Two Attitudes Which Guarantee God's Ear

“Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.” (Mic 7:7 AV)

 

The prophet lists two foundations upon which he is assured that God hears his prayer.  These two foundations are looking unto the LORD and patiently waiting for His answer.  Just because we pray does not mean we exercise these two actions.  If we do not ask in faith, then were are not sincerely looking unto God.  We look unto God because we know He is the only one who can meet the need of our hearts.  If we do not think He can meet those needs, then we may ask, but we will look elsewhere for an answer.  If we do not think God will answer in some way; a yes, no or maybe; then the asking is a mere formality that means nothing.  If we go to God in prayer, it must start with faith.  Secondly, if we are not submitted to whatever answer may come, then we will not be patiently waiting for it.  If we already have an end we expect, then we will manipulate our situation to that end rather than seek guidance to whatever end God might have for us.  Note also the prepositional phrase following the waiting for God.  He is not just his God.  He is the God of his salvation.  There is no one else who can save him.  Even if there was, it is God that saves him.  The absolute confidence the prophet has in the ear of God is resolute because he has faith in God and is submitted to whatever the answer might be.  If we want the same assurance, then we need to check our faith and walk in humility.  Then we can know for sure that God hears us.

Accepting Love

“For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.” (Lu 15:24 AV)

 

There is a reason why this parable is so well-known a beloved.  Jesus speaks to all of us and our common human situation.  The Prodigal is all of us at one time or another.  There is great debate on the application of this parable.  Some believe this to teach the returning child of God unto salvation while others believe it to be a lesson on the returning of an erring child of God to his Father.  To argue misses the point.  The whole point of this parable is the grace and compassion of God compared to the self-righteousness of the Pharisees.  In this story, we see many details for personal applications.  One of which is expressed above.  I wonder how the Prodigal felt when his father and friends made merry at his return.  I wonder if he was embarrassed.  I wonder if he felt out of place.  I wonder if he felt uncomfortable at the fuss everyone was making when he had done unforgivable things.  At least they were unforgivable in his own eyes.  He had abased himself to be not more elevated than a common servant.  To his elder brother, that is probably what he remained.  But to his father, the Prodigal was much more.  He was his son!  He could not help by rejoicing that his son returned.  And he was a different and better person because of it.  I still have to wonder how the Prodigal felt.

It is hard to accept grace.  Pride stands in the way.  To think of ourselves as unlovable is not the Holy Spirit speaking.  It is our own prideful heart.  There is such a thing as false humility.  There is such a thing as beating ourselves up, thinking this to be humility, but in reality, it is pride.  It takes humility to receive grace.  It takes faith to accept that despite who we are, what we are, and what we have done, God loves us with everlasting love.  It takes faith to believe that despite the reality of our lives, a holy God loves us in ways we can never figure out.  It takes humility to accept the emotional response heaven has when we return from our filth.  We want to hide in a hole.  We do want not attention.  We are much too embarrassed at what we have done.  We cannot forgive ourselves.  All this stands in the way of experiencing divine joy at reconciliation with God our Father.  We want to walk that road back in loneliness and silence.  We want to receive a flogging for all that we have done.  We would rather have the correction of God than the grace of God.  That is what we deserve.  When heaven rejoices, we don’t know how to take it.  There must be someone else in the room that deserves the fatted calf.  Surely there is a mistake.  We need to be thrown out into the north forty to look after the cattle, living in a slaves hut, and eating scraps for dinner.  That is what we deserve.  We deserve to be isolated and marginalized.  We need to be rejected and given the bare minimum.

But God’s grace is inexplicable.  His compassion and love are beyond our understanding.  We can, nor ever will, understand how almighty God could love such inconsequential creatures as ourselves.  We look at the older brother who appears to have never messed up and wonder why he isn’t getting attention.  We sit in a corner because we cannot see ourselves as worthy enough to keep company with those whom we assume live more godly than we do.  We are expecting it.  We welcome it.  Why?  Because we cannot take by faith that God loves us with everlasting love.  We cannot accept by faith that no matter what we have done, God will always welcome a penitent back to His arms with joy unspeakable and full of glory.  Yet, we don’t have to live there.  It is a matter of faith.  We will either accept the love of God as He offers it or remain in our isolated misery of self-rejection.  At least the Prodigal had enough sense to give the love of the father a try.  He didn’t stay in the pig styes.  At least he went back and fessed up with his father.  At least he confessed and reconciled.  We can start there.  Then, as He forgives us for what we are or have done, we need to get this picture in our minds and hearts and accept it as the reality of heaven.  Heaven rejoices!  They shout!  They praise the LORD!  And God wraps His loving arms around you as though nothing ever happened.  Accept it.  Find comfort in it.  And realize the liberty that comes with faith in God’s everlasting love.

Nothing Sacred

“So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.” (Lu 14:33 AV)

 

Talk about an extreme standard!  I believe this is the number one issue in the church today.  We simply do not teach what it means to be a disciple of Christ.  We preach and teach salvation.  We rightly speak of the perils of eternal damnation.  However, we tend to leave out the whole discipleship thing.  Jesus does not separate the two.  In fact, in Luke chapter 14 and in the particular passage, they are one and the same.  There are expectations of salvation.  It may not cost us anything and cost Jesus everything, but that does not suggest once we are saved, there are no expectations.  No, it will not hinder us from salvation.  This is the error of the false teachings on the Lordship of Christ.  However, we are told to call upon the LORD to be saved.  There is an understanding when we receive Christ as our Savior, we are at the same time bowing to the sovereignty of a God who can condemn our souls to hell.  Salvation is a gift.  But it is also submission.  Therefore, discipleship and salvation go hand in hand.  Discipleship is merely the continuance of the submission exercised at the point of salvation.  What started with accepting God’s free gift of eternal life by the blood of Christ continues as a life that is submitted to a God whom we have, up until that point, deeply offended.  The saint that doesn’t forsake everything for the Lordship of Christ cannot be a true disciple even though he or she may have accepted the free gift of salvation.

Jesus is not suggesting true discipleship is a commune wherein no one owns anything and God owns it all.  He is not suggesting true discipleship is living in poverty.  This is not what He meant.  The two examples given are a homeowner preparing to build a tower and a king of a kingdom under threat by a larger one.  The first is a homeowner who has the means to build but doesn’t count the cost and comes to terms with it might cost him more than he intended.  The idea here is the builder has what it takes to finish the job, but in doing so, would have to prioritize all his material possessions to accomplish the task.  The principle is sacrifice.  The builder must sacrifice some of what he has to produce something that he needs.  He needs the tower for protection.  Hoarding what he does not need because he does not want what he truly needs is the opposite of sacrifice.  Therefore, the first thing one must forsake is one’s own self-interest.  The king of the smaller kingdom is encouraged to come to terms with an enemy five times his size.  This king must surrender his sovereignty to one mightier than he.  What a picture of surrender to the Lordship of Christ.  He must forsake his self-determination.  No longer can he decide what he or his kingdom will do.  He has placed his whole existence under the control of another.

The forsaking here is not as simple as our material possessions.  This forsaking here is forsaking self-interest and self-determination.  It is giving up what we care about and the freedom to pursue it.  Discipleship is not a mere exercise of academia.  Discipleship is not the gathering of facts and the reading of books.  Discipleship is the surrender of the will to a Master who rightly owns us.  It is having faith to believe His way is the better way and that our lives are for His glory.  Discipleship is not a study.  It is a way of life.  We give ourselves over to things bigger than ourselves all the time.  We have our favorite sports team and its logos are all over the place.  We have our favorite app and nothing gets in the way of playing it.  We have our political party or our national identity and will defend it vigorously.  Yet all these things are not who the saint is.  He or she is a child of God!  Our loyalty starts and ends with Him.  To forsake all harkens back to the beginning of Jesus’ discussion of true discipleship.  That is, deny self!  If we cannot deny self, we have no hope of being faithful disciples of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Why Not Me?

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!” (Lu 13:34 AV)

 

One wonders how much the LORD has pled with us!  Despite their record of persecution against the messengers of God, He still desired to reconcile them unto Himself.  However, I am going to consider a different angel in this verse.  When we feel as though God cannot forgive us, just remember His desire for Israel.  We have never killed the men of God, yet we think if we fail, somehow God will never accept us again.  If He can forgive murderers and still desire to reconcile with them, why do we think He would want any less from us?  If God can accept the thief on the cross, why can’t He accept us?  If God can save a murderer and persecutor of God’s people like Paul, what makes us think our actions somehow have run out of the grace of God?  If the LORD desired to make Israel right with Him, He wants no less with us!

I cannot help but see the patience and compassion of God on the erring soul.  The picture is a good one.  A brooding hen must work awfully hard to gather her chicks when they cannot see a threat.  They are oblivious to the predator that lies just beyond their sight.  Their lives are consumed with finding feed and exploring their world.  To watch a brooding hen try to gather chicks that see no point is hard to watch.  She gives out chirps.  She gives out warning yelps.  She runs around with her wings outstretched.  All to warn her chicks there is a danger of which they are unaware.  All to no avail.  They scamper about with not a are in the world.  They waddle off in no logic pattern.  The hen runs frantically after them and as she works her brood one chick at a time, she encloses the rest in her wings.  There is always one little chick that makes this extra hard on mom.  That one little chick will not cooperate.  But mom never gives up.  She does all she can do to gather up all her chicks so the fox or weasel cannot harm them.  She goes the extra mile to ensure as many as can reach safety do so.  

We have the nasty habit of cutting the grace of God short.  We think we are unforgivable.  We think we are not worth the effort.  We feel we have made one too many mistakes and the patience of God wears out.  This is simply not so.  Our feelings are not a reliable source of reality.  We may feel like a total failure.  We may feel like we can never be forgiven.  But that is not the case.  No matter what we have done, the grace of God can forgive us completely and totally.  There are cruel enemies out there the greatest of which is the Devil.  We have the world and the flesh.  These enemies of the saint have one thing in common.  They want us to live in defeat.  If any one of them can convince us that we have run around too much and avoided the outspread wings of our LORD, then we will scurry away right into the arms of the Lion who desires to consume us.  If we can convince ourselves God doesn’t care, then we will stop caring as well.  However, as long as we accept the truth as illustrated above, then we can return unto the loving arms of our gracious Father and be free from the threats of the adversary.  His love cannot be measured.  His forgiveness cannot be shortened.  His compassion for us has no equal.  All we need to do is run to the outstretched arms of a passionate God who will guard us against all that seeks to do harm.

God Values What Men Do Not - YOU

“Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.” (Lu 12:6-7 AV)

 

The first part of verse six can be confusing.  Sparrows were the least valuable fare at the market.  As the price may suggest, many sparrows were sold for very little.  The confusion comes if we assume the low value placed on them by men is the same value God places upon them.  But just the opposite is true.  What, or who, men value least are often those whom God values the most.  If God cares for that which man values least, then why would we think that God would not care about us?  That is the meaning here.  When we feel down on ourselves because affirmation from others is rare, we are not to forget the values of others do not compare to the values of God.  The sparrow may be of little consequence to the shopper, but God knows you so well, He knows the exact number of hairs on your head.  He has also placed them there as His providential provision of what you need and who you are.   As He has not forgotten on of your hairs, He has certainly not forgotten you.  This passage is in the context of persecution.  In times of deep distress, we can often wonder if God cares.  We can often wonder if the LORD has forgotten us.  He hasn’t.  You are infinitely more important to Him than you may ever realize.

Mankind rarely values what is good.  It values what is wrong more than right.  It values sin more than righteousness.  It values low quality over high quality.  My wife and I went to a tourist spot in northeastern Wisconsin and did some shopping.  I needed a few more pairs of jeans.  I was down to only two.  We went from one store to the next.  Most were out of my price range.  If you spend more than thirty dollars on a pair of jeans, you spent way too much!  As we were shopping, I noticed one young lady walking out of a clothing store with a bag in her hand.  It was the same store we had just come from with really expensive jeans.  What struck me as funny was this young lady came out of the store wearing a brand new pair of jeans that had more material missing than was actually there!  These are the kind of jeans I just tossed.  Had I known, I could have washed them, tagged them, and charged someone three times as much for a distressed and ripped pair of jeans that would have made me enough to buy the two that I was needing!  Missed opportunity.  We value the less valuable.  This is our nature.  The world will value the wicked over the saint.  They will value the ungodly over the godly.  But not God!

It is difficult being in the minority.  It is a challenge when one cannot find many friends among his or her colleagues.  It is lonely when those who want nothing to do with God also want nothing to do with you.  Or even worse – persecute you.  In these times we can wonder if God loves us.  We know the answer.  But we may not feel the answer.  This is what our passage is all about.  We know God loves us.  We know He cares.  This is not a matter of faith.  Rather, a matter of affirmation.  Sometimes, we simply need to hear it.  We know it, but it is nice when God says so.  We have learned all about the attributes of God and our faith has not wavered.  We just need to hear from the mouth of God that He loves us far more than we or others love us.  They may hate us, but God adores us.  We may despise our being, but God sent His Son to die for us.  We may be lower than a snake’s belly and wonder why God would love someone like us, but He does.  And He always will.  It is so nice to hear and in those words, we receive strength of soul.  By hearing those words, we endure much.  We put up with it all because we know our worth is not the opinion of men or even ourselves.  We are worth extension of God’s love founded in the blood of Christ and His providential care.  He loves us.  Never doubt that!

Never ending kindness

“And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.” (1Pe 4:8 AV)

 

The word ‘fervent’ has several meanings.  There are occurrences where the word means intense.  As in fervent heat.  However, in our passage, the word means, “without ceasing; never-ending; without interruption”.  The idea is charity among the saints should be continuous and without end.  The word for ‘charity’ means, “affection; benevolence”.  Charity is different than generosity in that charity does not expect a return.  No thank you.  No reciprocation.  Nothing.  Charity is kind and benevolent with no regard for future results.  Forgiveness can be a form of charity, but charity is not limited to forgiveness.  Charity can take many forms.  There is the sharing of one's material goods.  That would be obvious.  Another is grace towards another’s faults.  Or it would be charitable to rejoice with those who rejoice or mourn with those who mourn.  There are many ways in which charity can manifest itself.  The point is this charity should be fervent.  It should be without ceasing.  In other words, charitableness should be the standard demeanor of the believer.  Love should be our primary emotion and action.  Charity should be who and what we always are.

Charity is in short supply.  At least in our day.  Or, at least that is what we are led to believe.  Yet there are encouraging signs that would beg to differ.  I read a community website that shares concerns with those in surrounding zip codes.  For the most part, responses to concerns are charitable.  Usually, posts inform the readers of suspected suspicious behavior.  Most of the responses share concern and well wishes.  Very few are totally nasty.  For the most part, people do care and want to resolve issues most peaceably and fairly as possible.  Even if some comments are misguided, and not founded in reality, the intent was still there.  Most people are not naturally charitable.  At least fervently so.  However, if there is a genuine need or a sense of empathy toward the suffering of another, then charity is not uncommon.  As people, we can feel something for the situation of another.  More or less.  It is just not naturally so.  The situation has to be extreme.  Very few people are so cold as to never be affected by the suffering of another.  However, our world is rapidly approaching this possibility.  As we are persuaded to think more and more narcissistically, our concern for the situation of others becomes less and less.  We are being persuaded to define life as what it means to self, first.  We are segregated.  We are pitted one against another.  We are being told that our fellow human beings should be perceived as a threat rather than potential acquaintances.  We are being manipulated into seeing one another in the darkest of light rather than with optimism and hope.  The saints ought not to follow that road.

Each individual, no matter their case, has value to God.  Each soul is a soul for whom Christ died.  Yes, we are not to be naive.  We are not to assume our fellow man could never do us any harm.  We are to be cautiously aware and be prepared to take responsible action if need be.  But that doesn’t mean each person should be approached that way.  This spirit of criticism and suspicion should have no place in the body of Christ.  The saints should go out of their way to share the love of Christ with one another.  There should be no ill will toward another.  I have ten brothers and sisters.  We are unique in our own way.  We all have strange ideas or values when compared to others.  But that does not mean we treat one another with a spirit of criticism or suspicion.  When we can get together, it is for fellowship and nostalgia.  Not for attacks or ill feelings.  Life is too short.  The body of Christ should be a place for fervent charity.  It should be a place for charity that never ceases.  Never-ending kindness for everyone. 

Pilgrims Are Not Impulsive

“Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;” (1Pe 2:11 AV)

 

There is a connection between abstaining from fleshly lusts here and how the beloved Apostle addresses his audience.  Peter addresses them and strangers and pilgrims.  This phrase is used once more in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews.  The writer of that book refers to Abraham and his descendants as strangers and pilgrims.  This phrase relates to the temporary nature of our earthly journey.  A pilgrim is someone on a journey to a more permanent place.  A stranger is someone who is not native to the place in which he resides.  The Gentiles who chose to live in Israel are referred to as strangers.  The thought here is the temporary nature of our life should be a good reason to abstain from fleshly lusts.  However, just the opposite seems to be our normal life pattern.  The more transitory we are, the more we tend to indulge.  The less time we have to enjoy a certain place or activity, the more we tend to experience as much as we can.  The fewer resources we have, the more we tend to squeeze out of them maximum profit.  We have time.  And a limited amount of it.  At least in this life we have limited time.  We are limited to twenty-four hours in a day.  We are limited to twelve months in the year.  We are limited to the length of our lives.  This stirs the desire to experience all that we can in the limited time that we have.  Yet, Peter’s advice is just the opposite.  Seeing as how we have limited time and resources, and the pleasure derived from the indulgence will only be temporary at best, then abstain from it.  Use your time and resources for something of eternal value.

Our lives are like a road trip with tasks assigned as we go.  There are tasks that come with the journey itself.  There are rest stops.  There are fuel stops.  There are stops from traffic or road work.  These are stops everyone needs to make.  But there are also stops along the way that are unique to us.  A waypoint or two that need our attention.  There are points along the journey that mark our progression.  Some of these waypoint are for our emjoyment.  Some are that we ught meet a need or accomplish something that needs tending to.  Maybe there are people we need to see.  Perhaps we need to pick up a certain item unique to that stop.  Maybe there is a historical significance to our stop which needs our attention.  Perhaps we need to divert off the main trail to avoid problems laying ahead.  Regardless, the journey doesn’t change all that much.  The destination is the goal.  Getting there is the point of the journey.  There is little time for exploration.  There is little time for frivolous fun.  We have a schedule and that schedule must be kept.  We may divert for a small matter, but the time frame of our trip is determined.  So, too, are our lives.  We have a trip to take.  Along the way there are things which must be done.  There are people we must see.  There are tasks that need tending to and things or people which depend on our faithfulness.  There is little time for personal indulgence.

The bodies we inhabit are temporary and falling apart.  Eventually, we will receive a glorified body that does not possess the ability to lust.  All desires will be per the will of the Father.  Our glorified state will only do that which pleases Him.  So, if it is going away, why please it at all?  What difference would it make?  We are short-sighted.  We have our eyes on that which pleases today while ignoring that which will be gone tomorrow.  A question often arises:  If we knew we only had one year left to live, what would we do?  That is a very revealing question.  Must state they would throw all inhibitions aside and pursue something they always wanted to do.  They would go on a world tour.  They would spend everything they had on a lavish lifestyle.  Some would do something so out of their comfort zone that all would be shocked.  It doesn’t matter if we have only a year left or an undetermined amount of time.  The reality is, whether a year or twenty, our time on this earth is fixed.  It is temporary.  To spend it for self is foolish.  To strive for the opportunity in which one might please God should be the desire of the saint.  This is to which Peter refers.  Our time is limited.  We are only here for a short time.  Our bodies will eventually rot in the grave.  So why spend our time and energy pleasing it?  You and I are pilgrims.  We don’t belong here.  We belong in the presence of God and His Christ.  Nothing in this world should lay hold of our hearts.  We should journey lightly.  We should avoid all distractions.  We are headed in an upward direction and keeping the flesh involved in the temporary is very foolish.

All We Need is a Sick Whale and a Humbled Prophet

“For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.” (Jon 3:6 AV)

 

This verse really struck me this morning.  An event I have read many times.  A book from which I preached.  This is not new.  A very familiar passage.  What struck me was comparing Nineveh with modern America and asking if the LORD could send revival to as wicked a city as Nineveh, could He do the same for our beloved nation?  If the leader of a nation would humble himself or herself,  there is no telling what God can do.  All it took was for this king to hear of the tale of Jonah, hear of his preaching, and allow the Holy Spirit to convict his soul.  There is no indication Jonah ever went to see the king.  In fact, the suggestion is the king heard it all but never set eyes on the prophet.  It is astounding that the single most effective revival ever to be recorded in the word of God came to the enemies of God and His people by the mouth of a disgruntled yet humbled prophet.

Nineveh was a very wicked nation that made victims of the Jewish people.  Those tribes settled on the east of the Jordan river were constantly raided.  They lost their families, their crops, and even their lives.  These roaming bands of thieves were a constant threat.  This led to serious feelings towards the Ninevites and explains why the prophet tried to run.  This explains why he pouted when they repented.  His understandable prejudice would not permit him to feel any compassion for his enemies.  We know the account.  Jonah fled from the call of God and boarded a ship headed for Tarsus.  He was trying to go as far from the call of God in the exact opposite direction as he could.  God wanted him east, and Jonah chose west.  As Jonah fell asleep on the ship, God sent a gale-force wind.  This storm threw the boat around like a sock in a drier.  The sailors feared for their lives so they cried out to their gods.  All to no avail.  Jonah was awakened and rebuked for not crying to his God.  At his command, the sailors threw Jonah overboard as a means to rescue the ship.  Jonah thought he had nobly escaped the call of God on his life.  After all, he was willing to give his life to the sailors.  Just not the Ninevites.  What Jonah didn’t know was the LORD was not going to let him off the hook so easily.  God prepared a whale.  That whale swallowed the prophet whole.  It was during that three-day journey the prophet came to himself and surrendered to the call of God.  Three days later, this whale swam up the Euphrates and vomited the prophet onto the shore.  Jonah preached.  The people repented.  God did a work in the worst possible place at an extremely pivotal time.  If God could do it for Nineveh, could He not do it for us?

What would it take?  It would take a sick whale, a humbled prophet, and a leader who has a shred of a conscience.  What should the people of God pray for?  A sick whale, a humbled prophet, and a leader who feels something.  Anything.  One might think that in today’s world this is impossible.  If a whale vomited out a man on the shores of a river somewhere, it might make the National Enquirer, but it wouldn’t make national news.  No one would be impressed.  Perhaps.  But that has to be something.  There has to be something that would garner the attention of the whole nation for a mere three days.  That is all that Jonah preached.  God did a work and in three days, the entire city repented.  What do we need?  A sick whale and a humbled prophet.  That would be it.  How difficult would that be?  A sick whale and a humbled prophet.  That may sound a bit fantastical.  That may seem a bit impossible.  That may seem like this is surely beyond the ability of God.  If God can send revival to a large city with a population of 600,000 by the mouth of one man, who’s to say God cannot do it again?  All we need to pray for is a sick whale and a humbled prophet.

Big Debt - Big Love

“Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.” (Lu 7:47 AV)

 

Jesus was invited to the house of a Pharisee named Simon.  During this gathering, a woman of ill repute came and washed the feet of Jesus.  There is much conjecture on who this woman might be and missed the point entirely.  Simon, being a self-righteous Pharisee, was repulsed at the idea the Messiah would allow such a person to approach him so closely.  He could not understand how the Master who identify with such riffraff.  As he sat in confusion, our LORD spoke to him a parable.  In this parable, there were two debtors.  One owed 500 talents, another only fifty.  Neither had the means to pay, so the creditor forgave both debts. The question was posed to Simon of which of the two would appreciate and love the creditor more.  The answer was so obvious Simon was forced to answer.  The one who had the greater debt forgiven.  Jesus then made a comparison with the sinner.  Simon was the debtor who owed 50 talents and the sinful woman the 500.  Simon cared for Jesus only a little, not willing to exercise the expectations of a host towards Jesus while the woman washed his feet and dried them with her hair.  The conclusion of His parable is our verse above.  There seems to be a correlation between our love for Jesus and the realization we have of our own sin and guilt.

Obviously, the sins of the Pharisee and those of the woman were not numerically different.  Both are sinful creatures.  The difference is how each sees themselves.  The Pharisee who had far more opportunity and training could easily see himself as depraved much more so than the woman of ill repute.  However, he chose to see himself as righteous rather than as fallen.  As we read the entire word of God, we cannot help but see ourselves as falling far short of God’s standard of perfection.  The book that I desire to read the least is Proverbs.  Every proverb seems to cut me to the heart.  There isn’t one that I faithfully live without failure.  The more we allow the Holy Spirit to reveal to us our unworthiness, the more we appreciate just what Jesus has done for us.  The more we see ourselves as we are, the more we are grateful for the grace bestowed upon our souls.  The more wicked and evil we see our actions, dispositions, and thoughts, the more amazed we become that God would love such creatures as us.  Once we realize just how forgiven we are, then the love we have for God grows exponentially.  To the degree which we understand how forgiven we are, is the degree we love God.  And the only way we can realize how forgiven we are is to realize how much we need that forgiveness.  We must come to the end of ourselves and welcome the only grace that can forgive.  Then love Him in return.

Not Time For A Nap

“So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.” (Jon 1:6 AV)

 

Jonah was fast asleep in the haul of the ship as a storm raged outside.  The storm was sent as a direct result of Jonah’s disobedience.  The shipmaster didn’t know this.  He simply expected all aboard to call upon their god for rescue on the outside chance one of the gods to which they cried would be the one that sent the gale.  There is trouble outside and all who are in the midst should be in prayer.  There is a chance they might not survive and the condition is beyond their control.  So everyone should be busy making intercessions to anyone or anything that could change their fortune.  Yet, the backslidden preacher is in the haul of the sheep being lulled to sleep by the tossing and turning of the ship.  There he lay, suspended between two beams in a hammock that swayed with the waves of the sea.  He felt no violence.  He was unaware of the severity of the situation.  He snored away his shipmate’s demise because he had closed his eyes to the peril of others.  He closed his eyes to slumber rather than to deep prayer unto the one and only true God, Jehovah.

The question posed by the shipmaster was one of incredulity.  He could not believe that someone would be in slumber and not care if the ship sank.  He could not believe that someone would be so unaware of the obvious that he could not be naturally stirred to intercession.  The shipmaster was so incredulous the question that proceeded from his mouth was not one of curiosity but of indictment.  While the rest of the passage scurried about trying to secure the ship and cry to gods that do not exist, the man of God is fast asleep resting in the mistaken belief that he has escaped the call of God.  His conscience seared by his prejudice against those to whom God called them lent not to terror, but comfort.  The shipmaster looked at the sleeping prophet and needed an explanation.  He needed to know what would possess this preacher to ignore the sure destruction of his fellow shipmates.  Why wasn’t he as, or more, concerned with the future of them all that he did something?  Anything!  Get out of bed and pray.

We live in a world of our own making.  We have caused the mess of which we now complain.  We see a world rapidly receding from the blessing of God’s presence.  As a race, we have rejected Him and His perfect will for us.  We have done that since the garden of Eden.  This wicked world is one of our own making.  Yet there is something we can do.  We can pray.  Even the lost world knows the people of God should be in prayer.  The world is racing on a collision course with the wrath of almighty God.  Jesus will return and put an end to all wickedness.  Mankind is heading for destruction and what meaneth thee, oh child of God, that you pray not?  The vast majority of the world will die lost and forever be tormented for their sin!  What meaneth thee, oh child of God, that thou prayest not for lost souls?  The devil will lead countless multitudes in rebellion against the Messiah.  They will suffer an eternity in the flames of the lake of fire!  What meanest thou, oh child of God, that thou sleepest? Why aren’t you out there, oh child of God, with the masses who are scurrying about with no hope?  Why aren’t you out on the deck as the ship is thrashing about with the hope of the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ?  Why sleepest thou, oh child of God?  Do you take the violence of the storm of wickedness in the ease of a rocking hammock?  Do you shelter yourself against the reality that rages outside your comfort zone?  Do you lull yourself to contentment while the world suffers untold misery?  Why sleepest thou, oh child of God?  Perhaps you do not think you have any part in it because you did not directly cause it.  But you did.  You may not be running from God.  But you are still guilty of sin.  You helped cause the storm so why sleepest thou?  Get up!  Pray!  Testify!  Serve!  Get involved!  Arise!

Yes, He Wants You Whole

“And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.” (Lu 5:13 AV)

 

It is easy to forget that Jesus died to make us whole.  He wants us to be cured of our sin-sick souls more than we ever will.  This man with leprosy is a good picture of the will of God concerning those inflicted with their own wickedness.  No, it is not the will of God that we all live in perfect health until the day of our departing.  So, we cannot apply this verse and claim it to mean that if we are ever faced with a physical challenge, God wants to heal us.  This simply is not the case.  However, we can make the application spiritually.  This is a truth we know.  We simply forget, or fail to realize the true significance of this application.  God wants our spiritual health more than we will ever want it.  He wants us to be free from sin and the spiritual anguish that comes with our situation.  He does not want us to exist in misery.  He does not want is to live with a spirit of defeat.  Jesus came to heal sinners.  Not see them suffer.

With my wife’s recent stay at a local hospital for cancer surgery, we were so blessed to be served by a staff that went out of their way to meet every need we had.  Even the custodial staff treated my wife as though they were there to serve her every need.  Most custodial staff are impersonal and want to get in and out with little interaction with anyone.  Having worked that kind of job for a number of years, I understand.  Those serving as custodians are humble people who feel as though they should exist and work in the background.  We are the meanest of all workers and are not able to converse intelligently or profitably with those whom we serve.  We are servants of servants.  However, I was really taken by the personalness of the custodial staff at our hospital.  We had a time!  We had a hoot!  They took the time to talk with you as they cleaned.  This excellent service didn’t stop with the custodial staff.  The hospital she stayed at was a teaching hospital affiliated with the University of Wisconsin.  I was not there for the majority of those visits but I was there for a few.  Each time they came to check on her, it wasn’t a merely clinical visit.  They didn’t treat her as a health puzzle to solve.  They didn’t see her as a mass of cells or tissue from which they could learn.  They treated her like a person.  If there was a request for more or different medicine, the nurses took their time to explain the doctor’s decision on the type of medicine and dosage.  In short, we felt as though they cared about the whole person and wanted them to leave the hospital in the best possible condition both physically and mentally.  My wife was not a source of income.  She was not a customer.  She was a person.

Because we cannot see God by sight, we tend to forget just how much He loves and cares for us.  As a parent, we want our children to do well, and hate it when they suffer from their own choices, or life itself.  We ache when they ache.  Sometimes, we can do nothing about it.  Other times, we intercede.  We try to give them the best life possible with the least amount of necessary discomfort.  God is not different.  Jesus died because we have suffered since the world began.  We suffer because of our own choices.  We suffer because of the choices of others.  We suffer because the sentence of death is upon us.  As a parent’s heart would ache because of the suffering of his or her child, God does so much the more.  Jesus does desire to make us whole.  This is why He left the glories of heaven and gave His life.  He did so to end human suffering.  Jesus died so that we might have life and have it more abundantly.  So, when the leper asked if Jesus was willing to make him clean, the answer was obvious.  The Father may not promise you an end to all physical suffering.  This is part of the human experience and cannot be avoided.  What He will promise is an inward life full of suffering if we will only yield to Him and trust in Him.  Absolutely, He wants to make you whole.  That is for what He died.

Presumptive Grace

“And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” (Lu 4:12 AV)

 

This verse has puzzled me for a long time.  The Devil attempts to try entice the LORD into putting a biblical promise to the test.  The promise is one directly promised to the Messiah by the Father.  Satan uses the word of God in a way for which it is not intended insinuating the Son of God could claim a promise when He could not.  The puzzling thing is, we often teach people to put the promises of God to the test.  The “name it and claim it” generation.  This is a bit different.  The promise of divine protection given to the Messiah only applies if the will of the LORD put Him in danger and not He Himself.  He was not to orchestrate circumstances of His own making just to put the promise of the Father to the test.  One has to wonder if we seem to do this even if we are unaware.  Do we make choices of which God would not approve and then seek His divine intervention based on a promise in scripture?  Do we get ourselves in a fix and then claim God’s intervention because we believe He is required to do so?  Or, do we deliberately put ourselves in a situation to manipulate the love of God and His benevolent hand?

A little pernicious and adventurous boy explored his world with little regard for the consequences.  He would crawl into enclosed spaces without thinking of how to get out.  He would climb high heights without looking to see how he would descend.  He would race as fast as he could without planning how his race would end.  Why?  Because he knew dad would always be there to bail him out.  This led to some very hairy situations.  There was a time Dad had to rescue his son from a lake with thin ice.  There was another time Dad had to climb well above his comfort zone to bring his son out of a tree.  There was a time when his son was stuck out on an island because he never tied his rowboat down.  There was a time when he went with his friends to the mall and they abandoned him.  He had no way home.  Dad was not a bad father.  He simply came to his son's rescue whenever he needed it whether he created the situation or not.  Dad was always there.  One afternoon, after one of those phone calls, Dad realized he was being used.  His son was not growing up to be responsible.  He would not think things through and plan a responsible course of action.  So, when the time came, instead of rescuing his son one more time, he ignored the plea.  He told his son he was on his own.  His guidance, protection, and provision were not going to be presumed.

I was going to use a different example because I think it aligns more with what we do.  At least in my generation, anyway.  God is a perfect Father.  Our earthly fathers are not.  Some were raised by fathers who took little interest in their children unless they needed to be rescued.  Even from their own bad behavior.  In doing so, they have trained their sons and daughters that the only way to get his attention is to act out.  To put themselves in harm's way so that Dad will come to the rescue.  When they become a child of God, they treat the LORD the same way.  They make poor decisions because that is the only way they know to get the attention of an authority figure.  Their want to be rescued is a narcissistic way in which to be the center of their universe.  If they can be the damsel or dude in distress, then the knight in shining armor will come and rescue them.  This is presumptuous.  This is exactly what Jesus speaks.  He will not treat the Father this way.  He will not deliberately put himself in harm’s way to force the Father to prove His love.  We can ask ourselves why we do the things we do.  God doesn’t need our manipulation to love us.  He loves us more than we could ever understand.  We simply have to accept it.

Praying For The Obvious

“And David enquired of God, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? and wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the LORD said unto him, Go up; for I will deliver them into thine hand.” (1Ch 14:10 AV)

 

Going up against one’s enemies should be a no brainer.  This is David’s first campaign following he ascension to Jerusalem.  He reigned in Hebron for seven years and the rest of the nation had just consented to coronating him king of all Israel.  David was on a high.  One would think a man in his position would not bother to pray about the obvious.  This goes to show the humility of Israel’s favorite king.  This humility came at a cost.  This humility came at the failure to complete a unified effort in bringing the ark to the city of David.  This humility came at the death of Uzzah who put forth his hand to steady the ark as it appeared to be slipping off an ox cart.  David learned that he should pray, not just for the obvious, but the details of the obvious.  This prayer was not for the answer of going up only.  Rather, it was for the method and battle plan to accomplish the defeat of the enemy.  David learned that no matter how successful he was, he could still fail if he didn’t consult with God.  He learned that to bring up the ark correctly, he should have consulted the word of God and the priests rather than assume he knew just how to do it.  Now, faced with a battle, he seeks God’s guidance on the ‘how’ as much as the ‘should we’.

As we age, we seem to need our parents less and less.  What we forget is our parents do not stop learning.  They will always be older and wiser.  In some things, that is.  There are areas of life we may have the upper hand.  But not in all areas.  We may be more proficient in our areas of training.  We may know more about certain things than our parents.  But in general life experience, our parents will always be senior.  Staying young and seeking advice whether we think we need it or not is deeply appreciated by those who have earned the right to be respected.  When we seek their input, they feel as though they are still worth something.  They feel they still have something to contribute.  The day is coming when Mom and Dad will no longer be around.  I remember several years ago, I was trying to solve a problem at work.  I ran a manufacturing line that produced perfectly round pieces from a square panel of maturial.  These round pieces were punched out through a press and stacked automatically.  When the machine operator looked at the stack, he would notice they did not align perfectly.  They were off, every five pieces.  The operator who didn’t know any better and never paid attention to his high school geometry teacher would chase his or her tail trying to get that stack to line up.  This only led to more errors.  After a few adjustments, I realized a perfectly aligned stack of circular pieces punched out of a square sheet of material was impossible.  Mathematically, it could not happen.  No downtime for my line.  It kept running with an acceptable and minute imperfection.  I called my dad from work.  He was a doctorate-level mathematician and ran the problem by him.  He concurred that it would be mathematically impossible to have a stack of round pieces perfectly aligned if cut from a square grid.  What a piece of mind!

David was not too proud to go to God and ask for guidance for the obvious.  Perhaps he would have had the same results from battle if he never prayed at all.  Perhaps he would have conquered the enemy with just as much sufficiency as when the LORD gave him the battle plan.  Perhaps he would have come up with the same plan the LORD gave him.  We will never know.  Because David prayed regarding the obvious, his leadership was affirmed in the decisions he made.  This was missing when he tried to bring up the ark.  He got the consent of the people.  Everyone was on board.  They all agreed it was of the LORD.  There was a unified spirit to bring the ark back to where it belonged and for God’s people to enquire by it.   There was every reason to do it and no reason not to.  The one thing they forgot was to pray.  Had they prayed, the LORD would have reminded them of the method by which they were to transport the ark.  No one would have had to die.  There would have been no delay.  The ark would have returned and God would have been glorified.  David learned his lesson.  No more prideful independence.  Now, he will pray even for the obvious.

Favor With Man

“And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.” (Lu 2:52 AV)

 

This statement regards the childhood of Christ.  Some would argue that standing for Jesus means we make adversaries by default.  Not that we are looking for them or seeking to make them.  It is the nature of gospel ministry and living for Jesus.  Wisdom is self-explanatory.  Stature means maturity.  An obvious statement.  The boy Jesus grew physically and socially.  He learned how to live and interact as a human being much like we all did.  It is that last phrase that we wish to consider.  Again, we know this is in reference to his maturity into adulthood.  No doubt, the boy Jesus did not embark on His adult ministry before his time and thus was never a figure of controversy.  It would have been much easier to be in ‘favor with man’ as a child.  But does that mean when He reached adulthood and began to embark on His divine calling that He was relieved of the goal to be in ‘favor with man’?  Paul says,  “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” (Ro 12:18 AV)  Paul shows us the balance as it applies in adulthood.  He adds the phrase, “As much as lieth in you”.  BTW, this would make a great sermon for teenagers.  The above statement is that of a young Christ child maturing into adulthood.  Three goals of every teen should be to learn, to mature, and to please God and his fellow man.  These three goals continue into adulthood.  As much as it lieth within us, we should seek to please God and man.  Not one as opposed to the other, but rather, if at all possible, both.

It is quite a statement to say the Son of God increased in ‘favor with man’.  Why would He have to?  He is God, isn’t He?  What did He have to prove?  Why would He have to be concerned with the opinions or reactions of the ones whom He created?  On the face of it, the idea that God must increase in favor with man is ludicrous.  However, for ministry to be effective, the Son of God condescended to men of low estate.  The Son of God set an example for all His disciples to follow.  This example is one of humble service.  Jesus Christ, the Creator and God of all condescended to the form of a baby.  The Son of God who is omnipotent subjected Himself to a creature dependent upon others for His very existence.  He humbled Himself as a man and subjected Himself to persecution from the same.  He chose to please mankind as best He could while staying true to His calling.  The ultimate price was His own life.  Jesus increased in favor with mankind in order that He might redeem them.  He did so without compromising truth or His calling.

We are the offscouring of the world.  The world hates us because it hates Christ.  This is becoming increasingly evident.  They do not wish to make a distinction of separation between themselves and Christianity, striving for some amicable compromise.  They wish to remove God from the face of the earth.  Just like Rome and Israel did to Jesus, the rest of the world wishes to do to His followers.  But persecution and rejection did not stop our Savior from trying to increase in favor with man.  Yes, the majority will reject Him.  But not all.  And, their rejection will not be based on some injustice or inappropriateness that the Divine exercised towards them.  They will not reject God because God failed to love them.  They will not say no to the free gift of salvation from sin and hell because God insulted them.  It may be framed that way by those who wish nothing from Him.  But that doesn’t make it true.  They will not reject Him because He wasn’t nice enough, cordial enough, or patient enough.  God has pleaded with mankind to repent lest He is forced to judge them for their sin.  He established the means of their salvation even before He created them.  God pleased man as much as He could while still remaining God.  We must do the same.  No more unnecessary striving.  No cold shoulder.  No antagonism from our end.  We must seek to grow in favor with mankind if we have any chance of reaching them with the love of Christ.