Thursday, March 12, 2015
Missed it by that much
From the Preacher's Desk:
"Missed it by that much." These words were made famous by Agent 86, Maxwell Smart in the TV series "Get Smart." That man could get into all kinds of trouble, and frequently the trouble centered around the gadgets that really made him famous. In the episode "I Shot 86 Today" he brought out a phone disguised as a golf shoe. In 1969 everyone laughed at the idea of a shoe being a phone. Now, in 2015, the possibility of a watch becoming a phone is on the verge of becoming reality.
We can communicate with one another by phone, by computer, by text, and by video. Social media has gone from novelty to mainstream to necessity. (Business advisors are now telling their clients that survival is almost impossible without a social media presence.) We are now capable of being more "in touch" with one another than ever before. This is only my personal experience, but I talk (or text) with my son and my parents almost every day and I get to video chat with my niece a couple of times a week. My love for them is enhanced by the aid of all these gadgets, but FaceTime is never going to beat face-to-face time, and chatting by text will never beat actual conversation. Gadgets are great for what they do, but at the end of the day you can still be left feeling like you "missed it by that much."
Most importantly of all, while applications may be of certain benefit, we will never be able to gadget our way to God. We know this because it has already been tried. In the history of man, the very first "app" can be found in Genesis 11 when the inhabitants of Babel said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens..." (verse 4). But that "app," the tower, could not replace them doing what God had told them to do. If you want to draw closer to God, He has told you how to accomplish it. Like the people of Babel, when we try to change or improve upon God's prescribed manner of doing things, in actuality we are revolting against Him. The people of Babel may have put forth a mighty effort, but in the end they "missed it by that much."
In Matthew 25, Jesus condemns a group whom He said did not do what needed to be done. Their response was "Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?" (Matthew 25:44). I believe these people earnestly desired to do the will of God, but something, somewhere went wrong. It is evident, though, that their attention was on something other than what God wanted them to do. On the Day of Judgment, you do not want to hear Jesus say, "You missed it by that much."
Thursday, February 12, 2015
From the Preacher's Desk:
Humility. Perhaps the most elusive of all godly characteristics. If you do not have it, then you know you need it, and if you think that you do have it, then you probably do not and need it even more. David, in his despair after his sin with Bathsheba wrote, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise" (Psalm 51:17 NKJV). David got there, but oh, how great was the cost! James wrote, "But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: 'GOD RESISTS THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE'" (James 4:6). It follows, therefore, that since grace falls into the "have-to-have" category, then humbleness must likewise be placed into that same category.
Jesus said:
"If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all" (Mark 9:35).
"Whoever desires to be great among you, let him be your servant" (Matthew 20:26).
"And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" (Matthew 23:12).
And, "For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him" (John 13:15-16).
So how do we pursue something that we have to have, obviously the more of it we have the better, yet at the same time, the more that we know that we have it, the greater the likelihood that we will lose it to the pride that comes with possessing it?
First, seek a broken spirit and contrite heart through the acknowledgment of God's grace and our own sinfulness. Our place in God's scheme of redemption is always--always--as a recipient. We can never allow ourselves to think that God owes us anything (see Romans 4).
Second, seek to be a servant, not for the sake of service, but for the sake of the Master. Again, our role in God's scheme of redemption must be remembered. Many servants serve for the hope of gaining something themselves. Our service for God and for one another, however, must be because we know that we are not our own masters!
Third, seek to be the publican and not the Pharisee. I am afraid sometimes that it is easier for us to relate to the Pharisee than it is the publican. We start telling ourselves how good we are because we are not doing so many different sinful things that we see others around us doing, and we end up using those around us as our measuring stick instead of Jesus.
"Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13).
Humility. Perhaps the most elusive of all godly characteristics. If you do not have it, then you know you need it, and if you think that you do have it, then you probably do not and need it even more. David, in his despair after his sin with Bathsheba wrote, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise" (Psalm 51:17 NKJV). David got there, but oh, how great was the cost! James wrote, "But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: 'GOD RESISTS THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE'" (James 4:6). It follows, therefore, that since grace falls into the "have-to-have" category, then humbleness must likewise be placed into that same category.
Jesus said:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit" (Matthew 5:3).
"Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:4). "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all" (Mark 9:35).
"Whoever desires to be great among you, let him be your servant" (Matthew 20:26).
"And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" (Matthew 23:12).
And, "For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him" (John 13:15-16).
So how do we pursue something that we have to have, obviously the more of it we have the better, yet at the same time, the more that we know that we have it, the greater the likelihood that we will lose it to the pride that comes with possessing it?
First, seek a broken spirit and contrite heart through the acknowledgment of God's grace and our own sinfulness. Our place in God's scheme of redemption is always--always--as a recipient. We can never allow ourselves to think that God owes us anything (see Romans 4).
Second, seek to be a servant, not for the sake of service, but for the sake of the Master. Again, our role in God's scheme of redemption must be remembered. Many servants serve for the hope of gaining something themselves. Our service for God and for one another, however, must be because we know that we are not our own masters!
Third, seek to be the publican and not the Pharisee. I am afraid sometimes that it is easier for us to relate to the Pharisee than it is the publican. We start telling ourselves how good we are because we are not doing so many different sinful things that we see others around us doing, and we end up using those around us as our measuring stick instead of Jesus.
"Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13).
Friday, February 6, 2015
Jacob's Return to Esau
From the Preacher's Desk:
In Genesis 32 and 33, Jacob is heading back to the land of Canaan after having been gone for twenty years. He had ran away for fear of his brother Esau after he had stolen Esau's blessing from his father Isaac and lived with his kinsman Laban for that time. Now, as he approaches his home, he hears that his brother is coming out to meet him. Once again, he is afraid.
As Jacob found out, running from sin, problems, or even anxieties is not going to make them go away. Even though of the two brothers Jacob was the one whom God had chosen to perpetuate the promises made to Abraham, Jacob's behavior was not without consequences. As a matter of fact, Jacob had every right to be afraid of Esau because of the way he had treated him. Although reading Genesis 32 proves that Esau's anger had diminished and his attitude had changed, that did nothing to take away the responsibility of Jacob for his actions.
Genesis 32 and 33 show also that Jacob had experienced a change of attitude toward his brother. Jacob was in possession of both the birthright and the blessing which rightfully should have belonged to Esau, but as he approached his brother, instead of being haughty or demanding he came with humility. He offered to Esau both possessions and obeisance to demonstrate his change of heart.
Finally, although reconciliation was achieved, Jacob decided to keep his distance from his brother. Their parting was accomplished in complete peace and brotherly love, yet Jacob decided that the best course of action was to not get too close. The Bible does not tell us exactly why Jacob did this. It may have been that he did not trust his brother, or he may not have trusted himself. Whatever the reason, Jacob judged it to be wise to just stay away.
The lessons to be learned from these chapters are many. First, the situation which Jacob found himself in was of his own creation--as he fully understood. Jacob did not try to blame Esau, his mother, or his father, nor did he try to blame God. Such is true with man and sin. The things we decide to do or not do are going to determine our relationship with sin. When we succumb to temptation, there will be no one to blame but ourselves.
Second, as Jacob was responsible for his actions, so must we be held responsible for our actions. Solomon wrote, "For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:14 NKJV).
Third, running from sin is not the answer. Look at what happened to Jonah as he tried to flee from God when commanded to go to Nineveh. Look at what happened to David when he tried to cover his transgression with Bathsheba. Look at what happened to Peter when he tried to hide his association with Jesus by denying him. Moses told the tribes of Reuben and Gad, "...and be sure your sin will find you out" (Numbers 32:23).
Fourth, our attitude toward sin can make all of the difference. Repentance is frequently defined as a change of mind brought by a change of heart which results in a change of life (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:10). No change will ever occur until we decide to bring it about, but the desire alone is not enough.
Finally, stay as far from sin as you can. At some point we have to admit that we cannot ever trust the devil to do what is right. Sometimes, we have to admit that we cannot trust ourselves. Regardless of the situation, the farther we stay from sin, the better off we will be.
In Genesis 32 and 33, Jacob is heading back to the land of Canaan after having been gone for twenty years. He had ran away for fear of his brother Esau after he had stolen Esau's blessing from his father Isaac and lived with his kinsman Laban for that time. Now, as he approaches his home, he hears that his brother is coming out to meet him. Once again, he is afraid.
As Jacob found out, running from sin, problems, or even anxieties is not going to make them go away. Even though of the two brothers Jacob was the one whom God had chosen to perpetuate the promises made to Abraham, Jacob's behavior was not without consequences. As a matter of fact, Jacob had every right to be afraid of Esau because of the way he had treated him. Although reading Genesis 32 proves that Esau's anger had diminished and his attitude had changed, that did nothing to take away the responsibility of Jacob for his actions.
Genesis 32 and 33 show also that Jacob had experienced a change of attitude toward his brother. Jacob was in possession of both the birthright and the blessing which rightfully should have belonged to Esau, but as he approached his brother, instead of being haughty or demanding he came with humility. He offered to Esau both possessions and obeisance to demonstrate his change of heart.
Finally, although reconciliation was achieved, Jacob decided to keep his distance from his brother. Their parting was accomplished in complete peace and brotherly love, yet Jacob decided that the best course of action was to not get too close. The Bible does not tell us exactly why Jacob did this. It may have been that he did not trust his brother, or he may not have trusted himself. Whatever the reason, Jacob judged it to be wise to just stay away.
The lessons to be learned from these chapters are many. First, the situation which Jacob found himself in was of his own creation--as he fully understood. Jacob did not try to blame Esau, his mother, or his father, nor did he try to blame God. Such is true with man and sin. The things we decide to do or not do are going to determine our relationship with sin. When we succumb to temptation, there will be no one to blame but ourselves.
Second, as Jacob was responsible for his actions, so must we be held responsible for our actions. Solomon wrote, "For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:14 NKJV).
Third, running from sin is not the answer. Look at what happened to Jonah as he tried to flee from God when commanded to go to Nineveh. Look at what happened to David when he tried to cover his transgression with Bathsheba. Look at what happened to Peter when he tried to hide his association with Jesus by denying him. Moses told the tribes of Reuben and Gad, "...and be sure your sin will find you out" (Numbers 32:23).
Fourth, our attitude toward sin can make all of the difference. Repentance is frequently defined as a change of mind brought by a change of heart which results in a change of life (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:10). No change will ever occur until we decide to bring it about, but the desire alone is not enough.
Finally, stay as far from sin as you can. At some point we have to admit that we cannot ever trust the devil to do what is right. Sometimes, we have to admit that we cannot trust ourselves. Regardless of the situation, the farther we stay from sin, the better off we will be.
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Faith and Fear--Mark 5
From the Preacher's Desk: Faith and Fear
If you are following the January Bible Reading Challenge, then this past Thursday you should have read from Mark 5. On his way to heal the daughter of Jairus, a ruler of a synagogue, Jesus encountered yet another person in need of help. A woman who had a discharge of blood for twelve years decided that enough was enough, and she was ready to do something about her terrible situation. But what to do? She had no money, for she had already spent all she had trying to get better. She had been to doctors who had run tests and had even tried experimental treatments, but she just kept getting worse and worse. Jesus was her last hope. But how to get help from him?
Herein, though, lies the first twist to the story. This woman, whose name we do not even know, did not look to Jesus in desperation. As a matter of fact, as she thought about what to do, she never said "maybe," as in "maybe Jesus can do something," or "maybe I can get a little better." No, if her hope in Jesus was a hope of desperation, she would have stopped Jesus in the middle of the street and probably acted kind of like Naaman did with Elisha, thinking Jesus should call upon the name of God, wave his hands around, and put on a show. Instead, this humble, faith-full woman said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well" (Mark 5:28 NKJV). The only "maybe" she had was wondering whether or not she would be able to do what she needed to do!
There was nothing at all wrong with her faith. As a matter of fact, Jesus would proclaimed to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well" (Mark 5:34). His power healed her, but through her faith. Or I suppose you could just as well say that her faith healed her, but through His power. Regardless, without her faith, determination, and action she would not have been healed. And herein lies the second twist to the story, for with the woman's faith came a measure of fear. She wasn't afraid because she had gotten what she needed, that is, because she had been healed, nor was she afraid that she had done something wrong, but her faith had brought with it a measure of accountability. She knew what she had done and she knew what her faith had done. Now, because of her faith and because her faith worked, it was time for that faith to be brought out into the open. And I don't care who you are, that can be a little bit frightening.
Faith is going to bring some fear. There will be times when you are going to fear that you do not have enough faith. When that happens, are you willing to ask? The disciples would tell Jesus, "Increase our faith" (Luke 17:5). In Mark 9: 24, the father of a child possess with a devil is going to tell Jesus, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" Don't let fear keep you from asking. Too often, though, it is not faith in God that is lacking, but faith in your ability to act upon your faith that is lacking. As with this woman, it is not Divine power that you are afraid will fall short, but your own power. It is entirely likely that this woman was terrified from start to finish, but she did it. James says that if any lack wisdom, let him ask for it, but with this caveat: "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting!" (James 1:5-6a). How will you do that? The Hebrews writer says you have to run your own race, but keep looking to Jesus to get you through (Hebrews 12:1-2).
What happens when your faith is there, your strength to act is there, it all comes together as it should, and your faith has worked? Very rarely will this be the end of your fear, or the end of your need for faith. This woman's faith and fear led her to falling down at the feet of Jesus and confessing what she had done. What started out as a humble action on her part was brought before the entire crowd! Her faith now had the opportunity to impact everyone who was there and even you today as you read about her. Faith working will often bring with it the chance for even more to be done, and faith working will very rarely be an end of any story, but will be the opening of doors for many other opportunities.
Don't be afraid of those opportunities. The story in Mark 5 ends with Jesus telling this woman, "Go in peace" (vs. 34). Where did she go? What did she do? Whose faith was helped because she had let her faith overcome her fears? Faith has gotten you to where you are today, will bring you to where you need to be--if you let it, and will allow you to depart in peace to where you need to go next--again, if you let it. So let your faith work, let the fears that may come with your faith be overcome, and get ready to go in peace.
If you are following the January Bible Reading Challenge, then this past Thursday you should have read from Mark 5. On his way to heal the daughter of Jairus, a ruler of a synagogue, Jesus encountered yet another person in need of help. A woman who had a discharge of blood for twelve years decided that enough was enough, and she was ready to do something about her terrible situation. But what to do? She had no money, for she had already spent all she had trying to get better. She had been to doctors who had run tests and had even tried experimental treatments, but she just kept getting worse and worse. Jesus was her last hope. But how to get help from him?
Herein, though, lies the first twist to the story. This woman, whose name we do not even know, did not look to Jesus in desperation. As a matter of fact, as she thought about what to do, she never said "maybe," as in "maybe Jesus can do something," or "maybe I can get a little better." No, if her hope in Jesus was a hope of desperation, she would have stopped Jesus in the middle of the street and probably acted kind of like Naaman did with Elisha, thinking Jesus should call upon the name of God, wave his hands around, and put on a show. Instead, this humble, faith-full woman said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well" (Mark 5:28 NKJV). The only "maybe" she had was wondering whether or not she would be able to do what she needed to do!
There was nothing at all wrong with her faith. As a matter of fact, Jesus would proclaimed to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well" (Mark 5:34). His power healed her, but through her faith. Or I suppose you could just as well say that her faith healed her, but through His power. Regardless, without her faith, determination, and action she would not have been healed. And herein lies the second twist to the story, for with the woman's faith came a measure of fear. She wasn't afraid because she had gotten what she needed, that is, because she had been healed, nor was she afraid that she had done something wrong, but her faith had brought with it a measure of accountability. She knew what she had done and she knew what her faith had done. Now, because of her faith and because her faith worked, it was time for that faith to be brought out into the open. And I don't care who you are, that can be a little bit frightening.
Faith is going to bring some fear. There will be times when you are going to fear that you do not have enough faith. When that happens, are you willing to ask? The disciples would tell Jesus, "Increase our faith" (Luke 17:5). In Mark 9: 24, the father of a child possess with a devil is going to tell Jesus, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" Don't let fear keep you from asking. Too often, though, it is not faith in God that is lacking, but faith in your ability to act upon your faith that is lacking. As with this woman, it is not Divine power that you are afraid will fall short, but your own power. It is entirely likely that this woman was terrified from start to finish, but she did it. James says that if any lack wisdom, let him ask for it, but with this caveat: "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting!" (James 1:5-6a). How will you do that? The Hebrews writer says you have to run your own race, but keep looking to Jesus to get you through (Hebrews 12:1-2).
What happens when your faith is there, your strength to act is there, it all comes together as it should, and your faith has worked? Very rarely will this be the end of your fear, or the end of your need for faith. This woman's faith and fear led her to falling down at the feet of Jesus and confessing what she had done. What started out as a humble action on her part was brought before the entire crowd! Her faith now had the opportunity to impact everyone who was there and even you today as you read about her. Faith working will often bring with it the chance for even more to be done, and faith working will very rarely be an end of any story, but will be the opening of doors for many other opportunities.
Don't be afraid of those opportunities. The story in Mark 5 ends with Jesus telling this woman, "Go in peace" (vs. 34). Where did she go? What did she do? Whose faith was helped because she had let her faith overcome her fears? Faith has gotten you to where you are today, will bring you to where you need to be--if you let it, and will allow you to depart in peace to where you need to go next--again, if you let it. So let your faith work, let the fears that may come with your faith be overcome, and get ready to go in peace.
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