Obey, Don't Feel

If another believer sins, rebuke him; then if he repents, forgive him. Lk. 17:3

Forgiveness is first granted, then felt. Christians frequently raise the objection that if you act forgiving without really feeling it, you are guilty of hypocrisy. But we find in Luke 17 that feelings are not a necessary ingredient of obedience.

Jesus began with a warning in verse 3: “Be careful of yourselves.” The warning was necessary; there are many ways to err about forgiveness. The warning is pertinent to many Christians who are caught up in the easy rationalizations by which they try to excuse themselves from the obligation to forgive their brothers. Jesus continued by stating that we are to forgive our brother if he asks for it, even seven times in a day! The obligations of Galatians 6:1 and Matthew 18:15 are repeated here.

Notice that Jesus stressed the results of ensuing repentance, not its cause. He plainly stated that if as the result of the rebuke, the offending Christian says that he is repentant, the offended brother must forgive him.

We may ask, shouldn’t we wait for the fruit of repentance, in order to determine whether or not his repentance is real? But Jesus knew all about such objections when he told us to forgive even seven times a day! There is no way for us to verify the fruit of the other’s repentance in that space of time. In fact, all the evidence would seem to point in the opposite direction. Yet, Jesus demanded that we forgive upon the brother’s verbal testimony alone. “…And seven times in a day should return to you saying, ‘I repent.’”

The disciples replied: “Lord, give us more faith!” (v.5). “This is too hard for us,” they complained. At first, their request for greater faith sounds quite reasonable – and pious. But the Lord did not answer with a sympathetic response. He said that if they even had as much faith as the grain of a mustard seed, they would be able to do miraculous things.

He then gave them a practical example. A servant was working out in the field all day. He came back at the end of the day, tired and hungry, only to be told to clean up, cook some food and serve his master. He did so, in spite of his natural hunger, and was not thanked. Why? He did not deserve thanks for merely doing his duty.

It is now clear that forgiveness is a “duty.” It is commanded. It is no more hypocritical to obey the Lord in granting forgiveness against one’s feelings than for the slave to prepare and serve the meal against his feelings. Nor, is it meritorious to fulfill this duty: “So also when you have done all things commanded you, say, ‘we are unprofitable servants, for we have done that which it was our duty to do.’” (vs. 10)

The Shirt of a Happy Man

I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. – Philippians 4:11b-13

There is an old Jewish story that says that a king’s son grew very ill. The king sent for the country’s wise men, looking a cure. After much research, they determined that the only way to help the boy was to have him wear the shirt of a happy man.

The king was thrilled, thinking this would be a very easy cure. But when he sent word to the dukes and lords of the nation, it was discovered that none of them were truly happy. So he sent word to the rich business men and corporate leaders but none of them qualified either. Finally, after a long search, the wise men came across a poor shepherd who told them that yes, he was truly a happy man. But when they asked for his shirt, he removed his outer cloak only to reveal that he HAD no shirt!

Paul taught that true joy in life consists not in the possession of things. True joy can only be found in purpose. If we discover our purpose in life, we will also discover the meaning of each of the elements in our lives. If we find our ultimate purpose, we will also know the purpose of our spiritual gifts, our relationship with others, our experience or skills. Everything falls into place and begins to function properly once we discover the WHY of life.

Science offers the WHAT or HOW of life. It does not answer the ultimate questions of purpose and meaning. Science is valuable. Read through the book of Proverbs and see how many admonitions God gives us to seek out knowledge and understanding. But we must go beyond these to wisdom.

Money only offers happiness as it finds its way through our hands and into God’s work and will. Things only provide happiness to the extent that they are used to glorify God and serve others. Someone who focuses on wealth and success as ends in themselves will never achieve true joy. They will always be left with sand in their hands and gravel in their mouths.

Why is this? It is because joy is a spiritual matter and only those who approach God (and that can only be done by the humble) can achieve it. That is why Jesus said it was very difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Riches, and the status and power that go along with them, elevate man’s spirit in pride. It is a strong person indeed who can overcome the handicap of wealth.

Fire Hydrants and Ill-Considered Tasks

If you only get the foundation laid and then run out of money, you’re going to look pretty foolish. Everyone passing by will poke fun at you: ‘He started something he couldn’t finish. – Lk. 14:29

A couple years ago, I was involved in a big construction job that involved a lot of remodeling. Consequently, there was a lot of dirt. The construction equipment tracked inordinate amounts of mud on the formerly pristine streets of this upper class neighborhood and so it was decided that we would borrow hoses from the fire department, attach them to the fire hydrants, and wash the offending dirt down the gutters.

Now my superintendent volunteered me to clean the streets using the fire hose. I should have known better. He said he would let me hold the hose while he “carefully” turned the hydrant on. I should have known better. I walked out into the street dragging about 200 pounds of hose behind me while he walked toward the hydrant with a big wrench in his hand. “Malley,” says I, “usually when I see fire hoses being used its by two or three big, husky firemen, all hanging on for dear life.”

Malley starts to work on the hydrant. “Oh, that’s if you turn it on full blast. I’m just going to turn it on slowly until it gets strong enough to clean the dirt. Dang! Why won’t this blasted thing turn?” He said as he pulled with all his might on the stuck bolt. I should have known better.

When that bolt suddenly came loose, I felt like I had gotten hold of the tail of a dinosaur on amphetamines. The brass nozzle jumped up a nailed me on the forehead and while I sat there thinking about that, the hose suddenly straightened out, tripping me and causing me to hit my still dizzy head on the pavement. The only thing I could think of (other than the obscenities I would refrain from heaping upon that dimwit my company chose to call a superintendent) was to keep hold of the hose so that I wouldn’t get killed. I weigh 200 pounds, and that hose threw me around like I was an anorexic chicken. Meanwhile, Malley, ever-wise and considerate of his men, walked away casually so that no one would know he was involved in making this huge muddy (and a little bloody) mess. I should have known better!

How often do we take on things that we know we shouldn’t touch, knowing they’ll harm us? How often do we preach to our kids about the dangers of smoking and then pause so we can take a big drag on our cigarette to calm us down? We don’t seem to look far enough down the road to realize what consequences lay ahead. We should know better!

Achimota

Your duty is to go and preach the coming of the Kingdom of God. – Lk. 9:60

There is a village on the Gold Coast of West Africa, called ‘Achimota’. It lies seven miles from the infamous Christianborg castle where slaves were held for the slave ships. Across a wooded hill above the village runs a path trod by thousands of slaves headed for a life of misery. This hill was the last chance of escape before they reached the dungeons from which they would be shipped across the Atlantic. Sometimes slaves would manage to escape the chains and would be cared for by villagers. The name ‘Achimota’ literally means ‘Hush, don’t speak of it”.

Today, Achimota is the site of Ghana’s first great college where young people are educated for the future life of the free state of Ghana. The first vice-principal, James Kwegyr Aggrey, was known internationally for his work of racial reconciliation. The crest of the new college bears one of his parables: “On a piano you can play a tune of sorts on the white keys and a tune of sorts on the black keys, but for real harmony you need both black and white.” Its motto, ‘Ut omnes unum sint’ (That they all may be one), calls for one family of diverse races. Achimota College’s goal supports God’s long-term plan for humanity.

We Christians are often told that it is at best in poor taste and at worst bigotry to attempt to “proselytize” others. “It is alright for you to believe that way, but you shouldn’t push your beliefs on others” we are told. But what if vice-principal Aggrey had followed their advice? What if he had simply held to his beliefs about the miscarriage of justice that was the slave trade and had not tried to convince others? What would have happened if each of those villagers had simply believed fervently without acting upon their faith? Where would Ghana be today? Those few poor souls that did manage to escape the slave traders would have starved to death in the bush, dying alone and miserable. All the good things that we have in life have come because someone somewhere had a good idea, a firm belief to which they held contrary to the prevailing view. We are able to profit from their ideas because of their tenacity.

Each of us should try to convince his neighbor of the right view, the right action, the right belief. Is that not the very essence of democracy – survival of the fittest theory – Darwinianism at its best? As each idea is tested, some fall by the wayside, others flourish until they become a veritable ideological forest – providing shelter, food, lumber, shade, holding the water in the ground. Only through spiritual reproduction will we not only maintain but improve the condition of the human race. A one tree forest is doomed to die.

Qualifications of Leadership

Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank. But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them." – Numbers 20:11-12

In a lifetime of patient, faithful service, Moses lost his temper once and it cost him his chance to set foot in the Promised Land. This was his life’s goal and he missed it for losing his cool – one time.

In Numbers 20, the people were complaining that there was no water (imagine that!) (vv. 2-5) and Moses obediently took the problem to the Lord (v. 6). He received clear, simple instructions, yet was apparently fuming about the whole situation instead of simply giving it over to God. When he got up in front of everyone, his temper boiled over and he struck the rock instead of simply speaking to it as God instructed. The people still got the water they needed, but Moses lost his chance (vv. 10-11) to go to the Promised Land.

There are some valuable lessons to be learned here. First, leaders are held to a higher standard (James 3:1) Second, the greater our influence over others, the greater responsibility we have (Luke 12:48). Third, though we are allowed to have tempers, we must never let our tempers control us (Ephesians 4:26; 2 Corinthians 10:5). Fourth, a lifetime of faithful service can be damaged in seconds (Numbers 10:10-11). And last, our followers can have a tremendous effect on us so leaders need to be strong. Leadership is not for the faint of heart.

This is why no one should be offered church leadership who does not pass the character qualifications listed in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. You may say “But those are qualifications of elders and deacons – they don’t relate to Sunday school teachers or choir directors.” And you’d be right – to a degree. The Bible doesn’t specify qualifications of Sunday school teachers; but it does talk about being “apt to teach.” It doesn’t specifically mention choir directors, but it does qualify those who lead in worship. Anyone who seeks a position of influence and leadership in the Body of Christ must clearly demonstrate their living relationship with Jesus Christ by showing the fruit of the spirit (Matthew 7:16 cp. Galatians 5:13-26).

And obviously, we certainly cannot have church leaders whose character or lifestyles are clearly defined as abhorrent to the Lord (Proverbs 6:16-19) or bring into question their salvation (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 1 Timothy 1:9-10).

Do we choose as a banker the one who wisely and shrewdly handles money or the one who cannot even balance his check book? Let’s be real. If someone wants to lead, teach or influence others spiritually, they need to be the best we have among us.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Abraham came near and said, "Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will You indeed sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?" – Genesis 18:23-25

God revealed to Abraham His plan to destroy Sodom and its surrounding area. Abraham’s shocked reply in essence was, “Are you really going to lump the righteous and the unrighteous, the good, the bad and the ugly together in this?” In other words, “Doesn’t the fact that there seem to be degrees of wickedness and evil matter? Shouldn’t this be a more selective, surgical strike?”

We tend to think of our personal righteousness (I am referring to our Christian walk – our lifestyle – as opposed to our standing in Christ), as being some kind of insurance against calamity. If we behave, God will bless us with good stuff and if we misbehave, God will curse us with bad stuff. Sweet system – but “it don’t work that way.”

What shocked Abraham was that all people are equal in the eyes of the Almighty. If there is no difference between the righteous and the unrighteous, what’s the advantage of trying to be holy?

It seems that most of God’s people have struggled with this issue for the entire sad course of human history. Job struggled with it. The apostles were shocked when Jesus said that rich people have a tough time getting into the kingdom. “Then who can?” they object. To this very day you’ll find people who say, “If you follow these principles, you can be wealthy. If you tithe God, will pay you back with interest (as if God could ever be indebted to us).” “If you have enough faith, you too will be healthy,” they proclaim to their legions of hopeful marks.

But when Jesus asked for the cup of suffering to pass Him, He was denied. Do we have more faith than the Christ? When Paul asked three times for healing, he was denied. Do we have more faith than Paul?

God sends rain on both the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). He shows no partiality – welcoming anyone who fears Him and does what is right. (Acts 10:34-35). He is the farmer who sows His seed indiscriminately (Matthew 13:3-9). And before we get too upset about this concept, we need to remember that it worked in our favor. It worked in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). What if He’d waited till we were righteous? What if He’d waited till we were worth it?

Talk, Talk, Talk

Just as the body is dead without a spirit, so also faith is dead without good deeds. – Js. 2:26

Nehemiah had a great job. He worked for the king and got to eat like one. He had an easy job and didn’t particularly suffer from any want or persecution. But he got a burden for Jerusalem. He prayed and prayed and the burden only became greater. Finally, he did something about it. It was risky. It was foolhardy. It was downright foolish. But God answered amazingly and provided.

Nehemiah was able to go to Jerusalem and start building. The book of Nehemiah is filled with his prayers. But after his prayers, Nehemiah worked. He pushed, he bullied, he dictated, he led, he rewarded. He did whatever it took to get the job done. I like the verse in Nehemiah 4:9 that says that he prayed to God and posted guards. He relied on God to take care of the stuff he, as a mere mortal, could not foresee. He did whatever he could, not allowing his spirituality to become an excuse for laziness.

Never let your prayer life become an excuse for laziness. Prayer is supposed to be a goad to action, a call to arms, not a lullaby. Too many times I have found myself complacent in my prayer life. I listen to someone’s heartache and smugly tell them, “I’ll pray for you.” That’s great! But it’s not everything. James puts it this way: “What’s the use of saying you have faith if you don’t prove it by your actions? That kind of faith can’t save anyone. Suppose you see a brother or sister who needs food or clothing, and you say, ‘Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat well.’ – but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?” (Js. 2:14-16). What good indeed! I don’t know about you, but if I were hungry, I’d just as soon you fed me as prayed that I be fed.

Nehemiah was busy working on the walls that would defend Jerusalem. Some men (who didn’t like the building committee’s decisions) were trying to delay him. They came to talk, they said. “Let’s discuss the environmental impact of your construction site. Let’s discuss new and better ways of dealing with your logistical problems.” They wanted to keep talking as long as there was no actual building going on. We often find people like that in our lives. They want to talk about missions, about evangelism, and about world hunger. They want to talk about spirituality and the Bible. Talk, talk, talk! But where’s the action? Give them the same answer Nehemiah did. “I cannot come down for I am in the middle of a great work.” Don’t let your praying, or your conversation become a way of avoiding the work.

Leaving Well Enough Alone

Then he said, "Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once; suppose ten are found there?" And He said, "I will not destroy it on account of the ten." As soon as He had finished speaking to Abraham the LORD departed, and Abraham returned to his place. – Genesis 18:32-33

Abraham returned to his place? Why in the world did he do that? Why didn’t he grab a horse or something and get to Sodom and warn them of the coming destruction? Why didn’t he at least warn his relatives?

Instead, he haggled with the Lord, knowing full well the spiritual condition of his nephew Lot and when it seemed that he’d gotten God down as far as He was going to go, he shrugged his shoulders and headed home! Why was this man, a fighter who was willing to take on five kings simultaneously, suddenly so passive?

It has to do with verse 25. Abraham knew who he was dealing with. This was no ordinary man in front of him. This was not even an angel. This was the Judge of all the Earth. Who was he to try to do God’s job? The prophet Jeremiah got it right when he said “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)

What if Abraham had gone to Sodom? What if he had knocked on doors and screamed out in the marketplace? What could he have done? Could he tell who the truly righteous and the mortally unrighteous were? Could he read the hearts and minds of these people? I don’t think so.

Abraham was close enough to God to know when to speak up, when to put up and when to shut up. He did what he could and when he reached the limits of God’s patience and his personal ability – he was smart enough to recognize where he was and stopped.

That is an unusual bit of wisdom. Very few of us know how to walk the fine line between confidence in God’s love and hubris. We tend to either fall far short of where God is willing to take us or we go way overboard and end up hurting our relationship with Him. We focus entirely on Law or way too much on Grace. We don’t witness enough or we badger everyone with a big KJV Family Bible.

Knowing when to grab God’s sleeve and make an impassioned appeal, or when to drop our hand and step away requires an intimate knowledge of God’s will, His character, His methods and approach. It comes from a lifetime of studying His love letter and years of kneeling in His presence. We need to know when to speak up, when to put up and when to shut up. We need to know when to leave well enough alone.

The Point of Arguing

Abraham came near and said, "Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will You indeed sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?" – Genesis 18:23-25

Have you ever wondered why Abraham tried to argue with God? Did he actually think that one can prevail over Elohim? Jacob did (Genesis 32:24-29). Jacob wrestled with the Son of God all night long and when the Son saw that He had not prevailed against Jacob, He damaged Jacob’s thigh and yet Jacob – seeking God’s blessing – continued to hold on.

“You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures,” taught the Lord’s half-brother (James 4:3). “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord,” (James 1:5-7). God wants to give us good things. He wants us to come boldly to His throne room (Hebrews 4:16), recognizing that we are no longer enemies or even servants, but His children. Doing this lets us realize our true status – our new relationship with the Father.

But why did God let Abraham go on arguing, when He knew that there were no righteous people to be found in Sodom? He could have told the man that He had just called His “chosen one” in verse 19 “That’s okay, Abraham. I really appreciate your willingness to intercede on their behalf. Wonderful attitude you have there, really – but save your breath. It’s no use. It’s too late. There are no righteous people in Sodom.” But He didn’t. He let Abraham go on and on. If you look carefully at the text you will see that Abraham was getting more and more nervous as he tried (as he thought) raising the stakes.

I believe that God’s purpose is always good. “For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11). God allowed Abraham to stretch his compassion muscles. He could not save Sodom. But He could save Abraham. This is the point of compassion: even if we cannot save others, the act may yet save us.

Teshuvah - The power of repentance

Then he said, "Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once; suppose ten are found there?" And He said, "I will not destroy it on account of the ten." – Genesis 18:32

Teshuvah is generally translated “repentance.” However, English does not do the Hebrew word justice because teshuvah also carries within it the meaning “return.” Repentance implies a change of ways; a change of heart; a change of direction. But we can change from one bad direction to another bad direction. Teshuvah literally means returning to the Source of Good. It requires not just remorse, nor restitution, nor repentance but a positive move towards reconciliation.

Genesis 18 tells us that if God had been able to find even ten righteous people in the entire valley of Sodom with its five sinful cities – He would have spared them. The problem was not with God’s mercy or compassion. The problem was with Sodom’s total lack of any intrinsic goodness.

According to Hebrews 11, Lot was considered by God to be righteous. Not sinless, mind you, but righteous. He was accounted righteous simply because he heard God’s message, believed it and acted upon it. That’s all it takes. But Lot was the only one. He tried to warn his family and they mocked him. But even though God could only find one righteous man He still saved the lives of that man and two of his daughters.

Teshuvah has great power. Teshuvah had the ability to save ten of thousands of lives with only ten righteous souls. Teshuvah had the ability to save an entire family for the sake of one father. Witness the leverage it carried with Yahweh when Nineveh repented. Look at its impact when Saul the mass murderer of Christians encountered the Lord on the road to Damascus and was transformed into Paul the Apostle. The problem in Genesis 18 was that no one was taking advantage of that power.

History has taught us that it is never too late for teshuvah. It is never too late to turn toward heaven and beg for forgiveness. But Sodom never did. Instead, they tried to rape the angels. They tried to invade Lot’s home. They mocked his message and though she started out obeying, Lot’s wife ended up turning back and was no more.

I beg you – recognize the sin in your life and turn toward Adonai with teshuvah in your heart. Be remorseful for your sin. Repent of it – turn away from it. Turn toward God and seek to be restored to a right relationship with Him. Experience the power of teshuvah in your life and be transformed.

Looking Down Toward Sodom

Then the men rose up from there, and looked down toward Sodom; and Abraham was walking with them to send them off. The LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?” - Genesis 18:16-17

And they “looked down toward Sodom.” So much said in so few words. What an ominous, discomfiting statement! The angel’s look is rather like the glance given by the Master to Peter immediately after his third denial. What an impact those swollen, blood shot eyes must have had on the apostle! In fact, we see the power of that single look by Peter’s reaction – he ran out, weeping bitterly.

Sodom’s evil had risen to such a state that the Son of God Himself had come down along with two angels to investigate. They knew they were about to destroy Sodom’s entire valley. They knew that thousands were about to die horrible, ghastly, fiery deaths.

And they “looked down toward Sodom.” The line reminds me of Yeat's line “And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?” There are times when we don’t necessarily want the Lord’s attention.

Sodom was totally given over to licentiousness. It was enamored with money, power, sex and violence. Homosexuality had gotten to the point where the men of Sodom were gang raping strangers. Fathers were using their daughters as bargaining chips. This state of affairs had been reported by angels to the Lord God and the Son had come down to witness this for Himself - and that was not a good thing.

We tend to focus on the big signs. We look at what happened on 9/11, at the devastation done by hurricane Katrina or the tsunami and think “Is this God’s judgment?” But why does God have to bludgeon us to get our attention? Why can’t He simply speak and we listen? Why can’t He just glance in our direction and we be so tuned in, dialed in, and focused on Him that we immediately jump?

Abraham knew there was a problem in Sodom. When the Lord told him what was about to happen he wasn’t surprised. He simply began trying to bargain for mercy. He knew by this point that he was speaking to God. When the Son and those two angels suddenly stood and looked down toward Sodom – did he shiver? Did a chill run down his spine as those inhuman eyes gazed upon that city’s sin?

I would like to ask you, is God giving you some kind of sign that you are ignoring? Is He looking down on sin in your life that is about to bring some unwelcome consequences? Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Do not quench Him. Do not resist his promptings. Instead, plead for mercy. Ask for compassion. Whatever you do, do not ask for justice. And pray that the Judge of all the Earth is not looking your way.

A Mitzvah for a Fool

When arguing with fools, don’t answer their foolish arguments, or you will become as foolish as they are. When arguing with fools, be sure to answer their foolish arguments, or they will become wise in their own estimation. – Proverbs 26:4-5

Have you ever had to deal with a fool? You know – bull headed, ignorant, unteachable, absolutely convinced of the rightness of their cause contrary to all evidence and good sense, easily angered, thin skinned, and self-righteous – a fool. Of course you have – we all have. The Bible has sound advice for dealing with fools.

It is a mitzvah, a divine commandment and blessing, to instruct someone who will listen to you; but if you know that he will not listen, it is equally a mitzvah to refrain from instructing him, for you will only cause unnecessary argument and strife.

These two verses in Proverbs seem, at first glance, to contradict each other. But Solomon is making a play upon the little word “ki”, sometimes rendered “according to”. The Teacher’s advice on fools goes like this:

First, don’t descend to his or her level. In verse 4 “ki” means “in harmony with”. To enter into discussion with a fool within the terms of his folly is to lower oneself to his level and to accept his outlook upon life as one worthy of consideration. As you are answering, don’t answer in the same manner the fool would. Don’t argue about foolish things. (Titus 3:9-11)

However, don’t avoid dealing with the fool. In verse 5 “according to” means “as it deserves”. Answer a fool in such a manner that his or her foolishness is revealed to those who listen and hopefully to the fool himself. Thus he may come to realize that he is far from wise and may seek to become so. Paul said, "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God..." (2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NIV).

While answering, don’t lose your cool. “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. (Ephesians 4:26-27).

Don’t gossip and slander the poor fool. It is foolish to belittle a neighbor; a person with good sense remains silent. Scoundrels hunt for scandal; their words are a destructive blaze. (Proverbs 11:12; 16:27) You may derive some momentary satisfaction in knocking the fool down in gossip but keep in mind “A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends.” (Proverbs 16:28) Don’t become a troublemaking gossip. In dealing with the fool don’t become one yourself.

All of us end up dealing with fools. And from time to time any of us can be foolish. Wouldn’t it be nice if folks dealt with us keeping this mitzvah in mind?

Living Carefree

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you. 1 Pe. 5:7

Who doesn’t have cares? Who does not live with worries and concerns about the future? One of the many downsides to being finite is that we cannot foresee the future. We don’t even have a full grasp of the present! This doesn’t change when you become a Christian. You don’t just automatically become “Super Saint” and rest entirely on God. It is something that is learned.

Many people seem to think that faith is a blind leap into the dark. It is not. Faith is a learned response. I trust my wife because I have lived many years with her and she has never been unfaithful to me. I trust my chair because I have sat in it safely hundreds of times. If ever my wife is unfaithful or my chair breaks under my weight, I will more than likely lose faith. It would take many years to regain that sense of trust and comfort. So faith grows with time and experience. But it is not necessarily chronological. If I were married for fifteen years but had only actually spent five years with my wife due to my job, then I would only have five years worth of knowledge of her. My faith in her would only be five years worth. Fortunately for me, our separations have been few and far between. We do everything together. Thus, my knowledge of her is great and correspondingly, so is my faith in her.

I have seen people who have been Christians for thirty years but who were still novices because they did not actually spend that much time with God. They did not study the Scriptures, they did not explore their relationship with Him, so they were still Christian infants. I have seen young Christians who were totally dedicated to God and spent every possible moment with Him. Their faith was very strong. Jim Eliot was once such Christian. He was able to leave behind a comfortable life in the US, move to Ecuador as a missionary, and was eventually martyred for the faith. But this did not happen overnight. He was not able to show this much faith in God until after many, many moments spent with Him in prayer.

Only after you spend much time with God will you be able to fully give all your worries and cares to Him. As with anyone else, a relationship with God can and must be cultivated. What does it take to make a great friend? Time spent together, two-way conversation, care for the interests of each other, and a willingness to sacrifice for each other are required. Believe me; God is already doing all this for you. The only one who is lacking is you. Get to it.

Fighting Like a Girl

…Be earnest and disciplined in your prayers…Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere. 1 Pe. 4:7; Eph. 6:18

Most girls, when they fight, flail away wildly – hair falling in their eyes, eyes closed, they swing with great energy, but with little accomplishment. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen some phenomenal female warriors, but most girls fight like – well, girls!

We Christians are often guilty of fighting like girls. We pray when the mood hits; we read the Scriptures when the pastor tells us to in church, we study for a couple of minutes when someone asks us a question, we rise in ignorant indignation over issues then quickly fade away. This is no way to win a war. Christ calls us to a life of disciplined prayer. We should not only pray at the meal table or in church, but “at all times and on every occasion.” When we head for the phone, we should ask God to help us have a sweet spirit. When we make up our bed, we should be planning our day with the Lord. As we drive to work, why not ask the Creator for some creative solutions to your day’s problems?

One thing about girls, though, when they do decide to actually train and learn how to fight, they are great. You know why? Because they don’t try to rely on their own strength. They’ve lived their whole lives as “weaker vessels” and so they use their brains instead. Trainers spend half their time with men trying to convince them to use strategy and tactics instead of just wading in and trading punches. With women, if you can show them a sneaky trick, they listen. But we Christians are constantly guilty of relying on our own strength in day-to-day life. We try to figure things out, connive our way out of issues and bills. In the face of debt, God says “Give me your money. Not just the tithe – give Me all of it. Let Me show you what I can do.” And we respond by clutching our bills and change with trembling, palsied little hands. We think His way does not make sense. We think we can out-think God. What we should be doing is praying and acting “in the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Stay alert. Don’t snooze. Look for opportunities to pray. When someone expresses worry over their children, pray with them – right there, right then. Become known as a persistent, habitual prayer warrior. Instead of flailing away uselessly, spending your energy without accomplishment, become disciplined in your spiritual life. Why should it surprise us that when we must exercise physical and mental discipline, we must exercise equally in the spiritual realm?

Expectancy

Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly. – Psalm 5:3

I share a particularly close relationship with one of my nieces. She used to stay at my house almost every weekend when she was very small. I found her sleeping with my dog in the dog basket not once, but several times. Once there was a time when her parents denied her a request. She responded “I’ll just ask my uncle. He’ll get it for me.” Ah, the utter confidence of youth and love.

I am often guilty of going through the motions when I pray. I ask for things without any real expectation of receiving them. Why do I pray then? Well, I am not always aware of my lack of faith. I only become aware of my unbelief when the answer comes and I am surprised by it. I think to myself “Wow! Look at that! God answered!” or “What, already?” I’m not sure how long it will take before I have that complete and utter confidence in the love and concern of my heavenly Father.

What I should do is begin to immediately look around for the answer to my prayer. God knew my need before I even knew about it. He knew I would need this and that before the foundations of the world. So the odds are, the answer was already on the way as I was praying. But because of my unbelief, the dark forces of Satan may be able to delay it a while. Remember when Daniel was praying? The angel that eventually arrived told Daniel that demonic forces had delayed him. Demonic forces gain power and strength in humanity’s sin and willfulness. They have been bound over to darkness – the moral darkness that can be found even, at times, in the life of a Christian. That means that wherever I allow moral or spiritual darkness in my life, I am giving them more maneuvering room. When I pray faithlessly, I am the one delaying the answer to my prayers.

I was praying once with a young, mentally retarded man. He prayed, “God, preacher tells me my hair is too long and I need a haircut. How long was Jesus’ hair?” There was a long period of silence and I began to worry that I would have to try to explain to this young believer that we couldn’t really know what Jesus looked like until we got to heaven. Suddenly he said, “Oh, thanks!” Immediately after the meeting he went to the barber and got his hair trimmed. It was still long by some people’s standards but it didn’t go to his shoulders. To this day I believe that somehow, some way, God gave that simple man an answer of some kind in response to his child-like faith. I only pray that I can achieve the same faith.

Complex Simplicity

Once when Jesus had been out praying, one of his disciples came to him as he finished and said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” Luke 11:1

“Teach us to pray.” This disciple had a flash of insight. He realized that there were hidden depths, unrealized complexities to prayer that were eluding him. When audiences who are not familiar with the art of grappling watch two master wrestlers, they often think not much is happening. Because they have not tried wrestling themselves, they don’t see the nuances. They don’t notice the vibrating deltoid muscles that tell a story of nearly superhuman strain. They don’t see the little adjustments of balance that should telegraph that the person is trying to get a tactical advantage. Ah, but get an old grappler to watch and he will thoroughly enjoy himself. When my father-in-law watches a hockey game, he leans and twists and his muscles twitch in sympathy with the players. You see, he once was one of them and he realizes that there is more to hockey than just staying up on your skates and pushing around a little black puck.

We Christians are often satisfied with only surface knowledge of things. The great depths and reefs of theology elude us through lack of effort or concern. Never be guilty of this. Realize that you know little about the business of prayer. It matters not that you have been praying for twenty years, there are yet unplumbed depths to explore.

“Teach us to pray” the disciple implores. Not only does he realize the need to learn, but he goes to the right Teacher. As much as I would like to, I cannot teach you everything you need to know about praying. The problem is that I am also a student. I can teach you what I have discovered so far but any insight shared will be limited by my own limitations. I do know a great Teacher, however, who once said “Ask and it shall be given, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you.” He knows everything there is to know about the subject. How does He know so much? Well, He was the Inventor, the original Creator of the concept of God/Man communication.

Prayer is like the Japanese game of Go. It is so simple that a child can learn to play in a few short minutes. It is so complex that some people dedicate their lives to mastering it and die short of their goal. Prayer is so simple that a child can kneel beside his bed and be instantly in communication with the sovereign Lord of the universe. Yet it is so complex that old prayer warriors can struggle sometimes almost to the point of death, wrestling with God. More rightly, they are wrestling with themselves, trying to get their hearts to submit to the will of God. This is the strength, the beauty, the challenge of prayer.

Deep Roots

Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. – Philippians 4:13 (The Message)

There once was an old man who wore overalls and a straw hat. He smiled a lot and his smile matched his hat – old, crinkly and well worn. He never yelled at kids who played in his yard. His house sat on ten acres, and his life-goal was to make it a forest. He had some interesting theories concerning trees. He came from the “No pain, no gain” school of horticulture. He never watered his new trees. He said that watering trees spoiled them, and that if you watered them, the next generation of trees would grow weaker and weaker. You have to make things rough for them and weed out the “weenie” trees early on. He talked about how watering trees made for shallow roots, and how trees that weren’t watered had to grow deep roots in search of moisture.

So he never watered his trees. He’d plant an oak and, instead of watering it every morning, he’d beat it with a rolled up newspaper. Smack! Smack! Pow! When asked why he did that, he said it was to get the tree’s attention. The old man died, but those trees were granite-strong, big and robust. Those trees woke up in the morning, beat their chests and drank their coffee black!

Some people plant trees, carry water to them, spray them, pray over them, do everything but tuck them into bed every night and even consider that. What they get is sissy trees - trees that are unable to deal with anything. With the first big wind they’ll topple. Funny thing about the old man’s trees - adversity and deprivation seemed to benefit them in ways comfort and ease never could.

So often we pray “Lord, spare me from the hardships of life.” But we need to recognize the inevitability of life’s cold winds. Our praying to be spared them is naïve, since there’s always one blowing somewhere. Life is tough whether we want it to be or not. Too many times we pray for ease, but that’s a prayer that’s seldom answered. Let’s pray “Lord, make my roots grow deep, so they can draw from the hidden sources of the eternal God.” What we need is for God to smack us with a newspaper every once in a while so when the real tough times come, we’ll be ready.

Change Your Name

The nations will see your righteousness. Kings will be blinded by your glory. And the Lord will give you a new name. – Is. 62:2

A great general was surrounded one time. He was in his tent discussing strategy with his subordinates when an aide came running in. “General, the enemy has surrounded us with eight regiments! We are outnumbered 20 to one!” Everyone turned to the great man as he gazed calmly at the panicked aide. “Well that’s outstanding!” he replied “We’ve got them right where we want them. We can shoot anywhere and hit the enemy.”

Life’s problems often surround us and it’s easy to get panicked. We look at the overwhelming mass of them and it is too much to bear. What we need to do is have the same outlook as the general. Just keep doing the job, one bullet at a time, one enemy at a time. By staying calm and remaining on the job even under stress, we reveal our true worth. Anyone can do well when everything is running smoothly. How good are you when the going gets rough? That’s the real test.

Another general, Alexander the Great, rode into camp one day. As he approached the center of the huge camp he saw an officer berating a foot soldier. He stopped and asked what the problem was. The officer told him the soldier had displayed cowardice in the last battle and was refusing to go into the fray. Alexander rode his horse over to the kneeling soldier. “Soldier, what is your name?” The man hesitated to answer so Alexander repeated the question. “Soldier, what is your name?” Finally the man barely whispered, “Alexander, sir.” Alexander the Great, conqueror of the world replied, “Soldier, change your ways or change your name.”

All of us who claim the name of Christ, should learn the lesson. How awful it is to see someone with some Christian sticker on his or her car get angry and impatient in traffic. How terrible it must be for Christ when a person with a WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) bracelet or ball cap is nasty to the cashier at Walmart. How much better it would be for you to remove the sticker, the bracelet, the ball cap or the cross necklace and display Christ with your attitude or actions! Change your name or change your actions!

Archipelagoes

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results. - James 5:16

No man is an island unto himself. We are more like an archipelago – a chain of islands with interrelated ecologies. Everything you do affects others around you. Why not use this “ripple effect” to benefit those around you? Do not consider yourself separate. Do not pray only for yourself. Notice that in Christ’s example of prayer, He began by praying for the advancement of the Kingdom. It is easy to fall into the habit of self-centered prayer. We ask for this, beg for that, plead for the other. We are so caught up in our own needs and wants that we forget that there is a needy world. Christianity is primarily about service. We are to minister to those around us. James says that it is useless for us to simply tell someone who is hungry to be blest, be warm and be fed. We are to get up out of our comfort zone, get out there and help them.

So, too, our prayer life should be characterized by service to others. Pray for their needs, for their wants. Pray for their children, for their family life. Pray for the leaders of your community. Pray for your church. Ask God to give wisdom to the judges. Plead for protection for the police and firemen. See if God will guide the hands of the medical staff of your hospital. Check on these things and see if your prayers are having a result. You can ask for information on the number of police or fire departments work related accidents or incidents. You can see how many people are successfully treated at your hospital. This will only help your faith as you see the impact that your prayers have.

As you are praying, choose a prayer partner who is willing to join you. Be accountable to that person. If you are struggling spiritually, ask for their prayers. If you have sinned, confess it to them and get them to help you establish safeguards so that it doesn’t happen again. As you reach out to others IN help, also reach out to others FOR help. What will develop is a community based on love, compassion, and help with you at its heart. But it will not happen as long as your prayers remain self-centered.

Carrying an Umbrella

…Because of your faith, it will happen. Mt. 9:29

I read a story about a church that was located in an area beset by drought. At last, they decided to pray about the matter. Isn’t it funny how we don’t start out praying? We always wait until the situation seems hopeless then yell out, “God! Help!” Anyway, only one person showed up to the prayer meeting with an umbrella. They were all there ostensibly to ask God for rain, but only one among the congregation actually believed God would answer. When you pray, do you carry an “umbrella” with you? Do you pray believing you will receive an answer? If not, then why waste your time and God’s? Just go down to the closest street corner, accost a complete stranger, and spout out a bunch of gibberish at him. It will be just as effective.

Faith is an integral part of prayer. It is by faith that you pray in the first place. You must exercise faith in an invisible God, and yet more faith in the fact that He listens and answers you. Saying “faithless prayer” is like saying “wordless speech”. It is nonsense. If you are not exercising your faith muscles as you pray, you are only pretending to pray.

If you believe your prayers will be answered, you will begin moving on them even before the answer arrives. George Mueller used to minister to the Lord by establishing orphanages in England. He often was totally devoid of funds. His biography recounts a time when he caused all the orphans to gather around a dinner table that held no food. They set the table, placed the napkins and sat down to pray over the non-existent food. As he was thanking God for the food, a knock came at the door. A bread truck had broken down in front of the orphanage and they wanted to know if Mr. Mueller had any use for the bread? A few minutes later, another man arrived asking if Mr. Mueller would care for a truck-load of milk. This did not happen just once. It happened over and over.

The scary part of living by faith is that to truly live by faith, you must act when there is no reason to. You must live with God on the edge of things. Jesus approached his would-be disciples and said “Drop your nets, leave behind your source of income and follow me.” Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that God necessarily wants you to quit your job and live totally by faith. You should, however, not rely on that job to provide everything for you. You could lose it any day now. You will never lose God.

If you pray in an attitude of faith, and begin putting feet to your prayers without waiting to have everything spelled out for you, you will embark on a scary, exciting and thrilling adventure with God. You will start carrying around an umbrella.

Dung Beetle Lives

I once thought all these (self-righteous works) were so very important, but now I consider them worthless (KJV reads dung) because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I may have Christ. - Philippians 3:7-8

Generally, dung beetles don’t get a lot of respect. They usually don’t get noticed by anyone not playing around in a cow pad. However, in tropical climes they can be extremely numerous and busy workers. In 1973, a guy called Jo Anderson recorded the action as it happened at a small 1.5 kg pile of elephant dung on the African savannah. In two hours, that small pile of dung attracted 16,000 dung beetles of various shapes and sizes. They had eaten and or buried that dung completely in just those two hours.

Some of the larger dung beetles are incredibly strong and can move balls of dung up to 50 times their own weight. Dung beetles can be conveniently divided into three groups: Dwellers, Tunnellers and Rollers.

Dwellers spend as much of their lives as possible digging around inside some sort of dung. They lay their eggs straight into the dung and the larvae live happily eating their way through it.

Generally speaking, dung beetles are good fliers. Tunnelers will fly along until they find a nice fresh cow pad into which they will dive. They then dig beneath the pad and drag as much dung as they like down into the newly-created tunnel.

Rollers are species who make a burrow some way away from the dung they are going to use and then collect small to medium sized lumps of dung to role away from the source and into their burrows.

So, what is the lesson that we can learn from these useful but disgusting creatures? We Christians must examine the things we value and determine whether or not they have any more worth than little rolled up balls of manure. Oh, it’s easy to instantly let our minds think of materialism. We roll our little balls of money. We wallow in our piles of things. But what of pride? What of position? What about our little fiefdoms that we struggle so valiantly to defend, never realizing that they are so much dung? Are we Dwellers? Do we make no attempt to reach out for the better things God has to offer and simply wallow in and eat of Satan’s filth? Are we Tunnelers? Do we try to appear as if we live separate from the world while all the while living immediately under its sway? Or are we Rollers? Do we acknowledge the need to be separate and yet still occasionally roll little balls of worldliness into our lives and into our homes? Make sure that you are truly reaching your full potential and not merely leading a Dung Beetle life.

A Good Conversationalist

The prayer of the upright is His delight. – Proverbs 15:8

What if your loved ones only communicated with you in prescribed, rote, memorized fashion? What if they never deviated from certain written phrases? No matter how eloquent the phrases, wouldn’t you be disappointed? If my children only addressed me when they wanted something and did it in a very formal, ritualized fashion (in old English) it would drive me crazy! “Our Father, who art in the living room, how handsome thou art today,” they might say. “Thy fatherhood be established, thy will be done upstairs as well as downstairs. Give us this day our weekly allowance, and forgive us our trespasses as we have forgiven our siblings. And don’t make our chores too difficult, but deliver us from hard labor. For thine is the authority, the wisdom and the ability to do these things. Thank you.” After a couple of times, I might refuse to answer simply out of pique!

Prayer is more than a rehearsal of a series of words - whether the words come from the Bible or a famous liturgy. If you utter the words more from the throat than from the heart or mind, don’t be surprised when you don’t seem to get the deep abiding centeredness you seek.

Genuine prayer is our conversation with God. It expresses our deepest feelings, our greatest desires and our worst nightmares to Someone who truly is concerned. To simply recite preset words at God rather than speaking to God implies that He is without a will. It implies that He is a machine that will respond to a set of stimuli in a given way every time. It denies His personhood. It demeans God.

By adoration, thanksgiving, confession of sin and petitions for mercies and gifts we ascend to the very throne room of God and come to know Him. The very act of searching deep within ourselves for what to say changes us. Prayer is like a being on a boat and pulling on the line that is tied to shore. You get closer, yes – but it is because YOU are moving. Prayer is intense. It is hard work. It reveals the depths of our sin, it shows us the limits of our capabilities, and renders us down to the essentials before an Almighty God.

However, like any good conversation, it is also a delight. Once in a while, you meet someone who is a great conversationalist. In other words they are interested in you! They ask good questions; they are interested in your history; they like to hear of your victories; they appreciate the life wisdom you can share. They ask your advice…then actually ACT on it! God is looking for a good conversation. He delights in it. Why not simply try talking to Him instead of reciting to Him? The last time we spoke He said He would really appreciate it.

A Satisfied Princess

Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, what things God has prepared for those who love Him. - 1 Corinthians 2:9

There once was a princess who married a very wealthy commoner. He loved his wife and wanted to please her. So he bought her a huge mansion filled with the most expensive furniture money could buy. He purchased an exquisite wardrobe with each dress having been hand-made by the most famous designers. There were servants for every imaginable need.

However, while she smiled when he presented her with yet another gift, she never seemed to be interested in those things for very long. She didn’t quite seem…impressed. Discouraged because she was unmoved by his efforts, he finally asked her what was wrong. Her response was that no matter what he gave her, she could expect even better from her father the king.

Your soul is the princess. Your soul was born to be in fellowship with God. That is what you were designed to be. No amount of material things will ever be able to satisfy your soul because it has heavenly tastes. You may have an excellent spouse, wonderful children, an adequate job, a sufficiently large house, all the furniture you need…but are you satisfied?

Do you look for satisfaction out of the next big ticket item? Do you wait for that next vacation to some glamorous place with anticipation? Do you remember the last vacation? How did you feel when it was over? Weren’t you exhausted? Weren’t you glad to be home? Didn’t it almost seem like you needed a vacation to recover from your vacation?

How about praise? Do you look to people to satisfy your longing for acceptance and love? Do you get upset when you are not sufficiently praised? Are you tempted to quit when people simply don’t appreciate you? Guess what – they never will. Think about it: Jesus Christ, the Son of God, God in flesh, the only perfect human, the one who spent his entire life serving others, was crucified for his efforts.

Why did God, who is perfect and perfectly self-sufficient, create mankind? I believe that He wanted to share the bliss of the Trinity’s communion with us. Jesus told us that He wants us to be one with Him as He was one with the Father. He told us that He wants us to have abundant joy! God wants to share His bliss with us.

All worldly happiness is as ephemeral as the breath of a deer on a dark winter’s night. Happiness will disappear when its cause disappears. Joy, however, that deep inner satisfaction that can exist even in the darkest, bleakest night of human suffering, is forever. Why not develop a better taste in satisfaction? Give your soul what it longs for – heaven’s bliss – communion with the King.

A Great House Falls

I will honor only those who honor me, and I will despise those who despise me. I will put an end to your family, so it will no longer serve as my priests. – 1 Samuel 2:30b-31a

Eli was a good man with bad sons, a frequent phenomenon in the Bible. Eli’s two sons were supposed to assist him at the temple, but they began to take for themselves meat that was supposed to be sacrificed to God. As if that was not enough, they took the meat by force and they also slept with women who came to worship at the temple! Eli tried halfheartedly to rebuke them but was too weak to disown or dismiss them. So God condemned Eli for permitting his sons to continue their sins, thus honoring them more than the Lord. He predicted terrible, seemingly eternal punishment to the House of Eli: both his sons would die on the same day, and none of his other descendants would live a long life. In 1 Samuel 3:14, God told Eli through Samuel that because his sons committed sacrilege and he did not rebuke them, the iniquity of the house of Eli would never be expiated by sacrifice or offering. Note that God did not say that their iniquity would never be atoned for by sincere repentance and change of behavior. He just specified that ritual acts, such as bringing sacrifices, would not effect expiation.

There are lessons to learn from this tragic story. The first is that natural birth is not a qualification for spiritual service. Some families seem to have a history of service in certain fields. But men cannot inherit qualifications which fit them to be moral leaders and spiritual guides. If birth and blood and time-honored custom could qualify men for a moral service, then Eli’s sons would have been destined to be great men of God. Yet they were miserable failures. They did not know the Lord (2:12). You cannot rely on your family’s religiosity or faithful church attendance. The only thing that will help you is your own personal walk with God.

Also, when we reject the great advantages that God grants us, we become even worse sinners than the common ilk. I sometimes refer to this principle as the “Law of Light”. Everyone receives a certain amount of “enlightenment” from God. Call it grace, call it truth, call it opportunity, call it whatever you want – it comes from God and is given to every human. According to the Parable of the Talents, when we “bury” these opportunities, we do not merely remain at a spiritual stand still. Whatever light was originally given is taken away! We are left in a more darkened and sin-stained condition than we started! Therefore, make sure that whatever truth God sends your way that you react positively to it; being not just a hearer of the Word but a doer of it.

The Second Sin

The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” – Genesis 3:12-13

A lot has been said about the first sin. Philosophers often wonder about it, though the average person doesn’t usually give it much thought. But the second sin may, in fact, be more important because we’ll never recover from the first sin as long as we’re guilty of the second. No matter what the sin, no matter the problem, we have a God who has the solution, if only we will avail ourselves of Him. But this second sin renders us incapable of receiving aid. So what is the second sin? It is the sin of passing the buck, shifting the blame.

As we see in this passage, after Adam and Eve sinned, God came (as was His custom) walking in the garden. God, knowing everything and being everywhere simultaneously, knew exactly what they had done, but He came looking for them anyway. He even tried to give them the chance to own up to their sin. I am firmly convinced that if they had simply “fessed up” and repented, He would have forgiven and rehabilitated them. Why am I so convinced? Because Humanity’s long and sordid history is full of stories of God seeking us out to forgive us and restore us to fellowship. But Adam and Eve didn’t repent. They didn’t confess. They blamed others. And because they would not take personal responsibility for their sin, they blocked God’s forgiving powers.

This is the very essence of the unpardonable sin. People always ask what the unpardonable sin is. It is not suicide. It is described in Matthew 12:31 as the “sin against the Holy Spirit.” And in Mark 3:28-29 we see that whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit “never has forgiveness”. What exactly is the Holy Spirit’s role? What does He do that we could blaspheme against Him? Christ tells us that the Spirit’s role is to testify about Christ Himself (John 15:26). This gives us our clue. The Holy Spirit constantly points toward the atoning work of Christ. He always speaks of the Son and directs us to accept His Lordship. Since it is only through the finished work of Christ that we may receive forgiveness, refusing the Spirit’s message of salvation by grace through faith in Christ means you are refusing forgiveness.

One last word on this – notice that Adam was even brazen enough to blame God for his own sin! “The woman YOU GAVE ME” he said. If you harden yourself against the gentle whispers of the Holy Spirit about your sinful condition and about the source of your salvation, you will end up even blaming God for your own sin. Then, not even God Himself can help you.

The First Sin

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. – Genesis 3:6

Adam and Eve were living in an absolutely perfect setting called Eden. They had everything their hearts desired. The only thing forbidden was the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

One day a spectacular visitor, the serpent, struck up a conversation with Eve. The serpent raised in Eve’s mind a question about the goodness of God: Why would God refuse her and Adam the privilege of anything in the Garden, especially something that obviously was the most desirable thing there? And then, an accusation: God refuses you this fruit because He knows it will make you equal to Him. So Eve was convinced, and she ate. Being generous by nature, she shared the fruit with her husband, and he ate. And that was the first sin.

The Bible, in its profound wisdom, portrays the first sin with a simple image. If it had described the sin as the violation of a specific commandment, we humans would ever after have thought that act to be the worst sin and probably the only one to worry about. But the writer of Genesis simply gave us a picture. The first sin was eating the forbidden fruit. Disbelief leading to disobedience is the essence of humanity’s sin.

Adam and Eve lacked faith in the goodness of God. The circumstances may have changed since those days in Paradise, but today, the temptation remains the same. The devil tempts us by causing us to doubt God’s goodness. He whispers in our ears, “If God really loved you, wouldn’t he want you to have fun?” Or, “God doesn’t really care about that little trifling sin, does He?”

Do you ever wonder why God hates sin so much? It’s because He knows how damaging it is. He does not wake up in the morning and rub His hands together in glee as He comes up with new rules and regulations to make you miserable. He loves you! He wants you to have the most joy possible. As Jesus put it, “I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!” God wanted to keep Adam and Eve from the tree because they already knew goodness! The only thing they could learn from it was the knowledge of evil! He was trying to protect them.

As you pray today, watch carefully for areas of unbelief. Do not allow the subtle nuances of Satanic doubt to filter into your language. Do not use words that qualify your confession of sin. Do not limit your praise of God’s goodness. Cast yourself completely, recklessly into His arms, knowing that He cares for you.

Milque-Toast Prayers

“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked. Mk. 10:51

The Lord is still asking us that question. So many times I have been guilty of vague, open-ended prayers. These are the prayers of a coward. A coward makes his prayers nice and vague so that he can claim anything as an answer. He can use that same obfuscation to excuse the lack of effectiveness in his prayer. Either way, he’s covered himself.

In the French language, the verb “to love” and the verb “to like” are the same. This is surprising in a language that is known for its precision. English may have a dozen words that mean pretty much the same thing but when a Frenchman speaks, he generally does so with precision and emphasis except…in matters of love. He can say “Je t’aime” to a girl and mean either he likes her in the same way he likes peanut butter and jelly, or that he loves her with a passion as deep as the ocean and as powerful as the volcano Krakatoa. This is handy in trying to get a girl to kiss you without involving yourself in a potentially messy, personal long-term relationship.

Are you deliberately obtuse with the Lord? Do you dally with words as you pretend to pray? When you pray, are you really praying to God or to the mere mortals who may be listening to you? Think carefully before you answer because your reply will make all the difference between becoming a powerful prayer warrior and a 95-pound weakling. One of the first steps to overcoming the barriers between you and the Lord is to develop brutal self-evaluation.

Do not make vague appeals for God’s mercy. Do not pray for “All the missionaries out there”. Pray for specific needs. Ask for specific things. Name names. See the person’s face as you pray for them. Don’t just ask for a building for your church. Ask for a specific size, ask for a type of architecture, think about all the church’s future needs and anticipate them in your prayers. How many classes? How large a choir loft? How many bathrooms? How many parking places?

You may find that as you pray, the answer lies within you. You may realize that you are the answer to those prayers. Maybe you are a carpenter, an engineer, or a really good cook who can invite people over to your house to find solutions to the questions raised during your prayers. Maybe (gasp) God may tell you to donate toward the building. But you will never know God’s will if you stick to milk-toast prayers. Your answers will only be as clear and definite as your prayers.

The Price of a Mitzvah

The soldiers took him into their headquarters and called out the entire battalion. They dressed him in a purple robe and made a crown of long, sharp thorns and put it on his head. Then they saluted, yelling, "Hail! King of the Jews!" And they beat him on the head with a stick, spit on him, and dropped to their knees in mock worship. When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified. – Mark 15:16-20

A certain man was a church deacon in a small town. He was well respected and had been chosen to be the one responsible for the distribution of benevolence. One day, after he had already collected quite a sum of money for a serious need, a man knocked on his door. “Sir, please help me, I have nowhere else to turn,” he begged. He had a large family and a child who was sick. The medical bills had pushed his financial condition over the edge. The deacon went out to collect money and people did help, but not like the first time.

He returned home exhausted, but satisfied that he had done the right thing. But he had no sooner sat down than someone knocked again. A man’s roof had caved in. His family of ten was without a home. The deacon knew he couldn’t go collecting three times in a single day – but he did anyway.

He went to see a group of rich young men who were known to play poker at a local pub. There on the poker table was enough money to take care of this poor family. But the young men mercilessly mocked the saintly deacon for constantly asking for money. Suddenly one of them had an idea. “We’ll give you all the money on this table if you agree to dress like a fool, dunce cap and all and walk through the streets babbling like an idiot.”

Though he was by nature a serious and dignified man, for the sake of the needy the deacon agreed. He put on the bizarre costume and walked through the city streets with the young men all walking behind him singing and hooting at him. Others soon joined, shouting curses and pelting him with eggs. But when it was over, the deacon got the money he needed and more. He went home rejoicing that he was able to help the poor and to shoulder a little of the world’s sufferings.

A man can be measured by his understanding of the value of a good reputation and his willingness to give up his own for the right cause. The Master met this standard and surpassed it. In fact, he IS the standard by which all other men are to be measured. He was willing to take the insults, the mocking slurs, the spit and the slaps. The question is what are we willing to undergo for him? Do we tone down our testimony lest someone be offended and mock us? Do we try to be a little like the world so that we can fit in? Or, are we willing to sacrifice, not just our time, our resources and our lives – but even our good names for the sake of Christ? What are we willing to pay in order to accomplish a mitzvah?

One Away From Lonely

Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you He will not fail you or forsake you. - Deuteronomy 31:6

I was sitting in the lunch room, eating my pb ‘n’ j sandwich and reading my Bible, when a co-worker sat down beside me. “What are you reading?” she asked.

I was reading Deuteronomy 6:4-9, a passage the Jewish people refer to as the “Shema”. I explained to her that they have been reciting these verses as a prayer every morning and evening for thousands of years. Suddenly and unexpectedly, she burst into tears! She began sobbing as though her heart was broken. The manager of the business came in and angrily wanted to know what I had done to the girl. I protested that I had done nothing! He sent me out of the room and about half an hour later, ordered me to never talk about religion at work again.

I later discovered that as she had realized how old that prayer was, and the image of generation after generation of Jews praying the same thing twice a day flooded into her mind, and the feeling of being small and insignificant overwhelmed her. She had broken down when faced with her own mortality.

As our society has become more and more reliant on technology it has become increasingly lonely. The television that was meant to unite us with the world has caused us all to sit alone staring at a flickering screen. The television, rather than uniting us with our loved ones, has brought a siege of telemarketers. The internet, rather than forming a unifying web of liberating information and flow of conversation, has brought a deluge of pornography and insanity. We struggle through our days, overwhelmed with information and “underwhelmed” with relationships. Where a few decades ago, we had many friends, most of us are down to one. We are one friend away from being alone.

But God invites you to a real, meaningful and healthy relationship. Paul encourages, “Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you," so that we confidently say, "The Lord is my Helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:5-6). He echoes God’s words to Joshua, "The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." (Joshua 1:5)

You may feel alone, but you are not. You may look around and see no one, but that is because He is invisible. Circumstances may crush and all other humans may leave, but God promises that you are always one away from lonely.