Teach All Nations Mission to the World

July 1st - Power of the Cross

I was in Yangon, Myanmar (Burma), just days after the monk-led protests against the ruling junta. What had started out as peaceful marches turned into bloody massacres as the police opened fire on the unarmed civilians and their saffron-robed leaders. The one thing that was blatantly obvious to me as I walked around the city was the absence of monks who normally seem to be omnipresent. This time I was hard-pressed to find a monk even in the temple. I’m not sure how many were under arrest, how many were in hiding, or how many had just abandoned their robes for a safer appearance in civilian clothing. However, I did see one news article about the monk who had initiated the protest movement. He had escaped to Thailand to seek asylum from the dictatorial government in Burma. The thing that really caught my attention in the article was that he was wearing a crucifix when he crossed the border. Of course, it was only a disguise as far as he was concerned; but I saw something more in the story. It was a powerful testimony to the liberating power of the cross. Even though this man had not accepted Christ as his eternal savior, he understood something of the power of the cross to save his temporal life.

There is power in the cross! That is why Paul boldly declared, “For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified…But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” (I Corinthians 2:2, Galatians 6:14)

July 2nd - Tradition

When I was a kid, the preacher in our Pentecostal church used to make remarks about traditional churches with printed programs for the Sunday service. His point was that everything was so organized that they could publish the schedule in advance. Well, our program was just as set as theirs; the only difference was that it was not written down. We had a certain number of fast songs out of the paperback chorus book, a certain number of songs out of the hardback hymnal, a certain sister would always give a message in tongues, a certain brother would always interpret it, and so on.

Actually, there is nothing wrong with tradition, or form, in worship. It is like a water bottle; it serves the purpose of transporting water. In the case of tradition, the water is the living water of the Holy Spirit. And just like a water bottle, when it no longer holds water it should go to the recycle bin. Have you ever noticed that when you go to the store to buy water, you are influenced to a certain degree by the bottle. How big a bottle do you want? Do you want one with a re-sealable sports cap? Do you want one made of durable enough plastic that you can refill and reuse it? Other than that, your real concern is the water inside. Is it reverse osmosis, spring water, or distilled? Is it sodium free? Does it have minerals added for flavor? The same is true of styles of worship. Certain traditions are matters of personal preference, but the really important matter is whether the worship experience conveys a quality encounter with the Living Water.

July 3rd - Garden of Eden

We traditionally speak of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden as an apple; however, the Bible never identifies it as any particular kind of fruit. In other parts of the world, the people have their own interpretations as to what the problem fruit might have been. In Sri Lanka, it is identified as the mangosteen, a vitamin-rich fruit native to this island which some consider to the actual location of the Garden of Eden. I have also heard one teacher comment that he thinks that the culprit could have been the fig since it was the leaves of the fig tree that they immediately started plucking to manufacture the first human clothing. With all the discussion of the memory-enhancing benefits of ginkgo biloba, I wonder if the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil could have been a gingko tree. After all, the serpent did way it would make them wise. Since ginkgo trees are either male or female, and since people in the U.S. usually plant only the male trees, we rarely see the fruit in this country; however, the female trees do bear a fruit with a large pit which when roasted is considered a delicacy in Asia.

But the real problem in Eden wasn’t the apple on the tree; it was the pair on the ground. The real problem wasn’t the fruit exposed on the tree, but the seed hidden in their hearts. “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” (James 1:13-15)

July 4th - Jesus, the Master Communicator

Did you ever notice that Jesus never used Greek roots when He was teaching? Did you ever notice how He always used real-life illustrations (parables) to get His point across? What about the fact that His teachings always related to every strata of society--children, women, the religious, the illiterate, the gentiles--all at the same time? Have you ever noticed how He seemed to always know what the Bible said about every issue? These are some of the things that made Him such a great communicator of the Word of God. But I want to pick out just a couple additional points that might warrant a bit of extra consideration.

First, let’s consider that He always took things back to the basics. For instance, when He was asked about divorce, he didn’t haggle with the issues on the level that His challengers wanted to pursue. Instead, He went all the way back to creation, “But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” (Mark 10:6-9) When we get to the basics, we avoid all the complications that have developed as others have worked through the questions.
Next, let’s consider that He didn’t just teach; Jesus was the originator of “show and tell”! Nicodemus said that it was the miracles which accompanied His teaching that validated His words. (John 3:2) Luke testified that the gospel is an account of what He taught and did. (Acts 1:1)

July 5th - Transfer of Anointing

Remember the story in First Kings chapter nineteen of when the prophet heard the voice of God? First, there was a wind so great and strong that the mountains and rocks broke; then, there was an earthquake; next there was a fire; finally, the still small voice resonated so powerfully in his soul that the prophet wrapped his face in his mantle and went to stand before the Lord. When God spoke to Elijah, He gave the prophet three directives: anoint Hazael to be king of Syria, anoint Jehu to be king of Israel, and anoint Elisha to be prophet in his place. It is interesting to read the following chapters and notice that Elijah didn’t fulfill the majority of these directives.

He immediately fulfilled one of the commands by anointing a new prophet. I Kings 19:19 records the story of how Elijah found Elisha and cast his mantle upon him. It isn’t until II Kings chapter eight that we read of Hazael’s anointing for the throne over Syria; however it isn’t Elijah who does it--it is his replacement, Elisha. The next chapter records the how Jehu was anointed king of Israel, but it is neither Elijah nor Elisha who does the job; it was a young prophet in training under Elisha. What’s the point of the story? Although some Bible teachers use these passages to fault the prophet, saying that he was disobedient and that others had to fulfill his commission, it might be just as legitimate to consider that it was God’s plan all along to have others complete the prophet’s mandate. Perhaps God wants us to be more interested in developing disciples than in reaching goals. If we deposit our heart solidly enough in others, they will certainly see that our dreams and visions eventually come to pass.

July 6th - What Did You Say?

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid. Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

No, it’s not a message in tongues, but I will interpret it for you in case you didn’t figure it out. The gist of the paragraph is that researchers at Cambridge University have discovered that as long as we have the first and last letters in the proper order, the sequence of the other letters in a word doesn’t matter because our brains have a way of figuring out what is intended. Considering how poorly I type, this is good news for all my readers. This might be a reality check for us. If our brains can ignore what is right in front of us and try to unravel errors and correct them so that we think we are seeing things the way they ought to be rather than the way they really are, maybe we have the same situation with life in general. In other words, are we ignoring the errors that are right in front of us while I brains are telling us that everything is okay? Are we spiritually like the Laodicean church who saw themselves as rich, increased with goods, and in need of nothing when they were actually wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked? Do we need to do as the Lord directed them and anoint our eyes with eye salve so that we can see clearly?

July 7th - Fresh Fish

I was leaning toward the Pacific salmon, but the waiter was really trying to sell me on the Alaskan halibut. After he recited all accolades of the taste and texture, he began to expound on how fresh it would be. He informed me that the restaurant had an agreement with the supplier that guaranteed that the halibut would be in their kitchen within thirty-six hours of the time that it was pulled from the sea. Well, that prompted me to question how long the salmon had be out of the water. Without a pause in his cadence, he answered, “About a day and a half.” I politely refrained from laughing out loud and ordered the salmon.

Ironically, our whole lives are full of those moments when we can’t distinguish between six and a half dozen. For instance, if someone cuts us off in traffic, we instantly “lay on the horn.” Well, if it was rude for him to change lanes at short notice without a signal, why is it not rude for us to blast him with our horn? I guess it it is all a matter of the little adage I learned as a child about the pot that called the kettle black. It is easier to see other’s faults when we totally ignore that we have much the same--and usually, much worse--problems.

Jesus asked, “Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye.”

July 8th - Christ’s Triumphant Entry

The Passion Week began with what we know of as the Triumphant Entry when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. The celebration that day was birthed out of the banquet in honor of Lazarus' having been raised from the dead; however, there was a sinister undertone to the whole event as the religious leaders of the day actually began to concoct a plot to kill both Jesus and Lazarus; they wanted to get rid of not only the Messiah but also the evidence of His miraculous power. A couple interesting truths concerning this episode in Jesus’ life can be gleaned by looking back at the prophecies concerning it. First, the proclamations the people were shouting that day came form the Hallel Hymns, passages from the Psalms which were sung during the time of the slaying of the Passover lambs--something more than a mere coincidence! It is this section of scripture which included the statement about the stone which the builders rejected, a clear prophecy that Jesus was to be rejected but later recognized as the Messiah. When the religious leaders tried to convince Jesus to stop the people from proclaiming His praises, He quoted part of Psalm 8:2 which goes on to declare that the praise out of the mouth of babes and sucklings stills the enemy and avenger, indicating that Jesus realized that this event was a spiritual conflict, not just an impromptu celebration. Of course, the very passage that the whole event is predicted by is Zechariah 9:9 which declares that the one who comes on the donkey will be the king. Even as the people were plotting His death, they were paving the way for Him to become the Everlasting Ruler!

July 9th - Heart of the People

The story of Jesus’ ride into Jerusalem on the donkey during the Triumphant Entry is really a case study into the condition of the heart of man. Paradoxically, even the ones who so joyously acclaimed Him wound up calling for Him to be crucified just a few short days later. When He entered into the temple, Jesus was confronted by the Pharisees and the Herodians who had teamed up to try to trick Him with the question about paying taxes. Next came the Sadducees who tried to test Him with the question about the resurrection. Following them was the lawyer who attempted to trap Him with a question about the greatest of the commandments. None of these were legitimate questions; rather they were all well orchestrated attempts to catch Jesus in His own words. The revelation of the perverseness of the human hearts led Jesus to stop and look over the city with a broken heart crying, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how oft I would have gathered you under my wings but you would not...If only you had known the day of your visitation…” He then gave what we have come to know as the Olivet Discourse in which He predicted the city’s destruction and the signs of the end of the world as we know it--the Great Tribulation and Armageddon. Interestingly enough, when we continue our study of these eschatological events, we find Jesus again mounted on the back of a horse--only this time it a white stallion, not a humble donkey. (Revelation 19:11-16) Because men hardened their hearts against the humble messenger on the donkey, He will return on His conqueror’s steed to judge their wicked hearts.

July 10th - Pay Attention

The huge rock had sat in plain view on roadside geological display for some seventy years before it was moved to the Morrison (CO) Natural History Museum where it sat in plain view for another couple years until one day a museum curator decided to take his lunch break next to the exhibit. While casually glancing at the boulder between bites of his sandwich, something happened to catch his eye. On closer examination, he realized that he had made a significant paleontological discovery--a set of tiny footprints from a baby dinosaur. How many eyes had looked at the rock but not seen its unique treasure? A man paid seventy-five cents each for a stack of old glass photographic plates in garage sale. He later discovered that these plates may be the negatives of some of the photographs by the famous photographer Ansel Adams. If further studies prove his discover, his plates will be worth many thousands of dollars each. Of course, that garage sale bargain is negligible to the man who bought an old painting for three dollars to find that behind the matting of the picture was a priceless copy of the Declaration of Independence. I was in a meeting when the speaker was throwing out samples of items from his book table. I looked down for just a second, only to be hit in the head by a t-shirt he had tossed my direction. When someone else grabbed it, I decided that I should keep my focus on what was happening. In the very next service, I caught book that made a curve-ball turn and came directly to me.

The moral of the story is to always pay attention to what is right in front of you--otherwise, you may miss some of God’s greatest surprise blessings.

July 11th - Necessity of the Holy Spirit

In John 16:7, Jesus said that it was expedient for us that He should go away because unless He left, the Holy Spirit could not come. The word “expedient” means fitting or proper. In other words, it was a good thing for Jesus to leave--and the reason that it was good for Him to leave was so that the Holy Spirit could come.

What is the advantage of having the Holy Spirit? The first thing that Jesus said was that He would work in conviction or cross-examination. (John 16:8) Cross examination is when the attorney asks questions about the same event in a way to elicit a whole new set of answers and a way of looking at the issue. This is like what Jesus did when He wrote in the sand as the woman was being tried for adultery. The Holy Spirit does exactly the same thing in our lives by giving us God’s perspective on issues so that we can soar about the limited human vantage point. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9)

Probably the next most important advantage of having the Holy Spirit in our lives is that He gives us the ability to bear the fruit of the spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23) In the same way that you are not attracted to an apple tree until it has fruit on it, people are not attracted to us until we start to bear the fruit of the spirit.

Of greatest significance is the Holy Spirit’s ability to help us live above sin. (Galatians 5:16) Wow, what a promise! It doesn’t matter whether you speak in tongues if you still lie in English or if you fall out in the Spirit if you still stand in the way of sinners when you get up!

July 12th - If You Play with Fire, You’re Gonna Get Burnt

Have you ever noticed that our society identifies sex with fire? We speak of sizzling sex, sexual things as being flashy and dazzling, sexual encounters as steamy, and women--and even guys--as being hot, maybe even red hot. But believe it or not, such terminology wasn’t invented by Sex in the City or even television at all for that matter. It actually goes all the way back to the Bible. Close to three thousand years ago, Solomon wrote, “Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.” (Proverbs 6:27-29) He made his analogy even more dramatic in the next chapter when he wrote about the prostitute’s house as the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death. (verse 27)

Notice the contrast when he speaks of the sexual relationship within marriage. Instead of fire, he likens it to refreshing water--a symbol that was especially powerful in the desert land of Israel. “Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well. Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets. Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee. Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love. And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger? For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.” (Proverbs 5:15-21)

13th - Out of the Mouths of Babes

I was sitting patiently in an airport waiting for my flight when the little guy in a nearby chair looked up and asked me, “Are you a nice man?” After a bit of a chuckle, I responded, “Well, I certainly hope so. I do try to be.” That little conversation reminded me of another incident with a little guy on a street corner in Washington, DC. It was very early on a Saturday morning so there were none of the weekday workers traveling and most of the tourists hadn’t make it out onto the streets yet, so you could look a mile in every direction and see no oncoming traffic. I came to the crosswalk at the same time as did a family with a couple young children plus one in a stroller. In the absence of any cars on the road, we all stepped off the sidewalk and just kept walking across the street ignoring the fact that the “don’t walk” sign was illuminated. Just then, the little boy--well, man--insisted, “Stop! The light’s not green!” We all jumped back up onto the curb and waited for the light to change and all non-existent traffic to clear.

At times like these, we’re reminded that what little ears hear does make a difference. The boy in the airport had been taught not to talk to strangers because they might not be nice men, and the little guy at the crosswalk had learned his lesson well concerning crossing streets. Perhaps that is the reason that Jesus asks us to be like children in order to receive the kingdom of God (Luke 18:17) and why He is so protective of these little ones (Matthew 18:6, 10, 14) “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise.” (Matthew 21:16)

14th - Godly People Under Ungodly Governments

I spend a lot of my time in countries which seem to make it toward the top of the list of governments known for human rights abuse. When I see how the poor people of these nations suffer under the hand of the dictatorial governments, it challenges me to try to understand how these precious people should respond to their situation. I often think of the illustration that Jesus gave with a coin when He was asked if the people should pay taxes to Rome. His simple answer was to show them the image on the coin and tell them to give the coin to the one whose image it bore. The more challenging part of His response was that they should give to God whatever bore His image. What Jesus did was to get the people to see the bigger picture. Throughout the Bible there were those who lived under oppressive governments but saw the bigger picture--what God was doing for eternity through the temporary governments. Joseph and Daniel were taken to Egypt and Babylon as slaves, yet they both prophesied their way to places of great influence. Esther was nothing more than a sexual toy in the king’s harem, but she submitted to the embarrassment and humiliation, knowing that God had placed her in exactly the right place at exactly the right time. These men and women in these oppressive nations may never rise to places of political power, but their presence is salt and light in these hurting nations and their prayers certainly change things. “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” (I Timothy 2:1-2)

15th - True Power

We often say that money is power, but we also feel that knowledge is power. The Wizard of Oz is just one example of how a man with no real power was able to appear essentially omnipotent because of his knowledge. But the real truth is that power does not reside in your brain nor in your pocketbook. It resides in your heart.

Take King David for example. He gained his position as leader of the nation because God looked at his heart and liked what He saw. (I Samuel 16:7) On the other hand, David fell from his position because God judged his heart after he had allowed it to become corrupted. (II Samuel 12:7-15--esp. 12, see also Luke 12:2-3 & Romans 2:16) The glory of the story is that he was restored to his position because God cleansed his heart. (Psalm 51--esp. 10, see also Isaiah 1:18) David was subsequently preserved in his position because God honored the guard he placed on his heart. (Psalms 119:11 and 139:23, see also Proverbs 4:23)

In Ephesians 3:20, Paul speaks of the power that works in us. This passage follows up his teaching on love in the two previous verses in which he makes the statement concerning knowing the love of Christ, which passes knowledge as we are filled with all the fullness of God. If we also remember what he said in Romans 5:5 concerning the fact that the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, it seems obvious that the power he is taking about that is working in us is the love of God that has taken residence in our hearts. If we want real power, we will find it only in our hearts and only when the love of God has its rightful place of authority there.

July 16th - Like Mother, like Son

We’ve all heard it said, “Like father, like son.” I’m certain that this is true, but it is equally, if not more so, true that sons are made by their mothers. Mothers change the future of their children and then change the future through their children.
Jocabed was a woman of courage who produced Moses, a man of courage. (Exodus 2:1-9) Hannah was a woman of determination who produced Samuel, a man of determination. Even when Eli’s sons were wicked, he was determined to be righteous. (I Samuel 1:1-28) Eunice was a woman of vision who produced Timothy, a man of vision. (II Timothy 1:5, II Timothy 2:2) Mary was a woman of obedience who produced Jesus, a man of obedience. (Luke 1:28-30, Philippians 2:8) Sarah was a woman of faith who produced Isaac, a man of faith. (Hebrews 11:11) Lemuel’s mother was a woman of wisdom who produced a wise king. (Proverbs 31:1) A prostitute who appeared before King Solomon was a woman of love who produced a son which was probably a man of love. (I Kings 3:16-27)

Mothers can have positive or negative influences. We have to make certain that our heritage is of the spiritual mother, not the mother of carnality. “…Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise…Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise…So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.” (Galatians 4:22-31)

July 17th - Peace

I recently heard of a man who had a pacemaker installed. Afterwards he commented that he might have been able to have avoided the surgery had he had a peacemaker installed several years prior.

Peace is an almost universal prayer from the apostles for the churches and individuals under their care. Paul opens every one of his letters with the request that the recipients would experience peace. (Romans 1:7, I Corinthians 1:3, II Corinthians 1:2, Galatians 1:3, Ephesians 1:2, Philippians 1:2, Colossians 1:2, I Thessalonians 1:1, II Thessalonians 1:2, I Timothy 1:2, II Timothy 1:2, Titus 1:4, Philemon 1:3) Both John and Jude echo this request (II John 1:3, Revelation 1:4, Jude 1:2), while Peter expands it by calling for the recipients of his letters to have peace multiplied toward them. (I Peter 1:2, II Peter 1:2) According to Acts 10:36, the whole focus of Jesus’ earthly ministry was to preach peace--a statement that was verified by one of His last words to the disciples, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.” (John 14:27) The scriptures clearly instruct us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. (Psalm 122:6)
I can vividly remember my college days when the “Peace Movement” swept through the college campuses of America like a tornado. I will never forget the one “peace” rally at which I heard one “peacenic” threaten to set the campus ablaze--a really peaceful move as best I could tell. He was seeking the kind of peace the world gives--the absence of tension. But he was missing the kind of peace that Jesus give--the presence of righteousness.

July 18th - What is Your Source?

We often say that money is power. Without it, we are disenfranchised and powerless. I have had an number of situations when I found myself without it and was, therefore, powerless. On a couple occasions in India, I was stranded in places where I ran out of rupees and could not change my American currency. I remember sitting on the platform of a train station feeling very at home with the beggar who shared my spot. In the state of Kashmir, I was embarrassed to not even have enough local currency to buy a glass of juice and had to accept the hospitality of a stranger. On another occasion, I gave away all my money in the airport, but discovered that I was not able to board flight. That meant that I was stranded in India for the next seven days with no money. You can imagine how powerless I felt that whole week. One time, I arrived in Rwanda on the weekend when I could not get any money changed. Because my baggage had not made it with me, I was stuck with no change of clothes and no was to get any new ones for several days. Not wanting to wear the same clothes I had worn for two days on the plane, I had to swallow my pride and accept hand-outs from strangers to make it through the weekend. Another experience left me on the side of the road with only fifty cents in my pocket when my car was totaled in an accident near Baltimore. Fortunately, the other people in the accident took me to dinner and then on to my destination. But looking back at these situations, I can say with all assurance that no matter how powerless I might have felt at the time, my real power was not money--I didn’t have any of it! My power was the presence of the Lord who cares for me.

July 19th - Three Bags of Wool

Bah, bah black sheep have you any wool?

Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Three bags full. One for the master, one for the dame, and one for the little boy who lives in the lane.

Remember that nursery rhyme from your childhood? My guess is that you are just as puzzled as I am concerning its origin and meaning, but today I want to look at it from a little different perspective--not what it actually means, but what it could possibly mean.
I have no idea if the creator of the rhyme intended to infuse any meaning into the fact that he called the sheep black, a common expression for a misfit; but I’d like to suggest that it adds meaning to the story since this misfit is showing responsibility equal to, if not exceeding, that of the normal flock. Jesus taught us that it would be the misfits of society (prostitutes, tax collectors, and gentiles) who would make up the kingdom of God while some of the religious looking and acting folks would be left outside. Notice that the sheep was diligent to be generous to his master. In the church world, we see this symbolic of taking care of the pastor. In fact, there is even a bit of advice that I give to pastors, “If you feed the flock, you can ask for the wool, but not fleece them.” Beyond his generosity to the master, he also is generous to the dame, or the master’s wife. I see this as the double honor spoken of in I Timothy 5:17--a blessing so generous to the pastor that his wife and family recognize the generosity of the sheep. Finally, there is a bag of wool for the little boy who lives in the lane, symbolic of the homeless and under-privileged--the true proof of the heart touched by Jesus.

July 20th - Beyond Goosebumps

After the goosebumps have faded, there are many significant benefits to having the Holy Spirit in our lives. One of the really important aspects is that He gives us assurance in our prayers and decisions. (Romans 8:26-28) He also gives us boldness in our witnessing and lives in general. (Acts 4:31) On the top of the list as far as I’m concerned is His guidance--especially in life’s important decisions, but in our daily lives well. (John 16:13) Of course we must not overlook the fact that His main objective is to glorify Jesus--something that I am pleased to let Him do through my life. (John 16:14)

One major factor that Paul stressed was the Holy Spirit’s role in bringing us revelation of who we are in Christ and who Christ is in us. (Ephesians 1:16-19, I Corinthians 1:9-10) It is the Holy Spirit who sees that the love of God is implanted into our hearts (Romans 5:5) and that the kingdom of God is birthed inside us (Romans 14:17). The Holy Spirit declares the fact that we have been adopted by God. (Romans 8:16) He also helps us overcome our weaknesses in prayer (Romans 8:26), and He strengthens and empowers us (I Corinthians 14:4, Jude 20, Acts 1:8)

My advice--and Jesus’ directive as well--is that we should have the American Express attitude concerning the Holy Spirit, “Don't leave home without it.” (Luke 24:49) We have a job to do, but we can't do it without Holy Spirit. As great as education and organization may be, they won't do the job any more than the best power tools without an extension cord!

July 21stPaul’s Prison “P”s

In the book of Philippians, Paul emphasized joy. He uses the word “rejoice” ten times (verses 1:18; 2:16, 17, 18, 28; 3:1, 3; 4:4) and the word “joy” six times (verses 1:4, 25: 2:2, 17, 18; 4:1) in the short four-chapter book. He could write to the church about practicing praise and rejoicing in the midst of persecution because that is exactly the way he lived and was actually the foundation of his ministry in the city of Philippi.
The story of Paul’s prison “P”s in the Philippian penitentiary is recorded in Acts chapter 16. Notice how each step is characterized with a word starting with “P.”

Prison         Verses 23-24
Praise          Verse 25
Provision     Verse 26
Protection    Verses 27-28
Pentance      Verses 29-30
Promise       Verse 31
Preaching     Verse 32
Purging        Verse 33
Purging of wounds with water
Purging of sins with baptism
Party           Verses 34
Proposition   Verses 35-36
Privileges      Verses 37-39
Parting          Verse 40

His praise and rejoicing precipitated in his deliverance and the salvation of the jailer and his whole family, not to mention the multiplication growth that eventually produced a great parish in Philippi.

July 22nd - Paradox

Someone once said that a paradox is two places to moor your boat (a pair ’o docks). Well, I don’t know about that, but I have seen a lot of things in life that are truly paradoxes. For instance, the state with the highest number of terrorist targets is down-home Indiana. Of course, when you include such places as the Amish Country Popcorn Factory, it probably doesn’t take long to add up to the 8,591 potential targets listed within the state’s borders.

But life actually has much more significant paradoxes than this. The greatest paradoxes are found in the spiritual realm where we learn such things as:

“But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.” (Mark 10:31)

“But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.” (Matthew 23:11)

“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” (Matthew 16:25)

“Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:4)

“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth (crucified), will draw all men unto me.” (John 12:32)

“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.” (Acts 2:36)

“For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.” (Matthew 13:12)

July 23rdOur Own Plans

Yogi Berra once said, “We’re lost, but we’re making good time.” That’s the way most of us live life, rushing headlong toward the unknown. We don’t know where we are going, but we are wasting no time getting there. We’ve laid plans for our lives, but we have no certainty that these plans will really work since we cannot predict what lies around the corner. As Robert Burns wrote in To a Mouse, “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.”

Either Solomon was getting a bit senile or he was distracted by those seven hundred wives and three hundred girl friends or he just thought that it was such an important point that he thought he should make it twice, knowing that most of us wouldn’t catch it on the first time round. At any rate he wrote, “There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death,” in Proverbs 14:12 and then repeated the exact advice a couple chapters later in Proverbs 16:25. A more modern proverb which makes much the same point goes, “Want to make God laugh? Tell Him your plans.” We all have our own plans, but the problem with them is that they are based on a very limited scope of vision. We cannot see what is waiting for us down the road. God, on the other hand, will never be surprised or caught off guard by anything that happens. He declared, “I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.” (Isaiah 46:9-10) Since He knows the future--in fact, He even orchestrated it--if we follow His plan, we will be walking into the future along a path that leads to life rather than death.

July 24th - Satisfied

In many parts of the world, merchants do not have price tags on the items for sale. When you see something that you’d like to have, you ask how much he wants for it and then begin a haggling contest to see how much you can get him to come down. The thing that I’ve learned about this barter system from my many experiences in places like India where this is the accepted practice is that the merchant isn’t happy unless you give him a real “run for his money.” If you take his first price, then he walks away from the deal with a few extra rupees in his pocket but also with the feeling that he should have asked more since you were such an easy target. If you really press a hard deal, he walks away knowing that he has wrangled every cent possible out of you. In other words, if you give in too soon neither you or he are happy because you probably paid too much and he is certain that he got too little. The moral of the story is, don’t give in too quickly.

This same principle applies to our spiritual lives. I’m not implying that we have to barter a deal with God; my point is that we too often accept too little when God is ready to give us more. On many occasions when I’ve prayed with people for healing and asked them if they could tell any difference they have replied, “It’s better.” When I remind them that Jesus didn’t take stripes on His back for us to be better but for us to be healed, they have decided to expect more--and they always receive more! Dr. Lester Sumrall used to always say that the problem with the church is that we are too soon satisfied. Ask yourself today if there is more that you should be receiving from God. If so don’t be satisfied until you receive it!

July 25th - The End is Near

Every time we had a cool snap in the middle of the summer or an unseasonably warm day in the middle of the winter, my grandmother would always say, “It’s a sign that the Lord is coming back soon because the Bible says that in the last days you won’t be able to tell summer from winter.” No matter how many times we tried to tell her that this particular omen wasn’t included in the list of signs of the end, we were never able to convince her. Likewise, every time we hear about natural catastrophes such as earthquakes, cyclones, hurricanes, and tsunamis, there are prognosticators who surface to predict that the end is near. Of course, all it takes is a report of the widespread decline in morality, the onslaught of the global AIDS epidemic, or the increase in the crime rate for church people to start panicking over the impending doomsday. Global warming and the failing economy, not to even mention politics (including elections in the US and despots in power around the world) are also great fodder for apocalyptic forecasts.

Unfortunately, we seem to constantly overlook one of the very signs that Jesus Himself listed, “Then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another…then shall the end come.” (Matthew 24:3-14) It seems that as we keep surveying the whole world for signs of the end, we have failed to look into our own hearts to see if we are indicators of His imminent return. Someone recently said that the spirit of offense is so omnipresent in the church that it seems to have become the legal drug of Christians.

“I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.” (Acts 24:16)

July 26th - Obstacles

Someone once said that the shortest distance between two points is always under construction. We can certainly see this principle at work in the story of Joseph’s dreams. In his case, he had major run-in with Murphy’s Law, “Anything that can go wrong will.” He started off at point A with a couple dreams that promised him a bright future, but then he wound up in a pit, followed by being sold as a slave which took him to a strange land where he wound up in prison. Finally, he had a chance to be released, but the guy holding his “get out of jail” card forgot to play it for a couple years. Ultimately he made it to point B when he was released from prison and instated as second in command of the kingdom, but he had been through a lot of bumps in the road and over some amazingly deep potholes in the meantime.

How did he make it? The same way we all make it through the construction zones of our lives. He never gave up on the goal he had in mind. If you ladies are headed to the outlet mall or you guys headed toward your favorite fishing hole, there is no amount of construction that can deter you--detour maybe, but definitely not deter! The same has to be true with the life goals we have set for ourselves--and especially for the ones that we feel have been set for us by God. Joseph realized that his destiny was not of his own making, but that the dreams were actually God’s mandate for him; therefore, nothing was going to stop him from getting through the construction zone to his goal. He summed up his hardships in life as, “God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.” (Genesis 50:20)

July 27th - Heart of a Minister

Ephesians 4:11 enumerates the five different ministers which Christ has set in the Body of Christ to bless the church. However, many of us have difficulty even recognizing who these different ministers are much less knowing how to draw upon their ministries to best benefit our spiritual lives. The apostle is a man or woman whom God has given a special heart for a certain area and he or she becomes a pioneer who forges into this area to establish the Kingdom of God in that area. Generally we think of this as a geographical area such as a certain city or country; however, it could be a certain arena of activity such as technology, sports, entertainment, business, education, government, or military. The prophet is a minister whom God has given a special heart for the church in general. He or she sees the direction that the Lord wants the church to move in and will speak out to show the way and intercede so that others will also catch the vision. The evangelist is an individual with a special heart for the lost. He or she will do whatever it takes to see that the unsaved are presented with the message of God’s grace. The pastor is the one who has been given a special heart for the sheep of a specific flock. He or she will, like a good shepherd, lay down his or her life for those sheep. The teacher is the one who has a genuine heart for the truth. He or she loves to communicate truth, regardless of the audience. This person knows what God is saying and is eager to be His mouthpiece.
Once we recognize who these individuals are and what their orientation is, we need to submit ourselves to their ministries to receive the benefits as needed.

July 28th - Prophet Bob

When Peggy and I attended the orientation meeting for a group of people who were planning a mission trip to Africa, we were the “new kids on the block” since the others had already met a couple times to discuss the trip. As we went around the room for introductions, I especially took note of one gentleman who introduced himself as “Prophet Bob.” As the discussions progressed that afternoon, Peggy and I began to sense a real uncertainty among the group. Finally Peggy asked everyone to just put their cards on the table, “Who is really committed to going on this mission trip?” One by one, they each began to explain that they wanted to but were unsure. When we got to “Prophet Bob,” he explained that he was going if God provided the money. It was all I could do to restrain myself from blurting out, “Well, if you are a prophet, then why don’t you prophesy as to whether He is going to give you the money or not!” It turned out that neither “Prophet Bob” nor anyone else in that room other than the mission organizer and Peggy and I actually wound up in Africa.

The problem with “Prophet Bob,” most of the people in that room, and a major portion of the Body of Christ is that we really don’t know who we are and so we make up our own identities--not too unlike school girls who put on grown-up makeup long before they are ready and schoolboys who walk around looking macho when they are still developing a few muscles. Perhaps we could all take some good advice from Dr. Lester Sumrall who said that we shouldn’t wear tags--just live our lives and let others decide how to label us. He pointed out that a banana tree doesn’t wear a label, it just produces bananas.

July 29th - Power of Words

I recently heard of an experiment in which ice crystals were frozen while being exposed to different sounds. According to the report, the ice crystals which froze while harsh, angry sounds were blasted toward them formed distorted figures while the ones which froze while exposed to gentle, soothing sounds formed symmetrically and orderly. This experiment simply goes one step further into research which has been going on for decades. It has been well documented that plants which are grown under the sound of classical music are healthy and develop well while plants exposed to rock and roll music grow to be crooked and malformed. If these reports are to be believed, we can learn something about the power of our words.

To me the development of the plants is not too surprising since they are living things, and we can understand that live is influenced by sound and rhythm. If it works in plants which have life so they can be effected by music but do not have intelligence to analyze the meaning of the sounds, imagine how powerful our words can be to other humans who do have reasoning power. This why Paul directs us, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” (Colossians 3:16) The amazing thing is that even the non-living ice crystals are influenced by the power of sound. This means that we can use our words to change everything that effects us. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” (Proverbs 18:21)

July 30th - Power of Resurrection

Although Paul had many achievements and a lifetime of accolades to boast of, he discredited everything for only one attainment--the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus. His goal in life was to be found in Him with only the righteousness which is of God by faith, desiring to know Him and the power of His resurrection. (Philippians 3:8-11) This was not just his prayer for himself but also his constant intercession for the saints--that they would have the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him so that the eyes of their understanding would be enlightened so that they could comprehend the mighty power available to them because of Christ’s resurrection. (Ephesians 1:16-23)

Notice how prominently the resurrection plays into the ministry of the apostles in the book of Acts: they were called witnesses of the resurrection (1:22, 4:33); their sermons were centered around the theme (2:31, 23:6, 24:15); they were singled out from the other religious leaders of the time because of this teaching (4:2, 17:18, 17:32, 24:21).
My question is, “Do we really see the resurrection as the central focus of our faith today?” Oh, certainly we celebrate the resurrection every Easter, but do we see it as the main--no, only--defining characteristic of our faith and spiritual lives? Is our Christianity just a way of life that brings us to a better day-to-day existence because we follow a good moral standard, or is it a victoriously overcoming life founded on the fact that Jesus Christ came up out of the tomb with victory over death, hell, and the grave--a victory that He then passed on to us?

July 31st - Patience

We all know that patience is a virtue, but did you realize that it is actually listed thirty-three times in the New Testament?

It is listed as a key to bringing forth fruit. (Luke 8:15) It is necessary if we want to possess, or take charge of, our souls (our very lives). (Luke 21:19) It is the means by which we take the disappointment out of tribulation. (Romans 5:3-5) It is the avenue that leads to likemindedness in the Body of Christ. (Romans 15:5) It is one of the ways we prove ourselves as worthy ministers. (II Corinthians 6:4) Patience is an apostolic sign listed right along side of mighty works, signs, and wonders. (II Corinthians 12:12) It is necessary for inheriting the promises of God. (Hebrews 6:12, 10:36) Right along side of laying aside sin, it is considered a key ingredient in running a successful spiritual race. (Hebrews 12:1) It will bring us to the place that we are perfect and entire, wanting nothing. (James 1:4) Also identified as “long suffering,” patience is the additional key with a good conscience that keeps us from making shipwreck of our faith. (I Timothy 1:16-19)

Patience is what works in the White House Christmas tree for many decades as it prepares for one short season of glory on the nation’s front lawn. In the same way, patience is the necessary ingredient in our lives as we go through our years of preparation for our appointed time of ministry.

Daily Ditties from Delron's Desk July 2009

Daily Ditties from Delron's Desk

July 2009