On My Way
This week I was glancing at a business newsletter I receive regularly in email at work. At the bottom of the newsletter, I noticed a quote attributed to the band, Phish. The words made me smile because the way the statement was phrased; “now I’m on my way.” Since the phrase seemed to have more to it, I was intrigued at what the rest of the chorus stated to find out what ‘on my way’ really meant to the writer. Here are the words I found from the song:
Waiting for the time I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful but now I’m on my way
But when I think it’s time to leave it all behind
I try to find a way to but there’s nothing I can say to make it stop.
From the song, “Down with Disease,” sung by Phish (words attributed to Tom Marshall)
From what I found, it appears the song was written by Tom when he had mono describing how he felt physically while trying to recover. Some fans have tried to state the words have some other meaning like the eventual break-up of the band. I am not promoting the song, the band, or the words since I don’t know anything about them. The words are not particularly profound but they did get me thinking. They bring to mind what I believe Christians feel when they first become believers in Jesus Christ and accept him as LORD. How do I make sin stop once I become a believer because we think we are on our way?
When you became a Christian and you began studying the Bible, did you ever wonder why your sinful nature didn’t change? You find yourself still struggling as you always have with sin so why is it that the Holy Spirit just doesn’t take that proneness to sin away? I believe God wants us to continue to depend on Him along with His grace and mercy. God does not change us from being human so we still have to live with the sin of our nature. The Bible talks a lot about becoming righteous and avoiding sin but it continues to be difficult, even for the Christian.
Paul said, “I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law,” Christ died for nothing!” (Galatians 2:21 NIV)
So righteousness cannot be gained through the law, which means that you cannot gain it on your own through your behavior or even obedience to the law. It only comes through Christ. In other words Christ is the only one who is truly righteous and he is our advocate to God having atoned for our sin. We have obtained forgiveness through God’s grace, mercy and love. He did it through the sacrifice of His son, Jesus Christ.
“You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” (Galatians 5:4-6 NIV)
Here Paul says in a reverse sort of way that you actually become alienated from Christ by trying to justify yourself. It diminishes what Christ did for us on the cross if we think we can become righteous on our own efforts. He also ties faith through love as being how you become righteous through Christ. We gain our righteousness through Christ by “unlocking” God’s grace through faith as the following verses state.
“Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, ‘The righteous will live by faith.’ “ (Galatians 3:11 NIV)
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8 NIV)
“But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.” (Galatians 3:22 NIV)
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:12-14 NIV)
Paul considered life a race. His ‘straining’ alludes to the challenges we face and the persistence and endurance we have to put forth to do the best we can with our sinful nature. The great apostle Paul struggled just like we do. However, by depending on the Spirit, he stayed focused, had passion for Christ and honored him in how he lived. This is important because life does not get easier after we become Christians. It actually gets harder in many ways. But we have our relationship with God and His Spirit to help us along our way.
“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.” (Galatians 5:16-17 NIV)
“To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (2 Corinthians 12:7-9 NIV)
The Bible does teach that we become saved through Christ because He became righteous for us, as our representative. We don’t become righteous on our own. We are still human beings who live in a world that is ruled by the evil one. We still face physical death and death is the result of sin.
So how do we come to righteous living? Well, we do the best we can but we cannot always live perfectly. It is not in our nature to do so and we will continue to lapse into sin. However, we can learn to depend on the Spirit. And as Paul states it, we have to learn to love. When you love, you don’t fear and you gain control over sin. In other words, love is a motivator and brings out the best in us. It is like having the discipline or passion to lose weight or succeed in some endeavor. Love toward Christ and God has to become your passion. You also have to know that the Spirit is with you to help you. I think a lot of times we let our guard down, forget to pray or even think about God, and then we wonder what happened to us. As the song says (paraphrased), “we want to leave it behind and find a way to make it stop.”
As Paul says, “it’s a race, so run it to get the prize.” (1 Corinthians 9:24 NIV paraphrased)
“…let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (Hebrews 12:1 NIV)
You have to show perseverance in your obedience and love toward God, so when you get to the end, God will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:23 NIV)
Simply believe with all your heart that Christ died for you so you now have a new life in which you can truthfully say, “I really am on my way to my eternal destiny.”
Filed Under Upside Down WorldInternal to Eternal
Recently, I was reading from 1 John and came upon John’s definition of worldliness.
John says, “For everything in the world – the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does – comes not from the Father but from the world.” (1 John 2:16 NIV)
John is talking about a worldly viewpoint that affects us internally, at the heart of our nature. In other words the things we think about and focus on. He mentions three specific areas of our nature:
- The cravings of sinful man
- The lust of his eyes
- The boasting of what he has and does
In other words, we crave things, we lust for things, and then we brag about the things we have and do.
There have been a couple of incidents that come to mind that show this worldliness in action. If you remember the Rodney King arrest where in California, the police are shown on tape beating Rodney in order to subdue him and take him to jail. The result of that incident when it hit the media was to start a riot in the streets where people destroyed other people’s businesses and stole their goods and even hurt innocent bystanders in the process. Another incident was when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and destroyed the city. Many people didn’t leave the city but they willingly broke into other people’s businesses and stole from them.
In both cases, it demonstrates the way people think in the world. On the one hand people that have things, the media and even advertising constantly tell and show people the kind of things (materially) they should have. They make people believe that everyone else has this stuff and you should too. On the other hand there are people that envy those that do seem to have things and are willing to hurt them and steal from them in order to get it. It is purely a materialistic and hateful demonstration of what John teaches – craving, lust and boasting.
In 1 John you see a lot of contrasts. For instance in Chapter 2, John contrasts the love of the world with the love of God. If you heard someone say, “Tom and Jane are worldly people,” what comes to mind? Usually it is that Tom and Jane enjoy travel, the “high” life, or hobnobbing with their social betters. These tend to be what we see, the external things. But John is teaching us that our sin is really internal.
When Jesus prayed for the Disciples, he said, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.” (John 17:16 NIV)
Jesus said, “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.” (Luke 16:13, 15 NIV)
Jesus said, “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23-24 NIV)
In our modern day, advertising and entertainment focus on sexual desire and relationships, gluttony, and materialism. We eat not for sustenance but entertainment so we overeat and get fat. Countless magazine covers, television shows and ads revolve around sex, the rich, and the latest and newest gadget you must have.
So what does God expect of us as Christians? What are the opposites of this worldly view?
In contrast, God expects us to be humble, appreciate His blessings without craving for more, and not to envy those that have more. We know that our attachment to possessions is strong, but these things get old and pass away. Do you still have your VHS recorder/player or have you upgraded to DVD or now have Blu-ray? How often do you replace your “cell” phone? We live in a materialistic society. We spend our money on the latest gadget, yet it becomes old in a short time and is thrown away, and then we buy the next gadget. It is endless.
We know that life is fragile so our focus needs to be eternal, through reliance on the Spirit who changes us through the internal.
And we know that “pride goeth before a fall” as paraphrased from Proverbs 16:18 NIV.
Greedy, self-indulgent behavior and the seeking of short-term pleasure are fleeting. We see the results in the popular magazines or in the news all the time with those young, rich new millionaire athletes or actors who just spin out of control with their immoral and even sometimes illegal behaviors.
The wisdom we learn as Christians who study God’s Word is that everything in the world is temporary and does not last. Everything is short-term whether it is pain or pleasure. We have to focus on what Jesus Christ promised – eternal life. We must rely on the spirit (the internal) to gain the eternal.
Filed Under Upside Down WorldLove Circuit
On occasion I see a car bumper sticker that spells, COEXIST, using various religious symbols. The general intent, by those that sell it and I believe those who buy it, is to promote peace or this idea that we “should all get along.” This sounds good but considering the religions it depicts and the way people operate within the world, it is simply naïve.
But it does bring to mind what Christians are taught in the Bible regarding “love.” In preparing a lesson on 1 John 4 this week, I felt like I was reading in a circle. John goes back and forth, round and round in his explanation of how the Spirit and love works in our lives as Christians. So I had to stop and digest what he was really teaching. I came to the conclusion that John was describing the principles of God when it comes to the Spirit and love. It also made me think about how it is similar to how an electric circuit works in the physical realm of science as we understand it today and have put to major use in our lives.
First, take the time to read 1 John 4:7-21. Does this sound like he is going around and around, back and forth in his description of love? So what is John describing? John is describing what I would call a “love matrix” or the “love circuit.” First, you have to know the definition of matrix and circuit.
A matrix is “something that constitutes the place or point from which something else originates, takes form, or develops.”
A circuit is “a circular journey or one beginning and ending at the same place; a round.”
As an example: “An electric circuit is the complete path of an electric current.”
(Both definitions come from www.dictionary.com.)
Well, this made me think about electricity and how it works in an electric circuit. An electric circuit uses a source to generate a current that flows along wire generally to produce energy and make something work. For example a battery as a source generates negatively charged electrons that travel toward the positive side of the battery. As this “current” of electrons travels, you can place something in between, like your hair dryer or shaver, and as the current flows through the wires it provides energy for the dryer or shaver to work and do something. This is simplifying it maybe but it isn’t too hard to understand the concept. Electricity must have a source, two terminals (positive and negative), and a path (conductor such as copper wire). The path that attaches the negative to the positive creates a circuit so the electrons can move between the terminals. Another way to say this is the source moves the electrons along the path and back to itself, the source. This creates energy and provides a means to do work.
Now that you have a high level view of an electric circuit, consider what John is teaching in his description of our relationship to God through Christ and the Spirit. Here are a few of the verses from 1 John 4 with my comments to each.
“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:9-10 NIV
God is the source, who sends His Son in human form through the Spirit, and by believing in Christ, we are sent the Holy Spirit and are born again (new creation).
“We know that we live in him and he is us, because he has given us of his Spirit.” 1 John 4:13 NIV
God gives us the Spirit so that we live in Christ and Christ in us. Again, God is the source.
“If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God.” 1 John 4:15 NIV
God is the source of love, who sent His Son in human form in love to us, and by believing in Christ, we also love others as God loves others.
John states it this way, “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.” 1 John 4:16b-c NIV
We can call our relationship with God a circle, a circuit or a matrix as I have mentioned. The bottom line is that we are only complete in our relationship with God by connecting back to Him through love. We only reach out and love others when we complete that circuit with God through Christ and the Spirit.
John even put this similarly in the opening to the book.
“And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete.” 1 John 1:3b-4 NIV
John teaches that this is how we make our joy complete, this is how we make our love complete, and this is how we make our relationship with God complete.
James even put it similarly in regard to faith in God.
He said, “You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.” James 2:22 NIV
He goes on to say, “You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.” James 2:24 NIV
Do you see the principles of God at work in regards to our love and faith? Even the way we live our lives in the world depends on God’s principles as He created them.
John mentions these commands in 1 John:
“And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.” 1 John 3:23 NIV
“And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.” 1 John 4:21 NIV
“This is love for God: to obey his commands.” 1 John 5:3 NIV
Do you see the circuit? God commands us to believe in Jesus and love others and if we love God, we love others. Finally, we are commanded to obey these commands.
It is as if God is saying with both arms pointed down from heaven, “I created Jesus Christ through the Spirit on the one hand and I created people through the Spirit on the other hand. I command you to believe in Jesus Christ thus loving him on the one hand and I command you to love others on the other hand. In so doing, you love Me.”
And as Believers we are saying with both arms pointed up toward heaven, “We love God through Jesus Christ on the one hand and we love God by loving others on the other hand.”
This then is how we complete the circuit which is our relationship to God. A battery source pushes electrons through a wire from negative to positive to complete an electric circuit. God as the source pushes love to us through the Spirit, and we reach back in our love for God completing the love circuit, producing good works and love in action.
Filed Under Upside Down WorldHope and Worry
This past week I did something that I have not done in awhile – I listened to several radio news shows and talk radio. For me it is good to do that occasionally because it tends to bring me up-to-date on the latest worldly concerns. Although nothing really surprised me as to the various topics and I always end up with a sense of foreboding. Standing in the grocery line yesterday, I had the chance to glance at the latest topics of the main magazines for sale. As you can probably guess, they all had beautiful people on them selling glamour, the latest diet, clothes, recipes for meals and celebrity relationship problems. We are still living in a recessive economy and have been for a couple years now without much short term hope of recovery. I am not much of a stock investor but from what I have noticed over the years, it is the “feeling of the people” that makes the stock markets go up and down. When the public believes things are good and they have hope, they spend so the stock market tends to move up in value with the reverse being true when people have less hope. There may be analytical proof otherwise, but that is the trend I tend to observe.
So what gives people feelings of hope or foreboding? Why do people worry? Generally, it is that sense of how they perceive the world and its effects on them personally.
Some worries seem to be justified in our minds or by our personal situations. Let’s take the example of unemployment since it is considered a hot current topic and people are out of work in some industries. Being out of work has a direct effect on your state of mind and challenges your faith. However, unemployment is always around and there are always people out of work at some point in time. The news media emphasizes the economy and unemployment almost daily, which gives all of us that sense of worry. But if you are out of work, why would it matter to you if the unemployment rate is 5% or 15%, you are still the one out of work? I have experienced this several times during my work life. Does worry help you get a job? I don’t think so but taking action does. Real hope comes from within yourself in your relationship to God more than it does the world and dependence on what institutions can provide you. People put too much hope in institutions when in reality these entities could care less how a particular individual is affected in life.
In studying the Bible this week, the subject of worry brought this topic to mind.
Jesus taught, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” (Matthew 6:25 and 27 NIV)
Jesus goes on to teach, “For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do no worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:32-34 NIV)
I woke up this morning before my normal time and started thinking about society’s ills. After mulling these thoughts for awhile keeping me awake, I finally came to the realization that there wasn’t anything I could do about any of it. I can only do my small part the way Jesus teaches. He basically wants us to seek God first, do right by Him, and He will handle the world. After all He is the Creator, so He could fix whatever He wants but He has another plan. All we have to do is jump to Revelations to know where the world is headed anyway. So after coming to this realization, I actually woke hopeful and happy about things in general.
Now I am not trying to put sugar on life or teach that we should put our heads in the sand. We are expected to be accountable to God and we need to accept our responsibilities to work, feed our families, and do the best we can with what is given to us. What I am saying, is that God doesn’t want us worrying about things that are really things we cannot do anything about. He also wants us to focus on the right things like relationships and service, not the wrong materialistic things. Worry comes to us generally because of what we seek. Do you constantly compare yourself to the world and what you don’t have rather than what you do have? Do you first seek a relationship with Christ? One focus gives you worry, the other focus gives you hope, peace, and love.
I ran across several quotes that add a little humor and thought to this subject……
Every evening I turn my worries over to God. He’s going to be up all night anyway. ~Mary C. Crowley
Rule number one is, don’t sweat the small stuff. Rule number two is, it’s all small stuff. ~Robert Eliot
For peace of mind, resign as general manager of the universe. ~Author Unknown
People gather bundles of sticks to build bridges they never cross. ~Author Unknown
God wants us to depend on Him, to have faith and not worry. He is our bridge.
One thing about it though, is that worry is universal, we all tend to worry but mostly about things that never matter, will never happen, or we have no control over.
So how do we learn to control worry or that sense of foreboding? Paul teaches us in his letters about how to overcome anxieties and worries. Here is a man in prison with guards around him constantly, yet he has such a positive spirit and concern for others that he writes to tell them to learn how to be content.
Paul says, “Rejoice in the LORD always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The LORD is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4-7 NIV)
Paul emphasizes that we have to learn to be less anxious. We do that by focusing our energy on God, and living the way He wants us to live. We cannot control the world or others, so we must concern ourselves only with what we can actually change. Paul has a specific method or technique we should learn to use when we become anxious or begin to worry. We must go to God in prayer and petition but only in conjunction with thanksgiving. Why thanksgiving when you are in a state of worry or anxiety? I am sure I don’t need to tell you how hard this can be when you are in a state of worry. However, when you pray and you begin to thank Him for the blessings He has provided you, much of the petitions or wants go away. It always brings to mind all the many good things God has already given you and continues to give you. Your burdens tend to lighten up and you can focus on the things that you really need help with. I always find my want list goes way down if I thank God first for my blessings.
Just as Jesus Christ said, the world chases food, clothes, and vanity. And since we tend to all be self-seeking of these things, it causes troubles in the world and anxiousness in our hearts. The answer, however, lies with our faith in God, knowing He provides and controls all things. We must pray continually but first with thankfulness and then with petitions, knowing God is real and wants to have a personal relationship with us. Build your faith through prayer, and watch God work in taking those worries away! Rejoice in Him!
Filed Under Upside Down WorldSimply Complex
When we consider the world, life and our relationship to God, is it simply complex or complexly simple? A number of things came to mind recently as I flew to Virginia for business in a plane. To drive the distance would have taken me about 6 hours. To fly it took me about an hour, so by flying I was able to make a day trip 2 states away and be home for dinner. It took a complex machine like an airplane to provide me an easy short trip. My daughter went to Six Flags last week which reminded me of the roller coasters I used to love to ride as a child. I am still in awe of how they make roller coasters in so many shapes, yet keep them safe, and provide simple fun. I drive a hybrid car that automatically adjusts between gas and battery while I do nothing but press the gas pedal. I know there is a lot of complexity under the hood, but I only have to know to push the pedal. Last week our church had a gathering at a local university with orchestra and beautiful music by some very talented singers, all organized with some 250 volunteers. The orchestra was made up of many complex instruments but when played together by gifted musicians, I was able to enjoy a great worship service. These are all events and experiences that were simply enjoyed but underneath took complexity to make happen.
I think God put the world together in the same way. He is a complex God because He has always existed and He created the world and all life in it. However, we are really simple-minded. We have people who think they are brilliant because they make good grades or appear “smart” in certain subjects. However, I am just as in awe of someone who can fix my car as someone who can rattle off the element table. We live in a complex world but God made it simple to enjoy. You enjoy nature’s beauty, but it is made up of much complexity.
God gave us a simple way to have eternal life. All we have to do is believe in Christ as the Son of God who came to earth, sacrificed his life for our sins so that we might be saved ourselves. It sounds simple and it is. However, when you really understand in order to believe, you have to have faith, then it becomes a little more complex.
Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.” (Matthew 18:3-5 NIV)
God created a complex world but He expects us to have simple faith. Faith is hard because we first have to take “self” out of it. When you study the Bible and try to understand the teachings of Christ, you can get bogged down in its complexities. There are many denominations created today because people have taken sides on particular issues or understandings of Bible teachings. When I first began to study the Bible seriously, I went into with the mind that I would be objective and open-minded to learn what it taught without pre-conceived ideas. I realize we probably cannot always do that purely because we have our own ways of looking at things through personal experiences. However, I think you can do it if you work at it, and ask God to help you.
Jesus taught, “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26 NIV)
Jesus also taught, “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.” (John 16:13 NIV)
Jesus made it clear that we must have the Holy Spirit in order to really understand God’s truth. God’s Word is foolishness to those who do not have the Spirit. That is because God created complexities that take more faith than a non-believer can have to believe in the simple truth of who Christ is and what he accomplished for us.
God created us. Our human body is made up of 100 trillion cells, 206 bones, 600 muscles, and 22 internal organs. We have a number of systems like circulatory, respiratory, immune, etc. within our body. We have about 19 million skin cells. These are just a few facts about the body itself. Check out the following link if you want to see more.
http://www.kidskonnect.com/subject-index/31-health/337-human-body.html
Man has not learned all there is about the body or how it works. We still have not cured cancer or hundreds of diseases. The body is complex and God created it that way. Yet we know one simple fact – we are born and then we die.
“A good name is better than a fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth. It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart.” (Ecclesiastes 7:1-2 NIV)
“No man has power over the wind to contain it; so no one has power over the day of his death.” (Ecclesiastes 8:8 NIV)
So if death is our destiny and we all know it, why does the world spend so much energy on gaining things it cannot keep? It is the because of the change that took place in man when Adam and Eve made the wrong choice.
“Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.” (Genesis 3:7 NIV)
“And the LORD God said, ‘The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” (Genesis 3:22 NIV)
Thus the story of man and the simple life he had thrown away because of a bad choice, now having to live in a complex world figuring out how he can eat, get some enjoyment from it, and find his way back to God. God on the other hand, made it simple for us by sacrificing his son for that sin, which we all inherited in our nature. Our choice now is simply to believe, but in that simple belief, we have to work through the complexities of our nature to develop a simple faith in God that trusts Him no matter what the circumstances and to know we have no real control over our destiny anyway. We do, however, have the hope He gives us in knowing as faithful believers in Christ, we will once again see Him and have eternal life.
Yes, the world and our relationship to God is simply complex but God made it complexly simple for us. He gives us the simple choice to believe.
Filed Under Upside Down WorldWeddings and Mountain Tops
My wife and I have been to a number of weddings for children of friends these past few months. It is an exciting time for those young couples who are getting married and always a great reminder listening to the vows and seeing how different wedding ceremonies can be. A lot of excitement surrounds the planning of the wedding and seeing the wedding day as it finally arrives. When the young couple completes the ceremony, they are usually off for a nice vacation and then begins the start of a new and changed life. And as anyone that has been married any length of time knows, the excitement and newness begins to settle down into daily living.
Recently the news organizations broke the story about Al and Tipper Gore’s impending divorce after a long marriage. I also noticed in the grocery store line this past week all the magazines and the topics they cover. So many magazine covers carry talk about celebrity relationships going bad. One of the central themes you hear on the reasons these celebrities are breaking up or divorcing is “the other person isn’t meeting my needs.” Why is it that those early joyous days turn to sour days when people aren’t meeting each other’s needs?
The first thing that comes to my way of thinking is that most of the time people don’t get along because of their selfishness. That is a pretty broad statement I guess but I am not sure I would change the answer. I cannot think of many situations where selfishness doesn’t play a prominent role in disagreements and creating situations where people don’t get along. I am sure there are other reasons so it isn’t hundred percent of the time I suppose but it is our predominant sin. We become selfish, pride steps in and then it is hard to look past our own “nose” to see another viewpoint.
Jesus said, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3 NIV)
Do you remember the time you became a believer and accepted Christ or the time you began to take your faith seriously, studying the Bible or going to a Christian retreat or some other similar event? Do you remember the “mountain-top” experience and feeling that this is the joy you have been searching for and you thought you would always feel that way toward God? It is like the wedding ceremony and first months of marriage. Life seems good and you want it to last. But then you settle into daily living again.
Both weddings and mountain-top experiences have something in common – our expectations are unrealistic. I think the problem is in this worldly thinking and expectation that everything will stay the same. You expect to have the same feelings and will always be in a selfless mode giving each other all the attention the other person needs. It seems easy in the beginning.
It isn’t any different with our faith in God. We can have the mountain-top experience and joy but eventually we have to be diligent in our faith and belief that God is always there for us no matter the circumstances. As Paul put it, he had to learn to be content in all situations.
Paul said, “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:11-13 NIV)
God said through Isaiah to Ahaz, king of Judah when they were under attack by Israel, “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.” (Isaiah 7:9b NIV)
We are taught in the Bible to stand firm in our faith of God in many situations. It is a common theme when it comes to faith. You have to stand firm in your faith if it is to have any meaning, purpose, or show results. It is part of the definition according to Hebrews.
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1 NIV)
Faith implies firmness.
You wonder how long many of these people who end up in divorce really worked at their faith of God in marriage with their partners. I am not referring to every divorce situation but so many people seem to put themselves first and not their partners. When someone says their partner/spouse isn’t “meeting their needs,” which you do hear often, then what are they saying? Where is the love and commitment to one another? When does getting self out of the way come in? Is what you do for your own fulfillment so important that you cannot sacrifice for one another to make a marriage work? Do these celebrities make too much money, have no dependence on one another, and seek their own fulfillment in career or worldly success so that their partner/spouse becomes less meaningful to them? It seems to go back to that selfish nature and where our passion lies – with ourselves or with God.
What does it mean someone doesn’t meet our needs or all of our needs? Is it needs or wants that the other person doesn’t meet? Is there anyone in the world that can meet someone else’s wants hundred percent of the time? We are too selfish and our wants change. We would all need psychiatric help if we didn’t have some sense of humility and love for others. And this is the very thing God teaches us. God is the only One who can truly meet our needs and teach us the humility to really see ourselves as we should.
“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” (Proverbs 11:2 NIV)
We have to show some discipline in our faith especially during times we are full of ourselves.
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3 NIV)
We know men and women are different and emphasize different needs and wants. If we don’t have some understanding of what’s important to our partner/spouse, then we have no hope of solving our incompatibilities. But understanding comes from humility and love for one another whether in marriage or in friendships. And true wisdom and understanding comes through God and our growing relationship to Him.
We have to maintain firmness of faith in God under all circumstances. Without humility, a love for God and a selfless view toward others, then we would follow the path of selfishness and pride, which takes away our joy and peace. It takes away that joy and peace experienced through weddings and mountain-top experiences. It takes energy, work and discipline, and, as Paul said, it takes strength from God. So work at humility, put others first, and seek contentment in all circumstances. Firmness in faith of God matters and makes the difference in not only how we see the world but how we relate to others.
Filed Under Upside Down WorldAliens and gods
Recently I was flipping channels on the television set just looking to see what was on and stopped on a documentary channel that was discussing UFOs and such. I thought I would watch a little to see what they had to say. I have no interest in the idea of UFOs particularly but I wanted to see if there was any up-to-date news on any UFO discoveries. Of course, they haven’t discovered anything new and what I found interesting was the fact that the documentary and interviewees admitted to not having any kind of evidence regarding the existence of aliens. Yet, the people that were being interviewed were sold on the fact that aliens exist. These people talked about how aliens must exist and how they might even be living among us. Their view of aliens was as if these other living beings were well advanced of us earthlings. They made the statement that these aliens were probably watching us from nearby planets and are advanced enough to avoid detection. These people were sincere in their beliefs and without any evidence what-so-ever. They are even willing to put their faith in something that they only guess exists. Wow, what a leap of faith!
Paul said, “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invincible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” (Romans 1:18-20 NIV)
Religions and the belief in various gods and aliens (a type of gods) all come down to faith, doesn’t it? Do you know of any religion or belief system where the “god” a group believes in actually walks in the flesh among us? The UFO/Alien religion seems to believe that but they don’t have any evidence so they just have assumptions really. As Christians we believe God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to walk among us in the flesh. That is the basis of our faith, and then the fact that we believe Christ was crucified, died, buried, and then resurrected. We base our belief on many facts written not only within the Bible but also through secular writers and events in history. We have the evidence of the disciples and the unity of the scripture that gives us the basis for our beliefs. Most religions I am aware of don’t really have any evidence as Christians have and I don’t know any other belief system that has gone through the same scrutiny. It always seems the measure anti-Christians (non-believers) use to measure the Christian is not used to measure their own beliefs. However, the point here is not that people are going to believe anything based on evidence because you also have to believe the evidence. We see that even during the time of Christ when many people saw him perform miracles and listen to his teachings and yet they still did not believe. It comes down to our heart and intent, not always the evidence. Do we really seek the living God or do we seek what we want our god to be? There are people who even believe they themselves are a type of god. But we learn too in the Bible that God’s Word is foolishness to those who do not believe.
Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” (John 6:44 NIV)
“He went on to say, ’This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.’” From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.” (John 6:65-66 NIV)
People have to have a heart to want to know God. We can argue for and against any religion. However, it comes down to faith and what/who you put your faith in.
“For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.” (Hebrews 4:2 NIV)
“By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” (Hebrews 11:3 NIV)
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV)
In a sense faith is a passion. What is your passion? What is it you put your hope in?
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1 NIV)
Some religions put their passion and faith into a world that has no concern for people or individuals. In other words, everything in the world is random and happens randomly. In this way they can justify their social status in life and that they must be special if things are going their way. But this goes against all logic and how we see the universe working.
Some religions put their passion and faith in an almighty god that has no care for the individual unless they follow certain rules, which you are never sure where those rules came from. Rules made by man tend to only help those in charge and in power to control others. It becomes a way to justify how they treat others. Even Christian history has non-believers posing as believers that implemented these type rules to control others and justify their positions. Some religions put their passion and faith in no god, yet they believe life came from a random source or some microorganism on a rock. Again these type beliefs go against logic and how we see things in the universe working. Science wouldn’t be of any value without the fact that the universe is in an organized state.
So it really comes down to what kind of god you want to believe in. But to the Christian, we also understand that faith and belief is just one step. If we truly believe and have faith, then we receive the Holy Spirit. And it is the Spirit that works in us to convict us of our sinfulness, produces our love for God and others, and provides us understanding of God’s Word.
Jesus said, “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.” (John 16:13 NIV)
What ultimately matters is who or what you put your faith in because your life’s journey and ultimate destiny depend on it.
Filed Under Upside Down WorldBirds and Trains
Recently my wife and I began walking in the morning again now that the weather is warmer. We get up at 5:00am so it is early and, of course, still dark. Very few people, if any, are out jogging or walking that early so it gives us a chance to benefit from exercise, get us going early, and provides an opportunity to talk or just think. Thinking can be a problem, though, if you think about your worries rather than your blessings.
I began noticing as we were walking one morning thinking about how quiet the morning was, that it actually wasn’t quiet at all. I noticed there were many birds just singing away. It sounded like they were singing at the top of their lungs. We heard owls, mocking birds with their multiple tunes, and other types that I couldn’t even guess at. It was rather loud when you stopped and just listened. Then I heard a train in the distance and some traffic along the interstate maybe a couple of miles away. I thought about the activity of it all. Every morning I began hearing the same sounds and noticing how it wasn’t really as quiet as you might think, but rather noisy.
The different kinds of sounds made me think about life and God’s creation. The birds, of course, are God’s creation and the cars and trains are man’s creation. The birds seemed happy to be alive and made their happiness known. It was as if they felt blessed being alive for another day and so sang about it. Man on the other hand was doing what he/she does every day and that is to seek a living. We are all going about what God has orchestrated us to do, and that is look for food and survive. Birds survive doing it their way and Man does it his/her way. However, Man is a “thinking” being so adds a complexity to the survival part of life. We want to be entertained, secure, in control, in charge, and seek self fulfillment.
I think about the simpler lives of birds and the ease to which they feel and are blessed. Man makes life more complex and, thus, has developed a busier lifestyle with cars and trains to get us where we need to go.
Jesus taught, “Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:26 NIV)
This comment from Jesus was in answer to a statement about not worrying. He had just said, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is life not more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?” (Matthew 6:25 NIV)
Now think about what we spend our time worrying about. Think about what kind of commercials are on television regularly. Think about what you think about. I am not a big television watcher except for a couple shows I follow, but there are times when it is on when the family is around the house. I haven’t done a real statistical measurement but I am willing to bet that most of the commercials revolve around the subjects Jesus mentioned – food, drink, clothing, and the way you look and feel. Of course, the Creator is going to know what we worry about isn’t He?
Jesus went on to say, ”So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:31-34 NIV)
Jesus isn’t trying to make life sound so simple that we should live as simply as birds. He is emphasizing the importance of dependence on God. God created us as He did every creature and provides us with all that we have, no matter how complex He made the creature. The problem that develops with humans is the drive for other things I mentioned earlier, which again is driven by our selfish nature and desire to be our own god. We really would prefer to control our own destiny and usually that includes wanting everything money can buy.
Paul said, “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator – who is forever praised.” (Romans 1:21 and 25 NIV)
When I was young and able to leave my window open at night, I remember on many occasions lying in bed awake late at night or in the wee hours of the morning and hearing a train in the distance. It was a lonely sound. I remember thinking that someone was awake and going somewhere away from home while I lie comfortably and securely in my warm bed. It was a peaceful sound hearing that train in the distance, knowing I was safe and comfortable at home. The sound of the train didn’t urge me to go anywhere, it just gave me a sense of contentment.
Our sinful nature leads us down that path of wanting more and never being satisfied with what God has provided to us. Whereas the birds sing their praises in the morning and are happy to be alive for a new day, we get on trains and in cars to seek endlessly for more and more, never really satisfied with what has been provided to us. My prayer for you is to come to realize that God is in control of everything and provides everything, meaning we must thank Him every day for our blessings and to help us lead lives that glorify Him. Seek God for your contentment and all else will fall into place.
Filed Under Upside Down WorldOpen Minded Open Hearted
I see this slogan on a local church billboard as I drive in my neighborhood – Open Minded and Open Hearted. I have seen the same slogan on some car bumper stickers. This slogan has always bothered me for some reason. It sounds reasonable on the surface to make a statement like this, but the intent seems all wrong. In many of the stories of Jesus, we see Jesus’ mission in bringing love to people while in contrast we see the Pharisees condemning through judgment of the same people by the law. In other words, the Pharisees lived through and by the law and Jesus lived through and by God’s love. It does sound a little like open-minded, open-hearted doesn’t it? But is it? So what is the confusion about love, acceptance, and judgment and why do these type slogans just further promote confusion?
The point is that we are all sinners and should be concerned more with the plank in our own eyes, than in the sin of others. However, the slogan of being open-minded as some churches would promote is missing the point. They use open-minded as a slogan to make people feel guilty about not accepting the sin of others, or not being a loving Christian. However, sin is sin in God’s eyes so being open-minded and open-hearted doesn’t mean or have anything to do with love. Love is praying for others to rid themselves of sin, not acceptance of their sinfulness. God loves us but He also expects us to stop sinning. Does this mean He isn’t open-minded? God naturally rejects sin so, again, it has nothing to do with being or not being open-minded. It is more about grace. God’s grace is about accepting us as forgiven sinners, not as active sinners. We have to repent to receive God’s grace. Committing sin is our nature, leaning on God and rejecting sin is what we do through faith. It is a sanctification process and a lifetime commitment through accepting Jesus as LORD.
Paul said, “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived,” and then he goes on to list many sins that people continue to commit (1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NIV). Paul addressed this to the Christian Church in Corinth. Paul is matter-of-fact about sin. He doesn’t say you can continue to commit these sins and be alright with God. He says the opposite. We would like to think we should be open-minded about these things but sin is sin as I mentioned before. God expects us to truly repent of sin. Our sanctification process is important. Consider what God did with Adam and Eve in the very beginning. If anyone would have been accepted no matter what they did, it would have been Adam and Eve. They were His first human creation, and with whom He had a personal relationship. When Adam and Eve sinned, God didn’t say, “Well, I will overlook your sin this time because I am open-minded and open-hearted and forgive everything.” No, he had to reject them from the garden because God’s nature repels sin.
So are we supposed to be more open-minded than God? I think that is another part of our sinful nature. We think we live in a conundrum or difficult, puzzling world, but do we? In other words we think we should accept some people’s sins because aren’t all believers forgiven? But don’t we just tend to make choices that might benefit us. If it is easier in our society to accept certain sinfulness, then we say we do it open-mindedly because we are open-hearted. Really? The same people condemn other sin when it is easy to condemn and there is no societal backlash. I think really what people are saying is that they don’t want to deal with a particular sin because it has become acceptable in the world. Thus, we live in an upside down world. God only asks us to love others, not accept their sin. I don’t know anywhere in the Bible that we are asked to do that.
The Book of John contains a story about a woman caught in adultery. The Pharisees brought her before Jesus at the temple courts where he was teaching to a crowd. They wanted to see if Jesus would agree with them that she should be stoned since it was in Moses’ law. Jesus responded quite differently. He asked that whoever was without sin should be the first to stone her. Everyone left the temple leaving the woman with Jesus since they knew they were not sinless. Jesus didn’t however, say to the woman to keep doing what you are doing, you cannot help it, and we love and accept you as you are. No, he said, “Go now and leave your life of sin.” (John 8:11c NIV)
There is a big difference in loving others and accepting others. People get love for others confused with judging sin in others. We are to love others as God loves us, and we are to condemn sin as God condemns sin. Sin can be found in us as well as others so we cannot conveniently accept some sin and reject other sin. Sin is all bad. We are to show others that only Jesus can help us overcome sin, not accept it. This is why the world gets confused with Christian slogans that aren’t really taught in the Bible. Jesus taught us to ask, seek and knock to open the door to him, but he taught that the gate and road are narrow that leads to life in him. (Excerpts from Matthew 7:7-14 NIV) I believe the Bible teaches that God is not so open-minded, but open-armed with qualifications. He is not so open-hearted, as He is love with open grace to those that love Him and accept Him as LORD. God’s acceptance, however, comes at a price and that price is obedience to His commands and repentance of sin with the result being a changed life, not a continuation in the same sinful life. Maybe a better slogan would be “Obedient Minded and Obedient Hearted.” It may not be as catchy, but after all, we are expected to be the light to the world as Jesus was the light of the world.
Filed Under Upside Down WorldHumble Pride
In the past week, a well-known politician made a public speech after being integral in forcing a bill through congress. The politician began the speech with, “It is with great humility and with great pride,” yet there was nothing humble about the speech or in the politician’s actions leading up to the vote or speech. I am not sure how many people in the world or in America, more specifically, took notice. It caught my attention, however, because the Bible speaks quite a lot about humility and pride in regards to how we ought to live our lives and in our relationship to God and others. You would think that a politician would have picked up on the irony of using these two words together before they were used in such a naïve way, since they are actually antonyms. In other words they are opposites. It is a good lesson for the Christian, though, in analyzing how the world approaches life and how God wants the Christian to approach life. Just as this particular politician is blind to her own pridefulness, so we all as humans deal with this particular sin of pride. God is very clear on this subject of humility and pride.
“He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.” (Psalms 25:9 NIV)
“The LORD sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground.” (Psalms 147:6 NIV)
“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” (Proverbs 11:2 NIV)
I happened to be reading in Numbers this week and this topic of humility and pride came to mind along with this political faux pas. I was thinking about Moses and his relationship to God and to his people, the Israelites. Moses was considered a most humble man. He had become the leader of two million people, leading them toward the “promised land.” Miriam and Aaron, Moses’ sister and brother, had begun criticizing Moses behind his back because they had gotten a little prideful over Moses’ wife, who was not of their same race. Moses’ wife was a Cushite, and they had some bitterness toward her, not being an Israelite. In their minds, a Cushite shouldn’t have the same kind of status with God as they did. However, God got personally involved in this issue. God asked the three of them to come meet with him. He tells Miriam and Aaron that He normally talks to prophets through dreams and visions, but not with Moses. He found Moses so faithful that He spoke to him face-to-face. In other words, God had a very special personal relationship with Moses. He then questions Miriam and Aaron about their lack of fear of speaking against Moses with God having such a close relationship to him. He is really questioning their pride and lack of humility. As the story goes, Miriam is struck leprous as punishment. Moses then immediately pleads with God to heal her and God relents and tells him she will be healed after a seven day cleansing period. Moses wanted Miriam healed, not punished, which is an example of his humble heart toward others. He cared more for Miriam and her situation than his right for retribution. (Numbers 12:1-16 NIV)
Another more serious incident happens in Moses’ life in his personal relationship with God. The people began to grumble against Moses again and oppose him because they needed water and could not find any. God tells Moses to take his staff to a rock and speak to it for the water to come out. Instead Moses takes his staff and hits the rock after telling the people, in his anger, how he is doing this for them. The water comes forth, but God is angry at Moses because he did not obey Him taking glory for himself when he struck the rock to bring the water. In other words God did not get the glory as He should have. It was a serious show of pride, which Moses exhibited in his own anger at the people. For that sin, God forbids Moses from entering the Promised Land after forty years of wandering the desert. This story always seemed so harsh to me because of all that Moses had done for God. However, it was a heart attitude that God was dealing with and He gives His glory to no one. It also shows my own limitations since I see all that Moses did rather than what all God actually did through Moses. It is the opposite of the way we think since our hearts and minds tend toward prideful thinking, even when we don’t think we are.
God expects us to have a humble heart in order to approach Him. Pride in self is the sin we inherited from Adam and Eve. It is in our nature. In order to know God and have any kind of relationship with Him, we are expected to come to Him in humility, knowing our place in relationship to Him. We can have no other position with God. Humility and pride are very much opposites and God expects us to rid ourselves of pride in order to love Him and to love others as ourselves. We can take no other position.
Filed Under Upside Down World