Don’t Take It So Personally

A few years ago when Joel Osteen wrote his book “Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential” I was more than a little dismayed at his transparently “temporal” and “self-centered” approach to Christian living. I believe the title of Joel’s book gives evidence to a heretical teaching in 21st century “American” Christianity: defining the abundant life as personal happiness on earth. (And just how would that resonate with the Somali woman recently martyred for her faith in Christ?) http://dyingtoliveabundantlife.blogspot.com/2011/01/but-what-price-will-we-pay-to-follow.html

Given that America’s value of individuality and pursuit of happiness is enshrined in the constitution, I am not surprised that the phrase “personal savior” has assumed a place in our Christian terminology. But you will not find this phrase anywhere in Scripture. While I do believe our relationship with Jesus is very personal, it behooves us to examine what we mean by the word “personal.” One of Merriam-Webster’s definitions for “personal” is “something intended for private use or use by one person—something that belongs only to one person.” Like having a private chef!

If we are going to use the word "personal" in relation to our Lord, then let us be careful that we are not, as Paul described, “people [who]are not serving Christ our Lord; [but] serving their own personal interests” for at the end of life on earth, “each of us will have to give a personal account to God” (Ro. 16:18; 14:12 NLT).

Banqueting on the Battlefield

When I grew up, I didn’t learn how to deal with conflict. As a result, like many of the people I’ve counseled over the years, I hated conflict and tried to avoid it. Recently I was reading a commentary on Israel’s conquest of Canaan. The author said “Canaan is characterized by conflict.” Yet Moses had told them they would find rest in Canaan (Deut. 12:10). The “rest” Israel had was not a rest ‘from’ conflict; it was a rest ‘in’ conflict. I believe that's what you call a paradox—conflicting and resting at the same time.

In Psalm 23, David says God prepares a table for me in the presence of my enemies—that is to say, while you are in the middle of your battle, you will find God and be comforted. It’s hard to reconcile the image of soldiers banqueting on the battlefield. They are fighting for their lives! Soldiers just want to be done with the battle and go back home. (Sound familiar?) But David paints a different picture. In the midst of warfare, David finds peace and rest in God, describing it as a banquet.

If you're in the middle of some intense warfare, look for God’s table. It’s right there on the battlefield. When everything is going well, we tend to take God's presence for granted. But when the battle is on, we seek and find His presence. You will find Him sitting at the Banquet table. And there’s a place set for you.

The “Shrinking” of the Church

Last week I read an article by Os Guinness about the “therapeutic revolution” in American. And he made reference to a book called “The Shrinking of America.” Guinness went on to say that the most egregious effect of psychology on the church has been the re-defining of sin.

There is something about our human nature that makes us want to excuse our sin. Sin sounds so old-fashioned—and so harsh. The word “mistake” or "lapse in judgment” is so much easier to swallow.

This also facilitates our being able to explain it away, e.g. the old familiar "everyone else was doing it;" or the fail-safe "I didn't think anyone would get hurt." But the worst kind of sin-excuse is the now-common "it wasn't my fault; I’m a victim.” All this is the result of therapy’s re-designation of sin. But here's the real danger: if there is no sin, then there is no need for salvation. If there are only mistakes, there is only a need to do better. Translated into therapeutic language: your problem is poor self-esteem. But the self-esteem construct denies original sin, saying “there are no bad people; just people who believe bad things about themselves.” Conclusion: we don’t need to be saved; we just need to recover.

Last year, we visited a church that 20 years ago had been a model of expository teaching. But as I perused the bulletin, I was stuck by the fact that where there used to be mid-week Bible Studies, there were now recovery groups and book clubs. Beware! Psychology’s effect on the church is to replace self-denial with self-improvement. Is this not what Paul calls “another gospel?” (Galatians 1:7)

Chaos in Cairo and Mayhem in Madison: Sleep with Your Shoes on!

As I write this today, anarchy stretches its arms across the globe. The citizen uprising in Tunisia last month sparked a fire of discontent in Egypt resulting in the collapse of Hosni Mubarak's government. And now the feared domino effect. But not only in the Middle East. An uprising in China yesterday was quickly put down by local police. And though tame by comparison, the protests in Madison, Wisconsin have surfaced a rebellious American spirit against perceived unfairness, inequity, and injustice—no less real than Egypt’s citizen revolt against tyranny.

Then, a news report came across TV that Christchurch, New Zealand had been hit by a 6.3 earthquake, destroying buildings, infrastructure, and yet unknown numbers of lives. What on earth is happening? I don’t know. But this I do know: even as the kingdoms of this world are being severely shaken (by the hand of men or God) we hold fast to the promise that God has given us a kingdom that is eternal and indestructible (Luke 12): a kingdom of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Ro. 14:7).

But whatever is happening shouldn't surprise us. Jesus spoke of internal anarchies: “a kingdom at war with itself will collapse; a home divided against itself is doomed” (Mar 3:24-25). And Jesus addressed the general deterioration of the world by warning that “nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes” (Matt 24:7). And He also warned: “Be dressed for service and well prepared, as though you were waiting for your master to return” (Luke 12:35-36 NLT). In other words, sleep with your shoes on.

God Doesn’t Screen His Calls

One of my increasingly irritating pet peeves is this: In order to do my business with banks, government agencies or online stores, I must talk to robots. When I had post-op pain last week, I tried to call the advice nurse. I had to sit through several options and sub-options that didn’t address my problem. There was no “if you’re in pain from post-op surgery and would like to talk to a “living” nurse, please press ‘7’.” Instead the robot only allowed me to choose the ambiguous “press 4, for ‘other’.” It’s the same with all business now. I understand it’s just their way of screening calls.

So you’ll appreciate how pleased I was the other day when I called the Napa County Recorder’s office and a “live” person answered the phone. She then transferred me to another “live” person who answered all my questions and then (shock!) asked: “is anything else I can help you with?” It has been a long time since I called an agency where someone actually picked up the phone.

In all of this, I’ve been thinking “Aren’t you glad we don’t have to go through angels or intermediaries to speak with God?” What’s more, aren’t you glad that God doesn’t use something like “caller ID” to screen his calls? Amazingly, the God of the universe answers when you call. “I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God” (Psalm 17:6 NLT).

"FRESH!"

Remember when Michael Jackson sang "You know I'm bad. I'm bad,”—the word “bad” meaning “good.” Now “bad” has been displaced by “fresh.” The Urban dictionary defines “fresh” as something really good and eye-catching—example: "Those are some fresh shoes!" or "That's a fresh car!" or "Man, you're fresh!"

Now hang on. I’m about to make a sharp left turn…

In the early Methodist testimony meetings, John Wesley made it a rule that no one was to give a testimony that was more than one week old. It had to be “fresh.” And anyone who had no story to tell of the Lord's dealings with him during the previous seven days was considered a backslider. Would you and I have to sit silently in one of Wesley’s meetings because we had no “fresh” word?

During their journey in the Wilderness, the Israelites were fed by “fresh” manna every day. If they tried to save the “manna” for the next day, it would spoil. It was only “fresh” [good] for a day. Centuries later, Jesus said He was that bread which had come down from heaven! [By the way, He was born in Bethlehem which is translated “House of Bread!!”) And just like the manna from heaven had to be consumed daily, Jesus taught us to pray “give us this day our daily bread.” All of this begs the question: do we approach God’s Word everyday expecting something “fresh?”

Charlie Sheen tells Lindsay Lohan: “You have ‘Impulse Control’ Issues!”

I don’t know how many of you pay any attention to the celebrity gossip magazines at the grocery check-out stand (or worse, you happen to catch the latest news on TV’s “Entertainment Tonight”). But the latest bit of celeb absurdity is that “Two and a Half Men” star Charlie Sheen (notorious drug and sex addict and alcoholic) is advising Actress Lindsay Lohan (a fellow abuser) to work on her impulse control. (The pinnacle of the absurd: one addict chastising another.) You can tell Charlie has been in therapy by his use of the term impulse control.

Impulse control is the 21st century term for the more time-honored, universal word “self-control.” Mankind has been dealing with ‘impulse control/self-control’ issues from the time he stepped out of Eden. Confucianism taught that self-control would help produce the "superior" man. Hinduism taught that self-control would produce the "realized" man; Buddhism, the "detached" man; New Age, the "happy" man.

Therefore, it is most significant that one of the treasures of our salvation is the gift of self-control. The last of the nine fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5; love being the first: as though Paul were saying self-control is the end-result of love. When you begin with love, you end up with self-control. Someone has said "Love Christ and do what you like; for when you do, then you will like what He likes.” Paul says we should "try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord" (Eph. 5:10). Being in love with Him makes that a lot easier! One final thought: we do not gain Christ through self-control; we gain self-control through Christ.

Take Two Vicodin and Call Me in the Morning

I had surgery last Thursday for hernia repair. No one told me it was going to hurt this much! So for the last 4 days I’ve been finding some relief in vicodin. Every day I call the post-op surgery nurses to ask the simple question: is this [my pain] ‘normal’? Each day they assured me it is, with a polite: “you’ll feel better tomorrow”—the old “take two aspirin and call me in the morning.”

Throughout this ordeal, I’ve been looking for the inevitable spiritual analogy (you know me). As a counselor, I am used to having people tell me they are in pain. I realize I tell them the same thing the nurses have been telling me: your pain is normal. I do not, however, tell them to take two aspirin (or vicodin), nor do I promise they'll feel better tomorrow! I tell them to take in a heavy dose of Jesus.

You see, the problem is not the pain—that is normal. The problem is that in our “pain-aversive” culture, we self-medicate, and ignore the cause. Even as the pharmaceutical industry is flourishing with it promises of relief, we too, metaphorically speaking, have turned to our “drug” of choice.

In writing of the normalcy of pain, the writer of Hebrews shows us a loving Father who is training us to depend on Him alone. “No discipline [literally, child training] is enjoyable while it is happening—it is painful! But afterward there will be a quiet harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way” (12:11 NLT). Likewise, James says “whenever trouble [pain] comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow… and when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything” (James 1:2-4 NLT).

Backseat Drivers

Greyhound Bus Company used to have a slogan "Go Greyhound—and leave the driving to us." Now of course their slogan meant that you could sit back and enjoy having someone else drive. I am quite sure their slogan was not an indirect way of asking you not to interfere with the drivers, as if to say “please leave us alone while we’re driving!”

But a lot of people approach God this way. Instead of being able to relax and enjoy His driving, they become very expert ‘back-seat’ drivers. I think the most annoying thing about a backseat driver is his/her assumption that you, the driver, don’t know what you are doing. How insulting! So why do we presume to tell God how to direct our lives? ‘But I would never do that,’ you say. Well, may I suggest that whenever you complain about one of God's “turns,” you are back-seat driving.

During a time when Israel refused to follow the Lord, the prophet Isaiah spoke for God: “I am patiently waiting for you to return (let me back in the diver's seat), and when you do, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, turn to the right or to the left” (Is. 30:18, 21 author’s translation). They were definitely going the wrong way on a one-way street, and God was trying to turn them around. But they paid no attention; and got into a terrible accident (they drove right into their enemy's camp and were slaughtered!). Maybe God’s word to us is not to unlike the Greyhound Bus Company slogan: “leave the driving to Me.”

“Tear Down this Wall!” Mr. Gorbachev

This week as the Nation celebrated former President Ronald Reagan’s 100th birthday, these now-famous words came to my mind with fresh spiritual insight. “For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups [Jews and Gentiles] into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall” (Ephesians 2:14).

The barrier of the dividing wall is an allusion to the wall that separated the Court of the Gentiles from the Court of the Jews in the temple. But Paul goes on to apply a universal meaning to the “wall” analogy. By His death on the cross, Christ has broken down the wall that separated us from God. It is the “wall of shame” we all have tried, unsuccessfully, to climb on our own. It is the wall that holds us captive from the abundant life just on the other side—a wall of mis-beliefs and outright lies.

Later to the Corinthians, Paul refers again to the “wall” analogy when he challenges them to demolish this fortress made up of arguments and speculations that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and to take captive all these lying thoughts and make them obedient to Christ. (2 Cor. 10:4-5)

The “wall” analogy is as old as Adam and Eve. When Satan succeeded in bringing into question the absolute “truth” of God (Did God say?), the wall was up, and the rest was easy. The challenge of believing God is no less real than it was then. So then, let us “Tear down that wall!”

To Die is Gain

Paul said it: “To die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). And he was speaking literally—not figuratively. Was he morbid? Our Christian Brother Zac Poonen asks: “Did he have an unhealthy fixation with death? Did Paul show a lack of respect for the life God had blessed him with?” And then Zac answers his own question: “Absolutely not! Paul lived life to the fullest. To him, life was a gift, and he had used it well to fight a good fight. He had overcome the fear of the “sting of death” and could now say, “It’s better to die and be with the Lord than to stay in the flesh.”

Why? Because Paul had already died to his attachments on earth. He possessed nothing here, and would receive his heavenly possessions there!

Do we love life on earth so much (all of our possession) that we are conflicted about leaving? Would losing these possessions make dying a great loss? One of the chapters in A.W. Tozer’s book “Pursuit of God” is titled: “The Blessedness of Possessing Nothing.” Just think about it. If you had no attachments on this earth, not only would you be ready to leave in a New York minute, you’d be eager. Having nothing here, you’d have everything to gain. Could that be what Paul meant when he said “to die is gain”?

Drinking from a Fire Hydrant

One of my professors wrote a note on the electronic blackboard this week, saying “By now you may think you are “drinking from a fire hydrant,” referring of course to the volume of reading assigned to us. The “drinking from a fire hydrant” word picture brought to mind my experience in India (so many years ago). Every day the police would uncap a fire hydrant (I never knew why) and immediately hundreds of men, women and children would come running to get a wet, cool break from the sticky 100 degree weather—both drinking and bathing. And, for the homeless, their only bath of the day.

I think our modern American churches foster this “drinking from a fire hydrant” way of thinking, herding the ‘sheep’ into auditoriums where all drink from the same stream. You may recall from an earlier post “Don’t Drink the Water”, January 28, I mentioned that sheep won’t drink from running, but only still water. I wonder if that analogy can be carried over here—that we “sheep” cannot retain much of the water we drink from the hydrant on a Sunday morning service!

I am certainly not condemning the practice of public teaching and worship, but as I sit in our Sunday morning congregational service, I can’t help but wonder how many of the sheep sitting around me on any given Sunday have spent time alone with God, sitting and sipping and taking in their fill of His Word? Or, how many ‘bathed’ from their private well before coming to church?

Exercise Your Heart!

Today my brain hurts from reading so many scholarly books and journal articles for my theology classes. Last week, I read an article about how exercising your brain keeps you young. If I keep this up, I may live forever.

I’ve always known that a seminary is a dangerous place for one's spiritual vitality. The intellectual study of the Bible can dull an otherwise devoted lover of the Living Word. I am convinced that the road to heaven is strewn with those who have fallen by the sword of intellectualism, having ended up spiritually bankrupt because they failed to “watch over their heart with all diligence” (Prov. 4:23).

To the Hebrew reader, the "heart" was considered the seat of the will and thought—but much more than just thoughts and intellect. The heart is the whole "inner-life"—our thought-life, desires, affections, values, motivations, and choices. Emphasizing this, Jesus said: “a good person produces good deeds from a good heart” (Luke 6:45). Therefore, it behooves us to make sure that studying and reflecting on the Word of God has not become just a mental work-out, but a heartfelt discipline of love.

Investing in the Future

I’ve not posted on this blog since last Monday. As you know from my previous postings, I have returned to school (Liberty University Online) to get my Masters in Theology. (I want to be able to teach at a Bible College.) For some of you this may beg the question why someone at retirement age would be going back to school to start a new career. My answer: Is it ever too late to invest in eternity?

Maybe you haven’t thought of it, but every day you are deciding how to invest your life. And whatever you invest in has the promise of a treasure in heaven that is waiting for you—like making deposits to your eternal "bank" account. Jesus said "Don't invest in things on earth where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty, and where thieves break in and steal. Invest in things in heaven, where they will never become moth-eaten or rusty and where they will be safe from thieves” (Mat. 6:19-20, author’s translation!).

As you make important educational, career, and life choices, don’t forget you are making deposits into eternity. You have one life to live. It can only be invested once. “Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? ... Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days” (Is. 55:2; Ecclesiastes 11:1). If you don’t hear from me as often these days, don’t worry—I’m probably at the "bank," making some deposits.