"I have read somewhere of a wild duck on migration that came down into a barnyard where tame ducks were feeding. He liked the food so well that he stayed a day, a week, a month, then the whole season. One day he heard a familiar honking high overhead an he recognized the call of his erstwhile companions winging their way home. his eyes sparkled, his heart beat faster, and he rose to join them. But, alas, he had fed too well and could get no higher than the eaves of the barn! The story goes that he said to himself, "Oh, well, what difference does it make? I like it here." So he spent the rest of his life in a barnyard. The day came when his old companions passed over and he never even heard their call.Our God has called us to soar with the eagles, not to be satisfied with a fouled pond on earth with the ducks! God will give us the strength to answer His call if we will seek and trust Him. May followers of Christ remain as untamed by the world as He is. Do what comes supernaturally!
I have seen men and women who once mounted up with wings as eagles but who are now content to live in the barnyard of this world. Sometimes, in an old-fashioned meeting under the spell of powerful preaching, they catch a few notes of the life they used to know, "the song of saints on higher ground." Their hearts may beat a little faster and their eyes may fill with tears. There may even be a momentary impulse to sing: 'My heart has no desire to stay where doubts arise and fears dismay.' But alas, they have fed too well on the fleshpots of Egypt! They like it too well down here, and finally they reach that sad state where they no longer respond to the call from on high.
I beg you, do not settle down in the barnyard of this world. We Christians have no continuing city, but we seek one to come. We have no home down here." (Why Not Just Be Christians?, Pages 122-123)
20 August 2009
Don't Settle!
We should refuse to settle down when the Spirit stirs us up. Lot settled down in Sodom, but Abraham kept his gaze fixed on a city not made with hands where God reigns. I've been reading a book of sermons by Vance Havner that contains a wonderful illustration I thought I'd share:
19 August 2009
Beware of Saul's Armor!
I was reading Vance Havner's message called "Growing Goliaths and Developing Davids" and it caused me to think about the story of David. Havner's main point is instead of engineering a program or discussing the means to defeat the giant, we need people in the church who will simply do it in faith. If we only plan, we will never do: as followers of Christ we are to follow His plan.
Goliath had been taunting the Israelites for forty days, and due to his harsh language and imposing frame the Israelites literally ran from him. David, a youthful shepherd boy, heard Goliath's defiant words and within a day he had killed the giant, decapitated him, and Israel had been granted a stunning victory by God. Stunning that is, to everyone but God and David. David knew that the battle was the LORD's, and that he would prevail over the enemies of the LORD. God protected David from lions and bears, and He would protect him from Goliath.
An interesting part of the story is when King Saul heard of David saying that he would face the giant in battle and summoned David to appear before him. The first thing Saul said to David in 1 Samuel 17:33 was: "You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth." Saul looked at David and said, "No way! You are young, untrained, and without experience." In other words, our problems make your God small - He is not able to use someone like you! The enemy will use this same argument against us to keep us from allowing God to have victory through our hands. David explained that God had protected him as a shepherd, and God would deliver him in this fight too.
Saul finally gave David his blessing to fight, and fit him with his own armor. He put a brass helmet on his head, a coat of mail, and his own sword. Saul and Jonathan were the only men in the whole kingdom of Israel that had swords at this juncture(1 Sam. 13:22). 1 Samuel 17:39 says, "David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, "I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them." So David took them off." We do not know the exact motivation that moved Saul to put his armor on David. Perhaps he thought, "You might be a shepherd boy, but at least you can look the part of a warrior." Maybe he thought that it was the least he could do for the lad, giving him the most modern protection and weaponry in Israel. But David was so encumbered by the armor that he could not even walk! Because he had not "tested" them (or "proved" them KJV), he removed this armor.
There are some people who would convince you it is fine and good for you to trust God, but to take the next step of faith you must do something in addition to faith in God to ensure victory. Saul had fought in battles and his armor had served him well. He wouldn't go into battle without it and figured David shouldn't either. Yet David wouldn't wear the armor into battle because he himself had not proven it. It was foreign to his experience. God had never needed the assistance of sword and armor before to give him victory: was He hindered as if He needed them? Had God's ability to save been reduced by the size of David's opponent? No. If the battle is the LORD's, the victory is the LORD's. King Saul ended up dying years later in a battle at his own hand and sword wearing his armour, and it was hung as a trophy in an idol's temple (1 Sam. 31:10).
Never allow someone else's lack of faith dictate your decisions. We serve a God who is able to accomplish what concerns us in every aspect. Saul's armor can take many forms and can be forced upon us by people who mean well. They have always relied on their armor: their experience, training, education, natural talents, degrees, cultural study, money, contacts, organizations, and on! Because they have attributed victory to their armor, God has not received the glory. They are happy to say, "Go and God be with you, but you'll need this..." when God has said otherwise.
Was David unwise to fight the giant with sling and stone? The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. It would have been foolish to fight in any way that deviated from God's plan. When God tells us to wait for the sounds of marching the mulberry trees and then go out, we wait, listen, and then march forth (1 Chron. 14:14-15)! If our God goes before us to smite our enemies, should we huddle in fear because we don't have state of the art weapons? Who can stand before our God? If God tells us to hold a trumpet in our right hands and a lamp in our left covered with an earthen pitcher, should we fear? We are to put on the spiritual armor of God (Eph. 6) that we may stand in the spiritual battle we face and prevail. It is God who said, "...Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts." (Zech. 4:6)
Never trade faith for Saul's armor. Let me close with a passage from Vance Havner: "When our Lord fed the multitude, there was first a problem of bread: "Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?" (John 6:5). Then there was a proposed budget; Philip suggested that two hundred pennyworth of bread would not be enough. Finally there was the provision of a boy: "There is a lad here..." (ver. 9). Our Lord did not need a budget; He needed a boy. I will venture that the Israelites facing the Philistines wore out a lot of pencils figuring a budget. But God did not put Goliath out of business with a budget; He used a boy." (Why Not Just Be Christians, pg. 70) God hasn't changed. Faith in the Living God still fells giants and moves mountains. Why not go with what got us here?
Goliath had been taunting the Israelites for forty days, and due to his harsh language and imposing frame the Israelites literally ran from him. David, a youthful shepherd boy, heard Goliath's defiant words and within a day he had killed the giant, decapitated him, and Israel had been granted a stunning victory by God. Stunning that is, to everyone but God and David. David knew that the battle was the LORD's, and that he would prevail over the enemies of the LORD. God protected David from lions and bears, and He would protect him from Goliath.
An interesting part of the story is when King Saul heard of David saying that he would face the giant in battle and summoned David to appear before him. The first thing Saul said to David in 1 Samuel 17:33 was: "You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth." Saul looked at David and said, "No way! You are young, untrained, and without experience." In other words, our problems make your God small - He is not able to use someone like you! The enemy will use this same argument against us to keep us from allowing God to have victory through our hands. David explained that God had protected him as a shepherd, and God would deliver him in this fight too.
Saul finally gave David his blessing to fight, and fit him with his own armor. He put a brass helmet on his head, a coat of mail, and his own sword. Saul and Jonathan were the only men in the whole kingdom of Israel that had swords at this juncture(1 Sam. 13:22). 1 Samuel 17:39 says, "David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, "I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them." So David took them off." We do not know the exact motivation that moved Saul to put his armor on David. Perhaps he thought, "You might be a shepherd boy, but at least you can look the part of a warrior." Maybe he thought that it was the least he could do for the lad, giving him the most modern protection and weaponry in Israel. But David was so encumbered by the armor that he could not even walk! Because he had not "tested" them (or "proved" them KJV), he removed this armor.
There are some people who would convince you it is fine and good for you to trust God, but to take the next step of faith you must do something in addition to faith in God to ensure victory. Saul had fought in battles and his armor had served him well. He wouldn't go into battle without it and figured David shouldn't either. Yet David wouldn't wear the armor into battle because he himself had not proven it. It was foreign to his experience. God had never needed the assistance of sword and armor before to give him victory: was He hindered as if He needed them? Had God's ability to save been reduced by the size of David's opponent? No. If the battle is the LORD's, the victory is the LORD's. King Saul ended up dying years later in a battle at his own hand and sword wearing his armour, and it was hung as a trophy in an idol's temple (1 Sam. 31:10).
Never allow someone else's lack of faith dictate your decisions. We serve a God who is able to accomplish what concerns us in every aspect. Saul's armor can take many forms and can be forced upon us by people who mean well. They have always relied on their armor: their experience, training, education, natural talents, degrees, cultural study, money, contacts, organizations, and on! Because they have attributed victory to their armor, God has not received the glory. They are happy to say, "Go and God be with you, but you'll need this..." when God has said otherwise.
Was David unwise to fight the giant with sling and stone? The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. It would have been foolish to fight in any way that deviated from God's plan. When God tells us to wait for the sounds of marching the mulberry trees and then go out, we wait, listen, and then march forth (1 Chron. 14:14-15)! If our God goes before us to smite our enemies, should we huddle in fear because we don't have state of the art weapons? Who can stand before our God? If God tells us to hold a trumpet in our right hands and a lamp in our left covered with an earthen pitcher, should we fear? We are to put on the spiritual armor of God (Eph. 6) that we may stand in the spiritual battle we face and prevail. It is God who said, "...Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts." (Zech. 4:6)
Never trade faith for Saul's armor. Let me close with a passage from Vance Havner: "When our Lord fed the multitude, there was first a problem of bread: "Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?" (John 6:5). Then there was a proposed budget; Philip suggested that two hundred pennyworth of bread would not be enough. Finally there was the provision of a boy: "There is a lad here..." (ver. 9). Our Lord did not need a budget; He needed a boy. I will venture that the Israelites facing the Philistines wore out a lot of pencils figuring a budget. But God did not put Goliath out of business with a budget; He used a boy." (Why Not Just Be Christians, pg. 70) God hasn't changed. Faith in the Living God still fells giants and moves mountains. Why not go with what got us here?
15 August 2009
What really matters...
Today we met with my sister's father in law to discuss managing our house. We decided to rent it out before I leave for my Sept. 21 to Nov. 19 trip to Australia. Since my last day of work at the church is on Sept. 20th, I won't have a paycheck to cover the mortgage during my trip. I think it is wise to have the family settled in to reduce the stress of having such a move without me around. God has always provided for us, and now is no exception! My folks have graciously offered to let us stay in their home, another display of the gift of hospitality and generosity modeled by my parents. Both Laura and I have terrific parents and families who pitch in constantly to allow us to minister unto the LORD and have time together.
I've been working on cleaning up the garage: sanding adhesive off the floor, painting the walls, and throwing stuff away. As my baseball and soccer trophies went in the trash along with all the junk that accumulates that some day you might use (but haven't in 7 years!), I thought about the things that I have. The thing that Laura and I keep in mind: "Are we taking it to Australia?" If we're not taking it with us, we're either selling it, giving it away, or trashing it. Do you know how easy it is to throw or trash stuff that you can't take with you? How simple it is to accumulate things. Having stuff costs time. It takes time to go through it, organize it, decide what to do with it...I like having less stuff.
I believe God desires that we recognize that all we have is a gift from Him, and that we can't take our stuff with us into heaven. You will leave your career behind on earth, as well as your house, cars, hobbies, even your wife and kids. God and His Word are the only givens on earth and in heaven. We've heard it said, "You can't take it with you." I remember my fellow-laborer in Christ Paul Zastoupil say something to the effect of, "Life becomes so much more simple without things." Our houses are cluttered and we have so many things that fight for first place in our hearts. Our schedules are even more cluttered! Let's clear out the junk and put first things first. The trophies you used to cherish will lose their luster in the scope of eternity.
I've been working on cleaning up the garage: sanding adhesive off the floor, painting the walls, and throwing stuff away. As my baseball and soccer trophies went in the trash along with all the junk that accumulates that some day you might use (but haven't in 7 years!), I thought about the things that I have. The thing that Laura and I keep in mind: "Are we taking it to Australia?" If we're not taking it with us, we're either selling it, giving it away, or trashing it. Do you know how easy it is to throw or trash stuff that you can't take with you? How simple it is to accumulate things. Having stuff costs time. It takes time to go through it, organize it, decide what to do with it...I like having less stuff.
I believe God desires that we recognize that all we have is a gift from Him, and that we can't take our stuff with us into heaven. You will leave your career behind on earth, as well as your house, cars, hobbies, even your wife and kids. God and His Word are the only givens on earth and in heaven. We've heard it said, "You can't take it with you." I remember my fellow-laborer in Christ Paul Zastoupil say something to the effect of, "Life becomes so much more simple without things." Our houses are cluttered and we have so many things that fight for first place in our hearts. Our schedules are even more cluttered! Let's clear out the junk and put first things first. The trophies you used to cherish will lose their luster in the scope of eternity.
13 August 2009
Is Heaven for you?
When it comes to thoughts about heaven, I think we have it all wrong. We have it wrong because our thoughts typically center around us: what will we do, who we will see, where we will live, what our crowns will look like, how big our mansion will be. We bring our selfish earthly perspective right up into the presence of the Almighty God! I believe this occurs because we have a very small view of God in light of His infinitude. Instead of magnifying the character or qualities of God, we tend to magnify the personal impact of those attributes. We are trained to dwell on the fact that God loves us rather than meditating on the truth that God is love. We think about how God's mercy has impacted us rather than realizing that God is merciful. We relish how God's grace has granted man salvation through faith instead of worshiping God for being gracious. Like Romans 1 states, we can worship the creation rather than the Creator.
Is it wrong to thank God for what He has done for us? Not at all. But our primary purpose is to glorify God for who He is. Without doing anything, God is worthy of all praise. Consider the prayers of the saints in heaven revealed in the book of The Revelation. Rev. 15:3-4 says, "They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: "Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! [4] Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, for Your judgments have been manifested." Rev. 7:10-12 describes an innumerable multitude "...crying out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" [11] All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, [12] saying: "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen."
I must admit I become rather annoyed when I hear people make their desire for heaven contingent on who might be there or what activities they might enjoy. We have been created to glorify God on earth as well as in heaven. We have been created not for ourselves, but by God for God. The view of heaven we see from the book of The Revelation is not the saints conferring with each other, signing autographs, giving high-fives, or mentioning earthly exploits. We never see crowds of people surrounding Abraham, Moses, and David like reporters around football players after the Super Bowl in the locker room begging for a word. This is a disgusting degradation of God! Do you know what heaven is? It is knowing God and being in His presence. There is an actual place called heaven where those who trust in Christ will dwell eternally. But unlike on earth, God will receive all the attention and glory in heaven.
It is in heaven when a believer can worship God without the hindrances and distractions of our weak flesh. Rev. 4:8-11 paints us a vivid picture of heavenly worship: "The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!" [9] Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, [10] the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: [11] "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created." We read about the living creatures saying "Holy, holy, holy..." continually and we wonder if they ever get bored! God is eternal and infinite, deserving of continual praise and worship. An eternity with an infinite number of worshipers will not do Him justice!
A lot is made of the glorified bodies we will receive, but we don't read of a single believer in heaven thanking God for them. I'm looking forward to a glorified body too, but it will simply remain a gift from God that pales in comparison to the glory of the Giver. Heaven is wonderful because God is there and He is wonderful. Heaven is awesome because God is there and He is awesome. Heaven is lovely because God is there and He is lovely. Amazing that God would make man out of dust, become a man for the purpose of suffering and demonstrating His divine love. God humbled Himself that men might be saved from the curse they brought upon themselves by Christ dying and rising from the dead! Then to prepare a place for us in the heavens that we might ever be with Him is phenomenal! God is worthy to be served even if we were all justly thrown into hell for our sins! Wonder of wonders, that He would satisfy justice by His own sacrifice on the cross, that we might be saved from destruction. And be filled with the Holy Spirit. And be granted perfect peace. And have complete joy! But more than what we receive from our loving Savior, we must glorify Him for Him.
Is it wrong to thank God for what He has done for us? Not at all. But our primary purpose is to glorify God for who He is. Without doing anything, God is worthy of all praise. Consider the prayers of the saints in heaven revealed in the book of The Revelation. Rev. 15:3-4 says, "They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: "Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! [4] Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, for Your judgments have been manifested." Rev. 7:10-12 describes an innumerable multitude "...crying out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" [11] All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, [12] saying: "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen."
I must admit I become rather annoyed when I hear people make their desire for heaven contingent on who might be there or what activities they might enjoy. We have been created to glorify God on earth as well as in heaven. We have been created not for ourselves, but by God for God. The view of heaven we see from the book of The Revelation is not the saints conferring with each other, signing autographs, giving high-fives, or mentioning earthly exploits. We never see crowds of people surrounding Abraham, Moses, and David like reporters around football players after the Super Bowl in the locker room begging for a word. This is a disgusting degradation of God! Do you know what heaven is? It is knowing God and being in His presence. There is an actual place called heaven where those who trust in Christ will dwell eternally. But unlike on earth, God will receive all the attention and glory in heaven.
It is in heaven when a believer can worship God without the hindrances and distractions of our weak flesh. Rev. 4:8-11 paints us a vivid picture of heavenly worship: "The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!" [9] Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, [10] the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: [11] "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created." We read about the living creatures saying "Holy, holy, holy..." continually and we wonder if they ever get bored! God is eternal and infinite, deserving of continual praise and worship. An eternity with an infinite number of worshipers will not do Him justice!
A lot is made of the glorified bodies we will receive, but we don't read of a single believer in heaven thanking God for them. I'm looking forward to a glorified body too, but it will simply remain a gift from God that pales in comparison to the glory of the Giver. Heaven is wonderful because God is there and He is wonderful. Heaven is awesome because God is there and He is awesome. Heaven is lovely because God is there and He is lovely. Amazing that God would make man out of dust, become a man for the purpose of suffering and demonstrating His divine love. God humbled Himself that men might be saved from the curse they brought upon themselves by Christ dying and rising from the dead! Then to prepare a place for us in the heavens that we might ever be with Him is phenomenal! God is worthy to be served even if we were all justly thrown into hell for our sins! Wonder of wonders, that He would satisfy justice by His own sacrifice on the cross, that we might be saved from destruction. And be filled with the Holy Spirit. And be granted perfect peace. And have complete joy! But more than what we receive from our loving Savior, we must glorify Him for Him.
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