Let Our Light Shine

During a conversation today a co-worker of mine remarked, "It seems like the world is running away from what it really needs."  I told him that statement is more true than we can know.  The world is on a rampage of rebellion against God.  Christians are not called to be highbrow "goody goodies" who stand in judgment of the world.  Whoever is of the world has Satan as father, ruler, and master.  Those who have been born again through faith in Jesus Christ are now alive to God.  One thing that will mark a true believer in Christ is that we no longer walk according to the model of Satan's self-seeking rule.  Ephesians 2:1-3 says, "And you He (Christ) made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, [2] in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, [3] among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others."

I saw a Verizon commercial about their new phones accompanied with their new catchphrase:  "Rule the Air."  It is an ironic phrase, seeing that Satan is called the "prince of the power of the air."  I am not suggesting that Verizon is satanic or cell phones are the devil's playground in themselves - though an argument could be made that they can become an idol.  With the internet connection, camera, video, texting, movies, live TV, games, calendar, contact lists, e-mail, tweeting, and countless applications, there are many things to distract us from seeking God and heeding His voice.  The commercial focuses on the consumer, the Verizon customer who has the ultimate power of telecommunications, not to mention the coveted internet hot spot!  It's funny that we can be duped to think that we are the center of the universe!  The world trains us to focus on us, our abilities, resources, power, and status.  Satan wants us to focus on ourselves so our view of God becomes fuzzy, dim, or even lost.  He has the entire world system under his sway as it says in 1 John 5:19:  "We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one."

Christians are in the world but are not of the world, even as Christ was in the world but not of it.  This does not mean that we cannot use the technology of the world.  It means that whatever we do, we must do for the glory of God because He is our Master and King.  It is not a cell phone that is evil:  it draws to the surface the evil rebellion within a teen who texts and chats in secret after his parents tell him to stop.  The camera feature is not evil, but it reveals the wickedness in the hearts of those who take lewd photos of unsuspecting women in changing rooms.  Satan is all about promoting self.  "Do what you will.  No one is being hurt, and there's nothing wrong with a little fun."  Recognize justification of disobedience as Satan's voice!  We are our biggest hindrance to a loving, eternally long relationship with Jesus Christ.  We must be born again and be purged from our sins filled with the Holy Spirit.  God must open our eyes so we might see.

Instead of mounting frustration over the blindness of the lost and their perversions, let us remember that we were once under the same sway.  Let us consider ourselves that we walk above reproach, honoring God with what we do and say.  Cultivate compassion by the grace of Jesus Christ so we may become a beacon of the Light of the World that people may live.  A lighthouse does not have wheels to chase ships at random.  It is planted firmly in the same shore that it may provide light and guidance for the lost or direction for those seeking safe passage.  Many Christians are like mobile lighthouses that shine their lights into the equivalent of the eyes of insensible drunks passed out from trying to satisfy the lusts of the flesh.  In doing so we are like a man who screams into a tornado, "Shut up!"  What will it profit?  The tornado will not yield, my voice will be drowned out, and I will likely be swept off my feet!  But if we are like Christ - stable, personable, accessible, loving, gentle, compassionate, gracious, and merciful - and carefully build upon the solid foundation of Christ, God will bring searching people naturally to our shores so we might direct them to safe harbor in the everlasting arms of Jesus.  The storm may rage but our light can still shine.

No matter how far people may drift, no matter how fast or far the world may run from God, God remains near.  Praise God that if we desire Him He will be found by us.  If any in the world come to Christ, He will receive them for He has said in John 6:37, "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out."  Instead of living after the world's model, let us follow Jesus.  It is He who holds the keys of Hell and Death, and only Jesus has the Words of life.

All of You

Sometimes I hear "Christianese" which causes me to wonder if we comprehend the doctrines of scripture.  A song commonly sung in evangelical circles repeats, "I want more, I want more of you Jesus" and people often pray, "Lord, we need more of you in our lives."  A foundational truth of Christianity is that Jesus Christ has become a sacrifice for sin and has risen from the dead so we might be born again through the Holy Spirit's power.  When we confess our sins, repent, and trust in Jesus as Savior and LORD, He sends the Holy Spirit without measure who regenerates us and dwells within us.  Technically therefore, we have the same Spirit who dwelt in Jesus Christ to the full.  We cannot have more of Him because He has given all to us.  John 3:34 says, "For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure."  We see that we have all of Christ as the song goes, "All of you is more than enough for all of me..."

That being said, there is a measure of truth to the cliche statement about needing more of Christ in our lives.  The fact remains that we can limit the work of God in our hearts through disobedience, refusal to yield to the leading of Christ, and obstinately seeking after our own will.  This spiritual principle is outlined in Luke 6:38:  "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."  If we do not give our all to God, we will not be able to operate in the fullness of the Holy Spirit's power because we hinder our own progress.  If we carefully measure out our service or giving unto the LORD, His blessings and empowerment will be rationed back to us.  Though God has given His all, unless we give all back to Him our spiritual maturity and growth will remain stunted, anemic, and nominal at best.  Often the Luke 6:38 verse is applied in the way of financial giving but it is not limited to monetary blessings.  Isn't the Holy Spirit Living Water who flows through us as an everlasting fountain?  Why choose a cistern when a fountain is available?

I am convinced the Christian who complains that God doesn't speak isn't listening as he ought.  It is never a problem with God's voice but with our ears and the hardness of our hearts.  God is never to be blamed when we do not live a life of victory, or do not walk in the Spirit, abide in the Vine, and remain well-founded upon the Rock who is Christ.  The dock is not to be blamed when the rope tethering the ship slips free and allows the ship to drift.  The dock remains intact, stable, and immovable though the tides flow in and out.  It is the negligence of the crew who did not properly secure the ship that would cause it to drift away.  When we drift from God, and seeing our need for God's further intrusion into our daily lives cry, "I need more of you, God!" we know for certain He has not been slack in our care:  we have been lax in seeking Him; we have drifted because of our negligence; we have lost the wonder through familiarity; we have stopped regarding Him as LORD and only imagined Him as a casual acquaintance.  Our reading of the Bible becomes stale, our times of prayer lacks passion, vision, and closeness, and our life has been caught up in cares rather than the Creator.

Do you recognize your need for more of God in your life?  This only means we need to give more of ourselves to Him.  Yesterday's manna will not sustain you today, nor will yesterday's victories aid us in the battles we face today.  We need Jesus, and we have the Holy Spirit without measure.  Let us freely give all of us that we might receive and walk in all of Him.

Not for Profit

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is unlike anything that world has ever seen.  When the Gospel was presented by Jesus, it was not accompanied by an advertising campaign.  Unlike many other pagan religions of the time, it was not sexually driven or marked by drug use.  It was not forwarded by political influence, nor advanced through military prowess by Christ's disciples.  The Gospel did not hold promises for financial gain, nor boasted promises of fame, acceptance, and power.  It was quite the opposite:  Jesus said that all who repented and trusted in Him would be forgiven of their sins and inherit eternal life - with the understanding they were choosing a life of humility, servitude, rejection, being hated, misunderstood, persecuted, tortured, imprisoned, and even murdered.  The world must marvel that Jesus had any followers at all.  But those who have left all to follow Christ understand that a relationship with Him is the most real thing they have ever experienced in this life and know we will be perfected in the life to come.  A true follower of Jesus can't imagine not following Him.  When we become one with Christ, to separate ourselves from Him is unthinkable.

What drives business, politics, science, medicine, prostitution, fashion, professional sports, music, entertainment, technology, and every other industry imaginable?  Money!  It was never intended by God that the Gospel become industrialized and institutionalized as well.  The Gospel must never be a vehicle for financial profit.  There is a difference between earning a living and making a profit.  It is right that pastors, preachers, and other staff members at churches are paid for their time so they can be dedicated to laboring in the Word, prayer, and doctrine.  But it would never do for preachers to become rich by preaching for this is not according to the model of Christ.  This sends the wrong message to the world when pastors live in million-dollar mansions, have private jets, drive Rolls-Royces, buy a single toilet for $23,000 and claim tax-exempt status.

Jesus never told His disciples they could not have nice things, even expensive things.  But one thing Jesus never did - though all things are made by Him and for Him in heaven and earth - was make a vulgar display of His wealth.  He could have used riches to "further" the Gospel, but He didn't.  Riches appeal to the flesh.  Our flesh must be crucified with Christ so we can spiritually live with Him.  Jesus says in Matthew 6:19-21, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; [20] but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. [21] For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  If the great desire of our heart is to build an empire of this world, to leave an earthly legacy, than our hearts are not under the authority of Christ.

The fact remains we Christians are called to deny ourselves, take up our crosses daily, and follow Jesus.  I must care for God and others more than myself.  To go even further, in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus says I ought to take no thought for my life because He is able to provide for all that I need.  Instead of trusting a portfolio or retirement investments which can evaporate in an instant, He wants me to trust Him.  This does not mean that I can be a poor steward of my resources, to the contrary:  I ought to be a good steward of all that I have that it might bring glory to His name.  I should be careful that my lifestyle not make a bad reflection upon my Savior.  Pastors with great wealth who flaunt it have the potential to stumble people both inside and out of the church.  That is why we must be Holy-Spirit led in our personal lifestyles.  The other day I found a watch I really liked and even received a great discount.  But after thinking it over I did not have a peace about buying that watch because people might get the wrong impression about me.  Is it o.k. for a Christian to have a luxury watch?  Of course!  But I'm sure God told me that though I wanted that watch, He didn't want me to have it.  In that position we are left with a choice:  honor God with obedience and deny ourselves, or push ahead with what we want, risk offending people, and be disciplined by God for my disobedience.  Why drive a wedge between someone and Christ because of a watch I wear on my wrist?  It's too great a risk to take.

It is good to examine our lifestyles and see if we fully honor God.  We know that drinking alcohol can be a stumbling block, and money poses even a greater threat.  Jesus says in Luke 16:13, "No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."  The word "mammon" means "wealth."  It is interesting that God and wealth can be opposed to one another.  We ought to serve God with our wealth, for it is all from Him and for His glory.  Money, wealth, and things ought never be our master.  Funny how we think we are in control when it can be money which masters us!  Instead of being caught up in thinking of dollars and cents, it only makes sense to seek Christ in our financial decisions.  When we deny ourselves we fulfill our calling as Christ's followers.  We will not be without a reward!

Systems and Significance

On every jobsite I work, many systems comprise every project.  The electricians run wires and connect circuits; iron workers build the steel structure, pipe fitters weld steam, chilled water, and heating pipes; plumbers connect condensate drains and domestic hot and cold water; roofers install flashing, insulation, and drainage; sheet metals workers hang air-conditioning ducts.  On and on it goes, from the architects to geologists, structural engineers to the inspectors, beyond the range and scope any one person can fully grasp.  I insulate mechanical equipment and very few people in the entire construction industry outside our profession have any concept of how to perform the work.  Yet for all this complexity, manpower, training, and experience, a state-of-the art building which costs a billion dollars and takes years to complete is NOTHING compared to the complexity of the systems which make up a living human body.

Take a chiller system, for instance.  A chiller cools water which flows through pumps which force the water through the supply pipe and circulates the water back to the chiller through the return line.  Branch lines take the water to fan coils through which the water continually circulates and cools the air.  This cool air is blown through ducts which supplies conditioned air balanced to a particular space.  I am oversimplifying this, of course, but the fact remains that this system of cooling water to cool air is beyond crude when compared to the circulatory system which enables blood to be pumped through the body.  Ducts are not alive, nor are chillers able to support themselves with energy and nutrients.  The circulatory system operates at a microscopic level, delivering oxygenated blood to every cell and remove carbon dioxide in addition to amino acids, nutrients, and many other necessities to support life.  Did you know that the heart of a human being beats and the flow of blood begins four to five weeks after conception?  Unthinkable!

No system is without a design.  No design can occur without thought, intelligence, planning, and purpose.  We see these incredibly complex designs at work in the human body, animals, and the ecosystems in nature.  Laws do not randomly occur:  they are designed and enacted.  When I see an air conditioning duct I realize it the product of engineering by men because air conditioning is desired.  The metal serves the purpose of a conduit to move the air from one place to another with the size of pipe pre-determined by an engineer.  I insulate the duct to keep it cool or warm as it moves from one place to another.  Only a fool would suggest that the fan coil just happened to create itself or the air became cool through random chance.  Yet even after people live in a body for years and appreciate the ability to see, feel, smell, speak, hear, think, touch, and laugh, they have the audacity to suggest that the systems of their body must have just occurred over time.  In doing so they deny their Creator of praise and reject the purpose for which they were created:  to glorify God with their lives.

Paul noticed this tendency to deny God even in his day:  Romans 1:18-21 says, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, [19] because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. [20] For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, [21] because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened."  Man can make an artificial hip or heart but they cannot compare to the original.  They will always be artificial, without the longevity or perfection of the original.  God created the standard.  Man is amazed by the clarity of High Definition television, but the only reason people can tell the difference is because God created an eye which can discern even the smallest improvements in clarity.  The eye God created remains the standard.  No lens created by man in the last thousand years is as good as the lens God made back in 4000BC to this day!

Because we and all things have been created by God for God, we exist for His pleasure and His glory.  Since our finite minds cannot comprehend the awesome infinity of love, power, glory, and might that is God, He has revealed Himself in the creation of systems found human bodies, animals, plants, and nature.  No system of government spontaneously becomes ordered by an explosion, and no system of earth became functional through the combustion of gas and abundance of energy.  God has a purpose for us, and we find our purpose in Him!