I recently finished reading Frank Peretti's novel The Prophet. In the story, a news anchor John Barrett was forced to come to grips with truth. Is TRUTH important? How far are we be willing to go to lay our hands on the truth? Are we willing to boldly stand, holding up the truth for all to see - even if our convictions and principles cost us everything?
Opinions are everywhere, but genuine belief is rare. Like love, belief is a word highly diluted and spread thin. Jesus made a stand for truth, being "...the Way, the Truth, and the Life" (John 14:6). A proven way to know what you really believe is to ask yourself the question: are you willing to die for your beliefs or convictions you know are true? God's eternal, absolute truth is greater than the temporary life of a man. The truth of the Bible is greater than all the people and nations of the earth. If we are not prepared to die for Jesus, you do not truly believe in Him. A man who even fears death is not convinced.
In the church today we see many kids raised in the church fall away from church attendance when they reach adulthood. Notice I did not say that they fell away from Christ! It's likely they have never known Christ in truth. They have heard many "stories" of Jesus, but they have never had a relationship with Him. That is why it is imperative in the church that we labour to introduce people to Christ and abide in His presence. A good example of these levels of belief is seen in John 4:39-42: "And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all that I ever did."
40
So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days.
41
And many more believed because of His own word.
42
Then they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world."
When Jesus spoke to the woman at the well in Samaria, some people believed because of her testimony. Others were not convinced until they spoke to Jesus themselves. They later affirmed, "Now we believe, not just because of your testimony, but we've heard him ourselves. We're absolutely convinced Jesus is the promised Messiah, the Saviour of the world." Sometimes we think that if we had the opportunity to lay the facts on the table, who wouldn't believe? It often takes more than that. Just sharing facts about Jesus is not enough. As the adage goes, if you can reason a man into belief he can be reasoned out of it just as easily. When it comes to spiritual matters, the touch of the Holy Spirit upon the heart is needed. True belief comes from the heart, from the very soul. Truth is important. It would be better to acknowledge my unbelief and quit going to church than to keep up appearances with false sincerity. Some must fall far before they will think to look up to God for salvation.
The Samaritans, unlike many young people these days, were not forced to come the Christ. They freely came to Christ out of curiosity, wondering if the claims they had heard were so. They spoke to Him, and He stayed with them awhile. With softened hearts of humility, they received salvation by grace through faith in Christ. They believed Jesus and proclaimed it without shame. Should parents make their kids go to church? If a member of the family is a Christian, that PERSON is the church: Christ Himself, living through that family member. How about bringing Christ to them? When we live for God everyday, the lasting impact we can make for the Gospel is far greater than an hour or two on a Sunday. We ought to make a stand for truth everyday, whether we chat around the dinner table or we are kidnapped facing beheading for our faith. On matters of truth, we must not yield. We cannot. Upon the truth of Christ both our eternal and temporal life is founded. Do you believe? What does your life say?
07 November 2012
06 November 2012
The Fish Lady
Life is unpredictable. No one can predict when you will meet someone or have an experience which permanently changes your life. I can testify God is a Master of using my failures to reveal the depravity in my own heart, spurning me to repentance and transformation by His grace.
If I asked "Who had the biggest impact upon your life?" I would receive a plethora of answers. One of the people who changed my life I have never seen since. I never even learned her name. I affectionately call her, "The Fish Lady." Let me lay the groundwork by admitting that when I was a child, youth, and even into adulthood, I was very frugal (selfish even!) with money. I didn't receive a weekly allowance but could earn money through mowing the lawn, washing the cars, or other household chores - and it wasn't much. I remember mowing lawns for two years to save up $205 to buy a GT Performer freestyle bike. My first real job was at McDonald's, "raking" in a mere $4.25 an hour. When I earned money, apart from a tithe to God it was mine. I would immediately convert price tags into hours of work. A music compact disc was three to four hours of work! Maybe I didn't need that CD after all.
One day early in adulthood I went with some friends on a 3/4 day fishing trip. It wasn't cheap, but it was the best day of fishing I ever had on the water. I caught three small yellowtail tuna and at least eight large barracuda. My stomach was bruised from the rod pressing against it! After each fish was landed, my number was stapled on the side of the fish and put in the well. Since my dad taught me how to clean fish, I didn't want to pay the deckhand three bucks to filet each fish for me - almost a day's wages! Besides, I had watched the deckhands before and judged them wasteful in their great haste to clean the fish before we returned to the dock. After we reached the pier, a large plastic crate on wheels was pushed out and the fish placed in piles.
As I recounted the great day fishing, I looked at my fish piling up on the pier. All the sudden, a cackling old lady began to dance around my fish, gawking like a lunatic! She waved an old plastic bag around as she loped around like Quasimodo, repeating over and over in broken English, "Nice fish! Nice fish!" Hey, I thought to myself. Back off from my fish. I paid for my trip, caught each one, and had the sore body to prove it. Then she did the unthinkable: she started picking up one of my fish to shove into her bag! How rude, thoughtless, and just plain wrong was this old hag. Annoyed I said, "What are you doing? Get away from my fish! Leave them alone! I didn't say you could have any of them!" Startled and looking a bit confused, the old woman walked away in silence. Me and my mates shrugged our shoulders. "Crazy old lady - what was all that about?" I justified my actions at the time, but how I handled the situation was eating me inside.
Looking back on it now, I wonder if the Fish Lady was not an angel disguised as an aged woman of Asian descent. God used her to teach me more than she could ever know. Even before I arrived at home with my great catch, my conscience smote me. You're a Christian, I thought to myself. I have freely received and I am called to freely give. How many times had I gone fishing and not caught anything? That catch was a blessing from God and I hoarded it all for myself. I was embarrassed. Do I really need this many fish? Would my freezer even hold it all? What if the woman or her family was starving? The whole situation bothered me to the point that I wished I had given my whole catch away. The joy of giving generously would have been better than the gnaw of guilt I experienced. What a missed opportunity to give and in so doing glorify God. What did I have that God had not richly provided? I wished I had never seen that Fish Lady!
God is the divine alchemist: He takes our shocking failures and uses them to be life-transforming moments for good! As I mused upon the situation, I decided from that moment on to err on the side of generosity - which is never an error. Is not God able to abundantly supply our needs from the rich stores of His grace? I have learned by experience when I hold onto things because of selfishness, the root of the issue is I am not trusting God to uphold His Word. This is akin to blasphemy. How foolish it is to trust my grip and meagre resources rather than the God who saved my soul from Hell and has provided all things for me to enjoy. It is only after we committed our money, possessions, and life to God that He entrusts to us the true riches. Matthew 6:33 affirms, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."
I love you, Fish Lady. I'm very sorry that I learned life lessons at your expense, but I'm so glad I did!
If I asked "Who had the biggest impact upon your life?" I would receive a plethora of answers. One of the people who changed my life I have never seen since. I never even learned her name. I affectionately call her, "The Fish Lady." Let me lay the groundwork by admitting that when I was a child, youth, and even into adulthood, I was very frugal (selfish even!) with money. I didn't receive a weekly allowance but could earn money through mowing the lawn, washing the cars, or other household chores - and it wasn't much. I remember mowing lawns for two years to save up $205 to buy a GT Performer freestyle bike. My first real job was at McDonald's, "raking" in a mere $4.25 an hour. When I earned money, apart from a tithe to God it was mine. I would immediately convert price tags into hours of work. A music compact disc was three to four hours of work! Maybe I didn't need that CD after all.
One day early in adulthood I went with some friends on a 3/4 day fishing trip. It wasn't cheap, but it was the best day of fishing I ever had on the water. I caught three small yellowtail tuna and at least eight large barracuda. My stomach was bruised from the rod pressing against it! After each fish was landed, my number was stapled on the side of the fish and put in the well. Since my dad taught me how to clean fish, I didn't want to pay the deckhand three bucks to filet each fish for me - almost a day's wages! Besides, I had watched the deckhands before and judged them wasteful in their great haste to clean the fish before we returned to the dock. After we reached the pier, a large plastic crate on wheels was pushed out and the fish placed in piles.
As I recounted the great day fishing, I looked at my fish piling up on the pier. All the sudden, a cackling old lady began to dance around my fish, gawking like a lunatic! She waved an old plastic bag around as she loped around like Quasimodo, repeating over and over in broken English, "Nice fish! Nice fish!" Hey, I thought to myself. Back off from my fish. I paid for my trip, caught each one, and had the sore body to prove it. Then she did the unthinkable: she started picking up one of my fish to shove into her bag! How rude, thoughtless, and just plain wrong was this old hag. Annoyed I said, "What are you doing? Get away from my fish! Leave them alone! I didn't say you could have any of them!" Startled and looking a bit confused, the old woman walked away in silence. Me and my mates shrugged our shoulders. "Crazy old lady - what was all that about?" I justified my actions at the time, but how I handled the situation was eating me inside.
Looking back on it now, I wonder if the Fish Lady was not an angel disguised as an aged woman of Asian descent. God used her to teach me more than she could ever know. Even before I arrived at home with my great catch, my conscience smote me. You're a Christian, I thought to myself. I have freely received and I am called to freely give. How many times had I gone fishing and not caught anything? That catch was a blessing from God and I hoarded it all for myself. I was embarrassed. Do I really need this many fish? Would my freezer even hold it all? What if the woman or her family was starving? The whole situation bothered me to the point that I wished I had given my whole catch away. The joy of giving generously would have been better than the gnaw of guilt I experienced. What a missed opportunity to give and in so doing glorify God. What did I have that God had not richly provided? I wished I had never seen that Fish Lady!
God is the divine alchemist: He takes our shocking failures and uses them to be life-transforming moments for good! As I mused upon the situation, I decided from that moment on to err on the side of generosity - which is never an error. Is not God able to abundantly supply our needs from the rich stores of His grace? I have learned by experience when I hold onto things because of selfishness, the root of the issue is I am not trusting God to uphold His Word. This is akin to blasphemy. How foolish it is to trust my grip and meagre resources rather than the God who saved my soul from Hell and has provided all things for me to enjoy. It is only after we committed our money, possessions, and life to God that He entrusts to us the true riches. Matthew 6:33 affirms, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."
I love you, Fish Lady. I'm very sorry that I learned life lessons at your expense, but I'm so glad I did!
05 November 2012
Hold Fast!
Reading the Bible this morning, my eyes came across this exhortation of Christ in Revelation 2:25: "But hold fast what you have till I come." No matter how difficult or hopeless our situation may appear on the surface, we are to hold fast to what we have. We may not have much faith, but let us exercise it. We may not have many talents, but may we use them feverishly for the glory of God. There may not be much daylight left, but let's work hard until Christ returns. Our hands may be blistered and sore, our legs almost without strength. Keep going! Don't give up! Don't concede any ground to Satan in your heart or mind! God has not forgotten us, and nothing is impossible for those who believe. Be strong in the LORD and the power of His might, having done all to stand!
A great example of this holding fast can be seen in the life of Shammah the son of Agee, one of David's mighty men. When all of his fellow Israelite warriors fled, he found himself alone facing a troop of disciplined Philistines. Instead of running from the fight or giving up ground against seemingly impossible odds, he stood up against them! 2 Samuel 23:11-12 recounts his courage: "The Philistines had gathered together into a troop where there was a piece of ground full of lentils. Then the people fled from the Philistines. 12 But he stationed himself in the middle of the field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. And the LORD brought about a great victory." Can you see Shammah taking up position in that field of lentils all alone? He wasn't alone, for His God was with him. Shammah only had a field of lentils, but he defended that field. "You want this field? These are God's lentils! My lentils! I'll die before I give up!" He kept going and God brought a great victory.
Eleazar the son of Dodo was another mighty man. Finding himself in a situation similar to Shammah - alone and without backup - he defied the Philistines and fought against them valiantly. 2 Samuel 23:10 says, "He arose and attacked the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand stuck to the sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to plunder." He fought so hard that his hand stuck to his sword. He was unable to drop it. Again, the LORD brought about a great victory because there was one man of God willing to hold fast. The Bible is referred to in scripture as the "sword of the Spirit." Oh that that our hearts and minds would cleave to God's truth like the hand of Eleazar involuntarily gripped his sword from use! Let us cling to Christ alone, the Word of God!
Hold fast, brother and sister in Christ. It matters not if you are the only one you perceive on the field of battle. Keep praying, keep seeking, keep running, keep trusting, keeping following Jesus without intermission! Even if all have forsaken you, God will be with you. You may only have a little strength, but take heart! He will never leave you or forsake you, and God will bring about a great victory for His glory!
A great example of this holding fast can be seen in the life of Shammah the son of Agee, one of David's mighty men. When all of his fellow Israelite warriors fled, he found himself alone facing a troop of disciplined Philistines. Instead of running from the fight or giving up ground against seemingly impossible odds, he stood up against them! 2 Samuel 23:11-12 recounts his courage: "The Philistines had gathered together into a troop where there was a piece of ground full of lentils. Then the people fled from the Philistines. 12 But he stationed himself in the middle of the field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. And the LORD brought about a great victory." Can you see Shammah taking up position in that field of lentils all alone? He wasn't alone, for His God was with him. Shammah only had a field of lentils, but he defended that field. "You want this field? These are God's lentils! My lentils! I'll die before I give up!" He kept going and God brought a great victory.
Eleazar the son of Dodo was another mighty man. Finding himself in a situation similar to Shammah - alone and without backup - he defied the Philistines and fought against them valiantly. 2 Samuel 23:10 says, "He arose and attacked the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand stuck to the sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to plunder." He fought so hard that his hand stuck to his sword. He was unable to drop it. Again, the LORD brought about a great victory because there was one man of God willing to hold fast. The Bible is referred to in scripture as the "sword of the Spirit." Oh that that our hearts and minds would cleave to God's truth like the hand of Eleazar involuntarily gripped his sword from use! Let us cling to Christ alone, the Word of God!
Hold fast, brother and sister in Christ. It matters not if you are the only one you perceive on the field of battle. Keep praying, keep seeking, keep running, keep trusting, keeping following Jesus without intermission! Even if all have forsaken you, God will be with you. You may only have a little strength, but take heart! He will never leave you or forsake you, and God will bring about a great victory for His glory!
04 November 2012
Searching for Something?
Life on earth is one of pursuit. Everyone is chasing something: status, a feeling, career, relationships, sexual conquest, entertainment, riches, security, and on the list goes. Inigo Montoya in "The Princess Bride" thirsted for revenge, but when his desire was finally obtained he didn't know what to do. It was anti-climactic and left him empty. King Solomon explains his many royal pursuits in Ecclesiastes. His conclusion after following the rabbit trail of alcohol, comedy, women, work, and music to the end? Vanity of vanities, all is vanity!
An example of this human tragedy is seen in the story of Amnon and Tamar. Amnon was a prince in Israel and loved his half-sister Tamar. He was so love-struck he became literally ill with desire. One of his scheming friends concocted a plan so he could have his way with her. It's an ugly story, but a reality that plays out in unregenerate hearts every day. The trap was set by feigning illness and requesting that Tamar bring food for him to eat. After commanding that everyone leave his chamber, he asked her to sleep with him. When she refused, Amnon raped her. 2 Samuel 13:15 reads, "Then Amnon hated her exceedingly, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, "Arise, be gone!" Amnon had his wish, but ended up with a mouthful of gravel.
I can see a new CEO sitting in his high-rise office, looking towards the beautiful ocean view. He leans back in his leather chair which cost thousands, stretching his clasped hands behind his head, drinking it in. I've finally made it to the top, he smiles to himself. I'm finally here. My dream that I've worked my whole life for is fulfilled! I see his smile slowly fade as it dawns upon him: is this it? What now? I've climbed to the top of the ladder but I haven't actually gone anywhere. The emptiness in his heart can't been touched, even by millions of dollars or a new parking space. Why so empty?
I see a gridiron star fall to his knees jubilant as his team wins the Super Bowl, the biggest game of them all. It means football immortality, a huge ring, perhaps even a bust in Canton and a yellow jacket. As he slaps on the hat that says "Champions" amid the falling confetti, the decades of labour in the weight room, on the field, and studying film flash before his eyes. With his teammates he hoists the trophy with a shout, lowering the silver beauty only to give it a kiss. But the nagging feeling he can't shake is that this will soon be over. In a few weeks he will be preparing for next season, starting all over again. Tonight the alcohol will flow, tomorrow he will have a headache he'd like to forget, and wake up next to a woman or two he can't get rid of fast enough. Hugging his coach, he puts these thoughts out of his mind for as long as possible.
Every person in this world is running, chasing, grasping for the wind. Even when we obtain the desire of our eyes, it cannot satisfy us as we hoped. The reason? Man has been created in God's image with a spiritual component. Every human being has a soul that longs for God. As we grow older, we realise that there is nothing in this world that can satisfy that innate thirst. Only a relationship with God can satisfy our souls through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. David wrote in Psalm 23:1: "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." The world and all there is within leaves us empty and dead, but in Christ the Good Shepherd we find salvation and satisfaction. Psalm 34:10 affirms, "The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing."
Do you know how it feels to be without want? Jesus will supply all the needs of those who repent and come to Him in faith! Come to Jesus, you who search for significance and satisfaction. Jesus is who your soul is searching for.
An example of this human tragedy is seen in the story of Amnon and Tamar. Amnon was a prince in Israel and loved his half-sister Tamar. He was so love-struck he became literally ill with desire. One of his scheming friends concocted a plan so he could have his way with her. It's an ugly story, but a reality that plays out in unregenerate hearts every day. The trap was set by feigning illness and requesting that Tamar bring food for him to eat. After commanding that everyone leave his chamber, he asked her to sleep with him. When she refused, Amnon raped her. 2 Samuel 13:15 reads, "Then Amnon hated her exceedingly, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, "Arise, be gone!" Amnon had his wish, but ended up with a mouthful of gravel.
I can see a new CEO sitting in his high-rise office, looking towards the beautiful ocean view. He leans back in his leather chair which cost thousands, stretching his clasped hands behind his head, drinking it in. I've finally made it to the top, he smiles to himself. I'm finally here. My dream that I've worked my whole life for is fulfilled! I see his smile slowly fade as it dawns upon him: is this it? What now? I've climbed to the top of the ladder but I haven't actually gone anywhere. The emptiness in his heart can't been touched, even by millions of dollars or a new parking space. Why so empty?
I see a gridiron star fall to his knees jubilant as his team wins the Super Bowl, the biggest game of them all. It means football immortality, a huge ring, perhaps even a bust in Canton and a yellow jacket. As he slaps on the hat that says "Champions" amid the falling confetti, the decades of labour in the weight room, on the field, and studying film flash before his eyes. With his teammates he hoists the trophy with a shout, lowering the silver beauty only to give it a kiss. But the nagging feeling he can't shake is that this will soon be over. In a few weeks he will be preparing for next season, starting all over again. Tonight the alcohol will flow, tomorrow he will have a headache he'd like to forget, and wake up next to a woman or two he can't get rid of fast enough. Hugging his coach, he puts these thoughts out of his mind for as long as possible.
Every person in this world is running, chasing, grasping for the wind. Even when we obtain the desire of our eyes, it cannot satisfy us as we hoped. The reason? Man has been created in God's image with a spiritual component. Every human being has a soul that longs for God. As we grow older, we realise that there is nothing in this world that can satisfy that innate thirst. Only a relationship with God can satisfy our souls through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. David wrote in Psalm 23:1: "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." The world and all there is within leaves us empty and dead, but in Christ the Good Shepherd we find salvation and satisfaction. Psalm 34:10 affirms, "The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing."
Do you know how it feels to be without want? Jesus will supply all the needs of those who repent and come to Him in faith! Come to Jesus, you who search for significance and satisfaction. Jesus is who your soul is searching for.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)