August 25, 1998
The first Ford cars had Dodge engines. Sorry, Ford fans, we all have to adjust to a reality at some time or another. Occasionally the opposition becomes an ally and sometimes our allies oppose us. Consider how it happens in sports. Wayne Gretsky, the ally, moved to Los Angeles and then New York. He became the opposition. We lost other stars and it seems unfair that our winners now defeat us.
In the spiritual realm, those who appear to oppose us sometimes wind up on our team. It happened to a man named Saul, who persecuted Christians. After God confronted him, Saul became Paul and one of the greatest Christian leaders in history.
Remember the Galloping Gourmet? A friend of mine tells me her father forbid her from watching his television show because he was a drunk and a bad influence. She says, “So I decided to pray that he become a Christian.” And he did! What was once a bad influence for her is now a good influence for everyone.
God is full of surprises. My oldest son once worked as an usher in a theater in California. A young television star came in and was creating a disturbance. My son said to him, “You are just as mouthy in real life as you are on your TV show.” A few weeks ago, I found a newspaper article about this same fellow. He is now a Christian preacher, serving the Lord with his mouth.
People are not the only opposition that can become an ally. I often write about how God “works all things together for the good of those who love Him.” Joseph is an Old Testament example. His brothers hated him, threw him into a pit then sold him as a slave.
Joseph wound up in Egypt, spent some time in jail for something he did not do, but eventually became a leader in that country. When a severe famine hit, he was instrumental in saving thousands of lives, including that of his entire family, even the brothers who tried to ruin him. He said to them, “You intended it for evil, but God used it for good.”
Only God can effectively turn evil around and use it for good. If we do something wrong and think we can make it okay, we only compound the problem. President Clinton is an example of that. He sinned against his wife, his family, other people, even a nation that trusted him, then tried to make it okay by “misleading” people. What good came out of that?
Old Testament king David did the same thing. He sinned with another woman, had her husband murdered, and tried to cover up the entire debacle. When God’s prophet Nathan confronted him (a biblical version of prosecuting attorney Starr?), David confessed that he had done wrong but his confession had a different ring to it than the one we heard from the U.S. president. It is found in Psalm 51 and includes these words: “Against you (God), you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. . . . Surely you desire truth in the inner parts ; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place. . . . Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. . . . Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. . . .”
God did restore David. He even brought good from that sinful relationship. David married this woman and a child was born. From this child, another and another until eventually two people in the line of David became the parents of Jesus Christ.
Never underestimate the power of God. He may choose to take opposition or even evil and use it for good. We simply need to cooperate, confessing our sins and hopeless inadequacy – and trust Him.
Showing posts with label bad or good. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bad or good. Show all posts
Monday, July 3, 2017
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Woe to those who call good evil and evil good............. Parables 351
January 5, 1993
Apparently there is a very unusual super-sniffer in Mexico who can detect illegal drugs even in passing cars. So far, he is directly responsible for 113 arrests. Authorities say he is never wrong!
This super-sniffer is a German Shepherd crossbreed. Obviously he is a threat to the profitable life style of illegal drug dealers. They have offered a $25,000 reward to anyone who will kill him.
We have heard that “crime pays” but putting a police dog on a HIT LIST gives a new twist to it. Imagine criminals putting up Wanted-Dead or Alive posters for the good guys; criminals paying criminals to put away law-enforcers. Such cooperation is what we normally expect from the good guys, not the crooks.
Speaking of the good guys, there is a contradictory twist in that camp too. More and more law-makers and law enforcers make news headlines for moving closer to the other side. These days, it is difficult to be certain who is on what side of the law.
Confusing good and bad is not a new thing. The ancient nation of Israel, even though they possessed the Law of God which was intended to help them govern their lives, became confused about good and bad. God said of them, “My people are foolish, They have not known Me. They are silly children, And they have no understanding. They are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge” (Jeremiah 4:22).
In their early days as a nation, the Israelites were governed by kings like David, who was called “a man after God’s own heart” and his son Solomon, who asked God, “Give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil.” Both recognized their inability to judge and govern without God’s help.
Later on, during Jeremiah’s life time, both kings and citizens had turned from God to worship idols. In doing so, they earned the labels “foolish” and “silly children.”
One reason the Israelites were unable to do good was simply because they no longer knew what good meant. In departing from God, who is the source of goodness and all ethical standards, they also turned their backs on the very principles which would have guided them. Furthermore, they placed themselves in danger of divine judgment. God said to them, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil...”
The Word of God calls everyone, including Israel, to a true understanding of goodness, a goodness that can only be found in Him. Jesus said, “There is none good but God...”
Jesus offers hope to those who rely on Him and guidance for personal and national goodness. What a difference it would make if people would live by such commands as, “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good... do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12).
Most people still long for goodness, yet we need to remember where it is found. If any person or nation abandons God and turns away from His Word, they can expect the only consequence possible--moral deterioration. Without God, evil prevails.
Unfortunately, those drug dealers may find and kill that super-sniffer dog, yet the Bible makes it clear that they (and anyone else who calls good evil and evil good) will eventually have to explain their lives to the Ultimate Judge. He has every right to try, convict, and condemn them--and He will do it according to His definition of good and evil.
Apparently there is a very unusual super-sniffer in Mexico who can detect illegal drugs even in passing cars. So far, he is directly responsible for 113 arrests. Authorities say he is never wrong!
This super-sniffer is a German Shepherd crossbreed. Obviously he is a threat to the profitable life style of illegal drug dealers. They have offered a $25,000 reward to anyone who will kill him.
We have heard that “crime pays” but putting a police dog on a HIT LIST gives a new twist to it. Imagine criminals putting up Wanted-Dead or Alive posters for the good guys; criminals paying criminals to put away law-enforcers. Such cooperation is what we normally expect from the good guys, not the crooks.
Speaking of the good guys, there is a contradictory twist in that camp too. More and more law-makers and law enforcers make news headlines for moving closer to the other side. These days, it is difficult to be certain who is on what side of the law.
Confusing good and bad is not a new thing. The ancient nation of Israel, even though they possessed the Law of God which was intended to help them govern their lives, became confused about good and bad. God said of them, “My people are foolish, They have not known Me. They are silly children, And they have no understanding. They are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge” (Jeremiah 4:22).
In their early days as a nation, the Israelites were governed by kings like David, who was called “a man after God’s own heart” and his son Solomon, who asked God, “Give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil.” Both recognized their inability to judge and govern without God’s help.
Later on, during Jeremiah’s life time, both kings and citizens had turned from God to worship idols. In doing so, they earned the labels “foolish” and “silly children.”
One reason the Israelites were unable to do good was simply because they no longer knew what good meant. In departing from God, who is the source of goodness and all ethical standards, they also turned their backs on the very principles which would have guided them. Furthermore, they placed themselves in danger of divine judgment. God said to them, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil...”
The Word of God calls everyone, including Israel, to a true understanding of goodness, a goodness that can only be found in Him. Jesus said, “There is none good but God...”
Jesus offers hope to those who rely on Him and guidance for personal and national goodness. What a difference it would make if people would live by such commands as, “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good... do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12).
Most people still long for goodness, yet we need to remember where it is found. If any person or nation abandons God and turns away from His Word, they can expect the only consequence possible--moral deterioration. Without God, evil prevails.
Unfortunately, those drug dealers may find and kill that super-sniffer dog, yet the Bible makes it clear that they (and anyone else who calls good evil and evil good) will eventually have to explain their lives to the Ultimate Judge. He has every right to try, convict, and condemn them--and He will do it according to His definition of good and evil.
Friday, July 24, 2015
Pain has Purpose ................ Parables 304
February 11, 1992
A child is murdered. An arsonist burns a home to the ground. A car accident cripples a newlywed. And we, even we who believe in a sovereign God who controls all things, are at a loss to explain our out-of-control world.
Oh, we Christians say God has His reasons... but our pat answers offer little comfort to the child’s parents, the family who has lost everything, or the couple whose hopes and dreams have turned to perpetual pain and wheelchairs. They cry for a way out and question — how can a sovereign, loving God allow such horrid things to happen?
When in pain, our ability to reason often abandons us, yet reason has shown me some new ideas about pain and suffering. For one thing, I used to think pain was always something to avoid, but isn’t some pain necessary? Without it, no one would go to the doctor to have broken bones set, or yank their hand off a hot iron, or avoid sharp knife blades. All pain is uncomfortable, but not all pain is evil.
Furthermore, I used to consider death as utterly bad, however it does have two very practical purposes. One of them, admittedly heartless but nonetheless true, is that if every man, woman, child, dog, cat, and goldfish that ever lived still lived, there would be no breathing space left.
Our real problem is with UNWANTED pain and the UNAVOIDABLE separation and suffering involved with death. We want God to intervene, to change things so we don’t hurt any more. But reason says for that to happen, God would have to change the nature of the way the world works, more precisely, the principle of cause and effect.
Cause and effect makes life predictable. We flip a switch and a light goes on; drink some water and our thirst is satisfied; sleep all night and wake up refreshed. However, if cause and effect could no longer be relied on, we would never be sure what would happen. They light may go on, but then again, it might not.
Imagine the chaos of a world without this principle. We could never be sure about anything. Would living with unpredictability would more tolerable than living without pain? The pain of consequences at least keeps most of us from inadvertently destroying ourselves.
Our prayers often demand God to change our situation or take away our distresses but we forget one more thing: without pain to keep us in check, we probably would do even worse things to each other than we do. Actually, if we are going to demand anything of God, maybe it should be a solution for sin. After all, sin causes death (“The wages of sin is death...” Romans 6:23) and a large percentage of human pain and suffering.
Actually, God has provided a solution for sin and it relates to this whole issue. Follow this carefully: those who seek His forgiveness receive a changed life and an attitude that desires to alleviate pain rather than inflict it. However, God does not change the cause/effect principle. If we sin, someone suffers, even though God can use that for our good, to draw us closer to Him. Instead, God created another world — His full and final solution to the misery and pain of this world. It is a place where we can live forever in the pain-free environment we wish we could have here. Of it, the Bible says, “God will wipe away every tear... there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying... no more pain, for the former things (including the principle of cause and effect) have passed away.”
That is where the second practical purpose of death comes in. Death is the process by which we enter that perfect, eternal place. Without it, we would be stuck here. So, listen to what Jesus said, “I go and prepare a place for you and will come again and receive you to Myself... I am the way...” the way out...
A child is murdered. An arsonist burns a home to the ground. A car accident cripples a newlywed. And we, even we who believe in a sovereign God who controls all things, are at a loss to explain our out-of-control world.
Oh, we Christians say God has His reasons... but our pat answers offer little comfort to the child’s parents, the family who has lost everything, or the couple whose hopes and dreams have turned to perpetual pain and wheelchairs. They cry for a way out and question — how can a sovereign, loving God allow such horrid things to happen?
When in pain, our ability to reason often abandons us, yet reason has shown me some new ideas about pain and suffering. For one thing, I used to think pain was always something to avoid, but isn’t some pain necessary? Without it, no one would go to the doctor to have broken bones set, or yank their hand off a hot iron, or avoid sharp knife blades. All pain is uncomfortable, but not all pain is evil.
Furthermore, I used to consider death as utterly bad, however it does have two very practical purposes. One of them, admittedly heartless but nonetheless true, is that if every man, woman, child, dog, cat, and goldfish that ever lived still lived, there would be no breathing space left.
Our real problem is with UNWANTED pain and the UNAVOIDABLE separation and suffering involved with death. We want God to intervene, to change things so we don’t hurt any more. But reason says for that to happen, God would have to change the nature of the way the world works, more precisely, the principle of cause and effect.
Cause and effect makes life predictable. We flip a switch and a light goes on; drink some water and our thirst is satisfied; sleep all night and wake up refreshed. However, if cause and effect could no longer be relied on, we would never be sure what would happen. They light may go on, but then again, it might not.
Imagine the chaos of a world without this principle. We could never be sure about anything. Would living with unpredictability would more tolerable than living without pain? The pain of consequences at least keeps most of us from inadvertently destroying ourselves.
Our prayers often demand God to change our situation or take away our distresses but we forget one more thing: without pain to keep us in check, we probably would do even worse things to each other than we do. Actually, if we are going to demand anything of God, maybe it should be a solution for sin. After all, sin causes death (“The wages of sin is death...” Romans 6:23) and a large percentage of human pain and suffering.
Actually, God has provided a solution for sin and it relates to this whole issue. Follow this carefully: those who seek His forgiveness receive a changed life and an attitude that desires to alleviate pain rather than inflict it. However, God does not change the cause/effect principle. If we sin, someone suffers, even though God can use that for our good, to draw us closer to Him. Instead, God created another world — His full and final solution to the misery and pain of this world. It is a place where we can live forever in the pain-free environment we wish we could have here. Of it, the Bible says, “God will wipe away every tear... there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying... no more pain, for the former things (including the principle of cause and effect) have passed away.”
That is where the second practical purpose of death comes in. Death is the process by which we enter that perfect, eternal place. Without it, we would be stuck here. So, listen to what Jesus said, “I go and prepare a place for you and will come again and receive you to Myself... I am the way...” the way out...
Friday, July 25, 2014
How can ‘bad’ be ‘good’? .................. Parables 148
English teachers, cross-word puzzle buffs, and anyone who takes notice of words is perplexed, even annoyed, at twists in current language usage. “Cool” means anything but “cold” and “fat chance” and “slim chance” both mean the same thing. Even “bad” now means “good!”
Sometimes I hear my family use words that don’t seem to fit their context but when I ask what they mean, I discover they are “right on” and I am “out-of-date.” I’ve also discovered that dictionary publishers have large research staffs dedicated to the study of current word usage, which in turn dictates the meaning that is put into the next dictionary. Word meanings fluctuate according to time and culture. Just a subtle change in how, when, or why any word is said, can begin a trend leading to a new edition of Websters. Keeping current is a challenge.
This constant flux in meanings is not a new phenomena. In fact, it is as old as the Bible. Words used in Scripture must be studied with some of the above criteria in mind. Bible students sometimes interpret scripture with present word usage, failing to research how the word was used when Scripture was written. Little wonder people differ in their interpretation of the Bible!
For example, sometimes ‘bad” means “good” depending on one’s perspective. More precisely, some things we avoid as ‘bad” may be very important for us to experience, yet some things we think of as “good” might not be “good” according to God. Apply that to the or difficulties in life. The New Testament calls them trials. We call them anything from nuisances to calamities, and we certainly don’t rub our hands in happy anticipation when we see trouble coming. But God says we should. In fact, we are to “consider it pure joy” when we have trials, and the person enduring trials is blessed! (See James, chapter 1). According to God’s definition, trials test our faith and develop our character. They are part of a Christians preparation for eternity. Therefore what we call “bad,” God says can be “good,” especially from an eternal perspective.
One thing to note, “considering the trial pure joy” does not mean putting on a smile and tying to pretend pain does not exist. God acknowledges our pain. However, the Lord may not intervene and remove it. Instead, He may opt to leave it there and use it for His eternal purpose. In any case, He makes the outcome “good.” In other words, we don’t so much re-write the dictionary definition of “bad” or “good” as we re-work our responses according to faith.
Christ set the example. The Bible says that He endured His most severe trial by “entrusting Himself to the Father.” He was more concerned with eternal purpose than temporary comfort. If we are going to be joyful in trials, we also must trust the Lord, no matter what happens. He promises to work all things, even the “bad” together for “good” in our lives (Romans 8:28).
Nearly anyone can display joy when they are comfortable, but when life hands us lemons, what we do with them will reveal what we consider “good” or “bad.” An angry, negative, resentful response is the average view of a lemon. It is a sour thing, but if Jesus is there, we can have the same responses to life’s lemons as He did because His power is available to us. He supplies the sweetener and we can make lemonade!
The anticipation that God will bring good from a tough situation can keep our focus on the promised outcome, not on the painful or unpleasant aspect of that situation. Anticipation comes from sure knowledge of who He is, recognition of His mighty power, and total trust in Him. Words and the way they are used will change with the times, but when we read the Word of God, with faith, “bad” really can be “good.”
Sometimes I hear my family use words that don’t seem to fit their context but when I ask what they mean, I discover they are “right on” and I am “out-of-date.” I’ve also discovered that dictionary publishers have large research staffs dedicated to the study of current word usage, which in turn dictates the meaning that is put into the next dictionary. Word meanings fluctuate according to time and culture. Just a subtle change in how, when, or why any word is said, can begin a trend leading to a new edition of Websters. Keeping current is a challenge.
This constant flux in meanings is not a new phenomena. In fact, it is as old as the Bible. Words used in Scripture must be studied with some of the above criteria in mind. Bible students sometimes interpret scripture with present word usage, failing to research how the word was used when Scripture was written. Little wonder people differ in their interpretation of the Bible!
For example, sometimes ‘bad” means “good” depending on one’s perspective. More precisely, some things we avoid as ‘bad” may be very important for us to experience, yet some things we think of as “good” might not be “good” according to God. Apply that to the or difficulties in life. The New Testament calls them trials. We call them anything from nuisances to calamities, and we certainly don’t rub our hands in happy anticipation when we see trouble coming. But God says we should. In fact, we are to “consider it pure joy” when we have trials, and the person enduring trials is blessed! (See James, chapter 1). According to God’s definition, trials test our faith and develop our character. They are part of a Christians preparation for eternity. Therefore what we call “bad,” God says can be “good,” especially from an eternal perspective.
One thing to note, “considering the trial pure joy” does not mean putting on a smile and tying to pretend pain does not exist. God acknowledges our pain. However, the Lord may not intervene and remove it. Instead, He may opt to leave it there and use it for His eternal purpose. In any case, He makes the outcome “good.” In other words, we don’t so much re-write the dictionary definition of “bad” or “good” as we re-work our responses according to faith.
Christ set the example. The Bible says that He endured His most severe trial by “entrusting Himself to the Father.” He was more concerned with eternal purpose than temporary comfort. If we are going to be joyful in trials, we also must trust the Lord, no matter what happens. He promises to work all things, even the “bad” together for “good” in our lives (Romans 8:28).
Nearly anyone can display joy when they are comfortable, but when life hands us lemons, what we do with them will reveal what we consider “good” or “bad.” An angry, negative, resentful response is the average view of a lemon. It is a sour thing, but if Jesus is there, we can have the same responses to life’s lemons as He did because His power is available to us. He supplies the sweetener and we can make lemonade!
The anticipation that God will bring good from a tough situation can keep our focus on the promised outcome, not on the painful or unpleasant aspect of that situation. Anticipation comes from sure knowledge of who He is, recognition of His mighty power, and total trust in Him. Words and the way they are used will change with the times, but when we read the Word of God, with faith, “bad” really can be “good.”
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