Life in 3-D

Bekah’s Grandpa got her a cool thing for her birthday – a souvenir book from Cars. Of course there are lots of pictures of the cars characters and scenery. My favorite Cars character is probably Mater. I relate to him quite well – we are both a little slow on the uptake, but we mean well and given time we usually git ‘r done!

But the thing I like about this souvenir book the most is the number of 3-D pages. The book came with the glasses and 3-D pages, and they bring the otherwise flat, boring pages to life. I am not sure how 3-D technology works, but it is really cool. However, if we are not careful, we can easily fall victim to a different, and far less entertaining 3-D life. Let me explain.

This bad kind of 3-D life begins with disappointment. Maybe it was a plan that fell through, or a wish that was never granted. Maybe someone let us down or betrayed our trust and friendship. Maybe it is failing health or a seemingly irresolvable quandary. Maybe it was generally just a series of disappointing life circumstances. Whatever the case, if we focus entirely on what is going on around us, we are susceptible to being bitten by the bug of disappointment. All of us from time to time feel disappointment. When things do not turn out the way we expected or hoped we naturally feel disappointment. The danger comes when we obsess on or spend too much time pondering the disappointment.

Obsessive disappointment leads us to the 2^nd of the 3 Ds – discouragement. When we allow the disappointments to fester in our minds and hearts, we can get to the point where we begin to view all of life through a negative lens. We can grow cynical when we are discouraged, we can be reticent to trust others, and we are tempted to not trust God. As disappointments pile up they build a wall of discouragement that can be a major obstacle to our joy.

If left unchecked, discouragement can lead to the most detrimental of the 3 Ds – depression. For the sake of this writing, I am not referring to clinical depression, which can be hastened by discouragement but also involves many emotional and physiological factors as well. No, I am referring to a mild form of depression that often is called “the blues.” This type of depression is a sense that there is no use trying, because we are stuck in a rut of misfortune and it is always going to be this way.

The good news is that regardless of what level you may find yourself at 3-D living, the Bible has a cure/preventative. Look at Hebrews 12:1-3:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne.

Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won't become weary and give up.

Let me suggest to you that 3 “looks” will help us deal with these dastardly 3 Ds. First, look in. In verse 1 we are warned about weights that slow us down – especially sins that easily entangle us. Much of our disappointment can be traced to these two obstacles. First, there is excess weight. This would include (but not limited to) assuming responsibilities not ours to own, taking up offenses for people where we have no business, accepting blame not ours to absorb, or any other number of bad choices . . . not necessarily sinful, mind you, just unwise. We also can face the obstacle of out and out sin that we choose to commit rather than forsake. When we KNOW what we are supposed to do, and do something else, or know that we are not to do something, yet do it anyway, we have to believe there will be consequences. And these consequences can lead us down a 3-D path. So take stock in yourself. Is there known sin you need to confess and forsake? Are you taking on things not yours to own? Have you made some bad choices that you can go back and re-do?

The second helpful look is to look out. No, I don’t mean DUCK! Although when we are inundated with these adverse circumstance, we may feel as though life is taking aim at us. By “look out” I mean look ahead, look to the future. Don’t live in your past all the time . . . GET OVER IT. Verse 2 tells us Jesus endured all of that suffering not because it was fun and enjoyable, but because of “the joy awaiting Him.” Jesus was not seeking immediate gratification. He knew that His suffering would make it possible for you and I to have fellowship with Him and that was worth every ounce of suffering He had to endure. We do well to remember when we are going through difficulties that every ounce of suffering we endure now, molds us, shapes us, forms us, and draws us closer to the Lord. As the psalmist said, “Weeping may endure for the night, but JOY comes in the morning." When faced with difficult circumstances, look for God’s provision, grace, presence, and His lessons in the middle of all of it.

The final helpful look is to look up. At last we are encouraged to consider the one who went before us and remember what He suffered for us. Jesus was our trailblazer – he charted the path for us, which means He has gone ahead and He WILL see us through. Think of the hardship He suffered for you and understand that our suffering identifies us with Him – that puts us in REAL GOOD COMPANY. The best, as a matter of fact. When we allow Him to bring us through the trials and struggles of life, we are able to share with Him and relate to Him on a level that others can’t, because they didn’t go through what we did with Him. Look up, Jesus knows what you are going through, in fact He’s been there, done that! He is will bring you through your trial.

Look in. What do you see? Look out. Where do you see? Look up. Who do you see? At least with His help you won’t be looking through 3-D glasses. It’s all a matter of perspective, which do you choose?

Chitt'lins and the KJV

Something happened to me this week that reinforced for me the benefit of modern translations of Scripture. I was reading along in the old KJV in one of my favorite books of the Bible – Colossians, when I came upon this phrase in chapter 3 verse 12: “Put on, therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies.” Yes, it actually says that. I had visions of chitt’lins pop in my head when I read that. For those of you who are uninitiated in the finer aspects of Southern culture, chitt’lins – or more properly “chitterlings” – are the intestines of a pig that have been cleaned, turned inside out, cooked, and then eaten – by some at least, but not by this southern boy. No way, no how! YUK! I see absolutely no nutritional value and certainly no theological value in eating pig intestines.

So I checked my cross references and found the following interesting entries as well. I will forgo commentary, just suffice it to say, that should the expository preacher, in the KJV only church, happen upon this text, he has a lot of ‘splainin’ to do.

2 Corinthians 6:12 - Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels.

Philippians 1:8 - For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 2:1 - If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,

Philemon 7 - For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.

Philemon12 - Whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels:

Philemon 20 -Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my bowels in the Lord.

Now, please understand, I am not making light of the Word of God. I love God’s Word, I try my best to understand it, live it, and then teach it. So as I read this I immediately saw the need to bridge the gap between the 1611 understanding of this concept and our 21^st century concepts of bowels.

Here is the scoop. In the Greek culture, in which the New Testament was written, the heart was not the romantic seat of affection as we see it today. No they understood such emotions as originating in the visceral regions – the “gut” so to speak. The twin emotions of affection and compassion were emotions that had such a strong influence that one could “feel it in his gut” as we would say today.

Such differing concepts due to time and culture underscore the value in each of us having a good and accurate translation of the Bible that we can understand in our own terms. In fact, when you read any other of the 20^th or 21^st century translations (the New Living Translation being my personal study choice), these “bowel” verses are more understandably and accurately rendered “compassion” or “affection.”

I know some of my “KJV only” friends are going to flame me to death, but let me encourage you to get a Bible translation that you can read and understand. Then read it, learn it, and most importantly . . . LIVE IT. God’s Word is available to us so readily, what a shame that we let our souls starve for lack of feeding on it. There are several good translations out there. Here is a list of a few, but certainly these are not the only ones:

• New King James
  
• New American Standard
• New International Version
  
• New Living Translation
• Contemporary English Version
  
• Holman Christian Standard Bible

Maybe with a more understandable version you can avoid the grave mistake made by a preacher-friend of mine. At the time he was a staunch KJV preacher. He was explaining this very concept that “bowels” referred to compassion. He also mentioned that compassion and pity were different. Pity is just a feeling, you feel sorry for someone. But compassion calls you to action, in fact in the Bible we are challenged to be moved with compassion.

You know where this is going, don’t you? Yes, he told his congregation that they needed to have a bowel movement.

He went out and got an NIV the very next day.

Worthy

Rolex. Mercedes. Hilfiger. Rolls Royce. Saks. Names that conjure up images of dollar signs. These names represent the top of their respective lines. They cost a lot, but the buyer expects a lot in return. Not everyone can afford these brand names, which in turn somehow make them more valuable. Isn’t it amazing that simply attaching a certain name to a product automatically raises its value exponentially? These names and others like them have come to be synonymous with “worth.”

But there is a name worth more than all of these combined – worth infinitely more. That name? Jesus. Just as the above mentioned brands have at least to some degree earned their reputation by providing high quality even at high prices, Jesus has earned every bit of the supreme worth attributed to Him. Consider the following scene from Revelation 5:

Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who was sitting on the throne. There was writing on the inside and the outside of the scroll, and it was sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel, who shouted with a loud voice: "Who is worthy to break the seals on this scroll and open it?" But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll and read it.

Then I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll and read it. But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, "Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David's throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals."

Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered, but it was now standing between the throne and the four living beings and among the twenty-four elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the sevenfold Spirit of God that is sent out into every part of the earth. He stepped forward and took the scroll from the right hand of the one sitting on the throne. And when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God's people. And they sang a new song with these words:

"You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it.

For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God

from every tribe and language and people and nation.

And you have caused them to become

a Kingdom of priests for our God.

And they will reign on the earth."

Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. And they sang in a mighty chorus:

"Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered—

to receive power and riches

and wisdom and strength

and honor and glory and blessing."

And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang:

"Blessing and honor and glory and power

belong to the one sitting on the throne

and to the Lamb forever and ever."

And the four living beings said, "Amen!" And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb.

Perhaps most of us will never be able to afford the Rolexes, Mercedeses, Hilfigers, etc. One true fact is that ALL of will NEVER be able to afford what Jesus did for us that makes Him so worthy. We will never be able to afford the privilege of His death forgiving our sins.

But the good news? We don’t have to afford it. It is HIS free gift to us, to all who will believe in Him and trust Him. What do I want you to do with this simple blog entry today? Just stop what you are doing for 5 minutes and try this little exercise . . .

1. Take out a sheet of paper and draw a line down the center from top to bottom.

2. In the left hand column, list those things (things not people) – those tangible possessions – that are of value to you. Those things that you insure, lock up in a safe, work to protect, things that are of the most monetary value to you.

3. In the right hand column simply write: Jesus

4. Total the value of each column.

5. Which column is worth more?

Now, take just a moment to worship Jesus. You see, that is what worship is “WORTH-ship” . . . ascribing value and worth to things in your life. Your worksheet has already helped you determine what is of most value and worth . . . and you didn’t even have to pay one dime for it. It is FREE.

In know this is probably my longest blog ever, but I can’t help but once again ending with a song. This one was written years ago by Bill and Gloria Gaither, but included on the Gaither Vocal Band’s CD Give It Away. Let the word’s lead you into a spirit of worship.

Worthy the Lamb

Hear the cries of the shackled from the onset of time

From the chains of defeat there’s no key

See the tears of the broken, the cries of the slave

Is there no one worthy to set us free?

Then the crying is stilled as the chorus rings out

The shackled released from their chains

And thousands of voices are swelling the song

Worthy the Lamb that was slain

Chorus:

Worthy, worthy, worthy the Lamb that was slain

Worthy, worthy, worthy the Lamb that was slain

Then all the archangels and the saints of all time

Holding their crowns in their hands

Fall down before Him joining the song

Worthy, worthy the Lamb!

Chorus:

Worthy, worthy, worthy the Lamb that was slain

Worthy, worthy, worthy the Lamb that was slain

Praise Him, praise Him, praise the Lamb that was slain.

Praise Him, praise Him, praise the Lamb that was slain.

Praise the Lamb that was slain.

Written by Bill and Gloria Gaither © 1974 Gaither Music Company / ASCAP All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Praise His Name

Andrea and Bekah were outside playing, I was inside cooking dinner. It had been a particularly challenging week and several things were weighing heavily on my mind and heart. Nothing huge, mind you, just a lot of little things had piled up on me. As I cooked dinner, I turned the TV on to my usual Saturday evening fare – I found a Gaither Video show. This particular one was The Best of Jeff and Sheri Easter. Jeff and Sheri are two of the nicest and most genuine people I have met. When Sheri sings a ballad, her sincerity is so transparent.

I watched the show between kitchen duties, enjoying especially the interview segments, when all of a sudden the song started playing and I was riveted. I had heard it several times; we have it on the Miles and Milestones CD. But this time God used Sheri and that song to minister to me when I really needed it. The song, written by Bruce Haynes and Lee Hendrix, is titled “Praise His Name.” Read the words carefully and slowly, and let their reality sink in.

Praise His Name
Words and Music by Bruce Haynes & Lee Hendrix

When you're up against the wall and your mountain seems so tall
And you realize that life's not always fair
You can run away and hide, let the old man decide
Or you can change your circumstances with a prayer

When everything falls apart, praise His name
When you have a broken heart raise your hands and say
"Lord, You're all I need, You're everything to me"
And He'll take the pain away
When it seems you're all alone, praise His name
When you feel you can't go on just raise your hands and say
"Greater is He, that is within me" You can praise the hurt away
If you'll just praise His name

You can overcome by the blood of The Lamb
And by the word of your testimony
You'll see the darkness go
As your faith begins to grow
You're not alone, so how can you be lonely?

When everything falls apart, praise His name
When you have a broken heart just raise your hands and say
"Lord, You're all I need, You're everything to me"
And He'll take the pain away
When it seems you're all alone, praise His name
When you feel you can't go on, raise your hands and say
"Greater is He, that is within me" You can praise the hurt away
"Greater is He, that is within me" You can praise the hurt away
If you'll just praise His name

1999 Haynesongs and Willow Branch Publishing (BMI).
All rights reserved. Used by permission.

I didn’t see the rest of the show, I turned the TV off and physically went back to the kitchen, but mentally, emotionally, and most importantly spiritually, I pondered the song. I thought immediately of Jehosophat and his battle with the “axis of evil” of his day – Moab, Ammon, and the dreaded Syrian empire. They united and came after Jerusalem. You can read about this in 2 Chronicles 20.

Of course Jehosophat was a little nervous, but he turned to God in prayer. God reassured Jehosophat that this battle was not his to fight. No, rather, God would be fighting for him. They army of Judah still had to go out as always, but they need not fear, God would do battle for them.

As they faced their enemies, the army did something strange by military strategic standards. They did not draw their weapons, but rather they began singing a praise song. Right there in plain sight of the Moabite, Ammonites, and those dreaded Syrians they began praise and worship. And guess what . . . it was 7/11 music. Yes it was a very short praise song repeated often:

“Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever.”

Actually I guess it was 8/11 music! But whatever the case, check out what happened when they praised God:

Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.

In fact, as you read the story, you find that the enemies turned and started fighting each other until they had all total annihilated each other. When the army of Judah got to them, there was nothing but dead bodies lying all over the place. God had brought them victory in exchange for their praises.

You see, it is easy for me to sit at a computer, write a blog entry about what is going on in my life and never stop to think that some of you may be going through your own set of trials and you may be facing your own personal Ammonites, Moabites, and Syrians. Thanks to Jehosophat, and thanks to Sheri and that wonderful song, I have new strategy. When I feel overwhelmed or when I get a little fearful of the battle, when the trials and struggles start to pile up and they occlude my vision of tomorrow . . . I will look UP. I will do what Jehosophat’s army did. Rather than look at my battle or my circumstance, I will instead focus on God and His mercy, love, and faithfulness to me. I will choose to turn my battles over to Him and spend my time and energy in praise to the One who gives me the victory.

I encourage you to do the same. Stop looking at the barriers, the obstacles, the trials, the circumstances. Instead, look up to the One who fights the battle for you. THE BATTLE IS THE LORD’S. Every foe He has ALREADY defeated. He holds our tomorrow, He fashions our future, He is faithful, He is our victory. So do not bemoan your battle, but sing praises to your Savior.

P.S. Thanks, Missy!

What Have We Done?

When the music fades and all has slipped away
And I simply come.
Longing just to bring something that’s of worth
That will bless Your heart.

I'll bring You more than a song,
For a song in itself is not what You have required.
You search much deeper within, through the way things appear,
You’re looking into my heart.

I'm coming back to the heart of worship and its all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus.
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it when its all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus.

King of endless worth, no one could express how much You deserve.
Though I'm weak and poor, all I have is Yours, every single breath!

I'll bring You more than a song,
For a song in itself is not what You have required.
You search much deeper within, through the way things appear,
You’re looking into my heart.

I'm coming back to the heart of worship and its all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus.
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it when its all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus.

Those are the lyrics to one of the most powerful songs ever written. The implications and applications to my life are immeasurable. The title is The Heart of Worship by Matt Redman. The story behind the song is quite incredible and it is definitely on of those “God things.” You can read about it here: http://www.crosswalk.com/faith/worship_center/1253122.html.

The point of the song while simple is a most profound truth and one of which we all need to be reminded. You see, today, I am extremely heart-broken. And I have been for a while now. What I have seen in the 21^st century American Christian experience has driven me to me knees. Here is my observation:

We have made our Christian experience about everything EXCEPT Jesus.

Personally, we pursue what Jesus can do for us – blessings, riches, healing, provision, etc. – rather than what we can do for Him. The Christian experience has become more about “what’s in it for me.” I hear and hear about people who say things like, “I am not getting fed,” “I don’t like that kind of music, it’s not for me,” “I just don’t feel at home here” – as if it is about us anyway.

America, champion of free enterprise, is a Consumer Nation. Our country’s economy, our jobs, our lives are all regulated by what people want, what they will buy, and how much they will spend. While I firmly believe with all my heart that the free enterprise system is the best way to live as far as economics are concerned, I am saddened at the effect that system has had on the Christian experience. We are not Consumer Christians rather than Investor Christians.

We want to get rather than give. In fact, even our giving is done so that we can get. Many people give because they have been told that God is obligate to make their “seed” grow and that He is obligated to multiply their gift 100 fold. Imagine that . . . a Creator obligate to His creation. Still others give in order to instill in themselves a sense of accomplishment or the feeling that they have done a good deed. In their “doing good” they get a false sense of satisfaction about their lives. They DID something good so they must BE someone good. If I am not mistaken, that very attitude is what set Jesus off on a tirade against the religious establishment of His day – the Pharisees. He called them “white-washed tombs” because they did good things outwardly for people to see, but their hearts were selfish, evil, and bent away from God.

And we also have sullied our church experience with this selfish consumerism as well. We have made church out to be more about what kinds of songs we sing, what we wear, where our class is located, and such as that. We think that our church should cater to our wants and wishes, and that if we don’t like it then it is taboo. No longer is Jesus the head of the church, we now have a multi-headed leader . . . the majority vote. It has become more about pleasing the people already in the “fold” (whether or not they truly are will only be revealed when the Good Shepherd separates the sheep from the goats) than introducing Jesus to those outside our four walls. We get all riled up over the pettiest of things, yet we do not see to care that people around us are on the fast track for hell. We’ve got our “fire insurance” let them get their own!

What is the solution? Surprisingly, I think the solution is as simple as the truth it seeks to instill. I think it is as simple asking ourselves one simple question – and of course, answering it honestly – before we do ANYTHING. The question is, “What does this have to do with Jesus?” But you may say, “Oh, Peppered Preacher, the capsaicin has finally damaged your brain. We cannot realistically attach Jesus to everything we do.” Hmm. Consider the following two verses:

Colossians 1:18: He [Jesus] is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead so that He might come to have first place in everything. (emphasis added)

Colossians 3:17: And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. (again, emphasis added by me)

Just honestly answering that question - What does this have to do with Jesus? – refocuses us in the direction we should be focused. If we find ourselves rationalizing an answer, or coming up with no honest answer at all, or honestly answering “nothing,” then maybe we need to reconsider that action, attitude, or aspiration. Will you pray with me the following prayer?

Great Father, you have blessed me with Your Son, my Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Forgive me for making other things more important in my live. Forgive me for offering lip service, at best. Break my hears and refocus my attention on Jesus in Whom I live, and move, and have my being. Help me, dear God, to let Jesus have first place IN everything I do. Help me not to make my life, my church, my family, or anything else for that matter, about ME, but about JESUS. In Whose name I am making this earnest plea . . . Amen.

I don’t know about you, but as for me . . .

I'm coming back to the heart of worship and its all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus.
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it when its all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus.

You and Dow Jones

I have never fully understood the stock market. I mean I get the gist of it, Dow Jones up is a good thing, down is a bad thing. What makes it go up and down – I have no clue. I don't even have any idea who Dow Jones is and why he HAS an index.

I am not a good invester. I do not know how to make what little money I have grow like some people can make their money grow. But I do try and yield a good return on the life God has entrusted to me. Dow Jones or not, I want to know when it is all said and done that I have been a good investment in God’s book.

Jesus told a parable that challenges our investment of the life He gives us. We find it in Matthew 25:14-30. Let’s consider the story. First, we find that a master was going away on a journey to a far country. He called together his servants and distributed to them his goods (vs. 14). So off the bat we see this is a parable about ownership and stewardship. The master owned the property and the servants were given the responsibility AND privilege of managing it.

The master gave each servant what he knew each one could manage and grow. The context of the remaining part of the story implies that the master’s expectation was for them to manage it as he would and see to it that the value grew. One servant got 5 shares, another 2, and the third 1. Then he went away on his trip.

The first two managed the assets well, and when the master returned from the trip they had doubled what he gave them. The third servant hid the money – he played it safe - and then when the master returned he brought back exactly what he had been given. No doubt, he expected praise from the master. He was conservative, he was careful, he didn’t want to lose anything. But instead, he was met with rebuke. The master expected growth.

Now what characteristics were present in the servants who were successful that set them apart from the one who failed?

1. They were PROACTIVE. As soon as they received their portion of the master’s goods, they immediately began to “work” it. Two words describe their work: went and traded. The fact that they “went” says a lot. They didn’t sit and wait for profits to come to them, they immediately went out into the marketplace where results were to be found.

2. They were BOLD. They were not afraid to risk. The fact that they “traded” with the master’s goods shows us that they were willing to risk losing in order to get a gain. I imagine that trading then was similar to trading now in that sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but real success is found in learning how to win more times that you lose. But without risk comes no gain.

3. They were PRODUCTIVE. The master called them “good and faithful” servants. The word used here for good means not only good in quality, character, and nature, but also good and beneficial. Good to accomplish a purpose. Not only good in property, but good in practicality. They added value to the master in that they increased his holdings.

4. They were CONSISTENT. By “faithful” the master meant he knew he could count on them day in and day out. They did not run hot and cold, some days willing to serve, others more interested in their own self interest. They always had the masters interest at heart.

So what about this slave that played it safe? What characteristics notorized him? We get a good clue about that from his excuses.

1. IGNORANCE. And I mean this in the literal sense of the word. He had not taken the time to get to know his master. He based is actions on what he thought his master was like instead. He told his master that he thought him to be a “hard man” who found ways to gain in areas where he had not previously worked. When the master rebuked him he did not agree with the slave’s assessment that he was a “hard man.” The slave drew some wrong conclusions because he based his actions on his own understanding.

2. FEAR. The slave was so afraid of losing something that he failed to risk gaining something. He just knew that he would not be able to return a profit. You know what is interesting about all this? HE NEVER TOLD ANY OF THE SLAVE THEY HAD TO MAKE A PROFIT. In fact, we can gather from the master’s conference with the slaves when he returned that all he wanted them to do was TRY. He just wanted to see some initiative, some investment in his stuff. This sorry slave let fear of losing keep him from gaining at all. Indeed nothing ventured is nothing gained.

3. SELFISHNESS. All the slave could think about was his own self. The master described him not as “good and faithful” but by contrast “wicked and lazy.” He was not productive (good) and not dependable (faithful) but rather useless (wicked) and undependable (lazy). He wanted nothing more than to return the master’s money without incurring any cost to himself. It was all about him . . . what he thought about the master, what he did with the master’s investment in him, and what this exercise might cost him personally – how much would come out of his pocket if he lost it. In fact, it was as if he thought that ALL of the master’s money had been entrusted to him and that if he spent any of it, it would be gone and the master would be broke.

So, where do YOU fit in? Content to sit on what God has given you? Not willing to risk anything, but satisfied returning to God only what was entrusted to you – no more? We want no pain, so we are content with no gain.

How can we get out of this cycle?

1. Confession. We must admit to God that we have been like this servant – rather than “good and faithful” we have been “wicked and lazy.” Admit our selfishness and ask God to change our hearts to long to please Him.

2. Action. To grow personally or as a church requires effort. We cannot sit around and wait for someone else to volunteer. We need to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem. The attitude that says “I’ve done my share, it’s time for someone else to do it now” will not cut it.

3. Boldness. We have to exercise our faith to the point that we are willing to risk, take chances, for the Kingdom of God. We need to be willing to move out of our comfort zones and put aside what we want, what we like, what pleases us, and sacrifice so that others are brought to the Master. We must be willing to lose if we ever expect to gain.

4. Dependability. We need to be in our place, at our spot, present and prepared to do our part. Day in and day out we need to consistently be ready to step up to the plate and take a swing. We cannot be available only when it is convenient, only when we feel like it, or only when there is not something else we would rather be doing.

So what do you want Jesus to call you when it is all said and done . . .

Good and faithful servant, or

Wicked and lazy slave?

The choice is no one’s but YOURS.

A Walk Through the Cow Pasture

I guess it comes from spending a significant amount of time walking around in chicken coups, hog pens, and cow pastures. Then again there is also the fact that growing up, I always had a dog around. Whatever the reason, I usually walk with my head down, watching where I step. Nothing is quite as gross as stepping in the slippery, stinky, gooey pile of “animal exhaust.” I learned early in life to “watch your step.” It is almost impossible to get all of that mess out from between all the grooves in the treads of your shoes. It is much easier to watch where you are going than to deal with the consequences of a misstep.

Our memory verse for this week applies that same principle to our lives in a spiritual application:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight. – Proverbs 3:5-6

Why do we mess up our lives? Why do we make bad decisions? Why do we so often seem to wind up on the wrong road, or at least off of the beaten path? Why do we wake up some days and feel distant from God, only to find it is we who have drifted away from Him and not vice-versa?

Solomon gives us some wise council that will help us navigate life more safely and enjoyably. First, he reminds us to trust in the Lord with all our hearts.

Trust is an important issue. God is at work in our lives to accomplish His purpose and fill us with His joy. Yet, sometimes that process involves circumstances that are unfamiliar, uncomfortable, and down right scary. But we MUST remember that God is in control. When the Bible speaks of our “heart” it neither refers to the organ that pumps blood through our bodies nor the romantic seat of our affections. No, the Biblical concept of heart goes far beyond those ideas; it refers to the total “inner self” – all of us that is not body, the real us. It encompasses our feelings, thoughts, will, dreams, aspirations, motivations. It is the sum total of the immaterial us. And it is with that TOTAL BEING (“all your heart”) that Solomon challenges us to trust God. We grow spiritually as we trust God with more and more of who we are until we get to the point where we trust Him with every fiber of our being.

Then Solomon reminds us lean not on our own understanding.

We are amazingly complex creatures. For the most part we have incredible faculties for gathering and processing information. We have an amazing capacity for deductive reasoning. We are able to “figure out” many things. However, when it comes to life, one key component is missing in the quest for making sense of life and making the wisest decision. We cannot see or know perfectly. We indeed have that abilities to comprehend our circumstances, but we are limited to receiving information only through five senses. In other words we can only KNOW what we see, hear, touch, taste, and smell. And we honestly cannot even be sure that we are accurately analyzing what we are getting through those five senses. Our eyes and ears play tricks on us. Sometimes we see things or hear things. Our other senses can be fooled as well. While the fact remains that we are quite the intelligent creatures, we are FALLIBLE. We make mistakes. There is that phrase that none of us like to hear – “human error.” Of course that always applies to some other sap, never to ME. Yeah, right! Time for a big bite of reality sandwich.

Yet it never cease to amaze me that we, being the spiritual creatures that we are, think that we can make decisions about life based on our own information gather and processing abilities. We admit we are mistake-prone but yet we INSIST that our opinion is the RIGHT ONE. How hypocritical can we be? It we want to watch where we step, we need to remember that we ABSOLUTELY CANNOT TRUST our own understanding of things.

Which leads us to Solomon’s final challenge in all our ways acknowledge Him.

In doing this, we take the time to view every decision we are called on to make in light of what God may be doing in the process. We take the time to pray and ask God for wisdom. He loves to give it, just read James 1:5-8. We acknowledge that as Christians EVERYTHING we do has a spiritual element to it. We recognize that everything that happens to us is an opportunity for the glory of God to shine through. We look for ways to use our daily lives as a testimony for God. We step a lot more carefully when we recognize that HE will lead our path if we let Him. We stumble less – in fact we will not stumble at all – of we listen to what God is saying to us rather than marching forward in our own understanding.

So, have you really “stepped in it” this time? Do you find yourself wading knee-deep in it because you got off course? God’s grace can pick you up and put you back where you belong. Confess your sin to Him, admit to Him that you have strayed from His course for your life. Then, begin to live the rest of your life totally trusting God and His ways. Sure beats cleaning up after stepping all in it!

Pleasing Daddy

Nothing stirs the heart of father more than a smile of joy and satisfaction on the face of his child. Words cannot describe how I feel when I see my little girl light up with a smile because daddy is home. I have come to recognize in four short years of fatherhood that a child loves to please his or her parents. Of course they grow out of that, and soon. Already Bekah shows signs of the struggle between what she wants to do and what pleases her versus what makes Mom and Dad happy with her.

We go to great lengths to reassure her that even though we may at times be disappointed and saddened by certain behavior, she is loved, accepted, and affirmed – unconditionally. Even still I love that my little girl wants to show me the picture she drew, or the work she did around the house, or whatever it is she is proud of that she wants to share with me. I love that my approval still means something to her. I know that will not always be the case, or should it. I want her to grow up to be a confident young woman who is comfortable in her own skin and competent to meet the challenges of life. I want to raise her to trust God to council and guide her. In fact I really want her to learn the lesson that she teaches me indirectly everyday. We get our most joy and satisfaction in life when our Father is pleased with us. Not our earthly one, mind you, but our heavenly one.

In Romans 8:15 and in Galatians 4:6, Paul focuses our attention on the intimate relationship we can have with God through Jesus Christ when he uses the expression “Abba, Father.” The word Abba is Aramaic in its origin and it was a common term of endearment used by small children to refer to their earthly fathers. It is the equivalent of our culture’s use of the term “Daddy.” Of course in their stuffy, legalistic, rigid religious façade, the Jews would never have thought of referring to God on such common terms. This is the same religion that would not even utter the name of God in it’s formal sense, much less a term of endearment such as Abba.

But in the Garden of Gethsemane as Jesus prayed on the night He was taken into custody, He referred to God as Abba. You can read this dramatic prayer in Mark 14:36. In the Romans and Galatians passages, Paul was no doubt reflecting on the pattern that Jesus set for us. In fact in both of those passages Paul refers to our position with Christ – joint-heirs – as he reminds us that just as Jesus shared an intimate familial type relationship with His heavenly we too have the right, the privilege, to cry out to God as our Abba Father, our Daddy.

So the question: who are YOU aiming to please? Is it a parent? A spouse? A child? A friend? A boss? A co-worker? A neighbor or acquaintance you want to impress? Or do you delight in bringing pleasure to your Heavenly Father? Do you live to see Daddy’s smile? I try to remind myself often of Paul’s claim in 2 Corinthians 5:6-9:

So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by believing and not by seeing. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.

Don’t get me wrong, I want people to be happy with me - especially my wife and daughter. But ultimately the one whose judgment really matters is God. It is before His judgment seat I will stand. His proclamation is the one I want to hear: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

God is not hard to please; in fact He spelled out the requirements quite plainly for us:

Hebrews 11:6 - And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him.

What pleases God is a life lived as a constant quest to seek Him and His presence in our lives. God is pleased when He becomes the passionate pursuit of our lives. We do this by learning to see His existence and His presence in the everyday affairs of our lives. We please God by trusting Him to the point that we live out a radical, risk-taking obedience – with our actions, yes, but also with our attitudes and affections.

Bekah is most pleased when she sees that daddy is pleased with her. Thank you, darling, for teaching me such a profound spiritual lesson. I am most gratified when I know that I am connected to, obedient to, and pleasing to my Daddy in heaven.

The Incredible Shrinking Man

There is now less of me. I stepped on some scales this weekend . . . and boy was I surprised! Good surprised that is. Saturday morning I weighed in at 193 lbs. That’s pounds not kilos. To put that in perspective, I think the last time I weighed near 200 lbs was in college, and I graduated in 1987. Since that time the 200 lbs. mark has been a distant memory – with the exception of about 6 months early in 2002 when I was working out in the gym 5 days a week. At that time the lowest I ever got was 198 lbs. Since college I have mostly been in the 220 – 230 range. I started noticing weight loss a little earlier this year. My pants got a little baggy and I had a hard time keeping them pulled up. I finally had to go out and buy several pair in a smaller size. And yahoo!!! They are a little baggy now too! But 193 surprised me.

Truth be told, though, there needs to be even less of me. Not my weight mind you, but in my actions, attitudes, affections. Our memory verse today is a very simple one and provides the basis for my observation:

“He must increase, but I must decrease.” – John 3:30

In this verse John the Baptist is speaking about Jesus. Up to this point John’s ministry has been about preparing people to hear about and receive the Messiah. Now, Jesus had begun His public ministry. John had attracted quite a following and now Jesus was beginning to amass an even larger crowd. John’s disciples were beginning to feel a little threatened by this new ministry which was on the rise. But John had spent his entire ministry preparing for this time, and reminded his followers that now was the time for all of them to become Jesus’ followers. After all, it wasn’t about John, it was about Jesus.

I am still struggling to remind myself of that truth as well. It is not about Jim, it is about Jesus. If I am not careful I fall into the me-pit. I begin to view my life as if I am the central point.

I make sure I get what I want.

I expect others to do it the way I think is best.

I expect my opinion to be heard.

If I don’t like it, it must be wrong.

These attitudes, and all other selfish thoughts are as dangerous to the spiritual heart as cholesterol, triglycerides, and trans fats are to the physical heart. They weigh us down with excess spiritual fat and jeopardize our health. They keep us from functioning as efficiently as God intends. And it seems we cannot get enough . . . we crave these harmful attitudes just as much as our bodies crave those foods that are most unhealthy for us.

When we turn our attention inward we are blinded to the spiritual reality that Jesus is Lord of all and that He alone is worthy of all praise, honor, and glory. The fact remains we cannot look inward and upward at the same time. How about your heart? Around whom does your life revolve? Have you gotten spiritually fat and out shape from overindulgence in selfish pursuits and perspectives? Is it time for you to decrease so that Jesus can increase in His influence in your life?

Oh, and if you think this article is about you? It is.