August 14, 2002
Aunt Lilian once said to me, “I don’t know how you do it; you have been through so much.” I smiled, but for the life of me, I didn’t have a clue what she was talking about.
Perhaps what seemed like “so much” to her didn’t seem like much to me. Life is not easy but I didn’t feel I’d had it harder than anyone else. Yet as she said it, my heart filled with gratitude. My faith in Christ was making a difference in how I perceived my struggles.
Faith itself is not powerful. The key is the object of faith. For example, I believe in electricity. When I flick a switch, the lights go on. Yet electricity sometimes fails, so my faith in it is not totally sure of its power.
I also believe in people. Sometimes my faith is rewarded — like when eastern Canadian farmers offered their hay to those in western Canada. Sometimes my faith in people takes a nose dive — as when extremists shot up a school in Pakistan where my friend works.
But these kinds of faith are not the same as trusting God. We cannot flick God on with a switch, nor are we supposed to trust Him only when things go well. This makes believing in Him difficult. How can we put our trust in Someone who may not deal life to us the way we like it?
The Bible says we need to believe in Him no matter what, and offers plenty of evidence why we should. It also repeats countless promises He makes, inviting us to trust Him. Perhaps the most startling revelation about faith is that we cannot believe in Christ on our own. Instead, faith is “a gift from God.”
Job had this gift. God also blessed him in material ways with wealth and a large family. Unknown to Job, that would change. His spiritual enemy, Satan, came to God with a challenge. He said that the faith Job had would fail if the man lost everything.
Had Job’s faith been rooted in his own desire about what God should be like, it would fail. Human faith generally believes in what works for us. If it stops working, we stop believing. As long as things go well, God is a good friend, but if life becomes rocky, they abandon their faith in Him, and try to smooth the lumps on their own.
Since Job’s faith was not his own but a gift, God knew Job could stand under a test. He allowed Satan to take away all that Job owned, his children, even his health. Job’s first response was, “The Lord gives, the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Soon Job’s friends challenged him by saying he must have done something wrong or this would not have happened. While Job was not sin-free, he knew in his heart that his suffering was not punishment for any sin. He held to that, despite their continual nagging at him, despite his own complaining, and despite his severe misery.
Eventually God spoke. Although Bible readers are told about the challenge, and although God plainly takes responsibility for Job’s situation, God did not explain to Job what was happening. Nevertheless, Job passed the test. Later, God restored his possessions, blessed him with more children, and returned him to health. His gift of faith did not fail.
This story reveals another reason why God sometimes allows suffering. Severe trials will expose true faith. When God’s people suffer, even though they may question God and falter for a while, the faith He gave them eventually comes through.
Friday, June 29, 2018
Wednesday, June 27, 2018
God can use suffering for good ............. Parables 760
August 6, 2002
Joe was the runt of the litter, at least in the minds of his brothers. They hated his cocky self-assurance and that their father gave him the best of everything.
One day while they were at work, along came Joe. He said dad had sent him to see what they were up to. Their tempers flared. They began to plot how to get rid of him and came up with a scheme. Slave traders passed by on occasion. They would sell Joe to a slave trader but tell their father he had been killed in a horrible accident.
They got away with their scheme. Their father, Jacob suffered grief beyond imagine. The brothers felt guilty but stuck to their story.
In a few years, a drought hit their community. Soon Jacob had to send them in search of food. They found it, but they also found something they did not expect: Joe was the kingpin over all available grain. When they finally recognized who he was, they realized they were at his mercy. What would he do to them?
This story comes from Genesis, the first book of the Bible. Joseph wound up in Egypt. By living with integrity, he landed first in jail for something he didn’t do, and then in the Pharaoh’s court for something he did do — with the Lord’s help, he predicted a severe famine.
The Pharaoh saw his wisdom. He put Joseph in charge of everything, and by his prudent decisions, the Egyptians had food enough for themselves and other nations.
The brothers did not know how Joseph came to such power. All they knew was that they had wronged him, and he could now do whatever he wanted to them. They were terrified.
But Joseph wept as he heard them talking. He realized they did not know his character. Finally he told them his story, then said, “And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.”
He added, “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God.” At that, Pharaoh told Joseph to invite his family to live in Egypt where he could take care of them.
After a time, their father died. The brothers thought Joseph would now retaliate, but they were wrong. He forgave them and said, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”
Throughout Scripture, this theme repeats itself. God’s people suffer, yet out of their suffering comes good. Job suffered yet God eventually blessed him (and us too, as we read his story). Jesus suffered, yet God raised Him from the dead to provide salvation for sinners.
The Bible says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Often, this verse is interpreted to mean that good things will happen to anyone who suffers, but the words are specific: this promise is for those who “love God” and obey His call on their lives.
More than that, the context is also specific. The next verse says that these called ones who love Him will be “conformed to the likeness of his Son.” In other words, God teaches His people the Christlike response to suffering, and this is the “good” that comes from trials.
Jesus, like Joseph, “did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.”
Jesus knew that the Father was just. Yes, He died on a cross for sins He did not commit, but God also raised Him from the dead to rule at His right hand and live forever.
God can work good from our troubles. Sometimes, those troubles are the only way good can happen. We may not become world-class leaders like Joseph, but nothing happens to us haphazardly. God will reveal His purpose in His time. He promises, “I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Suffering may be here for a little while, but His people must not give up hope. God is still in control.
Joe was the runt of the litter, at least in the minds of his brothers. They hated his cocky self-assurance and that their father gave him the best of everything.
One day while they were at work, along came Joe. He said dad had sent him to see what they were up to. Their tempers flared. They began to plot how to get rid of him and came up with a scheme. Slave traders passed by on occasion. They would sell Joe to a slave trader but tell their father he had been killed in a horrible accident.
They got away with their scheme. Their father, Jacob suffered grief beyond imagine. The brothers felt guilty but stuck to their story.
In a few years, a drought hit their community. Soon Jacob had to send them in search of food. They found it, but they also found something they did not expect: Joe was the kingpin over all available grain. When they finally recognized who he was, they realized they were at his mercy. What would he do to them?
This story comes from Genesis, the first book of the Bible. Joseph wound up in Egypt. By living with integrity, he landed first in jail for something he didn’t do, and then in the Pharaoh’s court for something he did do — with the Lord’s help, he predicted a severe famine.
The Pharaoh saw his wisdom. He put Joseph in charge of everything, and by his prudent decisions, the Egyptians had food enough for themselves and other nations.
The brothers did not know how Joseph came to such power. All they knew was that they had wronged him, and he could now do whatever he wanted to them. They were terrified.
But Joseph wept as he heard them talking. He realized they did not know his character. Finally he told them his story, then said, “And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.”
He added, “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God.” At that, Pharaoh told Joseph to invite his family to live in Egypt where he could take care of them.
After a time, their father died. The brothers thought Joseph would now retaliate, but they were wrong. He forgave them and said, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”
Throughout Scripture, this theme repeats itself. God’s people suffer, yet out of their suffering comes good. Job suffered yet God eventually blessed him (and us too, as we read his story). Jesus suffered, yet God raised Him from the dead to provide salvation for sinners.
The Bible says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Often, this verse is interpreted to mean that good things will happen to anyone who suffers, but the words are specific: this promise is for those who “love God” and obey His call on their lives.
More than that, the context is also specific. The next verse says that these called ones who love Him will be “conformed to the likeness of his Son.” In other words, God teaches His people the Christlike response to suffering, and this is the “good” that comes from trials.
Jesus, like Joseph, “did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.”
Jesus knew that the Father was just. Yes, He died on a cross for sins He did not commit, but God also raised Him from the dead to rule at His right hand and live forever.
God can work good from our troubles. Sometimes, those troubles are the only way good can happen. We may not become world-class leaders like Joseph, but nothing happens to us haphazardly. God will reveal His purpose in His time. He promises, “I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Suffering may be here for a little while, but His people must not give up hope. God is still in control.
Monday, June 25, 2018
Can we fix our problems? ............. Parables 759
July 30, 2002
A page from TIME with letters to the editor sits on my desk. This particular batch makes comments on the popularity of the LeHaye and Jenkins “Left Behind” series of books about the Second Coming. Some express agreement with the premise of the books; others think of them as money-making drivel.
I’ve not read any of the “Left Behind” books but as I read these letters, I realize that the point the authors try to make is missed entirely by those who put their faith in the ability of humans beings to correct their own mistakes.
Jesus did not share their faith. In Matthew 15, the Pharisees criticized His disciples for neglecting a ritual. Traditions said they must pour water on their hands and arms before eating. Jesus replied to the critics with a criticism of His own. He accused them of breaking the Lord’s commands for the sake of their traditions. They were doing things “in the name of God” that were purely for personal gain.
Jesus called them hypocrites. He said they honored God with their lips but their hearts were far from Him, and they taught “rules” made up by men, but neglected God’s teachings. In a reference to food laws, He said it is not what we eat that make us unclean, but what comes out of our mouths.
The disciples listened to Jesus but they didn’t understand what He said either. In their minds, their traditions were truth. They had trouble accepting that what they had been taught and believed in all their lives was totally irrelevant to true spirituality. Didn’t outward behavior count for anything?
So Jesus explained again, “The things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ For out of the heart comes evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man ‘unclean’; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him ‘unclean.’”
Jesus turned the world upside down with statements like this, yet most of the people in it are walking on the ceiling without realizing it. We shrink from this reality of sin in our hearts and think “pretty good” is good enough. We may not have done any horrible deeds but fail to recognize our restraint does not mean we are pure and innocent.
Like the Pharisees, we think that we are basically good at heart, and many are certain we can handle the mistakes we make. One writer to TIME said global warming, terrorism, hatred, etc. “are man’s problems, caused by man. With hard work and understanding, they can be solved by man.”
Jesus says the opposite. He says the whole world system will deteriorate because man, contrary to that writer’s opinion, cannot solve the mess that we have created. This passage of Scripture explains why. It is not in us to be pure, innocent, or righteous. We need changed hearts.
Last night, as we watched a movie, my husband said, “How can people kill others without any thought?” It slipped his mind that the world is filled with people who are living out exactly what is in their hearts. Christian author, Oswald Chambers says “we begin by trusting our ignorance and call it innocence, by trusting our innocence and calling it purity.”
But no man is pure without the Holy Spirit, and even then, we need to remember that we are just as capable of the darkest sin as the next guy.
Our restraint, to please God, must not be from cowardice, or social norms and restrictions, but from the power of the Holy Spirit. God alone can purify our hearts and deliver us from the junk that makes us unclean, but He will not do it without an invitation.
A page from TIME with letters to the editor sits on my desk. This particular batch makes comments on the popularity of the LeHaye and Jenkins “Left Behind” series of books about the Second Coming. Some express agreement with the premise of the books; others think of them as money-making drivel.
I’ve not read any of the “Left Behind” books but as I read these letters, I realize that the point the authors try to make is missed entirely by those who put their faith in the ability of humans beings to correct their own mistakes.
Jesus did not share their faith. In Matthew 15, the Pharisees criticized His disciples for neglecting a ritual. Traditions said they must pour water on their hands and arms before eating. Jesus replied to the critics with a criticism of His own. He accused them of breaking the Lord’s commands for the sake of their traditions. They were doing things “in the name of God” that were purely for personal gain.
Jesus called them hypocrites. He said they honored God with their lips but their hearts were far from Him, and they taught “rules” made up by men, but neglected God’s teachings. In a reference to food laws, He said it is not what we eat that make us unclean, but what comes out of our mouths.
The disciples listened to Jesus but they didn’t understand what He said either. In their minds, their traditions were truth. They had trouble accepting that what they had been taught and believed in all their lives was totally irrelevant to true spirituality. Didn’t outward behavior count for anything?
So Jesus explained again, “The things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ For out of the heart comes evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man ‘unclean’; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him ‘unclean.’”
Jesus turned the world upside down with statements like this, yet most of the people in it are walking on the ceiling without realizing it. We shrink from this reality of sin in our hearts and think “pretty good” is good enough. We may not have done any horrible deeds but fail to recognize our restraint does not mean we are pure and innocent.
Like the Pharisees, we think that we are basically good at heart, and many are certain we can handle the mistakes we make. One writer to TIME said global warming, terrorism, hatred, etc. “are man’s problems, caused by man. With hard work and understanding, they can be solved by man.”
Jesus says the opposite. He says the whole world system will deteriorate because man, contrary to that writer’s opinion, cannot solve the mess that we have created. This passage of Scripture explains why. It is not in us to be pure, innocent, or righteous. We need changed hearts.
Last night, as we watched a movie, my husband said, “How can people kill others without any thought?” It slipped his mind that the world is filled with people who are living out exactly what is in their hearts. Christian author, Oswald Chambers says “we begin by trusting our ignorance and call it innocence, by trusting our innocence and calling it purity.”
But no man is pure without the Holy Spirit, and even then, we need to remember that we are just as capable of the darkest sin as the next guy.
Our restraint, to please God, must not be from cowardice, or social norms and restrictions, but from the power of the Holy Spirit. God alone can purify our hearts and deliver us from the junk that makes us unclean, but He will not do it without an invitation.
Friday, June 22, 2018
Why bad things happen ............. Parables 758
July 23, 2002
When the popcorn bowl runs out, I like to suck the butter and salt out of those partly popped kernels in the bottom. Sometimes I gnaw on them, despite a little voice that tells me to stop it. Once I cracked a filling in a back tooth. My dentist added insult to injury by reminding me I’d made a foolish decision.
This incident reminds me of that huge question: Why does God allow suffering? People in every corner of the world ask it. While the biblical answers may not satisfy everyone, over the next few weeks I’ll offer a few that immensely help me.
First, three foundations. One, suffering does not always imply God’s punishment. Sometimes it does, but not every time.
Two, while God can bring good out of anything, that is not always the reason He allows bad things to happen. Sometimes they are just bad.
Third, God does take responsibility for everything. Job said, “Shall we accept good from God, and not evil.” The very next line reads, “In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.”
Jeremiah repeated the thought: “Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come?” While the mind of God does not make sense to our limited perspective, yet the Bible affirms we can trust Him anyway. It also reveals a few why’s concerning evil and suffering.
One reason we suffer is that we bring it on ourselves. We make foolish choices, and our actions have consequences. Without them, we would never regret foolishness, or change. Ecclesiastes puts it in the negative: “When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, the hearts of the people are filled with schemes to do wrong.”
Cause and effect are important to our stability. Water should satisfy our thirst. Flipping a switch should turn the lights on or off. We expect results from what we do and if they do not happen, we are perplexed, even thrown off balance.
This applies to both good and foolish choices. When I bite a hard popcorn kernel, my less-strong fillings are apt to take a beating. When I ignore God’s moral warnings, my life will fall apart. When I behave and obey Him, I experience not only His blessing but His pleasure.
The foolish choices of others can cause us suffering too. Children suffer in war. People die at the hands of reckless drivers. A construction worker neglects a safety check. Airline mechanics do too. Innocent people suffer consequences.
Consequences should change our choices but what about drivers who run stop signs, make illegal turns, drive too fast, and cut in too quick, who never get a traffic ticket or ever have an accident? Or consider an elderly couple, normally careful drivers, yet one day he failed to stop at a stop sign. They were hit by a truck and both died. Does this make “cause and effect,” and God, capriciousness?
Christians know God takes responsibility for everything. In the case of the elderly couple, He had reasons for allowing their suffering and death. They were people of faith and belonged to Him, so they were not being punished — Jesus already took their punishment for sin.
Neither did they die so ultimate good would happen. It did not, at least for them here on earth. Their death was a tragic event, even though God could have stopped it. For the most part, it happened as a result of a wrong choice.
But God also has reasons for not applying that rule of cause and effect to others who seem to deserve it. Maybe He is giving them a second chance. Maybe He has a greater plan for their lives.
Sometimes people blame God when trouble strikes, but I would not want God to change the rule of cause and effect. When I do something dumb, I do not like the consequences, yet without their predictability (in general), the world would make even less sense than it does.
When the popcorn bowl runs out, I like to suck the butter and salt out of those partly popped kernels in the bottom. Sometimes I gnaw on them, despite a little voice that tells me to stop it. Once I cracked a filling in a back tooth. My dentist added insult to injury by reminding me I’d made a foolish decision.
This incident reminds me of that huge question: Why does God allow suffering? People in every corner of the world ask it. While the biblical answers may not satisfy everyone, over the next few weeks I’ll offer a few that immensely help me.
First, three foundations. One, suffering does not always imply God’s punishment. Sometimes it does, but not every time.
Two, while God can bring good out of anything, that is not always the reason He allows bad things to happen. Sometimes they are just bad.
Third, God does take responsibility for everything. Job said, “Shall we accept good from God, and not evil.” The very next line reads, “In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.”
Jeremiah repeated the thought: “Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come?” While the mind of God does not make sense to our limited perspective, yet the Bible affirms we can trust Him anyway. It also reveals a few why’s concerning evil and suffering.
One reason we suffer is that we bring it on ourselves. We make foolish choices, and our actions have consequences. Without them, we would never regret foolishness, or change. Ecclesiastes puts it in the negative: “When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, the hearts of the people are filled with schemes to do wrong.”
Cause and effect are important to our stability. Water should satisfy our thirst. Flipping a switch should turn the lights on or off. We expect results from what we do and if they do not happen, we are perplexed, even thrown off balance.
This applies to both good and foolish choices. When I bite a hard popcorn kernel, my less-strong fillings are apt to take a beating. When I ignore God’s moral warnings, my life will fall apart. When I behave and obey Him, I experience not only His blessing but His pleasure.
The foolish choices of others can cause us suffering too. Children suffer in war. People die at the hands of reckless drivers. A construction worker neglects a safety check. Airline mechanics do too. Innocent people suffer consequences.
Consequences should change our choices but what about drivers who run stop signs, make illegal turns, drive too fast, and cut in too quick, who never get a traffic ticket or ever have an accident? Or consider an elderly couple, normally careful drivers, yet one day he failed to stop at a stop sign. They were hit by a truck and both died. Does this make “cause and effect,” and God, capriciousness?
Christians know God takes responsibility for everything. In the case of the elderly couple, He had reasons for allowing their suffering and death. They were people of faith and belonged to Him, so they were not being punished — Jesus already took their punishment for sin.
Neither did they die so ultimate good would happen. It did not, at least for them here on earth. Their death was a tragic event, even though God could have stopped it. For the most part, it happened as a result of a wrong choice.
But God also has reasons for not applying that rule of cause and effect to others who seem to deserve it. Maybe He is giving them a second chance. Maybe He has a greater plan for their lives.
Sometimes people blame God when trouble strikes, but I would not want God to change the rule of cause and effect. When I do something dumb, I do not like the consequences, yet without their predictability (in general), the world would make even less sense than it does.
Wednesday, June 20, 2018
Fear of Success? ............. Parables 757
July 2, 2002
My sister is embarking on a venture that could bring her great wealth. She has a sound idea, a quality product, a good business plan, and the right connections. But she worries about being unfaithful to the Lord. She has always given back to God a share of what He gives her, but fears success may change her priorities.
When discussing things people fear, we seldom consider fear of success. Most people hesitate when they fear failure, but few remember that success also has pitfalls.
These pitfalls vary depending on how success is measured. For some, it is power, or prominence. Others add popularity, possessions, a large bank account, happiness, and health.
Christian values may contrast these measurements. For instance, Jesus tells us to “forsake all” and follow Him. We are not to let people or possessions interfere with our faith. He also says “My strength is perfected in weakness” and teaches us to rely on His power, not our own. As for popularity, He says those who live godly lives will suffer persecution.
That said, Christians may have some of the success the world values, but God expects us to overcome the corresponding pitfalls. If not, we will be failures in His eyes.
King Solomon is one example. He became a rich and powerful man. Before that happened, God warned that kings must avoid the accumulation of gold, horses, and wives. Unfortunately this king, who was exceedingly wise in other respects, failed in all three. His wealth and horses brought war to his nation, and his wives turned him away from God.
Power corrupts, but it does not have to corrupt everyone. The Apostle Paul was a powerful man too, but his influence for good is felt throughout the world. Part of his ability to handle success was an unidentified “thorn in the flesh.” Because this made him feel weak and inadequate, he relied on God’s strength, and avoided the pitfalls of power.
Jesus sets the example of how to pass another test of success. During the first part of His ministry, He became hugely popular and faced ever-growing pressures from a demanding public. Mark 6:31 says, “Then, because so many people were coming and going that they (the disciples) did not even have a chance to eat, he (Jesus) said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’” Even as they departed, the crowd followed.
Popularity is wonderful — until it becomes invasive. Adoring fans or pushy paparazzi pressure popular people into hiding or even retaliation. But Jesus did neither. Instead, He “had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.” Instead of pushing them away, He “began teaching them many things.”
Wealth is a danger too, yet notice that the Bible says the root of all evil is the love of money, not money. The entire world likely could not manage with a barter system. Money is necessary, and great good can be done with it.
My sister knows this. Sometimes she sees how God uses her financial offerings. Yet she still fears wealth will make her a greedy person and she will forget God. That is a pitfall.
How will she avoid this problem? Partly by doing what she has already done — telling someone about her desire and her fear. I know her concern, and I can support and encourage her to keep on doing what God wants her to do, no matter the size of her bank balance.
Beyond these biblical benefits of power and prosperity, God’s main criteria for success is that we be like Jesus. Paul did that. He said, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”
His secret? He avoided the pitfalls by doing everything “through Christ who gives me strength.”
My sister is embarking on a venture that could bring her great wealth. She has a sound idea, a quality product, a good business plan, and the right connections. But she worries about being unfaithful to the Lord. She has always given back to God a share of what He gives her, but fears success may change her priorities.
When discussing things people fear, we seldom consider fear of success. Most people hesitate when they fear failure, but few remember that success also has pitfalls.
These pitfalls vary depending on how success is measured. For some, it is power, or prominence. Others add popularity, possessions, a large bank account, happiness, and health.
Christian values may contrast these measurements. For instance, Jesus tells us to “forsake all” and follow Him. We are not to let people or possessions interfere with our faith. He also says “My strength is perfected in weakness” and teaches us to rely on His power, not our own. As for popularity, He says those who live godly lives will suffer persecution.
That said, Christians may have some of the success the world values, but God expects us to overcome the corresponding pitfalls. If not, we will be failures in His eyes.
King Solomon is one example. He became a rich and powerful man. Before that happened, God warned that kings must avoid the accumulation of gold, horses, and wives. Unfortunately this king, who was exceedingly wise in other respects, failed in all three. His wealth and horses brought war to his nation, and his wives turned him away from God.
Power corrupts, but it does not have to corrupt everyone. The Apostle Paul was a powerful man too, but his influence for good is felt throughout the world. Part of his ability to handle success was an unidentified “thorn in the flesh.” Because this made him feel weak and inadequate, he relied on God’s strength, and avoided the pitfalls of power.
Jesus sets the example of how to pass another test of success. During the first part of His ministry, He became hugely popular and faced ever-growing pressures from a demanding public. Mark 6:31 says, “Then, because so many people were coming and going that they (the disciples) did not even have a chance to eat, he (Jesus) said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’” Even as they departed, the crowd followed.
Popularity is wonderful — until it becomes invasive. Adoring fans or pushy paparazzi pressure popular people into hiding or even retaliation. But Jesus did neither. Instead, He “had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.” Instead of pushing them away, He “began teaching them many things.”
Wealth is a danger too, yet notice that the Bible says the root of all evil is the love of money, not money. The entire world likely could not manage with a barter system. Money is necessary, and great good can be done with it.
My sister knows this. Sometimes she sees how God uses her financial offerings. Yet she still fears wealth will make her a greedy person and she will forget God. That is a pitfall.
How will she avoid this problem? Partly by doing what she has already done — telling someone about her desire and her fear. I know her concern, and I can support and encourage her to keep on doing what God wants her to do, no matter the size of her bank balance.
Beyond these biblical benefits of power and prosperity, God’s main criteria for success is that we be like Jesus. Paul did that. He said, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”
His secret? He avoided the pitfalls by doing everything “through Christ who gives me strength.”
Monday, June 18, 2018
A Powerful name... or offensive? ............. Parables 756
(No date)
God is okay. Jesus isn’t, at least according to network television.
While surfing channels, I happened upon a popular woman’s show on a major network. One woman was telling a group of women how she had been on another network show and as she was describing her recent weight loss, she blurted, “Thank you, Jesus.” To her astonishment, those words were cut from the final broadcast.
Another woman (this was not a religious program) said she often makes her faith public, and seldom receives flack for it. The others felt the first case was more typical than the second. Apparently you can mention faith in God on television, but not faith in Jesus.
Those who think Jesus was a benevolent do-gooder and a wise teacher, will not acknowledge His deity. They might cry a “thank you” to God or pray to Him if they are in trouble, but the name of Jesus is more often a cuss word. Why? They do not believe Jesus is God.
Jesus Himself encountered those kinds of people. When certain religious leaders challenged what He was doing and who He was, He replied, “You do not know me or my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also. . . . If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God. . . . I and the Father are one” (from John 8 & 10). With that, they understood He claimed to be God, so they picked up stones to try and kill Him.
For a while, Jesus’ disciples were also unsure of who He was. Philip asked, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus replied, “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. . . . Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.”
In same conversation, Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father also.”
According to Jesus, God is approachable only one way. A personal relationship with the Father is impossible without going through the Son, and acknowledging Him.
However, acknowledging Jesus Christ goes far beyond saying He was a good man and a wise teacher. Even a brief examination of His life shows He was far more; He healed the sick, cast out demons, controlled the weather, turned water to wine, did things only God can do.
Yet few avoid Jesus because of His power. Instead, they are offended by the purpose of His death. He came to die for our sins, sins that we are reluctant to admit or abandon. If we are going to acknowledge Jesus, we must acknowledge our sin and our need for forgiveness. He came, not to help us shed extra pounds but to satisfy the wrath of God against sin and to remove the burden of our sin and the weight of our guilt.
So if we mention Jesus, at least where this gospel message is rejected, and those who do not care to admit their sin will start throwing rocks. For them, God is okay because they assume He can be kept at arms length.
Actually, He is not even that close. Isaiah said “God’s arm is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear, but your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.”
The woman on the talk show admitted that she didn’t realize what she was saying. It appears “popular” to pop off a “Thank you, Jesus” even without acknowledging sin or having a personal relationship with Him. Yet she discovered something; when an effort to be popular by acting religious is pitted against a determination to avoid Christ, that resistance will win — and immediately try to erase all mention of His name.
God is okay. Jesus isn’t, at least according to network television.
While surfing channels, I happened upon a popular woman’s show on a major network. One woman was telling a group of women how she had been on another network show and as she was describing her recent weight loss, she blurted, “Thank you, Jesus.” To her astonishment, those words were cut from the final broadcast.
Another woman (this was not a religious program) said she often makes her faith public, and seldom receives flack for it. The others felt the first case was more typical than the second. Apparently you can mention faith in God on television, but not faith in Jesus.
Those who think Jesus was a benevolent do-gooder and a wise teacher, will not acknowledge His deity. They might cry a “thank you” to God or pray to Him if they are in trouble, but the name of Jesus is more often a cuss word. Why? They do not believe Jesus is God.
Jesus Himself encountered those kinds of people. When certain religious leaders challenged what He was doing and who He was, He replied, “You do not know me or my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also. . . . If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God. . . . I and the Father are one” (from John 8 & 10). With that, they understood He claimed to be God, so they picked up stones to try and kill Him.
For a while, Jesus’ disciples were also unsure of who He was. Philip asked, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus replied, “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. . . . Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.”
In same conversation, Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father also.”
According to Jesus, God is approachable only one way. A personal relationship with the Father is impossible without going through the Son, and acknowledging Him.
However, acknowledging Jesus Christ goes far beyond saying He was a good man and a wise teacher. Even a brief examination of His life shows He was far more; He healed the sick, cast out demons, controlled the weather, turned water to wine, did things only God can do.
Yet few avoid Jesus because of His power. Instead, they are offended by the purpose of His death. He came to die for our sins, sins that we are reluctant to admit or abandon. If we are going to acknowledge Jesus, we must acknowledge our sin and our need for forgiveness. He came, not to help us shed extra pounds but to satisfy the wrath of God against sin and to remove the burden of our sin and the weight of our guilt.
So if we mention Jesus, at least where this gospel message is rejected, and those who do not care to admit their sin will start throwing rocks. For them, God is okay because they assume He can be kept at arms length.
Actually, He is not even that close. Isaiah said “God’s arm is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear, but your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.”
The woman on the talk show admitted that she didn’t realize what she was saying. It appears “popular” to pop off a “Thank you, Jesus” even without acknowledging sin or having a personal relationship with Him. Yet she discovered something; when an effort to be popular by acting religious is pitted against a determination to avoid Christ, that resistance will win — and immediately try to erase all mention of His name.
Friday, June 15, 2018
The mark of genuine Christianity ............. Parables 755
June 11, 2002
“You mean to tell me there are people from seven different denominations in your Bible study group? That’s amazing!”
During the late 1970's when we lived in Fort Saskatchewan, I attended a Bible study that began with two people. It grew, evolved and continued for years, and may still be going to this day. One of its more distinctive features was that ladies from several denominations came and felt right at home in this group.
More than one person expressed amazement at our unity. A common perception is that Christians from different churches do not get along — that we argue over faith issues and other things, thus our reason for maintaining various denominations. Sadly, that is sometimes true, but it is not always the case.
The fact of a variety of denominations demonstrates the freedom God gives Christians to express our diversity. We prefer varying worship styles. Some like older hymns; others prefer contemporary music. We practice various modes of baptism, ways of outreach, and so on.
The New Testament church had distinctives too. The church at Corinth was filled with flamboyant Gentile converts. The church in Ephesus was a mixed group of Jews and Gentiles. Cultural differences made each congregation unique.
Whatever the mix, each group believed in the same gospel and were instructed with the basic commandment: love one another. Jesus told His disciples, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
The apostle Paul added, “You are called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.”
Paul gave Christians no excuse to fight and Jesus gave unbelieving people a criteria by which to judge the church. If believers fight among themselves, we become a news item and a nasty taste in peoples’ mouths. Even those outside the church know we ought to love each other.
Unfortunately, when Christian churches show exceptional examples of love, the public rarely hears about it. For instance, last year when my nephew died of cancer, my brother and his wife knew his funeral would draw too many people to fit into their church. A church of another denomination lovingly offered the use of their larger building.
A few weeks ago, an even more remarkable example surfaced. In January, a congregation in Calgary heard of another church of a different denomination that was growing rapidly and trying to raise money to build a larger building. The first group voted unanimously to give $100,000 to the second church.
Together, these people of God demonstrated their love in an expression of tangible support. It didn’t matter to them that the other church had a different style of worship, or varied from them in their statement of faith. Nor did it matter that the other church is growing rapidly, a possible threat to their own size. They sacrificed a huge offering of financial support anyway.
Differences could be a barrier but they do not need to be. Christ not only tells us to love each other anyway, but we can do it because He lives in us and loves us. Because of His love, we can love each other.
As Paul said, we need to watch out for that old sinful nature. We have the freedom to be different but not the freedom to be greedy, proud, or selfish. Instead, we must find ways in our freedom, to love one another. Jesus makes it clear: if we are not living out our freedom in a genuine love for each other, then the rest of the world has every right to wonder if we belong to Him.
“You mean to tell me there are people from seven different denominations in your Bible study group? That’s amazing!”
During the late 1970's when we lived in Fort Saskatchewan, I attended a Bible study that began with two people. It grew, evolved and continued for years, and may still be going to this day. One of its more distinctive features was that ladies from several denominations came and felt right at home in this group.
More than one person expressed amazement at our unity. A common perception is that Christians from different churches do not get along — that we argue over faith issues and other things, thus our reason for maintaining various denominations. Sadly, that is sometimes true, but it is not always the case.
The fact of a variety of denominations demonstrates the freedom God gives Christians to express our diversity. We prefer varying worship styles. Some like older hymns; others prefer contemporary music. We practice various modes of baptism, ways of outreach, and so on.
The New Testament church had distinctives too. The church at Corinth was filled with flamboyant Gentile converts. The church in Ephesus was a mixed group of Jews and Gentiles. Cultural differences made each congregation unique.
Whatever the mix, each group believed in the same gospel and were instructed with the basic commandment: love one another. Jesus told His disciples, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
The apostle Paul added, “You are called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.”
Paul gave Christians no excuse to fight and Jesus gave unbelieving people a criteria by which to judge the church. If believers fight among themselves, we become a news item and a nasty taste in peoples’ mouths. Even those outside the church know we ought to love each other.
Unfortunately, when Christian churches show exceptional examples of love, the public rarely hears about it. For instance, last year when my nephew died of cancer, my brother and his wife knew his funeral would draw too many people to fit into their church. A church of another denomination lovingly offered the use of their larger building.
A few weeks ago, an even more remarkable example surfaced. In January, a congregation in Calgary heard of another church of a different denomination that was growing rapidly and trying to raise money to build a larger building. The first group voted unanimously to give $100,000 to the second church.
Together, these people of God demonstrated their love in an expression of tangible support. It didn’t matter to them that the other church had a different style of worship, or varied from them in their statement of faith. Nor did it matter that the other church is growing rapidly, a possible threat to their own size. They sacrificed a huge offering of financial support anyway.
Differences could be a barrier but they do not need to be. Christ not only tells us to love each other anyway, but we can do it because He lives in us and loves us. Because of His love, we can love each other.
As Paul said, we need to watch out for that old sinful nature. We have the freedom to be different but not the freedom to be greedy, proud, or selfish. Instead, we must find ways in our freedom, to love one another. Jesus makes it clear: if we are not living out our freedom in a genuine love for each other, then the rest of the world has every right to wonder if we belong to Him.
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