.  The word can simply mean: “giving” . . .

Proverbs 11:25 “The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that waters shall be watered also himself.”

Isaiah 32:8 “The liberal devises liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.”

 

What if God dog tagged us with the worse sin we have ever committed or desired to commit (just as wicked) – would we still be accepted by our peers?

 

I’m not perfect, just forgiven!  Call me, “Saint David”   :-) 

What Does the Bible Say?

 

Proverbs 31 is a classic passage on the traits of a wonderful woman.  Is this description obsolete in today’s “liberated and enlightened” society?  Well, obviously not – so how does it apply? 

 

In 22 verses it is written that this woman…

1. is valuable
2. is sufficient
3. is faithful
4. is diligent
5. is a shopper
6. is a dietician
7. is an entrepreneur
8. is an athlete
9. is a night owl
10. is skilled
11. is a philanthropist
12. is a clothing expert
13. is beautifully attired
14. is a helper
15. is a saleswoman
16. is respectable
17. is wise
18. is busy
19. is honored
20. is superior
21. is godly
22. is worth being credited

 

You may not agree with my simplified interpretations of each verse, but no Bible honoring Christian can deny that these words of wisdom describe a remarkable woman.  It seems that the ultimate purpose here is to describe some particular lady, who was a stellar wife and mother, in an attempt to challenge all women of faith and to advise men about what makes a good spouse. 

 

Originally, the mother of King Lemuel was speaking to her son, telling him what to look for in a wife.  She began this section by advising her son, “Give not thy strength unto women” (verse 3) and closing it with the words, “Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain” (verse 30).  She was evidently afraid that he might pick his mate based solely upon how sexy she was.  Well, this book of Proverbs had included many warnings about the strange (sensually loose) woman.  Among other negative qualities…

1. she was a flatterer (2:16) 
2. she had sweet lips and a smooth mouth (5:3)
3. she was overwhelming (5:20)
4. she was evil (6:24) 
5. she was loud (7:11)
6. she was stubborn (7:11)
7. she was never at home (7:11)
8. she was impudent – rude, insolent, disrespectful (7:13)
9. she was powerful (7:21)
10. she was deceitful (22:14)   
11. she was an entanglement (23:27)

 

In Proverbs 6:25-27 Solomon wrote of this dangerous creature, saying, “Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.”  He added that this kind of a woman can reduce a man to abject poverty and leave him with nothing.  He stated that a man can not fool around with this wild critter without being injured.  In Second Timothy 2:22 Paul summed up the only successful strategy for dealing with this type of a person by crying out, “Flee youthful lusts!” 

 

So, Mommy Lemuel warned and advised her son, “Oh, be careful little eyes what you behold.”  The advice could be summed up most succinctly in Proverbs 11:22, “As a jewel of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion.”  What a waste it is for a woman to have feminine comeliness, if it isn’t accompanied by holiness and humility.  Beauty is a blessing, sleaziness is damnable.

 

Whether it’s the wicked woman of Proverbs 7 or the brawling woman of Proverbs 21 & 25, their nemesis and victorious competitor is this shamefaced (First Timothy 2:9) angel of Proverbs 31.  An unbelieving man would call her a goddess.  A man of God will bow his head in eternal gratitude to the Father for making such a gracious and wondrous mate.

 

I doubt if any woman has met every quality laid out in Proverbs 31, especially all at once or all the time, but – I have a wife and a mother who have certainly convinced me that they fit the bill (not with words, but with actions).  I think the thing that strikes me about this passage the most is the fact that this kind of a woman wears so many hats.  You have heard the old adage, “A man works from sun to sun; a woman’s work is never done.”  I’m sure that this is a description of virtuous women’s lives because they have such diversity in their abilities and responsibilities. 

 

If you have a godly wife or mother, as I do, tell them you know it… and tell God you are thankful.

 

If you are this kind of godly wife and mother – you may feel the desire to live up to this standard, but you likely feel inadequate and see mostly your self-perceived shortcomings. 

 

If you are not this kind of godly wife and mother – perhaps you think you are, or perhaps you really don’t care.

 

If you are a young lady with the choice before – chose wisely,

If you are a young man looking at the possibilities – remember the words of Solomon in Proverbs 7:22-27.  He said that a stupid man goes straight for the bad girls “…as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hastens to the snare, and knows not that it is for his life.”  He begged, “Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.  Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.  For she has cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her.  Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.” 

 

I know that there are men who are as wicked as these women are, or even more so – but the warning is aimed here in this way because of the particular power of female magnificence and the utter idiocy that it can produce in the mind of a tempted man.

 

So – this virtuous woman… she’s no feminist Amazon warrior.  She is a queen; able, willing, tender and kind – she is pure genius, the crown of God’s creation.

 

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Footnote: One of the reasons that sincere Islamic Fundamentalist have little difficulty persuading one another that they are fighting against the epitome of evil in America (the great white Satan), is because they see American women seething and writhing in feral public sensuality.  It is sad that a nation that is known to the world as “Christian” is also known to some degree for its lax and Hellywoodish amorality.  We ought to have better habits than barn yard animals.  Thank God - the virtuous woman (by example) exposes the cheap and wasteful nature of the wild life that she opposes.

 

I’m not sure exactly where I was going with all this – I just felt like it needed to be stated. 

…in their prosperity, your children will find blessings.

 

When the Jews were carried off into captivity into Babylon, God commanded them (in a letter sent to them by Jeremiah from Jerusalem) to pray for the success, prosperity and flourishing of their wicked captors.

 

If you doubt this, read Jeremiah 29:4-7, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon; ‘Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.  And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.’”

 

The word translated peace here is the familiar Hebrew word “shalom” – to seek and pray for shalom – the welfare, completeness, soundness, safety, health, quietness, tranquility and contentment of their evil Gentile oppressors – was no doubt a difficult task, yet it was nonetheless required.  Why?  Because, according to the Almighty, their brethren in captivity would enjoy the same benefits as the Babylonians during their sojourn in that land.

 

Recently a well meaning Christian asked me how much longer I thought we would be able to pledge allegiance to the flag of the US.  I was a little taken aback by the question, until I realized the pain behind that question.  We live in a nation that now harbors perverted homosexuals and murdering abortionist in safety; a nation that panders increasingly to the agenda of these despicable plagues.  Many other horrid vices are actually protected by our government and promoted by many of our citizens.  Do we continue to pledge allegiance to a country that is waning morally and rotting with decadence?  Well, my answer was that I personally have no problem pledging allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.  Consider the words of this pledge…

"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

 

In any country God has expectations for his own children who reside in it as a part of that nation.  Jesus summed it up by saying, “Give to Caesar that which belongs to Caesar.”  Paul added that we are to give to all their dues; custom, honor, respect and tribute.  He said to honor rulers and to submit to those who have governmental authority.  He said that no man has obtained power without God’s consent and carries the weight of Divine right as they execute justice. 

 

Now, admittedly we have a unique system here in America.  This is a Constitutional Republic in which the citizens are the foundation of the government and have the power to elect and remove its own leaders and even affect laws to some degree through democratic means.  So, I am not a slave to some government, I am a part of the government.  Not only that, but we are not supposed to be a nation ruled by men, but a nation ruled by laws – written laws – namely, the Constitution of the United States of America.  When I pledge allegiance to the stars and stripes, there are four words that dominate my commitment:

1.      Republic

2.      God

3.      Liberty

4.      Justice

I am pledging allegiance (promising loyalty) to a particular and exact institution.  These united States (small “u” on purpose, I’m an ol’ states rights man) have a history and a future.  The republican principles that mark our past are worth standing up for today.  The God who has blessed us is indeed still holding us afloat.  The liberty which American soldiers have died to preserve is indeed alive and well.  The fair and methodical punishment of criminals and the protection of innocent people is still a reality.  These are the values that I am vowing to honor and uphold.  Naturally, if this nation were to become a beast of a different kind, my oath would no longer carry incumbencies.  So the pledge is not a blind and unconditional declaration of support for all that happens in this land.  It is a resolution to help preserve or restore those things that are directly named within that pledge.  But, there is more to it than that…

 

This nation is still the home of many, many true children of God.  America was founded as a Christian nation and has been one of the bastions for genuine Christianity ever since.  We may not have the most saints, the best saints, the wisest saints or the most committed saints – certainly we do not have the only saints… but there are a host of believers within this land.  As such, based upon God’s advice to the Jews in Babylon in the days of Jeremiah, I renew my prayer for peace and prosperity within this land.  In America’s blessedness we will find blessings enjoyed by the church (the people, not the incorporated organizations) of the living God.  Missionary works can be funded, churches established, Bibles printed, etc., etc., etc… 

 

Call me superstitious, but I do perceive a possible cut off point for the pledge of allegiance for me – one that I have not mentioned.  If we (as a nation) turn our back on Israel, if we swap sides and oppress the Jews rather than support them, I would have a difficult time stating my support without specific qualifying and explanatory remarks.

 

I feel like I’ve blogged this theme before, pardon me if I’m repeating myself, it’s what’s on my mind today.  Be a good American by being a good Christian, a good Parent, a good neighbor, a good student…

 

And, again – May God Bless America!  If for no other reason, may we have peace and progress because we have many spiritual siblings who will be included in our national prosperity!

 

God is not an American, but there are many godly Americans – I do seek for their welfare and tranquility.

 

Shalom!

 

America – may the Lord bless thee and keep thee, make His face to shine upon thee and give thee peace!

 

Jeremiah 29:11 was written for the biological children of Abraham, but the attitude of the Father toward Abraham’s followers in faith must surely be the same: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

 

Someday we will leave this land and live in heaven with our Savior, but, until that expected end actually comes, pray for God to abundantly spoil this nation (if you live here – if not, pray for yours) so that His kids will catch the showers and enjoy His goodness.  I also pray for peace and prosperity in the lands where my fellow believers dwell in Uruguay, Papua New Guinea and Canada (to name a few).  I just don’t have the same burden for them because I’ve never met them and have no experience or understanding (really) of their plight.  My personal prayers are filled with passion for the benefit of my brethren who I know and empathize with – I suppose that this is natural.

 

I’m not really preaching today – just musing, more or less… for what its worth.

 

Criticism welcome…     

…and dogs.

 

The red words are always more challenging to me.  Every word came from God, yet the ones that Christ spoke during His earthly ministry always seem to have a particular edge to them.  Indeed, some passages in the gospels are a complete enigma to me. 

 

In Matthew 15 and Mark 7 we find a peculiar story from the life of our Lord.  When a Gentile mother of a demon possessed girl asked for Jesus' help, He told her, “It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.”

 

This seems like such a harsh response from the Son of Man in His meek and lowly first advent ministry.  Why did He say this to her, and what can we learn from it?

 

We might do well to read the whole story to get the context.  The first thing I notice is that Jesus repelled her approach three times before He granted her faith filled desire.  (I’ve included those three statements in red).

 

Matthew 15:21-28

“Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.  And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto Him, saying, ‘Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.’  But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and besought Him, saying, ‘Send her away; for she cries after us.’  But He answered and said, ‘I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’  Then came she and worshipped Him, saying, ‘Lord, help me.’  But He answered and said, ‘It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.’  And she said, ‘Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.’  Then Jesus answered and said unto her, ‘O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt.’ And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.”

 

In Mark the quotation is somewhat milder.  In this case it is included that Jesus indicated that He was respecting the priority and chronological hierarchy which agreed with His Father’s will.  Here, He says simply and more palatably, “Let the children first be filled.”

 

Mark 7:24-30

“And from thence He arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into a house, and would have no man know it: but He could not be hid.  For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of Him, and came and fell at His feet: the woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought Him that He would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.  But Jesus said unto her, ‘Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.’  And she answered and said unto Him, ‘Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs.’  And He said unto her, ‘For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.’  And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.”

 

In any case, it can not be denied that he compared this woman negatively to the Jews.  They were called children; she was categorized as a dog.  Admittedly it was a Greek word for puppy that He used, not the harsher word (for a big, worthless, mean dog) that was evidently sometimes used in those days to refer to a male prostitute.  So it sound like He is saying, “Wait your turn,” rather than, “You get no turn at all.”

 

Don’t forget that every single one of us in the human race are naturally enemies of God; we are all “dogs” … on the outside … apart [without] from His gracious offer of peace [that is, if His mercy is not considered in the equation].  He was not obligated to redeem any of us, so if He singles out some individual or group for particular benevolence, it has no bearing on the deserved rejection and condemnation in which others remain.  We dove into the cold waters of sin on our own free will; of our own volition; of our on prerogative – if He sees fit to deliver even one of us, well, then He has done more than He would be logically or morally required to do. 

 

The word “meet” is interesting to me in this context.  It is a word that can mean (among other things) “honorable, suitable or agreeable.”  It seems that suitable might be the best defining hue in this context.  At this realization, I find that I agree with the sentiments of Christ – it doesn’t seem to match for the Holy One of Israel to be dealing with the concerns of those of us who are Gentile strangers and aliens.  Jesus was (after all) sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  When one is sent to do an exact task, diversions are a hindrance and a distraction from the main goal.  More than once Jesus (during His ministry) appeared to shy away from certain requests because they were not related to His incarnation purpose.   Think of these quotes from the lips of our beloved Savior…

“Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.”  Mark 11:33 

“Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?” Luke 12:14

“Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.” John 2:4

Once He even commanded some of His closest followers NOT to tell people about truth that they had been made privy to: “And as they came down from the mountain, He charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.” (Mark 9:9)  Why?  He had His eyes on the business of His Father and meant for nothing to stand in the way of that mission.

 

All that aside – though – I realized something altogether different from this story.  It’s not a contextual interpretation, but it is a practical application from the principle that Jesus was following.  I see within this story a clarification of where our responsibilities lie.  In the information flooded world that we live in today, we can be touched and burdened by so many things that are absolutely outside of the scope of our influence and power.  When I saw the two airplanes crash into one another on the news a couple of days ago, I felt sick.  A humane individual desires to reach out and hold that wife, mother, child or brother who lost their loved one in that tragedy… but, it happened on the other side of the globe.  I can pray, but I can do nothing tangible to help.  There are countless illustrations that I could give of international incidents that demand concern.  Even nationally and locally there are enough problems to keep an army of benevolent philanthropist very busy.  How do we know which needs are our responsibility?  Better yet, at what point would one be neglecting his or her primary responsibilities in order to lend a hand where someone is shirking theirs?

 

This dilemma occurred to me after preaching on “Tangible Faith” and blogging on the same subject yesterday: I don’t have the means to help everyone who needs or requests aide – so where do I start.  I believe the answer borders on a very precarious ledge.  One step to far and we can fall into serious selfish error, though we may retain a clear conscience simultaneously.  Jesus said, “The children come first!”

 

Where else in the Bible do we find this same principle, but worded differently?  Let me give two locations…

“But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel”.  First Timothy 5:8 

“As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”  Galatians 6:10 

Obviously one could construe this principle in such a way as to excuse a total lack of compassion, concern and assistance for acquaintances, neighbors and strangers…. reserving time, effort and money only for family and friends – this would be a mistake.  However, we must not chronically neglect our own duties in order to help where someone else has neglected theirs.  It is reasonable that we can agree together to do without things that are truly unnecessary in order to be a blessing to those who are less fortunate, but at the end of the day, how we have behaved toward our own family (physical and ecclesiastical) is of foremost importance. 

 

I have met men who would seemingly give their right arm to be a help in the community or to some publicized cause, yet they wouldn’t lift a finger to help their own wife family.  I’m certain that this is ungodly. 

 

1. What is your duty today in your relationship with Christ (if you are saved)?
2. What is your responsibility today as a mate (if you have one)?
3. What are your responsibilities today as a parent (if you have children)?
4. What are your responsibilities today as a Christian brother or sister?

These questions must hold preeminence over our vocational, political, personal, or even neighborly priorities.

 

In the end, I’m so blessed when I realize that Jesus did give this “outsider” what she wished for.  He had no debt to her, yet His respect for real faith compelled Him to give her relief.  My salvation is no different.  The Jews generally rejected their Messiah, so… He came to me! 

 

WELL, GLORY!    

Fleshing out the gospel

 

This is not a real blog today, I thought I’d put this past Sunday’s sermon outline (such as it is) on here instead.

 

Our text was James 2:14-16, “What does it profit, my brethren, though a man say he has faith, and have not works? … If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, ‘Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled;’ notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what does it profit?”

 

Though we can only come to God by faith; can only please God through faith – genuine faith in the very God of the Bible should naturally cause an effect in our lives that is visible to ourselves and to people that we encounter – real spiritual faith should produce good tangible works.  The men of faith in Holy Writ demonstrated their reliance upon God through some outward manifestation.  Abel offered, Enoch walked, Noah built, Abraham offered, Jacob wrestled and David fought – to name a few.

 

I find an unavoidable theme in the Scripture when it comes to a real and visible faith in God.  God given faith produces godly behavior – particularly the theme is this: “a love for God will affect a love for others in ways that they can not deny.”

 

In Isaiah 58, God said “…show my people their transgression, and… their sins. Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.  Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and You see not?”  He continued by pointing out that their religion was one of selfishness and covetousness.  He revealed that their interest in Him was smothered by pleasure, strife and ambition.  He asked, “Is it such a fast that I have chosen? … Wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?”  He expressed hot displeasure at their showy religion.  Then He said, “Is not this the fast that I have chosen? To loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke?  Is it not to deal your bread to the hungry, and that you bring the poor that are cast out to your house? when you see the naked, that you cover him; and that you hide not yourself from your own flesh?”  There is no mistaking the premium that He placed on helping people in need as a proof of and an outlet for one’s faith in God and love for Him.  He said, “If you draw out your soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall your light rise in obscurity, and your darkness be as the noonday…”

 

Earlier, in Deuteronomy 10, it had been said of God that He “…does execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loves the stranger, in giving him food and raiment.”  Therefore He commanded His people also, saying, “You love the stranger: for you were [once] strangers…”

 

In the Gospel of Luke there are two accounts of situations where men sought after Christ’s doctrine concerning eternal life.  In both cases Jesus ended at the same river bank: trying to get people to drink long and deeply from the waters of compassion for our fellowmen.  In Luke 10 a lawyer tempted Jesus, saying, “Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”  Jesus coaxed him to answer that he was to love God and to love his neighbor as he loved himself.  Because the man was unwilling to accept Jesus’ response at face value (it was too demanding), he asked for some more details on this matter.  Jesus responded with the beautiful story of The Good Samaritan.  To this man who claimed to desire eternal life, Jesus instructed him to go away and to do just as the Good Samaritan had done. 

 

Once more in Luke 18 a certain ruler asked Jesus, saying, “Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”  Jesus reminded the man that if He was good, then He was also God – afterward He inquired about his standing in relationship to the Decalogue.  The man claimed personal perfection in this regard – so, Jesus uncovered His moral shortness by commanding him to sell all that he had and to distribute unto the poor.  He continued with the words, “thou shalt have treasure in heaven… come, follow me.”  The man refused the gospel that Jesus taught because he saw that it required selflessness; that it was to be accompanied by actual care and sacrifice. 

 

Again, in all five passages there is this screaming thread of neighborly concern and aide to those we encounter who need our help physically, financially and materially.  To add one more nail in the coffin of feigned and fruitless faith, consider First John 4:20, “If a man say, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar: for he that loves not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” 

 

I know that a balance is needed in our lives and ministries – all wells and hospitals will do no eternal good; all preaching and singing is also worthless.  Jesus set a superb example: He helped people with their visible problems and then He addressed the deeper, invisible problem of their soul’s lost condition.

 

We need to be full of charity – actively and tangibly loving (especially) those who are repulsive to us.  People are considered repulsive to some Christians for various reasons – physical reasons: disease, race, appearance, handicap, weight, hygiene; behavioral reasons: crime, appearance (rebellious), language; social reasons: economics, class, culture (and doubtless there is considerable overlap in this list… you know what I mean… woe be unto those who have multiple characteristics that are considered taboo or unfamiliar).

 

And, just because liberal theologians replaced the real gospel with a “Social Gospel” years ago doesn’t mean that we are excused from helping people with their social issues.  We should be putting feet to our prayers for peace and relief for those in need.  We can forget eliminating poverty, but that doesn’t mean we can’t do things to help alleviate some of the pressure for those who are enduring penury.  We will never eradicate all pain, but we should be bearing burdens for those within our reach (and pray for a stronger back to help more people).  Surely the goal of destroying loneliness is astronomically impossible, but it is still a mandate - that we should love those within our sphere of influence during their times of loneliness.

 

Because of the twisted, earthy interpretation of the gospel by some, we can easily find ourselves responding in a reactionary way.  We may indeed bounce too far in the opposite direction.  Some of the churches that I have been associated with appeared (at times) to have had a general disdain for physical, material, financial and emotional support for people in need.  But, these are areas of need in people’s lives.  First, we should be sincerely concerned for them just as Jesus was for concerned about people’s temporal struggles.  Second, these obvious needs are opportunities that we can use to build a strong foundation upon which spiritual truth can then (at some point) be introduced and hopefully established.  I’m not sure that I have an answer as to what is the best way to institute this into our lives.  Perhaps we need mostly individual benevolence for now followed by corporate ecclesiastical philanthropy later.  All I know is that the spreading of the gospel does not supersede the necessity of helping people where they are, in fact assisting people with the earthy problems that they are aware of can give us the chance to show them the spiritual problem about which they may be unaware.

 

A bag of bones is not very attractive.  We must learn to flesh out the gospel, putting meat and cushion on the skeletal framework of truth that does indeed support the only acceptable way to the Father.  Our religion should not be an ugly, anorexic form of doctrine, but a full and flourishing relationship that spills out on every needy human that we encounter.     

 

You may listen to the sermon that this blog was based upon by going to gracebaptistofhurlock.org

 

(Not Complacency)

 

Why are we commanded to be content?  It is a command and actual requirement preached by Paul in First Timothy 6:8 “Having food and raiment let us be therewith content.”  He was not waxing didactic about something that he had learned from a textbook, oh no – he had practiced it himself: Philippians 4:11b “…I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”  He even went further and explained exactly what he was talking about, “I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.”

 

Contentment is an attitude that naturally results from being satisfied.  Now, it is ordinary to feel contented temporarily when things are going just the way we want them to.  But Paul is speaking of a permanent, constant and intact worldview, outlook, disposition and constitution. 

 

I consider myself to be content when things are at a golden mean – but if I become acutely conscious of the blessings that flow abundantly from God’s hand or if the trials that He also allows begin to come in rapid succession, then I begin to get uneasy.  When I get really full in life, I begin to feel guilt because of the awareness of my own real inadequacies and how undeserving I am… or, I feel fear concerning my inability to measure up to my wages in the future, (a decent man wants to feel like he is worth the attention and emolument that he receives).  Then, when I get empty, I begin to get bitter against God and others, or I get jealous of people who seem to have an easier road to travel than I have.  Paul no doubt faced these same natural tendencies, hence he continued by saying in verse thirteen: “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.”

 

Contentment in the midst of hard adversities or lavish prosperity can be highly illusive.  I believe that this is why the wise king proverbially quoted the prayer of Agur in Proverbs 30:8-9; “Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.”

 

The Bible clearly gives the condition that should accompany contentment.  In First Timothy 6:6, we read, “Godliness with contentment is great gain.”  Contentment without godliness is damnable complacency.  But, it’s Saturday morning, not Sunday – so I’ll leave that one alone for now.

 

Look at the most wonderful verse in the Bible regarding contentment: Hebrews 13:5; “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have…”  What makes this verse so wonderful?  It’s beautiful and comforting because of the next phrase in the verse, a statement which gives the reason for godly contentment: “…for He has said, ‘I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.’”

 

I have Jesus – I have all I need to be satisfied; to be content!

 

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

 

We should be very discontent with a life that is lived east of Jordan – but, my soul! If He graciously ushers us into Canaan and drives out our enemies with hornets, discontentment there is a great crime and unjust offence.

 

Are you content today?  Do you have a Scriptural reason and right to be content?

 

I am content!  Hallelujah – I do indeed have a Biblical reason and right to this feeling of satisfaction: Christ lives in me, has promised not to go away and has granted me victory in fellowship… 

 

Hot dog! 

 

The blog really ended there – but, if you are interested, read on…

 

Who is This Man inside of me?  I got an e-mail this morning that sheds some random and somewhat chaotic light on the HE which I have as my friend (that sticks closer than a brother)…

 

Here it is with slight editing:

 

1. In Chemistry, HE TURNED WATER TO WINE.
2. In Biology, HE WAS BORN WITHOUT A HUMAN FATHER.
3. In Physics, HE DEFIED THE LAW OF GRAVITY WHEN HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN.
4. In Economics, HE SUSPENDED THE LAW OF DIMINISHING RETURN BY FEEDING 5000 MEN WITH TWO FISHES & FIVE LOAVES OF BREAD.
5. In Medicine, HE CURED THE SICK AND THE BLIND WITHOUT ADMINISTERING A SINGLE DOSE OF DRUGS.
6. In History, HE IS THE BEGINNING AND THE END (It’s His Story anyway).
7. In Government, HE PERSONIFIES ALL THREE BRANCHES, FOR HE IS OUR JUDGE, OUR LAWGIVER AND OUR KING (Isaiah 33:22).
8. In Religion, HE SAID THAT NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH HIM.

 

SO, WHO IS HE?

 

HE IS JESUS! JOIN ME AND LETS CELEBRATE HIM…

 

HE IS WORTHY.  IN HIM I'VE FOUND EVERYTHING!

 

The Greatest Man in History - The only God in Reality.

1. Jesus had no servants, yet they called Him Master.
2. Had no degree, yet they called Him Teacher.
3. Had no medicines, yet they called Him Healer.
4. He had no army, yet kings feared Him.
5. He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world.
6. He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him.
7. He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today.