Maribel and I traveled to Selinsgrove, PA yesterday to see my parents. My grandson, age 13 months, was in his car seat in the center of the backseat of my car. I started snapping my fingers to the beat the song on the CD and in the rearview mirror caught a glimpse of the tyke with his little arm extended and bent just like mine, trying his best to snap his fingers. It was a funny, sobering moment! What other parts of my life is he watching? What will he take away from Grandpa's example in word and action? The thought persisted through the day as I walked and talked with my Dad and saw, in a renewed way, the power of legacy. My Dad's parents met Christ and were transformed by the Gospel. They passed the the faith to my parents, who passed the faith to me. Bev and I passed it to our children, who are now passing it to their children. As I took a photo of my Dad and my grandson; and a silent prayer went up to the Lord - "may all who come behind me, find me faithful!"
Believer, the Gospel that is entrusted to us is not just to be preached, it must be lived! We not only have a message, we have a charge to be models of faith. Paul wrote, "Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern." (Philippians 3:17, NKJV) There is no arrogance in his statement. It is an invitation. He was able to say, "If you want to know how this thing called Christianity works, watch me! Do what I do. As I work out the implications of being a follower of Christ, you can observe my choices, my decisions, and use them as a guide in your own discipleship."
Can you say the same to your family, to your neighbors, to your world?
My first objection is, "That's hard and I'm not perfect." Nobody is, not even Paul who invited those first generation Believers to imitate his walk with Christ. Authenticity is of critical importance! We teach as much by the way we recover from our mistakes as we do when we hit a homerun; perhaps even more. Recently I was having a conversation with a fellow Believer about the road I am walking with my Dad in this time of his critical illness. It's been a difficult way - a mix hope and fear, times of amazing faith and no faith at all. The man with whom I was speaking reminded me that many were watching and learning from my example. "Oh, Lord!" I thought to myself, "what if I don't do this well?" But that's the wrong focus. It's not about me; it's about the Presence of Christ in me.
Jesus Christ showed His first disciples and us, as well, how to be a good example. He told them that the strength is not from will, intellect, or wit! "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8, NIV) Passing the faith along, being a teller, a mentor, and a model is not a matter of performance. That is the tragedy of superficial religion. It isn't about learning some good lines or putting on a good show. It is living as people of the Spirit, changed from the inside out. The Lord reserved His strongest condemnation for those who put on a good religion show, whose hearts were far from devotion to God. Of them, He said, ". . . be careful about following them. They talk a good line, but they don’t live it. They don’t take it into their hearts and live it out in their behavior. It’s all spit-and-polish veneer. "Instead of giving you God’s Law as food and drink by which you can banquet on God, they package it in bundles of rules, loading you down like pack animals. They seem to take pleasure in watching you stagger under these loads, and wouldn’t think of lifting a finger to help. Their lives are perpetual fashion shows, embroidered prayer shawls one day and flowery prayers the next. . . . Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant. If you puff yourself up, you’ll get the wind knocked out of you. But if you’re content to simply be yourself, your life will count for plenty. "I’ve had it with you! You’re hopeless, you religion scholars, you Pharisees! Frauds! Your lives are roadblocks to God’s kingdom." (Matthew 23:3-5, 11-13, The Message)
Pray that God will make you a bridge to the life of Christ, not a roadblock!
Deal ruthlessly with sin and inconsistency in your life.
Refuse the temptation to pretend to be someone that you are not but, at the same time,
aspire to be all that the Holy Spirit makes it possible for you to become.
And, the beauty of Jesus will shine through you.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
God, my Defender
The story of the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt reaches the high point of drama as the Israelites are camped by the Red Sea and the army of Pharaoh is approaching. Tension builds. What will the people of God do? Will there be bloodshed before they are dragged back to their slavery in that land? The people were terrified. Moses cried out to the Lord. Then we read that God moved the cloud that had been the symbol of His Presence before them, to the rear of their camp to separate them from the approaching army. Finally, in the night, God opened the waters and "the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side!" (Exodus 14:22, NLT) As dawn approached, Pharaoh made his move. His chariots went into the watery chasm as the Israelites had done. Confusion broke out. The wheels of their chariots fell off. "Let’s get out of here—away from these Israelites!" the Egyptians shouted. "The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt!" (Exodus 14:25, NLT) At God's command, Moses stretched out his hand and the waters closed, killing the Egyptian army and ending the threat.
It's a glorious story written to inspire hope and faith. The question that begs an answer for me is- should we expect God to defend us in similar manner? Oh, friend, it is a dangerous one to ask. We want to quickly say, "Yes!" and claim our place at the head of the line of humanity as many Christians do. We want to conclude that God will lead us into triumph, pouring out blessings on us. But is that a right expectation?
The first thing that we need to do is to make the distinction between ourselves as individual Believers and God's Church, the Body of Christ. God will always defend His Bride, the Church. He will see to it that She is protected from the world until Christ returns to finalize the defeat of Evil. In a passage pregnant with promise, we read of God's salvation of His church. And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." (Revelation 7:14-17, NIV)
God will keep us, as individuals, who trust in Him, safe in His embrace, too. But, we may find ourselves experiencing hard times, enduring difficult situations, even becoming martyrs- squarely in the center of God's purposes. "But, Jerry, that doesn't sound like He is defending me!" My point is that His purposes for us may be entirely different than what we think they are or should be. As an illustration of this principle take the experience of Jim Elliott and his missionary friends who were killed on January 8, 1956 while on an outreach to a tribe of native people in the Ecuadorian jungles. Those young men, in the prime of life, thought that their mission was to take the Gospel to that little tribe. I do not think that even one of them thought their calling was to be fulfilled in an awful death on a small river beach in the Amazon! Each wanted to build the Kingdom of God and each did, though not in the way they thought they would. Their martyrdom inspired thousands of young people to take up the call of missions in the second half of the 20th century. The effect of Elliott's life was magnified many times over in his death. Did God defend him? Not from death at the tip of a spear, but He did work His kingdom purposes and most certainly received those brave men to Himself.
This is a hard word, acceptable only if we have a heart full of faith. But it is Biblical, dear friend. The 'faith chapter' (Hebrews 11) opens with this definition: " Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (Hebrews 11:1, NIV) The Spirit leads us in that passage through some wonderful examples of men and women who enjoyed great victories by faith, who others admired and who inspire us to greater faith to this day: Noah, Abraham, Moses, Samson, David, even Rahab!
But the chapter does not end with such glorious stories. It ends with a passage that is not read with as much enthusiasm as the first half. "But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground. All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us." (Hebrews 11:35-40, NLT)
The Psalmist sings, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me." (Psalm 23:4, NKJV)
Steady on, Believer. He is our Defender. He is at work to accomplish His will, to build His Kingdom. He assures us that "all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28, NKJV)
Jesus, hold my hand. Teach me to lean on You, to trust You equally when the sun shines brightly overhead and when the way is darkened by storms.
________
It's a glorious story written to inspire hope and faith. The question that begs an answer for me is- should we expect God to defend us in similar manner? Oh, friend, it is a dangerous one to ask. We want to quickly say, "Yes!" and claim our place at the head of the line of humanity as many Christians do. We want to conclude that God will lead us into triumph, pouring out blessings on us. But is that a right expectation?
The first thing that we need to do is to make the distinction between ourselves as individual Believers and God's Church, the Body of Christ. God will always defend His Bride, the Church. He will see to it that She is protected from the world until Christ returns to finalize the defeat of Evil. In a passage pregnant with promise, we read of God's salvation of His church. And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." (Revelation 7:14-17, NIV)
God will keep us, as individuals, who trust in Him, safe in His embrace, too. But, we may find ourselves experiencing hard times, enduring difficult situations, even becoming martyrs- squarely in the center of God's purposes. "But, Jerry, that doesn't sound like He is defending me!" My point is that His purposes for us may be entirely different than what we think they are or should be. As an illustration of this principle take the experience of Jim Elliott and his missionary friends who were killed on January 8, 1956 while on an outreach to a tribe of native people in the Ecuadorian jungles. Those young men, in the prime of life, thought that their mission was to take the Gospel to that little tribe. I do not think that even one of them thought their calling was to be fulfilled in an awful death on a small river beach in the Amazon! Each wanted to build the Kingdom of God and each did, though not in the way they thought they would. Their martyrdom inspired thousands of young people to take up the call of missions in the second half of the 20th century. The effect of Elliott's life was magnified many times over in his death. Did God defend him? Not from death at the tip of a spear, but He did work His kingdom purposes and most certainly received those brave men to Himself.
This is a hard word, acceptable only if we have a heart full of faith. But it is Biblical, dear friend. The 'faith chapter' (Hebrews 11) opens with this definition: " Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (Hebrews 11:1, NIV) The Spirit leads us in that passage through some wonderful examples of men and women who enjoyed great victories by faith, who others admired and who inspire us to greater faith to this day: Noah, Abraham, Moses, Samson, David, even Rahab!
But the chapter does not end with such glorious stories. It ends with a passage that is not read with as much enthusiasm as the first half. "But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground. All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us." (Hebrews 11:35-40, NLT)
The Psalmist sings, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me." (Psalm 23:4, NKJV)
Steady on, Believer. He is our Defender. He is at work to accomplish His will, to build His Kingdom. He assures us that "all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28, NKJV)
Jesus, hold my hand. Teach me to lean on You, to trust You equally when the sun shines brightly overhead and when the way is darkened by storms.
________
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
The Noonday Demon
Almost everyday, right around 1 pm, I feel my energy sag. If I lean back on my chair and close my eyes, I can fall asleep in 30 seconds. Fortunately, if a nap overtakes me, I know that I will awaken in about 10 minutes. The brief rest leaves me feeling refreshed. I just hope that no one finds me napping in my office! I would not want to be charged with the sin of sloth. Now there's a word we don't hear much. Does a midday nap make me guilty?
The ancient church leaders listed 7 deadly sins that afflict the soul:
Pride, the excessive belief in one's own abilities;
Envy, the desire for what belongs to another;
Gluttony, an inordinate desire to consume more than that which one requires;
Lust is an inordinate craving for the pleasures of the body;
Anger, also known as wrath;
Greed, the desire for material wealth or gain; and
Sloth, the avoidance of physical or spiritual work. Sloth was sometimes called the 'noonday demon' because it showed itself when the sun was hottest.
Are you afflicted with the sin of slothfulness? Many of us, when presented that question, could point to our long list of accomplishments and commitments. We could hold up an award or two for our diligence. Yet, if we took a deeper look we might find sloth rooted in our soul. Sometimes our frenetic day to day activities are a way to hide the barrenness of our soul that is brought on by spiritual sloth! Matthew Woodley points out, "Sloth causes a break in our relationship with God. In contrast to pride which responds to God with a defiant 'no!' - sloth responds to Him with a quiet 'yeah, whatever.'"
The Bible speaks to the slothful Believer challenging him to adopt a new way of life, "We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised." {Heb 6:11-12 NIV} Let's break it down.
Show diligence. Don't ignore or excuse your spiritual stupor. Don't make the error of comparing yourself to others and taking false comfort that you're 'doing better than some.' The Lord asks us to give 'our personal best' to Him and will ask us to give account for our efforts. He does not grade by comparison. Diligence is not workaholism! It is obedient, faithful, consistent response to His leading.
Cultivate faith. The counsel of the Word is that we 'walk by faith, not by sight.' Even when the reward is hidden, we press ahead. Sometimes the Presence of God is obscured by fatigue, disappointment, or physical malady. In those moments we lean on our brothers and do the right thing just because we know it's right!
Be patient! The Bible does not ask a resigned- "Oh, well, I'll put up with this with gritted teeth" that we often confuse with real patience. True patience is illustrated by the wait of the farmer between planting season and harvest. The farmer knows that his seed will grow and produce a harvest IF he will just wait for the process. He keeps cultivating, keeps on with life, while he waits for a harvest. Practicing the disciplines of the Spirit day by day is the patient thing to do as we resist the tyranny of slothfulness that demands quick fixes and easy solutions to life's challenges. James says {1:3-4, 12} NLT (Give) "your endurance a chance to grow. . . . for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything... God blesses the people who patiently endure testing. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."
Sloth is seldom defeated by sheer determination. If we really want to become productive and faithful Christians, we will tell somebody about our struggle and ask them to help us make the choices we need to make, day after day, until a new habit replaces the old one.
Silence the whispers of the 'noonday demon' with the enduring wisdom of the Word that teaches us that -"Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in slave labor." (Proverbs 12:24, NIV) "The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty." (Proverbs 21:5, NIV)
Believer, are you 'killing time' because you just do not want to fight the good fight of faith? Here's a word from the Word. Meditate on it today as you ask the Spirit to help you defeat the temptation to sloth. "Don’t get tired of helping others. You will be rewarded when the time is right, if you don’t give up. We should help people whenever we can, especially if they are followers of the Lord." (Galatians 6:9-10, CEV)
________________
Beneath the cross of Jesus,
I fain would take my stand,
The shadow of a Mighty Rock
within a weary land.
A home within the wilderness
a rest along the way,
from the burning of the noontide heat,
and the burden of the day.
-Public Domain
Elizabeth Clephane
The ancient church leaders listed 7 deadly sins that afflict the soul:
Pride, the excessive belief in one's own abilities;
Envy, the desire for what belongs to another;
Gluttony, an inordinate desire to consume more than that which one requires;
Lust is an inordinate craving for the pleasures of the body;
Anger, also known as wrath;
Greed, the desire for material wealth or gain; and
Sloth, the avoidance of physical or spiritual work. Sloth was sometimes called the 'noonday demon' because it showed itself when the sun was hottest.
Are you afflicted with the sin of slothfulness? Many of us, when presented that question, could point to our long list of accomplishments and commitments. We could hold up an award or two for our diligence. Yet, if we took a deeper look we might find sloth rooted in our soul. Sometimes our frenetic day to day activities are a way to hide the barrenness of our soul that is brought on by spiritual sloth! Matthew Woodley points out, "Sloth causes a break in our relationship with God. In contrast to pride which responds to God with a defiant 'no!' - sloth responds to Him with a quiet 'yeah, whatever.'"
The Bible speaks to the slothful Believer challenging him to adopt a new way of life, "We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised." {Heb 6:11-12 NIV} Let's break it down.
Show diligence. Don't ignore or excuse your spiritual stupor. Don't make the error of comparing yourself to others and taking false comfort that you're 'doing better than some.' The Lord asks us to give 'our personal best' to Him and will ask us to give account for our efforts. He does not grade by comparison. Diligence is not workaholism! It is obedient, faithful, consistent response to His leading.
Cultivate faith. The counsel of the Word is that we 'walk by faith, not by sight.' Even when the reward is hidden, we press ahead. Sometimes the Presence of God is obscured by fatigue, disappointment, or physical malady. In those moments we lean on our brothers and do the right thing just because we know it's right!
Be patient! The Bible does not ask a resigned- "Oh, well, I'll put up with this with gritted teeth" that we often confuse with real patience. True patience is illustrated by the wait of the farmer between planting season and harvest. The farmer knows that his seed will grow and produce a harvest IF he will just wait for the process. He keeps cultivating, keeps on with life, while he waits for a harvest. Practicing the disciplines of the Spirit day by day is the patient thing to do as we resist the tyranny of slothfulness that demands quick fixes and easy solutions to life's challenges. James says {1:3-4, 12} NLT (Give) "your endurance a chance to grow. . . . for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything... God blesses the people who patiently endure testing. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."
Sloth is seldom defeated by sheer determination. If we really want to become productive and faithful Christians, we will tell somebody about our struggle and ask them to help us make the choices we need to make, day after day, until a new habit replaces the old one.
Silence the whispers of the 'noonday demon' with the enduring wisdom of the Word that teaches us that -"Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in slave labor." (Proverbs 12:24, NIV) "The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty." (Proverbs 21:5, NIV)
Believer, are you 'killing time' because you just do not want to fight the good fight of faith? Here's a word from the Word. Meditate on it today as you ask the Spirit to help you defeat the temptation to sloth. "Don’t get tired of helping others. You will be rewarded when the time is right, if you don’t give up. We should help people whenever we can, especially if they are followers of the Lord." (Galatians 6:9-10, CEV)
________________
Beneath the cross of Jesus,
I fain would take my stand,
The shadow of a Mighty Rock
within a weary land.
A home within the wilderness
a rest along the way,
from the burning of the noontide heat,
and the burden of the day.
-Public Domain
Elizabeth Clephane
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
We need a Daniel!
Are you tired of the endless political season? I am! It's not that I think this election is unimportant. It would be refreshing to hear a thoughtful, deep, and detailed discussion about the serious issues facing this nation, of which there is no shortage! Challenges that need to be addressed include the cost of energy which threatens to bankrupt us, the availability and cost of health care, the spiraling cost of education, the spiritual, social, and economic ills that are creating the wastelands we call urban areas, the endless war in Iraq, and more. Instead of proposals we get sound-bites about who drinks with whom, half-true stories of past exploits, claims about who is more 'in touch' with average Americans, and debates about experience and who is too young or too old for the office. Even the televised debates, which are supposed to provide us with insight into the candidate's minds, produce more of the same shallow image polishing and sly personal attacks. To me much of what passes for political discussion looks like grown-ups playing schoolyard 'gotcha' games.
We need a Daniel, but I am not sure if a democratic election can produce that kind of leader - bold, truthful, wise, and ready to speak the truth without regard for polls or popularity. Someone has said that "America gets the leaders it deserves!" Perhaps that is true. Maybe we are so pre-occupied with greed, protecting our entitlements, and looking good that we are prepared to elect a person who mirrors that same lack of depth to lead us. In the book of Daniel, we read of a man who was faithful to God and full of wisdom, who spoke truth to power. Daniel was a teenage noble in Judah when the Babylonian army took him captive and transported him back to their capital city to serve in the court of Nebuchadnezzar. Many years later, when he was an old man, that empire came to a moment of crisis. Here's how the Queen-mother describes Daniel to the king. "There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. And in the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar your father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers. Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and explaining enigmas were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let Daniel be called." (Daniel 5:11-12, NKJV)
Believer, I want to be that kind of person in my neighborhood, my town; yes, in my world. How about you? I want to be known as a man in whom lives the Spirit of God and who can be trusted to be thoughtful, prayerful, and wise. Wouldn't be wonderful if Christians in America were respected as people of "light and understanding and wisdom?" like Daniel of old? We need to live excellently so that when our family members who do not know God come into a time of crisis they turn to each other and say, "we need to call on (our name) because the Spirit of God lives in him!" Such a life comes with a cost. It means doing the right thing even when it is hard. It means keeping our word even when it hurts. It means remaining deeply devoted even when God falls silent and we walk by faith through dark days. It means studying the Word diligently and avoiding simple-minded clichés and slogans. After his encounter with the king, Daniel was raised to a high place in the empire. He so distinguished himself that the other court officials said this of him. "Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Finally these men said, "We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God." (Daniel 6:3-5, NIV)
And, as the story goes, he continued to serve God even when they duped the king into outlawing prayer. His faithfulness got him thrown into the famed lions' den! But even there his devotion, steadiness, and faith shown brightly.
Yes, America needs a Daniel. It probably won't be the next President, but it could be you and me. We may never hold high office or even be known beyond our town. But, each of us can exercise a powerful influence for good, for righteousness, for truth in our home, our extended family, our place of employment, our church, and our community. God, make me a Daniel.
Here's a word from the Word. Keep it in your thoughts today. "Dear friends, I warn you as "temporary residents and foreigners" to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world." (1 Peter 2:11-12, NLT)
_______________________________________
Standing by a purpose true,
Heeding God's command,
Honor them, the faithful few!
All hail to Daniel's band!
Many mighty men are lost,
Daring not to stand,
Who for God had been a host
By joining Daniel's band!
Many giants great and tall,
Stalking thru the land,
Headlong to the earth would fall,
If met by Daniel's band!
Dare to be a Daniel,
Dare to stand alone!
Dare to have a purpose firm!
Dare to make it known!
Dare to be a Daniel
Philip Bliss © Public Domain
We need a Daniel, but I am not sure if a democratic election can produce that kind of leader - bold, truthful, wise, and ready to speak the truth without regard for polls or popularity. Someone has said that "America gets the leaders it deserves!" Perhaps that is true. Maybe we are so pre-occupied with greed, protecting our entitlements, and looking good that we are prepared to elect a person who mirrors that same lack of depth to lead us. In the book of Daniel, we read of a man who was faithful to God and full of wisdom, who spoke truth to power. Daniel was a teenage noble in Judah when the Babylonian army took him captive and transported him back to their capital city to serve in the court of Nebuchadnezzar. Many years later, when he was an old man, that empire came to a moment of crisis. Here's how the Queen-mother describes Daniel to the king. "There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. And in the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar your father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers. Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and explaining enigmas were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let Daniel be called." (Daniel 5:11-12, NKJV)
Believer, I want to be that kind of person in my neighborhood, my town; yes, in my world. How about you? I want to be known as a man in whom lives the Spirit of God and who can be trusted to be thoughtful, prayerful, and wise. Wouldn't be wonderful if Christians in America were respected as people of "light and understanding and wisdom?" like Daniel of old? We need to live excellently so that when our family members who do not know God come into a time of crisis they turn to each other and say, "we need to call on (our name) because the Spirit of God lives in him!" Such a life comes with a cost. It means doing the right thing even when it is hard. It means keeping our word even when it hurts. It means remaining deeply devoted even when God falls silent and we walk by faith through dark days. It means studying the Word diligently and avoiding simple-minded clichés and slogans. After his encounter with the king, Daniel was raised to a high place in the empire. He so distinguished himself that the other court officials said this of him. "Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Finally these men said, "We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God." (Daniel 6:3-5, NIV)
And, as the story goes, he continued to serve God even when they duped the king into outlawing prayer. His faithfulness got him thrown into the famed lions' den! But even there his devotion, steadiness, and faith shown brightly.
Yes, America needs a Daniel. It probably won't be the next President, but it could be you and me. We may never hold high office or even be known beyond our town. But, each of us can exercise a powerful influence for good, for righteousness, for truth in our home, our extended family, our place of employment, our church, and our community. God, make me a Daniel.
Here's a word from the Word. Keep it in your thoughts today. "Dear friends, I warn you as "temporary residents and foreigners" to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world." (1 Peter 2:11-12, NLT)
_______________________________________
Standing by a purpose true,
Heeding God's command,
Honor them, the faithful few!
All hail to Daniel's band!
Many mighty men are lost,
Daring not to stand,
Who for God had been a host
By joining Daniel's band!
Many giants great and tall,
Stalking thru the land,
Headlong to the earth would fall,
If met by Daniel's band!
Dare to be a Daniel,
Dare to stand alone!
Dare to have a purpose firm!
Dare to make it known!
Dare to be a Daniel
Philip Bliss © Public Domain
Monday, April 14, 2008
The sky is falling!
When an acorn fell and hit her on the head, Chicken Little announced to the barnyard animals that the sky was falling. Yes, it's a fairy tale, but the lesson is one we all need. Take care about jumping to conclusions that the available facts do not support! Seems to me that we live in an age when the voices of the fearful are amplified through the megaphone of the media. One professor with a sensational story can seize the nation's attention as he makes his way from network to network telling his story about the terrible thing that is about to wipe out human civilization as we know it. What he, and most of us fail to remember, is that human beings have been amazingly gifted by God to give birth to creative solutions for problems that arise!
Is life really as awful as we are often led to believe? Is the doom of the world imminent at the hands of crazed terrorists, big oil companies, or polluters? Before you say, 'yes,' consider this. One hundred years ago, the average life expectancy for an American was around age 50; today it is near 80. When I was a child, there were hundreds of 'dead' rivers and lakes in America, full of toxic wastes. Today, there are virtually none! Dr. Paul Erlich, a biologist and author of the 1967 book The Population Bomb, predicted that "the world would experience famines sometime between 1970 and 1985 due to population growth outstripping resources. Ehrlich wrote that "the battle to feed all of humanity is over ... In the 1970s and 1980s hundreds of millions of people will starve to death in spite of any crash programs embarked upon now." Ehrlich also stated, "India couldn't possibly feed two hundred million more people by 1980," and "I have yet to meet anyone familiar with the situation who thinks that India will be self-sufficient in food by 1971." -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_R._Ehrlich Forty years later and with a world population that has doubled, the predicted famines are not happening. Is there hunger in the world? Absolutely, but not because of production problems. Hunger exists in some parts of our world primarily because of warfare and distribution issues not production problems.
My point is not to belittle caution or to say that there are no real problems in our world or even in our individual lives. What we fail to recognize, personally and as human beings, is that change is constant. Innovations and adaptations are part of the world and we are constantly developing new tools that help us to overcome the doomsday predictions.
Some predict the demise of Christianity, the passing of the Church, within a generation. They selectively use statistics that produce great alarm (and bigger contributions!). Are they right? I am quite sure they are not! As one who came to maturity in a time of apocalyptic predictions about the 'end of the ages,' in the 1970's, I was fed a steady diet of sermons about the rise of the Anti-Christ and the coming of a world government that would bring a bloodbath of martyrdom to the faithful. I know what fear mongering can do and nothing good comes of it. I now understand the tragedy of a whole generation of Christians, who lost sight of the richness that the Gifts of the Holy Spirit could bring to their lives due to bad eschatology, built their entire spiritual experience around fear instead of hope! Paranoia replaced vision! I now see how those Gifts were given to empower the people of God to build the Kingdom of Christ in the world where they lived. But millions fearfully hunkered down in their churches, staring at charts that predicted an imminent Great Tribulation and led them to conclude that the End was near.
Thankfully, God is greater than our fears and misconceptions! While some of us waited for Jesus to whisk us out of this world, others heard the call of the Spirit to go and make a difference in Jesus' name. And, despite all the doom and gloom, since 1970 the Church has grown by leaps and bounds in Latin America, Africa, and even - wonder of wonders - in Communist China! Yes, Believer Friend, I do hold to the doctrine of the Second Coming of Christ. However, that doctrine has become for me a great source of hope for the redemption of Creation as the Scripture would have us understand it! When Jesus promised to return, He did so as a statement of victory over sin, Hell, and death.
Are you letting the troubles of life fill you with fear? Are you living defensively, building walls to shut out every threat both real and imagined? Let me gently suggest that you have missed the major part of the Story! Go to the Scripture and read again the glorious 8th chapter of Romans! In one brief, breathtaking passage, we are told of God's plan, about our destiny as His children who now call the Lord of Glory, "Dad!" We are urged to keep faith even as we work through the difficulties of life. Then the chapter closes with this shout of victory. Take it with you today. "What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? . . . No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:31-32, 37-39, NIV)
Pray that faith will overcome fear, that God will make you a person who is full of the Spirit and who works diligently to bring Light and Life to a world that so often marred by Darkness and Death.
"This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." (1 Timothy 1:15-17, NKJV)
___________________________
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.
Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.
Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.
High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.
-- 8th Century Hymn
Is life really as awful as we are often led to believe? Is the doom of the world imminent at the hands of crazed terrorists, big oil companies, or polluters? Before you say, 'yes,' consider this. One hundred years ago, the average life expectancy for an American was around age 50; today it is near 80. When I was a child, there were hundreds of 'dead' rivers and lakes in America, full of toxic wastes. Today, there are virtually none! Dr. Paul Erlich, a biologist and author of the 1967 book The Population Bomb, predicted that "the world would experience famines sometime between 1970 and 1985 due to population growth outstripping resources. Ehrlich wrote that "the battle to feed all of humanity is over ... In the 1970s and 1980s hundreds of millions of people will starve to death in spite of any crash programs embarked upon now." Ehrlich also stated, "India couldn't possibly feed two hundred million more people by 1980," and "I have yet to meet anyone familiar with the situation who thinks that India will be self-sufficient in food by 1971." -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_R._Ehrlich Forty years later and with a world population that has doubled, the predicted famines are not happening. Is there hunger in the world? Absolutely, but not because of production problems. Hunger exists in some parts of our world primarily because of warfare and distribution issues not production problems.
My point is not to belittle caution or to say that there are no real problems in our world or even in our individual lives. What we fail to recognize, personally and as human beings, is that change is constant. Innovations and adaptations are part of the world and we are constantly developing new tools that help us to overcome the doomsday predictions.
Some predict the demise of Christianity, the passing of the Church, within a generation. They selectively use statistics that produce great alarm (and bigger contributions!). Are they right? I am quite sure they are not! As one who came to maturity in a time of apocalyptic predictions about the 'end of the ages,' in the 1970's, I was fed a steady diet of sermons about the rise of the Anti-Christ and the coming of a world government that would bring a bloodbath of martyrdom to the faithful. I know what fear mongering can do and nothing good comes of it. I now understand the tragedy of a whole generation of Christians, who lost sight of the richness that the Gifts of the Holy Spirit could bring to their lives due to bad eschatology, built their entire spiritual experience around fear instead of hope! Paranoia replaced vision! I now see how those Gifts were given to empower the people of God to build the Kingdom of Christ in the world where they lived. But millions fearfully hunkered down in their churches, staring at charts that predicted an imminent Great Tribulation and led them to conclude that the End was near.
Thankfully, God is greater than our fears and misconceptions! While some of us waited for Jesus to whisk us out of this world, others heard the call of the Spirit to go and make a difference in Jesus' name. And, despite all the doom and gloom, since 1970 the Church has grown by leaps and bounds in Latin America, Africa, and even - wonder of wonders - in Communist China! Yes, Believer Friend, I do hold to the doctrine of the Second Coming of Christ. However, that doctrine has become for me a great source of hope for the redemption of Creation as the Scripture would have us understand it! When Jesus promised to return, He did so as a statement of victory over sin, Hell, and death.
Are you letting the troubles of life fill you with fear? Are you living defensively, building walls to shut out every threat both real and imagined? Let me gently suggest that you have missed the major part of the Story! Go to the Scripture and read again the glorious 8th chapter of Romans! In one brief, breathtaking passage, we are told of God's plan, about our destiny as His children who now call the Lord of Glory, "Dad!" We are urged to keep faith even as we work through the difficulties of life. Then the chapter closes with this shout of victory. Take it with you today. "What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? . . . No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:31-32, 37-39, NIV)
Pray that faith will overcome fear, that God will make you a person who is full of the Spirit and who works diligently to bring Light and Life to a world that so often marred by Darkness and Death.
"This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." (1 Timothy 1:15-17, NKJV)
___________________________
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.
Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.
Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.
High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.
-- 8th Century Hymn
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