Reading Aright

I read a tremendous passage ( on pages 187-188) in a book called "Between Two Worlds" by John R. W. Stott too good not to share:

"...We have to open our minds wide enough to risk hearing what we do not want to hear.  For we have been taught to come to the Bible for solace.  Does not Paul himself write of 'the encouragement of the Scriptures' (Rom. 15:4)?  So naturally we cherish the hope that through our Bible reading we shall be comforted; we have no wish to be disturbed.  Hence we tend to come to it with our minds made up, anxious to hear only the reassuring echoes of our own prejudice.  Moreover, it is not difficult to insulate ourselves against the challenges of God's Word, or to barricade ourselves against his unwelcome incursions.  The very two cultures we have been thinking about - of Bible authors and Bible readers - can act like two layers of thick cushioning to protect us against the impact, sometimes the shock, of the Word he wants to speak to us.  The first step towards opening ourselves up to his Word, is to be aware of the protective padding which has to be removed.  We have to be willing for God himself to lay down the ground rules, and to decide what he wants to say to us, however uncongenial we may find it.  We have no liberty to circumscribe him, or to suggest lines of demarcation within which we are prepared to negotiate.  No, we have to break down the cultural barriers and struggle to open our hearts and minds to listen to whatever he has to say.

...If we read through the whole Bible annually, then after a few years we feel we know it fairly well. The temptation is to become blase' and to come to our daily reading with no very lively expectation the God is going to speak to us through it.  Instead, we should be confident, in the famous words of John Robinson, pastor of the separatists' church in Holland from which the Pilgrim Fathers sailed in the Mayflower of 1620, that God has 'more truth and light yet to break forth out of his holy Word'.  We need therefore to 'present ourselves before the Lord' each day like the angels (Job 1:6; 2:1), to ask for an 'awakened ear' like the servant (Isa. 50:4), and to request him as Samuel did to speak, because his servant is listening (1 Sam. 3:10).  We need to 'cry out for insight and raise our voice for understanding, to 'seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures', for then we shall understand and 'find the knowledge of God' (Prov. 2:3-5).  Such seeking perseveres even in the face of an apparent rebuff.  It lays hold of God like Jacob and refuses to let him go until and unless he blesses us (Gen. 32:26).  It is this spirit of eager and determined expectation which God honours.  He promises to fill the hungry with good things; it is only the complacent whom he sends away empty-handed (Luke 1:53).  Sow we must not give in to spiritual staleness as if it were normal or even tolerable, but must pray for the refreshment of the Holy Spirit so that, if our appetite is blunt he will sharpen it, and if our heart is cold he will rekindle within us the fires of expectancy."

Build your way to greatness?

I've been working out of town lately and with all the extra drive time I haven't been able to set aside much time to contribute to the blog.  When I normally would be working on the blog I'm either spending time with the family or trying to catch up on sleep!  Thankfully no one needs to rely on a person to receive from God.  He's willing to use anything to speak to our hearts:  animals, nature, signs, or even things sent in the mail.

Case in point:  Zed hasn't played baseball for a year and is about to turn 11.  Because of this it was strange to receive a brochure in the mail seeking serious baseball players aged 13 to 18 for a national tryout to be discovered by college scouts!  It was a catch-phrase at the bottom of the page which caught my attention which read, "Build your way to greatness."  I rarely can take things at face value even when reading a brochure!  It is almost a natural habit for me to look at things from a biblical, spiritual perspective.  Can a man spiritually build himself to greatness?  Is that even desirable?

Jesus said that if a man wants to be great in the kingdom of God, he must be the servant of all.  In baseball or sports, natural talent goes a long way.  Some do not have the natural dexterity, skills, or body-style to be great at baseball.  No amount of training can overcome some of the obstacles many face to become a professional athlete.  But it is true that very few if any become great in their field without dedication, hard work, and good training.  A man cannot become a good Christian by trying hard because all men are wicked by nature.  We must first "build" upon the foundation of Jesus Christ and take heed how we build.  Whatever materials we choose will have a great impact on the strength and integrity of the structure.  A man cannot possibly build his way to greatness.  We don't have the tools or materials to build anything of eternal value.  Those who humble themselves who will be exalted by God.  It is He who cleanses us of sin, makes us righteous, fills us with His Spirit, empowers us to perform His will, and will usher us into eternal glory.

It is God who makes a man great.  The way the world gauges greatness is completely opposed to God's view.  A man might be well-known and famous on earth but Jesus might say to such a man, "Depart from me!  I never knew you, you who practice lawlessness!"  There may be a man or woman hardly anyone knew in life or remembered in death to whom Christ says, "Well done, good and faithful servant!  Enter into the joy of the LORD."  Nothing is as rewarding as serving the great God and Creator of heaven and earth.  He is great, and He makes great all who follow Him. 

Park Outreach

This Saturday past our church put on a "Children's Festival" at a neighborhood park for a couple of hours.  It was wonderful to see many people from our church fellowship ministering Christ's love to the community.  There were crafts, balloon animals, interactive games, face painting, Gospel bracelets, caricatures, and snacks.  Opportunities abounded for handing out Gospel tracts or simply having a talk.

It was a beautiful reminder of how the Body of Christ is intended to work.  All of us have different gifts, talents, and passions, and the Holy Spirit brings them to life through unique personalities.  God has given us various abilities for a single purpose:  the glory of God.  By the grace of God we are who we are.  Not all are evangelists, teachers, administrators, or able to physically carry trash cans full of water balloons.  But every Christian is filled with the love of Jesus and an ability to share that love with others.

As neat as it was to see the Body of Christ in overt operation, it was amazing to see kids and families from different ethnic backgrounds join in the fun.  There is a world of people right down the street who may not have ever experienced the love of Jesus through an Otter Pop, a balloon sword, or turtle.

It will take more than one afternoon to prove our intentions were greater than just a humanitarian exercise.  People are motivated by all kinds of reasons to help others.  Even in the church people have various purposes in their service.  Our prime focus is not in simply helping people but saving them through the power of the Gospel.  Feeding a man's stomach will only prolong his eventual death:  if his soul feasts upon the Bread of Life Jesus Christ he will live forever in heavenly glory!

I want to be the kind of Christian who is in it for the long haul.  The Christian walk is a 24-7 lifestyle, not just for a couple of hours on Saturdays or Sundays.  I remember a missionary talking about what the locals call "hallelujah Christians."  They show up with things to give away, songs to sing, and a message to give, say "Hallelujah!" and never come back!  God, help me never to forget that I am a representative of my Savior and King, Jesus Christ.  Even when you are my only witness, may I stay true to you!

To Live is Christ

There is hardly a sin more needless or tragic than bad preaching.  In an attempt to be relevant, some sacrifice truth.  Others, though they speak truth, do so without applying the text in a way that impacts the hearers.  The preacher's work is not to stimulate minds but engage hearts through the Holy Spirit's anointing and power.  Charles Spurgeon lamented of those who missed the mark in his day:  "For instance, the great problems of sublapsarianism and the supralapsarianism, the trenchant debates concerning eternal filiation, the earnest depute concerning the double procession, and the pre- and post-millenarian schemes, however important some may deem them, are practically of very little concern to that godly widow woman, with seven children to support by her needle, who wants far more to hear of the loving-kindness of the God of providence than of these mysteries profound.  I know a minister who is great upon the ten toes of the beast, the four faces of the cherubim, the mystical meaning of badgers' skins, and the typical bearings of the staves of the ark, and the windows of Solomon's temple:  but the sins of business men, the temptations of the times, and the needs of the age, he scarcely ever touches upon." (Lectures, pg. 75)

What is the point of preaching if you miss the point?  I have been mulling over how we Christians tend to think like Christians and only see things from our point of view.  We think it is imperative to prove Jesus is the Christ while unbelievers see no need for a Savior in the first place.  Some preach over people's heads, and some preach only to themselves!  The pulpit is not an opportunity for a preacher to let the world know what he thinks but to hold forth what God says.  But let us not think that sermons are reserved only for pulpits.  Our Christian witness during the ordinary mundane activities of our lives is quite possibly the only sermon some people might be exposed to.

Christians, like most people, tend to think that if we just had all our facts straight with a little "shock and awe" we could convince anyone to our position.  This is simply not true.  Very little of the great quantity of soul-work is done in minutes.  Often it takes years - years of not saying things, but living a life for Christ which demonstrates His love to others that makes a huge impact.  Facts do not save people from hell and pithy sayings cannot change a man:  it is God who does that!  It is God who makes a man, opens his eyes, and transforms him too.  If we are willing to allow God to change us, He'll also change others through us.  It is a change which begins in the heart and reverberates through the soul by God's grace, not because we memorized the "Roman's Road."  If we talked a little less and did a little more our sermons would have more substance worth chewing on.

Jesus wasn't just a preacher:  He was a doer.  His works opened doors for Him to speak.  People heard of all the things He did and were intrigued to hear what such a Man had to say.  It is one thing to have an opportunity to speak for God's glory:  it is another thing for people to want to listen!  Proverbs 18:16 says, "A man's gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men."  Jesus is the greatest gift I have ever received.  When we choose to live for Jesus we share Him with the world.  A man's words can be disputed and debated, but an entire life lived for God silences even the harshest critics.  Let your righteous life of purity weigh upon the consciences of God-hating men.  That way Jesus will do all the talking.