Worth Repeating - March 31, 2017

I Samuel 12: 20, 23 “You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the Lord. . . . As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right.” (NIV)

Our commitment to pray for people struggling with sin will significantly impact their spiritual growth.  When we let them know we are supporting them with our prayers, not only will they grow in their faith, but we will also experience the encouragement we need to persevere.*

The Children of Israel stand accused and ready for judgment. We might say that Samuel took the high road in not condemning them for the evil they have committed. But more than that, we see that he chose to take the higher road – he encouraged them, he counseled them, and he interceded for them. As their spiritual leader, Samuel vowed to pray for them and to teach them what they should be doing. His instructions to them included: don’t be afraid; serve the Lord; don’t turn to idols. And he reminded them of the dire consequences of persisting in their evil behavior.

There are a couple of common mistakes we make when dealing with a wayward child of God. The first is to condemn him and to require penance from him. We want to make sure he suffers for his sin so we impose penalties that God never sanctioned. The second common mistake is almost the opposite of the first: we play down the gravity of the sin. We make excuses for the sinner because we don’t want him to feel bad about himself.

Samuel didn’t pretend that the sin of his people was no big deal, but neither did he dwell on what couldn’t be undone. Samuel was all about acknowledging the sin and moving on to active repentance. The Samaritan woman at the well is an example of how Jesus models a similar pattern for us. (Read about it in John chapter 4.) Rather than harp on what she was doing wrong (and she knew it was wrong), Jesus offered her an alternative. He didn’t pretend not to notice her sin but, like Samuel in this passage, he proceeded to teach her the way that is good and right.

When we are tempted to be judgmental or to make excuses for sin, let’s take Samuel’s words to heart: “Far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you.”

We do not want people to feel bad – but sin should make one feel bad.*

Worth Repeating - March 30, 2017

Revelation 2: 19, 20 "I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. Nevertheless, I have this against you: . . ." (NIV)

On the sin scale, we’re all tied for worst.*

You may have noticed Paul’s fondness for buttering people up before delivering the bad news. We see God employing the same strategy here in the Revelation of Jesus Christ to the church in Thyatira. The Lord commends them for their good works and perseverance, as well as for their love and faith. He is especially proud of their improvement. But after all that glowing praise, he delivers a harsh reprimand for the “cancer [that] was gnawing away at the vitals of the congregation.”*

When I read these verses, I ask myself: Is it possible to please God when you are only partially getting it right? And then I have to ask: How could I ask that? Do we ever get it right? And even if we did finally learn to live a life that is totally pleasing to God, it’s too late; we’ve already got all those past sins on our record.

Or do we? According to Romans 3: 22, our righteousness comes through our faith in Jesus Christ, not through how close we come to “getting it right.”

We are under grace, even when we sin.*

Worth Repeating - March 29, 2017

John 16: 2 “A time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.” (NIV)

How blind we can become! The cataracts of self-interest and self-satisfaction must be removed. We must see life in the clear, clean light of truth – God’s truth.*

Jesus’ prediction was fulfilled vividly in the life of Saul. Before his conversion (and name-change), Saul was a terrorist who believed that he was doing the will of God by persecuting Christians. Acts 8: 3 gives a chilling description of his fervor: “But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.” And in Acts 9: 1, we learn that he was “breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples.” Read on in Acts chapter 9 for Saul’s dramatic conversion from persecutor to preacher.

No amount of sincerity could make up for the wrongness of Saul’s actions. We can’t excuse bad behavior with a shrug and an “Oh, he means well.” When Jesus hijacked Saul on the road to Damascus, he didn’t minimize his sin; he told Saul what he was doing wrong and what to do about it. And, to his credit, Saul didn’t argue. (You might say he saw the light!) He did as Jesus instructed him – and he prayed until the Lord revealed the next phase of his plan.

Have you ever learned that you were sincerely wrong? How hard was it to let go of your wrong beliefs and behavior? Are you sure that what you believe today could withstand the blinding light of the Truth? Perhaps you are holding on to bad doctrine because it is what you were taught as a child. Maybe it’s what your family still believes and you are reluctant to separate yourself from them. Saul could have referred to his Jewish heritage and refused to obey the voice of Jesus – but he recognized Jesus’ authority over the law and tradition, and chose to let go of his sincerely wrong beliefs. Do you need to make that choice, too?

Every individual carries within him a set of convictions born of past experience and the influence of other personalities. He is apt to consider his opinions sacrosanct and rationalize principle out of them.*

Worth Repeating - March 28, 2017

II Samuel 23: 1, 2 These are the last words of David: “The Oracle of David son of Jesse, the oracle of the man exalted by the Most High, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, Israel’s singer of songs. The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me; his word was on my tongue.” (NIV)

David lived all of his life with a deep awareness of God’s presence.*

After all the grand and public failures, at the end, David was able to look back on his life without regrets. He could have lain on his deathbed wallowing in the shame of his past – adultery, murder, deceit, neglecting his family – but because of what God had done in his life, David’s life ended on a noble note.

What can we learn from David’s swan song? First, while David may have been the rock star of his day, he knew where his greatness came from and openly acknowledged God as that source. Read again his litany of accomplishments in these verses and see where he actually brags about what he has done. . . It’s not there, is it? Exalted by the Most High; anointed by God; the Spirit spoke through him.

The second lesson we reap from these words of David is found in what David doesn’t mention here: he was a man after God’s heart. He loved the Lord, and most of his life was lived for God’s glory. All that exalting and anointing would not have happened if David’s heart wasn’t surrendered to God. Even at David’s worst moments, God knew where he stood with him.

Acknowledge God as the source of every good thing in your life. Love him for his provision. Love him for his presence in every bad thing in your life. Love him for knowing your heart and loving you anyway. Love him because he loved you first. The more you love him, the more you will love him.

If God has absorbed the penalty and pain of our deficiencies and sinfulness, we can let go of our regrets and guilt.*

Worth Repeating - March 27, 2017

Job 2: 13 Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights.  No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was. (NIV)

A ministry of presence is life-giving to a friend in need.*

Do you know what your “love language” is? I think most of us have two – one that we “speak” and one that we respond to. The language in which I express love the most fluently is “words of affirmation” but the one that speaks to me is “quality time.” Job’s friends heard about his troubles and they got together to go comfort him. And for a whole week, they indulged Job’s apparent need for quality time. They waited for Job to break the silence before they began to speak. My kind of friends!

It’s so hard to know what to say to or do for a friend who is suffering. I haven’t mastered the skill myself, but the attempts by Job’s friends illustrate some dos and don’ts for offering words of comfort - some obvious, some implied.

1. The closer you are to the person, the more likely you are to know the right approach. If you aren’t so well acquainted, look to him or her for clues as to their preference.

2. Don’t be so afraid of saying the wrong thing that you don’t say anything - but it doesn’t matter if you say the right thing if you don’t know when to shut up. (Read the rest of the Book of Job to see how his friends blew this one!)

3. Prayer is always appropriate. Even people who don’t believe in prayer don’t usually mind if you offer to pray for them. (If they do mind, well, they can’t stop you from praying silently!)

4. This one is for the person on the receiving end of the attempts at comfort: Be gracious. Job listened to his friends as they spouted some good-intentioned nonsense. Their words probably didn’t help much but I think the fact that they cared enough to be there was soothing to his aching heart.

Jesus offered words of comfort on various occasions, but in John chapter 11, we see what Jesus did to offer comfort, instead of what he said. His friend Lazarus had died. Jesus knew the story was going to have a happy ending but still, when he saw the grief of Lazarus’ sisters and the other mourners, he was “deeply moved in spirit and troubled.” Then, we read, “Jesus wept.” There is no need to worry that you don’t know what to say when you love someone enough to cry with her.

You must be close enough to feel their pain before they’re close enough to feel your love.*

Worth Repeating - March 26, 2017

Numbers 18: 20 The Lord said to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any share among them; I am your share and your inheritance among the Israelites.” (NIV)

To benefit from a church’s staff, facilities, and events without praying, giving, and serving is no different from walking out of a store with items for which you haven’t paid.*

Many years ago I was a member of a small congregation in which a few other members decided that they were no longer happy with the preacher. Rather than handle the situation biblically, professionally or lovingly, these disgruntled “Christians” just stopped giving financially to the church. Soon there was not enough money to pay the poor preacher. 

This may not be new or unusual behavior among God’s people. While the physical survival of “fulltime ministers” depended on how faithful the other Israelites were,* there were many periods in Israel’s history when the Levites (the priestly tribe) lived in a state of poverty.* And in Malachi, chapter three, the prophet had to remind the people to “bring the whole tithe into the storehouse.” He actually accuses them of robbing God!

We are not under any “legal” obligation to tithe today, but there are scriptural principles that point to our duty as church members to provide financially for someone who can be available to “meet the pressing needs of the congregation.”* As “professionals,” of course our ministers trust God to provide for their needs, but as pew-level Christians we are missing out on God’s blessings if we aren’t giving at least 10% of our income to the Lord’s work. Blessing #1: Being obedient is its own reward. Blessing #2: Blessing others blesses us. Blessing #3: Living on the remaining 90% strengthens your faith in God’s provision.

Aaron and his tribe of priests were assured that God would be their share and their inheritance. As a priesthood of believers, Christians have double the opportunities to benefit from the same promise God made to the Levites: the blessing of his provision and the blessing of being the instrument of his provision.

If American Christians would tithe, we could wipe out poverty and tell the world about Jesus in no time.*

Worth Repeating - March 25, 2017

Ruth 4: 17 And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. (NIV)

When God steps in, the ordinary events of life take on extraordinary significance.*

At first glance, these are not such inspiring words. But take a second look. Ruth gave birth to the grand-father of King David. Her son was the great-grandfather of King Solomon. And a few “greats” on down the line is Jesus - our Savior.

 

When my boys were little, I frequently felt restricted by my responsibilities to them. I worked full-time during the day so I had to say “no” to most evening activities – even ministry opportunities. I kept my limitations in perspective by reminding myself that raising my children was a ministry - the most important ministry I would ever have. Now that all three of our sons and their wives are involved in ministry, I believe the Kingdom is in much better hands than it would have been if I had neglected them in favor of any of the opportunities that I turned down.

We should never underestimate the significance of what we do as parents. We don’t know what great things our children might accomplish. And if we don’t live to see great things from our children or grandchildren, we can still hope that their off-spring will be a blessing to someone.

Ruth demonstrates that God overrules in the affairs of ordinary men and women as He works out His eternal purposes in the redemption of mankind.*

Worth Repeating - March 24, 2017

I Samuel 15: 22 “To obey is better than sacrifice.” (NIV)

No amount of religious ritual can substitute for doing what God commands.*

Sacrifices were a part of the law so it would seem that if you sacrificed, you were being obedient. But sacrifice was not meant to be an empty ritual. One could maintain the appearance of obedience by merely going through the motions - with no heart involvement at all.  Obedience that God requires isn’t just an outward act – it’s a condition of the heart.

The Jews in the Old Testament “sometimes viewed their animal sacrifices . . . not as an act of commitment and fellowship with God, but as a way to manipulate God into putting his stamp of approval on their plans.”* We, too, are guilty of making deals with God: we will go to church if he will heal a loved one’s cancer or help us get that new car. It is much easier to throw money at a need in the church than it is to bring our thoughts and will into submission to his will.

We can go through the motions of obedience and still be guilty of disobedience.

What God seeks in every person is not sacrifice, but a humble spirit, and a devotion to the Lord that is expressed in obedience.*

Worth Repeating - March 23, 2017

Deuteronomy 30: 15 “See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.” (NIV)

We are free to choose whether we will do right or wrong, but we are not free to decide what is right or wrong.*

We often say, “I had no choice in the matter,” when what we really mean is, “I wasn’t happy with any of my options.” Seldom are we in the position of having no choice at all. No one chooses when and where he is born, but soon thereafter we begin making decisions, if not about what to do or where to go, at least about our internal responses and attitudes. The smart ones among us will learn early on that choices have consequences. We can’t always know all the possible consequences but we learn to make informed choices.

In the case of the Israelites to whom this verse was addressed, the choices and the consequences were clear. Their choices? Love and obey God, or don’t. Clear and simple. The consequences? Life and prosperity, or death and destruction.

Some consequences are short-term, such as Jesus’ prophecy that his disciples would be persecuted. But the long-term consequences are the same for us today as they were for the Children of Israel in Moses’ day: life or death.

Like fools we trade God for powers, and so exchange life for death.*

Worth Repeating - March 22, 2017

II Corinthians 10: 3, 4 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. (NIV)

We have a unique weapon of immense power the world cannot match.*

I have no trouble distinguishing fantasy from reality but movies with wizards and magicians often cause me to shout at the screen in frustration. What is the point of all that supernatural power if you have to live in a cave or a cold dark castle? Is it really enough to be able to smite your enemies and rule the kingdom without the comforts of indoor plumbing and electricity? Couldn’t some of that magic be used more resourcefully?

Christians, too, have supernatural powers with which to slay our enemy. As the Apostle Paul reminds us in this passage, conventional weapons are worthless. We don’t use magic wands; we arm ourselves with spiritual weapons because we are engaged in spiritual warfare. Paul says that we have divine power with which we can demolish strongholds. But what are those weapons?

In Paul’s military analogy in Ephesians chapter 6, he refers to one weapon – the sword of the Spirit. The word of God. The writer of Hebrews says that it is sharper than any double-edged sword (Hebrews 4: 12). We see Jesus using this sword when he was being tempted by the devil. He didn’t wield his sword in self-defense - he used it in a counterattack that sent Satan scurrying to regroup. Knowing the word of God and how to use it makes us mighty.

 The life of Jesus reveals another spiritual weapon in our arsenal: Prayer. Wikipedia defines weapons as anything used to gain a strategic, material or mental advantage over an adversary. When we go to God in prayer, he releases the power of his Holy Spirit not just to protect and defend us but to furnish us with a spiritual advantage over our enemy. Our supernatural power is just a prayer away.

Our spiritual weapons have one thing in common: the Holy Spirit. He is the source of power in the war for our souls. Through God’s word and through prayer, he turns us into an invincible army. In fact, we are more than conquerors! (Romans 8: 37)

Praying in the Holy Spirit releases supernatural resources.*

Worth Repeating - March 21, 2017

James 5: 20 Remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins. (NIV)

Do heroes know when they are heroic? Rarely.*

I have never saved another person’s life, but I am sure that it is an exhilarating experience. Those who do it on a daily basis – firefighters, EMTs, medical professionals – truly are heroes. But behind each one of these lifesavers we find support personnel without whom they could not perform their valiant deeds. File clerks, dispatchers, janitors, mechanics – all provide an invaluable contribution back-stage.

Never won anyone to the Lord? Never turned a sinner from the error of his ways? Are you sure about that? If you are a parent of adults who are faithfully serving the Lord, you are a successful soul-winner. If you have ever prayed for someone until she finally gave her life to the Lord, you have made an invaluable contribution to the salvation of that soul. Do you have some “little” task that you perform at your church, enabling your preacher to concentrate on his job? Have you ever encouraged someone who was out there in the trenches with the lost souls? Do you regularly provide financial support to a missionary family?

According to Paul in I Corinthians chapter 3, we are only servants through whom others come to believe. God has assigned to each of us our tasks, he says. Paul uses himself and his friend Apollos as an example of the teamwork required to fulfill our mission. Paul says he planted, Apollos watered, but God made the garden grow. We may not all do the same job but we have the same purpose.

Whether we perform our soul-saving in public or behind the scenes, “we are God’s fellow workers” (I Corinthians 3: 9), and we are instrumental in turning sinners from the error of their ways. 

When the church pulls together in God’s intended direction, great things are accomplished.*