Take Time to Listen

In the April 2010 issue of Christianity Today Charles Colson has an editorial entitled Channeling the Populist Rage.  Near the end of the piece he writes:

The tea party movement may have a lot of traction in America today, but it makes no attempt to present a governing philosophy.  It is simply seeks an outlet—an understandable one—for the brooding frustrations of many Americans.  But anti-government attitudes are not the substitute for good government.  We should be instructing people enraged at the excesses of Washington and the growing ethical malaise in the Capitol to focus their rage at fixing government, not throwing the baby out with the bath water.

I am not part of the tea party movement and so this is not coming from a supporter of the movement.  Rather, this comes from a person who believes in liberty, personal responsibility, and limited government (I know those words mean different things to different people, and one day I will have to get around to defining them so we can be on the same page) who sees in this paragraph what is wrong with the political climate in the United States.

The first problem that poisons our current political climate is to characterize the opposition as ignorant and emotional.  Colson does this by painting a diverse group of people with a large brush.  By claiming the tea party movement is primarily anti-government and devoid of a governing philosophy he stereotypes them as people who are motivated by their emotions (enraged) rather than principles.  The fact is many of the conservatives who make up the tea party movement are people of principles, and it are those very principles that have them out protesting the government.  Remember, the main purpose of the opposition is to oppose, and that means that most of the rhetoric will end up being anti-whatever, but that doesn’t mean that people are anti-government.  I come from a family that is deeply and passionately Conservative and I don’t know one of them that are anti-government.  In fact all them have a deep respect for the government and its place in society.  We shouldn’t equate opposition to certain pieces of legislation as being anti-government, because in many cases that opposition is about keeping the government within the limits of its power. 

Now I would admit that the tea party movement in particular and the conservative movement in general would benefit from taking the time to educate people in the principles of liberty, freedom, capitalism, federalism, and democracy.  There also needs to be education about the history of the founding of the United States and the creation of the Constitution that serves as the rule of law for our federal government.  In other words it is by educating people in the very principles that we say our country holds dear that the tea party movement is able to “present a governing philosophy” to people.

The second problem that poisons our current political dialogue is false dilemmas.  Colson does this when he writes; “We should be instructing people enraged at the excesses of Washington and the growing ethical malaise in the Capitol to focus their rage at fixing government, not throwing the baby out with the bath water.”  What there is not a third option?  It is either we fix government or we abandon government, but there are other options available to us.  We could say that we need to establish a new government or we could sit back and enjoy the status quo.  I personally would like to move beyond fixing government to restoring government so that we could be more in line with the Constitution.  It is not an either or world.

What these false dilemmas do is to set up good guys and bad guys.  Taking Colson’s example you are either an intelligent person who works to fix government or you are an ignorant person who wants to throw the baby out with the bath water.  It is hard to have an intelligent conversation about anything if the other person sees you as ignorant, and that is the attitude that permeates so much of the political dialogue today.  “Intelligent and thinking people hold my position,” we say, which means that if you disagree with me you are uneducated and ignorant.  We saw this on both sides of the recent Health Care Reform debate.  According to liberals if you opposed the bill you were big business goons only interested in your own wallet, and according to conservatives if you supported the bill you were a socialist only interested in expanding government’s control. 

To bring civility to political discussions we need to take the time to hear what the other person is saying and take the time to understand their point.  That doesn’t mean we have agree with them, but it does mean that we seek to understand what they are truly saying so that we can debate their actual point, not the point we created for them (which, in all likelihood, I just did with this post).

When we don’t take the time to actually listen to what is being said then we will paint people with the brush of our choosing.  Chuck Colson says that the tea party movement is anti-government, but from what I have heard it is pro-Constitution which means it isn’t anti-government but rather limited government, and there is a difference.

Everyday Faith

In his book Created to Be God’s Friend Henry Blackaby wrote; “Faith can be lived out only in real, present situations.  Faith is obvious in our lives when we are confronted with an opportunity to believe God and we obey Him immediately.”  Faith isn’t to be reserved for special situations, rather it is to be the normal way we live our lives.

I think sometimes we equate faith with extreme circumstances, like saying; “Yes, I believe in God” when a gun is pointed at our head, or uprooting our family to move to the Middle East because we heard the call of God.  In other words we see faith as the fuel that helps people to do difficult and courageous tasks for God.  In the process we have forgotten the reality that without faith we cannot follow Jesus, even when the circumstances in our lives are easy.

Extreme stories of faith may motivate us for a moment and we may wonder if we would have the type of faith that follows God into the unknown, but many times those stories don’t have a lasting impact on our lives.  These stories also start us believing that faith is only for those extreme moments in our lives. 

In reality, it is by living by faith through the small details of life that God prepares us for the more difficult and trying times in our lives.  The trials of life don’t produce faith, rather they expose and refine our faith. The apostle Peter wrote:

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:6-7; ESV)

So many of us want God to use us to make a difference in this world, and we patiently wait for God to bring us our big opportunity.  I think we need to ask ourselves this question: “What makes me prepared for that big assignment?” The bottom line is if we want God to use us to make a difference in this world then we need to first trust Him with the everyday issues of life.  We need to  trust God’s judgment on the movies we watch.  We need to trust God with the amount of money we give.  We need to trust God as we vocalize our beliefs.  Every day we are given opportunities to demonstrate our faith in God, and too often we ignore these opportunities so we can do our own thing instead.

To be a light in a dark world does not require us to be judgmental, political, or fanatical, but it does require us to live by faith each and everyday.  It is by trusting God in the small things that we learn to trust Him in the big things of life.  It is also through the small things of life that God prepares us for tomorrow’s faith testing challenges.  In other words our small acts of obedience today are like practice, preparing us for the big game tomorrow.

Erwin McManus wrote; “God loves to use our faithfulness to inspire the faith of others” (Seizing Your Divine Moment; p. 216).  Another reason why living by faith in all areas of life is so important is that it provides many windows for others to witness faith in action.  It is one thing to hear about Jesus and be challenged to put your faith in Him, but it is another thing to see how faith makes a difference in the life of a person already following Jesus.  Being faithful in the small things just might inspire someone else to trust Jesus with their entire life.  When we live by faith it isn’t about accomplishing great things for God, rather it is about allowing God to use our life right where we are.

Is One Day Better?

The chorus of a popular praise song says:
Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere

I want to ask you a question: Do you believe that?  It sure is easy to sing when we are surrounded by other people singing the same thing, but our lives would tell another story.  Maybe I shouldn’t speak for you.  I will just talk about the reality of my life.

In my heart I desire to be with God and to follow Jesus in everything I say and do, but too often I am distracted by the things of this world.  Rather than living a Spirit guided life I live through the cravings of the flesh.  To me the flesh represents the physical world which is all around us.  It is the reality many of us find ourselves living in.  We get caught up with everyone else in the pursuit of possessions, careers, and romantic relationships.  We don’t really believe that happiness is found in God alone.  When we live by the desires of the flesh we believe we need the things of this world to make us happy and content. 

The sad truth is  there is nothing this world can offer us which will make us happy, even the love of our lives will not make us happy if we have not first found our joy and purpose in God.  1 John 2:17 reads; And this world is fading away, along with everything it craves.  But if you do the will of God, you will live forever (NLT). The things that the flesh convinces us that we need for happiness will fade away.  They do not have the power to add meaning and joy to our lives because they are just temporary while we were made for eternity.  The only thing that will bring true happiness to our lives is to be part of God's eternal Kingdom. 

The dreams and plans we have to bring about happiness in our lives have to be abandoned while we find joy in our relationship with God.  Even the good dreams we have must be put aside while we live by the desire of our heart, the desire to know God.

I believe one of the reasons God allows our dreams to shatter and to go unfulfilled is so that we will discover our deepest desire to know Him.  When we live by the lesser desires of the flesh we will never discover the very thing that will actually bring joy to our lives.  Therefore we need to arrive at a point in our lives when we can say what Erwin McManus wrote in Seizing Your Divine Moment; “Yet one moment lived for God is of greater value than an eternity lived without Him.”  One moment lived for God is greater than 75 years loving your earthly dearest.  One moment lived for God is greater than being a doctor and saving lives.  One moment lived for God is greater than a family who loves you.  One moment lived for God is the greatest of all the pleasures we can experience.

I have only begun to understand the truth of this.  It is so easy to get caught up with the desires my flesh is craving to indulge in rather than following the new desires of the heart given to me by the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Those times I have listened to my heart have been some of the greatest times in my life.  Jesus said; “I have loved you just as the Father has loved me.  Remain in my love.  If you keep my commandments you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.  I have told you this so that my own joy may be in you and your joy be complete” (John 15:9-11; NJB).

The source of Jesus’ joy is doing the will of His Father.  The way our joy will be complete is to put aside our dreams of a happy life so that we can follow after Jesus.  You  might not have the career you have always wanted or get married when you want to, but you will discover the joy that only God can give.

God's Love and My Desire

Here is the most amazing truth: God loves you!  I know for some of you that is seems so hard to believe.  You don’t “feel” God’s love and your life is full of hassles and problems.  In your mind, if God really did love you, He would make your life good and fill your with a warm fuzzy feeling.  Since that is not how your life is, you make the assumption that either God doesn’t exist or God doesn’t love you.  How wrong you are!
    
God loves us.  His love is all around us, calling us to accept Him as our Father and Lord.  We have the choice to either reject or accept that love.  We can choose to see God’s love or we can choose to ignore it.  The choose is ours.
    
Now you may wonder how I can write about God’s love as if it were right out there within our reach.  That is because it is.  Rebecca St. James once wrote, “I really believe so many times God ‘calls out’ to us through everyday things and through His creation, and yet we don’t hear because we’re too busy of distracted.”  God’s love is shown is so many different ways but we miss it.  We are either looking for something that God’s love isn’t (a perpetual warm fuzzy), we are consumed with the day to day of life, or we have chosen to subsitute that love for something else.  Just because you don’t “feel” loved by God doesn’t mean that God’s love for you isn’t real.
    
I know God’s love exists and I know that He loves me.  There is the evidence of that love found in the love of my family and friends.  I have found proof of God’s love in answered prayers and guidance.  God’s love has been revealed in the peace and confidence that I have in my life.  I can see God’s love everyday as I walk among His creation and marvel at what He has done.  But all of this pales in the light of the great revelation of God’s love. Remember the apostle Paul's words from the book of Romans:

When were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, no one is likely to die for a good person, though someone might be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. (Romans 5:6-8; NLT)     

You know why Jesus’ death is the great demonstration of God’s love?  One reason is that God is under no obligation to save us.  There is no force outside of God that dictates that He has to save human beings.  That was God’s choice.  Because of His mercy, grace, and love God decided to save us rather than destory us. 
    
A second reason is because God doesn’t need us.  Humans do not fill some need God has for companionship.  God, being three in one, has all the companionship that He needs, but it is His faithfulness to creation, a desire to give us a chance to experience His great joy, that God saves us.  His love is totally unconditional.  His love is not based on who we are or want we have done, it is totally based on His character.
    
The third reason why Jesus is the ultimate demonstration of God’s love is the pain it caused.  This was not something that was easy for God.  It was not easy for Jesus.  Real pain was involved, pain that exceeded the physical pain of crucifixion.  As Jesus took on our sins, he was separated from God.  We will never fully understand, this side of heaven, the love it took for Jesus to go to the cross.
     
Does God love you?  He loves you more than you can imagine.  It is experienced everyday we walk with God.  It is seen in creation, in our families and friends, and in circumstances as we surrender to God.  But that is key.  To experience God’s love you have to walk in His ways.  If you are missing out on God’s love it is time to surrender your life to Him.  He has the love, do you have the desire?

The Proper Use of Freedom

The idea of liberty is an idea that is precious to many Americans.  Our Declaration of Independence states that one of our inalienable rights is that of liberty, and so we understand that liberty is one of the core values of our country.  While we may understand that liberty is an inalienable right, I don’t know if we truly understand what that means.  To be quite honest with you, I wonder at times if I grasp the full meaning of what liberty truly is.  Is liberty simply personal freedom from servitude, oppression, or confinement or is it something more?  What did the founders mean when they chose the word liberty to describe our basic human rights?

I think that might be a topic for another day, because I want to focus on this idea of rights.  Malcolm Muggeridge in a speech that was published in book form under the title The End of Christendom said:

In the much talk today about human rights, we forget that our human rights are derived from the Christian faith.  In Christian terms every single human being, whoever he or she may be, sick or well, clever or foolish, beautiful or ugly, every single human being is loved of his Creator, who has, as the Gospels tell us, counted the hairs of his head.  This Creator cannot see even a sparrow fall to the ground without concern.  Now it s from that concept that our rights derive (p. 19).

I think a big mistake that we make when it comes to talking about freedom is to focus on our rights.  We want to make sure that our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are not infringed upon, and in the process we miss the bigger picture.  The bigger picture is that our rights don’t derive from us, but they derive from God’s love for us, and that means that unless we are fighting for the rights of other people we are misusing our rights.  God has not blessed us with certain unalienable rights so that we can live a comfortable life in this world, but so we can move in freedom to love, serve, help, and teach other people. 

This is what the apostle Peter wrote; Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God (1 Peter 2:16; ESV).  There is no government in the world that is able to rob us of this most basic inalienable right, the right to serve God.  Our government can tell us what type of toilet we need to have in the bathroom so we don’t use too much water, it can tell us what percentage of our income it can take so it can continue to exist, and it can tell you that you have to go to prison because of a law you supposedly broke, but the government can never keep you from serving God.  Even if the government decided to kill you because of your faith your very death would be an act of service to the Creator.

Yes, it is extremely frustrating to see the United States Government, along with the individual state governments, to disregard the Constitution and build a bigger bureaucracy which intrudes into every area of our lives, but one of the positive ways to push back is to use they freedom we do have.  The more we nurture our freedom the more it will grow.  The first step in this process is start seeing our freedom as a vehicle to help and serve people.  The reason this is the first step is because it reminds us that God has given us freedom, not so we can entertain ourselves to death, but so we can make this world a better place. 

We have certain inalienable rights, and these rights were given to us by our Creator God.  Like all of God’s gifts our rights are not only a blessing to us, but they are a way for us to bless other people.  If we are not using our freedom to love, to help, and to bring hope to the hopeless then we have missed the point of this great gift.  In the end, if we want to hold on to our freedom, we had better learn to use it properly.

Spirit Led Sexuality

I was at Walmart a few nights ago and I decided to go back to the magazine section to see if there was an issue of Backpacker Magazine available.  As I scanned the shelves in a vain attempt to find the magazine I was looking for I was assaulted by sex.  Sex dominated the magazine covers from the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and other men's magazines to the promises made of the covers of the women’s magazines.  It would not be an exaggeration to say the sex occupies a central place in our culture, and thus in our lives.

Sex is everywhere and it is so very easy to go along with the culture and not give this great blessing of God the place of honor that it deserves.  Followers of Christ Jesus need to remember what the writers of Hebrews wrote: Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous (Hebrews 13:4; ESV). This begins in our thoughts and desires, which means if we are going to hold sex in honor then we need to break away from the patterns of this world.  In other words we can no longer allow our flesh to guide our sexuality.

Our flesh (I dislike the term “sinful nature”) is firmly rooted in the things of this world.  It craves things that are sensual, things that can experienced by the five senses, and thus it is selfish.  Since the flesh is selfish it distorts the cravings for the good things God has given and goes on an all out pursuit to consume those things.  I think sex and food are two blessings God has given that our flesh selfishly consumes with negative effects on our bodies and souls.

The problem for you and me, even though we follow Jesus, is that we live in a world that has gone wrong, and we are faced with the reality of people being lead by their flesh in pursuit of sex, and it is easy to think that this is what sex is meant to be.  Things as innocent as love songs, chick flicks, and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue to culturally accepted things like steamy movies, homosexuality, and pornography to disturbing things like child pornography, bestiality, and sadism cry out the terrible truth that our sexuality has gone terribly wrong.  When left unchecked our flesh will take us to places we never intended to go, and so it is very important that we don’t allow it to lead our lives, and that includes our sexuality. How do we break free from being led by the flesh?

The simple answer is that we allow the Spirit to guide our lives.  The apostle Paul wrote; But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do (Galatians 5:16, 17; ESV).  Paul is clear that if we don’t want to gratify cravings of our flesh we need to let the Spirit guide our lives.  The trouble that we run into, at least the trouble I have had, is that I haven’t always been clear on how we let the Spirit lead our lives.  When we read on in Galatians 5 we don’t find a guide on how to be Spirit led, but we get two pictures.  In verses 19-21 Paul gives us a description of what it looks like to be lead by the flesh and in verses 22-23 Paul provides the image of what it looks like to be guided by the Spirit, but he doesn’t tell us how it is done.

Let me offer a few insights I have had as I have sought to live a Spirit-guided life.  First, it requires that we offer our lives to God.  In the often used passage of Romans 12:1-2 we read; I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect (ESV).  In other words we have to understand that our lives are not our own, but they are God’s and we need to live them is such away that will please Him (Galatians 2:20).  We do that by rejecting the ways of this world and seeking God’s will.  We have to intentionally move away from the influences of the world and soak our minds and hearts in God’s Word.  If we don’t make this break we allow this world to give strength to our flesh.  You know what?  If we truly offer our lives to God it will mean that we won’t be able to consume the media, the philosophies, and standards of this world like we have in the past.  In fact, gasp, it might mean turning off the television and picking up the Bible.  If we want to be free from the leadership of the flesh we have to be ruthless with it.  Paul tells us; And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires (Galatians 5:24; ESV).  If we are not ruthless with our flesh it will weasel its way into the leadership position of our lives.


Not only do we offer our lives to God, but we invite the Spirit into our lives.  Colossians 1:9-10 has become a favorite passage for me.  The apostle Paul wrote; And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God (ESV).  We need to pray for and ask God to fill us with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding so we are able to live lives that honor Christ Jesus.  In this same vein I don’t know why we shouldn’t pray and ask the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts and guide our lives, including our sexuality.

We need to offer our lives to God, we need to invite the Spirit into our lives, and we need to love people.  Remember I said that our flesh is selfish.  It wants to consume to that it feels good.  So to combat this selfishness we need to intentional love people.  We need to ask God to give us eyes of compassion instead of eyes of lust and we need to choose to extend a helping hand rather than a groping hand so that we understand that life is greater than our desires.  Love helps us move past the idea that others exist for our enjoyment to understanding that others exist, just like me, to worship God.  It is this type of serving unconditional love that only comes from the work of the Spirit in our lives (Galatians 5:22).

Sexuality is too precious of a gift to allow our flesh to be our guide, because in its pursuit to consume it will destroy the gift.  The Spirit will lead us to place sex in a place of honor in our lives, and when it is in its proper place we will experience the enjoyment of sex that God intended for us to have from the beginning.  Yet, this won’t happen magically, it requires that we intentionally surrender our lives to Christ Jesus by offering our lives to God, by inviting the Spirit to be our guide, and by committing ourselves to love people. Great sex happens, not because advice offered in some magazine, but because the guidance of the Spirit.

Get Rid of Lesser Things

 It is easy to go through the motions and miss out on what is really important, which is following Jesus.  When we go through the motions our traditions and rituals become more important than living by faith, and that is why Henry Blackaby can write; “Many of our church services sound like funerals.  I have watched some congregations sing praise songs, and if you looked at them five minutes later you would think you were in a funeral service.  Praise songs are no substitute for a clean heart.  We are leaving people in a terrible condition and somehow we need to have lives that walk in holiness with Him" (Holiness).

We can attend church, sing songs, give money, and live a moral life; but if we are not putting aside our traditions, possessions, and passions to follow Jesus we are not really living by faith.  Faith requires that we give up the control of our lives and surrender to Christ Jesus.

“As he (Jesus) was starting out on a trip, a man came running up to Jesus, knelt down, and asked, ‘God Teacher, what should I do to get eternal life?’

“‘Why do you call me good?’ Jesus asked. ‘Only God is truly good.  But as for your question, you know the commandments: ‘Do not murder.  Do not commit adultery.  Do not steal.  Do not testify falsely. Do not cheat.  Honor your father and mother.’

“‘Teacher,’ the man replied, ‘I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was a child.’

“Jesus felt genuine love for this man as he looked at him.  ‘You lack only one thing,’ he told him. ‘Go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come, and follow me.’  At this the man’s face fell, and he went sadly away because he had many possessions”  (Mark 10:17-22; NLT).

This is one of my favorite stories found in the Bible.  The reason I like it is because I identify with this wealthy young man.  While I may be considered rich to most of the rest of the world, I would hardly be considered rich in the United States, so the money isn't the reason I identify with him.

This guy grew up knowing right from wrong and he had done his best to live a moral life.  I too had the advantage of growing up in a family where I was taught right and wrong and was encouraged to live a moral life.  This young man had a desire to know God and to get to be part of His Kingdom.  That desire burns in me as well.  I want to strengthen my relationship with God and I pray for His Kingdom to come to earth.  This is a guy I think I could have gotten along with very well.

What gets me about this encounter with Jesus is that the young man walked away from Jesus, and he walked away sad.  He realized that Jesus had what he was looking for, but he couldn't let go of his wealth to trust Him for life.  The young man chose the present security of his wealth over an eternity with God.  He was sad because he realized his desire for God would never be fulfilled.

I bring this up because what gets in the way of holiness in our lives is the fact that we cling so tightly to the things of this world.  We haven't, as Paul commands us to do in Colossians 3, set our minds on things that are above.  Our focus continues to be on the here and now rather than on God.

  Holiness comes from a relationship with God.  A person cannot be in a relationship with God and not start changing his/her priorities and behaviors.  If you are sad about the state of your life and you are depressed by unfilled desire; the most likely reason is that you have put something else before God. 

Each of us find comfort, security, and pleasure from different sources.  For some they have put knowledge and education before God.  They mistakenly believe that knowledge will deliver them through the troubles of this life.  Other people find security in family.  Without a doubt family is important.  Family gives us unconditional love and people to lean on when we need help, but if we put them before God they will become a hindrance to all that He wants us to experience.  Science is the security for others.  There is this belief that science is the ultimate reality, but there are some things science can’t explain or control.  A person who puts their trust in science will one day come to a place where there are no explanations, for science is incapable of explaining God.  Still others place comfort in pleasure.  There motto is; “If it feels good do it,” and “Life is short, play hard.”  They try to ignore their desire for God by numbing it with lesser pleasures, but no matter how much they experience an emptiness remains in their lives.  If we chose anything ahead of God, we will walk through this life with a sadness in our hearts, because our greatest desire will not be fulfilled.

The reason why so many Christians are not joyful, and in fact seem to be mournful, is because they have chosen something of lesser value over God.  Yes, they may sing the praise songs, but the songs are just words put to music, the song doesn’t convey the truth.  So what is the answer?  We have to take a deep long look at our lives to see what we are putting before God.  When we discover it, we have to put it in its place.  We will never have true joy in our live apart from holiness.  We will never be holy outside a relationship with God.  Holiness, learning to put God first in our lives, provides a bridge over which joy can pass into our lives.  Holiness is not dull and boring, rather it makes life worth living.

What is Its Function?

"Don't be fooled by the apparent innocence of the object you've chosen. What is its function? Most of our idols also have a perfectly legitimate place in our lives. That's their cover. That's how we get away with our infidelity." ~ John Eldredge, The Journey of Desire

How easy it is to justify things which lead us to sin by claiming them within our Christian freedom. We have no trouble pointing out the sin of the world, which I find less and less troubling all the time, but have a huge problem disciplining our live to one of holiness. We have allowed "innocent" looking things to allow sin to have a foothold in our lives.

One of the ways this is seen is the entertainment we allow into our lives. How often do we stop and ask; "What is the purpose of this in my life?" We are being entertained to death and we allow our time to float away without giving it a second thought. What good could we do if we did not allow our lives to be consumed by television, movies, music, and video games? We are missing out on the life God wants us to live because we have not addressed the function of entertainment in our lives.

Think about "traditions" like High School prom. What function does it serve in our lives? We don't bother to ask the most basic questions about an event, but we are willing to spend hundreds of dollars to have a few hours of fun.

Holiness is not determined by the standards we have set up for our lives, rather holiness is determined by the standard shown to us by the life of Jesus Christ. That standard is one which loves unconditionally and without compromise tells the truth to people who have heard nothing but lies. We have to begin to question the purpose of the actions, traditions, beliefs, the fun, and the education that we allow into our lives. Not everything that is within our freedom to enjoy as Christians is beneficial to the life God has called us to live as we follow Jesus.

What matters is not the question, "Do I have the freedom to do this?", but "How does this affect my relationship with God?". If it does then you are not "free" to indulge in that activity.

This is one of the lessons we learn from the story of the rich young man:

"Teacher, what good things must I do to have eternal life?" Why ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "Only God is good. But to answer your question, you can receive eternal life if you keep the commandments." "Which ones?" the man asked.And Jesus replied: "`Do not murder. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.'" "I've obeyed all these commandments," the young man replied. "What else must I do?" Jesus told him, "If you want to be perfect, go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." But when the young man heard this, he went sadly away because he had many possessions. Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to get into the Kingdom of Heaven. I say it again--it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!" The disciples were astounded. "Then who in the world can be saved?" they asked. Jesus looked at them intently and said, "Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible" (Matthew 19:16-26; NLT)

Money is not, by nature, evil, but if the function money is to provide us with the "good life" it becomes evil because we use it selfishly rather than using it to be a blessing to others. Are you willing to let go of the "innocent" things in your life that are getting in the way of your relationship with God? Until we are able to do this we will constantly be blocked from living the life God has promised us through His Son Jesus.

Sunday Quote: A Real Alternative

"To be dead to sin with Christ is not to be lacking in these natural desires, but to have a real alternative to sin and the world's sin system as the orientation and motivation for our natural impulses." ~ Dallas Willard, p. 115, The Spirit of the Disciplines

"Anyone can attend church. Only truly devoted followers of Jesus can change the world." - Aaron Brockett

Sent from my iPod

The Danger of Expectations

It think it is very important for us to have an understanding of our abilities.  I for one am not gifted in debate nor have I been trained in philosophy.  What I know about this world would fill a thimble compared to the vast amount of knowledge out there.  I am just a simple guy who likes to read and think.  That is who I am and one of the reasons why I don’t engage in debates.

Because I like to think I will from time offer a comment or two about things that I have read.  One of the things I have been thinking about the past couple of weeks is an argument against the existence of God.  This is how I would summarize the argument: If God existed we would expect a smaller universe (in both age and size) than what we observe.  So this is an argument based on expectations.  One the thing that should be noted about expectations is that they are formed by our education, experience, and other variables so what I might expect might not be what you expect. 

The main point about expectations that I would like to point out is that expectations, when applied to God, are almost always wrong.  We see this clearly in the Gospels when it came to Jesus being the Messiah.  The Jews had come to expect a Messiah that would free them from Rome and reestablish the Jewish nation.  Jesus on the other hand came to free people from their sins and establish God’s Kingdom.  The result was that many people missed the fact that Jesus was the Messiah because of wrong expectations, even though those expectations were rooted in the Scriptures.
Jesus even had to warn John the Baptizer not to be led astray by his expectations of the Messiah.  Our expectations can become an hindrance to understanding what is really going on. 

Based on science, history, and logic we can come up with expectations of what the world and the universe should be like if God existed, but unless we understand God’s mind and His plan those expectations will be wrong.  It would seem that expectations are irrelevant when we are wondering whether or not God exists, especially if those expectations are made by people who don’t know God.  The more we know the person the more accurate our expectations of their actions will be.  What is the basis for a non-believer using to give us expectations of what God would do?

Let’s move on from the talk of expectations, because when you get down to it expectations don’t matter, what matters is reality.  We live on a small pale blue dot in a vast universe of stars, planets, and a number of other things.  Why is this all here?  What probable reason did God have for creating it all?

Indulge me as I take us back to Jesus one more time.  According to the Bible Jesus is the exact representation of God (Hebrews 3:1).  The means we can expect the sort of things Jesus did on earth are the same things God does.

Since this is the case I want to ask you a question: Why did Jesus teach?  There probably isn’t one answer we can give to this question, but it is apparent from the Gospels that one of the reasons Jesus taught was to separate people who would live by faith from those people who had different agendas.  We find evidence of this reality when the disciples asked Jesus  why He taught with parables.  This is Jesus’ answer:

He answered them, “You have been given knowledge about the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but it hasn't been given to them.  For to anyone who has something, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the one who doesn't have anything, even what he has will be taken away from him. That's why I speak to them in parables, because
‘they look but don't see,
and they listen but don't hear or understand.’
 “With them the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says:
‘You will listen and listen but never understand.
You will look and look but never comprehend.
 For this people's heart has become dull,
and their ears are hard of hearing.
They have shut their eyes
so that they might not see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears,
and understand with their heart and turn,
and I would heal them.’

“How blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear!  For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see the things you see but did not see them, and to hear the things you hear but did not hear them.” (Matthew 13:11-17; ISV)

This is hard for us to understand, but the reality is that God is looking for people who will simply believe in Him, but people who will live by faith.  Faith begins with belief, but also requires commitment, love, obedience, and trust.  The teachings of Jesus were designed to mature the faith of those committed to God while throwing up obstacles in front of those who had different agendas , those people who expected things from God but weren’t willing to live by faith. There were people who came to Jesus with certain expectations who left disappointed after they heard His teaching.  We find evidence of this fact in the Gospel of John:

He said this while teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum.  When many of his disciples heard this, they said, “This is a difficult statement. Who can accept it?”

But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Does this offend you?  What if you saw the Son of Man going up to the place where he was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.  But there are some among you who do not believe.” For from the beginning Jesus knew those who wouldn't believe, as well as the one who would betray him.  So he said, “That's why I told you that no one can come to me unless it be granted him by the Father.”  As a result, many of his disciples turned back and no longer associated with him. (John 6:59-66; ISV)

Jesus didn’t go out of His way to prove that He was the Messiah.  Sure He offered evidence, but He wanted to make sure that people followed Him out of faith and not out of a faulty belief and wrong expectations.  Jesus intentionally used His teachings to separate people.  Some people found what He said to be too difficult and no longer believed in Him, and a select few stayed with Him because they had committed their lives to Him.

What does this have to do with the size of the universe?  Remember we are dealing with reality, and the reality is that we have a large universe.  What probable reason would God have in creating this vast universe?

The apostle Paul tells us that the universe, all of creation, is a teaching tool of God:

For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes—his eternal power and divine nature—have been understood and observed by what he made, so that people are without excuse. (Romans 1:20; ISV)

In creation we have enough to lead us to begin our search for the Creator.  Yet, just like how people responded to Jesus’ parables, people look at creation but they miss the greater significance behind it.  To think that God created is too hard of a truth to accept so they create their own reality, which sounds plausible to their ears.

When we understand this reality of God it shouldn’t be surprising that we discover a universe just like the universe we live in.  A universe that inspires awe and humility in a faithful follower of Jesus, but is also a stumbling block, an obstacle to the person who expects God to act in a certain way and is disillusioned when He doesn’t.

Don't Wait for Guarantees

 Erwin McManus wrote in Seizing Your Divine Moment:

"When you move with God, He always shows up.  It's just difficult to predict what He will do or how He will do it.  If you wait for guarantees, the only thing that will be guaranteed is that you will miss endless divine opportunities--that you can know for certain."

There is much we don't understand about God and how He works.  No matter how much we try we will never be able to understand all the mysteries of God while we are alive.  Even the basic doctrine of the Trinity is beyond our comprehension.  So what are we to do?  We act on what we do know.  We obey the commands God has given us and we go where he leads us.

Take for example Joseph.  Joseph was the favorite son of Jacob.  It also appears that Joseph was a favorite of God.  God gave Joseph these dreams that showed Joseph that one day he would rule over his brothers.  Yet before the dream could come to past Joseph's jealous brothers sold him into slavery.

In Egypt Joseph was a slave, no longer a favorite, but for some reason Joseph remained true to the God of his fathers.  When sexual immortality presented itself to Joseph the young man ran away, only to be accused of a crime he did not commit.  From favorite son, to slave, to prisoner is the journey of Joseph's life.  Where is God?  What about God's promises?  Why does God allow these terrible things to happen?

Even in prison Joseph remains faithful to God.  In prison Joseph interprets the dreams of two other prisoners, which eventually leads him before Pharaoh.  When Joseph interprets the Pharaoh‚Äôs dream he is given the privilege of being second in command in all of Egypt.  Through all the trials and tribulations of Joseph's life God finally shows up to keep His promises to Joseph.

Here is what we can learn from Joseph: act on what you know.  All Joseph knew what how to be obedient to God, and that is what he did.  In the end God showed up.  To move with God is simply obey what we understand.

We may be waiting for our opportunity to make an impact for the Kingdom of God, but if all we are doing is waiting then what will happen is we will miss out on that opportunity.  We discover our purpose and we make an impact when we are faithful to what we know God has commanded us to do.

Consider what the apostle Paul wrote to his disciple Timothy:

But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught.  You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you.  You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive salvation that comes from trusting Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:14-15; NLT).

Paul urges Timothy to remain faithful to what he knows to be true.  That is the way we are to live our lives when we are Christians.  When we do we will make the most of the time God has given us and we will experience God at work in the world.

Social Justice and the Church

One of the realities of life is that life is unfair.  When I think about that inequality of life and the oppression many people around the world have to endure breaks my heart.  So many of us have it so good that the biggest thing we can complain about is that American Idol stunk last night.  We are so disconnected to the tremendous suffering millions of people actually experience each and every day.

It is extremely unfair and unjust that thousands of children go to bed every night hungry and thirsty because they lack a proper food and water source.  It is unjust for girls and women to be in forced prostitution so that men can go and abuse these precious ladies for their selfish pleasure.  It is unfair that families cannot afford basic health care and thus have to suffer through sickness and injuries that could be easily helped.  The list could go on and on, but you get the point, life is unfair.  We in the United States have done our best to ignore it, but that is the reality, and as Christians it should break our hearts.

I would like to suggest that we are not really following Christ if we are not doing something to end oppression and injustice in this world.  The reason I say that is because the Bible clearly teaches that God’s desire for His people is for them to fight against injustice.  Passages like Matthew 25:31-46, James 1:26-2:17, and 1 John 3:16-19 teach that our faith and love should be seen in how we help the basic needs of those who are in need of help.  This is not optional for the follower of Christ, it is what is expected.

So when it comes to the question of “social justice” the question isn’t whether or not the Church should be involved, but how we should be involved.  It is our duty as followers of Christ to bring help, healing, and love to a world that desperately needs it.

As a Libertarian and a Christian I find it very difficult to believe that the best way to fight the injustice we find in this world is through government.  It is my observation that many of the Christian Liberals who throw around the term “social justice” do so in order to convince us that the Church should partner with Government to bring about equality and fairness. Here is my basic problem with that notion: Government is often the cause of the injustice.

I am going to quote at length from Jonah Goldberg’s book Liberal Fascism:

While the civil rights acts were obviously great successes, liberals hardly stopped at equality before the law.  The Great Society’s racial meddling—often under various other guises—yielded one setback  after another.  Crime soared because of the Great Society and the attitudes of which it partook.  In 1960 the total number of murders was lower than it had been in 1930, 1940, and 1950 despite a population explosion.  In the decade after the Great Society, the murder rate effectively doubled.  Black-on-black crime soared in particular.  Riots exploded on LBJ’s watch, often with the subtle encouragement of Great Society liberals who rewarded such behavior. Out-of-wedlock births among blacks skyrocketed.  Economically, as Thomas Sowell has cataloged, the biggest drop in black poverty took place during the two decades before the Great Society.  In the 1970s, when the impact of the Great Society programs was fully realized, the trend of black economic improvement stopped almost entirely (pp. 269-70).

Was the racial bigotry that held much of this country in its grip a great injustice?  It most certainly was, but the Government didn’t stop it from being a problem, rather they stopped the true progress that was being made.  Too many African-Americans are still in a cycle of economic oppression because of government intervention.

The United States is filled with examples of how Government has caused injustice and oppression.  Take for example the current economic crisis we are experiencing.  It was not only brought on by greedy bankers, but also by greedy politicians who made policies which allowed the bankers the opportunity to act on their greed.  There is also the evil of Government stealing from Social Security, something many older people expect to be there for their future, and thus putting a heavy tax burden on the younger generation to make sure those Social Security commitments are met.  Then there are the human rights violations that our Government commits as it seeks to question “terrorists,” all under the guise of national security. 

Government is unable to bring about true social justice because it brings about so much of the social injustice in this world.  Instead of asking, “How can Government fix this problem?”, we need to ask, “In what ways has Government contributed to this injustice?”  It is my contention that many of the injustices that we find in the United States are the result of too much government rather than not enough government.

When it comes to how the Church should respond to the injustice we find in the world I think the first place we need to look to is to history.  It is my belief that the early Church grew in a world filled with injustice, not because it partnered with an immoral government, but because she actually lived out what she believed.

In his wonderful book The Rise of Christianity Rodney Stark catalogs the reason for Christianity rise from an obscure movement in Palestine to the religious force in the Roman Empire.  He talks about how the Church made life better for women, how the Church cared for the sick and the dying, and how the Church met the needs of a growing urban world.  In his conclusion Stark writes:

Let me state my thesis: Central doctrines of Christianity prompted and sustained attractive, liberating, and effective social relations and organizations.

I believe that it was the religion’s particular doctrines that permitted Christianity to be among the most sweeping and successful revitalization movements in history.  And it was the way these doctrines took on actual flesh, the way they directed organizational actions and individual behavior, that lead to the rise of Christianity.

Do you see the key of it all?  It wasn’t just that the Church had superior doctrines, which we certainly do, but because those doctrines “took on actual flesh.”   To fight the injustice of this world we have to live out what we say we believe.  As John wrote in 1 John 3:16-18:

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth (ESV).

Listen, it is to the Church’s shame that we have done so little to bring justice into this world.  You know what is crazy about that statement?  The reason that statement is crazy is because there hasn’t been anyone who has done more to bring justice into this world.  Yet, there is so much more that we can do.  What could we do with the money that we are forced to use to pay off our consumer debts?  What could we do with the hours spent watching movies, football games, television, and concerts? 

My point today is a very simple one: Social justice begins with my choice to love my neighbor.  Yet, there is only so much that I can do on my own, and so I need to come together with other people who have made that decision to love their neighbor so we can do even more good.  Social justice happens then as the Church of Jesus Christ moves into this world loving as we go.  It happens when Christian politicians, who are more committed to the way of Jesus than a political party, influence the policies of government.  It happens when Christian businesspeople, who are more concerned with following Jesus than making a profit, create businesses that benefit both their employees and their costumers.  It happens when American Christians give time and money so African Christians can have a source of clean water.  It happens when we decide that it is better to sacrifice our lifestyles than it is to hoard God’s blessings.  Church, we have been called to be lights in a very dark world, it is time that we start to burn brightly.

In this life we will always have the poor, the sick, the orphan, the widow, and the oppressed.  Their constant presence is not an excuse for apathy, but it is reminder to fight for what is right.  Will we join in the fight?  Will we dare to become the Church God wants us to be?

In Need of a Fellowship

One of the reason I believe in God is because there seems to be certain cravings that each person has in their heart.  On of these cravings is the craving for friendships.  Even the most introverted among us (which would be me), desires the companionship of good friends.

Take a moment and consider what John Eldredge wrote in Waking the Dead:

You must not go alone.  From the beginning, right there in Eden, the Enemy’s strategy has relied upon a simple aim: divide and conquer.  Get them isolated, and take them out...This is written so deeply on our hearts: You must not go alone.  The Scriptures are full of such warnings, but until we see our desperate situation, we hear it as an optional religious assembly for an hour on Sunday mornings (pp. 187-88).

One of the reasons I like Batman is because he is loner.  Sure there is Robin and the Justice League, but Batman prefers to do things by himself.  People know Batman can take care of himself, even though he doesn't have super powers.  He is tough, intelligent, and rich.  There is no doubt in my mind that Batman is the coolest super-hero ever created.

The problem with living the Batman lifestyle is that sooner or later it catches up to you.  Life was not meant to be lived alone.  When God created Eve for Adam it was not just about a man needing a wife, it was about people needing relationships.  Make no mistake about it we need each other, and the creation of a male and a female insured that a person would also have the opportunity for companionship.

We need each other on this journey to discover the life God created us to live.  There are many pitfalls, traps, and enemies along the way, which mean we will never finish the quest on our own.   This is what the wise King Solomon  wrote in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12:

Two people can accomplish more than twice as much as one; they get a better return for their labor.  If one falls, the other can reach out and help.  But people who are alone when they fall are in real trouble.  And on a cold night, two under the same blanket can gain warmth from each other.  But how can one be warm alone?  A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer.  Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken (NLT).

We need people just as Frodo needs Sam; Luke needs Han, Chewbacca, and Leia; Shaggy needs Scooby; the Lone Ranger needs Tonto; or Charlie needs Snoopy.  We cannot make this journey of faith on our own.  If we try we will be slowly taken out and the passion in our hearts for God will be quenched, and we will miss out on so much of the life God intends for us to live.

To be alone is heartbreaking and it makes life very difficult to live.  This is not about being in a romantic relationship; rather it is about having friends that you can count on in thick and thin.  One of the things I have learned to admire about C. S. Lewis is the fact that he had such great friendships.  Though he lived most of his life as a bachelor these relationships provided Lewis with the companionship that he need to find joy and hope in life.

I want to encourage you to find people who can be your companions.  Men we need other men in our lives who will challenge us, hold us accountable, and will go into battle with us as we fight for the hearts of those we love.  Women you need to find other women who will provide you with a sense of companionship to help you face all the challenges of the world.

If we do not hang together the Enemy will divide us and slowly steal away the life that God has created us to live.  Only by walking this road of faith together can we find the life God has in store for us.

The Quest for Life

The foundational quest every person is on is the quest to find life. Some might want to argue with me and say that humans are primarily on a search to find God, and that is fine. The two are not unrelated, for a person cannot find life without finding God. Life only comes through a relationship with the Creator; the Life-Maker.

Consider what John Eldredge wrote in The Journey of Desire:  

"We don't need more facts, and we certainly don't need more things to do. We need Life, and we've been looking for it ever since we lost Paradise. Jesus appeals to our desire because he came to speak to it."

Why do I think the search for life is the common quest for humanity? I believe it is seen in the activities people do to find life. These activities show people is search of life and not necessarily God. Some look for life through relationships. They place a high value on quality relationships, and they are always around people. The idea of being alone is the worst idea in the world for them. Life, they hope, is found in the intimacy of relationships.

Other people are on the route of thrills. They are willing to do anything which will bring a thrill into their life: bungee jumping, sky diving, X-game type sports, and even racing. The rush and the adrenaline surge is what they are after. Life, they hope, is found living life on the edge because then they are living in the moment.

There are some people who seek life through artificial means. Drugs provide them with a high to mirror the joy and happiness life is supposed to have. They want life without all the pain and tragedy which comes with it. Life, they hope, is found in a place absent of pain and happiness rules.

Then there are the people on the purpose road. They throw themselves into a career, a family, or an education in order to bring meaning and purpose to their existence. Life, they hope, is found in having a purpose.

I know as I look at my existence these are the parts that make up the life I so desperately want. I desire intimacy, to be fully known to others. I want excitement, to be in awe of what is happening around me. I desire joy, to be able to have hope no matter what is happening. And I want a purpose, to know I count for something.

I am on a quest to find life. For me this journey has only one starting point: Jesus Christ. "I am the WAY, the truth, and the LIFE. No one can come to the Father except through me" (John 14:6, NLT). Jesus promises that He is both the journey and the life. Not only does Jesus take us to the life that we need, but He is also the life we desire. Life only comes through Jesus.

If I claim to know life, why do I insist on saying I am "seeking life"? The reason is because life is not a one time event. The life that satisfies me today is not the life that will satisfy me tomorrow. Life is not found simply by coming to Jesus, but it is found in following Jesus. "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5; NLT). Jesus is the source of life, and if we are to have life we must remain with Him.

The quest I am on is not just to find the source of life, but rather to discover the life I was meant to have. This quest will only find its completion with heaven, but it also means finding life everyday of my life right now. Life can be discovered. It is my journey, and I hope you will decide to come along with me.

The Consequence of Not Forgiving

Originally posted on Saturday March 26, 2005

Years ago there lived an advisor to a great king.  The advisor and king were friends.  They ate together, they spent time together, and worshipped God together.  This advisor had a son who was one of the mighty warriors in the king’s army, and the son had a beautiful daughter. The son gave his daughter in marriage to another of the king’s mighty warriors, and he truly loved her.

One spring when the king’s army went off to war, the king stayed behind in the safety of his palace.  He had grown too important to risk the dangers of war.  He lounged, enjoying the pleasure of his kingdom while his men fought to protect the kingdom.  One evening, after a long afternoon nap, the king caught sight of the beautiful granddaughter of his trusted advisor.  The king sent for her and he took that which was not his.

When the king learned the beautiful woman was pregnant, the king arranged for her husband to be killed.  After a time of mourning the king brought the woman into the palace and married her, and the king was confident that his sin was covered.

A year later a prophet made his way into the court and confronted the king about his terrible sin.  The king repents, but as a consequence the son born due to the illicit affair dies.  The advisor, witnesses the prophet’s confrontation with the king, and when the advisor’s great grandson dies he realizes the treachery of his king.  The king has dishonored his family, took advantage of his granddaughter, and murdered her loving husband.

For eleven years the advisor let hatred and bitterness grow in his heart.  He waited for a chance to take his revenge on the king.  Finally one of the king’s sons decided to rebel and steal the kingdom from his father.  The advisor seizes the opportunity and sided with the son.  He advised the son to dishonor his father publicly by sleeping with the king’s concubines, and the advisor urged the son to go after the king and to allow him, the advisor, the opportunity kill the king.  For the advisor this was personal. The son takes the advisor’s first bit of advice, but relents from pursuing the king because the son listens to the advice of another advisor who is secretly loyal to the king.  Because the old advisor knew the son would not succeed in overthrowing his father, and because he has backed the loser, the advisor went home and hungs himself.

The advisor’s name was Ahithophel, and he was the grandfather of Bathsheba.  The story of Ahithophel and his part in Absalom’s conspiracy to overthrow David is found in 2 Samuel 16-17.  It is thought that David wrote Psalm 55 during this time, and verses 12-14 are believed to be a reference to Ahithophel.

 It is not an enemy who taunts me—I could bear that. It is not my foes who so arrogantly insult me—I could have hidden from them.
 Instead, it is you—my equal, my companion and close friend.
What good fellowship we once enjoyed as we walked together to the house of God. (NLT)

Ahithophel had every right to be angry with David, but he did not seek reconciliation with the king.  Rather the advisor looked for a way to destroy the honor and life of  David.  Over time the hatred and bitterness consumed him, and in the end it was Ahithophel who was destroyed, not David.

When we hold on to the hatred and bitterness that we have in our lives we miss out on the wonderful life God has for us.  Instead of seeing blessings and joy we become consumed with pain and indignation.  We could be justified in our anger, and the other person could have really done us wrong, but our hatred for them does us more harm to us, especially to our hearts, than it ever does for them.

There is a parable that Jesus told that speaks to this very issue:

“Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt. “But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt. “But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. “His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full. “When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’  Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt. (Matthew 18:23-34; NLT)

The hurt and pain that we have caused God as we have participated in destroying His creation and neglecting people whom He loves is so much greater than the harm people have done to us.  Yes, people have hurt us and forgiveness does not seek to minimize that reality, what forgiveness does is allows you to move past the hurt and pain so you can seek to mend the broken relationship.  One of the reasons we want to mend the broken relationship is because when we hang out to the pain and the outrage we are locking ourselves up in a prison that will hold us back from becoming the person God created us to be.  Forgiveness is the key which is able to unlock the door.

A second reason we forgive is because God has forgiven us.  If He can show mercy, then we too can show mercy. It is by the light of God’s forgiveness that reveals to us why we need to forgive those who have hurt us.

The death of Jesus is a reminder of the forgiveness God is willing to give to His enemies.  In the face of such great love how can we hold on to an unforgiving spirit and the bitterness that consumes our heart?

Light Giving Truth

It is not always easy to understand what Jesus taught.  One reason for this is because we live, not only in a different time, but also a different culture than when Jesus walked the earth and taught people.  This is something we have to keep in mind as we approach Scripture: the true lesson may not be obvious.  In other words we might have to work a little bit in order to understand what Jesus was saying.

I recently came across a difficult teaching of Jesus which left me wondering what He was trying to say.  It is found in Luke 11:33-36:

33"No one lights a lamp and then hides it or puts it under a basket.  Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house.

  34 "Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when it is bad, your body is filled with darkness. 35 Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness. 36 If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light." (NLT)

It is easy to skim over this because is sounds a lot like Jesus’ teaching on being light that we have read before (i.e. Matthew 5:14-16), but a closer read will have you shaking your head thinking: What did Jesus mean?  William Barclay in his Daily Study Bible on Luke wrote: "The meaning is not easy to grasp..."

Why don’t we attempt to work at this a little bit and see if we can’t come up with an application for our lives.  First we cannot lift these 4 verses out of there context and hope to arrive at the truth Jesus wants us to understand.  Luke 11:14 I believe gives us a good point from which to understand the context of Jesus’ teaching.  What we notice is that people are questioning who Jesus is.  He can cast out demons, why?  Is he the ruler of demons?  Is he the messiah?  Is he a prophet?  To get an answer to their questions the mob begins to demand a sign.  They want Jesus to prove who he is, as if all his miracles and teachings were not enough (if the people who saw Jesus’ miracles tried to come up with alternate explanations for them how much more will people today doubt the evidence of Jesus’ miracles).

In response to the crowds demand for a sign Jesus begins to teach.  As he is teaching a woman shouts: “God bless your mother--the womb from which you came, and the breasts that nursed you!” (verse 27, NLT).

I believe Jesus’ response is the key to understanding the point of verses 33-36.  Here is what Jesus said: “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice” (verse 28, NLT).

Sandwiched between Jesus’ response and the passage we are looking at is Jesus’ condemnation of the crowd.  It is here that Jesus offers the people a sign.  It is the sign of Jonah.  In Matthew 12:39-40 Jesus explains what this sign is: just as Jonah spent time in the belly of a fish and then was spit out, Jesus will spend time dead before being resurrected.  The people of Nineveh saw the sign before Jonah’s preaching, but Jesus is giving these people a heads up on what to look for that will confirm his preaching.

Jesus tells the crowds that they will be condemned.  They will be condemned by the queen of Sheba who came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom.  She was on a quest to discover the truth and she went to great lengths to find it.  The crowd around Jesus has great wisdom at their doorstep and yet they don’t seek it, but rather they come to challenge and question Jesus.

The people of Nineveh will condemn them, because Nineveh repented when the heard Jonah preach.  These crowds following Jesus did not repent at his preaching.  They continued living like they always had done.

I think it is interesting that Jesus uses these Gentile examples.  The Jew thought he would stand in condemnation of the pagans because the Jews had God’s law, but Jesus says that is not so.  The important thing wasn’t who had the Law, but how you respond to God’s Truth.  Will you seek it out?  Will you be changed by it?

Let’s stop here for a moment.  As Christians we have God’s Word.  God has given us the Bible so that we can know who He is and how to live.  Have God’s Word isn’t enough!  The queen of Sheba will condemn us as well if we are unwilling to search God’s Word for the wisdom we need for life.  The people of Nineveh will condemn us if we are unwilling to apply God’s truth to our lives and live according to God’s will.  The condemnation Jesus gives to this crowd of people who claimed to follow God’s Law does not apply today for the atheist or pagan who doesn’t claim the truth of God’s Word, but applies to us who claim the Bible to be truth but do not treat it as truth.

Hopefully now we are in a better position to understand the truth in Jesus illustration about light, lamps, and eyes.   Truth is meant to be shared and seen.  Truth is useless if it is hoarded or hidden.  How well are we sharing the light of truth?

Verses 34 and 35 are what are confusing to me.  So perhaps the next step to take is to ask a question: how can I have a pure eye?  Let’s take a step back and look at the examples of the queen of Sheba and the people of Nineveh again.  The queen of Sheba was on a quest to discover truth.  The Pharisees and other religious leaders of Jesus’ day were not looking to find truth, they we eager to prove their point.  So could a pure eye be the result of our willingness to be taught?

The men of Nineveh changed the way the lived when they were confronted with God’s truth.  The Pharisees were always looking for loopholes to explain why God’s Law did not apply to them and why they didn’t need to repent.  So could a pure eye also be the result of our willingness to repent when confronted with God’s truth?

In other words an evil eye is the result of insistence that truth is only truth if it agrees with preconceived ideas and philosophies.  An evil eye is also the result of our unwillingness to do whatever it takes to respond to the truth God has given us.  An evil eye is a closed eye that does not allow in the light of God’s truth.

Having a pure eye allows us to receive God’s truth which in turn leads to a life that is full of life.  God’s truth is not limited to facts and propositions but is demonstrated by the way we live.  Jesus said the person who is blessed is the person who not only hears the truth but also obeys it (verse 28). We debate philosophies and spin facts to suit our needs, but a life lived as the result of truth is a beacon of light.    The question we need to ask ourselves is this: Is my life being radiant?

An Encouraging Thought

Take a moment and think about your life.  Do you like you life right now?  Are you  hoping for a change?  Is there something that is missing?  Think about what you life is like and how that compares to your dreams.

Have you done it?  If you have not thought about your life, I will give you a few more moments to think.  You can’t go on until you have until you have finished the little exercise. 
    
Finished?  Good, now you have my permission to continue.
    
I know for many of us our lives are not quite where we would like them to be.  We find our current life a little boring, and we constantly complain that there is nothing to do.  Sometimes we are just plain lonely.  We see other people with all these friends or with a companion of the opposite sex and we become a little jealous. We perceive that our lives don’t measure up to theirs.  Other times we desire to have this amazing relationship with God, but our lives lack the promised peace and hope which comes from a relationship with God.  We get down and begin doubting whether or not God has really saved us.
    
Regardless of how you feel about your life right now, you are in the right place.  God has put you in this place so that you will see Him.  For those who don’t know Jesus, God has put them into a place so if they would only open their hearts and seek Him they will find Him.  For us who do know Jesus, we are in just the right place to be used by God.  God has placed into our lives experiences, knowledge, and the salvation we need to make a difference.  We might think it is a small and insignificant difference, but it will the difference that God desires.

Take the example of Esther.  If you have never read the book of Esther I challenge you to do so. It is a book that shows how God works through history.  Esther was a Jewish girl that became queen because of her great beauty.  A plot to kill all the Jews in the Persian Empire became law after she became queen.  Esther had an uncle by the name of Modecai, and he pleads to her to intervene on the behalf of her people.  Esther was reluctant  since it could mean death if the King did not want to see her.  Yet it was entirely possible that God allowed her to become Queen just for this very moment.  God put her just where she needed to be.  This is what Uncle Modecai told Esther:

If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die.  What’s more, who can say but that you have been elevated to the palace for just such a time as this? (Esther 4:14; NLT)

We may not have to save an entire race of people, but God has put us just where He needs us to be.  Obeying God and taking that step of faith means that we will experience God in a new way.  Our relationship with the Creator will become better, and our life will look a whole lot more appealing.
   
Consider what Dave Stone in I’d Rather See A Sermon; “God is counting on you to be open to His leading.  You may be the only person who can reach a certain individual or group of people.  God has planted you in that environment to accomplish His purpose for eternity.”

Instead of complaining about your life and wishing things would change, look around you and discover what needs to be done.  My bet is that God put you there for just such a time.
    
In the movie The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring there is one scene that I absolutely love because of the way it stirs my heart.  The Fellowship has been forced to go through the mines of Moria.  They come to a place where the tunnel splits and Gandalf does not know which way to go.  The group sits to rest and think about their options.  Gandalf and Frodo begin to talk about their task.  Frodo confides in Gandalf and says, “I wish the Ring would never have come to me.  I wish none of this would have happened.” 
    
Gandalf replies, “So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide.  All we have to do is decide what to do with the time given to us.  There are other forces at work in this world besides the one of evil.  Bilbo was meant to find the Ring.  In which case you also were meant to have it, and that is an encouraging thought.”

Erwin McManus wrote something similar in his book An Unstoppable Force; “God chooses not only the places but also the times in which we live.  He has privileged us to live not only in the greatest expansion of human population but also with the greatest opportunity for the spread of the gospel.”
    
Jesus has given us a command to go. “Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples.” (Matthew 28:19; CEV).  That command has corporate significance, for it is the mission of the entire church, and it has personal significance, for each Christian is responsible to that command.  We all have a mission in our lives.  How we carry out this mission is our purpose. 
    
Truth is often times this mission can feel overwhelming.  There are so many people who have not even heard the name of Jesus, and millions more who have heard and have rejected Him.  The sheer numbers make this mission seem impossible.  There are the people whom we encounter everyday of our lives, and despite our efforts they do not seem to be changed.  The lack of response makes this mission to seem pointless.
    
When you are feeling like that I want to encourage you, just as Gandalf encouraged Frodo.  God has placed you where you are, for a reason.  There is a purpose to your life, right now, exactly where you are at.  If you remain faithful to God, by committing yourself to obedience and worship, you will experience the purpose of God in your life.  Yes, things will not go as you would like them to, but regardless of what happens God will use it to change lives, most likely yours.

The Apostle Paul wrote:

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (Ephesians 2:8-10; NASB).

God has created us, and then saved us, for a reason.  Before we were born, God had a plan for our lives.  As we are faithful to God, that purpose takes shape in our lives, and that is when we begin to experience the life God intends all people to live.  The good life of God is discovered in living out our divine purpose.
    
I hope that you see your life right now as a privilege.  God has created us and placed us here, during this time, so we can impact our corner of the world for Him.  We are perfectly suited for this task, because He has created us for this.  When we grasp this truth our lives will have meaning and hope.  God is at work in the world, He wants us to join Him, and that is a very encouraging thought.

Discover the Value of the Bible

Stop and ponder for a moment this question: If God wants us to do His will would He make it difficult to discover?  It is my belief that we miss out on God’s will, not because He has withheld it from us, but because we desperately want Him to bless our agenda.  Rather than going to His Word to discover and align our lives to His Will we plead with God to align Himself with our will.  We especially do this when our agenda seems to be so good.

I want you to consider what Henry and Richard Blackaby wrote in Hearing God’s Voice:

Many people underestimate God’s Word.  It is far more powerful than many realize.  From Genesis to Revelation God’s Word has the power to speak directly to a person’s heart.  By the Holy Spirit, God takes his written Word and applies it specifically to people’s lives...The Bible is not merely one option for discovering God’s will.  God’s written Word is the plumb line for our lives as we walk daily with him (p. 91).

If we hope to discover God’s will then the starting point will be the Bible.  Too many of us start within ourselves: our dreams and our desires.  The result is that we are led astray from what God truly expects from our lives, as we pursue the life that we want.  You see it is easier to live our lives based on our emotions and desires rather than to discipline ourselves to the study and obedience of God’s Word.  We would rather spend a few moments of self-reflection than doing an hour’s worth of studying the Bible.  Yet, it is the Bible that provides us the foundation we need for knowing and doing God’s will.

You and I can spend the rest of our lives aligning them to the truth we find in Scripture.  God doesn’t need to get anymore specific, and He certainly doesn’t need to get any clearer.  The Bible, being the very words of God, give us what we so long to have: the knowledge of God’s will.

Since the Bible is God’s Word and since it is the source of His will that means we need to make two commitments when it comes to the Bible.  If we do not make these commitments then the Bible will not have any value to us.  That is precisely why these commitments are so important to make.

The first commitment is to commit to knowing the Bible.  The author of Hebrews wrote; For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12; ESV).  The Bible, which is God’s Word, has the ability to get to the heart of the matter, if we take the time to really get to know what it says.  I fear that too many people miss the power of Scripture because they are so intent on reading the Bible they don’t take the time to study or meditate on God’s Word. 

While I want to urge you to read the Bible, I also want to challenge you to do three things.  First, I want to challenge you to submit yourself to the teaching of solid Bible teachers.  This is one of the reasons it is valuable to be part of a good Bible teaching Church, but in our day and age we can put ourselves under the teaching of people who teach the Bible on a daily basis.  Find good books written by sound teachers and find podcasts by teachers who correctly handle the word of God so that you can benefit from their study and insight.  A second activity I would challenge you to do is to meditate on Scripture.  When a passage jumps up at you take the time to think about the passage, pray and ask God about it, and then jot your thoughts down in a journal or the margin of your Bible.  The third activity I urge you to adopt is to memorize Scripture.  Memorization is the best way I know to get God’s Word into our hearts and minds so that it is able to constantly inform the way that we live.

The second commitment that we need to make is that we need to commit to applying Scripture to our lives.  I like the illustration James uses for this truth:

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing (James 1:22-25; ESV).

Knowing the Bible does us little good if we are not committed to aligning our lives to the truth we discover on its pages.  How are we able to do that?  The only way I know how to do this consistently is to be part of a community or a fellowship which challenges and encourages our spiritual growth.  This begins with being part of a good church, but it also includes have a close group of friends who are committed to following Christ Jesus.  Our dearest and closest friends need to be Christians who are committed to doing whatever it takes to follow Jesus.  Another essential thing we can do is develop a plan that leads to change.  We need to think about how to pray and ask for God’s assistance, we need to know the steps to take to cut sin out of our lives, and we need to know who we can turn to for support and encourage as step out in obedience.  Without a plan, that is based on God’s Word, we will not be able to align our lives to God’s will.  We need to be intentional about obedience otherwise our obedience will be spotty at best.

The Bible is valuable to our lives because it is God’s Word.  If we hope to live a life that honors and glorifies Him then we must make the Bible a big part of our lives.  It must become the source that informs the way we live our lives.  That mean means we have to know it and we have to obey it.  When we make those two commitments we will discover that the Bible is indeed the precious Word of God.