November 27, 2001
Stephen King was starting his morning’s writing when he heard the news on television, Tuesday, September 11th. He said, “I can’t do this.”
King admits he has no illusions about the everlasting significance of his novels. That is one reason he felt it was not crucial to continue writing that day. Yet he went up to his office, blocked out the television his wife watched downstairs, and went to work. He explained that he continues to write because “if everybody continues working, they (the terrorists) don’t win.”
King is one of thousands who express this sentiment. If fear prevents anyone from their responsibilities, not only do the terrorists “win” but in many other ways, we lose.
At the same time, I don’t think anyone has been able to carry on normally since September 11th. Who can say this atrocity has had no impact on their lives? Some try. I’ve met a few people for whom nothing matters but their own personal agenda. They’ve shut their minds to the photographs and daily news. They concentrate entirely on their own goals and plans. It seems to me, at least in their case, that the terrorists may have gained some ground.
Terrorism is a tool of the heartless; people without concern for anyone or anything that stands in the way of their goals, even innocent bystanders. In several instances, they claim to do their violent acts in the name of God and that He will reward them for their zeal and tenacity. Even people who know very little about God doubt that He is delighted by destruction. Those who know more understand that God is perfect goodness. Jesus both said so and demonstrated it.
In contrast, Jesus said that the devil is “a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him . . . he is a liar and the father of lies.” Satan is the opposite of God and rejects goodness. Although God sometimes deals harshly with evil people, His goal is to protect and uphold truth and righteousness. He redeems people from sin and enables them to live in goodness and peace.
On the other hand, Satan’s purpose is delusion and ruining lives. He instigates destructive acts. He does not want anyone to honor and obey God, to know truth, to be good, or to have a legitimate claim to eternal life. To reach his evil goals, he convinces many that they are serving God when they are actually serving him. The apostle Paul was a case in point. Before he met Christ, he was killing Christians and thinking he was doing God a favor. In His mercy, God opened Paul’s eyes so that he knew the truth and decided to follow it.
God says that the heart of man is deceitful to begin with. Paul realized that is true. He knew that everyone seeks their own way. When the lies of Satan are thrown into the mix, the human heart is not only deceived but can become extremely destructive.
Judas is another example. He was a selfish man. He spent three years as a disciple of Jesus Christ but that was not enough to change his heart. The Bible says he carried the money bag but dipped into it whenever he wanted some for himself. Later, “Satan entered his heart” and Judas betrayed Jesus by selling information to those who wanted to kill Him. When Judas realized what he had done, he was still under satanic thinking. Instead of confessing his sin and asking forgiveness (God’s way) he believed the Liar, listened to the devil’s lie, and destroyed himself. The trauma of a horrid event did not change this man.
If the trauma of September 11 does not change us, what does that imply? Tragedy ought to make us more compassionate and act on behalf of others, but if we harden our hearts and go our merry way, then the terrorists have won. They have pushed us into their same heartlessness and unconcern for anyone but ourselves.
Showing posts with label changed lives. Show all posts
Showing posts with label changed lives. Show all posts
Monday, May 7, 2018
Friday, April 13, 2018
What is spirituality? ............. Parables 728
August 21, 2001
Everyone from Oprah to palm readers talks about spirituality. What is it? What does a spiritual person look like? Do they walk around on a cloud? Do they constantly talk about God or their gods? Are they so heavenly-minded that they are of no earthly good?
In my mind, a spiritual person is one who is aware of and considers matters other than what they can see, hear, taste, smell, or touch. They know that God (or “something out there”) is real and that they have a dimension to their being that can connect with that invisible reality. The term ‘spiritual’ is often linked with goodness and evil. The good spirits are pleasing or beneficial; the bad ones cause sorrow and problems.
Some say spiritual means being close to God, being good, being interested in the after-life and eternity. Unspiritual means concerned only with material and temporary things. The unspiritual are not interested in God.
Christians have a biblical take on this issue. The Bible defines the spiritual man as a person redeemed and renewed by God in their spirit or inner person. Watchman Nee, a Chinese Christian, defines that inner person as the part of us that can connect with God. It is our spirit that has the capacity for faith. It is our spirit that hears and understands God’s will.
Scripture says that sin separates people from God and that everyone is born with an inactive or dead (dead meaning ‘separated’) spirit because of sin. Only forgiveness and spiritual life from Jesus Christ can bring us back to God and restore a connection with Him. The Bible says spiritual people have a deep interest in the things of God. They hear God “through the Spirit” and want to obey Him.
Does that mean that spiritual people reach the epitome of all things good and godly? Do they have the edge on virtue? Even perfection? Not at all. The Bible says that a spiritual person does not stop being spiritual when they are weak, helpless before God, even when they are crying in despair. That means we can be spiritual when we are backed against a wall or have no idea what to do next. Emotions such as fear or anger do not change the fact of being a spiritual person either. Whatever is going on in our outward life cannot change the fact that God’s Spirit has changed the inner person.
Nevertheless, God’s Spirit does affect our behavior. For those who do not know this reality, imagine your hero coming to live with you, being in every room with you, taking part in every situation where you are. That hero’s presence would change the way you behave.
It is the same with the Spirit of God. He lives with and in His people. His presence is felt in the same way we are aware of any person who is close to us. We even feel His feelings. If we disobey God, the Holy Spirit is grieved and we feel His grief. If we refuse to listen to God, we quench the Spirit’s voice and then have a sense of being cut off, or out of touch with Him.
Nevertheless, there is a phoney spirituality. A person can talk the talk, even walk the walk, yet be out of touch with God.
Also, pressure such as illness, unexpected financial reverses, a severe loss or other hardships test spirituality. Those who have the Spirit of God may be knocked down but they will get up.
Time is another test. Human skills might maintain an appearance of godliness for awhile but it will not last. Eventually the source of strength will be revealed. Spirituality is a human condition but it finds its source and its strength in the Spirit of God.
Everyone from Oprah to palm readers talks about spirituality. What is it? What does a spiritual person look like? Do they walk around on a cloud? Do they constantly talk about God or their gods? Are they so heavenly-minded that they are of no earthly good?
In my mind, a spiritual person is one who is aware of and considers matters other than what they can see, hear, taste, smell, or touch. They know that God (or “something out there”) is real and that they have a dimension to their being that can connect with that invisible reality. The term ‘spiritual’ is often linked with goodness and evil. The good spirits are pleasing or beneficial; the bad ones cause sorrow and problems.
Some say spiritual means being close to God, being good, being interested in the after-life and eternity. Unspiritual means concerned only with material and temporary things. The unspiritual are not interested in God.
Christians have a biblical take on this issue. The Bible defines the spiritual man as a person redeemed and renewed by God in their spirit or inner person. Watchman Nee, a Chinese Christian, defines that inner person as the part of us that can connect with God. It is our spirit that has the capacity for faith. It is our spirit that hears and understands God’s will.
Scripture says that sin separates people from God and that everyone is born with an inactive or dead (dead meaning ‘separated’) spirit because of sin. Only forgiveness and spiritual life from Jesus Christ can bring us back to God and restore a connection with Him. The Bible says spiritual people have a deep interest in the things of God. They hear God “through the Spirit” and want to obey Him.
Does that mean that spiritual people reach the epitome of all things good and godly? Do they have the edge on virtue? Even perfection? Not at all. The Bible says that a spiritual person does not stop being spiritual when they are weak, helpless before God, even when they are crying in despair. That means we can be spiritual when we are backed against a wall or have no idea what to do next. Emotions such as fear or anger do not change the fact of being a spiritual person either. Whatever is going on in our outward life cannot change the fact that God’s Spirit has changed the inner person.
Nevertheless, God’s Spirit does affect our behavior. For those who do not know this reality, imagine your hero coming to live with you, being in every room with you, taking part in every situation where you are. That hero’s presence would change the way you behave.
It is the same with the Spirit of God. He lives with and in His people. His presence is felt in the same way we are aware of any person who is close to us. We even feel His feelings. If we disobey God, the Holy Spirit is grieved and we feel His grief. If we refuse to listen to God, we quench the Spirit’s voice and then have a sense of being cut off, or out of touch with Him.
Nevertheless, there is a phoney spirituality. A person can talk the talk, even walk the walk, yet be out of touch with God.
Also, pressure such as illness, unexpected financial reverses, a severe loss or other hardships test spirituality. Those who have the Spirit of God may be knocked down but they will get up.
Time is another test. Human skills might maintain an appearance of godliness for awhile but it will not last. Eventually the source of strength will be revealed. Spirituality is a human condition but it finds its source and its strength in the Spirit of God.
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
The “catch” to becoming a Christian ............. Parables 709
March 27, 2001
A central Alberta country store has a bell at the checkout counter so customers can ring for the clerk when they are ready to pay for their goods. The bell is mounted on a piece of plywood inside the sprung jaws of a bear trap.
Of course the trap is in plain sight. The jaws are also nailed open lest anyone should lose an arm when all they wanted was a chocolate bar, but the humor catches its prey off guard. It also reminds us of adages such as “look before you leap” and “buyer beware.”
We need that advice every time someone makes us an offer that seems too good to be true. The pitch is believable but it seems too easy. We are skeptical. What is the catch? And we want to know before the jaws close, not after we are trapped.
For some people, the Gospel sounds too good to be true. God promises eternal life by grace, meaning it is free, and we don’t do anything to earn it? Yea, right. A skeptic is certain that there is more to it than that.
The skeptic is right. There is a catch. Eternal life is a free gift from God, but it comes wrapped in a Person — and He is the catch.
If anyone accepts God’s gift they get Jesus Christ. The Bible says, “And this is the testimony; God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life.”
Eternal life with God in heaven is impossible apart from Jesus Christ. He comes to live in us, and no matter how you dice it, living with Deity ‘up close and personal’ means we are going to change.
For one thing, His very presence changes the way we think about sin. Certain activities we once enjoyed start to lose their luster. Our conscience bothers us. We feel convicted by our sins and don’t want to displease God by continuing to do wrong. Instead, we start relying on Jesus to help us overcome our sin and do right.
Another consequence of having Jesus in our lives is that we stop trusting ourselves. Running our own lives used to be easy or at least seemed normal. We made our own decisions and did whatever we wanted to do. But with Him around, our judgments seems less reliable and many actually run contrary to His wisdom. We feel weak and continually in need of His power.
A third element of change is that we have a different attitude toward God and God’s people. At one time, we may have been hostile or at least indifferent to spiritual things. God and Christians were either dull or boring or downright ridiculous in our eyes. But when Jesus lives in us, we begin to have a fuller understanding of God and an awe of Him. We also see His people differently. They shine. They are joyful and filled with a peace that is beyond our understanding. They love us and, amazingly, we love them. Jesus does that to us.
A fourth change is that we want to tell others about God. We want them to know the joy He brings to our lives. We want them to have the same certainty we do about our eternal destiny. This new desire is not from an insecurity that needs others to agree with us but from a secure place with God and a powerful concern for the eternal well-being of those we love.
God also gives us an abiding personal relationship with Himself. This relationship is based on love and trust. It is maintained by thankful obedience to Jesus, our Savior and friend.
Yes, the Gospel has a catch to it but it is not a bear trap. Instead, it is more like another freebie that we didn’t expect; God Himself living in our hearts. We may not have thought that was possible, or was even what we wanted, but anyone who lands this Catch soon realizes that they could not live without Him.
A central Alberta country store has a bell at the checkout counter so customers can ring for the clerk when they are ready to pay for their goods. The bell is mounted on a piece of plywood inside the sprung jaws of a bear trap.
Of course the trap is in plain sight. The jaws are also nailed open lest anyone should lose an arm when all they wanted was a chocolate bar, but the humor catches its prey off guard. It also reminds us of adages such as “look before you leap” and “buyer beware.”
We need that advice every time someone makes us an offer that seems too good to be true. The pitch is believable but it seems too easy. We are skeptical. What is the catch? And we want to know before the jaws close, not after we are trapped.
For some people, the Gospel sounds too good to be true. God promises eternal life by grace, meaning it is free, and we don’t do anything to earn it? Yea, right. A skeptic is certain that there is more to it than that.
The skeptic is right. There is a catch. Eternal life is a free gift from God, but it comes wrapped in a Person — and He is the catch.
If anyone accepts God’s gift they get Jesus Christ. The Bible says, “And this is the testimony; God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life.”
Eternal life with God in heaven is impossible apart from Jesus Christ. He comes to live in us, and no matter how you dice it, living with Deity ‘up close and personal’ means we are going to change.
For one thing, His very presence changes the way we think about sin. Certain activities we once enjoyed start to lose their luster. Our conscience bothers us. We feel convicted by our sins and don’t want to displease God by continuing to do wrong. Instead, we start relying on Jesus to help us overcome our sin and do right.
Another consequence of having Jesus in our lives is that we stop trusting ourselves. Running our own lives used to be easy or at least seemed normal. We made our own decisions and did whatever we wanted to do. But with Him around, our judgments seems less reliable and many actually run contrary to His wisdom. We feel weak and continually in need of His power.
A third element of change is that we have a different attitude toward God and God’s people. At one time, we may have been hostile or at least indifferent to spiritual things. God and Christians were either dull or boring or downright ridiculous in our eyes. But when Jesus lives in us, we begin to have a fuller understanding of God and an awe of Him. We also see His people differently. They shine. They are joyful and filled with a peace that is beyond our understanding. They love us and, amazingly, we love them. Jesus does that to us.
A fourth change is that we want to tell others about God. We want them to know the joy He brings to our lives. We want them to have the same certainty we do about our eternal destiny. This new desire is not from an insecurity that needs others to agree with us but from a secure place with God and a powerful concern for the eternal well-being of those we love.
God also gives us an abiding personal relationship with Himself. This relationship is based on love and trust. It is maintained by thankful obedience to Jesus, our Savior and friend.
Yes, the Gospel has a catch to it but it is not a bear trap. Instead, it is more like another freebie that we didn’t expect; God Himself living in our hearts. We may not have thought that was possible, or was even what we wanted, but anyone who lands this Catch soon realizes that they could not live without Him.
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Power to Change .......... Parables 695
December 5, 2000
When I was in my teens, a friend told me that her mother heard from my mother that “Elsie is not as smart as the other kids.” Prolonged illness kept me home from age seven until I reached grade seven, so my mother meant “streetwise smart” but I interpreted it to mean I was dumb. As a consequence, I spent much of my life trying to prove that I was as smart as everyone else.
Other people tell me how words and events from their past hang over them like a cloud. Someone said they were ‘slow’ so they thought themselves slow, even though they were not. Someone abused them and long after their external bruises healed, they were scarred within.
Positive words and actions can reinforce for good, but far too often a negative past becomes a primary shaping ingredient. How can this pattern be changed?
A “Power to Change” campaign in Edmonton, and throughout northern Alberta and Saskatchewan, offers good news to people who feel trapped by their past. The ads feature men and women who give testimony that they struggled with addictions, unhappy relationships, broken marriages and personal lack of fulfilment. They also share how God changed their lives.
This news is the good news God offers in the Bible. He says no one needs to be trapped by either their past or their present situation. God loves us and wants the best for us. He also knows how to help us with His great power. He can change the way we think and act.
This offer is not only for down-and-out people or those destitute or caught in terrible sins. ‘Good’ people need changed lives too. The Apostle Paul is an example. He was raised in the finest Jewish tradition with an excellent education. His upbringing shaped him to love his religion and hate everything that contradicted it. However, he did not understand that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, so he wound up fighting God when he thought he was serving Him.
As the first Christians appeared, Paul became angry at their claims and determined to have these people destroyed. One day, while on the way to Damascus looking for Christians he could “take as prisoners to Jerusalem” a light flashed around him. Paul fell to the ground as he heard the Lord’s voice say, “Why do you persecute me?”
At that moment, the risen Christ stopped this devout man in his tracks and blinded him with His light. Then He sent Paul to a Christian in Damascus called Ananias. He already told Ananias that “This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.”
This encounter with Jesus changed forever Paul’s attitude and life. He no longer hated Christians and their claims. He embraced both Christ and His people and from that point on, he did just as Jesus had chosen him to do. His life was no longer shaped by his past.
God changed my life too. I no longer feel that need to prove myself because He loves me as I am. He also works to make me like Jesus; a goal higher than any goal I could set or attain. Through Him, and the wisdom He gives, I truly can do all things.
In Christ, we learn how to deal with our past and then put it behind us and forge ahead. Paul said, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Even though most of us need to deal with some issues in our past, God’s great work of salvation includes the help we need. As He works to change us so we are like His Son, we are no longer governed by our past but shaped by our future.
If you want the power to change, take that desire to God, admitting your need and asking Him to forgive your sin and failures. Invite Jesus into your life and, by His very presence, nothing will ever be the same.
When I was in my teens, a friend told me that her mother heard from my mother that “Elsie is not as smart as the other kids.” Prolonged illness kept me home from age seven until I reached grade seven, so my mother meant “streetwise smart” but I interpreted it to mean I was dumb. As a consequence, I spent much of my life trying to prove that I was as smart as everyone else.
Other people tell me how words and events from their past hang over them like a cloud. Someone said they were ‘slow’ so they thought themselves slow, even though they were not. Someone abused them and long after their external bruises healed, they were scarred within.
Positive words and actions can reinforce for good, but far too often a negative past becomes a primary shaping ingredient. How can this pattern be changed?
A “Power to Change” campaign in Edmonton, and throughout northern Alberta and Saskatchewan, offers good news to people who feel trapped by their past. The ads feature men and women who give testimony that they struggled with addictions, unhappy relationships, broken marriages and personal lack of fulfilment. They also share how God changed their lives.
This news is the good news God offers in the Bible. He says no one needs to be trapped by either their past or their present situation. God loves us and wants the best for us. He also knows how to help us with His great power. He can change the way we think and act.
This offer is not only for down-and-out people or those destitute or caught in terrible sins. ‘Good’ people need changed lives too. The Apostle Paul is an example. He was raised in the finest Jewish tradition with an excellent education. His upbringing shaped him to love his religion and hate everything that contradicted it. However, he did not understand that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, so he wound up fighting God when he thought he was serving Him.
As the first Christians appeared, Paul became angry at their claims and determined to have these people destroyed. One day, while on the way to Damascus looking for Christians he could “take as prisoners to Jerusalem” a light flashed around him. Paul fell to the ground as he heard the Lord’s voice say, “Why do you persecute me?”
At that moment, the risen Christ stopped this devout man in his tracks and blinded him with His light. Then He sent Paul to a Christian in Damascus called Ananias. He already told Ananias that “This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.”
This encounter with Jesus changed forever Paul’s attitude and life. He no longer hated Christians and their claims. He embraced both Christ and His people and from that point on, he did just as Jesus had chosen him to do. His life was no longer shaped by his past.
God changed my life too. I no longer feel that need to prove myself because He loves me as I am. He also works to make me like Jesus; a goal higher than any goal I could set or attain. Through Him, and the wisdom He gives, I truly can do all things.
In Christ, we learn how to deal with our past and then put it behind us and forge ahead. Paul said, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Even though most of us need to deal with some issues in our past, God’s great work of salvation includes the help we need. As He works to change us so we are like His Son, we are no longer governed by our past but shaped by our future.
If you want the power to change, take that desire to God, admitting your need and asking Him to forgive your sin and failures. Invite Jesus into your life and, by His very presence, nothing will ever be the same.
Monday, January 22, 2018
Ads appeal to our sinful selves .......... Parables 694
November 28, 2000
The average North American is exposed to 1500 commercial messages a day. That means if I turn off my radio and do not watch any television today and someone gets my share, they will hear or see an advertisement every twelve seconds. Who can withstand that barrage? Little wonder we are a nation of consumers!
A college course in the methods of advertising taught me that ads almost always appeal to three things. The first is a desire for comfort. That desire draws our attention to ads for clothing, furniture, and vacations.
The second appeals to a desire for power, otherwise known as “if you have more money, more stuff, a bigger car, sweeter breath, more insurance or the best computer, you will be more powerful, more in control of your life.”
The third category is ego. “Build your sense of worth and competence by owning _____ , or belong to ________ , or doing ______ .” (You fill in the blanks.)
Advertising is powerful. We see how it sells products and ideas (ideas as in political campaigns). If advertising did not work, vast sums of money would be put to better use and our time would be freed up for other pursuits. Perhaps those are the reasons that the Bible warns us to watch out for the three-fold appeal in commercials.
Oh, of course the biblical writers did not know about television, bill boards, or spam. Nevertheless, God knows our nature and inspired these words: “Do not love the world or anything in the world. . . . For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — comes not from the Father but from the world” (1 John 2).
In this passage, ‘world’ is not a geographical place. It is not the people either, as in “for God so loved the world.” Instead, this passage talks about a system of thought, a value system that is focused on worldly and temporary things. This system is not from God and is sinful.
The lust of the flesh means an inordinate desire to satisfy physical desires. It is not merely eating but gluttony, not marital sex but illicit sex, not keeping warm and dry but having more than you need at the expense of others.
King David of Israel gave in to the lust of the flesh when he saw Bathsheba from his rooftop, wanted her, and used his power as king to murder her husband and take her for himself.
The lust of the eyes is wanting everything you see, not because you need it but to have a sense of power, even power over those who do not have it. It is being strong and successful as measured by personal property, control, and bank statements.
The world considers wealthy people influential and powerful. Because they use their money and possessions to get what they want, others are impressed by them and their assets. This lust of the eyes works for criminals and mobsters, business men, and even the woman next door.
The pride of life is whatever makes people think they are better than others. This means going for whatever will do that, not for their own sake but to make an impression. It might be money, big house, educational degrees or knowing all the ‘right’ people. This “keeping up with the Jones” is fueled by an inflated human ego.
God says “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. . . . The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” Those who know and live by the love of God are able to turn away from these three reasons for responding to commercials.
Lord, may I never see or hear another commercial message without considering the reason it appeals to me. I might need toothpaste today and a new car tomorrow, but when I go shopping, may my motives for buying not be bent by excessive worldly desires. Remind me often that advertising is only for temporary things. They will fade away and the body I pamper and the friends I try to impress will not be an issue. When I stand alone before You, all that matters is whether my life is governed by Your great love — not sinful motivations.
The average North American is exposed to 1500 commercial messages a day. That means if I turn off my radio and do not watch any television today and someone gets my share, they will hear or see an advertisement every twelve seconds. Who can withstand that barrage? Little wonder we are a nation of consumers!
A college course in the methods of advertising taught me that ads almost always appeal to three things. The first is a desire for comfort. That desire draws our attention to ads for clothing, furniture, and vacations.
The second appeals to a desire for power, otherwise known as “if you have more money, more stuff, a bigger car, sweeter breath, more insurance or the best computer, you will be more powerful, more in control of your life.”
The third category is ego. “Build your sense of worth and competence by owning _____ , or belong to ________ , or doing ______ .” (You fill in the blanks.)
Advertising is powerful. We see how it sells products and ideas (ideas as in political campaigns). If advertising did not work, vast sums of money would be put to better use and our time would be freed up for other pursuits. Perhaps those are the reasons that the Bible warns us to watch out for the three-fold appeal in commercials.
Oh, of course the biblical writers did not know about television, bill boards, or spam. Nevertheless, God knows our nature and inspired these words: “Do not love the world or anything in the world. . . . For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — comes not from the Father but from the world” (1 John 2).
In this passage, ‘world’ is not a geographical place. It is not the people either, as in “for God so loved the world.” Instead, this passage talks about a system of thought, a value system that is focused on worldly and temporary things. This system is not from God and is sinful.
The lust of the flesh means an inordinate desire to satisfy physical desires. It is not merely eating but gluttony, not marital sex but illicit sex, not keeping warm and dry but having more than you need at the expense of others.
King David of Israel gave in to the lust of the flesh when he saw Bathsheba from his rooftop, wanted her, and used his power as king to murder her husband and take her for himself.
The lust of the eyes is wanting everything you see, not because you need it but to have a sense of power, even power over those who do not have it. It is being strong and successful as measured by personal property, control, and bank statements.
The world considers wealthy people influential and powerful. Because they use their money and possessions to get what they want, others are impressed by them and their assets. This lust of the eyes works for criminals and mobsters, business men, and even the woman next door.
The pride of life is whatever makes people think they are better than others. This means going for whatever will do that, not for their own sake but to make an impression. It might be money, big house, educational degrees or knowing all the ‘right’ people. This “keeping up with the Jones” is fueled by an inflated human ego.
God says “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. . . . The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” Those who know and live by the love of God are able to turn away from these three reasons for responding to commercials.
Lord, may I never see or hear another commercial message without considering the reason it appeals to me. I might need toothpaste today and a new car tomorrow, but when I go shopping, may my motives for buying not be bent by excessive worldly desires. Remind me often that advertising is only for temporary things. They will fade away and the body I pamper and the friends I try to impress will not be an issue. When I stand alone before You, all that matters is whether my life is governed by Your great love — not sinful motivations.
Friday, July 7, 2017
New Heart Needed .......... Parables 611
September 29, 1998
The World Heart Corporation is putting finishing touches on a device they intend as an implant for heart patients. This machine is designed to give blood a boost from the bottom left ventricle into the aorta. It is called a HeartSaver, essentially a second heart that works along with a person’s natural heart.
Heart disease is a serious threat. Not only that, heart victims often do not realize their danger. We knew a man who seemed in good health, even played racquetball several times a week. One day, without warning he collapsed and nearly died — from a heart attack.
The World Heart Corporation says 25,000 Canadians will need a new heart this year but not everyone will receive what they need. A less known statistic from the Word of God says heart disease is also a spiritual problem. Not just 25,000 people, but everyone needs a new spiritual heart. Most do not realize their danger either, but the good news is that there is no waiting line. New hearts are available for anyone who wants one.
Jeremiah, an Old Testament prophet, spoke for God about His judgment on disobedience and His promise to those who turn to Him. He wrote, “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.” He also promised, “I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.”
Another prophet, Ezekiel, also talks about a heart change. His message from God says, “I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” He pleads with his readers, “Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit.”
Why did they need a new heart and a new Spirit? They seemed religious on the outside, but God knew what was happening on the inside. They resisted Him and rebelled against His rule over them. They wanted to do their own thing. His laws uncovered their independent attitude because they could not keep them. For that reason, He offered to change their hearts.
In the New Testament, Jesus tells a Jewish religious leader that he must be “reborn” by the Holy Spirit. This involves receiving a new heart too, one that wants to follow God. The New Testament concept of spiritual rebirth is the same as having faith in Jesus Christ. Those who believe have new hearts and are ushered into God’s family.
Being in God’s family is not the end of heart problems, but it is the beginning of the end. To maintain our spiritual health, we need frequent checkups. The Apostle Paul talked to a man whose “heart was not right before God.” Even though God had changed him, he continued to try and run his own life. His old heart was still in control.
How can we know what our hearts are doing? Jeremiah said they are “deceitful” and can fool us. While medical doctors test with a stethoscope and an ECG, those tests fail to give us a complete diagnosis of what is happening on the inside, in our spirits.
For that, the Great Physician is able to test our thoughts, words and actions with His Word. It will show us if we have a new heart and if we are living according its power, the power that comes from God. It will show us if we limping along with the old heart-attitudes of resistance and unbelief. Further, it is able to change our hearts and make us spiritually healthy.
God is fully aware that we cannot survive death with the hearts we have. A transplant or a mechanical HeartSaver is not able to fit us for eternity. However, He offers His spiritual heart-saver. It is just the boost we need.
The World Heart Corporation is putting finishing touches on a device they intend as an implant for heart patients. This machine is designed to give blood a boost from the bottom left ventricle into the aorta. It is called a HeartSaver, essentially a second heart that works along with a person’s natural heart.
Heart disease is a serious threat. Not only that, heart victims often do not realize their danger. We knew a man who seemed in good health, even played racquetball several times a week. One day, without warning he collapsed and nearly died — from a heart attack.
The World Heart Corporation says 25,000 Canadians will need a new heart this year but not everyone will receive what they need. A less known statistic from the Word of God says heart disease is also a spiritual problem. Not just 25,000 people, but everyone needs a new spiritual heart. Most do not realize their danger either, but the good news is that there is no waiting line. New hearts are available for anyone who wants one.
Jeremiah, an Old Testament prophet, spoke for God about His judgment on disobedience and His promise to those who turn to Him. He wrote, “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.” He also promised, “I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.”
Another prophet, Ezekiel, also talks about a heart change. His message from God says, “I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” He pleads with his readers, “Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit.”
Why did they need a new heart and a new Spirit? They seemed religious on the outside, but God knew what was happening on the inside. They resisted Him and rebelled against His rule over them. They wanted to do their own thing. His laws uncovered their independent attitude because they could not keep them. For that reason, He offered to change their hearts.
In the New Testament, Jesus tells a Jewish religious leader that he must be “reborn” by the Holy Spirit. This involves receiving a new heart too, one that wants to follow God. The New Testament concept of spiritual rebirth is the same as having faith in Jesus Christ. Those who believe have new hearts and are ushered into God’s family.
Being in God’s family is not the end of heart problems, but it is the beginning of the end. To maintain our spiritual health, we need frequent checkups. The Apostle Paul talked to a man whose “heart was not right before God.” Even though God had changed him, he continued to try and run his own life. His old heart was still in control.
How can we know what our hearts are doing? Jeremiah said they are “deceitful” and can fool us. While medical doctors test with a stethoscope and an ECG, those tests fail to give us a complete diagnosis of what is happening on the inside, in our spirits.
For that, the Great Physician is able to test our thoughts, words and actions with His Word. It will show us if we have a new heart and if we are living according its power, the power that comes from God. It will show us if we limping along with the old heart-attitudes of resistance and unbelief. Further, it is able to change our hearts and make us spiritually healthy.
God is fully aware that we cannot survive death with the hearts we have. A transplant or a mechanical HeartSaver is not able to fit us for eternity. However, He offers His spiritual heart-saver. It is just the boost we need.
Friday, February 17, 2017
He is Alive! .......... Parables 551
(published date unrecorded)
“There is only one bit of evidence for life after death that is convincing to Christians. It is not philosophical arguments for the immortality of the soul. It is not supposed spiritualist conversations with loved ones who are ‘on the other side.’ It is not medical testimony from those who have experienced near death experiences. It is that Jesus was dead and lived again.”
Stephen T. Davis, Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Claremont McKenna College gives reason for the Christian faith in that one short statement: “Jesus was dead and lived again.”
Some people reject the Bible as a historical document yet other ancient writings speak of Jesus and His resurrection. For instance, the Roman historian Tacitus quotes Roman Emperor Nero in A.D. 115. A fire had destroyed most of Rome and they blamed Nero. He tried to pass the guilt to Christians and called them people named after “Christus” (Christ). He went on to say Christ had “suffered the extreme penalty . . . at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilate, and a most mischievous superstition (Christ’s resurrection) . . . again broke out not only in Judea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome . . . “
Untrue stories fade away and become non-threatening, non-issues, but Nero was upset that nearly one hundred years later, people were still saying “Jesus is alive.” He scorned the resurrection as superstition, yet was sufficiently threatened that he killed many who believed it.
The Apostle Paul at one time did not believe it either. Called Saul of Tarsus, he was on his way to Damascus to kill Christians when the risen Christ confronted him and changed his life. He became Paul the Apostle, a great preacher of the Gospel who risked his life to tell others about the One he once denied. Seeing Jesus alive made the difference.
Later, Paul said more than 500 people saw the risen Christ after He had been crucified and buried. Seeing Jesus changed them. Before that happened, they were terrified of Jewish and Roman authorities. When Jesus was arrested, “all the disciples forsook Him and fled.” While in hiding, they did not expect Him to return and were startled, even terrified, when He appeared. At that everything was different.
After seeing Jesus, the disciples feared nothing and no one. They became a band of bold-hearted, unstoppable men and women who turned the world right-side-up with their goodness and righteousness. Why? Because they knew He was alive again, and they were not afraid to die!
Paul said the resurrection is the proof and the power behind our faith. He argues, “If Jesus has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith . . . you are still in your sins . . . if only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.”
How futile to believe in the resurrection if it were not true, yet millions have been backed to the wall over this issue. Those convinced it is true have given their lives rather than deny it.
Today, Jesus continues to changes lives. We cannot see Him with our eyes, yet by faith we read and believe the testimonies in the Bible of those who witnessed His life, death resurrection. Our faith uses our eyes but it is not a faculty of the eyes.
Faith is deeper, more powerful than sight. It is a conviction and determination of the heart to turn from ourselves to God, trusting Him with everything. It is relying on the inner voice of the Holy Spirit that aligns itself with the written words of Scripture. While it is based on hearing and reading, faith is more about putting our lives in the hands of the One who conquered death. We trust Him because He is alive!
“There is only one bit of evidence for life after death that is convincing to Christians. It is not philosophical arguments for the immortality of the soul. It is not supposed spiritualist conversations with loved ones who are ‘on the other side.’ It is not medical testimony from those who have experienced near death experiences. It is that Jesus was dead and lived again.”
Stephen T. Davis, Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Claremont McKenna College gives reason for the Christian faith in that one short statement: “Jesus was dead and lived again.”
Some people reject the Bible as a historical document yet other ancient writings speak of Jesus and His resurrection. For instance, the Roman historian Tacitus quotes Roman Emperor Nero in A.D. 115. A fire had destroyed most of Rome and they blamed Nero. He tried to pass the guilt to Christians and called them people named after “Christus” (Christ). He went on to say Christ had “suffered the extreme penalty . . . at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilate, and a most mischievous superstition (Christ’s resurrection) . . . again broke out not only in Judea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome . . . “
Untrue stories fade away and become non-threatening, non-issues, but Nero was upset that nearly one hundred years later, people were still saying “Jesus is alive.” He scorned the resurrection as superstition, yet was sufficiently threatened that he killed many who believed it.
The Apostle Paul at one time did not believe it either. Called Saul of Tarsus, he was on his way to Damascus to kill Christians when the risen Christ confronted him and changed his life. He became Paul the Apostle, a great preacher of the Gospel who risked his life to tell others about the One he once denied. Seeing Jesus alive made the difference.
Later, Paul said more than 500 people saw the risen Christ after He had been crucified and buried. Seeing Jesus changed them. Before that happened, they were terrified of Jewish and Roman authorities. When Jesus was arrested, “all the disciples forsook Him and fled.” While in hiding, they did not expect Him to return and were startled, even terrified, when He appeared. At that everything was different.
After seeing Jesus, the disciples feared nothing and no one. They became a band of bold-hearted, unstoppable men and women who turned the world right-side-up with their goodness and righteousness. Why? Because they knew He was alive again, and they were not afraid to die!
Paul said the resurrection is the proof and the power behind our faith. He argues, “If Jesus has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith . . . you are still in your sins . . . if only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.”
How futile to believe in the resurrection if it were not true, yet millions have been backed to the wall over this issue. Those convinced it is true have given their lives rather than deny it.
Today, Jesus continues to changes lives. We cannot see Him with our eyes, yet by faith we read and believe the testimonies in the Bible of those who witnessed His life, death resurrection. Our faith uses our eyes but it is not a faculty of the eyes.
Faith is deeper, more powerful than sight. It is a conviction and determination of the heart to turn from ourselves to God, trusting Him with everything. It is relying on the inner voice of the Holy Spirit that aligns itself with the written words of Scripture. While it is based on hearing and reading, faith is more about putting our lives in the hands of the One who conquered death. We trust Him because He is alive!
Monday, November 28, 2016
The Most Influential Person of all Time .......... Parables 516
June 25, 1996
A recent issue of TIME magazine features an article identifying twenty-five of America’s most influential people. The lead person is Jim Clark, founder of Silicon Graphics and a man with a vision of what the Internet can become and who developed of a software program (Netscape) that is making that vision a reality.
Others on the list include comedian Jerry Seinfeld, jazz musician Wynston Marsalis, talk show host Oprah Winfrey and author-speaker Stephen Covey. A shorter article goes on to describe the most powerful people in America. That list includes Bill Clinton and Bill Gates.
Unfortunately, TIME left someone off their list. Thousands, perhaps millions of Americans know Him as the most significant change-producer, not only in their lives but for all eternity.
For example, Franklin Graham would put Jesus Christ at the top of the list. Franklin is the son of Billy Graham (who should have been on TIME’s list too). While growing up, his parents tried to influence him to choose Christ but Franklin had a mind of his own. For years, he resisted them and resented countless people who assumed he would take over his father’s ministry.
Franklin’s attitude was changed while running an errand in the Middle East for his father. He met two missionary women and through them, was encountered by Jesus Christ. From that time on, the direction of his life changed. Franklin now preaches the Gospel he resisted, even in the pulpit of his father during a recent Billy Graham Crusade in Australia.
Christ definitely has power to change lives in a way no other person can. Without Him, we are helpless to make God-pleasing changes. Romans 3 says, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” Without Christ’s influence, we would not even seek God.
The Bible can make such strong condemnations against humanity because God’s standard of goodness far exceeds anything we call good. Sin has damaged our perception. We do not know God nor have the capacity to reflect His image as we should. We may think we can do it alone, but we cannot. We need a power outside ourselves and stronger than our resistance. We need an influence that tugs at our hearts and draws us away from our independence, pulling us to God.
For that, we must have a power that can give us new life through a spiritual birth. We need to be new creatures. Only Christ does that. When He influences a life, He enters the heart and mind, sufficiently and permanently changing the way we think and act.
2 Peter says: “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”
As individuals who supposedly have minds of our own, we are pushed and pulled from all directions. There is no end to influences. TIME left out art, music, media, advertising and a host of environmental and social factors. They also left out the inner pressure, that which 2 Peter calls “evil desires” within our own hearts.
Powerful men and women, our environment, and sin are tremendous shapers of behavior. However, Christians have another choice. We are influenced by our Lord and Savior. For us, the power of people like Jim Clark, or sin, or any other thing is not nearly so compelling. We know by faith and by experience that Christ alone can influence us for good and for God. He take us in a positive direction and can even make us a positive influence in the lives of others.
A recent issue of TIME magazine features an article identifying twenty-five of America’s most influential people. The lead person is Jim Clark, founder of Silicon Graphics and a man with a vision of what the Internet can become and who developed of a software program (Netscape) that is making that vision a reality.
Others on the list include comedian Jerry Seinfeld, jazz musician Wynston Marsalis, talk show host Oprah Winfrey and author-speaker Stephen Covey. A shorter article goes on to describe the most powerful people in America. That list includes Bill Clinton and Bill Gates.
Unfortunately, TIME left someone off their list. Thousands, perhaps millions of Americans know Him as the most significant change-producer, not only in their lives but for all eternity.
For example, Franklin Graham would put Jesus Christ at the top of the list. Franklin is the son of Billy Graham (who should have been on TIME’s list too). While growing up, his parents tried to influence him to choose Christ but Franklin had a mind of his own. For years, he resisted them and resented countless people who assumed he would take over his father’s ministry.
Franklin’s attitude was changed while running an errand in the Middle East for his father. He met two missionary women and through them, was encountered by Jesus Christ. From that time on, the direction of his life changed. Franklin now preaches the Gospel he resisted, even in the pulpit of his father during a recent Billy Graham Crusade in Australia.
Christ definitely has power to change lives in a way no other person can. Without Him, we are helpless to make God-pleasing changes. Romans 3 says, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” Without Christ’s influence, we would not even seek God.
The Bible can make such strong condemnations against humanity because God’s standard of goodness far exceeds anything we call good. Sin has damaged our perception. We do not know God nor have the capacity to reflect His image as we should. We may think we can do it alone, but we cannot. We need a power outside ourselves and stronger than our resistance. We need an influence that tugs at our hearts and draws us away from our independence, pulling us to God.
For that, we must have a power that can give us new life through a spiritual birth. We need to be new creatures. Only Christ does that. When He influences a life, He enters the heart and mind, sufficiently and permanently changing the way we think and act.
2 Peter says: “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”
As individuals who supposedly have minds of our own, we are pushed and pulled from all directions. There is no end to influences. TIME left out art, music, media, advertising and a host of environmental and social factors. They also left out the inner pressure, that which 2 Peter calls “evil desires” within our own hearts.
Powerful men and women, our environment, and sin are tremendous shapers of behavior. However, Christians have another choice. We are influenced by our Lord and Savior. For us, the power of people like Jim Clark, or sin, or any other thing is not nearly so compelling. We know by faith and by experience that Christ alone can influence us for good and for God. He take us in a positive direction and can even make us a positive influence in the lives of others.
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