Man can become resentful when his expectations are not met. Even if his expectations are idealistic, unrealistic, or perfectly ridiculous, resentment and bitterness can influence his attitudes, decisions, and interactions with others. I am eternally grateful God is not like that. He does not have "expectations" like a man does because He has perfect knowledge of past, present, and the future. He does not become resentful and withhold good from people because we have disappointed Him. He does not withhold good things from us because we will never use what He gives us perfectly in the future! Again, disappointment comes from my desires remaining unfulfilled in the way or timing I prefer. God is gracious, and He is always good.
A couple years ago I received a freezer from a family who was moving house. It served us very well for a season, and we were recently blessed with a freezer which is bigger and more energy efficient. Putting into practice the principle of "Freely you have received: freely give!" I decided not to sell the freezer but offer it on the kerb for any who had a use for it. We had been blessed by the generosity of others, and I wanted to ensure that the same blessing was available to others. So I defrosted the freezer, wiped it clean, and set it in my yard with a "free" sign.
It was during dinner we began to discuss how long it would take for someone to pick up the freezer. Like someone seeking to find a good home for a pet, I had this idealistic view of someone on our block who really needed a freezer and would be so delighted and blessed to receive it. And then a thought hit me and my wife at the same time: oh no! I hope we won't see the freezer relocated to a front yard down the street! I felt my heart sink. When I accompany my sons to the bus stop, we walk by a front yard that is packed with junk. From the outside, it appears the hoard once contained in the garage has spilled out onto the driveway, is stored in the back of a truck, and spread under tarps in the front yard. There are dented bonnets, greasy radiators, tires, pieces of bikes, countless oily cable harnesses, bits and pieces everywhere. LORD, please help the right person to pick up that freezer, I thought to myself. Just not THAT guy.
The next day I went out to make sure the door of the freezer was open so it wouldn't grow mould. The freezer was gone! I instinctively swung my gaze down the street to see if my prior suspicions were valid. Sure enough, there was my - now his freezer - sitting in the front yard surrounded by stuff, still resting in the handtruck used to cart it to his house. I shrugged my shoulders and walked back inside. Oh well. I was disappointed. I had offered the freezer with the intention of someone actually using it, not taking up space in the front yard. Today I walked by the house again and there was the freezer, moved to another location among the churning piles. I recognised that I did not give that freezer like the gifts God gives men. I gave with expectations. I pray good comes out of that freezer, and whether it is used to store food or dismantled and sold for scrap it will accomplish God's will. God does not give randomly, but purposefully and perfectly.
This presents another point to consider: even as I did not give the freezer to sit idle, unplugged, and growing mould within, so God gives gifts not to add to our collection but so we might use them. Suggested by its very name the "freezer" has been designed for a purpose. It has been designed to use electricity to keep things frozen and preserved. God has given us forgiveness and new life in Him, and those who have received the Gospel through faith are called Christians. We are to love God, love people, and make disciples of Christ. We are to live for Christ. God gives gifts so we might use them for His glory, not hoard the spiritual and physical blessings He gives for ourselves. Instead of building bigger barns, let us give as God has given. The scriptures say God has given us all which pertains to life and godliness. The perfect peace which Jesus has given is complete, lacking nothing. So let us purpose to be generous, godly, peacemakers who forgive others as Christ has forgiven us, without placing expectations on others. God does not give us blessings to reward our performance, but rather out of the storehouses of His grace. Take time to thank Him today for all He has given!
16 October 2013
14 October 2013
The Sunburnt Legs Lesson
Yesterday I rose early and took a two hour drive to Thompsons Creek Dam. It was a learning experience in more ways than one. Since the weather has been so hot of late, I was largely unprepared for the blasting, freezing wind that blew continuously all day. The water was choppy, the fish weren't biting, and I would have paid big money for a beanie! It felt like my ears were going to fall off and my lips were numb. As the clouds dissipated overhead, the sun shone bright and clear. But the wind persisted and we continued to freeze.
After a day of fishing we drove back and parted ways, and I could faintly see the sun and wind had affected the faces of my fellow fisherman. I had come prepared with polarised sunglasses, large hat, windbreakers, and sunscreen. Unfortunately, my sunscreen remained in the bag I carried around! I had been so cold from the wind all day that I never even thought to put on the sunscreen. After removing my boots, I came to the immediate conclusion that I did not only get a little sun - but had received a lot of sun on my legs and face! I had been wearing shorts, and from knee to sockline I had been sunburned. The Australian sun spares no skin, and sunscreen does no good in the bag. Leaving sunscreen in the bag is like going to a lake with a fishing rod but never casting out a lure. And as God has been showing me, this principle applies to our spiritual life as well.
While I fished alone for a while, I spent some time in prayer with God. At the time I didn't have a clear impression of what He was saying so I sang praises to Him. Before bed last night I read in Hosea 10:12: "Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the LORD, till He comes and rains righteousness on you." In the middle of the night I woke up because my legs were burning. When I rose to put some aloe vera gel on them, this verse came back to me in a rush. That was the lesson of the sunburnt legs! God spoke in that moment clearly. The suncream was of no value to me because it remained in my bag, and the same can be said of God's righteousness. Justification and the imputing of Christ's righteousness is not simply a "trump card" to give a man access to heaven, but the righteousness of God is to be sown intentionally by us.
In the world today, many people still rely upon seasonal rain for the success of their crops. God will bring the rain, but we have a role to play. He has provided righteousness through repentance and faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He has given the Holy Spirit to quicken, convict, instruct, guide, and comfort. We must act in faith, purpose, and intent, breaking up the fallow ground of our hearts and sowing for ourselves righteousness. It is time to seek the LORD. Treasure hunters must expend money to buy costly equipment to locate and retrieve valuable treasure, even as a fisherman buys tackle to snare trophy trout. Treasure seeking and fishing often require early mornings, traveling long distances, and a sacrifice of time. We must expend our lives to seek God, living righteously, reaping mercy, and breaking up our fallow ground. What good is righteousness if we choose our own way? What good is a plot of land unless it is cleared, plowed, and planted before the rains come? What good is justification if we will not labour in our sanctification? People will go to great lengths to find hidden gold or catch a fish: how far are you willing to go to know God and live righteously as He reveals Himself to you?
If the sunscreen remains unopened in the bag, it will be of no use to protect our skin from the burning rays of the sun. There are far graver consequences spiritually than temporary skin discomfort if we sow wickedness instead of righteousness. Trusting in our own way rather than God will lead us to certain destruction. We know the means of protecting our skin, but we must individually agree to and put forth the effort to cover all exposed skin. We even need to humble ourselves to ask for help to get those spots we can't reach. In the same way, we must be willing to apply the scriptures to our lives: to our minds and the way we think; to our words and actions; even to our motives and the inmost desires of our hearts. We need the Holy Spirit to aid us, applying God's word effectively to our minds and hearts, in those recesses only He can see and reach. Let us be intentional in the way we live, choosing to heed this exhortation found in Hosea 10:12. It is time to seek the LORD, and He is coming quickly.
After a day of fishing we drove back and parted ways, and I could faintly see the sun and wind had affected the faces of my fellow fisherman. I had come prepared with polarised sunglasses, large hat, windbreakers, and sunscreen. Unfortunately, my sunscreen remained in the bag I carried around! I had been so cold from the wind all day that I never even thought to put on the sunscreen. After removing my boots, I came to the immediate conclusion that I did not only get a little sun - but had received a lot of sun on my legs and face! I had been wearing shorts, and from knee to sockline I had been sunburned. The Australian sun spares no skin, and sunscreen does no good in the bag. Leaving sunscreen in the bag is like going to a lake with a fishing rod but never casting out a lure. And as God has been showing me, this principle applies to our spiritual life as well.
While I fished alone for a while, I spent some time in prayer with God. At the time I didn't have a clear impression of what He was saying so I sang praises to Him. Before bed last night I read in Hosea 10:12: "Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the LORD, till He comes and rains righteousness on you." In the middle of the night I woke up because my legs were burning. When I rose to put some aloe vera gel on them, this verse came back to me in a rush. That was the lesson of the sunburnt legs! God spoke in that moment clearly. The suncream was of no value to me because it remained in my bag, and the same can be said of God's righteousness. Justification and the imputing of Christ's righteousness is not simply a "trump card" to give a man access to heaven, but the righteousness of God is to be sown intentionally by us.
In the world today, many people still rely upon seasonal rain for the success of their crops. God will bring the rain, but we have a role to play. He has provided righteousness through repentance and faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He has given the Holy Spirit to quicken, convict, instruct, guide, and comfort. We must act in faith, purpose, and intent, breaking up the fallow ground of our hearts and sowing for ourselves righteousness. It is time to seek the LORD. Treasure hunters must expend money to buy costly equipment to locate and retrieve valuable treasure, even as a fisherman buys tackle to snare trophy trout. Treasure seeking and fishing often require early mornings, traveling long distances, and a sacrifice of time. We must expend our lives to seek God, living righteously, reaping mercy, and breaking up our fallow ground. What good is righteousness if we choose our own way? What good is a plot of land unless it is cleared, plowed, and planted before the rains come? What good is justification if we will not labour in our sanctification? People will go to great lengths to find hidden gold or catch a fish: how far are you willing to go to know God and live righteously as He reveals Himself to you?
If the sunscreen remains unopened in the bag, it will be of no use to protect our skin from the burning rays of the sun. There are far graver consequences spiritually than temporary skin discomfort if we sow wickedness instead of righteousness. Trusting in our own way rather than God will lead us to certain destruction. We know the means of protecting our skin, but we must individually agree to and put forth the effort to cover all exposed skin. We even need to humble ourselves to ask for help to get those spots we can't reach. In the same way, we must be willing to apply the scriptures to our lives: to our minds and the way we think; to our words and actions; even to our motives and the inmost desires of our hearts. We need the Holy Spirit to aid us, applying God's word effectively to our minds and hearts, in those recesses only He can see and reach. Let us be intentional in the way we live, choosing to heed this exhortation found in Hosea 10:12. It is time to seek the LORD, and He is coming quickly.
10 October 2013
Jesus People
After hearing Greg Laurie endorse a book by Larry Eskridge titled God's Forever Family: The Jesus People Movement in America, I was immediately interested. I "Kindled" the book and I have found it invigorating and thought-provoking. The book chronicles the "Jesus People Movement" in the United States of which Calvary Chapel was a part. I first began attending Calvary Chapel in 1980 as a child and a relationship with Jesus has been a massive, transformative part of my life since. The "counterculture revolution" was a bit before my time, but the Holy Spirit utilised the thirst for enlightenment and truth to direct many hungry, lost souls to the saving knowledge of Christ.
Some of the facets that marked the hippie Christian movement throughout the States was using the book of Acts as a script for daily living. There were people who actually sold their belongings and moved into communes or shared dwellings to have "all things in common." Coffee shops featuring Gospel presentations and Christian rock music popped up across the nation. Runaways, hippies immersed in a hedonistic anti-establishment bent, and all manner of down and out people were evangelised. What struck me as I read these accounts was those sharing Christ did more than give a message. They shared the love of Christ in generous, practical ways. Simple things like the use of a toilet or a shower was extended to homeless hippies. Humble peanut butter sandwiches and coffee were given away for free. Music the culture was familiar with was played accompanied with the message of salvation in Christ alone. The new Christians didn't often have too much, and they were willing to give all they had away for the sake of Jesus.
Now this is where the modern church has diverged greatly. The hippies of those days have cut their hair and moved out of their communes. People have bank accounts, careers, and retirement funds. They have their spouses, 1.9 children, two vehicles, and their holidays planned a year in advance. The story has been repeated again and again: those anti-establishment idealists have become the institution - and it is a far cry from the book of Acts. Some churches even set forth the passage in Acts 2:42-47 as a model for their vision of ministry: "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. 46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." Churches these days have idolised the second part of verse 47 but have neglected the preceding verses! This is not intended to be a formula for church growth, but an example of the outworking of the Holy Spirit to save and enable God's people to live in unity.
So what should we do? Are we to sell all we have and live in communes? No. But for the church to become effective as at the first we must be willing to. We must be willing to quit our careers, move our families, and give generously according to the leading of the Holy Spirit. My observations are not an indictment over a particular fellowship, but the general impression having been in the church for over 30 years. When I read this book it came to me: over time "church" has become more an activity than community. It can be more a hierarchy than a Body. People can attend church because of what they can receive rather than what they can give. Is there a hunger for God at the first or just a desire to further establish our theology? We are full! Yet we are content and discontented at the same time. I can fall into this rut as well. We would love to see changes in theory, but we are unwilling to change. We are unwilling to make the sacrifices necessary to see the fulfillment of Acts 2:42-47 in our churches, families, and communities. There is no place for signs and wonders because we do not expect them, nor do we need them. How much of your life actually necessitates a walk of faith in God? Walking in faith grants us strength from God, but without faith we are weak as any other man.
It would be wrong for us to read of the "Jesus People Movement" and long for those days, just as it is foolish for us to try to create the conditions of the early church so we might duplicate their result. We live in a different culture; it is a new day. Instead of trying to return to a point in time, recreating the past through present efforts, we must return to Jesus Christ, our First Love. The power of Jesus to save remains unabated and the power of the Holy Spirit as fervent and fiery as ever. God has plans for you and your church fellowship in these last days. He will do a new thing if we will return to the old path of faith and complete reliance upon God in all things. Anything short of an all-out commitment will not do. Are you willing to do whatever Christ commands? If God told you to quit your job, sell your house, your two cars, your stuff, and bring your spouse and 1.9 kids along for the ride, would you? What is holding you back? Don't make the mistake of giving God your wretched past and holding onto your future. He has plans for you, to give you a future and a hope. Is that good enough for you? :) God help me: may You be my all in all!
Some of the facets that marked the hippie Christian movement throughout the States was using the book of Acts as a script for daily living. There were people who actually sold their belongings and moved into communes or shared dwellings to have "all things in common." Coffee shops featuring Gospel presentations and Christian rock music popped up across the nation. Runaways, hippies immersed in a hedonistic anti-establishment bent, and all manner of down and out people were evangelised. What struck me as I read these accounts was those sharing Christ did more than give a message. They shared the love of Christ in generous, practical ways. Simple things like the use of a toilet or a shower was extended to homeless hippies. Humble peanut butter sandwiches and coffee were given away for free. Music the culture was familiar with was played accompanied with the message of salvation in Christ alone. The new Christians didn't often have too much, and they were willing to give all they had away for the sake of Jesus.
Now this is where the modern church has diverged greatly. The hippies of those days have cut their hair and moved out of their communes. People have bank accounts, careers, and retirement funds. They have their spouses, 1.9 children, two vehicles, and their holidays planned a year in advance. The story has been repeated again and again: those anti-establishment idealists have become the institution - and it is a far cry from the book of Acts. Some churches even set forth the passage in Acts 2:42-47 as a model for their vision of ministry: "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. 46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." Churches these days have idolised the second part of verse 47 but have neglected the preceding verses! This is not intended to be a formula for church growth, but an example of the outworking of the Holy Spirit to save and enable God's people to live in unity.
So what should we do? Are we to sell all we have and live in communes? No. But for the church to become effective as at the first we must be willing to. We must be willing to quit our careers, move our families, and give generously according to the leading of the Holy Spirit. My observations are not an indictment over a particular fellowship, but the general impression having been in the church for over 30 years. When I read this book it came to me: over time "church" has become more an activity than community. It can be more a hierarchy than a Body. People can attend church because of what they can receive rather than what they can give. Is there a hunger for God at the first or just a desire to further establish our theology? We are full! Yet we are content and discontented at the same time. I can fall into this rut as well. We would love to see changes in theory, but we are unwilling to change. We are unwilling to make the sacrifices necessary to see the fulfillment of Acts 2:42-47 in our churches, families, and communities. There is no place for signs and wonders because we do not expect them, nor do we need them. How much of your life actually necessitates a walk of faith in God? Walking in faith grants us strength from God, but without faith we are weak as any other man.
It would be wrong for us to read of the "Jesus People Movement" and long for those days, just as it is foolish for us to try to create the conditions of the early church so we might duplicate their result. We live in a different culture; it is a new day. Instead of trying to return to a point in time, recreating the past through present efforts, we must return to Jesus Christ, our First Love. The power of Jesus to save remains unabated and the power of the Holy Spirit as fervent and fiery as ever. God has plans for you and your church fellowship in these last days. He will do a new thing if we will return to the old path of faith and complete reliance upon God in all things. Anything short of an all-out commitment will not do. Are you willing to do whatever Christ commands? If God told you to quit your job, sell your house, your two cars, your stuff, and bring your spouse and 1.9 kids along for the ride, would you? What is holding you back? Don't make the mistake of giving God your wretched past and holding onto your future. He has plans for you, to give you a future and a hope. Is that good enough for you? :) God help me: may You be my all in all!
08 October 2013
How God Handles Authority
This morning I was struck by how God's ways are so unlike the ways of man. Give a man a little authority and he will fight to maintain it; God has all authority and He chooses to allow men to do as they choose. He does not force. He warns, but does not threaten. He tells us the certain negative consequences of our rebellion and disobedience, and even allows His own children to wander from the right way.
This facet of God's gracious character is displayed when the children of Israel demanded that Samuel establish a king over them. When the people communicated their desire to be as other nations and have a king to lead them into battle, Samuel was angry. He knew that God was the King of the nation and over all, and this desire to have a king was a grave affront to the grace He had demonstrated. For the Hebrews to say they wanted an earthly king instead of God, it was like a son disowning his own father. Instead of smashing this insurrection with a heavy hand, God chose to give the people their desire. 1 Samuel 8:7-9 reads, "And the LORD said to Samuel, "Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. 8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day--with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods--so they are doing to you also. 9 Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them." God was rejected by His own people, the ones He delivered from slavery in Egypt and brought them victorious into the Promised Land, having established them as a nation. Though He did everything for them, they cast Him carelessly aside.
God did an amazing thing in allowing His people to have a king. Saul started well, but became proud, bloodthirsty, and quite insane. God later established David as king, a man after his own heart. Though the people rejected God by wanting to be like others, God would send a Messiah to redeem all people from their sin through the line of David. This is phenomenal, that God would redeem even the wanderings of His own people to provide salvation through Christ for all! Jesus Christ was rejected by the Jews, even as the Father's rule was rejected by the Jews in Samuel's day. God has even redeemed this as well, for because of the Jew's refusal of Christ as Saviour the Gentiles have been brought into the kingdom of God through the Gospel. In Christ we see that same gentle spirit, meekness, and all authority. The Good Shepherd knows when His sheep wander, and He allows them to do so. In the end His purposes will be obtained, and He receives the glory for it. When we wander, He pursues us to win us back.
In the position of authority God has granted you, do you tend towards domineering? Do you fight and angle for control? When the authority God has given to you is challenged do you become angry and take up the case with God? Or do you threaten, force, or coerce others to fall in line through your own schemes? When the authority of Moses was challenged in Korah's rebellion, he fell on his face before God. God fought for him. When the authority of David was challenged by his own son, he fled the city and trusted God. God delivered him from the sword and established him again upon the throne. When Jesus was betrayed, falsely accused, tortured and murdered - though the Son of God, God-made-flesh with all power and authority from the Father - He allowed the scourge to open His back, the thorns to pierce His brow, and nails to pierce His hands and feet. He said, "Father, forgive them. They know not what they do." Three days after His death Jesus rose to life glorified, having all authority over life, death, and hell. Those who remain in their sins will face the fierceness of God's wrath, but those who heed His warnings and repent, trusting in Christ as Saviour, will be saved.
All on this earth will someday answer to the Ultimate Authority: God. The supernatural way He loves people and compassionately, patiently offers them mercy and grace with forgiveness is the touchstone for how the authority God has granted to us must be exercised. On our own this is impossible, but we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us!
This facet of God's gracious character is displayed when the children of Israel demanded that Samuel establish a king over them. When the people communicated their desire to be as other nations and have a king to lead them into battle, Samuel was angry. He knew that God was the King of the nation and over all, and this desire to have a king was a grave affront to the grace He had demonstrated. For the Hebrews to say they wanted an earthly king instead of God, it was like a son disowning his own father. Instead of smashing this insurrection with a heavy hand, God chose to give the people their desire. 1 Samuel 8:7-9 reads, "And the LORD said to Samuel, "Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. 8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day--with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods--so they are doing to you also. 9 Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them." God was rejected by His own people, the ones He delivered from slavery in Egypt and brought them victorious into the Promised Land, having established them as a nation. Though He did everything for them, they cast Him carelessly aside.
God did an amazing thing in allowing His people to have a king. Saul started well, but became proud, bloodthirsty, and quite insane. God later established David as king, a man after his own heart. Though the people rejected God by wanting to be like others, God would send a Messiah to redeem all people from their sin through the line of David. This is phenomenal, that God would redeem even the wanderings of His own people to provide salvation through Christ for all! Jesus Christ was rejected by the Jews, even as the Father's rule was rejected by the Jews in Samuel's day. God has even redeemed this as well, for because of the Jew's refusal of Christ as Saviour the Gentiles have been brought into the kingdom of God through the Gospel. In Christ we see that same gentle spirit, meekness, and all authority. The Good Shepherd knows when His sheep wander, and He allows them to do so. In the end His purposes will be obtained, and He receives the glory for it. When we wander, He pursues us to win us back.
In the position of authority God has granted you, do you tend towards domineering? Do you fight and angle for control? When the authority God has given to you is challenged do you become angry and take up the case with God? Or do you threaten, force, or coerce others to fall in line through your own schemes? When the authority of Moses was challenged in Korah's rebellion, he fell on his face before God. God fought for him. When the authority of David was challenged by his own son, he fled the city and trusted God. God delivered him from the sword and established him again upon the throne. When Jesus was betrayed, falsely accused, tortured and murdered - though the Son of God, God-made-flesh with all power and authority from the Father - He allowed the scourge to open His back, the thorns to pierce His brow, and nails to pierce His hands and feet. He said, "Father, forgive them. They know not what they do." Three days after His death Jesus rose to life glorified, having all authority over life, death, and hell. Those who remain in their sins will face the fierceness of God's wrath, but those who heed His warnings and repent, trusting in Christ as Saviour, will be saved.
All on this earth will someday answer to the Ultimate Authority: God. The supernatural way He loves people and compassionately, patiently offers them mercy and grace with forgiveness is the touchstone for how the authority God has granted to us must be exercised. On our own this is impossible, but we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us!
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