All life - be it physical or spiritual - comes from God. It is all a simple matter of "breath."
God gives us our first breath physically. "God breathed into our nostrils the breath of life" (Gen. 2:7). That's physical life.
But He is also the author of the first breath of our spiritual life. "When He had said this, He breathed on them and said, 'Receive ye the Holy Spirit'" (Jn. 20:22). That's spiritual life.
Both are the direct result of God's in-breathing.
In like manner, our death is also God-centered. God gives breath. He also takes away our breath. Stopping breathing is not a natural process. It is a divine process. "Thou takest away their breath" (Ps. 104:29).
We try hard to extricate ourselves from the divine - but we can't do it. We are determined to center life around the human - thus the Humanities - Humanism. But it doesn't hold water. Such thinking - such talk - is but froth. There is no substance to a philosophy of life not centered in the divine. Humanism has no ultimate answers. Only the divine has answers. Answers that hold up. Humanism falls apart. Only the divine holds together.
And in truth, that is what the Bible teaches... "By Him [Christ] [alone] all things hold together" (Col. 1:17). In truth, "In Him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28).
Life is divine. Life is God-centered. Life is Christ-centered. Not shibboleths. Not aphorisms. Not just pretty words.
And why don't I have this "life" Scripture speaks about? Ah, because the truth has not yet sunk in. We had this life at one time - in Adam. But we lost it. But how? By substituting human life for divine life. By failing to see the distinction between the two.
Recovering this lost life is not a matter of simply living a better and better life each day. The same Person who gave you this spirit life to begin with - GOD - is the only one who can give it back to you again. You can't get it back on your own - nor apart from Him and His intervention. A supernatural intervention - that will produce a supernatural change in your life.
What kind of change? A change from self-centered (man centered) to Christ-centered. It will affect your mind - yes. Your heart - yes. Your entire being and your entire thinking. Your entire life's focus. Your entire direction.
Will I still, though, be the same person? No you won't. God says you will be a "new creature" - a "new creation" "Any man in Christ is a new creation" (II Cor. 5:17).
But what happens to my past life - my old life? "Old things are passed away" (II Cor. 5:17).
What happened to me?
Simple. The truth has finally sunk in!
When this happens, God says we have "passed from death to life" (Jn. 5:24). It takes place not in the next life but in this life! Here and now.
Ask Christ to take over your life. Ask Him to change you - inside out. From top to bottom.
He will do it. Instantly. New life - lieterally - is only a breath away!
Sep 15, 2010
Sep 10, 2010
Faith - or Foolishness
You made a decision. You acted. Good!
But was it faith or foolishness?
Sometimes it is better to do something - take a stand, take a step - and prove yourself wrong, rather than to do nothing at all - and assure by so doing you have made the wrong choice! Indecisiveness is killing. Hmm - Shall I do this or that? - and keep asking yourself for the next 365 days - while Rome burns! "A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways" (James 1:8).
On the other hand, God holds us accountable to act responsibly. He doesn't excuse us if we barge ahead without thinking (knowing better) and acting foolishly.
And what is the difference - the difference between faith and foolishness?
Perspective, insight, timing, judgment, discretion, discernment, acumen, wisdom, knowledge and understanding... these are all gifts you need to cultivate in order to tell the difference in your every day life between faith and foolishness.
There are no shortcuts. And if you fail to make a proper distinction, you may not find forgiveness waiting for you at the end of the day. Sometimes the only way God can teach us a lesson is by letting us make a foolish mistake and then letting us pay for that mistake - sometimes (as with Uzzah) dearly. God's allowing us to pay for a mistake once in a while usually assures Him (and us) we will not make the same mistake twice!
Consider Uzzah...
Uzzah thought he was "helping" God when he reached out his hand to steady the ark as the oxen, pulling the cart on which the ark rested, stumbled (II Sam. 6:6). Uzzah saw his act as "faith." God saw his act as wanton foolishness. And Uzzah paid with his life. The Lord struck him dead on the spot! The ark was supposed to be carried on the shoulders of the Levite priests. God gave strict instructions that no one should ever even touch the ark (Nu. 14:15). Uzzah's death was a lesson for us to consider carefully before we speak or act between faith and foolishness.
God does not accept excuses, like "No one told me" or "I didn't know!" or "What was I supposed to do!" God leaves it up to us to cultivate the distinction between faith and foolishness. And it applies to 1001 every day areas of our lives.
A lighthearted or presumptous Christianity simply doesn't work. And there is no virtue or benefit to any of us if we end up holding the short end of the rope.
God is forgiving... but!
... but don't be foolish and risk presumption.
Who should I marry? Should I take this job offered me? Shall I get a divorce? Is this mortgage bigger than we can handle? Faith - or foolishness. It is foolish - and unnecessary - to guess. Our faith - and Christianity - is not a guessing game. It is not a roulette wheel. God gives us Biblical principles and answers how to proceed in any given situation. How?...
You need to exercise your faith. Faith needs exercise! If you are having trouble making sound decisions, maybe you have not been exercising your faith!
God enjoins us not to be foolish. Not to be hasty. Not to be heady. Not to be headstrong. Not to be presumptuous. At the same time He encourages us to exercise faith. "Strike while the iron is hot!"
God is holding you responsible to discern the difference. A fulltime - lifetime - job.
Is there then any conclusion?...
"A wise man's heart discerns both time [timing] and judgment [the ability to make right choices]" (Eccl. 8:6).
Is the lesson for you? It is for "fullgrown men, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern [between] both good [choices] and evil [choices]" (Heb. 5:14).
Cultivating the mind of Christ will make the task 100% easier with every situation.
But was it faith or foolishness?
Sometimes it is better to do something - take a stand, take a step - and prove yourself wrong, rather than to do nothing at all - and assure by so doing you have made the wrong choice! Indecisiveness is killing. Hmm - Shall I do this or that? - and keep asking yourself for the next 365 days - while Rome burns! "A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways" (James 1:8).
On the other hand, God holds us accountable to act responsibly. He doesn't excuse us if we barge ahead without thinking (knowing better) and acting foolishly.
And what is the difference - the difference between faith and foolishness?
Perspective, insight, timing, judgment, discretion, discernment, acumen, wisdom, knowledge and understanding... these are all gifts you need to cultivate in order to tell the difference in your every day life between faith and foolishness.
There are no shortcuts. And if you fail to make a proper distinction, you may not find forgiveness waiting for you at the end of the day. Sometimes the only way God can teach us a lesson is by letting us make a foolish mistake and then letting us pay for that mistake - sometimes (as with Uzzah) dearly. God's allowing us to pay for a mistake once in a while usually assures Him (and us) we will not make the same mistake twice!
Consider Uzzah...
Uzzah thought he was "helping" God when he reached out his hand to steady the ark as the oxen, pulling the cart on which the ark rested, stumbled (II Sam. 6:6). Uzzah saw his act as "faith." God saw his act as wanton foolishness. And Uzzah paid with his life. The Lord struck him dead on the spot! The ark was supposed to be carried on the shoulders of the Levite priests. God gave strict instructions that no one should ever even touch the ark (Nu. 14:15). Uzzah's death was a lesson for us to consider carefully before we speak or act between faith and foolishness.
God does not accept excuses, like "No one told me" or "I didn't know!" or "What was I supposed to do!" God leaves it up to us to cultivate the distinction between faith and foolishness. And it applies to 1001 every day areas of our lives.
A lighthearted or presumptous Christianity simply doesn't work. And there is no virtue or benefit to any of us if we end up holding the short end of the rope.
God is forgiving... but!
... but don't be foolish and risk presumption.
Who should I marry? Should I take this job offered me? Shall I get a divorce? Is this mortgage bigger than we can handle? Faith - or foolishness. It is foolish - and unnecessary - to guess. Our faith - and Christianity - is not a guessing game. It is not a roulette wheel. God gives us Biblical principles and answers how to proceed in any given situation. How?...
You need to exercise your faith. Faith needs exercise! If you are having trouble making sound decisions, maybe you have not been exercising your faith!
God enjoins us not to be foolish. Not to be hasty. Not to be heady. Not to be headstrong. Not to be presumptuous. At the same time He encourages us to exercise faith. "Strike while the iron is hot!"
God is holding you responsible to discern the difference. A fulltime - lifetime - job.
Is there then any conclusion?...
"A wise man's heart discerns both time [timing] and judgment [the ability to make right choices]" (Eccl. 8:6).
Is the lesson for you? It is for "fullgrown men, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern [between] both good [choices] and evil [choices]" (Heb. 5:14).
Cultivating the mind of Christ will make the task 100% easier with every situation.
Sep 9, 2010
Hope - When All Seems Hopeless
(The original of the following was written to a man incarcerated for life - and fits aptly to all of us who are admittedly self-imprisoned before we come to Christ)
Let me talk about that little used word hope today. A good word. A Strengthening word. I need it. You need it. We all need it. None of us can get along without it. We – and our world – is falling apart today for lack or absence of it…
More than 60 years ago I graduated from HOPE COLLEGE. Great college. It was there HOPE was planted in my soul and being. Hope for a better life. Hope for an honest life. Hope for a decent life. Hope for a fair life. Hope for a productive life. Hope for a beneficial life. Hope to make a difference in a life where men’s souls seemed to be floundering, floating and fleeting – where men seemed to be drifting without a compass to guide them and give them direction. I pledged I did not want to lead that kind of life. Why? Because there was no hope in it. No purpose in it. No goal in it. No aim in it. I pledged I didn’t want to live a listless, lonely life. I didn’t want to be a “left-over” in life. I was convinced I was born to be in the right place at the right time for the right purpose.
And that purpose was to bless others, help make their lives richer… and give them hope. I was convinced, as I am still, that building a life based on hope is a fruitful and satisfying life. The struggle is still there. But struggle now has meaning and purpose.
If there is no escape in and from this tedious, humdrum life then we have no hope. I was convinced that if others wanted to live this way, fine. But that was not going to be my kind of life. I was determined that my life would count – no matter what!
I’ve always been impressed by the fact they named the largest diamond in the world the “Hope diamond.” Finding such a large treasure in such a small package gives man hope.
Hope was personified in Greek mythology as Elpis. Remember that? When Pandora opened Pandora’s Box, she let out all the evil of the world, and only hope remained.
And so each day we are surrounded by evil, repetition, dreariness and hopelessness – and what is there left? You guessed it… HOPE! The Greeks knew it. You know it. I know it. It is one of life’s most valuable virtues. No price can be put on it. If and when it is gone, there is nothing to replace it. There is no substitute for it.
When Friedrich Neitzsche (we’ve spoken of him before) in his “In Human, All Too Human,” he argued that Zeus did not want to throw his life away and to that end he gives man hope.” Smart god – Zeus! Smart man Nietzsche!
Many of the great achievements of the world were accomplished by tired and discouraged men who kept on working. I confess that the peeks in my life were inevitably all accomplished against hope. Hope was all but gone. But I pressed on, despite the fact I was tired and discouraged. I refused to accept the status quo for my life. I was confident God had more in store for me than that. And He proved Himself true to His Word. And I thank Him for that. My life has exceeded my expectations – and only for one reason. God planted the seed of hope in my soul… to continue to press on for something better – despite the fact the odds were all against me.
You may feel the odds are against you! They aren’t. They are for you. God is not against you. He is for you. But you must reach out and grasp His hand. You must reach out and lay hold of this hope that is available to you – and me. Embrace it. Hold it. Clench it to your breast. Love it. Cherish it. Cultivate it!
This world is filled with evil. Yes it is. But it is also filled with GOOD. And when that comes our way, we don’t want to let it pass by – and slip through our fingers. We need to reach out and grab hold of it at all costs. Opportunities may come our way only once. We can’t be asleep when those moments and times come!
A good thought to remember…
To love is to risk not being loved in return. To hope is to risk pain. To try is to risk failure, but risk must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
Oscar Wilde says, “We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars.”
Keeping perspective in life is the difference between darkness and light.
Emily Bronte wrote a beautiful, thoughtful poem on hope. Perhaps you have come across it. I can’t improve upon it…
Hope was but a timid friend;
She sat without the grated den,
Watching how my fate would tend,
Even as selfish-hearted men.
She was cruel in her fear;
Through the bars, one dreary day,
I looked out to see her there,
And she turned her face away!
Like a false guard, false watch keeping,
Still, in strife, she whispered peace;
She would sing while I was weeping;
If I listened, she would cease.
False she was, and unrelenting;
When my last joys strewed the ground,
Even Sorrow saw, repenting,
Those sad relics scattered round;
Hope, whose whisper would have given
Balm to all my frenzied pain,
Stretched her wings, and soared to heaven,
Went, and ne'er returned again!
To seize the moment. That’s what Robert Browning used to talk about!
On the other hand, Friedrich von Schiller expresses hope from another angle…
We speak with the lip, and we dream in the soul,
Of some better and fairer day;
And our days, the meanwhile, to that golden goal
Are gliding and sliding away.
Now the world becomes old, now again it is young,
But "The better" 's forever the word on the tongue.
At the threshold of life hope leads us in--
Hope plays round the mirthful boy;
Though the best of its charms may with youth begin,
Yet for age it reserves its toy.
Hope… there is a lot more waiting out there. We haven’t even touched the tip of the iceberg. Hope is alive, living, active, virile, spontaneous, growing, expanding, enriching, ennobling – and least of all… rewarding. And that is the bottom line. We all deserve rewards in life. And hope is just one of the ways God rewards us.
Don’t worry about the valleys in life. We are looking for the hills and mountaintops. That is where we find clear air, sunshine, fresh breezes and blue sky. That is where we can learn to see clearly, get perspective and get a new lease on life.
… and get HOPE!
Let me talk about that little used word hope today. A good word. A Strengthening word. I need it. You need it. We all need it. None of us can get along without it. We – and our world – is falling apart today for lack or absence of it…
More than 60 years ago I graduated from HOPE COLLEGE. Great college. It was there HOPE was planted in my soul and being. Hope for a better life. Hope for an honest life. Hope for a decent life. Hope for a fair life. Hope for a productive life. Hope for a beneficial life. Hope to make a difference in a life where men’s souls seemed to be floundering, floating and fleeting – where men seemed to be drifting without a compass to guide them and give them direction. I pledged I did not want to lead that kind of life. Why? Because there was no hope in it. No purpose in it. No goal in it. No aim in it. I pledged I didn’t want to live a listless, lonely life. I didn’t want to be a “left-over” in life. I was convinced I was born to be in the right place at the right time for the right purpose.
And that purpose was to bless others, help make their lives richer… and give them hope. I was convinced, as I am still, that building a life based on hope is a fruitful and satisfying life. The struggle is still there. But struggle now has meaning and purpose.
If there is no escape in and from this tedious, humdrum life then we have no hope. I was convinced that if others wanted to live this way, fine. But that was not going to be my kind of life. I was determined that my life would count – no matter what!
I’ve always been impressed by the fact they named the largest diamond in the world the “Hope diamond.” Finding such a large treasure in such a small package gives man hope.
Hope was personified in Greek mythology as Elpis. Remember that? When Pandora opened Pandora’s Box, she let out all the evil of the world, and only hope remained.
And so each day we are surrounded by evil, repetition, dreariness and hopelessness – and what is there left? You guessed it… HOPE! The Greeks knew it. You know it. I know it. It is one of life’s most valuable virtues. No price can be put on it. If and when it is gone, there is nothing to replace it. There is no substitute for it.
When Friedrich Neitzsche (we’ve spoken of him before) in his “In Human, All Too Human,” he argued that Zeus did not want to throw his life away and to that end he gives man hope.” Smart god – Zeus! Smart man Nietzsche!
Many of the great achievements of the world were accomplished by tired and discouraged men who kept on working. I confess that the peeks in my life were inevitably all accomplished against hope. Hope was all but gone. But I pressed on, despite the fact I was tired and discouraged. I refused to accept the status quo for my life. I was confident God had more in store for me than that. And He proved Himself true to His Word. And I thank Him for that. My life has exceeded my expectations – and only for one reason. God planted the seed of hope in my soul… to continue to press on for something better – despite the fact the odds were all against me.
You may feel the odds are against you! They aren’t. They are for you. God is not against you. He is for you. But you must reach out and grasp His hand. You must reach out and lay hold of this hope that is available to you – and me. Embrace it. Hold it. Clench it to your breast. Love it. Cherish it. Cultivate it!
This world is filled with evil. Yes it is. But it is also filled with GOOD. And when that comes our way, we don’t want to let it pass by – and slip through our fingers. We need to reach out and grab hold of it at all costs. Opportunities may come our way only once. We can’t be asleep when those moments and times come!
A good thought to remember…
To love is to risk not being loved in return. To hope is to risk pain. To try is to risk failure, but risk must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
Oscar Wilde says, “We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars.”
Keeping perspective in life is the difference between darkness and light.
Emily Bronte wrote a beautiful, thoughtful poem on hope. Perhaps you have come across it. I can’t improve upon it…
Hope was but a timid friend;
She sat without the grated den,
Watching how my fate would tend,
Even as selfish-hearted men.
She was cruel in her fear;
Through the bars, one dreary day,
I looked out to see her there,
And she turned her face away!
Like a false guard, false watch keeping,
Still, in strife, she whispered peace;
She would sing while I was weeping;
If I listened, she would cease.
False she was, and unrelenting;
When my last joys strewed the ground,
Even Sorrow saw, repenting,
Those sad relics scattered round;
Hope, whose whisper would have given
Balm to all my frenzied pain,
Stretched her wings, and soared to heaven,
Went, and ne'er returned again!
To seize the moment. That’s what Robert Browning used to talk about!
On the other hand, Friedrich von Schiller expresses hope from another angle…
We speak with the lip, and we dream in the soul,
Of some better and fairer day;
And our days, the meanwhile, to that golden goal
Are gliding and sliding away.
Now the world becomes old, now again it is young,
But "The better" 's forever the word on the tongue.
At the threshold of life hope leads us in--
Hope plays round the mirthful boy;
Though the best of its charms may with youth begin,
Yet for age it reserves its toy.
Hope… there is a lot more waiting out there. We haven’t even touched the tip of the iceberg. Hope is alive, living, active, virile, spontaneous, growing, expanding, enriching, ennobling – and least of all… rewarding. And that is the bottom line. We all deserve rewards in life. And hope is just one of the ways God rewards us.
Don’t worry about the valleys in life. We are looking for the hills and mountaintops. That is where we find clear air, sunshine, fresh breezes and blue sky. That is where we can learn to see clearly, get perspective and get a new lease on life.
… and get HOPE!
May 8, 2009
The Idea of Being Centered
My wife was born in Sioux Center, Iowa. Many towns have the word “center” as part of their name. The word “center” is one of our common, every day words not found in Scripture. This does not make it less significant as a focal point of concentration and study.
Many books have been written on the center of the earth. What is it like? No one knows. The geological pressures are tremendous. Many unknown factors exist. We talk about the epicenter of an earthquake – the place on the earth’s surface directly above where an earthquake originates.
The sun is the center of our universe. Everything revolves around the sun, which in turn holds everything together.
Each of us needs a center. We are loose ends without a center. Psychologists speak of a center. But they refer to different things as our center – our psyche, our mind, our occupation, our family. But none of these satisfies what is our real center.
Our real center is Jesus Christ. Not just a religious euphemism but a cardinal truth and fact of life.
Our objective is to have a constant consciousness of Christ as our center as we go through each day. Does this sound far-fetched? The Muslim faith requires prayers several times a day, facing Mecca – to remind them that their daily attention is always to be on God.
The Jewish priests in the Old Testament wore phylacteries, which equally were to keep them reminded of God throughout the day. The Roman Catholic faith uses the Rosary, which they finger throughout the day - for what–reason? To keep their minds focused on their center, Christ.
Protestants seem the only ones who have lost their center and have nothing to remind them of Christ their center throughout the day.
Paul reminded the Christians at Colosse to keep Christ central in all their thoughts. And he explained to them why. Because “by Him were all things created that are in heaven, and in earth, visible and invisible… all things were created BY Him and FOR Him. And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist” – or hold together! (Col. 1:16,17).
Feel anxious? If you are self-centered re-center your life in Christ. He is our center. He is the only one who matters.
My wife was born in Sioux Center, Iowa. Many towns have the word “center” as part of their name. The word “center” is one of our common, every day words not found in Scripture. This does not make it less significant as a focal point of concentration and study.
Many books have been written on the center of the earth. What is it like? No one knows. The geological pressures are tremendous. Many unknown factors exist. We talk about the epicenter of an earthquake – the place on the earth’s surface directly above where an earthquake originates.
The sun is the center of our universe. Everything revolves around the sun, which in turn holds everything together.
Each of us needs a center. We are loose ends without a center. Psychologists speak of a center. But they refer to different things as our center – our psyche, our mind, our occupation, our family. But none of these satisfies what is our real center.
Our real center is Jesus Christ. Not just a religious euphemism but a cardinal truth and fact of life.
Our objective is to have a constant consciousness of Christ as our center as we go through each day. Does this sound far-fetched? The Muslim faith requires prayers several times a day, facing Mecca – to remind them that their daily attention is always to be on God.
The Jewish priests in the Old Testament wore phylacteries, which equally were to keep them reminded of God throughout the day. The Roman Catholic faith uses the Rosary, which they finger throughout the day - for what–reason? To keep their minds focused on their center, Christ.
Protestants seem the only ones who have lost their center and have nothing to remind them of Christ their center throughout the day.
Paul reminded the Christians at Colosse to keep Christ central in all their thoughts. And he explained to them why. Because “by Him were all things created that are in heaven, and in earth, visible and invisible… all things were created BY Him and FOR Him. And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist” – or hold together! (Col. 1:16,17).
Feel anxious? If you are self-centered re-center your life in Christ. He is our center. He is the only one who matters.
A God Who Doesn’t Offend
“…lest we should offend them”
(Mt. 17:27)
God does not offend. He has no reason to offend. Offending people is not His purpose.
Having said that, however, you will note that people are offended at God. How can that be? Is not that a contradiction?
No!
God is pure perfection. Pure holiness. Pure goodness. It is impossible for Him to offend anyone.
However, that does not mean people are not offended at Him and by Him, because the fact is people are offended at Him.
Our being offended is not because GOD is imperfect but because we are imperfect. God sees perfectly. But we don’t.
The fact is, we are offended at Him because He is perfect. His perfection shows up our imperfection. And that is what offends us!
God is so concerned that He doesn’t offend us that on one occasion He paid taxes – even though He owes no man anything. He is God of all! This is an interesting text – and lesson…
If Jesus did not pay taxes, people would be incited to follow Jesus’ example and not pay their taxes either. Lest people get the wrong impression (and the wrong message), Jesus bowed to conventionality in order not to offend. “Lest we should offend them… give unto them [the tax collectors a tax] for… Me” (Mt. 17:27).
There is a wider teaching here for us today…
Bowing to a local convention can be a wise choice even though we are not bound by that convention…
My theological professor, a teetotaler, was invited to speak at a theological seminary in Germany. When he arrived, his German hosts hosted a party for him. And the party included wine and beer, if not even some stronger spirits. Liquor was a part of German culture. They drank in moderation. But if my professor drank not at all he would surely offend his hosts. So he drank (sipped, anyway). Had he not drunk at all, he would have been giving the wrong message – that his host was sinning by drinking – and would be offending them, which he had no desire to do. My friend acted wisely, “lest he offend.”
Don’t take the example to extremes. Don’t jump to conclusions. The lesson can be applied in 101 different areas and contexts. Think it through. It requires some careful thinking.
“…lest we should offend them”
(Mt. 17:27)
God does not offend. He has no reason to offend. Offending people is not His purpose.
Having said that, however, you will note that people are offended at God. How can that be? Is not that a contradiction?
No!
God is pure perfection. Pure holiness. Pure goodness. It is impossible for Him to offend anyone.
However, that does not mean people are not offended at Him and by Him, because the fact is people are offended at Him.
Our being offended is not because GOD is imperfect but because we are imperfect. God sees perfectly. But we don’t.
The fact is, we are offended at Him because He is perfect. His perfection shows up our imperfection. And that is what offends us!
God is so concerned that He doesn’t offend us that on one occasion He paid taxes – even though He owes no man anything. He is God of all! This is an interesting text – and lesson…
If Jesus did not pay taxes, people would be incited to follow Jesus’ example and not pay their taxes either. Lest people get the wrong impression (and the wrong message), Jesus bowed to conventionality in order not to offend. “Lest we should offend them… give unto them [the tax collectors a tax] for… Me” (Mt. 17:27).
There is a wider teaching here for us today…
Bowing to a local convention can be a wise choice even though we are not bound by that convention…
My theological professor, a teetotaler, was invited to speak at a theological seminary in Germany. When he arrived, his German hosts hosted a party for him. And the party included wine and beer, if not even some stronger spirits. Liquor was a part of German culture. They drank in moderation. But if my professor drank not at all he would surely offend his hosts. So he drank (sipped, anyway). Had he not drunk at all, he would have been giving the wrong message – that his host was sinning by drinking – and would be offending them, which he had no desire to do. My friend acted wisely, “lest he offend.”
Don’t take the example to extremes. Don’t jump to conclusions. The lesson can be applied in 101 different areas and contexts. Think it through. It requires some careful thinking.
O - the Many Voices Out There!
“...because of the voice of the enemy”
(Ps. 55:3)
The world famous pipe organ in the West Point Chapel (which is really a cathedral) is one of the largest organs in the world. I can’t remember how many thousand pipes it has. But I can say that the organ is so large that it requires three professional technicians working forty hours a week each to keep the organ in tune!
And regularly these technicians have to voice the organ – which means they have to tune it. The organ has many voices – simulating various instruments – violins, oboes, trumpets, bells etc. The organ is indeed an orchestra – all played from its six keyboards.
There are many voices in the world. Solomon speaks of “the voice of the turtle [dove]” (Song. Sol. 2:12), and “the voice of the bird” (Eccl. 12:4). David speaks of “the voice of weeping” (Ps. 6:8) and “the voice of supplication” (Ps. 28:2) as well as “the voice of thunder” (Ps. 26:7). Solomon also speaks of the “voice of wisdom” (Prov. 1:20) and the “voice of understanding” (Prov. 2:3).
With all these voices, what voices are we supposed to listen to? There appears to be a cacophony of voices out there. And many of them are giving conflicting messages. Contradictory messages – even in the religious arena.
A good place to start would be to listen to the voice of wisdom and the voice of understanding. They come from Jesus Christ. Saturate yourself in the Scriptures. A good beginning. A sure beginning. Ask for the Holy Spirit to speak to you through the Scriptures.
“The voice of the Lord” is the voice you want to listen to. Learn to recognize His voice! Listening to Him, you will not go wrong.
You then need to keep in mind that you need to “obey the voice of the Lord” (I Sam. 28:21). Listening is one thing. Following through is yet another.
Sometimes God will speak to you in a “loud voice” (II Sam. 19:4). Other times He will get your attention by using a “still, small voice” (I Kings 19:12). Listen at all times for His voice! That is the secret!
There is also the “voice of the enemy” (Ps. 55:3) who will try to get a word in when you least expect it. Watch for him also – and don’t listen to him! Learn to distinguish between God’s voice and the voice of imposters! Oh what a solemn task! Hark! I hear His voice!
“...because of the voice of the enemy”
(Ps. 55:3)
The world famous pipe organ in the West Point Chapel (which is really a cathedral) is one of the largest organs in the world. I can’t remember how many thousand pipes it has. But I can say that the organ is so large that it requires three professional technicians working forty hours a week each to keep the organ in tune!
And regularly these technicians have to voice the organ – which means they have to tune it. The organ has many voices – simulating various instruments – violins, oboes, trumpets, bells etc. The organ is indeed an orchestra – all played from its six keyboards.
There are many voices in the world. Solomon speaks of “the voice of the turtle [dove]” (Song. Sol. 2:12), and “the voice of the bird” (Eccl. 12:4). David speaks of “the voice of weeping” (Ps. 6:8) and “the voice of supplication” (Ps. 28:2) as well as “the voice of thunder” (Ps. 26:7). Solomon also speaks of the “voice of wisdom” (Prov. 1:20) and the “voice of understanding” (Prov. 2:3).
With all these voices, what voices are we supposed to listen to? There appears to be a cacophony of voices out there. And many of them are giving conflicting messages. Contradictory messages – even in the religious arena.
A good place to start would be to listen to the voice of wisdom and the voice of understanding. They come from Jesus Christ. Saturate yourself in the Scriptures. A good beginning. A sure beginning. Ask for the Holy Spirit to speak to you through the Scriptures.
“The voice of the Lord” is the voice you want to listen to. Learn to recognize His voice! Listening to Him, you will not go wrong.
You then need to keep in mind that you need to “obey the voice of the Lord” (I Sam. 28:21). Listening is one thing. Following through is yet another.
Sometimes God will speak to you in a “loud voice” (II Sam. 19:4). Other times He will get your attention by using a “still, small voice” (I Kings 19:12). Listen at all times for His voice! That is the secret!
There is also the “voice of the enemy” (Ps. 55:3) who will try to get a word in when you least expect it. Watch for him also – and don’t listen to him! Learn to distinguish between God’s voice and the voice of imposters! Oh what a solemn task! Hark! I hear His voice!
May 4, 2009
A God Who Doesn't Care
A God Who Doesn't Care
“God looked down from heaven”
(Ps. 53:2)
While we usually believe that God does care, we sometimes live as if He doesn’t care.
Because the father doesn’t (immediately) punish his child, the child assumes their father doesn’t care and hence feels free to go ahead and sow their wild oats.
Not a good assumption!
Do you understand God? “God looked down from Heaven to see if there were any that did understand [Him]” (Ps. 53:2). Just because God doesn’t take you to task every time you get out of line by no means implies that God is not watching – or that God doesn’t care! This Psalm is reminding us that if we think this way, we are wrong!
If God reacted every time we got out of line, what would our attitude be toward God? We would think of Him as a watchdog! We would think of Him as only snooping on us all the time. We would think of Him as only a policeman. This would not be a true or healthy image.
At the same time, we can not presume by God’s not reacting each time we do something wrong that He doesn’t care or isn’t interested in what we are doing!
He is - be sure!
But God has the tough task of maintaining His true identity as a loving Father as well as a disciplinarian! That is not always easy to do. If He is always loving, we will be a spoiled lot! If He is always disciplining us, we will be an exhausted lot! Don’t presume on His nature when He is constantly trying to balance the two.
God cares. He cares enough to love us. He equally cares enough to discipline us. Yes He is – God is a disciplinarian! That is what this Psalm is telling us! And your net worth is nothing - nada - unless you are kept disciplined! And we need discipline all our life! There is never a day we don’t need it – to one degree or another.
But He balances this discipline with guess what? - loving us to pieces.
Do you know any other God like Him?
Our wholeness is the direct result of this interaction between His love and discipline.
Yes, He is “looking down from Heaven” each day to see what is going on in our lives, how He can by love and discipline, help us!
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