Yesterday's headline blared - "Priest accused of stealing $600K over 4 years." Today's says, "Priest says ill-gotten money went to school." Father Bob, to all accounts, is a great guy, with a big heart, who wanted to have a parochial school in his parish. He was single-mindedly persistent in making it happen. But somewhere along the way, it appears that he adopted a mentality that let him believe that doing things unethically was all right because he was trying to accomplish something good. The priest doesn't deny that he re-directed funds and issued phony checks. He insists he did not do so for personal benefit. His primary defense appears to be the old line - "The end justifies the means!" He tried a short-term solution to a problem that proved to be a long-term disaster. Setting aside principles and making decisions based on expediency in the moment will always come 'round to a bad end.
There's a lot of the same kind of thinking that deceived Father Bob in our world today. Instead of asking, "is it right?" many only focus on the question - "Does it work?" What produces quick results for today is not the best course of action if it requires setting aside principles of morality or ethics! Sometimes the choice between right and wrong is obvious. For example, the husband who is presented with an opportunity for a sexual affair on a business trip versus fidelity to his wife does not really have to ponder the morality of the choices that are there before him. Short term, the rendezvous will return an evening's pleasure, but the cost potentially is his self-respect and his marriage. It's want we call a 'no-brainer!" Other decisions are much less clear. The manager who realizes he can improve his profit margin with a small, nearly imperceptible, reduction in the quality of his product is presented with more difficult choice, especially if his competitor is willing to make that cut and take away his business.
Ethics are increasingly shaped by utilitarianism. It's a big word that means we determine what is right by choosing the course of action we think will produce the most good for the greatest number of people. So, what's wrong with that? Ask the parent of a child with developmental challenges. It costs society a lot of money to care for those who with special needs. If one adopts a utilitarian ethic, the needs of the handicapped child slide way down the list of priorities! Another example - as our society ages, utilitarian thinking will bring us 'round to deciding that it's time for Grandma to go, 'cause her care is costing the family too much money! The Proverbs tell us - "There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death." (14:12, NLT) I do not mean to imply that right and wrong are always crystal clear or that the choices to be made are simple or even easy. Living morally and ethically involves hard choice and demands great wisdom!
This I can say, with certainty - Ignoring Biblical principles and values will always cost more long-term that doing it right the first time.
Believer, choose wisely! How?
First, go ask God! Take James' advice. "If any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given to you. God is generous and won’t correct you for asking." (James 1:5, CEV)
Second, seek counsel! "Victory depends on having many counselors." (Proverbs 24:6, NLT) Don't try to be the Lone Ranger. Live a life that is connected to others that are marked by wisdom and let them mentor you, helping you to uncover the right way.
Third, consider experience! There is a kind of conceit that causes us to think that we are the first generation ever to be confronted with choices. While it is true that our situations may be unique, the basic questions of life are the same. That is why we look to the experiences of those who have gone before us. We learn from them, we glean wisdom from their successes and mistakes.
Here's a promise. Take it to heart and let it guide you as you make the choices of life.
"The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day. But the way of the wicked is like complete darkness. Those who follow it have no idea what they are stumbling over." (Proverbs 4:18-19, NLT)
Friday, September 22, 2006
Thursday, September 21, 2006
A Better Way
A Better Way
Our Bible study group is doing a year-long survey of the Bible. The goal is to step back to see the Bible as a unified revelation of God, to understand the themes of entire books, rather than the content of short, isolated passages. This week we were flying through Leviticus. It's not an easy read, especially for us, removed so far from the culture and time into which the book was written! Some of the more obscure passages remain mysterious to us as to the reason for them and/or the way we can apply them to our lives as Christian Believers. Long detailed passages describe ritual sacrifices, preparation of priests for ministry, and the laws governing the lives of the Israeli nation. But, as I read the book this week, on the whole I was inspired. That's right! In the middle of those passages about blood sacrifices and ritual purity, I caught a renewed glimpse of the "other-ness" of God, of His transcendence. The Law was rigorous, reflecting the holiness of Yahweh. He is not a God to be trifled with, or to be treated contemptuously. He is not the 'Big Guy in the Sky,' as irreverently referred to by some in ignorance. One study participant told me, "I've never read it before!" I loved her response to the book - "They had it hard. I am glad I am a Christian!" Me, too!
The book of Hebrews compares the Law of Moses with the new Covenant centered on Christ. We are urged to rejoice in the grace of God, expressed in Christ Jesus! I'll let it speak for itself. "Here is the main point: Our High Priest sat down in the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. There he ministers in the sacred tent, the true place of worship that was built by the Lord and not by human hands. And since every high priest is required to offer gifts and sacrifices, our High Priest must make an offering, too. If he were here on earth, he would not even be a priest, since there already are priests who offer the gifts required by the law of Moses. They serve in a place of worship that is only a copy, a shadow of the real one in heaven. For when Moses was getting ready to build the Tabernacle, God gave him this warning: “Be sure that you make everything according to the design I have shown you here on the mountain.” But our High Priest has been given a ministry that is far superior to the ministry of those who serve under the old laws, for he is the one who guarantees for us a better covenant with God, based on better promises. " (Hebrews 8:1-8, NLT)
The Law was detailed and specific, but it did not change the human heart. It brought condemnation as those who lived under it realized the widening gap between God's requirements and their performance. So, the faithful among them came to the priests with their sacrificial offerings seeking forgiveness. But even those offerings did not take away their sin, they only covered them! In Christ, we find our sins removed, our hearts and minds transformed so that we are 'becomers,' changing into the likeness of our Savior by the internal work of the Spirit! It makes me want to shout and jump for joy. We are not constrained by law and threatened with penalty, but called by promise and offered spiritual power.
But, will we accept the calling? Will we wed truth and faith, so that a holy response to our amazing God is evident in our lives?
The inspired writer of Hebrews offers Believers this challenge - "Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him," (Hebrews 2:1-3, NKJV) ... "Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. You must warn each other every day, as long as it is called “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ." (Hebrews 3:12-14, NLT)
Look to Jesus! Come and see His beauty. Be captivated by the indescribable grace that makes it possible for ornery, ordinary sinners to become gentle, precious saints!
God is the same. His majesty, His holiness has not changed, nor will it ever. But He has opened up a new and better way for you and me - offering His Son as our 'once for all time' sacrifice that takes away the sins of the world.
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Our Bible study group is doing a year-long survey of the Bible. The goal is to step back to see the Bible as a unified revelation of God, to understand the themes of entire books, rather than the content of short, isolated passages. This week we were flying through Leviticus. It's not an easy read, especially for us, removed so far from the culture and time into which the book was written! Some of the more obscure passages remain mysterious to us as to the reason for them and/or the way we can apply them to our lives as Christian Believers. Long detailed passages describe ritual sacrifices, preparation of priests for ministry, and the laws governing the lives of the Israeli nation. But, as I read the book this week, on the whole I was inspired. That's right! In the middle of those passages about blood sacrifices and ritual purity, I caught a renewed glimpse of the "other-ness" of God, of His transcendence. The Law was rigorous, reflecting the holiness of Yahweh. He is not a God to be trifled with, or to be treated contemptuously. He is not the 'Big Guy in the Sky,' as irreverently referred to by some in ignorance. One study participant told me, "I've never read it before!" I loved her response to the book - "They had it hard. I am glad I am a Christian!" Me, too!
The book of Hebrews compares the Law of Moses with the new Covenant centered on Christ. We are urged to rejoice in the grace of God, expressed in Christ Jesus! I'll let it speak for itself. "Here is the main point: Our High Priest sat down in the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. There he ministers in the sacred tent, the true place of worship that was built by the Lord and not by human hands. And since every high priest is required to offer gifts and sacrifices, our High Priest must make an offering, too. If he were here on earth, he would not even be a priest, since there already are priests who offer the gifts required by the law of Moses. They serve in a place of worship that is only a copy, a shadow of the real one in heaven. For when Moses was getting ready to build the Tabernacle, God gave him this warning: “Be sure that you make everything according to the design I have shown you here on the mountain.” But our High Priest has been given a ministry that is far superior to the ministry of those who serve under the old laws, for he is the one who guarantees for us a better covenant with God, based on better promises. " (Hebrews 8:1-8, NLT)
The Law was detailed and specific, but it did not change the human heart. It brought condemnation as those who lived under it realized the widening gap between God's requirements and their performance. So, the faithful among them came to the priests with their sacrificial offerings seeking forgiveness. But even those offerings did not take away their sin, they only covered them! In Christ, we find our sins removed, our hearts and minds transformed so that we are 'becomers,' changing into the likeness of our Savior by the internal work of the Spirit! It makes me want to shout and jump for joy. We are not constrained by law and threatened with penalty, but called by promise and offered spiritual power.
But, will we accept the calling? Will we wed truth and faith, so that a holy response to our amazing God is evident in our lives?
The inspired writer of Hebrews offers Believers this challenge - "Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him," (Hebrews 2:1-3, NKJV) ... "Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. You must warn each other every day, as long as it is called “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ." (Hebrews 3:12-14, NLT)
Look to Jesus! Come and see His beauty. Be captivated by the indescribable grace that makes it possible for ornery, ordinary sinners to become gentle, precious saints!
God is the same. His majesty, His holiness has not changed, nor will it ever. But He has opened up a new and better way for you and me - offering His Son as our 'once for all time' sacrifice that takes away the sins of the world.
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
"Honest to me, honest to you"
Jim McGreevy, former Governor of NJ, appeared on Oprah yesterday to promote his new book about his sordid, sorry, selfish life. He was working hard convince the TV audience that he was some kind of victim. The truth is that this man chose a life of deceit because he wanted it all - his pleasure, his self-expression, and a family, a political career, and the respect of the public. Yes, it had to be harder than I can imagine to be an adolescent boy dealing with homosexual desires in a world that had only terrible words to say about those sexual feelings. However, the promiscuity of his adult life and the pain he caused for everyone in his life including two ex-wives and his children, left me disgusted. McGreevey says that his greatest failure was not being authentic. I'd say it was trying to have life two ways - being a fraud and a cheat!
It's easy to throw stones at the very public sins of Gov. McGreevey, but each one of us needs to keep a humble heart in the face of the word that best characterizes his life - The word is hypocrisy! And it's a word that stalks everyone of our lives. Every one of us is less than authentic at some time, in some way, during the course of our life, aren't we? My kids, when they were teens, would refer to someone who was obviously projecting a fake image with the dismissive phrase - "What a poser!" Yet, we all strike a pose to impress, now and then. The news reports bring stories of people who get jobs with a resume that includes a fake degree or two. We hear about a man with two families, one on each coast, and wonder how he could keep such a secret. And, too, we meet people who are in the depths of deception, who don't even know themselves.
But, the most serious hypocrisy is that of the spirit. Jesus was amazingly harsh with religious leaders of his time who worked hard to project an image of devotion and piety to their world. They wore the prescribed clothing, went faithfully to the synagogues, prayed eloquent public prayers, and separated themselves from the ordinary people who they considered 'sinners.' Read a portion of Jesus' stunning tirade against these frauds.
“How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest part of your income, but you ignore the important things of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but you should not leave undone the more important things. Blind guides! You strain your water so you won’t accidentally swallow a gnat; then you swallow a camel!
“How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! You are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! Blind Pharisees! First wash the inside of the cup, and then the outside will become clean, too.
“How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. You try to look like upright people outwardly, but inside your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness." (Matthew 23:23-28, NLT)
Hypocrisy is one of those sins that feeds on itself. Pretense piles on top of pretense, deepening the deception and creating a tangle of lies from which it becomes harder and harder to escape. Ah, friend - that is why you and I must run to the arms of Our Heavenly Father who knows us inside and out to experience the amazing grace He offers. We are set free by His healing love to live authentically, honestly, and confessionally.
The old phrase, "what you see is what you get," comes off as arrogant to some, but for me it is an aspiration! I want to live a transparent life that is no more and no less than reality. I aspire to accept the place in life that God has prepared for me with no overweening desire for acclaim or recognition.
We must not use authenticity as an excuse to remain in our sinful state! That's a mistake I've observed in some, too. Like Popeye, some insist, "I yam what I yam!" They will not let the Spirit of God touch their lives with His transforming Presence. They are honest about their failures perhaps, but too proud to admit the need to become like Christ. My confession is that of Paul who understood that he was a 'becomer,' a saint under construction.
"I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be. No, dear brothers and sisters, 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." (Philippians 3:12-14, NLT)
Make that your aim, to admit that you're not all you should be, but that you're focused on becoming all God wants you to be.
____________________________________
Make yourself an honest man, and then you may be sure that there is one rascal less in the world. -- Carlyle.
It's easy to throw stones at the very public sins of Gov. McGreevey, but each one of us needs to keep a humble heart in the face of the word that best characterizes his life - The word is hypocrisy! And it's a word that stalks everyone of our lives. Every one of us is less than authentic at some time, in some way, during the course of our life, aren't we? My kids, when they were teens, would refer to someone who was obviously projecting a fake image with the dismissive phrase - "What a poser!" Yet, we all strike a pose to impress, now and then. The news reports bring stories of people who get jobs with a resume that includes a fake degree or two. We hear about a man with two families, one on each coast, and wonder how he could keep such a secret. And, too, we meet people who are in the depths of deception, who don't even know themselves.
But, the most serious hypocrisy is that of the spirit. Jesus was amazingly harsh with religious leaders of his time who worked hard to project an image of devotion and piety to their world. They wore the prescribed clothing, went faithfully to the synagogues, prayed eloquent public prayers, and separated themselves from the ordinary people who they considered 'sinners.' Read a portion of Jesus' stunning tirade against these frauds.
“How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest part of your income, but you ignore the important things of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but you should not leave undone the more important things. Blind guides! You strain your water so you won’t accidentally swallow a gnat; then you swallow a camel!
“How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! You are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! Blind Pharisees! First wash the inside of the cup, and then the outside will become clean, too.
“How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. You try to look like upright people outwardly, but inside your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness." (Matthew 23:23-28, NLT)
Hypocrisy is one of those sins that feeds on itself. Pretense piles on top of pretense, deepening the deception and creating a tangle of lies from which it becomes harder and harder to escape. Ah, friend - that is why you and I must run to the arms of Our Heavenly Father who knows us inside and out to experience the amazing grace He offers. We are set free by His healing love to live authentically, honestly, and confessionally.
The old phrase, "what you see is what you get," comes off as arrogant to some, but for me it is an aspiration! I want to live a transparent life that is no more and no less than reality. I aspire to accept the place in life that God has prepared for me with no overweening desire for acclaim or recognition.
We must not use authenticity as an excuse to remain in our sinful state! That's a mistake I've observed in some, too. Like Popeye, some insist, "I yam what I yam!" They will not let the Spirit of God touch their lives with His transforming Presence. They are honest about their failures perhaps, but too proud to admit the need to become like Christ. My confession is that of Paul who understood that he was a 'becomer,' a saint under construction.
"I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be. No, dear brothers and sisters, 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." (Philippians 3:12-14, NLT)
Make that your aim, to admit that you're not all you should be, but that you're focused on becoming all God wants you to be.
____________________________________
Make yourself an honest man, and then you may be sure that there is one rascal less in the world. -- Carlyle.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
A broad and generous vision
Human beings easily 'see' the world through lens distorted by pre-conceptions and assumptions. We all do it! Friedman, in his insightful book, The World is Flat, (Farrar, 2005) writes about the radical Muslim clerics in the Middle East who hate America because they see only the Britney Spears, Hollywood, and MTV side of our culture. Seeing only the decadent and the worst, they cannot grasp that in an open and democratic society that allows music and entertainment that is so repugnant, there is also a free 'give and take' of ideas that allows a mosque, a synagogue, and a church to be built in the same town. They cannot grasp that openness creates opportunities for good and evil. The radical Muslim agenda, boundaried with a very narrow vision, is to seek to destroy us all, instead of embrace the best of what we bring to this world.
Another example of failed vision is our Congress that is in a deadlock. Republicans refuse to see a single good idea in the Democratic agenda. Democrats, likewise, cannot see anything but the worst excesses of the Republicans. The result is wasted time, failed leadership, and we are robbed of the best solutions to our pressing national needs.
Now, let me bring this concept of vision in an application to our lives. I know more than a few Christians who look at the world we live in and see only the awful, the terrible, and the sinful. To those who have such limited vision the whole world is so bad, so terrible, that the only answer is to separate from it and wait for the End of Days. I believe that perspective ignores some wonderful things about our time, blinds us to some of our great blessings and opportunities, and that 'woe is me' talk becomes self-fulfilling prophecy.
For example, there is the Internet. Some Christians bemoan the development of this technology and regard the wired world as nothing more than a vehicle for pornography and gambling. But consider this, the same Internet that brings all kinds of evil stuff to our doorstep, flows the other way, too! By means of the Internet, the Gospel can reach behind locked doors, into closed societies, and to the far reaches of the globe. In response to vile content of movies and music, some Christians mistakenly clamor for restrictive laws to close the doors of free expression and bring on censorship. But they fail to see that the same freedom of speech that allows the rapper to spew his filth also allows the evangelist to tell the Gospel story without restraint.
I take great comfort from this declaration - "where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 5.20 NIV) I believe that the Christian Church still has great days ahead of her, IF she will enlarge her vision to see the opportunities presented to her in this age. Are these the Last Days? I honestly do not know. All I know for sure, is that these are my last days. I have only 20-30 more years on earth to be about the Lord's work, so I cannot waste time debating the day of the dawn of the Great Tribulation. We cannot allow ourselves to retreat into Apocalyptic visions that let us detach from a needy world while we pray for the Rapture to rescue us!
You may well be thinking - "Jerry, how can you deny us the promise of the Blessed Hope of the Church, the Second Coming of the Lord?" I am not doing that. My ultimate hope for this world is in the return of Christ, the King. I believe that when He comes, as He promises, all of the visions of the prophets will be fulfilled. Who cannot long for the words of Malachi to come to pass? "But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture. On the day when I act, you will tread upon the wicked as if they were dust under your feet,” says the Lord Almighty." (Malachi 4:2-3, NLT) But, for me the promise of His coming, is not an escapist vision borne out of fear and loathing of this world. It is the ultimate realization of a way of life that I have already embraced. I am, here and now, living in the Kingdom of God. I have already taken His Promises and accepted His life. I will not wait for the Lord to appear in the sky to be about the King's business. Instead, I want to be about His work of salvation in my world right now.
I take seriously the teaching story that Jesus told in Luke 19. It opens like this -- "While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once." (Luke 19:11, NIV) Then, He went on to tell about three servants who were each entrusted with a part of a king's treasure to manage while he was away. Each one received an amount appropriate to his skills and abilities. When the king returned, after a long time, he called the servants in to give an accounting. Here's part of the story. “Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it. “The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’ ”‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’" (Luke 19:15-17, NIV) But the last servant, the one only given one share, came in with nothing to report. This servant was in the grip of a pinched, narrow vision that did not see the opportunities. His fear made him a failure! “Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth." (Luke 19:20, NIV) The king did not commend him! He roared his angry disapproval.
When my king returns, I want to stand before Him to report, "I gave the utmost, prayed for large vision, and used the grace gifts You invested in me for your glory. Lord, I have, by the Spirit's help, left the world a bit better than I found it." How about you?
Here's a word from the Word. It is set in the context of Jesus' visit to Samaria, which many of his fellow Jews regarded as a land and people beyond God's reach. His challenge to his disciple to take a second look is a challenge to us as we gaze on our world today -
"I’m telling you to open your eyes and take a good look at what’s right in front of you. These Samaritan fields are ripe. It’s harvest time! “The Harvester isn’t waiting. He’s taking his pay, gathering in this grain that’s ripe for eternal life. Now the Sower is arm in arm with the Harvester, triumphant. That’s the truth of the saying, ‘This one sows, that one harvests.’ I sent you to harvest a field you never worked. Without lifting a finger, you have walked in on a field worked long and hard by others.” Many of the Samaritans from that village committed themselves to him because of the woman’s witness: “He knew all about the things I did. He knows me inside and out!”" (John 4:35-39, The Message)
Another example of failed vision is our Congress that is in a deadlock. Republicans refuse to see a single good idea in the Democratic agenda. Democrats, likewise, cannot see anything but the worst excesses of the Republicans. The result is wasted time, failed leadership, and we are robbed of the best solutions to our pressing national needs.
Now, let me bring this concept of vision in an application to our lives. I know more than a few Christians who look at the world we live in and see only the awful, the terrible, and the sinful. To those who have such limited vision the whole world is so bad, so terrible, that the only answer is to separate from it and wait for the End of Days. I believe that perspective ignores some wonderful things about our time, blinds us to some of our great blessings and opportunities, and that 'woe is me' talk becomes self-fulfilling prophecy.
For example, there is the Internet. Some Christians bemoan the development of this technology and regard the wired world as nothing more than a vehicle for pornography and gambling. But consider this, the same Internet that brings all kinds of evil stuff to our doorstep, flows the other way, too! By means of the Internet, the Gospel can reach behind locked doors, into closed societies, and to the far reaches of the globe. In response to vile content of movies and music, some Christians mistakenly clamor for restrictive laws to close the doors of free expression and bring on censorship. But they fail to see that the same freedom of speech that allows the rapper to spew his filth also allows the evangelist to tell the Gospel story without restraint.
I take great comfort from this declaration - "where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 5.20 NIV) I believe that the Christian Church still has great days ahead of her, IF she will enlarge her vision to see the opportunities presented to her in this age. Are these the Last Days? I honestly do not know. All I know for sure, is that these are my last days. I have only 20-30 more years on earth to be about the Lord's work, so I cannot waste time debating the day of the dawn of the Great Tribulation. We cannot allow ourselves to retreat into Apocalyptic visions that let us detach from a needy world while we pray for the Rapture to rescue us!
You may well be thinking - "Jerry, how can you deny us the promise of the Blessed Hope of the Church, the Second Coming of the Lord?" I am not doing that. My ultimate hope for this world is in the return of Christ, the King. I believe that when He comes, as He promises, all of the visions of the prophets will be fulfilled. Who cannot long for the words of Malachi to come to pass? "But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture. On the day when I act, you will tread upon the wicked as if they were dust under your feet,” says the Lord Almighty." (Malachi 4:2-3, NLT) But, for me the promise of His coming, is not an escapist vision borne out of fear and loathing of this world. It is the ultimate realization of a way of life that I have already embraced. I am, here and now, living in the Kingdom of God. I have already taken His Promises and accepted His life. I will not wait for the Lord to appear in the sky to be about the King's business. Instead, I want to be about His work of salvation in my world right now.
I take seriously the teaching story that Jesus told in Luke 19. It opens like this -- "While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once." (Luke 19:11, NIV) Then, He went on to tell about three servants who were each entrusted with a part of a king's treasure to manage while he was away. Each one received an amount appropriate to his skills and abilities. When the king returned, after a long time, he called the servants in to give an accounting. Here's part of the story. “Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it. “The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’ ”‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’" (Luke 19:15-17, NIV) But the last servant, the one only given one share, came in with nothing to report. This servant was in the grip of a pinched, narrow vision that did not see the opportunities. His fear made him a failure! “Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth." (Luke 19:20, NIV) The king did not commend him! He roared his angry disapproval.
When my king returns, I want to stand before Him to report, "I gave the utmost, prayed for large vision, and used the grace gifts You invested in me for your glory. Lord, I have, by the Spirit's help, left the world a bit better than I found it." How about you?
Here's a word from the Word. It is set in the context of Jesus' visit to Samaria, which many of his fellow Jews regarded as a land and people beyond God's reach. His challenge to his disciple to take a second look is a challenge to us as we gaze on our world today -
"I’m telling you to open your eyes and take a good look at what’s right in front of you. These Samaritan fields are ripe. It’s harvest time! “The Harvester isn’t waiting. He’s taking his pay, gathering in this grain that’s ripe for eternal life. Now the Sower is arm in arm with the Harvester, triumphant. That’s the truth of the saying, ‘This one sows, that one harvests.’ I sent you to harvest a field you never worked. Without lifting a finger, you have walked in on a field worked long and hard by others.” Many of the Samaritans from that village committed themselves to him because of the woman’s witness: “He knew all about the things I did. He knows me inside and out!”" (John 4:35-39, The Message)
Monday, September 18, 2006
Will you regret it?
60 Minutes ran a story about Bill Romanowski, the NFL linebacker who played mean, vicious football for 16 seasons with four different teams. Romo was not a nice man and for a long time was proud of that fact. He fueled his on field performance with rage and $millions of pills, legal and illegal. Now, 40 years of age, with brain damage caused by repeated concussions sustained in hard hits on the field, he weeps at the memory of what he was willing to do to keep his job and to hear the fans chant, "Romo, Romo, Romo," when he took the field. His most painful memory, however, is stated in his own words - “The embarrassment to my family, and friends, to teammates, team owners and the league, that hurt. And ultimately a little boy that looks up to his dad, and he said, ‘Dad, do you do drugs?’ And that one hurt me more than anything,” (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/10/13/60minutes/main941102_page2.shtml) Romanowski says that if he had not taken up professional football, he would have been a dairy farmer! I hope that he has another 40 years on this earth to life a different kind of life that isn't about hurting opponents and abusing his body.
I want to put a couple of hard questions to us today.
They are not pleasant questions and many of you may stop reading this TFTD, disturbed at me for even asking them, but here goes...
I want to put a couple of hard questions to us today.
They are not pleasant questions and many of you may stop reading this TFTD, disturbed at me for even asking them, but here goes...
- Can you project your thoughts into the future, 10 years, 20 years down the road of life, asking yourself - "Will I be full of regret?"
- What kind of legacy are you creating and how would you be remembered if God called you into eternity today?
Jesus puts the question to us like this: "how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in the process? Is anything worth more than your soul?" (Matthew 16:26, NLT) Jesus not so gently is telling us that there is a way to live that can bring us all the earthly rewards we want but the cost of getting those things is our life! No, not our physical life, but rather our spiritual life - our eternal life. There are all kinds of soul poison available to us.
The love of money is chosen by millions of Americans. The glitter of wealth tempts us to sell our self-respect, to sacrifice our families. The Bible holds out this wisdom -'the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.' (1 Tim. 6.10) Drink from that cup and there will a day when you weep with regret over years wasted. "Going down that path, some lose their footing in the faith completely and live to regret it bitterly ever after. " (1 Timothy 6:10, The Message)
The worship of the body captivates millions of us. We spend inordinate amounts of time and money in a desperate attempt to hold onto the beauty of youth, valuing firm muscles and sensual beauty above all things. The underlying myth is that sexuality is the name of the game, the meaning of life. Entire industries are devoted to creating the illusion of immortality for us. This poison tastes sweet for a time, but the aftertaste is bitterness beyond imagining.
The lure of fame and/or influence is the cup chosen by some. To gain power they will trample on anyone in their way. They will exploit those who can advance them and then discard these 'friends' when they are no longer useful. The poison of power is so corrosive, it eats away the heart of those who seek it.
God makes an offer that we should not refuse.
“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. " (Isaiah 55:1-3, NIV)
Choose life for your soul today! Walk with God, in the light of His love and with the wisdom of the Spirit.
It's the road of no regret, that leads to a life that has no end. Yes, we will die, but if we have lived in the Spirit here and now,
our death is only a transition into the life that is really life!
___________________
"Lord God, I come to You today to confess that I live in a world that offers me many things that part of me wants to own.
I am torn by temptation when offered the cup of money, sensuality, or power. Their lure is strong for me.
I ask for Spirit-enabled eyes that see beyond tomorrow, for vision that allows me to choose the road of long obedience that leads to life that is really life.
Let me drink deeply from the cup of life, to be satisfied and filled with the rich food found at Your table.
I pray this in the Name of the Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen."
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