Sunday, May 6, 2012
Desertion, Confusion, Perversion or Conversion- part 2
The Apostle Paul was shocked and astonished by just how quickly some in the church were perverting the faith. (v. 7b) Perversion is causing one to turn aside from what is good, true, or morally right: corrupt. What Paul seems to be upset about is – some in the church were turning to another gospel. Here it appears to be one of works, though Paul never taught this, some were leaning towards another gospel, and any other gospel other than the gospel of Christ is false.
That is the specific meaning here. There is only one gospel or good news. This speaks of quantity as well as quality. Any other gospel is evil. Any message that places conditions on our acceptance by God other than His grace alone is an evil and false message. When we base our acceptance by God on anything other than His grace in Christ Jesus it is another gospel. When we establish our security in any other message, philosophy, religion, tradition, or teaching other than God’s message of security in Christ’s shed blood, we are living a lie!
Unfortunately, there were some in the Galatian church who were perverting the gospel…living the way they wanted and trying to manipulate the Word of God to present an appearance of godliness, while denying the true transforming power of a Holy God.
There may have been some complexity to these teachings, for the IVP commentary explains that in the context of the entire letter there were various perversions –“Preoccupation with racial identity…religious observance, and ceremonial rituals were robbing them of their experience of God’s grace in Christ.” Please don’t miss those remarks, “preoccupation with racial identity.” I have seen this several times over the years. Someone becomes preoccupied with racial identity and it becomes almost an obsession. Eventually they begin to teach the necessity of racial identity in our worship of God. However, this only further divides the Body of Christ. We are taught, “Not to think of our selves more highly than we ought.” (Ro 12:3)
When we are preoccupied with racial identity either by thrusting our particular ethnicity or culture to the forefront or preoccupied with religious observances and ceremonial rituals, we have perverted the gospel…plain and simple.
Therefore, the pursuit of spirituality, by their design, actually was leading them farther away from God. IVP goes on to say, “The Galatian tragedy is a warning for us that not every quest for spirituality is in reality a quest for God. The emphasis in our day on ‘spirituality’ and ‘spiritual formation’ may be a way of finding God. But it may also be a way of running and hiding from God.
When we are enticed by provocative books on New Age spirituality, we must remember that the Galatian Christians were trapped by a message that promised spiritual perfection but turned them away from God.”
The final picture some in the Galatian church presented was – a genuine conversion. Paul mentions a very specific event – the calling “by the grace of Christ.” This phrase speaks of a selection or choosing. Wuests says, “It refers to the act of calling someone so that he may hear, come, and do that which is incumbent (imposed as a duty :obligation) upon him.”
In the NT it’s designated meaning refers to a “call from God to participate in the revelation of grace.” When we are called, it is always in the sphere of grace – it is never in any other manner. In other words, it can never be any other possible means than the mercy and grace of God, which we hear or experience the message of grace and forgiveness in Christ Jesus. It can never be how pitiful we appear (even though we are pitiful); not how sorry we are (though our sins have offended God’s holiness); nor can it ever be how sincere we are (for our hearts are deceitful above all things and beyond cure). It is purely the rich mercy and unending grace of God exerted in a manner that influences the human heart to repent of their sins.
You see, when we enter the sphere of grace in Christ, we have entered a realm that focuses all attention on the cross. Our sins are brought to mind and we are given the opportunity to leave them at the cross and receive God’s forgiveness and the transforming power of new life in Jesus! (Titus 3:5)
As we close, I want to lay out what the Bible teaches concerning conversion (not exhaustive). True conversion is a turning to God in repentance, faith, and obedience by those who do not know Him. True conversion is the turning from sin and an inner renewal, which can only be brought about by God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Conversion is turning to God – (1 Kings 8:58; Eze 36:26-27)
Conversion is turning from *idolatry – * The worship or adoration of anyone or anything other than the Lord God. (Acts 14:15; 1 Thes 1:9-10)
Conversion is turning from sinful ways – (2 Kings 17:13-14; Jer 18:11)
Conversion is turning away from unbelief to faith – ( Acts 3:19; Eze 14:6; Acts 11:21)
Conversion is new life – (2 Cor 5:17; Ro 12:2; 2 Cor 3:18; Gal 6:14-15)
Conversion is symbolized in baptism – ( Ro 6:3-4; Col 2:12; 3:1-3)
Conversion is a new lifestyle – (Gal 5:22-24; Eph 4:1; 5:8-11)
Conversion is a new status – (Gal 4:7; 3:26-29; 1 Pe 2:9-10)
“Salvation isn’t what liberals or conservatives in this country think it is. It’s about getting my life straight. It’s not about ultimate significance. Salvation is about an adventure that was made possible through the death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, through which I am made part of a community who will tell me who I am. You are not free to make up your life as a Christian. Your life is not like a gift; your life is a gift. That is a very important grammatical point. Until you learn to receive your life gift, you are lost. And people are lost.” Stanley Hauerwas
“It’s about getting my life straight…”
Friday, April 6, 2012
Desertion, Confusion, Perversion, or Conversion?
Gal 1:6-9
I think the first thing that struck me about these passages was the phrase, “I am astonished.” The Apostle was astonished at their spiritual condition. (This was not a good thing.) The (KJV) reads, “I marvel.” The (NLT) says, “I am shocked.” The Apostle’s astonishment does not seem to speak of a specific timeline between their reception of the gospel and these issues. From what is gathered about the Galatian church, Paul viewed them as a church that should have been at a much deeper level of spiritual maturity. Paul’s astonishment, according to The Word Biblical Commentary, is actually irritation and he is rebuking the church. Therefore, the astonishment or irritation points more towards just how quickly they seemed to slip in comparison to where they where in spiritual maturity and gifts.
Apparently, these professing Christians were presenting four distinct pictures of their spiritual life – some were deserting the faith, others seemed confused about their faith, still others appeared to be perverting the faith, while some had a genuine conversion.
If a snapshot were taken of your spiritual life today, what would the caption below your picture read? (Desertion, confusion, perversion, or conversion.)
We’ll look at these four descriptions portrayed in Paul’s letter.
The Apostle Paul was shocked and astonished by just how quickly some in the church were deserting the faith. The word used indicates transposing or putting into another place, and then, "to go over from one party to another." They had transferred their affections to teachings, which would take them off the true foundation and open the door for false ideas and the pursuit of fleshly passions. It appears that some in the church had either deliberately replaced the foundation of truth in their lives or allowed themselves to grow so weak in their faith that they surrendered the will to resist and joined the side of false teachings. (We’ve witnessed this many times.)
Vines Dictionary of NT Words says, “The present tense (deserting) suggests that the defection of the Galatians from the truth was not yet complete and would continue unless they changed their views. The middle voice indicates that they were themselves responsible for their declension [falling away], rather than the Judaizers who had influenced them.” God holds us personally responsible to respond to and receive what He provides for maturity.
There is a parallel thought that Paul obviously refers to in (Ex 32:8; Jdg 2:16-17; Ps 106:13). The central feature of the OT and NT passages shows the all too frequent tendency we have – to forget God. In addition, the references are very graphic – in Exodus, God delivers and defends the Israelites and pours abundant blessings upon them – yet they grow impatient and forgetful, make a golden calf, and start pursuing sensuality. God tells Moses what the people are up to, says He would destroy them, and would make another following for Moses. Of course, Moses intercedes for the people but when he gets to the camp and sees what’s going on, he can't believe his eyes.
The example in Judges screams with disappointment at just how quickly the people of God can turn from the security of godly leadership and other blessings of God, “But they went a whoring after other gods.”
The passage in (Ps 106:13) point to forgetfulness as well as ingratitude. The Life Application notes say, “In the wilderness, the Israelites were so intent on getting the food and water they wanted that they became blind to what God wanted. They were more concerned about immediate physical gratification than lasting spiritual satisfaction. They did not want what was best for them, and they refused to trust in God's care and provision (Num 11:18-33). If you complain enough, God may give you what you ask for, even if it is not the best for you. If you're not getting what you want, perhaps God knows it is not in your best interest. Trust in his care and provision.
(from Life Application Bible Copyright © 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991 by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.)
There is much more that can be said about forgetting God but you get the point…prior to desertion, forgetfulness and ingratitude increase…remember and stay grateful.
Paul was shocked and astonished because he saw some in the church falling into confusion. Confusion is perplexity, bewilderment, and disorder. When one is perplexed, their state of mind reflects an inability to grasp something clearly or to think logically and decisively about something. Does that describe some of you? Have you logically and decisively grasped what it means to be a child of God? Do you find yourself thinking just plain foolish thoughts…making an idol of yourself?
In confusion, there is also bewilderment. This means you lose your ability to comprehend your position or situation. This often happens to people who get lost. If they lose their bearing they are unable to determine where they are at to set off in a particular direction= wandering. And disorder is simply the lack of order and the interruption of peace.
Paul saw the Galatians acting as though they were confused. Some in the church were not thinking clearly and decisively and kept flip-flopping. Perhaps some were unable to comprehend their position in Christ and could not seem to get any real direction in their life. Then there were some whose lives were so disorderly and filled with stress.
Do you recall Vines definition? “The present tense (deserting) suggests that the defection of the Galatians from the truth was not yet complete and would continue unless they changed their views.
The middle voice indicates that they were themselves responsible for their declension [falling away].” Before we close for today, I want to offer some Scriptural remedies for confusion.
Confusion is dispelled by asking God for understanding – Jer 33:3; Jas 1:5
Confusion is dispelled by the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit – Jn 14:26; Jn 16:13; 1 Cor 2:9-10,13
Confusion is combated by the teaching of wise leaders – Ac 20:28-30; 2 Ti 2:24-25; 4:2-3; Heb 13:17
Confusion is dispelled by the instruction of Scripture – Ps 119:103-105; 2 Ti 3:16
Confusion leaves as we grow to spiritual maturity – Eph 4:13-14; Php 1:9-10; Heb 5:14
Next time, the Lord willing, we’ll look at the two other pictures of the spiritual life of the Galatian church.
I think the first thing that struck me about these passages was the phrase, “I am astonished.” The Apostle was astonished at their spiritual condition. (This was not a good thing.) The (KJV) reads, “I marvel.” The (NLT) says, “I am shocked.” The Apostle’s astonishment does not seem to speak of a specific timeline between their reception of the gospel and these issues. From what is gathered about the Galatian church, Paul viewed them as a church that should have been at a much deeper level of spiritual maturity. Paul’s astonishment, according to The Word Biblical Commentary, is actually irritation and he is rebuking the church. Therefore, the astonishment or irritation points more towards just how quickly they seemed to slip in comparison to where they where in spiritual maturity and gifts.
Apparently, these professing Christians were presenting four distinct pictures of their spiritual life – some were deserting the faith, others seemed confused about their faith, still others appeared to be perverting the faith, while some had a genuine conversion.
If a snapshot were taken of your spiritual life today, what would the caption below your picture read? (Desertion, confusion, perversion, or conversion.)
We’ll look at these four descriptions portrayed in Paul’s letter.
The Apostle Paul was shocked and astonished by just how quickly some in the church were deserting the faith. The word used indicates transposing or putting into another place, and then, "to go over from one party to another." They had transferred their affections to teachings, which would take them off the true foundation and open the door for false ideas and the pursuit of fleshly passions. It appears that some in the church had either deliberately replaced the foundation of truth in their lives or allowed themselves to grow so weak in their faith that they surrendered the will to resist and joined the side of false teachings. (We’ve witnessed this many times.)
Vines Dictionary of NT Words says, “The present tense (deserting) suggests that the defection of the Galatians from the truth was not yet complete and would continue unless they changed their views. The middle voice indicates that they were themselves responsible for their declension [falling away], rather than the Judaizers who had influenced them.” God holds us personally responsible to respond to and receive what He provides for maturity.
There is a parallel thought that Paul obviously refers to in (Ex 32:8; Jdg 2:16-17; Ps 106:13). The central feature of the OT and NT passages shows the all too frequent tendency we have – to forget God. In addition, the references are very graphic – in Exodus, God delivers and defends the Israelites and pours abundant blessings upon them – yet they grow impatient and forgetful, make a golden calf, and start pursuing sensuality. God tells Moses what the people are up to, says He would destroy them, and would make another following for Moses. Of course, Moses intercedes for the people but when he gets to the camp and sees what’s going on, he can't believe his eyes.
The example in Judges screams with disappointment at just how quickly the people of God can turn from the security of godly leadership and other blessings of God, “But they went a whoring after other gods.”
The passage in (Ps 106:13) point to forgetfulness as well as ingratitude. The Life Application notes say, “In the wilderness, the Israelites were so intent on getting the food and water they wanted that they became blind to what God wanted. They were more concerned about immediate physical gratification than lasting spiritual satisfaction. They did not want what was best for them, and they refused to trust in God's care and provision (Num 11:18-33). If you complain enough, God may give you what you ask for, even if it is not the best for you. If you're not getting what you want, perhaps God knows it is not in your best interest. Trust in his care and provision.
(from Life Application Bible Copyright © 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991 by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.)
There is much more that can be said about forgetting God but you get the point…prior to desertion, forgetfulness and ingratitude increase…remember and stay grateful.
Paul was shocked and astonished because he saw some in the church falling into confusion. Confusion is perplexity, bewilderment, and disorder. When one is perplexed, their state of mind reflects an inability to grasp something clearly or to think logically and decisively about something. Does that describe some of you? Have you logically and decisively grasped what it means to be a child of God? Do you find yourself thinking just plain foolish thoughts…making an idol of yourself?
In confusion, there is also bewilderment. This means you lose your ability to comprehend your position or situation. This often happens to people who get lost. If they lose their bearing they are unable to determine where they are at to set off in a particular direction= wandering. And disorder is simply the lack of order and the interruption of peace.
Paul saw the Galatians acting as though they were confused. Some in the church were not thinking clearly and decisively and kept flip-flopping. Perhaps some were unable to comprehend their position in Christ and could not seem to get any real direction in their life. Then there were some whose lives were so disorderly and filled with stress.
Do you recall Vines definition? “The present tense (deserting) suggests that the defection of the Galatians from the truth was not yet complete and would continue unless they changed their views.
The middle voice indicates that they were themselves responsible for their declension [falling away].” Before we close for today, I want to offer some Scriptural remedies for confusion.
Confusion is dispelled by asking God for understanding – Jer 33:3; Jas 1:5
Confusion is dispelled by the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit – Jn 14:26; Jn 16:13; 1 Cor 2:9-10,13
Confusion is combated by the teaching of wise leaders – Ac 20:28-30; 2 Ti 2:24-25; 4:2-3; Heb 13:17
Confusion is dispelled by the instruction of Scripture – Ps 119:103-105; 2 Ti 3:16
Confusion leaves as we grow to spiritual maturity – Eph 4:13-14; Php 1:9-10; Heb 5:14
Next time, the Lord willing, we’ll look at the two other pictures of the spiritual life of the Galatian church.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
A Window of Grace- Ezra 9:8-9
By the time you finish reading 2 Kings, the people of God had so ruined their testimony and their relationship with God that they were on the threshold of captivity. These events are commented on by Albert Barnes -
“At the conclusion of 2 Kings, and also of the preceding book, 2 Chronicles, we have seen the state of misery and desolation to which the kingdoms of Israel and Judah were reduced through their unparalleled ingratitude to God, and their innumerable backslidings and rebellions. These at last issued in their captivity; the inhabitants of the former country being carried away by the Assyrians, and those of the latter by the Chaldeans. The former never recovered their ancient territories, and were so disposed of by their enemies that they either became amalgamated with the pagan nations, so as to be utterly undistinguishable, or they were transported to some foreign and recluse place of settlement, that the place of their existence, though repeatedly guessed at, has for more than two thousand years been totally unknown.”
(from Adam Clarke's Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1996, 2003 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
It seems that the people of God had established a destructive pattern that led to their eventual captivity. Note the pattern- ingratitude, continuous backslidings, constant rebellion, and their intermingling with the pagan nations. Remember, it was a pattern not a one-time failure or an occasion where they stumbled, but a regular and deliberate pattern that they knew was wrong. So many of us act surprised when we realize that we have been taken captive by sinful habits, yet would not break the pattern that led us there!
(However before you misunderstand what is meant by intermingling – Ezra was grieved at the marriage of God’s people with pagans, grieved at the intimate nature of their intermingling. We are to avoid becoming intimately connected with the worlds system and its philosophies.)
With this background, we now look at what is meant by “A Window of Grace.” In (v.8) the NIV says, “But now for a brief moment, the Lord our God has been gracious…” This literally meant an interval or small window of time – a window of grace given to these people for a specific purpose.
The Lord provides his people with such gracious opportunities and even when we’ve squandered them away, our Father mercifully gives us another chance…Leith Anderson said, “Adversity is often the window of opportunity for change. Few people or organizations want to change when there is prosperity and peace. Major changes are often precipitated by necessity.”
Captivity was as about as necessary as it can get. These people needed change and God was graciously giving them a small window of time to make this change. Theologians believe we live in an interval of time called “the age of grace.” An age that allows men to come to God through Jesus Christ by God’s grace, and this age is supposed to end when
the church is raptured or taken away. The moments of revival that God gives us are meant to shed light on our sinful condition and reveal to us understanding of what he wants to work on in our lives.
As Christians, we sometimes behave in a similar manner as the people in this story. We become ungrateful and slip into destructive patterns until our gracious God steps in and provides a window of grace to get things right with him. The window of grace gives us time to do three things –
Examine our ways – We need to be ashamed of our sin and deeply sorrowful. I mentioned this several weeks ago…sin is serious. It is nothing to make light of or to think that God winks at it. (James 4:8-10; Ps 36:5; Ro 5:20)
Repent of our ways – We need to confess our sins (C.f v.6; 1 Jn 1:9) Ezra’s prayer spoke volumes about his character. He identified himself with the people in their sin even though he himself was innocent. The Bible Knowledge Commentary says, “Ezra understood that the nation stood together under the covenant and that this breach of responsibility, especially since it had been led by leaders of the nation, could jeopardize the entire nation before God.” You’ve heard it said that your sin affects more than just you. The church is a community and when we sin, it affects the community of believers. This flows to the next point…
Change our ways – We need to be aware or reminded of the consequences of sin
(1Jn 3:4-6,9; He 10:26-27,29-31).
As we close, I want to bring your attention to a phrase that caught my attention –
“And now for a little moment grace hath been showed from Jehovah our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.” Ezra 9:8 ASV
I believe this gives us insight into what we may pray for as we bring this message back to God at the altar. It was used in several different ways, but in each one, we can see the significance. The term “nail” symbolized a union between the builder and the deity. In other words, the one who was working on the temple, as he placed a nail in the wall, saw this as a symbolic union between him and God. This term also meant a peg in the wall used for hanging utensils. Finally, it was used to speak of the tent stakes used by God’s people as they moved according to his word.
We may borrow from all three – we do in fact have a union with God through Jesus Christ, but perhaps some of you need to work on this relationship…your relationship is suffering and you do not feel close to God like you once did. On the other hand, maybe you have lost your usefulness to God because you are pursuing your own agenda. Then again, perhaps you have been disobedient to the voice of God and you have not moved when you heard his voice…because of apathy, laziness, or rebellion.
God is giving you a window of grace today.
By the time you finish reading 2 Kings, the people of God had so ruined their testimony and their relationship with God that they were on the threshold of captivity. These events are commented on by Albert Barnes -
“At the conclusion of 2 Kings, and also of the preceding book, 2 Chronicles, we have seen the state of misery and desolation to which the kingdoms of Israel and Judah were reduced through their unparalleled ingratitude to God, and their innumerable backslidings and rebellions. These at last issued in their captivity; the inhabitants of the former country being carried away by the Assyrians, and those of the latter by the Chaldeans. The former never recovered their ancient territories, and were so disposed of by their enemies that they either became amalgamated with the pagan nations, so as to be utterly undistinguishable, or they were transported to some foreign and recluse place of settlement, that the place of their existence, though repeatedly guessed at, has for more than two thousand years been totally unknown.”
(from Adam Clarke's Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1996, 2003 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
It seems that the people of God had established a destructive pattern that led to their eventual captivity. Note the pattern- ingratitude, continuous backslidings, constant rebellion, and their intermingling with the pagan nations. Remember, it was a pattern not a one-time failure or an occasion where they stumbled, but a regular and deliberate pattern that they knew was wrong. So many of us act surprised when we realize that we have been taken captive by sinful habits, yet would not break the pattern that led us there!
(However before you misunderstand what is meant by intermingling – Ezra was grieved at the marriage of God’s people with pagans, grieved at the intimate nature of their intermingling. We are to avoid becoming intimately connected with the worlds system and its philosophies.)
With this background, we now look at what is meant by “A Window of Grace.” In (v.8) the NIV says, “But now for a brief moment, the Lord our God has been gracious…” This literally meant an interval or small window of time – a window of grace given to these people for a specific purpose.
The Lord provides his people with such gracious opportunities and even when we’ve squandered them away, our Father mercifully gives us another chance…Leith Anderson said, “Adversity is often the window of opportunity for change. Few people or organizations want to change when there is prosperity and peace. Major changes are often precipitated by necessity.”
Captivity was as about as necessary as it can get. These people needed change and God was graciously giving them a small window of time to make this change. Theologians believe we live in an interval of time called “the age of grace.” An age that allows men to come to God through Jesus Christ by God’s grace, and this age is supposed to end when
the church is raptured or taken away. The moments of revival that God gives us are meant to shed light on our sinful condition and reveal to us understanding of what he wants to work on in our lives.
As Christians, we sometimes behave in a similar manner as the people in this story. We become ungrateful and slip into destructive patterns until our gracious God steps in and provides a window of grace to get things right with him. The window of grace gives us time to do three things –
Examine our ways – We need to be ashamed of our sin and deeply sorrowful. I mentioned this several weeks ago…sin is serious. It is nothing to make light of or to think that God winks at it. (James 4:8-10; Ps 36:5; Ro 5:20)
Repent of our ways – We need to confess our sins (C.f v.6; 1 Jn 1:9) Ezra’s prayer spoke volumes about his character. He identified himself with the people in their sin even though he himself was innocent. The Bible Knowledge Commentary says, “Ezra understood that the nation stood together under the covenant and that this breach of responsibility, especially since it had been led by leaders of the nation, could jeopardize the entire nation before God.” You’ve heard it said that your sin affects more than just you. The church is a community and when we sin, it affects the community of believers. This flows to the next point…
Change our ways – We need to be aware or reminded of the consequences of sin
(1Jn 3:4-6,9; He 10:26-27,29-31).
As we close, I want to bring your attention to a phrase that caught my attention –
“And now for a little moment grace hath been showed from Jehovah our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.” Ezra 9:8 ASV
I believe this gives us insight into what we may pray for as we bring this message back to God at the altar. It was used in several different ways, but in each one, we can see the significance. The term “nail” symbolized a union between the builder and the deity. In other words, the one who was working on the temple, as he placed a nail in the wall, saw this as a symbolic union between him and God. This term also meant a peg in the wall used for hanging utensils. Finally, it was used to speak of the tent stakes used by God’s people as they moved according to his word.
We may borrow from all three – we do in fact have a union with God through Jesus Christ, but perhaps some of you need to work on this relationship…your relationship is suffering and you do not feel close to God like you once did. On the other hand, maybe you have lost your usefulness to God because you are pursuing your own agenda. Then again, perhaps you have been disobedient to the voice of God and you have not moved when you heard his voice…because of apathy, laziness, or rebellion.
God is giving you a window of grace today.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Getting Un-Tangled
Getting Un-tangled
Like 9:57-62
When it comes down to it, most born-again followers of Jesus Christ will say that they truly desire to serve their Lord in a greater way. However, most will confess that it just seems as thought they cannot devote enough time and energy to what they believe the Lord would have them do. We have crowded and cluttered our lives in such a way that it in fact does seem almost impossible to do anything significant for God.
Most Americans have entangled themselves in a massive web of debt. Parents have an endless schedule of activities they have committed their children to as well as trying to maintain their own schedules. In addition, many of us just try to keep as busy as we can – running here and there with hardly a thought that perhaps this is not the way God intended us to be or if we are pleasing the Lord.
Henri Nouwen once said in a Leadership journal interview:
I cannot continuously say no to this or no to that, unless there is something ten times more attractive to choose. Saying no to my lust, my greed, my needs, and the world's powers takes an enormous amount of energy. The only hope is to find something so obviously real and attractive that I can devote all my energies to saying yes. . . . One such thing I can say yes to is when I come in touch with the fact that I am loved. Once I have found that in my total brokenness I am still loved, I become free from the compulsion of doing successful things.
Citation: Terry Muck, "Hearing God's Voice and Obeying His Word," Leadership Journal (Winter 1982), p. 16
There is a Psalm that reads – “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” You may recall that the word “delight” carried the meaning of being soft and pliable or flexible. (Ps 37:4)
We allow our lives to become so full of distractions or commitments that we are no longer flexible for what it is that God may be trying to direct our lives to. The Apostle Paul spoke about avoiding entanglements in our Christian walk (2 Ti 2:4)– “And as Christ's soldier, do not let yourself become tied up in the affairs of this life, for then you cannot satisfy the one who has enlisted you in his army.” (NLT)
And the (KJV) says – “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
The word “entangle” meant to weave in to; Paul was saying that we must be careful not to try to weave the non-essentials into our walk. Is he saying we cannot marry – no? He is saying we cannot get involved in the lives of our children or family and friends – no?
He is talking about the priority of Christ in our lives – the high calling of being a follower of Jesus Christ and the responsibilities included as well as the benefits.
Let’s look back at Luke 9.
We have three examples of people who found out that they really could not truly follow Christ because of entanglements – because they were not flexible.The first one (Vv. 57-58) who expresses a desire to follow Christ is shown that 1) he will need to look like Jesus. This man needed to see that if he became a follower of Christ he would look foolish. He would need to depend on God’s provision and the hospitality of others. While foxes have holes and birds have nests to live in, the Son of Man did not even have a pillow to lay his head on…2) If he was going to follow Jesus he cannot bring along what he wishes. In other words, you may miss the comforts of life that you have grown accustomed to, eventually you will begin to desire the creature comforts more than you desire Christ. One man said, “What does it profit you to give God one thing if he asks of you another? Consider what it is God wants, and then do it. You will as a result better satisfy your heart than with that toward which you yourself are inclined.” 3) He cannot come to Christ to merely learn a few things and neither can we. Jesus speaks of picking up our cross and following him. This is not an invitation to an extreme makeover or to join Jesus for a cup of Starbucks. Christ is talking about the death and rebirth of all that we are!
Jesus warns us not make a rash, careless decision.
The second person receives what appears to be a very peculiar response. (59-60) Jesus was not saying leave the corpses to fend for themselves, nor was he downplaying the grief and pain associated with the passing of a loved one. In ancient times, the responsibility a proper burial and taking leadership of the family fell on the shoulders of the first-born son upon the death of the father. A son was the heir of a double portion of the inheritance (Dt. 21:17). Two thoughts here – 1) we must come to a point in our faith when we trust God to take care of our loved ones. 2) We must come to a point in faith when we truly believe that upon our salvation we receive an eternal inheritance – “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade — kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith — of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire — may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:3-9) Read – Dt. 18:2; 1 Pe 2:5; Rev 1:5-6 Priests have an inheritance – Christ! We are priests!
The third person gives us a look at the danger of looking back. (61-62) This man’s separation with the world was not yet complete. It was not a case of going back- but of looking back. Not a case of returning to worldly ways but a reluctance to fully break with them. How many of us say things like, “I still have a bad temper, but I know that God loves me.” Or perhaps, “I still have a few bad habits, but God still accepts me.” Then again, maybe we are distracted by all the fun the wicked seem to be having.
What happened to praying through? Fasting…truly breaking from obvious as well as subtle entanglements? “Taste and see that the Lord is good…” (Ps 34:8) Experience the Lord through a personal encounter, by the witness of the Holy Spirit and salvation!
In all of this Jesus is emphasizing one main thought – Lordship- this in essence is what must happen. We are not disallowed relationships, marriage, children, fortune, or whatever we think we are not allowed to have, but rather in these areas and in every facet of our lives we need Christ’s Lordship.
Unconditional obedience and faith in Christ can be the only way to follow Jesus.
“I have vivid memories as a kid of my father taking me to an auction sale, telling me, ‘Don’t scratch your nose at the wrong time, son.’ He said to me, ‘Always remember this: whenever you go to an auction sale, make sure you know your upper limit price.’
That is ingrained in me. The great danger for us is that we walk into the Christian life knowing clearly our upper limit price. Jesus does not allow us to set that. ‘If you save your life, you will lose it; but if you lose your life for my sake and the gospel’s, you will keep it,’ said Jesus [Mark 8:35].
Our calling is to a life of unconditional obedience where the price is unknown.”
Citation: Colin Smith, pastor of Arlington Heights Evangelical Free Church, Arlington Heights, Illinois; source: Preaching Today #204
Are you willing to allow the Spirit of God to show where you are entangled?
Will you admit that you are not soft, pliable, and flexible to God’s will?
What conditions have you placed on being a follower of Christ?
Do you trust God with your loved ones and your future?
Do you live as thought the Lord is you inheritance?
Are there things and people you find yourself looking back to? Perhaps you have not fully separated from un-godly influences and habits.
Is Jesus Christ truly Lord?
Like 9:57-62
When it comes down to it, most born-again followers of Jesus Christ will say that they truly desire to serve their Lord in a greater way. However, most will confess that it just seems as thought they cannot devote enough time and energy to what they believe the Lord would have them do. We have crowded and cluttered our lives in such a way that it in fact does seem almost impossible to do anything significant for God.
Most Americans have entangled themselves in a massive web of debt. Parents have an endless schedule of activities they have committed their children to as well as trying to maintain their own schedules. In addition, many of us just try to keep as busy as we can – running here and there with hardly a thought that perhaps this is not the way God intended us to be or if we are pleasing the Lord.
Henri Nouwen once said in a Leadership journal interview:
I cannot continuously say no to this or no to that, unless there is something ten times more attractive to choose. Saying no to my lust, my greed, my needs, and the world's powers takes an enormous amount of energy. The only hope is to find something so obviously real and attractive that I can devote all my energies to saying yes. . . . One such thing I can say yes to is when I come in touch with the fact that I am loved. Once I have found that in my total brokenness I am still loved, I become free from the compulsion of doing successful things.
Citation: Terry Muck, "Hearing God's Voice and Obeying His Word," Leadership Journal (Winter 1982), p. 16
There is a Psalm that reads – “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” You may recall that the word “delight” carried the meaning of being soft and pliable or flexible. (Ps 37:4)
We allow our lives to become so full of distractions or commitments that we are no longer flexible for what it is that God may be trying to direct our lives to. The Apostle Paul spoke about avoiding entanglements in our Christian walk (2 Ti 2:4)– “And as Christ's soldier, do not let yourself become tied up in the affairs of this life, for then you cannot satisfy the one who has enlisted you in his army.” (NLT)
And the (KJV) says – “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
The word “entangle” meant to weave in to; Paul was saying that we must be careful not to try to weave the non-essentials into our walk. Is he saying we cannot marry – no? He is saying we cannot get involved in the lives of our children or family and friends – no?
He is talking about the priority of Christ in our lives – the high calling of being a follower of Jesus Christ and the responsibilities included as well as the benefits.
Let’s look back at Luke 9.
We have three examples of people who found out that they really could not truly follow Christ because of entanglements – because they were not flexible.The first one (Vv. 57-58) who expresses a desire to follow Christ is shown that 1) he will need to look like Jesus. This man needed to see that if he became a follower of Christ he would look foolish. He would need to depend on God’s provision and the hospitality of others. While foxes have holes and birds have nests to live in, the Son of Man did not even have a pillow to lay his head on…2) If he was going to follow Jesus he cannot bring along what he wishes. In other words, you may miss the comforts of life that you have grown accustomed to, eventually you will begin to desire the creature comforts more than you desire Christ. One man said, “What does it profit you to give God one thing if he asks of you another? Consider what it is God wants, and then do it. You will as a result better satisfy your heart than with that toward which you yourself are inclined.” 3) He cannot come to Christ to merely learn a few things and neither can we. Jesus speaks of picking up our cross and following him. This is not an invitation to an extreme makeover or to join Jesus for a cup of Starbucks. Christ is talking about the death and rebirth of all that we are!
Jesus warns us not make a rash, careless decision.
The second person receives what appears to be a very peculiar response. (59-60) Jesus was not saying leave the corpses to fend for themselves, nor was he downplaying the grief and pain associated with the passing of a loved one. In ancient times, the responsibility a proper burial and taking leadership of the family fell on the shoulders of the first-born son upon the death of the father. A son was the heir of a double portion of the inheritance (Dt. 21:17). Two thoughts here – 1) we must come to a point in our faith when we trust God to take care of our loved ones. 2) We must come to a point in faith when we truly believe that upon our salvation we receive an eternal inheritance – “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade — kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith — of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire — may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:3-9) Read – Dt. 18:2; 1 Pe 2:5; Rev 1:5-6 Priests have an inheritance – Christ! We are priests!
The third person gives us a look at the danger of looking back. (61-62) This man’s separation with the world was not yet complete. It was not a case of going back- but of looking back. Not a case of returning to worldly ways but a reluctance to fully break with them. How many of us say things like, “I still have a bad temper, but I know that God loves me.” Or perhaps, “I still have a few bad habits, but God still accepts me.” Then again, maybe we are distracted by all the fun the wicked seem to be having.
What happened to praying through? Fasting…truly breaking from obvious as well as subtle entanglements? “Taste and see that the Lord is good…” (Ps 34:8) Experience the Lord through a personal encounter, by the witness of the Holy Spirit and salvation!
In all of this Jesus is emphasizing one main thought – Lordship- this in essence is what must happen. We are not disallowed relationships, marriage, children, fortune, or whatever we think we are not allowed to have, but rather in these areas and in every facet of our lives we need Christ’s Lordship.
Unconditional obedience and faith in Christ can be the only way to follow Jesus.
“I have vivid memories as a kid of my father taking me to an auction sale, telling me, ‘Don’t scratch your nose at the wrong time, son.’ He said to me, ‘Always remember this: whenever you go to an auction sale, make sure you know your upper limit price.’
That is ingrained in me. The great danger for us is that we walk into the Christian life knowing clearly our upper limit price. Jesus does not allow us to set that. ‘If you save your life, you will lose it; but if you lose your life for my sake and the gospel’s, you will keep it,’ said Jesus [Mark 8:35].
Our calling is to a life of unconditional obedience where the price is unknown.”
Citation: Colin Smith, pastor of Arlington Heights Evangelical Free Church, Arlington Heights, Illinois; source: Preaching Today #204
Are you willing to allow the Spirit of God to show where you are entangled?
Will you admit that you are not soft, pliable, and flexible to God’s will?
What conditions have you placed on being a follower of Christ?
Do you trust God with your loved ones and your future?
Do you live as thought the Lord is you inheritance?
Are there things and people you find yourself looking back to? Perhaps you have not fully separated from un-godly influences and habits.
Is Jesus Christ truly Lord?
Sunday, January 15, 2012
“He Restores My Soul…”
Psalm 23:3
This particular psalm is probably one of the most beloved of the psalms and the imagery used describes God as the Supreme Shepherd of his people. The first verse puts forth the heart of the psalm –“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want…” However, we will not deal with the entire psalm today. The Holy Spirit pointed out verse (3) to me and that is what we will look at in this message. “He restores my soul…”
To restore implies something has been taken away or needs to be put back into a previous state. In this psalm, the word restore carried the meaning of renewal, repair, or restoration and rest. In addition, the word soul often referred to the whole person rather than the moral and emotional nature of our human makeup.
What is the significance of having our soul restored? We may get a better idea by recalling the pastoral setting the psalmist uses. Sheep would often wander off; most of the time it was not deliberate. As they fed in the pastures and hillsides, their habit was to eat and move a little, then eat and move a little more. They would keep this up until they simply wandered away from the herd and got lost.
Stay with me here.,
This particular psalm is ascribed to David and was supposed to have been written later in his life. David most likely looked back at his life and saw how God had so graciously and tenderly cared for him as a shepherd does his sheep. In fact, David himself had been a shepherd at one time. Therefore, it would be natural for him to see God as a tender and caring Shepherd. However, David also saw himself as one of the sheep in the fold who had wandered off and was in need of restoration. David needed to be renewed; restored, healed…David needed some rest from the wanderings in his life.
After a rather glorious start in his calling, David began to wander…he left the place of intimate fellowship he enjoyed with God. He also looked to fill the gaps in his life by pursuing things that the Lord was not giving him at this time.
David wandered…David lusted, coveted, murdered, lied. Now his heart was beginning to grow hard and his godly influence grew weaker by the day.
Perhaps you’ve wandered…maybe by accident or neglect…or maybe as in several instances in David’s life, you deliberately wandered. David began to pay the price for his wanderings. He experienced the bitter taste of death in his family. He also felt the crushing pain of disobedient children. David knew the weight of a guilty conscience and the ache of a heart broken by betrayal. There was not too much that David did not experience, yet in and through it all, he was able to look back and say that God had cared for him and went after him in his wanderings.
We begin to wander when we hurt…when we question…when we leave the place of fellowship with the Holy Spirit…we begin to wander when we sin.
Earlier I mentioned that the word soul carried the meaning of the whole person and that it precisely what God wants to restore in us. The Holy Spirit impressed on my heart that many of us have wandered. Some by accident, some from neglect, some deliberately….That it not so much the point right now. What is the point is that God wants to restore, renew, heal, and give rest. Some of us are so weary in our walk and we need the rest of God. When your are weary you can make mistakes.
How do we arrive at the point of restoration? Of course, it is by the work of the Holy Spirit but we must cooperate with Him. As I looked at David’s life, I saw three specific things David did to get to a point of restoration that are found in Scripture.
First, he needed to return. In other words, he needed to remember where he came from and turn his attitude in that direction. Many of us know we need to return but refuse to point our attitude in that direction.
2 Chron 30:6-9
At the king's command, couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and from his officials, which read:
"People of Israel, return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that he may return to you who are left, who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. 7 Do not be like your fathers and brothers, who were unfaithful to the LORD, the God of their fathers, so that he made them an object of horror, as you see. 8 Do not be stiff-necked, as your fathers were; submit to the LORD. Come to the sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever. Serve the LORD your God, so that his fierce anger will turn away from you. 9 If you return to the LORD, then your brothers and your children will be shown compassion by their captors and will come back to this land, for the LORD your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him."
Isa 44:22
I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you."
Second- Take responsibility-
Num 18:1
The LORD said to Aaron, "You, your sons and your father's family are to bear the responsibility for offenses against the sanctuary, and you and your sons alone are to bear the responsibility for offenses against the priesthood.
The Lord gives each of His children responsibilities and He empowers us to carry them out. Too many of us find excuses and ways to justify our laziness and neglect. But God is not impressed by excuses…although he is moved when we take responsibility for our wanderings
Third – repent –
Jer 15:19Therefore this is what the LORD says: "If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me Acts 3:18-20 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,
When we return and take responsibility for our wanderings and repent of our selfish, rebellious ways, God can and will restore us. Restoration is mentioned at least fourteen times in Jeremiah. One verse in particular spoke to me –
Jer 30:17
But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,' declares the LORD, (my wounds)
God will go to unimaginable lengths to restore his children…far beyond any thing we could conceive. The Bible says, “We all like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way.” (Isa 53:6)
“My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.” Ezek 34:6
“For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign LORD. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.” Ezek 34:11-16
During the recent uprisings in the Middle East, Ron and Jake Jones, who serve with the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Israel, communicated the following in their prayer letter:
The result of the fighting and killing has left a profound sense of discouragement that hovers over the country. Several times we have come into closer contact with this conflict than our comfort zone allowed.
Yesterday a friend shared with us something she observed that was a delightful reminder of God's care for us. She watched a shepherd caring for his flock near the area where guns are fired. Every time the shots rang out the sheep scattered in fright. The shepherd then touched each of them with his staff and spoke calmly to them, and the sheep settled down immediately because they trusted the shepherd. And then another shot sounded, and the same routine happened again. Each time, the sheep needed the shepherd to orient them again and to reassure them they were safe.
We are like those sheep, and our Shepherd reaches out and touches us with his staff, speaking words of calm and comfort.
Acts 3:21-22
“He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.”
Before we leave today, take some time to prepare your heart for restoration.
Psalm 23:3
This particular psalm is probably one of the most beloved of the psalms and the imagery used describes God as the Supreme Shepherd of his people. The first verse puts forth the heart of the psalm –“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want…” However, we will not deal with the entire psalm today. The Holy Spirit pointed out verse (3) to me and that is what we will look at in this message. “He restores my soul…”
To restore implies something has been taken away or needs to be put back into a previous state. In this psalm, the word restore carried the meaning of renewal, repair, or restoration and rest. In addition, the word soul often referred to the whole person rather than the moral and emotional nature of our human makeup.
What is the significance of having our soul restored? We may get a better idea by recalling the pastoral setting the psalmist uses. Sheep would often wander off; most of the time it was not deliberate. As they fed in the pastures and hillsides, their habit was to eat and move a little, then eat and move a little more. They would keep this up until they simply wandered away from the herd and got lost.
Stay with me here.,
This particular psalm is ascribed to David and was supposed to have been written later in his life. David most likely looked back at his life and saw how God had so graciously and tenderly cared for him as a shepherd does his sheep. In fact, David himself had been a shepherd at one time. Therefore, it would be natural for him to see God as a tender and caring Shepherd. However, David also saw himself as one of the sheep in the fold who had wandered off and was in need of restoration. David needed to be renewed; restored, healed…David needed some rest from the wanderings in his life.
After a rather glorious start in his calling, David began to wander…he left the place of intimate fellowship he enjoyed with God. He also looked to fill the gaps in his life by pursuing things that the Lord was not giving him at this time.
David wandered…David lusted, coveted, murdered, lied. Now his heart was beginning to grow hard and his godly influence grew weaker by the day.
Perhaps you’ve wandered…maybe by accident or neglect…or maybe as in several instances in David’s life, you deliberately wandered. David began to pay the price for his wanderings. He experienced the bitter taste of death in his family. He also felt the crushing pain of disobedient children. David knew the weight of a guilty conscience and the ache of a heart broken by betrayal. There was not too much that David did not experience, yet in and through it all, he was able to look back and say that God had cared for him and went after him in his wanderings.
We begin to wander when we hurt…when we question…when we leave the place of fellowship with the Holy Spirit…we begin to wander when we sin.
Earlier I mentioned that the word soul carried the meaning of the whole person and that it precisely what God wants to restore in us. The Holy Spirit impressed on my heart that many of us have wandered. Some by accident, some from neglect, some deliberately….That it not so much the point right now. What is the point is that God wants to restore, renew, heal, and give rest. Some of us are so weary in our walk and we need the rest of God. When your are weary you can make mistakes.
How do we arrive at the point of restoration? Of course, it is by the work of the Holy Spirit but we must cooperate with Him. As I looked at David’s life, I saw three specific things David did to get to a point of restoration that are found in Scripture.
First, he needed to return. In other words, he needed to remember where he came from and turn his attitude in that direction. Many of us know we need to return but refuse to point our attitude in that direction.
2 Chron 30:6-9
At the king's command, couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and from his officials, which read:
"People of Israel, return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that he may return to you who are left, who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. 7 Do not be like your fathers and brothers, who were unfaithful to the LORD, the God of their fathers, so that he made them an object of horror, as you see. 8 Do not be stiff-necked, as your fathers were; submit to the LORD. Come to the sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever. Serve the LORD your God, so that his fierce anger will turn away from you. 9 If you return to the LORD, then your brothers and your children will be shown compassion by their captors and will come back to this land, for the LORD your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him."
Isa 44:22
I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you."
Second- Take responsibility-
Num 18:1
The LORD said to Aaron, "You, your sons and your father's family are to bear the responsibility for offenses against the sanctuary, and you and your sons alone are to bear the responsibility for offenses against the priesthood.
The Lord gives each of His children responsibilities and He empowers us to carry them out. Too many of us find excuses and ways to justify our laziness and neglect. But God is not impressed by excuses…although he is moved when we take responsibility for our wanderings
Third – repent –
Jer 15:19Therefore this is what the LORD says: "If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me Acts 3:18-20 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,
When we return and take responsibility for our wanderings and repent of our selfish, rebellious ways, God can and will restore us. Restoration is mentioned at least fourteen times in Jeremiah. One verse in particular spoke to me –
Jer 30:17
But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,' declares the LORD, (my wounds)
God will go to unimaginable lengths to restore his children…far beyond any thing we could conceive. The Bible says, “We all like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way.” (Isa 53:6)
“My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.” Ezek 34:6
“For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign LORD. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.” Ezek 34:11-16
During the recent uprisings in the Middle East, Ron and Jake Jones, who serve with the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Israel, communicated the following in their prayer letter:
The result of the fighting and killing has left a profound sense of discouragement that hovers over the country. Several times we have come into closer contact with this conflict than our comfort zone allowed.
Yesterday a friend shared with us something she observed that was a delightful reminder of God's care for us. She watched a shepherd caring for his flock near the area where guns are fired. Every time the shots rang out the sheep scattered in fright. The shepherd then touched each of them with his staff and spoke calmly to them, and the sheep settled down immediately because they trusted the shepherd. And then another shot sounded, and the same routine happened again. Each time, the sheep needed the shepherd to orient them again and to reassure them they were safe.
We are like those sheep, and our Shepherd reaches out and touches us with his staff, speaking words of calm and comfort.
Acts 3:21-22
“He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.”
Before we leave today, take some time to prepare your heart for restoration.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
"Is Not This Thing in My Right Hand A Lie?"
“Is Not This Thing In My Right Hand A Lie?”
Isaiah 44: 6-23 esp.v. 20
In our world of virtual reality and Hollywood special effects, the line between real and artificial is often blurred.
Here are some examples of reality according to Hollywood. In the movies…
All grocery shopping bags contain at least one stick of French bread.
The ventilation system of any building is the perfect hiding place. In the movies…
The Eiffel Tower can be seen from any window in Paris.
A man will show no pain while taking the most ferocious beating but will wince when a woman tries to clean his wounds.
Cars that crash will almost always burst into flames. . In the movies…
Persons knocked unconscious by a blow to the head will never suffer a concussion or brain damage.
It is always possible to park directly outside the building you are visiting. In the movies…
Any lock can be picked by a credit card or a paper clip in seconds—unless it's the door to a burning building with a child trapped inside.
All bombs are fitted with electronic timing devices with large red readouts so you know exactly when they will go off. In the movies…
Medieval peasants had perfect teeth.
It is not necessary to say hello or goodbye when beginning or ending phone conversations.
Any person waking from a nightmare will sit bolt upright and pant. In the movies…
It does not matter if you are heavily outnumbered in a fight involving martial arts; your enemies will patiently wait to attack you one by one by dancing around in a threatening manner until you have knocked out their predecessors. (Citation: Brett Kays)
It still amazes me that we can believe almost anything that Hollywood produces, not to mention music, the world of the internet, psychics, magicians etc. We are so easily fooled…so much so that we even fool ourselves…even in some very important matters.
The prophet Isaiah talks about a man who is so immersed in his own delusions that he cannot even bring himself to ask if what he has been relying on is a lie.
It is inevitable we are going to come to moments in our lives when we are forced to ask ourselves questions that will expose our *delusions (misleading the mind, trick, frustrate), lies, and faulty foundation.
In ch. 44, Isaiah (vv 9-20) Isaiah makes a sort of sarcastic evaluation about the manner in which idols are made and the foolishness of relying on these dumb idols instead of the living God and trusting in God’s care, love and most importantly, His forgiveness.
I want to concentrate on verse 20 for a little while and see what someone looks like who trusts in false gods. We see that this person…has -
An un-natural appetite – “He feeds on ashes…” We direct our energies to vain, empty objects or persons. We have un-natural appetites (like the “clay eaters” of S. America). This may not be so easily detected simply because it becomes part of our search and quite possibly even partially satisfies our disturbed appetite. This then becomes the habit – seeking, appropriating, chewing and digesting and making what is empty and vain an actual part of who we are and what we will become. Warning – do not tamper with the natural appetites that God has given us but rather allow them to be fulfilled in God’s way.
There was a television show – “Honey, We’re Killing the Kids!” that looked into families who lack the discipline of appetites. Through computer imaging, the parents are given a glimpse of what their children may look like at age 40 – if they live that long. Without question, the parent is shocked and extremely disturbed. The family is given a period of time to bring discipline, proper nutrition and exercise into their children’s lives. Normally, there is a lot of rebellion, but as time goes by attitudes and appetites are brought back to what God intended. At shows end, the parents are shown what the children will look like if they continue on the right path.
What if we could see what our lives could look like without God? We can…Isaiah is showing us. Additionally, the Bible says the wages of sin is death; the soul that sins dies; if we do not remain in Christ we wither up and die and are thrown into the fire.
How does this un-natural appetite happen? Let’s continue reading verse 20.
A deceived heart – “A deluded heart misleads him…” My wife led a Bible Study on Wednesday evenings and mentioned that our rationalizations and excuses are signs of a troubled spiritual life…reflecting insincerity and a lack of humility…so true.
One look at Romans 1:18 & ff shows us that the consequences of pursuing anything below heaven will be disastrous. The great prophet Jeremiah summed up the trustworthiness of the human heart – “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (17:9) Of course this is BC, nevertheless I also found no less than two dozen scripture passages that indicate the possibility of even the regenerated heart becoming faithless.
The writer of Proverbs tells us above all else, guard your heart, for out of it flow the wellsprings of life (Pr 4:23). Listen; be more careful of the condition of your heart than your credit score. Protect your heart more than your stuff…your possessions. Guard your heart more than…your ego. The fountains and springs in ancient times were especially well guarded and taken care of, for water in that part of the world is extremely precious – water meant life. C.S. Lewis said, “When a man is getting better; he understands more and more clearly the evil that is still left in him. When a man is getting worse, he understands his own badness less and less.” Isn’t that true? If our heart is deceived, it will mislead us and place us in a position of vulnerability.
Isaiah describes this man as one who has…
A vulnerable life- “He cannot save himself”
Vulnerability - no spiritual strength, a worldling; one who lacks wisdom and vision; one who is cynical and critical; suspicious and just plain miserable. There will be that emptiness with a sense of lost-ness and lack of hope.
Vulnerability indicates a lack of self-control and self-discipline. Life, as you know, requires sacrifice and sacrifice requires self-control and self-discipline. And this is exactly where we can begin to make a real difference in people’s lives. Gordon MacDonald said, “The man or woman who learns to make peace with routine responsibilities and obligations will make the greatest contributions in the long run.”
Finally, Isaiah describes a man who has…
An unreliable future – “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?” Listen, if what this man is holding in his hand is a lie…if it is misleading, if it is a trick; then what kind of a future does he have?
Barnes says of this passage –
“The right hand is the instrument of action. A lie is a name often given to an idol as being false and delusive. The sense is, that that which they had been making, and on which they were depending, was deceitful and vain. The work of their right hand-the fruit of their skill and toil, was deceptive, and could not save them. The doctrine is, that that which sinners rely on to save their souls; that which has cost their highest efforts as a scheme to save them, is false and delusive. All schemes of religion of human origin are of this description: and all will be alike deceptive and ruinous to the soul.
(from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database Copyright © 1997, 2003 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
What can we do to avoid this pitiful end?
Listen to what Isaiah says, “Remember these things…” (Vv.21-23)as I mentioned in my previous blog;
We belong to God – “You are my servant…”(C.f. Romans 1:6-7 First -“Called to belong, second – “to be[come]”
God made us – “I have made you…” Psalm 103:14 He has compassion for us, for he knows what we are made of…how weak we are.
God will not forget us – “I, the LORD, made you, and I will not forget to help you.” (NLT)
God has forgiven us – “I have swept away your offenses…your sins.” C.S. Lewis, in his book Mere Christianity talks about how God uses the process of failure and forgiveness to cure us of our illusions about ourselves and teaches us to depend on God…that we cannot trust ourselves in the best moments nor do we despair in the worst moments because of God’s mercy and forgiveness. “The only fatal thing is to sit down content with anything less than perfection.”
God issues an invitation to us – “Return to me…”
God encourages us to rejoice – “Sing for joy…”
God will display his glory in our lives – “He displays his glory in Israel…”
“Faith does not operate in the realm of the possible. There is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible. Faith begins where man’s power ends.” George Mueller
“God is looking for men in whose hands His glory is safe.” A.W. Tozer
Prayer focus – Ask the Lord to help you honestly and sincerely examine your life; to show you who or what you are depending on rather than Him. Ask Him to govern your appetites, guard your heart and secure your future. Remember you are called to belong, and then called to be; you are forgiven and ask Him to display His glory in your life.
Isaiah 44: 6-23 esp.v. 20
In our world of virtual reality and Hollywood special effects, the line between real and artificial is often blurred.
Here are some examples of reality according to Hollywood. In the movies…
All grocery shopping bags contain at least one stick of French bread.
The ventilation system of any building is the perfect hiding place. In the movies…
The Eiffel Tower can be seen from any window in Paris.
A man will show no pain while taking the most ferocious beating but will wince when a woman tries to clean his wounds.
Cars that crash will almost always burst into flames. . In the movies…
Persons knocked unconscious by a blow to the head will never suffer a concussion or brain damage.
It is always possible to park directly outside the building you are visiting. In the movies…
Any lock can be picked by a credit card or a paper clip in seconds—unless it's the door to a burning building with a child trapped inside.
All bombs are fitted with electronic timing devices with large red readouts so you know exactly when they will go off. In the movies…
Medieval peasants had perfect teeth.
It is not necessary to say hello or goodbye when beginning or ending phone conversations.
Any person waking from a nightmare will sit bolt upright and pant. In the movies…
It does not matter if you are heavily outnumbered in a fight involving martial arts; your enemies will patiently wait to attack you one by one by dancing around in a threatening manner until you have knocked out their predecessors. (Citation: Brett Kays)
It still amazes me that we can believe almost anything that Hollywood produces, not to mention music, the world of the internet, psychics, magicians etc. We are so easily fooled…so much so that we even fool ourselves…even in some very important matters.
The prophet Isaiah talks about a man who is so immersed in his own delusions that he cannot even bring himself to ask if what he has been relying on is a lie.
It is inevitable we are going to come to moments in our lives when we are forced to ask ourselves questions that will expose our *delusions (misleading the mind, trick, frustrate), lies, and faulty foundation.
In ch. 44, Isaiah (vv 9-20) Isaiah makes a sort of sarcastic evaluation about the manner in which idols are made and the foolishness of relying on these dumb idols instead of the living God and trusting in God’s care, love and most importantly, His forgiveness.
I want to concentrate on verse 20 for a little while and see what someone looks like who trusts in false gods. We see that this person…has -
An un-natural appetite – “He feeds on ashes…” We direct our energies to vain, empty objects or persons. We have un-natural appetites (like the “clay eaters” of S. America). This may not be so easily detected simply because it becomes part of our search and quite possibly even partially satisfies our disturbed appetite. This then becomes the habit – seeking, appropriating, chewing and digesting and making what is empty and vain an actual part of who we are and what we will become. Warning – do not tamper with the natural appetites that God has given us but rather allow them to be fulfilled in God’s way.
There was a television show – “Honey, We’re Killing the Kids!” that looked into families who lack the discipline of appetites. Through computer imaging, the parents are given a glimpse of what their children may look like at age 40 – if they live that long. Without question, the parent is shocked and extremely disturbed. The family is given a period of time to bring discipline, proper nutrition and exercise into their children’s lives. Normally, there is a lot of rebellion, but as time goes by attitudes and appetites are brought back to what God intended. At shows end, the parents are shown what the children will look like if they continue on the right path.
What if we could see what our lives could look like without God? We can…Isaiah is showing us. Additionally, the Bible says the wages of sin is death; the soul that sins dies; if we do not remain in Christ we wither up and die and are thrown into the fire.
How does this un-natural appetite happen? Let’s continue reading verse 20.
A deceived heart – “A deluded heart misleads him…” My wife led a Bible Study on Wednesday evenings and mentioned that our rationalizations and excuses are signs of a troubled spiritual life…reflecting insincerity and a lack of humility…so true.
One look at Romans 1:18 & ff shows us that the consequences of pursuing anything below heaven will be disastrous. The great prophet Jeremiah summed up the trustworthiness of the human heart – “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (17:9) Of course this is BC, nevertheless I also found no less than two dozen scripture passages that indicate the possibility of even the regenerated heart becoming faithless.
The writer of Proverbs tells us above all else, guard your heart, for out of it flow the wellsprings of life (Pr 4:23). Listen; be more careful of the condition of your heart than your credit score. Protect your heart more than your stuff…your possessions. Guard your heart more than…your ego. The fountains and springs in ancient times were especially well guarded and taken care of, for water in that part of the world is extremely precious – water meant life. C.S. Lewis said, “When a man is getting better; he understands more and more clearly the evil that is still left in him. When a man is getting worse, he understands his own badness less and less.” Isn’t that true? If our heart is deceived, it will mislead us and place us in a position of vulnerability.
Isaiah describes this man as one who has…
A vulnerable life- “He cannot save himself”
Vulnerability - no spiritual strength, a worldling; one who lacks wisdom and vision; one who is cynical and critical; suspicious and just plain miserable. There will be that emptiness with a sense of lost-ness and lack of hope.
Vulnerability indicates a lack of self-control and self-discipline. Life, as you know, requires sacrifice and sacrifice requires self-control and self-discipline. And this is exactly where we can begin to make a real difference in people’s lives. Gordon MacDonald said, “The man or woman who learns to make peace with routine responsibilities and obligations will make the greatest contributions in the long run.”
Finally, Isaiah describes a man who has…
An unreliable future – “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?” Listen, if what this man is holding in his hand is a lie…if it is misleading, if it is a trick; then what kind of a future does he have?
Barnes says of this passage –
“The right hand is the instrument of action. A lie is a name often given to an idol as being false and delusive. The sense is, that that which they had been making, and on which they were depending, was deceitful and vain. The work of their right hand-the fruit of their skill and toil, was deceptive, and could not save them. The doctrine is, that that which sinners rely on to save their souls; that which has cost their highest efforts as a scheme to save them, is false and delusive. All schemes of religion of human origin are of this description: and all will be alike deceptive and ruinous to the soul.
(from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database Copyright © 1997, 2003 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
What can we do to avoid this pitiful end?
Listen to what Isaiah says, “Remember these things…” (Vv.21-23)as I mentioned in my previous blog;
We belong to God – “You are my servant…”(C.f. Romans 1:6-7 First -“Called to belong, second – “to be[come]”
God made us – “I have made you…” Psalm 103:14 He has compassion for us, for he knows what we are made of…how weak we are.
God will not forget us – “I, the LORD, made you, and I will not forget to help you.” (NLT)
God has forgiven us – “I have swept away your offenses…your sins.” C.S. Lewis, in his book Mere Christianity talks about how God uses the process of failure and forgiveness to cure us of our illusions about ourselves and teaches us to depend on God…that we cannot trust ourselves in the best moments nor do we despair in the worst moments because of God’s mercy and forgiveness. “The only fatal thing is to sit down content with anything less than perfection.”
God issues an invitation to us – “Return to me…”
God encourages us to rejoice – “Sing for joy…”
God will display his glory in our lives – “He displays his glory in Israel…”
“Faith does not operate in the realm of the possible. There is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible. Faith begins where man’s power ends.” George Mueller
“God is looking for men in whose hands His glory is safe.” A.W. Tozer
Prayer focus – Ask the Lord to help you honestly and sincerely examine your life; to show you who or what you are depending on rather than Him. Ask Him to govern your appetites, guard your heart and secure your future. Remember you are called to belong, and then called to be; you are forgiven and ask Him to display His glory in your life.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Terms of Endearment
In Luke 8 Jesus spoke one extremely powerful word which changed a hurting woman's whole worldview - "Daughter." Most of the time we focus on how much money this woman spent, the doctors she saw, the touching of Jesus' garment, etc. In the midst of the crowd, onlookers, the curious. the skeptics....the hopeful...all eyes were on Jesus and now- on the woman with the issue of blood. What would Jesus do now. He spoke a single word and commended the woman for her faith. I believe that this one word spoken by the Son of God penetrated the many years of suffering and shame and healed not only the sickness...but the estranged heart. We all are separated from God by our uncleanness...our sin. When we place our faith in Christ as the one and only Son of God and Savior of our souls...we - belong. When Jesus said -"Daughter" He was speaking to this woman's soul a very profound truth - that she now belonged to God. I read something in Romans 1:6-7 that so impacted me. The Apostle Paul said, "And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.
To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:"
Allow this truth to saturate your weary soul. We are called to belong before we are called to become. The Lord Jesus speaks a term of endearment to the sin- weary, sin- sickened soul...."Daughter" "Son"...come to Me. Place your faith in Me...Belong to Me.
To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:"
Allow this truth to saturate your weary soul. We are called to belong before we are called to become. The Lord Jesus speaks a term of endearment to the sin- weary, sin- sickened soul...."Daughter" "Son"...come to Me. Place your faith in Me...Belong to Me.
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