Watch

“Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” (Mt 24:42 AV)

 

Very good advice, but difficult to do.  We can be very busy in the affairs of this life and forget  Jesus could return at any moment.  The disciples had asked Jesus about the signs of His coming.  The entire chapter lists the events and signs prior to His coming.  Some are natural events.  Others are man-made.  There is geopolitical upheaval.  There are false Christs and the Antichrist sits in the temple declaring himself to be God.  The list is both dramatic and very concerning.  Anyone faced with these things would be overwhelmed.  Jesus indicates the events listed in chapter 24 of Matthew will not come suddenly.  At least the majority of them.  The majority of them have been happening since the first century.  They are simply increasing in intensity.  If these things are happening today, we can become complacent in our expectation of Christ’s return.  In other words, we may not be watching.  When the dramatic events of the world become mundane and hardly noticeable, this is when the LORD will return.  When we are no longer shocked at the moral depravity of humanity or moved by the disasters we see all around us, He is coming.  In other words, when the things God permits or sends no longer affect change in the human race toward God and not away from Him, it is time for a divine visit.  This is where we are.

Watching and being prepared go hand in hand.  The other day, I was at a Domino's Pizzeria picking up a large order for our VBS.  I used to manage an old-style pizzeria with brick-decked ovens.  That was back when pizza chefs had to be a bit talented.  Keeping the pizza round while putting it on deck was no small feat.  The chef used a wooden paddle called a peal.  He would place a copious amount of coarse cornmeal on the peal and then place the well-floured dough on top.  After he built the pizza, he took the peal to the oven and with a shimmy and a shake, got the pie off the peal and onto the deck.  The oven could hold six to eight pies depending on the size.  The cook we called the ‘puller’ would keep an eye on the individual pies, rotating them for an even cook.  He or she would then ‘pull’ them from the oven, place them in a box, slice them, and send them out front.  The new way of doing pizza is a bit different.  Domino’s has a conveyor oven.  The pizza is placed on a metal tray, which in turn is placed in a conveyor which travels through an open over.  Sort of like an open-ended toaster oven.  The conveyor does not stop  So, I got to thinking.  What if they were short-handed and things got a bit complicated?  That conveyor is running and the pizzas are coming regardless of how ready you are or not.  I can imagine a few pies might hit the floor if the ‘puller’ is not ready.  He or she must always be aware of what is coming and how long it will take to get there.  They have to be prepared to remove that pie before the conveyor returns to make a trip back.  Watching means being prepared.

Jesus tells his disciples to watch.  We are not watching for entertainment’s sake.  We are not watching for curiosity’s sake.  We are not watching so we can predict something no one else can or appear smarter than everyone else.  We are watching so we can be prepared.  At any moment we could meet our Savior face-to-face.  Watching means working.  Watching means repenting.  Watching means knowing what might indicate His imminent return.  Watching means yearning.  Watching means anticipation.  Watching requires faith.  Faith in a promise of His return.  Only the simple ignore His advice.  To believe Christ’s return is certain in a specific day or hour is a fool’s errand.  But ignoring the potential of His return being immediate is equally foolish.  The question is simple.  What are we doing in light of Christ’s return?  How are we watching?  Are we prepared?

Go Thy Way

“Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.” (Mt 20:14 AV)

 

This is from the parable of the day laborers.  As a reminder, the owner and husbandman of the field went to the marketplace several times and at different times of the day to hire laborers for his field.  This meant of the varied groups that were hired, some worked longer hours than others.  Out of the generosity of his heart, the master paid all the laborers the same, regardless of how long they worked. Those that labored the longest complained they were paid the same as those who worked but a short while.  The above verse is the master’s response.  The point was, opportunity mattered more than effort exerted.  In other words, it was not the fault of the last crew they were hired last.  They were at the marketplace all day long and remained, knowing they would only work for an hour.  Their dedication to work was shown in their availability and patience just as much as those who worked from the first hour.   I understand this principle having worked as a caddie for a few summers.  The rate of a loop was the same.  But me and the boys sat almost the entire day before we got a loop.  Being there meant we were willing to work and we got paid the same as those who went out first thing in the morning.  But I want to consider that first phrase.  It is a subtle rebuke to those who earned a day's wage to be grateful for what they have and not complain about what they don’t have.

The first four words are really profound.  We have what we have because God has determined it to be so.  Envy has no place in the life of the saint.  What I have is what I have because God said so.  There is no use in complaining.  What He has chosen to give to others is none of my business.  What He has chosen to give He has chosen to give.  Remember, there were those in the marketplace who walked away without getting hired at all.  God is good.  He is good all the time.  This reminds me of Solomon’s words, “Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny [thee], and say, Who [is] the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God [in vain].” (Pr 30:8-9 AV)  This isn’t the first time the LORD has told us to go our way.  The other time was a few weeks back when there was potential trouble or trial and the subject was told to go his way.  In other words, regardless of the situation, we are not to linger and contemplate.  We are to continue on and live for the glory of God regardless of what life happens to bring our way.  It doesn’t matter.  If God is in control of it all, then we have to trust He knows what He is doing.  We have to trust the life we have is the life He knows we need and that the things He allows or doesn’t allow are for our own good.  Furthermore, if we have a way we should be going, then that way is part of God’s sovereign and eternal plan.  Regardless of how significant or insignificant we might think our part is, it is all part of a masterfully designed plan that will all work itself out to the glory of God the Father!

If we obsess over God’s plan, we will remain idle.  The workers who were paid last remained at the table expecting more.  When they did not, they stayed and complained.  They did not go their way.  One wonders if the master hired them the next day.  If they were so obsessed with payment made to others, bitterness may continue into the next day, and whatever labor they provided may not be their best.  I know I wouldn’t hire them.  Besides, what would their attitude be towards those who worked only one hour?  Contentment with godliness is a great gain.  Being content in God’s grace is manifested by going our way.  Accepting what God has for us regardless of what He has for others is the point.  If we go our way and continue to labor the next day equally hard and with the right attitude shows we understand God’s grace.  May we go our way and come back tomorrow.

Missing the Subtle

“He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?” (Mt 16:2-3 AV)

 

Relax. I won’t be accusing anyone of being a hypocrite this morning.  This was an extreme case of those who claimed an elevated relationship with God but could not discern His hand among the affairs of men.  That is why they are referred to as hypocrites.  The fault lies in not knowing God well enough to see how He might work.    The context is knowing the Son of God who came to earth is preparing to die for their sin and usher in the kingdom promised to their forefathers.  The gathering storm is the storm of judgment upon Israel’s enemies for rejecting God and hating on His people.  If Israel would only see the obvious and believe, then God can work miracles.  What the Pharisees were guilty of, the saint can also falter.  Not to the degree they failed.  But in principle, we can do the same.  We can miss the indications God sends our way to assure us He is working on our behalf.  We can become so overwhelmed by the trial at hand that we miss the little things He gives us to reassure us He is in control.  We are temporally or carnally minded if we miss the hand of God because the things of this world are too large they captivate and demand our attention.

I am reminded of the prophet's ministry to one of his trainees.  An enemy army had surrounded the city in which the prophet sought refuge.  It was just him and his trainee against the world.  The old prophet took his trainee out of the city proper and asked the LORD to open his eyes.  There on the mountains overshadowing the enemy were countless chariots and angelic beings preparing to wage war on the enemy.  He could not see the hand of God because the hand of the enemy seemed too large.  In the context of our passage, Jesus reminds the disciples not to eat the leaven of the Pharisees.  They assumed he was being literal.  Jesus reminds them of the feeding of the thousands and how finding a meal to eat would not ever be a concern as long as they walked with Jesus.  There was no need for a warning not to eat the literal food of the Pharisees.  Jesus meant this metaphorically.  They were to avoid the doctrine of the Pharisees.   They missed the subtle yet obvious truth Jesus was sharing with them regarding the dangers of false doctrine.  They missed the obvious because they were temporally minded.

I am reminded of how many small and subtle hints God had sent along the way which both Lisa and I missed along the way of her journey with cancer.  Small little statements here and there.  Small little test results were found on our electronic records.  Sometimes we get so focused on the battle ahead that we lose sight of the God who controls it all.  There were little hints that God was in control.  Like the prophet at the face of the cave, the voice of God was not in the fire, wind, and storm.  God’s voice for the prophet was not in the large and obvious.  It was the still small voice that spoke to him;  a voice barely audible over the commotion God was causing elsewhere.  God works in large and obvious ways.  But He also works in equally powerful small and undiscernible ways, too.  It all depends on where our eyes and heart are.  If we truly trust God in all things, no matter how overwhelming, then we will see the small voice of God that comes at the exact moment we need it, lasts but for a short time, and departs.  If we look for the LORD in all things, we will see Him in all things.  It all depends on where our attention is focused.

Made Worthy By Cross-bearing

“And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.” (Mt 10:38 AV)

 

A very pointed statement.  The cross is symbolic of sacrificial ministry for the sake of others.  It is taking on oneself the mission statement of Christ Himself.  The crosses we are called to bear are frequent and varied.  But they are all for the same reason.  These crosses can double as a trial of faith.  These crosses can also come as a correction from God.  But these crosses are always for the benefit of others and the glory of God.  These crosses are not something we seek.  Nor is it something we desire.  But they come.  They come simply because God asks it of us.  Like Jesus, who struggled beneath the burden of His own cross, we are never truly prepared for them when they come.  Cross-bearing is perhaps the single most important commitment the saint can make for the glory of Jesus Christ.  In fact, the LORD says that if we are not willing to bear our cross and follow Him, then in reality, we are not worthy of His love.  That is a pretty heavy statement.

When we look at the twelve disciples, we notice there were tiers of devotion the LORD had for them.   He loved the twelve completely and wholly.  Of that, there was no doubt.  But it was Peter, James, and John who seemed to have a relationship the others did not have.  It wasn’t that the others were neglected or unappreciated.  Jesus loved them, too.  But there was something about these three that set them apart.  James would end up as the pastor of the church in Jerusalem.  Peter would serve as the first missionary to the Jewish people.  And John would suffer on the Isle of Patmos dictating the letter of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.  Of the three, it would be John to whom it was said, Jesus loved Him more intimately than the others.  John perhaps sacrificed the most to be called a disciple of Christ.  Related to men of high political standing, John would have lost it all.  The only comfort he had was being exiled rather than martyred.  John was the only one who did not deny Christ at His crucifixion.  He was faithfully at the feet of Christ right up to His death.  It was the beloved John who took in Mary when Jesus left Earth.  This John has his share of crosses others did not have to bear.  It is because of these crosses, the Apostle John is referred to as the beloved.

The point to be made is simple.  The cross will come our way.  Whether we take it up or not is up to us.  But we cannot expect a deep and intimate relationship with our Savior if we are not willing to take up our crosses.  Cross-bearing is the essence of Christlikeness.  It goes beyond total surrender.  We can surrender.  But to replace that which we have surrendered with a cross that must be born is another decision that must be made.  We don’t mind ceasing to be what we don’t like to be.  Surrendering sin, although difficult, is something we as God’s children desire.  The new man wants to live godly in Christ Jesus.  But what the old man struggles with is bearing the burden of the cross.  There seems to be no obvious and immediate benefit to self.  That is because there isn’t.  It is all about Christ and others.  If we refuse to bear the crosses Christ has for us, His response is we are not worthy, then of a close and intimate relationship with Him.

Mindless Living Takes Faith

“Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Mt 6:31-33 AV)

Very well-known verses and very easy to understand.  There is no mystery here.  The issue comes when we try to live by it.  The needs of this life are consistent.  We need food.  We need water.  And we need shelter.  These three things every living organism needs.  Breathable air and other such needs are provided, for the most part, freely and we do not have to gather them.  But food, water, and shelter are something we search for ourselves and take efforts to provide for them.  When watching a survival show like Bear Grylls, he will tell you the first three things you need to find are shelter, water, and food.  In that order.  These needs present themselves every day and multiple times in the day.  Jesus tells us not to obsess about them.  It is not that we give no forethought to them at all.  Otherwise, we would not bother to go to work.  We would sit in the wilderness and wait for the manna to drop.  We are to labor to the best of our abilities to meet the needs we have and not create more needs than we can handle.  But there are times when needs are beyond our control.  Lisa and I have learned this lesson a know we will have to continue to learn this lesson.  The key to freedom from worry is the middle phrase.  Our Father knows that we have need of all these things.  He knows what we need and what we truly need.  He knows something we do not know.  He knows for a certainty what the future holds and what part our present needs play in what our future will be.  Knowing that God knows makes all the difference in the world.  It is the letting go that is the issue.

Last night, my wife and I watched a YouTube video of the 15 most terrifying attractions.  Some of them were rollercoaster rides, but some of them were trails carved into the side of cliffs barely two feet wide.  Several of them were glass bridges.  That is my wife’s biggest fear.  We have a small aquarium here in Milwaukee and it has this very small glass bridge that goes over a shallow pool with none lethal fish swimming underneath.  The water is shallow enough to stand in without drowning.  But she is terrified of walking across that bridge.  The bridge is probably only about twenty feet long and the glass is about six inches thick and framed out in solid steel.  The steel frame has enough width to it that if you were afraid of the glass, all you have to do is hug the railing and place your feet on the metal frame.  No big deal.  Watching this video last night took that experience and multiplied it by a million.  There is a bridge suspended seven hundred feet above a ravine.  The glass consisted of three two-inch panels and the framework in which it is set is not nearly as generous as our aquarium.  The video shows people trying to cross the bridge and fear so overwhelms them, they are shaking, crying, and often falling to their knees frozen in their frame.  To make it extra terrifying, the Chinese government hires people to go the length of the bridge with sledgehammers and start a crack.  When the weight of the pedestrian rests on the glass, it breaks in all directions.  Not to worry.  It is a very thin top panel that does this.  People were literally jumping on the handrail and finishing the trek without placing their feet on the glass.  The engineers have all the math down.  There is nothing unsafe about crossing that bridge.  Even if the top layer is cracked.  Trusting those who know more than we do is a hard thing to do.

Worry is our middle name.  Life takes faith.  We live by faith without even knowing it.  When our faith is disrupted, we lose it.  Just look at the run on toilet paper that happened a few years back.  If our needs cannot be guaranteed while accepting things a little by faith, we panic.  Jesus tells us not to obsess about that which we have little control over.  The very basics of life God will provide if we let Him.  It is better we concentrate on faith and holiness leaving the rest of it with God.  He will provide if we learn to obey and trust.  What a concept.  Easy to understand.  Hard to live.

Seeing Is Not Enough

“The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.” (Mt 4:16 AV)

 

An often cited verse on many Christmas cards and greetings, this verse is the hope of Israel and the rest of the world we have in Jesus Christ.  He is that great light.  He is the light that has sprung up.  He is the personification of hope God has for the world.  Our sins, all of them, are covered by the blood of Jesus Christ.  The region and shadow of death are actually referring to the Gentile world.  In other words, Jesus, that great light, has come upon all people everywhere that we might have hope.  I know this verse is speaking primarily of salvation and the darkness and death spoken of are spiritual darkness and death, but what is true in the spiritual word may also have a shadow of truth applied in the emotional and physical world as well.  Outside of the obvious, there is another application that I wish to expound.  That is the concept of hope and embracing hope.  Just because hope exists, it is not effective unless we embrace it. 

There is something about a light in the midst of complete darkness.  All sorts of critters are drawn to it.  Outside our back door, we have a flood light that could light up the neighborhood.  I have had a few helicopters try to land in our yard because we were the brightest light on the ground 😉.  My back door is painted white so it reflects the light very well.  When I take my dog out at night, I have to turn off the light in the house so the insects that have coated the door don’t come in.  We live in a fairly large city.  We live in an area where vagrancy is not all that uncommon.  We live a couple of blocks from several bars so it is not uncommon to have the homeless or the drunk wander on one’s property invited for any number of reasons.  Yet, the thing I notice is the more well-lit your property is, the less chance you have of an unwanted visitor.  They seek out the darkness and not the light.  Those who want little to do with right living will seek out the light.  All others will try to avoid it.  The same is true of those of us who tend to be more pessimistic than optimistic.  We tend to look for the bad news and completely miss the good news.  We prepare ourselves for the worst and never figure the best to be possible.

If you’ll notice one little word above, I will make my point.  Note the word, ‘…saw…’.  This suggests those who sat in darkness could not avoid the light because it was a great light.  Just because they saw it does not mean they went toward it.  The great light sprung up.  It arrived quickly and intensely.  A wonderful description of the ministry of Jesus Christ which was dramatic and over before you reckoned it finished.  Those who saw the person and ministry of Christ had an opportunity to go to the light and experience everlasting hope.  Instead, those who saw the light and did not embrace the light had hope for a very short time.  My point is this.  The closer we get to Jesus and the more we embrace the hope He offers, the more lasting that hope remains.  If we are saved, we have eternal hope.  We know exactly where we will be when our earthly pilgrimage is over.  This, the world cannot take away.  Yet, we do not have to wait until eternity to live in the hope of today.  The light is still there.  He is great!  Walking in the light as He is in the light, we have hope the world cannot understand.  The key is to walk toward hope instead of away from it.  We sit in the darkness of hopelessness because we choose to.  God has offered us a Great Light from which we can draw.  No need to sit in darkness.  The choice is ours.

Informed Consent

“My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.” (Pr 1:10 AV)

 

In Hebrew, the word ‘consent’ means, “yield, accept, to be willing”.  Webster’s 1828 dictionary gives the following as a definition for the word. “Agreement of the mind to what is proposed or stated by another; accord; hence, a yielding of the mind or will to that which is proposed”.  Therefore, there must be a proposal not generated from within the heart and mind of the subject.  And the subject must agree and yield to it.  This is pretty simple, right?  We can, to some degree, control the proposal in the sense we can remove ourselves from, or avoid circumstances where proposals are common.  If we know we can’t watch something on tv without compromising our character, then we can turn it off.  If we know going to a certain place will necessarily bring with it a slew of temptations, then we avoid it.  If we know certain people will always tempt us to evil, then we choose different acquaintances.  However, there are times when sinners entice and there is nothing we can do to avoid it.  It is all around us and unless we find an abandoned cave somewhere, live off the grid, and dwell alone, sin will always be a temptation.  Just because it is, does not mean we have to be a servant to it.  Consent is the key.  An argument must ensue.  One that you win.  Then consent is not granted.

One of the newer technologies I deeply appreciate is the rating and warning system provided for electronic entertainment.  When my wife and I sit down to stream a program, up in the top left corner the program rating is listed and single words tell you why it received that rating.  Then the savvy viewer can look on an app at the program’s description to see exactly what that one-word warning means.  This app will tell you exactly what scene and description of the scene in question.  We have averted many ungodly situations because we did our homework, first.  We avoid immorality, profanity, and excessive and gratuitous violence.  We avoid obviously dangerous theological themes and definitely refuse to watch anything woke.  Even the more subtly woke programs.  We will not watch things contrary to a Christian worldview or the values that come with that worldview, even if there are no obviously unclean scenes, cursing, or violence.  This is why this app is so valuable.  We even avoid watching anything on streaming services that show commercials of a profane nature.  In the month of June, I think we only watched some barbershop quartet videos or clean comedy videos.  We avoided programming because the commercials pushed a lifestyle that is offensive to God.  All this can be known and predicted ahead of time. 

There is no such thing as blind consent.  In fact, the legal world uses the term, informed consent.  One implies the other.  One cannot consent to something one has not examined.  We can fall.  We can slide.  We can trip.  But we cannot consent.  Consenting takes an examination of the temptation, reasoning it through, resulting in a purposeful act of the will.  Cornell Law School defines informed consent as, “Informed consent occurs when there is agreement to an interaction or action rendered with knowledge of relevant facts, such as the risks involved or any available alternatives. Informed consent often comes up in the contexts of legal ethics, medical treatment, and waiver of constitutional rights.”  Again, consent requires information.  The one yielding to the treatment for disease or the one consenting to a legal action must be informed.  This meant the above warning Solomon gives to his son is both simple and profound.  The implication is if we are informed as to the nature and consequences of sin, consenting or not consenting is a no-brainer.  If we are sufficiently informed, our logical reaction should be to not consent.  Why does Solomon need to state the obvious?  Because that is our nature.  Even though we are sufficiently informed, know the nature and risks involved, and desire pleasure more than principle, we still consent.  How foolish.  Better to follow the advice of a man who knew a few things than to follow the temptation offered by those who are fools themselves.