The glory of the Lord shone around them

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about" (Luke 2:8-15).

I know these words by heart. Do you? Our father helped all four of us children memorize them one year at Christmastime. Even our 3-year-old brother Phil could quote this whole passage. People thought he could read because he would open up his brand-new pocket New Testament (we all got one that year) and begin to recite this story. The give-away was that sometimes he held his Testament upside down as he “read.”

. . . But something special happened today as I considered this story for the umpteenth time. I saw that the text does not say that a light shone around them, but that glory of the Lord shone around them. It was a glorious, supernatural type of light. Like the light that shone from Moses’ face when he descended from the mountain where he had fellowshipped with God. Like the light that shone from Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. It’s a supernatural light that is reflected by those who are in the presence of him who “lives in unapproachable light” (1 Tim. 6:16).

Whether the glorious, palpable presence of the Lord appears as light, or with the sound of wind, or thunder, or fire, or a thick cloud, it inspires humility, awe, revelation, and a longing to be that close to God again. I notice something else in this story: the shepherds did not say “Let’s . . . see this thing . . . which the angels have told us about,” but “Let’s . . . see this thing . . . which the Lord has told us about.” Seeing angels—yes, that was amazing—but the angels had brought something vastly more wonderful with them—they had caused the shepherds to hear the voice of God himself.

I imagine that you have a story to tell of a time when God was very real to you. Did it happen because of a person who radiated the knowledge of God, or did it happen in another way? I would like to share a story of an encounter which I had several years ago. Then I would like to hear your story.

Fittingly, my encounter occurred just before Christmas. I had just delivered a gift to an assistant pastor and his family. As I prepared to leave their home, they offered to pray for healing of my cold . . . I no longer remember what happened to my physical symptoms. What I do remember is that for days thereafter I walked around in a cloud of the glory of God, passionate love keeping my heart turned constantly toward him. Their prayers, coming out of the fountain of their relationship with the Lord brought me, also, right into his presence.

. . . Don't forget to tell me your story.

A simple key to abundant life

Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"

"Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments."

"Which ones?" the man inquired.

Jesus replied, " 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbor as yourself.' "

"All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?"

Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?"

Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Matt. 19:16-26).

The rich young man sensed a lack in his spiritual life and asked Jesus for the secret. Jesus, in his first response, seems to me to be saying, "There's no secret. You have the key—you know that God is the one who knows what is good. Whatever he has told you what to do; just do it."

When the young man responded, in essence, “I’ve done that, and I still don’t feel that I’ve arrived spiritually,” Jesus suggested that he sell all of his extensive possessions and come to follow him.

I believe that Jesus was saying, "Follow and obey God completely, whole-heartedly, exclusively. Don't just tuck the commandments in around the lifestyle of your choice. Make the pursuit of God’s goodness and his purposes the main event of your life." Selling all was not only necessary for this young man as an antidote for covetousness; it was a quick purge of a life of primarily serving self and the world, a decisive turning to a life that looks to God for its meaning.

Do we also sense a lack in our spiritual lives? Our problem is that we don't take heed of "all the things that I have commanded you"* then—in frustration with the quality of our spiritual life—we want a short-cut or a secret formula for abundant life.

What are some of these all-important commandments we might be ignoring?

“Bear with one another and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Col. 3:13). [Well, I just can’t, we say. Sister So-and-so drives me crazy. And I will never be able to forgive the So-and-So’s. You don’t know what they did to me.]

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Phil. 4:6). [I’m too responsible to never be anxious about things. And also, God doesn’t seem interested in giving me some of the things I want, so I find it hard to just put all of my affairs in his hands.]

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20). [I will get serious about telling others about Christ someday—maybe there will be a revival that will get me going. OR I’m too busy with my job and my family and my church responsibilities to think about that.]

We seem to think that if we have an excuse for not obeying certain commandments, that they don’t apply to us. You know what—if we repent of our disobedience and humbly ask for grace to obey the particular commandment that the Lord brings to our attention at any given time—wow! What a change will occur in our lives! After a while, we will not recognize ourselves, because our “old self” will finally stop being in charge in our thinking, our emotions, our actions, and our nature. Jesus’ commandments will guide us out of our old selves and into the life made possible by his Spirit. And every time we shed a little bit more of our old selves, we’ll wonder why we waited so long. Godly attitudes overflow into abundant life—peace, wholeness, wisdom, success, fruitfulness, and every other good thing.

God is everything that's good. His directions are our key to abundant life. Let's just do them.
______________
*Matt. 28:20, emphasis added

It makes sense from here

At night, reflectors on bicycle wheels give an interesting demonstration of the difference that one's point of view makes. One would expect the reflectors to go around and around in a circular motion—and they do! If a bicycle wheel is lifted up off the ground and spun around, the reflector will trace out a fire-y circle in the dark. However, when the bike is ridden along the road, the reflectors seem to be hopping. They are still moving in perfect circles, but they are also being transported forward by the bicycle. With respect to the hub of the bicycle wheel, all the reflectors do is go around and around. But in the wider picture of their motion through space, they move in half-circles, never moving backward to complete the “bottom half” of the circle.

Are there areas and issues in your life which make no sense to you? They have not turned out the way you planned. Circumstances have befallen you which have left you asking “Why me?” Your life seems incomplete, pointless, perplexing, or unsatisfying.

Could it be that your life really makes perfect sense—you’re just not stepping back and looking at it from the right angle?

Ricardo Montalban, best known as Mr. Rourke in the TV show “Fantasy Island,” observed in Guideposts magazine that the Lord’s Prayer begins with “Our Father,” not “My Father.” When ask for God’s kingdom to come and God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, we are aksing for God to fit our lives with the lives of many others in his plan for making this world a heaven on earth—for us all.

If we are disappointed with life, we’re probably looking at our lives through the glasses of the world’s self-centered values. We want our neighbors to approve of us and admire us. We want life to be comfortable. We want to have plenty of money to spend on luxuries and recreation. We have it in our minds that our lives—for the most part—still belong to us. We still think life revolves around ME. We have not been captured by the radically different attitude that belongs to a follower of Christ.

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s (1 Cor 6:19 NKJV).

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me (Gal. 2:20 NKJV).

On the other hand, the Lord—who did not live for himself but for us—takes seriously our commitment to him. He immediately begins putting us in situations which are not self-serving, but in which others can be blessed. Doing good for others was his greatest joy, and he is leading us into that same large, adventuresome life of making a difference for others. As we willingly step into that kind of living, we will have the satisfaction of a truly significant life—and the joy of being surprised by the Lord's bestowing on us some of the very blessings we would have sought for ourselves. (See Matt. 6:33.)

Step back and take the wide-angle view of your life. Have you been so involved in your own issues that you have overlooked your unique opportunities to make someone else’s day? Are you so fed up with strife in your family that you don't realize you are in a prime position to be a peacemaker? Are you the person who (like Joseph in Egypt) could pray about the practical impossibilities facing your company and receive God’s insight on how to solve them? Do you feel so unnoticed and insignificant that you have failed to notice that somebody already is taking a better approach to life because they have watched your style? Do you appreciate the privilege of being a vital spoke in a wheel that is making many lives go around?

When we expect our lives to revolve in neat circles around ME and what I want out of life, we will be confused by the shape that the Lord has allowed our lives to take. They make no sense. But, hopefully, we’re now looking at our lives from the viewpoint of the Kingdom of God. They make perfect sense from here.

More "nonreligious" callings

In "The Glory of the Ordinary" (September), Abraham appears--as a man who was called by God but who never, to my knowledge, preached or played any of the roles we normally associate with a religious calling or vocation. On the front end of his life, he most definitely was called by God to a great destiny:

". . . all peoples on earth will be blessed through you" (Gen. 12:3).

The end of it all was the birth of a nation from which sprung heroes of faith, and unfolding revelation of God --and Jesus. In between this portentous beginning and this awesome result was what would appear to be a pretty ordinary life.

What about Joseph? He, too, was called by God through two dreams he received as a young man. Then the Lord took him by a circuitous route from his home in Canaan to the palace of the Pharoah of Egypt. Having an administrative position in government doesn’t sound religious, but in that capacity, he was able to prepare a haven for the first 70 descendants of Abraham--God's Chosen People--who would otherwise have died of starvation.

And then consider Moses. When he killed the Egyptian who was oppressing a Hebrew slave, he appears to have been sensing that he was to help free his people from their bondage. Forty years later, he received a clear, momentous call from God from the midst of the burning bush. He actually did “preach” during his time as deliverer and leader of the Hebrew nation. But his main day-to-day role was hardly religious. He was food-and-water provider, peacemaker, and travel guide.

What was the difference between Abraham and every other father in the world? Between Joseph and other government officials? Between Moses and other civil rights leaders?

Each one of them was submitted to a God and a purpose that was bigger than their own goals, ambitions, desires, and comfort. They were captivated by a God who honored them by calling them to partner with him and responded with radical obedience and humble persistance. They did things that were not understood by those around them. Abraham left his family behind and headed out with no fixed destination in mind--believing that God would let him know when he had arrived. Moses stood in the face of Pharoah's obstinence, the specter of starvation in the wilderness, the mutinous anxiety and rebellion of his followers--and trusted in God's deliverance and provision.

They were so tuned in to their God that their very natures began to reflect the nature of God. Abraham became the "father of faith" and the "friend of God." Joseph behaved with integrity and diligence in the midst of slavery and imprisonment. In the midst of his own misfortune, he ministered to others perplexed by dreams. He harbored no bitterness toward God because of the manner in which God had brought him to his position of prominence, and he freely forgave his brothers for their crime against him. Moses was privileged to talk to God "face to face." He was willing for God to strike him instead of destroying the nation for their persistent waywardness. He was called "the meekest of men."

Because their eyes were on God, these men did ordinary things in unusual--and extraordinary--ways. They saw the eternal issues in the midst of mundane occupations. They were walking demonstrations to succeeding generations of God's nature and his ways.

What insight has God given you for solving problems in the company for which you work? How many of your neighbors will observe that God answers your prayers and thus be encouraged to approach him with their needs? What simple, God-inspired words will you speak that will change the course of another person's life?

You don't have to become a minster, rabbi, or priest to have a godly impact on the world. Look at the family, the community, the workplace where you are and ask God to show you what he is calling you to do for him in that place. He is needed there!

Boxed in!

Righteousness exalts a nation . . . (Prov. 14:34).

Now we are on the other side of the 2008 presidential election. In view of the fact stated in the proverb above—that it is righteousness—not a president or a platform—that exalts a nation, I doubt that it could be God’s will for us to have a president who promises to oppose some of God’s key principles for society. Not unless he has a great surprise in store for us in the form of the conversion of Barack Obama. However, even before the election, the question in my heart was “How can God give us the godly leaders we’re asking for, knowing that then we will settle back for ANOTHER four years, thinking we’ve done our duty by our nation—not realizing that the slide into ungodliness cannot be contained by better government, but only by bringing lost and deceived souls into the Kingdom?” Could it be that we have put the Lord in a position in which allowing an Obama presidency is the lesser of two threats to the advancement of the Kingdom of God in the United States?

I am reminded of Abraham’s prayer for the sparing of Sodom and Gomorrah. God didn’t answer his spoken petition, but he granted the prayer of his heart; namely, “Lord, spare my nephew and his family.” Could it be that our real prayer—“Lord , restore our land to godliness”—could not be answered without blocking the easy way out, without plunging us into a situation which forces us to abandon complacency and denial, without allowing circumstances which guarantee that we will seek the Lord for radical solutions instead of quick, temporary political fixes?

The radical, most permanent, and far-reaching solution, I believe, will be to concentrate most of our efforts to shining the light of the gospel and the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ wherever we go. We can choose to stop condemning, criticizing, and blaming the ungodly. (After all, what are sinners able to do other than sin?) We can pray for them. We can demonstrate for them the peace and security that are in Christ. We can speak the truth to them boldly, but in love and in the hope that God will grant them understanding and repentance. As we lift Christ up in these ways, enough of the ungodly will be drawn to him that this nation will naturally elect righteous people to rule over us.

We are fortunate that when we were sinners, Christ had mercy on us and came seeking us. That has always been the way that the enemies of the gospel have been won over—by sacrificial, seeking love. Not by force, not by angry rhetoric, but by willingness to show them a better way.

For too long most of us Christians in America have ignored this mandate to seek and save the lost. I greatly fear for us and for our nation if we ignore it much longer. Could it be that God, in his mercy, is boxing us in to wake us up?

Christian American citizens

Are there distinctive ways that Christians think and act in social and political situations? Are there eternal issues at stake in this election? Can we know God’s will for us as Christian American citizens? Does it make sense to do politics our way instead of his?

If we make him Lord, the biggest struggle will be with ourselves. I don’t know about you, but as a Christian, I do believe that the Lord’s thoughts are not my thoughts and that his ways are higher than mine. That being the case, I cannot base my political choices on my judgment and preferences alone. I have (reluctantly!) brought my own reactions to the candidates and issues to the Lord: “But, Lord, I don’t trust John McCain to be consistent, self-controlled, and objective.” “But, Lord, why should an election be dominated by one or two issues—like gay marriage and abortion? Surely, it’s more responsible to look at the whole spectrum of issues. There are others that are important in your eyes, aren’t there?”

What I have learned is that the Lord does have a plan for solving the very problems we are concerned about, but he can only implement it when we buy into it. I have learned that the Lord doesn’t leave loose ends. He doesn’t address some problems and ignore others. But his program of problem-solving starts when we begin to cooperate with his strategy.

The following three stories have been part of my learning process in this area.

A widow who was gathering wood to start a fire, prepare one more meal for herself and her son, and then face starvation, was confronted by a hungry prophet who said, “Fix a cake for me first.” She did, and her supply of meal and oil miraculously continued to be replenished to feed all three of them.

E. Stanley Jones, in his youth, was called to be a missionary. His mother was so devastated by the news that she ended up in the hospital. In the train on the way to see her, he said to the Lord, “If you want me to go to the mission field, I will go, but I’m trusting you to do something about my mother’s attitude.” Amazingly, his mother recovered and lived for many years, proud of her son’s commitment to the gospel and supporting him fervently with her prayers.

When my good friend Carol’s children were approaching school age, she and several other mothers began to pray about the formation of a Christian school for their children. Carol’s husband stepped forward to handle most of the business of organizing the school. Since Bruce had to devote so much time to this project and had limited time to devote to his own, this commitment promised to put a strain on his family’s income. However, the Lord prospered him greatly. Without having to advertise, clients came to him. Not only that, the work they requested were large-ticket items. In short, his family enjoyed a higher income than usual!

What did these people have in common? They could have refused to do what the Lord asked them to do, on the basis that it would put their families in jeopardy. That’s what I wanted to do when I said, “But Lord, what about ____ and what about _____?” I wanted him to discuss the issues with me, within my paradigms of what would work and what should happen. I wanted some assurances that all of the details would be taken care of (to my satisfaction) before making the plunge of supporting the issues I felt that God was showing me to support.

By contrast, the widow, E. Stanley Jones, and Bruce and Carol trusted in the Lord and did not lean on their own understanding. They held the kingdom of God as their first allegiance, entrusting the care of their families to the Lord. They believed the Lord when he said that if they would seek first the kingdom of God, he would add to them what their families needed.

The challenge that the Lord has impressed upon me as a Christian in this election season, is two-fold:
· Agree with God’s agenda
· Do politics his way*

How can we know God’s agenda? Even Christians are divided on the issues. That doesn’t mean that we can safely go in either direction; it means that we cannot count on other Christians to lead us in the right direction! We need to search his Word and listen to his Spirit for ourselves. As I have remained open to the Lord and fairly considered the Word, not only has my mind been renewed but my heart has been galvanized with concern for kingdom issues.

This is something that each person has to do for himself. You might want to accept the challenge now to stop and rethink your political position and approach. Or you may want to read on, especially for some important Scriptural references to consider.

God’s Agenda
It is very true that the Bible strongly urges us to help the poor, afflicted, and downtrodden. This would include those who are financially strapped as well as minorities who still, to some degree or other, need a champion. So a Christian might feel obligated to support the candidate who seems most closely aligned himself with these causes. On the other hand, the gay and abortion-rights agenda are large pieces in the puzzle that the voters will put together. These two issues have been downplayed in the campaigns, not because they will not be vigorously by either candidate once he is in office, but because they are so explosive to touch upon during the election season.

There are Christians for whom these two issues are non-issues, because they do not believe that gay marriage or abortion are wrong. Let me present some pertinent Scriptural references and some conclusions to which they have brought me.

Homosexuality
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders . . . will inherit the kingdom of God (1Cor. 6:9 NIV).

" 'Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable. . . Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled. Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants (Lev. 18:22, 24-25).’ ”

This is sobering, because the Lord not only calls homosexuality detestable, but says that a whole nation is defiled by such practices and is liable to punishment. Does this seem harsh? Outdated? Judgmental? The Lord does not think the way we do. It behooves us to question our thinking—not his.

If this practice is so unacceptable to the Lord, should we look the other way while children are being taught how normal and beautiful it is? Should we open wide the portals of marriage and family, which the Lord invented, to an interpretation which grieves and insults him?

We are seeing the breaking down of the family already. Is this not because the concept of commitment to spouse, children, and society is being abandoned on a wide scale and being replaced by an interpretation of marriage as being primarily for personal gratification? Gay marriage is an acceleration of that attitude of ignoring God’s purposes for marriage and turning it to purely personal purposes.

Abortion
There are six things the LORD hates,
seven that are detestable to him:
haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood. . . (Prov. 6:16-17)

Open your mouth for the speechless,
In the cause of all who are appointed to die.
Open your mouth, judge righteously,
And plead the cause of the poor and needy (Prov. 31:8).

Is a fetus just a blob of tissue? An identical argument was made 100 years ago to justify slavery: “Slaves are not people; they are property.” How shocking that sounds today! So, is a fetus just a blob of tissue, or is it a speechless, helpless unborn child? If it is the latter, we as Christians are obligated by Proverbs 31:8 to plead its cause. It seems pretty clear that we will either defend it or forsake it by how we vote in November.

To me, as a human American citizen, it makes no sense to focus on one or two moral issues—much as I may believe in them—when so much else needs to be fixed, and needs to be fixed immediately. But as a Christian Amerian citizen who believes that the blessing of God is needed more than the cleverness of man, it makes abundant sense to attend to righteous matters first in order to gain God’s blessing. Did this nation become as healthy and wealthy as we are because we are a superior race of people??? Or have we thrived and prospered because “righteousness exalts a nation” and “blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord”? Then putting God’s principles last is suicidal. On the contrary, mending the fences of godliness and righteousness first is our smartest investment toward healing all that ails us.

*For the second challenge--Do Politics God's Way--please see the September 20 post called "Political Style."

The glory of the ordinary

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren—was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore (Heb. 11:8-12).

When I was growing up, it was thought that if God called a person, that person would become a preacher or a missionary. Period. Some time ago, it occurred to me that Abraham—mighty Abraham, Father of Faith and Friend of God, was called, but not to anything remotely religious. He moved, at God’s leading, to a land which the Lord then promised to his descendants, and he was given a miracle son. These were spectacular experiences, requiring faith on Abraham’s part, but—having a child, founding a new nation—is this a godly calling?

A clue is given in Genesis 18.

“. . . Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him" (Gen. 18:18-19).

The Lord called to Abram back in the land of Ur because he was a man who—for openers—could hear God. He apparently was a man who would purposefully pass on to his children and grandchildren his reverence for and knowledge of God. His godliness would set the tone for a whole race of people to whom God could reveal himself, and through whom he could then make himself known to the whole world. What an amazing thing—the influence of just being a godly father!

But Abraham did one more very ordinary thing which was far-reaching in its effects. He staked a claim—not literally, but by faith, to a piece of real estate to house the future generations that the Lord promised him.

Almost all of the heroes of the Old and New Testaments, the unfolding of God’s revelation of himself to mankind, the birth of the Messiah himself—all came from the descendants of Abraham. What an awesome influence one can have by simply doing ordinary things like raising a family and providing a dwelling for them.

My father has written a family history called The Legacy of Frances.* The story begins with his great-grandmother, Frances, an Indian girl who was rescued from a massacre and adopted by a compassionate soldier. This family imparted its Christian faith to her, and she in turn passed it on in such a way that among her descendants appear 25 couples who have been pastors and missionaries in 19 states and 9 countries. And that doesn’t begin to count all of her progeny who have impacted their families, churches, and communities as Christians. Such is the far-reaching effect in the Kingdom of God of simply raising a family with godly example and training.

Will I ever be famous? Will you do monumental things? Who knows? But one thing is certain—our everyday acts will play an influential role in furthering or hindering God’s plans for generations to come. Will we fulfill the calling of God on our lives?
________
*See http://www.wlmlbooks.com/id12.html

Political Style

Today I'm sharing some thoughts on Christian political action. These are convictions that have been forming over a period of time.

I believe it was four years ago, when President Bush was running for re-election, that an entertainer made a lewd pun out of the name “Bush.” I was appalled to think that the political style of some liberals had sunk that low—not just strong disagreement and mistrust but utterly demeaning the president in a personal way.

A few months ago, an email came to me that seemed at first to be one of those warm, cute ones. It was all about dogs—how intelligent and loyal and wonderful they are in every way. Then came the clincher. It was a picture of a dog lifting his leg to spray an Obama campaign sign.

I believe I know how this picture appeared to most strongly-conservative people—FUNNY! Not mean, or demeaning—just humorous. In response to that, I would like to throw out a scenario. Does anyone you know and care about continue to make poor choices that are ruining his/her life? In your frustration and anxiety for them, do you want to shake them? Sure. But, how would you react if you heard someone utterly trash-talking this loved one? How would you react if someone spit on this person? Or suggested ___’ing on this person? Would it seem funny? Is it funny to ridicule someone because of their ideas?

Increasingly, I am hearing “vote the Bible.” I say amen to that! The Bible states standards by which we should be evaluating issues and candidates. Additionally, though, I see that it also sets the style and tone for our political actions. Here are some examples:

Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. . . . But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil (1 Pet. 3:9, 15-17).

For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men (1 Pet. 2:15).

Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king (1 Pet. 2:17).

But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven (Matt. 5:44-45a).

Behaving in a distinctively Christian fashion—that’s what makes us salt and light. We must speak up (and maybe often and loudly) but—in what spirit? Have we given up on whole blocks of people whom God loves and for whom Jesus died? Are we praying fervently for those who we believe are deceived—or just becoming more and more disgusted with them? If we loved more, and prayed more, and respected more, there wouldn’t be so many people whose beliefs are opposed to the gospel and whose practices weaken our society. If we were doing our part of sharing the gospel with our neighbors, this massive departure from God’s principles that we see in our society and in our political scene would not exist. Whatever stands we take (and may they be the Lord’s positions, not just ours), may we take them boldly but from a heart of humility and concern, from a heart that prays and cares for all men—even those with whom we disagree.

Losing and finding

Even a cursory reading of Revelations is an eye-opener. The whole tone of it is different from what is commonly heard or even thought of in 21st-century America. The prevalent concept of overcoming, which is very popular in some Christians circles, quotes Rev. 12:11a as a mainstay:

They overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony (Rev. 12:11a).

The last part of the verse is usually omitted. It is one of those ideas that just doesn’t compute with most of us (in the US). Here is the verse in its entirety:

They overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death (Rev. 12:11).

This is downright puzzling to Christians who have been led to believe that the main reason for believing on Christ is so that life will become better for them. It seems like failure—not overcoming—to believers who are convinced if one has faith, calamity cannot happen to them—or at least not for long.

It seems to me that the dividing point between the popular conception of what an overcoming life is, and the Bible’s portrayal of the overcoming life, is this: What is it that Christians are expected to and equipped to overcome?

· Popular Christianity says that Christians are to overcome all sickness, poverty, unhappiness, discomfort, and the like.
· Biblical Christianity is about overcoming sin, heresy, hardships, and persecution.

· Popular Christianity wants to overcome anything that stands in the way of personal happiness and blessing.
· Biblical Christianity strives to overcome anything that stands in the way of the advancement of the Lord’s kingdom purposes.

Big difference!

In partnering with the Holy Spirit to spread the gospel, the apostle Paul had many unpleasant experiences:

Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn? (2 Cor. 11:24-29).

Wow! Inconceivable, perhaps, to you or me, but—how about Paul? Did he find that following Jesus was not so cool? Not what he had expected? Actually, what he thought was:

What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord . . . I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. (Phil. 3:8, 10-11).

Paul thought that following Christ—including the “suffering” and “death”—was so wonderful that he considered everything else worthless.

Perhaps we have—to some degree—lost our way as Christians. We have tuned out Christ’s clear message:

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it (Mark 8:35).

We want to keep our lives the way we want them to be, instead of spending our lives for Christ’s sake. Don’t say “But I’m just an ordinary person. I want to be a light to a few people, but I don’t aspire to be a hero of the faith. I’m not that courageous or self-sacrificing. I’m just not made of the same kind of stuff as Paul.” The early churches weren’t made of it, either. That's why Revelations was written. Those who heeded its message and appropriated God's grace, rose to the occasion—and in the process, they found LIFE and infected others with a hunger to know it as well.

I Can

The best-known definition of “grace” is undeserved favor. This thought opens the mind's eyes to the oceans of love, mercy, and kindness that have been expressed by God toward mankind. It is the door by which we may enter into a saving relationship with him. But this grace is much more than a willingness to receive us and to pay for our salvation. It is also the divine influence upon the heart to enable one to do the will of God. This is the kind of grace that is spoken of in the greeting or closing of 18 out of 22 epistles to the early churches. "Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ." These people needed the enabling power of grace to walk out their new-found faith in the face of hostility from their ungodly cultures.

An encouraging glimpse of the power of grace is seen in Voyage of the Exiles by Patricia Hickman, the first in a series of novels based on the deportation of English prisoners to Australia to found the first English colony there. Subtly, a story of grace unfolds in the lives of the principle characters. One of the convicts, George Prentice had been arrested as a pickpocket. He had resorted to that lifestyle when the bottom had dropped out of his livelihood. In the extremity of life on a prison ship, and intensely longing to be reunited with his wife and daughter, George tentatively turned to God. When—to his wonderment—his prayers were met with a sense of God’s presence and peace, he continued to speak to God and began to take delight in reading the Bible. Humbly grateful for God’s love and help, George desired to be a better man than he had been—to be strong enough to do what was right even when the odds seemed to be stacked against him. A series of encounters with ruthless elements on board the ship was the crucible in which George grew to be a man of integrity, courage, and forgiveness.

Rachel, a young woman whose life had been marked by misfortune and degradation, was cast into a holding cell in one of the prison ships with Becky, a political prisoner who believed in God. Over time, Rachel became convinced there was something to her companion’s faith and became a believer as well. As the influence of the Word and the Spirit of God grew in her heart, her character and perspectives on life changed. A moment of truth in her new life came during a violent storm. As her cell mates in the bowels of the ship wailed and screamed for God’s help, Rachel’s heart overflowed with thankfulness and joy as she recognized the absence of fear and sense of well-being that God had worked in her.*

By the enablement of the grace of God, George, Rachel, and others on the voyage were becoming heroes of the faith. Perhaps it was the horror of their lives that caused them to avoid the trap of becoming “bless me” babies.** They did not think that their new relationship with God entitled them to nothing but blessings. Instead, they responded humbly to his call upon their hearts to please him and to bless others.

Perhaps experiences such as theirs are what prompted James to make the stunning statement

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James :2-4).

Apparently, it is not being shielded from trouble that brings the greatest joy to the Christian. It is the developing of one’s faith and character to the point of becoming able to meet whatever life brings with love, confidence, and joy.

I want to be like them. I want to “take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me” (Phil. 3:12). And I CAN, regardless of who I used to be—because GRACE enables me.
___________________
*Patricia Hickman, Voyage of the Exiles (Minneapolis: Bethany House Publishers, 1995). To learn more, visit http://www.patriciahickman.com/.

**We could not live--or thrive--physically or spiritually without God's blessings. Confidently expecting our Father to abundantly care for us is one of the foundations of our walk with God. It is perhaps part of what Jesus meant when he said that one must be like a little child in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. However, only a spiritual infant believes that main focus of their relationship with God is "me" or "blessings."

Twigs or oaks?

Isaiah 61:1-4

1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,

2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,

3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.

4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.

About 20 years ago I became acquainted with a group of Christians who were overcomers. Before that, I had known only a few who seemed to live above sin and doubt, to radiant peace and joy, and whose actions and words took one into the presence of the Lord.

There were several things that made my new acquaintances overcomers. They expected to see "the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living" (Psa. 27:13 KJV)—not just someday in the sweet by and by. They believed God’s promises; instead of reading them and saying, “Well, I hope so.” They obeyed the requirements and admonitions of Scripture, not rationalizing most of it away with statements such as “The Lord knows we’re only human.”

I saw unstable people become sound in mind and strong in spirit. I saw chronic sadness and self-doubt lift off of others. I saw an army of individuals who lived so much in the Word and in worship, that life-changing words came out of their mouths regularly, whether speaking with a fellow church member, a relative, or the person ahead of them in the check-out lane. I saw such a confidence in Jesus Christ that they laid hands on sick people and they recovered. They shared the word of God with people in broken relationships and desperate circumstances until miracles of restoration occurred.

Is this not why Christ came? To take broken people and make them “oaks of righteousness.” To make them advancers of his kingdom. To make them OVERCOMERS.

Succumbers or overcomers?

As I have studied Revelations recently, I have been reminded of something that readily escapes middle-class Americans--life can brutal. I have also been reminded that Christians throughout the centuries who have experienced the greatest hardships and persecutions seem to be the least inclined to think it unfair that a child of God should have to go through these things. They discover the glory of the overcoming Christ in their lives. I've got to believe that we can become overcomers, as well. In the next few posts I want to explore that.

To begin with I want to share an excerpt from my father's book Overcoming with Christ: God's Message to the Church from the Book of Revelation.

So God’s message to the Church through the visions of the Apocalypse is:

1. Take a realistic view of life, past, present and future. Recognize that faithful Christian living involves persistence in both good times and bad.
2. Do not fall asleep! Be alert! Be faithful! Only those who overcome whatever conditions they face will be rewarded.
3. Live by faith undergirded with hope. Consider the promises of God—they are all for you. You can and will overcome all the wiles of the enemy.
4. You do not have to face life alone. God has abundant resources at your command. Rely on him, use the armor he provides, and by so doing develop those traits of character—reverence, obedience, faith, honesty, patience, faithfulness—that will help you be an overcomer.
5. The final message is the key to the whole book—Christ overcame! We can overcome with Christ. OVERCOMING WITH CHRIST—that is God’s message to the Church through the book of Revelation!

It would be interesting to know the timing of events at the close of the present age and when Christ will return, but God has not chosen to reveal these details to us. In fact we cannot know the times and seasons God has placed in his own power. The Second Coming of Christ will be sudden and unexpected, like a thief in the night.

The central theme of the book of Revelation is OVERCOMING. It is the golden thread woven throughout history. He wrote to a persecuted Church to assure them that with Christ they too could overcome all the power of the enemy by drawing on the resources God has provided. He dramatically illustrated the final downfall of Satan and his followers, the triumph of Christ and the eternal blessedness of his faithful followers. Even those who give their lives in the struggle against evil will share in the final triumph.

So when you study the book of Revelation, don’t think so much about the antichrist as of the triumphant Christ.

Don’t read about the scarlet woman, but the woman clothed in light.

Don’t be frightened by the Beast and the False Prophet, but look to the Lamb without spot and without blemish.

Don’t worry about the mark of the Beast, but seek for the seal of the Holy Spirit on your life. . . .
_______________________________________
Excerpt from Overcoming with Christ by F. Burleigh Willard Sr. (Xulon Press, 2008), 120-121.
http://www.wlmlbooks.com/id14.html

Some things never change

This quaint but effective message in verse was discovered by my 88-year-old father in one of his favorite volumes—The Best Loved Poems of the American People.

THE MODERN BABY

“The hand that rocks the cradle”—but there is no such hand;
It is bad to rock the baby, they would have us understand;
So the cradle’s but a relic of the former foolish days
When mothers reared their children in unscientific ways—
When they jounced them and they bounced them, these poor dwarfs of long ago—
The Washingtons and Jeffersons and Adamses, you know.

They warn us that the baby will possess a muddled brain
If we dandle him or rock him—we must carefully refrain;
He must lie in one position, never swayed and never swung,
Or his chance to grow to greatness will be blasted while he’s young.
Ah! To think how they were ruined by their mothers long ago—
The Franklins and the Putnams and the Hamiltons, you know.

Then we must feed the baby by the schedule that is made,
And the food that he is given must be measured out or weighed.
He may bellow to inform us that he isn’t satisfied,
But he couldn’t grow to greatness if his wants were all supplied.
Think how foolish nursing stunted those poor weaklings, long ago—
The Shakespeares and the Luthers and the Buonapartes, you know.

We are given a great mission, we are here today on earth
To bring forth a race of giants, and to guard them from their birth,
To insist upon their freedom the rocking that was bad
For our parents and their parents, scrambling all the brains they had.
Ah! If they’d been fed by schedule would they have been stunted so?
The Websters and the Lincolns, and the Roosevelts, you know.*
—William Croswell Doane (1832-1913)

What is your reaction to this poem?

At first, all I saw was the somewhat delightful, somewhat amusing poetic style of “yesteryear”—rollicking, carefully rhyming, almost preachy. Then some more “profound” observations began to stir inside. I realized: SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE.
· Health care professionals will continue to search for better ways to safeguard children’s health and development, and parents will continue to have trust their own common sense in the presence of those who are supposed to be experts.
· What is regarded as “modern” today will soon be “old-fashioned.” As far as this poem is concerned, that includes our science and our artistic expression.
· Truth still shines forth, even when someone’s style of expressing it is no longer considered cutting-edge or clever.

These reflections reminded me of a biblical injunction I had not fully appreciated before: “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought” (Rom. 12:3a NIV) but “[b]e honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us” (Rom. 12:3b NLT).

I have decided that I will feel good about what the Lord enables me to do, and leave the results (long- or short-term) up to him. I am not timeless, but he is. What I do on this earth will have the stamp of my limitations, but—if I make room for it—my contributions will be endued with the breath of his eternal genius.

. . . I’m still curious to know your reactions to this poem.
__________________________________
*From The Best Loved Poems of the American People, selected by Hazel Felleman, (New York: Garden City Publishing Co, 1936).

Point of view

Here's a just-for-fun treasure:

I had stopped at the home of a fellow committee member to exchange materials for the church nursery. After taking care of our business, I exchanged a few words with her articulate 3-year-old daughter Allison. After warming up to me, she stood up tall and asked if I would like to see her bedroom. “Sure!” I replied.

So up the stairs we climbed. We spent several minutes in her room, as she pointed out her furniture, her pretty things, and her toys. Next was her brother’s room, where she gave me a somewhat briefer introduction. Then we stopped at the door of the master bedroom.

“My parents share a room,” she announced in her best tour-guide manner.

“That’s why,” she continued, flinging her arm in the direction of the bed, “there are two pillows.”

It's who we are

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing (2 Cor. 2:14-15).

I just noticed today, in the second sentence above, that it says we are the aroma of Christ. It’s not just a whiff of fragrance that clings to us when we have been particularly close to him, it is also who we become as we join Christ in his work. Not working hard for him, but working with him—looking at our surroundings with his eyes, obeying his nudges, making room for him in every situation, not stepping in to speak or act before he has established our thinking and prepared the situation. Imagine how much like him we become as we work that closely with him!

Verse 14 identifies the fragrance we can carry to the world as “the fragrance of the knowledge of him.” We don’t have that fragrance without knowing him intimately. Such knowledge of him comes to every believer from time to time, when we are particularly aware of him, when he comes to us in assurance, when we see his glory, when we receive a call from him. At such times we become radiant for a while with the love, joy, and peace of God. It’s as if we are wearing his cologne. But we can become so Christ-like that we don’t just wear his aroma, we are the aroma of Christ, day in and day out. This happens by spending our days in “the knowledge of him”—keeping our hearts worshipfully open to him and walking through every event in glad, conscious partnership.

Download or marinate?

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task? Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God (2 Cor. 2:14-17).

The fragrance of the knowledge of him! It is a fragrance we pick up from our closeness to him—not something we will have just by the asking. It comes from knowing him. Acquaintance comes in stages, in bits and pieces—by observation, interaction, intimate conversations, loyal friendship.

In Western Christianity, books and sermons abound with information about his salvation and various graces (faith, courage, protection). They expound on Christian lifestyle. They do not say as much about HIM. Even when we approach the Lord himself in prayer, we tend to talk to him rather than fellowship with him. We tend to ask for guidance and make requests—and then exit quickly because we don’t know what else to say to him, instead of lingering and becoming acquainted. We ask for qualities such as wisdom, patience, kindness, and purity of motives as if they are products we are downloading from him. But they are not products—they are part of his nature. The more we become acquainted with him the more these qualities will “rub off” on us.

It is minimally possible to acquire his traits as an impersonal download. To “participate in the divine nature” we must marinate in the “knowledge of him.”

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires (2 Pet. 1:3-4, emphasis added).

We would do well to return to contemplation of the Lord, as practiced by the saints of Middle Ages. I am not saying that we should attain to a mystical state, nor am I fostering an escape from the world; I suggest that we imitate them in the sense of meditating more on the Lord's person and nature--not just focising our attention on his promises, his instructions, and his deeds. This is Scriptural:

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect [Footnote: or contemplate] the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit (2 Cor. 3:18, footnote in NIV).

Do we need to be more like Christ? Do we desire to see his power at work in our world? Let’s not spend so much time asking the Lord to give us purity and power, let’s spend more time just being WITH HIM. As we look upon him on a regular basis through the pages of the Bible or by recalling all he has done for us personally, we are marinating in his love and holiness. Our hearts will lose their taste for worldliness and become increasingly captivated by his goodness. In his presence, we will have his concerns, and worldy ones with drop away. In his presence, we will become like him. And the fragrant beauty of who he is will linger on us as we interact with the world. Our neighbors will not just hear us speak about him; they will experience the very substance of his being emanating from us, for we will have “put on Christ.”

Stand up and be counted

Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads (Rev. 14:1).

Written on their foreheads! For all the world to see! Plainly and publically aligned with Christ.

This reminds me of the movie that I have been most captivated by recently— Amazing Grace, the story of William Wilberforce’s crusade to abolish the slave trade in England. There is a defining moment when Wilberforce, as a young man, stood on a table in the middle of a lounge and sang John Newton’s newly penned song “Amazing Grace” to an astonished group of fellow Members of Parliament.

Shortly thereafter, he began to struggle with the tension between the desire to passionately serve God and the call of a brilliant career in public service. According to the movie (I have yet to read a biography and check out the historicity of this), several key individuals—including his former pastor, John Newton—point out that there seemed to be a need for him to do both. And so began his progress against the overwhelming tide of opinion and the entrenched social and economic system. His hard-working fact-finding and truth-disseminating group of associates were referred to as a “band of mendicant preachers.” He trod the dangerous line of being considered a seditious rebel. It was not the most enjoyable journey, but he was unhindered by compromise, and he had the satisfaction of being true to God, to the downtrodden, and to himself.

His story is not only inspiring but instructional. We, too, as Christians want to run unhindered with Christ. But there are many questions. Some of mine have been: If one is an avowed Christian, does that mean that one’s involvement in the world must be according to the narrowly defined agenda of a predominant group of Christians? Does that mean that one has to go around studiously dropping God’s name whenever one is before a microphone? No, I have come to realize, one does not need to look for opportunities to make one’s stand and convictions known—one just needs to not shy away from speaking when those opportunities arise—and they will, by God’s perfect design. When one’s allegiance to Christ becomes known, many of the public will immediately think “Oh, you’re one of them—those preachy, belligerent Christians.” So what? God is well able to do his work with or without a “good reputation.” And, in the end, his glory will be seen far and wide.

But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him (Heb. 10:38).

A habit of “shrinking back” is a terrible prison. It must also be a sin, judging from the above verse. If it is a sin, it is something from which Jesus is able to deliver us. I want to be a fully “righteous one” who lives “by faith.” How about you?

What kind of triumph?

Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said good-by to them and went on to Macedonia.But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task? Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God (2 Cor. 2:12-17).

I have heard the first part of verse 14 ("But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ") quoted many times by Christians when faced with adversity such as sickness, financial reversals, and relational challenges. They use it to bolster their faith that, with God’s help, they will overcome these hardships. And turning to God for healing, provision, and solutions to all problems is the natural attitude of one who knows the Father’s love and care.. . . casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).

However, verse 14, when read in the context above (verses 12-17), does not seem to refer to triumphing over personal afflictions and calamities. I say that after making careful observations of this passage:

· Verses 12-13 are about Paul’s visit to Troas to preach the gospel, which was cut short because Titus was not there.
· Verses 14b-16a are about the aroma of Christ—how it is spread (through us) and what effects it has.
· Verse 16b asks who is equal to such a task. (I presume he is talking about the task of mightily affecting people with the knowledge of Christ.)
· Verse 17 speaks of the spirit and motivation in which Paul ministers the gospel.

Sandwiched into this context, Paul’s familiar exclamation “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ” would have a different interpretation than I have previously heard. It apparently means “Thank God that even when ministry opportunities are fraught with complications and perplexities, we can be sure that the gospel will eventually triumph. The gospel will have a powerful effect because our personal knowledge of him causes people to experience the fragrance of his person. And this supernatural result will continue to happen as long as our hearts stay in Christ and we speak what God sends us to speak—and do not settle for preaching for a living.”

Undivided Attention

When people think about Jesus, they tend to see little relationship between him and us. He is God; I am human. He was perfect; I am, well . . . not. But he did not come to increase the distance between God and man, but to bridge that gap. One of his favorite ways of making godliness understandable and accessible was by telling parables. This past June, I saw a parable, if you will, of something that Jesus said about himself:

Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does” (John 5:19-20a).

Inwardly, Jesus kept his eyes turned toward the Father, and immediately did what he saw the Father doing. Doesn’t that sound super-spiritual? But, really, I discovered, it’s very natural. Here’s my parable of what such undivided attention is like:

My daughter-in-law, Heidi, owns a small motorcycle and looks for opportunities to ride it. On the first day of my recent visit to Lexington, Kentucky, to see my son’s family, we all caravanned out to the country to Heidi’s parents’ new home. Mark led the way in the van with Connor and me as passengers. Heidi followed on the motorcycle with Nikki behind her. The plan was to avoid as much city traffic as possible.

Just as we were leaving the city, Mark said, “I need to pull over.” So he signaled and carefully edged onto the shoulder.

Heidi pulled up alongside him and said, “What?”

Mark answered, “Which way do you want to go?”

“What do you mean?” asked Heidi.

“I read your lips. You said, ‘I don’t want to go this way.’ ”

I was as astonished as Heidi. That was some kind of concerned, watchful care! Was Mark watching the road? It's hard to say, but there's no doubt that his eyes were riveted to the rear view mirror. Talk about undivided attention!

That’s how simple it is to keep our eyes on the Father. By so doing, we can detect his every wish, and immediately “pull over” to get complete instructions. When we do, we will be amazed at the results.

Living in Two Worlds

Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God (2 Cor. 2:17).

“Peddling the word of God for profit” reminds me of the moneychangers in the Temple.

Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. "It is written," he said to them, " 'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it a 'den of robbers' " (Matt. 21:12-13).

Now making doves and other animals available for worshippers to sacrifice was not wrong. But creating hubbub in the Temple itself and gouging the pilgrims with inflated prices, was completely unacceptable. How could such a thing happen? The vendors did not see themselves as servants of God, aiding the people in keeping the holy festival; they were completely caught up in the opportunity to make money.

The moneychangers and vendors were in the Temple, but not “in God.” Paul, in the passage from 2 Corinthians, avoided the profit motive in his ministry, because he was “in Christ” and “before God.” (There’s that phrase “before God” again—like the many times in Revelation.)

A person can be in Christ and before God inwardly while involved in any situation outwardly. My father preaches a sermon about Nehemiah, based on the following narrative:

In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before; so the king asked me, "Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart."

I was very much afraid, but I said to the king, "May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?"

The king said to me, "What is it you want?"

Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, "If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it" (Neh. 2:1-5).

Nehemiah was standing before King Artaxerxes, but at the same time he was standing before the KING. And this stance made all the difference in the outcome of this conversation.

We do our best living in this world, when our hearts are united with Christ and we stay positioned before God.

Where Are You Standing?

“I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth." These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth (Rev. 11:3-4).

I have been intrigued by how many times in the book of Revelation it is said that an individual or a group of beings stand before the Throne. Then I noticed this passage about the two witnesses who are identified as the fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy about the olive trees and lampstands which stand before the Lord of the earth. They are not in heaven (like the other characters who are portrayed as standing before the Throne of God), they are on earth. But it is implied that in some sense, they are standing before the Lord of the earth.

I went to Zechariah’s prophecy about the olive trees and the lampstands:

Then the angel who talked with me returned and wakened me, as a man is wakened from his sleep. He asked me, "What do you see?"

I answered, "I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lights on it, with seven channels to the lights. Also there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left."

I asked the angel who talked with me, "What are these, my lord?"

He answered, "Do you not know what these are?"

"No, my lord," I replied.

So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty.

. . . Then I asked the angel, "What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?"
Again I asked him, "What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?"

He replied, "Do you not know what these are?" "

No, my lord," I said.

So he said, "These are the two who are anointed to serve the Lord of all the earth" (Zech. 4:1-6; 11-14).

It appears to me that the two olive trees are the Holy Spirit, whose oil fuels the lamp. This supernatural fuel is greater than any “might or power” of man, and will enable the Israelites under Zerubbabel to finish rebuilding the Temple, against great opposition and discouragement.

Each of the olive trees has a branch, through which the oil of Holy Spirit power flows to the lamp. These branches apparently are the two witnesses who are described in Revelation. They, too, have supernatural equipping for the task of prophesying in the face of great danger and hostility.

How does one receive supernatural equipping to do the works set before him by God? By being intimately attached to the Lord, as a branch is connected to a tree. By being connected to the right tree—the Holy Spirit. How does one stay connected to the Holy Spirit? By standing before the Lord of the earth; that is, positioning one’s heart to keep him in plain view, by maintaining loving attention to his Word and his purposes, and by keeping one’s ears open for his direction.

Faith--for What?

As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!"

When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?"

"Yes, Lord," they replied.

Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you"; and their sight was restored (Matt. 9:27-30).

“According to your faith will it be done to you." I believe that there is more to this statement than meets the eye. The blind men in this narrative believed that Jesus could heal them—and he did. Conversely, the residents of Nazareth, Jesus’ hometown, did not believe in him, and no great miracles happened there.

One could say that belief or faith sets the stage for the Lord to help us, and that unbelief keeps us from receiving from him what we need. However, I believe that it is more accurate to say that both the blind men and the residents of Nazareth were believers—the blind men believed Jesus was a prophet who had miracle-working power, and Jesus’ hometown acquaintances believed that he was just a man like them so he couldn’t be a miracle worker.

I suggest that we all believe something, all of the time. And what we believe—what we really have faith in—greatly impacts our relationship with God and the outcome of our prayers. If you were to ask God for help, but remained anxious and uncertain, could it mean that you have greater faith in the problem than you do in God? In such a situation, things will probably just get worse: “According to your faith [that things will continue to be bad]will it be done to you.”

Is that not why the Scriptures urge us to do the kind of thinking that creates a climate for faith in God? For example:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things (Phil. 4:8).

Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night . . . (Josh. 1:8).

But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night (Psa. 1:2).

"According to your faith will it be done to you." What Jesus specifically was saying here was that the blind men would receive from Jesus all that they believed he could do for them. I'm not going to claim that Jesus also meant that anything I believe is what I will receive. I am not going to claim that this verse proves that if I am anxious, that means that I have faith that things will turn out badly, and that is what "will be done to [me]." But at the very least, anxiety does prevent us from having faith in God. And without genuine faith that he can help, we are not likely to receive his help.

In the vicinity of Nogales, Arizona, where my family lived when I was in high school, was a butte-like peak referred to as "Monkey Mountain." The front of it was a sheer vertical wall, but one could make one's way up the back, which was not so steep. It was a favorite activity of our family to make this climb. After parking the car, we hiked some distance around to the back, picking our way through rocky depressions--possibly dry arroyos, or stream beds. Amazingly, when down in the lowest part of these depressions, the view of the mountain was completely cut off. If one spent much time down there, one might even forget there was a mountain just a hundred yards away.

Problems always loom large. When we are sunk down in the middle of a problem, the problem is all that we can see. God is much greater than the problem, but our view of him seems cut off. If we pray in that gloomy frame of mind, is that praying in faith? At such times, we have to purposely remind ourselves that God and his power, his love, and his solutions are still there--right over that pile of rocks. Since it will be done to us according to our faith, let’s make a point of setting our expectation on God. Let's not let ourselves become trapped by faith in the wrong thing!

Serving with Joy

If you do not serve the Lord your God with joy and enthusiasm for the abundant benefits you have received, you will serve your enemies whom the Lord will send against you (Deut. 28L47-48a NLT).

Today, I see something entirely different in this passage. It speaks to me about the way in which we are to serve the Lord. I see in this short statement the attitude and equipping for serving God. We can (and should) serve him with joy and enthusiasm because he has abundantly gifted us with the ability to do everything he asks us to do. That is, God does not call us to struggle, with our limited resources, to serve him. He loads us with "abundant benefits" (natural and spiritual). Among these benefits are the very tools for serving him.

We don’t have to serve him with fear of not knowing how, because he said he would teach us.

"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men" (Matt. 4:19).

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me . . .” (Matt. 11:29a).

We don’t have to shrink back from serving him because of feelings of inadequacy—we are merely “jars of clay,” but the power of God works through us anyway.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. (2 Cor. 4:7).

We should not allow ourselves to be immobilized by the memory of our latest failure, but step back into the light and allow the blood of Jesus to cleanse us from the tendency to sin.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin (1 John 1:7).

Jesus encapsulated what it is like to serve him when he said:

“[M]y yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matt. 11:30 NIV).

I like the Message version of this verse and the two verses before it. This passage is a good summary of all of today’s thoughts.

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly" (Matt. 11:28-30 MSG).

Enjoying Life

If you do not serve the Lord your God with joy and enthusiasm for the abundant benefits you have received, you will serve your enemies whom the Lord will send against you . . . (Deut. 28:47-48a).

One great revelation in this verse is that having an abundance of benefits doesn’t automatically bring joy! Well . . . maybe for a short while, when one receives a new blessing. But then taking for granted sets in. “It’s not quite what I wanted” and “It’s not as good as my neighbor’s” takes over. And so we can be loaded with benefits but feel as if we have very little.

I guess the principle is: APPRECIATE IT OR LOSE IT. Without appreciation, we will lose it, even if we still have it. We will not experience the joy of it. Not only that, we will begin to be enslaved by the enemy of disappointment and discontentment.

Upon looking at the consequence in verse 48 for taking God’s benefits for granted, one might think he is severe. But God, unlike us, never overreacts. By warning us that there will be consequences for taking our blessings for granted, God corrals our attitudes in the direction of appreciation and joy. We would do well as parents to imitate him by teaching our children to be thankful for and to be responsible in the care of the gifts we give them; by teaching them to respect us as providers of their livelihood. There would be fewer of us throwing up our hands in despair because our children are demanding, never contented, and largely uncooperative.

Joy and enthusiasm are a choice. Actually, joy is automatic—but only if one first chooses to be appreciative. An appreciative person will make a point of thanking God (and others involved) for favors and blessings. An appreciative person recognizes that he is fortunate to have received them. An appreciative person will counteract feelings of discontent by reminding herself of all that is good in her life. Appreciation requires a little effort at the offset, but ends up in sheer delight—and in great willingness to do anything for the Giver.

Gate Keepers

Psalm 24

1 The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;

2 for he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the waters.

3 Who may ascend the hill of the LORD ?
Who may stand in his holy place?

4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to an idol
or swear by what is false.

5 He will receive blessing from the LORD
and vindication from God his Savior.

6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek your face, O God of Jacob. Selah

7 Lift up your heads, O you gates;
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.

8 Who is this King of glory?
The LORD strong and mighty,
the LORD mighty in battle.

9 Lift up your heads, O you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is he, this King of glory?

The LORD Almighty
he is the King of glory.


I pondered long on the relationship between verses 7-10, which I talked about in my last post, and the first part of this psalm. I believe the first part is talking about the King of glory who owns the whole earth and has set into place the principles by which it operates. He created us to have a significant role on this earth, partnering with Him to rule it. But only those who have clean hands and a pure heart, only the generation of those who seek Him, will fully achieve this destiny and "receive blessing from the Lord." Only they will participate in this glorious encounter, in which the Lord marches up to their doors in majestic array and gives them the opportunity to open wide and receive him in all his splendor and might.

Does this mean that a person who is, as yet, very imperfect in character has no partnership with God? Does a small child not "help" mom and dad? But the child's true helpfulness emerges as he or she develops in reliability.

An Invitation

From Psalm 24

7 Lift up your heads, O you gates;
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.

8 Who is this King of glory?
The LORD strong and mighty,
the LORD mighty in battle.

9 Lift up your heads, O you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.

10 Who is he, this King of glory?
The LORD Almighty—
he is the King of glory.

One might wonder why, if he is the Lord of hosts, he needs to stop at the door and ask for admittance. But it is part of the greatness he put into man—dominion over the earth and the power to choose who will rule here. Just as in the Narnia Chronicles, it took representatives fro Adam’s race to determine the destiny of Narnia, so we as dscendants of Adam and children of God have the authority to open the doors of earth for heaven to come in.

Generally doors are not lifted up, they swing outward on hinges. But tonight, in a spirit of worship, I lifted my hands. I began to sense that I was also—without words—interceding for my students. My hands were receiving what heaven had determined to pour out upon them. Brother Lawrence, a 17^th-century French monk, practiced the presence of God in a very simple way—he kept his heart lifted up to You. Many times I have done that, humming to You, if possible, and Your anointing has come and brightened faces, healed differences between students, and caused lethargic students to run after me, eager to turn in an assignment which normally they wouldn’t bothered to do. So our hearts and our hands, the actual doors that welcome the King of Kings, don’t swing outward, they “lift up their heads” so that “the King of glory may come in.”

________

With slight alterations, this is a journal entry I wrote in 2002 for a class on "Psalms," taught by Sandy Gulso at Midwest Bible School.

Staying Connected

Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs. .. . .

Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.

(Psa. 100:2, 4)

Daily, a Christian can become bogged down in the daily grind, and need to get back into the place (spiritually) in which he see things the Lord's way and can operate in the Lord's patience, wisdom, cheerfulness, power, and love. At such times, one can "enter his gates" by purposely beginning to thank him for his goodness and his blessings. One can walk all the way into "his courts" by praising him. That might be praise directed to him personally or it can be by making a comment to someone else about the goodness of God. One creative way to do this was practiced by my pastor, Tony Shuff, in his early days as a Christian. As his co-workers took a break to have a smoke, he took a break to get away and praise the Lord. ☺

As thankfulness and praise are directed deliberately toward God, the heart breaks free from the crust of care and intense effort. One can again see the Lord, step freely into his presence, and begin again to function in his grace.

How to Approach Him

Worship the LORD with gladness;

come before him with joyful songs. . . .
Enter his gates with thanksgiving

and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.
(Psa. 100:2, 4)

Psalm 100 in its entirety seems designed to be used as a Call to Worship—something to recite out of a hymnal or prayer book in church. That’s all I would have thought about it in bygone years. But it has taken on life-changing meaning since it has was pointed out to me that this is the way to come into the Lord’s presence at all times.

Picture, if you will, a subject of King David's who desired an audience with him. This person would not consider coming into the king's palace and before his throne empty-handed. He would bring a gift to honor the king, to show his appreciation for the king's attention, and, hopefully, to garner his favor. This was mirrored by worshippers coming before the Lord in the tabernacle or temple--they brought sacrifices and offerings. On feast days, throngs of worshippers ascended the hill to Jerusalem singing psalms. Psalm 107 states that such thanksgiving was also an offering or sacrifice to the Lord.

Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving,

And declare His works with rejoicing (Psa. 107:22 NKJV)

Do we rush into the Lord's presence and begin asking him for things? Thanking and praising him first will give him the honor that we owe him. It will also lift our eyes to see him--not only as our Father and our Friend, but as the King of all the earth, who is mighty to save.

Simple and Pleasant

Psalm 67
1 May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face shine upon us, Selah
2 that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.
3 May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you.
4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you rule the peoples justly
and guide the nations of the earth. Selah
5 May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you.
6 Then the land will yield its harvest,
and God, our God, will bless us.
7 God will bless us,
and all the ends of the earth will fear him.

Psalm 67 is full of surprising connections, when one notices that it is full of cause-effect statements.

Cause (1)
Verse 1
When God
· Is gracious to us
· Blesses us
· Makes his face shine on us
Effect (1)
Verse 2
The whole world becomes aware of
· His [kind, generous] ways and
· [The fact that] he saves

Cause (2)
Verses 3-5
When people
· Praise God (4x)
· Are glad
· Sing for joy
(because of God’s
· Just rulership
· Guidance)
Effect (2)
Verses 6-7
Then
· The land will yield a good harvest
· God will bless us (2x)
· He will be feared [reverenced] around the world

The whole message fits together especially well if one considers verses 3-7 first, then verses 1-2. When read that way, the message of Psalm 67 can be summarized as:

Expressing thankfulness to God →
Multiplied blessings →
Widespread awareness of his goodness

This is one example of how pleasant and simple our relationship with God can be. I respond in love and thankfulness. He takes even better care of me. The world around me begins to respond to him and come into the place in which they can be fully cared for by him also. How much more natural and effective this is than trying to obtain God's blessings for myself by much petitioning, and trying to point others to the Lord by "preaching."