The greeting card business has to be a lucrative thing! It costs four bucks for a piece of paper, some foil imprinting, and a ribbon! The practical side of me says, "Jerry, just go fold a piece of paper, write your thoughts on it, and send it off." Message delivered, money saved. What a cheap guy, huh? Of course, I realize that the message of encouragement or love that a greeting card communicates is much enhanced by the decorative way it is presented, so despite my inclination to be cheap, I buy the cards. As I stood at the card rack yesterday, I wondered how often a card gets purchased and sent simply to meet an expectation? A person can buy a card that says all the right words and mail it. There is no lie detector at the check out register that determines if the heart of the sender is actually filled with the love professed by the card. Sending a card is easy. Really loving somebody is much more expensive!
Jesus challenged his disciples to think about the importance of matching 'right words' with 'right actions' in a teaching story that He told about the religious leaders of His day. These men were His greatest foes. They professed a love for God. They knew all the right words, even how to create loopholes for themselves so they could look righteous while doing exactly what they wanted to do. Jesus wanted those who followed Him to know that God wasn't buying the Pharisees' professions of devotions as authentic. Here's His story.
"A man with two sons told the older boy, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ The son answered, ‘No, I won’t go,’ but later he changed his mind and went anyway. Then the father told the other son, ‘You go,’ and he said, ‘Yes, sir, I will.’ But he didn’t go. "Which of the two obeyed his father?" They replied, "The first." Then Jesus explained his meaning: "I tell you the truth, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do." (Matthew 21:28-31, NLT)
Cheap religion is all about making a good impression by singing the 'right' kind of songs, being in the church at the 'right' times, or saying the 'right' kind of prayers -all unmatched by a right kind of heart! No matter how we dress it up, God isn't impressed by words alone. He desires true devotion that encompasses the totality of our lives. According to His story, God would much prefer that we honestly admit to our desire to do our own thing than to say we love Him while continuing to live for ourselves.
Honesty, before Him and with ourselves, allows the Spirit to convict us and change us. Adopting a superficial holiness is a kind of vaccine that prevents us from feeling the effects of sin's sickness that drives us to desperately seek Him! Listen to the passion in the words of the Lord when He challenges a heart-less religion. "Frauds! Isaiah’s prophecy of you hit the bull’s-eye: These people make a big show of saying the right thing, but their heart isn’t in it." (Matthew 15:7-8, The Message)
Believer, as we worship through another Holy Week, let's engage our hearts! Let God's love, demonstrated in the death of Jesus on the Cross, touch you deeply, calling you to a life of love. Invite the Spirit to take the story of the Resurrection and drive it deeply into your mind, making you a person passionate about living for eternal purposes, not just the things of this present world. Be on guard for mere sentiment replacing real heart-felt devotion.
Here's a word from the Word on which to meditate today.
"Dear friends, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, "Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!" and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense? I can already hear one of you agreeing by saying, "Sounds good. You take care of the faith department, I’ll handle the works department." Not so fast. You can no more show me your works apart from your faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works. Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove." (James 2:14-18, The Message)
_________________________
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Secured by the Truth
When I was a little tyke in Sunday School, we sang -
"The devil is a sly old fox
and if I could, I'd put him in a box.
I'd lock him up, and throw away the key,
for all the dirty tricks he's played on me!"
The Scripture is more sophisticated in saying it, "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." (Ephesians 6:11, NKJV) The enemy of all that is good cares nothing for a fair fight and he will exploit anything in his pursuit of destruction. That is why we, Believers, must be full of the Spirit and centered in the grace of God so we are not duped by him.
Recently, I struggled against the temptation to serve Self all day long. I prayed for the tempter's power to be broken and focused my thoughts in praise and meditation on the Word. I know that when I am tired, when life has required me to give everything I have, that my sinful nature will clamor for attention. Just when I thought the battle was won, the enemy of my soul found opportunity to take a couple of more swings at me. Someone questioned my competency and an email arrived that added insult to my character! Ah, yes, he is a canny foe. He whispered, "See, you're really hurting now. You need to just let down your guard. Serve yourself!"
No matter what our occupation, regardless of how long we have been a follower of Jesus - evil is a real foe. The devil and his demons operate in the shadow world of deception and illusion, playing off of the very real circumstances in our lives, offering us 'relief' from our pain through things that will ultimately destroy us: hatred, unforgiveness, greed, sensuality, lust, drunkenness, use of drugs, laziness - to name a few. But in the hour of temptation we seldom see those things for what they are! He dresses them up in his lies and they appear to be just what we need to survive in the moment.
In the 4th chapter of Matthew's Gospel, there is the story of Jesus' encounter with the Devil. In the wilderness, where He was 'led by the Spirit' He found Himself weakened. The tempter shows up to exploit His desires, to offer false solutions to His longing to fulfill the mission God had given Him. "Turn these stones into bread. ... presume on God's power by forcing Him to intervene to save you from yourself ... take a shortcut to power by giving me worship!" Jesus did not argue with the tempter. He turned to Truth! Each deception was countered.
"It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" (Matthew 4:4, NIV) "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" (Matthew 4:7, NIV) "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" (Matthew 4:10, NIV)
When you find yourself in the wilderness of Temptation, don't trust your own strength. Let the Truth secure you. Pray for the Light to shine brightly dispelling the shadows. Name the temptation as God does, not with the pretty descriptions offered by the tempter, and the Lord will be your shield and strength.
Here's a word from the Word. Take it with you.
"How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You. Blessed are You, O Lord! Teach me Your statutes." (Psalm 119:9-12, NKJV)
_______________
Am I a soldier of the cross,
A follower of the Lamb.
And shall I fear to own His cause,
Or blush to speak His name?
Must I be carried to the skies
On flowery beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize,
And sailed thro' bloody seas?
Sure I must fight if I would reign,
Increase my courage, Lord:
I'll bear the toil,
endure the pain,
Supported by Thy Word.
And when the battle's over
We shall wear a crown!
Yes, we shall wear a crown!
Yes, we shall wear a crown.
And when the battle's over
We shall wear a crown
In the new Jerusalem.
Isaac Watts© Public Domain
"The devil is a sly old fox
and if I could, I'd put him in a box.
I'd lock him up, and throw away the key,
for all the dirty tricks he's played on me!"
The Scripture is more sophisticated in saying it, "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." (Ephesians 6:11, NKJV) The enemy of all that is good cares nothing for a fair fight and he will exploit anything in his pursuit of destruction. That is why we, Believers, must be full of the Spirit and centered in the grace of God so we are not duped by him.
Recently, I struggled against the temptation to serve Self all day long. I prayed for the tempter's power to be broken and focused my thoughts in praise and meditation on the Word. I know that when I am tired, when life has required me to give everything I have, that my sinful nature will clamor for attention. Just when I thought the battle was won, the enemy of my soul found opportunity to take a couple of more swings at me. Someone questioned my competency and an email arrived that added insult to my character! Ah, yes, he is a canny foe. He whispered, "See, you're really hurting now. You need to just let down your guard. Serve yourself!"
No matter what our occupation, regardless of how long we have been a follower of Jesus - evil is a real foe. The devil and his demons operate in the shadow world of deception and illusion, playing off of the very real circumstances in our lives, offering us 'relief' from our pain through things that will ultimately destroy us: hatred, unforgiveness, greed, sensuality, lust, drunkenness, use of drugs, laziness - to name a few. But in the hour of temptation we seldom see those things for what they are! He dresses them up in his lies and they appear to be just what we need to survive in the moment.
In the 4th chapter of Matthew's Gospel, there is the story of Jesus' encounter with the Devil. In the wilderness, where He was 'led by the Spirit' He found Himself weakened. The tempter shows up to exploit His desires, to offer false solutions to His longing to fulfill the mission God had given Him. "Turn these stones into bread. ... presume on God's power by forcing Him to intervene to save you from yourself ... take a shortcut to power by giving me worship!" Jesus did not argue with the tempter. He turned to Truth! Each deception was countered.
"It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" (Matthew 4:4, NIV) "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" (Matthew 4:7, NIV) "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" (Matthew 4:10, NIV)
When you find yourself in the wilderness of Temptation, don't trust your own strength. Let the Truth secure you. Pray for the Light to shine brightly dispelling the shadows. Name the temptation as God does, not with the pretty descriptions offered by the tempter, and the Lord will be your shield and strength.
Here's a word from the Word. Take it with you.
"How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You. Blessed are You, O Lord! Teach me Your statutes." (Psalm 119:9-12, NKJV)
_______________
Am I a soldier of the cross,
A follower of the Lamb.
And shall I fear to own His cause,
Or blush to speak His name?
Must I be carried to the skies
On flowery beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize,
And sailed thro' bloody seas?
Sure I must fight if I would reign,
Increase my courage, Lord:
I'll bear the toil,
endure the pain,
Supported by Thy Word.
And when the battle's over
We shall wear a crown!
Yes, we shall wear a crown!
Yes, we shall wear a crown.
And when the battle's over
We shall wear a crown
In the new Jerusalem.
Isaac Watts© Public Domain
Monday, March 17, 2008
Which Jesus do you follow?
Christians celebrated Palm Sunday yesterday, the day in which people of ancient Jerusalem welcomed Jesus as their King, or so it would seem on the surface of the story. The story of the restoration of Lazarus from the grave after he had been dead and buried for four days circulated, stirring great excitement. "Many in the crowd had seen Jesus call Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead, and they were telling others about it. That was the reason so many went out to meet him—because they had heard about this miraculous sign." (John 12:17-18, NLT) The story out-raced Jesus to Jerusalem and quickly morphed into a "Messiah is coming to restore the Kingdom of David" narrative. So when people heard He was on the road into the city they greeted him with palm branches and shouts that welcomed a new king. They thought that He was about to start the revolution and set them free from Rome's tyranny. Even His own disciples got the fever and started debating which one of them would be Prime Minister, causing Jesus to wash their feet at the Last Supper to remind them of the importance of serving one another in love!
Days later when those crowds saw Jesus in Roman custody, bloodied and bound, their disillusionment turned into fury that was fed by the religious leaders. They screamed for His blood - "Crucify Him!" This is the problem with getting only half the story, with failing to know the Christ of the Bible! Jesus mission was one of liberation and restoration, but not to recreate Israel's earthly glory. He came to announce the Kingdom of Heaven, to raise up a new people of God from every nation, something that only started to come into focus weeks later with the birth of the church, and which only became crystal clear several years later when the Spirit was poured out on the household of Cornelius!
Have you followed the Jesus of the Word or a "Jesus" of popular imagination? We have many Jesus stories being told in our time.
There is the "Happy Good Luck Jesus" who is supposed to make all our troubles vanish, keep our cars in good repair, and protect us from the sorrows of life.
There is the "American Patriot Jesus" who supposedly will keep America first, protect our privileged place in the world's power structure, and allow us to continue to consume prodigious quantities of the world's resources to make ourselves more and more rich!
And, then too, there is the "Prosperity Gospel Jesus" who supposedly is a lot like Santa, handing out health and wealth to all His good kids, so they can enjoy their best life now!
Follow one of those "Jesus" stories and you'll find yourself - sooner or later - disillusioned when 'it doesn't work!' Jesus Christ did promise that He would bring "life to the full" (John 10.10) meaning that He would restore our place at the Father's table, forgive us our sins, and assure us of eternal life. And it is true that those who live in His ways and as He teaches us to live, generally enjoy better lives than those who are slaves of sin and Satan. After all, if you follow the Owner's Manual, life tends to find better emotional, spiritual, relational, and physical health! But He is not the Savior of Indulgence, the giver of perpetual ease! Just as fulfilling His godly mission required sacrifice and suffering, so if we desire to live godly lives that serve His purposes we must be prepared to 'die to self.'
At the beginning of this Holy Week, I urge you to prayerfully consider whether you have the Jesus Christ of Scripture as your Lord and King. Here's how the Word describes Him. May the Lord bless the Word to your mind today.
"Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.
Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions." (Colossians 1:15-21, NLT) Hallelujah, What a Savior!
_________________
Days later when those crowds saw Jesus in Roman custody, bloodied and bound, their disillusionment turned into fury that was fed by the religious leaders. They screamed for His blood - "Crucify Him!" This is the problem with getting only half the story, with failing to know the Christ of the Bible! Jesus mission was one of liberation and restoration, but not to recreate Israel's earthly glory. He came to announce the Kingdom of Heaven, to raise up a new people of God from every nation, something that only started to come into focus weeks later with the birth of the church, and which only became crystal clear several years later when the Spirit was poured out on the household of Cornelius!
Have you followed the Jesus of the Word or a "Jesus" of popular imagination? We have many Jesus stories being told in our time.
There is the "Happy Good Luck Jesus" who is supposed to make all our troubles vanish, keep our cars in good repair, and protect us from the sorrows of life.
There is the "American Patriot Jesus" who supposedly will keep America first, protect our privileged place in the world's power structure, and allow us to continue to consume prodigious quantities of the world's resources to make ourselves more and more rich!
And, then too, there is the "Prosperity Gospel Jesus" who supposedly is a lot like Santa, handing out health and wealth to all His good kids, so they can enjoy their best life now!
Follow one of those "Jesus" stories and you'll find yourself - sooner or later - disillusioned when 'it doesn't work!' Jesus Christ did promise that He would bring "life to the full" (John 10.10) meaning that He would restore our place at the Father's table, forgive us our sins, and assure us of eternal life. And it is true that those who live in His ways and as He teaches us to live, generally enjoy better lives than those who are slaves of sin and Satan. After all, if you follow the Owner's Manual, life tends to find better emotional, spiritual, relational, and physical health! But He is not the Savior of Indulgence, the giver of perpetual ease! Just as fulfilling His godly mission required sacrifice and suffering, so if we desire to live godly lives that serve His purposes we must be prepared to 'die to self.'
At the beginning of this Holy Week, I urge you to prayerfully consider whether you have the Jesus Christ of Scripture as your Lord and King. Here's how the Word describes Him. May the Lord bless the Word to your mind today.
"Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.
Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions." (Colossians 1:15-21, NLT) Hallelujah, What a Savior!
_________________
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