January 31, 2022

Deuteronomy 28: 65-67  (NIV)

Among those nations you will find no repose, no resting place for the sole of your foot. There the Lord will give you an anxious mind, eyes weary with longing, and a despairing heart. You will live in constant suspense, filled with dread both night and day, never sure of your life. In the morning you will say, “If only it were evening!” and in the evening, “If only it were morning!” – because of the terror that will fill your hearts and the sights that your eyes will see.

The wicked have everything to dread.*

In these verses, the Israelites are being warned of the dire consequences of offending God. They know their punishment is coming and they know they deserve it. They are overcome with dread and guilt.

Dread is an interesting state of mind. When a dreaded event is on the horizon, time moves at an accelerated rate. When you are in the midst of the much-dreaded experience, time stands still. When you just know something awful is about to happen but you don’t know when or where, it robs every moment of its joy. We begin almost to look forward to the hateful thing just so we can get through it and on with life.

Have you ever been so miserable that in the morning you couldn’t wait until the day was over but the night was so horrible that you longed for it to be morning again? Were these awful feelings ever the result of a guilty conscience? A guilty conscience is not such a bad thing – it means we are still conscious of our sinfulness. But, beware of two dangers involved with the conscience:

1) Ignoring it until it no longer functions properly – as Christians, the Holy Spirit is the voice of our conscience. In I Thessalonians 5: 19, we are warned not to “put out the Spirit’s fire.”

2) Becoming addicted to a burden of guilt – some people seem to have become so used to having guilt as their constant companion that they wouldn’t feel normal without it.

We, too, can count on dire – eternal – consequences for our sin if we aren’t covered by the blood of Jesus. When we surrender to Jesus, we are delivered from the dread of punishment, relieved of our guilt, and presented with abundant life. It’s our choice . . .

You are one decision away from joy.*

January 30, 2022

Exodus 23: 2 (NIV)

“Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong.”

Why do you have to be nonconformist like everybody else?*

In a social studies class in high school, we were talking about how students in other countries (and private schools) had to wear uniforms to school. The teacher asked how we would feel about having to dress like everyone else and the consensus was that we would hate it. Then he asked, “How many of you are wearing blue jeans today?” Indeed, we, the rebellious children of the ‘70s, were all dressed alike.

It seems to be human nature to want to blend in. When someone tries to stand out from the crowd he either becomes an outcast or a trendsetter. It is interesting that Jesus accomplished both. He was a celebrity and a pariah. He was bold, he was different, and he was a leader. When it became dangerous to be associated with him, his popularity and influence began to decline. Soon, he was left with only a handful of followers - and they were not a very impressive lot.

When we have to be reminded not to follow the crowd, it implies that the majority are on the wrong track. Being the only Christian at your job, in your class, in your neighborhood – in your family - it's hard to maintain your commitment alone. Surrendering to Jesus isn’t about giving up; it’s about surviving in a hostile environment. Follow him in doing right and some of that crowd will join you. Follow him in doing right and you won’t follow the crowd to hell.

Many today believe that a majority consensus establishes morality.*

January 29, 2022

Exodus 7: 13 (NIV)

Yet Pharaoh’s heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.

The same sun softens wax and hardens clay.*

We get uncomfortable at the thought that God would harden Pharaoh’s heart against his will. But there is more to the story than that. What happened to Pharaoh began long before, and he made his own choices every step of the way. It is not as if Pharaoh wanted to have “a tender heart toward Israel” but God wouldn’t let him.*

God’s Word speaks the same to every heart. How the heart responds is at the discretion of the owner of that heart. Whether it is more accurate to say that “God hardened Pharaoh’s heart” or “Pharaoh’s heart became hard” is not the question. When Pharaoh’s heart was exposed to the “sun,” was it wax, ready to be softened, or was it clay, shaped and prepared for baking into inflexibility?

What about your heart? Is it wax – submissive and pliable? Or is it clay – pre-formed and resistant? It is your choice. God will not force his will on you.

We don’t try to force anyone to accept God’s standards, but we believe the truth has the power to change minds and hearts.*

January 28, 2022

Luke 15: 11 – 32 (NIV)

Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said . . . ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. . . . Not long after that, the younger son . . . set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. . . . When he came to his senses . . . he got up and went to his father. . . . Meanwhile, the older son . . . heard music and dancing. So he . . . asked . . . what was going on. ‘Your brother has come . . .’ The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. . . . ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.’”

No man has the right to question or resent the outpouring of God's love in saving . . .  any man, from sin and destruction.*

We are moved by this portrayal of God’s love for his wandering child. Perhaps you can relate to the prodigal child who has come home at last but what are your feelings about the older son? Here is a checklist to help you compare yourself to him: 

1. He stayed home; appeared to be faithful and obedient. When I have strayed from God, I’ve never really gone very far (what that means theologically is another discussion), so perhaps I am more like the older brother. Do my actions hide a rebellious heart?

2. While the younger son was out wasting their father’s money, his older brother was also living on Daddy’s charity. What God gives to his wandering child takes nothing from what he gives to me. Do I harbor resentment against my brother because I think he’s having more fun than I am? 

3. The older brother knew how sad his father was so why didn’t he go look for his brother? Perhaps he could have helped him or even talked him into coming home. How much do I care about the lost people in the world? 

4. Why did he resent his brother’s homecoming party? I pray that I am not so mean-spirited! 

We must be careful about reading meaning into a parable that Jesus never intended. We might interpret this story as an analogy about our failure to seek the lost but I don’t see that so much. Where is the father’s command to go look for the brother? I will leave it to the experts to excavate the true meaning of this parable. In the meantime, let’s learn from the homebound son’s attitude and behavior. Let us bask in the Father’s love and obey his command to seek and save the lost.

Being lost is never fun.  Being lost and realizing that no one is looking for you is even worse.*

January 27, 2022

Proverbs 3: 27  (NIV)

Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.

No man makes a greater mistake that he who does nothing because he knows it is not everything.*

While this proverb advises us not to withhold good from those who deserve it, Jesus raises the bar. In his one-on-one ministry, he did not discriminate between the deserving and the undeserving. He didn’t even target just those with whom he would be successful – the rich young man, for example, went away sad. (Matthew 19: 16-22.)

Someone has posed the question: “Was Jesus more productive when he fed 5,000 or when he talked to Nicodemus, or when he discipled the Twelve?"* Whether you are called to preach to a congregation of thousands or your ministry is to an audience of one, “[h]elping to bring people to Christ is still about helping one person at a time.”* Sometimes there is nothing we can do about injustice or poverty or hopelessness. But sometimes we can make a difference. Pray that God will make you alert to opportunities to use your power to act for good.

Making an impact on one soul for Jesus’ sake is still what it’s all about.*

January 26, 2022

Isaiah 30: 10 (NIV)

They say to the seers, “See no more visions!” and to the prophets, “Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions.”

Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened.*

We go to church and listen to sermons that make us feel good. We sing songs that cause our hearts to swell in praise. We ask people how they are doing and when they say, “Fine,” we believe them because we don’t want to hear otherwise. If someone tries to hold us accountable for our behavior, we employ various methods of avoidance. Even our own conscience gets tuned out when it convicts us. Do we really believe that we can change the truth by ignoring it?

When I was a teen-ager, we attended a tiny country church whose members pretty much only went into town to “trade.” They may have been isolated but they weren’t foolish. I recall the words of one man regarding the pointedness of a particular sermon: “If he steps on my toes, I’ll just rub them.”

Don’t expect truth to tickle your ears. Most often, the truth will hurt. If it does, just rub your toes and put those uncomfortable shoes back on. You might find that they hurt less as you break them in!

The truth sets you free, but it often makes you miserable first.*

January 25, 2022

Proverbs 3: 9 (NIV)

Honor the Lord with your wealth.

We are called to help the poor. How can the poor help the poor?*

Some of us might be surprised to learn that it is possible for a wealthy person to honor God. A local church was recently given a 1.4 million dollar donation from a member of the congregation. That kind of money can bring a lot of honor to the Lord. So can a lot less money if given with the right heart and used wisely (that is, prayerfully).

Look at who Jesus hobnobbed with and you will see an interesting cross-section of humanity. He socialized with people of every class and financial status. Rich or poor or middle class, they all needed to hear his message. But you know it’s true: we like to think that somehow the poor are spiritually superior just because they aren’t tainted by riches. Being poor is no badge of honor in itself nor is possessing a healthy bank account anything to be ashamed of.

The truth is, rich or poor, every person is a target for Satan. He uses our circumstances to his advantage. Too much money and there is the temptation for arrogance and lack of compassion. Not enough money and we become susceptible to resentment and covetousness. According to James 1: 14, we each have our own evil desires to contend with.

This Proverb might just as well read: "Honor the Lord with your wealth or lack thereof."

While Jesus was known to have called folks to give up everything they owned . . . [i]t was not a universal call to poverty.*

January 24, 2022

Job 24: 1 (NIV)

“Why does the Almighty not set times for judgment? Why must those who know him look in vain for such days?”

I beg your pardon. I never promised you a rose garden.*

Job wants to know how people can get away with the awful things they do. He lists some of their atrocities: move boundary stones; steal flocks; cheat orphans and widows out of their possessions; rebel against the light; kill the poor and needy; think they can get away with adultery; break into houses; make friends with the terrors of darkness. I would add to the list: human trafficking and religious persecution.

I wish I knew the answer to Job’s questions. When bad things happen to bad people we shrug. But when bad people get away with doing bad things – and actually prosper, we wonder, “What is God thinking?” Sure, we acknowledge that our perspective is limited by our human-ness but couldn’t life be a little more fair?

What would happen if life really was fair? Would that be a good thing? If we all got what we deserved, we would have to pay the price for our own sin.

Perhaps fairness is overrated.

God can use injustice as well as justice to accomplish his will.*

January 23, 2022

Leviticus 11: 44, 45 (NIV)

“I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. . . . I am the Lord who brought you up out of Egypt to be your Lord, therefore be holy, because I am holy.”

Holiness is not optional.*

This passage begins with God’s credentials: “I am the Lord your God.” After establishing his authority, he goes on to remind his people of their obligation and why they owe him. And just in case they didn’t get it, he repeats himself, “Be holy because I am holy.”

Holiness is more than just acknowledging that God is “the Lord who brought you up out of Egypt to be your Lord.” And, being holy like God certainly involves more than just performing holy rituals. As someone has observed, “‘Be ritually clean, for I am ritually clean’ seems inadequate"* For the Israelites, holiness was a lifestyle that set them apart from the other nations. Many of the restrictions imposed by the law were for no other purpose than to “erect strong barriers between the chosen people and the heathen.”*

Today, through Jesus, we are released from these particular restrictions but we are still called to be holy. The pursuit of holiness compels us to know God well enough to try to be like him. For an idea of the type of behavior required to set us apart from the world, read Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7.  

The more you look in God’s Word, the more God’s holiness is revealed.*

January 22, 2022

Acts 2: 42 (NIV)

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Misapplication may grow from . . . treating biblical descriptions as biblical commands.*

Acts 2: 42 is held up as a template for the modern-day worship service, but let’s understand that this verse is not accompanied by a command to go and do likewise. If it were, the following four verses would surely have to be included and obeyed as well. Per those next verses, we would have to be filled with awe; willingly submit to communal living; sell everything and share the proceeds with the needy; meet together every day and eat together with glad and sincere hearts. How compliant would we be if we had to follow the example of the early church past verse 42?

I wonder: if one of those pioneer Christians could be transported in time and find himself sitting in a pew at First Christian Church Anywhere on a Sunday morning, what would he think? How would we compare?

• Apostles’ teaching – we hear a sermon every Sunday morning. It’s safe to say that most of our preachers, even those who  aren’t as gifted as others, strive to deliver a message from God.
• Fellowship – plenty of opportunities to encourage one another; to learn together; to get to know each other. (It’s      interesting that such a seemingly self-serving activity would appear on this list.)
• Breaking of bread – the fellowship I am a member of teaches that this is referring to the Lord’s Supper, so we participate in it every week.
• Prayer – our worship service includes several public prayers.

So far, our First Century Christian time-traveler might feel somewhat comfortable in our worship service (except for the language barrier and our strange fashions). But what about the things we have added to the program? First, we have already established that they met every day, not just on Sunday morning. Second, there is no mention of taking up an offering although verses 44 and 45 give us an idea of their generosity. Finally, the big one: music. The activity that we have elevated to such an important position in our worship service is not even mentioned as being part of the early church’s routine.

In planning, participating in, and being critical of a worship service, we should beware of twin dangers: 1) turning a precedent into a command; and 2) ignoring a command because we think it is no longer culturally relevant. Take some time to read the Book of Acts and observe the practices and activities of the first Christians. What can we learn from them? 

Most churches today teach and perform what is socially acceptable for the sake of numbers, rather than what is Godly acceptable for the sake of the truth and the salvation of souls.*