As I grow older, I am amazed by some of the things my brain has tucked away. What blows me away is how a single day, action, or statement has made a permanent effect upon my life. Both good and bad things in my past can have a positive influence on me today and the rest of my time on earth. I remember being corrected harshly as a child by the church secretary for asking her about her age or the embarrassing feeling when I unwittingly touched a toupee of my Sunday School teacher. I remember Coach Lib sitting down the cross country team to discuss philosophy, and Mr. Kennedy dropping a metal trash can on the floor at Emerald Junior High. I remember taking a friend to Taco Bell to cheer him up, and putting my foot in my mouth more times than I care to reflect upon. We would all likely agree that every day we have a chance to make a positive, permanent influence on the lives of those around us for the glory of God. The trouble is, because we can't mark those times on a calendar or plan for them, it seems those eternal moments go unrecognized.
Thinking back, it is easy for me to remember a lot of the people I worked with in the mechanical insulation industry. I remember conversations I had with Navy sailors, places I worked, jobs we accomplished. Yesterday I thought about a job I had at George Bailey detention center near the border. I only worked on the jobsite with my buddy Tim for one day. The "tin-knocker" (installer of the aircon duct we were wrapping) was a piece of work. He was happy, yelling in his Filipino accent, and seemed to be having the time of his life as he worked. Over and over he would yell, "Ho-kay sweet!" I asked him what he was saying. He said, "If you curse, people think you are a bad person. So I just made up my own words to say." And boy, did he say them with gusto! All day long we heard "Ho-kay sweet" until we found ourselves echoing him. The words echo in my head to this day, and I chuckle when I think of that crazy guy.
I don't know if that man thought working in the same building with me for one day would make such a long-lasting impression. I certainly had no idea! If someone is able to impact me simply with yelling "Ho-kay sweet!" at random times during working hours, how much greater and more positive an influence can God have through His people when they are yielded to Him! We will never know the breadth or depth of impact we are making on people around us every day, whether we realise it or not. If we recognized that every moment has the potential to be an eternal moment in someone's life, I'm thinking that simple fact would change the way we approach everything! However, it does me no good to be preoccupied with the impact I could make. In my flesh, no good thing dwells. I am not able to do good without the power of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Agreeing with the fact that God wants to use me and that anyone can be used by God for the purpose of making an eternal impact in a moment's time is most encouraging. When I focus on the fact that God can make a eternal difference through me, I look to Him for strength and guidance.
Today, you can make a difference! It all starts with us allowing God to make us different and align our temporal perspectives with His eternal one. Who knows? God can use a smile, hug, a word of encouragement or reproof, even a cup of water given in His name to make an eternal moment out of the mundane. Praise Him for His wondrous works!
08 February 2012
06 February 2012
Cover the Sin with Love
"But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. 8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins."
1 Peter 4:7-8
One little word makes a huge difference. This is one of the verses from the King James Version I have been memorizing lately. In the New King James Version, the last part of verse 8 is a quote taken from Proverbs 10:12: "Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins." I am most familiar with 1 Peter 4:8 in the NKJV which reads, "And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins." As I repeated the verse a few times according to the KJV, I began to consider the difference between the use of "a multitude" or "the multitude." Though I am not a Greek scholar by any means, upon further examination the original Greek in this passage does not contain the definite article "the." The English indefinite article "a" does not appear in Greek at all! The text literally says, "...love will cover multitude sins." In translating the Greek into English, "the" or "a" have been added as well as "of" to allow the verse to flow naturally.
One thing I refuse to do is to pit differing literal translations of the Bible against one another. I do not believe I need to choose either the King James or the New King James version as divinely inspired and view the other as spiritually-substandard. The words we read in English are intended to aid us in knowing God as revealed in scripture. Both versions are fully supported with scripture. With the help of the Holy Spirit granting us wisdom and discernment, we can know the heart of God because He dwells within us. Love covers a multitude of sins, and love covers the multitude of sins. This minor difference reveals two versions of a single, powerful truth. As I read the scripture over and over to memorize it, the truth "love shall cover the multitude of sins" made a deep impression upon me.
Peter encourages the believers to above all have fervent love among them. The Bible says Christians are to be known for our love for God and one another. There are some in the world which ignorantly brand all Bible-believing, church-attending, Christ-professing people as hypocrites. This is only partly true. A more true and accurate statement is, "All people are hypocrites." The great irony is that the only way to become a Christian is to first admit that you are a rotten sinner, doomed to eternal damnation and separation from God because of your own sin. After confessing sin in repentance, a Christian is born again through faith in Jesus Christ and receives forgiveness of sins. No doctrinally sound Christian could claim he is sinless through his own merit, as 1 John 1:10 says, "If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him [God] a liar, and His word is not in us." As a follower of Jesus Christ, we are to forsake sin and walk according to Christ's precepts. But no man clothed in human flesh can do this perfectly. We all stumble and fall, and we are not hypocrites to admit it. In fact, we begin to strip away our hypocrisy when we do this!
What comfort there is for Christians in 1 Peter 4:8: "And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins." There are some people who have spent years looking for a church that meets their standards. These same people would probably leave a church where Jesus Christ Himself was pastor because of all the sinners who attended! Love does not just cover "a multitude of sins," but "the multitude of sins." Even in church fellowships with only a few people, there are multitudes of sins represented. Jesus knew and knows this: people are sinners who need a Saviour! I love the fact that Peter does not speak theoretically: "If there's a multitude of sins, love will cover them." No! He says, "There are sins in abundance, and love covers them all." Proverbs 10:12 affirms, "Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins." God knows our frame: He remembers we are dust. We do well to remember this too and refuse to stand in judgment of one another because a person's Bible translation of choice is a different translation than our own.
Proverbs 17:9 reads, "He who covers a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates friends." When the Christians in Corinth were taking private matters of offense before the legal system, he had strong words of challenge for them in 1 Corinthians 6:7: "Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated?" It would be better for me to allow myself to be cheated than to stray from walking in love. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 gives us a wonderful description of this kind of love: "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." I can't count how many times I have read this passage, but it still blows me away. What love is this, the love of God shown sinners through Jesus Christ! We can't shed our blood to forgive sins, but we can cover them with the love of Jesus as we trust Him. Let us be faithful to cover the multitude of sins with God's love.
03 February 2012
Spiritual Fitness
Australians are very into fitness. It doesn't surprise me that a large amount of children and youth in Sydney play sports. What surprises me is how many adults play organized sports or join the gym, ride bikes, swim, or run around punching bags and lifting weights with a personal trainer in the park. It's not uncommon for people to play sports on a team into their sixties! My neighbor is passionate about fitness of all kinds. He kayaks, hits the gym, swings a kettlebell, rides a bike, and does some boxing training as well. Improving your fitness involves more than exercise, however: it is a regimented lifestyle of remaining accountable to a healthy diet, faithfully going to the gym, setting aside time for training, and always seeking to take it up a level. It involves pain, working through injuries, sacrifices, moderation with food and drink, and effort. It means doing what you know is good for you, even when you don't feel like doing it.
When I drove by the gym on the way to church to pray at 5:45am on Tuesday, I could see 50 people through the glass jumping up and down and punching the air. The thought crossed my mind: "Those people have more drive to be physically fit than many Christians do to be spiritually fit." How great it would be if churches had such excitement and energy from folks to faithfully attend a 6am prayer meeting! 1 Timothy 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." I remember reading a book which told of a man who would rise at 4am to pray every day and was greatly shamed if he heard the sound of the blacksmith's hammer or ox carts passing by his home before he knelt and prayed to God. His belief was that his effort and devotion to God in prayer should be greater than the faithfulness of other people simply pursuing secular work.
A huge part of exercise is simply exercising. Sometimes it is a physical condition due to poor fitness, the fact that our clothes no longer fit, or disgust over our appearance that moves us to make changes in our lives to diet and exercise. The typical routine is we are faithful until we begin to notice some improvement. We become satisfied with the fruit of our labour and begin to slowly neglect the disciplines which brought success. Before too long we are eating too much, exercising too little, and the familiar cycle begins again. It is the same way in spiritual matters. We lay hold of the victory God has given us in an area of our lives or rejoice in a spiritual gift He has granted us. But over time our reliance on God turns into self-confidence, gifts become dusty and rusty through neglect, and we wonder where our joy, peace, and fulfillment has gone.
There are many ways to improve fitness, and the same could be said concerning the life of a Christian as well. However, there are some staples which cannot be neglected if we desire a closer walk with Christ, resting in the power of the Holy Spirit. Prayer is a massive key. Ephesians 6:18 says Christians ought to be "...praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints..." We also must seek close fellowship with other believers, sharpening one another and remaining accountable. This means we must ask and agree with being asked tough personal questions so we might examine our lives closely. The study and reading of the Bible empowered with the Holy Spirit is a must. It is one thing to hear sermons, but studying the Word for yourself is a critical step in personal, spiritual growth.
One aspect of spiritual fitness I have recently "re-discovered" is that of memorizing Bible verses. In my younger days, memorizing scripture was something I did both at school and in my home. By first grade I knew the books of the Bible and could recite Psalm 1 and 23 by heart. Over the years I memorized a lot of other verses too. But as I went into adulthood, focusing on Bible verse memory was not a top priority. I always agreed with the practice of storing God's Word in my heart so the Spirit could bring it to remembrance to govern my life. But the thing I didn't realize as a young person is memorization should not be simply viewed as the storage of information. God's Word is living, and it goes right to work on our hearts and minds when we meditate on it. Over the past few weeks I've been memorizing some verses, and God has used them mightily to impress new truth upon my life. Same old truth, new application and power. I am recognizing more and more the power of God's Word and delight to memorize it - not so I can earn a gold star, but so God will make me spiritually fit to do His work.
What does the scripture say? 2 Timothy 3:16-17 reads, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." If I believe the Bible is truly as powerful and necessary as God claims it is, then I must do something about it. Anyone can write a verse on a card and repeat it word for word, but it is God who makes the Word come alive and actually complete us, thoroughly equipping us for every good work. Memorizing scripture was a missing part of my spiritual fitness regimen for some time, but no more. Psalm 34:8 says, "Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!" Enough with the junk! Put something good into your mind, heart, and soul for a healthy change! Do it - and keep doing it!
When I drove by the gym on the way to church to pray at 5:45am on Tuesday, I could see 50 people through the glass jumping up and down and punching the air. The thought crossed my mind: "Those people have more drive to be physically fit than many Christians do to be spiritually fit." How great it would be if churches had such excitement and energy from folks to faithfully attend a 6am prayer meeting! 1 Timothy 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." I remember reading a book which told of a man who would rise at 4am to pray every day and was greatly shamed if he heard the sound of the blacksmith's hammer or ox carts passing by his home before he knelt and prayed to God. His belief was that his effort and devotion to God in prayer should be greater than the faithfulness of other people simply pursuing secular work.
A huge part of exercise is simply exercising. Sometimes it is a physical condition due to poor fitness, the fact that our clothes no longer fit, or disgust over our appearance that moves us to make changes in our lives to diet and exercise. The typical routine is we are faithful until we begin to notice some improvement. We become satisfied with the fruit of our labour and begin to slowly neglect the disciplines which brought success. Before too long we are eating too much, exercising too little, and the familiar cycle begins again. It is the same way in spiritual matters. We lay hold of the victory God has given us in an area of our lives or rejoice in a spiritual gift He has granted us. But over time our reliance on God turns into self-confidence, gifts become dusty and rusty through neglect, and we wonder where our joy, peace, and fulfillment has gone.
There are many ways to improve fitness, and the same could be said concerning the life of a Christian as well. However, there are some staples which cannot be neglected if we desire a closer walk with Christ, resting in the power of the Holy Spirit. Prayer is a massive key. Ephesians 6:18 says Christians ought to be "...praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints..." We also must seek close fellowship with other believers, sharpening one another and remaining accountable. This means we must ask and agree with being asked tough personal questions so we might examine our lives closely. The study and reading of the Bible empowered with the Holy Spirit is a must. It is one thing to hear sermons, but studying the Word for yourself is a critical step in personal, spiritual growth.
One aspect of spiritual fitness I have recently "re-discovered" is that of memorizing Bible verses. In my younger days, memorizing scripture was something I did both at school and in my home. By first grade I knew the books of the Bible and could recite Psalm 1 and 23 by heart. Over the years I memorized a lot of other verses too. But as I went into adulthood, focusing on Bible verse memory was not a top priority. I always agreed with the practice of storing God's Word in my heart so the Spirit could bring it to remembrance to govern my life. But the thing I didn't realize as a young person is memorization should not be simply viewed as the storage of information. God's Word is living, and it goes right to work on our hearts and minds when we meditate on it. Over the past few weeks I've been memorizing some verses, and God has used them mightily to impress new truth upon my life. Same old truth, new application and power. I am recognizing more and more the power of God's Word and delight to memorize it - not so I can earn a gold star, but so God will make me spiritually fit to do His work.
What does the scripture say? 2 Timothy 3:16-17 reads, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." If I believe the Bible is truly as powerful and necessary as God claims it is, then I must do something about it. Anyone can write a verse on a card and repeat it word for word, but it is God who makes the Word come alive and actually complete us, thoroughly equipping us for every good work. Memorizing scripture was a missing part of my spiritual fitness regimen for some time, but no more. Psalm 34:8 says, "Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!" Enough with the junk! Put something good into your mind, heart, and soul for a healthy change! Do it - and keep doing it!
31 January 2012
Deadbeat No More (by God's grace)!
Back in the '90's, the unfortunate term "deadbeat dads" came into vogue to define dads who didn't rise to the subjective expectation of what a dad should be. Dads who refused to pay child support, denied they even had a child, or shirked their responsibility to raise their children in the eyes of their ex-wives, girlfriends, or the courts, were labeled as such. Now I read the politically-correct revised term is "deadbeat parent." Whether it is dad or mum who chooses to neglect the God-given privilege and responsibility to raise their children, the kids are the biggest losers.
I have lately been thinking about my responsibility to disciple my own children, striving to raise them in the nurture and admonition of the LORD. Kids need more than food, water, love, and affirmation from their parents; they need much more than quality time, holidays, recreation, schooling, sport, social interaction, and a bed to sleep in. Jesus said that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Because this is true for all people, it is true for kids as well. Job proclaims the indispensable nature and necessity of God's Word in Job 23:12: "I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food." In the ongoing battle in courthouses throughout the United States, the 10 Commandments are being removed off the walls while "deadbeat parents" are cited and fined for not providing money for their children's welfare. That is ironic, seeing that the Word of God is more important and necessary to both body and soul than food or water!
Amos 8:11 is a scripture we see fulfilled in our day. "Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord GOD, "that I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD." The brutal irony is not that God's Word is neglected by unbelievers, but by professing believers. It is not only certain churches where this famine is rife: it is a blight in the homes of solid Christian families. I speak candidly when I say I was once a "deadbeat dad" spiritually. There have been days in our home when we did not open the Word of God and read it together with discussion and explanation. Years ago, even as a pastor, I committed the training and discipleship of my young children to Sunday School teachers. I had shirked God's command to make disciples in my own house, a grave sin.
I am thankful that God opened my eyes to see what I loser I was, spending most of my time discipling other people's children and not making it a priority to train my own. Our family has made many changes in our home over the years, but the best has been a commitment to read the Bible together every day. There is always room for improvement. Don't get me wrong: you do well if you feed your children, provide for their physical needs, and spend time with them. 1 Timothy 5:8 reads, "But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." But the real question is this: Dads, what are you providing for the spiritual nourishment and admonition of your wife and children? Mums, how are you using God's Word to train your children in the way they should go according to God's will? Grandparents are not off the hook either! Titus 2 contains a great list of exhortations to believers of all ages summed up with, "Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you." (Titus 2:15)
As long as a man remains on earth by God's grace, it's never too late for God to transform a willing person through the power of the Holy Spirit. Because God changes the hearts and minds of people, it is never too late to change the way we do things. Shedding the spiritual deadbeat moniker starts with agreement with God, confession of our neglect as sin, and taking steps - even radical ones - to disciple our own children to following Jesus Christ. Men, take charge of the family God has committed to you. God has called parents to teach and train their children. He has given us the power through the Spirit, and the discernment and wisdom of God to address the deepest needs of our children: to know God, to love Him, and to love one another as Jesus has loved us.
I have lately been thinking about my responsibility to disciple my own children, striving to raise them in the nurture and admonition of the LORD. Kids need more than food, water, love, and affirmation from their parents; they need much more than quality time, holidays, recreation, schooling, sport, social interaction, and a bed to sleep in. Jesus said that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Because this is true for all people, it is true for kids as well. Job proclaims the indispensable nature and necessity of God's Word in Job 23:12: "I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food." In the ongoing battle in courthouses throughout the United States, the 10 Commandments are being removed off the walls while "deadbeat parents" are cited and fined for not providing money for their children's welfare. That is ironic, seeing that the Word of God is more important and necessary to both body and soul than food or water!
Amos 8:11 is a scripture we see fulfilled in our day. "Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord GOD, "that I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD." The brutal irony is not that God's Word is neglected by unbelievers, but by professing believers. It is not only certain churches where this famine is rife: it is a blight in the homes of solid Christian families. I speak candidly when I say I was once a "deadbeat dad" spiritually. There have been days in our home when we did not open the Word of God and read it together with discussion and explanation. Years ago, even as a pastor, I committed the training and discipleship of my young children to Sunday School teachers. I had shirked God's command to make disciples in my own house, a grave sin.
I am thankful that God opened my eyes to see what I loser I was, spending most of my time discipling other people's children and not making it a priority to train my own. Our family has made many changes in our home over the years, but the best has been a commitment to read the Bible together every day. There is always room for improvement. Don't get me wrong: you do well if you feed your children, provide for their physical needs, and spend time with them. 1 Timothy 5:8 reads, "But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." But the real question is this: Dads, what are you providing for the spiritual nourishment and admonition of your wife and children? Mums, how are you using God's Word to train your children in the way they should go according to God's will? Grandparents are not off the hook either! Titus 2 contains a great list of exhortations to believers of all ages summed up with, "Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you." (Titus 2:15)
As long as a man remains on earth by God's grace, it's never too late for God to transform a willing person through the power of the Holy Spirit. Because God changes the hearts and minds of people, it is never too late to change the way we do things. Shedding the spiritual deadbeat moniker starts with agreement with God, confession of our neglect as sin, and taking steps - even radical ones - to disciple our own children to following Jesus Christ. Men, take charge of the family God has committed to you. God has called parents to teach and train their children. He has given us the power through the Spirit, and the discernment and wisdom of God to address the deepest needs of our children: to know God, to love Him, and to love one another as Jesus has loved us.
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