Skinny Foxes

He said, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be stripped of everything when I die. The Lord gave me everything I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!” Job 1:21

Once, a fox discovered a vineyard. It was completely enclosed by a wall, except for one small hole. When the fox tried to enter the hole, he discovered he could not. It was too small. So he decided to fast for three days until he became thin enough to enter through the hole. He began fasting and, after three days, was scrawny enough to make it. He entered the hole and found to his delight that the vineyard was a virtual paradise. He ate and ate until he became sleek and fat.

But when he wanted to leave, the fox couldn’t get through the hole. So he had to fast again until he was thin enough to get out. It took three days before he could make it. He finally exited the vineyard just as thin, scrawny and hungry as he had been nine days before.

So it is with life. We struggle so hard for things that don’t bring lasting satisfaction. We work long days in order to be able to purchase things that break within the month. We wish and long for things we soon grow tired of.

If we would ask ourselves the following three questions and answer them honestly, we would learn to escape the clutches of materialism. First, where did you come from? If you think deeply you will discover that you came from your background. Your friends and relatives formed you in a large way. Further back than that, you come from your parents. You may not like everything they did, but they taught you enough that you now know better, don’t you? So you owe them. Still further back, you come from God. He holds ultimate ownership.

Second, where are you going? You are going to the grave. You must be prepared so that if you should die at any time, you would have no regrets. If you knew you were going to die in six hours, what would you do? Why not go ahead and do those things just in case?

Third, to whom are you responsible? The answer is unquestionably God. The Scriptures say, “…it is destined that each person dies only once and after that comes judgment,” (Hebrews 9:27). They also say in Matthew 12:36-37 “And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day of every idle word you speak. The words you say now reflect your fate then; either you will be justified by them or you will be condemned.”

Remember that as fat and sleek as we may become in life, we will leave just as naked and scrawny as we came in. This is the path to lasting peace and the discovery of the benefits of simplicity.

Fat Doctors and Self-righteous Pastors

Why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? Matthew 7:3

A man went to his doctor for a physical examination. The doctor gave him an initial exam and then sent him to five other physicians, who checked him out in their areas of specialty. A week later, the man returned for a report on the results.

Sitting behind his desk, the doctor fingered several sheets of reports, lingering over a few pages. Finally, he closed the manila folder and reported, “You are in fine shape – your heart, your lungs, all those things are in good order. But you are too heavy.” He then gave the man his expert counsel about the damage that the extra pounds he was carrying could do to his heart and lungs and blood vessels.

The patient began to feel apprehensive. Then he looked at the doctor and realized the doctor was two inches shorter than he was and probably weighed about 235 pounds!

Here lies the dilemma of the trained mind. The doctor was providing accurate and needed counsel, while unaware that he himself needed to address the problem of his own weight. Being a doctor gave the overweight physician no immunity. Until the doctor applied his medical knowledge to his personal lifestyle, he too was in physical jeopardy.

The point is that we pastors, with our specialized knowledge, leadership positions and spiritual skills, can fall victim to a false sense of security. We must remember that in teaching others about God, we must know God ourselves; in calling others to faith, we must be believers too; in feeding others, we must also eat soul-nourishing food. Like everyone else, we too need help to grow spiritually.

Holy things can become ordinary to us, so customary and familiar to us that we become casual about them. As “professionals” who work regularly with the contents of the Bible, we must guard against subconsciously viewing the Scriptures as only a literary treasure out of which we teach and preach great things that we falsely assume we have mastered. We must search ourselves, asking, “As we routinely shepherd souls, do those who experience our leadership perceive a genuine caring for them? Do they perceive alongside responsible scholarship an evident faith? Do they sense both a love for truth and a heart for God? Do they perceive within our prayers the accent of our personal reverence?”

What people want to see in pastors as they lead in worship or read from the Scriptures is reverence. Reverence is not a tone or a posture. It is the atmosphere exhaled by a man who is aware of the Presence of God. Our responsibility to God begins and ends in our living and ministering in that Presence.

Excuses, Excuses

…they are without excuse. -Romans 1:20

We are all skilled in the art of making excuses. We try to obtain exemption or release for what we know we should have done. Excuses are offered by the very young for failure to do household chores. As children grow older, they are confronted by more situations in life which often require excuses; such as being late or failing to do one's homework. Adults find it necessary to offer excuses for being late to work, or being late in paying bills, or forgetting appointments. We have heard most of the excuses; they are all too familiar. No doubt a best seller would be a book of new and original excuses, because it seems that there is always a need to be exempt from something, or a need to excused.

On one occasion, Christ gave a parable concerning a great supper. In this particular parable, a certain man invited guests to a large dinner which he had prepared. Those who were invited all made excuses. One said that he had purchased a piece of land and he needed to go take a look at what he had purchased. Another excused himself by saying that he had purchased five yoke of oxen and he needed to go try them out. The third man said "I have married a wife, and for that reason I cannot come." Excuses excuses! The truth of the matter is that they did not want to accept the invitation, so they offered foolish excuses. Those who would refuse the invitation of the gospel are left with no other alternative but to offer some flimsy excuse.

When the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome, he described some who were "suppressing the truth in unrighteousness." Paul said that such people were subject to the wrath of God. But he also said that they were without excuse for their sin, "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20) These men were guilty of not only refusing to believe the truth themselves, but they were hindering others from receiving the truth. The Apostle Paul points out that these suppressors of the truth could not hide behind some excuse. They might claim that they did not know the truth. Paul insists that the truth which creation reveals concerning God the Creator is sufficient to hold them accountable.

When it comes to man's accountability before God, there are no valid excuses. No one on the final Day of Judgment will be to obtain an exemption or offer an explanation as a reason for being excused. The wisest thing that a man can do is to face God's word honestly before the Day of Judgment.

Hide and Seek

“If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me.” Jeremiah 29:13

How many times have you tried to pray only to find yourself thinking of something else instead? How many times have you caught yourself asleep when you intended to meditate? We are so easily distracted. We are like babies whose eyes follow whatever is moving without true understanding. A fly buzzes and we are distracted from our conversation with the Sovereign God. A drip from a faucet can ruin our meditation.

God promises that in the great game of hide and seek He will be easily found if we will only look. When I was a child, I sometimes thought that if I closed my eyes and covered them with my hands that no one could see me. I would stand in the middle of the room, easily visible to my parents, and think that I was hidden. They would play along for a while, calling out my name as though they couldn’t find me. Finally, one day I realized that they could see me and then hiding became a little harder.

God is not hiding from us. He is standing in the middle of the room with His eyes open and His arms wide. We are the ones who are stumbling around the perimeter of the room with our eyes shut, wondering where God is hiding. How do I know that? History.

Consider Adam and Eve. When they sinned, who went looking for restoration, God or them? He knew what they had done and yet on He came. Adam and Eve were the ones hiding from Him.
Consider David, sitting on his throne thinking he had succeeded in hiding his sin. David was smug and comfortable until God sent Nathan after him who cried “You are the man!” He could have cried “Found you!”

How about you and me? “Although the world was made through him, the world didn’t recognize him when he came. Even in his own land and among his own people, he was not accepted. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:10-11). While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. We weren’t looking for Him. We were twisting and convulsing in our own sinful filth when God came looking for us, found us lying there in our own blood and rather than being repulsed reached out and touched us. He healed us, restored us and clothed us. We now find our selves clothed and in our right minds. And yet…

We still struggle to find God at times. When you find yourself struggling, relax, sit back, close your eyes and think back to the last time you felt close to Him. Where was it that you last saw Him? Get back there, retrace your steps and, if you are earnestly seeking, you will certainly find Him.

Called to Act

He said to another person, “Come, be my disciple.” The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.” Jesus replied, “Let those who are spiritually dead care for their own dead. Your duty is to go and preach the coming of the Kingdom of God.” Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.” But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:59-62)

Have you ever noticed how often Jesus gave orders? People came to him asking for help, and He immediately challenges them to act. He called Peter and Andrew to follow Him. He commanded the servants at the wedding feast to fill the pots with water. He asked the woman at the well for water and told the lame man at the pool to rise up and walk!

In each case, he either demanded the impossible or challenged their understanding of what was right. When we truly come face to face with the Master, honestly seeking help, He will inevitably call us to action. And our obedience will grant us certain insights on faith and qualities of Christian character. But these only come as we follow Him. A disciple is one who obeys and imitates a master.

Are you holding back, trying to develop the convictions and receive the gifts of love, joy and peace without making a total commitment to follow Him? It is impossible. Only those who determine to obediently answer Christ’s call will be transformed.

Following Christ does not entail slaying dragons or conquering worlds. It starts with simply deciding to make Him the boss. Once you have settled in your mind that you can’t do this on your own, that your good deeds are just not good enough to get you to heaven, and that you need the Messiah, from that point on it’s pretty simple.

Your discipleship will include performing simple and good daily duties; worshiping God with His people; studying God’s Word; seriously praying to Him and following His example in performing acts of kindness and mercy. It’s like healthy eating. Keep it simple but varied, wholesome and delightful.

Paul warned us that people would rather listen to teachers that whisper delightful things in their ears (2 Timothy 4:3-5). “You are okay just as you are.” They wheeze. “Pleasing God involves pleasing the church.” They pontificate. But Jesus came, loving us so much that even though He recognized us for the sinners we truly are, He died for us. In His love, in His great mercy He desired true joy for us. And what was His solution? Action. Obedience. Submission. Death to self. Doesn’t tickle your ears, I admit – but it works.

The Lazy Hunter

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. – Colossians 2:8

There once was a man who was so lazy he would scarcely roll out of bed. One day he sat under a tree on the edge of the savannah and watched all the antelope go by. He wished he had one to eat but he couldn’t be bothered to actually get up and shoot, for he felt it was simply too hot.

But as he continued to sit, he observed a cheetah on the prowl. It slowly, patiently worked its way closer and closer to the herd until in one impressive burst of speed it leaped upon the back of a hapless antelope and dragged it down. “What an incredible creature!” The lazy hunter thought. “If only I had such a creature to hunt for me, so that I would not need to put out the effort!” Then a wicked plan occurred to him. While the cheetah was busy with its hunt, he hurried to its den and stole a cheetah cub. He planned to raise it and train it to hunt for him. But as is the way of wild creatures, when the cheetah cub grew up, it turned on the lazy hunter and killed him.

We mock the lazy hunter, but are unusually prone to his sin. Thinking for ourselves is hard work and we like having people do it for us. Anchormen don’t just tell us the news but what to think about it. Politicians make our decisions for us. Pastors and priests tell us what the Bible says. We hardly ever do the research ourselves. Though most of us own one, we rarely pick up a Bible and study it.

Unfortunately, however, there are many wicked and unscrupulous people out there who would love nothing better than to turn on and use us. Peter warns (2 Peter 2:1-3) that in their greed, they will exploit us with false words. Jude (vv.4-13) describes them as “hidden reefs…”

Jim Jones was a Methodist pastor before starting the People's Temple. David Berg had been a Christian Missionary Alliance minister before founding the Children of God. Hobart Freeman was a highly respected Bible scholar and seminary professor before he started the Faith Assembly movement. Jim Bakker had a popular TV program that tens of thousands watched. David Koresh, a personable young man who could quote huge passages of Scripture verbatim, was raised in the Seventh Day Adventist Church.

But education, religious upbringing, personality and charisma are irrelevant. Jesus said that what matters is the person’s heart and that we can determine the contents of people’s hearts by their actions (Matthew 7:15-20; Luke 6:43-45). We are explicitly commanded to test the concepts others try to teach us (1 John 4:1). We dare not let anyone think for us.

Tea with Christ

Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. – Revelation 3:20

There are few activities that are more intimate, more bonding than sharing a meal with someone. Inviting them in, serving them, sharing your resources with them, eating with them, swapping stories, learning from each other – no wonder that hospitality is one of the qualities actually required of church elders! (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:8; 1 Peter 4:9)

I would however like to take a slightly different tack to the concept of hospitality. I would like you to consider the role of hospitality within the context of meditation. Meditation is very much a Christian concept (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:2). There are two primary Hebrew words for meditation: Haga, which means to utter, groan, meditate, or ponder; and Sihach, which means to muse, rehearse in one's mind, or contemplate. These words can also be translated as dwell, diligently consider, and heed.

Meditation involves focusing so intently on a single concept that all other thoughts fall by the wayside. You can meditate on a single passage of Scripture such as 1 John 1:8-9. Or, you may choose to meditate on a single Biblical event – say the crucifixion. I am proposing a third method: visualization of a Scriptural concept. I would like you to have tea with the Christ. What do you do when you are going to have a guest over?

I hope that you would clean house. After you have settled down into a quiet place and time, take a while to “clean house”. Confess your sins, repent of them and determine how best to make restitution.

Then, start setting the table. Study the Scriptures. Make some lists of direct commands from God and think about how they apply to your life, your work, your family and your very body.
Invite the Christ in. You routinely invite other influences into your mind as you watch television, listen to the radio, surf the net and read books. Consciously and deliberately let the Master know that you would like to fellowship with Him.

Enjoy the conversation. Take the opportunity to compliment Him. Praise Him for His masterful creation; for His submissive spirit; for His wisdom in dealing with you. Thank Him for saving you; for loving you even though you are still a sinner.

Talk about current affairs. Ask Him to do something about SARS and the plight of persecuted Christians. And when the opportunity arises, set your own needs before Him and ask Him to show you what you should do about them and what parts are His to take care of.

Finally – be quiet. Let Him tell you what it was like to create light (Genesis 1; John 1; Proverbs 8). Let Him describe watching human empires rise and fall through the ages. Sit back, sip on your tea and listen.

How to Whine Effectively - Part Two

I can’t carry all these people by myself! The load is far too heavy! I’d rather you killed me than treat me like this. Please spare me this misery!” – Numbers 11:14 -15

We saw how the Israelites were condemned by God for their arrogant whining. But just nine verses later, Moses whined and got help! How can that be? Why should the Israelites get scorched and Moses get saved? As always, context is everything.

Moses had to feed, water and shelter at least three and a half million people in the middle of a desert. It would have taken five hundred tons of food EACH DAY to feed them all. It would take two freight trains, each a mile long, to provide all that food. And water! It took 11,000,000 gallons…that's a train 1,800 miles long just for water to satiate their thirst. And it probably took another 4,000 tons of wood just to cook the food.

When Moses was given orders to march the people across the Red Sea in one night, we must realize that if they walked double file, the line would have been 800 miles long. At that rate, it would have taken them 35 days to get across. The only way they could possibly get across in one night would be to have a space three miles wide and walk 5,000 abreast.

Understandably, Moses was having a tough go of it. But when he whined, he whined correctly.

First of all, instead of whining to other people, he took his complaint to God Himself. Many people have complained about me, but as often as not they go spreading their negativity to other people rather than coming to me and letting me deal with it! God doesn’t appreciate that any more than we do.

Second, Moses identified the problem as being his own inadequacy. He didn’t say that God didn’t know what He was doing. He just admitted that he felt he wasn’t up to the task laid out for him.

Third, Moses was willing to be set aside so that someone else could do the job. Too often we hang on to our ministries far beyond our usefulness. “Ministry” is about serving others. If we start thinking that the ministry is about us and our needs it becomes about recognition, power and control. Moses took the problem to the One who could help, was willing to admit that he may not be up to the job, and was willing to step aside if need be.

And what was the result? Help. Where the people of Israel got axed, Moses got assistance. Now, if the Lord can take care of three and one-half million people, in the desert, it seems to me that he could take care of our problems too. And you know, if we will only put Him first, He will do just that. (Romans 8:28; Matthew 6:33)

How to Whine Effectively - Part One

The people soon began to complain to the Lord about their hardships; and when the Lord heard them, his anger blazed against them. Fire from the Lord raged among them and destroyed the outskirts of the camp. – Numbers 11:1

The people of Israel had just been miraculously delivered from Egypt. They had been subject to systematic racism, considered second-class citizens, not unlike the “apartheid” in South Africa. Bigotry became slavery and they were forced to build Egypt’s storehouse cities. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the pharaoh ordered the midwives to kill all male Jewish babies as they were delivered. They were ostracized, persecuted, beaten, starved, enslaved and killed. The Lord graciously delivered them from this bondage through a series of amazing miracles. They no longer had to do any hard labor – all they were doing was traveling a few miles a day and pitching their tents. Their food and water was delivered to them on a daily basis. To get some perspective, imagine what it must have been like finding an appropriate campsite two-thirds the size of Rhode Island (25 miles wide and 130 miles long) for millions of people every single night!

But they began to take their blessings for granted and ingratitude deteriorated into a positive dislike for their present condition. How typically human! We are enamored by something new, only to have familiarity breed contempt. Instead of being grateful for all the many good things that God has done for us, like spoiled children we start nit-picking and whining – only happy when we are being given new toys. We feel like we deserve better; like everybody should listen to us; like we should be able to “have our say.” Arrogance! Hubris!

Notice God’s response. God became angry - very angry. In fact, He got so angry that a fire was literally kindled! We must keep in mind that though God is patient, He does not tolerate ingratitude because it is a sign of pride. God despises pride (Proverbs 6:16-19) because it is so hurtful. Pride makes it impossible for a man to learn new things. Pride renders a woman incapable of admitting that she is wrong.

When the Israelis whined they weren’t bringing their concerns and fears TO God. They were complaining ABOUT God. They felt they deserved better. God saw their pride and reacted as any good parent does when his child is placed in danger because of foolishness – with anger. But just as we acknowledge that kind of parental anger is driven by a love for the foolish child, so God’s anger with us is driven by His love. He doesn’t expect us to like all of what life brings our way. He doesn’t expect us to keep our fears and disappointments bottled up inside. But when we do bring them to Him, He rightfully expects a respectful and grateful attitude marked by an expectation that God our Father will take care of it.

Christ Plus

“This command I am giving you today is not too difficult for you to understand or perform. It is not up in heaven, so distant that you must ask, ‘Who will go to heaven and bring it down so we can hear and obey it?’ It is not beyond the sea, so far away that you must ask, ‘Who will cross the sea to bring it to us so we can hear and obey it?’ The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart so that you can obey it. – Deuteronomy 30:11-14

We humans complicate things unnecessarily. Adam and Eve were in a perfect environment with a clear purpose in life. The first mandate they got was to be fruitful and multiply. What a great command! Who would complain about this? But along came the devil in the body of the serpent and when he tempted them, did they simply stick to what God told them? No, of course not. They added to the instructions. (Genesis 3:3).

Moses was told to strike a rock in order to provide water for the people of Israel (Exodus 17), symbolically prophesying of Christ being struck for us (1 Cor. 10:4; Jn 4:10-14; 7:38). Then in Numbers 20, the people once again needed water desperately. God told Moses to simply speak to the rock this time. But Moses got into a snit, raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff (Ex. 20:10-11). The people got the water that they needed because God is ever gracious and cares for our needs even when we fail. After all, He is the God who allows rain to fall on both the righteous and the unrighteous (much to the “righteous’” chagrin). But Moses was not allowed to enter the Holy Land because his disobedience had ruined the lesson on grace that God had in mind. You see, Christ was struck “once, for all.” Once we receive that gift, from then on we only have to speak to Him to receive a blessing. There is no need to “strike” or “crucify” Christ over and over.

The Church at Colosse was faced with the same dilemma. A group of Jews who had been educated at the best mystery religion schools of Babylon were telling them that accepting Christ was well and good, but you also needed special hidden knowledge. Perhaps it was asceticism, or, perhaps it was the right ceremony or festival...whatever it was, it was Christ “plus”. Paul had to try to get them to trust the simple sufficiency of the gospel.

The next time you feel like adding a little more ritual or another restriction to the Gospel - perhaps only a certain kind of Bible text, perhaps only a certain way to baptize, perhaps only certain spiritual gifts denote spirituality - remember what the Bible actually says. Christ is sufficient.

I Can't Get No Satisfaction

(Elohim – The Strong One)

In the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the earth. The earth was empty, a formless mass cloaked in darkness. And the Spirit of Elohim was hovering over its surface. Then Elohim said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And Elohim saw that it was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. Elohim called the light “day” and the darkness “night.” Together these made up one day. - Genesis 1:1-5

Does the sum total of our purchases actually produce happiness? We are assured by the marketing teams of the titans of industry that if only we will use this or that product, our lives will be enhanced, we’ll be popular, we’ll gain peace of mind or even bring our families and communities closer together. But does it actually work?

Every year since 1945, studies have been made and polls conducted to determine whether Americans are happy or not and the results have been fascinating. Apparently, our satisfaction peaked somewhere around the 1950s and has continuously declined ever since. That’s right – in spite of the fact that our material abundance has exponentially grown, our spirits have steadily flagged. We have conducted a large-scale, long-term experiment to determine if riches bring happiness and then completely ignored the obvious answer that they do not! Whatever else our consumer-driven market economy can claim, fulfillment of the human spirit is not one of those claims.

The Teacher wrote: “Those who love money will never have enough. How absurd to think that wealth brings true happiness! The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what is the advantage of wealth—except perhaps to watch it run through your fingers!” (Ecclesiastes 5:10-11)

What an image Genesis 1:1-5 gives us of the human soul! Without God, we are empty; our hearts a formless mass, cloaked in darkness. Only when the Spirit of God hovers over our spirits can we know any true hope. When that void, under the prompting of the Holy Spirit, by faith submits to God’s mighty hand, suddenly light explodes upon the scene!

Elohim is truly named well! The Strong One; almighty, infinite and omnipotent is He! Only by turning our broken lives over to Him can we find restoration. Only when we submit to His will can we find peace in the midst of our circumstances. If He is capable of creating the universe ex nihilo, out of nothing, what is He capable of creating out of our nothingness?

One last thing, notice that the light was separated from the darkness. We cannot expect God to bring us into the kingdom of light and then let us continue living in the darkness whenever we like. Once we have been recreated as children of light, then we must dedicate ourselves to shining. We must live so that other formless, void, empty and dark souls can also find God’s light.

Collecting Diamonds

"See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today, to go after other gods that you have not known.” - Deuteronomy 12:26-28

Moses presented two different paths in life and two opposing outcomes making no allowances for any other options. God and his prophets have always been known for their stark and simple language, their brutal honesty.

On one hand, we have the option of a life dedicated to studying and applying the Word of God and thereby reaching our spiritual potential and finding true meaning in our lives. The result of that choice is “blessing” (b’racha in Hebrew).

On the other hand, you can disregard the Lord’s directives, but the result: curse (k’lala in Hebrew). K’lala is related to the root “kal” which means “lightweight”. Stopping our ears to the voice of Yahweh causes us to become empty, devoid of self-substance, shallow and worthless (completely without weight). Abandoning the Scriptures disconnects us from the Source of truth and meaning in existence.

The scriptural Way is rich and meaningful. Self-fulfillment can be found in every word we study (of God’s Scriptures) and every “mitzvah” (command/blessing) we perform. Every mitzvah obeyed is a diamond and we should see every opportunity to perform a mitzvah as an opportunity to enrich and beautify ourselves.

Discipleship (not salvation) stands on three pillars: study of the scriptures, service to the Master, and doing kindness for others. In a sense, these three concepts summarize the “mitzvos” (commandments) of God and sustain our lives by strengthening the pillars on which our lives stand!

All our other pursuits are not inherently worthless but if they are pursued for their own sake, if they are cut off from the larger, overriding purpose of getting closer to God and serving Him, they lead us nowhere. We find ourselves floating in space – spiritually weightless.

“In all your ways acknowledge Him.” Connecting everything in life to that overriding purpose makes everything we do a mitzvah. Having God in mind as we eat, sleep, exercise and relax transforms those activities into holy acts.

We can still take simple physical pleasure in our eating or other daily activities as we try to “elevate” them. Relishing what God has given us is a way to express gratitude. But we should be careful not to let the physical pleasures that God absolutely wants us to enjoy become the center of our lives. We would be putting the gift above the Giver.

In Hebrew, the word “if” in this passage can also be translated “as”. The blessing will not come as a result of the performance. No - obedience is its own reward. With every mitzvah obeyed we bless ourselves.

Paper Route Psychiatry

Hold unfailing your love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins. - 1 Pe. 4:8

A young boy was once offered a paper route. It didn’t pay much money, but he knew having a job would build good character, so he took it, good character being important to fourth graders.
He began lingering on the front porch of one of his customers who was an elderly widow. She’d watch for him to come down her street, and by the time he’d pedaled up to her house, there’d be a slushy bottle of Coke waiting for him. He’d sit and drink while she talked. That was the understanding – he drank, she talked.

At first, she talked mostly about her dead husband, Roger. “Roger and I went grocery shopping this morning over to the market,” she’d say. The first time she said that, Coke went up the boy’s nose. That was back in the days when Coke going up your nose wasn’t a crime, just uncomfortable.

He went home and told his father about how she talked as if her husband were still alive. His dad said she was probably lonely, and that maybe the boy ought to just sit, listen, nod his head and smile, and maybe she’d work it out of her system. So that’s what the boy did and turned out Dad was right. After a few summers, she seemed content to leave her husband over at the cemetery.

Nowadays, we’d send her to a psychiatrist. But all she had back then was a front porch rocker and her paperboy’s ear, which turned out to be enough.

He quit his paper route after her healing and moved on to the lucrative business of lawn mowing. He didn’t see the widow for several years until he crossed her path up at the church’s annual fund-raiser dinner. She was standing behind the steam table spooning out mashed potatoes and looking radiant. Four years before, she’d had to bribe her paperboy with a Coke to have someone to talk with; now she had friends brimming over. Her husband was gone, but life went on. She had her community and was luminous with love.

Community is a beautiful thing; sometimes it even brings healing. But community isn’t so much a locale as a state of mind that is found whenever folks ask how you’re doing due to love rather than pay.

Two thousand years ago, a church elder named Peter wrote the recipe for community. “Above all else,” he wrote, “hold unfailing your love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Pe. 4:8). This means that when you love a person, you occasionally have to turn a blind eye toward their shortcomings. Sometimes it’s better to nod your head and smile. Psychiatrists call that “enabling denial,” but the rest of us common folk call it “compassion.”

El Olam (Everlasting God)

The wisest of people who worship idols are stupid and foolish. The things they worship are made of wood! They bring beaten sheets of silver from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz, and they give these materials to skillful craftsmen who make their idols. Then they dress these gods in royal purple robes made by expert tailors. But the Lord is the only true God, the living God. He is the everlasting King! The whole earth trembles at his anger. The nations hide before his wrath.

- Jeremiah 10:8-10

When I lived in Chad, I remember watching a man chop down a tree. He cut off several of the limbs and used them as trusses for his hut’s new roof. He took part of the trunk to another man to be turned into a dugout canoe. The smaller limbs were set aside to dry so that they could be used for firewood. However, one particular limb was set aside with much ceremony and muttered prayers. He cut himself and allowed the blood to drip onto the twisted limb. When I asked him what he was doing, he responded that this piece of wood was to be turned into an idol. He would strip the bark off, elaborately carve it and stain it with cow dung. Then he would set it up in an altar and pray to it. I thought to myself, “That’s dumb!”

Jeremiah was a little more acerbic in his comments. He said the wisest of idolatrous people are “stupid and foolish…and have no knowledge at all.” We tend to agree with him as long as it has to do with some ignorant “savage” in Africa. But are we so different?

We worship regularly at the altar of Materialism. We sacrifice large portions of our lives working to pay off the debts that we incur by our profligate use of credit cards. We do this so that we can have all those things NOW. We give up our time with God on Sundays so that we can mow our grass, polish our cars or improve our golf swing. We work for, buy, get warranties on and struggle to maintain our gods. In the hearts of many, the only other god more important than Materialism is the god of Self! Self demands pleasure, comfort, praise, thanks, attention, rights and an audience for our opinions (whether they are right or wrong, biblically).

El Olam, the Everlasting God, does not need maintenance. He is eternal. He is immutable (which means He never changes). He doesn’t need our efforts. In every other religion of the world, the false god requires his/her/their adherents to work and sacrifice for the god. Christianity teaches that our God worked and sacrificed for us! He cannot be housed in our puny little buildings. No monument is sufficient for an everlasting, eternal God. There is only one temple in which He chooses to be housed – the temple of our hearts.

Dancing for Your Brother's Sake

Then the leading priests and Pharisees called the high council together to discuss the situation. “What are we going to do?” they asked each other. “This man certainly performs many miraculous signs. If we leave him alone, the whole nation will follow him, and then the Roman army will come and destroy both our Temple and our nation.”… So from that time on the Jewish leaders began to plot Jesus’ death. – John 11:47-48, 53

A simple man, a porter, who was fairly ignorant of the Scriptures, was once seen clapping, dancing and celebrating the Master during a church service. Other Christians asked him, “Why are you dancing and rejoicing so much? What do you have to rejoice about?”

The porter answered “If my brother has a family celebration, don’t I also get to rejoice and dance with him?”

A person’s joy in God does not depend on how learned, holy or saintly he is. He can rejoice in whatever small part God has given him in the Kingdom. He can dance, knowing that there are other Christians who DO have a deep understanding of the Scriptures. He can rejoice in his brothers’ and sisters’ gifts.

The Pharisees did not understand this concept. They felt that their gifts needed to be recognized. They saw the miracles of the Christ, but instead of recognizing who He was, they focused instead on the fact that fewer people were following them.

So many people today will see another brother or sister being elevated for their skill, their gifts or their knowledge and, instead of rejoicing, they grow jealous and decide to try to bring their spiritual sibling down to their level. They attack the gift, “Oh she sings well enough, but I think she really enjoys the attention too much.” They assassinate the character, “He thinks he knows so much about the Scriptures, but he takes them out of context to suit his wishes.”

John the Baptist was humble enough to understand his proper place in life. “God in heaven appoints each person’s work. You yourselves know how plainly I told you that I am not the Messiah. I am here to prepare the way for him—that is all…He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.” (John 3:28, 30)

When your coworker gets a pay raise – do you pout about how unfair the boss is because you didn’t get one? When a person with greater gifts comes into your church, do you step aside and let them serve so that the church benefits most or do you stubbornly hang on in order to prove how much the church needs you? When your family member buys a better house or receives sudden financial gain or is elected to a high position – what is your reaction? Are you jealous and bitter, or can you dance for your brother?

Death and Taxes

Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. – Matthew 6:33

My grandfather pastored a small church in Tennessee when he felt the call to shepherd the migrant farm workers. He realized that with their constant moving, they never received the help of a minister in their times of need. There was no marriage counseling for a migrant couple. So he quit his job as a welder, gave notice to his church, helped them find a new pastor and became a migrant worker. He would toil in the fields and while on break, move among them, giving words of encouragement and prayer.

My father was also a pastor. I often worked with him in the churches that he started. We would go and visit people when they were sick or despairing. I watched and listened as he helped people through the hard times of life and celebrated their good fortune. Now that I am a pastor, I try to emulate my father and grandfather. There are times when the persons I visit are dying. Sometimes they are dealing with the death of a loved one. I never heard anyone at death’s door say they wished they had worked more, or spent more time on the job. Three generations of ministers could not give you an example of someone who knew they were dying who said they wished they had collected more things.

When people are facing death, they want to know three things. They want to know their life counted for something; that the world should be a bit smaller for their leaving. They also want to know they are loved; people always seek out their friends and family when they know they are preparing to leave this life. It’s a pitiful person who dies alone. Third, they want to die with a clean conscience. People will often confess things they have kept hidden their whole lives while on their deathbed. They may not believe in God, but something inside drives them to leave with a clean conscience.

Every one of us will die some day. The question is – how? Will we be scrambling to say the “I love you”s we will wish we had said every day? Will we look around and realize we spent so much time putting clothes on our back and a roof over our head that we neglected the people who would love to love us? Will we die with a clean conscience and a peaceful spirit or wondering if those sins we’ve kept hidden all these years will come out now that we will no longer be there to hide them?

Upon what are you building your life? What place do ministry, loved ones and God have in your life? These questions will come up, as sure as death and taxes.

Everlasting Love

Long ago the Lord said to Israel: “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.” - Jeremiah 31:3

They say hind sight is 20/20. We look back on our lives and see God at work. Those situations that we thought would be the end of us turned out to be our finest hour. Those people that we mistakenly thought were our best friends or the loves of our lives, ended up being jerks. We were heartbroken when we lost them and shook our little fists at God and cried “Why, God? Why are you doing this to me?” Sometimes, like little children having a temper fit we’ve even yelled “I hate you!” Then later, sometimes years afterwards, we realize the pit we unknowingly avoided. Yes, hind sight IS 20/20. But as for the present we still are woefully myopic.

There is the danger of saying “Long ago the Lord said…or did” tacitly implying that whatever involvement God had in our lives in the past doesn’t apply to the present. We miss the lesson of the immanence of God in our day to day lives. God’s love is not fly-by-night, fair-weather love. He has loved us since the beginning of this world. He loved us since the beginning of the whole universe. In fact, He loved us before this universe existed! “Everlasting” is how He describes His love. This means something when you consider the source! A human can tell you “I love you forever” but what does that mean? If they love you their whole lives, that’s still only seventy to eighty years. How does that add up to “forever”? And human love often fails. They grow tired of you. Their attention wanders. They are easily hurt. Offended, they walk off the playing field and they take their love with them.

God, on the other hand, is never tired. He doesn’t sleep. He never leaves. Since everything is in Him, He has nowhere to go. He’s never bored. The Scriptures tell us He’s even fascinated with the tiniest detail of your life, including the number of hairs on your head. One of the advantages of omnipresence is that God’s brain is not in one place and sending signals to another. He is fully present, aware of and thinking about every spatial point of the universe. Travel to China and you’re no farther or closer to God. As soon as the first synapse fires in your brain, He’s already there with an answer.

Go through the nature, traits and virtues of God one by one, and see how each one affects your love relationship with Him. Study the Scriptures, not just as a source of information to live your life by, but as a love letter from your best Friend. He really is your childhood friend, your high school sweetheart. He’s loved you longer and more faithfully than even you know! Now that’s what I call everlasting love!

Yelling

Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He found in the temple those who were selling…And He made a scourge of cords and drove them all out of the temple…saying, “Take these things away; stop making My Father’s house a place of business.” His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” John 2:13-17

There’s an old Jewish folk tale about a godly man, a prophet, who arrived in the wicked city of Sodom. He began wandering the streets, telling people that they needed to repent and get right with God. He was completely ignored, but the more the people turned their backs on his message, the more loudly he cried out for their repentance.

Finally, someone asked him, “Why do you keep yelling? Can’t you see it’s not making any difference?”

The tzaddik responded, “At first, I hoped that my yelling would change the people of Sodom. Now I yell so that the people don’t change me!”

This is an important principle. Look at Lot who was in Sodom. In Genesis 13, he was with his godly uncle Abraham. In verse 10, he lifted his eyes toward the valley where Sodom was. Then in verse 11, he chose the valley. In verse 12, he moved his tents as far as Sodom. Later, in chapter 14 verse 12, he was actually living in Sodom and sharing its fate. He had to be rescued by his uncle Abraham. In spite of this second chance, he remained in Sodom and we find him in chapter 19, not speaking out against the sins of the city. In fact, he actually offered two of his virgin daughters to be gang-raped. Finally, he became so drunk that he had incestuous sex and impregnated his two daughters. How did he go so far so fast?

I’m worried about those who claim to be Christians but don’t yell about society’s sins against humanity and God; those who feel that matters like abortion, euthanasia, sexuality, rampant drug addiction, and church leaders falling like flies are subjects that are too ugly or harsh to be dealt with. We look at men like the abortionist in Texas who publicly flaunted the laws of the nation by aborting babies in the third trimester and shrug our shoulders. We look at the systematic rape of the Amazon and we shake our heads in dismay. We discover that there are 25,000,000 orphans on the continent of Africa due to AIDS alone and we sigh. But we do not yell, cry or throw righteous temper-fits because that would not be “dignified”. Our churches would rather be worthy of tax breaks from our government than stand up and yell when the government enters an unjust war. And so, because we won’t yell to change the world, the world is changing us. We are drowning in a cacophony of worldliness. At least we’re a dignified corpse!

Listening to the Voice of God

I shall remember the deeds of the LORD; surely I will remember Your wonders of old. I will meditate on all Your work and muse on Your deeds. - Psalm 77:11-12

We instinctively know that listening is an important marital skill. In an unsuccessful marriage, both individuals are constantly talking “at” each other. They announce their needs, their desires and complaints when they should be sharing their needs. To share means there must be some listening going on.

Listening is also necessary in our devotional lives. We need to set aside time when we listen TO God and FOR God. We like to complain to God, but we rarely set aside time to listen to God’s complaints. Just read through Jeremiah, Amos or Habakkuk and you’ll hear some of them. We often are so busy telling God we love Him that we fail to hear Him telling us He loves us! We listen so rarely that we may not even recognize His voice when we hear it!

An old tzaddik often meditated under a beautiful tree in the woods. A young man, seeking to become a righteous man himself, approached the tzaddik one day. “Tell me sir, why meditate here instead of in the church or at home?”

The elder answered, “I am listening to the voice of God. Come. Sit. Listen.”

So the young man sat and listened. At first he heard nothing. But then, in the sound of the wind and the rustling of the branches his heart began to hear the whisperings of God’s desire to bring peace. He heard the birds sing of God’s great joy when his prodigal children returned to Him. Day after day he learned as he sat and listened next to the old holy man.

But one day the tzaddik was not in his usual place. In fact, he was not there for several days and so his disciple went looking for him. After weeks of searching, he found his mentor meditating near a busy intersection in the middle of a large city.

The disciple was confused. “Tell me sir, why do you meditate here instead of under the beautiful tree in the woods?”

The elder answered, “I am listening to the voice of God. Come. Sit. Listen.”

At first the disciple heard nothing but the cacophony of modern life. But soon he began hearing the babble of many voices and understood that God enjoys hearing His many children in His house, playing, talking, telling stories and planning bright futures. The traffic taught him that God was watching over all those people simultaneously, not allowing any more trouble into their lives than was absolutely necessary to draw them to Him.

How busy God is! How vast His interests; how intimate His care! God is everywhere simultaneously and knowledge of Him can be found anywhere we look (Proverbs 1:20-21).

But in order to hear God’s Wisdom, we must be quiet. We must be still and we must listen (John 10:27).

God's Economy

"Leave this work on the house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its site. Moreover, I issue a decree concerning what you are to do for these elders of Judah in the rebuilding of this house of God: the full cost is to be paid to these people from the royal treasury out of the taxes of the provinces beyond the River, and that without delay.” - Ezra 6:7-8

As we saw in the previous blog, “Acceptable Worship,” God had Cyrus order the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. The Jews obeyed, returned to Israel, chose priests, established the altar and began to build. When idol-worshipping people offered to help build the Temple, they rightly rejected the deal.

As people often do when their chosen form of worship is rejected (think Cain and Abel), the enemies turned against God’s people. First, they tried to discourage the work. When that didn’t work, they tried intimidation. Then they hired counselors to work against them. (Ezra 4:4-5). For example, they hired a false prophet to try and get Nehemiah to sin and make God turn against him (Nehemiah 6:12-13). Finally, they wrote a letter to Artaxerxes and influenced him through the use of slander, negativism and false predictions of losses. Artaxerxes succumbed to these lies and issued a decree halting the work.

What a tragedy! What a loss! What was God doing? Didn’t He realize His people were trying to do His work? Why did He allow this travesty of justice? In our short-sighted hubris, we often question God’s wisdom and sovereignty. But as always, God had plans in motion.

The work halted until the second year of the reign of Darius when Haggai and Zechariah encouraged the people to begin again in faith. Israel’s enemies once again tried the letter campaign approach but this time it backfired. When they suggested to Darius that he go back in the records to find the order concerning Israel, Darius’ workers found Cyrus’ orders to build the Temple. Darius not only told God’s enemies to back off, but to actually pay for the work! (Ezra 6) And not only were they to pay for the reconstruction, but they were to provide daily for the sacrifices! Isn’t Jehovah Jireh (God our Provider) amazing?

When we suffer the consequences of our obedience, we should rejoice (Romans 5:3-5). We need to rejoice because of the resulting maturity that can only be acquired this way. We need to rejoice because of the strength God gives to meet these times (2 Corinthians 12:9). But we also need to rejoice in the faith that God will not only cause us to survive but to thrive. Think of the example of Haman and Mordecai in the book of Esther! If He wills, He can even turn a travesty into a triumph. In God’s economy, our enemies often foot the bill (Proverbs 26:27)!

Acceptable Worship

“You have nothing in common with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves will together build to the Lord God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia has commanded us.” - Ezra 4:3

Around 537 BC, King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild God’s temple in Jerusalem (Ezra 1). The Jews, who had been taken into Babylonian captivity by King Nebuchadnezzar years earlier, gathered and returned to Israel, each to their own city. They went back through the records and determined who among them were qualified to be priests (Ezra 2). Then with huge fanfare, they set the altar up on its foundations. After one year of gathering materials and hiring workers, they began to rebuild the temple. Again, when they laid the foundations their rejoicing was so exuberant that the sound could be heard from far away (Ezra 3).

But then a strange thing happened. The enemies of Judah and Benjamin offered to help. They stated that they had been offering sacrifices to the Lord since Esarhadon, king of Assyria had brought them there. As we see in today’s passage, the Jews flatly denied their request.

Many in our multicultural, pluralistic, politically correct society take offense at such a rebuff. “What?” They cry. “Do you think that you are better than we are? Our approach to God is just as valid as yours! With this attitude you are going to lower our sense of self-esteem!” But if you will examine the scriptures a little deeper, you will discover the cause of their rejection.

These people had been brought in from Mesopotamia and Aram, but their origin was not the issue. God had issued clear orders in the Law to accept and protect foreigners (Exodus 22:21). The problem was that they continued to worship their own gods while also taking up the worship of Yahweh as the local deity (2 Kings 17:24-41). Exodus 22:20 very clearly states the consequences of worshipping false gods.

We must be sure that we have not absorbed elements of the world’s worship into our worship of the one true God. We must not allow principles and philosophies that come from corporate America to drive our approach to God’s Kingdom. We must sniff with suspicion the offerings of those who would have us follow church-building tips based on consumer driven service. “Give the customer what he wants! The customer is always right! Let’s make each service have a different musical theme. Let’s give our customers multiple venues and times like a movie theater!” I’m afraid our seeker-sensitive churches don’t realize how close to Wal-Mart they have come.

Brothers and sisters, we must always be careful to not only maintain a purity of faith and doctrine but even of culture (Romans 12:1-2). When we do, we may be persecuted (as we will see in tomorrow’s devotional) but we will also be protected. God will make sure that things will ultimately turn out to our good.

The Secret of Longevity

Do any of you want to live a life that is long and good? Then watch your tongue! Keep your lips from evil and do good. Work hard at living in peace with others. Psalm 34:12-14

My wife is a hard worker. She gets into the flowerbed and attacks weeds with will. Sweating and dirty, she yanks them out of the ground as though they had personally attacked her. Perhaps in invading her beloved gardens, they did.

As we think of the conflicts we have in our town, our church and family, it’s good to be reminded that peace is not an easy thing, but something that must be struggled for. Dealing with conflict should be like weeding. It’s easier to deal with it daily than to wait and do it all at once. If you wait too long, the roots get entangled and it’s harder to tell where the bad stuff ends and the good stuff begins. The stress builds and our hearts begin to pound. We try to put things off because we hate conflict but this only makes the day of reckoning that much worse. It is all too easy to let things slide, to allow tensions to build until the only way they can be relieved is in an explosion that does more harm than good.

But God’s voice is calm – persevere, bear one another’s burdens, be patient with one another’s infirmities of body or character. And when the “thorns of contention” arise in daily life, daily forgive, and be willing to accept forgiveness. We are told in Ephesians 4:26-27 “Don’t sin by letting anger gain control over you. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil.” Thank God He didn’t say, “Don’t sin by getting angry”! It’s hard to control the circumstances or the things people say that anger us. What He does say is “Don’t sin by letting it control you.” Just how do we do that? We keep the devil in check by dealing with it that day, before we go to bed. Yank the bitter roots of pride and contention out of your heart. Nip the situation right in the bud.

When you “deal with the situation” however, remember that you are not the center of the universe. Watch your tongue and keep your lips from evil. Think deeply and speak rarely. Listen much and gain wisdom. Perhaps that person who is criticizing you is revealing a kernel of truth.

Let each day begin with the thought of your impending death. Live each day as though it were your last. Only then will you find that for which you seek – a long and peaceful life.

Rage Against the System

See also: http://cognitiveconfluences.blogspot.com/

The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him. It is good that he waits silently for the salvation of the Lord. – Lamentations 3:25-26

A contractor recently stood before our city’s council and presented his petition. He started out well; being clean-cut, well dressed and well spoken. But the answer to his request was delayed. It was not denied - simply delayed. The politeness drained out of him like dishwater through a colander. It was truly astonishing to witness. Instead of acknowledging that he had presented his request too late to appear on that night’s agenda, he actually threatened the council and the mayor! Then he went muttering sotto voce to his seat, insulting the people who had done nothing wrong, while they were taking time to make sure that his needs would be met at the next council meeting.

Unfortunately, while being able to judge the man’s behavior both by the Scriptures and society’s rules of etiquette, I cannot condemn him. You see, I too am often a cad toward God. I make my requests (which in hindsight are often unreasonable) and when He fails to jump at my command, I petulantly pout. There have been times when I have, in my anger, even threatened God! “If you don’t take care of this, I’m through serving you! What’s the point?” I cry like a whiney child.

But if there is one thing that God has tried to teach me in the short time I have been on this earth, it is that there are rhythms in life. Some things rush like a waterfall; others stagnate like a swamp. And both are beautiful. Both are useful. A waterfall can generate great power but a swamp can clean and recycle vast amounts of water. If all life moved at waterfall speeds, you’d soon be exhausted and drown. But it would be equally foolish to wish that all life moved at the speed of a swamp.

The contractor failed to realize that there are rules that city councils and mayors must live by. If they would have been willing to break the rules for him, then they might have also broken the rules for his competitors. And he would have REALLY raged against that! He failed to submit to the natural rhythms and pace of his city and as a result possibly alienated the very people on whom he relies for permits, licenses, electricity and water…the life-blood of his business.

God has a better overall view of the universe than I do. I need to trust His point of view. He’s been around a while and knows a few things. I should trust His experience. When things don’t go my way or at my pace, I need to take a deep breath and look around. Am I about to kayak over a waterfall or am I soaking in a swamp? Either way – what can I learn here?

Who Will Take the Son?

For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form. –Colossians 2:9

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art. When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father grieved deeply for his only son.
About a month later, a young man stood at the rich man’s door with a large package in his hands. He said, “I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art."

The young man held out this package. "I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this." The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture.

"Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift." The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home, he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.

The rich man died a few months later and there was an auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection. On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel and tried unsuccessfully to get someone – anyone – to buy the painting. But the audience remained silent. As he continued urging them to purchase it, they began to grow restive and irritated. They only wanted to see the expensive paintings. Finally, the rich man’s gardener, an elderly man who had dedicated himself to the service of that family purchased the painting for $10.

A man sitting on the second row shouted, "Now let's get on with the collection!"

The auctioneer laid down his gavel. "I'm sorry, the auction is over. There was a stipulation in the will that whoever purchased that painting was to inherit everything the rich man owned.”

God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on a cruel cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is: "The son, the son, who'll take the son?" Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.

Moshe, the Water Carrier

Joshua said “Soon I will die, going the way of all the earth. Deep in your hearts you know that every promise of the Lord your God has come true. Not a single one has failed! But as surely as the Lord your God has given you the good things he promised, he will also bring disaster on you if you disobey him. He will completely wipe you out from this good land he has given you.” – Joshua 24:14-15

Moshe was a water carrier back in the days before people had indoor plumbing and water had to be brought in from a well. He would wake up every morning at three and begin to haul water to people’s houses so they could have fresh water for their breakfasts. He would also bring water to the church but would not charge for it because he wanted to offer it as his grateful sacrifice to God.

Moshe married a beautiful young woman and they soon had children. But they were very, very poor. His children were often hungry and his wife had to dress in shabby clothes. This made Moshe very sad. Moshe prayed every day as he carried his water yoke that God would give him 100 rubles so that he could provide better for his family. He prayed this prayer for many years without any answer from God and he grew discouraged.

One morning though, as he was carrying water to the church, he saw a leather pouch lying on the road and inside were 100 rubles! He was so happy he cried. He danced and he sang God’s praises.

But at evening prayers at church he heard that a man named Abraham had died and left behind his wife, Hanna, along with eleven children. They had not a penny to their name and were starving. He felt immediately convicted to give them the money he had found. He fought that urge with everything he had. He had prayed for 100 rubles for years and they were his! But he was miserable. Everything looked black. He was suffering. “God, you can be cruel!” he shouted at Heaven. “How could you give me the answer to my prayers only to snatch it away?”

But as he walked past the spring where he got the water every morning, the pipe from which the water flowed caught his eye. He suddenly understood. He was to be like that pipe. God had given him the money so that he could pass it on and thereby bless others. If he kept the money, it would be like capping the pipe and making the water of God’s blessing become stagnant. He and his family were poor, but not as poor as Hanna’s. He would give Hanna the money and who knows? Maybe God would send more down the pipe line. He walked down the road singing again; his joy restored and the world beautiful once more.

A World of One

“Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.” - Luke 10:36-37

God began with a man named Abram. The Lord told him to leave his homeland and to follow Him to a promised land. If Abram did, the Lord promised, “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you.” (Gen. 12:3). The world pretty much revolved around this one man and he needed only to care for himself and his family. Loving his neighbor meant to love whoever loved him and his family.

But Abram was renamed Abraham and his family became the great nation Israel. Israel was given a new set of commands in Deuteronomy. Loving your neighbor now meant loving those who lived next to you, especially fellow Jews. If a Gentile decided to live among the people of Israel and adopt their ways, then that love might possibly be grudgingly extended to him. Still, it was basically love those who are like you.

But now the Master, through the parable of the Good Samaritan, taught that loving our neighbor was to be stretched even more. Our love no longer should be directed merely to ourselves, or to our family, or to our race, or to those who are like us…but to anyone in need (Luke 10:37). He taught that we are to even love those who hate us (Matthew 5:44)!

Then in His last command He directed us to spread the good news of God’s love to the whole world! “But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

Paul was the first Christian to really grasp what God was telling them. He told the Galatians, “There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female. For you are all Christians—you are one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)

Over a span of millennia God has gradually been stretching us, expanding our vision to include more and more people in our love. In that process He has been trying to make us more like Him. But some of us are living in a world that is so small that there is little room for men and no room at all for the glory of God. We are so busy taking care of ourselves and concentrating our attention on ourselves, devoting all our energies to ministering to ourselves that we haven’t any time, money or energy left over to try to take care of anyone else. When that is so we live in the smallest world possible. We live in a world of one.

How's Your Hearing?

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” - Matthew 11:15

I am slowly and inexorably going deaf. I finally admitted this a couple of years ago. I got tired of pretending to hear what people were saying; tired of people getting aggravated with me because I simply nodded and smiled when I failed to catch what they had said, and then didn’t show up when I was supposed to. My wife ended up being the deciding factor. “You’re hard of hearing.” She explained as though to a child. “You need hearing aids. It’s not the end of the world.” She’s wonderful; and she means well. She loves me and she’s trying to let me know that being deaf or half crippled doesn’t make me any less of a man. It’s her love speaking.

But it’s difficult to watch your little girl try to tell you something and only get a jumbled mess. It’s tough to love music and enjoy singing your whole life and then slowly, gradually lose the ability to hear yourself or to distinguish voices from background music. It’s as if my head has developed a slow leak and all the beautiful music, the sounds of birds, of wind moving through the grass, of my wife humming or my children laughing is draining out of my life.

Many of us are deaf – spiritually deaf. God speaks to us every day through His Spirit and all we catch is a jumbled mess. We tend to accept the good times as something God did, and the bad times as coming from the other guy. You know – the bad one. But just like both the sound of thunder and the sound of rain come together, both the light and the darkness of life come from God (Isaiah 45:7) It’s like we’re only catching certain pitches of God’s voice. We’re missing whole sections of very important sentences and we’re messing up because of it.

We are all spiritually deaf because of a congenital disease called sin. It’s not any one thing you’ve done – it’s something you were born with. I’ve lived a very “enthusiastic” life: rock climbing, parachuting, martial arts, bungee jumping, loud rock and roll…People sometimes think that my body is such a mess because of that lifestyle. But actually a mosquito did this to me. It doesn’t take a lot does it? One murder makes you a murderer. One sin makes you a sinner. And because you’re a sinner, you have a hard time hearing God’s voice and you’re ethically crippled.

But fortunately, there is a cure for you. If you will take one big dose of humility, chased by a shot of repentance and then get regular maintenance shots of Jesus – your spiritual hearing will clear right up. You will mount up with wings as eagles; run and not be weary; walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31). Do you hear what I’m saying?

Do You Really Wanna Know?

“Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left.” But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to Him, “We are able.” He said to them, “My cup you shall drink…” Matthew 20:21-23

In the jungles of Africa, a hunter walked down a path followed by a child. The hunter suddenly stopped. The child also stopped. In the closeness of the jungle sight is not very useful, so the hunter listened intently and sniffed the air. After a moment, he indicated in sign that the child was to walk on ahead. So the child moved on. Suddenly, there was a grunting noise from the bush to the left of the path. Then in an explosion of movement, a huge wild boar came charging through the foliage, crashing through everything like an unstoppable locomotive. The child was frozen in his terror and could not move. Then, in an oddly clumsy manner, the pig seemed to trip over his own feet and landed in a heap right at the child’s feet. There was an arrow sticking out of the boar’s spine.

The child’s legs were shaking so badly with fright that he collapsed where he stood. He began crying and laughing simultaneously. Then he became angry because he realized that he had been used as bait! The hunter calmly explained that he had known exactly where the wild boar was and simply needed to draw it out into a clear line of fire.

It is a normal, human thing for a mother to ask for good things for her sons. But Jesus had just said that He was going to be captured, mocked, scourged and crucified. When He asked them if they could follow Him down this path, the men glibly answered “Yes”. Jesus probably smiled sadly as He prophesied their future torture.

We all seek God’s will from time to time–this is not necessarily a bad thing. But sometimes we want to know more than we need. We want to know the “big picture”. We want to know what is our great mission in life. But do you really want to know? What if there are some very scary things ahead? What if you are to be used as a martyr? What if, like the prophet Jeremiah, you are called to address a people who will not listen, to a work that (from the human point of view at least) is useless?

Jesus tells us, “Do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Simply ask “Give us this day our daily bread and deliver us from evil.” Obey the will of God that you already know and trust Him to get you through whatever may lie ahead.

Red Phone Prayers

This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am ready to hear Israel’s prayers for these blessings, and I am ready to grant them their requests. - Ezekiel 36:37

When discussing prayer, we often hear the term “praying through” and it sounds like we have to punch through some kind of barrier. Another phrase is “the heavens are as brass” or “my prayers aren’t reaching past the ceiling”. While the feeling the person is expressing is understandable and normal, the words are misleading as to how prayer works.

First, our prayers don’t have to reach past the ceiling. It’s not like our prayers are satellite signals and bad weather can mess with heaven’s reception. The Holy Spirit dwells inside us. It’s like having one of those red telephones the fictional mayor of Gotham has to get into direct, immediate contact with Batman. Pick up the phone and help is there. It’s better than 911 because there are no telephone lines that can get cut. 911 in this case is inside you. So when it feels like you’re not making contact, it’s not because of distance.

The second misunderstanding is that God sometimes can’t hear us because of our sins. Listen – God ALWAYS hears you. Sometimes He may choose to say no, but you’re always heard. That feeling you get that you’re not making contact is coming from you, not God. God wants to speak to you. He wants to do wonderful things in your life. He says in Ezekiel that He stands ready to hear and grant requests for blessings.

So what is causes this feeling inside? Perhaps deep in your heart you know that you’ve sinned against someone and it’s interfering because the Holy Spirit is tapping on that part of your life, shaking His head. Perhaps you don’t fully believe that God is there, waiting to answer and do you some good. Perhaps you’re talking too much. Try being quiet for a change; God may want to tell you something – something wonderful and life changing. He may be trying to get your attention so you’ll look at Him instead of yourself. That’s right; sometimes our focus in prayer becomes ourselves instead of God. You end up thinking so much about your problems and your desires that you end up talking to yourself instead of the Lord.

Perhaps you’re putting too much faith in the form of your prayer. Change your environment. Go for a walk and pray while walking. Pace around the room, write your requests on a sheet of paper and then perform some kind of ritual to lay them in God’ hands. Burn the paper; lay it literally on an altar. Do whatever it takes, but realize this: God is there. He’s waiting for you and He wants to bless you. Trust Him to do the right thing and that web of self-deceit and egotism will suddenly yield and you will find yourself on a new plane – a new relationship with the Sovereign Lord.