Why Do You Give?

"And Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before the Lord, which was at the tabernacle of meeting, and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it. [7] On that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, "Ask! What shall I give you?"  

1 Chronicles 1:6-7

When I read this passage, the irony stood out to me as never before.  It is ironic because it is in the opposite order of the typical "nominal" Christian.  "Nominal" means, "existing or being something in name or form only."  There are real Christians, and there are nominal ones.  A nominal Christian asks for a thousand things from God in exchange for the promise of a single sacrifice.  Solomon displays the true order demanded by faith.  He made a thousand sacrifices without the guarantee of receiving anything from God.  Those who know God recognize He is a gracious, generous giver.  Sometimes our sacrifices add up to nothing more than bribes.  Even genuine Christians can fall into this error.

Aladdin rubbed the lamp of the Genie and he received three wishes.  Solomon willingly sacrificed to God and God appeared to Solomon.  STOP right there!  God, the Creator of all things, the Over and Above All One, the majestic King appeared to Solomon.  That is a priceless treasure in itself.  This is the God whose audience we desire in our prayers.  God freely gives to those who freely give.  He not only gives things, but He has given Himself.  Jesus came to earth to seek and save the lost, offering Himself as a sacrifice for sin.  I remember a birthday invitation which read, "Please do not bring presents.  Your presence is the gift."  This ought to be our attitude with God.

I have people in my life who seem to seek me out only when they want something from me.  This deeply grieves my spirit.  It saddens me to think people don't care about me as much as what I can give them.  When this happened to Jesus (it must have been constant!), He kept giving.  He kept grieving, but He kept giving.  Notice God's excitement to grant King Solomon's request:  "Ask!  What shall I give you?"  God asked Solomon to ask!  God was so pleased with Solomon, not his sacrifices.  God needs nothing from man, but He delights to receive praise, sacrifice, honor, and love from him.  Because God delights in His people, He delights in granting their requests.  In the Parable of the Son Who Returned, the Father grants his son the part of the inheritance he requested.  Though he knew all his hard-earned money was squandered on harlots he rejoiced to wrap his son in his arms, placed a clean robe on him, put shoes on his feet, placed a ring on his finger, and ordered his servants to kill the fatted calf for a celebration.  It was a celebration of gracious love.  The focus was not on the wrong, indiscretion, or sin of the son, but the son himself.  "My son has returned!"  The presence of the son was the gift, and the father freely gave.

Repentance paves the way to restoration.  Examine your motives in asking anything from God.  Do you order God around as a man does a genie whose lamp he holds in his hands?  Nothing can contain our God.  The universe cannot contain His grace, love, or delight towards mankind.  Give yourself wholly to God, and He will give Himself without measure to you.

A Worthy War

Today I finished watching the PBS documentary, The War.  Many of the soldiers in the seventh volume testified of the great atrocities they discovered in the concentration camps against Jews, Poles, and mentally infirm.  To their horror and disgust soldiers came upon nude, dead, emaciated bodies "stacked like cordwood," a testimony to the wicked and barbaric Nazi regime which spread horror and death across the world.  If you have seen pictures or footage of those hellish places, words are almost useless to convey the pitiful and tragic conditions through which any victims were miraculously able to endure.  The human body can only survive so much starvation, torture, isolation, and merciless experimentation by twisted souls.

As I thought about what I had only seen of what millions experienced firsthand, my mind went through a progression.  There are people today who say the holocaust never occurred.  That would be as screwy as to say WWII never happened.  As of 2008, there were 2.3 million living American veterans of World War II, eyewitnesses still living of the 16 million who served (http://www1.va.gov/opa/fact/amwars.asp).  Many of those Americans who served lied to join the armed forces, anxious to see action.  My dad's uncle, Bill Grisez, was 16 years old when he joined the Army as a paratrooper and was held as a POW in Italy.  I'm always amazed and intrigued when I hear of people fearlessly join a fierce conflict.  Either they are very brave and patriotic, have no idea of what they are getting themselves into, or a combination of both.

Many people are ignorant of the spiritual battle that rages for the souls of men today.  If only the souls of men could be seen stacked like bodies in front of Hell's crematorium!  The Germans used poisonous gas to kill, and Satan uses pornography, narcotics, intoxicating drink, greed, hate, pride, and every manner of evil.  How quickly men run to embrace that which kills them!  As much as the Internet has been used for good, people used it ten times more often to their own destruction.  The devil seeks to enslave men to their own lusts, blind them to the truth of the Gospel, and consequently rob them of life.

I see myself poised on the brink of great struggle as I seek to plunge into ministry in Australia.  It has been estimated 3 to 6 percent of the population of the country attend church, and from my meager experience many are not being fed the pure milk and meat of the Word of God.  I feel like that sixteen-year-old who will do what it takes to see action and prove his worth.  I am not saying I am reckless or will stoop to deceit, but there is that same determination to experience real spiritual war.  This is what I have been trained for:  not to kill or destroy, but to seek and save the lost.  I want to be among the first who storm the strongholds in God's strength, feeding the emaciated, binding up wounds, and carrying the weak to safety.  When the stench of death swirls around, I want to continue fighting the good fight.  My fight is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers overcome by the blood of the Lamb.

Jesus says in Matthew 10:28, "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."  Men have done horrible, unthinkable things during times of war and peace.  The casualty statistics of WWII are tragic, but pale in comparison to the spiritual holocaust which has been perpetuated by sin.  There is a time for war, and a time for peace.  Peace will never come until the war is enjoined for souls of men in the power of Jesus Christ.  This will take much prayer, sacrifice, service, and love.  That is how Jesus fights.  I would rather be slaughtered on the field of battle fighting for what is good and right than live in ease and comfort bound by fears, inaction, and regret.  It is better to fight one day and perish under God's command than live 1000 years in opposition to Him.  He has placed in every human being a living soul.  It is the noblest effort of men to glorify God through saving souls.  May every follower of Jesus Christ be of this mind.

Occupied or Preoccupied?

Today I saw something that took me way back.  My son, Abel, planned for a friend to come by to play at 3pm today.  From 11am on, there was virtually a minute by minute countdown until his friend's arrival.  Twenty minutes to three I saw Abel's face glued to the front windows, scanning the street for his buddy.  What struck me funny was the fact I had waited at that window about 28 years ago for my friends Jeremy and Donovan, two brothers from our church.  They were older than me and were the coolest guys with the greatest toys.

As I watched Abel monitor the street, I considered how preoccupied he had been all day.  He seemed to struggle to find much interest in anything because at 3pm Paul was coming over.  No matter the age, when people are preoccupied they lose focus on other things.  A man preoccupied with his impending divorce finds it hard to concentrate on anything else.  Girls are preoccupied with prom outfits, and guys are preoccupied with the girl.  Jesus has told us to be watchful because His return is soon.  As Christ's followers stared up after Him into the clouds following His ascension, two men in white rebuked them gently.  Acts 1:10-11 reads, "And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, [11] who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven."  Jesus had physically departed, but He would be returning.  In the meantime, they were to be about His business.

I am reminded of a parable Jesus told His disciples in Luke 19:11-13:  "And as they heard these things, He added and spake a parable, because He was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. [12] He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. [13] And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come." (KJV)  The disciples thought Jesus would set up His kingdom at that present time, before His crucifixion.  Jesus corrected their understanding by explaining He would leave them, put resources under their authority, and later return.  The nobleman would settle accounts with all his servants, and every servant would have to justify his conduct during the master's absence.  In the same way, Jesus ascended to the Father and granted the Holy Spirit without measure to all who are born again by faith in Him.  The Holy Spirit graciously empowers and gifts us.  Instead of milling around with our faces staring up in the heavens preoccupied with Christ's return, we ought to occupy ourselves until He comes.  It is good to lift your hands in worship to God, but better still to use those hands outside the sanctuary for God's service.

Jesus is coming and His reward is with Him.  It is wisdom that asks, how am I occupying myself using the gifts God has given me for the glory of God?  He has given many talents that lie buried in the ground moldering away.  When we are preoccupied with things of this life we will not be occupied with our heavenly calling.  Whom the devil cannot derail he will work to distract.  Let us occupy ourselves with activities that bring glory and honor to God.

Learning to Wait

There is nothing as exciting as serving Jesus Christ.  It is the hardest thing I have ever done, but it is by far the best thing.  It is not me who has done anything, but Christ in me.  One of my favorite verses concerning service is found in Luke 17:9-10:  "Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. [10] So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do."  I can say the first part, but my duties stretch out before me for the unforeseeable future.  There is nothing more untamed and wild than the path of faith.  It makes the biggest roller coasters in the world seem as childish as a carousel.  Crazier than trying to stay on a bull for 8 seconds, following Jesus Christ is a lifetime of voluntary slave labor.  At the same time, there's nothing crazy about trusting in Jesus as Savior.  I could spend an eternity telling you the reasons why being a born-again Christian is totally worth it!

Lately my family and I have been on a wild ride of faith, with the slow ascent and breathtaking drops, experiencing twists and turns, and looking at each other at the end and saying, "Let's do that again!"  I remember when Laura and I took Zed on "California Screaming" at Disneyland a few years back.  Halfway through the ride I looked over my shoulder to see Zed yelling with his eyes closed, "I don't like it!  I don't like it!"  I'm not sure he has quite recovered!  To be honest, there have been parts of this ride I haven't liked.  To be more specific, the walk of faith takes us way beyond our comfort zones.  I like to plan.  I prefer to be prepared.  Just like nothing can prepare you for the realities of marriage or having kids until you have personal experience, our flesh can never be prepared for a walk of faith in Christ.  We must be empowered by the Holy Spirit to bring our bodies, minds, and hearts into submission to God.  One can be mentally prepared to obey, but actual obedience is a new frontier every time.

In the last two weeks, our house has been sold twice.  The first buyers experienced "cold feet" days into escrow and decided they would pass on purchasing the house.  We determined the property could be improved by some minor cosmetic fixes.  Our agent suggested we pull the house off the listing, perform the repairs, then re-list it in a month's time to have a new listing again.  We were resigned to the fact the house might not sell as quick as we hoped.  But while the house was being withdrawn from the market, several buyers expressed interest.  An offer was immediately submitted at a price higher than the range we were asking!  Laura and I signed the agreement yesterday and today we are back in escrow.  Funny how things change.  We are not counting our chickens just yet, seeing as the eggs are newly laid.

A hitter in baseball must always be ready for the "off-speed" pitch.  A hard thing to develop is patience at the plate:  not only must a batter be selective, but wait on that curve or change-up and hit it to the opposite field.  God is teaching us patience right now through our circumstances.  Paul said in Philip. 4:11:  "Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content..."  Contentment is not a natural virtue which all possess.  It is learned.  Patience is taught to those who will abide in Christ.  Remember, "Love is patient, love is kind..."  This kind of patience on the path of faith springs only from the natural source:  God.  Whenever God sees us "sitting on a pitch" (for you non-baseball players, this means you are expecting a certain pitch at a certain time in a certain place), I guarantee He'll throw something your way to keep you off-balance.  It is only then we recognize and confess we have been telling God what to do, rather than responding to His Word and leading.

Are you content in your current situation?  This is a loaded question!  We must be content with the things God has given us and with the calling upon our lives.  But we never should be content with our level of maturity, service, faith, or love.  We all have room to grow as we pursue Christ.  Let us wait upon Him as we faithfully glorify Him until our days upon this earth are completed.  Then we can say, "I am an unprofitable servant.  I have only done what was my duty to do."  Praise God He brings profit from debt!