I have pasted this excerpt into my blog because I believe that it has so much relevance for today. For me, for those I encounter. I hope you read and enjoy. It is a bit lengthy so you might just want to buy the book:
The Great Disconnect
By Andy StanleyExcerpted from The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be, (Thomas Nelson, 2008).
I'm a reasonably smart person. College took me a year longer than most people, but I finally graduated with a three-point-something. However, when it comes to following directions, I'm definitely not smarter than a fifth grader. I get lost easily and often. My wife would attest to the fact that I've pretty much mastered the "art of lostness." It is so bad that when Sandra sends me on an errand, she carries her phone around the house with her, because she knows I'm going to call. This is in spite of the fact that she sends me out with a map with the route highlighted in yellow, along with a complete set of written directions. My intentions are good. I'm just lousy with directions. And she knows it. The kids know it. Heck, everybody who knows me knows it. I mean well. But my good intentions don't really make any difference. I still get turned around.
The upside to all of this is that I can speak as an authority on the art of getting and being lost. There are three things you should know about those of us who are directionally challenged. First, we don’t get lost on purpose. Nobody does that. In fact, just the opposite is true. Since we know we are likely to get lost, we work hard at paying attention and following directions. But we just don’t do well in unfamiliar territory.
The second thing I've learned from getting lost is that I never know exactly when it happens. I never know when I've crossed that line between I know exactly where I am and I have no idea where I am. I never know the precise moment in which I've made an incorrect turn or taken a wrong route. There is never a moment when a light goes off in my brain and I think, Gee, I just got lost. If I back up a hundred feet, I'll be un-lost. Being lost is something that dawns on me. Usually after I've been lost for-well, I don't know how long I'm lost before I realize I'm lost. Which I guess is the point I'm trying to make.
There's a third thing about getting lost. The road I'm on always determines where I end up. Pretty insightful, eh? It really doesn't matter where I intended to be; the path I take determines my ultimate destination. Plans, intentions, spousal expectations, none of that counts. I always end up where the road I've chosen takes me. And that, as you know by now, is the theme of this book.
From Where I Sit
My observation (and experience, for that matter) indicates that humans have a propensity for choosing paths that do not lead in the direction they want to go. For much of our decision-making, we lean hard into our intentions and pay very little attention to the direction of the path we've chosen. I see it all the time. Even with very smart people.
It breaks my heart how many people I speak with who don't connect the dots between the choices they make and the outcomes they experience. They've come to believe the popular notion that as long as their intentions are good, as long as their hearts are in the right place (whatever that means), as long as they do their best and try their hardest, it doesn’t matter which path they take. They believe somehow they will end up in a good place.
But life doesn’t work that way.
There is an amazing piece of literature tucked away in the book of Proverbs that illustrates this disconnect better than anything else I know of. In Proverbs 7, Solomon described an encounter that he witnessed from the vantage point of his upstairs window. Because he was physically removed from what he saw, he could not hear what the characters were saying to each other. But he provided us with their conversation as he imagined it. It's also possible that this account is a parable based upon his personal experience. Whether autobiographical or an observation, his story provides extraordinary insight into our tendency to disconnect direction from destination.
Solomon wrote:
At the window of my house I looked out through the lattice. I saw among the simple, I noticed among the young men, a youth who lacked judgment. (Prov. 7:6-7)
Solomon looked out his window and saw a kid. We don't know how old this kid was, but from what we learn later, we know he was at least north of puberty. Solomon described this kid as "simple" and "lacking judgment"." We may be tempted to ask, "How did he know?" And the answer is, all youths lack judgment. They are all "simple" or naive. All youths lack judgment, because judgment requires time and experience. Young people haven't lived long enough to acquire the experience that can produce good judgment. I say can because experience doesn’t always lead to good judgment. But experience is certainly critical to good judgment.
Shaunti Feldhahn, in her fascinating book For Parents Only, cites a study claiming that the frontal lobe of the human brain doesn’t fully develop until the midtwenties. The frontal lobe is where our reasoning skills reside. This explains why adolescents often engage in high-risk activities, they don't make the connection between their choices and the potential consequences. The point is that all youths lack the judgment that can come from age and experience. This seemingly insignificant detail is actually important to the narrative, as you are about to discover.
He was going down the street near her corner, walking along in the direction of her house at twilight, as the day was fading, as the dark of night set in. (vv. 8-9)
Now, you don't have to be a Bible scholar to anticipate where this story is heading, do you? A young guy cruising the streets at sunset, heading in the direction of a specific woman's home. As we will see in a second, he knew who this woman was, and he knew she was married. And apparently he knew that her husband was out of town and that she would be prowling around the street corner, looking for, well, just looking. That alone should have stopped him in his tracks. But it didn't. In fact, that was the very reason he was headed in her direction.
If we were able to get inside this kid's head and tap into the soundtrack he had chosen for this particular evening's activities, we might have heard "Party Like a Rock Star" or, if he was a fan of classic rock, perhaps "Born to Be Wild." Either way, he was confident that this was going to be a night to remember, and perhaps one to brag to his friends about the next day during PE.
Meanwhile, back at the window, Solomon was watching this young man, and there was a soundtrack playing in his head as well: the music from Jaws. Why? Because there was a marked contrast between what this kid was expecting to experience and what Solomon knew was in his future. Why? Because the older, wiser king understood from experience where this path would lead. The adolescent was preoccupied with what he believed would be an exciting event, a night of passion. A night disconnected from every other event in his life. But Solomon knew better. This night was not an isolated event disconnected from all the other events in this young man's life. This night was a step down a path. A path, like all paths, that leads somewhere. This particular path had a predictable destination. But you don’t need to be the wisest man in the world to know that. You could predict the outcome of this encounter with nothing to draw on but your own experience or the experience of someone you know. Funny how that works. What's so obvious to those watching often escapes us.
The story continues:
Then out came a woman to meet him, dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent. (She is loud and defiant, her feet never stay at home; now in the street, now in the squares, at every corner she lurks.) (vv. 10-12)
Solomon knew a thing or two about women. He made his share of poor choices in this arena. He knew from expertise that this woman was toxic. And having been there himself, he also understood why this young man couldn't see it.
She took hold of him and kissed him and with a brazen face she said: "I have fellowship offerings at home; today I fulfilled my vows. So I came out to meet you; I looked for you and I have found you!" (vv. 13-15)
This section requires a bit of explanation. When this woman said she had fellowship offerings at home, she was essentially saying, "Look, I’m not a hooker. I have plenty of money at home. I'm not after your money, I want you!" She was also implying that she had been to the temple and had everything squared away with God. Having already taken her sin-bucket and dumped it out at the altar, she was ready to fill it up again, with him!
As extreme as that sounds, her version of religion is not too far removed from our approach. If you're like some of my Catholic friends, you go to confession, dump out all of your sin in a confessional booth, get absolved, and then the next week you feel free to pick up where you left off. We Protestants do the same thing, but with one difference: we skip the confessional booth. Instead, we go right to the source. We pray something along the lines of, "Dear heavenly Father, please forgive me of all my sins." We're taught that at that point, he takes out his big eraser and cleans our sin slates. Like the woman in the story, we are quick to ask for forgiveness but slow to actually repent and walk away from our sin. Granted, that whole approach is absurd when you think about it. And it is certainly an insult to God, but it works for us. We get both the relief that comes with forgiveness and the thrill that comes from sin.
Of course, this young man wasn't thinking about the absurdity of her religious system. He was thinking, If my friends could see me now. At that point he pumped up the volume of his soundtrack to a ten and pinched himself to be sure this wasn't a dream. Even if Solomon was to call down from the window and warn him, the kid wouldn't have heard him over the seductive words he heard next:
"I have covered my bed with colored linens from Egypt. I have perfumed my body with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon. Come, let's drink deep of love till morning; let's enjoy ourselves with love!" (vv. 16-18)
And just in case he was wondering, she added:
"My husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey. He took his purse filled with money and will not be home till full moon." (vv. 19-20)
Well, that pretty much clinched it right there. Not only did he not have to worry about her husband catching them but he could hang around for breakfast. Watch a little TV. Heck, he could spend the entire weekend. This just kept getting better. From his perspective, that is. But Solomon saw this situation in an entirely different light. Listen to his take.
With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk. All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter. (vv. 21-22)
What? An ox heading where? Wait a minute, Solomon. Don’t you mean "like a celebrity into a club?" An ox to the slaughter? It certainly doesn't look that way to the casual observer. And it certainly didn’t look that way to our young friend. But Solomon was not finished with his creative use of language. He had two more animal analogies for emphasis.
... like a deer stepping into a noose till an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare, little knowing it will cost him his life. (vv. 22-23)
In case you didn't get the ox to the slaughter, how 'bout a deer stepping into a noose, with a bloodied arrow hanging from its bowels? Still don't get the picture? How about this: this kid was like a clueless bird caught in a snare. Solomon's point, as if he hadn't made it abundantly clear, was that this young man was throwing away his future. Possibly his life. Of course, were the young man able to read Solomon's mind, he would have shouted back, "You're sounding a lot like my dad! Besides, what does an old man know about love and passion anyway? This isn't just a date. It's a once-in-a-lifetime event. I'm not an ox, a deer, or a bird. Mind your own business."
At this point in Solomon's narrative, he turned a corner and addressed his broader audience. These next words are directed to you and me.
Now then, my sons, listen to me; pay attention to what I say. Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths. (vv. 24-25)
There's our word. Paths. This was a path, not an event. Pay attention to this next observation:
Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng. (v. 26)
Many. Solomon debunked the notion that there was anything unique about what this kid was experiencing. It may have been unique for him. But this experience represents a well-worn path: a path that leads to death in spite of what the naive kid may have wanted to argue. If Solomon could have called a time-out in the story and gotten this kid's undivided attention, he might have said something along the lines of, "Listen, buddy. I hate to break it to you, but there's nothing unique or special or rare about this. You may have never 'felt this way before,' but a lot of other people have. And if they were here to tell you their stories, you would think twice. You're part of a crowd. A herd. A flock. There is nothing new here. And the outcome is all too predictable. She's done more than capture your imagination. She's writing a script for your future. You are a dead man walking!"
Driving home the point, Solomon added:
Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death. (v. 27)
A highway? Yep. A four-lane interstate with an HOV lane. Again, there's nothing new about this. Nothing unique. Just another young man who has chosen a path that will take him precisely to where he doesn't want or plan to be. There was a disconnect. The disconnect in Solomon's scenario is easy to see, at least for us. A young man who wanted his life to be relationally richer chose a path that would ultimately undermine his relationships. A young man who yearned for something good chose a path that led to something not good. A youth striving to prove his independence chose a well-worn path that had the potential to strip him of his independence. There was a disconnect. Solomon saw it from his window. I've seen similar disconnects from my imaginary window as well. And so have you.
Nothing New
We all have propensity for choosing paths that do not lead in the direction we want to go. In a later chapter I will give you my take on what causes this apparent lapse in reason. But for now I want to focus on how this dynamic plays itself out in our world. Perhaps in your world. For example:
A single woman says, "I want to meet and one day marry a great Christian guy who's really got his act together" ... but then she dates whoever asks her out, as long as he's cute.
A single guy says, "I want a great sex life once I'm married" ... but he "practices" with every girl he dates along the way.
A married woman says, "I want to have a great relationship with my husband" ... but she makes the children a priority over him.
A husband says, "I want my kids to respect me as they grow up" ... and then he openly flirts with other women in the neighborhood.
A young Christian says, "I want to develop a deep and lasting intimacy with God" ... so he gets up every morning early and reads his newspaper.
A man says, "I want to grow old and invest the latter years of my life in my grandchildren" ... but then he neglects his health.
A couple says, "We'd like our children to develop a personal relationship with God and choose friends who have done the same" ... but then they skip church every weekend and head to the lake.
Newlyweds determine to be financially secure by the time they reach their parents' age ... then adopt a lifestyle sustained by debt and leverage assets.
A high school freshman intends to graduate with a GPA that will afford him options as he selects a college ... but neglects his studies.
Obviously the list could go on and on. And the people my list represents have legitimate goals and oftentimes every good intention of reaching them. But like the naive young man in Solomon's story, the paths they choose eventually bring them to a destination that is entirely different from the one they intended. And this isn't rocket science. We shouldn’t need someone to connect these dots for us. If your goal is to drop two dress sizes, you don't eat lunch at a donut shop. If you desire to remain faithful to your spouse, you don't linger in an online chat room with members of the opposite sex. Those aren't pastimes. Those are pathways. They lead somewhere.
As I have said throughout our time together, it is much easier to see these dynamics at work in other people than it is in ourselves. As you read through my list a few paragraphs back, no doubt specific faces and names came to mind. You might have even thought, So-and-so needs to read this. And you may be right. But before you start putting initials beside specific paragraphs in this book, perhaps you should pause and do a bit of self-examination:
Are there disconnects in your life?
Are there discrepancies between what you desire in your heart and what you are doing with your life?
Is there alignment between your intentions and your direction?
If you've ever gotten lost while driving (and who hasn't?), you know that if you backtrack far enough, you can usually get your bearings and be on your way. Worst case, you've wasted a few minutes or hours. But when you get lost in life, you can't backtrack. When you get lost in life, you don't waste minutes or hours. You can waste an entire season of your life. Choosing the wrong path in life will cost you precious years. Nobody wants to do that. Nobody wants to wake up in his fifties and wish he had taken a different path in his thirties. Nobody wants to arrive at the end of a marriage and wish she had taken a different path during her dating years. Think about it. You only get to be twenty once. You get one senior year. You get one first marriage. The path we choose at those critical junctions doesn’t just determine our destination the following year, but for the following season of life.
The principle of the path is operating in your life every minute of every day. You are currently on a financial path of some kind. You are on a relational path. You are continuing down a moral and ethical path. And each of these paths has a destination. My hope is that by becoming aware of this powerful principle, you will have the wisdom to know which path to choose and the courage to stay the course.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Holy Week
This week, I decided to take a break from my Bible Study Fellowship lessons and follow Jesus' activities from the point of the entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to Resurrection. I guess I never focused on how busy he was. I thought about the key things that we celebrate in church like Palm Sunday, the Last Supper, the Crucifixion and Resurrection, but Jesus was really very busy in addition to all of these activities.
There were crowds of people eager to hear everything he had to say and Pharisee's doing their best to trip up Jesus in front of the crowd and making themselves look foolish at the same time. Jesus even directly spoke against the Pharisees in the seven woes passage and taught a lot about what the Kingdom of Heaven was really like, what would happen to him in the coming days and about his second coming. He taught that his servants wouldn't know the time of his return so we should always be ready and should be prepared to give an accounting of the work done here in his name.
He talked about the King who gave the wedding feast for his son and the invitees refused to attend and went about their own business. Even one of the people from the street (second list of invitations issued) didn't even give the groom honor enough to dress appropriately for the occassion.
There are so many principles from the passages this week that I have read (I haven't even gotten through them all) but I have taken the following for action in my upcoming weeks, months and years to put into practice:
There were crowds of people eager to hear everything he had to say and Pharisee's doing their best to trip up Jesus in front of the crowd and making themselves look foolish at the same time. Jesus even directly spoke against the Pharisees in the seven woes passage and taught a lot about what the Kingdom of Heaven was really like, what would happen to him in the coming days and about his second coming. He taught that his servants wouldn't know the time of his return so we should always be ready and should be prepared to give an accounting of the work done here in his name.
He talked about the King who gave the wedding feast for his son and the invitees refused to attend and went about their own business. Even one of the people from the street (second list of invitations issued) didn't even give the groom honor enough to dress appropriately for the occassion.
There are so many principles from the passages this week that I have read (I haven't even gotten through them all) but I have taken the following for action in my upcoming weeks, months and years to put into practice:
- Am I investing what the Lord has given me with an eternal perspective? Am I investing my time, talents and resources in a way that would honor the Lord and bear fruit for his Kingdom?
- Is there someone I can touch today to encourage a soul and help them trust in the Lord too?
- Am I guilty of hiding my allegience to Jesus Christ and not boldly standing as one of his disciples?
- Am I investing myself to learn about the Lord's character so that I can pattern my choices after his?
- Am I willing to risk opposition in order to stand for Christ or will I be like the church leaders who believed but were afraid if they confessed their belief they would be thrown out of the synagogue?
- Are their limits I have placed on what I am willing to yield for the Lord? Are there hindrances of self indulgence, comfort or pride that I am hanging on to that prevent God from fully using me as his servant?
- Do I weep over the people who have not yet come to accept God's offer of salvation? Do I use opportunities to share God's character with those who don't have a clear understanding?
- Am I guilty of being blind to the work of God in my own life? Have I acted without faith?
- Am I content with a mere physical healing from pain or do I want the abundant life promised in scripture? Is it reflected in the prayers I offer? Do I go beyond the physical and ask for spiritual insight and forgiveness of my sins?
- Faith allows for no doubt: am I asking for something in prayer and not acting in belief?
- Am I bearing fruit for the Lord? Will I be proud to give an accounting of my work here?
- Do I keep an eternal focus or do I let momentary trials and unkindnesses affect my responses?
- How much of my faith is compromised: to keep a job? to keep peace at home? to keep friends? to maintain security? to be thought of well? Do I love the praise of men more than God?
- Do I treat my Lord in a casual way and not give him the respect he deserves? Do I not do my best?
- Do I allow anything to come between me and my love of the Lord? Are there any habits or idols that need to be removed from my life? When it comes time to pray and to spend time with the Lord, is there anything that comes to my mind that I would rather do? Is my time appropriately allocated to give the Lord priority place?
- Do I give God all that belongs to him?
- Are my thoughts and actions centered on loving the Lord my God with all my heart/soul/mind?
- Do I really show love for my neighbor? How can I make my neighbors know they are loved?
- If Jesus returned today, am I ready? Am I prepared like the virgins with the oil or have I allowed other distractions to consume me? Have I put off something that I should do to get ready?
As you can see there are a lot of applications to be taken from the instruction Jesus gave during his last week on earth before his crucifixion. More than can be learned or put into practice during a mere week.
God Bless you as you seek him and as you serve him!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Who me? Submit?
As you know, I am so blessed to be involved in a Bible Study Fellowship study. This year we are studying the life of Moses. We have taken almost 30 weeks to get where we are, but we currently are finishing the book of Numbers. Chapter 30 discusses the importance of keeping a vow and how we are known by our word. BUT it also has a section for women who make a vow and then find that their father or their husband do not allow them to complete their vow.
God gives ALL of us principles about submission. Men are not exempt from submission; in fact they bear the greater accountability to God for their choices as they have been ordained by God to lead their households. Women are given exemptions by God if their father's or husband's mandate another course of action.
I feel compassion for Christian children who are under the authority of harsh parents who are overbearing and do not use their leadership responsibly. I also know that God sees their condition and intervenes on their behalf. I also know that God can use even unpleasant circumstances to accomplish his purposes in our lives. As grown women, we have much more freedom and enjoy more "grown up" priviledges, but I believe that God honors women who will obey his principle of submission to their husbands and will hold their husbands accountable for wrong choices.
If I only pick and choose the principles God gives me in scripture, how am I honoring him as Lord of my life? If I only choose the pleasant and do the things that I like to do, how am I growing in grace. How will I ever learn to put to death my flesh and my strong will and choose the things of the Spirit if I only do what I like and never subject myself to disciplines of the faith?
I do run the risk of being treated wrongly by those in authority (all authority), but like Joseph, I have a defender who is greater than any foe and able to overcome any circumstance that does not accomplish God's purpose in my life. Submission is not a terrible thing. I choose to submit out of love for my Lord Jesus Christ and in submitting to my husband, and other authorities (boss, government etc) I am following my Lord's commands becoming more pleasing to him.
Recently, I had a conversation with a woman in her 30's who is about to be married for the first time. She has enjoyed some independence and now struggles with the concept of submission to a husband. She want's to maintain her independence but enjoy the benefits of marriage. I don't believe that two people can become one if they both remain independently two people. When we marry we choose to become a unit and our actions become centered on making that unit successful.
In my own personal marriage, God knew that I was very strong willed, so he gave me a husband who is even stronger. God knew that I needed someone equally strong to counter my own selfish desires and to challenge my unholy behaviors. Sometimes it has felt as if he were overbearing, but God knew that if I were to become a Christian who really lives my faith that I would have to endure some chastening, some molding, some unpleasantness. My husband didn't create the unpleasantness as much as my selfish attitudes did. I thank God for giving me the husband that he did to grow me up and teach me what holiness, grace, forgiveness and love are really about. I know more about the depths of God's love for me because he has given me a strong willed husband to love. I know more about Christ's submission to the cross, because God has given me hardships to endure to make me a better servant for him.
If we always resist the unpleasant we may just be resisting the chastisement and the character building that God is putting in our lives to conform us into his image. If you are enduring unpleasant situations take heart! God knows your circumstances and is able to see you through your trials and bear you up. His grace is sufficient for all of our needs. Look to him and find the comfort you need.
God bless you as you seek him and as you serve him!
God gives ALL of us principles about submission. Men are not exempt from submission; in fact they bear the greater accountability to God for their choices as they have been ordained by God to lead their households. Women are given exemptions by God if their father's or husband's mandate another course of action.
I feel compassion for Christian children who are under the authority of harsh parents who are overbearing and do not use their leadership responsibly. I also know that God sees their condition and intervenes on their behalf. I also know that God can use even unpleasant circumstances to accomplish his purposes in our lives. As grown women, we have much more freedom and enjoy more "grown up" priviledges, but I believe that God honors women who will obey his principle of submission to their husbands and will hold their husbands accountable for wrong choices.
If I only pick and choose the principles God gives me in scripture, how am I honoring him as Lord of my life? If I only choose the pleasant and do the things that I like to do, how am I growing in grace. How will I ever learn to put to death my flesh and my strong will and choose the things of the Spirit if I only do what I like and never subject myself to disciplines of the faith?
I do run the risk of being treated wrongly by those in authority (all authority), but like Joseph, I have a defender who is greater than any foe and able to overcome any circumstance that does not accomplish God's purpose in my life. Submission is not a terrible thing. I choose to submit out of love for my Lord Jesus Christ and in submitting to my husband, and other authorities (boss, government etc) I am following my Lord's commands becoming more pleasing to him.
Recently, I had a conversation with a woman in her 30's who is about to be married for the first time. She has enjoyed some independence and now struggles with the concept of submission to a husband. She want's to maintain her independence but enjoy the benefits of marriage. I don't believe that two people can become one if they both remain independently two people. When we marry we choose to become a unit and our actions become centered on making that unit successful.
In my own personal marriage, God knew that I was very strong willed, so he gave me a husband who is even stronger. God knew that I needed someone equally strong to counter my own selfish desires and to challenge my unholy behaviors. Sometimes it has felt as if he were overbearing, but God knew that if I were to become a Christian who really lives my faith that I would have to endure some chastening, some molding, some unpleasantness. My husband didn't create the unpleasantness as much as my selfish attitudes did. I thank God for giving me the husband that he did to grow me up and teach me what holiness, grace, forgiveness and love are really about. I know more about the depths of God's love for me because he has given me a strong willed husband to love. I know more about Christ's submission to the cross, because God has given me hardships to endure to make me a better servant for him.
If we always resist the unpleasant we may just be resisting the chastisement and the character building that God is putting in our lives to conform us into his image. If you are enduring unpleasant situations take heart! God knows your circumstances and is able to see you through your trials and bear you up. His grace is sufficient for all of our needs. Look to him and find the comfort you need.
God bless you as you seek him and as you serve him!
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Manna Again?
The BSF study in the Life of Moses has uncovered a sin in my life that I hadn't considered long and hard before. I have learned that when I am complaining about whatever circumstance I am facing and let's face it, even when I do pray to God about my situations, I am also quick to let people know that I am suffering BIG time!
The Israelites were the same way. God provided for them time and time again and yet every time they encountered the next hardship they complained like they had no idea where their provision came from. Even when God provided, they weren't always happy with His solution and griped about it too. God provided manna to feed nearly 2-4 million people there in the desert; not just occassionally but consistently for 40 years. I sympathize with the Israelites in that there wasn't a lot of variety in their cuisine, but they were sustained by God's hand. Even so, they complained.
God made it clear to the Israelites and now to me that when we complain we are telling God that we are not satisfied with how he has provided for us. Complaining is not against our circumstances, or other people, it is against God himself since he is the author of our lives and brings the people and the circumstances we face. Complaining is anti-witnessing. We are telling the world that God is insufficient, not satisfactory. Why would anyone choose to follow a God like that.
Now we do have an appropriate response to unpleasant circumstances...we can take our cares to God himself and ask him to give us relief. THEN we can testify to how he provides for us. That is really witnessing. In my time in this section of scripture, God has shown me how I am a complainer and what impact it has on my relationship to God and how it impacts my testimony here for him.
I don't think that we should not let people know our struggles or give the impression that we don't have battles each day, but we should not allow bitter circumstances to give rise to a bad attitude in our lives. Too often I have allowed that and justified my poor behavior by attributing it to my unpleasant circumstances. After all, it is understandable how a person would not be joyful when all around is hardship.
Too often, I allow circumstances to dictate my mood. Too often the unbelieving world has looked to me to demonstrate how God is sustaining me through hard times and I have only shown them complaints and bitterness. Now that God has shown me this in my life, I am committed to changing the pattern (with his help) so that my life is a living testimony of the greatness of God, not just when I am being blessed, but also when I am being guided through my own wilderness of suffering and trial as well.
The Israelites were the same way. God provided for them time and time again and yet every time they encountered the next hardship they complained like they had no idea where their provision came from. Even when God provided, they weren't always happy with His solution and griped about it too. God provided manna to feed nearly 2-4 million people there in the desert; not just occassionally but consistently for 40 years. I sympathize with the Israelites in that there wasn't a lot of variety in their cuisine, but they were sustained by God's hand. Even so, they complained.
God made it clear to the Israelites and now to me that when we complain we are telling God that we are not satisfied with how he has provided for us. Complaining is not against our circumstances, or other people, it is against God himself since he is the author of our lives and brings the people and the circumstances we face. Complaining is anti-witnessing. We are telling the world that God is insufficient, not satisfactory. Why would anyone choose to follow a God like that.
Now we do have an appropriate response to unpleasant circumstances...we can take our cares to God himself and ask him to give us relief. THEN we can testify to how he provides for us. That is really witnessing. In my time in this section of scripture, God has shown me how I am a complainer and what impact it has on my relationship to God and how it impacts my testimony here for him.
I don't think that we should not let people know our struggles or give the impression that we don't have battles each day, but we should not allow bitter circumstances to give rise to a bad attitude in our lives. Too often I have allowed that and justified my poor behavior by attributing it to my unpleasant circumstances. After all, it is understandable how a person would not be joyful when all around is hardship.
Too often, I allow circumstances to dictate my mood. Too often the unbelieving world has looked to me to demonstrate how God is sustaining me through hard times and I have only shown them complaints and bitterness. Now that God has shown me this in my life, I am committed to changing the pattern (with his help) so that my life is a living testimony of the greatness of God, not just when I am being blessed, but also when I am being guided through my own wilderness of suffering and trial as well.
The Life of Moses
I have to tell you, my Bible Study Fellowship study on the Life of Moses is absolutely phenomenal! In August when I considered the prospect of spending a year in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, I can't say that I was filled with excited anticipation. I know the whole counsel of God is for my growth in my faith so I was glad to have a structured study to keep me focused.
Now that I have spent 6 months studying, I am thinking this is one of the best studies ever! No where in scripture is there a clearer picture of the Holiness of God and man's utter sinful state than in wanderings of the Israelite nation. No where else do we see how God cares for his people not because they are well behaved or are model people, but because they are his. His care for the Israelites and for us is a reflection on Him. He does it out of love for us and that the world may see his glory revealed because he started with a people who were utterly helpless without him and He did great things in their lives where all could see.
In Sunday School (a different study) we are studying apologetics and how do we help people know that Jesus is a savior for them too. I am thinking that the Life of Moses is the best way to show them how we have a faithful and holy God who cares for his people. Time and time again God did wonderful things to provide for his people. You would think that the Israelites would have learned their lesson that there was no nation too strong for them + God. You would think that when they were hungry and thirsty they would have looked to the same God that had provided for them the last time, but each time, they showed how faithless they really were. No where in scripture do we see a clearer picture of our need for salvation and our utter inability to do anything to accomplish our own salvation.
We see over and over again that every deliverance is all God. We see over and over again that God requires our obedience and does not abide rebellion. We see his forgiveness and how even when we fail him, he is merciful. We like the Israelites need deliverance (sometimes from our own foolishness). We Christians, like the Israelites have enjoyed the salvation, love, forgiveness and mercy of God. We Christians, like the Israelites are called to be a holy people with an allegience only to God alone. We Christians recognize that we cannot affect our own salvation no matter how many sacrifices we offer. Our sin is deeper than that and only God can make us reconciled with him.
Just as the Israelites were given a sacrificial system to atone for sin and to be given a clean slate, God provided his only son Jesus Christ to put an end to the sacrificial system and to deliver us from the penalty of sin. If there was any other way, Jesus' payment for us was pointless.
We are so much like the Israelites it is scary, but just as the Israelites were fed in the desert and guided to the promised land, so God does the same for us. My soul is full because of the rich lessons that are found in the Life of Moses. What greater assurance of our faith to know that we have a God who is able to see us through all adversity and while he could change hearts and keep us out of battle, he doesn't. In the battle his salvation is made known to those who don't know him and our faith is strengthened as we cling to him in the harshness of life!
Now that I have spent 6 months studying, I am thinking this is one of the best studies ever! No where in scripture is there a clearer picture of the Holiness of God and man's utter sinful state than in wanderings of the Israelite nation. No where else do we see how God cares for his people not because they are well behaved or are model people, but because they are his. His care for the Israelites and for us is a reflection on Him. He does it out of love for us and that the world may see his glory revealed because he started with a people who were utterly helpless without him and He did great things in their lives where all could see.
In Sunday School (a different study) we are studying apologetics and how do we help people know that Jesus is a savior for them too. I am thinking that the Life of Moses is the best way to show them how we have a faithful and holy God who cares for his people. Time and time again God did wonderful things to provide for his people. You would think that the Israelites would have learned their lesson that there was no nation too strong for them + God. You would think that when they were hungry and thirsty they would have looked to the same God that had provided for them the last time, but each time, they showed how faithless they really were. No where in scripture do we see a clearer picture of our need for salvation and our utter inability to do anything to accomplish our own salvation.
We see over and over again that every deliverance is all God. We see over and over again that God requires our obedience and does not abide rebellion. We see his forgiveness and how even when we fail him, he is merciful. We like the Israelites need deliverance (sometimes from our own foolishness). We Christians, like the Israelites have enjoyed the salvation, love, forgiveness and mercy of God. We Christians, like the Israelites are called to be a holy people with an allegience only to God alone. We Christians recognize that we cannot affect our own salvation no matter how many sacrifices we offer. Our sin is deeper than that and only God can make us reconciled with him.
Just as the Israelites were given a sacrificial system to atone for sin and to be given a clean slate, God provided his only son Jesus Christ to put an end to the sacrificial system and to deliver us from the penalty of sin. If there was any other way, Jesus' payment for us was pointless.
We are so much like the Israelites it is scary, but just as the Israelites were fed in the desert and guided to the promised land, so God does the same for us. My soul is full because of the rich lessons that are found in the Life of Moses. What greater assurance of our faith to know that we have a God who is able to see us through all adversity and while he could change hearts and keep us out of battle, he doesn't. In the battle his salvation is made known to those who don't know him and our faith is strengthened as we cling to him in the harshness of life!
Saturday, March 21, 2009
W. V. Grant Faith Healer
The popularity of the faith healing movement has always been a bit of a mystery to me. The Bible clearly says that signs and wonders are performed for the purpose of bringing unbelievers to a faith in God; why do so many believers chase after miracle signs and wonders?
A friend of mine recently invited me to a faith healing with her. She is a dear friend to me and my transport was her only hope of attendance. It seemed important to her and so I agreed. I think in her heart of hearts she was hoping that if I were to see miracles that I would be encouraged in my faith.
The miracle healer claimed to have a "special annointing" but that Jesus is the one who healed. If Jesus is the miracle healer why would an intermediary be needed? It almost suggests that the healer has already determined that my faith is not sufficient to approach the Father and ask for that which I need. It also suggests that if we have a thorn in our flesh it is not of God and that somehow Satan has some power in my life that God cannot thwart apart from an intervention by someone with a special annointing.
During the service he suggested that everyone would have an opportunity to be healed. It seemed to me that he was suggesting that everyone needed to be healed. Another person there at the healing had been to the revival services throughout the entire week Mr. Grant had been there and claimed to have received a healing himself. This person said that he had never heard of Mr. Grant and didn't know anything about him, but was convinced that he was the real deal. When I did a quick google search prior to the service, I found that Mr. Grant has been convicted of defrauding people in the past and falsefying miracles. Now that he is out of prison, these miracles that I am seeing now are legitimate because God saw fit to forgive him for the miracles he did fraudulently and now has given him "true" power?
http://http//en.allexperts.com/e/w/w/w.v._grant.htm
http://www.bible.ca/tongues-encyclopedia-pentecostal-preachers.htm#grant
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WV_Grant
In my studies of the Bible one of the greatest revelations I have had is that God is Holy and I along with all mankind are utterly sinful. Over my years of growing in grace, I have learned how pervasive my sin is. At first, I saw the sins that are offensive to all good church goers and recognized that I fell short of a churchy standard. The church's standard however is so much lower than God's standard of holiness. Jesus pointed that out to the Pharisees who prided themselves on their righteousness and exposed them for the vile sinners they were. God's holiness goes much deeper than external conduct - that is another blog perhaps.
My point is that God uses affliction to draw us in to repentence and into deeper dependence on him alone; sometimes affliction is just for the purpose of him growing his character in us and sometimes it is for his glory, but we don't see God's purpose. We are assured in Romans 8:28 that all things work together for good for those who are called according to God's purposes. Mr. Grant at no time in his presentation conveyed an exhortation to deeper fellowship with God, greater knowledge of scripture etc. He spoke out about the way that secular society lives and how it is an offense to God. Well Duh! There weren't a lot of secular society in the room only desperate Christians feeling defeated by affliction and longing for relief. His message could easily be confirmed by the people in the room and had no impact to change the lives that were there.
Faith healing seems to be a misnomer to me. Present are those whose faith is weak and they are longing for a confirmation that God cares and he is all powerful to handle their circumstances. God has shown over and over that he cares. The very fact that he adopted me as a Christian is evidence that he cares. I had no good in me that I should be selected by God. God is still all powerful and he is intimately aware of the afflictions I suffer. He is also able to remove them by a breath if it is his will. I can ask in faith and he has promised that if it is good for me, he will hear my prayer. If Faith healing involved special displays of God's power so that all can see, where is the faith? And where is our faith? Is it in God alone or in some man claiming to have a special prophesy or annointing?
Interesting to me that there were comments during the service about if you wanted your healing to be permanent, you should bring forth your best offering to this man. If it is a healing of God, wouldn't it be permanent? The Bible tells us that there will be false teachers and men claiming to have special power that will deceive even the elect if it were possible. Not all magic is of God and as Christians we need to be discerning in who we allow to influence our thinking.
The spectacle of the faith healing really isn't something that was promoted in the Bible. Jesus even chastised the people who just followed him for a special healing and were not interested in having their lives changed. Paul and the other apostles wrote extensively about the Christian life and it was a journey toward holy living and becoming a person of grace. As Christians we should leave the signs and wonders to the unbelievers. We have something much better; we have the Holy Spirit that lives in us and guides us in the development of the character of Jesus Christ in us. We become living sacrifices.
Following after miracle workers only leaves our faith defeated because we realize that we do not have that kind of power in our lives. If we did, there would be no sickness anywhere because out of love we would be healing them and saving tons of money on medical services. As soon as we have a need that God does not immediately resolve according to our word, we become discourage. What made us think that God is bound to do our bidding like that? I love the dear souls who were in attendance looking for some hope they could cling to in their lives and I have great news! Jesus alone is that hope and he can be found if we will look for him. His plan for our lives is well articulated in the Bible if we will study and his Spirit joins with ours in prayer interceding and convicting us of our sins. We have a great hope not only here but in the hereafter!
A friend of mine recently invited me to a faith healing with her. She is a dear friend to me and my transport was her only hope of attendance. It seemed important to her and so I agreed. I think in her heart of hearts she was hoping that if I were to see miracles that I would be encouraged in my faith.
The miracle healer claimed to have a "special annointing" but that Jesus is the one who healed. If Jesus is the miracle healer why would an intermediary be needed? It almost suggests that the healer has already determined that my faith is not sufficient to approach the Father and ask for that which I need. It also suggests that if we have a thorn in our flesh it is not of God and that somehow Satan has some power in my life that God cannot thwart apart from an intervention by someone with a special annointing.
During the service he suggested that everyone would have an opportunity to be healed. It seemed to me that he was suggesting that everyone needed to be healed. Another person there at the healing had been to the revival services throughout the entire week Mr. Grant had been there and claimed to have received a healing himself. This person said that he had never heard of Mr. Grant and didn't know anything about him, but was convinced that he was the real deal. When I did a quick google search prior to the service, I found that Mr. Grant has been convicted of defrauding people in the past and falsefying miracles. Now that he is out of prison, these miracles that I am seeing now are legitimate because God saw fit to forgive him for the miracles he did fraudulently and now has given him "true" power?
http://http//en.allexperts.com/e/w/w/w.v._grant.htm
http://www.bible.ca/tongues-encyclopedia-pentecostal-preachers.htm#grant
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WV_Grant
In my studies of the Bible one of the greatest revelations I have had is that God is Holy and I along with all mankind are utterly sinful. Over my years of growing in grace, I have learned how pervasive my sin is. At first, I saw the sins that are offensive to all good church goers and recognized that I fell short of a churchy standard. The church's standard however is so much lower than God's standard of holiness. Jesus pointed that out to the Pharisees who prided themselves on their righteousness and exposed them for the vile sinners they were. God's holiness goes much deeper than external conduct - that is another blog perhaps.
My point is that God uses affliction to draw us in to repentence and into deeper dependence on him alone; sometimes affliction is just for the purpose of him growing his character in us and sometimes it is for his glory, but we don't see God's purpose. We are assured in Romans 8:28 that all things work together for good for those who are called according to God's purposes. Mr. Grant at no time in his presentation conveyed an exhortation to deeper fellowship with God, greater knowledge of scripture etc. He spoke out about the way that secular society lives and how it is an offense to God. Well Duh! There weren't a lot of secular society in the room only desperate Christians feeling defeated by affliction and longing for relief. His message could easily be confirmed by the people in the room and had no impact to change the lives that were there.
Faith healing seems to be a misnomer to me. Present are those whose faith is weak and they are longing for a confirmation that God cares and he is all powerful to handle their circumstances. God has shown over and over that he cares. The very fact that he adopted me as a Christian is evidence that he cares. I had no good in me that I should be selected by God. God is still all powerful and he is intimately aware of the afflictions I suffer. He is also able to remove them by a breath if it is his will. I can ask in faith and he has promised that if it is good for me, he will hear my prayer. If Faith healing involved special displays of God's power so that all can see, where is the faith? And where is our faith? Is it in God alone or in some man claiming to have a special prophesy or annointing?
Interesting to me that there were comments during the service about if you wanted your healing to be permanent, you should bring forth your best offering to this man. If it is a healing of God, wouldn't it be permanent? The Bible tells us that there will be false teachers and men claiming to have special power that will deceive even the elect if it were possible. Not all magic is of God and as Christians we need to be discerning in who we allow to influence our thinking.
The spectacle of the faith healing really isn't something that was promoted in the Bible. Jesus even chastised the people who just followed him for a special healing and were not interested in having their lives changed. Paul and the other apostles wrote extensively about the Christian life and it was a journey toward holy living and becoming a person of grace. As Christians we should leave the signs and wonders to the unbelievers. We have something much better; we have the Holy Spirit that lives in us and guides us in the development of the character of Jesus Christ in us. We become living sacrifices.
Following after miracle workers only leaves our faith defeated because we realize that we do not have that kind of power in our lives. If we did, there would be no sickness anywhere because out of love we would be healing them and saving tons of money on medical services. As soon as we have a need that God does not immediately resolve according to our word, we become discourage. What made us think that God is bound to do our bidding like that? I love the dear souls who were in attendance looking for some hope they could cling to in their lives and I have great news! Jesus alone is that hope and he can be found if we will look for him. His plan for our lives is well articulated in the Bible if we will study and his Spirit joins with ours in prayer interceding and convicting us of our sins. We have a great hope not only here but in the hereafter!
Going backwards in time
It has been a while since I posted last. So much has happened and so many lessons I have learned. I thought I would begin by working backwards a little and share some more recent events before spending some time sharing the former things.
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