Worth Repeating - March 14, 2017

Numbers 11: 11-15 [Moses] asked the Lord, “Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you . . . ? Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? . . . Where can I get meat for . . . [them]? . . . I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. If this is how you are going to treat me, put me to death right now – if I have found favor in your eyes – and do not let me face my own ruin.” (NIV)

It is okay to dialogue with God in raw, uncensored moments.*

There is no doubt that Moses had to put up with some situations that would try anyone’s patience. As a matter of fact, God was pretty put out with the same people who had Moses all stirred up. Verse one of this chapter reports that when the people complained about their hardships, the Lord’s anger was aroused to the point that he sent a fire to consume some of the outskirts of the camp.

Righteous indignation is a valid emotion. No one would deny God’s right to feel it and act on it. I am not even condemning Moses’ little tantrum. But when you aren’t God and your complaints are “all about me,” shouldn’t you look for a more constructive use for such strong emotion?

While Albert A. Beach was working on the lyrics for a song, he was distracted by the vicious words coming from the couple next door. Their “hate words” were not conducive to inspiring the words to a love song, so the songwriter started “mirroring” the neighbors’ words into the opposite – and he was able to complete the lyrics to “I Wish You Love.”*

When we are tempted to whine or to react in anger, perhaps we could employ the songwriter’s little mirroring trick. What’s the opposite response to the annoying things that people do? Instead of complaining, could we count our blessings? For all that Moses had good reason to whine, wouldn’t a positive attitude be more likely to be an influence for positive change – not to mention being more attractive? There may be a fine line between being free to bring our problems to God and giving in to whining, but what a difference it makes when we choose the high road. Righteous indignation is God’s prerogative – not ours!

Our irritability never has its roots in the soil of righteousness.*

Worth Repeating - March 13, 2017

Leviticus 19: 9, 10 “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the Lord your God.’” (NIV)

The intended, beneficial consequences of social policies are routinely overwhelmed by the unintended, harmful consequences they trigger.*

In the Old Testament Law, God made provisions for the poor and the foreigner: the farmer was commanded to be a little lax in harvesting his crops so that the needy could come along and glean for themselves. But, he did not tell the farmer to harvest his crops and then give some of it to the poor. We have forgotten this practice, instituted by God, of helping the needy by allowing them to help themselves. Somewhere in history, those who have the means and the heart for charity seem to have come to the conclusion that people in need must be taken care of. We may have done a disservice to those we are trying to help by allowing them to become dependent on us.

As a church, what can we do to help break the cycle of dependency? Most of us aren’t farmers so we can’t take these directions literally, but certainly we can find ways to apply the principles. The church I attend offers assistance through a variety of programs: Celebrate Recovery for those struggling with habits and addictions; Financial Peace University, which provides Bible-based strategies for getting out of debt and staying out; a partnership with iDignity, an organization that helps the disadvantaged to obtain the personal identification that is necessary for employment and self-sufficiency; and a community outreach program in which those “in transition” are provided a hot meal and a sermon every Sunday – because above all, those we help need to hear about the hope they can find in Jesus.

As individuals, we also have opportunities to help change lives. Programs cost money, so don’t neglect the offering plate. And charity doesn’t have to be mass-produced to be effective. Jesus ministered to people in large groups, in small groups, and one at a time. Never underestimate the value of the one-on-one encounter, whether in witnessing or in good works.

And amid all our efforts, we should never forget that programs help but Jesus saves!

The harassed and helpless are all around us – and not easily identified.*

Worth Repeating - March 12, 2017

Psalm 116: 15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. (NIV)

I am not afraid of death, but I am afraid of living too long.*

Someone aptly put into words my thoughts as I sat through another session of prayer requests for sick old people: sometimes we seem to be praying the saints out of heaven. None of us wants to say good-bye to our beloved parents and grandparents. We certainly don’t want them to suffer. But asking God to prolong their lives is for our benefit more than theirs. Apparently, God likes it when his saints die.

Before we charge off and tell our old and dying loved ones that it’s time for them to go, let’s examine the psalmist’s words more closely and then look at how we might pray more appropriately for the infirm saints.

 

The writer does not mention age. The death of a saint of any age is precious in the Lord’s sight. No matter how, when or where they pass, God welcomes them home. The death of a saint may be precious to the Lord, but so is his life. If we think of the word precious in terms of value; and if we consider life and death in God’s terms, we begin to better understand the psalmist’s point. From our perspective, death is the end of life, but from God’s point of view, death is merely a continuation of life. We shouldn’t picture God as rejoicing because Granny died; we should see his delight in the next stage of her life – the one that will never end.

So how should we pray for the suffering saint on his deathbed? The same way we pray for everyone and everything else: according to God’s will (I John 5: 14) and in Jesus’ name (John 14: 13). You may not be ready to give up your loved one, but God is ready to comfort and sustain you when you suffer loss. Let him. Your life is precious to him.

Death could be the loneliest event of all, but for a believer it leads to a family reunion.*

Worth Repeating - March 11, 2017

Daniel 6: 10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the window opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. (NIV)

Integrity is the ability to choose faithfulness while resisting compromise.*

Daniel’s jealous Babylonian colleagues knew that the only way to trap Daniel was through his religion. They appealed to the king’s vanity and persuaded him to pass a law that for the next 30 days, anyone who prayed to anyone or anything other than the king would be tossed to the lions.

Because of his status in the government, Daniel probably was one of the first to hear of the decree, allowing him time to start scheming a way out. Daniel could have tried to use his political clout to expose the agenda of the officials; he could have prayed in secret for the next month; but Daniel did not compromise. He was not required by the Law to pray at any particular time, at any assigned place, or in any specific position, but it was his habit to pray three times a day, in his room, on his knees. So, in spite of the new law, three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, thanking God just as he had always done.

It is ironic that Daniel was appointed to his position of responsibility because of his integrity and now it was the very thing that was being used against him. He shows us how to remain faithful in the midst of a hostile environment and how to “live with and serve people who do not share or respect [our] beliefs.”* He may have been tempted to compromise in order to save his life, but he clung to his faith in the God he worshipped and obeyed.

When Christians believe God placed them in their community to transform it for his glory and respond by committing themselves to prayer, holy living, and sacrificial service, there is no limit to the amount of change God can bring about.*

Worth Repeating - March 10, 2017

I Corinthians 15: 58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (NIV)

God doesn’t ask us to be successful, only faithful.*

What situations might tempt us to believe that our labor for the Lord is in vain? Not enough money or appreciation? Being received with hostility or indifference? Not producing fruit at all? Any of these conditions could lead to discouragement. But Paul admonishes us to always give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord – he doesn’t make concessions for extenuating circumstances. He doesn’t allow that we should consider giving up just because no one seems to be responding to the gospel. He reminds us of what we should already know: our labor in the Lord is not in vain. Ever.

I heard a comedian relate his experience with riding out a tornado in a houseboat. It was a dramatic and well-told tale but it was only his ending remark that I remember clearly. “It would have been more fun,” he said, “if I had known I was going to live through it.” We Christians have a clear advantage over this comedian. No matter how we get tossed about in life, we know that we have a happy ending to look forward to.

So stand firm. Continue to serve where God has called you no matter how futile your efforts may seem. Let nothing move you - except the Spirit of the Lord. And you will live happily ever after. Forever.

We are called to persevere, anticipating the day we’ll hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” But in the meantime, wouldn’t it be nice to get an encouraging interim report?*

Worth Repeating - March 9, 2017

Acts 9: 1-5 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. . . . As he neared Damascus . . . suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” (NIV)

But looking at men like this – not as they are, but as they will be – I could also see in our persecutors a Saul of Tarsus – a future apostle Paul.*

It may seem that Saul/Paul had an unfair advantage with his conversion experience. If a bright light flashed and the voice of Jesus spoke to you, wouldn’t you be converted? I think that Paul received special treatment for (at least) two reasons: 1) he was being called for a very special ministry; 2) the Christians were afraid of him so who was going to preach to him?

Paul’s conversion was unique and special but God does not ignore others as they are traveling on their Damascus roads. The testimonies of a couple of my friends come to mind. One friend repeatedly turned down her neighbor’s invitations to attend church with her – until finally she said yes. Due to that neighbor’s persistence, my friend eventually accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior. Now she, her husband, and their children and grandchildren are the legacy of the neighbor who never gave up.

Another friend remembers the woman who eventually led her to Christ, but she looks back and recalls other people that God put in her life to help turn her to the right path. Their influence wasn’t so compelling individually but each one was building on the efforts of the ones before as their planting and watering prepared the soil until the last person in the chain could reap the harvest.

Yes, Paul’s conversion story may be the most dramatic in history, but in my friends’ experience, the light still flashed and the voice of Jesus spoke and the results are spectacular. As Christians, we need to be reminded: never give up on your lost loved ones; and never underestimate the value of your prep work in the harvest of a soul.

Most people come to a saving faith in Jesus through an intentional relationship.*

Worth Repeating - March 8, 2017

I Corinthians 9: 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. (NIV)

A persistent temptation is to make the means of a thing the end and to have the end forgotten in the glow of satisfaction from having used the right means.*

I recently read an article in a Christian publication about attracting “Millennials” (ages 18 to 34) to the church. According to one pastor quoted in the story, “The Millennials are the least churched generation.” It was also reported that this pastor’s congregation had “changed its traditional church service to one incorporating laser lights and smoke machines.” Really? I wrote in my journal after reading the article: “Maybe I need an attitude adjustment but it seems wrong to be trying to ‘attract’ Millennials with shiny stuff. Shouldn’t we be attracting them to Jesus?”

The very next day, I got my attitude adjustment. I heard a young man share his story about how he and his family came to know the Lord. When he and his siblings were small, he said, his parents were having a hard time financially. One night they took the family to an event at a church just so they could all have free hot dogs to eat. Fast-forward to today: that young man is a Christian college graduate and is heading up a church plant in a very “unchurched” area of the United States. Thanks to a church that attracted people through their stomachs, hundreds of people are going to be reached through their souls.

Yes, God purified my attitude but I am still left with a fundamental problem. While we may need to become all things to win Millennials, let’s not forget that there are Baby Boomers (51 to 69) out there who need Jesus, too. Have we forgotten their needs in our enthusiasm to win a younger generation? What about the parents of those Baby Boomers – what is the church doing for them?

As we try to follow Paul’s example, let’s remember that Paul is talking about winning the lost – not entertaining the masses. And while Paul was willing to adapt himself to win the person, he didn’t alter the message and never meant that we should. As someone has pointed out, “Paul is speaking more about giving up rights to make inroads for the gospel, not about exercising those rights.”*

As engaging as he was, the people who heard him were never merely entertained.*