My phone rang in the evening and there was a reporter on the other end of the line. His question snapped me to attention - "Mr. Scott, are you aware a lawsuit has been filed against you?" I wasn't and the call left me unsettled. A couple of days later I was served court papers that outlined a person's case against me. I needed help! I'm no expert on the legal system and didn't know what to do next, so I called my lawyer. As much as our society pokes fun at lawyers, I sure was glad to have one to shepherd me through the next couple of years, until the case was resolved. Recently another legal issue arose in the church and I contacted my lawyer, Mr. Glynn, once again for advice. His counsel is valuable, potentially keeping us from an expensive legal battle.
In 1 John, there is a metaphor borrowed from the legal system to help us to understand Jesus' work on our behalf. "... if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." (1 John 2:1, NKJV) In God's Presence, Jesus Christ stands right now pleading my case, making a defense, on my behalf! He is my advocate. The word in the original text is parakletos and it describes one who came alongside of another in a time of need, in a lawyerly and/or priestly sense.
We have a great need of an Advocate because we sin, that is, we fall short of God's standard for our life. Not me, you say? You think that because you're a little better than another, you are beyond the need for an Advocate before God? Think again. John says that none of us should be fooled into thinking we are beyond sinning. "If we claim that we’re free of sin, we’re only fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. ... If we claim that we’ve never sinned, we out-and-out contradict God—make a liar out of him. A claim like that only shows off our ignorance of God." (1 John 1:8-10, The Message) Sin is not just defined by the obvious moral failures, things like adultery or theft. Sin includes serving self, ignoring God's will, and failing to do the good we know we ought to do.
When our conscience is stung with guilt, when the Holy Spirit has withdrawn His comforting Presence, we call on our Advocate! He comes to our side and presents a defense to the Father, not one based on the promise of our future goodness or on something we will do to 'make it up' to God. Amazingly, His defense of us is based on His own sacrifice. Yes, He points to His offering and says, "Father forgive Jerry, because I've already paid the penalty for his sins and failures." Jesus graciously allows you and me to 'borrow' from His store of goodness making us clean and whole before God. This is the essence of grace!
John cautions us against abusing that wonderful goodness of our Advocate. He urges us to 'walk in the light,' to take the strength and goodness of Jesus Christ into our lives so that we are changed, so that we sin less! Note that word. Not that we become 'sinless' for that cannot happen as long as we are alive and still dealing with our old sinful nature. However, as we live in close intimacy with God, trusting in our Advocate, the Spirit causes us to 'sin less' as we look forward to our eternal home, which Jesus will bring to us.
Take note of the interplay of hope and realization, of both future and present promise in this passage. "Yes, dear friends, we are already God’s children, and we can’t even imagine what we will be like when Christ returns. But we do know that when he comes we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who believe this will keep themselves pure, just as Christ is pure. Those who sin are opposed to the law of God, for all sin opposes the law of God. And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, for there is no sin in him. So if we continue to live in him, we won’t sin either. But those who keep on sinning have never known him or understood who he is." (1 John 3:2-6, NLT)
Has the notice of your indictment as a sinner in God's court unsetttled you? It should! The Bible is very clear that there will be persons seperated from God and good for eternity by sin. It isn't just the terrible, the horrible that are under the 'curse.' It is a universal human problem. Call on the Advocate!
Then, restored to the love of your Father, live a life that is increasingly holy.
_______________________
Friend of sinners, Lord of truth,
I am falling in love with You.
Friend of sinners, Lord of truth,
I have fallen in love with You.
Jesus, I love Your name,
The name by which we're saved.
Jesus, I love Your name,
The name by which we're saved.
Friend of sinners, Lord of truth,
I am giving my life to You.
Friend of sinners, Lord of truth,
I have given my life to You.
© 1994 Kingsway's Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) CCLI License No. 810055
Friday, November 11, 2005
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Spirit Wind, come blow over me!
The young man, an inmate in a local correctional institution, smiled as he told me, "The only reason I came to Bible study was to see a girl. I didn't even believe in God." For the past 3 months, Jim (not his real name) has attended the weekly Bible Study that I teach there. He went on to tell me how at the first Bible study he attended when we opened our Bibles, he forgot the girl he came to see. He was intrigued with what he heard, which was unlike anything he had heard before about God. He told me that each week he looked forward to coming and had recently prayed that Christ Jesus would be His Lord, His Savior, and turn his life around. "There was just something about what you were saying that I had to believe!" he said.
Who or what made the difference for Jim? It wasn't the moving music; there wasn't any! It wasn't awe-inspiring architecture; we were in a drab room, sitting around beat-up tables. It wasn't a persuasive presentation, complete with PowerPoint! He experienced the Presence of the Holy Spirit. The wind of the Spirit blew through that little locked room where a dozen or so of us sat with Bibles in hand and open hearts. Jim is to be released this week. Would you pray that he remains open to the Spirit so he can stand in his new faith when presented with the temptations that will surely come his way on the street?
There was another seeker whose life was changed by the Spirit. He was a man of influence, well acquainted with religion, a wealthy man. In the Gospel of John, chapter 3, we learn that he came to Jesus at night so no one would see him. He had heard Jesus teach and was drawn by the truth he heard, compelling truth that pointed to a new way of life. In that conversation, Nicodemus heard these amazing words: [John 3:5-8 NLT] Jesus replied, “The truth is, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven. So don’t be surprised at my statement that you must be born again. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.” The Spirit-wind blew across his heart and he was changed. He heard this promise, believed it, and the Spirit caused a new birth! [John 3:14-17 NIV] The Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Do you know Christ? Has the wind of the Spirit blown through your life? Invite Him to, right now.
You're a Believer? Great! Have you settled for a routine of religion, a colorless life that has little joy, little power, and no intimacy with God?
Pray - Spirit Wind, come blow over me, again!
Are you afraid of the Holy Spirit? I was raised in a church that emphasized the power of the Holy Spirit, but often it seemed to me that He was used as an excuse for some crazy stuff. We were 'holy rollers!' Some awfully weird stuff happened and was called, "the move of the Spirit." Today, I know much of what I saw then that made me afraid or embarrassed wasn't God at all. It was just people letting off steam! Many of them were just 'emoting.' The true wind of the Spirit won't lead us into silly, stupid stuff. He will lead us into a deep reverence for God, to a place where we know incredible peace and joy, and to be persons of such profound love that we will gladly give up even our lives.
Ah, yes... when the wind of the Spirit blows over us and we are touched by God, we may well act out a bit - shedding tears, laughing from our gut, etc. But, He won't cause us to lose our minds! He will blow fresh life into our sin weary souls; and that's a fact.
Now, the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, he gives freedom. ... as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more. -- 2 Cor3:17-19 NLT
_______________________
Sweet Wind
There's a wind blowin',
All across the land.
Fragrant breeze of heaven
Blowin' once again.
Don't know where it comes from,
Don't know where it goes,
But let it blow over me.
Oh, sweet wind,
Come and blow over me.
There's a rain a pourin',
Showers from above.
Mercy drops are comin',
Mercy drops of love.
Turn your face to heaven,
Let the water pour,
Well let it pour over me.
Oh, sweet rain,
Come and pour over me.
There's a fire burnin',
Fallin' from the sky.
Awesome tongues of fire
Consuming you and I.
Can you feel it burnin',
Burn the sacrifice,
Well let it burn over me.
Oh, sweet fire,
Come and burn over me.
Author: Ruis, DavidCopyright: 1994 Mercy / Vineyard Publishing (Admin. by Music Services)
Who or what made the difference for Jim? It wasn't the moving music; there wasn't any! It wasn't awe-inspiring architecture; we were in a drab room, sitting around beat-up tables. It wasn't a persuasive presentation, complete with PowerPoint! He experienced the Presence of the Holy Spirit. The wind of the Spirit blew through that little locked room where a dozen or so of us sat with Bibles in hand and open hearts. Jim is to be released this week. Would you pray that he remains open to the Spirit so he can stand in his new faith when presented with the temptations that will surely come his way on the street?
There was another seeker whose life was changed by the Spirit. He was a man of influence, well acquainted with religion, a wealthy man. In the Gospel of John, chapter 3, we learn that he came to Jesus at night so no one would see him. He had heard Jesus teach and was drawn by the truth he heard, compelling truth that pointed to a new way of life. In that conversation, Nicodemus heard these amazing words: [John 3:5-8 NLT] Jesus replied, “The truth is, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven. So don’t be surprised at my statement that you must be born again. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.” The Spirit-wind blew across his heart and he was changed. He heard this promise, believed it, and the Spirit caused a new birth! [John 3:14-17 NIV] The Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Do you know Christ? Has the wind of the Spirit blown through your life? Invite Him to, right now.
You're a Believer? Great! Have you settled for a routine of religion, a colorless life that has little joy, little power, and no intimacy with God?
Pray - Spirit Wind, come blow over me, again!
Are you afraid of the Holy Spirit? I was raised in a church that emphasized the power of the Holy Spirit, but often it seemed to me that He was used as an excuse for some crazy stuff. We were 'holy rollers!' Some awfully weird stuff happened and was called, "the move of the Spirit." Today, I know much of what I saw then that made me afraid or embarrassed wasn't God at all. It was just people letting off steam! Many of them were just 'emoting.' The true wind of the Spirit won't lead us into silly, stupid stuff. He will lead us into a deep reverence for God, to a place where we know incredible peace and joy, and to be persons of such profound love that we will gladly give up even our lives.
Ah, yes... when the wind of the Spirit blows over us and we are touched by God, we may well act out a bit - shedding tears, laughing from our gut, etc. But, He won't cause us to lose our minds! He will blow fresh life into our sin weary souls; and that's a fact.
Now, the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, he gives freedom. ... as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more. -- 2 Cor3:17-19 NLT
_______________________
Sweet Wind
There's a wind blowin',
All across the land.
Fragrant breeze of heaven
Blowin' once again.
Don't know where it comes from,
Don't know where it goes,
But let it blow over me.
Oh, sweet wind,
Come and blow over me.
There's a rain a pourin',
Showers from above.
Mercy drops are comin',
Mercy drops of love.
Turn your face to heaven,
Let the water pour,
Well let it pour over me.
Oh, sweet rain,
Come and pour over me.
There's a fire burnin',
Fallin' from the sky.
Awesome tongues of fire
Consuming you and I.
Can you feel it burnin',
Burn the sacrifice,
Well let it burn over me.
Oh, sweet fire,
Come and burn over me.
Author: Ruis, DavidCopyright: 1994 Mercy / Vineyard Publishing (Admin. by Music Services)
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Knowing You, Jesus, there is no greater thing!
Is your Christianity a collection of beliefs, a list of ethical principles, and some social habits? If asked what it means to be "Christian" some might say, "I believe Jesus is the Savior, the Son of God. I was baptized, joined the church, stopped using profane words. I attend church regularly, take Communion, and I have a Bible which I read occasionally." So, what's wrong with that? Nothing, except it misses some of the best parts of being a Christian.
Being a Christian is different from acting like a Christian. It is quite possible to do many 'Christian' things, even say 'Christian' words and not really BE a Christian. Consider these sobering words from Jesus: [Matthew 7:22-23 - The Message] "I can see it now—at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, ‘Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.’ And do you know what I am going to say? ‘You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don’t impress me one bit. You’re out of here.’" "You missed the boat!" That is a tragic phrase that will be heard by those who refuse the True Life of the Spirit, preferring to trust that they can make themselves good enough for God by doing good and humanitarian things throughout their lives.
A person is a Christian because she has received the life of the Spirit through Jesus Christ and who is now loving God, her Creator and Father with a love is not just a sentiment; a devotion demonstrated in life choices of obedience. (That's not an attempt to be exhaustively definitive!) Jesus gives us a metaphor to help us understand the profound truth of knowing God in a transformational way. [John 15:4-7 NLT] Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from me. “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who parts from me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you stay joined to me and my words remain in you, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted! "Remain in me..." stay connected. Christians know a Person and His Presence in their lives changes them, gives them a substance of being that defies explanation.
While 'knowing' Jesus is a common part of the evangelical phrase book, I fear many really don't know Him at all. They only know about Him, confusing an active life of church service for the real life of the Spirit. We humans are almost incurably religious. If someone has an amazing and wonderful experience of God's Presence and/or Power, what do we do? We build a shrine, create a ritual, and try to replicate the experience. What should we do? Celebrate with them, entering into their wonder and joy, and then find out what God wants to do that is amazing and wonderful in our own life! Yes, there are a few common worship rituals that Jesus instituted to pull us together in our shared Christianity. Communion, Baptism, and joining in corporate worship must not be discarded as we launch into some personal 'Spirit' quest! He commanded that we do these things to celebrate the Truths that make us one Body.
But my point today is that each of us is privileged to really KNOW God and that is the wonder, and mystery, of being a Christian. Here's a word from the Word. Meditate on it for a few moments, and then ask God, the Spirit, to keep you connected to the Vine today, from Whom flows the true spiritual life.
Eph 3:14-19 NIV For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Did you take note of that last phrase? What comes from a deeply intimate 'knowing' of God? A life filled with God! We will live rightly, we will do good deeds - when we know Him._________________
Knowing You
Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You,There is no greater thing.You're my all, You're the best,You're my joy, my righteousness,And I love You, Lord.
All I once held dear, Built my life upon,All this world reveres, And wars to own,All I once thought gain I have counted loss;Spent and worthless now, Compared to this.
Now my heart's desire Is to know You more,To be found in You, And known as Yours,To possess by faith what I could not earn;All surpassing gift of righteousness.
Oh to know the power of Your risen life,And to know You in Your sufferings,To become like You in Your death, my Lord;So with You to live, and never die.
Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You,There is no greater thing.You're my all, You're the best,You're my joy, my righteousness,And I love You, Lord.
Author: Kendrick, GrahamCopyright: 1993 Make Way Music (Admin. by Music Services)
Being a Christian is different from acting like a Christian. It is quite possible to do many 'Christian' things, even say 'Christian' words and not really BE a Christian. Consider these sobering words from Jesus: [Matthew 7:22-23 - The Message] "I can see it now—at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, ‘Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.’ And do you know what I am going to say? ‘You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don’t impress me one bit. You’re out of here.’" "You missed the boat!" That is a tragic phrase that will be heard by those who refuse the True Life of the Spirit, preferring to trust that they can make themselves good enough for God by doing good and humanitarian things throughout their lives.
A person is a Christian because she has received the life of the Spirit through Jesus Christ and who is now loving God, her Creator and Father with a love is not just a sentiment; a devotion demonstrated in life choices of obedience. (That's not an attempt to be exhaustively definitive!) Jesus gives us a metaphor to help us understand the profound truth of knowing God in a transformational way. [John 15:4-7 NLT] Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from me. “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who parts from me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you stay joined to me and my words remain in you, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted! "Remain in me..." stay connected. Christians know a Person and His Presence in their lives changes them, gives them a substance of being that defies explanation.
While 'knowing' Jesus is a common part of the evangelical phrase book, I fear many really don't know Him at all. They only know about Him, confusing an active life of church service for the real life of the Spirit. We humans are almost incurably religious. If someone has an amazing and wonderful experience of God's Presence and/or Power, what do we do? We build a shrine, create a ritual, and try to replicate the experience. What should we do? Celebrate with them, entering into their wonder and joy, and then find out what God wants to do that is amazing and wonderful in our own life! Yes, there are a few common worship rituals that Jesus instituted to pull us together in our shared Christianity. Communion, Baptism, and joining in corporate worship must not be discarded as we launch into some personal 'Spirit' quest! He commanded that we do these things to celebrate the Truths that make us one Body.
But my point today is that each of us is privileged to really KNOW God and that is the wonder, and mystery, of being a Christian. Here's a word from the Word. Meditate on it for a few moments, and then ask God, the Spirit, to keep you connected to the Vine today, from Whom flows the true spiritual life.
Eph 3:14-19 NIV For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Did you take note of that last phrase? What comes from a deeply intimate 'knowing' of God? A life filled with God! We will live rightly, we will do good deeds - when we know Him._________________
Knowing You
Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You,There is no greater thing.You're my all, You're the best,You're my joy, my righteousness,And I love You, Lord.
All I once held dear, Built my life upon,All this world reveres, And wars to own,All I once thought gain I have counted loss;Spent and worthless now, Compared to this.
Now my heart's desire Is to know You more,To be found in You, And known as Yours,To possess by faith what I could not earn;All surpassing gift of righteousness.
Oh to know the power of Your risen life,And to know You in Your sufferings,To become like You in Your death, my Lord;So with You to live, and never die.
Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You,There is no greater thing.You're my all, You're the best,You're my joy, my righteousness,And I love You, Lord.
Author: Kendrick, GrahamCopyright: 1993 Make Way Music (Admin. by Music Services)
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Is love always 'nice?'
Is it ever right to pray - "Lord, hit him over the head and make him stop!"?
David did. In those psalms that carry the label, imprecatory, he prays for his enemies to be neutralized! "O Lord, oppose those who oppose me. Declare war on those who are attacking me. Put on your armor, and take up your shield. Prepare for battle, and come to my aid. Lift up your spear and javelin and block the way of my enemies. Let me hear you say, “I am your salvation!”" (Psalm 35:1-3, NLT) In other Psalms, his prayers are even more violent! (Psalm 109 will astonish you.) So, what of this response? Is it one we can adopt when under siege? We are quite familiar with Jesus' demand that we 'turn the other cheek,' which would seem to forbid our retaliation against an enemy. But we also see Jesus making a whip and driving irreverent and greedy men from the Temple with an angry denunciation - "You have made this house of prayer into a den of thieves!" We read of Paul's testimony "We bless those who curse us. We are patient with those who abuse us. We respond gently when evil things are said about us. " (1 Corinthians 4:12-13, NLT) But we read him speaking in the most strident terms about false teachers who were leading young Christians astray. In the letter to the church in Galatia, his anger spills out as he writes sarcastically about some teachers who insisted that Gentile Believers must be circumcised like observant Jews - "Why don’t these agitators, obsessive as they are about circumcision, go all the way and castrate themselves!"
Are you confused yet? Are these examples of inconsistency in the Bible? No, though some would point to them in that way. They guide us to the understanding that love is not always 'nice.' In dealing with evil in any of its three forms - corrupt world systems, our own sinful nature, or the work of the Devil - our response cannot be conciliatory or soft. We meet evil in the strength of our God, naming it, resisting it, and battling it. But, in the process, we must not lose the character of Jesus Christ! If we become evil in our attempts to fight evil, evil has won the day. When we are focused only on eliminating a situation or person from our life just to restore our happiness, our motive is wrong. If we are focused on the preservation of good, on establishing the work of God, we are much more likely to 'fight' in a way that is godly.
The Lord is a Warrior. He hates sin and evil. He wages war against evil and calls us to be warriors with Him. But, our weapons are not guns, bullets, and broadsides. Our weapons are truth and love. The truth can have a sharp edge. Ever felt it cut into you? I have. When someone names a sin in my life it hurts, even when they do it in a loving way. That is why the Bible says that the 'wounds from a friend can be trusted.' It is a loving act to help a brother to move toward overcoming a sinful habit by naming it. But can you see how easily even this 'loving act' could become sinful? When I start to enjoy 'wounding' my friend because it makes me feel spiritually superior, or because it allows me to control him, or because it takes him down a peg or two, I am no longer a godly warrior.
One old pastor advised young preachers under his teaching, "Never preach a sermon on Hell or damnation, unless you have tears streaming from your eyes." His point was that it is too easy to enjoy the destruction of those we perceive as our enemies. The old line that is much mocked urges us to 'hate the sin, love the sinner.' It is a true statement! That is exactly what the Bible wants us to do. It is what God does. He saw sin in me and hated it. My sin was destroying me, causing my death, and keeping me from living in God's purpose. So He acted, in love, to remove the sin from my life. He did so in several ways. First, He sent His Son to build a bridge of loving forgiveness so that I could aspire to be His child. Then, He allowed me to taste the dregs of the cup of my life. He stood back and let me choose to sin even though He knew it would bring me pain. He even disciplined me by letting my sins bring their fruits of sorrow into my life. And all the while, He loved me, waiting for me to respond to His invitation - "Come home to your Father!" My restoration, not my destruction, was His goal.
That is the goal of every warrior for God when it comes to the creation of God. We do not seek to destroy, we seek to restore. Only an active experience of God's love can help us to know where that line is drawn between waging war for the Kingdom's sake and waging war for our own purposes.
Jesus said, "Pray for your enemies." A loving prayer might well include a request that God would stop that person in their tracks, both to limit the damage they do to God's work AND so that they will turn to the God who loves them. Our prayers will not always be, "Lord, bless them with wonderful things today." We may lovingly pray, "Lord, let them suffer today so that they will realize the futility of life as they are living it. Lord, let them feel real pain. Remove the sources of temporary comfort that keep them from knowing their real need."
And, we give up our natural inclinations by accepting that person who turns to God, who turns from his sin, into our hearts, restoring them in full forgiveness, just as God forgave us. And, in that kind of love, God and good wins the day!
David did. In those psalms that carry the label, imprecatory, he prays for his enemies to be neutralized! "O Lord, oppose those who oppose me. Declare war on those who are attacking me. Put on your armor, and take up your shield. Prepare for battle, and come to my aid. Lift up your spear and javelin and block the way of my enemies. Let me hear you say, “I am your salvation!”" (Psalm 35:1-3, NLT) In other Psalms, his prayers are even more violent! (Psalm 109 will astonish you.) So, what of this response? Is it one we can adopt when under siege? We are quite familiar with Jesus' demand that we 'turn the other cheek,' which would seem to forbid our retaliation against an enemy. But we also see Jesus making a whip and driving irreverent and greedy men from the Temple with an angry denunciation - "You have made this house of prayer into a den of thieves!" We read of Paul's testimony "We bless those who curse us. We are patient with those who abuse us. We respond gently when evil things are said about us. " (1 Corinthians 4:12-13, NLT) But we read him speaking in the most strident terms about false teachers who were leading young Christians astray. In the letter to the church in Galatia, his anger spills out as he writes sarcastically about some teachers who insisted that Gentile Believers must be circumcised like observant Jews - "Why don’t these agitators, obsessive as they are about circumcision, go all the way and castrate themselves!"
Are you confused yet? Are these examples of inconsistency in the Bible? No, though some would point to them in that way. They guide us to the understanding that love is not always 'nice.' In dealing with evil in any of its three forms - corrupt world systems, our own sinful nature, or the work of the Devil - our response cannot be conciliatory or soft. We meet evil in the strength of our God, naming it, resisting it, and battling it. But, in the process, we must not lose the character of Jesus Christ! If we become evil in our attempts to fight evil, evil has won the day. When we are focused only on eliminating a situation or person from our life just to restore our happiness, our motive is wrong. If we are focused on the preservation of good, on establishing the work of God, we are much more likely to 'fight' in a way that is godly.
The Lord is a Warrior. He hates sin and evil. He wages war against evil and calls us to be warriors with Him. But, our weapons are not guns, bullets, and broadsides. Our weapons are truth and love. The truth can have a sharp edge. Ever felt it cut into you? I have. When someone names a sin in my life it hurts, even when they do it in a loving way. That is why the Bible says that the 'wounds from a friend can be trusted.' It is a loving act to help a brother to move toward overcoming a sinful habit by naming it. But can you see how easily even this 'loving act' could become sinful? When I start to enjoy 'wounding' my friend because it makes me feel spiritually superior, or because it allows me to control him, or because it takes him down a peg or two, I am no longer a godly warrior.
One old pastor advised young preachers under his teaching, "Never preach a sermon on Hell or damnation, unless you have tears streaming from your eyes." His point was that it is too easy to enjoy the destruction of those we perceive as our enemies. The old line that is much mocked urges us to 'hate the sin, love the sinner.' It is a true statement! That is exactly what the Bible wants us to do. It is what God does. He saw sin in me and hated it. My sin was destroying me, causing my death, and keeping me from living in God's purpose. So He acted, in love, to remove the sin from my life. He did so in several ways. First, He sent His Son to build a bridge of loving forgiveness so that I could aspire to be His child. Then, He allowed me to taste the dregs of the cup of my life. He stood back and let me choose to sin even though He knew it would bring me pain. He even disciplined me by letting my sins bring their fruits of sorrow into my life. And all the while, He loved me, waiting for me to respond to His invitation - "Come home to your Father!" My restoration, not my destruction, was His goal.
That is the goal of every warrior for God when it comes to the creation of God. We do not seek to destroy, we seek to restore. Only an active experience of God's love can help us to know where that line is drawn between waging war for the Kingdom's sake and waging war for our own purposes.
Jesus said, "Pray for your enemies." A loving prayer might well include a request that God would stop that person in their tracks, both to limit the damage they do to God's work AND so that they will turn to the God who loves them. Our prayers will not always be, "Lord, bless them with wonderful things today." We may lovingly pray, "Lord, let them suffer today so that they will realize the futility of life as they are living it. Lord, let them feel real pain. Remove the sources of temporary comfort that keep them from knowing their real need."
And, we give up our natural inclinations by accepting that person who turns to God, who turns from his sin, into our hearts, restoring them in full forgiveness, just as God forgave us. And, in that kind of love, God and good wins the day!
Monday, November 07, 2005
"Yes, God is your answer, Tom Brady!"
On 60 Minutes the 28 year-old quarterback who has won three championships, who has a $60 million contract with the New England Patriots, said, “Why do I have three Super Bowl rings and still think there's something greater out there for me? I mean, maybe a lot of people would say, ‘Hey man, this is what is.’ I reached my goal, my dream, my life. Me, I think, ‘God, it's got to be more than this.’ I mean this isn't, this can't be what it's all cracked up to be.” Now let me say up-front and clearly, I don't know Tom and nothing of his spiritual life, but that sure looks like a statement of spiritual hunger to me. As I heard him make that statement, I wished I could have the opportunity to spend a few days with him helping him explore his relationship with God. To all appearances, Brady is a 'good guy.' He isn't known for selfishness, for carousing, for using drugs. He loves his family. But, morality is not the same as godliness. Being good, is not the same as knowing God.
There a deception that is as old as Eden and as current as today, that is not unique to West or East, young or old, brown or white - "Satisfaction will be mine when I have _________; when I achieve _______!" It is true there is a measure of joy to be found in owning things, in earning a place in our world. But the joy of life is found in finding and living in God's purpose. When a person knows that they are doing what God made them to do, that they are filling the place in this world God created them to fill, that they are pleasing Him - they experience satisfaction. I know that God wants me to be a pastor to His people. Sure, I get tired and complain about life, from time to time, but at the core of me being, I know that there is nothing else in the world I could do that would let me fulfill my purpose. When I have the opportunity to share the life of Jesus Christ or to help someone else discover God's plan - it lights up my life! Serving the local church is not a career for me; it's a calling.
Tom Brady has a calling! You have a calling, too! "Do you mean we should become pastors, Jerry?" Not necessarily! That could be, but you might be called to be a plumber, or a carpenter, or a full-time Mom, or a doctor, or a teacher. "Those are callings?" you ask, "they sound like jobs to me." That's my point! The most satisfied people in the world are those who know WHY, and for WHOM, they are doing WHAT they do. Knowing peace and satisfaction is the result of "being" not "doing." Of course, being in Christ has an effect on what we do, but we need to start with the heart. Even Tom Brady senses that championships and money are a temporary reward. In a decade or so, some other guy will come along who will win games and get the adulation. But, if Brady plays football for God and uses the fame and money that comes with the success for God's purposes, his life will take on a transcendent quality that time cannot erase.
Here's a word from the Word. Ponder this invitation today. If your life isn't satisfying, consider God's offer. If you have embraced the Lord's purposes but are being seduced by the tempter's songs, consider the promise of real satisfaction offered.
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.
Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. ...
Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands." -- Isaiah 55:1-12 NIV
There a deception that is as old as Eden and as current as today, that is not unique to West or East, young or old, brown or white - "Satisfaction will be mine when I have _________; when I achieve _______!" It is true there is a measure of joy to be found in owning things, in earning a place in our world. But the joy of life is found in finding and living in God's purpose. When a person knows that they are doing what God made them to do, that they are filling the place in this world God created them to fill, that they are pleasing Him - they experience satisfaction. I know that God wants me to be a pastor to His people. Sure, I get tired and complain about life, from time to time, but at the core of me being, I know that there is nothing else in the world I could do that would let me fulfill my purpose. When I have the opportunity to share the life of Jesus Christ or to help someone else discover God's plan - it lights up my life! Serving the local church is not a career for me; it's a calling.
Tom Brady has a calling! You have a calling, too! "Do you mean we should become pastors, Jerry?" Not necessarily! That could be, but you might be called to be a plumber, or a carpenter, or a full-time Mom, or a doctor, or a teacher. "Those are callings?" you ask, "they sound like jobs to me." That's my point! The most satisfied people in the world are those who know WHY, and for WHOM, they are doing WHAT they do. Knowing peace and satisfaction is the result of "being" not "doing." Of course, being in Christ has an effect on what we do, but we need to start with the heart. Even Tom Brady senses that championships and money are a temporary reward. In a decade or so, some other guy will come along who will win games and get the adulation. But, if Brady plays football for God and uses the fame and money that comes with the success for God's purposes, his life will take on a transcendent quality that time cannot erase.
Here's a word from the Word. Ponder this invitation today. If your life isn't satisfying, consider God's offer. If you have embraced the Lord's purposes but are being seduced by the tempter's songs, consider the promise of real satisfaction offered.
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.
Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. ...
Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands." -- Isaiah 55:1-12 NIV
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