An oxymoron is a "combination of contradictory or incongruous words." Some common examples are "jumbo shrimp," "seriously funny," "modern history," and "long shorts." I visited a website which claimed to have an exhaustive list of oxymoronic statements, but from a biblical perspective they are missing at least one: world peace.
At the end of the halftime show during the Super Bowl, the words "world peace" were emblazoned across the field. Those are completely incongruous terms. The world's idea of peace is a world without war or conflict, unity of heart and spirit, a place free of suffering, racism, bigotry, nepotism, or hate. This is certainly a sublime desire. But this idyllic life cannot be realized in a world full of sin ruled by Satan, the prince of darkness. In scripture, the world's ways and humanistic philosophies are always at war with God's ways and perfect wisdom. There is not a square inch of shared ground between the world and God. There is no room for compromise because God's Laws are absolute and righteous, and the world is absolutely depraved, deceived, and doomed.
The wars, crimes, and death which ravages the globe finds its root in sin. Government, education, and tax dollars cannot bring this peace. Even if every mouth was fed, if everyone on the planet had clean water, proper education, and medical insurance, we would still not have peace. In the current state, "world peace" will always be a ghostly apparition because of the unchecked sin in the hearts of people who walk this earth. Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" Even people who truly have all the world can often fight a war in their hearts every day: fear of death, fear of man, hate, addictions, insomnia, fear of rejection, pride, violence, and lies. How many celebrities and millionaires have killed themselves through drugs, alcohol, or with violent intent because of disillusionment, loneliness, or sorrow? "Let me have their millions - that wouldn't happen to me." Oh yeah? Money can't buy you peace: it will rob you of the benefits you believe it provides. Murder, greed, violence among families, and hatred among people is only a symptom of the wickedness in the hearts of people when it rises to the surface.
Contrast the world with Jesus, who in scripture is called "The Prince of Peace." Ephesians 2:12-18 explains how Jesus has brought peace to this world of sin. "...You were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. [13] But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. [14] For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, [15] having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, [16] and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. [17] And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. [18] For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father." For mankind, Jesus is our Peace, our only Peace. It is only through Him we can have peace with God through His shed blood, and only through Him we can have peace with one another. When Jesus came to the world, what did the world do? He was falsely accused, tortured, and crucified on the cross by those He preached peace to. The world could not accept the love, way, truth, or the life God offered through His Son.
The beauty of the story is that Jesus rose from the dead, proving His victory over sin and death. This is the victory He gives to all who repent and trust in Him. Not only that, but we can be at peace with God even though our bodies still dwell upon this sin-soaked world. The world can be in shambles all around us, but we can experience continually a peace that passes understanding. The peace of a Christian is not dictated by outer forces at work beyond his control which he must manipulate to be happy, but a peace that comes from within through faith in Christ. In a world where the news seems to only grow more evil and insidious, what grace that God should freely grant eternal life and peace to those who are redeemed through the blood of Jesus.
There can be no peace until there is first justice: not justice according to man's subjective standards, but according to God's righteous standard. The Bible says that Jesus will someday return to the earth as a conquering King, and the nations will be subdued before Him. He will bind Satan and cast him into the bottomless pit and set up His rule over all. Then, for the first time since Eden, there will be world peace. Music, dancing, athletics, competition, and the best efforts of men or combined government bodies cannot usher in this peace. Peace can only be obtained through the Prince of Peace: Jesus Christ.
09 February 2012
08 February 2012
Eternal Moments
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!
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!
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!
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