Archive for » April, 2006 «

One or the Other

Sunday, April 30th, 2006 | Author:

but we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God 2 Corinthians 4:2

Renounce – Jesus is the man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. According to the Isaiah prophecy, He was rejected by men. John confirms the fact. He came to His own and they spurned Him. As Christians, we shudder at the consequences of such action. Terrible guilt for the death of the Son of God fell upon those people, so much so that when they heard Peter on the day of Pentecost, they were stabbed in the heart. But the saddest fact of all is this: unless we are ready to reject the hidden things of shame in our lives, we are absolutely no different than those who rejected Jesus. In God’s court, it’s either one or the other. Reject our secret sins or reject Jesus. We can’t have both.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful (maybe) if we could just go on living with all those secrets and still have God grant us His favor? Wouldn’t it be nice if heaven were guaranteed in spite of our deliberate refusal to give up the life of disobedience? How much easier would it be not to struggle with holiness? Such fantasy is appealing, but only on the surface. Once we examine the truth of renouncing shameful things, we will see that neither God nor you or I would want it any other way.

Paul uses the word apeipametha. It literally means, “to speak out against, to disown with aversion.” It’s not a word for polite company. It’s a soapbox word. Stand up and be counted. Speak your mind. Don’t allow any confusion about where you stand. Say it like it is. Why does Paul use such strong terms? Because the character and reputation of the Son of God is at stake.

What would you feel like if someone you knew equivocated on your reputation? How would you feel if someone vacillated on endorsing your character? You’d be hurt. All of us want people to stand up for us when it counts. We know the pain of discovering that someone let an insult go by or kept quiet when we should have been defended. That’s the feeling we need in order see the impact of this word. Shameful things, hidden away in the dark corners of our lives, slap God’s Son in the face. They are not hidden from Him. He knows exactly how much these secrets destroy your proclamation of loyalty to Him. He is not blind and, by the way, neither are you. The battlefield is not out here in the visible world. It is on the plane of the invisible, spiritual world, where every hidden, shameful circumstance is the equivalent of sabotage. Treason against the King hides in our secret sins.

So, shout! Scream! Wail! Get it out! Strip the power from the enemy by renouncing the secrets he longs to use to control you. Stand up for the reputation of the Master. Otherwise you are not standing up at all.

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God’s Education Plan

Saturday, April 29th, 2006 | Author:

although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered Hebrews 5:8

Suffered – Have you ever considered just how strange this verse is? Jesus, the perfect Son, the fully dependent man, the sinless example for us all, still had to learn obedience through suffering. Why? If Jesus is the God-Man, why was this necessary? What can it mean to say that Jesus suffered on the journey of obedience?

Few people doubt the agony of the cross. That was suffering! But even fewer consider the fact that Jesus did not learn obedience on the cross. He came to the cross already obedient. He learned obedience all the way up to the cross, but at the point of death, obedience was no longer an issue. The cross was suffering, but it was not a teaching moment. It was the fulfillment of a life of learning.

So, if the cross is not the focus of this passage, then what things did Jesus suffer on His journey in obedience? Surprisingly, we discover that the things He suffered that taught Him obedience are exactly the same things that we endure. The difference is that we do not usually consider them obedience training. We think of them as trials to avoid, annoyances and injustices. God provides opportunities for obedience training for us just like He did for Jesus, but most of the time we turn away or complain.

Consider ten things Jesus suffered:

1. Finances – He had almost no earthly possessions in a world that counted blessing in terms of accumulation
2. Shelter – He had no home of His own
3. Family – He had no helpmate, no children, no sexual intimacy
4. Reputation – He was rejected, abused, insulted and eventually killed by His own people
5. Retirement – I don’t think so. Jesus’ retirement was the grave
6. Leisure – His life was filled with unceasing demands, daily toil and political danger
7. Security – Hunted, baited and plotted against
8. Friendship – and where were they when the soldiers came?
9. Doubt – how would you act if literally no one believed you, even your mother?
10. Abandonment – Psalm 22:1 (but not quite what we think it is)

How do you score on these common, human opportunities to be obedient? God’s education plan always begins with the ordinary, converting it into a window into the divine. Don’t expect to be nailed to a cross if you cannot first walk along a dusty road.

Oh, in case you wanted to know, the Greek word is epathe, past tense (aorist) of pascho.

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Waiting for Godot

Friday, April 28th, 2006 | Author:

And immediately coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opening Mark 1:10

Immediately – Waiting for Godot, the famous play by Samuel Beckett, presents a visual reflection on the world’s view of God. We wait, and wait, and wait, but God never quite arrives. In the end, we are simply left waiting for the divine show. God’s arrival is nothing more than a false promise of illusory hope.

Apparently Samuel Beckett never had a conversation with Mark. Mark has a completely different perspective on God’s arrival, a perspective that resides in his continuous use of the word euthus. In one form or another, Mark uses the expression forty-two times in the gospel. Its primary meaning is “straight” but when it comes to temporal settings, it means “immediately”. When Mark talks about Jesus, there is no such thing as “waiting for Godot”. Mark wants us to understand the instantaneous action of Jesus’ ministry. Things happened right now. There was no delay between the plan of the Father and the execution of the Son. What the Father wanted, Jesus did. Instantly.

This sense of urgency is at the heart of Mark’s gospel. If we pay attention, we will discover that it is also at the heart of Jesus’ interaction with us today. Our spiritual lives are not scripted by Samuel Beckett. They are written by the Lord Jesus Christ and He is immediately present to us in every moment. He resides with us, permanently, constantly, compassionately. The enemy wants us to be discouraged with the deception of unanswered waiting. It’s a lie. Jesus is present now! How could it be otherwise? I am alive only because of His life in me.

The enemy has developed an incredibly intricate battle plan for emotional warfare. Did you think he would ignore such potent weapons in his arsenal of destruction? He has had practice lying to you and me since his conversation with Eve. He is very good at it. Nothing will defeat your stand for the Master faster than emotional mine fields. Don’t imagine that the enemy’s strategy uses only the morally reprehensible emotions. He is equally adept at turning aside the truth with all those “good” feelings. That’s why we need the rock-solid word of God. When you feel the strain of waiting, recall the word euthus. Jesus never waits to be at your side. He is the immediate man.

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Delighting God

Thursday, April 27th, 2006 | Author:

Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you; for the LORD is a God of justice; Isaiah 30:18

Longs – The Old Testament is a great love story. Of course, it also shows us that God is not just a forgiving machine. Sin is terribly serious and results in terrible consequences. But anyone who thinks the God of the Old Testament is wrathful, vindictive and stern has never read the text. Yahweh (Jehovah) has a heart that anxiously waits to show you His favor. He cries over your mistakes and rejoices at your obedience. He applauds your trust and mourns your self-sufficiency. Isaiah understood. God longs to give you His favor.

The Hebrew is hakah. It’s an emotionally intense expression, so much so that Job uses the same verb when he longs to die rather than endure any more struggle. You feel that same way when you think about someone you love who is in danger. Your heart is ready to break over the desire you have to see him safely home. Yes, God feels deeply about who you are, where you are and what you are facing. He wants, more than anything, to be gracious to you.

It’s easy in this world to feel as though we are abandoned to the pressures of the enemy’s onslaught. The daily demands, the scramble to make do, the constant undermining of values and words often leave us thinking, “I feel so alone out here. Why are things so difficult?” That’s when we need to remember the Old Testament God of heart-wrenching compassion. God intensely desires to be our constant companion and continuous helper. He stands on the porch, straining His eyes toward the horizon for even the smallest sign of our travels toward home. And when He sees that tiny figure approaching, He runs to meet us, gathering us in His arms, spilling tears of joy, hugging us and smiling. “I’m so glad to see you. You have no idea how much I have dreamed of this. Let me look at you. Oh, what a joy it is to hold you close.”

You can delight God by showing up. That’s really all He asks. Come home. You will gladden His heart and enjoy His banquet.

HOME

Paused at night, saw the light.
Needed “Stop”, wanted “Drop”.
Spent my day, far away.
Spent my year, far from here.
Spent my life, torn in strife.
Not at home.
All alone.
All the faces, all the places.
Empty miles, shallow smiles

Please, greet me on my way.
I’m so tired.
I’d like to come
Home today.

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Negotiating with Terrorists

Wednesday, April 26th, 2006 | Author:

When a man’s ways are pleasing to the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. Proverbs 16:7

Makes . . Peace – God has an answer to terrorism. It’s not the one the world employs. Our solution is political; a mix of failed negotiation and fruitless power. God’s solution is spiritual; a deliberate alignment with the Author of peace. Why we spend so much useless effort trying to control the evil acts of others is the story of the Fall. It is a hopeless delusion because it avoids the central issue of all rebellion – my heart. There is no answer to terrorism or any other form of human despotism until I find the answer to my own rebellion. When I am no longer a terrorist before God, then He (not me) will change my world.

The Hebrew construction here is quite descriptive. It could literally be translated “He will compel to surrender even his enemies”. The verb is shalam, a word that means both “to be safe” and “to complete”. God’s plan for terrorist control does not depend on my strength but rather on my submission. When my ways come completely into alignment with His character, then He will act on my behalf to bring about the surrender of my enemies. This is the only permanent solution because it is the only solution guaranteed by God.

What a mess we make of the entire sphere of human relationships when we think that we are in control. We are not. We have control over only one thing in life – our relationship to Him. All the rest is really beyond us, even the apparent “control” over our bodies and our minds. Just try controlling your body after an attack of food poisoning if you don’t believe me. God asks us to manage the vertical relationship. When we do, and only when we do, He promises to handle the horizontal relationships, even the ones with our enemies.

What kind of God would you be worshipping if He could not deal with your enemies? How impotent would He be if He had to leave the really tough circumstances up to you? That is not the picture of Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews. The fundamental anchor of Hebrew culture is this: God is in control. Once we understand what that really means, our lives become so simple. We are asked only to obey His will and He will take care of the rest. Our biggest problem is that we want some input into obedience. We want to make our own suggestions to God’s decisions. That is the height of foolishness. Just reflect on the food poisoning. Trust and obey says the old hymn. There is no other way.

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Who Decides What It Means

Tuesday, April 25th, 2006 | Author:

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result Genesis 50:20

Meant – “How can this happen to me?” This is probably a familiar question. Life has a way of pushing us toward these questions with each new occurrence of unexpected trauma. One of the reasons I love Genesis is that it shows men and woman in stark reality. The Bible covers up nothing. It doesn’t water down or glorify. It just tells it like it is. And when it comes to the questions about evil events, this story from Genesis helps us re-arrange our perspective. “How can this happen to me?” is a really question about who determines the meaning, not what transpired. Once we get that right, things change.

If there was anyone who could have complained about unnecessary suffering, it was Joseph. His brother tried to kill him. He was sold into slavery. He was tossed in jail on false charges. He was displaced from all his family. Yet, at the end of his life, he sees that all the evil planned for him was turned to good by the sovereign God.

The verb is important. It is hashav. This is not a verb of accidental occurrence. It is a verb of deliberate intention and imagination. People sought to harm Joseph. He was the victim of their abuse. Joseph tells us plainly, “You acted with malice aforethought toward me.” But the true meaning of these evil acts did not lie under the authority of the perpetrators. God took their evil and turned it to His good. The events did not change. God didn’t miraculously alter Joseph’s slavery or imprisonment. He just made something else happen through it; something that the perpetrators could never have anticipated. A follower of God is always just a bit disconnected. The explanations offered do not make sense from the world’s perspective, because a believer is not in the grip of the world’s ways.

Can you speak Joseph’s words about your circumstances? Do you serve a God Who is big enough to take the evil events in your life and turn them to His good? Or do you whine and complain to God, “Why did You allow this? Why did you make me suffer? Why won’t you fix things?” Get the Genesis perspective. God doesn’t need to alter events in order to bring about His purposes. His is a much more glorious plan. He takes what others plan for evil and uses it to bring about good. He doesn’t erase the evil; He transforms it.

If we learn anything from Joseph, it is this: God engineers. Submitted to His will, we must learn to wait before we can see real evil turned into real good. Is your God big enough to turn evil into good, or do you serve a God Who is only capable of miraculous intervention?

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Adoption Papers

Monday, April 24th, 2006 | Author:

but to as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God John 1:12

Right – What rights do you have? The correct answer is, “It depends.” The rights you have depend on the law of the land and your status as citizen. Illegal immigrants do not have the same rights as legal citizens, in spite of congressional rhetoric. Children have different inheritance rights than acquaintances. Employees have different rights than non-employees. Your rights depend entirely on the governing law. Are some rights “inalienable”? Do some rights belong to you simply because you are born human? That question presupposes that there is a higher system of law over all humanity. As long as we recognize the law of God, we can claim inalienable human rights (although they might not be the ones we commonly assert). But once we set aside the government of God, all bets are off. Nothing is guaranteed in a world under human governance.

The concept of legal right stands behind this verse. God gives the right to become His children. It is not earned. It is not universal. It is not inalienable. It is a gift that presupposes a government of law. The word is exousian; a word we have seen before translated as “authority”. It is a technical word from Greek lawyer language. God grants, as Judge, the authority (the legal right) for you to be adopted into His family. You were not born His child but you are given the opportunity to become His child by adoption; an adoption that depends entirely on the proper legal documents initiated by the adopter.

Nothing stands between God granting this authority and the completion of the arrangement except this: you and I do not qualify under the law. You and I are illegal immigrants in God’s country. The rights that would normally apply to citizens do not apply to us. We don’t belong. Alienated by sin, we stand outside the benevolent government of God, unable to meet the minimal requirements to join His tribe. In fact, what we deserve is punishment. We have broken the law by just being here. And no non-citizen has any claim at all when it comes to adoption.

The good news from God is not that citizenship exists, but rather that He has taken on the punishment we deserved in order to treat us as though we were citizens. The only reason adoption exists is that God first dealt with our law-breaking background. Adoption depends entirely on justification. We must first be treated as law-abiding before we can be offered adoption papers. And the only way we can be treated as law-abiding when it is so clear that we are law breakers is because Jesus keeps the law in our place. He makes it possible.

God grants me the “right” because Jesus paid my debt to the government.

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Making No Difference

Sunday, April 23rd, 2006 | Author:

but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is good for nothing any more, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot Matthew 5:13

Tasteless – It’s an ironic joke. In the Greek, we discover that Jesus employs a picture quite a bit more offensive than just the thought of some white powder that no longer flavors. He uses the word moraino; a word that comes from the root moros. It’s the basis of our English word “moron”. Jesus is not just saying that this salt doesn’t taste salty. He is saying that this stuff is stupid. It doesn’t do anything it’s supposed to do. It’s nothing but foolish worthlessness.

Actually, there’s a hint at something even more shocking. Not only is this salt uselessly stupid, it is morally reprehensible. That’s the hint in the word moros. It’s not a word just about fools. It’s a word about moral worthlessness. Once we see the context, this statement from Jesus becomes much more serious. You can feel the punch in our English expression about offensive language or art. We say that it is “tasteless” in the same way that Jesus speaks about this “salt”. It’s more than useless. It’s disgusting.

Donald Barnhouse once said, “When religion does not offend, it is not truth, for truth always offends. Mind well, I did not say that the truth has to be offensive, but that it must hurt, it must convict.” That’s the issue Jesus has in mind. Salt is supposed to change things. It’s supposed to make a noticeable difference. If it doesn’t, it’s disgusting. It’s good for nothing at all. Now what Jesus has in mind is a reflection on our lives. If our claim to be followers in the Way makes no noticeable difference between how we act, think and speak and how others act, think and speak, then we are truly uselessly disgusting. We are tasteless in our affront to the name of Jesus. And He will spit us out and trample us under foot. If you claim to have the truth but when I look I can’t see any difference between you and the best example of moral humanism I can find, then I will go away disgusted at your claim. It is stupid and worthless. Don’t complain to me that you have accepted Christ and have guaranteed your eternity. I don’t care. If Jesus doesn’t change my life here and now, I have no need of His help in eternity. And if He can’t make a difference in your life here and now, where I can see how you live, then you have nothing to say to me. In fact, if you really read the gospels, you will discover (quite frighteningly) that Jesus has no use for you either.

Truth hurts. But it is a wound that changes us. If you have not been cut and scarred, you do not know the Jesus of the cross. You have not tasted the salt of death. Your god makes no difference. Give it up and follow the One Who changes everything.

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Chief of the Tribe

Saturday, April 22nd, 2006 | Author:

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all 1 Timothy 1:15

Foremost – The Greek word protos means first in space, time, number or rank. Nothing comes before it. Nothing ranks above it. Nothing precedes it. Nothing is greater than it. All of that sounds wonderful. Who wouldn’t want to be first? But Paul knows intimately the truth of Jesus words, “The first shall be last”. When it comes to sin, the apostle to the Gentiles claims he is chief of the disobedient and rebellious tribe. I want Paul to move over. I know only too well what that seat feels like.

Sometimes I don’t think we really understand the incredible depth of our sinfulness. I don’t mean that we should dwell on our disobedience or languish in our errors. I mean that until we see just how rebellious we really are, the gift of grace has only superficial meaning. Until I realize that I am the first among the wretched, I will not truly embrace that fact that I needed a savior, not a repairman.

If you thought Jesus came to point the way to heaven, you live in a silver-lining world. Jesus came to point the way to hell. He came to expose the depth of our sin. You see, a man who does not believe he is dying will not bother to go to the doctor. I have to know where I’m headed before I can change directions. Therefore, Jesus spends a great deal of time revealing just how corrupt and deceitful and devious I really am. He tells me that my anger makes me a murderer, my lust makes me an adulterer, my envy makes me a thief, my lying make me a charlatan and my selfishness makes me an idolater. I might object that I don’t do those terrible things. But Jesus is not interested in the outward expression of my moral behavior. He is interested in the inner workings of my heart. And if I have ears to hear him, I must agree. I am Bill Clinton in disguise. If I only had the power, I too would justify my actions with the words, “because I could.”

What do I learn by admitting the depth of my depravity? First, I learn that I am no different than anyone else. I am just like those boys in prison that I visit. The only difference is that they got caught. I am just as capable of doing all that they did, and more, if I let my heart do everything it wants to do. Secondly, I realize that no amount of counseling, therapy or legal constraint will ever fix the “me” inside. The truth is that without Christ in me I want to be god. And that is just too scary to imagine because everyone else feels just the same way. Once I understand the terrible condition of my heart, I will see that I too am the chief among sinners. I too am beyond repair. There is only one solution for me. “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

Without Jesus, I am already in hell. He saved me from myself. That’s why I worship Him.

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What Satisfies

Friday, April 21st, 2006 | Author:

Show us the Father, and it is enough for us John 14:8

Enough – They didn’t get it. Three years with Jesus and they were still clueless. So when Philip asked Jesus to satisfy them, he put a big foot in his mouth. What was he really asking? To see God? Hardly. Every Jew knew that seeing the face of God meant instant death. No, Philip had something else in mind. He was asking for a miracle. He just wanted Jesus to provide proof. “Just let me see something certain, Jesus. Just give us a glimpse of the divine. Then we can believe.”

What’s enough for you? Does God have to provide you with a miraculous proof before you will decide to trust Him? Does He need to give you a rock-solid answer before you can be obedient to His call? Are you a miracle-only believer? Then you should change your name to Philip. He spent three years with Jesus and he never met the Father. He was a man who liked the company of the Lord but didn’t commit himself to the message. He was waiting for a miracle.

We spend a great deal of fruitless time waiting for just enough to satisfy. We wait for that new job that’s going to make everything work. We wait for a new spark in the marriage. We wait for circumstances to change so that our lives will improve. And we wait for miracles from God to fix it all. We wait. And we wait. And all the time, Jesus is saying, “Don’t you know me? Have I been here all this time and you still don’t see? If you had only invested yourself in a relationship with me, you would not be waiting. You would be celebrating. I’ve already shown you everything you needed to know. You just failed to act on it.”

Our religious culture today is no different than the religious culture of the first century. We all want miracles. Why? Because we aren’t content with the relationship Jesus offers. We want just that little bit more; that little bit that meets my need and fulfills my agenda. We still come to Jesus with our hands out, ready to take but not quite willing to give. The result is “not enough”. When my life is controlled by what satisfies me, there will never be enough, not even enough of God. Until I really embrace “it’s not about me”, I cannot be satisfied, even in the presence of Jesus.

“I just need enough”, you say. And Jesus answers, “You already have more than you need.” Is that what you think?

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