Baylor University released a study in which they found that 92% of Americans believe in God, but that we hold "four distinct views of God's personality and engagement in human affairs. These Four Gods — are dubbed by researchers as Authoritarian, Benevolent, Critical or Distant." These views of God reveal much about our social, moral and political views and personal piety.
About 32% see God as Authoritarian, directing the affairs of the world and ready to bring his judgment on the ungodly. As you might imagine, those who primarily view God in that manner, generally hold very conservative political and absolute moral positions.
Another 24% believe that He is a Benevolent God, forgiving, best described by Jesus' story of the waiting father who welcomes home his wayward son. A Benevolent God sets absolute standards for mankind in the Bible.
16% believe that He is a a Critical God who keeps His eye on the world. But, they do not think He gets involved. It is a paradox that those who believe in a Critical God believe that He holds humanity to account, but they tend not to pray or think to turn to Him in time of need.
And about 25% of Americans have adopted a view similar to that of the Deists of two centuries ago, believing in a Distant God, Who, they believe, got things started here on earth and then removed Himself from the picture. Those who think God is distant tend to moral relativism and generally hold the most liberal social views.
The results of this study are not surprising. From it we see that people tend to 'create God in their own image and likeness,' to misuse a Scriptural quote. Instead of going to the Bible and waiting on the Spirit to reveal the fullness of God, many of us tend only to see the God we want, or the face of God that was painted for us by parents or spiritual leaders in our formative years. We also tend more to define God by our experience, rather than by intelligent thought. It is important to know God; that is, to invite Him to be a part of lives and to be open to experiencing His Presence. However, and this is important, if we have only our personal experience to define God, we will not truly know Him! Experience will color our perception of God, depending on several factors, including our spiritual maturity and the circumstances of our lives. To know Him best, we must also know Him from the pages of the Scripture, where He reveals Himself in His fullness. And, that means we study the whole of the Bible to learn Who He truly is. If our only revelation of God was drawn from the Pentateuch, the Law of Moses, He will be seen quite differently than if we only viewed Him through the four Gospels! God is a Person, an active, living, purposeful Being who is not one-dimensional. He is loving and capable of anger, accepting and judging, kind and stern - a perfect Father!
Theology is not a dry pursuit, peripheral to real life, as some would think. Theology, the study of God, is important to us, for how we perceive Him, has a definite impact on the way we live in our day to day world!
Here's a word from the Word. Let it sink into your mind and heart today. As you read it, note the many facets of the Person of God and especially take note of the last sentence!
"... the Lord shall endure forever; He has prepared His throne for judgment.
He shall judge the world in righteousness,
And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.
The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You. " (Psalm 9:7-10, NKJV)
Friday, December 08, 2006
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Here I am, Lord, use me!
We are doing a survey in our Wednesday evening School of the Bible. It's been good to take a wide lens look at the Word, to learn again that within the individual dramas God was at work, creating and preserving His people. Last night, we came to the little book of Esther, which tells the story of a Jewish girl in the Persian Empire who through an amazing series of 'coincidences' became the queen and, in that position, had the opportunity to save her people from annihilation. The Book reminds us that God is always working - visibly and invisibly- to accomplish His purposes. The key passage of the book says - "Don’t think for a moment that you will escape there in the palace when all other Jews are killed. If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. What’s more, who can say but that you have been elevated to the palace for just such a time as this?” (Esther 4:13-15, NLT)
Interesting, isn't it? Esther's guardian, the man who raised her when she was orphaned, reminds her that her 'good luck' is more than that. God has brought her to this place. His purposes will be fulfilled and now she has the opportunity to step up and be a part of what He will do!
Great stuff, isn't it? God will always accomplish His purposes, with or without us. He invites us to participate and by His providence brings us to moments of decision where we can put ourselves on the line for Him, or walk away. Two principles that appear to us to be in direct conflict are taught as being equally true in the Bible:
A. God is charge and will do what He purposes to do. And,
B. I am free to choose to join Him or refuse Him.
How can both be true? Only by faith! He is not a puppeteer making us dance on the end of the string. Yet, He will still accomplish His will. Difficult to understand? Yes! Is faith required? Absolutely. Does our lfe story always tie up all the loose ends as neatly as the story of Esther? Nope! Some situations will not make sense until we join the Lord in eternity and are able to see what He sees and grasp the grand sweep of time.
I nearly missed the point of the story of Esther for a couple of reasons.
First, I over analyzed the story. I got caught up asking, "If God is charge, why didn't He just keep old Haman from his jealousy and rage that provoked the attempt to annihilate the Jews in the first place?" Good question but there's no answer this side of Heaven. If I go there, I won't see the later developments that do reveal God at work. Yep, I do the same thing when somebody tells how God ministered to them in a tough spot, like an auto accident or getting cancer. If I'm not careful I miss the joy they found in His grace because I am protesting, "Well, if He's so good, why did He allow that wreck or disease to happen?" Yes, God is good even as He allows sin and suffering to continue.
Second, I read my own cultural assumptions into the story of Esther. When I got to chapter 2 and read of old King Xerxes sending out his representatives to gather up hundreds of beautiful girls from the empire to become part of the search for a new queen and then to live the rest of their lives in his harem, I was outraged by the treatment of women who were basically just 'boy toys' in that era. My outrage blinded me to the fact, temporarily, that it wasn't the 21st century and that God works with people in the time and place where He finds them! In Bible study, somebody reminded me that Esther's story can be read as a lesson of the beauty of God's selection of those whom He will love and our response to His love. True enough! And, again, we must understand that we cannot read our cultural assumptions into the Text, unless we want to mostly miss the point!
Faith isn't easy for us, is it? However, "By faith, we see the world called into existence by God’s word, what we see created by what we don’t see. ... It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him." (Hebrews 11: 3,6 The Message) An intelligent faith asks God for understanding, studies the Word and the situations of life, and wrestles with the questions, but humility causes us to know limits of our vision. So, when we come to the wall too high for us to climb or see over, we offer ourselves to the One who reveals Himself as "Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End," and say, "Here I am, Lord, use me!" And He does, and we experience joy! Hallelujah.
__________________
God Is Good All The Time
Moen, Don / Overstreet, Paul
God is good all the time.
He put a song of praise,
In this heart of mine;
God is good all the time.
Through the darkest night,
His light will shine;
God is good,
God is good all the time.
If you're walking through the valley,
And there are shadows all around,
Do not fear, He will guide You,
He will keep you safe and sound.
He has promised to never leave you
Nor forsake you, and His Word is true.
We were sinners so unworthy,
Still for us He chose to die;
Filled us with His Holy Spirit,
Now we can stand and testify,
That His love is everlasting,
And His mercies, they will never end.
Though I may not understand,
All the plans You have for me,
My life is in Your hands,
And through the eyes of faith,
I can clearly see,
God is good, God is good - all the time!
© 1995 Integrity's Hosanna! Music (c/o Integrity Music, Inc.) / Scarlet Moon (Admin. by Copyright Management, Inc.)- CCLI License No. 810055
Interesting, isn't it? Esther's guardian, the man who raised her when she was orphaned, reminds her that her 'good luck' is more than that. God has brought her to this place. His purposes will be fulfilled and now she has the opportunity to step up and be a part of what He will do!
Great stuff, isn't it? God will always accomplish His purposes, with or without us. He invites us to participate and by His providence brings us to moments of decision where we can put ourselves on the line for Him, or walk away. Two principles that appear to us to be in direct conflict are taught as being equally true in the Bible:
A. God is charge and will do what He purposes to do. And,
B. I am free to choose to join Him or refuse Him.
How can both be true? Only by faith! He is not a puppeteer making us dance on the end of the string. Yet, He will still accomplish His will. Difficult to understand? Yes! Is faith required? Absolutely. Does our lfe story always tie up all the loose ends as neatly as the story of Esther? Nope! Some situations will not make sense until we join the Lord in eternity and are able to see what He sees and grasp the grand sweep of time.
I nearly missed the point of the story of Esther for a couple of reasons.
First, I over analyzed the story. I got caught up asking, "If God is charge, why didn't He just keep old Haman from his jealousy and rage that provoked the attempt to annihilate the Jews in the first place?" Good question but there's no answer this side of Heaven. If I go there, I won't see the later developments that do reveal God at work. Yep, I do the same thing when somebody tells how God ministered to them in a tough spot, like an auto accident or getting cancer. If I'm not careful I miss the joy they found in His grace because I am protesting, "Well, if He's so good, why did He allow that wreck or disease to happen?" Yes, God is good even as He allows sin and suffering to continue.
Second, I read my own cultural assumptions into the story of Esther. When I got to chapter 2 and read of old King Xerxes sending out his representatives to gather up hundreds of beautiful girls from the empire to become part of the search for a new queen and then to live the rest of their lives in his harem, I was outraged by the treatment of women who were basically just 'boy toys' in that era. My outrage blinded me to the fact, temporarily, that it wasn't the 21st century and that God works with people in the time and place where He finds them! In Bible study, somebody reminded me that Esther's story can be read as a lesson of the beauty of God's selection of those whom He will love and our response to His love. True enough! And, again, we must understand that we cannot read our cultural assumptions into the Text, unless we want to mostly miss the point!
Faith isn't easy for us, is it? However, "By faith, we see the world called into existence by God’s word, what we see created by what we don’t see. ... It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him." (Hebrews 11: 3,6 The Message) An intelligent faith asks God for understanding, studies the Word and the situations of life, and wrestles with the questions, but humility causes us to know limits of our vision. So, when we come to the wall too high for us to climb or see over, we offer ourselves to the One who reveals Himself as "Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End," and say, "Here I am, Lord, use me!" And He does, and we experience joy! Hallelujah.
__________________
God Is Good All The Time
Moen, Don / Overstreet, Paul
God is good all the time.
He put a song of praise,
In this heart of mine;
God is good all the time.
Through the darkest night,
His light will shine;
God is good,
God is good all the time.
If you're walking through the valley,
And there are shadows all around,
Do not fear, He will guide You,
He will keep you safe and sound.
He has promised to never leave you
Nor forsake you, and His Word is true.
We were sinners so unworthy,
Still for us He chose to die;
Filled us with His Holy Spirit,
Now we can stand and testify,
That His love is everlasting,
And His mercies, they will never end.
Though I may not understand,
All the plans You have for me,
My life is in Your hands,
And through the eyes of faith,
I can clearly see,
God is good, God is good - all the time!
© 1995 Integrity's Hosanna! Music (c/o Integrity Music, Inc.) / Scarlet Moon (Admin. by Copyright Management, Inc.)- CCLI License No. 810055
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Zeal
The doorbell rang at 6:50 PM and there at my front door, in the cold evening, stood two well-dressed, handsome boys. Their nametags identified them as "Elder ________" and I knew they were Mormon missionaries. When I invited them into the house, out of the chill, they were thankful, polite, and yet still very focused on their work. They respectfully and articulately told me about Mormon faith and tried valiantly to get me to accept a Book of Mormon. Theirs is a tough assignment. They knock on doors to invite people to consider the 'prophetic' claims of Joseph Smith. Though I reject the doctrine of the Mormons whose theology is not orthodox Christianity, the earnestness and devotion of 19 year old kids who give two full years of their lives, living far from home, is something to admire.
In a recent TFTD I reflected on God as a Divine Diversion, One we try to fit between those activities that take higher priority. (see http://jerryscott.blogspot.com/2006/12/divine-diversion.html) It is clear to me that those two boys at my front door have made a priority commitment to their religion, setting aside personal comfort, educational pursuits, relationships, and profit to do what they see as God's work. And I ask myself, am I at least that dedicated to the Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? It is a question worth asking ourselves, Believer! How quickly we fall into complacency, overly concerned with ourselves, touchy and sensitive to the slightest inconvenience or perception of offense. Those Mormon boys press on, house to house, with most doors closed in their face, brushed off brusquely even rudely, time and again, but they take no thought of that because they are focused on a goal much higher in their estimation than personal comfort or convenience.
Believer, God has given us the very Words of Life! He has commissioned us to change the world, one person at a time, with His good news - that Christ came once to die for our sins and that He will come again to be the King of Glory. How can we yawn about such a calling? Are we asleep in the Light, dead on our feet OR are we full of zeal, inspired by the Spirit, giving Him our best, our all? In that disturbing book called "The Apocalypse," or the Revelation of Jesus Christ, at the end of the Bible, John hears the words of the King addressed to the various churches of Asia Minor. Those words echo to us today. Read them -
“I see right through your work. You have a reputation for vigor and zest, but you’re dead, stone dead. “Up on your feet! Take a deep breath! Maybe there’s life in you yet. But I wouldn’t know it by looking at your busywork; nothing of God’s work has been completed. Your condition is desperate. Think of the gift you once had in your hands, the Message you heard with your ears—grasp it again and turn back to God.
“If you pull the covers back over your head and sleep on, oblivious to God, I’ll return when you least expect it, break into your life like a thief in the night.
“You still have a few Christians in Sardis who haven’t ruined themselves wallowing in the muck of the world’s ways. They’ll walk with me on parade! They’ve proved their worth! “Conquerors will march in the victory parade, their names indelible in the Book of Life. I’ll lead them up and present them by name to my Father and his Angels. “Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches.” (Revelation 3:1-6, The Message)
Don't come to the wrong conclusion today. I am not advocating that we all quit our jobs and start going door to door with Bibles! I am repeating the call of the Lord Himself that we take up the commission to "go into all the world and preach the Good News." I am reminding us of the importance of keeping Jesus Christ in the first place in our affections. How we demonstrate our zeal for Him will take many different forms and expressions - humble service in our home, forgiveness for God's sake extended to those who do wrong to us, generosity with our time and resources because of a genuine love for people He creates in us, boldness to speak up about the hope that we have in Christ.
Jesus plainly says to you and to me: "Great crowds were following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, “If you want to be my follower you must love me more than your own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, more than your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And you cannot be my disciple if you do not carry your own cross and follow me." (Luke 14:25-27, NLT)
What does your life say about your zeal, Believer?
Do your daily choices show that Jesus is Lord of all of your life?
Keith Green, the songwriter whose life ended too soon, a couple of decades ago, penned these words.
They are a confession, a prayer.
My eyes are dry, my faith is old,
My heart is hard, my prayers are cold;
And I know how I ought to be:
Alive to You and dead to me.
But what can be done
With an old heart like mine?
Soften it up with oil and wine
The oil is You, the Spirit of love
Please wash me anew
In the wine of Your blood.
My Eyes Are Dry -- Green, Keith
© 1978 Birdwing Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing; Admin. by BMG Music Publishing) / Ears To Hear ΓΌ / BMG Songs, Inc. (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing; Admin. by BMG Music Publishing) CCLI License No. 810055
Amen!
In a recent TFTD I reflected on God as a Divine Diversion, One we try to fit between those activities that take higher priority. (see http://jerryscott.blogspot.com/2006/12/divine-diversion.html) It is clear to me that those two boys at my front door have made a priority commitment to their religion, setting aside personal comfort, educational pursuits, relationships, and profit to do what they see as God's work. And I ask myself, am I at least that dedicated to the Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? It is a question worth asking ourselves, Believer! How quickly we fall into complacency, overly concerned with ourselves, touchy and sensitive to the slightest inconvenience or perception of offense. Those Mormon boys press on, house to house, with most doors closed in their face, brushed off brusquely even rudely, time and again, but they take no thought of that because they are focused on a goal much higher in their estimation than personal comfort or convenience.
Believer, God has given us the very Words of Life! He has commissioned us to change the world, one person at a time, with His good news - that Christ came once to die for our sins and that He will come again to be the King of Glory. How can we yawn about such a calling? Are we asleep in the Light, dead on our feet OR are we full of zeal, inspired by the Spirit, giving Him our best, our all? In that disturbing book called "The Apocalypse," or the Revelation of Jesus Christ, at the end of the Bible, John hears the words of the King addressed to the various churches of Asia Minor. Those words echo to us today. Read them -
“I see right through your work. You have a reputation for vigor and zest, but you’re dead, stone dead. “Up on your feet! Take a deep breath! Maybe there’s life in you yet. But I wouldn’t know it by looking at your busywork; nothing of God’s work has been completed. Your condition is desperate. Think of the gift you once had in your hands, the Message you heard with your ears—grasp it again and turn back to God.
“If you pull the covers back over your head and sleep on, oblivious to God, I’ll return when you least expect it, break into your life like a thief in the night.
“You still have a few Christians in Sardis who haven’t ruined themselves wallowing in the muck of the world’s ways. They’ll walk with me on parade! They’ve proved their worth! “Conquerors will march in the victory parade, their names indelible in the Book of Life. I’ll lead them up and present them by name to my Father and his Angels. “Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches.” (Revelation 3:1-6, The Message)
Don't come to the wrong conclusion today. I am not advocating that we all quit our jobs and start going door to door with Bibles! I am repeating the call of the Lord Himself that we take up the commission to "go into all the world and preach the Good News." I am reminding us of the importance of keeping Jesus Christ in the first place in our affections. How we demonstrate our zeal for Him will take many different forms and expressions - humble service in our home, forgiveness for God's sake extended to those who do wrong to us, generosity with our time and resources because of a genuine love for people He creates in us, boldness to speak up about the hope that we have in Christ.
Jesus plainly says to you and to me: "Great crowds were following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, “If you want to be my follower you must love me more than your own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, more than your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And you cannot be my disciple if you do not carry your own cross and follow me." (Luke 14:25-27, NLT)
What does your life say about your zeal, Believer?
Do your daily choices show that Jesus is Lord of all of your life?
Keith Green, the songwriter whose life ended too soon, a couple of decades ago, penned these words.
They are a confession, a prayer.
My eyes are dry, my faith is old,
My heart is hard, my prayers are cold;
And I know how I ought to be:
Alive to You and dead to me.
But what can be done
With an old heart like mine?
Soften it up with oil and wine
The oil is You, the Spirit of love
Please wash me anew
In the wine of Your blood.
My Eyes Are Dry -- Green, Keith
© 1978 Birdwing Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing; Admin. by BMG Music Publishing) / Ears To Hear ΓΌ / BMG Songs, Inc. (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing; Admin. by BMG Music Publishing) CCLI License No. 810055
Amen!
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Shameless, what a loss!
Shame rises in us when we become aware that we have violated accepted social or religious standards. It differs from embarrassment in that we can feel shame even when our actions are undetected by others. Embarrassment results when our failure becomes public. Shame is useful in that it helps us to regulate our behaviors and reminds us that we have a responsibility to fit into a community. When one loses his sense of propriety, he becomes shameless and the net result is not positive! We've seen this, time and again, in the public conduct of some of our celebrities. Last week, Danny DeVito, the actor, appeared on a national daytime TV talk show so inebriated that he was near incoherent. Was he ashamed of himself? Apparently not. Britney and Paris went out on the town last week wearing far too little in the way of clothing and were exposed (literally!) but apparently feel no shame. Mark Twain said, "Man is the only animal that blushes, or needs to." To our loss, many of us no longer have the ability to blush! The social coarseness that results when manners are forgotten is regrettable.
My focus today is on the tragedy of the loss of a sense of right and wrong that comes when we sin against God again and again. God put a conscience in each of us. The voice of conscience speaks to us, causing us to feel shame, and as we are sensitive to the Holy Spirit, pulls us toward the Lord. The Bible says, "Even when Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, instinctively follow what the law says, they show that in their hearts they know right from wrong. They demonstrate that God’s law is written within them, for their own consciences either accuse them or tell them they are doing what is right. The day will surely come when God, by Jesus Christ, will judge everyone’s secret life." (Romans 2:14-16, NLT) But conscience can become desensitized! The Bible speaks of those whose "consciences are seared, as with a hot iron." (2 Tim. 4.2) When we violate our conscience repeatedly, it loses its function. We get so accustomed to our sin, we no longer feel shame. We no longer feel any need to turn to God and seek to be changed by the Truth of the Scripture and the Power of the Spirit.
The conviction of the Holy Spirit, which operates through our conscience, is a great gift! My conscience often screams - "Stop, Jerry! You're headed in the wrong direction. If you do this, you will sin against God and bring destruction on yourself!" And, yes, if I ignore the warning and persist, conscience brings shame on me, which is not pleasant, and that is a good thing. Yes, of course, our conscience is not infallible. We can become overly sensitive in some areas and desensitized in others. For example, I know one man who becomes offended the moment that anyone around him even mentions sex. He gets agitated at just the mention of sex. Filthy talk and coarse jokes should make us feel shame, but his conscience has been damaged so that he is overly sensitive in this one area. Another Believer that I know swears liberally, and seemingly without any sense that his language is inappropriate for one who belongs to Christ. Again, the conscience is not fully functional. We need our conscience! Jeremiah saw the sins of God's people and cried - "Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when I punish them,” says the LORD." (Jeremiah 6:15, NIV)
In certain matters of Christian conduct, the role of conscience is key. It is one of the ways that God helps us deal with issues that lie within the so-called 'gray' areas, outside of the clear direction of the Scripture. Some things are always sin, for all people, everywhere, at all times! Adultery, for example, cannot be justified. We do not need our conscience to tell us to 'stop!' The Scripture is clear as crystal on the issue. But there are many issues for the Christian that are 'matters of conscience.' In the early church one of those issues was the consumption of meat. Some Believers felt that buying and consuming meat was sinful, others felt differently. Paul, under the inspiration of the Spirit, reminds us that we cannot make our individual conscience the guide for the whole Church! He urges us to be accepting of one another, making allowances for our various sensitivities.
"Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don’t see things the way you do. And don’t jump all over them every time they do or say something you don’t agree with—even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently. For instance, a person who has been around for a while might well be convinced that he can eat anything on the table, while another, with a different background, might assume all Christians should be vegetarians and eat accordingly. But since both are guests at Christ’s table, wouldn’t it be terribly rude if they fell to criticizing what the other ate or didn’t eat? God, after all, invited them both to the table. Do you have any business crossing people off the guest list or interfering with God’s welcome? If there are corrections to be made or manners to be learned, God can handle that without your help." (Romans 14:1-4, The Message)
"When you sit down to a meal, your primary concern should not be to feed your own face but to share the life of Jesus. So be sensitive and courteous to the others who are eating. Don’t eat or say or do things that might interfere with the free exchange of love. Cultivate your own relationship with God, but don’t impose it on others. You’re fortunate if your behavior and your belief are coherent." (Romans 14:21-22, The Message)
Is your conscience healthy and functioning well?
Keep it sensitive to God, by responding quickly to its correction. Properly sensitize your conscience by reading and understanding the Scripture, knowing what God's will is for your life.
Pray that the Spirit will correct and keep your conscience healthy, too.
My focus today is on the tragedy of the loss of a sense of right and wrong that comes when we sin against God again and again. God put a conscience in each of us. The voice of conscience speaks to us, causing us to feel shame, and as we are sensitive to the Holy Spirit, pulls us toward the Lord. The Bible says, "Even when Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, instinctively follow what the law says, they show that in their hearts they know right from wrong. They demonstrate that God’s law is written within them, for their own consciences either accuse them or tell them they are doing what is right. The day will surely come when God, by Jesus Christ, will judge everyone’s secret life." (Romans 2:14-16, NLT) But conscience can become desensitized! The Bible speaks of those whose "consciences are seared, as with a hot iron." (2 Tim. 4.2) When we violate our conscience repeatedly, it loses its function. We get so accustomed to our sin, we no longer feel shame. We no longer feel any need to turn to God and seek to be changed by the Truth of the Scripture and the Power of the Spirit.
The conviction of the Holy Spirit, which operates through our conscience, is a great gift! My conscience often screams - "Stop, Jerry! You're headed in the wrong direction. If you do this, you will sin against God and bring destruction on yourself!" And, yes, if I ignore the warning and persist, conscience brings shame on me, which is not pleasant, and that is a good thing. Yes, of course, our conscience is not infallible. We can become overly sensitive in some areas and desensitized in others. For example, I know one man who becomes offended the moment that anyone around him even mentions sex. He gets agitated at just the mention of sex. Filthy talk and coarse jokes should make us feel shame, but his conscience has been damaged so that he is overly sensitive in this one area. Another Believer that I know swears liberally, and seemingly without any sense that his language is inappropriate for one who belongs to Christ. Again, the conscience is not fully functional. We need our conscience! Jeremiah saw the sins of God's people and cried - "Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when I punish them,” says the LORD." (Jeremiah 6:15, NIV)
In certain matters of Christian conduct, the role of conscience is key. It is one of the ways that God helps us deal with issues that lie within the so-called 'gray' areas, outside of the clear direction of the Scripture. Some things are always sin, for all people, everywhere, at all times! Adultery, for example, cannot be justified. We do not need our conscience to tell us to 'stop!' The Scripture is clear as crystal on the issue. But there are many issues for the Christian that are 'matters of conscience.' In the early church one of those issues was the consumption of meat. Some Believers felt that buying and consuming meat was sinful, others felt differently. Paul, under the inspiration of the Spirit, reminds us that we cannot make our individual conscience the guide for the whole Church! He urges us to be accepting of one another, making allowances for our various sensitivities.
"Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don’t see things the way you do. And don’t jump all over them every time they do or say something you don’t agree with—even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently. For instance, a person who has been around for a while might well be convinced that he can eat anything on the table, while another, with a different background, might assume all Christians should be vegetarians and eat accordingly. But since both are guests at Christ’s table, wouldn’t it be terribly rude if they fell to criticizing what the other ate or didn’t eat? God, after all, invited them both to the table. Do you have any business crossing people off the guest list or interfering with God’s welcome? If there are corrections to be made or manners to be learned, God can handle that without your help." (Romans 14:1-4, The Message)
"When you sit down to a meal, your primary concern should not be to feed your own face but to share the life of Jesus. So be sensitive and courteous to the others who are eating. Don’t eat or say or do things that might interfere with the free exchange of love. Cultivate your own relationship with God, but don’t impose it on others. You’re fortunate if your behavior and your belief are coherent." (Romans 14:21-22, The Message)
Is your conscience healthy and functioning well?
Keep it sensitive to God, by responding quickly to its correction. Properly sensitize your conscience by reading and understanding the Scripture, knowing what God's will is for your life.
Pray that the Spirit will correct and keep your conscience healthy, too.
Monday, December 04, 2006
A Divine diversion?
hob·by – an activity or interest pursued for pleasure or relaxation and not as a main occupation So what's your hobby? Please don't say watching TV or playing video games... sorry, that just couldn't be helped! For many people, TV watching consumes the largest percentage of their leisure time. TV's are on in the average US household for 8 hours of each day, with the average person watching about 4.5 hours a day. TV is a diversion, but it certainly does not qualify as a real hobby. A real hobby adds value to our lives by giving us a creative outlet, by connecting us to other people, and/or by helping us develop new skills. I hope you've got one! You're probably wondering where I am going with this line of thought, don't you?
Here it is - I get impression that to many people God is a kind of hobby, a diversion, but not really the main thing in their lives. For those for whom God is a divine diversion, He is placed down the list of priorities of activities not at the top. He gets a donation from money that is left over after 'real needs' have been addressed. His work fills in the gaps in the day planner, after the 'real work' is finished - as a hobby ought to, but as He never should. It's an old, yes even ancient, problem among us humans. We tend to forget that we are spiritual beings first and foremost, that our physical bodies are dying, that things of this world that we love are subject to decay. We begin to worship ourselves, our bodies, our achievements, our stuff even as we play at spiritual matters such as worshipping God and using the gifts of the Spirit to serve others in His Name.
The Lord God desires that our entire life be oriented around Him. The Bible tells us to "Let the words of Christ, in all their richness, live in your hearts and make you wise. Use his words to teach and counsel each other. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, all the while giving thanks through him to God the Father." (Colossians 3:16-17, NLT) What does that really mean to us? Everything!
As I go to work today, I must ask myself, "Am I going to do God's work or to simply earn a living?" How I answer that question will make a difference in the way I work.
When I am making decisions about spending the resources I have, I must ask, "will it be as one who understands that I am managing a sacred trust or as an American consumer looking for a way to buy more stuff?"
As a parent I can seek to live in such a way that my children are God-aware and I can help them to understand that serving Christ wholeheartedly is their primary purpose; or I can focus on developing their social skills and education with such focus, that they conclude that success in this temporal world is their reason for living.
If God is a hobby, you'll go off to work today and forget that He even exists until you get home or perhaps even until next Sunday rolls around... if you're not too exhausted from your Saturday activities to attend church.
If God is a hobby, you won't take the first 10% of your income to build His kingdom and serve those in need, you will wait and see if there's anything left over before you put Him in your spending plan.
If God is a hobby, you will raise children who "worship their play, and play at their worship!"
In the last book of the Old Testament, a prophet named Malachi received a word from God for His people. Seems that the Jews were being blessed, but they were forgetting Who was blessing them. God was playing second fiddle to their own desires and plans. He was getting the left-overs and He was angered by this kind of treatment.
He said, “I am honored all over the world. And there are people who know how to worship me all over the world, who honor me by bringing their best to me. They’re saying it everywhere: ‘God is greater, this God-of-the-Angel-Armies.’ “All except you. Instead of honoring me, you profane me.
You profane me when you say, ‘Worship is not important, and what we bring to worship is of no account,’ and when you say, ‘I’m bored—this doesn’t do anything for me.’ You act so superior, sticking your noses in the air—act superior to me, God-of-the-Angel-Armies!
And when you do offer something to me, it’s a hand-me-down, or broken, or useless. Do you think I’m going to accept it? This is God speaking to you! “A curse on the person who makes a big show of doing something great for me—an expensive sacrifice, say—and then at the last minute brings in something puny and worthless! I’m a great king, God-of-the-Angel-Armies, honored far and wide, and I’ll not put up with it!"
A 'hobby' God is unable to meet our deepest needs. That is a reason that so many Christians are unfulfilled spiritually! The One who could give them purpose, steady them on their way, and be the Center for their being is pushed to one side, leaving them unbalanced and out of focus. Because they are neither 'of this world,' nor fully devoted to Christ, life is confusing; they are conflicted and without the joy of the Lord. The answer, for many, is to look for a new spiritual experience, to go here and there in search of inspiring sermon or an exhilarating worship service. However, the real answer is not a 'what' nor is is a 'where.' Satisfaction of soul hunger is only found in a whole-hearted commitment. When they choose to make Him Lord of all, they find that He is more than enough!
I leave us pondering this word from the Word today. Mediate deeply on it! "... do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the (those without God) seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Matthew 6:31-33, NKJV)
______________________
Here it is - I get impression that to many people God is a kind of hobby, a diversion, but not really the main thing in their lives. For those for whom God is a divine diversion, He is placed down the list of priorities of activities not at the top. He gets a donation from money that is left over after 'real needs' have been addressed. His work fills in the gaps in the day planner, after the 'real work' is finished - as a hobby ought to, but as He never should. It's an old, yes even ancient, problem among us humans. We tend to forget that we are spiritual beings first and foremost, that our physical bodies are dying, that things of this world that we love are subject to decay. We begin to worship ourselves, our bodies, our achievements, our stuff even as we play at spiritual matters such as worshipping God and using the gifts of the Spirit to serve others in His Name.
The Lord God desires that our entire life be oriented around Him. The Bible tells us to "Let the words of Christ, in all their richness, live in your hearts and make you wise. Use his words to teach and counsel each other. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, all the while giving thanks through him to God the Father." (Colossians 3:16-17, NLT) What does that really mean to us? Everything!
As I go to work today, I must ask myself, "Am I going to do God's work or to simply earn a living?" How I answer that question will make a difference in the way I work.
When I am making decisions about spending the resources I have, I must ask, "will it be as one who understands that I am managing a sacred trust or as an American consumer looking for a way to buy more stuff?"
As a parent I can seek to live in such a way that my children are God-aware and I can help them to understand that serving Christ wholeheartedly is their primary purpose; or I can focus on developing their social skills and education with such focus, that they conclude that success in this temporal world is their reason for living.
If God is a hobby, you'll go off to work today and forget that He even exists until you get home or perhaps even until next Sunday rolls around... if you're not too exhausted from your Saturday activities to attend church.
If God is a hobby, you won't take the first 10% of your income to build His kingdom and serve those in need, you will wait and see if there's anything left over before you put Him in your spending plan.
If God is a hobby, you will raise children who "worship their play, and play at their worship!"
In the last book of the Old Testament, a prophet named Malachi received a word from God for His people. Seems that the Jews were being blessed, but they were forgetting Who was blessing them. God was playing second fiddle to their own desires and plans. He was getting the left-overs and He was angered by this kind of treatment.
He said, “I am honored all over the world. And there are people who know how to worship me all over the world, who honor me by bringing their best to me. They’re saying it everywhere: ‘God is greater, this God-of-the-Angel-Armies.’ “All except you. Instead of honoring me, you profane me.
You profane me when you say, ‘Worship is not important, and what we bring to worship is of no account,’ and when you say, ‘I’m bored—this doesn’t do anything for me.’ You act so superior, sticking your noses in the air—act superior to me, God-of-the-Angel-Armies!
And when you do offer something to me, it’s a hand-me-down, or broken, or useless. Do you think I’m going to accept it? This is God speaking to you! “A curse on the person who makes a big show of doing something great for me—an expensive sacrifice, say—and then at the last minute brings in something puny and worthless! I’m a great king, God-of-the-Angel-Armies, honored far and wide, and I’ll not put up with it!"
A 'hobby' God is unable to meet our deepest needs. That is a reason that so many Christians are unfulfilled spiritually! The One who could give them purpose, steady them on their way, and be the Center for their being is pushed to one side, leaving them unbalanced and out of focus. Because they are neither 'of this world,' nor fully devoted to Christ, life is confusing; they are conflicted and without the joy of the Lord. The answer, for many, is to look for a new spiritual experience, to go here and there in search of inspiring sermon or an exhilarating worship service. However, the real answer is not a 'what' nor is is a 'where.' Satisfaction of soul hunger is only found in a whole-hearted commitment. When they choose to make Him Lord of all, they find that He is more than enough!
I leave us pondering this word from the Word today. Mediate deeply on it! "... do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the (those without God) seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Matthew 6:31-33, NKJV)
______________________
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