Monday, March 27, 2017
Musings of a Prodigal Son - Restoration - Part 6 (from an earlier post)
I cannot speak enough about the wonderous Grace of God. Our denial of Christ in our lives is turned by God into a resounding witness as He resurrects in us, as He did in the Apostle Peter, our Pentecost. It is comforting to know that He is always at busy expanding the Kingdom even when we are not.
ALL THINGS (good and bad) work together for good (the advancement of the Kingdom of God) to those who love God and who are called according to HIS purpose (Romans 8:28).
One of my most prized possessions is a throw (blanket) that the church gave me on my fifth (5th) anniversary as their pastor. In the corner of this blanket is embroidered the above verse (minus my additions of course). Every time that I look at it, it has special meaning to me. It reminds me that Jesus just wants us to recognize our inability to live the victorious life but just wants us to embrace Him and live His Life so that others may know God.
I haven't committed all the sins that you think I have. I have committed more than you think I have. Those people that you look up to every day, if the truth were revealed, are not doing much better than you are. We are all subject to doing the wrong things. We are all subject to omitting the things that we should do. The distance created by those things often encourages us to become numb to them in order to continue living. That is until someone reminds us of those things. The quest of the cross is to become totally aware of those things but to take it one step further and realize that Jesus died so that you can be forgiven and live in communion with God as a result. You never get "good" enough. That is the fallacy of the modern church and the lie that many Christians live in. That if I spend enough time around good people doing good things, I will be good. All the while, we are all bad in our flesh (there is none righteous, no not one). Remember the flesh has to be crucified, it is not redeemable. Jesus died to give us a new LIFE, not to remodel the old. We still carry around that flesh but it is no more good than it was before Jesus redeemed us. It must still be crucified daily, hourly, at every moment. It still exerts itself in our lives no matter how much we try to keep it at bay. The only recourse we have is to "walk in the Spirit". That means living in Kingdom of God reality and not according to the laws of this world. Now before anyone reading this becomes concerned, I am not saying that we are not subject to this worlds laws. Part of Walking in the Spirit is obeying the laws of the land (see Jesus' response to the Pharisee's when they asked Him if it is right to pay taxes). What I am saying is that Kingdom Law applies to our lives. Kingdom Laws are higher laws. They sometimes operate outside of natural laws. They defy the laws of science. How can one operate there? By faith. If we have faith the size of a grain of mustard seed (very small), we can say to a mountain, move and the mountain will move. We could heal the sick, raise the dead, cause blind people to see. I know, I know. That is not our experience. What I am saying is that the Bible teaches that we should bring our experience up to Kingdom living instead of bringing Kingdom living down to our experience. There is one caveat that I would like to mention here. Sometimes, those who want to live in Kingdom of God power fail to remember that it is for ONE purpose only. That purpose is that others may know HIM (Jesus) and also experience the forgiveness of God. Otherwise, when a person comes to know Christ, they would immediately separate from this fleshly body and go to be with Jesus in full Kingdom reality. But we stay here. Why? So that Christ in us can draw others to Him. You cannot access the power without committing to the life. For there to be POWER, we must live for the right PURPOSE. Many people today want to be close to God so that HE CAN BLESS THEM. He has already blessed you by allowing you to come to Him. He wants to be powerful in YOU SO THAT YOU CAN BLESS OTHERS. Therefore, I believe the power of God comes to those who give their life away that others may know Him, live or die, that he may be glorified so that others can come to Him. We are told that even though this type of life may be tough, it is the most fulfilling joyous life imaginable. Jesus wants our "joy to be full." Joy in living is blocked to the extent that we do not live fully surrendered to the life of Christ. I believe this is the reason why many people who don't know Christ often live "happier" lives than many Christians you may see. It is because many Christians live a "divided" life. A divided life is much less joyous than a life lived one way or the other. Much of my life has been spent divided. God is saying to me and to many of you that it is time to step out of the divide. If you know Christ, you will only live joyously if you are crucified daily with him. When you are committed to Him and crucify the flesh daily, you are subject to Kingdom reality and Kingdom Laws which transcend this present realm. To live or die, to be here or to be present with the Lord, can be your reality. This seems to be the reason that the apostle Paul said, "Oh death where is thy sting?" So much of His life was already lived in Kingdom reality that to pass over from this reality and to be present with Jesus was just a step away. Oh, that we all lived there in that reality HERE! How the world would change! We could see things that we don't currently see, we could experience things that we don't currently experience, we could access power that we don't currently access. If only everything we could gain and have gained, we count as loss for the glory of God! What if we all laid down everything important to us and said, "Here am I Lord, send me!"
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Musings of a Prodigal Son - Restoration - Part 5 (from much earlier post)
Broken families are neutralized as witnesses of the grace of God. The spread of the Kingdom to all the world (which begins in each families realm of influence) ceases operations. Others are disappointed, friendships and godly bonds are broken, even with friends, and the fragmented troops are often "chased by the enemy of our souls" to cause further individual destruction. A broken individual is seldom equipped to deal with the onslaught of the enemy. This is why the church is SO CRUCIAL at this time in a persons life when the family unit has been destroyed. Prayer and Love, which is often manifested in Love and Godly Counsel, is what is needed at this point. Often times this is the very time when the people of God pick up weapons and begin to shoot fiery darts at the members of the broken family instead of Prayer and Godly Counsel. Remember, you who know Christ ARE THE CHURCH. Prayer and Godly Counsel often times occur as individual Christians and families privately love and help restore the hurting family members to the Hand of God's healing love. This is often not very "churchy" or orderly but is marked by unconditional and sustaining love. I am encouraging all of us to be the "Good Samaritan" here. It is not enough to get the person "off the side of the road" but rather to "nurse them back to health." Judgment must be kept far from the minds and actions of those who are ministering as it is just as dangerous as a contagion is to a person whose immune system is suppressed.
It is crucial to know that marriage is a foundational principle of the Christian life. It is a Kingdom of God principle. When a man and woman join "in holy matrimony", they become ONE FLESH. They are no longer seen as individuals but are seen as a ONE PERSON SPIRITUAL UNIT. Even in the old testament, which is often an object lesson for the Spiritual Kingdom of God ushered in by Christ, when a father sinned, his whole family was often punished and sometimes even put to death. They were seen as one offending unit. The destruction of this unit is far more serious than we often realize in this earthly realm. As I am writing this I am reminded that not only are the primary relationships destroyed when divorce occurs but other secondary relationships are also affected and destroyed. Once a "ONE FLESH" (husband and wife) have their union broken, their relationships with others are also broken. Nothing is ever the same. People who were once friends with the ONE FLESH have lost a friend because that ONE has ceased to exist. Practically, the unions and bonds of Christian friendship, which are vital to successful Christian living, have also been destroyed. They may be built again but never exactly the same. Spiritually when a husband and wife divorce and a family is destroyed, a Spiritual being (the ONE) has died. There is a grief process for all who knew them. If the ONE was a spiritual mentor to another, then their mentor has passed away. They too have to grieve and search for another. What I am writing to you may seem exaggerated but the spiritual results are exactly like this. The ramifications, when looked at spiritually, are staggering. Children have to adjust to losing the ONE. Their relationships with both individual parents, no matter how well-intentioned are NEVER exactly the same. The children have lost something. They too have lost the ONE.
Thankfully, God is in the restoring business. He takes all the broken pieces and puts them back together again in a beautiful way. That doesn't always mean that the ONE FLESH has been restored in the same way that it was before. God does not discard the broken pieces but rather builds another, and often more beautiful, vessel of honor. He is the potter, we are the clay. He is the author and THE FINISHER of our faith. It is not over until it is over. And once we are born again, it is NEVER over. There is always a purpose, there is always a plan, there is always the unending Love of a gracious Father. But when I was broken, I thought it was over. I had left my first love, I had turned away, I had made mistakes that were seemingly unforgiveable. It is prudent to mention here that when you are broken, when you are at the point of believing that you are no longer useful to the Kingdom of God, that is the point through which God begins to shine the light of grace and mercy into the brokenness of your life. He did in mine. I've seen Him do it in the lives of others. He can do it for YOU. God is not surprised by our Sin. He has already seen it's bitter end. He has already paid the price for it. He is already far ahead of us in this whole process. NOTHING GOOD THAT GOD HAS PLANTED WILL EVER BE WASTED. When I was broken, I believed that the things I had learned, the passion of my life, the purpose for which I was created would never be fulfilled. I was wrong. God awakened things within me (and is still awakening things within me) that I thought had died and would never be resurrected. Jesus ushered in a time when our reality can change. When the Kingdom of God can be "on earth as it is in heaven." Kingdom Life can be so real that it supersedes our current "reality".
I lived for almost 12 years after my divorce from my first wife seemingly "dead" to all the things that brought me joy and were of importance to me during my earlier life that had been given to God. Much of this time was spent with my 2nd wife. When I was out of the will of God, my decisions were out of the will of God. I am in no way speaking ill here of my second wife. She and I met when we were both not seeking God. We are very different people with totally different viewpoints on life. Our goals were/are different. The things of importance to each of us was different. I would like to say that two of the greatest blessings of my life came out of this relationship, two of my daughters. That is also the grace of a loving God. Even when we are far away by our own choices, he is still working for our good when we know Him.
It is important, however, to note that when you make a decision that is out of the will of God, it leads to the next decision that is out of the will of God. Those decisions are not the ones that people see and judge (often fellow believers in Christ are the most severe in their judgment). It is often the decisions that people don't see that are the decisions that are out of the will of God because they usually happen in a very subtle way. The decisions for which people are judged by other people are often just the consequences of the subtle decision to turn from God that happened in another time and possibly another place. I'll give an example here. I've mentioned this before but I'll reference this again (a conversation that someone had with me several years ago):
(Person) "Where do you live now?"
(Me) "I live in Miami"
(Person) "Was that your idea or God's?"
(Me) "It was mine" (my daughters and ex-wife had already moved there which is why I moved there in the first place. The decision that created subsequent circumstances occurred in a very subtle way in my heart many years before. I was then in bondage to go wherever those consequences took me. The sin took place many years earlier which resulted in me living many places.)
This person had not seen me in many years. Out of the overflow of the heart, our mouths speak. This was what this person had been doing during the interlude of time since I had last seen him. He had opinions about my life of which he knew nothing. Had he been praying for me without judgment, he would have "seen me from afar off, and embraced me with grace." He didn't. But I also can't judge him. I've done it too. I've judged others instead of loving them. It is a temptation for us all. It is our humanistic tendency in order to feel better about our OWN SINS. We compare ourselves to others instead of looking at the wonder of the sinless one who died on a cross so that we might all be forgiven. When you are "in the snare", you can often tell when someone is judging you just by being in their presence. By contrast, you can also feel the healing love of others. Don't forget that the healing love of others is often what brings a fellow believer THROUGH the pain of a broken marriage, and any broken relationship for that matter.
The point I am making is that when you are in the "snare of the enemy" you don't need someone pointing out to you that you are in a trap. You already know from the pain that you have caused and are currently experiencing exactly what consequences have resulted from your sin. Those of you who are brothers and sisters in Christ, pray and embrace. Don't judge and condemn. (to be continued)
It is crucial to know that marriage is a foundational principle of the Christian life. It is a Kingdom of God principle. When a man and woman join "in holy matrimony", they become ONE FLESH. They are no longer seen as individuals but are seen as a ONE PERSON SPIRITUAL UNIT. Even in the old testament, which is often an object lesson for the Spiritual Kingdom of God ushered in by Christ, when a father sinned, his whole family was often punished and sometimes even put to death. They were seen as one offending unit. The destruction of this unit is far more serious than we often realize in this earthly realm. As I am writing this I am reminded that not only are the primary relationships destroyed when divorce occurs but other secondary relationships are also affected and destroyed. Once a "ONE FLESH" (husband and wife) have their union broken, their relationships with others are also broken. Nothing is ever the same. People who were once friends with the ONE FLESH have lost a friend because that ONE has ceased to exist. Practically, the unions and bonds of Christian friendship, which are vital to successful Christian living, have also been destroyed. They may be built again but never exactly the same. Spiritually when a husband and wife divorce and a family is destroyed, a Spiritual being (the ONE) has died. There is a grief process for all who knew them. If the ONE was a spiritual mentor to another, then their mentor has passed away. They too have to grieve and search for another. What I am writing to you may seem exaggerated but the spiritual results are exactly like this. The ramifications, when looked at spiritually, are staggering. Children have to adjust to losing the ONE. Their relationships with both individual parents, no matter how well-intentioned are NEVER exactly the same. The children have lost something. They too have lost the ONE.
Thankfully, God is in the restoring business. He takes all the broken pieces and puts them back together again in a beautiful way. That doesn't always mean that the ONE FLESH has been restored in the same way that it was before. God does not discard the broken pieces but rather builds another, and often more beautiful, vessel of honor. He is the potter, we are the clay. He is the author and THE FINISHER of our faith. It is not over until it is over. And once we are born again, it is NEVER over. There is always a purpose, there is always a plan, there is always the unending Love of a gracious Father. But when I was broken, I thought it was over. I had left my first love, I had turned away, I had made mistakes that were seemingly unforgiveable. It is prudent to mention here that when you are broken, when you are at the point of believing that you are no longer useful to the Kingdom of God, that is the point through which God begins to shine the light of grace and mercy into the brokenness of your life. He did in mine. I've seen Him do it in the lives of others. He can do it for YOU. God is not surprised by our Sin. He has already seen it's bitter end. He has already paid the price for it. He is already far ahead of us in this whole process. NOTHING GOOD THAT GOD HAS PLANTED WILL EVER BE WASTED. When I was broken, I believed that the things I had learned, the passion of my life, the purpose for which I was created would never be fulfilled. I was wrong. God awakened things within me (and is still awakening things within me) that I thought had died and would never be resurrected. Jesus ushered in a time when our reality can change. When the Kingdom of God can be "on earth as it is in heaven." Kingdom Life can be so real that it supersedes our current "reality".
I lived for almost 12 years after my divorce from my first wife seemingly "dead" to all the things that brought me joy and were of importance to me during my earlier life that had been given to God. Much of this time was spent with my 2nd wife. When I was out of the will of God, my decisions were out of the will of God. I am in no way speaking ill here of my second wife. She and I met when we were both not seeking God. We are very different people with totally different viewpoints on life. Our goals were/are different. The things of importance to each of us was different. I would like to say that two of the greatest blessings of my life came out of this relationship, two of my daughters. That is also the grace of a loving God. Even when we are far away by our own choices, he is still working for our good when we know Him.
It is important, however, to note that when you make a decision that is out of the will of God, it leads to the next decision that is out of the will of God. Those decisions are not the ones that people see and judge (often fellow believers in Christ are the most severe in their judgment). It is often the decisions that people don't see that are the decisions that are out of the will of God because they usually happen in a very subtle way. The decisions for which people are judged by other people are often just the consequences of the subtle decision to turn from God that happened in another time and possibly another place. I'll give an example here. I've mentioned this before but I'll reference this again (a conversation that someone had with me several years ago):
(Person) "Where do you live now?"
(Me) "I live in Miami"
(Person) "Was that your idea or God's?"
(Me) "It was mine" (my daughters and ex-wife had already moved there which is why I moved there in the first place. The decision that created subsequent circumstances occurred in a very subtle way in my heart many years before. I was then in bondage to go wherever those consequences took me. The sin took place many years earlier which resulted in me living many places.)
This person had not seen me in many years. Out of the overflow of the heart, our mouths speak. This was what this person had been doing during the interlude of time since I had last seen him. He had opinions about my life of which he knew nothing. Had he been praying for me without judgment, he would have "seen me from afar off, and embraced me with grace." He didn't. But I also can't judge him. I've done it too. I've judged others instead of loving them. It is a temptation for us all. It is our humanistic tendency in order to feel better about our OWN SINS. We compare ourselves to others instead of looking at the wonder of the sinless one who died on a cross so that we might all be forgiven. When you are "in the snare", you can often tell when someone is judging you just by being in their presence. By contrast, you can also feel the healing love of others. Don't forget that the healing love of others is often what brings a fellow believer THROUGH the pain of a broken marriage, and any broken relationship for that matter.
The point I am making is that when you are in the "snare of the enemy" you don't need someone pointing out to you that you are in a trap. You already know from the pain that you have caused and are currently experiencing exactly what consequences have resulted from your sin. Those of you who are brothers and sisters in Christ, pray and embrace. Don't judge and condemn. (to be continued)
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
Musings of a Prodigal Son - Restoration - Part 4 (from a much earlier post)
As my divorce from my first wife was occurring, I was beginning a new career working for a Mental Health System in Dothan, Alabama. I met many good people there. Let me say here that I will always treasure the time spent there and the relationships that formed there. I had some of my greatest joys while employed there, working with some of the most competent people I have ever known. But I also continued down a path that would lead me further away from God. I focused more on the needs of my flesh than on the will of God. I know, I know....it doesn't sound very spiritual and it was not. One thing I have learned is that true ministry is sacrificing oneself for the benefit of others. It is the daily "crucifying" of the flesh (the flesh is not redeemable, it must be crucified daily). The path to the "dark side" of flesh fulfillment seldom begins with sexual promiscuity, which is what we think about when we hear someone say they fulfilled the needs of their flesh. Focusing on the needs of the flesh is the subtle "slip" of changing focus from God to what I want, what I deserve, what I need,.....I, I ,I....you get the picture. It usually leads to the fulfillment of base desire fulfillment such as selfish sex, but doesn't usually begin there. It is significant to me that when we are born again and come to Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are still under the "bondage" of our flesh. Paul discussed this at great length in His epistles as did Jesus in much of the gospels. We are called on to "crucify" (put to death our flesh) daily in order to embrace the will of God for our lives. Without this daily crucifixion, Godly living is impossible. The Holy Spirit, who comes to us as Christ within us at salvation, makes the crucifixion of the flesh possible. However, as a part of the "daily dying", there is a priority to minister to those closest to you. I always heard professors talk in Bible College about putting God first, your family second (because closeness with God makes you a better husband and father), and the church or other things can take successive priority after these two things. This point is crucial. Ministry is supposed to be the "overflow" of the first TWO things (relationship with God and subsequently family). I had a theology professor who told each of us while we were in Bible college that if things were not right in our family to STOP what most of us considered ministry and align with your spouse before continuing on in the pursuit of "ministry". At the time, I didn't think what he said was very "spiritual" but I have since learned that he was very much correct and his advice should have been heeded.
I know that many people may have viewed my leaving the Pastorate as "running from God." It was not. It was actually a step in the right direction. What came next, however, was not the right direction. I needed to take a step away to focus on my primary mission field, my family. I needed to seek God more then than at any other time in my life to that point. I needed to obtain Godly counsel (it was offered from various sources but I did not seek it or receive it). I needed to get on the same page with my wife and daughter. I did not. I am not speaking for every person who has problems in their marriage. I know that sometimes, people make decisions to go another way. Spouses leave with no opportunity for restoration. But that was not the case with me. I had an opportunity to repair "the broken walls." Day by day, however, I began to "slip" into the abyss of my flesh. I sought others who would counsel me according to the "flesh". Not bad people, just people who were not seeking God FIRST. Scripture tells us to "plant our trees" in good soil and to not sit in the counsel of the ungodly. Ungodly does not necessarily mean horrible or appearing to be "bad", but rather not seeking the will of God FIRST. Many good people do not give Godly counsel. It doesn't mean they are bad. It just means that their priority is not in line with what I stated above (God first, family second, everything else after). Notice that self is not included in the priority of order that I listed. Most humanistic disciplines focus on taking care of self FIRST. God says to SEEK HIM FIRST and all your needs will be met according to his riches in glory (remember the lilies of the field, how they neither toil nor spin yet they are arrayed in splendor). Godly counsel always takes into consideration Godly order of priorities. It is prudent to mention here that unless a person has been born again, they cannot have priorities in the proper order. For many that want to go Godly things, Satan's deception is for the person to focus on what EVERYONE ELSE says is God's will instead of putting things in the order that God has designed for the normal Christian Life. Just as there is a dangerous trend in the church today of "health and wealth" for those who follow Christ, there is also a deception of humanistic psychology that waters down the Christian life by saying that one should focus on their "self" needs first and then they can minister to others. This is not what God says. He says seek HIM first (which means that you must crucify your flesh). The flesh is not redeemable. It must be crucified. This is why relationship with God and putting Him first is so important. However, when a person marries another, they become ONE FLESH. That is ONE unit that must die daily to flesh in order to embrace the will of God. If that is not happening, then ministry should be focused SOLELY on the relationship of the two who are one flesh so that healing and restoration can occur. Until the two who have become ONE can crucify the flesh together, there is no greater "mission field" than the one at HOME. This I believe is one of the most important ministries of the Church. The family unit is the primary unit in God's Army (not church congregations). When Satan attacks, his strategy is usually to attack in the home's of those who are seeking to follow the Will of God. Why? He cannot destroy God, so He seeks to destroy at the next possible level, which is the "ONE FLESH" in the home. Herein lies the truth. When the ONE FLESH is crucified, the power of the cross is resurrected in the family unit in Kingdom of God POWER. The Power of God manifests strongly when family units are UNITED in the "crucifying of the flesh."However, when the ONE FLESH is attacked and gives in to the flesh, selfishness reigns and the family unit is destroyed. (to be continued)
I know that many people may have viewed my leaving the Pastorate as "running from God." It was not. It was actually a step in the right direction. What came next, however, was not the right direction. I needed to take a step away to focus on my primary mission field, my family. I needed to seek God more then than at any other time in my life to that point. I needed to obtain Godly counsel (it was offered from various sources but I did not seek it or receive it). I needed to get on the same page with my wife and daughter. I did not. I am not speaking for every person who has problems in their marriage. I know that sometimes, people make decisions to go another way. Spouses leave with no opportunity for restoration. But that was not the case with me. I had an opportunity to repair "the broken walls." Day by day, however, I began to "slip" into the abyss of my flesh. I sought others who would counsel me according to the "flesh". Not bad people, just people who were not seeking God FIRST. Scripture tells us to "plant our trees" in good soil and to not sit in the counsel of the ungodly. Ungodly does not necessarily mean horrible or appearing to be "bad", but rather not seeking the will of God FIRST. Many good people do not give Godly counsel. It doesn't mean they are bad. It just means that their priority is not in line with what I stated above (God first, family second, everything else after). Notice that self is not included in the priority of order that I listed. Most humanistic disciplines focus on taking care of self FIRST. God says to SEEK HIM FIRST and all your needs will be met according to his riches in glory (remember the lilies of the field, how they neither toil nor spin yet they are arrayed in splendor). Godly counsel always takes into consideration Godly order of priorities. It is prudent to mention here that unless a person has been born again, they cannot have priorities in the proper order. For many that want to go Godly things, Satan's deception is for the person to focus on what EVERYONE ELSE says is God's will instead of putting things in the order that God has designed for the normal Christian Life. Just as there is a dangerous trend in the church today of "health and wealth" for those who follow Christ, there is also a deception of humanistic psychology that waters down the Christian life by saying that one should focus on their "self" needs first and then they can minister to others. This is not what God says. He says seek HIM first (which means that you must crucify your flesh). The flesh is not redeemable. It must be crucified. This is why relationship with God and putting Him first is so important. However, when a person marries another, they become ONE FLESH. That is ONE unit that must die daily to flesh in order to embrace the will of God. If that is not happening, then ministry should be focused SOLELY on the relationship of the two who are one flesh so that healing and restoration can occur. Until the two who have become ONE can crucify the flesh together, there is no greater "mission field" than the one at HOME. This I believe is one of the most important ministries of the Church. The family unit is the primary unit in God's Army (not church congregations). When Satan attacks, his strategy is usually to attack in the home's of those who are seeking to follow the Will of God. Why? He cannot destroy God, so He seeks to destroy at the next possible level, which is the "ONE FLESH" in the home. Herein lies the truth. When the ONE FLESH is crucified, the power of the cross is resurrected in the family unit in Kingdom of God POWER. The Power of God manifests strongly when family units are UNITED in the "crucifying of the flesh."However, when the ONE FLESH is attacked and gives in to the flesh, selfishness reigns and the family unit is destroyed. (to be continued)
Thursday, March 9, 2017
Musing of a Prodigal Son - Halting the Advancement of the Kingdom of God
"Rehum the governor and Shimshai the court secretary wrote the letter, telling King Artaxerxes about the situation in Jerusalem. 9They greeted the king for all their colleagues—the judges and local leaders, the people of Tarpel, the Persians, the Babylonians, and the people of Erech and Susa (that is, Elam). 10They also sent greetings from the rest of the people whom the great and noble Ashurbanipalehad deported and relocated in Samaria and throughout the neighboring lands of the province west of the Euphrates River.f 11This is a copy of their letter: “To King Artaxerxes, from your loyal subjects in the province west of the Euphrates River.12“The king should know that the Jews who came here to Jerusalem from Babylon are rebuilding this rebellious and evil city. They have already laid the foundation and will soon finish its walls. 13And the king should know that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, it will be much to your disadvantage, for the Jews will then refuse to pay their tribute, customs, and tolls to you.14“Since we are your loyal subjectsg and do not want to see the king dishonored in this way, we have sent the king this information. 15We suggest that a search be made in your ancestors’ records, where you will discover what a rebellious city this has been in the past. In fact, it was destroyed because of its long and troublesome history of revolt against the kings and countries who controlled it. 16We declare to the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, the province west of the Euphrates River will be lost to you.”17Then King Artaxerxes sent this reply: “To Rehum the governor, Shimshai the court secretary, and their colleagues living in Samaria and throughout the province west of the Euphrates River. Greetings.18“The letter you sent has been translated and read to me. 19I ordered a search of the records and have found that Jerusalem has indeed been a hotbed of insurrection against many kings. In fact, rebellion and revolt are normal there! 20Powerful kings have ruled over Jerusalem and the entire province west of the Euphrates River, receiving tribute, customs, and tolls.21Therefore, issue orders to have these men stop their work. That city must not be rebuilt except at my express command. 22Be diligent, and don’t neglect this matter, for we must not permit the situation to harm the king’s interests.”23When this letter from King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum, Shimshai, and their colleagues, they hurried to Jerusalem. Then, with a show of strength, they forced the Jews to stop building.24So the work on the Temple of God in Jerusalem had stopped, and it remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of King Darius of Persia. (Ezra 4:8-24)
John the Baptist announced at the beginning of Jesus' earthly ministry that the "Kingdom of God is at hand". Jesus explained what this meant as His ministry unfolded on this earth and he talked about a time when the Holy Spirit would come and "greater works than me shall you do because I go to my Father." What works did Jesus do? He performed miracles, healed the sick, and raised the dead. If we are to do greater works than He did during his early ministry, then it means that the The Kingdom of God is already here in power. Why isn't that power manifested on an even larger scale in our world today? Is it that God is silent and this is not a period of miracles? There is no evidence in scripture that miracles have ever stopped or should have stopped occuring. In fact, Jesus taught that they should be occuring on a larger scale and in more places because He has gone to the Father. Why do we not see this in our experience? There are pockets and glimpses of this Kingdom Power in the world today but why is it not more widespread among God's people
In the Old Testament Book of Ezra, we find the Isaelite people being commissioned by Cyrus King of Persia and later Darius King of Persia to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. Remember the temple in the Old Testament is where the presence of God dwelt. The power of God resided there. It was such a Holy place that the inner part (the Holy of Holies). could only be accessed once per year by the High Priest of Isreal and he had to go through many cleansing rituals to make himself "clean" in order to enter that place and offer sacrifice to God for the people. This temple was a symbol of the pressence of God and His Power with man. It was the meeting place that allowed man to come into the pressence of God.
In the Book of Ezra, the men of Israel, each with assigned tasks according to their families, had the opportunity to rebuild their temple which had been destroyed when the people turned away from God and He allowed them to be taken into captivity in Babylon. They could go home. Their period of exile was coming to an end as they could reestablish their "relationship" with God by building the temple and offering sacrifices to Him.
There was a problem. There were others in the land who wanted to dilute their worship and add their brand of "religion" to it. They wanted to mix just enough of their viewpoint in it to change the system of worship and communion that God had established with His people. In short, they wanted to make a substitute that would look like the original in form but have no contact directly with God. God is specific about what must be done for Him to show up in power. The argument of these people was: "We seek God as you do, let us help because we have worshipped him for a long time." When the priests took a stand and said, "no", these same people who claimed to have worshipped God in the land began a concerted effort of trying to eliminate the opportunity for the temple to be rebuilt. They were the enemies of God all along. They appealed to the current government system to halt the construction of the temple. They wrote a letter to the king who was "advised" to read history (select history) to see that this people had been "rebellious" in the past and by alllowing them to reconnect with God, they would refuse to give tribute to the King and the Kingdom. So it always has been when truth is proclaimed. There is always an "authority" that is appealed to in order to suppress the truth because the truth always brings the error of the ruling class and the other classes to light. The "rebelliousness" (which was used as a reason for not rebuilding the temple in the letter to the king) of the city of Jerusalem in the past had consisted of their refusal to give up the worship of God as the only true God, despite the requests of the rulers of the times.
Unfortunately, we see this same trend in the world today. Truth, complete truth, is in danger of being suppressed. It is just not politically correct anymore to speak truth, even in Love. It offends too many people. I heard a pastor ( in a loving way I might add) state that it is becoming more and more dangerous for pastors to speak the truth. We are fast becoming a society where even "legal" action is not far away for those who dare speak truth that may be contrary to the powers that be in an era of political correctness.
There is a growing trend in many larger churches today for security to be hired to protect the pastor and worship leaders from onslaughts by people in the congregation. It has saddened me to see this trend but I have been in services where threats and angry outbursts have occurred, seemingly out of nowhere. This may seem surprising to many reading this but this has been commonplace for many who practiced their faith in areas of the world where Christianity has been suppressed. Often times we forget that this is exactly the environment that many of the apostles ministered in and many gave their lives for.
The only antidote for this problem is the proclamation of the truth of God in Love. In order to proclaim truth, we must know it. We cannot know it unless we are listening to God. We cannot listen to God apart from reading and studying His Word. Does He still speak? Yes. But He never contradicts what He has already said. He does not "change with the times." Jesus said, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free." Free to what? Free to operate in the greater Kingdom of God. I believe that the key to "greater works" and "greater fellowship" is still communion with God. Communion is spending time with. It is talking, petitioning, and listening. It is seeing what God has to say about situations in this life and acting accordingly. It is time that we "rebuild" our own communion (our temple) with God. There will be many who will attempt to "dilute" your faith and your witness. Push forward. Let us get to know more of God's Truth and put it into practice that the world may know Him (Jesus).
Unfortunately, we see this same trend in the world today. Truth, complete truth, is in danger of being suppressed. It is just not politically correct anymore to speak truth, even in Love. It offends too many people. I heard a pastor ( in a loving way I might add) state that it is becoming more and more dangerous for pastors to speak the truth. We are fast becoming a society where even "legal" action is not far away for those who dare speak truth that may be contrary to the powers that be in an era of political correctness.
There is a growing trend in many larger churches today for security to be hired to protect the pastor and worship leaders from onslaughts by people in the congregation. It has saddened me to see this trend but I have been in services where threats and angry outbursts have occurred, seemingly out of nowhere. This may seem surprising to many reading this but this has been commonplace for many who practiced their faith in areas of the world where Christianity has been suppressed. Often times we forget that this is exactly the environment that many of the apostles ministered in and many gave their lives for.
The only antidote for this problem is the proclamation of the truth of God in Love. In order to proclaim truth, we must know it. We cannot know it unless we are listening to God. We cannot listen to God apart from reading and studying His Word. Does He still speak? Yes. But He never contradicts what He has already said. He does not "change with the times." Jesus said, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free." Free to what? Free to operate in the greater Kingdom of God. I believe that the key to "greater works" and "greater fellowship" is still communion with God. Communion is spending time with. It is talking, petitioning, and listening. It is seeing what God has to say about situations in this life and acting accordingly. It is time that we "rebuild" our own communion (our temple) with God. There will be many who will attempt to "dilute" your faith and your witness. Push forward. Let us get to know more of God's Truth and put it into practice that the world may know Him (Jesus).
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Musings of a Prodigal Son - God's Absolutes
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. (Isaiah 40:1-8)
Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. (1 Peter 1: 22-25)
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. (Matthew 5:18)
I remember as we studied science in grade school covering the subject of absolute zero (the point at which all [total] life ceases). I remember being struck by the word "absolute". If you look that word up in the dictionary, you are given the following meaning as a noun: a value or principle that is regarded as universally valid or that may be viewed without relation to other things. The meaning as an adjective is: not qualified or diminished in any way; total. As I live in today's relative world, I am reminded of how important absolutes really are. As an "everything goes" philosophy seems to permeate the large portion of our society today, the question of whether or not there are absolutes in our world begs to be answered. Are there real absolutes in the world we live in today? If so what are they? Is everything relative? Does viewpoint determine what is absolute? If absolutes do exist, do they govern those who do not believe in absolutes?
To answer this question, I believe we have to confront a series of falsehoods that may hinder us from knowing the truths about absolutes. The first is the prevailing view that with an increase of information, we become more enlightened. The assumption is that as we become more enlightened, we are able to determine truth with more certainty. The falsehood lies in the belief that more information results in more enlightenment. Implied in this belief is an assumption that the information we receive is true. This is a falsehood because as we have come to have access to more information (through the media, internet, computers, or other mediums of information) much of that information is false. It does not take very much insight to recognize that much of what we hear in the media is biased in one way or another. The information "casters" are master's at putting just a small element of truth in the information so that the hearer can assume that the total of what is shared is truth. It is a fundamental fact that all of us, no matter our race or ethnicity, are affected by the information we see, are exposed to, and believe. If we believe false information, we are affected in the same way that truth can motivate us to believe certain things. The fact is that much of the information we receive from much of the mediums through which we receive them is false. Let me share a simple example. I read a news article recently from a "reputable" source about a tragedy. In the article, a soldier was involved in a horrific accident and his family had faced the difficult decision of allowing his organs to be harvested so that others might receive the gift of life. The article was very inspirational and elicited emotions in me as I read it. There was only one problem. The only truth in the article was the fact that the soldier had had a horrific accident. His organs had not been harvested to help others. How do I know? I have met him since the accident and he is very much alive. Where did the reporters receive the information that was reported? I have no idea. The article did not seem to have a malicious intent but obviously the "facts" were wrong. My question to each of you reading this is, How often does this happen? Is this an isolated incident? Although the error was easily noticed by those who know this individual, how many other stories with some element of truth are easily manipulated to mean something entirely different than what they are? I know, I know. Some of you are starting to wonder if I am some sort of "conspiracy theorist." I assure you that I am not. I am establishing the ground work of a point that I want to make later in this entry. I remember when I was a small child hearing adults talk about the moon landing in the early 70s. (first landing occurred in 1969). I remember some of the adults in my family stating that they believed it was all a stunt, a fabrication, and man had not really landed on the moon. There was a lot of skepticism even before the "information age" was in full swing. What happened to that cautious viewpoint? As a society, we seem ready and willing to believe almost anything today whether it is true or not. This happens in the social realm, the political realm, and even the realm of faith-based information.
I have heard the oft quoted message that those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. This is true of the Roman Empire of long ago. It is believed by many that this civilization collapsed due to it's willingness to embrace all of the ideas of it's conquered territories. These "ideals" resulted in no unified standards throughout the Empire and fostered separation while espousing diversity. Where there is no unified vision, the people perish. In times past, in our great country even when I was a child, there was so much made of the fact that America was a "melting pot" of civilizations who came together for the common goal of identifying themselves as Americans while sharing the same ideals and values. Now we have become a group of Americans with different ideals and values. Along with this shift, has come a lack of patriotism and commitment to be an American. Hence, we have various groups burning the flag, stating that our president is not "their" president, etc. As colleges, universities, the media, the internet, and other forms of media espouse to being champions of diversity, our national patriotism and adherence to Godly principles is diminishing in kind. As each successive generation of students leave the training programs and "think" tanks of our society, we shift further from truth as God outlines truth in his Word. It is ironic that so many college graduates cannot find jobs after their time in education but do have a firm grasp on the prevailing world view that truth is relative. This may seem like an over simplification but in our prevailing educational system (which includes the media, internet, and current educational institutions), we as a society have succeeded in moving away from God but have not aided these recent generations in obtaining employment and being successful in this present world . There are, of course, exceptions to this.
On the basis of those things stated above, it becomes imperative that we search for truth in the right place. That place is the Word of God. The Word of God is the Bible. I will only present one reason why the Bible is THAT place which provides the truth. There is only one reason why it is valid and reliable. God's Word (the Bible) is valid as the absolute truth simply because it comes from God. It is reliable because it comes directly from the mouth of God (Isaiah 40). God spoke His truth. In the same way He spoke the world and it's natural laws into existence, he spoke truth and it became valid and reliable because He spoke it.
When a person believes that the Bible is the Word of God, there is another assault on truth that must be addressed. That attack is that the Bible "contains" the Word of God and a lot of other erroneous information that was added by man. The problem with this approach is a step back to the original problem that I discussed here. If the Bible just contains the Word of God, then if I am intolerant of some truth that God says is Sin, I can at my leisure label that truth as part of the erroneous information that man has added to the Bible. Hence the Bible becomes invalid and unreliable because it is again at the mercy of the prevailing view of truth as defined by man. Truth then comes from the understanding and interpretation of man rather than from the mouth of God. God's Word is Truth even if I don't understand parts of it. My lack of understanding makes it no less the Truth. It is absolute, separate and independent of me or my interpretation. As I change, it does not.
I heard a preacher say one time that without absolutes from God, we are like ships without a compass, floating around with no course to follow. This is true now more that at the time many years ago when I heard this proclamation made. There are now many ships in the water, going many different directions. The danger is that some of these ships will be followed by others into the deep. The blind leading the blind.
There is also the question of whether God's Truth was misinterpreted by man as he penned it (put it to parchment or paper) and diluted through time and by the biases of man. What I would say to that is that if God, who is all powerful, can speak world's into existence from nothing, he can manage giving us a finished product to live by. That finished product is what we have currently. As an example, how many of you reading this are parents? If you are a parent, do you want to communicate to your children in riddles or do you want to communicate to them so that they are clear on their understanding? Of course, you want them to be clear in their understanding. To borrow the words of Jesus, "How much more does your heavenly father want to give good things to His children who ask Him?"
Therefore, on the basis of these things, it is more important than ever for each of us to READ AND STUDY THE WORD OF GOD. Now more than ever, so many forms of media and entertainment are vying for our time. Truth has become more elusive than ever. Confusion is rampant on every side. We should take the advice of the apostle Paul:
Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. (1 Peter 1: 22-25)
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. (Matthew 5:18)
I remember as we studied science in grade school covering the subject of absolute zero (the point at which all [total] life ceases). I remember being struck by the word "absolute". If you look that word up in the dictionary, you are given the following meaning as a noun: a value or principle that is regarded as universally valid or that may be viewed without relation to other things. The meaning as an adjective is: not qualified or diminished in any way; total. As I live in today's relative world, I am reminded of how important absolutes really are. As an "everything goes" philosophy seems to permeate the large portion of our society today, the question of whether or not there are absolutes in our world begs to be answered. Are there real absolutes in the world we live in today? If so what are they? Is everything relative? Does viewpoint determine what is absolute? If absolutes do exist, do they govern those who do not believe in absolutes?
To answer this question, I believe we have to confront a series of falsehoods that may hinder us from knowing the truths about absolutes. The first is the prevailing view that with an increase of information, we become more enlightened. The assumption is that as we become more enlightened, we are able to determine truth with more certainty. The falsehood lies in the belief that more information results in more enlightenment. Implied in this belief is an assumption that the information we receive is true. This is a falsehood because as we have come to have access to more information (through the media, internet, computers, or other mediums of information) much of that information is false. It does not take very much insight to recognize that much of what we hear in the media is biased in one way or another. The information "casters" are master's at putting just a small element of truth in the information so that the hearer can assume that the total of what is shared is truth. It is a fundamental fact that all of us, no matter our race or ethnicity, are affected by the information we see, are exposed to, and believe. If we believe false information, we are affected in the same way that truth can motivate us to believe certain things. The fact is that much of the information we receive from much of the mediums through which we receive them is false. Let me share a simple example. I read a news article recently from a "reputable" source about a tragedy. In the article, a soldier was involved in a horrific accident and his family had faced the difficult decision of allowing his organs to be harvested so that others might receive the gift of life. The article was very inspirational and elicited emotions in me as I read it. There was only one problem. The only truth in the article was the fact that the soldier had had a horrific accident. His organs had not been harvested to help others. How do I know? I have met him since the accident and he is very much alive. Where did the reporters receive the information that was reported? I have no idea. The article did not seem to have a malicious intent but obviously the "facts" were wrong. My question to each of you reading this is, How often does this happen? Is this an isolated incident? Although the error was easily noticed by those who know this individual, how many other stories with some element of truth are easily manipulated to mean something entirely different than what they are? I know, I know. Some of you are starting to wonder if I am some sort of "conspiracy theorist." I assure you that I am not. I am establishing the ground work of a point that I want to make later in this entry. I remember when I was a small child hearing adults talk about the moon landing in the early 70s. (first landing occurred in 1969). I remember some of the adults in my family stating that they believed it was all a stunt, a fabrication, and man had not really landed on the moon. There was a lot of skepticism even before the "information age" was in full swing. What happened to that cautious viewpoint? As a society, we seem ready and willing to believe almost anything today whether it is true or not. This happens in the social realm, the political realm, and even the realm of faith-based information.
I have heard the oft quoted message that those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. This is true of the Roman Empire of long ago. It is believed by many that this civilization collapsed due to it's willingness to embrace all of the ideas of it's conquered territories. These "ideals" resulted in no unified standards throughout the Empire and fostered separation while espousing diversity. Where there is no unified vision, the people perish. In times past, in our great country even when I was a child, there was so much made of the fact that America was a "melting pot" of civilizations who came together for the common goal of identifying themselves as Americans while sharing the same ideals and values. Now we have become a group of Americans with different ideals and values. Along with this shift, has come a lack of patriotism and commitment to be an American. Hence, we have various groups burning the flag, stating that our president is not "their" president, etc. As colleges, universities, the media, the internet, and other forms of media espouse to being champions of diversity, our national patriotism and adherence to Godly principles is diminishing in kind. As each successive generation of students leave the training programs and "think" tanks of our society, we shift further from truth as God outlines truth in his Word. It is ironic that so many college graduates cannot find jobs after their time in education but do have a firm grasp on the prevailing world view that truth is relative. This may seem like an over simplification but in our prevailing educational system (which includes the media, internet, and current educational institutions), we as a society have succeeded in moving away from God but have not aided these recent generations in obtaining employment and being successful in this present world . There are, of course, exceptions to this.
On the basis of those things stated above, it becomes imperative that we search for truth in the right place. That place is the Word of God. The Word of God is the Bible. I will only present one reason why the Bible is THAT place which provides the truth. There is only one reason why it is valid and reliable. God's Word (the Bible) is valid as the absolute truth simply because it comes from God. It is reliable because it comes directly from the mouth of God (Isaiah 40). God spoke His truth. In the same way He spoke the world and it's natural laws into existence, he spoke truth and it became valid and reliable because He spoke it.
When a person believes that the Bible is the Word of God, there is another assault on truth that must be addressed. That attack is that the Bible "contains" the Word of God and a lot of other erroneous information that was added by man. The problem with this approach is a step back to the original problem that I discussed here. If the Bible just contains the Word of God, then if I am intolerant of some truth that God says is Sin, I can at my leisure label that truth as part of the erroneous information that man has added to the Bible. Hence the Bible becomes invalid and unreliable because it is again at the mercy of the prevailing view of truth as defined by man. Truth then comes from the understanding and interpretation of man rather than from the mouth of God. God's Word is Truth even if I don't understand parts of it. My lack of understanding makes it no less the Truth. It is absolute, separate and independent of me or my interpretation. As I change, it does not.
I heard a preacher say one time that without absolutes from God, we are like ships without a compass, floating around with no course to follow. This is true now more that at the time many years ago when I heard this proclamation made. There are now many ships in the water, going many different directions. The danger is that some of these ships will be followed by others into the deep. The blind leading the blind.
There is also the question of whether God's Truth was misinterpreted by man as he penned it (put it to parchment or paper) and diluted through time and by the biases of man. What I would say to that is that if God, who is all powerful, can speak world's into existence from nothing, he can manage giving us a finished product to live by. That finished product is what we have currently. As an example, how many of you reading this are parents? If you are a parent, do you want to communicate to your children in riddles or do you want to communicate to them so that they are clear on their understanding? Of course, you want them to be clear in their understanding. To borrow the words of Jesus, "How much more does your heavenly father want to give good things to His children who ask Him?"
Therefore, on the basis of these things, it is more important than ever for each of us to READ AND STUDY THE WORD OF GOD. Now more than ever, so many forms of media and entertainment are vying for our time. Truth has become more elusive than ever. Confusion is rampant on every side. We should take the advice of the apostle Paul:
"Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. Children of Light. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5: 6-15)
Friday, February 17, 2017
Musings of a Prodigal Son - Keeping Perspective
"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)
I've had what may seem to be some sobering thoughts this week. I would like to remind us all of some things that we may already know but need to learn again. So often as we live our daily lives in this present world, we get so caught up in its drama and struggles that we lose sight of one very important point. This world is not our final destination. In fact it is only the starting point (and it may not even be that because life begins in the mind of God). It is like the trip to the gas station before the trip of a lifetime. We treat this preparatory trip as if it is the main event. It is sort of like planning a trip to Disney and only focusing on the trip to the gas station BEFORE the real trip. If the car is crowded going to the gas station, we can tolerate it since we know that it is just a short trip before we embark on the long journey. Life is joyous at times but it is also difficult. People that we love pass on and we are left with the pain of separation. Then there is the problem of physical pain due to illness and accidents. The emotional pain due to mental health, grief, and coping issues presents other problems. If we are blessed to live a "long" life, the pain of loss and illness as our transitory bodies decay also generates pain. I heard it said many times that we are in trouble now, we've just come through trouble, or we are headed for trouble. There is some truth to this as life is marked by loses due to its transitory nature. Nothing around us is permanent.
I remember that when I was a teenager, I did yard work to make extra money. I regularly mowed the lawn of an older lady in what used to be called "Carrville, Alabama." This lady had the most immaculate lawn you could imagine. She kept her "mill house" pristine. She always had it freshly painted, the lawn edged, and everything looked almost perfect. She also had an old Chevy Chevelle from the 1960s that was in mint condition that sat in her driveway. My friends literally slowed to almost a stop every time we passed her place to look at that car. After I was married, almost ten years later, I noticed that her home was very run-down and the yard was in disarray. The Chevelle was gone. When I asked my parents if they knew why, they told me that her health had declined and she was now in a nursing home. She has since passed on. Everything that identified her was changed. Her home, which had been the jewel of the community, was no longer the same. I doubt that now the current residents even know her name and that she once lived there. This is just one example of the point that I stated above. This world is NOT our home.
If I asked you what kind of person your great great grandmother was, would you know? Your great great grandfather? What kind of career did he have? Was he happy? Did he struggle with any medical issues? My point is that during the lifetime of your distant elders all those things were of the utmost importance. But now they are not. Those things have passed. The only important thing about them is where they are now and where they will spend eternity (which is a long long time!).
Many atheists have stated that religion is nothing more than man's attempts to create a god to avoid dealing with our mortality. However, everything around us points to the transitory nature of life. We are physical beings but occasionally one of us is allowed to "bridge the gap" between this transitory life and the one to come. John, the Revelator, was allowed to glimpse things indescribable from that realm in the book of Revelation. The reason we have such a hard time understanding much of it is because he was attempting to describe something that we have no point of reference for.
I believe that the seed of salvation puts the assurance of something greater in our spirit when we are born again to faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation is the first glimpse that death is not the end.
When we are standing next to the gravesite of someone who has passed on, we often quote passages of scripture and sing songs that depict the transitory nature of life and that there is more on the "other side." But then we often return to our lives only to forget this until the next time we are brought face-to-face with the pain of this transitional world.
The true champions of faith, and almost every community has at least one, always seem to live in the transitory reality that they are just passing through. My question to each of us is, if we all lived our daily lives in that sure reality, would our lives change? Would we do things differently? If our answer is yes, maybe we need to change our perspective and ask God for His.
This world is not my home I'm just a passing through
I've had what may seem to be some sobering thoughts this week. I would like to remind us all of some things that we may already know but need to learn again. So often as we live our daily lives in this present world, we get so caught up in its drama and struggles that we lose sight of one very important point. This world is not our final destination. In fact it is only the starting point (and it may not even be that because life begins in the mind of God). It is like the trip to the gas station before the trip of a lifetime. We treat this preparatory trip as if it is the main event. It is sort of like planning a trip to Disney and only focusing on the trip to the gas station BEFORE the real trip. If the car is crowded going to the gas station, we can tolerate it since we know that it is just a short trip before we embark on the long journey. Life is joyous at times but it is also difficult. People that we love pass on and we are left with the pain of separation. Then there is the problem of physical pain due to illness and accidents. The emotional pain due to mental health, grief, and coping issues presents other problems. If we are blessed to live a "long" life, the pain of loss and illness as our transitory bodies decay also generates pain. I heard it said many times that we are in trouble now, we've just come through trouble, or we are headed for trouble. There is some truth to this as life is marked by loses due to its transitory nature. Nothing around us is permanent.
I remember that when I was a teenager, I did yard work to make extra money. I regularly mowed the lawn of an older lady in what used to be called "Carrville, Alabama." This lady had the most immaculate lawn you could imagine. She kept her "mill house" pristine. She always had it freshly painted, the lawn edged, and everything looked almost perfect. She also had an old Chevy Chevelle from the 1960s that was in mint condition that sat in her driveway. My friends literally slowed to almost a stop every time we passed her place to look at that car. After I was married, almost ten years later, I noticed that her home was very run-down and the yard was in disarray. The Chevelle was gone. When I asked my parents if they knew why, they told me that her health had declined and she was now in a nursing home. She has since passed on. Everything that identified her was changed. Her home, which had been the jewel of the community, was no longer the same. I doubt that now the current residents even know her name and that she once lived there. This is just one example of the point that I stated above. This world is NOT our home.
If I asked you what kind of person your great great grandmother was, would you know? Your great great grandfather? What kind of career did he have? Was he happy? Did he struggle with any medical issues? My point is that during the lifetime of your distant elders all those things were of the utmost importance. But now they are not. Those things have passed. The only important thing about them is where they are now and where they will spend eternity (which is a long long time!).
Many atheists have stated that religion is nothing more than man's attempts to create a god to avoid dealing with our mortality. However, everything around us points to the transitory nature of life. We are physical beings but occasionally one of us is allowed to "bridge the gap" between this transitory life and the one to come. John, the Revelator, was allowed to glimpse things indescribable from that realm in the book of Revelation. The reason we have such a hard time understanding much of it is because he was attempting to describe something that we have no point of reference for.
I believe that the seed of salvation puts the assurance of something greater in our spirit when we are born again to faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation is the first glimpse that death is not the end.
When we are standing next to the gravesite of someone who has passed on, we often quote passages of scripture and sing songs that depict the transitory nature of life and that there is more on the "other side." But then we often return to our lives only to forget this until the next time we are brought face-to-face with the pain of this transitional world.
The true champions of faith, and almost every community has at least one, always seem to live in the transitory reality that they are just passing through. My question to each of us is, if we all lived our daily lives in that sure reality, would our lives change? Would we do things differently? If our answer is yes, maybe we need to change our perspective and ask God for His.
This world is not my home I'm just a passing through
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue
The angels beckon me from heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore
Oh lord you know I have no friend like you
If heaven's not my home then lord what will I do
The angels beckon me from heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore
I have a loving mother just over in gloryland
And I don't expect to stop until I shake her hand
She's waiting now for me in heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore
Oh lord you know I have no friend like you
If heaven's not my home Then lord what will I do
The angels beckon me From heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home In this world anymore
Just over…
Just over in gloryland
We'll live eternally
The Saints on every hand are shouting victory
Their songs of sweetest praise
Drift back from heaven's shore
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore
Oh lord, you know I have no friend like you
If heaven's not my home, Then Lord what can I do?
The angels beckon me from heaven's open door
and I can't feel at home in the world anymore
(Jim Reeves)
Monday, February 6, 2017
Musings of a Prodigal Son - God Knows Where You Are
“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
God Knows Where You Are......He Was There First
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. (Revelation 3:14-18)
God Knows Where You Are......He Was There First
In the Garden of Eden, after Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying God, God asked them this question, "Where are thou?" or as we used to say in the country, "Where you at?" or "Where you be?" Life is a quest for each of us to admit where we are. For us to admit to God where we are , we have to first know where we are. He already knows. He wants us to know. He also wants us to know that he knows. That's alot of knows. Much of my life has been spent with God asking, "Rodney, where are you?" God wanted to remind me that it was important for me to know. If I am far from Him, I need to know that. If I am about to move further away from Him, I need to know that too. He is not there to condemn me for where I am but rather to help me get back to where I need to be. Adam and Eve sinned and it separated them from God. The further we get from God, the less likely we are to know how far we are away from him. The further I am "from the heart of the matter", the less likely I am to feel the pain that my sin is causing God. Don't forget that Sin is "separation" from God. Any act, either by commission or omission, which results in separation from God is Sin. Sin also separates us from God in others. It distances us from the light of God in those around us. It blinds us to the truth. Remember the tragic condition of the church at Laodicea in the new testament. They were neither hot nor cold but luke warm and DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT. The danger of sin is that it blinds us to the truth. It makes us think that everything is ok, when it is not. It gets us used to the darkness so that it doesn't appear as "dark." What I am about to share may appear to be an odd example but it is relevant. I used to drink only "sweet" sodas (cokes, pepsi, dr. pepper, etc.). Several years ago, due to medical history, I began to drink sugar-free soda. Now when I drink even a small amount of "sweet" soda, the taste of the sugar is overwhelming and I am aware that the sugar is there in abundance. When I used to drink sweet soda on a regular basis, it became "normal" and I liked the taste. Now I am repelled by it. The point is, by eliminating or attempting to eliminate something, you become more sensitive to it. When we practice a lifestyle that attempts to follow Christ, we eliminate sin from our lives as a practice (though never completely). It makes us more sensitive to sin when we encounter it. We recognize it better. In other words, we know better where we really are. So God asks me, "Where art thou?" My task is to become aware of who and where I REALLY AM AT THIS POINT IN MY LIFE. That means I am not to judge where I am by my experience but by the WORD OF GOD and HIS TRUTH. The world is constantly giving us messages of where we need to be and what we need to think (the media, television, businesses, motivational speakers, politicians, rights advocates, etc). God wants us to determine where we are according to HIS WILL and HIS WORD.
So many things that are Sin are "normalized" today. Don't be deceived. God's Truth has never changed. No matter how many voices are speaking things contrary to His Truth, the Truth still remains. Let's let HIS TRUTH be our guide so that when He asks, "Where are you?", we will know.
So many things that are Sin are "normalized" today. Don't be deceived. God's Truth has never changed. No matter how many voices are speaking things contrary to His Truth, the Truth still remains. Let's let HIS TRUTH be our guide so that when He asks, "Where are you?", we will know.
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