March 3, 1992
The cartoon showed several fishermen on a frozen lake each beside holes the size of an ice auger — except one. His fishing hole was the size and shape of a whale! The thought provoking caption asked, “How big is the size of your fishing hole?”
Another expression relates to dreaming big: “It is better to aim for the stars and hit the woodpile than aim for the woodpile and hit your foot.”
Dreaming big does have its drawbacks. Sometimes we fail. Of course the misery of it seems emphasized by the large size of the dream hoped for but not accomplished. The up-side is that those daring enough to dream big are often able to put failure behind them and refocus on a new dream, perhaps even a bigger one.
Faith is related to dreaming big, at least that is what four friends of a paralyzed man found out. They loaded him on a stretcher and carted him down the street to a house where Jesus was staying. They heard this man was healing people and even though their friend was powerless, the four of them dreamed he would walk again. When they arrived at the house, they discovered they were not the only ones with dreams. The place was so crowded they couldn’t even get near the door, much less inside. At this point, they had a conference. How could their dream come true?
The rest of the story is recorded in Luke 5. And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus. So when He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”
What? The four expected Jesus to heal their friend — but instead He declared his sins were forgiven? As they wondered what this meant, Jesus turned to some ever-present critics and challenged their unspoken complaint. “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? Which is easier, to say ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man (referring to Himself) has power on earth to forgive sins — He said to the man who was paralyzed, I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”
At that the man rose up, folded his cot and left, glorifying God. Not only was the auger-sized dream of his friends fulfilled — but Jesus carved out a whale-sized dream and fulfilled it too.
Do we dream too small? Sometimes I do, at least when it comes to what I envision God wants or can do. Those little dreams reflect a little faith. But I am learning that Jesus longs to give us dreams a size or two too big. For one thing, He wants us to grow into them, to become much more than we thought we could be. But the main reason is so He can demonstrate to us that He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think (Ephesians 3). Therefore, every time we dream too small, we could be limiting God and missing out on really knowing His power in our lives.
So remember the whale-sized hole — not just the next time you are fishing, but whenever you are praying... or dreaming.
Friday, July 31, 2015
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Pressure produces sponges ................ Parables 306
February 25, 1992
You have heard that old expression: “You can’t get blood out of a stone.” It is true about water too. An ordinary rock can lie on the bottom of a river for thousands of years but if you squeeze it, not a drop of water comes out.
Someone said the church in North America is like that. We sit soaking in spiritual things most of our lives, but when we get squeezed, nothing comes out — just expressions of dissatisfaction that the pressure is making us uncomfortable. Don’t get me wrong — I don’t like pressure either. A little bit might make me more productive but huge problems come along and I’m right there complaining about my lot in life too.
Not like Job. He was a man who believed in God, prayed daily for his family and lived uprightly. For a while, his life seemed too good to be true. Like a rock in a river, he had been soaking up His blessings and may have spent the rest of his life enjoying every one of them but along came some pressures, considerable pressures, and Job was squeezed. What came is a surprise.
Oh, he did complain. In fact, when someone wishes they had “the patience of Job,” I wonder if they ever read his story. I didn’t see much patience the first few times I read it. He was quite vocal about his situation, his discomfort, and his friends who were falsely accusing him. (They thought he must have sinned or he would not be having all those problems.) Yet in spite of all his groaning and moaning, God says we are to “consider the patience of Job.” What on earth could He mean?
When I am impatient, I try to change things or somehow control what is happening. While Job protested, he did not press for change. What he did do, in spite of his grief and protests, was make two or three remarkable statements. These utterances proved that he was NOT like a rock in a river — the blessings of God had sunk in and made him different from the average person, even the average Christian.
In his suffering, Job said: “. . . the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.” In all of his losses, Job did not accuse God of doing wrong or complain that He had no right to take away a blessing.
He also said, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” Even though he was hurting, his faith remained strong. Who else could he trust in such difficult circumstances? He had lost his wealth, health and family; why lose faith too?
Another of Job’s responses to the squeeze was: “He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.” Job knew that the pressure would (not could, would) make him a better person. He also knew God was not oblivious to his problems, nor was He simply observing and not caring. Even though Job insisted he was not being punished for any particular sin, he knew God was using this pressure to purify his life.
Job also said, “I know my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth, and after my skin is destroyed... in my flesh I shall see God.” Job knew that his friends’ accusations had once been true — he was guilty of sin — but he had a Living Redeemer who had forgiven him and who he would one day see face to face.
Job was no rock in a river but a sponge. He dismissed any notion that God would not or should not allow pressure in his life. God is God. He can do what He deems best. Job also had a unique perspective regarding the purpose of pressure — it was not just reason to cry out with requests for restored comfort. Instead it was an opportunity to pour forth the faith that was in him.
You have heard that old expression: “You can’t get blood out of a stone.” It is true about water too. An ordinary rock can lie on the bottom of a river for thousands of years but if you squeeze it, not a drop of water comes out.
Someone said the church in North America is like that. We sit soaking in spiritual things most of our lives, but when we get squeezed, nothing comes out — just expressions of dissatisfaction that the pressure is making us uncomfortable. Don’t get me wrong — I don’t like pressure either. A little bit might make me more productive but huge problems come along and I’m right there complaining about my lot in life too.
Not like Job. He was a man who believed in God, prayed daily for his family and lived uprightly. For a while, his life seemed too good to be true. Like a rock in a river, he had been soaking up His blessings and may have spent the rest of his life enjoying every one of them but along came some pressures, considerable pressures, and Job was squeezed. What came is a surprise.
Oh, he did complain. In fact, when someone wishes they had “the patience of Job,” I wonder if they ever read his story. I didn’t see much patience the first few times I read it. He was quite vocal about his situation, his discomfort, and his friends who were falsely accusing him. (They thought he must have sinned or he would not be having all those problems.) Yet in spite of all his groaning and moaning, God says we are to “consider the patience of Job.” What on earth could He mean?
When I am impatient, I try to change things or somehow control what is happening. While Job protested, he did not press for change. What he did do, in spite of his grief and protests, was make two or three remarkable statements. These utterances proved that he was NOT like a rock in a river — the blessings of God had sunk in and made him different from the average person, even the average Christian.
In his suffering, Job said: “. . . the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.” In all of his losses, Job did not accuse God of doing wrong or complain that He had no right to take away a blessing.
He also said, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” Even though he was hurting, his faith remained strong. Who else could he trust in such difficult circumstances? He had lost his wealth, health and family; why lose faith too?
Another of Job’s responses to the squeeze was: “He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.” Job knew that the pressure would (not could, would) make him a better person. He also knew God was not oblivious to his problems, nor was He simply observing and not caring. Even though Job insisted he was not being punished for any particular sin, he knew God was using this pressure to purify his life.
Job also said, “I know my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth, and after my skin is destroyed... in my flesh I shall see God.” Job knew that his friends’ accusations had once been true — he was guilty of sin — but he had a Living Redeemer who had forgiven him and who he would one day see face to face.
Job was no rock in a river but a sponge. He dismissed any notion that God would not or should not allow pressure in his life. God is God. He can do what He deems best. Job also had a unique perspective regarding the purpose of pressure — it was not just reason to cry out with requests for restored comfort. Instead it was an opportunity to pour forth the faith that was in him.
Monday, July 27, 2015
Choose what kind of hypocrite I want to be ................ Parables 305
February 18, 1992
Professional Counselor Larry Crabb says that Christians, no matter what how they live, are hypocrites. He quickly adds a qualifier — Christians can make a choice regarding what form their hypocrisy will take.
To understand Crabb, it is important to have a clear definition of hypocrisy. We usually think of hypocrites as people who pretend to be good but are not, people who are nice to our face but stab us in the back. Webster’s Dictionary broadens the definition. It defines hypocrisy as: feigning to be what one is not, or to believe what one does not believe.
In other words, if I pretend to be an opera singer, when clearly I am not, I am a hypocrite. (My first performance would reveal the hypocrisy.) However, there are two ways to look at this. If I really was an opera singer, say an excellent soprano, but told everyone I could not sing a note, I would also be a hypocrite.
Notice Webster’s definition includes pretending to believe something as well as pretending to be something. I gather from that some people who say they believe in something or someone, when they really don’t, are hypocrites too. Without intending to be unkind, this might include parents who tell their children about the Easter bunny or the tooth fairy.
Taking this into the realm of religion, hypocrites are people who pretend to be what they are not, or pretend to believe but really have no faith. But it could also mean people who really are Christians and who really believe in Christ but say or act otherwise.
The first description we immediately recognize as the charlatans who masquerade their way into the church, fleece the flock, and leave a sour taste in everyone’s mouth. They are the business people who go to church on Sunday and conduct unethical business practices the rest of the week. They profess faith but do not possess it.
But what about the other kind of hypocrite, the one who is really a Christian but acts and talks like everyone else? Actually, this sort probably does far more damage in the church and to the reputation of Christianity than the other kind because few people can distinguish between these and the charlatans.
What is behind this strange form of hypocrisy? Well, when a person becomes a genuine Christian, they receive a new nature. This new nature is to govern their lives. However, the old nature, with its habits and selfishness, can have a strong influence if allowed to do so. When I was a new Christian, and sometimes even now, strong desires of the old nature try to govern what I do. In fact, sometimes obeying God seems unnatural — and doing the right thing, when I don’t feel like it, makes me feel like a hypocrite.
At that point I have to choose what kind of hypocrite I want to be. Am I going to be true to the new creature God says I am? Or am I going to be true to my old desires that God says have been crucified with Christ?
Psalm 26 says: “...I have walked in my integrity. I have also trusted in the Lord...” Integrity means being true to who we really are, and if we really are children of God, we ought to act like it, even if we don’t feel like it.
This is Crabb’s idea - Christians have to choose their hypocrisy.
In times of high moral and emotional pressures, something inside me may protest obedience. I may even yell, “I DON’T FEEL LIKE IT!” At that point, I need to remember I can be true to those sinful desires but I will be a hypocrite to what I really am. But if I choose to be true to what I really am, I will be a hypocrite to my sinful desires. The Bible says it is okay to be that kind of hypocrite.
Professional Counselor Larry Crabb says that Christians, no matter what how they live, are hypocrites. He quickly adds a qualifier — Christians can make a choice regarding what form their hypocrisy will take.
To understand Crabb, it is important to have a clear definition of hypocrisy. We usually think of hypocrites as people who pretend to be good but are not, people who are nice to our face but stab us in the back. Webster’s Dictionary broadens the definition. It defines hypocrisy as: feigning to be what one is not, or to believe what one does not believe.
In other words, if I pretend to be an opera singer, when clearly I am not, I am a hypocrite. (My first performance would reveal the hypocrisy.) However, there are two ways to look at this. If I really was an opera singer, say an excellent soprano, but told everyone I could not sing a note, I would also be a hypocrite.
Notice Webster’s definition includes pretending to believe something as well as pretending to be something. I gather from that some people who say they believe in something or someone, when they really don’t, are hypocrites too. Without intending to be unkind, this might include parents who tell their children about the Easter bunny or the tooth fairy.
Taking this into the realm of religion, hypocrites are people who pretend to be what they are not, or pretend to believe but really have no faith. But it could also mean people who really are Christians and who really believe in Christ but say or act otherwise.
The first description we immediately recognize as the charlatans who masquerade their way into the church, fleece the flock, and leave a sour taste in everyone’s mouth. They are the business people who go to church on Sunday and conduct unethical business practices the rest of the week. They profess faith but do not possess it.
But what about the other kind of hypocrite, the one who is really a Christian but acts and talks like everyone else? Actually, this sort probably does far more damage in the church and to the reputation of Christianity than the other kind because few people can distinguish between these and the charlatans.
What is behind this strange form of hypocrisy? Well, when a person becomes a genuine Christian, they receive a new nature. This new nature is to govern their lives. However, the old nature, with its habits and selfishness, can have a strong influence if allowed to do so. When I was a new Christian, and sometimes even now, strong desires of the old nature try to govern what I do. In fact, sometimes obeying God seems unnatural — and doing the right thing, when I don’t feel like it, makes me feel like a hypocrite.
At that point I have to choose what kind of hypocrite I want to be. Am I going to be true to the new creature God says I am? Or am I going to be true to my old desires that God says have been crucified with Christ?
Psalm 26 says: “...I have walked in my integrity. I have also trusted in the Lord...” Integrity means being true to who we really are, and if we really are children of God, we ought to act like it, even if we don’t feel like it.
This is Crabb’s idea - Christians have to choose their hypocrisy.
In times of high moral and emotional pressures, something inside me may protest obedience. I may even yell, “I DON’T FEEL LIKE IT!” At that point, I need to remember I can be true to those sinful desires but I will be a hypocrite to what I really am. But if I choose to be true to what I really am, I will be a hypocrite to my sinful desires. The Bible says it is okay to be that kind of hypocrite.
Friday, July 24, 2015
Pain has Purpose ................ Parables 304
February 11, 1992
A child is murdered. An arsonist burns a home to the ground. A car accident cripples a newlywed. And we, even we who believe in a sovereign God who controls all things, are at a loss to explain our out-of-control world.
Oh, we Christians say God has His reasons... but our pat answers offer little comfort to the child’s parents, the family who has lost everything, or the couple whose hopes and dreams have turned to perpetual pain and wheelchairs. They cry for a way out and question — how can a sovereign, loving God allow such horrid things to happen?
When in pain, our ability to reason often abandons us, yet reason has shown me some new ideas about pain and suffering. For one thing, I used to think pain was always something to avoid, but isn’t some pain necessary? Without it, no one would go to the doctor to have broken bones set, or yank their hand off a hot iron, or avoid sharp knife blades. All pain is uncomfortable, but not all pain is evil.
Furthermore, I used to consider death as utterly bad, however it does have two very practical purposes. One of them, admittedly heartless but nonetheless true, is that if every man, woman, child, dog, cat, and goldfish that ever lived still lived, there would be no breathing space left.
Our real problem is with UNWANTED pain and the UNAVOIDABLE separation and suffering involved with death. We want God to intervene, to change things so we don’t hurt any more. But reason says for that to happen, God would have to change the nature of the way the world works, more precisely, the principle of cause and effect.
Cause and effect makes life predictable. We flip a switch and a light goes on; drink some water and our thirst is satisfied; sleep all night and wake up refreshed. However, if cause and effect could no longer be relied on, we would never be sure what would happen. They light may go on, but then again, it might not.
Imagine the chaos of a world without this principle. We could never be sure about anything. Would living with unpredictability would more tolerable than living without pain? The pain of consequences at least keeps most of us from inadvertently destroying ourselves.
Our prayers often demand God to change our situation or take away our distresses but we forget one more thing: without pain to keep us in check, we probably would do even worse things to each other than we do. Actually, if we are going to demand anything of God, maybe it should be a solution for sin. After all, sin causes death (“The wages of sin is death...” Romans 6:23) and a large percentage of human pain and suffering.
Actually, God has provided a solution for sin and it relates to this whole issue. Follow this carefully: those who seek His forgiveness receive a changed life and an attitude that desires to alleviate pain rather than inflict it. However, God does not change the cause/effect principle. If we sin, someone suffers, even though God can use that for our good, to draw us closer to Him. Instead, God created another world — His full and final solution to the misery and pain of this world. It is a place where we can live forever in the pain-free environment we wish we could have here. Of it, the Bible says, “God will wipe away every tear... there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying... no more pain, for the former things (including the principle of cause and effect) have passed away.”
That is where the second practical purpose of death comes in. Death is the process by which we enter that perfect, eternal place. Without it, we would be stuck here. So, listen to what Jesus said, “I go and prepare a place for you and will come again and receive you to Myself... I am the way...” the way out...
A child is murdered. An arsonist burns a home to the ground. A car accident cripples a newlywed. And we, even we who believe in a sovereign God who controls all things, are at a loss to explain our out-of-control world.
Oh, we Christians say God has His reasons... but our pat answers offer little comfort to the child’s parents, the family who has lost everything, or the couple whose hopes and dreams have turned to perpetual pain and wheelchairs. They cry for a way out and question — how can a sovereign, loving God allow such horrid things to happen?
When in pain, our ability to reason often abandons us, yet reason has shown me some new ideas about pain and suffering. For one thing, I used to think pain was always something to avoid, but isn’t some pain necessary? Without it, no one would go to the doctor to have broken bones set, or yank their hand off a hot iron, or avoid sharp knife blades. All pain is uncomfortable, but not all pain is evil.
Furthermore, I used to consider death as utterly bad, however it does have two very practical purposes. One of them, admittedly heartless but nonetheless true, is that if every man, woman, child, dog, cat, and goldfish that ever lived still lived, there would be no breathing space left.
Our real problem is with UNWANTED pain and the UNAVOIDABLE separation and suffering involved with death. We want God to intervene, to change things so we don’t hurt any more. But reason says for that to happen, God would have to change the nature of the way the world works, more precisely, the principle of cause and effect.
Cause and effect makes life predictable. We flip a switch and a light goes on; drink some water and our thirst is satisfied; sleep all night and wake up refreshed. However, if cause and effect could no longer be relied on, we would never be sure what would happen. They light may go on, but then again, it might not.
Imagine the chaos of a world without this principle. We could never be sure about anything. Would living with unpredictability would more tolerable than living without pain? The pain of consequences at least keeps most of us from inadvertently destroying ourselves.
Our prayers often demand God to change our situation or take away our distresses but we forget one more thing: without pain to keep us in check, we probably would do even worse things to each other than we do. Actually, if we are going to demand anything of God, maybe it should be a solution for sin. After all, sin causes death (“The wages of sin is death...” Romans 6:23) and a large percentage of human pain and suffering.
Actually, God has provided a solution for sin and it relates to this whole issue. Follow this carefully: those who seek His forgiveness receive a changed life and an attitude that desires to alleviate pain rather than inflict it. However, God does not change the cause/effect principle. If we sin, someone suffers, even though God can use that for our good, to draw us closer to Him. Instead, God created another world — His full and final solution to the misery and pain of this world. It is a place where we can live forever in the pain-free environment we wish we could have here. Of it, the Bible says, “God will wipe away every tear... there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying... no more pain, for the former things (including the principle of cause and effect) have passed away.”
That is where the second practical purpose of death comes in. Death is the process by which we enter that perfect, eternal place. Without it, we would be stuck here. So, listen to what Jesus said, “I go and prepare a place for you and will come again and receive you to Myself... I am the way...” the way out...
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Freedom in being a slave! ................ Parables 303
February 4, 1992
“There is no slave like the person who is free to do what he pleases.”
The psychiatrist who said it backs it up. He discloses that four out of ten teenagers who come to him with psychological disorders are beyond his help because “each one is demanding that the world conform to his or her personal and uncontrolled desires.”
This professional also says, “If these personality disorders persist far into adulthood, we will have a society of pleasure-driven people, hopelessly insecure and dependent.”
Hopelessly insecure and dependent. Interesting. Apparently modern psychiatry has discovered what the Bible has been saying for thousands of years — pursuing our desires does not bring security and independence but great bondage.
It is common to think true freedom means being free to do whatever we please, but experts in mental health say not, and so does Scripture. Freedom is a big topic in the Bible and yet Romans 6 reduces it to two simple choices: we can either serve God as His bondslaves, or serve ourselves and be in bondage to sin.
For most, that is illogical. Again, freedom seemingly means being able to do what we want, when we want, with no restrictions. Of course slavery would then mean being in bondage to the dictates of someone else; and if that someone else is a holy deity that demands goodness, how can being good all the time equate to freedom? Those who think that way abandon obedience to God to pursue their own desires, usually without giving thought to the consequences.
Scripture offers some spiritual insights regarding this kind of thinking. First, Proverbs 14:12 warns there is a way that seems right... but the end of it is death. Like the psychiatrist said, those who go the way that seems right are eventually very insecure. The Bible says they are destroyed.
Also, Romans 3 says there are “none who seek after God, they have all turned aside... and become unprofitable. There is none who does good, no, not one... destruction and misery are in their ways...” Again, the conclusion of the psychiatrist is the same as that of the Word of God: there is no slave like the person free to do as they please... because what they please is so self-destructive.
Secondly, Isaiah 53:6 says “All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord laid on Him (Jesus) the iniquities of us all.” According to Isaiah, simply turning from God to do our own thing is the very definition of sin, and the reason Jesus was crucified.
Author Oscar Wilde, not a Christian, made this confession: “The gods have given me almost everything. But I let myself be lured into long spells of senseless and sensual ease... tired of being on the heights, I deliberately went to the depths in search for new sensation. What the paradox was to me in the sphere of thought, perversity became to me in the sphere of passion. I grew careless of the lives of others. I took pleasure where it pleased me, and passed on. I forgot that every little action of the common day makes or unmakes character, and that therefore what one has done in the secret chamber, one has some day to cry aloud from the house-top. I ceased to be lord over myself. I was no longer the captain of my soul, and did not know it. I allowed pleasure to dominate me. I ended in horrible disgrace.”
What Wilde tragically never discovered was that God treats His slaves far better than sin does. In fact, Jesus said: “If the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.”
“There is no slave like the person who is free to do what he pleases.”
The psychiatrist who said it backs it up. He discloses that four out of ten teenagers who come to him with psychological disorders are beyond his help because “each one is demanding that the world conform to his or her personal and uncontrolled desires.”
This professional also says, “If these personality disorders persist far into adulthood, we will have a society of pleasure-driven people, hopelessly insecure and dependent.”
Hopelessly insecure and dependent. Interesting. Apparently modern psychiatry has discovered what the Bible has been saying for thousands of years — pursuing our desires does not bring security and independence but great bondage.
It is common to think true freedom means being free to do whatever we please, but experts in mental health say not, and so does Scripture. Freedom is a big topic in the Bible and yet Romans 6 reduces it to two simple choices: we can either serve God as His bondslaves, or serve ourselves and be in bondage to sin.
For most, that is illogical. Again, freedom seemingly means being able to do what we want, when we want, with no restrictions. Of course slavery would then mean being in bondage to the dictates of someone else; and if that someone else is a holy deity that demands goodness, how can being good all the time equate to freedom? Those who think that way abandon obedience to God to pursue their own desires, usually without giving thought to the consequences.
Scripture offers some spiritual insights regarding this kind of thinking. First, Proverbs 14:12 warns there is a way that seems right... but the end of it is death. Like the psychiatrist said, those who go the way that seems right are eventually very insecure. The Bible says they are destroyed.
Also, Romans 3 says there are “none who seek after God, they have all turned aside... and become unprofitable. There is none who does good, no, not one... destruction and misery are in their ways...” Again, the conclusion of the psychiatrist is the same as that of the Word of God: there is no slave like the person free to do as they please... because what they please is so self-destructive.
Secondly, Isaiah 53:6 says “All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord laid on Him (Jesus) the iniquities of us all.” According to Isaiah, simply turning from God to do our own thing is the very definition of sin, and the reason Jesus was crucified.
Author Oscar Wilde, not a Christian, made this confession: “The gods have given me almost everything. But I let myself be lured into long spells of senseless and sensual ease... tired of being on the heights, I deliberately went to the depths in search for new sensation. What the paradox was to me in the sphere of thought, perversity became to me in the sphere of passion. I grew careless of the lives of others. I took pleasure where it pleased me, and passed on. I forgot that every little action of the common day makes or unmakes character, and that therefore what one has done in the secret chamber, one has some day to cry aloud from the house-top. I ceased to be lord over myself. I was no longer the captain of my soul, and did not know it. I allowed pleasure to dominate me. I ended in horrible disgrace.”
What Wilde tragically never discovered was that God treats His slaves far better than sin does. In fact, Jesus said: “If the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.”
Monday, July 20, 2015
God’s amazing healing power ................ Parables 302
January 28, 1992
A year or more ago, I wrote about a bomb being dropped in my life and about God whispering in my ear assurance that in this I would be a winner.
For those who know me and the nature of that bomb, your prayers have gone heavenward and been answered more abundantly than imaginable. For those who do not know anything about it but may have wondered, I just want to affirm how God can not only overthrow evil but even make it work for His purposes.
What seemed in the beginning the worst that could happen has resulted in indescribable blessing. Several lives have been radically altered. Relationships have been given a vitality that none could have expected. Family members have been drastically affected: two of them so much so that I can only feel awe about my God who has done such great things.
He has worked in my own heart too, revealing needs and then meeting them, bringing to my consciousness wrong attitudes I was not aware of and (as I confessed them as sin) transforming my thinking.
As a result, I have an understanding of the saving and healing power of God that is beyond anything previously imagined and have been able to share more deeply in the lives of others, ministering to their hurts with far greater compassion.
Romans 8:28, my life-stay for many years, promises, “God works all things together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Again, God proves Himself faithful beyond any doubt. He uses even evil for good, that is, the good of transforming His children into the image of His Son.
We live in a sin-sick world full of selfish people whose only desire is to get what they want, regardless of who they hurt. However, sin and selfishness result in twisted, broken lives, ruined relationships, demolished and impoverished spirits. The schemes of foolish people do not produce the peace, security and true joy they seek. Only God’s way can result in such enjoyment; selfish, sinful living will never do it.
The desire of God is to bless His people but it takes us a long time to learn that His way is the way of the Cross. That is, it is by dying to our selfish desires that He gives beyond our wildest dreams.
You see, even Jesus Himself went through a “bomb” experience. Who would have thought that God could work good out of a frame-up and a crucifixion — but it was by these very evils that the Lord worked the very highest good. With death’s violent explosion, He secured eternal life for all who believe.
Along with the Apostle Paul, I too say, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:31-32). For me, the “all things” have included a blasting away of the power of evil — replaced with His life, His renewal, His peace, and His incredible healing.
Romans 8 also says nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, not tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword... not even bombs! In fact, “in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”
The love of God makes bombs into balms — healing right on the heels of hurt, and restoration right in the midst of destruction. So my thanks to the Lord for you who prayed. Our God is an awesome God.
A year or more ago, I wrote about a bomb being dropped in my life and about God whispering in my ear assurance that in this I would be a winner.
For those who know me and the nature of that bomb, your prayers have gone heavenward and been answered more abundantly than imaginable. For those who do not know anything about it but may have wondered, I just want to affirm how God can not only overthrow evil but even make it work for His purposes.
What seemed in the beginning the worst that could happen has resulted in indescribable blessing. Several lives have been radically altered. Relationships have been given a vitality that none could have expected. Family members have been drastically affected: two of them so much so that I can only feel awe about my God who has done such great things.
He has worked in my own heart too, revealing needs and then meeting them, bringing to my consciousness wrong attitudes I was not aware of and (as I confessed them as sin) transforming my thinking.
As a result, I have an understanding of the saving and healing power of God that is beyond anything previously imagined and have been able to share more deeply in the lives of others, ministering to their hurts with far greater compassion.
Romans 8:28, my life-stay for many years, promises, “God works all things together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Again, God proves Himself faithful beyond any doubt. He uses even evil for good, that is, the good of transforming His children into the image of His Son.
We live in a sin-sick world full of selfish people whose only desire is to get what they want, regardless of who they hurt. However, sin and selfishness result in twisted, broken lives, ruined relationships, demolished and impoverished spirits. The schemes of foolish people do not produce the peace, security and true joy they seek. Only God’s way can result in such enjoyment; selfish, sinful living will never do it.
The desire of God is to bless His people but it takes us a long time to learn that His way is the way of the Cross. That is, it is by dying to our selfish desires that He gives beyond our wildest dreams.
You see, even Jesus Himself went through a “bomb” experience. Who would have thought that God could work good out of a frame-up and a crucifixion — but it was by these very evils that the Lord worked the very highest good. With death’s violent explosion, He secured eternal life for all who believe.
Along with the Apostle Paul, I too say, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:31-32). For me, the “all things” have included a blasting away of the power of evil — replaced with His life, His renewal, His peace, and His incredible healing.
Romans 8 also says nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, not tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword... not even bombs! In fact, “in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”
The love of God makes bombs into balms — healing right on the heels of hurt, and restoration right in the midst of destruction. So my thanks to the Lord for you who prayed. Our God is an awesome God.
Friday, July 17, 2015
In the kitchen with Jesus ................ Parables 301
January 21, 1992
Some kitchens, no matter their size, are not big enough for two cooks. I can remember when I was a young mother and had to share a kitchen with my mother. We did not agree on anything. She wanted the appliances in one cupboard, their cords in another. I thought the mixer, cords, beaters and bowls should all be together... and on it went.
Far from being a 20th Century North American phenomena, when Jesus and his disciples were invited for dinner, Mary and Martha’s kitchen shrank too! Luke tells the story in chapter 10. Apparently both were making lunch but Mary decided to leave the pots and pans and wander into the living room. Martha was furious. She called Jesus and told Him to make her sister come and help her. (Note, although she appealed to the highest authority, she was telling Him what to do.)
Jesus’ response was not what she expected: “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
The details of the incident are left to our imaginations. Knowing women, it may be that Mary noticed these men were far more occupied with theological truth than culinary skills so she voted for quick nourishment, perhaps peanut butter sandwiches. But Martha wanted roast turkey and all the trimmings. She wouldn’t hear of feeding sandwiches to the Son of God. Besides, what would He think of her if she didn’t put out her best spread?
Obviously Mary wasn’t trying to impress Jesus with her cooking. Other passages about her reveal that she was the only one who realized He would not be with them much longer. Perhaps she felt an urgency to know more about Him and more about how to live as one who trusted Him. Perhaps she knew neither big meals nor any other personal accomplishment would improve her standing with Him. Perhaps she realized she needed Him to make an impression on her — the impression of His righteous image stamped deep on her life.
Martha seemed to have different desires and certainly different priorities. While it may have appeared a good thing to be busy with “much serving” and a natural thing to be distressed about Mary’s choice, Jesus’ gentle rebuke shows that something was wrong.
Martha’s anxiety was a clue. What was important here: how she looked (based on how she cooked) or calmly trusting His acceptance — based on His love, not her service? On the other hand, Mary already knew that Jesus saw right through her. Nothing she could accomplish would change what He saw. Only HE could make her acceptable.
Mary choose the “good part,” to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to what He had to say. I’m sure she discovered many new things about herself. Some of them may have made her uncomfortable, even filled with shame, as Martha no doubt eventually felt after the rebuke. But Mary came to Him anyway. She knew His Words healed and He would forgive her if she trusted Him and confessed her sinfulness.
The story of Martha and Mary is not an excuse for we who cook or share a kitchen to abandon our culinary responsibilities and read the Bible all day. Instead, it is a challenge to take inventory. Do outer activities fill our life so we have no time for Jesus? Do we ever stop to ask if we are trying to impress Almighty God? Do we claim to serve Christ yet find ourselves full of anxieties... and resenting others who are not working as hard? Do we even complain to God and insist He do something about them?
In other words, turkey may rate higher than peanut butter in our list of what is important, but where does time with Jesus fit in?
Some kitchens, no matter their size, are not big enough for two cooks. I can remember when I was a young mother and had to share a kitchen with my mother. We did not agree on anything. She wanted the appliances in one cupboard, their cords in another. I thought the mixer, cords, beaters and bowls should all be together... and on it went.
Far from being a 20th Century North American phenomena, when Jesus and his disciples were invited for dinner, Mary and Martha’s kitchen shrank too! Luke tells the story in chapter 10. Apparently both were making lunch but Mary decided to leave the pots and pans and wander into the living room. Martha was furious. She called Jesus and told Him to make her sister come and help her. (Note, although she appealed to the highest authority, she was telling Him what to do.)
Jesus’ response was not what she expected: “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
The details of the incident are left to our imaginations. Knowing women, it may be that Mary noticed these men were far more occupied with theological truth than culinary skills so she voted for quick nourishment, perhaps peanut butter sandwiches. But Martha wanted roast turkey and all the trimmings. She wouldn’t hear of feeding sandwiches to the Son of God. Besides, what would He think of her if she didn’t put out her best spread?
Obviously Mary wasn’t trying to impress Jesus with her cooking. Other passages about her reveal that she was the only one who realized He would not be with them much longer. Perhaps she felt an urgency to know more about Him and more about how to live as one who trusted Him. Perhaps she knew neither big meals nor any other personal accomplishment would improve her standing with Him. Perhaps she realized she needed Him to make an impression on her — the impression of His righteous image stamped deep on her life.
Martha seemed to have different desires and certainly different priorities. While it may have appeared a good thing to be busy with “much serving” and a natural thing to be distressed about Mary’s choice, Jesus’ gentle rebuke shows that something was wrong.
Martha’s anxiety was a clue. What was important here: how she looked (based on how she cooked) or calmly trusting His acceptance — based on His love, not her service? On the other hand, Mary already knew that Jesus saw right through her. Nothing she could accomplish would change what He saw. Only HE could make her acceptable.
Mary choose the “good part,” to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to what He had to say. I’m sure she discovered many new things about herself. Some of them may have made her uncomfortable, even filled with shame, as Martha no doubt eventually felt after the rebuke. But Mary came to Him anyway. She knew His Words healed and He would forgive her if she trusted Him and confessed her sinfulness.
The story of Martha and Mary is not an excuse for we who cook or share a kitchen to abandon our culinary responsibilities and read the Bible all day. Instead, it is a challenge to take inventory. Do outer activities fill our life so we have no time for Jesus? Do we ever stop to ask if we are trying to impress Almighty God? Do we claim to serve Christ yet find ourselves full of anxieties... and resenting others who are not working as hard? Do we even complain to God and insist He do something about them?
In other words, turkey may rate higher than peanut butter in our list of what is important, but where does time with Jesus fit in?
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