"Who you gonna call?"

Life is more complex in 2014, no doubt.  Yes, there are things that take the labor out of our day, but skills to operate all those 'labor saving' devices have to be learned, and then they must be kept in working order. We enjoy a wider circle of relationships because of technology, but they bring multiple demands on our time.  With this complexity there is greater possibility that things can go wrong. We can run afoul of the law. We can have identity stolen.  We can just get overwhelmed with ‘life.’

I find that very good, hard-working, godly men and women are increasingly feeling desperate, like they’re just hanging onto sanity by a thread. This causes many to look for guidance. “Somebody,” they say, “please show me how to manage all this complexity.”  To whom shall we turn?  Dr. Oz says he can help you live a long, healthy life. Numerous preachers offer inspiration. Dave Ramsey says he knows how you can become financially astute.

Good advice, from worthy people, is wonderful. However, nothing can replace the wisdom of the Lord that we find in daily Scripture intake and time set aside for prayer and meditation! The Spirit will lead us if we are ready to listen, learn, and submit to His direction. Will we, or will we turn to other comforts?

Psalms 121 is a favorite and one of the most misunderstood passages in the Bible.  "I lift up my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth."

Those who first sang this song in Israel understood the opening line better than we do. We think the Psalmist is rhapsodizing about the glory of the hills that turns our thoughts to God! He’s not! The hilltops of ancient Israel were places of idolatry, where shrines stood to the various gods.

·         Want to assure a better crop in the Springtime? Go to the fertility shrine on the hilltop for mid-night rituals.

·         Need protection from drought? Go to the hilltop where the sun-god could be appeased with offerings.

But, the gods (Baals) were notoriously fickle. They fell asleep on the job or got distracted by other thigns! The priests claimed they could awaken them if the right offerings were presented. They claimed they could help them remember to send rain, to make the fields grow.  Only if a person went to the hills regularly to offer their sacrifices, could they hope to keep things in order. But, all this was done in vain! The priests were frauds, the orgies in worship of the fertility gods just a distraction from the grim realities of daily life!

Thus, the followers of the One True God, Yahweh, looked to the hills, but they did not look for help from the gods worshipped at the hilltop shrines. They looked to the Maker of the hills.

How was He different from the Baals?  The promises that follow in the Psalm make it plain. "He will not let your foot slip- he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you-the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm- he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."  (Psalm 121, NIV)  He does not need bribes or reminders. He is a caring Father. What assurance!

Does this mean that faithful Christians will never find our lives overwhelming? Does this mean we are exempt from the things that trouble unbelievers?  Of course not.  We live in a world where evil is active, where sin’s corruption invades everyone and everything.
God promises us that even in our times of distress we can count on His Presence, lean on His wisdom, and expect His purposes to prevail! Unlike the fickle gods, He is an ever-watching, always active, and all Powerful Lord for all those who trust with their lives.

Christian, let’s not turn aside to the gods of the hills. What do I mean? We don't worship the Baals any longer, but we do worship gods named Money, Government, Education, Security, Religion, and Self.   Like those ancient Baals, these lesser gods are incapable of seeing us safely home.

Look, instead, to the Creator, the Eternal, All-Wise, Omniscient Father. “He who watches over Israel (the people of God) will neither slumber nor sleep.”

__________________

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

Great is Thy faithfulness,

O God, my Father.

There is no shadow

Of turning with Thee.

Thou changest not,

Thy compassions they fail not.

As Thou hast been,

Thou forever wilt be.

Pardon for sin

And a peace that endureth,

Thy own dear presence

To cheer and to guide.

Strength for today,

And bright hope for tomorrow,

Blessings all mine

With ten thousand beside.

Great is Thy faithfulness!

Great is Thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning,

New mercies I see.

All I have needed,

Thy hand hath provided,

Great is Thy faithfulness,

Lord, unto me!

Thomas Obediah Chisholm | William Marion Runyan

© Words: 1923. Renewed 1951 Hope Publishing Company

CCLI License # 810055

I felt led to ...

Many Christians from my tribe use this phrase to qualify their decisions: "I felt led..." It explains their choice to seek out a new church, to justify their purchase of a new car;  to make all kinds of important life choices.  Most of those who claim to 'feel led' by the Lord are sincere in their intent and motive.   Some claim the Spirit’s inspiration for choices that are just plain silly, or self-indulgent; or worst of all – outright sinful!   Is this as it should be or is inspiration something better?

The Bible teaches us that Spirit-filled Christians should be led by the Spirit. Paul says that "those who are led by the Spirit are children of God." (Gal. 6.14)   We need, however, to challenge the idea that being “led by the Spirit” is just a feeling, a hunch, an intuition! Our lives should be marked by sound thinking, wise counsel, as well as ‘good vibes!’ 

Rick Nanez writes - "Waves of romanticism, relativism, individualism, and New Age teachings have unleashed a rising emphasis on feelings over thinking, emotions over doctrine, and experience over intellect. Wherever these find an inroad, it comes at the expense of casting away our rational rudders. In turn, this steers many Believers into the currents of waywardness - into the vast sea of subjectivity, where the drizzling clouds of mysticism dictate their spiritual journey. ... the turbulent winds of half-truth blow these helpless castaways into the vicious crags of confusion and mindless spirituality." - Full Gospel, Fractured Minds? - Zondervan, 2005

Mature disciples know that God gave them both mind and heart! God's Spirit operates through both equally to bring about His purposes and will. God’s invitation is "Come now, let us reason together.” Isaiah 1:18 (NIV) The word, 'reason' is a word meaning, "argue your case, talk it over, work it out!" God asks Spirit-led people to live with a deep, life-shaping faith but not a blind one. As we serve God, we do so with reason intact.

Some might ask-"What of faith? Are we to act on only what can be proven or tested by natural means?” Both individuals and the Church must be open to receiving truth that is revealed by Him to us in ways outside of the usual channels of discovery and learning.  I am convinced - both by my experience and the testimony of the Scripture- that God speaks to His people, individually and collectively. There will be moments when His leading defies our natural reasoning powers, when what we believe God is asking of us flies in the face of the facts that surround us.

In such instances, we are wise to take time to test our impression, to share our ‘revelation’ with trusted, wise Christians. Asking God to give us discerning minds, to keep us from impulse or gullibility, is not the same as refusing to follow His lead. It is humble recognition of our humanity.  We are imperfect. We can get it wrong. I can tell many stories of unstable people who were given too much credence, who led God’s people into silly, foolish, even destructive places. John warns: "do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world." 1 John 4:1 (NLT) 

The passage goes on to say that the primary test to determine who is a genuine 'prophet' - that is one who is claiming to hear from God and speak for God- is the way he conducts himself day to day. Is there strong evidence of submission to Jesus Christ as Lord? There is no one so dangerous to your spiritual health as the person who is a rebellious rogue, who recognizes no authority but himself.

Next time you’re ready to say, “I’m led…” make sure you really are hearing from the Lord! When someone urges you to take some action based on a ‘word from the Lord’ don’t be shy about telling them you want time to evaluate and test the word! Let's be people of the Spirit, led by Him into works of faith, using the wonderful powers of reason that He has given to us. By this God will be glorified and His kingdom built strong.

________________

He leadeth me, O blessed thought!
O words with heavenly comfort fraught!
Whate'er I do, where-e'er I be,
Still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me.

Lord, I would clasp Thy hand in mine,
Nor ever murmur nor repine;
Content whatever lot I see,
Since 'tis my God that leadeth me.

He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful follower I would be,
For by His hand He leadeth me.

And when my task on earth is done,
When by Thy grace the vict'ry's won,
E'en death's cold wave I will not flee,
Since God through Jordan leadeth me.

He Leadeth Me O Blessed Thought
Gilmore, Joseph H. / Bradbury, William B.
© Public Domain

Take it easy!

Most of the people I interact with tell me that they are busy, that their lives are crammed full of responsibilities.  Are we really busier than ever or does the way we live make it seem that way? A 2012 study found that, on average, Americans spend 5 hours a day on leisure activities.  Yes, 25% of our day belongs to us. But, what are we doing with that time?  Wasting it? Using it for social benefit? Enhancing some skill? Conversing with others?  Probably this comes as no surprise.  We spend the largest chunk of that time, an average of 2.8 hours per day, watching TV!

As much as we hate to admit it, without motivation we tend to do less. If not monitored, we taper off on productivity. Without accountability, quality slips. Part of the fallen human nature is revealed in something the Bible calls ‘idleness’  and it more than a ‘lifestyle’ issue. God says it matter to Him.  The first generation Church, because of the love and generosity found there, attracted people who were looking for an easy life.  Those who loved leisure discovered that these Christians were loving and would take care of them even if they were lazy. 

Paul, inspired by the Spirit, wrote to address the problem. "And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received from us. For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you. We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you. We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.” Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business. We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work to earn their own living. As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good. Take note of those who refuse to obey what we say in this letter. Stay away from them so they will be ashamed. Don’t think of them as enemies, but warn them as you would a brother or sister." (2 Thessalonians 3:6-15, NLT) Rather to the point, isn’t it? A lazy Christian is missing out on God’s best, being a burden to his community.

The idea of ‘work’ has become tainted for us. Few think of what they do as a vocation (calling). Instead we have ‘jobs.’ Many of us seek to find a way to produce maximum dollars for least effort. No wonder we find so little joy in what we do. Some mistakenly believe that work is part of the curse of sin and that it is ‘bad.’  A careful reading of the Genesis account of the Fall into sin clears up that error. Work was commended, even in the perfection of Eden.  Work was given to humanity as a way to participate in God’s purposes, to build, create, and serve.  So, what did sin bring?  A break between work and  it’s reward!  The frustration of sin that our work is sometimes fruitless, our efforts are not matched with the result we desire.

Never the less, Christians are directed to honor Christ by being people who are diligent. Laziness spills over into every part of a person’s life.  Those who live only to minimal standards are not going to be spiritually disciplined, are not going to be financially responsible, and will find it very challenging to build strong, lasting relationships. Why? Because finding the best life demands effort; consistently.  Proverb’s pithy wisdom tells us, "Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter. But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up? A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber." (Proverbs 6:6-11, NLT)

Give some thought to the way you think about work. 
Do you commit your daily efforts to God, asking for the Spirit to guide you to live and work in a way that honors your Lord? 
Pray about the way you use your ‘leisure’ time. 
Are you using some of those hours to serve others, to serve in Kingdom work?

Here’s the word from the Word - "The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich." (Proverbs 13:4, NKJV)

A virus and sin - such little things

It was a miserable weekend; low grade fever, painfully swollen sinuses, runny nose, aching body. I’m better today. Isn’t it amazing that a tiny little virus can invade the body, multiply rapidly, and take down a grown man?  The tiny thing steals the cells in the host triggering a immune system response. In most cases, in a few days, the body has eliminated the virus and health returns.  However, if there are complicating health factors, a virus can become serious and even lead to death!

Sin can be like a virus! It does not take much to compromise spiritual health. A little pride can ruin relationships. A little lust can destroy a reputation. A little greed can consume a mind. Paul did not know about viruses when he penned this passage, but he knew the effect on spiritual health that even a small amount of sinful disobedience could bring about. "Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed." (1 Corinthians 5:6-7, NIV)  The key point of those lines is that just a little sin spreads and infects.  

The Corinthians were a tolerant bunch, confusing the need to love and accept people who were struggling with sin with refusal to call sin what it was and seek change. A man living in an incestuous relationship and claiming to be a follower of Christ was part of their church and nobody was saying anything to him about his sin.  In fact, the church boasted about how tolerant and loving they were. Paul points out that just one fellow’s refusal to deal with his sin would infect the whole Body!  “Deal with him,” Paul says.  He borrows a Jewish practice to illustrate the rigor with which open rebellion must be dealt with.  At Passover, devout Jews went through their homes removing every little bit of yeast, since the first Passover was celebrated with unleavened (no yeast, no rise) bread.  It was symbolic of the need to get rid of sin in response to God’s invitation.

When we celebrate the renewed Passover, the communion meal, we remember that Christ Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away our sin, was sacrificed and gave his life for us so that we could be saved from sin, made holy.  At Communion, we are urged by the Word to make it a time of reflection, openness to the Spirit, examining our lives for thoughts, words, and actions that are unworthy of a child of God. "Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world." (1 Corinthians 11:27-32, NIV)

Christian, do you allow some ‘little thing’ to compromise your devotion?  Is there some secret sin that you keep carefully hidden from others, but refuse to deal with in your life?  Are you unwilling to call what you do what God calls it?  It is making you sick, stealing your spiritual vitality.  It will grow and continue to weaken you until and unless you name it as God does, confess it to Him, and seek His power to change. "Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God." (Romans 8:12-14, NLT)  Many viral sins die when we drag them into the Light, pray about them honestly, and deal with them ruthlessly! Some require intervention of others, being honest enough with those who love us to ask their help or counsel.  What joy when we are rid of that ‘little thing’ to walk wholly and holy with our God.

Here’s a word from the Word.  Come, running! He’s our Savior – from every sin. "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Hebrews 4:13-16, NIV)

____________

In Christ Alone

In Christ, alone, my hope is found;

He is my light, my strength, my song.

This Cornerstone, this solid Ground;

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm!

What heights of love, what depths of peace,

When fears are stilled, when strivings cease.

My Comforter, my All in All,

Here in the love of Christ I stand.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,

This is the power of Christ in me.

From life's first cry to final breath,

Jesus commands my destiny.

No power of hell, no scheme of man,

Can ever pluck me from His hand,

‘Till He returns or calls me home,

Here in the power of Christ, I'll stand.

Keith Getty | Stuart Townend

© 2001 Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)