Are you one who worries all the time? Do you worry about your children, your health, your grades, your spouse, your finances, your house, etc.? Does it sometimes keep you up at night or give you a sick feeling in your stomach? Have these anxieties been growing over time?
Let's get something very straight: God does not desire anxiety for anyone. He stands as one who will remove those anxieties. Let's look at some scriptures which address the problem.
Anxiety is a love problem.
1 John 4:18 (ESV) 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
Maybe you do not trust God's love. Maybe you have not dwelt in His love but the fact remains that God has loved you with an everlasting love. He will watch over you. He will not allow anything to come into your live that you can He can't handle together. He does so because He loves you. Your love toward Him reveals that your relationship is one of trust. It reveals that you know that He has loved you first and that there is nothing you can do to make Him love you more or less because His love is without merit.
Anxiety is a "not your problem" problem.
1 Peter 5:6-7 (ESV) 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
For some reason people believe they can handle their problems better than God can handle them. Maybe there is a sense of pride which keeps them from giving their anxieties to God. They hold onto these problems like little children who claim, "I can do it myself!"
Is that you? Are you holding onto something that you really can't do? Are you trying to find a solution apart from casting your anxieties on Him? Are you afraid of what God may ask of you if you "cast" your anxieties? Would you rather live with the anxieties you know rather than having faith that God will do what is best without your knowledge? Are you afraid of giving up control of your anxieties by releasing them to God?
Turn them over to God and you will find yourself released from these problems.
Anxiety is a prayer problem.
Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV) 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Everything that you are fretting over must be prayed for. This is both with an attitude of prayer that knows God's love, wisdom, and power for anything that has come in your life and specific requests that God will act to relieve you of your anxieties. This is the best way of unburdening yourself of these anxieties. After all, did the worry make things better? Isn't it better to turn them over to God? He won't worry a moment about your anxieties. He already has a plan and will enact it.
A wonderful thing happens when you love on God and cast your anxieties on Him by taking them to Him in prayer. The peace of God which surpasses all understanding guards your heart and mind. Then, you may not remember why you were so anxious anyway.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
The Law Is for the Careless
This morning I watched a pickup truck barrel through my neighborhood over fifty miles per hour. The speed limit is twenty-five. There were children making their way to their school bus stops in the dark but this careless fellow paid them no regard. I noted the time and resolved to call the police who could post an officer on my street. Speeds in excess of ten miles per hour are considered "reckless" in this area. I hope the resultant payment for his trangression will slow him down.
I have found that people do not slow down for school zones even though they can clearly see the speed blinking at them overhead. That is, they do not slow down unless they see a policeman ahead. Then, they are model drivers. Many people do not stop on red lights but run through them, do not stop before proceeding right on red and do not use their direction signals unless they see someone who can hold them accountable. These people know that there aren't enough police to hold them accountable most of the time so they become extremely careless in their driving.
I know why car insurance is so high. There are so many who will not comply with the law. They text while driving, turn right from left lanes (and vice-versa) and sneak down one-way streets while looking at the signs which say "wrong way." They are physically impared by alcohol or drugs, drive way past being merely sleepy and fully respond to the cries of their children without pulling over.
So, the law tries to prevent these unsafe and careless practices in driving. Yet, the law can't seem to keep up with the ways people can be careless.
And so it is with God's law too. The law is made to make the careless aware of their transgressions. Their sin ( our sin; my sin) is a failure to give God glory. It is simple but needs explanation because people are creating new ways of carelessly commiting this sin. Thus, we have the explanation of this standard of giving God glory throughout the Bible.
Think what the traffic law would be if there were no careless people: Drive in a safe and courteous manner. Sure there would have to be definition so that there could be order, such as: drive on the right side of the road and: the person on your right will have the right of way when arriving at a four way stop simultaneously. Speed limits would not be necessary because no one would drive recklessly. People wouldn't pass the signs which said, "this a lane was closed ahead" so that they could push their way in much further down the line. People would let others in when they were merging on the freeways.
So, more and more traffic laws are coming. They will be written because people choose to rebell against society's laws as much as they do against God's law.
1 Timothy 1:8-11 (ESV) 8 Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9 understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10 the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, 11 in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.
I have found that people do not slow down for school zones even though they can clearly see the speed blinking at them overhead. That is, they do not slow down unless they see a policeman ahead. Then, they are model drivers. Many people do not stop on red lights but run through them, do not stop before proceeding right on red and do not use their direction signals unless they see someone who can hold them accountable. These people know that there aren't enough police to hold them accountable most of the time so they become extremely careless in their driving.
I know why car insurance is so high. There are so many who will not comply with the law. They text while driving, turn right from left lanes (and vice-versa) and sneak down one-way streets while looking at the signs which say "wrong way." They are physically impared by alcohol or drugs, drive way past being merely sleepy and fully respond to the cries of their children without pulling over.
So, the law tries to prevent these unsafe and careless practices in driving. Yet, the law can't seem to keep up with the ways people can be careless.
And so it is with God's law too. The law is made to make the careless aware of their transgressions. Their sin ( our sin; my sin) is a failure to give God glory. It is simple but needs explanation because people are creating new ways of carelessly commiting this sin. Thus, we have the explanation of this standard of giving God glory throughout the Bible.
Think what the traffic law would be if there were no careless people: Drive in a safe and courteous manner. Sure there would have to be definition so that there could be order, such as: drive on the right side of the road and: the person on your right will have the right of way when arriving at a four way stop simultaneously. Speed limits would not be necessary because no one would drive recklessly. People wouldn't pass the signs which said, "this a lane was closed ahead" so that they could push their way in much further down the line. People would let others in when they were merging on the freeways.
So, more and more traffic laws are coming. They will be written because people choose to rebell against society's laws as much as they do against God's law.
1 Timothy 1:8-11 (ESV) 8 Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9 understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10 the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, 11 in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
What Kind of God Were You Looking For?
Mankind is creating a god in an image that this palpable to mankind. This god appreciates being the mankind's servant. He (or she) always brings those who die into his (or her) presence. The only people who aren't in heaven are certain people who wouldn't have wanted to be there anyway. These are people who are either unknown or are historically bad. Thus, mankind believes that Hitler and a few serial killers are in hell but almost no one else is. All sins are absolved by this god because those who know the deceased have forgiven him. Their forgiveness is the basis for entry into heaven.
This god is one who obeys mankind's will. People only need to "speak" something into existence for this god to comply and make it so. Of course this means people must do some things correctly to get their god to perform as they wish. So, they give him a coin so they will receive ten back. They believe in "faith" so that things will become like they believe. They do not have to agree in what makes their god perform. It only matters that the faithful believe; what they believe is irrelevant.
How is this really different from what the Pharisees did in Jesus day? They had the concept of a Messiah who would cause everyone to return to the Law in the same manner as the Pharisees. He would, no doubt, recognize the righteousness of the Pharisees and commend them. He would lead the nation back to its former glory by recreating a religious nation in which God would defend and avenge. He would give them the power to dominate other nations.
The Pharisees dogmatic belief in the messiah they had created kept them from seeing the true Messiah when He stood right in front of them. They knew that both images could not be true so one would have to be killed. They chose to keep their messiah and crucify the One who conflicted with their belief.
Can you see why people are often bothered by the truth of Jesus? He does not allow them to create the god of their choice and accept Him at the same time. Either their image of god or the God of the Bible can exist. They are incompatible.
The easiest way to destroy the conflict is to attack those who believe in the God of the Bible. This is why the God of the Bible is not allowed in schools while other religions have very little resistance. This is why believers are ridiculed for their beliefs. They are said to be ignorant, delusional or charlatans. They are laughed at and taken to court.
So, what kind of God are you looking for? Are you creating this god or is He creating you? Do your beliefs come out of what you want to believe or are they anchored in the Bible? Are your beliefs created so that you can relate (get along) with others or are they changing your life because of your relationship with Him? Is this a god who obeys you or you obey Him? Does your god have any sense of justice or does He have a standard of righteousness and payment for sin?
I once tried to walk across a frozen lake because I believed the ice was thick enough to hold my weight. One year I did so without any problems at all. The next year I fell through the ice. It didn't matter what my belief was. It only mattered whether the ice was thick enough. I was never safe in walking across the frozen lake because I had no basis for my belief. I would have been no safer if I asked for the opinions of my friends. They didn't know any more than me. I would have to have some measurement that stood beyond my own opinions or those of others to have any safety in walking across the frozen lake.
The Bible is that measurement when it comes to who God is, what He expects, what is righteous or sinful and what the payment of violating His standard is. It is definitive in who God is and we do not create the God who created us. He is firmly established.
Sure, you can believe anything you want. I can choose to believe the ice is thick enough to hold my weight every year. My belief will not make it true and more than my belief in a god who will give me ten coins because I gave him one. Circumstances will dictate that I will sometimes have windfalls which I can choose to attach to my actions. In other words, I can say that my giving resulted in receiving ten more but that will not make it true. These circumstances have nothing to do with my belief.
What kind of god are you looking for?
Matthew 12:22-30 (ESV) 22 Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” 25 Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. 30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
This god is one who obeys mankind's will. People only need to "speak" something into existence for this god to comply and make it so. Of course this means people must do some things correctly to get their god to perform as they wish. So, they give him a coin so they will receive ten back. They believe in "faith" so that things will become like they believe. They do not have to agree in what makes their god perform. It only matters that the faithful believe; what they believe is irrelevant.
How is this really different from what the Pharisees did in Jesus day? They had the concept of a Messiah who would cause everyone to return to the Law in the same manner as the Pharisees. He would, no doubt, recognize the righteousness of the Pharisees and commend them. He would lead the nation back to its former glory by recreating a religious nation in which God would defend and avenge. He would give them the power to dominate other nations.
The Pharisees dogmatic belief in the messiah they had created kept them from seeing the true Messiah when He stood right in front of them. They knew that both images could not be true so one would have to be killed. They chose to keep their messiah and crucify the One who conflicted with their belief.
Can you see why people are often bothered by the truth of Jesus? He does not allow them to create the god of their choice and accept Him at the same time. Either their image of god or the God of the Bible can exist. They are incompatible.
The easiest way to destroy the conflict is to attack those who believe in the God of the Bible. This is why the God of the Bible is not allowed in schools while other religions have very little resistance. This is why believers are ridiculed for their beliefs. They are said to be ignorant, delusional or charlatans. They are laughed at and taken to court.
So, what kind of God are you looking for? Are you creating this god or is He creating you? Do your beliefs come out of what you want to believe or are they anchored in the Bible? Are your beliefs created so that you can relate (get along) with others or are they changing your life because of your relationship with Him? Is this a god who obeys you or you obey Him? Does your god have any sense of justice or does He have a standard of righteousness and payment for sin?
I once tried to walk across a frozen lake because I believed the ice was thick enough to hold my weight. One year I did so without any problems at all. The next year I fell through the ice. It didn't matter what my belief was. It only mattered whether the ice was thick enough. I was never safe in walking across the frozen lake because I had no basis for my belief. I would have been no safer if I asked for the opinions of my friends. They didn't know any more than me. I would have to have some measurement that stood beyond my own opinions or those of others to have any safety in walking across the frozen lake.
The Bible is that measurement when it comes to who God is, what He expects, what is righteous or sinful and what the payment of violating His standard is. It is definitive in who God is and we do not create the God who created us. He is firmly established.
Sure, you can believe anything you want. I can choose to believe the ice is thick enough to hold my weight every year. My belief will not make it true and more than my belief in a god who will give me ten coins because I gave him one. Circumstances will dictate that I will sometimes have windfalls which I can choose to attach to my actions. In other words, I can say that my giving resulted in receiving ten more but that will not make it true. These circumstances have nothing to do with my belief.
What kind of god are you looking for?
Matthew 12:22-30 (ESV) 22 Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” 25 Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. 30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
God Doesn't Want a "Portion"
"Dear Lord, we give back to you today a small portion of what you have given to us . . . ." Here is the prayer that is so often said as the offering is taken at the church. I am sure that many who say this prayer are mimicing prayers they have heard others say. Many are more concerned that they sound good when they pray rather than really pray. They have no idea that they are teaching while they pray. They are telling the people that everything they have belongs to them and that they are doing God a favor by giving Him a small "portion." They, therefore can do whatever they wish with the 98% (surveys show that Christians attending church give about 2% of their income).
Herein lies the problem. People are always going to believe they are being good Christians as long as they give God anything when, in fact, God doesn't want 2% or 10%. He requires all of it to be a disciple. This means that all expenditures should be examined because Christians are being stewards of the possessions given to them rather than "sugar daddies" for God.
Thus, we have the problem with tithing. Most people cannot tithe because they see it as giving God what they can. This becomes what is left over after they have spent what they want on what has become necessities. Included in these necessities are: fast food, cable tv, new cars, a bigger house, big screen tv's and the like. So, the "necessities" come out first before God gets anything. And it is true that He is fortunate to get anything so it must be true that God should really thank these "givers" for their generosity.
Somehow theology has been skewed by our society. God gives salvation without merit or payment on our part. He calls people to this salvation to become His people. However, that doesn't mean that becoming His requires nothing in return. Salvation means giving up all that we were to become all that He has desired for us. It is intended to create disciples who are totally His in every aspect of their lives. It isn't a self-imposed hardship which means wearing hair shirts, starving ourselves (as opposed to fasting) or avoiding any pleasure. It is a life that puts God at the center of our lives so that all decisions and actions flow through Him.
However, this isn't the Christianity that most Christians think they have signed up for. They believe they should "accept" Christ as their Savior. (Which, by the way, can be found nowhere in Scripture.) They will go to heaven regardless of anything they do for the rest of their lives. They may never darken the door of the church or ever say another word about Christ and still be saved.
While I agree that none of these things save an individual. This is also not the picture of salvation as presented in the New Testament. The people had a profound change in their lives which resulted in the world being turned upside down because of the way they lived. Thousands of people became disciples because they heard the good news from people who were living differently. These people took others into their homes to teach them to follow their example. They sold what they had to give to others because they realized that it didn't belong to them in the first place. Even their time wasn't their own for they worshiped each day rather than when it was convenient and they nothing else to do.
Of course, Christianity will not the Christianity of the New Testament until there is a return of God's people to realizing that it all belongs to Him. He doesn't want a portion. All of it is His.
And so it is with us too. All of us are His, too.
Luke 14:33 (NIV) 33 In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.
Herein lies the problem. People are always going to believe they are being good Christians as long as they give God anything when, in fact, God doesn't want 2% or 10%. He requires all of it to be a disciple. This means that all expenditures should be examined because Christians are being stewards of the possessions given to them rather than "sugar daddies" for God.
Thus, we have the problem with tithing. Most people cannot tithe because they see it as giving God what they can. This becomes what is left over after they have spent what they want on what has become necessities. Included in these necessities are: fast food, cable tv, new cars, a bigger house, big screen tv's and the like. So, the "necessities" come out first before God gets anything. And it is true that He is fortunate to get anything so it must be true that God should really thank these "givers" for their generosity.
Somehow theology has been skewed by our society. God gives salvation without merit or payment on our part. He calls people to this salvation to become His people. However, that doesn't mean that becoming His requires nothing in return. Salvation means giving up all that we were to become all that He has desired for us. It is intended to create disciples who are totally His in every aspect of their lives. It isn't a self-imposed hardship which means wearing hair shirts, starving ourselves (as opposed to fasting) or avoiding any pleasure. It is a life that puts God at the center of our lives so that all decisions and actions flow through Him.
However, this isn't the Christianity that most Christians think they have signed up for. They believe they should "accept" Christ as their Savior. (Which, by the way, can be found nowhere in Scripture.) They will go to heaven regardless of anything they do for the rest of their lives. They may never darken the door of the church or ever say another word about Christ and still be saved.
While I agree that none of these things save an individual. This is also not the picture of salvation as presented in the New Testament. The people had a profound change in their lives which resulted in the world being turned upside down because of the way they lived. Thousands of people became disciples because they heard the good news from people who were living differently. These people took others into their homes to teach them to follow their example. They sold what they had to give to others because they realized that it didn't belong to them in the first place. Even their time wasn't their own for they worshiped each day rather than when it was convenient and they nothing else to do.
Of course, Christianity will not the Christianity of the New Testament until there is a return of God's people to realizing that it all belongs to Him. He doesn't want a portion. All of it is His.
And so it is with us too. All of us are His, too.
Luke 14:33 (NIV) 33 In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Maybe We Have Made Disciples
Many churches and Christians in the United States are languishing over the state of those who call themselves Christians. Christians are getting divorced at roughly the same rate as non-believers. They break the law as often and even answer ethical questions similarly to non-believers. Most people don't know who or who isn't a believer. Surely, church attendance can't be the litmus test for proof. Shouldn't there be such a distinct difference that anyone would be able to distinguish between the Christian and non-believer without a verbal confirmation?
Maybe the problem isn't that Christians aren't acting like Christians but that they are acting like the Christian leaders that they know. Maybe they are looking at the rich pastors who live above the people and seek to live like them. Maybe they have recognized the lies that their pastors have told and make lying part of their own lifestyles. Maybe they know that there are Christian leaders who cheat on their taxes, have affairs with impunity and live licentiously behind the backs of their fellow believers.
I remember a pastor bragging to me about one of his members who had a bad reputation in the community. He told me that privately this man was very compassionate toward people. It didn't matter that he had swindled, lied and had underhanded dealings which may have been considered legal but were certainly unethical. It didn't matter that the people in the community thought of the man as evil. Honestly, I didn't care that the man may represent himself as one who is compassionate when he was meeting privately with his pastor. I saw him as dragging the Bride of Christ (the church) through the mud. What difference were his words in private when his character revealed a totally different person?
So, when I look at the condition of the Christians in the US (I don't know if the same condition exists in other countries for I hear of great revivals going on everywhere but the US.), I wonder if we are reaping what we have sown. Are these the disciples whom we have made for they have became like their teachers?
I am afraid our efforts to shun the righteousness of the Pharisees may have put us in an entirely different dilemma. We have wanted to avoid judging others. We have rejected any idea of setting ourselves as examples. Therefore, we have allowed our own state to become lax in pious living. We have not taught our people to live holy lives. We have not shown what holiness is. They have had no vision but our own lives to follow. Of course, the result is what we see today.
Christians must stand up and be counted as those who are striving to live holy lives if this trend is to be reversed. I must. All who are believers must.
I have been preaching a message for the last two Sundays that I want people to hear if we are to be the people who are full of the Holy Spirit.
1. Confess all your sins. Ask the Lord to reveal them to you and make sure that you ask for forgiveness for each one of them.
2. Make peace with others. The greatest hindrance to the infilling of the Holy Spirit is the presence of an unresolved conflict. Ask for forgiveness and forgive others if you want the Spirit to fill you.
3. Proclaim Jesus to someone ever day. Tell others that you are a believer. It will change the way you live.
4. Obey the Holy Spirit immediately. Delayed obedience is disobedience. Do what He says, when He says it.
I believe we would create a different character in our disciples if we would simply follow these points.
After all, we will make disciples regardless of how we live.
Matthew 10:24-25 (ESV)
24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.
Matthew 23:15 (ESV)
15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.
Maybe the problem isn't that Christians aren't acting like Christians but that they are acting like the Christian leaders that they know. Maybe they are looking at the rich pastors who live above the people and seek to live like them. Maybe they have recognized the lies that their pastors have told and make lying part of their own lifestyles. Maybe they know that there are Christian leaders who cheat on their taxes, have affairs with impunity and live licentiously behind the backs of their fellow believers.
I remember a pastor bragging to me about one of his members who had a bad reputation in the community. He told me that privately this man was very compassionate toward people. It didn't matter that he had swindled, lied and had underhanded dealings which may have been considered legal but were certainly unethical. It didn't matter that the people in the community thought of the man as evil. Honestly, I didn't care that the man may represent himself as one who is compassionate when he was meeting privately with his pastor. I saw him as dragging the Bride of Christ (the church) through the mud. What difference were his words in private when his character revealed a totally different person?
So, when I look at the condition of the Christians in the US (I don't know if the same condition exists in other countries for I hear of great revivals going on everywhere but the US.), I wonder if we are reaping what we have sown. Are these the disciples whom we have made for they have became like their teachers?
I am afraid our efforts to shun the righteousness of the Pharisees may have put us in an entirely different dilemma. We have wanted to avoid judging others. We have rejected any idea of setting ourselves as examples. Therefore, we have allowed our own state to become lax in pious living. We have not taught our people to live holy lives. We have not shown what holiness is. They have had no vision but our own lives to follow. Of course, the result is what we see today.
Christians must stand up and be counted as those who are striving to live holy lives if this trend is to be reversed. I must. All who are believers must.
I have been preaching a message for the last two Sundays that I want people to hear if we are to be the people who are full of the Holy Spirit.
1. Confess all your sins. Ask the Lord to reveal them to you and make sure that you ask for forgiveness for each one of them.
2. Make peace with others. The greatest hindrance to the infilling of the Holy Spirit is the presence of an unresolved conflict. Ask for forgiveness and forgive others if you want the Spirit to fill you.
3. Proclaim Jesus to someone ever day. Tell others that you are a believer. It will change the way you live.
4. Obey the Holy Spirit immediately. Delayed obedience is disobedience. Do what He says, when He says it.
I believe we would create a different character in our disciples if we would simply follow these points.
After all, we will make disciples regardless of how we live.
Matthew 10:24-25 (ESV)
24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.
Matthew 23:15 (ESV)
15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
The Ground Is Level at the Foot of the Cross
People have made this statement to represent the need for Christ. Everyone who comes to Christ does so humbly with confession, repentance and gratefulness for the Lord's sacrifice for his sins. No one is better than anyone else. No one gets to heaven easier or harder. No one is worthy of salvation. No one is loved more or less to come to Christ. Salavtion is the great equalizer.
We remain in this condition all the rest of our lives even if people tell us differently. In other words, the pastor is not greater than any member of the congregation. The mega-church pastor is not greater than any other pastor. The missionary is not greater than the Sunday School teacher. Greatness is found in becoming a slave to everyone, not in the calling or the gifts God has given.
My life changed in college when I gave my life to Christ. The Baptists seemed to say that there were ranks of Christians. Sunday School teachers were above the ordinary church member, Deacons were above Sunday School teachers. Pastors were above Deacons and Missionaries were above everyone else. Of course, there were ranks within each of these categories too. But is this how God ranks us?
No, our importance to the Kingdom of God is dependent upon our obedience to God's calling not the calling itself. We are all equal in importance when we are fully obedient to becoming and doing as God desires. No one, and I mean no one, is greater than any other. Thus we are called by no merit of our own, gifted by no merit of our own and talented by no merit of our own to be integral but not indispensible to God's will. We are to be the body of Christ which gives God glory together. Each one needs every other one. There should be no famous celebrities who have greater value than any other. We are simply those who comply to His divine providence.
Of course that means that I must also hold all other believers in high esteem. The only greatness I can ever achieve is being the servant of everyone.
In some ways this is a relief. I want my life to count. The measure used by the world is often the measure used by the church. The organization must expand exponentially, show a profit and build magnificent facilities if I follow the world's and often the Church's criteria for importance. But simple obedience is God's measure. It makes us all equal. It makes the ground level at the foot of the cross.
1 Corinthians 12:14-20 (NIV) 14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
We remain in this condition all the rest of our lives even if people tell us differently. In other words, the pastor is not greater than any member of the congregation. The mega-church pastor is not greater than any other pastor. The missionary is not greater than the Sunday School teacher. Greatness is found in becoming a slave to everyone, not in the calling or the gifts God has given.
My life changed in college when I gave my life to Christ. The Baptists seemed to say that there were ranks of Christians. Sunday School teachers were above the ordinary church member, Deacons were above Sunday School teachers. Pastors were above Deacons and Missionaries were above everyone else. Of course, there were ranks within each of these categories too. But is this how God ranks us?
No, our importance to the Kingdom of God is dependent upon our obedience to God's calling not the calling itself. We are all equal in importance when we are fully obedient to becoming and doing as God desires. No one, and I mean no one, is greater than any other. Thus we are called by no merit of our own, gifted by no merit of our own and talented by no merit of our own to be integral but not indispensible to God's will. We are to be the body of Christ which gives God glory together. Each one needs every other one. There should be no famous celebrities who have greater value than any other. We are simply those who comply to His divine providence.
Of course that means that I must also hold all other believers in high esteem. The only greatness I can ever achieve is being the servant of everyone.
In some ways this is a relief. I want my life to count. The measure used by the world is often the measure used by the church. The organization must expand exponentially, show a profit and build magnificent facilities if I follow the world's and often the Church's criteria for importance. But simple obedience is God's measure. It makes us all equal. It makes the ground level at the foot of the cross.
1 Corinthians 12:14-20 (NIV) 14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
The God of Justice
Sunday afternoon a man broke into our church, stole over $3,000 in cash, checks and stamps, a camera and our music minister's hat. We had to rekey the church since he took keys to the church. Fortunately, our church has video surveillance. Our video revealed him walking down the hall, lurking past people as he took keys and made his way into our offices. It was actually unnerving since we had women who were alone while he hid in the very next room. The guy actually had the nerve to smoke a cigarette while he stole from us!
We called the police who took pictures and finger prints. The next day I discovered him on the video surveillance and made note of when, where and what he had done. The following day I called to get a detective to come see the video. A policeman entered our building a short time after I called. I assumed he was here because of the break-in so I told him about it. However, he was here because of a fender bender in the parking lot. He had been called by one of the church staff. He was the policeman assigned to Princess Anne High. He wanted to see the video so I showed it to him. It is logical to assume that anyone who will break in and steal from a church will do the same to the school next door.
This morning I rode my bicycle to church as I normally do. The robbery was on my mind as I was thinking how we could be more secure. I was especially concerned about the safety of our own people being in corners of the building where they could be attacked. I saw a policeman (the same one who and the security officer for Princess Anne High School in the church driveway monitoring the school as I rode by.
Then, there, as I rode around to the other side of the building, was our robber trying the doors to get into the building! There was no doubt to his identity since I had watched the video of him robbing us. I asked, "Can I help you?"
He said, "I'm supposed to meet someone about handbells."
I quickly replied, "Oh, I have a key to the other side of the church. I'll go in and walk through and let you in." (Yes, I know I lied. I have already asked the Lord to forgive me.)
I, then, rode around the church, told the policeman and security officer that the robber was on the other side of the building. The policeman took his car while the security officer rode in his golf cart, each taking a different route around the building. As I made my way around I saw the police officer tell the man to put his hands behind his back. He complied. The officer had no doubt who to arrest since he had watched the video with me the day before.
The guy asked, "What am I being arrested for?
"For robbing the church Sunday afternoon," replied the officer.
"I didn't do nothing to the church"
This made me angry and I yelled, "Oh, yes you did! I have you on video!" (Something within me wanted to demand justice.) This, ended the conversation.
Today, I will sign whatever it takes to have this guy prosecuted. I know we use the word "alleged" when we speak of suspects but I have a hard time using this word. I saw him on the video. I know he did it. There is no reasonable doubt. I believe in justice.
God believes in justice too. He did not allow my sins to go unpaid. He paid for them with the blood of Jesus. I believe in grace. I believe in forgiveness. I believe in justice. They are not incompatible. There are consequences for our sins. Sometimes they are passed on to our children because they do the same things that we do. Sometimes they affect us in different parts of our lives which do not seem to be connected with our sins. The only way of escape is to confess and ask for forgiveness based on the blood of Jesus. And, yes, sometimes we have to make a payment to our society. Satisfying God does not mean that the consequences of our sins disappear.
Honestly, I hope the guy goes to prison so that he won't be able to rob anyone for a long time. I hope that he comes to Christ. I hope that he is cured of any addictions.
Exodus 34:6-7 (NIV) 6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation."
We called the police who took pictures and finger prints. The next day I discovered him on the video surveillance and made note of when, where and what he had done. The following day I called to get a detective to come see the video. A policeman entered our building a short time after I called. I assumed he was here because of the break-in so I told him about it. However, he was here because of a fender bender in the parking lot. He had been called by one of the church staff. He was the policeman assigned to Princess Anne High. He wanted to see the video so I showed it to him. It is logical to assume that anyone who will break in and steal from a church will do the same to the school next door.
This morning I rode my bicycle to church as I normally do. The robbery was on my mind as I was thinking how we could be more secure. I was especially concerned about the safety of our own people being in corners of the building where they could be attacked. I saw a policeman (the same one who and the security officer for Princess Anne High School in the church driveway monitoring the school as I rode by.
Then, there, as I rode around to the other side of the building, was our robber trying the doors to get into the building! There was no doubt to his identity since I had watched the video of him robbing us. I asked, "Can I help you?"
He said, "I'm supposed to meet someone about handbells."
I quickly replied, "Oh, I have a key to the other side of the church. I'll go in and walk through and let you in." (Yes, I know I lied. I have already asked the Lord to forgive me.)
I, then, rode around the church, told the policeman and security officer that the robber was on the other side of the building. The policeman took his car while the security officer rode in his golf cart, each taking a different route around the building. As I made my way around I saw the police officer tell the man to put his hands behind his back. He complied. The officer had no doubt who to arrest since he had watched the video with me the day before.
The guy asked, "What am I being arrested for?
"For robbing the church Sunday afternoon," replied the officer.
"I didn't do nothing to the church"
This made me angry and I yelled, "Oh, yes you did! I have you on video!" (Something within me wanted to demand justice.) This, ended the conversation.
Today, I will sign whatever it takes to have this guy prosecuted. I know we use the word "alleged" when we speak of suspects but I have a hard time using this word. I saw him on the video. I know he did it. There is no reasonable doubt. I believe in justice.
God believes in justice too. He did not allow my sins to go unpaid. He paid for them with the blood of Jesus. I believe in grace. I believe in forgiveness. I believe in justice. They are not incompatible. There are consequences for our sins. Sometimes they are passed on to our children because they do the same things that we do. Sometimes they affect us in different parts of our lives which do not seem to be connected with our sins. The only way of escape is to confess and ask for forgiveness based on the blood of Jesus. And, yes, sometimes we have to make a payment to our society. Satisfying God does not mean that the consequences of our sins disappear.
Honestly, I hope the guy goes to prison so that he won't be able to rob anyone for a long time. I hope that he comes to Christ. I hope that he is cured of any addictions.
Exodus 34:6-7 (NIV) 6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation."
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