Failure has been the greatest catalyst for positive change in my life. It is healthy in to recognize our failures so we might learn from our own mistakes. Satan would love for our failures to paralyze us with self-focus and drown us in despair. As we mature in Christ, we will begin to view our conduct, attitudes, and words more closely according to God's perfect standard. The Holy Spirit convicts us of sins we did not even recognize previously. God allows us to fail so we might recognize our failure and decide once and for all to forsake sin.
Today I failed terribly, almost a perfect storm of circumstances which took me off guard. But to the God who controls the elements, such an scenario was allowed so I might see myself as the failure I am on my own. I am still heartbroken and grieve over it, even as Peter wept bitterly after denying Christ. I drove to a new jobsite today and parked my truck near some employees at the plant. While gathering materials, a woman and man approached me, seemingly amused. "Is that bumper sticker real?" the man asked. For those of you who do not know, I have a bumper sticker on the back of my truck that reads, "National Atheist's Day - April 1." In small print below it says, "The fool has said in his heart there is no God." (Psalm 14:1) Because April 1st is "April Fool's Day," and only the foolish deny the existence of God, April 1st is National Atheist's day according to the sticker.
His question caught me off guard. "Yes?" I said confused. "Oh that's good," he answered smiling. "I think atheists should have their own day. I get really sick of people around here always pushing religion on me." "Well," I began, "that is your right. You don't have to believe what you don't want to." He said a couple more things and he said his co-worker had said the bumper sticker must be a joke. "It is a joke," I said as I gathered my things. "Oh well," he said. "I guess I'm not too smart, huh?" he laughed with his friend. "I thought it might have been real." And that is how our interaction ended.
My conscience smote me. I was embarrassed to tell the man he misunderstood the sticker, and since he had already told me he was sick of hearing about religion from his co-workers I certainly didn't want to ambush him! Here was an opportunity to speak of my faith and I allowed it to slip away without a word! Should his misunderstanding of the bumper sticker be a cause to further ingrain his hatred towards followers of God? The reason I bought the sticker was because I thought it was a funny discussion starter, not because I judged the man who stood before me as a fool. This man came up to me thinking I was an atheist, and I said nothing to change his mind.
Countless justifications have popped into my mind, but they remain lame, pitiful, excuses. Our flesh needs no invitation to justify inaction. It was clear to me I had not been prepared mentally or spiritually for that interaction. Instead of actively looking for opportunities to share my faith, I was in work mode. I had a job to do, and it did not involve a chat about bumper stickers. I see this failure as a blessing from God. Every single day He leaves me on this earth is an opportunity to right the wrongs of today. I cannot fix the gross negligence of today, but through repentance press on in a deeper level of humility and determination.
Satan had plenty to say about this as well. His tone and foul breath is so different from the wounding of our souls by the Holy Spirit. Satan words are filled with condemnation. He would judge us unfit for heaven because of our deeds and negate the gracious saving work of Christ on the cross we have received through faith. "You're just like Peter. How could you do this? And you call yourself a pastor?" I am a sinner and I am not a pastor because I'm better than everybody else but because God has chosen and called me. But there is no need to debate or even converse with the devil. It did not do Eve any good, and it has no power to free us from guilt and shame.
But Jesus does, friends! We do well to not forget the sting of our failures that we might be focused on that prize: Philip. 3:13-14 says, "Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, [14] I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." No matter what we have done or how we have wronged God by our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins when we repent. Our God is not one of second chances, but new beginnings!
04 May 2010
03 May 2010
Quotes from "Stones of Fire"
Yesterday I finished reading Isobel Kuhn's "Stones of Fire." It is a tale of her ministry in China among the Lisu people. Through the story she weaves the concept of God's people as precious gems in the hands of a master lapidary. Here are three paragraphs I would like to share which introduce different chapters in the book. We ought not to think it strange when we are faced with trials and difficulty. This is God's way to mold us into vessels He can use for His glory.
"Diamond dust mixed with oil is the only abrasive used in polishing precious stones. It is put upon fast rotating wheels called "skaifs" at 2,500 revolutions per minute, and the gem held firmly against them. A quick succession of hard, unconquerable particles pressed against the jewel will polish it. The spiritual counterparts, as God brings them into human lives, are sharp and painful events that follow fast one upon another, all of them irresistible, which cannot be pushed away but must be accepted and endured. When the skaif is removed, one sees the beautiful lights of patience, self-sacrifice, and humility shining forth. Those who watch it from above, see it as the Master Lapidary's diamond dust polishing His stones of fire." (pg. 82)
"Do you know that lovely fact about the opal? That in the first place, it is made only of desert dust, sand, and silica, and owes its beauty and preciousness to a defect. It is a stone with a broken heart. It is full of minute fissures which admit air, and the air refracts the light. Hence its lovely hue and that sweet lamp of fire that ever burns at its heart, for the breath of the Lord God is in it. You are only conscious of the cracks and desert dust, but so He makes His precious opal. We must be broken in ourselves before we can give back the lovely hues of His light, and the lamp in the temple can burn in us and never go out." - Ellice Hopkins (pg. 147)
"The most magnificent diamond in the world's history was presented to the King of England, who sent it to Amsterdam to be cut. It was put into the hands of an expert lapidary, and what do you suppose he did? He took that gem of priceless worth and cut a notch in it. Then he struck it a hard blow with his instrument, and lo! the superb jewel lay in his hand cleft in twain...For days and weeks that blow had been studied and planned. Drawings and models had been made of the gem. Its quality, its defects, its lines of cleavage, had all been studied with the most minute care. That blow was the climax of the lapidary's skill...Seeming to ruin the superb precious stone, it was in fact its perfect redemption. For from those two halves were wrought two magnificent gems...to blaze in the crown of state." - Streams in the Desert (pg. 125)
01 May 2010
A Lesson in Digestion
Today I took a little morning run, an attempt to work off a kilo (2.2 pounds) or so I must have carried into Australia and an additional one I carried out. It was a bit warm at the beginning of the run, and by the end I was panting like a dog lying in the sun! As much as I detest pain caused to my body through running, it is not without many benefits. I found that not only does it increase energy, burn fat, builds and tones muscle, but to my surprise it aids in my digestion immensely. No need to go into all the details of how I know, but five servings a day of whole fiber cannot do what a 15 minute run does.
This made me consider how digestion works. The digestive process begins with a choice and technique. A key to good digestion is first to choose good food. The second step is to chew food thoroughly and completely so the body can extract nutrients and benefit from them. The rest of the digestive process is taken care of according to the health of each person. If your body is anything like mine, when I exercise regularly the natural process of digestion is improved.
Now let us turn this to an examination of the spiritual. Jesus is the Living Bread who has come down from heaven, that Living Manna who can sustain us day by day into eternity. His Word is food indeed and our new spiritual birth comes along with it an appetite for spiritual nourishment which is only found through God. It begins with a choice: what will we choose to feed ourselves today? Will we choose the sugary temptations of worldly things or sensational "doctrines" which are devoid of spiritual value, or will we choose to feed on the Word? Most Christians are guilty of ignoring the second part of spiritual digestion: chewing our food properly. We will blow through chapters at a time hardly without any thought whatsoever, the equivalent of shoving food in un-chewed gulps down our throats. It is when we begin to live-out what God has spoken in practical exercise that we begin to digest His truth more completely. Our obedience and devotion will cause His Word to impact us in ways we never imagined possible.
My dad and I were having a discussion about the danger of idolizing scripture. Today many people are ever learning, but never coming to the truth. We have more commentaries, books, DVDs, and access to sermons and studies than ever before, but people remain without spiritual strength. The church is bloated with much information about God, but never seem to experience God with the power He has made available to His church. This is a digestion problem. God's Word has not lost potency, but God's people have become dull by much hearing. We think that hearing is as good as doing, agreeing with our minds is the same as obedience in our hearts. It is only after I look in the mirror and decide that I am fed up with my sloth and extra pounds before I will put on my running shoes and take a jog. I make a choice to limit myself to one Coke rather than three, and pass on cake even though it looks good. We must notice that we are putting on the spiritual pounds through much feeding, but growing weak through little doing before anything will change.
The benefits of physical exercise are obvious, and even greater are the spiritual ones. 1 Tim. 4:8 says, "For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come." Let us therefore choose to observe these simple guidelines: consider well what we eat, thoughtfully feed upon the pure Word of God, and put this powerful truth into action in our lives. Only then will we digest spiritual food well, become strong, grow in endurance and faith, and become the soldiers and fighters God drafted us to be for His glory. Put on those shoes of the preparation of the Gospel of Peace, soldier. Instead of being happy with just wearing them, how about taking a jog? Only good will come from it!
This made me consider how digestion works. The digestive process begins with a choice and technique. A key to good digestion is first to choose good food. The second step is to chew food thoroughly and completely so the body can extract nutrients and benefit from them. The rest of the digestive process is taken care of according to the health of each person. If your body is anything like mine, when I exercise regularly the natural process of digestion is improved.
Now let us turn this to an examination of the spiritual. Jesus is the Living Bread who has come down from heaven, that Living Manna who can sustain us day by day into eternity. His Word is food indeed and our new spiritual birth comes along with it an appetite for spiritual nourishment which is only found through God. It begins with a choice: what will we choose to feed ourselves today? Will we choose the sugary temptations of worldly things or sensational "doctrines" which are devoid of spiritual value, or will we choose to feed on the Word? Most Christians are guilty of ignoring the second part of spiritual digestion: chewing our food properly. We will blow through chapters at a time hardly without any thought whatsoever, the equivalent of shoving food in un-chewed gulps down our throats. It is when we begin to live-out what God has spoken in practical exercise that we begin to digest His truth more completely. Our obedience and devotion will cause His Word to impact us in ways we never imagined possible.
My dad and I were having a discussion about the danger of idolizing scripture. Today many people are ever learning, but never coming to the truth. We have more commentaries, books, DVDs, and access to sermons and studies than ever before, but people remain without spiritual strength. The church is bloated with much information about God, but never seem to experience God with the power He has made available to His church. This is a digestion problem. God's Word has not lost potency, but God's people have become dull by much hearing. We think that hearing is as good as doing, agreeing with our minds is the same as obedience in our hearts. It is only after I look in the mirror and decide that I am fed up with my sloth and extra pounds before I will put on my running shoes and take a jog. I make a choice to limit myself to one Coke rather than three, and pass on cake even though it looks good. We must notice that we are putting on the spiritual pounds through much feeding, but growing weak through little doing before anything will change.
The benefits of physical exercise are obvious, and even greater are the spiritual ones. 1 Tim. 4:8 says, "For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come." Let us therefore choose to observe these simple guidelines: consider well what we eat, thoughtfully feed upon the pure Word of God, and put this powerful truth into action in our lives. Only then will we digest spiritual food well, become strong, grow in endurance and faith, and become the soldiers and fighters God drafted us to be for His glory. Put on those shoes of the preparation of the Gospel of Peace, soldier. Instead of being happy with just wearing them, how about taking a jog? Only good will come from it!
30 April 2010
Experiencing God
Last Sunday in Sydney I held forth the three things Peter said to the multitudes on the Day of Pentecost when they asked, "What shall we do?" He said repent, be baptized (in water), and receive the promise of the Father. It was the last exhortation that was particularly heavy upon my heart. Jesus promised the baptism with the Holy Spirit to His disciples in Acts 1:8: "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." When the Holy Spirit "came upon" the believers in Jerusalem, this marked the first time the Holy Spirit was poured out in such fashion apart from Christ. As it is written in John 3:34: "For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure." When the disciples on Pentecost received this gift of the Holy Spirit, it was accompanied by tongues and the gift of teaching. Later in the New Testament we see many other manifestations of the Spirit operated through God's people by His grace.
When Jesus was baptized in water, that moment held special significance for John the Baptist. He speaks in John 1:32-33 "...I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. [33] I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit." I believe in these days Christians who seek this baptism are many but those who receive it are few. God has said that we will find Him, if we seek Him with our whole hearts. When our hearts are divided with love of this world we oppose God's inner work. Many refuse to come apart from the world and be separate, unwilling to be sanctified for God's use alone. Idols have infiltrated the temple of the Holy Spirit and defiled it, and many refuse to part with their secret sins.
Another reason many do not receive was revealed to me after I preached last week. God said quietly to my heart, "Many do not receive because they seek an experience instead of seeking Me." Isn't this often the case? People everywhere are always seeking after experiences: a wonderful meal or a long holiday, a spendy night out on the town, catching a favorite sport in person or on a huge TV. It's all about the experience, the latest and the greatest. First movies were silent black and white, then color, then talking pictures with song and dance, then Betamax, VHS, Laserdisc, MPEG-1, DVD, and now Blu-ray with surround sound, IMAX, and even IMAX in 3-D! Entertainment is all about the quality of the experience! God does not exist to entertain people or wow their senses. He is not interested in people looking for Him to "one-up" their previous experience. He is seeking true followers who worship Him in Spirit and in truth, not thrill seekers who are just as happy to watch a movie as to worship God.
Paul is a great example of a seeker who rejected all worldly gain for the pursuit of Christ. Philip. 3:8-11 says, "Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ [9] and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; [10] that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, [11] if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead." Everything Paul desired was to be found in God: "that I may gain Christ and be found in Him," "that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection," "the fellowship of His sufferings," "being conformed to His death," that he might "attain to the resurrection from the dead." A walk following Christ is full of experiences. But it was not the experiences Paul looked to: it was Jesus!
May we learn from Paul's example and seek Christ for Himself, for He is worthy. It is not for us to dictate how God will use us, or what manifestation of the Spirit we deem acceptable and convenient. As it is stated in Psalm 115:1, "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to Your name give glory, because of Your mercy, because of Your truth." It is not because of jaw-dropping experiences we have, but because of the worthy character and nature of God we worship Him and seek to have His Holy Spirit poured out upon us. Then He will receive all the glory. It no longer is about my experiences, but experiencing God Himself.
When Jesus was baptized in water, that moment held special significance for John the Baptist. He speaks in John 1:32-33 "...I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. [33] I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit." I believe in these days Christians who seek this baptism are many but those who receive it are few. God has said that we will find Him, if we seek Him with our whole hearts. When our hearts are divided with love of this world we oppose God's inner work. Many refuse to come apart from the world and be separate, unwilling to be sanctified for God's use alone. Idols have infiltrated the temple of the Holy Spirit and defiled it, and many refuse to part with their secret sins.
Another reason many do not receive was revealed to me after I preached last week. God said quietly to my heart, "Many do not receive because they seek an experience instead of seeking Me." Isn't this often the case? People everywhere are always seeking after experiences: a wonderful meal or a long holiday, a spendy night out on the town, catching a favorite sport in person or on a huge TV. It's all about the experience, the latest and the greatest. First movies were silent black and white, then color, then talking pictures with song and dance, then Betamax, VHS, Laserdisc, MPEG-1, DVD, and now Blu-ray with surround sound, IMAX, and even IMAX in 3-D! Entertainment is all about the quality of the experience! God does not exist to entertain people or wow their senses. He is not interested in people looking for Him to "one-up" their previous experience. He is seeking true followers who worship Him in Spirit and in truth, not thrill seekers who are just as happy to watch a movie as to worship God.
Paul is a great example of a seeker who rejected all worldly gain for the pursuit of Christ. Philip. 3:8-11 says, "Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ [9] and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; [10] that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, [11] if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead." Everything Paul desired was to be found in God: "that I may gain Christ and be found in Him," "that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection," "the fellowship of His sufferings," "being conformed to His death," that he might "attain to the resurrection from the dead." A walk following Christ is full of experiences. But it was not the experiences Paul looked to: it was Jesus!
May we learn from Paul's example and seek Christ for Himself, for He is worthy. It is not for us to dictate how God will use us, or what manifestation of the Spirit we deem acceptable and convenient. As it is stated in Psalm 115:1, "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to Your name give glory, because of Your mercy, because of Your truth." It is not because of jaw-dropping experiences we have, but because of the worthy character and nature of God we worship Him and seek to have His Holy Spirit poured out upon us. Then He will receive all the glory. It no longer is about my experiences, but experiencing God Himself.
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