Think, People!

On Tuesdays I teach scripture at a local primary public school to a class of year-six students - that's 6th graders, for those reading from the States.  Over the school term we have grown to have more of a routine.  We usually start with a passage from the Bible and spend the last third of our time in workbooks.  In the workbooks there are crossword puzzles, mazes, fill-in-the-blank questions, and the highly-sought after "find-a-word."  There are days where there seems to be a decent level of understanding, and other days the chore of eliciting reasonable responses is like attempting to pull teeth from a toothless baby!  It is a great consolation to me that God's Word never returns void.  I might be a lousy teacher, but the Holy Spirit isn't! :)

Today I asked a couple of questions to the class before opening the scriptures.  It is imperative to connect real life with the things we speak about from the Bible.  I am not interested in merely a transference of knowledge, but to have these young people apply Biblical truth to their own lives.  Today showed me, however, the kids would rather not think.  After labouring through the second question one girl asked, "Can we get started now?"  She wanted to read the Bible passage.  She knew once we read the Bible passage then she can do the fun workbook.  "We started already," I told the class.  "I am here to help you use your brains."  "What's a brain?" a boy in the back drawled out.  This is going to be a good day, I thought to myself.  And by God's grace, it was.  I witnessed my share of offhand remarks and glazed looks, but I trust God used it to make a difference for eternity.

Kids love to learn, but they don't always like to think.  These kids would love for me to do some storytelling, show them pictures of distant places, entertain them with puppets and drama, and let them spend time in their workbooks. They like finding the correct verse in the Bible and reading it out loud for the group.  They are happy for me to do all the thinking and tell them what to do.  But when it comes to these kids actually thinking about what the passage means, I tend to hear a lot of ridiculous statements or pervasive silence.  It seems to me these students have been trained to hear words, and repeat back when asked verbatim.  They are out of their depth to even hazard a guess what the words mean, much less how the truth applies to their personal lives!  It is so important to encourage critical thinking instead of merely conveying information.  Today reminded me how many children remain unreached in Bible classes and Sunday schools.  Don't get me wrong.  Many of these unreached children know a lot of Bible facts - maybe even more than their teachers.  Because they have never been challenged to think critically about what they are hearing, the truth has not actually been applied to their hearts.  Knowledge about the Bible can pass as a cheap substitute for knowledge of God, and this is a tragedy beyond words.

While adequate preparation and an engaging delivery of a lesson is the aim and responsibility of every teacher, no Bible teacher needs fear their efforts are being wasted.  Is not God a Redeemer?  My confidence must not be in my experience, preparation, visual aids, object lessons, or activities:  it must be in the Spirit of God to open the hearts and minds of kids to consider God's infallible truth and how it demands action on their part.  The Bible is not just facts to know but opens our gaze to our loving Creator, pure and holy.  The Bible introduces us to our Saviour Jesus Christ and how we can be born again through faith in Him.  No matter if we teach children or adults, our best will be useless when we step up confident in self.  Days like today remind me I cannot teach anyone anything.  I need God, and He doesn't need me!  Thank God for sending the Holy Spirit who will guide us into all truth!  Thank you for choosing to use this frail, sorry vessel to pour forth your love and light.  Praise God for His wondrous grace!

Content in God

It's been a long week.  My wife and I have been floored with a virus since last Wednesday.  I can't remember if I have ever had a fever for five straight days, and I hope that is the last time!  We were very thankful to have a doctor home visit and have scripts written for both of us for a course of antibiotics.  This is the first time I have missed teaching on a Sunday morning due to illness in almost nine years, which is quite remarkable.  It is not a testimony to my constitution, but to the grace and sustaining power of God.

As bad as it is to be sick and exhausted, Laura and I talked about how gracious God has been to our family since arriving to Australia concerning illness.  When moving to a new country there are many new strains one can be exposed to.  Despite the differences, I believe God protected us and kept us healthy.  This is where some become quite cynical:  "Does God only answer your prayers?  What about the people who have been sick many times?  How about those with cancers and debilitating illnesses who suffer every single day?"  God did not keep our family from illness because of any goodness in us or because we are more "special" than other people.  God gives people good health who don't even believe in Him!  He gives according to His grace.  We have asked Him for good health and God gave it to us.  We have thanked Him profusely.  And guess what?  This past week He said "No" to good health.  I hate being sick and run-down, but if God sees fit to allow me to be sick, then I am content in Him.

God is only good, in total contrast to this fallen world.  He is trustworthy.  My family and I are sheep of His pasture.  Jesus is our Good Shepherd who watches over us, protects us, binds up our wounds, heals our bodies, and brings rest to our souls even when we are sick.  This world cannot offer true rest, healing, and restoration!  There is no peace in the hearts and minds of the cynics who lash out angrily at God only when things go wrong and credit themselves when things go well.  Some are happy enough to forget about "God" until they feel a need to blame someone.  Job asked his wife, "Should we receive good from God and not evil?"  A fair question.  If God is in control and knows what is best, who are we to doubt Him when He allows discomfort and pain?  Never forget He is a Redeemer.

David wrote in Psalm 120:1 after the priests had been slaughtered in cold blood save one:  "In my distress I cried to the LORD, and He heard me."  When I was in agony during these days I have cried out to God in my distress like I have not for a long time.  It was a good reminder that I need to have that sense of urgency to seek God when it is not my body or comfort on the line.  God uses distress and illness even for good concerning those who love God.  What a wonder, to be heard by God!  To be heard is a greater blessing than to be healed!  When bad things happen, how much greater and good is our God!

Levi and Lot's Wife

"After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, "Follow Me." ²⁸ So he left all, rose up, and followed Him."

Luke 5:27-28

Jesus called people to follow Him from many walks of life:  fishermen, a zealot, doctor, and a tax collector.  It is most instructive that in many cases Jesus called people to follow Him when they already had careers and even called them during their work day!  Jesus knew His disciples before He called them, and He no doubt knew their daily routine and working hours.  But He did not wait for a convenient time.  This is always the case when it comes to following Jesus.  Following Jesus means leaving other things behind, and Levi illustrates this well.

What I find most interesting in this passage is the order of verse 28.  Before Levi stood to his feet, he already left all.  His heart was no longer yoked to his career, money, or even his responsibilities before the Roman authorities who had employed him.  Jesus simply said, "Follow me."  A decision was made in Levi's mind in union with his heart that he was going to answer that call immediately.  No discussion, no contract, guarantees, or promises of success or prosperity.  Levi did not wait to answer Christ's invitation after providing a two week notice for his employer, after he asked permission from his boss or family, no half days, no weaning period to build financial support, no training up of a new tax man.  Levi walked away from financial security and his pay for work already performed.  Levi was willing to place his whole life in the hands of Jesus.  He left all, rose up, and followed Jesus.

Now some might wrongly use this passage to accommodate and justify impulsive, fleshly decisions when it comes to life or ministry.  Moved by pride or ambition and not the Holy Spirit, there are some who might be cavalier and flippant because they expect God's approval and nurse a sense of entitlement of subsequent blessings due to their efforts, sacrifice, or service.  The problem is, when our steps are not ordered by faith in God confirmed by His Word, we can be presumptuous and exhibit folly.  Levi had no doubt it was Jesus who called him and was certain the open invitation had been leveled specifically to him.  I have heard it said "The need is the call," but frankly "need" does not necessarily constitute calling.  There is no shortage of need in this fallen world, just like there is no shortage of telemarketers who call my residence asking for help or money.  Jesus says His sheep know His voice and follow Him.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit and the scriptures we can discern God's voice and take the appropriate steps of faith for His glory.  God does not need us, but the wise recognise their need to entrust our lives to Him alone.

One final point concerning verse 28:  the heart departs and the mind agrees before the body moves.  Every single Christian at times and in varying degrees during their walk with Christ will choose to accommodate the flesh rather than walk in faith.  We can make the error of thinking the problem with our wandering feet is constant temptation, the ferocity of Satan's assault on our minds, our past, or weakness.  The problem primarily every time is one of the heart.  James tells us in chapter 1 that when temptation and the lusts of our own heart combine in agreement sin is conceived.  Jesus explained the desire for divorce is primarily indicative of hardness of heart, not irreconcilable differences between you and another person.  Our hearts must be reconciled before God first, and then we are able to deal with conflict biblically, flee from temptation, and resist the devil.

Have you decided to follow Jesus, even when you are on the job, at home, watching TV, or reading the Bible?  Are you willing to leave all so you might rise up and follow Him?  Too many try to rise up and follow Jesus before our hearts and minds and left all.  The result?  We never follow Christ in absolute surrender, joy, victory, and power as He intends - if we ever follow Him at all.  It is hard to keep your eyes fixed upon Jesus when our heart's desire is to remain in Sodom.  Jesus said in Luke 17:32, "Remember Lot's wife."  When it came time for her to flee Sodom's destruction, she left her home and treasured things behind - with a little bit of her heart.  She cast longing eyes towards Sodom and became a pillar of salt, a memorial of death for all who love the things of this world.  To whom Jesus has revealed Himself, the same must be willing to leave all, rise up, and follow Him.  We can't take any part of this world with us, but Christ deserves and desires to be our all in all.  If we seek to save our lives we will lose them, but if we lose all for Christ's sake our lives will be preserved.

Levi chose life.  Are you willing to leave all, rise up, and follow Jesus?  He's calling you right now!

Redeeming the Moments

"Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light." ¹⁵ See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, ¹⁶ redeeming the time, because the days are evil." 

Ephesians 5:14-16

Sleeping is a necessary aspect of life for human beings.  Though some need more sleep than others, physically we all require a regular amount of sleep to function at our best.  Spiritually speaking, those who have been born again through the Gospel need not sleep.  Our bodies need sleep and rest, but we are called to awake to righteousness and sin not (1 Cor. 15:34).  A biblical definition of a fool is one who does not believe God exists or lives in a way that does not acknowledge Him or His wisdom.  A wise man is the one who has heard God's Word and obediently applies it to his life.  A fool - being spiritually insensible and asleep - does not walk with this knowledge of God or His wisdom.  There is a sense of urgency in Paul's words, that Christians not become complacent, careless, or sleepy.  He goes on to say we should not be unwise, but understand what the will of God is (Eph. 5:17).  The implication is knowing God's will should profoundly affect the way we live.

A characteristic of the wise man is one who walks circumspectly and "redeeming the time."  What does it mean, to be redeeming the time?  It is God's will we would be continually redeeming the time He has granted us for His glory.  Our time on earth is limited, and no man knows precisely the time or manner of his own death.  Therefore we are to live earnestly, purposefully, and intentionally according to the wisdom and will of God.  We only have so many years, months, days, hours, and minutes left on this planet to glorify God.  A wise man recognises the brevity of his existence and seeks to make every minute count for eternal purposes.  God has been showing me lately that it is not only the minutes or seconds we must continue to redeem, but the moments.  There are countless moments throughout the day we can be redeeming to glorify God we can easily miss.

In fact, this can be taken even further:  I suggest the ways we handle our "moments" is indicative of the true condition of our hearts before God.  We may have to spend hours in front of the TV before we experience guilt or acknowledge we have "wasted" time.  Yet it is not necessarily the big blocks of time where the real waste happens.  It can be when we are waiting for the kettle to boil, when we are sitting on the toilet, or waiting at a traffic signal.  In those moments, where do you turn to occupy your mind?  Are you redeeming those moments for God, or are you using them for yourself?  During those moments wouldn't it be more profitable rather to be praying, thanking and praising God, reading the Bible, or memorising scripture?  God is challenging me not only to be redeeming hours or minutes but even the moments.  God help me!  When we commit to redeeming our moments before God, the minutes, hours, and days will be redeemed for God's glory.  It reminds me of a maxim attributed to an uncle of mine:  "Take care of those pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves."  If we are careless with our pennies, it will affect the ways our dollars are spent or if we have them at all!

Here is an illustration of the necessity to guard against the little wasters.  Song of Songs 2:15 reads, "Catch us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes."  During the night whilst the farmers slept, foxes would squeeze their way through fences and access grape vines.  Foxes are a relatively small animal and only need a tiny hole to weasel their way in.  Once inside a vineyard, when they fed on the grapes they would also ruin the vines.  When foxes or other animals find a source of good, easily obtained food, one can be certain they will return.  It would be folly for a farmer to shrug his shoulders when he saw evidence of vine damage, ignore the hole in the fence (It's just a small one!), or hope vainly the foxes would not return the next night.  The fact is this:  if we are sleeping during moments we should be redeeming through the day, more and more foxes will be emboldened to come.  It will be only a matter of time before the whole vineyard is spoiled because the little foxes were not trapped and the holes in the fence not repaired.  Life is filled with little foxes - sneaky, subtle, destructive thoughts, motives, activities, and affections - which work to spoil our spiritual vitality and fruitfulness.

So what should we do?  Romans 13:10-14 states, "Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. ¹¹ And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. ¹² The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. ¹³ Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. ¹⁴ But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts."  Instead of making provision for the flesh, we are to put on the LORD Jesus Christ.  It is high time for us to awake out of sleep, for we only have a short time left.  Round up the little foxes without compromise and decide to walk wisely, redeeming even the moments.  In this God will be pleased!