The Grand Scheme of Things

It has been intriguing lately, to see how bent out of shape people get over various things.  You know, the things that we have determined to be our "causes."  Those things we like to nit pick - flaunt, create miniature tornadoes over.  You should buy this particular brand of car, vote for this particular person because they belong to this or that party.

Isn't it interesting though, the things that centuries of biblical writers have shown us that God is interested in. There is a lot that is shown about what people chose and how people acted. Yet, in it all, what is truly important is revealed by God over and over again.  

• "so that I walked contrary to them and brought them into the land of their enemies—if then their uncircumcised heart is humbled and they make amends for their iniquity"  Lev 26:41
• "For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite." Isa 57:15
•  "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Mic 6:8). 
• For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,  training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, Tit 2:11,12
• But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.  Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. Jas 4:6-10

These are just a few of the places where it shows where God wants the emphasis.  It is us - our hearts, our actions, our spirits that are important.  In all of Saul of Tarsus' causes, in all of his stampeding pretense of righteousness, it is on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus that God tells Saul, "You've got it wrong Saul."  Act 9:5  "And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I AM Jesus whom thou dost persecute; it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks."  It is not important to kill people just to be right. It is not important that my way is right and because I'm right you're wrong.  Its not important who rules what, who has the best car, what the best deodorant is, even whose bible is better. What is important is that if your life is not walking with God, treating others with kindness and justice in this world and by the changing of your own heart making the world a better place to live, then like the mass of humanity - we've missed the boat.  

Banners? Causes? Parties? Brands? Monies? all have their place in life. Some have them, some don't. But the truth is, if you do not have your health - these are meaningless. If you do not have your spirit walking humbly with God, these are nothing.  Would you give your eyes for your cause? Would you go blind for it? Would you willingly accept a life threatening disease in exchange for your brand, your money, your politics?   Jesus said it this way,   What will you gain, if you own the whole world but destroy yourself? What would you give to get back your soul? Mat 16:26

Jim

OBEDIENCE! or Obedience?

OBEDIENCE!  The very word conjures rebellion in the mind of the hearer. Human psyche automatically responds with thinking of ways not to obey. The Old Testament is replete with God's pleadings with the people to obey and the consequences of not doing so. 

"See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, If you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all nations of the earth; for all the earth belongs to me."

Deut.11:26-28

"Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine..."

Ex. 19:5 

Jesus phrased it this way: "Those who obey my commandments are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them, and I will love them (Jn.14:21)."

To speak about obedience in a positive light today's world goes profoundly against the culture at large. Those who speak about it as a good thing, are viewed as "authoritarian," "old school," and other such labels designed to make the person to appear to be a little "off."  People sometimes confuse obedience with "blind obedience," and the person is viewed as not seriously considering the modern way of thinking. Obedience can be and is often confused with "going along with and not asking questions."  Some would say that obedience is "duty" or what is expected.  "Because it says so," is often heard. 

However, obedience really means responsiveness, to hear, to listen, to respond appropriately. It is not the surrender of responsibility to just give yourself over "because you have to." Rather, it is the acceptance of responsibility for what we respond to and how. For those who walk by the Spirit, obedience is a response to grace in appreciation of what God has done for me in that Grace. Peter says that it is the response of a willing heart and good conscience toward God (1 Pet.3:21).  He would know for several reasons. First, he was a follower of the Lord because he thought it was the right thing to do (Jn.6:68,69) . He would learn, that this is not enough to sustain a person's spirit in temptation. Second, he obeyed the Lord at times blindly without considering consequences or reasons (Jn.13:37). He would learn that Satan has no compassion and what being sifted like wheat would mean. Third, he learned that the only obedience that was genuine was when it came from the heart in a response of appreciation of love (Jn.21:12-23).  

Will you?

Jim

Clenched FISTS!

"Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. "

Matt. 10:8 

Let’s do an experiment. For a moment, take your hand (left or right it doesn’t matter) and make a fist. Now, clench your fist as tightly as you can and hold it there for a moment. 

Now, open your hand all the way!  Feel the rush? That’s because physically, when you clench your fist it retracts and constricts the blood vessels and flow. Instead of flowing freely, the blood is forced to back up in the veins. In some people, this can actually hurt. But when you open your hand, the blood can flow freely because there is nothing to constrict. Now, let’s apply this principle to life.  There is a quote that says, “If you give a man a fish, you’ve fed him for one meal. If you teach him how to fish, you’ve fed him for life.” The first part of the quote, while good in that it feeds a person is also a stingy thing. It does consider the person’s plight and provide for an immediate necessity. Yet, it does not consider the future state of the individual and does nothing to address that state. It does not help the person get to the point of where they can stand on their own or provide for themselves, nor does it help them to that end.  It is only when we open ourselves up to consider the overall need and in turn open ourselves up to sharing with that person how to fish that we can provide something more, and that becomes a blessing to the person receiving as well as to the myself as the giver.

So many times in life, especially for “church going folks” the concept of “giving” always revolves around money.  Don’t get me wrong, money is a nice thing and can alleviate an immediate need. But there are times that it does little for the overall necessity. In  Mt.19:16-30; Mk.10:17-31; Lk.18:18-30, Jesus teaches regarding a man that came to him, asking what it would take for him to be able to inherit eternal life. It is obvious from the texts, that the man was a keeper of the law in regard to following the tenets and statutes. This was a commendable thing because not many could make such a claim. Jesus then tells the man that there is one thing that he lacks. "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."  The man then goes away grieved and heavy because the texts say, “he had many possessions.”  Such is our own plight, which we have received of God many “things.”  Many take this teaching to state that the person did not follow Christ because his possessions hindered him.  This would be correct. Yet, there is a deeper meaning here too, and one that Jesus hastily teaches his disciples upon seeing this man’s reaction.  Mat 19:23  And Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven.”   It is true, that worldly wealth hinders a person’s spirituality if they do not keep the right mind. Yet, the Bible is replete with examples of men that for their day were considered wealthy, even equal to today’s millionaires, and still very spiritual people.  Consider that the man here is a law keeper! His problem comes in letting go of what he has because he is “clenching his fists.”  He wants eternal life, but does not want to give of what he has to others so that they can have it also.

How many of us are like this? We go to church for years, we learn the scriptures, we learn the principles – yet, we never give of what we learn to others so that they can benefit from our knowledge and experience. We never mentor another, never show someone how.  Oh…we TELL them. But this is a far cry from what Paul says in 2 Tim.2:2 “and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

 

It is only when we open ourselves to what Jesus told his disciples in the beginning, “freely you have received, freely give” that we can comprehend the full blessing of what is intended by God for man.  It is only then that we can “feel” God coursing through us to accomplish great things (Rev.3:20).   Then again, don’t believe me just because of what I have written here. Get your own bibles and look at how many times it talks about “GIVE.”  Then look up what it says about KEEP.  Then – you will know.

Jim 

Jots, Tittles and Minutiae

Matthew 5:18,19

"For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven" 

Keeping God’s word and being a Christian can at times be an exacting thing. Jesus Himself stressed, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Mt. 4:4). Yet, it is obvious from Jesus’ teachings that detail to law could also be perilous. He states to the scribes and Pharisees of the day, “For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. (Mt.23:23).” The former what is right, the latter is what we refer to as legalistic.

How do we distinguish between the two? 

How can I know when I’m doing what is right, versus times when I’m straining a gnat? One could argue that if I adhere to what the scripture says down to the finest minutiae, then I know I’m right.  This is true. Instructions are there to be followed.  Ignoring the instructions causes problems. When we do things God's way, good results come. When we ignore the instructions, we do so at peril of costly failure. The price of failure is often seemingly out of all proportion to the mistake made. There is an old proverb, "For want of a nail the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe the horse was lost; for want of a horse the message was lost; for want of a message, the battle was lost -- all for the want of a nail."

God also expects us to understand the nature and purpose of His commands 

Yet, God also expects us to understand the nature and purpose of His commands. They are not arbitrarily chosen statutes given to demand servitude.  Submission to God is the expression of our love for and faith in him. It must not be accompanied by the belief that obedience places God in our debt or makes us righteous. Nevertheless, it must be genuine and as complete as we can make it.  Fractures and fissures in our obedience do not excuse us from doing what the scriptures say.  Paul reminds us “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? (Rom.6:1, 2)” I must change what I can, when I can. Yet, neither am I to live under the constant worry of whether I have not completed the smallest thing, or paid the “uttermost farthing.” Paul again reminds us, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,” (Rom.3:23,24).

Jesus was not righteous because he obeyed God. Rather, he obeyed God because he was righteous. So must we.  I strive to be righteous, thus I strive with all of my heart to obey God to the utmost. I will fall short! But, if I am granted the grace of another day, then I resolve that tomorrow I will do better. 

Jim 

BOOK REVIEW: Sabbath by: Dan Allender

In our studies at church, we entered a study of the Mosaic Law so I began to search for materials that would supplement my library and help in in areas that I only had scant information on. Granted, the Internet has made this more abundant, but I wanted something I could hold in my hand, take with me, and read at my leisure. I came across Sabbath by: Dan Allender.

I received this book, anticipating a delve into the intricacies of Old Testament lifestyle, details of Mosaic statutes and establishment of Jewish tradition. Was I in for a surprise.

At first, I did not know how to take this book. It certainly wasn't what I was expecting. Instead of LAW - I found myself being pulled into considering the concepts or REST, DELIGHT, JOY, GRATITUDE, APPRECIATION and more. This was becoming intriguing. I had always thought of Sabbath as a DAY. And yet, even the scripture tells us, Heb 4:9 "..there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God...." and reminds us in vs.10 – “as God rested from His works.” A day in which God took delight, joy, peace in what He had created and done. And then prompted me with a question, Do I take delight, joy, and peace in God? Now, I was hooked! I read and studied further.

Once again, I knew that the Sabbath was a day of feast in the Old Testament, but because I had become entangled in the ins and outs of legality, I totally overlooked the fact that God meant this day to be a day of reconciliation. Not just reconciliation to Him, but to one another. I was reminded what Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "2 Cor 5:18 And it is all from God, who through the Messiah has reconciled us to himself and has given us the work of that reconciliation.." Once again, I found delight to insights that I had never considered before and was coming to appreciate this book more and more.

I an nearing the end of this book now, and wishing that I weren't. But I discovered that I had one more thing to learn. That Gratitude goes beyond simply appreciating what has been done FOR you. Let me share what I gleaned. As in the traditional Sabbath of Moses, there was unleavened bread to commemorate the journey of Israel out of Egypt, we too have Sabbath Bread in our own day and time. Jesus said, "I am the bread of life (Jn.6:35, 38)." We too, are left with a commemoration (1 Cor.11:26-30), a day not to remember what the Lord has done FOR us, but offered TO us. A day to be grateful, to be reconciled not just to God, but to all men - even my enemies. To consider, that Psa.23:5 "...you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies" is not a feast of vindication, but a feast of appreciation for what God has done for me and in turn for me to bring my enemies to the table to be reconciled. I cannot do that, unless I remember what Jesus offered FOR me, and what He gave TO me. It is what God did for Jesus, and it is what Jesus does for me.

Some of you will read this book with different review. Some will read and not know what to do with it. Some will look upon it legalistic and try to find its flaws. Some will read as I did and appreciate what it's author has tried to convey in words. I for one am appreciative of this book, and recommend it heartily. I feel that you would be blessed by it, if it is read with the right heart.

On The Cause of Pain and Suffering

I had a friend write me recently and ask the following question, "... why do we pray and ask Him (God)to protect us and keep us from harm and to take care of our loved ones...if He does not heal us then why do we pray for Him to heal?"

This is a good question. God's plan for us all along is to make us Holy, so that we can have the fellowship and relationship that he has designed for us from the beginning. It is we who have made a mess of things, not Him. So, we need to remember (because we were the ones that messed things up) …

• That Holiness comes before personal happiness.
• That making us Holy is hard work for God and for us

That said, man often understands and preaches that misunderstanding and makes the mistake of underestimating the energy and nature of UNHOLINESS in the human heart. God is love (1 Jn.4:8), but while there is the goodness of God, there is also the severity (Rom.11:22) of that love.

God loved the people of Israel when be brought them out of Egypt and set their direction for the Promised Land. When they started out (as Numbers indicates) there were 603,550 men (not including women, children and elderly), but when they get to the brink of the Promised Land 603,548 of them don't make it. In their hearts, they became presumptuous and unbelieving. They never looked into their own hearts, and they wouldn't believe that God could overcome EVERY problem including their own presumption and unbelief (Heb.3:12-19). What does all of this teach us?

1. That God hates sin and will punish the sinner.
2. That everything in us that is bad, God destroys in order to bring out and release in us what is good.
3. Goodness is in us because God put it there and revealed it by His Son.

How does that apply to the question? Bad things happen to us in life, not BECAUSE of what God has done, but because of what WE do or have done, or others like us have done. When a person such as you that has had cancer, goes to a doctor - the doctor did not cause the cancer. It is sin that has brought the consequence of human decay and disease into the world, because MAN chose to eat of the fruit in the Garden (Gen.3:3,6). God cannot "coddle" us any more than a good surgeon could coddle the cancer in a patient. However, just as a surgeon can remove the cancer, so God can remove and purify that which keeps us from eternal life.

The world's way of thinking assumes that life should be more comfortable and much easier, and if it isn't, then it must be God's fault because He made it all. Just like Israel in the wandering, they forget that God didn't make it that way! Man's choice did. Man made the mess, and then we want God to clean it up.

Why then do we pray and ask Him to protect us and keep us from harm and to take care of our loved ones...if He does not heal us then why do we pray for Him to heal?

Because like Job, we feel that we did not warrant what happens to us and that I shouldn't suffer because of someone else's wrong. We feel that we deserve an answer from God, and that the answer should be what WE want.

• We ask God to keep us from harm - Jesus taught that we should pray " lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" (Mt.6:13)
• We ask to God take care of our loved ones à Jesus taught that we should pray " Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven" (Mt.6:10)

Once Job understood this, read Job 42:1-6.

If He does not heal us then why do we pray for Him to heal?

Jas 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

God will often make these the means of recovery; but there just as often cases where faith and prayer are both ineffectual - because God sees it will be prejudicial to the patient’s salvation or spiritual growth to be restored (2 Cor.12:8,9). Faith and prayer on such occasions should be that if it is best for God's glory, and the eternal good of that person's soul, then let him be restored. This goes back to Matt.6:10, that we should submit all things, prayer and faith to God's will, and not presuppose that what I want is the will of God.

There is much to human suffering and pain, yet, it is a mistake to blame God. It is our mess and our (mankind's) own doing. We should appreciate as did Job, when he came to understand ,that God looks upon us with grace and mercy even though we do not deserve it.