ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THAT?

 

Tuesday, January 31, 2023

 

ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THAT?

 

Ps 50:21

21 These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.

 

Num 23:19

19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

 

Luke 19:20-21

20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:

21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.

 

          Much of our difficulties with God are born from our misunderstanding of Him. God spends his time trying to fashion us like Himself and we spend our time trying to make God in our image.

 

          Naaman, the leper, is one example of this misunderstanding. He was a man of privilege and was certain that God would recognize this. He thought the prophet would come out to him with great ceremony, wave his hand magically over the diseased spot, shake a rattle, and spit on the ground. With great fanfare the spot would be gone. Instead the prophet told him to simply go and dip seven times in the Jordan. That’s it? That’s all? (2 Kings 5) Like Naaman, we often remain unhealthy, unchanged, and unfulfilled because our image of Him is flawed.

 

          Invest some time today challenging your own concept of God. What kind of God is He? How did you arrive at that image? In what ways are you defeating yourself by humanizing God? I know, these are uncomfortable challenges but I think you will find this exercise rewarding.

 

Heb 1:1-2

1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

 

Ps 50:15

15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

 

Mysterious God, you have revealed yourself in your Son and in your Word. Yet you are unfathomable. Keep me from thinking and acting ignorantly. AMEN

TREASURES OF SNOW & HAIL

 

Monday, January 30, 2023

 

TREASURES OF SNOW & HAIL

 

Job 38:22-23

22 Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,

23 Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?

 

          Troubled Job had wished for an interview with God so that Job might explain how unfair God had been to him. In a dreadful manner, Job was granted an opportunity to answer numerous imponderable questions which God put forth in a rapid-fire manner. Of these questions, are listed questions about the origin of snow and hail but my favorite is verse 28. “Does rain have a father?” Job was put in his place and “told off” right smartly.

 

          Modern man now owns more tools than Job. We can answer many questions regarding snow and rain. We know that, for whatever reason, individual snow flakes always resemble a six-sided star. Always six. Farmers now know that snow provides nitrogen for the soil. We now know that hail is formed when raindrops are caught by updrafts and carried to colder heights. Each time the raindrop or ice drop is caught up, it collects more moisture and freezes. Some hail stones have reached the size of grapefruit and the book of Revelation predicts stones the weight of a man. (See Rev. 16:21) With all the new knowledge we have reached the lofty heights of novice. We still don’t know but at least now we know that we don’t know.

 

          I am a child of the ‘60s and, as such, have been influenced by the music of that time. One such memorable song was by Joni Mitchel and her song explores, in a secular, foggy sort of way, the treasures of the snow.

 

Rows and floes of angel hair

And ice cream castles in the air

And feather canyons everywhere

I've looked at clouds that way

 

But now they only block the sun

They rain and snow on everyone

So many things I would have done

But clouds got in my way

 

I've looked at clouds from both sides now

From up and down, and still somehow

It's cloud illusions I recall

I really don't know clouds at all

 

Dear Lord, our increased knowledge only serves to make you bigger and not smaller. We marvel that you pay attention to us and love us. Your care for us is amazing. Thank you, Lord. AMEN

WISDOM AND DISCERNMENT!

 

Sunday, January 29, 2023

 

WISDOM AND DISCERNMENT!

 

1 Kings 3:7-10

7 And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. 8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.

9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? 10 And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

 

          Once, while eating at a restaurant, I noticed a maze on the paper place mat. You had to trace a route from an entrance to an exit. There were many twists and turns along the way and many cul-de-sacs which forced you to retrace your path. Yes, that is life, and we all experience it. Solomon was given the kingdom of his father David and the enormity of the task drove him to his knees.

 

          Wisdom is defined by Webster’s English Dictionary as: “The quality of being wise; knowledge, and the capacity to make due use of it; knowledge of the best ends and the best means; discernment and judgment; discretion; sagacity; skill; dexterity.” Knowledge, then, is mechanical while wisdom is – spiritual. Many smart people are not wise, and some wise people are not greatly educated. William Cowper (pronounced Cooper) had this to say about wisdom.

 

Knowledge and wisdom, far from being one,
Have ofttimes no connection. Knowledge dwells
In heads replete with thoughts of other men;
Wisdom, in minds attentive to their own.
Knowledge, a rude, unprofitable mass,
The mere materials with which wisdom builds,
Till smoothed, and squared, and fitted to its place,
Does but encumber whom it seems to enrich.
Knowledge is proud that he has learned so much;
Wisdom is humble that he knows no more.
Cowper.

 

          Discernment is the ability to see what is cleverly hidden by circumstances! I remember seeing in some newspapers side-by-side cartoons with subtle differences. The challenge was to find all the differences between picture one and picture two. It was fun but challenging. Subtle differences in life are not always fun but are always challenging. Sometimes the ability to discern subtle differences is essential and urgent.

 

Dear Lord, you promised wisdom to those who would only ask for it. I’m asking today. Please add the gift of discernment as well. AMEN

PETER’S FORGIVENESS QUESTION

 

Saturday, January 28, 2023

 

PETER’S FORGIVENESS QUESTION

 

Matt 18:21-22

21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

 

          It was a maxim among the Jews not to forgive more than three times. Peter, wishing to demonstrate his great capacity to forgive suggests a number twice that plus one. Jesus must have smiled at this for the fishermen disciples were brawlers, sometimes referred to as “sons of thunder” (See Matthew 3:17).

 

          Seventy times seven is 490 times which seemed to Peter quite an unreasonable sum. Offenses come in several varieties. There is the accidental, stepped on my toe, variety which will likely not be repeated because it was not supposed to happen in the first place. Then, there is what I call the “social” variety which offends anyone who is not part of my favorite group. This we learn in the schoolyard and then perfect in congress. Finally, I think, there is a pattern of behavior which it seems only God is capable of forgiving. Jesus follows with a parable of a king and a debtor. The idea seemed to be that, if you had been forgiven, you should forgive.

 

          Personally, I’m with Peter. I agree that forgiveness is hard, nearly impossible in some cases. I, and probably you, need a special kind of grace which comes only from God. First Corinthians chapter 13 indicates that love keeps no record of wrong. In other words, if you keep a tally of 490 offenses, then you haven’t forgiven at all. Forgiveness is not a trait that is ever accomplished but is always struggling. At least that is so for me.

 

Eph 4:31-32

31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

 

Dear Lord, I know my deeply rooted offenses and wonder how you could possibly love and forgive me – but I am thankful that you did – and still do. AMEN

THE DISTRESSED CHURCH

 

Friday, January 27, 2023

 

THE DISTRESSED CHURCH

 

1 Peter 5:6-7

6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

 

          Peter wrote to those who had been scattered by persecution. Nero was the Roman despot at that time, and he was persecuting Christians. The formalistic Jews partnered with Rome to drive them away. They were dispersed to Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. They were under extreme stress.

 

          Stress produces emotional and often physical responses within us. It affects our ability to make good decisions and affects our relationships. Stress produces cortisol which can make us sick and shorten our life.

 

          How do you deal with stress? Some people engage in vigorous exercise. It releases endorphins which are hormones that relieve pain and produce a mild euphoria. Others will read a book or listen to music.

 

          Dr. Charles Stanley says: “Stress is the intangible partner of progress. Defined as "the normal, internal, physiological mechanism that adapts us to change.” Our problem is not stress, per se, but Distress which sees problems that have no solution.

 

          Peter suggests submission! He recommends that we cease struggling and submit ourselves to the circumstances in life that God may be using to mature us and make us stronger. I know that is not popular thought, but it is biblical thought.

 

          Obedience and submission enlist the help of God. The care is still there but it has been lifted from our weary backs and placed securely on the broad shoulders of the Lord. He is both willing and capable of carrying our heavy load.

 

Dear Lord, life is full of stress. Let me throw my cares onto you. Let me feel the care you have for me. AMEN

I DIDN’T BELIEVE IT – BUT IT WAS TRUE

 

Thursday, January 26, 2023

 

I DIDN’T BELIEVE IT – BUT IT WAS TRUE

 

Matt 6:25-26

25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

 

          I simply didn’t believe it. I was raised with a strong work ethic by parents who survived WWII and the depression. We saved bacon grease! Oh, I was as lazy as I dared to be, like most folks, but self-sufficiency was part of me.

 

          I finally landed a job at the Coca-Cola Company in Cincinnati with a prestigious title to a dirty job. I was the “assistant purchasing agent” but what I truly did was repair flat tires on route drivers’ wheel carts. Once I assembled a new cart from parts! I had a showroom new car, a ’67 Mustang, Vintage Burgundy with a sprint package. I lived at home, rent free. I think they call it “made in the shade.”

 

          So, when the Holy Spirit began to collect on what I suspected was a call to life-long ministry, I didn’t believe He could provide as well as Coca-Cola. I resisted and set out to disqualify myself – but that is another longer story. God won!

 

          My very first sermon was from Matthew 6, not because I believed it, but because I needed to hear it. I needed it to enter through the eye gate, rattle around the archives of my head, and out the mouth gate, finally entering the ear gate, and hopefully lodging in my heart. Yeah, that’s what a sermon sometimes does. I simply didn’t believe it – but it was true, and still is.

 

          I could tell you the whole story, but it would take 76 years to tell, and I don’t think either of us has the time. I guess I could sum it up with an old Fanny Crosby song.

 

All the way my Savior leads me,

Cheers each winding path I tread,

Gives me grace for every trial,

Feeds me with the living Bread.

Though my weary steps may falter

And my soul athirst may be,

Gushing from the Rock before me,

Lo! A spring of joy I see;

Gushing from the Rock before me,

Lo! A spring of joy I see.

Francis (Fanny) Crosby

 

Lord, though I have failed you many times, you have never failed me. Lord, I believe it. Help thou my unbelief. AMEN

IT’S FRUSTRATING!

 

Wednesday, January 25, 2023

 

IT’S FRUSTRATING!

 

John 16:33

33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

 

Isa 41:10

10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

 

          I am impatient and often frustrated. I particularly dislike stupidity masquerading as smugness. I particularly enjoy ripping away that mask. In a land of pretend, Hans Christian Andersen pointed out that the Emperor had no clothes.

 

          These days, some of the most ignorant human specimens are seated in political opulence spewing foolishness to the hurt of the common good. Moreover, they are well paid to do so by electors who are even more ignorant. There are few things more frustrating to me than foolishness in a well-tailored suit.

 

          This is the world. This is what Jesus warned us about in John 16. The word “tribulation” is the Greek word thlipsis and it means “to be pressured; to be anguished; or burdened.” It is a heavy load that can’t be easily put aside.

 

          The word “dismayed” in Isaiah 41 is the Hebrew word shaw-aw which means “to gaze at; to be nonplussed; to stare in amazement.” Yes, this is the “deer in the headlights” look we give to unhidden and unashamed ignorance.

 

          Someone once asked D. L. Moody if he ever got tired of the work he was doing. Moody replied, “I’m tired IN the work but I’m not tired OF the work.”

 

          To those who are suffering tribulation, Jesus said to be of good cheer. To those who are dismayed, God reminds us that he is our God. He has everything under control.

 

Ps 37:5

5 Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

 

Dear Lord, foolishness makes me shake my head in wonder. I get frustrated. I want to lash out irrationally and I know that would only make things worse. Let me trust your authority and control. Let me rest in your peace. AMEN

 

MAKING HARD DECISIONS

 

Tuesday, January 24, 2023

 

MAKING HARD DECISIONS

 

Prov 3:5-6

5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

 

Six Questions to Ask Yourself When Making Difficult Decisions

 

1. What is the right thing to do? ...

          Be careful of thinking it is right to do wrong to bring about a right result.

 

2. What would I counsel someone else to do? ...

          Back away from the situation and become the observant counselor instead of the engaged participant. What is your advice?

 

3. Despite how I feel, what should I do? ...

          Feelings are subtle influencers. They always have an agenda and that is to DO whatever soothes and satisfies feelings. Acknowledge feelings, but don’t let them make your decisions.

 

4. If God were watching, what should I do? ...

 

2 Chron 16:9 AMP

9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in behalf of those whose hearts are blameless toward Him.

 

5. Am I being completely honest with myself? ...

          If a person lies to himself - the most appropriate word is delusional. The person can be described as in a state of delusion where the person is filled with false beliefs.

 

6. What is the wise thing to do?

          Wisdom is a mixture of experience, knowledge, and good judgment.

 

           Inexperience can only be cured by testing decisions in the laboratory of life. Edison never thought himself a failure while inventing the light bulb. He considered that he had succeeded in finding many ways a thing would not work.

Knowledge can only be gained by study. Never stop learning. Good judgment is gained through the pain of bad judgment. The sin of presumption is the sin of pride.

 

Lord, grab my shirt tail and restrain me when I venture toward stupid decisions. AMEN