Lesson from a Boot

I suppose there is a first and last time for everything, and hopefully I ticked both boxes yesterday with a law mower "mishap."  During all the time I have mowed lawns since my youth, I have only had two incidents to report.  One of them was when I pressed my knee into the hot muffler (which cost me a little skin!) and my second came yesterday.  I was wrestling with a rusty gate whilst reaching over the running mower.  When I pushed against the resistance with my right, my left hand which held the handle pushed down slightly.  The momentum of my body went forward, and my right boot slid barely under the whirring blades.  Before you could say "jack rabbit" I heard a strange noise, then instantly sensed a vibration, and found the blades had contacted the toe of my boot.  Here's the result:

I was a bit annoyed by my careless stupidity, but the feeling was quickly swallowed up with thankfulness that I still had my toes!  I can't vouch that the boot is still waterproof, but after a little "Shoe Goo" it cleaned up nicely.  As I finished mowing the lawn, a lesson came out of the experience.  It was not my intention to slide my foot under a moving mower, but in the course of work damage was done.  It was a foreseeable, predictable consequence considering the situation:  if a boot comes in contact with sharp blades, the boot will lose.  Our proximity to sin adds greater potential for damage and loss.  No one figures they will be the one to be overtaken with a trespass.  They believe they are in control until suddenly, before they can even react, the fangs sink in and with them a numbing agent that kills from within.  I was taught as a child never to play with matches because of potential risk.  Don't think you can play with sin and not be burned.  Sin always brings death.

It was a good lesson, and I'm thankful the cost was only damage to a boot and not the loss of my toes!  Praise the LORD for His grace and goodness.

The "R" Word

I've been thinking lately how the word "consequences" typically carries with it a negative connotation.  Very rarely is the word used to convey something desirable.  If we talked about the consequences of sin, it would almost seem a stretch to find anything good from sinning against God.

Last Sunday at Calvary Chapel Sydney, we examined the passage in 2 Samuel 12 when David was confronted by the prophet Nathan about his sin:  the murder of Uriah the Hittite and the theft of his wife.  God makes it clear that the core of sin is not human weakness or indiscretion, but stems from the hatred of God.  The prophet spoke for God in 2 Samuel 12:10:  "Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife."  David had done a horrible thing in sinning against God.  Yet when confronted with his sin, David owned it, confessed without reservation, and repented.

Repentance is a critical and necessary doctrine in the church today.  Without repentance, there can be no forgiveness or salvation.  Luke 24:46-47 says of Christ, "Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, ⁴⁷ and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."  Also Paul said in Acts 17:30-31:  "Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, ³¹ because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead."  The word "repent" has the meaning to "think differently" and results in a change of life as one chooses to live according to God.  Except we repent, we will perish.

Sorrow takes a primary role in the act of repentance.  Webster wrote in his 1828 Edition Dictionary of what it means to repent:  "In theology, to sorrow or be pained for sin, as a violation of God's holy law, a dishonour to His character and government."  He writes of "repentance:"  "Sorrow for any thing done or said; the pain or grief which a person experiences in consequence of the injury or inconvenience produced by his own conduct...real penitence; sorrow or deep contrition for sin."  Because the concept of repentance is tied closely to sorrow for sin, repentance never tends to be a popular subject.  People can be overwhelmed by their sense of grief for past sins and some remain in a constant cycle of guilt, embarrassment, and shame.  An improper understanding of repentance leads people to remain mired in past sins and therefore prevented from entering into the joy of the LORD.

Repentance is actually a very good thing to come out of sin.  Our God is a Redeemer, and repentance is the step a man must take before He can be restored to fellowship with God.  Something Webster neglected to address is the end of repentance - another "R" word - rejoicing!  Did you know that the end of repentance is rejoicing?  After David confessed his sin, look at what he wrote in Psalm 51:8-12:  "Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones You have broken may rejoice. ⁹ Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. ¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. ¹¹ Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. ¹² Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit."  Rejoicing in the ultimate consequence of repentance.  Understand this:  we do not rejoice over our sin, but in the goodness of our God to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  God chastens those whom He loves, and we should rejoice in such love.  Do you not know heaven rejoices over one sinner who repents?  When David repented, heaven rejoiced.  Jesus says in Luke 15:7:  "I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance."  If God and all heaven rejoice over your repentance, should we remain in perpetual sorrow?

If repentance has not resulted in rejoicing, there remains a step of faith for you to take.  Paul wrote while incarcerated in Philippians 4:4:  "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!"  This is the cutting edge:  we are to rejoice in the LORD always.  When we are in sin, God has ceased to be our focus and first love.  We are to approach repentance with a similar view of Christ's crucifixion.  We view Christ suffering and dying on the cross with sorrow because of our sin.  Yet we take comfort that it pleased the Father to bruise Jesus and make Him a sacrifice for sin so we could be cleansed and make whole.  Should the disciples have continued to mourn Christ's death when He stood among them alive three days later?  No!  If we are risen with Christ, forgiven and made new, may the joy of the LORD be our strength.  Repentance isn't a dirty word.  The intended end of repentance is rejoicing.  Repent, and by faith enter in!

Seek Counsel of God

The book of Joshua tracks the path of the Israelite's entry and conquest of the Promised Land.  God gave His people the land, and He called them to drive out or destroy all the inhabitants of the land.  They were forbidden to make a league with the inhabitants of Canaan.  When the people who lived in Canaan heard about how the children of Israel crossed over Jordan on dry ground and the fall of mighty Jericho through the power of their God, they were afraid.  They gathered together to fight against Israel in battle.  The people of Gibeon, however, took a different tack.  They cleverly disguised themselves as foreign ambassadors who had been on a long journey, having heard of the might of Israel and their God.  To add credence to their story, when questioned they appealed to their appearance.  Joshua 9:12-14 says, "This bread of ours we took hot for our provision from our houses on the day we departed to come to you. But now look, it is dry and moldy. ¹³ And these wineskins which we filled were new, and see, they are torn; and these our garments and our sandals have become old because of the very long journey." ¹⁴ Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the LORD."

Based upon the false "evidence" presented, Joshua agreed to make a covenant with these people who turned out to be Gibeonites who lived nearby!  This is a classic case of the oft repeated mistake we all make of walking by sight instead of by faith in God.  The inference is that if Joshua had sought the counsel of the LORD, the ruse would have been revealed and this grave error prevented.  The error of walking by sight created a chain reaction which led to troublesome future consequences.  When I read this, I was convicted for all the times I pray about problems or dilemmas but do not explicitly ask counsel of the LORD and seek an answer in His Word.  I pray about things, sure:  but praying about a problem is very different than seeking counsel with intent to obey.  Sometimes we are like those who want to vent but don't necessarily want advice on how to rectify their situation.  We prefer sympathy over being told what to do.  God does not cast pearls of wisdom before swine.  If we want to wallow in indecision and doubts like a pig in the mud, God will allow us to do so.  But if we will ask counsel of the LORD, seeking to perform His will, He will speak and empower us to carry out what He requires of us.

God, Money, and Faith

When Jesus sent out His disciples into the harvest, He told them not to bring any supplies.  In doing so, He was teaching them to walk by faith in God.  Even as God provided for the children of Israel in the wilderness and the birds of the air, He would supply their every need.  Before Jesus went to the cross Jesus said to His disciples in Luke 22:35-36:  "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?" So they said, "Nothing." ³⁶ Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one."  There is nothing wrong with wisely preparing as we follow Christ on our journey wherever He leads.  Often the securing of financial pledges or support is a means of missionaries and ministries discerning the legitimacy of a call upon a  prospective missionary before leaving for a field.  But let me say this:  fundraising in the modern sense carries with it the risk of walking by sight and not by faith.  People love the testimony of George Mueller's faith demonstrated through prayer and wisdom concerning money.  There aren't many George Muellers today because God isn't provided the opportunity to come through at the last moment.  Most want to have the support up, accounts looking healthy, and a great exchange rate forecast before they will take the first step of faith.  What sort of faith is that?

One of the sticking points for many people when it comes to missions is, "But who is going to pay for this?  How can we afford it?"  One missionary support ministry I met with required for any missionaries who sought to enter a mission field secure 80% of their monthly financial support before they were permitted to enter the field.  Money can become for people today (missionaries or not) a focal point instead of the God who has promised to provide.  Everyone in the early church contributed to the financial strength of the church, some selling everything they had.  They weren't caught up in mutual funds and Roth IRAs.  Some like Paul, who laboured long in a vast mission field, worked with his own hands to support himself.  Collections were received from house churches on a weekly basis to bless and help other churches.  Perhaps because we live in a world of insurance, schools, visas, airplane tickets, and retirement funds, money concerns seem to have risen in importance.  I like the picture of Peter being directed by Jesus to catch a fish to pay the temple tax in Matthew 17:27.  Jesus said, "After you throw in the hook and catch the fish, it will have a coin in its mouth.  Take the coin and pay the tax, lest we offend them."  Jesus didn't have the money on hand for the temple tax, but He miraculously provided it.  He will do the same for us if we will seek, trust, and obey Him no matter where we find ourselves.

I struggle with the concept of "fundraising."  Perhaps that sounds ironic, coming from a missionary pastor who receives money each month by God's grace and the generosity of churches, family, and friends.  Just the idea makes me uncomfortable.  Before I left for the field in Australia, before I knew where or when I would be going, I was connected with Shepherd's Staff Mission Facilitators.  We let people know there was a need through our church with a flier, and if God moved them to give they could support our ministry through sending money to Shepherd's Staff, who provided accountability and would send the money once a month when we were in the field.  Truth be told, I don't fundraise - though I am not against it.  When I was youth pastor, we used to raise money for kids to go to camp who worked car washes, pancake breakfasts, and spaghetti dinners.  I feel most awkward when it comes to raising funds for myself.  I don't want to pressure people to buy something to support me or play upon any obligation they may feel to give when they really don't want to.  What is amazing is there have been people God directed in unique ways to raise funds on our behalf.  Instead of sending out letters asking people to give, I pray that God would faithful provide according to His promise and He keeps moving people to do so.  I don't ask for money, but God moves people to give according to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Let me brag on my God a little bit.  God has always met our needs, and He has used many people to do it.  I remember times when work was slow and odd jobs would come up.  When I first came on staff at a church and took a 45% cut in pay in 2005, there was a real potential we would need to sell our house.  I had already committed to go on an Israel trip when a friend of mine out of the blue gave me a check for $1,000.  I hadn't told anyone but God of our financial needs.  During that season whilst in paid ministry, God provided borders who hired a room and we were able to keep the house until we sold it and moved to Australia.  God's provision has continued to this day.  For over two and a half years, I was prohibited from working for pay in Australia.  That's a bit crazy, seeing as Sydney is one of the most expensive cities to live in the entire world!  The amount received from Shepherd's Staff would rise and fall at the perfect times.  When I visited the States this June, before I arrived God put it on someone's heart to put money in an envelope - not knowing that my ATM card had expired!  That money covered my incidentals for the trip.  God moved family and friends to give money during my two week stay without me even asking.  Last night I praised the LORD for dear friends who gave us money specifically for the purchase of tablets for the boy's school which will be required soon.  When the money received during the trip was added up, we had enough for the expense of the tablets and cases.  God is awesome!

The other day I read in Joshua 5:10-12:  "Now the children of Israel camped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight on the plains of Jericho. ¹¹ And they ate of the produce of the land on the day after the Passover, unleavened bread and parched grain, on the very same day. ¹² Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land; and the children of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate the food of the land of Canaan that year."  God knew exactly the needs of His people.  He provided manna for His people for 40 years, a steady, predictable supply of heavenly bread.  But when He brought His people into the Land of Promise and they ate of the produce of the land, the manna ceased.  I'm sure at times the people lamented the loss of the manna, even as they missed the familiar food of Egypt.  The LORD used this passage to remind me that when He provides a job for Laura or myself outside of the church, it will be time to trust God in thanking people for their generosity and encouraging them to give to others as the Holy Spirit leads.  He's the One who has supplied all our needs, and He will ever be faithful to do so.

Don't allow money to ever become a focal point of your ministry or service unto God.  God knows we need money, housing, clothing, and transport, and He will supply our needs.  Jesus says in Matthew 6:30-34, "Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹ Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' ³² For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."  I want to thank every single person who has offered up prayers on our behalf and has given money to support our family and the ministry in Australia.  You have provided us a glittering testimony of the faithfulness of our God and the generosity of His people.  My God shall supply all our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.  It is a humbling and amazing thing to be a recipient of God's goodness and grace through you.  May God reward you according to the riches of His grace.