Stacks of Cash

As I walked past this shrine in our hotel, it had me thinking.  The shrine was supplied with fresh fruit, incense, and what caught my eye was stacks of hundred dollar bills - fake ones.  If those bills were real (as someone mused who passed by), they wouldn't remain there for long!  Why sacrifice real dollars for an idol which can't tell the difference?  This is the epitome of utilitarian religion.  Put on a good show and potentially receive a blessing.  If it doesn't pan out, no big loss.  Pretty weird to worship a god you take for a sucker.

It is most fitting fake money would adorn the altar of a false god.  What good is a god who has carved eyes but cannot see, ears but cannot hear, and a mouth which cannot speak?  What purpose does a god serve which cannot move itself but must be carried as dead weight?  Can such a god save?  Can it bless, protect, or provide anything?  I wonder if those who laid the fake Benjamins down ever stopped to think about this:  if a god is not able to tell the real from the fake, how can it know who is responsible for adorning the shrine?

Whilst there can be sinister spirits at work behind such idols, they are all nothing in comparison to the Living God.  The Bible concludes those who make and worship idols are just like them:  powerless.  Psalm 115:1-8 says, "Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but to Your name give glory, because of Your mercy, because of Your truth. ² Why should the Gentiles say, "So where is their God?" ³ But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases. ⁴ Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. ⁵ They have mouths, but they do not speak; eyes they have, but they do not see; ⁶ they have ears, but they do not hear; noses they have, but they do not smell; ⁷ they have hands, but they do not handle; feet they have, but they do not walk; nor do they mutter through their throat. ⁸ Those who make them are like them; so is everyone who trusts in them."

Our God is in heaven and does whatever He wants on the earth, for He created it.  He knows all things!  Jesus answered the thoughts of men and discerned hypocrisy miles away.  Putting stacks of fake silver and gold into the treasure is hypocrisy, and God deserves far better than a superficial show.  May we honour Him, not with tithes and offerings only, but with hearts which truly love and trust Him.  Let us be living sacrifices unto the LORD which is our reasonable service, for He is worthy.  Jesus didn't shed His blood for stacks of cash:  He did so to redeem your soul from death and in so doing demonstrate the love of God for unworthy sinners.  Incredible, right?

Dying to Self

When we met for group devotions the first morning in Cambodia, we were given a sheet titled, "What is Dying to Self?"  I believe it paints very well the picture of what dying to self is, that it is directly connected to attitude.  As much as dying to self is something Christ enables us to do, it is also a godly response when things are done to us or our expectations are not met.  It's not just on short-term trips we must die to self, but to be the hallmark of our lives as we walk in love.  I have typed out the sheet and hope it is useful to you!

WHAT IS DYING TO SELF?

  When you are forgotten or neglected or purposely set at naught, and you don't sting and hurt with the insult or oversight, but your heart is happy being counted worthy for Christ...

THAT IS DYING TO SELF!

When your good is evil spoken of, your wishes are crossed, your advice disregarded, your opinions ridiculed and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart or even defend yourself, but take it all in patient, loving silence...

THAT IS DYING TO SELF!

When you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder, any irregularity, any impunctuality, or any annoyance, when you stand face-to-face with waste, folly, extravagance, spiritual insensibility and endure it as Jesus endured it...

THAT IS DYING TO SELF!

When you are content with any food, any offering, any raiment, any climate, any society, any solitude, any interruption or change of course by the will of God...

THAT IS DYING TO SELF!

When you never care to refer to yourself in conversation or to record your own good works or itch after commendations, when you can truly love to be unknown...

THAT IS DYING TO SELF!

When you see your brother prosper, and have his needs met, and can honestly rejoice with him in spirit and feel no envy, or question God when your own needs are far greater and in desperate circumstances...

THAT IS DYING TO SELF!

When you can receive correction and reproof from one of less stature than yourself, and can humbly submit inwardly, finding no rebellion or resentment rising up within your heart...

THAT IS DYING TO SELF!

Are you dead yet?

The Red Heifer

Knowledge of the future has wide appeal.  This was evident when a work mate of mine who showed virtually no interest in living a godly life shared his fascination with the "red heifer" spoken of in Numbers 19.  I found this most strange.  "You may think I don't know about things like that," he said with a twinkle in his eye.  "I've been reading about it.  You gotta have a red heifer to have worship in the temple in Jerusalem.  They be looking for that heifer!"  I didn't know what to think.  He clearly felt as if he had obtained privileged information and was even smug about it.

He was correct a red heifer is required under the Law, though he didn't say anything about what practical function it served - that the ashes were used for making the water of separation to cleanse people who had come in contact with a dead body.  To him, the discovery of a red heifer was a sign of the culmination of end time events, that when a young cow which met the biblical criteria provided proof the temple in Jerusalem would be rebuilt.  We had many conversations over the years we worked together, but this one had the most impact because it was totally "out of left field."  Common themes of his conversations were about sport, women, shooting pool, his business savvy, and how confident he was.  I saw no evidence of interest in leading a life which honoured God and His Word, yet at the same time he was deeply intrigued concerning finding a red heifer and the fulfillment of prophecy.

The thing I felt tragic about my colleague's perspective is how he believed knowledge indicated faith when it was nothing of the sort.  Knowing about a red heifer and believing people at the Temple Institute were searching for one would not help him be cleansed from his own sin.  It is very fine to find a red heifer, but under the Law only a cleansed and sanctified priest could administer this water of separation on the third and seventh day.  What is the point of having a perfect heifer without a sanctified priest?  Under the Law without the temple, altars, anointing oil, and blood of the sacrifice, this cannot be done.  Thankfully Jesus is for His followers both sacrifice and High Priest, having washed us in His blood through repentance and faith in Him.  The water of separation was for people who had been in contact with the dead, and we who were ourselves dead in sins have been born again by the life of Jesus Christ.

How wonderful it is God has given us minds to think and a conscience which is sensitive to things of God!  I pray my friend and many others like him who are interested in random passages of scripture would take the next step of having their hearts and minds transformed by saving faith in Jesus Christ.  Only when we have the Spirit of God within us can we have understanding and practically apply scripture to our lives and what we see in the world around us.  Seeing a kosher red heifer would be rare and interesting, but wouldn't it be wise to consider the Messiah who is coming to judge the nations?

No Sacrifice Enough

In the Law God made provision if people or the nation sinned unintentionally.  When it came to the attention of the guilty party they were directed to offer sacrifices for the atonement of sin.  I was surprised to read in the passage immediately following there was a situation, however, when no sacrifice was acceptable for sin.  In contrast Numbers 15:30-31 reads, "But the person who does anything presumptuously, whether he is native-born or a stranger, that one brings reproach on the LORD, and he shall be cut off from among his people. ³¹ Because he has despised the word of the LORD, and has broken His commandment, that person shall be completely cut off; his guilt shall be upon him."  The word "presumptuously" conveys the motive of the person who committed the offence before God and could be described as self-exalted, haughty, and wilfully promoting sin.

If it was determined someone knew the Law and flaunted it intentionally, proudly and defiantly in opposition to God's command, there was no sacrifice offered for such a one.  As followers of Jesus today are beneficiaries of all our sins being atoned for by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, this is quite shocking.  In the verses immediately following, there is an account of a man who was seen gathering sticks on the Sabbath day.  Numbers 15:32-36 states, "Now while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. ³³ And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation. ³⁴ They put him under guard, because it had not been explained what should be done to him. ³⁵ Then the LORD said to Moses, "The man must surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp." ³⁶ So, as the LORD commanded Moses, all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died."

It is clear from the context the man was not ignorant of the Law.  Gathering sticks may seem a small offence, but because his heart was defiant and proud before God there was no atoning sacrifice possible for him.  His open rebellion of gathering sticks in violation of the Law was an insurrection God nor man was to overlook.  Here the insidious and destructive nature of sin is played out for all to see:  the wages of sin is death, and for the proud and unrepentant there is no atonement or salvation possible.  Now I do not presume to know the eternal state of this man's soul, for it is possible for those guilty of great crimes to be saved.  God is gracious.  But as a Christian I am reminded of a New Testament passage where this same precept is held forth in Hebrews 10:23-27:  "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, ²⁵ not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. ²⁶ For if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷ but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries."  If we sin wilfully after receiving knowledge of the truth, we can expect to be judged like that proud man who gathered sticks.

Rather than fearing potential judgment, how much better it is to humble ourselves before God in reverent fear!  Those who fear and love God will not fear even death.  We are not worthy for one of our sins to be forgiven by a holy God, yet He purchased our atonement and salvation with the precious blood of Jesus Christ.  If you fear for your salvation because of wilful sin you know, it is high time to repent.  If we are afraid of God's judgment, we should stop living like God's enemies and obey Him as loyal sons and daughters.  To obey God is better than sacrifice, and for those who remain in pride no sacrifice is enough - even the sacrifice of Jesus.