August 1st, - Waiter, Waiter, There’s a Fly in my Rice

There is a joke that helps us understand the life and commitment of a true missionary.  When a fly would land in his rice during the first month that he was on the field,  he would throw the whole bowl away.  During the second month, he threw out only the handful of rice that the fly had actually touched.  By the time he had been on the field for three months, he was picking out the fly and taking all the rice.  When the fourth month rolled around, he had decided to mix in the fly to add a bit of protein to his diet.  The fifth month found him picking out the fly and discarding the rice in favor of the non-veggie morsel!   

 

To me this dietary progression speaks of the various levels we may go through in our  missions involvement.

 

The M in “mission” speaks of the initial level of involvement--giving money to support others who go.

 

The I stands for the next level of involvement, intercession for the workers and the ones they are reaching.

 

The first S speaks of service, such as helping raise funds or supplies to send to the workers on the field.

 

The second S represents short-term mission trips to visit the field and get acquainted first-hand with the work.

 

The next I leads us to the next level, internship on the field--spending a year of so in the trenches getting to know what it’s really like eating flies.

 

The O represents living on the field with the people--the step where you change your mailing address, learn their language, and raise your family among them.

 

The N speaks of the final goal of all missions, nationalization--the process of turning the work over to locals who have been trained and equipped.

 

August 2nd, - Do You Have as Much Faith as a Tavern Owner?

         
In a small Texas  town, a new tavern started a building to house their business.  The local Baptist church started a campaign of petitions and prayers to block the bar from opening.  Work progressed, however, right up until the week before opening.  This is when a lightning strike hit the bar and burned it to the ground.  The church folks were rather smug in their outlook after that--that is until the bar owner sued the church on the grounds that the church was ultimately responsible for the demise of his building, either through direct or indirect actions or means.  The church vehemently denied all responsibility or any connection to the building's demise in its reply to the court.
When the case made its way into court, the judge looked over the paperwork.  At the hearing he commented, “I don't know how I'm going to decide this, but as it appears from the paperwork, we have a bar owner who believes in the power of prayer, and an entire church congregation who doesn't.”

 

I doubt that the congregation didn’t believe in their prayers; rather, they just didn’t want to take responsibility for them.  I think that this is often the way we Christians live.  When God does things the way we think that He ought to, we are quick to step forward and claim credit for being part of the faith movement that brought it about; however, if God does something different from the way we would have chosen to solve the problem, we don’t want to have any part in it.  Remember the exodus from Egypt: the people rejoiced when Moses announced that he was going to lead them out, but they murmured every time things didn’t go so smoothly for them.

August 3rd, -The Power of a Willing Heart
 
Have you ever thought of Caleb and Joshua’s forty years in the desert with the rest of the people of Israel?  Out of all the spies who surveyed the Promised Land, they were the only ones who came back to Moses and the congregation of the Israel with a positive report.  They were men of true faith who reported that they were well able to take the land.  Unfortunately, they were hindered for a full forty years because of other people’s unbelief.  Sometimes we experience delays in what we want to do for God, not because of our disobedience or unbelief, but because of the people who surround us.
I remember on one of our mission trips that we had a real financial struggle and eventually had to put part of the expenses on our credit card to pay off later.  Long after our return, a lady came up to my wife with an offering and an apology, “I felt to give you this before your last trip but never got around to it.”  Had she been immediately obedient, she could have saved us much trouble and concern.  Certainly, the Lord proved Himself faithful in that all the money came in and the credit card was paid off, but the delay in the lady’s obedience created a few bumps in the road as we were getting there. 

 

When Moses was building the Tabernacle, the instructions were simple, “Take…an offering (from) whosoever is of a willing heart.” (Exodus 35:5)  The results were so overwhelming that Exodus 36:5-7 records that Moses had to ask the people to stop giving because he had too much!  Here is a great truth, if we have willing hearts, we can readily advance the kingdom of God; otherwise, we can delay the good that God wants to do.

August 4th, -Reverence

         

Did you hear the story about the Sunday school teacher who asked her children why it is necessary to be quiet in church?  It seems that one bright little girl replied, "Because people are sleeping."  Actually, we often associate silence with worship, mostly based on a couple verses. “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth,” (Psalm 63:10) and “For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not” (Isaiah 30:15).  However, both of these verses are taken out of context if interpreted to refer to worship services.  The passage from Psalms talks about the raging of the heathen and makes a contrast with the quiet confidence God’s people can exhibit toward Him.  The Isaiah passage is in context of the people’s determination to make treaties with ungodly nations in an attempt to find political and military security.  God says that they are loud and boisterous as they clamber for these treaties.  On the other hand, they could quietly show their trust in God without having to chase after ambassadors and statesmen of pagan nations.  In actuality, most of the passages about praise and worship indicate a lively spirit of celebration when we come together to honor our God.   “Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.” (Psalm 33:3)  “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.” (Psalm 98:4) “Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.” (Psalm 150:5)  Sounds like it might be a bit hard to sleep in these services.

 

August 5th, -Second-Hand Blessing

         

When I went to work for Dr. Lester Sumrall, I was actually his second choice.  Another dean had actually been hired.  He had better credentials than mine: and he had years of experience, while I was just out of seminary.  But he canceled out on the contract at the last minute, leaving only one candidate in the running late in the season.  My introduction to ministry in the African nation of Rwanda came in much the same way.  A guest speaker canceled at the last minute, leaving the conference host with no one to fill the void.  In a telephone conversation with one of my students, he learned that I was actually on my way to Kenya, the neighboring country, and contacted me about filling in.  When I was directed to go to Nepal, my original contact had to back out due to having another foreign guest at the same time.  He did meet me at the airport, but suggested that I connect with an alternate host, who eventually became one of my closest friends and the director of our mission work in Nepal.  My ministry in Sri Lanka was based on another second-hand--well, in this case, third-hand--contact.  When the young man who originally invited me to the country left to go to college in India, he made arrangements for someone else to host me on my initial visit.  That person wound up with a previous commitment and passed me off to a third person.  The result was a life-long friendship and ministry. 
The message I see in all these events is that we should never be discouraged if things don’t work out as we would hope.  God always has a better plan.  Even if we try it our way first, He’s still willing to show us the perfect program if we just keep at it.

 

August 6th, -Let the Eternal Become Internal

         

An old gentleman was watching some birds which had gathered in his back yard during a terrible blizzard.  He could tell that they were soon to freeze to death because there was no shelter for them.  As they huddled close to one other to share body heat, he wanted to bring them into his house where a roaring fire provided ample warmth.  At first, he tried tossing bread crumbs to entice them toward his door.  Unfortunately, they wouldn’t dare come near his house.  Then he shoveled a path through the snow, hoping that they would feel confident in the clearing.  This approach didn’t help either.  Exasperated in his repeated failed attempts, he muttered to himself, “If only I could become a bird, I could go out there and tell them how to come inside to save their lives!”

 

This is exactly what God has done for us--He became one of us so He could bring us to Himself and salvation.  But in addition to becoming part of the human family to redeem us, He offered for us to become part of His family so that we could inherit the benefits of that redemption.  He has an incredible inheritance available but must have a legitimate means by which to pass it on; therefore, He has adopted us into His household and made us His legal heirs.  This means that everything that belongs to God is rightfully ours.  Since God possesses righteousness, so do we.  Since He possesses divine health and healing, so do we.  Since He possesses joy, so do we.  Since He possesses prosperity, so do we.  Since He possesses eternal life, so do we.  We only need to stop huddling in the blizzard and enter the Father’s house to take our places as rightful heirs.

 

August 7th, -The Term Paper

         

One particular professor was very demanding in his requirements and expectations of his students.  One of his assignments was a research paper which required an incredible amount of work.  When one of his students finally completed the assignment and turned it in, he was terribly apprehensive about how the professor would grade it.  After waiting “on pins and needles” for several days, the student received the paper back.  As he flipped through page after page, he saw no red marks.  Finally, he came to the back page to find only one comment from the austere professor, “Is this the best you can do?”  Immediately, the student went to work revising and reworking the paper.  After burning the midnight oil for a couple nights, he anxiously returned to the professor’s office to resubmit the paper.  Again he nervously awaited his results.  Again, he received the paper back with no comments except the terse note on the last page, “Is this the best you can do?”  Again, he rewrote the paper and turned it in only to get it back with the same note.  After three or four revisions, the student was so angry that he barged into the professor’s office and slammed the paper on his desk with the exclamation, “Yes, this is the best I can do!”  The professor looked up and with little emotion replied, “Good, then I’ll read this one.”  Although God is nothing like an austere, demanding professor, we can learn a little lesson form this story.  Our spiritual lives and acceptance by God are not earned by our good works, but the moral of this story can be a lesson that we should never use the grace of God as an excuse to just “get by” when we should always strive to excel with every gift He has given us.

 

 

 

August 8th, -Two’s Company; Three’s a Crowd

There’s an interesting threesome in the New Testament: Paul, Barnabas, and John Mark.  Barnabas, known as the “Son of Consolation,” was the one who introduced Paul to the church leadership because they were all suspicious of this one who had been so adamantly opposed to the gospel.  Perhaps they suspected him to be acting as a double agent trying to get inside their ranks as a spy.  Eventually, the union between these two men proved so strong that they became missionary partners.  Completing the threesome, they invited John Mark, Barnabas’s nephew; however, he proved not to be missionary material according to Paul’s standards and left the group.  When Paul and Barnabas set out on their next mission venture, they argued over the inclusion of John Mark and eventually decided to separate over the disagreement.  It is rather surprising that they would have experienced such division immediately after God used them in such a powerful way to bring reconciliation at the church council in Jerusalem. (Acts 15)  The scriptures never records that Paul and Barnabas ever joined ranks again even though Paul frequently referred to him in his letters, suggesting that there was a reuniting in the spirit even though there may have never been a physical reunion. (I Corinthians 9:6; Galatians 2:1, 9, 13; Colossians 4:10)  The really remarkable (no pun intended) part of the story is how the relationship between Paul and John Mark was restored.  It was not until Paul was writing II Timothy, one of his last letters, that he realized what was missing in his life since this brother had been ostracized.  “He is profitable to me for the ministry.” (verse 4:11)

 

August 9th, -The Wall of Separation

         

In Ephesians 2:14-18, Paul discusses what he calls the “middle wall of separation.”  In this case it is prejudice between Jews and gentiles; but the principle can apply to any racial, socio-economic, cultural, religious, or personal barriers that divide men.  Paul says that Christ Himself has become our peace and has literally abolished the animosity between individuals so that we can now live together in peace.  He then concludes that this is only a physical manifestation of what happened in the spiritual realm when Jesus destroyed the barrier of sin which separated us from God.  In the parable of a king who forgave one of his subjects a great debt, but the debtor refused to forgive a small debt owed to him by another subject as recorded for us in Matthew 18, we find an additional aspect of this theme.  Because the servant refused to forgive in the same way he was forgiven, the lord delivered him to the tormentors and demanded that he repay all of his debt.  We see this same theme repeated time and again in scripture.  Even in the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus emphasized the point that answered prayer is directly linked to our willingness to forgive those who have offended us. (Matthew 6:14-15)  In the powerful teaching on mountain-moving faith in Mark 11:23-26, Jesus concluded the discussion with the admonition that our prayers must be accompanied with forgiveness--getting rid of the divisions between individuals and even entire social groups.  The whole book of Philemon is Paul’s attempt to get his friend to forgive Onesimus, a run-away slave who could have legally been put to death.  However, the fact that the master had found forgiveness in Christ dictated that he extend the same grace to the young man.

 

August 10th, -The Missing Lawn Furniture

I heard an interesting story several years ago about some folks who came home one day to discover that all their lawn furniture was missing.  Several days later, the furniture reappeared, accompanied with a note claiming to be from the thief.  In the note, the perpetrator said that he was not a “professional crook” and had only taken the furniture on a whim.  He went on to say that he had had a change of heart and stated that he wanted to not only return the furniture but to also repay the family for their inconvenience and anxiety by sending them a new television.  He said that the delivery was arranged for the next day and asked that a door be left unlocked so that the delivery crew could get in with the TV.  Well, when the couple arrived home that next evening, not only did they find that there was no television in their living room, there was nothing in their living room, or any other room in their house for that matter.  Not only had their lawn furniture been taken again, but everything in their home was now gone!  The story helps us understand the tactics of our enemy, the devil.  He is a thief and a liar who has uses deception to steel his victims “blind.”  If we believe even one of his lies, we will open the door to let him into our homes and lives.  One of his popular lies is to offer fame, fortune, and fun without telling us that he intends to exact the price of our future in payment.  The devil is even willing to “heal” you of diseases which he originally put on your body in exchange for the opportunity to get a stranglehold on your soul--and eventually your spirit man--through requiring that you believe in some occult philosophy to obtain the “healing.”  Don’t leave the door unlocked!

 

August 11th, -Top Ten List

         

Imagine the pride of the father of a newborn son.  The young man holds the baby for the very first time and, looking into his firstborn’s wrinkled little face, proclaims, “Son, I believe that you are really going to make a mark in this world.  I expect you to succeed and someday actually be listed among the top ten on the FBI’s most wanted list!”  Of course not!  Instead, we always pronounce high anticipation of good achievements over our children.  Then we actually start putting things in motion to make our proclamation possible.  We open a college fund to provide for the child’s education, we make regular appointments with the pediatrician to insure that the child’s body is properly cared for, and--interestingly enough--studies show that we actually start attending church more regularly to guarantee that our child’s spiritual life is secure.   If we as humans have that instinct, certainly God would never proclaim evil destinies over His creation.  If we look at all the passages concerning God’s foreknowledge and predestination, we will find that every one of them is in the context of His anticipation that we would succeed.  There is never a hint that He purposely or randomly predestined some to be saved and blessed and others to be lost and damned--as some people teach when considering the doctrines of predestination and God’s sovereignty.  Ephesians 1:5, for example says that He has predestinated us unto the adoption of children according to the good pleasure of his will--which isn’t to be on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List!  For further study, please read Jeremiah 29:11, John 3:16-18, Acts 2:23, Romans 9:1-33, Romans 11:2, Ephesians 1:3-14 , I Peter 1:2, and II Peter 3:9.

 

August 12th, -Beautiful City

         

My family loves the city of Colorado Springs.  We have a world of natural beauty all around us; plus, the winters are not nearly as harsh as what we had grown accustomed to in the Midwest.  More importantly, it is the place that God has ordained for us at this point in our lives.  We have many wonderful friends who have the same desire as us to spread the gospel around the world, and we have incredible opportunities to be ministered to by some of the top leaders in the Christian world; we get to personally meet men that others only see on television. 

 

In contrast, I recently read of a play called “Beautiful City,” which is an anti-Christian spoof on the fact that the city is a mecca for evangelicals.  In preparing for the production, the cast spent seven months in the city interviewing over one hundred people to get quotes to use in the script which is mostly quotes from people.  It just so happened that they were in town at the time of the Ted Haggard scandal, which gave them some real fodder for their work.  Concerning the assignment to come here, one of the cast members is quoted as having said,  “I was scared to go there.  It was the Hate State.  Jesus Springs.”  One lady who has never visited our city but saw the play, summed up her feelings about the city, “After seeing the show, yeah, I am a little scared.  Would I ever want to live there?  Probably not.”

 

“For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. (II Corinthians 2:15-16)

 

August 13th, -The Biker Goes to Church

         

One Sunday morning an old biker entered a church in a very upscale and exclusive part of the city.  Although the old man and his clothes were spotlessly clean, he wore a leather jacket, jeans, a denim shirt and boots that were worn and ragged. In his hand he carried a worn out old helmet and an equally worn Bible.

 

As he took a seat, the others moved away from him.  No one greeted, spoke to, or welcomed him.  They were all appalled at his appearance and did not attempt to hide it.  At the end of the service, the pastor approached him and asked the biker to do him a favor.  “Before you come back in here again, have a talk with God and ask him what he thinks would be appropriate attire for worship.”  The biker assured the preacher that he would.

 

The next Sunday, he showed back up for the services wearing the same leather jacket, ragged jeans, shirt, boots, and helmet.  Once again he was completely shunned and ignored.  The minister approached the man and said, “I thought I asked you to speak to God about what to wear in our church.”  When the biker replied, “I did,” the preacher sniffed, “If you spoke to God, what did He tell you the proper attire should be for worshipping in this church?”

 

“Well preacher, God told me that He didn't have a clue what I should wear because He'd never been in this church.”

 

August 14th, -What Do We Believe, Anyway?

         

Younger non-believers typically view Christians in a  negative light, such as judgmental (87%), hypocritical (85%), and old-fashioned (78%).  Even among young churchgoers, Christianity is seen as judgmental and hypocritical (50%) and old-fashioned and out of touch with reality (33%).  Furthermore, studies also indicate that these more open-minded young believers hold views which are radically different from traditional Christian values.   Thirty-three percent of young Bible believers support abortion rights, compared to twenty-seven percent of older believers.  Forty-seven percent of born-agains under forty-one say that efforts of conservative Christians in politics are a problem.  Dramatically, seventy-percent responded to the survey that they believe that many religions lead to eternal life, while fifty-seven percent the overall church answered that many religions lead to eternal life.  However, when a follow-up study rephrased the question to make a distinction between religion other than Christianity and denominational affiliation only thirty-one percent agreed.  That still means that almost one out of every three of us believes that people can still get to heaven without accepting Jesus!! 

 

It seems to me that it is time for the church to come back to the truth that Jesus was either a liar, a lunatic, or Lord of all.  When He said that no man could come to the Father except by Him, either He was lying or delusional (either of which would totally discredit Him) or He must be the Lord of All.  Can’t we learn to proclaim this truth in a loving, non-judgmental way with sincere, non-hypocritical lives giving us permission to speak so authoritatively?   

 

 

    

August 15th, -Eyes to See and Ears to Hear

The members of a group that had just returned from a Holy Land pilgrimage were asked to share some of their experiences in the church service.   One man shared that he was surprised to see modern cars in Israel.  Others talked about the hotel, the food, the weather, the long plane ride, and the strict security.  I sat in the audience wondering how it was possible for people to so totally miss the whole point.  I guess that Albert Einstein wasn’t that far off from the truth when he said, “There are only two things that are infinite: the universe and human stupidity.”  Then he added, “…and I’m not sure about the former!”

 

I’ve had plenty of opportunity to test this hypothesis in my many years as a teacher.  God only knows the number of times I’ve heard students give summations of articles or lectures and wondered exactly which class the students had attended because the report didn’t vaguely coincide with the material in the course.  My conclusion after years of observing this phenomenon is that we all have a huge filter located somewhere between our eyes and ears and our brains.  Everything has to first pass through that filter before it can enter our brains.  In the process, anything that we don’t want to believe is filtered out and only what we want to accept is allowed to pass on.  The student who adamantly believes in predestination can hear the same lecture as the student who believes strongly in free-will; however, when one gives his critique, he will focus on his theological persuasion while the other will see the lecture from the exact opposite end of the spectrum.
We must ask God to help us remove this filter so we can truly understand the truth we see and hear. 

 

August 16th, -Sacrifice

         

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2)
How many sermons and Bible lessons have we all heard about presenting ourselves as living sacrifices?  Probably hundreds--and it is almost one-hundred-percent certain that all of these sermons made some reference to “placing ourselves on the altar for God.”  Often, we are admonished with such instructions as, “Do not climb down off of that altar.”   But let’s take a moment to reflect on what the passage really says.  It speaks of a living sacrifice--not a dead one.  If we are on the altar, like Isaac--a very popular theme when this message is preached--we are not going to wind up being a living sacrifice.  I suggest that we can find a much more likely Old Testament expression of the living sacrifice in the life of Samuel who was given as a servant in the tabernacle.  His mother took him from the normal environment for a child where he would have been conformed to the norm and placed him in a sacred environment so that he could be transformed into  the extraordinary.  Unlike Jephthah’s daughter in Judges chapter eleven who became a human sacrifice, Samuel was allowed to live to a ripe old age and bless the nation by appointing and blessing their first two great kings.

 

Being a sacrifice doesn’t have to be seem as something unpleasant or painful; rather, it is an adventure!

 

August 17th, -It Doesn’t Add Up

         

I’ve read several different studies lately concerning the attitude of Christians toward homosexuals.  One stated that the most common perception among non-Christians is that present-day Christianity is "anti-homosexual."  Overall, ninety-one percent of young non-Christians and eighty percent of young churchgoers say this phrase describes Christianity.  Non-Christians and Christians explained they believe that Christians show excessive contempt and unloving attitudes towards gays and lesbians.  One of the most frequent criticisms of young Christians was that they believe the church has made homosexuality a bigger sin than anything else.  I find this really confusing since most of my research shows that the church has actually embraced homosexuality more than the world has.  According to one survey among Catholics under  the age of thirty, seventy-two percent of them view homosexuality with tolerance.  Other research shows  that only half of the general populace show the same level of tolerance.  This means that young Catholics are actually one and a half times as accepting as the average person on the street.  Another study revealed that twenty-eight percent of born-again Christians under age forty-one believe that it is morally acceptable to have sex with someone of the same sex.

 

My point has nothing to do with accepting homosexuality; we must love the sinner while hating the sin.  My concern is that if the world sees us so differently in this issue, perhaps they are just as confused in understanding what we are really about.  Somehow we must let the world know who we really are!

 

August 18th, -Free?

         

An American missionary serving in the African country of Chad wrote an article which was published here on Independence day asking if the United States was as free as the country in which he serves.  He listed a dozen freedoms the people of Chad enjoyed and asked if we had equal rights in the US:

 

1) To build a home out of any materials you fancy?
2) To butcher a sheep and leave the entrails in the street?
3) To arrange marriages for your children?
4) To smoke in public places?
5) To close off streets to accommodate a three-day funeral?
6) To have people work and pay them as little as they will accept?
7) To sell medicines you know nothing about?
8) To be an electrician or pipe fitter with no education or license?
9) To open a barbecue without a health inspection and sell meat to passer-bys?
10) To take four kids to school on a motorcycle without helmets?
11) To carry an unregistered gun or dagger?
12) To preach jihad?

 

Of course we don’t have these freedoms--nor do we even want them.  And we especially don’t want our neighbors to have them!  The truth is that having freedom doesn’t mean being free to do anything at any time.  This is especially true of the spiritual freedom we have through Christ.  “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.” (Romans 6:22)

 

August 19th, -Who Knows You?

         

A recent study reported that among Americans who say they are not evangelical, only twenty-four percent of Americans say that they know an evangelical very well; however, fifty-three percent of them say that they know a gay or lesbian very well.  These numbers are more startling when contrasted with demographics statistics: homosexuals are estimated to comprise less than ten percent of the population, while seventeen percent of Americans describe themselves as evangelical.  The researchers suggested three possible reasons for this inequality: possibly homosexuals are more open than evangelicals about who they are; possibly Americans are more open to knowing a homosexual than an evangelical; and possibly evangelicals themselves are less likely to reach into the broader community to form relationships.  I personally believe that all three of these factors play a part.  I think that all of us who would be honest with ourselves would have to admit that as evangelicals we have a tendency to cloister ourselves into little circles with other Christians.  This is on of the salt of the earth that Jesus said we are, we must get out of the shaker and if we are to be the light of the world we must get out from under the bushel basket and get up on the lamp stand.  We must let the world know who we are and that we are here to help and bless them.  “Ye are the salt of the earth…Ye are the light of the world.  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick.” (Matthew 5:13-15) 

 

August 20th, -Guns Don’t Kill People

         

In the battle over gun control, the supporters of the right to bear arms have coined the phrase, “Gun don’t kill people; people kill people.”  Regardless of which side you might take on this issue, you have to agree with the slogan.  The real issue isn’t the gun, but the person using it.

 

The same is true in the church where our doctrines and teachings can actually become powerful weapons which can be constructive or destructive depending on the person pulling the trigger.  I occasionally hear people make reference to certain doctrines as being “dangerous”; however, I contend that--just as a gun is only as dangerous as the person holding it--there are no dangerous doctrines, only dangerous people using doctrines.  Take the doctrine of predestination for example.  If a positive, optimistic person is teaching it, he will say, “The world is full of people who are predestined to be saved; let’s go get them!  I am predestined to greatness; therefore, I am determined to be all I can be!”  If a negative, complacent person gets hold of this teaching, he will make it come out something like this, “Que sera sera.  Whatever will be will be, so why bother?  If God wants them to be saved, He’ll do it without my help.”  Likewise, the message of God’s grace can become either a blessing or a curse depending upon who is teaching it.  For some it can become a license to sin since God is so all-forgiving.  Paul realized this when he first introduced the doctrine in the book of Romans.  In fact, he had to twice warn us against this interpretation. (Romans 6:2, 15)  On the other hand, without this message we are doomed to eternally trying to merit our own salvation when Christ has already paid the penalty for our sins.

 

August 21st, -Sanctification

         

According to Leviticus 15:25, a woman with an issue of blood would be unclean during the duration of her affliction.  Leviticus 15:19 made her fate even worse by adding that not only was she unclean, but she would pollute anyone whom she touched. This means that the woman in the story recorded for us in Matthew chapter nine, Mark chapter five, and Luke chapter eight should have made Jesus unclean when she grabbed hold of the hem of His garment.  The Old Testament law emphasizes this point in Haggai 2:10-13 when the prophet asked the question concerning a priest with holy meat in his skirt touching unclean thing.  The implication is that the unclean thing would pollute the holy thing rather than the holy thing sanctifying the unholy thing.  However, in the New Testament story, exactly the opposite happened--the pure overpowered the evil rather than being overcome by it.  Understanding this aspect of the story can awaken us to a whole new level of interpretation of its message: we do not have to fear our sinful nature any more.  How often have we cowered down to the intimidation of the enemy when he has terrorized us with the idea that our shortcoming have negated what good has been done in our lives.  Instead, we need to boldly believe that there is virtue inside us that flows out and overcomes the evil, arresting it just as thoroughly as Jesus’ healing touch did for that poor woman.  Colossians 2:14 tells us that Jesus has blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us and nailed it to His cross.  Because of this conquest, we can do as Romans 8:13 and Colossians 3:5 admonish us to do and actually put our sinfulness to death!

 

 

 

 

August 22nd, -Who’s Your Daddy?

         

Two kids were on their way home from Sunday school where the lesson had been about the devil.  One asked, “What do you think about this Satan stuff?”  The other one thought a moment and replied,  “Well, you remember Santa?  This could turn out to be your dad too.”

 

Actually, Jesus did say that the devil is some people’s father.  “Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.  Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” (John 8:42-44)

 

However, He also offered us the possibility of being born a second time so that we would have a different father. (John 3:3-7)  The scriptures clearly tell us that it is easy to distinguish whose sons we are.  “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” (I Peter 1:23)  “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.  Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.  In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.” (I John 3:8-10)

 

     

 

 

August 23rd, -Judgment and Reconciliation

         

“Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh…Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.” (II Corinthians 5:16-20)

 

If we really understand this passage, we will see that reconciliation--both reconciliation of the individual to God and then the subsequent reconciliation of men to one another--is the whole purpose of the new birth.  The context of this passage goes all the way back to I Corinthians chapter five where the apostle told the church to judge a member who was living in fornication with his father's wife.  In the second epistle to this church, he wrote to them that their corrective action was sufficient and that they should confirm their love toward him. (II Corinthians 2:6-8)  It’s funny how the Corinthians had gone from one extreme to the other:  At first, they welcomed him with his sin and even boasted about how gracious they were toward him.  Once he was brought under correction, they shifted to the extreme end of the spectrum--unforgiving judgment.  As a church and as individuals, we must learn to live like God--hating sin and judging sinful acts while loving sinners and actively reconciling them when they repent.

 

August 24th, -Monkey Business

 

The Great Ape Project in Spain had submitted a resolution to the national parliament which if made into law would grant rights to “our nonhuman brothers.”  The object of the initiative is to declare that apes may not be killed or arbitrarily deprived of their liberty.  The proposal would require that the government end the involuntary use on apes in circuses, television, and dangerous experiments.  If made into law, it move would “pave the way for the extension of rights to all primates, or all mammals, or all animals,” says Peter Singer, co-founder of the Great Ape Project.  Singer goes on to say, “ There is no sound moral reason why possession of basic rights should be limited to members of a particular species.”

 

Calling an animal  “our nonhuman brother”  reminds me of the question that was raised in a debate between a creationist and an evolutionist, “Am I my brother’s keeper or am I my keeper’s brother?”  Wesley Smith of the faith-based Discovery Institute commented concerning this legislation, “Once people accept the premise of ape rights, Judeo-Christian philosophy goes to the guillotine.”  He warned that apes could become viewed as more important than some humans.  I amen his observations and am especially concerned that we give no rights at all to the unborn while fretting over the rights of tigers, seahorses, owls, whales, and apes.  Unfortunately, I disagree with his statement that the premise will lead the Judeo-Christian philosophy to the guillotine.  On the contrary, it is because we have already neglected the truths of the gospel that there has been a big enough void in the human mind and heart for such ideas to be conceived at all.

 

August 25th, -Salvation

The little boy was especially proud of the little toy boat he had made.  Unfortunately, when he took it to the pond to try it out, a strong wind blew it out of his reach and eventually out of his sight.  A couple days later, he saw another boy playing with his little boat on the pond’s edge.  When the little boy told the other lad that the boat was his, the new owner refused to relinquish the boat.  Instead, he insisted that the boy buy it from him if he wanted it.  Hurrying home, the boy broke his piggy bank and then collected all the other spare change he could find lying around his room.  Returning to the pond, he readily turned over all his money and happily reclaimed his toy boat.  Cuddling the prized boat in his arms as he headed home, the boy sang to his little toy boat, “You are now twice my boat because I made you and also bought you.”  This is exactly how Jesus feels about us.  We are twice His--first because He created us; and secondly because He redeemed us with His own life.  

 

Not only has He redeemed us, He had also justified us.  A little play on words is often used to help define “justified”: Just as if I’d never sinned.  In other words, He renews us to the point that there is no lingering evidence of our ever having been out of His hands.  Assume that the young lad who found the missing boat had repainted it or put decals on it.  When the first owner got it back, He would immediately sand off the paint and markings and repaint to the fresh new appearance it had when he first fashioned it.  So it is with our Lord, He makes us totally new--just as if we had never been out of His possession and care.

 

August 26th, -Roots

         

When I was mowing the lawn I accidentally ran over a little plant my wife had put in next to the back steps.  When I confessed my offense, her gracious response was, “Did it pull up the roots?”  Thankfully, the roots were still in tack so she had hope that her little plant would come back.  In Matthew 3:10, Jesus says that the way to deal with a tree that has bad fruit is to chop it down at the root.  Not only did He talk about this principle, He also  demonstrated it when He cursed the fruitless fig tree in Mark chapter eleven.  He didn’t just cause it to die, He made it wither right down to its roots--proving that it would never get another chance.  Two particular roots that the Scriptures warn us against are the love of money (I Timothy 6:10), and the root of bitterness (Hebrews 12:15).  On the other hand, we are admonished to have good roots for out of them will come the life that produces good fruits in our lives. (Romans 11:16, Ephesians 3:17, Colossians 2:7).  Jude 1:12 makes an interesting comment about roots, saying that certain trouble-makers in the church are like trees “without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots.”  Their first death was the disappearance of fruit, but their second death was when their roots were pulled out of the ground.  In both a positive and negative sense, we have to realize that there is more to life than meets the eye.  As long as the godly desire in our hearts has not been plucked up, there is still hope for righteousness and godliness to spring back.  However, as long as we are only dealing with the fruit of our sinful nature rather than the root cause, we have not truly mortified the sinful nature. (Romans 8:13, Colossians 3:5)  

 

August 27th, -Prodigal

         

Do you remember how each day of Sesame Street was brought to you by a certain letter from the alphabet?  Well today’s thoughts are brought to you by the letters “P” and “F.”  In Luke chapter eleven, we learn the story of the prodigal son.  His demise is characterized by the letter “P.”  First he experienced Prosperity when the father gave him an early inheritance.  With his Pockets bulging, he set out to Party--a Phase of his life which was characterized by Prostitutes, Promiscuity, Profanity, and Pride, ending in Poverty.  Had the story ended there, there would be no reason for its having been included in the Bible; it is a story that is repeated in real life on a daily basis.  Every day the same script is played out with a different leading man.  However, there is another part of this particular story that makes it worth the space it takes on the pages of scripture.  This part of the story is characterized by the letter “F.”  His life at this point was labeled as one of Failure, but something rose up inside him; it was Faith which caused him to return to his Father’s home where he discovered his Father’s Faithfulness.  Even though he had no physical reason to expect his son to return, the old man never gave up his hope as he stared down the road daily looking for the wayward lad.  Even though the Forgiving Father did not require it or even accept it, the son demonstrated his willingness to take Financial responsibility for his actions by coming back as a household servant rather than expecting to be treated as a son.  He also demonstrated Forth rightfulness, when he honestly admitted his errors.  The result was Forgiveness and Fulfillment.

 

August 28th, -Getting There

         

In a previous meditation, we talked about how other people’s unwilling hearts can delay what God is trying to do in our lives.  There are also other hindrances which can postpone or even cancel out God’s good plan for us.  I Timothy  1:19 speaks of the possibility of making shipwreck of our faith--a total derailment of God’s intentions through our rebellion.  It is also possible to be detained in the process of fulfilling God’s plan.  A great example is Joseph in Egypt.  He had to go through the pit, Potipher’s house, and the prison before he reached the fulfillment of his dream.  In such cases, we have to remember that even though people may plan evil against us, God has a good plan which will eventually come to fruition. (Genesis 50:20)  In I Thessalonians 2:18,  Paul spoke of his mission as having been deterred, saying that Satan had twice hindered him.  Slowed down, but never willing to be stopped, the apostle pressed on with determination.  One other sad hindrance is when we allow ourselves to be detoured on our path to destiny.  A friend of mine was doing a wonderful work in India, often preaching to crowds as large as one hundred thousand.  However, his wife who had spent many years in America could not readjust to life in India and constantly badgered him to return to the States.  The last I heard, he was pastoring a congregation of about fifty people in Ohio.  Another story comes from one of my Bible college students who had a remarkable calling.  To help pay his college expenses, he took an advancement in his secular job which eventually demanded so much time that he had to drop out of Bible school.  Fourteen years later that he got back on track.

 

August 29th, -The Parking Place

         

As we headed into downtown San Francisco for dinner, my wife muttered a simple prayer, “Oh Lord, help us find a parking place.”  Still at least eight blocks from the restaurant, she pointed out an empty place and acted a bit agitated when I passed it.  As we got closer to the location, her frustration began to show as we drove past block after block of filled parking spots.  Finally, I slipped into a slot right in front of the door to the restaurant!  As we were escorted to our seat, Peggy remarked to the attendant, “I can’t believe we found a parking place right in front of your restaurant.”  I avoided spoiling our lovely dinner with an argument by biting my tongue rather than pointing out that she had asked God to give her a good parking space.

 

Of course, this sort of flux between belief and unbelief is not unique.  Acts chapter twelve tells the story of Peter’s miraculous release from prison.  When he came to the house where the believers had gathered for an all-night prayer meeting on his behalf, Rhoda ran into the meeting to report that someone with the key needed to open the gate and let him in, but they all said that she was crazy.  When she insisted that he really was at the gate, they conceded that if anyone really was at the gate it would have to be his angel, not Peter himself.  When the knocking persisted, they finally opened the door only to discover that Rhoda was indeed correct--it really was Peter.  Luke sums up the story with the statement that they were astonished.

 

Maybe we should all pray as did the father who brought his demon-possessed boy to Jesus, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” (Mark 9:24)

 

 

August 30th, -Preparation H

         

Have you ever heard the commercials where the guy talks about how Preparation H had cured him of the discomfort of hemorrhoids?  Well, there is a spiritual Preparation H that will cure us of all the discomforts of life.  It comes in three easy applications:

 

Application #1: Prepare your heart. In Matthew 10:25, Jesus said that it is enough for the disciple that he be as his master and the servant as his lord. In other words, if we look at Jesus and prepare our heart to live and act like Him, we will be relieved of all the self-imposed discomforts of having to make our own mark in life.  Living life as a servant is ultimately more comfortable than being one who expects to be served.

 

Application #2: Prepare your head In II Timothy 2:15, we learn that we should study to show ourselves approved unto God, a workman who doesn’t need to be ashamed because we are rightly dividing the Word of truth.  I Peter 3:15 continues by instructing us to always be ready to give an answer to every man who might ask us for a reason of the hope that is in us.  In addition to having a right heart which will produce that blessed hope, we must train our minds through constant study of the Word so that we understand what God is doing in our lives and can share it with others.

 

Application #3: Preparation through the Holy Spirit In Luke 24:49, Jesus told us that the Holy Spirit is like American Express, we shouldn’t leave home without it.  It is the Holy Spirit who reveals the truths of God to us and gives us the power to live up to them; therefore, without His help we can never have a truly prepared heart or head.

 

August 31st, -Sacrifice of Praise

         

How many times have you heard pastors or worship leaders encourage you to offer a sacrifice of praise--prompting you to praise the Lord even if you don’t feel like it.  You may have even heard it said, as I have so many times, that we have to “prime the pump” with our praise so that we get to the place that true praise will easily flow out.  Now, please don’t get me wrong--I believe in praising God at all times and in all circumstances, even when it may not seem easy.  I also believe that anything we do in faith will result in God’s blessings; therefore, praise--even when it may seem out of place--will result in God’s blessings and move us into a place where continued praise can flow very naturally.  However, none of this is what the passages about the sacrifice of praise in Jeremiah 33:11 or Hebrews 13:15 are speaking of. 

         

 

In the Old Testament, the bringing of a sacrifice to the Lord was a joyous event, full of celebration and topped off with a banquet of the animal which was offered.  In a time when meat was not part of the daily diet for anyone except the exceptionally wealthy, a good steak dinner in and of itself was enough to make the people happy to make their sacrifice.  In the New Testament, we no longer have animals to sacrifice because Jesus has become the ultimate sacrifice for us.  However, the Lord promised that the new covenant would be superior to the old--and how could it be equal, much less, better if we lost the element of the celebration associated with sacrifice.  God has, indeed, made our covenant better because He substituted praise--which we can offer at any time--for the animal sacrifices which we could only offer when we could afford it!  We are invited to a heavenly barbeque as often as we wish!!