Idolatry = Harlotry

Exodus 34.12-16: 12 Watch yourself that you make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, or it will become a snare in your midst.
13 But rather, you are to tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and cut down their Asherim
14 --for you shall not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God--
15 otherwise you might make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land and they would play the harlot with their gods and sacrifice to their gods, and someone might invite you to eat of his sacrifice,
16 and you might take some of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters might play the harlot with their gods and cause your sons also to play the harlot with their gods.

Worshiping other gods is ‘playing the harlot’. What does this mean? What do harlots do, fundamentally? They exchange sexual intimacy for money. They seek and give pleasure to anyone who will give something in return. Fidelity, honor, exclusivity is abandoned for the temporary pleasures of the flesh.

This is very different from what a wife does. A wife gives intimacy to her husband who receives it gladly and reciprocates out of love. It is a selfless type of giving and receiving that is monogamous, exclusive, and morally pure (not to mention fun!).

Does this mean that anyone who gives of themselves to anything other than God for favors/wealth/pleasures is prostituting himself? Does this mean that favors/wealth/pleasures are the domain of God alone and that receiving them from His hand is the only proper way to receive them at all?

There is nothing wrong with favors/wealth/pleasures, inherently. But they must be received from God in His time and with His blessing.

So often, it is not what we want that is problematic, it is when we want it and from whom!

God knows how to enjoy life! He created it, for goodness sake! He enjoys allowing us to have intimacy with our mates.

But as much as I enjoy a good piece of German Chocolate cake, a la mode, God doesn’t intend for me to have German Chocolate cake at any time, day, or place my body might crave it.

The lesson here is NOT to avoid all pleasure, but to take it when it is obviously from His hand.

Which Shepherd are you following?

John 10.27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;

The Lord Jesus is the Good Shepherd. The implication here is that there are other Shepherds. (My sheep hear My voice…) Other Shepherds who want to get the attention of sheep are also speaking. To which Shepherd are we listening?

The Shepherd of selfishness?
The Shepherd of covetousness?
…of envy?
…of greed?
…of gossip?
…of pride?
…of…anything that would replace the Good Shepherd.

If we listen to the Shepherd of selfishness we will follow the path to meeting our own needs rather than the needs of others.

If we listen to the Shepherd of covetousness we will follow the path to dissatisfaction in God’s provision.

If we listen to the Shepherd of envy we will follow the path to bitterness and resentment.

If we listen to the Shepherd of greed we will follow the path to hoarding our possessions.

If we listen to the Shepherd of gossip we will follow the path to pain and loss of relationships.

If we listen to the Shepherd of pride we will follow the path to stumbling and falling.

If we listen to the Good Shepherd we will follow the path that leads to life, peace, joy, contentment, and, eventually, heaven!

The Good Shepherd’s voice IS heard by His sheep! The Shepherd is followed by His sheep!

A Heart to Praise

Dear Father,

We lift our voices in words and songs in a feeble attempt to praise you.

We have enough to praise you for: life, light, truth, grace, redemption, glory, peace,...

We have the faculties to praise you: our tongues, our minds, our voices, our bodies.

We have the time to praise you: right now.

We have the place to praise you: right here.

Give us the heart to praise you!

"All praise to God who reigns above,
the God of Grace and Glory!"

In Jesus' Good Name,
Amen.

Back from India

On a personal note...

I returned from India last Sunday afternoon. This is my second trip, having gone in November of 2007 as well, and I have been amazed at God's kindness and provision in each case.

I've also been amazed at the level of welcome and kindness with which we are received by the local Indian ministers. They are so friendly and appreciative of our teaching.

Last year I taught on "Holistic Health" (how to be healthy in mind, body, emotion, etc) and this year I taught basic counseling skills to leaders who are already counseling others, informally.

I was also able to do some counseling (2 or 3 hours per day) and pray for all kinds of healing and guidance.

One man in particular, at the age of 38, was still struggling with feelings of inferiority and insignificance. For years, throughout childhood and even now, he has heard assaults on his value and worth as a minister and as a person. We prayed. He cried. I felt the healing hand of God on his heart and soul.

If God had me there for only this one man, it was worth it.

The Firstborn Over All Creation

There appears to be a deep mystery, a law of such enigmatic magnitude, regarding the need for the death of the firstborn to affect the redemption of souls. In Egypt, God images the work of His Firstborn, the Messiah, who redeems us from our sins. He does this by demanding the death of the firstborn of each family in Egypt after the multitude of signs and plagues was demonstrated to NOT work.

Turning a staff into a snake would not redeem the Hebrews. Turning water into blood would not deliver Israel. Even floods of gnats, frogs, locusts, boils, flies, storms of hail, and darkness ‘that could be felt’ could not effect deliverance from evil. Only the death of a firstborn could release the Hebrews from the clutches of their evil master.

And only God’s Firstborn can produce this affect in our souls. Only the death of God’s Firstborn can deliver us from the dominion of darkness into the Kingdom of His dear Son.

A prayer

Heavenly Father,

Praise and worship are why we are here.
Praise and worship are what you deserve.
You are the only one who has earned worship.
We live in a world where many people and things are worshiped: the rich and riches, the powerful and power, the beautiful and beauty, the successful and success, the strong and strength, the independent and independence…

But none of these people or things has earned worship.

Only about you can it be said, You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, since you created all things, and because of your will they existed and were created!

Only about your Son can it be said, Worthy is the lamb who was killed
to receive power and wealth
and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and praise!

Only about you can it be said, For the Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise, he is more awesome than all gods.

As the only worthy one, we offer the gifts and sacrifices of our bodies, our very lives. It is all yours.

Wash it, purify it, receive it for your own Glory.

In the good name of your worthy Son,

Amen

The Wounds of a Friend

Proverbs 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend,

but the kisses of an enemy are excessive.

I have a strange friend. He has convinced me that the way he shows love is to call me names (e.g. dork, dweeb, dufus, putz, or his favorite, "galoot"!) He's convinced me so well, that I do the same to him (e.g. stubby, schmuck, looser, and my favorite, "Barney Rubble Toes"!)

It's weird, but it seems to work for us. We've known each other since the 3rd grade and our love is closer than that of brothers.

But the other day he did something that made me feel even more loved. He confronted me with my sin. It was like he threw cold water in my face while I was sleeping. It hurt and scared me and made me want to throw him out a window. But it was so right.

I was walking around "coma-like" and his words shook me back to reality.

In the end, I much prefer the "wounds of a friend" to the "kisses of an enemy".

Thanks, Stubby!

Closing the Loop

A friend of mine sent me an email the other day saying, "Sorry, I didn't close the loop on that." He was referring to a promised phone call. He promised to call and did not. He didn't "close the loop". It's an interesting expression and it's what I thought of when I read this paragraph from 1 Corinthians 15.22-28:

For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 15:23 But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits; then when Christ comes, those who belong to him.15:24 Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when he has brought to an end all rule and all authority and power. 15:25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 15:26 The last enemy to be eliminated is death. 15:27 For he has put everything in subjection under his feet. But when it says “everything” has been put in subjection, it is clear that this does not include the one who put everything in subjection to him. 15:28 And when all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subjected to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.

In this paragraph, we see a summary of the culmination of all things. In the end, Christ is raised, all His are raised, all enemies are conquered, death is conquered, everything is subjected to Christ, Christ is subjected to God, and life is restored. Paradise is regained!

What we lost in the first Adam, is restored in the last Adam. Death is beaten. Life reigns!

This is what resurrection means. Resurrection is not just making a dead person alive again. Resurrection is the restoration of what God intended in the first place. Resurrection represents our great sin and God’s great grace. Resurrection is the place where Justice and Mercy kiss. Resurrection is beauty and wholeness. Resurrection is the completion of the plan. Resurrection is where we are headed. We are on a mission, a journey, and the destination is life. This life is just the path. Resurrection is where the path ends.

The resurrection is “closing the loop”.

Regula Fidei

1 Corinthians 14:36-38: Did the word of God begin with you, or did it come to you alone?14:37 If anyone considers himself a prophet or spiritual person, he should acknowledge that what I write to you is the Lord’s command. 14:38 If someone does not recognize this, he is not recognized.

From the very beginnings of the church, as evidenced by this letter to the Corinthians, heresies were creeping into the church. People were distorting the gospel, misunderstanding the gospel, and generally messing up the gospel. In the case of the Corinthians, some were preaching a gospel that excluded the resurrection.

The early church had the OT and was compiling letters and narratives that would eventually become the canon of scripture.

But the big question was, not only what constituted the Scriptures, but how were they to interpret what the Scriptures said.

In these few verses, Paul is saying that, even though the Lord had delivered a text (the OT, epistles and narratives) these materials were not open to private interpretations (cp. 2 Pet. 1.20) The answer to the rhetorical question is obviously “no”. The word of God did NOT begin with the Corinthians nor come to them alone.

There must be rules for interpreting the text. The text is the final authority, but how we understand that text is vital. We call these rules, Hermeneutics.

Where do we get these rules?

First, according to Paul in 1 Corinthians, there is a group of Godly people, gifted people (in this chapter he calls them prophets and spiritual persons) who recognize a proper interpretation of the text and we must submit our interpretations to their evaluations.

Second, since the apostles and prophets who first received and delivered the text of God’s revelation understood it to mean certain basic truths, the early church fathers summarized these truths in creeds, based on the regula fidei (i.e. Rule of Faith.)

Isn’t it interesting that the issue of hermeneutics is raised in a letter dealing, in large part, with division in the church!

Division often occurs in churches (and in the church, generally) because of poor interpretations of God’s revelation. Although the Scriptures are THE final, infallible authority in faith and practice, radical individualism in the interpretation of Scripture leads to all kinds of false doctrines and deep schisms (e.g. not believing in the resurrection)

Now, lest anyone is tempted to think all this is just a bunch of “hooey”, and that we have the Bible and that’s all we need…look at what follows: a regula fidei!

15:1 Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel that I preached to you, that you received and on which you stand, 15:2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message I preached to you – unless you believed in vain. 15:3 For I passed on to you as of first importance what I also received – that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, 15:4 and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures, 15:5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 15:6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 15:7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 15:8 Last of all, as though to one born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also. 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been in vain. In fact, I worked harder than all of them – yet not I, but the grace of God with me. 15:11 Whether then it was I or they, this is the way we preach and this is the way you believed.

Here is a summary statement of the Gospel. Here is implied a rule that, if violated, would lead to division and heresy. Whatever teaching or interpretation of Scripture was contrary to this gospel, was wrong and to be shunned.

Note also Galatians 1.8-9: But even if we (or an angel from heaven) should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be condemned to hell! 1:9 As we have said before, and now I say again, if any one is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let him be condemned to hell!

The Regula fidei guide us in our interpretations of revelation. Now this idea applies to the essentials of the faith. In the non-essentials, there is freedom, flexibility, and a certain amount of individuality. But in the essentials, one’s interpretations must be consistent with the historical rules of faith.

If you were to look at the heretical churches that have erupted over the centuries, they all violate one or more of the essentials (i.e. deity of Christ, deity of the Holy Spirit, Trinity, Christ’s death, Christ’s resurrection, Christ’s return, etc)

So when we Evangelicals say we believe the Bible and the Bible only, we are not saying that we can interpret the Bible any way we please.

In fact, when we cite a creed, we are announcing that we disagree with any interpretation of Scripture that is contrary to that creed.

Furthermore, even when we claim to believe in the principles of the Reformation: Sola Scriptura, Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, Solus Christus, Soli Deo Gloria, we are refusing any teaching or interpretation that is contrary to these principles.

So let us join the ancient church...

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. AMEN.

(Apostles Creed)

Adoration

Heavenly Father,

We come here this morning for many purposes. We come to sing praises, to fellowship, to learn from your Holy Word. We come to function together as a body, in the gifts you have freely and lavishly bestowed. We come to strengthen and encourage each other in the faith.
But none of these purposes is more delightful than coming in adoration of your person and work.
You are marvelous! And you do marvelous things.
You are amazing! And you do amazing things.
You are creator and sustainer of the universe and our very lives.
You are worthy of every possible sacrifice we could possibly make.
We humbly ask you for more; more gifts, more opportunities, more blessings, more of you.
Because when you give us more, we have more to give back in adoration, worship, and sacrifice.
And there is no doubt you deserve more.
More love to thee oh, Christ.
More love to thee.
Here now the prayer we make, on bended knee.
This is our earnest plea…in Jesus’ Name…Amen

The Secret of Life

Ruth 2.1-3 Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side of the family named Boaz. He was a wealthy, prominent man from the clan of Elimelech. 2:2 One day Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields so I can gather grain behind whoever permits me to do so.” Naomi replied, “You may go, my daughter.” 2:3 So Ruth went and gathered grain in the fields behind the harvesters. Now she just happened to end up in the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech.

Ruth sees the need they have for food and seeks to meet that need by working.

Ruth seeks Naomi’s permission and gets it.

In obtaining permission, she “just happened to end up” in the field belonging to this Boaz.

This may not look like much, on the surface. But like all scriptures, it is profitable for us…

Not only that, but it might just contain the “secret to life”!

• Look for needs and seek to fill them
• Follow any appropriate chain of command
• Be willing to work hard
• Trust God’s providence.

How many of our complicated concerns and anxieties would be alleviated if we just followed this simple example?

Holistic Health, part eleven

How do they all fit together?

We have talked about these qualities of personality (Mind, Will, & Emotion) and about the body as though they were separate entities. This is usually done for the sake of clarifying how each one works and how to address problems that arise.

However, the truth is that they are each intimately related to the other. The body influences the personality and is influenced by the personality.

There exists a cyclical and reciprocal interaction between all 4 elements.

It might look like this:

________________________BODY



______________MIND _______________WILL



_______________________EMOTION


Now, since I can't figure out how to make lines between these components, imagine lines going back and forth between each. The mind influences and is influenced by the the body. The emotion is influenced by and influences the body, and etc.

For example:

Poor thinking (wrong or inaccurate thoughts) can lead to bad behavior that can lead to bad feelings that can lead to poor health.

Negative or inappropriate feelings can lead to bad thinking to bad behaviors to poor health.

Poor health can lead to bad feelings to bad thinking to bad behavior.

Bad behavior can lead to bad feelings to bad thinking to poor health.

No matter where you start, errors in one arena will interact with and influence other arenas.

So what can we do about problems?

Personally, I like to start with the body. When emotional problems arise, I suggest that a person do a thorough self-examination of their overall health. Are you getting enough sleep? Are you getting enough of the right kind of nutrition? Are you getting enough exercise? If these appear normal, get a physical. Many emotional problems can arise because of health issues such as thyroid abnormalities or blood sugar issues.

When this is ruled out, you might move on to a self evaluation of your behaviors or your thinking.

Sometimes it takes an objective third party to help you through this evaluative process. Someone has said that the nature of blind spots is that we are blind to them! We sometimes need help.

Holistic health involves caring for our bodies, keeping our thinking as accurate as possible, monitoring our emotions, and behaving in ways that are consistent with the desires and commands of our Creator.

Hoping this has been helpful...

Holistic Health, part ten

Another way we can glorify God by reflecting His image to the world is thinking like Him.

We need to be able to identify faulty or wrong thinking, challenge those thoughts, and consciously replace those thoughts with truth.

There is a wonderful book by Robert McGee titled, The Search for Significance (1998, W Publishing Group: Nashville, TN). In it, he addresses the impact our fallen state has had on our ability to think correctly.

Adam and Eve were perfect thinkers, before they sinned. From the report that Adam was able to identify and name every living creature, we can assume that he was a pretty smart guy.

Furthermore, they were both very comfortable and peaceful in their relationships with each other and with God. There were no faulty or negative beliefs in their minds about themselves, the world, or God.

But you know the story. When Satan tempted and they both ate, their thinking was immediately warped. It became very self-centered. No one has had completely accurate beliefs since then (Christ excepted)

Think about this. We are born with physical brokenness. Someone has said we are born dying.

Not only are our bodies born to die, but our thoughts are intrinsically warped and bent toward self-centeredness and sin.

McGee boils down our faulty thoughts into four core false beliefs:

• I must meet certain standards…
• I must be approved of by certain others…
• Those who fail are unworthy of love (including myself) and deserve to be punished.
• I am what I am. I cannot change.

In each case, there is a corresponding Biblical truth that can replace these lies.

• Justification (Rom.5.1)
• Reconciliation (Col. 1.21-22)
• Propitiation (1 John 4.9-11)
• Regeneration (John 3.3-6)

Our task is simple, but difficult. Recognize the lie and replace it with truth.

There are day to day experiences and relationships that are often harmed by our unhealthy thinking. Parents have been known to abuse a small child for crying, believing that the child was crying to “get even” with them. Deaths have even occurred.

Husbands have been known to abuse their wives because of some faulty belief.

I know of a man who was convinced that his wife did not respect him and did not want to be married to him. He accused her of this regularly, until the fiction became a reality.

If I am convinced that I am useless, worthless, stupid, ugly, etc, it won’t be long before I’m convinced that those closest to me think the same things. And eventually, they will.

What does God think about me?

Am I a sinner? Am I selfish and self-centered? Sure. But these qualities exist in every human soul, so what makes me so special that I am beyond God’s loving acceptance, compassion, and friendship?

Next time: How do they all fit together?

Prayer of Adoration

Father,

You have spoken in your marvelous word, and you continue to speak. It is your nature to speak.

It is our nature to not listen.

So open our ears to hear and our eyes to see your glory, power, plan, and future.

Your glory motivates us.

Your power enables us.

Your plan guides us.

And your future emboldens us.

We adore you, but not enough.

We worship you, but not enough.

We praise you, but not enough.

Your Son has made a way into Your most Holy presence and we come in boldly, with more adoration, more worship, and more praise.

And we say with the song writer, “When every star grows black and cold and heaven like a garment folds, God’s glory shall but brighter glow. When every hymn is finally sung and praise exhausts each Christian tongue, God’s rightful praise shall start to flow.”

Please accept our adoration, praise and worship, in the good name of your Son, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Holistic Health, part nine

How important is the Mind?

Romans 12 teaches us not to be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind.

Transformation takes place as our minds are renewed!

It has been said, “If the Evil One can win the battle for the mind, he wins the soul.”

We must protect the mind. We must defend and build up the mind.

How do we do that? There are many ways, but I will highlight two.

Reading: One of the primary ways of building up and defending the mind is through mental exercise. I happen to be a big believer in reading as the major tool for this aspect of mental health.

I have raised both of my children to be readers.

“Readers are leaders and leaders are readers” says, Howard Hendricks.

Encourage reading in your children, in your friends, in yourself. Reading is good. Reading good stuff is better!

Certainly we should saturate our minds with the Scriptures. Reading large chunks for long periods is a lost discipline. We have replaced it with “devotional” reading; a verse here, a verse there; a chapter here and a chapter there. But there are certain things from the Bible we cannot understand in short bites. We need to read whole books, at times, in one setting!

I am not opposed to devotional reading. I use the “Streams in the Dessert” every day and it has helped change my life. But it is NOT a substitute for reading the Scriptures themselves.

This also involves memorization. “Thy word I have hid in my heart that I might not sin against You…” the Psalmist says. Separate verses, chapters, whole books. I know people who have memorized large portions of the Scriptures and anyone who does so is greatly benefited by it.

But there are other books to read as well: Packer, Tozer, Havner, Spurgeon, Piper, Lewis, just to name a few. Also, reading classic literature can change your mind for the better. I have been bettered by reading Dickens, Dostoevsky, and Hugo, for example.

Next time, being like God by believing what God believes.

(Only two more installments to go. Hang in there!)

Explorer Users

Folks,

I use Mozilla for my web browser. So often, if you attempt to read a post from Explorer, it won't look right. Sorry. I'll try to go in and make adjustments as needed....or you could just switch to Mozilla!

Holistic Health, part eight

Now we come to what I have identified as the most important element of the “Imago Dei.” Being like God is thinking like God! It is having His mind.

1 Cor. 2.16 says, …”but we have the mind of Christ!”

What do we mean when we speak of the Mind? The mind deals with the ability to communicate, use language, reason, and think. The mind, though probably housed in the brain, is not exactly the same thing. The brain is an organ, albeit a very important organ. And the mind is intimately related to this brain. But the brain is technically part of the body and ceases to function with bodily death.

The mind, however, continues to exist and function after death. Until then, our minds are stuck with our brains!

In the beginning, God created man so that children would learn about themselves, the world, and God from their parents. Since then, some have done this job better than others, but ALL have done the job!

Each of us developed our beliefs about ourselves, God, and the world as a process of our brains developing in interaction with our environment. Our minds were nurtured, one way or another, by our surroundings.

So what we believe is very important. It is at once fragile and resistant to change.

From General Revelation, we find that once people get a notion fixed in their minds, it is very hard to change. This is partly due to the fact that we ignore information that contradicts what we already believe. We also discount information that contradicts what we believe.

If I believe that women are bad drivers, I will only see accidents that involve women. I will not even notice accidents where men are involved. Or I will minimize driving accidents with men and maximize accidents with women.

If I believe I am stupid, ugly, inferior, I will resist any external messages to the contrary. We are even prone to discount the Scriptures.

Romans 8:1-4 says,” There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 8:2 For the law of the life-giving Spirit in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. 8:3 For God achieved what the law could not do because it was weakened through the flesh. By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and concerning sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 8:4 so that the righteous requirement of the law may be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

But many of us still walk around with guilt, fear, self-loathing, the pressure to perform, and go, and go, and go to prove ourselves worthy! We are completely ignoring this precious truth. Why? Because once we get a belief established, it hangs on like barnacles on the bottom of a boat!

More next time...

Holistic Health, part seven

Last time we looked at what God does.

This time we look at how we can do like God does!

Be Creative: Step outside of your normal routine of thinking and behaving. Engage in some artistic endeavor: write, draw, sculpt, play an instrument, sing, play games, do Sudoku,…the healthiest people engage in activities that challenge their skills/knowledge. They are always growing.

Be Righteous: We ought to treat people fairly. We ought not be prejudiced or biased. Scriptures teach us not to treat the rich with favoritism and the poor with distain (see James 2) We ought to act with integrity. Do the right thing, even when people aren’t looking.

Be Kind: People in our path, family and friends (even enemies) should be treated with kindness. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another…knowing that God has been kind to you! The man who had a great debt forgiven, refused to forgive a much smaller debt to another man. His lack of compassion and “passing on the blessing” he had received, left him in danger of eternal punishment. To say the least, God disapproved of his lack of kindness.

Hold your charges to account: Our children, our church members, younger brothers and sisters, are not benefited by our inability to confront them when they are unruly. You can forgive someone without encouraging continued sin. (See Gal. 6.1)

Be Gracious: My father-in-law was an expert at Grace. He taught me to disagree with dignity. He also taught me to truly forgive sinners.

Be Understanding : Means showing empathy. Put yourself in the other person’s place.

Be Generous: Give to those who have need. Not begrudgingly or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Be Merciful: We are so quick to be harsh to those who offend us. Be quick to be like God in His mercy.

Be Beautiful: I know what some of you are thinking, but beauty goes beyond the aesthetic. True beauty is expressed in virtue (e.g. Prudence, Temperance, Justice, Fortitude)

Be Joyful: Oh, be joyful. Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say, rejoice!

Be Peaceful: Phil. 4: Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by joy…

Be Patient: 1 Cor. 13: Love is patient.

What should we be doing? Find out what God does and do that!

A Devotional on "Devotion"

What does devotion mean?

Dictionary.com says:

Profound dedication; consecration. Earnest attachment to a cause, person I would summarize it this way: Devotion is “Commitment with passion; or passionate commitment.” You can have commitment without passion. I have known of couples, who are committed to each other for many years, but it is clear that they are not devoted to each other. There is no passion. You can have passion with out commitment. Some people find it easy to be passionate, but have no commitment. The passion fades and the relationship fails. I want us to look at a passage of scripture that models and teaches what devotion is. It’s in 2 Sam. 23.13-17 23:13 At the time of the harvest three of the thirty leaders went down to David at the cave of Adullam. A band of Philistines was camped in the valley of Rephaim. 23:14 David was in the stronghold at the time, while a Philistine garrison was in Bethlehem. 23:15 David was thirsty and said, “How I wish someone would give me some water to drink from the cistern in Bethlehem near the gate!” 23:16 So the three elite warriors broke through the Philistine forces and drew some water from the cistern in Bethlehem near the gate. They carried it back to David, but he refused to drink it. He poured it out as a drink offering to the Lord 23:17 and said, “O Lord, I will not do this! It is equivalent to the blood of the men who risked their lives by going.” So he refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three elite warriors. David’s mighty men of valor were devoted to David. How do we know? They were attuned to David desires. They listened for his heart They wanted nothing more than to give him what he desired. They did not stop to make sure they understood what he meant before doing what he wanted. They left immediately. They risked their lives to give him what he wanted. Their devotion was rewarded. So what do we learn about our devotion to our God from these warriors’ devotion to David? Listen to God’s heart. When you are devoted to someone you don’t ignore what they say, feel, need, or desire. You are quick to see if you can do what it is that they want. And although it’s not always safe to give another person what they want, it’s always safe to give God what He wants Want nothing less than to give Him what He desires. I do not have a formula for changing your motives. I know I have always struggled with mixed motives when it comes to giving God what He wants. I want to, but I don’t want to. I know of two things that will help. 1. Ask for it! Pray for God to increase your desire to love and serve Him. 2. Don’t stop asking! Be like Jacob in Gen. 32 and don’t let go until God gives you what you ask for! Don’t stop to make sure you understood when you clearly understood. More often than not, when we stop to make sure we understand what God wants, we are just looking for an excuse to disobey or to postpone obedience. It is possible to be legitimately confused and in those cases we may need to wait for further instruction/clarification. But very often, like David’s warriors, we know what God wants. Notice that none of the mighty men of valor said, “Oh, maybe he was speaking allegorically. And what he meant was that he just longed for the good old days…” Just do it. Risk your life. What difference does it make if you are comfortable, healthy, or safe? When you are devoted to God, (or to anyone!) you don’t care about the cost! My wife may need me to take out the trash, change the laundry, or wash her car, all inconveniences. But if I’m devoted, so what? God rewards your devotion. Mutual human devotion is its own reward. My devotion to my wife is rewarded with her devotion to me and the pleasure we receive from serving each other. But devotion to God is rewarded in ways we might not expect. David poured out the water. We might be tempted to think that was disrespectful. But for him, it was a way of honoring their devotion, by making an offering to God. There is no higher honor than being involved in worship to the Great King! Listen to God’s heart, seek to give Him what he wants, when it is clear, don’t wait for further clarification, risk it all and God will honor your devotion. (Just taking a break from Holistic Health...it'll be back)

Holistic Health, part six

When I was 18 years old, my dad told me, “Son, a man does what a man wants to do.” I’ve never forgotten it. It has encouraged me, again and again, to be responsible for my actions.

When we speak of the “Will” as an aspect of God’s personality, we are talking about what God does. And just as we are responsible to be like God in body, emotion, and mind, we are to be like God in our behaviors.

John 13.12-15 So when Jesus had washed their feet and put his outer clothing back on, he took his place at the table again and said to them, “Do you understand what I have done for you? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and do so correctly, for that is what I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you too ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example – you should do just as I have done for you.

Our behaviors matter. As important as our bodies, emotions, and minds are, what we do is also very important.

It is very common to watch an interview with a man on the street. And when this person is asked questions like, “Do you think it’s important to take care of widows and orphans?” he says, “Yes, of course!” Why, because he believes it? No, because it is the right thing to say. How do I know he doesn’t believe it? Because if the next question is, “When was the last time you did something to care for widows and orphans”, he stutters and stumbles and shifts his feet. So does he really believe it is important to care for widows and orphans?

This is the Biblical teaching on the importance of our behaviors. Our behaviors are the evidence of what we believe.

But, specifically, what should we be doing in order to be healthy?

Well, what does the Bible teach we should do? We have already said that God’s behavior is a model for us, so there should be plenty of examples of God’s behavior.

What does God do?

• He creates (Gen. 1.1)
  
• He does righteousness (Ezra 9.15)
  
• He is kind (Gen. 39.21)
  
• He holds His charges to account (Deut. 18.19)
  
• He is gracious (Ex. 33.19)
  
• He is understanding (1 Kings 19.4-7)
  
• He is generous (Gen. 33.11)
  
• He is merciful (Deut. 4.31)
  
• He is beautiful (Is. 28.5)
  
• He is joyful (Zeph. 3.17)
  
• He is peaceful (John 14.27)
  
• He is patient (Ps. 86.15)
  

This is obviously not an exhaustive list. But it's a good start. If we can be like God in these things, we will have gone a long way.

Next time we will look at specific ways of doing just that.

Holistic Health, part five

Emotions continued...

Now, let me share some of the truth we have learned through general revelation about human emotion. Some people are born more emotional than others.

There are at least 3 qualities that we are born with. These are qualities that are genetic. They manifest themselves very early in life. In fact, they show up in the first few days of life. These qualities are: Activity level, sociability, and emotionality.

Some have more and some have less of each. Some people are innately more emotional than others. They experience more emotions and do so more intensely.

Now, we are not victims of this genetic tendency. We are moldable and pliable. But during our earliest days, we learn how to deal with our emotions through our interactions with our parents/caregivers. It would take years of study to discuss how this might occur. But let me just say that, for example, if someone is born more emotional and his parents discourage emotional reactions, his emotional reactions might be lessened. If his parents encourage emotional expression, his emotions might be increased.

As parents, we need to teach our children how to deal with their emotions. My wife was great at teaching our kids “emotions modulation”, which are ways of controlling our emotions rather than being controlled by them.

If we reach adulthood without this ability, we can still learn. We are not victims of our upbringing. But change has to come from within. We can help each other by providing an environment that fosters growth, but each of us has to go through the process himself.

How do we learn to appropriately deal with emotion? Anger, fear, sadness, depression, anxiety…?

• Start with the body issues we talked about before. Are you getting enough sleep, proper nutrition, and exercise?
• Rehearse what the Bible teaches us about emotion, via example and imperative. (see part four)
  
• Be honest about our feelings, at least with God. The Psalms are full of this. (Ps. 56, 23, 139, 5, etc) This also involves assessing whether or not our emotions are warranted. Are our emotions, especially anger, sadness, and fear, appropriate for the situation? It is appropriate to fear something that can bring you harm (a fall from a great height, snakes, poisonous spiders, God!) It is appropriate to be sad when you lose a loved one or have a hope dashed.
• Share with a trusted confidant.
• Write in a feelings journal.
  
• Rehearse the truth of God's sovereignty (Dan. 5.23...God has in His control your very breath and all your ways.)
  

Many men suffer under the delusion that if they express emotions (e. g. sadness or fear) they will be less manly. But clearly, there is no man manlier than the God-Man and he experienced and expressed both!

In review, emotions are God given and allow us a unique opportunity. If we experience our emotions in appropriate ways at appropriate times, we will be reflecting something more of God's nature to the world, thus bringing Him more glory!

Next time, the Will.

Holistic Health, part four

We have discussed ways to measure our body’s need for rest, nutrition, and exercise in order to be more reflective of God’s nature and hence to glorify God more.

Today we look at Emotion

Experts in General Revelation tell us that there are at least 6 basic human emotions: happy, sad, angry, scared, disgusted, and surprised.

As with all the other issues (mind, will, body) our emotions are reflections and imitations of God’s emotions. They MUST be if they are to glorify Him.

Let’s look at God’s expressions of each of these emotions.

Was/is God ever happy? Luke 12.32…God was well pleased to give you the kingdom. Luke 15.7…Joy in heaven over one saved “sheep”. One of my favorites is in Zephaniah 3:17 The Lord your God is in your midst; He is a warrior who can deliver. He takes great delight in you; renews you by His love ; He shouts for joy over you.”

Was/is God ever sad? Luke 19.41, Jesus wept over Jerusalem; John 11.35, Jesus wept at Lazarus’ grave

Was/is God ever angry? Ps. 5.5 God is angry with the wicked every day; John 2.15, Jesus was obviously angry with the money changers

Was/is God ever scared? Heb. 5.7 Jesus was heard because He feared…but not the kind of fear that causes one to run away, like phobia, but the kind that cause one to run toward God! Luke 22.39-44 “Father, let this cup pass…nevertheless, not my will but Thine be done

Was/is God ever disgusted? Gen. 6.5-6…God was grieved, insulted, at the actions of mankind, Rev. 3.16 God is so disgusted that He says, "I will vomit you out of my mouth."

Was/is God ever surprised? Probably not. Since it violates the very nature of omniscience. Therefore, surprise may not be truly an emotion. It may be just a startle response, like a reflex. Or maybe an emotion unique to humans, since God, by nature, cannot ever be surprised.

Since God experienced these emotions and obviously never sinned, then there must be ways for us to experience each of these emotions and an appropriate way to respond to them.

We see several principles regarding emotional expression:

• God expressed emotion at appropriate times
  
• God expressed emotion at appropriate levels (no over expression or under expression)
  
• God was not afraid of or embarrassed by His emotions
  
• God expressed His emotions, most often, verbally. But He also showed them non-verbally
  
• God never got stuck in an emotion, but lived through it to the other side

More on emotion next time...

Comments

Sorry, to those of you who have attempted to post a comment. I had "comments" setting set at the highest degree of difficulty! I've changed that so comments should be easier now.

Holistic Health, part three

Because God’s personality is housed (if one can think of God being “housed” in anything) in Spirit, He is not bound by such things as neurology, anatomy, physiology, gravity, time, or physics.

Because we are housed in bodies, we are bound by such things. We are bound by laws that govern the functioning of a biological being. We have nervous systems and hormonal systems, particularly, which influence, and are influenced by our mind, will, and emotions. Ours is a reciprocal relationship within ourselves. Every thought, feeling, and behavior is simultaneously biological.

The Bible doesn’t say a whole lot about the body and how to treat it, but we do have hints here and there.

For example, we read in 1 Tim. 5.23 that drinking a little wine can be good for the stomach. We read in Daniel 1 that vegetables were considered better for the body than “the king’s dainties”. And in 1 Kings 19.1-18, God supplies food and water for a hungry, thirsty, and spiritually exhausted Elijah.

So the notion is that taking care to provide the body with proper nutrition is good and appropriate.

We also find that exercise is hinted at. 1 Tim. 4.8 says that, “bodily exercise profits a little”. And in 1 Cor. 9.24-26 Paul uses vigorous physical training as an example of spiritual training.

As for rest, why was Jesus asleep in the bottom of the boat (Matt. 8.23)? Because He was tired. If it is ok for Jesus to sleep when He is tired, I suspect its ok for us.

As for our Nervous and Hormonal systems, the scriptures really don’t address them. But General Revelation has taught us that many of our emotional, cognitive (i.e. thinking), and relationship problems find their roots in chemical imbalances.

If you are having emotional, cognitive, or relational problems, evaluate whether or not you are getting proper amounts of the right kind of nutrition, rest, and exercise. If those are in place and the problems still exist, seek the help of a mental health professional to consider if neurological or hormonal issues might be involved.

Remember that being as physically healthy as we can is not just an option. It is an opportunity to reflect God's glory to the world...and that is why we're here!

Holistic Health, part two

Special Revelation teaches us that we are creatures created in God’s image. That means many things. But one thing it means is that, "You and I are in little (our sins excepted) what God is in large." (Tozer, The Pursuit of God)

God has personality and we have personality. Having personality means He has mind, will, and emotion. Since we have personality, we have mind, will, and emotion.

God is spirit. That also means many things. But for purposes of this discussion, it means that God’s personality is housed in spirit. This corresponds, interestingly enough, to our personalities being housed in bodies. God’s personality can no more be separated from spirit than our personalities can be separated from our bodies (with the obvious exception of Death).

In other words, as long as we are alive, our personalities are intimately and permanently interacting with our bodies. We are, therefore, responsible to keep our bodies as healthy as we can to create an environment conducive to having healthy personalities (mind, will, emotion).

In other words, being Holistically Healthy, means being healthy in body, mind, will, and emotion. It also means being like God.

Over the next several installments, I will discuss ways of being healthy by addressing issues of the body, the emotion, the will, and the mind, in that order.

We will look at both Special and General Revelation to gain insight into healthy living.

Keep watching...

Holistic Health, part one

What makes us who we are?

Why do we get depressed? Anxious? Fearful? Stressed? Discouraged? Angry with ourselves? Angry with others?

We think, often, that if we can understand where it comes from, we can correct it. We can “fix” the problem and make our depression, anxiety, fear, stress, discouragement, or anger go away.

And this is a logical conclusion. If my car won’t start in the morning, I need to find out what is causing it not to start and fix it, so it will start. If my stomach hurts, I need to find out what is making it hurt, so I can stop it from hurting. If my child is being disobedient, I need to find out what is causing this disobedience and fix it, so he will be obedient.

The next question is: How do I find out what is wrong? Where do I go to learn the truth about what is causing my problem (depression, fear, etc)?

Ultimately, there is only one source for truth. God!

God is the author of truth. Jesus said, on many occasions, “I tell you the truth…”

He took this even further when He said, in John 14:6 “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” He IS TRUTH!

So it is imperative that we seek the mind of God on these issues (depression, anxiety, etc.) just like we would on any other question regarding truth.

How does God communicate with us? Two ways:

Special Revelation: Ps. 119 makes it very clear that when God speaks through the scriptures He speaks the truth. Special revelation also includes any direct communication between God and Man (e.g. dreams, visions, appearances)

When we organize our understanding of Special Revelation, we call it Theology or Doctrine.

General Revelation: God also speaks through creation. Psalm 19:1 says “The heavens declare the glory of God; the sky displays His handiwork.”

Romans 1:20 says “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes –His eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, because they are understood through what has been made. So people are without excuse.”

When we organize General Revelation, we call it Science and Philosophy, Reason, Logic, etc.

What we must do to discern truth is glean as much knowledge and understanding as we can from Scriptures (our main source of Special Revelation) and the best of General Revelation to help us understand where some of our problems (e. g. depression, stress, anxiety) come from and how to best deal with them.

Keep watching...

Holistic Health

Several people have asked about notes regarding my teaching about "Holistic Health" and I'd like to try and make some of that available.

What I'll do is post little, abbreviated, versions of my lectures in a sort of series.

I'll start with some basic notions of how we seek and find truth and then post a series starting with being like God in our bodies, moving on to being like God in mind, will, and emotion.

Hoping this is helpful...

Tim

Judgment

"How can a Christian judge other Christians and still obey the command to not be judgmental? Simply this: There is a judgment that leads to condemnation and a judgment that leads to reconciliation." Anonymous

Judgmental?

"Don't make the mistake of thinking the little knowledge you have is all the knowledge there is to be had." Anonymous

What could be more important than you?

1 Corinthians 6:1 When any of you has a legal dispute with another, does he dare go to court before the unrighteous rather than before the saints? 6:2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you not competent to settle trivial suits? 6:3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? Why not ordinary matters! 6:4 So if you have ordinary lawsuits, do you appoint as judges those who have no standing in the church? 6:5 I say this to your shame! Is there no one among you wise enough to settle disputes between fellow Christians? 6:6 Instead, does a Christian sue a Christian, and do this before unbelievers? 6:7 The fact that you have lawsuits among yourselves demonstrates that you have already been defeated. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? 6:8 But you yourselves wrong and cheat, and you do this to your brothers and sisters!

The wisdom of the world says something like, "I must be certain to protect my own interests. If I don't, I'll be cheated! And there is nothing worse than me being cheated! I have rights and you can't take from me and expect to not be punished. If you take anything from me I must be paid back."

Now justice and fairness are good things. The apostle here is not arguing that people shouldn't be treated fairly. But he is claiming that there is something more important than fairness: a higher law must be invoked.

When a brother takes a brother to court before unbelievers this higher law is violated. It is such a serious violation that Paul calls it a "shame".

The priority regarding these principles looks something like this: search out justice in daily matters, but under the judgment of the elders of the church. If you get justice, fine. If not, drop it! There are to be no appeals! Do not seek further resolution in the court of the unbelieving world. You are better off being wronged or cheated than to experience the shame of having lost people not only watch your dispute, but render a judgment about it!

So what is this "higher law"? God's glory is more important than you. Whether you are treated fairly and get what you deserve is less important than God's reputation.

The Church and Chariots

1 Corinthians 5:1 It is actually reported that sexual immorality exists among you, the kind of immorality that is not permitted even among the Gentiles, so that someone is cohabiting with his father’s wife. 5:2 And you are proud! Shouldn’t you have been deeply sorrowful instead and removed the one who did this from among you? 5:3 For even though I am absent physically, I am present in spirit. And I have already judged the one who did this, just as though I were present. 5:4 When you gather together in the name of our Lord Jesus, and I am with you in spirit, along with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5:5 turn this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. (NET)

Later in this chapter, the Apostle Paul lists several sins that would result in this level of judgment: For those claiming to be Christians, being sexually immoral, greedy, idolaters, verbally abusive, a drunkard, or swindler fits in this category (vs. 9-13).

What I had never noticed until now, is that this Corinthian church struggled with a host of sins:

• Divisions over personalities (Paul, Peter, Apollos, Christ)
• They were suing each other before the courts of unbelievers
• Some were getting drunk at church meetings
• Some did not believe in the resurrection
• Visiting prostitutes
• Partaking of "the table of demons”
  

Yet Paul doesn’t suggest that for any of these sins, was a person to receive excommunication or be "delivered over to Satan..." Rather, he reserves this judgment for someone who is sinning worse than the unbelievers!

This should cause a problem in the minds of those of us who are “black and white” in our thinking. (Some of us believe there are two sides to every story, “right and wrong”). Rather, Paul here acknowledges that some sins are different and more damaging and in need of stronger, more intense response than others.

It looks to me like this. Have you ever seen Ben Hur? There is a great chariot race in this movie. Four horses abreast pulling a chariot around a huge oval. There are 10 or so of these chariots in the race. These horses have to pull together. They have to be fast, coordinated, and cooperative. It is the team that does all these things the best that wins. If one or more of the horses is out of step or pulling slightly in a different direction, they will be significantly impaired in the process, but they will still get around the track.

But what might happen to this same chariot if one horse was attached facing the other direction and was pulling them backwards? You can imagine the difficulty.

So there appears to be a level of sinning that is tolerable, just because it is part of the human condition to be growing in grace and holiness. As long as the church is still going in the right direction and making progress, Paul doesn’t proclaim a need for separation of members.

Only when the sin is at the level of threatening to pull the whole organism in the wrong direction does he resort to this type of judgment.

Balance

"Obedience without passion is Phariseeism. Passion without obedience is sentimentalism." Anonymous

Great Faith

C. H. Spurgeon

"Little faith will get your soul to heaven. Great faith will bring heaven to your soul."

Praise for God's Glory

Father, we praise you today for your unrelenting pursuit of us.

We praise you for your unembarrassed love for us.

We praise you for your unconditional acceptance of us.

We praise you for your incomprehensible mercy toward us.

We praise you for your unmitigated understanding of us.

You know us better than we know ourselves, yet you pursue, love, accept, show mercy, and understand us.

As we remember these elements of your glory; as we behold, with unveiled faces, as in a mirror, Your glory, we are being transformed into that same image from one glory to the next, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

So that, as we praise you, we become more like you, multiplying the praise that transforms the lives of others, that in turn multiplies your glory even more.

In this way, may the whole earth be full of your glory!

In the Good name of Jesus Christ, your Son,

Amen.

Paul and the Matrushka

1 Corinthians 3:21 So then, no more boasting about mere mortals! For everything belongs to you, 3:22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future. Everything belongs to you, 3:23 and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.

This passage has always left me hanging. Like many of Paul’s instructions, this is hard for me to understand. I wonder, what does ‘all things belong to us, us to Christ, and Christ to God” have to do with boasting about mere mortals? What is the connection?

It would seem that understanding this one truth should prevent us from engaging in this one error.

Example: Don’t drink Clorox, because it will erode your insides and eventually kill you. Be kind to others because Christ is kind to you. Forgive others because you are forgiven. Don’t drink too much because you will become an alcoholic…you get the picture.

But don’t boast in men, because we all belong to God? It’s hard for me.

He says, no more boasting about mere mortals. What kind of boasting were they doing? What did it sound like?

“I belong to Paul!” “I belong to Apollos!”, etc. Maybe what they were doing was claiming ownership of certain of God’s blessings (in this case teachers and leaders) and disclaiming others.

Maybe they were saying: "Only certain of God’s possessions are my possessions." And that is an impossibility. If everything eventually belongs to Christ and Christ belongs to God, none can be “disowned” by us.

It is like having a favorite child. Having a favorite child is like saying "this one is more mine than that one." It’s not only unhealthy for relationships; it’s a flat out lie. All your children are your children, no matter what attitude you adopt.

Think of a Matrushka Doll. Like the one pictured above. Imagine that God is the big one, Christ is the next one, you are the third one, and the others represent "all things". When they are all placed inside one another, it makes a unified, whole, object. All things belong inside you, you belong inside Christ, Christ belongs inside God. Nice.

But if you decide that one of the "all things" is not yours and attempt to leave it out, the picture isn't quite so nice. You've created an unhealthy, negative, even impossible set of relationships.

The notion that you can own part of what God gives and not all of it is a conceit and boasting. It is a way of claiming a status higher than God Himself.

The notion that you can own part of what God gives and not all of it is a fantasy. It's all in your mind!

A prayer of praise

Psalm

86:8 None can compare to you among the gods, O Lord!

Your exploits are incomparable!

86:9 All the nations, whom you created,

will come and worship you, O Lord.

They will honor your name.

86:10 For you are great and do amazing things.

You alone are God.

Father, if we placed all the gods or objects of worship along side you, you out shine, out perform, and overwhelm the competition! Idols have eyes but can’t see, ears but can’t hear, mouths but can’t speak. You, on the other hand, not only see, but see perfectly. You not only hear, but hear everything. You not only speak, but speak truth.

What you have done and will do are without rival. You create life from lifelessness. Light from darkness. You make good come from evil.

There is no people group, (kingdom, country, dictatorship) that will not fall down before you in worship at some time in the future.

There is no system of thought (atheism, agnosticism, pantheism, polytheism,) or philosophy, that will not fall down before you and acknowledge that You alone are God.

Willingly or unwillingly, all will ultimately admit to your person and work as wholly different and exalted.

For you do great and amazing things! You make grace amazing. You make mercy amazing. You make love amazing. You make forgiveness amazing.

You have reached down; you have stooped low, to lift up unworthy sinners such as us. Yours is an amazing grace!

You alone are God!

These things I pray in the Name of your Dear Son, the Son of your amazing grace, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

"Pride and Prejudice"

Numbers 11

²⁶But two men had remained in the camp; the name of one was Eldad and the name of the other Medad. And the Spirit rested upon them (now they were among those who had been registered, but had not gone out to the tent), and they prophesied in the camp.
²⁷So a young man ran and told Moses and said, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp."
²⁸Then Joshua the son of Nun, the attendant of Moses from his youth, said, "Moses, my lord, restrain them."
²⁹But Moses said to him, "Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the LORD'S people were prophets, that the LORD would put His Spirit upon them!"

The beauty of humility is once again manifest in the man, Moses. His attitude toward God, others, and himself was the most self-effacing attitude of anyone on the planet. Even though God had spoken to him and through him on many occasions and he had been the instrument of multiple miracles and other mighty works, Moses kept a clear eye on who he was and who God was. He never place himself above the status of a servant.

There is no room for pride and jealousy in God’s economy! It is God who does the work and we are His instruments. So why would we be offended at the gifts and ministries of others whom God is using to accomplish His purposes? And it is His purposes, not ours, that matter.

I am sometimes defensive when I see others who might be as gifted or more gifted than I am. I have always compared myself with others and usually unfavorably. When I hear of someone who is a “great teacher”, I wonder, ‘Is he better than me?’ When I hear of someone who is very funny, charming, kind, physically fit,…I wonder, ‘More than me?’

Why? Because I still believe, though I’ve been in Christ and studying His word for more than 25 years, that my worth is based on my abilities. And I also believe that someone who is better looking, smarter, funnier, more devoted to his family, (name it) is more loved by God and others and more valuable than I am.

Why not rejoice? Why not be excited to see others being used by God? Why not enjoy God's grace and beauty being expressed in others?

God does!

"Sin awareness"

In 1 Corinthians 2.8, the apostle Paul references the rulers of this world who were responsible for crucifying the Christ and says, … If they had known it, (i.e. understood what they were doing) they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

Oh, my! What questions this raises in our minds!

Could they have known it? What kept them from knowing it? God? Satan? Their own natures? Ignorance? And if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Christ and we have no savior! We have no substitute for our sins and therefore, we are doomed to spend eternity in hell!

These are interesting questions that could result in many hours of study, discussion, and migraines! But I think the clear teaching here is the enormously heinous nature of the act of crucifying our Lord! They didn’t know what they were doing!

It is analogous to the issue of abortion. If abortionists knew (read “really understood”) that they were killing beings, created in the image of a perfect, holy, just, gracious, omnipotent, etc God, they would not do what they do!

And is this not true of us? When we willfully sin, doesn’t it in some way represent that we don’t know what evil we are bringing on ourselves and on the character of our God?

Sometimes I can imagine God looking down on me while I willfully sin and I can see in His eyes, “He doesn’t realize what he is doing!”

So He keeps loving me and tenderly working with me and completing the work He began in me.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. If God were to show us the enormity of our sin, and the enormity of His goodness we would die! Our minds and hearts simply could not take it.

Ask God to show you. It’s ok. He is wise enough and powerful enough to show you just the right amount at the right time. But you need to be willing to see and be willing to ask. For some magnificent and unexplainable reason, He wants our cooperation in His work in us.

Prayer and Incense

Consider Exodus 30.7-10

⁷ "Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it; he shall burn it every morning when he trims the lamps.
⁸ "When Aaron trims the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense. There shall be perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.
⁹ "You shall not offer any strange incense on this altar, or burnt offering or meal offering; and you shall not pour out a drink offering on it.
¹⁰ "Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year; he shall make atonement on it with the blood of the sin offering of atonement once a year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the LORD."

When we further consider several passages in Revelation (e.g. 5.8; 8.4; 8.5) it appears that the incense and the altar of incense represent the prayers of believers.

If that is true, the instructions in Exodus regarding the altar of incense are packed with meaningful representations.

For example, incense was to be burned every morning and every evening, perpetually. Our first thought on rising is to be to commune in prayer with our Maker and Redeemer (e.g. "Holy Father, good morning! I praise you and honor you. I am in this world on this day for your eternal purposes…").

And even though we are commanded to pray without ceasing and throughout the day, there is another special time devoted to prayer and that is at evening. Last thoughts are as important as first thoughts. (e.g. "Dear Father, thank you for all the opportunities you afforded me today. Forgive me for my obvious and presumptuous sins today. Bless my sleep so I can rise refreshed for whatever you have for me tomorrow…")

Also, no strange incense is to be offered as prayer. I don’t know what this means. It could be that any impurity of prayer is being referenced. Selfishness, greed, ‘asking amiss that we may spend it on our own lusts’ would likely qualify as strange incense. Also, prayer to any other god or deity would certainly be a perversion.

God wants us to be ever aware of our need for Him and our position of gratitude to Him for all of our needs and His benefits. We are utterly dependent on Him and ought never attribute to others, what He alone provides. Make no mistake! It is only because of His good pleasure that you take your next breath.

Incense smells good to God!

Thermometers and Thermostats

I was listening to a sermon the other day by a great Southern Baptist Itinerate Preacher, Vance Havner. In it he mentioned, in passing, that some people are Thermometers and others are Thermostats. This thought intrigued me and resonated with my experience.

We all appreciate the value of thermometers. In the winter, we watch weather broadcasts for the high and low temperatures and the potential cold fronts that might come through. And in the summer, we’re all very interested in thermometers, particularly in July and August. How hot will it be and how humid and how will it effect my vacation plans?

It is helpful for us to be like thermometers. In fact, when we aren’t aware of the prevailing spiritual/moral temperature in our family, church, society, it's easy for commitment to spiritual/religious truth and Biblical morality to slide down the slippery slope toward heresy and immorality. Francis Schaeffer and C. Everett Koop, in “Whatever Happened to the Human Race” refer to this phenomenon as allowing “Unthinkables to become thinkables”. That which we could not imagine happening in one generation becomes commonplace in the next.

But thermometers, as helpful as they are, only register the state of the environment outside or inside. They don’t change the environment they just report it.

Thermostats, however, serve another purpose. They change the environment. When it’s too cold, you turn it up. When it’s too hot, you turn it down.

Thermostats not only register the temperature in a room, they do something about it!

In the book of Galatians, Paul describes how he felt compelled to confront Peter with hypocrisy. Chapter 2, starting at verse 11 says…

"But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he had clearly done wrong. 2:12 Until certain people came from James, he had been eating with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he stopped doing this and separated himself because he was afraid of those who were pro-circumcision. 2:13 And the rest of the Jews also joined with him in this hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led astray with them by their hypocrisy. 2:14 But when I saw that they were not behaving consistently with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “If you, although you are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you try to force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

Peter had become merely a Thermometer, responding to the changing temperature of social acceptance. In one environment, he was warm toward the Gentiles. In another environment he was cold. Whatever the changing wind brought, Peter reported.

Paul saw the hypocrisy of such behavior and challenged it. He chose to make a difference. He chose to do something about it. I have no doubt that Peter responded appropriately to this correction.

But this situation demonstrates how easily each of us can become thermometers, and nothing more.

Let’s guard our steps and trust our God when we need courage to stand for what is right at home, at work, at church, and in the community.