Fruit Unto Holiness

“But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.” (Ro 6:22 AV)

 

If we only realized just how free we are!  The work of Christ for the sinner turned saint is to eradicate that part of us that desires everything God does not.  There is much debate over these concepts, so I will rather, meditate upon the later part of this verse.  That being the fruit unto holiness.  Regardless of what view someone might hold, we can all agree on the ministry of the Holy Spirit places in us a desire to do right.  We did not have that before.  Now we do.  However, as Paul will so eloquently explain in the next chapter, doing right is not automatic.  We still have the flesh to contend with.  We still have temptation to resist.  We have a battle that requires we die daily.  Our wills, now inclined to desire God and godly things, is not so disciplined that our choices become automatic.  Even towards the end of his life, Paul was still striving for complete and total surrender to the will of God for him.  This brings us back to the aforementioned phrase.  The only way to have fruit into holiness is to be made from sin.  The only way to do that is to first, realize it is a possibility.  We can be free from sin.  Second, realize that with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we are free from sin.  Lastly, all we need to do is yield to the ministry of the Holy Spirit and we have fruit unto holiness.

People and creatures can be conditioned to believe they are captive when they are really not.  One of the houses in which we lived was not the safest of all houses.  Our children were little.  They were toddlers.  There were parts of that house we would not let them venture.  One of them was the stairs.  These stairs, like the entire house, were not straight.  They were not the safest of all stairs.  Another place of concern was the kitchen.  There were objects under the kitchen sink which they needed not discover.  More importantly, when Mom was cooking, there were dangers everywhere.  Even today, I am scared to go into the kitchen when my wife is in there.  😉  I put these wooden gates across the two entry points to the kitchen.  It frustrated the boys.  They would carry on.  I would have to chasten them and bring them away from the gates lest they pull the gates down and gain access.  After a while, they adjusted and the barriers were simply observed, but also ignored.  An interesting thing happens.  Once your child is used to the boundaries, he is not aware when the boundaries are lifted.  When encouraged to cross that boundary, he has a hard time doing it.  One of my sons did that very thing with the stairs.  Before we put the gate up, he didn’t have a problem trying to climb them.  After he adjusted to the gate and the stairs were no longer a temptation, he had a hard time being coxed up the stairs for the first time.  He didn’t realize how free he was!

This is every saint’s conundrum.  Our flesh reminds us we still have an enemy which needs to be defeated. Since the flesh has had an irresistible influence over our choices for so long, we are convinced it is stronger than it actually is.  Salvation and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit have made us free from the curse of the flesh.  All we have to do is accept that by faith and yield to the will and power of the Holy Spirit.  We want the fruit of holiness.  Our will, like Paul’s, has been changed.  Our wills now desire to do right but the flesh wants just the opposite.  We do not have to yield to the flesh.  We do not have to respond and fulfill the desires of the flesh.  The flesh can be conquered.  This is impossible without the Holy Spirit.  With Him, all things are possible.  It is that fruit unto holiness of which we seek.  It is there.  All we have to do is realize the chain to the flesh has been shattered.  We, henceforth, are not servants of sin.   We are free.  We are free indeed.  We need to live in that reality!

Faith For The Impossible

“Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.” (Ro 4:18 AV)

 

Abraham is perhaps, one of the most, if not the most, important of all Old Testament saints to the New Testament church.  Although Abraham was the father of Israel, he was also the father of all those who would exercise faith unto Christ be the Jewish or Gentile.  Paul’s argument in Romans chapter four was Abraham’s faith was before his identification as the father of Israel.  In this, Abraham became the father of all who live by faith.  Specifically speaking, Paul is referring to God’s promise to Abraham of seed to inherit that promises made to him.  This promise was made when it was physically impossible for Abraham to father a child and for Sarah to conceive.  Literally impossible.  They had passed the age of reproductive ability.  The Bible tells us that Sarah’s womb dried up.  The same can be assumed of Abraham’s seed.  So, when Paul says that he hoped against all hope, it means that Abraham literally had faith that God could do the impossible.  That is the strongest faith of all.

When attempting to make a comparison, this becomes almost impossible.  There is a challenge given to see how smart someone might be.  They are given seven nails with heads on them and a block of wood.  They are told it is possible to balance seven nails on this block of wood and a prize would be awarded for the person who figures it out.  Try as one might, it seems as though the task is impossible.  Two, or perhaps three at most is what almost everyone can manage.  The nails come tumbling down.  Person after person attempts this impossible task.  All fail.  That is until someone brings a hammer.  He pounds the first nail in.  Then he takes the remaining six and builds a structure where the six nails share equal amounts of force.  Sort of what a saw horse would look like.  He then balances those six nails on the seventh, and presto, he has balanced all seven nails on the board.  What seemed impossible was possible as long as someone was able to think outside the box.  This is what Sarah initially tried.  When she realized she was not conceiving according to promise, then she loaned Hagar, her handmaid to Abraham who bears Ishmael.  They thought outside the box to realize a promise.  However, this is not hoping against all hope.  This was engineering circumstances rather than to trust.

God, however, saw the initial step of faith which Abraham showed a few years earlier.  Even though Abraham wavered a bit, he still believed God could do it.  He believed God could do the impossible and God did do the impossible.  Just shy of becoming centenarians, God opened a dry womb and filled an empty supply of seed.  God did as God promised.  Our challenge is to remember Abraham.  Abraham believed God for the impossible.  He may have slipped once when he lost patience and believed that perhaps Sarah’s solution was also God’s solution, but that was an error of judgment and not an error of faith.  To say that we have the faith of Abraham is saying a lot.  To trust God when reason accurately states it is impossible is the faith that God values most.  We have done that with our souls.  I for one am beyond saving.  There is nothing in me that would warrant God’s love.  Nothing.  I am the worst of the worst.  Reason would tell me the grace of God cannot bridge the gap which I have constructed.  It all boils down to faith.  If the Bible tells me that God so loved the world, that includes me.  If God said He would supply all my needs, that includes me.  If God’s word tells me He created me for a purpose, then I have to trust it.  If the word of God teaches I am His workmanship, then I have to believe there is hope for me yet even though I fail Him more than I care to count.  Let us strive for the faith of Abraham. The faith to believe God for the impossible.

The Privilege Of The Bible

“What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.” (Ro 3:1-2 AV)

 

I will not get into the deep doctrinal issues at hand.  The only point to be pondered is the privilege to have the word of God committed to us.  The Jewish people had a great privilege.  Outside of Job, all other human agents by which the word of God came were Jewish.  This includes the New Testament.  All New Testament agents were Jewish.  Not only were they used of the Holy Spirit to scribe the scriptures, but they also had the privilege of possessing them and publishing them.  No other people or nation had this privilege.  When Paul asked the rhetorical question for the Jew above, they were seeking some advantageous difference between themselves and the Gentiles.  To be endowed with the word of God should suffice!  Regardless of how the Gentiles treated them, they had the word of God.  No matter how much of the short end of the stick they received, they had the word of God.  No matter what view the rest of the world took of them, they had the written word of God.  In retrospect, they had the greatest of all possession.  They had the word of God.

In the movie, Princess Bride, a grandfather comes to sit with his ill grandson while his parents are away for the day.  The grandson is not impressed.  He wants to play video games all day.  Grandpa has a different idea.  He brings over a copy of Princess Bride.  As they read the book, the story unfolds in movie form.  The thing is, when the book is first presented, the grandson is taken aback.  What does he want with a dumb old book, anyway?  How fun could that be?  He resists the gift.  As Grandpa explains the book belonged to his son or the grandson’s father, and Grandpa used to read it to his son, the sick child’s father, this young man begin to let his animosity cool.  The story starts out and again, the patient voices his displeasure.  As it progresses, displeasure changes to indifference.  Then the storyline begins to increase in dramatic tension.  The young man is hooked.  On the story goes, and the only objection he has is to the kissing.  Grandpa suggests at one point they take a break.  The infirmed is getting too emotionally involved in the story and his anxiety begins to concern Grandpa.  After the young man takes a breath, they continue.  There are sword fights, swamp monsters, an evil prince, and a giant.  There is murder, a pirate, and sea monsters.  All those things a boy would be interested in.  There is a castle to storm and a princess to rescue.  One started again, the do not stop.  The book is read in one sitting and it takes the better part of a whole day.  When Grandpa is all done, his precious grandson suggests he come again the next day to read the story a second time.

We live in a unique time in history.  Never have they been as much Bible light as there is today.  The word of God is the voice of God.  It is the plan of God.  The word of God is His revelation of Himself to mankind.  Because we are saved, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit has illuminated the word of God to our hearts.  We have so much.  To us, the church has been committed the oracles of God.  This transference of the word of God from the nation of Israel to the church should be seen as a great blessing.  It is easy to get discouraged over what seems to be the world’s profit.  As things continue as they are, the saints will lose ground and the world will gain ground.  If we are not careful, we will resent the world for what they have and forget the privilege of possessing the word of God.  I have often asked believers this question:  if you were stranded on an island and among food, water, and shelter could have only one possession, what would it be?  It is amazing what believers would choose.  How many would choose their Bibles?  We simply do not understand how good we have it.  The word of God is a precious possession that should be valued above all others.  There is an advantage to being a saint.  That advantage is possession and comprehension of the perfect word of God.

Divine Patience With The Anxious

“I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.” (Ge 31:13 AV)

 

At this point, Jacob is fleeing Laban.  His father-in-law has mistreated Jacob and changed his wages ten times.  It was so bad that even Rachel and Leah complained their father took everything they owned and didn’t leave any kind of inheritance.  Jacob removed himself from Laban and headed back to Isaac, his father.  Seven days out, Laban catches up with his fleeing son-in-law. The words above are God's words.  Obviously.  The LORD is reminding Jacob of the nature of their relationship.  To what the LORD is referring is the flight of Jacob from Esau his brother that found him in Laban’s care, to begin with.  Twenty-one years earlier, on the instruction of his mother Rebekkah, Jacob left home and went to Laban for safety and to find a wife.  During that trip, Jacob fell asleep and dreamed a dream wherein God promised to providentially guide and protect him.  Being the son of Isaac and upon whom the promises of Abraham would rest, the LORD reassured Jacob he would be safe in the hand of God.  Jacob has a way of reacting to adverse situations that shows a lack of faith.  His first inclination is to flee.  In that reaction, though, God still takes care of him.  It took a lifetime of experience for Jacob to realize God is greater than anything he would ever face and in the end, is recorded as a man of faith.

We owned this dog many years ago who was skittish about everything.  His name was Kimber.  Kimber was a mix between a black lab and a blue heeler.  He was black and blue all over.  LOL.  Anyway, when we got him from the pound, we had to work with him to cure him of his many phobias.  He didn’t like stairs.  He didn’t like tiled or linoleum floors.  He didn’t like anything moved to a new location.  He didn’t like loud noises.  He cowered at stern correction.  He was not comfortable with change of any kind.  He was content to live his life in his cage coming out only for food, water, and to do his business outside.  To cure him of his many phobias, we had to handle each one separately.  Chastening does not work.  What the dog needs are a patient owner that exudes confidence and shows no fear of his own.  The stairs were the first fear we tackled.  Perhaps it was the easiest of them all.  A patient and consistent force on his lead and allowing him to adjust and make a step is all it took.  About an hour into it, he was confident on the stairs.  Then came solid floors.  We trimmed the hair in between his paw pads so that his paws would not slip.  The same technique was used.  A consistent tautness on the leas without pulling him was all we need to do.  After a bit, he was walking on solid surfaced floors without thinking about it.  Then came the harder monsters to tackle.  We kept his cage door partially closed so that it would take a bit of work for him to open it and crawl in.  This gave him the option of escape but didn’t make it easy.  When his instinct was to run and hide, we would go to his cage and with a lead, lead him about in his environment to show him everything was ok.  A patient and understanding owner was all Kimber needed.

God puts up with an awful lot.  When Jacob and Laban are parted, Jacob is faced with meeting up with Esau.  The last time those two were together, Esau vowed to kill Jacob.  Jacob organized his family and sent them before him rather than taking the lead and confronting his brother to protect his family.  When he settled down, it would be a famine that would motivate Jacob to move his family to Egypt.  It took over four hundred years before God brought them out.  The point is simple.  We may have anxiety and fear.  We may not be as strong in our faith as needed.  But God does not abandon us because of our lack of faith.  He may not chasten us because of it either.  He keeps that lead taut so we are strongly encouraged to trust Him and continue in the direction He knows is for our best.  God is patient.  This is the point of reminding Jacob of the vow and promise of Bethel.  God took care of Jacob in Laban’s home and even blessed him there.  God took care of Jacob on his way to Laban.  God protected Jacob against Esau.  And God sustained Israel in Egypt.  What I see above is God’s mercy and patience with His children when His children should show more faith than they do.  What a kind and patient God we serve.

He will

“And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.” (Mr 1:41 AV)

 

What a great picture of salvation and the balance between man’s desire and God’s will.  The leper came to Christ and besought him to cleanse him.  His request, although simple enough, contained much.  In coming to Christ as a leper, he acknowledged his need.  In coming to Jesus, he also acknowledged Jesus was his only hope.  His statement clearly voiced Christ’s ability to do for him what he could not do for himself.  In beseeching Christ, the leper lost all pretense and cast his case completely and wholly at the feet of the Great Physician.  This act of faith and dependence is what moved Christ to compassion.  The declaration that if Jesus willed it so, the leper could be made whole also shows the leper did not feel entitled to a miracle and if the LORD were to heel him, it would be motivated by grace.  This is exactly what happened.  Jesus did not force a miracle on the leper nor felt because the request was made, He was obligated to answer it.  The choice to heal was solely His and His alone.  I for one am so glad Jesus chose to make me whole!

I cannot help but think of the couple of times I stood before a judge from some kind of traffic violation.  One of those times, I had run a stop sign.  It was actually a mistake rather than negligence or deliberate.  My big old work boots slipped off the brake pedal and rather than stomping on the brakes and risk sliding, I coasted through the intersection.  This happened at about one in the morning on my way home from work and there was a police officer who watched the whole thing.  This was the first time I would have to go to court and I was a nervous wreck.  My wife worked for a defense lawyer and he offered to represent me as I went before the judge.  Complete overkill here.  What did I know?  We arrived at this small county courtroom.  It probably held less than fifty people.  As we went before the judge, he was clearly peeved that I would bring a lawyer to such a simple proceeding.  He was not happy.  When he asked how I pled, I got really confused.  That only resulted in the judge getting even more frustrated.  My lawyer didn’t help much.  He didn’t say a word until he could see how confused I was and how inpatient the judge was getting.  Then he stepped in and did his lawyer thing.  According to the letter of the law, I had broken the law and deserved whatever consequences were coming to me.  However, my lawyer gave the judge several options (which I am sure he was well aware of) as an out so he could show mercy to this really young driver.  He didn’t have to, but the judge had me pay a fine but also chose not to put points on my license.  Doing so would have driven up my insurance.  We sought relief and the judge took pity on me and gave that relief.  I hadn’t earned it.  I didn’t deserve it.  But he granted it.

When I consider all that I have done contrary to the holiness of God, my thoughts become a terror to me.  There is so much!  I came to Jesus knowing there was no other hope.  I knew that if He did not die for me and intercede for me, my eternity would be tormented beyond description.  When Jesus said to the leper that He willed it so, He was speaking to me, too.  I am that leper.  I am an outcast from humanity and heaven.  I was born that way, but I also chose to be that way.  Almost forty years ago, at an old-fashion altar, a hopeless sinner with a heartfelt cry for mercy was completely dependent upon the grace of almighty God.  I asked.  But asking doesn’t make it so.  Asking moves the compassion of Christ.  It doesn’t require it.  Yet, on that Sunday morning, Jesus looked at a young man who was desperate for peace with God and moved with compassion.  He willed it so.  I was saved almost forty years ago not because of the sincerity of my cry.  I was saved almost forty years ago not because I went to church and headed to an altar.  I was saved almost forty years ago not because I was truly moved with sorrow over my sin.  I was saved almost forty years ago because Jesus willed it so!  His grace is that by which all souls are saved.  Because He willed it so!

Persuaded But Not Convinced

“And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.” (Ac 28:23-24 AV)

 

At first glance, the two underlined phrases may seem in conflict.  How can Paul persuade them, yet some believed not.  One possibility is persuasion only happened to those who believed.  I think that is a cop-out.  The correct understanding is in the difference between persuasion and belief.  One can be persuaded without following up with faith.  One can assent to the facts and accept those facts as genuine without acting on those facts.  This is exactly what happened here.  Some were successfully persuaded that Jesus was the Christ and they needed to repent and believe.  Yet, they choose not to.  Rather, they chose to agree with Paul that Jesus came to die for them, yet turn away from the gift of salvation by the grace of God through faith.  We can be persuaded regarding many things.  Just because we agree doesn’t make that act of agreement efficacious.  There has to be an act of faith that matures that persuasion into the end result. 

Recently, my family went to the Discovery Museum in Milwaukee, WI.  There are many hands-on exhibits for the purpose of teaching natural law.  There were buttons to push.  There were levers to pull.  There were games to play against a computer opponent.  However, one exhibit was a flight simulator.  My wife and son were looking for me.  I was into another exhibit until I caught up with them.  They convinced me to try it out.  My dear wife repeatedly affirmed that I could do this simulator.  They kept pushing me to try it out.  So, in I climbed.  The operator gave me my instructions.  I insisted on flying be instruments.  The simulator starts out mid-flight.  The object of the challenge is to safely land the plane.  I had a real yoke and rudder controls.  I had control over the throttle.  I had brakes.  I didn’t have any flap control.  Off I went.  Flying by instruments, I was able to safely land the plane and taxi to a stop.  The operator was stunned.  That is until my wife told him I played MS Flight simulator for hours on end.  But then, a really weird thing happened.  All that encouragement that my dear wife gave me seemed to be a bit insincere.  After we walked away, she said more than once, “I can’t believe you landed that plane without crashing.”  I had to chuckle.  What else would she expect?  She was persuaded I could do it.  But she did not believe I could.

When it comes to salvation or any truth for that matter, there is a wide chasm that separates persuasion and faith.  As a well-known tract publishes, salvation can be only 18 inches away.  The distance between your brain and heart.  We can understand, comprehend, and accept the truth.  It is another matter altogether to trust it.  We can examine it, prove it, and declare it.  That doesn’t mean we trust it.  Jesus died for our sins.  He did so for each individual.  We stand condemned before a holy God with no hope of self-vindication.  The list of infractions is almost infinite.  We fall short of God’s standard of holiness and because of the nature of our wickedness, deserve to burn in a Devil’s hell forever.  The only hope is that which Chris did on Calvary.  We can understand all this but still be lost.  We must humbly accept the gift of salvation as our only hope.  Then and only then does persuasion mature into faith.  What is true about salvation is also true of all truth.  Knowing it to be true is one thing.  Being willing to depend upon it is another.

Emotions On Your Sleeve

“So Esther’s maids and her chamberlains came and told it her. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved; and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him: but he received it not.” (Es 4:4 AV)

 

The back story here is important.  The reason Mordecai was in sackcloth was he, as well as all captive Israel, were in mourning.  Haman, that wicked servant of the king, moved with envy against the Jewish people.  Mordecai refused to bow before him as he entered the palace, so Haman convinced the king to write an edict that would exterminate the Jewish population in the kingdom.  This he did without knowing his own queen’s lineage.  Esther was Jewish.  Haman may or may not have known this.  It mattered not to him.  He was upset with Mordecai and wished to see all Jews dead.  This is why Mordecai was in sackcloth.  Being found in sackcloth in the presence of the king was also an infraction worthy of death.  This is why Esther sends out garments for Mordecai to wear.  The verse which follows reveals Esther knew nothing of the decree set against her and her people.  When the garments were returned, she discovered the purpose and reason of the sackcloth.  It mattered not to Mordecai.  He was a dead man anyway.  What difference would it be if he was killed for wearing sackcloth or because he was a Jew?  May as well mourn before God for your life than to wait for the inevitable.

While in Junior High, I was part of the drama class.  We put on plays throughout the year.  I remember two of them distinctly.  The first, The Little Drummer Boy, I played the lead role.  It was all over the local newspapers and I was on the front page.  Yuk.  There I was for all my friends and the entire community to admire or mock.  Whatever they were predisposed to do.  The other play, which I do not remember, is burned in my mind for one reason.  It was the first time I kissed a girl.  Not on the lips, mind you, but for a twelve-year-old, kissing was embarrassing no matter the person.  Especially in public.  During practice, the drama instructor tried as hard as she could to get me and this girl to do the scene.  When we got to the kissing part, we simply couldn’t do it.  So, she rewrote the script to allow us to shake hands.  Whew.  Dodged a bullet there.  Whether it was The Little Drummer Boy or the later play, dress rehearsals and the play itself found the players dressed in attire that reflected their character.  There was the classroom where we were all made up.  But we came to the play already dressed for our part.  There I was, in the passenger seat of our car as my mother dropped me off, dressed like a street urchin of the first century.  I wore the garments in public and one can only guess what others were thinking.  It mattered not.  That was who I was at the moment.  I was the Little Drummer Boy.  Even if my garments made others uncomfortable, it didn’t matter.  I had a calling and purpose that required me to dress that way.  If someone, who did not know my purpose, offered me a new suit, I would have rejected it.  The garments reflected my purpose. 

Comporting ourselves as saints will, by nature, make others uncomfortable.  Our emotional state is something that defines what we are and what we might be going through.  Mordecai was concerned with the future of Israel.  He was concerned with what that decree would mean to many.  He was not concerned with the future as far as the nation’s existence.  He was fully convinced with the covenants of Abraham that if the king’s decree was successful, then God would raise up Israel from a different stock than was captive in Medio/Persia.  His mourning was over the consequences of this edict on the people and families who would be killed.  As believers, we think we have to hide what we are going through.  There is a fine line between hiding what we are going through and a balanced and measured expression of the trials that face us.  We should always exhibit faith and joy in the troubles that face us.  But we cannot swap out our concern and sobriety as though what we face does not affect us.  Mordecai’s choice to wear the sackcloth resulted in Esther discovering the purpose and being an instrument in the hand of God which brought victory from defeat.  Being transparent with life and circumstances may move others to do something about it.  Perhaps putting on that strong front isn’t what we need to do.  Letting others see there is something going on is a way to elicit prayer and comfort in your deepest time of need.

Overture and Response

“And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.” (Mt 25:6 AV)

 

This verse is part of Jesus’ parable of the ten virgins.  As we know, five were wise and kept their lamps trimmed and bright.  Ten were foolish and did not keep their oil lamps full of oil nor their wicks trimmed and burning.  When the bridegroom came, five of the foolish virgins had no light in which to entertain the bridegroom.  Five did.  This passage reminds me of the Song of Solomon.  When the bridegroom came, the bride did not get up to meet him.  He left and she had a hard time finding him.  This also reminds me of Revelation.   “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” (Re 3:20 KJB)  That upon which we desire to meditate is the action of the virgin and not the offer of the bridegroom.  They are told to go out and meet him.  And relationship takes the effort of at least two.  One makes the overture, the other responds to that overture.  This is how a relationship works.

I have the most wonderful wife there is!  Truly.  Lisa does not leave me alone.  That might seem like a bad thing.  It is not!  She seeks me out no matter where I am.  Unless, of course, she is busy visiting with others at church.  Then she is all over the place.  But in our dwelling, she cannot be alone for very long.  She will find me.  And, when I disappear, she goes on a hunt.  This has gotten me into the habit of letting her know where I am going and where she can find me.  We live right next door to the church.  I prefer it this way.  I can hop over to my office and work a bit.  Or, I can relax in my recliner as I write and study.  When I go to the office, out to the car, or anything that would take me away from the house, no matter how short the absence is, I let her know.  Otherwise, she is looking all over for someone who cannot be found.  Every once in a while, I will not tell her.  I do this on purpose.  I want here to notice my absence and appreciate my presence.  Not very often.  But from time to time.  Lisa is not clingy.  She is not like a puppy dog who will follow you everywhere and never let you have any time to yourself.  Rather, she is totally tuned into our relationship.  When I am near, she takes that as an opportunity to exercise our relationship.  This is how it should be with the LORD!

God does not force an amicable relationship on anyone.  He extends overtures.  He comes to earth as a human being.  He extends an invitation.  He holds His hand out.  He knocks at the door.  But we have to go out and meet Him.  We have to open the doors of our hearts and allow His presence to be one with ours.  We have to extend a heart of vulnerability that He might be the strength of our relationship.  The LORD Jesus will not break down the door.  He will not barge in.  He will not knock us down in order to get what He wants.  He desires a willing heart first.  Then, He desires a heart that desires Him.  The extent of our relationship with the LORD Jesus is the extent to which we will go to Him.  He has come as far as He is willing.  Now, it is up to us to go to Him.

Busy Doing

“Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.” (Mt 24:44-46 AV)

 Note here that being ready means doing.  When we think of being ready, we think of preparing everything that needs to be done and then sit and wait for it all to happen.  This is not what Christ thinks.  He is telling His disciples, and by extension, us, that to be ready is to be busy.  This suggests there will always be something that needs to be done and we will never accomplish all that needs to be done.  The action of doing is the manifestation of being ready and not that all our tasks are completed.  This also suggests there is more to be done that can be done.  That being the case, this gives us no permission to slack off because there is more to be done that can be done.  Our application is clear.  We do not know what Christ will come and the proof of being ready is to see how much of the task list can be checked off before the trumpet blows knowing all of it cannot be accomplished.

This brings to mind many games with the same objective.  The playing screen or surface continues and eventually, the player is trapped and can move no further.  The game ends and the individual player is awarded a score based on how many levels were accomplished in the allotted time.  One of the earliest of such games was Tetris.  In the game of Tetris, there are five or six different shapes of blocks falling from the top.  The player can rotate these blocks and nest them at the bottom.  The object is to get a line or more of solid blocks across the bottom.  This is not always possible.  There may arise gaps.  Hence the problem.  As gaps accumulate upward, there is less room to work with.  As the game progresses, the blocks fall faster and faster.  There is no point in the game when blocks cease to fall.  When there are blocks all the way to the top, the game ends.  These games, to me, are extremely stressful.  I like to accomplish goals and go on to the next one.  Once the goal is completed, I like to take on a new and different challenge and put the old one behind me.  Tetris was fun, but after a while, it was nerve-racking.  Give me a game of checkers or something where there is an end to it and I am all in.  Not these never-ending challenges. Ugh.

However, this is life.  There will always be more things to be done that can possibly be done.  When one thing is accomplished, it is replaced by ten more things.  When we consider our service to the LORD, it is no different.  This is especially true the closer we get to the LORD’s return.  It is no time to let the blocks fall and stack to the top because we are overwhelmed with how many there are and how fast they are falling.  It is time to prioritize what we can get done and get it done.  Using calendars, flow charts, scheduling software, etc. are all ways to accomplish more.  Our temptation is to let it all slide because we know the blocks are going to keep coming and there is nothing we can do to stop it.  Or, we can look at life for what it is.  An opportunity to do as much for the LORD as is possible before He decides it is our turn to come home.  That is our challenge!

Only One Master

“Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.” (Mt 23:10 AV)

 

We know our Lord is speaking to the corrupt leaders of His day.  In particular, the Pharisees desired to be admired by others as they demand subjugation to their laws and traditions.  Although we may not be of the same ilk as the Pharisee, we can fall into the temptation of desiring an honor that does not belong to us.  The only one to be called Master is Christ.  One might ask, what does this look like?  I don’t remember anyone calling another, Master.  That is, at least among fundamentalists.  Nor can I ever recollect any preachers claiming an honor belonging only to God.  However, what we can do, if we are not careful, is use the authority God has given to us as a means to manipulate or command more honor that is due.  It is one thing to require respect and loyalty of those who, of their own free wills, wish to serve under us.  What we cannot do is command the same respect and loyalty that only belongs to Christ.  This should be a clear line we will not cross.

My parents had the wisdom to structure their home in a way that kept everyone in line and safe.  With eleven kids, there had to be some method that kept the house from full-blown chaos.  Their structure of authority was simple.  The elder ruled over the younger.  In any situation where the parent was not easily available, the elder was the ruler over the younger.  This way, if we were in a part of the house that separated Dad or Mom from a situation that had to be resolved quickly, life went on.  If we were all playing at the park, then the elder was in charge.  It worked very well.  However, the responsibility to govern our younger siblings, also required we be held to a higher standard.  And in no way was our elder to lord over us.  If he or she demanded something our parents would not demand, there were severe consequences.  If Dad allowed us to ride our bikes in the street as opposed to the sidewalk, we had the right to petition for regress.  We were to obey our elders, but then bring our case to a parent.  If our elder was wrong, watch out!  There was a price to pay.  The honor of Dad and Mom did not belong to the elder.  Just the delegated authority to act on their behalf.

Whether we are pastors, fathers, civil leaders, or employers, we have no right to claim and honor belonging only to Christ.  Our position of authority has been given for the purpose of structure and efficiency. With that authority comes accountability.  Those who have bestowed the honor of servant/leadership must understand they are acting under the authority of Jesus Christ and not an authority which they have earned themselves.  This is where our civil government has misunderstood its place in governing.  They have power delegated to them by the people.  Winning an election does not give the pol an authority he or she does not have.  The pol is subject to the same constitution which the people are.  And, the pol is held to a higher standard.  Our elected officials are forgetting the great truth upon which our nation was built.  The same principle applies to all forms of leadership. There is a higher authority that had bestowed it.  To that authority belongs a higher level of honor and loyalty.  We have no right to demand something that does not belong to us regardless of how it might make our job easier.  All honor and glory belong to the Master of heaven and Earth.  And that ain’t us!

The Right Question, All The Time

“And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.” (Ac 22:10 AV)

 

Paul is giving testimony to a hostile crowd of Jews ready to kill him.  He is telling his story of the event on the road to Damascus when the LORD knocked him to the ground, blinded him, and confronted his rebellion.  The question Paul asked is our focus this morning.  Paul had a stubborn streak.  He didn’t learn the easy way.  He was a man of passion and conviction.  Hard-headed in his personality, Paul had to be knocked to his knees and his eyesight taken from him before he was willing to ask the question above.  He thought he was doing the will of God with great zeal as he persecuted the saints.  Although we can consider what it would take for us to have the same consideration over God’s will, we simply want to consider the question alone.

One of the icebreakers we often played is the mystery maze.  We would set up an obstacle course on our gym floor with chairs and other small objects.  We would take turns and someone would go through it while blindfolded.  They would have to listen to the instructions of those placed along the course to get through it safely.  A score was kept bearing how many mistakes were made.  However, the last person was a guinea pig.  While he was secluded and out of the room, the entire floor was cleaned off.  No chairs.  No objects.  An entirely empty floor lay before him.  However, he didn’t know that.  The course would begin and his classmates would yell out instructions when there was nothing to avoid.  The entire humor about it was seeing the contestant avoid, climb over, and rotate around objects that were not there.  Of course, before the blindfold was removed, he would be told he made absolutely no mistakes and was the first person in the history of the game to get a perfect score.  Then the blindfold was removed.  The exercise had several applications.  The first was to listen closely to direction and do exactly what one was told.  The second was how to communicate effectively.  But also, the contestants had to have a surrendered heart and will, willing to listen and do exactly as they were told.

We talk a lot about surrender.  Surrender has no preconditions.  No expectations.  When we surrender to the will of the LORD, then we are willing to accept any and all conditions which the LORD so desires.  Yesterday, we saw the first step of sacrifice is total surrender.  This was pictured in Isaac and the ram.  It pointed to our LORD and Savior being bound prior to his crucifixion.  Now, we see through Paul a clearer picture of the heart in surrender.  We saw the will in Isaac, the ram, and Christ.  Now, we see the heart of the matter.  If the LORD can get us to the point where Paul came, He can do much with our lives.  It is a simple question.  But it comes, oftentimes, with hard answers.  Paul was a Pharisee, a Hebrew of the Hebrews. He was a Benjamite.  Concerning the law, a zealot.  If anyone would have a hard time ministering to the Gentiles, it would be someone like Paul.  When he asked the above question, it was not limited to the gospel.  When Paul asked that question, it was for the rest of his life.  Oh, that God would bring us that that point!

Bound Before Sacrifice

“And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.” (Ge 22:13 AV)

 

The Spirit drew my attention to two similar details in the account.  The first is that Isaac was bound before he was placed on the altar.  I can see that.  If Isaac does not remain on the altar, he might be able to escape.  Then we see here the ram is caught in a thicket.  Rams may run from human beings wishing to kill it.  But the LORD could have made the ram completely docile.  The ram, although he has somewhat of a will of his own, would not be violated if God took that will from him.  So, that fact of both sacrifices being bound before their eventual demise (of course, not Isaac), must mean something.  Both Isaac and the ram are a type of Christ.  The former is a father who is going to offer a son.  The latter is an animal closely related to Christ and becomes the actual blood offering in the stead of Isaac.  Jesus was bound before he was brought to trial.  Clearly, the type is drawn.  In Isaac, we see an individual who is willingly bound by his own free will.  In the ram, we see an animal who is bound by his own poor judgment and pride.  Either way, it appears to be a genuine sacrifice, one must be surrender to be bound, first.  Being bound is the first step in surrender that often requires more costly commitments.

Just because something is offered or sacrificed, doesn’t mean it was willing done.  Even if it was willingly done, it does not mean it was necessarily done for the right reason.  We were talking after church Sunday morning with a family who has moved from the Philippines.  I asked how long of a flight it is from our fair city to their capital city.  If a non-stop flight was chosen, it would be around twenty-four hours.  That is a long flight.  Especially when one considers you are in a confined space and cannot go anywhere.  I then shared my flight experience from O’Hare in Chicago to Shannon, Ireland.  The total flight time was eight hours.  We flew economy.  Knowing that would be difficult and it would be an overnight flight, I took some Benadryl and slept most of the flight.  I couldn’t even begin to imagine being cooped up in one spot for that long without going completely crazy.  I then thought of the flight to the Philippines.  This individual would not be able to take that flight unless they put me under.  I would have to be sedated.  There is simply no way in God’s green earth I could be confined to one space for a twenty-four-hour period without an option to depart.  Getting strapped in does not mean that I have given in to the long flight.  Taking sleeping pills does not mean I am completely surrendered to the flight and would enjoy the experience.  The only way I could give in to the experience is if I yielded my heart and phobias to the experience and enjoyed the flight.  Just because I might be going along does not mean that I have surrendered.

When we see both Isaac and the ram bound before their sacrifice, we are reminded that Jesus Christ went to Calvary completely surrendered to the Father’s will.  For this, we can rejoice unspeakable and full of glory.  Then we can sober up a bit and remember we are called to a life of surrender and sacrifice as well.  This requires our liberty to be completely surrendered to the will of the Father.  If we are not willing to be bound, we will never truly live a life of surrender.  In retrospect, it is getting bound which is usually the hard part.  Being restrained is usually the most difficult of sacrifice.  When a criminal is apprehended, the first thing they do is to restrain.  We have all seen an arrest where the perpetrator did not want to go quietly.  Once the cuffs were put on and the officers restrained them, the will is broken and they will usually get into the squad car without further incident.  The will must be surrendered before the spirit will comply.  The application is easily seen.  Nothing of value can be done for Christ unless we are willing to first be bound.  Unless we are willing to be restrained, all that we do for Christ will be either minimal or with the wrong motive.  We need to surrender.  We need to relinquish our liberty.  We need to surrender the will.  Then we can do great things for God.

As Good As His Word

“And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken.” (Ge 21:1 AV)

 

I am sure glad we worship a God of His word!  Even if we sometimes lose faith that He will.  Abraham and Sarah were promised a son.  They waited and waited.  While they waited, Sarah had the idea to lend her handmaid to Abraham to bear a child for her.  The custom at the time was a handmaid who bore a child from a union with her mistress’ husband relinquished legal rights to that child.  The child, in this case, Ishmael, would be the legal son of Abraham and Sarah even though Hagar, Sarah’s handmaid, was Ishmael's natural mother.  Sarah lost hope.  She knew the promises made to Abraham.  Perhaps this is why she laughed when the three angels visited Abraham and told him Sarah would bear a son within a year of their visit.  She had waited for so long and now she had a legal son in the person of Ishmael.  But God is not a God who makes a promise and then reneges on that promise.  If God spoke it and said it, it is certain no matter what it might be or how long it might take.

There are very few situations in which we can totally trust the honor or ability of another.  Whether it is a person or product, they or it will eventually fail.  Sometimes the failure is nefarious.  Other times it is simply unrealistic.  I love Allen-Edmond shoes.  I don’t think there are more reliable shoes that are also affordable anywhere in the nation.  Allen-Edmond shoes may cost a bit more.  But they can guarantee their workmanship far and above their competition.  I have two pairs of shoes and praying for one more.  When my church folks were considering buying me a pair of black shoes, they didn’t understand why I wanted Allen-Edmond shoes.  I could buy three or four pairs of shoes at the local discount store for what a pair of Allen-Edmond shoes would cost.  Then I did a blind test for them.  I showed them two pairs of wing-tip shoes.  One was Allen-Edmond.  The other pair I got at Penny’s.  The Allen-Edmond pair is twice as old as the Penny’s shoes.  To a T, my church folks picked the Penny’s shoes as being the older pair.  When I told them the Allen-Edmond shoes were actually more than twenty years old, they couldn’t believe it.  Even the heels on them were barely worn.  Compared to other shoes, they looked only months old.  Allen-Edmonds has a guarantee on their shoes.  A lifetime guarantee.  This company can back up its word.  It used to be if any defect in the manufacturing of the shoes was found, they would repair them for free.  They also promise to repair any wear-and-tear on the shoes and send them back in like-new condition.  This company makes a quality product and can back it up with a warranty.  Most companies cannot.  It is not that they wish not to.  It is simply the quality of the product that makes it impossible to make any promises.  There is a standard warranty that would cover anything mankind could ever make.  Something like 30 days.  One could guarantee almost anything for 30 days.  Promises can only go as far as the quality of the product.

God is not a product.  He is a person.  His quality is perfection.  Therefore, anything He says, He will perform.  No person or force can undermine the plan, purpose, and promises of God.  The simple statement of God’s faithfulness found in the verse above is one that must set the tone of each day.  God’s faithfulness is the security we take in as we wake and walk into the activities of the day.  The world may change.  People may be unreliable.  But God always honors His word.  Things may break down.  Governments will disappoint.  But God will always do what He says He will do.  Plans may change.  Life is all about change.  There are no guarantees in this life.  Even in our best planning and execution, we cannot guarantee an outcome.  But God can.  And does.  Sarah is a good example of how most of us approach God’s promises.  We laugh because we do not think it is possible.  How can God give a child to two people past their prime and physically unable to conceive?  If He said He would then He will.  If God has promised to care for His children, it doesn’t matter what we see, experience, or fear.  If He said He would, then He will.  Praise the LORD we have a heavenly Father who both makes promises and keeps them!

Almost There

“And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism.” (Ac 19:1-3 AV)

 

It appears Apollos was at Jerusalem at the preaching and national baptism of John.  Further, it appears he was there prior to the appearance of Jesus and thus did not know who the Messiah was.  Having been called away and eventually arriving in Corinth, Apollos never received further revelation as to the person of Christ and the personal application of the baptism of John.  The previous chapter of Acts reveals Apollos was mighty in the scriptures yet all he knew of was the baptism of John.  It was Aquilla and Pricilla who expounded unto him the way of salvation more perfectly.  In our passage, Apollos was left at Corinth to continue what he has started but far more effectively, while Paul came to Ephesus and found the same case to be with disciples there.  The question Paul posed was intended for them to discern their true standing with God.  Did they have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and if so, how was it manifested?  What struck me is the understandable ignorance of Apollos and the disciples, yet they could not discern something was missing.

I’ve only traveled internationally once.  That is if you don’t count Canada.  We flew from O’Hare airport in Chicago to Boston, MA.  Then from there, we flew into Shannon, Ireland.  On the way back we retraced our steps.  I cannot remember if we had to show our passports when leaving a country.  But I do distinctly remember having to produce them when we arrived.  Having never had to do this before, it was a bit intimidating.  I have traveled into and out of Canada many times.  Growing up thirty minutes from the border and very close to Niagara Falls, we averaged about four trips or more a year.  When we crossed the peace bridge, the examining officer would ask each of us our place of birth and citizenship.  No big deal.  Sometimes he or she would quickly scan the car or bus to see if we were carrying anything illegal.  We were asked a reason for our visit.  This all took mere minutes.  However, when we arrived in Shannon or back in Boston, it was a bit more than that.  Proof of citizenship was required.  What didn’t matter was our accent.  Speaking clear American English was insufficient to prove our country of origin.  Having an unshakable chain of events from birth to the present day with no contradictions in our account was not going to please the examiner.  The truth behind our eyes would not cut it either.  We could plead with the most sincere of all spirits that we were indeed born in the United States, but that did not satisfy as proof of citizenship for the officer.  As he or she wanted to see was our passport.  The passport was the only acceptable proof of who we were and from where we came.  No other proof would be accepted.

When I read the passage above, what struck me was how close to being a genuine saint Apollos and the disciples at Ephesus were, yet they had never been sealed by the Holy Spirit.  They had almost all the truth they would ever need, yet that lacked that one thing.  Apollos was a mighty preacher.  The disciples at Ephesus had not been discouraged from the faith which they did have.  What they lacked was an encounter with the person of Christ.  They may have had many doctrines.  They may have been able to articulate it well.  But they had not the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  The evidence which comes from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit was missing.  There was no manifestation of His presence.  We know what that is today.  It is the fruit of the Spirit as found in Galatians.  This fruit is internal and growing.  Paul tells us to examine ourselves and see that we are in the faith.  He tells the Corinthian church this because they had a history of insufficient doctrine.  They were missing a personal encounter with Christ where repentance from sin and faith and trust in a specific person (Jesus Christ) for their soul’s need is required.  I fear there are many just like this.  They are as about as close to salvation as one could get, yet so far away.  They are trusting their religion.  They are trusting the insufficient light which they do have.  They are trusting their tradition.  They are trusting their experience.  Yet no personal encounter with Christ.  I trust if that be the case for you, you will bow the head and call upon Christ as your Savior.  He is waiting for you!