October 30, 2001
A Roman scholar named Cato started to study Greek when he was over eighty years old. Someone asked why he tackled such a difficult topic at his age. He replied, “It is the earliest age I have left.”
Cato was not the last of the spunky senior citizens. I attended a party for a woman celebrating her 105th birthday. With a twinkle in her eye, she supplied her own entertainment. She breezed through every song she knew on her harmonica and tossed out one-liners in between. She also took requests and if she didn’t know the song, she picked it up after someone hummed a few bars. This woman has Alzheimer’s disease and cannot remember what day it is—but she retains her storehouse of favorites and her huge sense of humor.
Another acquaintance is in his eighties. He rides his bicycle and participates in bicycle marathons, riding hundreds of kilometers in a summer. He too has a wonderful sense of humor.
A woman in our church is over ninety and just retired from work. My uncle is in his early eighties and just went back to work. Both walk tall and have a twinkle in their eyes.
These seniors value life and yet refuse to hoard it up for themselves. Their remaining years are dedicated to learning, growing, keeping active and blessing others. For them, life is lived to the full, much to the pleasure of those who know them.
While time may be short, for them it is not an issue. They have come to grips with Solomon’s words: “There is a season for everything: a time to be born and a time to die.” They realize time is a precious gift from God but are not anxious about it’s passing.
The Bible also says to “redeem the time for the days are evil.” Paul explains further: “The time is short . . . buy something as if it were not yours to keep . . . use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.”
The Bible tells us to utilize whatever things of the world we need but not clutch them to ourselves. God gave us “all things” to use and even enjoy, but we are not to make ‘things’ our chief concern. After all, they will pass away.
That statement is in contrast to most warnings about materialism and worldliness. Preachers and philosophers say, “You cannot take it with you” and focus on the fact that we will pass away. But instead, Paul says ‘things’ will pass away.
Even if we could take our stuff with us, we need to remember it is still temporary. ‘Things’ are not designed for eternity; they rot, rust, or fall apart.
Even our bodies age and die too, but God plans new bodies for His people, bodies that are “incorruptible.” He says, “mortals will put on immortality” and “death is swallowed up in victory.” Only people are designed to live forever. That does not happen to our stuff.
Most of my senior friends realize and live by the truth found in 2 Corinthians 4: “Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
For them, that eternal hope not only conquers death, it also changes life. It gives music to an aged woman who has forgotten everything else, mobility to an older man who wants to keep active, and meaningful work to two folks who are long past ‘normal’ retirement age.
This hope of eternal glory is available but we need to unclench our fists. We will last forever, but our stuff is doomed.
Showing posts with label eternal life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label eternal life. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 2, 2018
Monday, March 19, 2018
Living longer than any bug. . . ............. Parables 717
May 22, 2001
One positive thing about Alberta winters is that extreme cold weather kills the bugs, at least most of them. We lived in California three times and have memories of turning on a light in the middle of the night and seeing critters dashing for the cracks. Yuck.
Cockroaches are probably my least favorite insect, even worse than mosquitoes. Did you know that they can live nine days without their heads before they starve to death? I don’t know if they jump around like chickens without their heads, but it wouldn’t surprise me. They are tenacious critters and have persisted on this planet longer than almost all other life forms.
Humans can survive a bit longer without food than cockroaches, up to about forty days, but we can’t do it without our heads. Our survival depends on having major body parts intact with all systems working.
Of course we need food to live. God even tells us to pray for “our daily bread” — but Jesus pointed out that we are spiritual creatures. We need more than food. He said, “Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
If our spirit needs proper food, just as our body does, what is our spirit? And how does the Word of God feed it? Obviously it is invisible — not like hands and feet — and seems more connected to our personality, even our emotions and intelligence. But it goes deeper than those.
Some say the human spirit is our conscience and intuition. It is the part of us that instinctively knows right from wrong and has the capacity for faith and worship. In Scripture, the term ‘spirit’ is sometimes used interchangeably with ‘soul’ yet they are not exactly the same: “May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Also, Hebrews 4 says the Word of God divides soul and spirit.
The difference seems to be in function. Our soul is where we make decisions, think and feel emotions. These abilities can enhance or interfere with the work of our spirit. For instance, we are able to worship God in our spirit but our soul may not ‘feel’ like it or ‘decide’ not to. Our spirit may want to trust God but our intellectual ability argues with it.
Soul and spirit both find expression in the visible part of us, our bodies. Our worship may be an internal matter yet it becomes visible in the way we live, at least if the spirit is at work. However, the soul is generally active all the time (thinking, feeling, making decisions) but the Word of God says some people have a ‘dead spirit.’ That is, they are not physically dead but they have turned away from any interest in God or being godly. They do not have any sense of ‘knowing’ truth about God (faith) and are said to be “dead in their sins.”
Unlike a physically dead person, a spiritually dead person can be brought to life. God’s Holy Spirit is able to regenerate them through Christ. The life of Jesus starts new life in them, an ‘aliveness’ that begins in the spirit and then permeates their soul. The way they think and feel about God and spiritual matters is changed.
Those changes impact the whole person. Because they have faith in God and are worshiping Him, they begin thinking in new ways, feeling new emotions, and making decisions that please God. All this leads to new behavior, a changed lifestyle.
No wonder the Bible says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ.”
A cockroach may be able to live nine days without its head and may be the longest living bug species but we can have something completely beyond its expectations. Because of Jesus Christ, we can live forever. We start by feeding our spirits on His Word, sharpening our conscience and giving ourselves Someone to trust and worship. As we do, new life begins. . . and it extends from the point of faith right on into eternity!
One positive thing about Alberta winters is that extreme cold weather kills the bugs, at least most of them. We lived in California three times and have memories of turning on a light in the middle of the night and seeing critters dashing for the cracks. Yuck.
Cockroaches are probably my least favorite insect, even worse than mosquitoes. Did you know that they can live nine days without their heads before they starve to death? I don’t know if they jump around like chickens without their heads, but it wouldn’t surprise me. They are tenacious critters and have persisted on this planet longer than almost all other life forms.
Humans can survive a bit longer without food than cockroaches, up to about forty days, but we can’t do it without our heads. Our survival depends on having major body parts intact with all systems working.
Of course we need food to live. God even tells us to pray for “our daily bread” — but Jesus pointed out that we are spiritual creatures. We need more than food. He said, “Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
If our spirit needs proper food, just as our body does, what is our spirit? And how does the Word of God feed it? Obviously it is invisible — not like hands and feet — and seems more connected to our personality, even our emotions and intelligence. But it goes deeper than those.
Some say the human spirit is our conscience and intuition. It is the part of us that instinctively knows right from wrong and has the capacity for faith and worship. In Scripture, the term ‘spirit’ is sometimes used interchangeably with ‘soul’ yet they are not exactly the same: “May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Also, Hebrews 4 says the Word of God divides soul and spirit.
The difference seems to be in function. Our soul is where we make decisions, think and feel emotions. These abilities can enhance or interfere with the work of our spirit. For instance, we are able to worship God in our spirit but our soul may not ‘feel’ like it or ‘decide’ not to. Our spirit may want to trust God but our intellectual ability argues with it.
Soul and spirit both find expression in the visible part of us, our bodies. Our worship may be an internal matter yet it becomes visible in the way we live, at least if the spirit is at work. However, the soul is generally active all the time (thinking, feeling, making decisions) but the Word of God says some people have a ‘dead spirit.’ That is, they are not physically dead but they have turned away from any interest in God or being godly. They do not have any sense of ‘knowing’ truth about God (faith) and are said to be “dead in their sins.”
Unlike a physically dead person, a spiritually dead person can be brought to life. God’s Holy Spirit is able to regenerate them through Christ. The life of Jesus starts new life in them, an ‘aliveness’ that begins in the spirit and then permeates their soul. The way they think and feel about God and spiritual matters is changed.
Those changes impact the whole person. Because they have faith in God and are worshiping Him, they begin thinking in new ways, feeling new emotions, and making decisions that please God. All this leads to new behavior, a changed lifestyle.
No wonder the Bible says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ.”
A cockroach may be able to live nine days without its head and may be the longest living bug species but we can have something completely beyond its expectations. Because of Jesus Christ, we can live forever. We start by feeding our spirits on His Word, sharpening our conscience and giving ourselves Someone to trust and worship. As we do, new life begins. . . and it extends from the point of faith right on into eternity!
Friday, January 13, 2017
Death and Eternal Life .......... Parables 536
December 3, 1996
The American Medical Association reports a study concerning terminally ill patients. According to this study, a majority of people from certain ethnic groups would rather their doctor did not tell them they were dying. They felt this information should go to the family instead. In contrast, people from other ethnic groups were more likely to want to hear it for themselves.
Death is never an easy matter to discuss, much less stare in the face; however, terminally ill people may have good reasons for wanting to be told. Perhaps they want time to get their personal affairs in order or say goodbye to loved ones. Some may dislike playing games with reality. If death looms on the horizon, why hide the fact or pretend it never will happen? Those who would rather not be told may believe their family can make better decisions for them.
The report did not mention belief systems of these various groups, just that African-Americans and European-Americans had the least amount of trouble being told of imminent death. These two groups have lived longer with the American philosophy that stresses personal individuality so may feel they can handle the news “by myself.”
On the other hand, these two groups also have had a longer relationship with Christian beliefs. Their desire to know could be influenced by those beliefs. Death, while still a mystery in some ways, is not a huge threat to Christians who personally know the One who conquered it.
People of all religions speculate what will happen the moment someone dies. Some say nothing — the body goes into the ground and that is the end of everything. This is Nihilism and offers no hope.
Others say death is the entrance into another life, one in which the person who died is reincarnated into another life form. Many eastern religions and some segments of New Age teach reincarnation.
The Bible gives quite another version. It reports that Christ rose from the dead and declares that death is not the end but a transition. It also affirms that “it is appointed unto man once to die...” not several times. Reincarnation, according to the Bible, is a false hope.
Scripture offers hope in the Incarnation — the event of God entering our world, pulling on humanity and offering Himself to us as Savior from sin, and Lord of our lives. He proved death is not the end by bringing others to life and by rising from the dead Himself.
In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul describes this: “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, He was buried, He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures...”
He then describes what happens to us when we die: “The body that is sown (dead) is perishable, it is raised imperishable... it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power... Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep(die), but we will all be changed — in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed... then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’”
The Scripture also reasons this way: “If Christ has not been raised, then the dead are not raised, our faith is futile and we are still in our sins... those who have died are lost.... If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised....”
Terminal illness is not unique in that we will all die. But eternal life is unique. It is found only in Christ—the good news is that He is willing and able to give it to anyone who seeks it in Him.
The American Medical Association reports a study concerning terminally ill patients. According to this study, a majority of people from certain ethnic groups would rather their doctor did not tell them they were dying. They felt this information should go to the family instead. In contrast, people from other ethnic groups were more likely to want to hear it for themselves.
Death is never an easy matter to discuss, much less stare in the face; however, terminally ill people may have good reasons for wanting to be told. Perhaps they want time to get their personal affairs in order or say goodbye to loved ones. Some may dislike playing games with reality. If death looms on the horizon, why hide the fact or pretend it never will happen? Those who would rather not be told may believe their family can make better decisions for them.
The report did not mention belief systems of these various groups, just that African-Americans and European-Americans had the least amount of trouble being told of imminent death. These two groups have lived longer with the American philosophy that stresses personal individuality so may feel they can handle the news “by myself.”
On the other hand, these two groups also have had a longer relationship with Christian beliefs. Their desire to know could be influenced by those beliefs. Death, while still a mystery in some ways, is not a huge threat to Christians who personally know the One who conquered it.
People of all religions speculate what will happen the moment someone dies. Some say nothing — the body goes into the ground and that is the end of everything. This is Nihilism and offers no hope.
Others say death is the entrance into another life, one in which the person who died is reincarnated into another life form. Many eastern religions and some segments of New Age teach reincarnation.
The Bible gives quite another version. It reports that Christ rose from the dead and declares that death is not the end but a transition. It also affirms that “it is appointed unto man once to die...” not several times. Reincarnation, according to the Bible, is a false hope.
Scripture offers hope in the Incarnation — the event of God entering our world, pulling on humanity and offering Himself to us as Savior from sin, and Lord of our lives. He proved death is not the end by bringing others to life and by rising from the dead Himself.
In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul describes this: “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, He was buried, He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures...”
He then describes what happens to us when we die: “The body that is sown (dead) is perishable, it is raised imperishable... it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power... Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep(die), but we will all be changed — in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed... then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’”
The Scripture also reasons this way: “If Christ has not been raised, then the dead are not raised, our faith is futile and we are still in our sins... those who have died are lost.... If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised....”
Terminal illness is not unique in that we will all die. But eternal life is unique. It is found only in Christ—the good news is that He is willing and able to give it to anyone who seeks it in Him.
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Giving a gift yet keeping it .......... Parables 535
December 10, 1996?
According to a story in “USA Today,” a company called “American Express Gift Cheques” did a survey and discovered that about 1/3 of those who receive unwanted gifts, re-wrap them and give them to someone else. Apparently those in a higher income bracket recycle like this more than those with lower earnings. The article did not mention if these statistics include donations made to rummage sales or charity organizations like the Salvation Army.
Receiving something for nothing is not always as good as it sounds. Boxing Day, many shoppers are not making purchases but returning unwanted items. Most of us appreciate a gift, but if it turns out to be something simply unusable or unwanted, we have few choices.
One option is risky—just give it back to the giver. Doing that could ruin a relationship unless that is less important than keeping clutter out of our basements or garages. Of course, we could keep the gifts and simply store them in a handy place. Sometimes people do that and pull them out for display whenever the person who gave it comes to visit. Others just use it, pretend they like it, and hate themselves for their charade. As the survey says, 30% or more dislike those choices and instead find a way to give their unwanted gifts to someone else.
There is one special gift that someone gave me. I kept it. I wanted it. Furthermore, everyone I know who has this gift, also really wanted it. At the same time, I also deeply desire to give this gift to other people. It is the same for everyone who has ever received it. It is too marvelous; it must be shared. It is the gift of eternal life.
Most who do not have eternal life do not realize it is a gift. They think they must earn it or be very good to have it. They also assume it is something that is available after this life is over, that it describes a duration or length of life. Biblically, this is not so. Eternal life is a quality or type of life. It is the life God enjoys. By its very nature, it is a righteous life. It is also rich and generous, anxious to share itself with others. Perhaps God was even motivated to create us simply so He could share His eternal life with someone else.
Genesis 1 & 2 describe creation. The first person was a combination of the dust of the ground and the breath of God, a living soul, another being who had a vital relationship with the One who gave him life. Genesis 3 describes how sin separated the first two people from God and from the “tree of life.” God calls this separation spiritual death. It includes physical death but goes beyond this life to an eternal separation. As Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is death...”
However, human sin did not make God want to stop giving away His life. The same Word that spoke creation and humanity into existence one day became flesh, lived among us, and brought a message of hope. Eternal life is again available to anyone who wishes to receive it. That verse in Romans 6 continues: “...but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ...”
Gifts are free. So is eternal life. “For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not as a result of works, lest anyone should boast.” We do not earn gifts nor can we do anything to deserve this gift.
Gifts are received. So is eternal life. “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to be called the children of God.” Gifts are immediate. So is eternal life. It starts the moment someone receives Christ as their Savior and Lord. 1 John says: “God has given to us eternal life and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life but he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
His life is wonderful. It means no death, no separation from Him. It also means righteousness, fullness, generosity. Because we know we cannot lose it, all who have it deeply desire to give it away.
According to a story in “USA Today,” a company called “American Express Gift Cheques” did a survey and discovered that about 1/3 of those who receive unwanted gifts, re-wrap them and give them to someone else. Apparently those in a higher income bracket recycle like this more than those with lower earnings. The article did not mention if these statistics include donations made to rummage sales or charity organizations like the Salvation Army.
Receiving something for nothing is not always as good as it sounds. Boxing Day, many shoppers are not making purchases but returning unwanted items. Most of us appreciate a gift, but if it turns out to be something simply unusable or unwanted, we have few choices.
One option is risky—just give it back to the giver. Doing that could ruin a relationship unless that is less important than keeping clutter out of our basements or garages. Of course, we could keep the gifts and simply store them in a handy place. Sometimes people do that and pull them out for display whenever the person who gave it comes to visit. Others just use it, pretend they like it, and hate themselves for their charade. As the survey says, 30% or more dislike those choices and instead find a way to give their unwanted gifts to someone else.
There is one special gift that someone gave me. I kept it. I wanted it. Furthermore, everyone I know who has this gift, also really wanted it. At the same time, I also deeply desire to give this gift to other people. It is the same for everyone who has ever received it. It is too marvelous; it must be shared. It is the gift of eternal life.
Most who do not have eternal life do not realize it is a gift. They think they must earn it or be very good to have it. They also assume it is something that is available after this life is over, that it describes a duration or length of life. Biblically, this is not so. Eternal life is a quality or type of life. It is the life God enjoys. By its very nature, it is a righteous life. It is also rich and generous, anxious to share itself with others. Perhaps God was even motivated to create us simply so He could share His eternal life with someone else.
Genesis 1 & 2 describe creation. The first person was a combination of the dust of the ground and the breath of God, a living soul, another being who had a vital relationship with the One who gave him life. Genesis 3 describes how sin separated the first two people from God and from the “tree of life.” God calls this separation spiritual death. It includes physical death but goes beyond this life to an eternal separation. As Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is death...”
However, human sin did not make God want to stop giving away His life. The same Word that spoke creation and humanity into existence one day became flesh, lived among us, and brought a message of hope. Eternal life is again available to anyone who wishes to receive it. That verse in Romans 6 continues: “...but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ...”
Gifts are free. So is eternal life. “For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not as a result of works, lest anyone should boast.” We do not earn gifts nor can we do anything to deserve this gift.
Gifts are received. So is eternal life. “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to be called the children of God.” Gifts are immediate. So is eternal life. It starts the moment someone receives Christ as their Savior and Lord. 1 John says: “God has given to us eternal life and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life but he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
His life is wonderful. It means no death, no separation from Him. It also means righteousness, fullness, generosity. Because we know we cannot lose it, all who have it deeply desire to give it away.
Friday, December 30, 2016
What about angels? .......... Parables 530
October 22, 1996
Angels are everywhere. They are fashioned into stick pins, earrings, tie tacks, cross stitch designs and wall plaques. They are the topic of books and poems. Three “angels” even star in a television series. Of course all are “good” angels, who do kind deeds and have beautiful faces.
Far from being figments of human imagination, angels are described in the Bible as created beings who do the will of God and act as His messengers. There are referred to more than 300 times in both the Old and New Testament. Most bring messages to God’s people, some are warnings and others, like those who appeared to the shepherds near Bethlehem, bring good news.
There is a negative category of angels too. Jesus’ disciples excitedly reported, “even the demons submit to us in Your name.” To this, Jesus replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven . . . Do not rejoice over this but rather that your names are written down in heaven.” Jesus downplayed their focus on demons but did not deny that they exist.
Fallen angels are not like those people who go astray and we call “fallen angels.” People have hope—Christ promises to save and give new life to any who come to him—but the angels who fell from heaven are not similarly blessed.
Jude 6 says, “And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home—these He has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.” These angels are doomed. God “hurled” them out of heaven without offering them a second chance.
The prince of these fallen angels has many names. Revelation 12 calls him, “the great dragon,” “that ancient serpent,” “the devil,” “Satan,” and the “accuser” of God’s people. In another passage of Scripture, Jesus calls him “the liar” and “the father of lies.”
While some say there is no devil, Jesus describes him as an actual personality, a created being who resists God. Others think he is behind every corner and all evil. The Bible keeps a balance. Satan does exist, but we are capable of doing wrong all by ourselves. Furthermore, Satan is not a counterpart to God; he is not all powerful nor does he know all things. He cannot be everywhere. He can disguise himself as “an angel of light” but since God “hurled him out of heaven,” his domain is darkness and lies.
The prophet Isaiah described his rebellion this way: “How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’”
With those expressions of pride, Satan lifted himself above God but his ambition backfired. As Isaiah says, God “brought (him) down to the grave, to the depths of the pit.”
Before he is finally judged, the devil “roams the earth, like a roaring lion.” His main activity is putting untrue ideas in our heads in such a way that we think they are true, even that they are our own thoughts. He is subtle and powerful but we are not helpless. Through studying Scripture, we can learn to detect his schemes. Through “the blood of the Lamb, the word of our testimony and by not loving our lives” we can overcome him.
Christ death and shed blood guarantee forgiveness and eternal life to those who believe in Him. Christians can give testimony to His saving power and we know Satan cannot ruin what God has done for us. Our fear of death is broken. Unlike fallen angels who have been cast into outer darkness, we know when we are “absent from the body, we will be present with the Lord.”
Angels are everywhere. They are fashioned into stick pins, earrings, tie tacks, cross stitch designs and wall plaques. They are the topic of books and poems. Three “angels” even star in a television series. Of course all are “good” angels, who do kind deeds and have beautiful faces.
Far from being figments of human imagination, angels are described in the Bible as created beings who do the will of God and act as His messengers. There are referred to more than 300 times in both the Old and New Testament. Most bring messages to God’s people, some are warnings and others, like those who appeared to the shepherds near Bethlehem, bring good news.
There is a negative category of angels too. Jesus’ disciples excitedly reported, “even the demons submit to us in Your name.” To this, Jesus replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven . . . Do not rejoice over this but rather that your names are written down in heaven.” Jesus downplayed their focus on demons but did not deny that they exist.
Fallen angels are not like those people who go astray and we call “fallen angels.” People have hope—Christ promises to save and give new life to any who come to him—but the angels who fell from heaven are not similarly blessed.
Jude 6 says, “And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home—these He has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.” These angels are doomed. God “hurled” them out of heaven without offering them a second chance.
The prince of these fallen angels has many names. Revelation 12 calls him, “the great dragon,” “that ancient serpent,” “the devil,” “Satan,” and the “accuser” of God’s people. In another passage of Scripture, Jesus calls him “the liar” and “the father of lies.”
While some say there is no devil, Jesus describes him as an actual personality, a created being who resists God. Others think he is behind every corner and all evil. The Bible keeps a balance. Satan does exist, but we are capable of doing wrong all by ourselves. Furthermore, Satan is not a counterpart to God; he is not all powerful nor does he know all things. He cannot be everywhere. He can disguise himself as “an angel of light” but since God “hurled him out of heaven,” his domain is darkness and lies.
The prophet Isaiah described his rebellion this way: “How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’”
With those expressions of pride, Satan lifted himself above God but his ambition backfired. As Isaiah says, God “brought (him) down to the grave, to the depths of the pit.”
Before he is finally judged, the devil “roams the earth, like a roaring lion.” His main activity is putting untrue ideas in our heads in such a way that we think they are true, even that they are our own thoughts. He is subtle and powerful but we are not helpless. Through studying Scripture, we can learn to detect his schemes. Through “the blood of the Lamb, the word of our testimony and by not loving our lives” we can overcome him.
Christ death and shed blood guarantee forgiveness and eternal life to those who believe in Him. Christians can give testimony to His saving power and we know Satan cannot ruin what God has done for us. Our fear of death is broken. Unlike fallen angels who have been cast into outer darkness, we know when we are “absent from the body, we will be present with the Lord.”
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
What about being good? .......... Parables 511
May 21, 1996
“Good” is a workhorse when it comes to adjectives. We use it to define behavior, manners, attitudes, character, taste, quality, size and even the weather (sometimes). It can measure acceptability, appropriateness or reliability and describe a certain degree of accuracy, legitimacy, wholesomeness, agreeability, attractiveness, competency and even completeness.
Which of these many associations did the rich man mean when he asked Jesus, “What good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
For one thing, he sounds as if he understands goodness is somehow linked to eternal life. He therefore assumes if he does the right “good” things, namely actions, eternal life would be his.
Jesus answered his question with another question, also using the word “good.” However, He did not describe anything the man could do. Instead, He asked, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only One who is good.”
Rather than tie goodness to what someone could do, Jesus tied it to “being,” to who someone is. Then He limited the use of “good” even farther by saying only One Being is good.
Without giving the man a chance to ask any questions about God’s goodness, Jesus went on: “If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.”
The man insisted that he had but in the remaining conversation, Jesus showed him he fell short of moral and religious perfection. He told him to sell or give away all his possessions, then come and follow Him, but the young man turned away. His great wealth was more important to him than what Jesus offered. His goodness was only on the surface.
Not only that, this man missed the point. Jesus said none is good but God. In other words, doing good to please God is like jumping off a rooftop flapping our arms to impress an eagle. God’s goodness is perfect and limitless. Our goodness falls short, is mixed with selfish motives and grinds to a halt when the sacrifice is too great. Nothing we do looks good compared to Him.
The man was asking the wrong questions. He hoped for eternal life by doing something to earn it, but missed the connection between what Jesus said about “good” and his own shortcomings in that department. If he had really listened and agreed, he would have asked for mercy, not continued to ask how he could earn eternal life.
Many people assume that “being a good person” is all that is necessary to please God. To them, eternal life is a matter of their own efforts measuring up. However, Jesus says our “good” is not quite good enough. To please God, it needs to be the perfect good that He alone possesses.
Of course the goodness of God is in Jesus Christ, who is God the Son. The Bible says, “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” Anyone who has eternal life, has it in Him and because of Him, not according to personal merit points.
Wealth plus pride kept the man from getting what he said he wanted. Maybe he was proud that he was a self-made man with a sizable bank account, that he refused to count his own anything he could not work for or earn. His problem: eternal life is a free gift.
Jesus showed this man he needed to relinquish his wealth. It stood in the way of trusting God. He couldn’t do it and for that reason, he walked away sorrowing. What he may not have realized is that someday, he would lose it all anyway. Even at a “good” funeral, where the deceased is a believer on the way to heaven, there is no U-Haul behind the hearse.
“Good” is a workhorse when it comes to adjectives. We use it to define behavior, manners, attitudes, character, taste, quality, size and even the weather (sometimes). It can measure acceptability, appropriateness or reliability and describe a certain degree of accuracy, legitimacy, wholesomeness, agreeability, attractiveness, competency and even completeness.
Which of these many associations did the rich man mean when he asked Jesus, “What good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
For one thing, he sounds as if he understands goodness is somehow linked to eternal life. He therefore assumes if he does the right “good” things, namely actions, eternal life would be his.
Jesus answered his question with another question, also using the word “good.” However, He did not describe anything the man could do. Instead, He asked, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only One who is good.”
Rather than tie goodness to what someone could do, Jesus tied it to “being,” to who someone is. Then He limited the use of “good” even farther by saying only One Being is good.
Without giving the man a chance to ask any questions about God’s goodness, Jesus went on: “If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.”
The man insisted that he had but in the remaining conversation, Jesus showed him he fell short of moral and religious perfection. He told him to sell or give away all his possessions, then come and follow Him, but the young man turned away. His great wealth was more important to him than what Jesus offered. His goodness was only on the surface.
Not only that, this man missed the point. Jesus said none is good but God. In other words, doing good to please God is like jumping off a rooftop flapping our arms to impress an eagle. God’s goodness is perfect and limitless. Our goodness falls short, is mixed with selfish motives and grinds to a halt when the sacrifice is too great. Nothing we do looks good compared to Him.
The man was asking the wrong questions. He hoped for eternal life by doing something to earn it, but missed the connection between what Jesus said about “good” and his own shortcomings in that department. If he had really listened and agreed, he would have asked for mercy, not continued to ask how he could earn eternal life.
Many people assume that “being a good person” is all that is necessary to please God. To them, eternal life is a matter of their own efforts measuring up. However, Jesus says our “good” is not quite good enough. To please God, it needs to be the perfect good that He alone possesses.
Of course the goodness of God is in Jesus Christ, who is God the Son. The Bible says, “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” Anyone who has eternal life, has it in Him and because of Him, not according to personal merit points.
Wealth plus pride kept the man from getting what he said he wanted. Maybe he was proud that he was a self-made man with a sizable bank account, that he refused to count his own anything he could not work for or earn. His problem: eternal life is a free gift.
Jesus showed this man he needed to relinquish his wealth. It stood in the way of trusting God. He couldn’t do it and for that reason, he walked away sorrowing. What he may not have realized is that someday, he would lose it all anyway. Even at a “good” funeral, where the deceased is a believer on the way to heaven, there is no U-Haul behind the hearse.
Monday, September 5, 2016
Counting the cost .......... Parables 480
August 15, 1995
A salesman trying to sell a refrigerator to a couple said, “Look, you can save enough on your food bill to pay for it.”
The husband answered, “We’re paying for a car on the bus fare we save, we’re paying for a washing machine on the coin laundry bill we save, we’re paying for a television set on the cost of movies we don’t see anymore. It looks as if we can’t afford to save more money right now.”
Sometimes spending money does save money. The cost of doing laundry for a large family in coin-operated machines can soon add up to the price of a washing machine. However, “savings” do not always materialize. If I left the house only once a week and paid a taxi fare of $10 each time, it would not be economical to buy a car and pay for insurance, gasoline and repairs just to save on taxi fare.
We can be too easily influenced by a sales presentation. There are occasions when it might be wiser to sit down with a calculator and count the cost. How does the hidden costs associated with the purchase compare to any savings? Will I wind up with black or red ink on the ledgers?
Counting the cost is a familiar principle in many activities. I sometimes ask myself, is it worth losing sleep to stay up for the late show? A handyman considers the cost of a trip to the store for a few nails when there might be enough odd nails in his workshop to finish the job. A stressed out employee might even weigh the cost of working with stress against the price of a vacation. Everyone would rather come out ahead, not wind up short.
Jesus talked about counting the cost too. He said God rewards kindness paid to people who cannot return the favor. He illustrated with a story about a man who invited people to come to his banquet but they all made excuses. He told his servant to go out into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame instead.
The implication was that these people who made excuses are like the people God invites into His kingdom. Sometimes they say they cannot because of family pressures or financial concerns. He said those people needed to count the cost. He added, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters — yes, even his own life — he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”
Unlike refrigerators, washing machines, television sets and cars, eternal life is a free gift. There is nothing we can do to pay for it, earn or deserve it. God offers it to anyone who is willing to accept it as He offers it. However, eternal life is not cheap — it cost Jesus His very life and whenever anyone accepts this gift, their own lives begin to change and others may react negatively. For instance, family members may think it weird that one of their own all of a sudden wants to go to church or read a Bible. Others may persecute or even kill dedicated Christians.
Following Christ does have a cost. That is why Jesus said “Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.” While giving up everything does not pay for eternal life, but having eternal life requires turning everything over to Christ. That is why it is important to count the cost. Is living forever in heaven with God worth it?
A salesman trying to sell a refrigerator to a couple said, “Look, you can save enough on your food bill to pay for it.”
The husband answered, “We’re paying for a car on the bus fare we save, we’re paying for a washing machine on the coin laundry bill we save, we’re paying for a television set on the cost of movies we don’t see anymore. It looks as if we can’t afford to save more money right now.”
Sometimes spending money does save money. The cost of doing laundry for a large family in coin-operated machines can soon add up to the price of a washing machine. However, “savings” do not always materialize. If I left the house only once a week and paid a taxi fare of $10 each time, it would not be economical to buy a car and pay for insurance, gasoline and repairs just to save on taxi fare.
We can be too easily influenced by a sales presentation. There are occasions when it might be wiser to sit down with a calculator and count the cost. How does the hidden costs associated with the purchase compare to any savings? Will I wind up with black or red ink on the ledgers?
Counting the cost is a familiar principle in many activities. I sometimes ask myself, is it worth losing sleep to stay up for the late show? A handyman considers the cost of a trip to the store for a few nails when there might be enough odd nails in his workshop to finish the job. A stressed out employee might even weigh the cost of working with stress against the price of a vacation. Everyone would rather come out ahead, not wind up short.
Jesus talked about counting the cost too. He said God rewards kindness paid to people who cannot return the favor. He illustrated with a story about a man who invited people to come to his banquet but they all made excuses. He told his servant to go out into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame instead.
The implication was that these people who made excuses are like the people God invites into His kingdom. Sometimes they say they cannot because of family pressures or financial concerns. He said those people needed to count the cost. He added, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters — yes, even his own life — he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”
Unlike refrigerators, washing machines, television sets and cars, eternal life is a free gift. There is nothing we can do to pay for it, earn or deserve it. God offers it to anyone who is willing to accept it as He offers it. However, eternal life is not cheap — it cost Jesus His very life and whenever anyone accepts this gift, their own lives begin to change and others may react negatively. For instance, family members may think it weird that one of their own all of a sudden wants to go to church or read a Bible. Others may persecute or even kill dedicated Christians.
Following Christ does have a cost. That is why Jesus said “Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.” While giving up everything does not pay for eternal life, but having eternal life requires turning everything over to Christ. That is why it is important to count the cost. Is living forever in heaven with God worth it?
Monday, July 25, 2016
What is Life? .......... Parables 462
March 7, 1995
Imagine getting up one cold winter morning to discover your three-year-old is missing. After a fruitless search of the house, you open the front door to an icy wind blowing snow in your face. You look down. Your child is lying on the step. You snatch her inside. She is blue and stiff. There are no vital signs. How can she be alive?
When this happened to a family in Saskatchewan, the frantic parents and a determined medical team defied the obvious and tried to revive the child. Their story has a happy ending; she lost one leg but laughs, eats, sleeps and moves. She is very much alive. Was she already dead when her mother found her? Or still alive? Are the signs reliable indicators? Thankfully, who thinks of asking if she is alive now? The signs of physical life are unmistakable.
However, there is another kind of life. It has some of the characteristics of physical life but there are great differences. It is what the Bible calls “spiritual life.”
Some would argue that all creatures have a basic “spiritual” life. They say we are part of a cosmic energy, a spiritual reality that ties the universe together and is part of every living thing. Others include inanimate objects. God’s Word does not allow that broad understanding. According to it, God is the eternal Reality, an invisible Spirit who created all else from nothing. His creation, whether visible or invisible, is distinct from Him and depends on Him.
The Bible also teaches God is the source of all spiritual life. According to Jesus, “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” While human beings have a “spirit,” it is disconnected from God because of sin, a separation called “spiritual death.” The good news is that spiritual life is available and can be received from God through a new birth.
Unfortunately, many get on the “born again” band wagon using this term to describe what happened when they set goals or made resolutions. Some even use it to sell shampoo. However, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” Just as our physical life begins with birth, so can a vital, new spiritual life. It comes as a gift from God through His Word. 1 Peter 1:23 says, “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring Word of God.” The Word of God is both a written account and a living Person, Jesus Christ.
Jesus’ disciple, John, wrote, “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
New birth is not a gimmick. It comes through faith in Christ and through sharing in His life. Like physical life, it bears evidence of its reality and those who have it know they have it. Those who claim they are “born again” but display no evidence of any life from Christ are deceived and possibly trying to deceive others. Spiritual life is self-evident in attitudes and actions. Those who have it confess their sins. They see themselves in the light of God’s holiness and realize they do not earn or deserve His favor.
Reborn people also confess Christ as Lord and stop trying to run their own lives. They will sometimes make mistakes and sometimes even rebel and look frozen and lifeless, but spiritual life eventually prevails. Those who have it begin resembling the One who gave it to them.
Imagine getting up one cold winter morning to discover your three-year-old is missing. After a fruitless search of the house, you open the front door to an icy wind blowing snow in your face. You look down. Your child is lying on the step. You snatch her inside. She is blue and stiff. There are no vital signs. How can she be alive?
When this happened to a family in Saskatchewan, the frantic parents and a determined medical team defied the obvious and tried to revive the child. Their story has a happy ending; she lost one leg but laughs, eats, sleeps and moves. She is very much alive. Was she already dead when her mother found her? Or still alive? Are the signs reliable indicators? Thankfully, who thinks of asking if she is alive now? The signs of physical life are unmistakable.
However, there is another kind of life. It has some of the characteristics of physical life but there are great differences. It is what the Bible calls “spiritual life.”
Some would argue that all creatures have a basic “spiritual” life. They say we are part of a cosmic energy, a spiritual reality that ties the universe together and is part of every living thing. Others include inanimate objects. God’s Word does not allow that broad understanding. According to it, God is the eternal Reality, an invisible Spirit who created all else from nothing. His creation, whether visible or invisible, is distinct from Him and depends on Him.
The Bible also teaches God is the source of all spiritual life. According to Jesus, “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” While human beings have a “spirit,” it is disconnected from God because of sin, a separation called “spiritual death.” The good news is that spiritual life is available and can be received from God through a new birth.
Unfortunately, many get on the “born again” band wagon using this term to describe what happened when they set goals or made resolutions. Some even use it to sell shampoo. However, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” Just as our physical life begins with birth, so can a vital, new spiritual life. It comes as a gift from God through His Word. 1 Peter 1:23 says, “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring Word of God.” The Word of God is both a written account and a living Person, Jesus Christ.
Jesus’ disciple, John, wrote, “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
New birth is not a gimmick. It comes through faith in Christ and through sharing in His life. Like physical life, it bears evidence of its reality and those who have it know they have it. Those who claim they are “born again” but display no evidence of any life from Christ are deceived and possibly trying to deceive others. Spiritual life is self-evident in attitudes and actions. Those who have it confess their sins. They see themselves in the light of God’s holiness and realize they do not earn or deserve His favor.
Reborn people also confess Christ as Lord and stop trying to run their own lives. They will sometimes make mistakes and sometimes even rebel and look frozen and lifeless, but spiritual life eventually prevails. Those who have it begin resembling the One who gave it to them.
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
What does heaven look like? .......... Parables 457
February 7, 1995
We are planning a vacation next summer in Scotland that will include a family reunion. This one will be a true gathering of the clan. My maiden name is Leslie and the Leslie’s of Leslie Castle near Aberdeen have invited Leslies from all over the world to join them in three days of highland music, feasting, and various other activities.
I keep forming mental images of what it will be like to meet a host of relatives. I see a myriad of plaid kilts, hear a thousand Scottish burrs, and wonder at the awful beauty of dozens of bagpipes playing reels and marches. However, that is probably not a true picture of what awaits us so I have decided to abandon the limits of my imagination. Soon enough, we will see what Scotland and those many Leslies are really like.
Refusing mental pictures is a challenge because the unknown is hard to leave that way. We form the same mental pictures of many places, even of heaven. Where is it? What does it look like? Who will be there? Will we know everyone? Are we going to sit on clouds and play harps all day? Will there be angels in long white gowns with feathered wings? Are the streets really gold? Does St. Peter sit at a Pearly Gate checking in each arrival? What will we do for eternity? Will it be boring? What does God look like? Is He smiling?
The Bible says very little about heaven. Maybe visual images are too difficult because we cannot imagine perfection, yet Scripture does call heaven Paradise and in our hearts, we are drawn to something better, something beyond what we know, and better. Certainly heaven is the dwelling place of God and the desire and longing of many human hearts.
What does God say about it? While the descriptions seems symbolic, the book of Revelation does talk about a Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It says this city will shine with the glory of God and will be of pure gold, as pure as glass.. It will be brilliant like precious jewels, and clear as crystal. The walls will be high, with twelve gates and twelve foundations each made of precious stones. The great street of the city is pure gold, like transparent glass. There is no temple, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple, and this city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. Obviously, heaven is a place of worship and very beautiful.
Revelation 21:21 also says there are twelve gates and each gate is made of a single pearl. Walls and gates suggest shelter for those inside and entrances for those outside. Heaven is safe and protected, but also accessible. However, the gates are not wide open. The Bible says, “Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life....”
According to the Bible, any decision about who gets in is not made by St. Peter at the gate but by each person on earth before they die. The Lamb’s book of life is reserved for those who repent of their sin and place their faith in the Lamb, Jesus Christ, while they are still living. However, God says whosoever will may come.
Scripture also says in heaven there will be no more curse. Sin is forgiven and cleansed, judged at Calvary and never again to be judged. The throne of God and of the Lamb are in this wonderful place and here God’s servants will joyfully serve him forever.
The priority of God is obviously not that we know what heaven is like but that our names are in the book of life. The final verses in the Bible are His invitation: “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’” He wants us not anxious about what heaven looks like but concerned that those gates of pearl will someday swing open for us.
We are planning a vacation next summer in Scotland that will include a family reunion. This one will be a true gathering of the clan. My maiden name is Leslie and the Leslie’s of Leslie Castle near Aberdeen have invited Leslies from all over the world to join them in three days of highland music, feasting, and various other activities.
I keep forming mental images of what it will be like to meet a host of relatives. I see a myriad of plaid kilts, hear a thousand Scottish burrs, and wonder at the awful beauty of dozens of bagpipes playing reels and marches. However, that is probably not a true picture of what awaits us so I have decided to abandon the limits of my imagination. Soon enough, we will see what Scotland and those many Leslies are really like.
Refusing mental pictures is a challenge because the unknown is hard to leave that way. We form the same mental pictures of many places, even of heaven. Where is it? What does it look like? Who will be there? Will we know everyone? Are we going to sit on clouds and play harps all day? Will there be angels in long white gowns with feathered wings? Are the streets really gold? Does St. Peter sit at a Pearly Gate checking in each arrival? What will we do for eternity? Will it be boring? What does God look like? Is He smiling?
The Bible says very little about heaven. Maybe visual images are too difficult because we cannot imagine perfection, yet Scripture does call heaven Paradise and in our hearts, we are drawn to something better, something beyond what we know, and better. Certainly heaven is the dwelling place of God and the desire and longing of many human hearts.
What does God say about it? While the descriptions seems symbolic, the book of Revelation does talk about a Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It says this city will shine with the glory of God and will be of pure gold, as pure as glass.. It will be brilliant like precious jewels, and clear as crystal. The walls will be high, with twelve gates and twelve foundations each made of precious stones. The great street of the city is pure gold, like transparent glass. There is no temple, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple, and this city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. Obviously, heaven is a place of worship and very beautiful.
Revelation 21:21 also says there are twelve gates and each gate is made of a single pearl. Walls and gates suggest shelter for those inside and entrances for those outside. Heaven is safe and protected, but also accessible. However, the gates are not wide open. The Bible says, “Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life....”
According to the Bible, any decision about who gets in is not made by St. Peter at the gate but by each person on earth before they die. The Lamb’s book of life is reserved for those who repent of their sin and place their faith in the Lamb, Jesus Christ, while they are still living. However, God says whosoever will may come.
Scripture also says in heaven there will be no more curse. Sin is forgiven and cleansed, judged at Calvary and never again to be judged. The throne of God and of the Lamb are in this wonderful place and here God’s servants will joyfully serve him forever.
The priority of God is obviously not that we know what heaven is like but that our names are in the book of life. The final verses in the Bible are His invitation: “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’” He wants us not anxious about what heaven looks like but concerned that those gates of pearl will someday swing open for us.
Monday, June 13, 2016
No One can be Good Enough! .................. Parables 444
October 25, 1994
A certain alcoholic man decided to leave his Christian wife. He said she was “too good for him” and he could never be “that good.”
Another person responded in a similar way when she first encountered Christians. She said, “Everyone at church is so godly. I’ll never be good enough to belong in that place.”
Many of the Christians I know are amazed and saddened at statements like that. For one thing, we do not see ourselves as being “that good.” Even though we know Christ has changed our lives, we also know we constantly are in need of forgiveness and cleansing from sin. The nearer we draw to God, the more we realize how imperfect we are.
The idea that a person must be “good” in order to belong also saddens us. While Christ calls for holiness and obedient living, we are well aware it comes as a result of knowing Him, not as a prerequisite. Goodness is the consequence of believing, not the criteria.
Further, a genuine Christian should never be making an effort to be something they are not. The goodness observed by both the alcoholic husband and the new church attender is an unconscious goodness, put there because they know Christ. It is only in that relationship with the Son of God that the above described wife and congregation could possibly have characteristics that qualify as “godly.”
Is it possible for anyone be godly even when they are certain they are unable to be “that good”? Of course it is. God Himself promises to change lives. He says in Isaiah 1:18: “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white a snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
That means that anyone who is willing to confess their sins to God will receive His forgiveness. As He wipes the slate clean and gives them a new heart, they experience freedom from guilt and a new ability to behave as He intended. This ability comes from His Spirit, a gift to every born-again child of God.
Along with that freedom and ability, Christians find themselves without crippling despair. Instead of fighting a horrible sense of never being able to “measure up” they simply acknowledge it is true. As the Bible clearly says, everyone falls short of the high standard of God and not one person can stand before God on the basis that they are “good enough.” God accepts sinners for entirely different reasons.
This is why Romans 5:8 says Christ died for us, not after we pull up our own bootstraps, but “while we were still sinners.” He offers us love and His own godliness with no prerequisites but need. His offer of forgiveness of sin and eternal life is for to those who realize they do not deserve it.
Compare it to medical care. Those who are healthy do not need a doctor, only those who are sick. In the same way, Jesus came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance and new life. Anyone who recognizes themselves to be in that category and is willing to admit it before God, can ask for forgiveness and receive a new, changed life.
The irony is that those who honestly feel they are not good enough to be Christians are far closer to God than anyone who insists they are good enough the way they are.
A certain alcoholic man decided to leave his Christian wife. He said she was “too good for him” and he could never be “that good.”
Another person responded in a similar way when she first encountered Christians. She said, “Everyone at church is so godly. I’ll never be good enough to belong in that place.”
Many of the Christians I know are amazed and saddened at statements like that. For one thing, we do not see ourselves as being “that good.” Even though we know Christ has changed our lives, we also know we constantly are in need of forgiveness and cleansing from sin. The nearer we draw to God, the more we realize how imperfect we are.
The idea that a person must be “good” in order to belong also saddens us. While Christ calls for holiness and obedient living, we are well aware it comes as a result of knowing Him, not as a prerequisite. Goodness is the consequence of believing, not the criteria.
Further, a genuine Christian should never be making an effort to be something they are not. The goodness observed by both the alcoholic husband and the new church attender is an unconscious goodness, put there because they know Christ. It is only in that relationship with the Son of God that the above described wife and congregation could possibly have characteristics that qualify as “godly.”
Is it possible for anyone be godly even when they are certain they are unable to be “that good”? Of course it is. God Himself promises to change lives. He says in Isaiah 1:18: “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white a snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
That means that anyone who is willing to confess their sins to God will receive His forgiveness. As He wipes the slate clean and gives them a new heart, they experience freedom from guilt and a new ability to behave as He intended. This ability comes from His Spirit, a gift to every born-again child of God.
Along with that freedom and ability, Christians find themselves without crippling despair. Instead of fighting a horrible sense of never being able to “measure up” they simply acknowledge it is true. As the Bible clearly says, everyone falls short of the high standard of God and not one person can stand before God on the basis that they are “good enough.” God accepts sinners for entirely different reasons.
This is why Romans 5:8 says Christ died for us, not after we pull up our own bootstraps, but “while we were still sinners.” He offers us love and His own godliness with no prerequisites but need. His offer of forgiveness of sin and eternal life is for to those who realize they do not deserve it.
Compare it to medical care. Those who are healthy do not need a doctor, only those who are sick. In the same way, Jesus came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance and new life. Anyone who recognizes themselves to be in that category and is willing to admit it before God, can ask for forgiveness and receive a new, changed life.
The irony is that those who honestly feel they are not good enough to be Christians are far closer to God than anyone who insists they are good enough the way they are.
Monday, March 30, 2015
The Right Way .............. Parables 254
(February 13, 1991)
The Book of Lists #2 says that a firefly is not a fly, it’s a beetle; a silkworm is not a worm, it’s a caterpillar; an English horn is not English and not a horn, it’s an alto oboe from France; a guinea pig is not from Guinea and is not a pig, it’s from South America and it’s a rodent; and a banana tree is not a tree, it’s a herb. Things are not what they seem!
We don’t need a book of lists to know that. Some days I feel 92 but I’m not (yet). The sunshine outside looks warm and inviting, but the thermometer says it is -40 degrees. The ice on the lake is clear and looks safe, but it is only an inch thick. Our eyes can fool us. So can our hearts.
God says we need to watch out for what seems to be. He says: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is the way of death.”
Deception can destroy a person physically, mentally, emotionally, morally and spiritually. What seems right can lead into poor health or even death, confuse the mind and render rational thought impossible, play on the emotions causing tremendous confusion, or drag an unthinking person into moral and spiritual bankruptcy.
Some biblical examples of deception:
Thank God, there is a way that is right; a way that leads to life not death; a way that can be found, even by those who are most deceived. That way is Jesus Christ. He even called Himself “the way.”
But first, how does a deceived person even begin to know whether or not they are deceived? Or how can they even want to know? For them, the true way, God’s way, will not “seem” right.
The Bible says that on their own, people are spiritually blind. All follow with what seems right to them and haven’t a hope of discovering anything different — unless the Spirit of God moves in to convince us otherwise. In John 16:8 Jesus told the disciples that when He was resurrected and gone to heaven, He would send the Holy Spirit, and “when he is come, he will convince the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment...” Without the Spirit, “There is no one that understands, there is no one that seeks after God” (Romans 3:11). Everyone continues down the path that “seems right.”
When the Spirit came, His task of opening human understanding to the things of God and showing people that God is righteous, hates sin, and will judge it, has turned millions from a deceptive life. Those who respond to Him and call out to God for mercy discover that mercy has already been extended: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
So faith in the One who called Himself “The Way” is the only way out of that other way that only seems to be the right way!
The Book of Lists #2 says that a firefly is not a fly, it’s a beetle; a silkworm is not a worm, it’s a caterpillar; an English horn is not English and not a horn, it’s an alto oboe from France; a guinea pig is not from Guinea and is not a pig, it’s from South America and it’s a rodent; and a banana tree is not a tree, it’s a herb. Things are not what they seem!
We don’t need a book of lists to know that. Some days I feel 92 but I’m not (yet). The sunshine outside looks warm and inviting, but the thermometer says it is -40 degrees. The ice on the lake is clear and looks safe, but it is only an inch thick. Our eyes can fool us. So can our hearts.
God says we need to watch out for what seems to be. He says: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is the way of death.”
Deception can destroy a person physically, mentally, emotionally, morally and spiritually. What seems right can lead into poor health or even death, confuse the mind and render rational thought impossible, play on the emotions causing tremendous confusion, or drag an unthinking person into moral and spiritual bankruptcy.
Some biblical examples of deception:
- A desire to be like God triggered two people made in His image into doing what He said would destroy them... the forbidden fruit only looked good.Murder, adultery or any other sins seem wrong to those not caught in the deception, yet to those who are deceived, they actually seem right, even up until the victim is destroyed or hopelessly scarred by the consequences. Is there no way out for someone caught by lies?
- Confidence in the power of retaliation (it seemed right) led Moses to kill a man rather than rely on God to vindicate His people.
- Lies by the Gibeonites duped the Israelites into making friends with a nation that actually intended their destruction.
- Lust deceived a king into thinking it was okay to take another man’s wife and kill her husband (it felt good).
Thank God, there is a way that is right; a way that leads to life not death; a way that can be found, even by those who are most deceived. That way is Jesus Christ. He even called Himself “the way.”
But first, how does a deceived person even begin to know whether or not they are deceived? Or how can they even want to know? For them, the true way, God’s way, will not “seem” right.
The Bible says that on their own, people are spiritually blind. All follow with what seems right to them and haven’t a hope of discovering anything different — unless the Spirit of God moves in to convince us otherwise. In John 16:8 Jesus told the disciples that when He was resurrected and gone to heaven, He would send the Holy Spirit, and “when he is come, he will convince the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment...” Without the Spirit, “There is no one that understands, there is no one that seeks after God” (Romans 3:11). Everyone continues down the path that “seems right.”
When the Spirit came, His task of opening human understanding to the things of God and showing people that God is righteous, hates sin, and will judge it, has turned millions from a deceptive life. Those who respond to Him and call out to God for mercy discover that mercy has already been extended: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
So faith in the One who called Himself “The Way” is the only way out of that other way that only seems to be the right way!
Monday, March 16, 2015
The most precious gift ................. Parables 248
(December 26, 1990)
A truck driver, speeding along a city interstate, spotted a large, floppy cardboard box in the middle of his lane. Knowing his truck would not be damaged by an empty box that had likely blown unto the roadway, he almost didn’t swerve. However, on a hunch, he changed lanes at the last minute. As the box appeared in his rear-view mirror, he was horrified to see a small child crawl out of it.
Right after Christmas, there are boxes everywhere. Unless some gift was accidentally left inside, the containers are discarded or recycled with little loss. The real treasures have been left under the tree, on the dining room table, in the family room, in a closet, or wherever people put their gifts. The boxes have little value.
Nevertheless, I used to save boxes, just in case they were needed to mail or store something. They filled up space in the garage and became a nuisance. I was teased about my pile of boxes and my only defense was that at least I didn’t keep the box and throw away the contents!
But who would do that? According to Jesus, people do it all the time. Concerning what people keep and what people throw away, He said this: “What profit is it to anyone to preserve his box with its wrappings and throw away his most precious gift? Do people realize what they are exchanging for this gift?” (Matthew 16:26, my paraphrase).
Jesus was contrasting the gift of eternal life with the wrappings -- namely temporary physical life. He made it quite clear that anyone who considers the wrappings more important than the gift, is ignorant of what is truly valuable. The preceding verse puts it this way: “Whoever will save his life shall lose it: and whoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”
Self-preservation is a pretty strong instinct. (What on earth was that child doing out in traffic?) We carefully guard our life and hang on to it, wanting as much control as possible. However, Jesus says we need to reconsider and relinquish the priority and preservation we zealously hold on this life. In other words, if we want eternal life, this life, and control of this life, has to be surrendered to Him.
The Apostle Paul tossed the box and kept the gift. He did it because He believed the promises of God. He confidently declared: (again, my paraphrase) “We know that if the houses we live in are destroyed, we have a place to live from God, a home not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”
Jesus didn’t advocate neglecting our physical needs. However, much of the money, time and effort people spend on trying to preserve the box is not only vain, it is foolish. Why grasp hold of and pamper something that cannot be kept in the long run, and thoughtlessly toss away something that, if kept, can never, ever be lost?
When we trust our life to Christ, God promises someday to give us an eternal “container,” a new body that is incorruptible, one that experiences no pain or sorrow. Paul was so sure of that reality, at the end of his life he was eager to leave behind the body he lived in. God had given him a glimpse of paradise. He also knew his “box” had served its purpose.
Tossing out the extra cartons and wrapping paper at the end of this year is a good time to ask ourselves: Have I received the real gift, the one that will last forever? Or am I throwing out what Jesus wants to give me and keeping something that one day I will certainly lose?
A truck driver, speeding along a city interstate, spotted a large, floppy cardboard box in the middle of his lane. Knowing his truck would not be damaged by an empty box that had likely blown unto the roadway, he almost didn’t swerve. However, on a hunch, he changed lanes at the last minute. As the box appeared in his rear-view mirror, he was horrified to see a small child crawl out of it.
Right after Christmas, there are boxes everywhere. Unless some gift was accidentally left inside, the containers are discarded or recycled with little loss. The real treasures have been left under the tree, on the dining room table, in the family room, in a closet, or wherever people put their gifts. The boxes have little value.
Nevertheless, I used to save boxes, just in case they were needed to mail or store something. They filled up space in the garage and became a nuisance. I was teased about my pile of boxes and my only defense was that at least I didn’t keep the box and throw away the contents!
But who would do that? According to Jesus, people do it all the time. Concerning what people keep and what people throw away, He said this: “What profit is it to anyone to preserve his box with its wrappings and throw away his most precious gift? Do people realize what they are exchanging for this gift?” (Matthew 16:26, my paraphrase).
Jesus was contrasting the gift of eternal life with the wrappings -- namely temporary physical life. He made it quite clear that anyone who considers the wrappings more important than the gift, is ignorant of what is truly valuable. The preceding verse puts it this way: “Whoever will save his life shall lose it: and whoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”
Self-preservation is a pretty strong instinct. (What on earth was that child doing out in traffic?) We carefully guard our life and hang on to it, wanting as much control as possible. However, Jesus says we need to reconsider and relinquish the priority and preservation we zealously hold on this life. In other words, if we want eternal life, this life, and control of this life, has to be surrendered to Him.
The Apostle Paul tossed the box and kept the gift. He did it because He believed the promises of God. He confidently declared: (again, my paraphrase) “We know that if the houses we live in are destroyed, we have a place to live from God, a home not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”
Jesus didn’t advocate neglecting our physical needs. However, much of the money, time and effort people spend on trying to preserve the box is not only vain, it is foolish. Why grasp hold of and pamper something that cannot be kept in the long run, and thoughtlessly toss away something that, if kept, can never, ever be lost?
When we trust our life to Christ, God promises someday to give us an eternal “container,” a new body that is incorruptible, one that experiences no pain or sorrow. Paul was so sure of that reality, at the end of his life he was eager to leave behind the body he lived in. God had given him a glimpse of paradise. He also knew his “box” had served its purpose.
Tossing out the extra cartons and wrapping paper at the end of this year is a good time to ask ourselves: Have I received the real gift, the one that will last forever? Or am I throwing out what Jesus wants to give me and keeping something that one day I will certainly lose?
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Nettling and New Life ................. Parables 243
(November 21, 1990)
Ever heard of nettling? My sociology professor tells of this practice discovered by a young doctor making his first house call where a baby was about to be born. Apparently the doctor was quite apprehensive so when he arrived and found a midwife on the scene, he decided to let her do her thing and he would watch, and hopefully learn something.
Imagine his bewilderment when the midwife rolled a piece of paper into a cone and stuck it into the laboring patient’s nostril. Imagine his concern when she poured ground pepper into the cone. What happened isn’t too difficult to picture... at the appropriate moment, the midwife blew into the cone, sending pepper up into the sinuses of the expectant mother, she let out a colossal sneeze, and baby shot out like a cannonball and had to actually be caught before it flew off the end of the bed!
That folk lore is called nettling.
Amusing or not, birth is the most necessary part of being alive. No one can remain in the womb forever. Living depends on being born.
Jesus talked about eternal life using the imagery of birth. He said, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).
The term “born again” has been picked up by the media and everyone else who wants to signify something new, and is over-used so much that it has almost become meaningless. However, it is still a biblical concept that carries just as much importance now as it did then. Jesus went on to say that no one can “enter the kingdom of God” without being reborn.
This new birth is the result of a conception of sorts. The Holy Spirit at work in a receptive heart equals new life. The Spirit’s work includes: convincing that person of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment... sin because they do not believe in Christ; righteousness because the only One who was sinless no longer walks before them as an example of what they should be; and judgment because Satan (who tells us lies about these things) has been judged — and they will too if they do not respond.
The person’s heart is receptive only if they agree with the Holy Spirit’s evaluation of their condition and agree that their only way out of condemnation before God is through faith in His Son... not just believing the facts about Jesus but believing with such wholeheartedness that they eagerly turn from sin and spend the rest of their physical life living for Christ.
To be sure, new life in the spiritual realm begins with babyhood and continues to maturity just as physical life does, but it is a process that cannot be stopped, (stunted maybe); full-growth is the promise of God to everyone who becomes His child. He feeds and nourishes us by the “milk” found in His Word; the “meat” of obeying what it says; and through the work of the Spirit as He changes us to be more like Jesus. He also uses other, more mature Christians gifted for that purpose until someday “we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13)
Nettling might be one human effort that works to bring forth babies but God says no human effort can result in a spiritual birth. John 1:12 and 13 say: “But as many as received Him, to them gave He the right to become the sons of God, even to those who believe on His name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, BUT OF GOD.”
We cannot will ourselves to spiritual life, but we can respond to Him — and it will happen.
Ever heard of nettling? My sociology professor tells of this practice discovered by a young doctor making his first house call where a baby was about to be born. Apparently the doctor was quite apprehensive so when he arrived and found a midwife on the scene, he decided to let her do her thing and he would watch, and hopefully learn something.
Imagine his bewilderment when the midwife rolled a piece of paper into a cone and stuck it into the laboring patient’s nostril. Imagine his concern when she poured ground pepper into the cone. What happened isn’t too difficult to picture... at the appropriate moment, the midwife blew into the cone, sending pepper up into the sinuses of the expectant mother, she let out a colossal sneeze, and baby shot out like a cannonball and had to actually be caught before it flew off the end of the bed!
That folk lore is called nettling.
Amusing or not, birth is the most necessary part of being alive. No one can remain in the womb forever. Living depends on being born.
Jesus talked about eternal life using the imagery of birth. He said, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).
The term “born again” has been picked up by the media and everyone else who wants to signify something new, and is over-used so much that it has almost become meaningless. However, it is still a biblical concept that carries just as much importance now as it did then. Jesus went on to say that no one can “enter the kingdom of God” without being reborn.
This new birth is the result of a conception of sorts. The Holy Spirit at work in a receptive heart equals new life. The Spirit’s work includes: convincing that person of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment... sin because they do not believe in Christ; righteousness because the only One who was sinless no longer walks before them as an example of what they should be; and judgment because Satan (who tells us lies about these things) has been judged — and they will too if they do not respond.
The person’s heart is receptive only if they agree with the Holy Spirit’s evaluation of their condition and agree that their only way out of condemnation before God is through faith in His Son... not just believing the facts about Jesus but believing with such wholeheartedness that they eagerly turn from sin and spend the rest of their physical life living for Christ.
To be sure, new life in the spiritual realm begins with babyhood and continues to maturity just as physical life does, but it is a process that cannot be stopped, (stunted maybe); full-growth is the promise of God to everyone who becomes His child. He feeds and nourishes us by the “milk” found in His Word; the “meat” of obeying what it says; and through the work of the Spirit as He changes us to be more like Jesus. He also uses other, more mature Christians gifted for that purpose until someday “we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13)
Nettling might be one human effort that works to bring forth babies but God says no human effort can result in a spiritual birth. John 1:12 and 13 say: “But as many as received Him, to them gave He the right to become the sons of God, even to those who believe on His name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, BUT OF GOD.”
We cannot will ourselves to spiritual life, but we can respond to Him — and it will happen.
Friday, February 27, 2015
Listening to the Warnings ................. Parables 241
(October 31, 1990)
A few weeks ago we were driving along the trans-Canada highway when I noticed a few cattle in a barley field. They had somehow breached the fence and escaped their adjacent pasture.
I told my husband and he quickly turned at the next corner and drove about a mile to the nearest farm house. We both knew what a belly full of grain can do to the critter who eats it. As we entered the driveway, a young girl, perhaps in her early teens, was in the yard playing with three very tiny kittens. I wondered if she would care.
As soon as he told her about the cattle, she said, “Those belong to our neighbor.” She said thank you, smiled, and hurried inside to the telephone.
After we left, I wondered about the reaction. It wasn’t even her cows, but if it had been, I’m sure she would have done the same thing: quickly thanked us and remedied the problem. I’m quite certain it didn’t enter her head to say, “It is none of your business” or “That’s your opinion” or “I don’t believe you.” Not only that, the owner of the cows would gladly receive her call, even though he would be concerned about his animals.
We saw the danger, reported it to the person we thought responsible, and she took action. It seems so normal. But it isn’t always the way those in danger react to a warning. As a Christian, I occasionally encounter someone who reacts to the gospel with “My life is none of your business...”
Some think that we are our brother’s keeper only when physical life is threatened or material loss is at stake. If their house is on fire, they want to know, but if their soul is threatened, “look the other way, thank you very much.”
Oddly enough, most of us comply. We don’t tell others what we know. We have the assurance of eternal life... why care about those who don’t care about themselves? In spite of the expressions of urgency all through the Bible and in spite of Jesus telling us to warn people and be quick to do so, whether it is convenient for us or not, the fact of the matter is that it is inconvenient and easier not to bother.
We might get the response that our message is just our opinion -- but it isn’t. Actually, we used to feel the same response to it, that our way was okay and the Christian message about sin and salvation was just somebody’s opinion. Then God grabbed us by the heart and let us see the reality of what He says. Our opinion changed... and became the same as His “opinion” -- “He that believes on the Son has everlasting life: and he that believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him.” We know there is genuine danger; people need to be told or there will be loss.
Of course people are free to make their own decisions. They may choose not to believe what they hear. Their decision won’t change the truth of it -- if the teenager did not believe us, or had we not told her, the cattle would still be in the grain, and maybe even made their grave there.
Occasionally we hear of someone who died because they refused to believe they needed medical help; Jim Henson is one example. His death was so needless. Spiritual death is just like that. There is no reason to suffer the consequences of sin when God so graciously provided a way to escape. No one needs to go into eternity without Christ, separated from Him forever... unless of course they ignore the warnings and make that choice.
A few weeks ago we were driving along the trans-Canada highway when I noticed a few cattle in a barley field. They had somehow breached the fence and escaped their adjacent pasture.
I told my husband and he quickly turned at the next corner and drove about a mile to the nearest farm house. We both knew what a belly full of grain can do to the critter who eats it. As we entered the driveway, a young girl, perhaps in her early teens, was in the yard playing with three very tiny kittens. I wondered if she would care.
As soon as he told her about the cattle, she said, “Those belong to our neighbor.” She said thank you, smiled, and hurried inside to the telephone.
After we left, I wondered about the reaction. It wasn’t even her cows, but if it had been, I’m sure she would have done the same thing: quickly thanked us and remedied the problem. I’m quite certain it didn’t enter her head to say, “It is none of your business” or “That’s your opinion” or “I don’t believe you.” Not only that, the owner of the cows would gladly receive her call, even though he would be concerned about his animals.
We saw the danger, reported it to the person we thought responsible, and she took action. It seems so normal. But it isn’t always the way those in danger react to a warning. As a Christian, I occasionally encounter someone who reacts to the gospel with “My life is none of your business...”
Some think that we are our brother’s keeper only when physical life is threatened or material loss is at stake. If their house is on fire, they want to know, but if their soul is threatened, “look the other way, thank you very much.”
Oddly enough, most of us comply. We don’t tell others what we know. We have the assurance of eternal life... why care about those who don’t care about themselves? In spite of the expressions of urgency all through the Bible and in spite of Jesus telling us to warn people and be quick to do so, whether it is convenient for us or not, the fact of the matter is that it is inconvenient and easier not to bother.
We might get the response that our message is just our opinion -- but it isn’t. Actually, we used to feel the same response to it, that our way was okay and the Christian message about sin and salvation was just somebody’s opinion. Then God grabbed us by the heart and let us see the reality of what He says. Our opinion changed... and became the same as His “opinion” -- “He that believes on the Son has everlasting life: and he that believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him.” We know there is genuine danger; people need to be told or there will be loss.
Of course people are free to make their own decisions. They may choose not to believe what they hear. Their decision won’t change the truth of it -- if the teenager did not believe us, or had we not told her, the cattle would still be in the grain, and maybe even made their grave there.
Occasionally we hear of someone who died because they refused to believe they needed medical help; Jim Henson is one example. His death was so needless. Spiritual death is just like that. There is no reason to suffer the consequences of sin when God so graciously provided a way to escape. No one needs to go into eternity without Christ, separated from Him forever... unless of course they ignore the warnings and make that choice.
Monday, February 16, 2015
Going Home ................. Parables 236
(September 26, 1990)
“Don’t miss the 60th Anniversary reunion...” the folder said. A decade ago, while we were living in the United States, my hometown hosted a reunion celebrating 50 years; we wouldn’t miss the celebration this time. Other people may reach back to their roots now and then but I had not been “home” for 30 years.
Some of the thoughts that ran through my head included a hope that everyone would be wearing name tags. What if no one knew me? Or worse yet, what if I didn’t know anyone... not even my closest school chums?
As I poked through my closet wondering what to wear, I wondered who would attend and what happened to those old friends. In contrast to my own children, I went to school in one place so some of those people had been my friends all twelve of those growing-up years. With so many relocations since then, I’ve lost touch. Getting together again held promise of joy to be sure, but maybe some surprises.
Well, the reunion is past. It was a weekend last July and marvelous in every way. We did have name tags but, for the most part, didn’t need them. We shared school yearbooks and photos of our children, exchanged addresses and remembered the good and bad times with laughter and even a few tears. It was a wonderful celebration and, as far as I was concerned, it could have lasted much longer.
As tremendous as this not-soon-to-be-forgotten event was, it really is only a shadow of another celebration that I also have been invited to attend. It won’t be an anniversary but it will be a reunion... and no one will need name tags. There, we will “know, even as we are known.”
The date is immediately after I leave this life; exact time, of course unknown. The place is heaven, and it is a definite location: Jesus said, “I go to prepare you a place for you... The occasion is the receiving of an inheritance — eternal life with Christ. What a celebration it will be.
In that day, all of God’s people will be together — everyone including the summer Bible school worker who first shared the gospel with me, and the believing pastors of every church. There will be mothers and fathers, aunts and uncles, grandparents, old-timers such as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and certainly lots of children, for Jesus said, “Suffer the little children to come unto me... for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”
We will come from a variety of eras and backgrounds; some will be farmers, some doctors and lawyers. There will be both women and men, rich and poor, baggers and kings, the brainy and the brawny, people from every nation and language.
What to wear is also a decision, but it can, and even must, be made before arrival. You see, there is a dress code; no one can get in without a white robe of righteousness. That will be a problem to those who have refused to believe in Jesus Christ and haven’t surrendered their lives to Him.
The best part of this heavenly reunion is that there are no more second partings, no more good-byes. We won’t have to go back to our jobs and our own homes, separated by miles and miles. We won’t have to wonder any more about the whereabouts of those we love are or what they are doing. We will be able to fellowship with other believers endlessly as we worship our Savior together. In that place, and for that reunion, friends really are friends forever and the greatest celebration of all will never end.
The invitation is still open. Jesus gave it when He died on the cross. He says, “Come unto me... and I will give you life...” and whoever comes, believing and obeying, will also be part of that promised everlasting reunion.
“Don’t miss the 60th Anniversary reunion...” the folder said. A decade ago, while we were living in the United States, my hometown hosted a reunion celebrating 50 years; we wouldn’t miss the celebration this time. Other people may reach back to their roots now and then but I had not been “home” for 30 years.
Some of the thoughts that ran through my head included a hope that everyone would be wearing name tags. What if no one knew me? Or worse yet, what if I didn’t know anyone... not even my closest school chums?
As I poked through my closet wondering what to wear, I wondered who would attend and what happened to those old friends. In contrast to my own children, I went to school in one place so some of those people had been my friends all twelve of those growing-up years. With so many relocations since then, I’ve lost touch. Getting together again held promise of joy to be sure, but maybe some surprises.
Well, the reunion is past. It was a weekend last July and marvelous in every way. We did have name tags but, for the most part, didn’t need them. We shared school yearbooks and photos of our children, exchanged addresses and remembered the good and bad times with laughter and even a few tears. It was a wonderful celebration and, as far as I was concerned, it could have lasted much longer.
As tremendous as this not-soon-to-be-forgotten event was, it really is only a shadow of another celebration that I also have been invited to attend. It won’t be an anniversary but it will be a reunion... and no one will need name tags. There, we will “know, even as we are known.”
The date is immediately after I leave this life; exact time, of course unknown. The place is heaven, and it is a definite location: Jesus said, “I go to prepare you a place for you... The occasion is the receiving of an inheritance — eternal life with Christ. What a celebration it will be.
In that day, all of God’s people will be together — everyone including the summer Bible school worker who first shared the gospel with me, and the believing pastors of every church. There will be mothers and fathers, aunts and uncles, grandparents, old-timers such as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and certainly lots of children, for Jesus said, “Suffer the little children to come unto me... for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”
We will come from a variety of eras and backgrounds; some will be farmers, some doctors and lawyers. There will be both women and men, rich and poor, baggers and kings, the brainy and the brawny, people from every nation and language.
What to wear is also a decision, but it can, and even must, be made before arrival. You see, there is a dress code; no one can get in without a white robe of righteousness. That will be a problem to those who have refused to believe in Jesus Christ and haven’t surrendered their lives to Him.
The best part of this heavenly reunion is that there are no more second partings, no more good-byes. We won’t have to go back to our jobs and our own homes, separated by miles and miles. We won’t have to wonder any more about the whereabouts of those we love are or what they are doing. We will be able to fellowship with other believers endlessly as we worship our Savior together. In that place, and for that reunion, friends really are friends forever and the greatest celebration of all will never end.
The invitation is still open. Jesus gave it when He died on the cross. He says, “Come unto me... and I will give you life...” and whoever comes, believing and obeying, will also be part of that promised everlasting reunion.
Friday, February 13, 2015
Receiving the unexpected ................. Parables 235
(September 12, 1990)
It was empty. What a rip-off. Someone had taken the eye drops out of the container, put it back on the shelf, and let some poor, unsuspecting customer (me) buy an empty box. I was annoyed and disappointed.
It reminded me of my oldest child’s first temper tantrum. He was hot and bored and his aunt didn’t have any ice cream so she offered him an empty cone. He took one look inside it, threw it and himself on the floor, and let the whole block know he was not very happy.
I didn’t do that. Instead, I went back to the store where they promptly gave me what I wanted. The clerk said it happens all the time; first time for me.
On the way home, I thought about some people who, no matter what they try or buy, wind up with a lot of “empty boxes.” That is, they follow the television commercials or someone’s endorsement and go for new jobs, new cars, blind dates, or business ventures that up front look promising, but for some reason, nothing ever satisfies them. I’m not immune. There have been several products that appeared attractive to begin with yet left me with a sour taste, wishing I hadn’t wasted my time, money, and energy.
Part of the problem is expectations. Think of it; if I thought I was buying an empty box, I wouldn’t have been disappointed. If my child had looked for a nice, light snack, an empty cone would have filled the bill.
This issue of expectations even enters into how people react to God’s Son. In the New Testament, a whole crowd of people turned away from Jesus and stopped following Him simply because He didn’t deliver what they expected.
The scene was Capernaum on the sea of Galilee. Along comes this Man with the uncanny ability to multiply a few loaves of bread into a whole bakery -- enough to feed several thousand tired, hungry people. Can you imagine what a modern food marketing board would do with Him?
It was long before cartels and food chains were invented and there were no advertising and promotion executives in the crowd but as they talked about Moses and manna from heaven, Jesus knew they were thinking along those lines. He would have to set them straight.
His speech began: “... I say to you, Moses didn’t give you that bread from heaven; but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven; for the bread of God is He which comes down from heaven, and gives life unto the world.”
For a few moments, what He was saying sounded maybe even better than bread. He continued: “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”
That sounded okay too -- but it wasn’t exactly what they had in mind. Some of them were thinking of their stomach, some their pocketbooks. How could a man who called himself “bread” do either one any good?
As they grumbled and tried to understand what He was talking about, Jesus went on to explain how God sent Him, the Bread of Life, to the world that sinners might be saved... not from mere physical hunger but from spiritual death. And at that point, they may have been intrigued -- but then He added: “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world... Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.”
That did it. They wanted food and profit, not any weird relationship that smacked of cannibalism. Jesus went on to explain, “It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak unto you are spiritual words, and words of life...” but to no avail... “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.”
Only a handful stuck around to find out what true bread really was. Later He asked them if they would leave too but they knew He alone had “the words of eternal life.” Those few were prepared to give up prior expectations and receive what He came to give... not demand what they themselves desired, and what they got was not an empty box.
It was empty. What a rip-off. Someone had taken the eye drops out of the container, put it back on the shelf, and let some poor, unsuspecting customer (me) buy an empty box. I was annoyed and disappointed.
It reminded me of my oldest child’s first temper tantrum. He was hot and bored and his aunt didn’t have any ice cream so she offered him an empty cone. He took one look inside it, threw it and himself on the floor, and let the whole block know he was not very happy.
I didn’t do that. Instead, I went back to the store where they promptly gave me what I wanted. The clerk said it happens all the time; first time for me.
On the way home, I thought about some people who, no matter what they try or buy, wind up with a lot of “empty boxes.” That is, they follow the television commercials or someone’s endorsement and go for new jobs, new cars, blind dates, or business ventures that up front look promising, but for some reason, nothing ever satisfies them. I’m not immune. There have been several products that appeared attractive to begin with yet left me with a sour taste, wishing I hadn’t wasted my time, money, and energy.
Part of the problem is expectations. Think of it; if I thought I was buying an empty box, I wouldn’t have been disappointed. If my child had looked for a nice, light snack, an empty cone would have filled the bill.
This issue of expectations even enters into how people react to God’s Son. In the New Testament, a whole crowd of people turned away from Jesus and stopped following Him simply because He didn’t deliver what they expected.
The scene was Capernaum on the sea of Galilee. Along comes this Man with the uncanny ability to multiply a few loaves of bread into a whole bakery -- enough to feed several thousand tired, hungry people. Can you imagine what a modern food marketing board would do with Him?
It was long before cartels and food chains were invented and there were no advertising and promotion executives in the crowd but as they talked about Moses and manna from heaven, Jesus knew they were thinking along those lines. He would have to set them straight.
His speech began: “... I say to you, Moses didn’t give you that bread from heaven; but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven; for the bread of God is He which comes down from heaven, and gives life unto the world.”
For a few moments, what He was saying sounded maybe even better than bread. He continued: “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”
That sounded okay too -- but it wasn’t exactly what they had in mind. Some of them were thinking of their stomach, some their pocketbooks. How could a man who called himself “bread” do either one any good?
As they grumbled and tried to understand what He was talking about, Jesus went on to explain how God sent Him, the Bread of Life, to the world that sinners might be saved... not from mere physical hunger but from spiritual death. And at that point, they may have been intrigued -- but then He added: “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world... Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.”
That did it. They wanted food and profit, not any weird relationship that smacked of cannibalism. Jesus went on to explain, “It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak unto you are spiritual words, and words of life...” but to no avail... “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.”
Only a handful stuck around to find out what true bread really was. Later He asked them if they would leave too but they knew He alone had “the words of eternal life.” Those few were prepared to give up prior expectations and receive what He came to give... not demand what they themselves desired, and what they got was not an empty box.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Death – the conquered enemy ................. Parables 228
(August 1, 1990)
A coffin holds the attention of mourners. A mother sobs for her dead. A wife is now a widow, children fatherless. Entire families grieve. Death, the final enemy, wins again.
Even aside from the obituaries, death serves as a main ingredient in the news of the day. Violent death, accidental death, death as a result of a battle with disease -- the only joyful accounts are when someone “cheats death” and even then, it is a temporary victory.
Some refuse to think about it, as if neglect will make it go away; but the saddest grief is for those who pretend it will never happen and find themselves face to face with reality -- death has snatched someone they love. Others are so preoccupied with death they spend their entire lives trying to beat it -- with everything from anti-aging cream to youth elixirs, only to find themselves a victim of the prey they could not capture and cage.
We hear of heroes who “bravely face death” and cowards who run from it; but regardless of the attitude, death always wins; well, almost always...
The most exciting thing that ever happened to humanity involves the one person who met death on death’s terms, allowed death to win, and then turned the score and rose a winner, conquering the unconquerable enemy and changing forever the hopes of it’s victims. Jesus Christ defeated the last enemy.
There are many people who don’t believe that. They say He didn’t really die, or He didn’t really rise; His disciples imagined or invented it. Scripture answers, “...if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen: And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is vain, and your faith is also vain. Yes, and we are false witnesses of God because we have testified that He raised up Christ... For if the dead rise not, then Christ is not raised and if Christ is not raised, your faith is vain; you are yet in your sins. Then they also which have died believing in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. (I Corinthians 15:14-19).
Unthinking Christians sometimes say, “Well, if we are wrong, at least we have lived well...” Scripture says if we are wrong, we are fools. We have given our lives to follow a lie. The joys of belonging to Christ aside, we have turned our backs on the pleasures of sin, even given up all this world has to offer, and if there is nothing beyond this life, what do we have?
Jesus says this life is fleeting but what we do with it makes a difference – in it, and in the next life: “There is no man that hath left (all) for the kingdom of God’s sake, who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting” (Luke 18:29,30).
Spending a life ignoring death ill prepares one for its eventuality. Preoccupation with it also ignores its power; we can’t win the battle. Looking at it as a foe, but a conquered foe gives us hope, yet that hope must be placed in the One who won the victory. We can’t conquer death because we can’t conquer the cause of death (sin); only Jesus did that. Only faith in Him gives us the same victory – over sin and over death.
The Bible triumphantly shouts to the enemy: “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin [is] the law. But thanks to God, which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Jesus hated death. He wept at the tomb of Lazarus, He felt compassion for the widow of Nain who lost her only Son; He wouldn’t let death claim either one of them. Nor did He enter it joyfully Himself. In Gethsemane His sweat dropped as blood and He cried, “Father, let this pass from me... nevertheless, not as I will but Your will be done...”
And because God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
A coffin holds the attention of mourners. A mother sobs for her dead. A wife is now a widow, children fatherless. Entire families grieve. Death, the final enemy, wins again.
Even aside from the obituaries, death serves as a main ingredient in the news of the day. Violent death, accidental death, death as a result of a battle with disease -- the only joyful accounts are when someone “cheats death” and even then, it is a temporary victory.
Some refuse to think about it, as if neglect will make it go away; but the saddest grief is for those who pretend it will never happen and find themselves face to face with reality -- death has snatched someone they love. Others are so preoccupied with death they spend their entire lives trying to beat it -- with everything from anti-aging cream to youth elixirs, only to find themselves a victim of the prey they could not capture and cage.
We hear of heroes who “bravely face death” and cowards who run from it; but regardless of the attitude, death always wins; well, almost always...
The most exciting thing that ever happened to humanity involves the one person who met death on death’s terms, allowed death to win, and then turned the score and rose a winner, conquering the unconquerable enemy and changing forever the hopes of it’s victims. Jesus Christ defeated the last enemy.
There are many people who don’t believe that. They say He didn’t really die, or He didn’t really rise; His disciples imagined or invented it. Scripture answers, “...if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen: And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is vain, and your faith is also vain. Yes, and we are false witnesses of God because we have testified that He raised up Christ... For if the dead rise not, then Christ is not raised and if Christ is not raised, your faith is vain; you are yet in your sins. Then they also which have died believing in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. (I Corinthians 15:14-19).
Unthinking Christians sometimes say, “Well, if we are wrong, at least we have lived well...” Scripture says if we are wrong, we are fools. We have given our lives to follow a lie. The joys of belonging to Christ aside, we have turned our backs on the pleasures of sin, even given up all this world has to offer, and if there is nothing beyond this life, what do we have?
Jesus says this life is fleeting but what we do with it makes a difference – in it, and in the next life: “There is no man that hath left (all) for the kingdom of God’s sake, who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting” (Luke 18:29,30).
Spending a life ignoring death ill prepares one for its eventuality. Preoccupation with it also ignores its power; we can’t win the battle. Looking at it as a foe, but a conquered foe gives us hope, yet that hope must be placed in the One who won the victory. We can’t conquer death because we can’t conquer the cause of death (sin); only Jesus did that. Only faith in Him gives us the same victory – over sin and over death.
The Bible triumphantly shouts to the enemy: “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin [is] the law. But thanks to God, which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Jesus hated death. He wept at the tomb of Lazarus, He felt compassion for the widow of Nain who lost her only Son; He wouldn’t let death claim either one of them. Nor did He enter it joyfully Himself. In Gethsemane His sweat dropped as blood and He cried, “Father, let this pass from me... nevertheless, not as I will but Your will be done...”
And because God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Monday, February 17, 2014
Reincarnation? ............................. Parables 081
Every now and then someone wants to know what the Bible says about reincarnation, an eastern philosophy that seems to be catching on in North America. The dictionary defines it as “the rebirth of a soul into a new human body.”
I asked myself “why would I believe in reincarnation? Some thoughts were: It gives hope for a second chance. If I could come back in another body, maybe I could just put behind me all the mistakes I made in this one. Also, if I could live again, perhaps I could have all the things denied me this time around. Besides, who wants to die?
So, what does the Bible say about reincarnation? Absolutely nothing. The word is not in Scripture. Surprised? Wouldn’t you think that if this was a valid concept, God would have something to say about it? Actually, He does. He reveals truth about the very same issues that reincarnation appeals to, the issues of: life after death, second chances, how to deal
with mistakes, and finding satisfaction and fulfillment.
LIFE AFTER DEATH: Jesus Christ said “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming in which all that are in the graves shall hear (the Father’s) voice, and shall come forth...” (John 5:28-29) He goes on to say that those who have done good (satisfied the Father’s standard of righteousness) shall experience the resurrection of life and those that have done evil, the resurrection of damnation. Either way, everyone will live again after they die.
SECOND CHANCES: The Bible is blunt about this one. Hebrews 9:27 says, “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement.” Very simple. We only die once. There is not one thing in Scripture that even infers that life is a cycle of souls re-entering other bodies.
ACCOUNTABILITY FOR MISTAKES: While it would be nice to just sweep our mistakes and failures into a casket and freely enter a next life, there is nothing in God’s Word that says it will happen. Instead note He. 9:27 again, we die once... “but after this the judgement.” The next life is not one where we face a new beginning but where we face God.
Again, the Bible doesn’t mince His words and try to soften the blow. If our “mistakes” are sin, they are called sin. Furthermore, the “wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23) and everyone has sinned. God loves those He created, but He is also just. Those wages must be paid. The death that comes from sin is not just physical death but spiritual death - separation from God, forever. In other words, everyone dies physically, everyone is resurrected, but not everyone will spend eternity with God.
FINDING SATISFACTION: One would think after all this gloom and doom that it is no wonder people avoid Scripture and turn to the religions of the eastern mystics that are in such utter contradiction to God’s Word.
But the Bible has good news too. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live...” It also says, we are saved from God’s wrath by faith in His Son. That means Jesus + faith = eternal life, with the Lord, forever.
Jesus gives a genuine second chance - not by a vague hope for a future reincarnation but by a very real spiritual birth, IN THIS LIFE. “If any person is in Christ, He has become a new creation, old things are passed away, all things have become new.” Yet He doesn’t sweep our sin under the carpet, when He gives that life. Instead, He bore our sin Himself. He paid its terrible penalty on the cross where He suffered and died.
This is not a pie-in-the-sky philosophy that puts everything off into the hereafter as reincarnation does. It offers fulfillment and hope for this life right now because Jesus also said, “I have come that they might have life, and they might have it more abundantly.” The Lord is “able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ask or think.”
Even if I could come back in another body, I know I could not do better than He can.
(Next week: The Bible does talk about INCARNATION.)
I asked myself “why would I believe in reincarnation? Some thoughts were: It gives hope for a second chance. If I could come back in another body, maybe I could just put behind me all the mistakes I made in this one. Also, if I could live again, perhaps I could have all the things denied me this time around. Besides, who wants to die?
So, what does the Bible say about reincarnation? Absolutely nothing. The word is not in Scripture. Surprised? Wouldn’t you think that if this was a valid concept, God would have something to say about it? Actually, He does. He reveals truth about the very same issues that reincarnation appeals to, the issues of: life after death, second chances, how to deal
with mistakes, and finding satisfaction and fulfillment.
LIFE AFTER DEATH: Jesus Christ said “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming in which all that are in the graves shall hear (the Father’s) voice, and shall come forth...” (John 5:28-29) He goes on to say that those who have done good (satisfied the Father’s standard of righteousness) shall experience the resurrection of life and those that have done evil, the resurrection of damnation. Either way, everyone will live again after they die.
SECOND CHANCES: The Bible is blunt about this one. Hebrews 9:27 says, “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement.” Very simple. We only die once. There is not one thing in Scripture that even infers that life is a cycle of souls re-entering other bodies.
ACCOUNTABILITY FOR MISTAKES: While it would be nice to just sweep our mistakes and failures into a casket and freely enter a next life, there is nothing in God’s Word that says it will happen. Instead note He. 9:27 again, we die once... “but after this the judgement.” The next life is not one where we face a new beginning but where we face God.
Again, the Bible doesn’t mince His words and try to soften the blow. If our “mistakes” are sin, they are called sin. Furthermore, the “wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23) and everyone has sinned. God loves those He created, but He is also just. Those wages must be paid. The death that comes from sin is not just physical death but spiritual death - separation from God, forever. In other words, everyone dies physically, everyone is resurrected, but not everyone will spend eternity with God.
FINDING SATISFACTION: One would think after all this gloom and doom that it is no wonder people avoid Scripture and turn to the religions of the eastern mystics that are in such utter contradiction to God’s Word.
But the Bible has good news too. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live...” It also says, we are saved from God’s wrath by faith in His Son. That means Jesus + faith = eternal life, with the Lord, forever.
Jesus gives a genuine second chance - not by a vague hope for a future reincarnation but by a very real spiritual birth, IN THIS LIFE. “If any person is in Christ, He has become a new creation, old things are passed away, all things have become new.” Yet He doesn’t sweep our sin under the carpet, when He gives that life. Instead, He bore our sin Himself. He paid its terrible penalty on the cross where He suffered and died.
This is not a pie-in-the-sky philosophy that puts everything off into the hereafter as reincarnation does. It offers fulfillment and hope for this life right now because Jesus also said, “I have come that they might have life, and they might have it more abundantly.” The Lord is “able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ask or think.”
Even if I could come back in another body, I know I could not do better than He can.
(Next week: The Bible does talk about INCARNATION.)
Monday, January 27, 2014
................ Parables 072
A cute little four-year old I know thinks that an ice cream cone would be a terrific breakfast. With her mother’s persistent teaching, she will someday learn the components of a well-balanced diet, but right now, she is not able to decide what is best for her.
Not that it is easy for adults. Have you ever gone into a cafeteria and wished you could have one of everything? I have - I love food and I love to eat - But sometimes I eat too much or eat what isn’t good for me. Out come the excuses: “everyone does it,” or “it feels good,” or even get defensive with - “no one (not even the bathroom scales) has the right to tell me what to do.”
Since I do not want to be “broader” that I already am, I try, most of the time, to keep my mind on the goal (slimness) and narrow my selection to food that will not widen my proportions.
First century Palestine didn’t have cafeterias that Jesus could use to illustrate truth, but they did have wide and narrow gates. Since most of their cities were walled, gates were needed, usually one wide one and a wide road leading up to it. This was the easiest way to get in.
The “narrow gate” was more like what we might call a turnstile - only one person could enter at a time. These were used at night or during a siege. They were situated off to the side and away from the main road, therefore more difficult to enter.
Jesus Christ said, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matt.7:13,14 NKJV).
Obviously, He wasn’t talking about food - and eternal life is a far more important goal than slimness; but the excuses to stay on the broad way are surprisingly similar:
1. There are many on the broad way to destruction - nearly “everyone does it.” Why go where few others go? Why not follow the crowd?
2. The narrow way is difficult, implying that the broad way is easy - certainly “it feels good” too. Why not avoid something that is hard? What is the point of choosing something that will be difficult?
3. There is a command to “enter...” No one tells anyone to go the broad way, no one has to. Doesn’t it offer more freedom and a sense of independence? Why give someone else have the “right to tell me what to do?”
But then there is the matter of the goal...
Not that it is easy for adults. Have you ever gone into a cafeteria and wished you could have one of everything? I have - I love food and I love to eat - But sometimes I eat too much or eat what isn’t good for me. Out come the excuses: “everyone does it,” or “it feels good,” or even get defensive with - “no one (not even the bathroom scales) has the right to tell me what to do.”
Since I do not want to be “broader” that I already am, I try, most of the time, to keep my mind on the goal (slimness) and narrow my selection to food that will not widen my proportions.
First century Palestine didn’t have cafeterias that Jesus could use to illustrate truth, but they did have wide and narrow gates. Since most of their cities were walled, gates were needed, usually one wide one and a wide road leading up to it. This was the easiest way to get in.
The “narrow gate” was more like what we might call a turnstile - only one person could enter at a time. These were used at night or during a siege. They were situated off to the side and away from the main road, therefore more difficult to enter.
Jesus Christ said, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matt.7:13,14 NKJV).
Obviously, He wasn’t talking about food - and eternal life is a far more important goal than slimness; but the excuses to stay on the broad way are surprisingly similar:
1. There are many on the broad way to destruction - nearly “everyone does it.” Why go where few others go? Why not follow the crowd?
2. The narrow way is difficult, implying that the broad way is easy - certainly “it feels good” too. Why not avoid something that is hard? What is the point of choosing something that will be difficult?
3. There is a command to “enter...” No one tells anyone to go the broad way, no one has to. Doesn’t it offer more freedom and a sense of independence? Why give someone else have the “right to tell me what to do?”
But then there is the matter of the goal...
Monday, August 19, 2013
Death ......................... Parables 011
“Seems as if a lot of people are dying these days . . .” — the statement of a 14-year-old, his mind somewhat numbed by pictures of the wreckage strewn over the Atlantic and then over the wooded hills near Hinton. He was wondering why.
We wonder too, briefly and then we go about life as usual. There is something in each one of us that blocks thoughts of death. We can imagine ourselves in pain, suffering, or maybe with the loss of some limbs, but since we don’t want to think about that, we usually don’t let our minds wander to even that subject. When the news seems to be filled with tragic death, few people think, “That could have been me.” Few . . . and not for long.
Death, especially sudden death, is unimaginable, undesirable, and hardly the favorite dinner-party topic of conversation. We’ll discuss all kinds of other horrible certainties, uncertainties, and other unpleasant things, but that one is so final, so mysterious, and all too inescapable. After all, every society has a death rate of 100%.
The book of Ecclesiastes says that “no man has power over the spirit to retain the spirit, neither hath he power in the day of death.” (8:8) Certainly that is why it is so disdained in conversation, so rejected from our thought life. We cannot control death. Nor can we stop it, or change it. And for some, both on the train and in the shuttle, there isn’t even a moment to anticipate it. One minute there is life, the next . . .
God says something about death that startles me upon first reading. “Blessed are the dead which dieth in the Lord . . . ” (Revelation 14:13). The Bible affirms that anyone who places their faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation is in Christ, and that anyone who believes in the Son of God has Christ in Him, and because of that, has eternal life already. This eternal life does not begin after this life is over. It begins the moment a person truly believes.
“This then is the record, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life, and he who has not the Son of God has not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (1 John 5:11-13).
Maybe there is someone who reads this column that is thinking about death. Thoughts that used to be easily pushed aside somehow no longer stay away. And there is no assurance, only fear, fear of what comes after that, fear of the event itself. Hebrews 2 gives good news: Jesus Christ became a man so that, by the grace of God, he could taste death for every man. Through His death, He destroyed him that had the power of death, and delivers them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
Yes, a lot of people are dying these days. Some suddenly, some tragically, some slowly, some painfully, yet some who die physically never really die. In Christ, they are ready to meet that enemy without fear, because He, the One who conquered death, did it so that those who believe merely change their place of residence.
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