Spoiled-Brat Prayers

“Your unfailing love is better to me than life itself; how I praise You!” Psalm 63:3

There are few things in life that are more irritating than a spoiled brat. We hate hearing that whining tone from our kids. So, why do we use the same tone with God? He gives us so much. How grateful are we? Every time something comes along that we don’t particularly care for, we murmur and complain. “Why me?” we ask. We develop negative attitudes and wonder why we haven’t heard from God lately.

We should be grateful for anything we get. We were the ones who broke the contract. We are the ones who daily give Him grief. We are the bad apples, the renegades, the prodigals. If we receive anything from Him, it’s a mercy. But we accept all the good things as a matter of course and then squeal when anything the least bit difficult comes our way.

Read through the Psalms, a book entirely devoted to prayer. Count out the number of verses in its chapters. Then as you’re reading, keep track of how many are devoted to requests and how many are dedicated to praise or gratitude. You will find that it is almost equal. How large a share does praise have in your personal devotions? How much time do you spend simply worshipping Him? Spending time on your knees in prayer is not necessarily time spent in worship if it is spent asking, asking and asking. Worship involves meditation on His attributes, His character and characteristics. It involves submitting yourself to His will and acknowledging that His ways are best.

Spend some time in prayer with a hymnbook in front of you. Pray through the ones that are filled with praise and adoration. Read poetry to God. Look through a coffee table book devoted to nature and share your impressions and gratitude for creation with Him. Devote yourself to thankfulness, for ingratitude is the death of prayer.

If you are given difficult circumstances, don’t try to get out of them or wonder what you did wrong. Instead, stop and consider that maybe God thinks you’re strong enough to handle it. It’s actually a compliment. Maybe He thinks you’re ready to step up to a higher difficulty level.

Think of life as a video game. One of the characteristics of a good video game is that it gradually becomes more difficult as your skills improve. Whenever you get to that next level of difficulty, don’t whine and complain and cry “Why me?”. Try to rise to the challenge and glory in the idea that you were considered mature enough to get to this level. Periodically, just as in the video games, you get these big mean “bosses” that are so much harder and you sometimes despair of beating them. But you can rest assured that there is always a solution. How do I know that? Because that’s the nature of the game and the Programmer designed it that way.

Blue Blood

The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham: - Matthew 1:1

A tzaddik was called to be the elder of a wealthy church in a large metropolitan city. Shortly after his arrival, some of the more prominent members invited him to lunch. Hoping to impress their new elder, they each began listing their various exalted positions within the social strata of that great city. As the conversation progressed, they started discussing their heritage. “My ancestors came over on the Mayflower” claimed one. “I list Robert the Bruce as one of my ancestors” boasted another.

The tzaddik had listened quietly up to this point, but as the boasts began to be more and more apparent, he softly cleared his voice and put down his coffee cup. As the eyes of his parishioners turned expectantly toward him, he reminded them of their true heritage. “I,” he gently stated, “am a child of God.” (John 1:12)

We humans are easily sidetracked by pride. “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone” the Pharisees boasted (John 8:33). They were forgetting that their heritage included 400 years of slavery in Egypt. They forgot that they had been conquered by the Babylonians, the Chaldeans, the Philistines, the Hittites and the Greeks. At the time of their boast, they were effectively subjugated by the Romans. The Master had come to offer them the Kingdom, but they turned from His offer in order to more effectively cling to their own pride.

We must beware of anything that would cause us to lean on something other than Christ. “We have the fastest growing church.” “We have the biggest church.” “We have the most famous pastor.” “Our pastor is on such and such a board.” “We read the Bible cover to cover once a year.” Our vain boasting goes on.

If there was ever anyone who could boast, it was our Master. By virtue of Joseph’s adoption, the Lord could legally claim the throne of Israel. But far greater than the claim to the throne of some poor back-water Middle Eastern subjugated kingdom is His claim to have personally seen and been sent by God Himself (John 6:46)!

If we are to be His disciples, we must imitate His mindset. Nothing we do should be motivated by selfishness or empty conceit. We must humbly consider our brothers and sisters in Christ as more important than ourselves and not merely look out for our own interests but also for the interests of others (Philippians 2:3-11). When we do this, we are clearly demonstrating that God is our Father and Christ our brother (Hebrews 2:11). We can then take appropriate pride in our blue blood.

An Inflexible Hippo

There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven…A time to keep and a time to throw away. - Ecclesiastes 3:1, 6

Most people think of hippopotami as fat, lumbering, slow, inoffensive creatures. But they can actually be very fast and very dangerous. They can become a serious problem when humans and hippos try to share the same space.

Many years ago in the country of Chad, a hippo had been kicked out of its territory by other hippos. It decided to take up residence in an area of the river where the villagers swam, washed clothes, and bathed. Several people had died as a result and the villagers were unsuccessful in killing the rogue animal. They sent for a missionary lady who had a high powered rifle and asked for her help.

She quickly realized the problem. Hippos can stay underwater for a long time and this one would rarely surface and then only for a quick breath. It realized it was in danger and was using this strategy to remain alive. She watched the hippo all afternoon and most of the night. She finally realized that there was a pattern to where the hippo would surface. Once she knew what the pattern was, she simply set up a tripod at the next point, waited with her rifle and when the hippo surfaced…BOOM! The village had hippo steaks for a week!

The hippo had fallen into the trap of using an outdated strategy on a new problem. Its strategy had been perfectly adequate as long as it was facing villagers with bows and spears. But when circumstances changed, it failed to change with them and died.

The Bible says that there is a season for everything. That means that things that were perfectly all right at one time, may now no longer be appropriate. This includes human ideas and ways of doing things. What may have worked for you in the past may no longer work in the present. What may be bringing you success now may be your undoing in the future.

Christians must realize that there are new threats today and if we fail to identify them and modify our approach to life appropriately, we will fail in our mission. Our churches may die. Our families may founder. We must recognize the ongoing dissolution of the family unit and react. We must recognize that our children will face issues and dangers that we have never even dreamed of! The church must not be satisfied with the status quo.

We must be constantly searching for new, better ways of preaching the old Gospel message. Our doctrine will not change. Our message will not change. Our love will not change. But if our “technique” does not change with the times, then we will be rightfully relegated to the trash heap of history for being obsolete and irrelevant.

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 & 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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

Pride in the Church

Do not brag that you are better than those branches. But if you do brag--you do not sustain the root, but the root sustains you. Then you will say, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in." True enough; they were broken off by unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you either. - Romans 11:18-21 HCSB

Sometimes, people will suggest that if they leave a church, that church will not function. They feel that theirs is the only way and are threatened by what they deem to be a loss of authority with the continuing growth of the church. They would rather be large fish in a small pond than small fish in a large one.

In fact, I’ve actually heard someone say, “I wish it could just go back to the way it was. It was simpler and easier before.” But how many souls would not have been saved were their wish granted? How many marriages would have been lost or lives destroyed? Is their personal comfort really worth that price?

If there is one thing that small congregations struggle with it is an “us…them” attitude that comes from many years of struggle to maintain the truth with few resources. A prevailing attitude of “we are the core and we’ve been faithful for years” and an innate distrust of the new people coming in develops.

But when the Bible says that we are to submit ourselves one to another out of reverence for Jesus Christ[1], does it mean only to the “core” group that has been there for years or to the entire body (including the “newbies”)? These same “old timers” often state that they believe in “congregational rule” but when the congregation decides to remove some of their authority, step back and watch the fireworks!

There is also a distrust of the authority of their pastor that may come from having poor pastors in the past. But when we are told to “obey our leaders and submit to them for they keep watch over your souls…and let them do it with joy and not with grief”[2], does this mean only when they do what we like or does it mean as long as they are teaching biblically sound doctrine?

Mankind’s prevailing sin has never been an overabundance of humility but of pride. It was Lucifer’s downfall and he tempted us with it too.[3] Even the great prophet Moses elevated himself and lost his temper.[4] Pride blinds us. Pride blinded both the Israelites[5] and the church of Laodicea.[6] Pride infested strife is abomination to Adonai.[7] The only way to have a right relationship with Him is to develop humility toward Him and toward our fellow man.[8]

We must be sure that we never feel that if we leave, God’s work will collapse. We must not fall into the trap of thinking that we are irreplaceable. If we do, we may very well wake up broken and Hashem’s opportunities for service removed from us and given to another.

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[1] Ephesians 5:21

[2] Hebrews 13:17

[3] Isaiah 14:12-19 cp Genesis 3

[4] Numbers 20:10

[5] John 8:33

[6] Revelation 3:14-22

[7] Proverbs 6:16-19

[8] Ephesians 4:2; James 4:6, 10; 1 Peter 3:8; 5:5

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.

Christian Towers of Babel

…You will tell people about me everywhere…to the ends of the earth. Ac. 1:8

When man was first created, he was given a command intended for each succeeding generation. Men were to be fruitful and multiply and, while filling the earth, subdue it to the service of God (Gen. 1:28). After mankind’s depravity pushed God to destroy them with a cataclysmic flood, He reiterated to Noah His wish for us to fill the planet in Genesis 9:1. Instead, man decided in Genesis 11:4 to build a city and a tower whose top would reach the sky so that they would not be scattered over the whole earth. Contradicting God’s command, they established their own rules and attempted to “reach the heavens” with their own works. They valued reputation more than obedience.

Maybe they thought God would feel lucky to have such enterprising humans associate themselves with Him. Needless to say, the Lord was less than pleased and found it necessary to afflict them with many different languages in order to confuse all the workers and bring this great work to a halt.

Jesus also told His disciples that they were to reproduce themselves “in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). But being human and naturally stiff necked, they followed part of His wishes by having a considerable number of spiritual children (Acts 2:4) but chose to remain in Jerusalem and even began developing a rigid hierarchy (Acts 6:2-3). God sent a persecution in Acts 8 in order to enforce His desire but He still had to give Peter another strong push to accept non-Jews (Acts 10). The disciples still had strong misgivings about spreading into the Gentile world (Acts 11:1-2) and even with more persecution to spread them further (Acts 11:19), most still tried to stick with their own people wherever they went.

This command still applies to Christians today. We are to be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth with our own kind. We have the example of our Lord who chose to associate with publicans and prostitutes, the low class and the general scum. We, however, choose to build big beautiful buildings instead of sending our own out into the world. We choose programs over missions and build ever larger religious towers, lest our work get scattered, largely out of fear of losing reputation.

Now I have nothing against the Holy Spirit working greatly. But let me ask you this - when we pastors go to conferences, do we hear from missionaries or church planters? No, we are taught by CEOs of megachurches. We’re supposed to be impressed by the numbers and the programs… but you know, I wonder if the people in the town of Babel tried to impress others with the number of bricks or the beauty of their tower?

A Fish in Hand

Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never forsake you.” Heb. 13:5

A small fish caught in a net said to the fisherman, “I am too little to be a good meal. Even if you boil me or roast me – I won’t be enough to truly satisfy your hunger for long. Let me go and keep growing. I promise to return to you two years from now. You will find me in this same spot, large and seven times as fat. If you wait till then to eat me, it will be like a great feast in your house, and then your hunger will be truly satiated.”

But the canny fisherman replied, “Better is a little fish which I now have within my grasp than a great whale which my neighbors may catch and eat before I can get to it later.”

This proverb is known throughout the world in several forms. “Better is a handful of satisfaction in your own palms than heaping handfuls of hope in the hands of another.” “Better is a bird enclosed in a cage than two hopping on a hedge.” Or, here in the United States the aphorism was formulated by Benjamin Franklin as, “Better a bird in the hand than two in the bush.”

As popular as this proverb is, you’d think that it would be easy to live by. Yet many Christians still struggle with the concept of contentment. Contentment is not dependent on wealth, nor does it have to be stifled by poverty. Seek neither poverty nor riches. Wealth by itself is neutral – neither good nor bad. The key is to thank God for what we have and to use our time and resources to please Him. Satan’s goal is to get us to believe the illusion that knowing more or having more will make us content. Actually, it just shows we’ll never be satisfied. A person who is never satisfied is a person who will fail to fully trust God. Knowing that our real home is with God in eternity should help us be content with what we have now. Making wise personal investments here will bring us great wealth in heaven. Godliness with contentment is great gain.

So learn contentment, for love of “more” brings misery. Keep free from love of “more” and you will be content. This kind of contentment promotes peace. After all, life does not consist of what one possesses. Do not lay up earthly treasures, but heavenly treasures. Seek first God’s kingdom. Though there are many ways to have transient peace, lasting genuine peace is found only in a trusting relationship with the Lord.

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).

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

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?

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.

Adonaic Meditation

How happy is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path of sinners, or join a group of mockers! Instead, his delight is in the LORD's instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. He is like a tree planted beside streams of water that bears its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. - Psalm 1:1-3 HCSB

Adonaists (those who worship Christ as Lord, Adonai) believe that the practice of meditation is advocated in the Scriptures. The vast majority of Scriptural teaching on the practice of meditation being found in the Old Covenant, Cultural Christians, because of their evident disdain for the truths found there, have largely forsaken this vital discipline.

In the Old Testament, 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.

Therefore, we immediately discover that meditation can be divided into two broad types: emotional and intellectual. In the emotional, we try to simply sit in the presence of the Master and enjoy His presence. In the intellectual, we try to understand what Adonai has said. We take a passage of Scripture and roll it around in our minds, trying to grasp, not only it’s meaning, but how to apply it to our lives.

Obviously, this means that meditation as understood by Adonaic Christians and meditation as understood by Buddhism or Hinduism are completely different animals!

Those who practice false meditation seek to empty themselves of all thought, leaving themselves blank and open to any outside influence regardless of its source. Adonaists seek instead to be filled with the teaching of the Holy Spirit.

False meditation focuses on the self, turning inward and elevating all experiences that excite the ego with bright lights, warm, enveloping “presences” and other ecstatic experiences. Adonaists focus their thoughts on Hashem and His Word.

False meditation encourages the practitioner to empty the mind and stop thinking. Adonaic meditation encourages the practitioner to think harder about what the Lord God has said.

False meditation teaches that to find peace one should simply quit thinking about stress and instead focus on our mantra. Adonaism teaches that to find peace in stressful situations we should seek how to better obey what our Master has commanded. We are instructed to meditate on the wonders of our God and realize that no matter how bad our situation is, we have a God who is capable of rescuing us – even from death itself!

Spoiled Brat Prayers

“Your unfailing love is better to me than life itself; how I praise You!” Psalm 63:3

There are few things in life that are more irritating than a spoiled brat. We hate hearing that whining tone from our kids. So, why do we use the same tone with God? He gives us so much. How grateful are we? Every time something comes along that we don’t particularly care for, we murmur and complain. “Why me?” we ask. We develop negative attitudes and wonder why we haven’t heard from God lately.

We should be grateful for anything we get. We were the ones who broke the contract. We are the ones who daily give Him grief. We are the bad apples, the renegades, the prodigals. If we receive anything from Him, it’s a mercy. But we accept all the good things as a matter of course and then squeal when anything the least bit difficult comes our way.

Read through the Psalms, a book entirely devoted to prayer. Count out the number of verses in its chapters. Then as you’re reading, keep track of how many are devoted to requests and how many are dedicated to praise or gratitude. You will find that it is almost equal. How large a share does praise have in your personal devotions? How much time do you spend simply worshipping Him? Spending time on your knees in prayer is not necessarily time spent in worship if it is spent asking, asking and asking. Worship involves meditation on His attributes, His character and characteristics. It involves submitting yourself to His will and acknowledging that His ways are best.

Spend some time in prayer with a hymnbook in front of you. Pray through the ones that are filled with praise and adoration. Read poetry to God. Look through a coffee table book devoted to nature and share your impressions and gratitude for creation with Him. Devote yourself to thankfulness, for ingratitude is the death of prayer.

If you are given difficult circumstances, don’t try to get out of them or wonder what you did wrong. Instead, stop and consider that maybe God thinks you’re strong enough to handle it. It’s actually a compliment. Maybe He thinks you’re ready to step up to a higher difficulty level.

Think of life as a video game. One of the characteristics of a good video game is that it gradually becomes more difficult as your skills improve. Whenever you get to that next level of difficulty, don’t whine and complain and cry “Why me?”. Try to rise to the challenge and glory in the idea that you were considered mature enough to get to this level. Periodically, just as in the video games, you get these big mean “bosses” that are so much harder and you sometimes despair of beating them. But you can rest assured that there is always a solution. How do I know that? Because that’s the nature of the game and the Programmer designed it that way.

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?

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.

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)!

Advice to Parents of Wayward Children, 9 of 9

“Son,” he said to him, “you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." - Luke 15:31-32 HCSB

The godly father could have been offended by his older son’s coldness. The younger son demonstrated selfishness in asking for his inheritance early. The older son demonstrated selfish pride in his “good” behavior. Instead of getting angry and bitter, the wise father entreated his son to rejoice in his brother’s restitution.

Paul enjoins us to carefully consider to whom we are speaking and to craft our approach accordingly.[1] Do not waste time speaking inappropriately. Don’t just blurt out what comes first to your mind. Don’t keep using strategies that have not worked in the past. Choose the strategy that will work.

Don’t yell. One of you needs to be the adult.[2] Someone in this situation needs to be the calm mature voice of reason. It might as well be you. Subtle lessons like these take time to work but they do work. Yelling and pleading with them doesn't because it only teaches how to get someone to yell.

Don’t simply “wait it out.”[3] True love is active. It involves constantly encouraging those things that make for righteousness and constantly trying to prune out those things which are evil. The worst advice you can give the parent of a wayward child is “He’ll grow out of it.” You might think that would be the most comforting thing you could say. But the problem with that attitude is that while you are waiting for him to grow out of it, you are doing nothing to change the situation. You are waiting for him, who is wrong, to realize that you and your values are right.

Instead, try to nip bad behavior in the bud. Discipline the behavior as soon as you realize the error.[4] Don’t waste time regretting that you didn’t do it when they were little. Just start doing what you can as soon as you can. Study, learn, read. Do what you can to be aware of early warning signs and take them seriously. Early professional intervention can alter behavior. The longer the behavior is permitted, the less likely change will occur.

Maintain the lines of communication. Like the wise father, make sure the child knows you will receive them if they will only turn from their sin. You need to be in constant communication. Don't widen the gap and make it more difficult for them to return.









[1] 1 Corinthians 9:19-22
[2] 1 Corinthians 13:4-5, 11
[3] Romans 12:9; 1 Corinthians 13:6
[4] Proverbs 19:18

Advice to Parents of Wayward Children, 8 of 9

"Son,” he said to him, “you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." - Luke 15:31-32 HCSB

Teach your children to think critically. Do not just impart wisdom. Ask questions that lead them to wisdom. This technique used by the Master. He asked the disciples, “Who do people say I am? Who do you say I am?”[1] Then He encouraged the right kind of answers.

Of course, we have to realize that this method will not be universally successful. Even the Master was not able to always deter wicked people from their determination though He used the very same technique. In some cases, it simply infuriated their unrepentant hearts.[2] Yet, if there is any hope at all, this will be one of the better methods to try.

Don't get hung up on unimportant things.[3] Be selective in your battles. Don’t hit air; aim well at targets carefully chosen. Lay aside those things that will encumber your efforts. Make a list of all the things that bother you. Then rank them. Go after the top priority items and drop the bottom half of the list. Resolve not to bring up any of those issues.

Keep potential harm in mind. When dealing with a behavior, think about how important the issue is. Is it really an important enough of an issue to get into an argument? Who is it harming? It might be embarrassing, but is it really harmful? Though not immediately harmful, will it lead to harmful behavior? If on the other hand the child’s behavior is dangerous, either to themselves or others, then it may be necessary to take some sort of action, though not necessarily confrontation.

Patience and forgiveness, though difficult at times, is vital.[4] Parents need to be firm but fair. The key is to treat the prodigal as an adult but to protect them as much as possible and to be there when they finally come home.

Realize that the mechanisms used in the past no longer work.[5] Conflict can often occur simply because the parent is slow to realize he is talking to a young adult, not a large child. That means that if you would not put up with abusive language from another adult, then don’t put up with it from them. If you would take the time to listen to another adult’s full argument then take the time to listen to them. If the behavior persists then you treat them like they would treat another adult. If this means that you wouldn't talk to an adult that talked to you that way then when the child talks to you in their tone then you walk away or ask them to.

This is what “treating them like an adult” means.

[1] Matthew 16:13-17
[2] John 10:31-36; Matthew 21:23-27
[3] 1 Corinthians 9:26; Hebrews 12:1
[4] 1 Corinthians 4:10-16
[5] Ecclesiastes 3:1-5

Advice to Parents of Wayward Children, 7 of 9

“…Because this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!' So they began to celebrate. - Luke 15:24 HCSB

The wise father knew that it was sinful, self-centered pride that led his son to ask for his inheritance early. He could have taken offense at being told in essence, “Dad, I can’t wait for you to die. Give me my inheritance now.” Yet he chose to consider his son lost. No one gets lost on purpose. Everyone thinks they are going the right way. It is only once we start getting signals that it slowly dawns on us how far off track we are.

When you talk to your children about their behavior ascribe, when possible, good motives to their behavior. Though they mean well, they are choosing badly. Paul used this technique in Athens. He said, “I see that you are so religious that you even have an altar to an unknown god. May I introduce Him to you?”[1] Whatever culture they are into, try to find some way to use that culture’s concepts as an introduction to biblical culture. In the apostle’s parlance, become a Jew to the Jews, law abiding to the law abiding, weak to the weak, becoming all things to all men (yet without sin) so that you can save them.[2]

When discussing behavior talk about behavior in general, not their behavior in particular, this way they can be objective and not feel the need to protect their position. Try to think like they do – enter into their minds and argue your position using their language. Try to make appeals that actually appeal to them. Don’t use arguments that only appeal to you. For instance, in debating Christ with Mormons, I use the Book of Mormon or Pearl of Great Price too. I show that I’m willing to consider their point of view, but then reveal the weaknesses of their foundation. In trying to influence a materialistic person, I try to demonstrate how the Bible’s financial principles, if followed, can successfully lead a person to wealth. If talking to a weak, fearful person, I lead them to verses that show how God is our fortress.

Be prepared for argument.[3] They will question every point you make; remember, they don't have the years of experience you have accumulated to find this wisdom, what you know may not match what they have learned.

Don’t be shocked and disappointed when it happens. You are dealing with humanity’s inherent sinful nature. It’s like being surprised when a dog barks or a frog jumps. It’s natural. It’s not necessarily pleasant but it is the nature of an unregenerate or rebellious person. Your job, like Ezekiel’s is not to fix them or change them. Your job is simply to tell them the truth. This takes a great deal of strength of character. It takes a lot of stubbornness (or, stated more positively, patience). Ezekiel had to have a hard head to deal with his generation. Be stronger than the rebellious child. Be more stubborn than they are. You are, after all, standing on the moral high ground. That in itself should grant you great moral strength.

[1] Acts 17:22-23
[2] 1 Corinthians 9:19-22
[3] Ezekiel 3:4-9

Advice to Parents of Wayward Children, 6 of 9

So he got up and went to his father. But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. - Luke 15:20 HCSB

Say “I love you” to your wayward child a lot. Show your affection for them physically. You need to tell him that, although you disapprove of the choices he has made, you still love him. Imitate the Master who expressed His love and longing for His rebellious children, even as He recognized that they would continue in their rebellion.[1] Be quick to forgive them. Be quick to accept them back when they have truly repented.[2]

In Genesis, we read that the Lord God came looking for His wayward children.[3] He asked what seems at first glance to be an odd question. He called out, “Where are you?” God knew exactly where they were physically - geographically. He was asking where they were in relation to Him. Even though He knew they had sinned, He still came and made Himself available to them. I am convinced that if they had confessed their sins and repented of them, Yahweh would have forgiven them. Why am I convinced of that? Because that is what He has done ever since.[4] When we were God’s wayward children He came looking for us. He made Himself available to us. He sacrificially died for us. He did not wait until we were in right standing with Him.

The righteous father ran to the prodigal when the prodigal was still a long way off. His response to the little progress his rebellious child made was overwhelming. He did not merely meet him halfway. He looked for that little bit of progress and made the most of it.

The prodigal confessed his sins and the father immediately forgave him and celebrated.[5] There was not a long, protracted preaching session that included several “I told you so” statements. There was simple celebration over a right decision. That’s part of the “cling to good, abhor the evil” philosophy of love.

However, don’t allow your feelings for your child cause you to deny him a valuable lesson in the wages of sin. Let him deal with consequences. Hashem forgave David, yet allowed his child to die.[6] The righteous father didn’t carve up his older son’s inheritance to share with the young prodigal.[7] The younger prodigal son was forgiven and brought back into a loving relationship with his father, but he still had lost his inheritance and whatever was left belonged to his older brother. He also still had to win his brother’s love. Not everyone is a quick to forgive and when we sin, we have to deal with that.

The adulterous woman was forgiven of her sin and was relieved of the worst of the consequences (death). Nevertheless, she was still publicly humiliated, told by Jesus that what she did was sinful, would have to deal with the whispers of her neighbors and the anger of her husband.[8]

When he comes to you to bail him out of his problems, you need to lovingly tell him that the problem he is dealing with is the consequence of the choices he has made. Make him deal with it. Show him how to make good decisions. Steer him toward the solutions but don't "fund" his behavior. Don’t be an “enabler”.

[1] Matthew 23:37
[2] 2 Corinthians 2:6-8
[3] Genesis 3:8
[4] Romans 5:6-8
[5] Luke 15:21-22
[6] 2 Samuel 12:13-14
[7] Luke 15:31
[8] John 8:11

Advice to Parents of Wayward Children, 5 of 9

Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all he had and traveled to a distant country, where he squandered his estate in foolish living. After he had spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he had nothing. - Luke 15:13-14 HCSB

The apostle cautioned, “Do not be deceived, bad company corrupts good morals.”[1] I doubt the young prodigal went through his entire inheritance alone. The Greek for “foolish living” is “asotos zao”. “Asotos” means “dissolute, riotous or profligate”. It’s rather difficult to live a dissolute life alone. There were fellow sinners egging him on in his foolishness.

It is critical to discover who else is influencing your wayward child and work toward separating him from those who would entice him into sin.[2] One explanation for the difference in kids all raised in the same family with the same rules could be the role of the "non-shared environment." Who influences their behavior outside the home setting? Who are your children's role models? Every child has one. Is the child influenced by a favorite teacher or by a violent, out of control super athlete? Do you know who your child's friends are? How well do you know them?

Just because a person claims to be a Christian does not make it so. Just because a person wears a clerical collar or is called pastor doesn’t make them godly. Just because a person defines themselves as your friend doesn’t mean they are actually putting your needs ahead of their own. This important for you to identify these people so you know who the “players” on the field are.

This is also important to point out to the wayward child. They will want to identify with and listen to others. They need to know how to identify friends and foes. The Bible says that the way to do that is to look at their “fruit”.[3] Do you truly want to take marriage advice from someone whose marriages have failed repeatedly? Do you want to take financial advice from someone who is bankrupt?

Plan for the future. Hashem has promised that the godly can look forward to happiness.[4] He said, “Surely you have future ahead of you; your hope will not be disappointed.”[5] Don’t allow your concerns over your child ruin your other relationships. Don’t allow it to cause you to grow bitter and nasty. First, they need to see that your way produces happiness and hope. If your way only produces bitterness and arguments, why should they want to listen to you?

Second, in their rebellion against your chosen way, they are expecting only wrath. It is surprising to still be loved when you are rejecting someone. It throws them off. It keeps them off balance and paying attention. As another passage puts it “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”[6]

Third, young people need worthy goals. Help your child develop a plan. Do this especially when they are in disagreement with you because it helps them realize that you still love them and have hope for your relationship and their future.[7]

[1] 1 Corinthians 15:33 cp 5:6
[2] Proverbs 1:10-15
[3] Matthew 7:16
[4] Proverbs 11:23
[5] Proverbs 23:17-18 cp 24:13-14
[6] Romans 12:21
[7] 1 Corinthians 13:7, 13 love hopes