Ever hear anyone say, "Remember the first three laps of the Daytona 500?" I have not! But all the news is filled with detailed accounts of the last three laps! I seldom hear football fans discuss the first quarter, but every "Monday morning quarterback" knows how the last one played out. A good start is important, but a successful finish is what is remembered.
So, how are you doing? Did you start strong and fade along the way? In a presentation that is part of "The DreamGiver" series, Dr. Bruce Wilkinson, talks about pursuing the dream that God puts inside of each one of us. He observes that we go after the dream with stardust in our eyes, the dream dances and sparkles in front of us. We just "know" when we are finally able to do that thing, life will be perfect. And, often life is good, until the shine fades and we realize that maintaining that God-given dream is hard work! Wryly, he goes on to say, "If we had any idea how costly it would be to own that dream, most of us would quit before we started!"
When I was just 16, God set the dream of leading and teaching His people in me. "The Call" came to me a dramatic way! And I've been tremendously blessed in that I am living my dream and have for nearly 30 years! But, I've also discovered that the joy of sharing the Truth of the Word is accompanied by a lot of hard work. Occasionally someone remarks to me that they sure would like to have my job. "You have fun in that pulpit." Yes, I do! When I see God's people taking hold of His life-changing principles, I see Him smile and that's something to die for! There are moment when exhaustion takes over and I forgot the joy and I sometimes think about doing something else with my life. On those mornings I look at myself in the mirror and say, "What else would you do that would be nearly as fulfilling as what you're doing right now?" Sure there are hours of study, moments of misunderstanding, the pressure of living a semi-public life and being criticized by people who forget I'm a real person, not just a public role. That's, as they say, the price of the ride!
I want to finish well! I want the last lap to be full of glory, whether that lap is run today, next year, or 35 years from now! You can almost hear the effort in Paul's voice as he writes, "I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be. ... I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven." Php 3:12-14 NLT
Jesus' last mile was the glorious one, but think of the cost. Mel Gibson captured it dramatically in "The Passion of the Christ" (which we will be showing here at the Assembly on Good Friday, at 8 PM). Jesus moved deliberately toward His destiny in the Father's plan. He choose the Cross and as a result is given the Glory! The Word urges us to remember that when we're wavering in the pursuit of the will of God. Keep "...looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls." Heb 12:2-3 NKJV
It's not the start that holds the glory, it's the finish! Let's finish well!
Friday, March 11, 2005
Thursday, March 10, 2005
Exclusively His
Adultery is a word loaded with pain! When a spouse discovers that the person they love has become involved emotionally and/or sexually with another, it causes deep sorrow, a sense of terrible loss, and yes - even murderous rage. I attended a conference for ministers where a man spoke to us about an occupational hazard for those who are care-givers, who counsel and share with people in a deeply loving way. Without proper boundaries that person may succumb to a temptation to adultery. This man had been a Senior Pastor of a large church. Over time, his carelessness and prayerlessness, led him to become spiritually weak, vulnerable to the seductions of the sinful nature, and he chose to become an adulterer, involved with a woman in his congregation for an extended time. When he realized that his sin was about to be made public, he went to tell his wife before anyone else could do so. Upon hearing of his unfaithfulness, her emotional pain was so intense she collapsed and remained in a catatonic state for several days. Though his marriage survived, the pain he brought to it was still apparent in the scars more than a decade after the sin! The covenant of marriage is an exclusive one in which we pledge to 'forsake all others... until death separates us.' We speak those words, not simply from some romantic notion, but as a promise that invokes God's witness, 'so help me God'.
There are numerous reasons for preserving fidelity in marriage, not the least of which is that the marital covenant is a living illustration of God's relationship with His people - the Church. Through the love of Christ, we are married to Him as His Bride. He has an expectation of faithfulness from us. In Exodus 34:10-14 the LORD said, “Behold, I make a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the Lord. For it is an awesome thing that I will do with you. ... Take heed to yourself, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it be a snare in your midst. But you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images (for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God." (NKJV)
Does that strike you as strange, that something so loaded with negative connotations as jealousy, should be connected to a holy God? Yet, He says His Name is Jealous!
Read this and let the depth of His love sink into your heart. -- The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands. (Deuteronomy 7:7-9 NIV) At His own expense, He took us from slavery to sin and Evil. He lovingly restored our dignity and beauty and now He claims us as His own - with the expectation that we will remain faithful to Him.
The intensity of His love for us is revealed in another passage where we read, So be careful not to break the covenant the Lord your God has made with you. You will break it if you make idols of any shape or form, for the Lord your God has absolutely forbidden this. The Lord your God is a devouring (consuming) fire, a jealous God. (Deuteronomy 4:23-24, NLT) He burns with such passionate love for us that He cannot share our worship and love with anyone else. The fire of His love is all encompassing. We cannot satisfy His love by giving Him bits and pieces of ourselves. His love is not a little fire that is fed with sticks and twigs of our spare time and extra energy; it is a raging fire that needs all of you and me. Jesus said that the primary commandment is that "you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength." (Mark 12:30, NKJV) The Decalogue begins with the stark and clear command - Exodus 20:3 “You shall have no other gods before me."
Are you flirting with other lovers? That is a small step from adultery!
Have you reserved a part of your heart, soul, or mind for another?Remember, the LORD is a jealous God. Let that love draw you close, hold you safe, and captivate you.
____________________________________
God, our Husband and our Lover,
we pray for a true heart that loves You.
As sin and Devil sing their seductive songs,
help us to hear Your song of love alone.
Your Jealous love is a strength, a comfort to us.
Thank you that you are faithful, even when we are faithless.
Bind us to You so that we will bring You joy, not sorrow,
all the days of our lives until you take us in your home for eternity.
We pray this in the Name of Jesus, who loved and saved us.
Amen.
There are numerous reasons for preserving fidelity in marriage, not the least of which is that the marital covenant is a living illustration of God's relationship with His people - the Church. Through the love of Christ, we are married to Him as His Bride. He has an expectation of faithfulness from us. In Exodus 34:10-14 the LORD said, “Behold, I make a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the Lord. For it is an awesome thing that I will do with you. ... Take heed to yourself, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it be a snare in your midst. But you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images (for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God." (NKJV)
Does that strike you as strange, that something so loaded with negative connotations as jealousy, should be connected to a holy God? Yet, He says His Name is Jealous!
Read this and let the depth of His love sink into your heart. -- The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands. (Deuteronomy 7:7-9 NIV) At His own expense, He took us from slavery to sin and Evil. He lovingly restored our dignity and beauty and now He claims us as His own - with the expectation that we will remain faithful to Him.
The intensity of His love for us is revealed in another passage where we read, So be careful not to break the covenant the Lord your God has made with you. You will break it if you make idols of any shape or form, for the Lord your God has absolutely forbidden this. The Lord your God is a devouring (consuming) fire, a jealous God. (Deuteronomy 4:23-24, NLT) He burns with such passionate love for us that He cannot share our worship and love with anyone else. The fire of His love is all encompassing. We cannot satisfy His love by giving Him bits and pieces of ourselves. His love is not a little fire that is fed with sticks and twigs of our spare time and extra energy; it is a raging fire that needs all of you and me. Jesus said that the primary commandment is that "you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength." (Mark 12:30, NKJV) The Decalogue begins with the stark and clear command - Exodus 20:3 “You shall have no other gods before me."
Are you flirting with other lovers? That is a small step from adultery!
Have you reserved a part of your heart, soul, or mind for another?Remember, the LORD is a jealous God. Let that love draw you close, hold you safe, and captivate you.
____________________________________
God, our Husband and our Lover,
we pray for a true heart that loves You.
As sin and Devil sing their seductive songs,
help us to hear Your song of love alone.
Your Jealous love is a strength, a comfort to us.
Thank you that you are faithful, even when we are faithless.
Bind us to You so that we will bring You joy, not sorrow,
all the days of our lives until you take us in your home for eternity.
We pray this in the Name of Jesus, who loved and saved us.
Amen.
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Time, revisited
63% of kids ages 9-14 surveyed last year said if they were granted one wish to change their parents' jobs, wished for a job that would allow their parents more time to do 'fun things' together as a family! Only 13% wished that their parents made more money. (Discipleship Journal, Jan/Feb. 2005)
So... even our kids recognize that the pace of life many of try to maintain is deleterious to the quality of our lives! What are we going to do about it? The time crunch is something many people feel, but most of us do not realize that it is an issue of choice. OK, you just sighed and said, "Right, Jerry. Maybe for you, but not for me." Please don't stop reading. Don't be discouraged or dismissive. Go ahead and get angry at me if you think you need to that, but finish reading this TFTD. If you don't think it applies, hit 'delete' and that's the end of of it. If the Spirit uses it to prod you towards change, then work with Him joyfully in the process.
How do we have choices in this pressured world where we must deal with demands of our supervisor at work, our family, our church, the bills that keep showing up in the mailbox, our conscience, and even the Spirit of God? Aren't most of the decisions all ready made for us? In a sense, it is true that prior choices continue to exert demands on us today. When I chose to marry Bev in 1975, I embraced the demands that accompany being a responsible husband. When I chose to have children, I accepted the responsibility for loving and supporting them. When I bought a car, I made a promise to make the payments. So, yes, we have ongoing responsibilities. However, with God's help and wisdom from the Word and Spirit, we can also begin to make decisions that will allow us to create more space in our lives for the important things to get done, instead of allowing our lives to be tyrannized by the urgent things pressed on us by others.
_________________________
Dr. Richard Swenson (an M.D.) makes several practical suggestions for setting our lives in a direction that will allow us to create the margin (the space in our life) so we can have choices about how we live and how we respond to God's will. These appeared in DJ's issue referenced earlier and are not original with me.
- Tame technology!
Cell phones, email, voice mail - exist for your convenience. Learn to turn them off on the weekend or for a full day. Make technology serve you instead of becoming its servant.
- Pitch the pile!
How many magazines and newspapers do you receive? How many do you read? How many are piled up waiting for your attention? If you don't have time to read them today, you won't have time tomorrow either. Cancel the ones you don't read and throw away the back issues.
- Stick with decisions!
Making a decision requires time and energy. There is seldom a compelling reason to go back and change that decision. Research an issue, make a choice, and then move on sticking to the choice you've made.
- Value sleep!
Sleep is not 'wasted time.' Almost all of us need at least 7-8 hours/day and we suffer emotionally and physically when we get less.
- Set an earlier ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival).
Planning to arrive exactly on time is a prescription for stress and panic. Traffic snarls, cars need to be filled with gas... so just plan to arrive early. That way, you can actually enjoy the trip! And the only way to have an earlier ETA is to plan an earlier departure!
- Subtract from your 'needs.'
List all the things you need, then start crossing things off. "There are two ways to get enough. One is to continue to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less!" - G.K.Chesterton
- Anticipate, and relish.
Calendar congestion robs us of the pleasure of anticipation. We rush to meet an event, rush through it, and rush on to the next. The joy of it is lost. So, plan an event like a birthday party, a vacation, or a day off far in advance and then walk towards deliberately, anticipating the joy it can bring. Savor it while it's happening, take pictures, be present. When it's over, tell stories - again and again. "We don't have to do a lot, we can do a little and remember it a lot."
- Stay put.
Stem the pace of change in your life. Put that job decision on hold for six months. Don't move to another house. Let your kids finish the school year where they are. Keep your church, your pastor, your friends... for you will need them more than you think.
We should know, but we forget... there is no pot o' gold at the end of the rainbow.
We can find treasure right where we are.
______________________________________
Jesus tells us we must learn to live in the present, taking our days as they come - one at a time. Most of us don't. The result is stress, pressure, and failure to really value the parts of living that will ultimately give us the greatest joy -- family, friends, and the things of the Spirit. Take this Word with you today:
If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. (Matthew 6:30-34, The Message)
So... even our kids recognize that the pace of life many of try to maintain is deleterious to the quality of our lives! What are we going to do about it? The time crunch is something many people feel, but most of us do not realize that it is an issue of choice. OK, you just sighed and said, "Right, Jerry. Maybe for you, but not for me." Please don't stop reading. Don't be discouraged or dismissive. Go ahead and get angry at me if you think you need to that, but finish reading this TFTD. If you don't think it applies, hit 'delete' and that's the end of of it. If the Spirit uses it to prod you towards change, then work with Him joyfully in the process.
How do we have choices in this pressured world where we must deal with demands of our supervisor at work, our family, our church, the bills that keep showing up in the mailbox, our conscience, and even the Spirit of God? Aren't most of the decisions all ready made for us? In a sense, it is true that prior choices continue to exert demands on us today. When I chose to marry Bev in 1975, I embraced the demands that accompany being a responsible husband. When I chose to have children, I accepted the responsibility for loving and supporting them. When I bought a car, I made a promise to make the payments. So, yes, we have ongoing responsibilities. However, with God's help and wisdom from the Word and Spirit, we can also begin to make decisions that will allow us to create more space in our lives for the important things to get done, instead of allowing our lives to be tyrannized by the urgent things pressed on us by others.
_________________________
Dr. Richard Swenson (an M.D.) makes several practical suggestions for setting our lives in a direction that will allow us to create the margin (the space in our life) so we can have choices about how we live and how we respond to God's will. These appeared in DJ's issue referenced earlier and are not original with me.
- Tame technology!
Cell phones, email, voice mail - exist for your convenience. Learn to turn them off on the weekend or for a full day. Make technology serve you instead of becoming its servant.
- Pitch the pile!
How many magazines and newspapers do you receive? How many do you read? How many are piled up waiting for your attention? If you don't have time to read them today, you won't have time tomorrow either. Cancel the ones you don't read and throw away the back issues.
- Stick with decisions!
Making a decision requires time and energy. There is seldom a compelling reason to go back and change that decision. Research an issue, make a choice, and then move on sticking to the choice you've made.
- Value sleep!
Sleep is not 'wasted time.' Almost all of us need at least 7-8 hours/day and we suffer emotionally and physically when we get less.
- Set an earlier ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival).
Planning to arrive exactly on time is a prescription for stress and panic. Traffic snarls, cars need to be filled with gas... so just plan to arrive early. That way, you can actually enjoy the trip! And the only way to have an earlier ETA is to plan an earlier departure!
- Subtract from your 'needs.'
List all the things you need, then start crossing things off. "There are two ways to get enough. One is to continue to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less!" - G.K.Chesterton
- Anticipate, and relish.
Calendar congestion robs us of the pleasure of anticipation. We rush to meet an event, rush through it, and rush on to the next. The joy of it is lost. So, plan an event like a birthday party, a vacation, or a day off far in advance and then walk towards deliberately, anticipating the joy it can bring. Savor it while it's happening, take pictures, be present. When it's over, tell stories - again and again. "We don't have to do a lot, we can do a little and remember it a lot."
- Stay put.
Stem the pace of change in your life. Put that job decision on hold for six months. Don't move to another house. Let your kids finish the school year where they are. Keep your church, your pastor, your friends... for you will need them more than you think.
We should know, but we forget... there is no pot o' gold at the end of the rainbow.
We can find treasure right where we are.
______________________________________
Jesus tells us we must learn to live in the present, taking our days as they come - one at a time. Most of us don't. The result is stress, pressure, and failure to really value the parts of living that will ultimately give us the greatest joy -- family, friends, and the things of the Spirit. Take this Word with you today:
If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. (Matthew 6:30-34, The Message)
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
There is no time
One of the most common complaints I hear is "I don't have any time." I hear parents say to their little one, "Hurry up. We don't have all day." Drivers tailgate, weave in and out of lanes, and pass dangerously - supposedly because they just have to be somewhere NOW. I can feel the muscles in my shoulders and neck tighten with tension at 6:30 AM when I am putting together my schedule for a day I have packed with activities and appointments that will stretch into the evening. Even our kids are often over-scheduled! Fearing that their little ones won't have every advantage, parents pack in a full day of school, then a dance lesson, a music lesson, and a sports league commitment before dragging the exhausted 8 year home for a hurried dinner at 7, followed by homework before bedtime. It borders on abuse!
All this frenetic activity is having a horrible effect on our lives, especially spiritually. It is time to reclaim our days with wise choices and counter-cultural decisions. A friend of mine made a very brave and wise choice yesterday. He said, "No." That's right. He said no to a ministry that is good, to which he has been a wonderful asset for 4 years, not so he could sit home and watch more TV, but so that he could say, "Yes," to that calling which is his true passion and in which he has shown his greatest effectiveness. Not everyone will applaud his choice. Some will likely judge him negatively. Others will think he's abandoned a responsibility. But, truthfully, he has done what many of us ought to do. He has made the choice to be available to God in the area of His calling in a primary way. His joy will increase and so will his value in that primary ministry.
Don't mistake what I'm writing about today. This isn't about being weary! It isn't about dropping out of life because you're tired in the evening. Even Jesus Himself worked so hard that He was weary. Hard work is noble, but worship of our work is idolatry. There is a difference. We need to offer up our time to His Lordship, carry on a conversation with Him about the priority choices of our daily life, and then choose to spend ourselves in those things that matter most to the Kingdom. "But, Jerry, I have to go to work." Yes, you do and even your work matters to God. But, if your work consumes your life for 60-70 hours a week, it is likely you have made an idol of it, an idol that needs to be torn down.
A common mistake we make is to define our worth by our work. "If I work hard and gain more money, receive awards, or have others take notice of how much I do, then I am a person of worth." That lie keeps too many of us doing more and more, often in a way that is less and less effective. For many of us, (I include myself here) work is a kind of drug. As we load up our lives with responsibility, our body responds to the stress with hormones like adrenaline to help us 'fight the fight.' That's why we come home exhausted at 9 PM but can't fall asleep because we are 'wired.' When a day without pressure appears, we grow agitated, because we miss the feeling of 'excitement' that comes with a full schedule. Then, too, as long as we're doing something, we don't have to think about who we are inside, our fears, our inadequacies, even our sins. The constant noise of our busy life blocks the quiet voices of conscience and the Spirit of God.
Dr. Richard Swenson observes, "The cultural treadmill is not moving in the direction of the Kingdom. We must be willing to shape a new kingdom culture for ourselves -- one that may fly in the face of cultural norms and expectations. ... What matters most is that we keep our compass pointed in the direction of the Kingdom. Therein lies the joy of a life with room around the edges." - DJ, January/February 2005
As you choose to do less, don't expect everybody to applaud. Prepare for a guilty conscience when you say, "No," to a good ministry opportunity that comes your way because you really don't sense God's Spirit leading in that direction. Realize, too, that making the Kingdom choice may well mean being passed over for that promotion, or giving up the resources for that dream vacation, or even moving into a smaller home!
Reflect on this today. "And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in the process?" (Mark 8:36, NLT)
Believer, we are His servants. Are we offering up our lives, including our time, to Him?
"I lift up my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven.
As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he shows us his mercy.
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us, for we have endured much contempt."
Psalm 123:1-3, NIV
All this frenetic activity is having a horrible effect on our lives, especially spiritually. It is time to reclaim our days with wise choices and counter-cultural decisions. A friend of mine made a very brave and wise choice yesterday. He said, "No." That's right. He said no to a ministry that is good, to which he has been a wonderful asset for 4 years, not so he could sit home and watch more TV, but so that he could say, "Yes," to that calling which is his true passion and in which he has shown his greatest effectiveness. Not everyone will applaud his choice. Some will likely judge him negatively. Others will think he's abandoned a responsibility. But, truthfully, he has done what many of us ought to do. He has made the choice to be available to God in the area of His calling in a primary way. His joy will increase and so will his value in that primary ministry.
Don't mistake what I'm writing about today. This isn't about being weary! It isn't about dropping out of life because you're tired in the evening. Even Jesus Himself worked so hard that He was weary. Hard work is noble, but worship of our work is idolatry. There is a difference. We need to offer up our time to His Lordship, carry on a conversation with Him about the priority choices of our daily life, and then choose to spend ourselves in those things that matter most to the Kingdom. "But, Jerry, I have to go to work." Yes, you do and even your work matters to God. But, if your work consumes your life for 60-70 hours a week, it is likely you have made an idol of it, an idol that needs to be torn down.
A common mistake we make is to define our worth by our work. "If I work hard and gain more money, receive awards, or have others take notice of how much I do, then I am a person of worth." That lie keeps too many of us doing more and more, often in a way that is less and less effective. For many of us, (I include myself here) work is a kind of drug. As we load up our lives with responsibility, our body responds to the stress with hormones like adrenaline to help us 'fight the fight.' That's why we come home exhausted at 9 PM but can't fall asleep because we are 'wired.' When a day without pressure appears, we grow agitated, because we miss the feeling of 'excitement' that comes with a full schedule. Then, too, as long as we're doing something, we don't have to think about who we are inside, our fears, our inadequacies, even our sins. The constant noise of our busy life blocks the quiet voices of conscience and the Spirit of God.
Dr. Richard Swenson observes, "The cultural treadmill is not moving in the direction of the Kingdom. We must be willing to shape a new kingdom culture for ourselves -- one that may fly in the face of cultural norms and expectations. ... What matters most is that we keep our compass pointed in the direction of the Kingdom. Therein lies the joy of a life with room around the edges." - DJ, January/February 2005
As you choose to do less, don't expect everybody to applaud. Prepare for a guilty conscience when you say, "No," to a good ministry opportunity that comes your way because you really don't sense God's Spirit leading in that direction. Realize, too, that making the Kingdom choice may well mean being passed over for that promotion, or giving up the resources for that dream vacation, or even moving into a smaller home!
Reflect on this today. "And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in the process?" (Mark 8:36, NLT)
Believer, we are His servants. Are we offering up our lives, including our time, to Him?
"I lift up my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven.
As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he shows us his mercy.
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us, for we have endured much contempt."
Psalm 123:1-3, NIV
Monday, March 07, 2005
Watch out for the humbugs!
It's usually Christmas and the story of Ebenezer Scrooge that bring the old word into our vocabulary. "Bah, humbug!" Do you know what it means? A humbug is a fraud, a person who is an imposter, or something designed to deceive. So why I am writing about humbugs to you? Read on, but be warned: this TFTD may disturb your peace!
Life is often difficult. We face situations that are disappointing. Hardships that cause us pain - physical, spiritual, or emotional - drive us to seek relief. The more intense our suffering, the greater our desperation. The greater our desperation, the more likely we are to become a victim of a humbug. Ask a person who gets a diagnosis of cancer from his doctor. The initial feelings are often near panic, a sense that life is over, the knowledge that what lies ahead has no good ending. There are cruel people out there who prey on those feelings of panic, offering worthless 'cures' for large sums of money. Over the years I've known more than one person who has spent every penny of their savings on some quack treatment that promises much more than it actually delivers. I am not angered by their willingness to suspend good judgment, but I feel near rage at the person who exploits the suffering of another to get rich!
Christianity has more than its fair share of humbugs! These pious frauds prey on the desperate, the sin sick, the sad, and the suffering. They offer quick fixes, instant holiness, and 'miracles' for the asking, in answer to the deep longings that Believers have for relief from temptation and sickness of body and soul. These humbugs dress their message in Bible language, twisting a few passages into something that sounds like the Truth, but which ignores the whole counsel of the Word. All the while, they take in the collections and fed their own appetites for luxury and ease.
Take healing as an example. Does God heal people today? He most certainly does! There are plentiful precedents in the Scripture that would lead us to pray for healing for our bodies. The Gospels are full of stories of Jesus' healing touch for the sick. The Book of the Acts records healings as a part of the Church's experiences. Who likes struggling with sickness? I hate being sick even with a common cold! The desire to be whole and healthy is a perfect set-up for a humbug. Weave together some miracle stories from the Bible. Stir in a highly emotional atmosphere made up of people who gather with great expectations in simple faith. Throw in a dash of testimonies, even if they are unverified. The guy on the stage need not be accountable to anyone, need not live out a day to day Christian life of holiness, need not even have his 'act' subjected to scrutiny before he asks for a big donation to 'keep doing the Lord's work.' He just preys on the longings of the people who gather to find a miracle cure for their 'sickness.'
The genuine life of faith is no easy road. Discipleship is a rigorous choice that calls for us to 'die daily' to self. Following Jesus means engaging sin and evil, often at tremendous cost to ourselves, emotionally and spiritually. Jesus didn't promise we could ride a hammock all the way to Heaven. Instead, He challenges us to "put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will find true life." (Mark 8:34-35, NLT)
Even Paul faced the distress of dealing with humbugs who invaded the churches he had formed. They came with their distortions of the Gospel message, turning grace into a license to sin, destroying the power of the Gospel to transform by making it into a religious system based in human efforts at goodness, even making spiritual gifts into a means of gaining power instead of being a means of self-effacing service. He grew angry at the shamelessness of these charlatans who exploited the good hearts of God's people!
In the book of 2nd Corinthians, Paul's frustration with humbugs is evident in so many passages. ... because we know this solemn fear of the Lord we work so hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too. Are we trying to pat ourselves on the back again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart before God. 2 Cor. 5:11-12 NLT
In chapters 11-12 he goes to great lengths to contrast the ministry that is authentic with the 'ministry' that is a humbug. He observes (11:4 NLT) You seem to believe whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach about a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed.
And then he urges them to greater discernment. (2 Co 13:5 KJV) Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? Perhaps his challenge is better grasped in The Message where we read, Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don’t drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you. Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about it.
Don't be duped by humbugs! Show discernment. Look long and hard at anyone who claims to have the 'inside truth,' or a 'quick fix,' or a miracle just waiting for you to claim it (right after you send in your offering)! If they live like a prince at the expense of God's people, most likely their heart is in the wrong place, their message marred by self interest.
Life is often difficult. We face situations that are disappointing. Hardships that cause us pain - physical, spiritual, or emotional - drive us to seek relief. The more intense our suffering, the greater our desperation. The greater our desperation, the more likely we are to become a victim of a humbug. Ask a person who gets a diagnosis of cancer from his doctor. The initial feelings are often near panic, a sense that life is over, the knowledge that what lies ahead has no good ending. There are cruel people out there who prey on those feelings of panic, offering worthless 'cures' for large sums of money. Over the years I've known more than one person who has spent every penny of their savings on some quack treatment that promises much more than it actually delivers. I am not angered by their willingness to suspend good judgment, but I feel near rage at the person who exploits the suffering of another to get rich!
Christianity has more than its fair share of humbugs! These pious frauds prey on the desperate, the sin sick, the sad, and the suffering. They offer quick fixes, instant holiness, and 'miracles' for the asking, in answer to the deep longings that Believers have for relief from temptation and sickness of body and soul. These humbugs dress their message in Bible language, twisting a few passages into something that sounds like the Truth, but which ignores the whole counsel of the Word. All the while, they take in the collections and fed their own appetites for luxury and ease.
Take healing as an example. Does God heal people today? He most certainly does! There are plentiful precedents in the Scripture that would lead us to pray for healing for our bodies. The Gospels are full of stories of Jesus' healing touch for the sick. The Book of the Acts records healings as a part of the Church's experiences. Who likes struggling with sickness? I hate being sick even with a common cold! The desire to be whole and healthy is a perfect set-up for a humbug. Weave together some miracle stories from the Bible. Stir in a highly emotional atmosphere made up of people who gather with great expectations in simple faith. Throw in a dash of testimonies, even if they are unverified. The guy on the stage need not be accountable to anyone, need not live out a day to day Christian life of holiness, need not even have his 'act' subjected to scrutiny before he asks for a big donation to 'keep doing the Lord's work.' He just preys on the longings of the people who gather to find a miracle cure for their 'sickness.'
The genuine life of faith is no easy road. Discipleship is a rigorous choice that calls for us to 'die daily' to self. Following Jesus means engaging sin and evil, often at tremendous cost to ourselves, emotionally and spiritually. Jesus didn't promise we could ride a hammock all the way to Heaven. Instead, He challenges us to "put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will find true life." (Mark 8:34-35, NLT)
Even Paul faced the distress of dealing with humbugs who invaded the churches he had formed. They came with their distortions of the Gospel message, turning grace into a license to sin, destroying the power of the Gospel to transform by making it into a religious system based in human efforts at goodness, even making spiritual gifts into a means of gaining power instead of being a means of self-effacing service. He grew angry at the shamelessness of these charlatans who exploited the good hearts of God's people!
In the book of 2nd Corinthians, Paul's frustration with humbugs is evident in so many passages. ... because we know this solemn fear of the Lord we work so hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too. Are we trying to pat ourselves on the back again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart before God. 2 Cor. 5:11-12 NLT
In chapters 11-12 he goes to great lengths to contrast the ministry that is authentic with the 'ministry' that is a humbug. He observes (11:4 NLT) You seem to believe whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach about a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed.
And then he urges them to greater discernment. (2 Co 13:5 KJV) Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? Perhaps his challenge is better grasped in The Message where we read, Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don’t drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you. Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about it.
Don't be duped by humbugs! Show discernment. Look long and hard at anyone who claims to have the 'inside truth,' or a 'quick fix,' or a miracle just waiting for you to claim it (right after you send in your offering)! If they live like a prince at the expense of God's people, most likely their heart is in the wrong place, their message marred by self interest.
- "Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever.
And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!" (Hebrews 12:2-3, The Message)
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