The Wandering Shepherd

Missed Opportunity: "Nations in High Contrast" - 2 Kings 17 and 18

Did you ever see a “high contrast” photo? The black vs. white makes every line stand out distinctly. Believe it or not, it was God’s intention that a believer look so different from the world around him that people could pick out his life as something unique and special. Is that the way we appear? What distinct practices and attitudes in our lives would change if we were to live distinctly? What areas of life would be affected if we took this seriously?
 
Long ago, God gave a “high contrast” picture of two neighboring nations – Israel and Judah. Both began as believers in the Lord God, and as children of Abraham’s blessed position. Sadly, Israel was whisked away in captivity, and God took pains to explain carefully why (1 Kings 17). Yet, just a few miles to the south at the same time Hezekiah lived out another choice. Though he lived in the same times, with the same pressures, he made a choice to live distinctly -- and that made all the difference (1 Kings 18). Believers that compromise blend into obscurity and offer the world nothing.
 
Key Principle: Believers that live distinctly offer a high contrast difference -- a choice. God uses the distinct, not the compromising.
 
The Dark Side (1 Kings 17:21-40)
 
Our portion of Scripture enumerates four practices that caused the elimination of the nation of Israel from their capitol at Samaria:
 
 * They chose leaders without character to lead them (17:21a).
 * The leaders in turn moved them away from any real pursuit of God, culminating in idolatry (the chasing of an alternative to God (17:21b).
 * The people popularized the idolatry and sinfulness until they compromised away any vestiges of their former history. With their former testimony a distant memory, God simply swept them away (17:22).
 * The Lord sent prophetic warning to the people, but it was scoffed and their homeland was taken away from them.
 
As tempted as I am to apply these truths to a day like ours, I shall not. The point of the verses that finish the chapter is not how they got swept away, but what happened after they were replaced by Assyria’s relocation program. New people were imported to the cities of Samaria according to verse 24 “to replace the Israelites”. They came without any idea of who the God of the former people was (17:25). A pride of lions came upon the villagers and began to harass them – killing some of them. When the people of God failed to do so - God stood up for Himself, producing more fear and respect among these replacements than He had from his own estranged children in years! The people recognized the hand of God in the tragedy and called out to Assyria for help (17:26).
 
The Assyrian king ordered a now captive Samarian priest to be brought back to the people to teach them of the practices of the Lord of Israel. What an irony! The compromising priest of an estranged people who tolerated and practiced idolatry would become the lifeline to a pagan people to teach them of following God. Here is the heart of the lesson: We cannot give away what we do not have! We cannot call on others to follow a God we do not really follow. We cannot offer clear choices while living lives of deep compromise.
 
Dr. G. Campbell Morgan said this about believers who are reluctant to commit themselves wholeheartedly to Christ: "When our convictions are yielded to Him completely, He is able to give Himself to us in all His fullness. Until that is so, He cannot trust us. How true it is that we often miss the joy and strength of our Christianity because, by withholding ourselves from Christ, we make it impossible for Him to give Himself to us in all the fullness of His grace and truth." (Today in the Word, April, 1998, p. 23)
 
It is no surprise that each group that was settled there simply added the Lord of Israel to their own cultic practices (17:29-33). People aren’t offended at the God of Israel as long as all their sinful practices aren’t made to appear as wrong. We can have the God of truth as long as He doesn’t invade the willful degradation of the society. Perverse sexual practices and the sacrifice of children were not to be stopped, nor commented on. God was supposed to be content with their occasional wink in His direction. The priest of Israel could not point out how wrong this was, since his own people had been doing the same for years! Here is the awful truth… as Israel surrendered their distinctiveness as followers of the God of truth, they lost any testimony that allowed Him to use them in the lives of pagans. They had no real testimony.
 
Observe for a moment the progression in the society as a warning for our own time:
 
 1. The people served Saul, David and Solomon. They knew God and worshipped God. They built a great Temple in Jerusalem and “formalized” their faith into a pattern.
 2. The form was seen as the center of their walk – not the faith as stated in the careful following of the Word of God. Because they were following a FORM, they simply moved the “worship” to a new place in Dan and Bethel. The songs and hymns were the same, the prayers rang familiar, but those who knew heart faith knew something, or rather SOMEONE was missing. What was wrong was simple: They were attempting to follow God but were divorcing themselves from truly knowing and following His literal Word.
 3. As generations passed and ignorance grew toward His Word, they swallowed more and more pagan practice and became thoroughly compromised. The laughed at the jokes of the world, read the world’s magazines, watched their movies, followed their gossip, celebrated their celebrities, and bought into one practice after another that would have made their parents and grandparents shudder in the march toward “progress”. The tolerated, they compromised and all the while they formalized their faith and felt ok about it.
 4. Mixing God with other agendas they could no longer pick out truth and God could find no distinctiveness of His children in them, so He turned His face from their nation and swept them away into obscurity.
 
Francis Schaffer once said: “Here’s the great evangelical disaster – the failure of the evangelical world to stand for truth as truth. There is only one word for them – namely, accommodation.”
 
 * I am speaking to the church in a century where we are as indebted as our neighbors.
 * I am prophesying to a church in a century when our divorce rates for those who know Christ at the time of their marriage are skyrocketing as we believe the lie that our prime directive is to be happy in life at all costs and at every moment.
 * I am crying out to a generation that warehouses children through their formative years while we buy a second car, a better computer and a bigger house.
 * I am burdened for a people that cannot see the need to translate the Bible into principles that affect the purity of what they watch on the television or in a movie house.
 * I am broken for a generation that refuses to connect the dots between their Biblical ignorance and their fragmenting society.
 * I will not stand silent as our freedoms are surrendered to the ease of our luxuries. The Bible requires that I not do so.
 * We cannot accommodate. We cannot be lax about our sincere swallowing of Scripture into the veins of our choices. We must become an informed Christianity. We must become intelligent Biblical tacticians. We must surrender to Christ in every choice. Our nation is at stake. Our leaders have no scruples and our churches are offering feel good fodder. We stand on the brink and we must answer the call of our Father!
 
We can, and we must make a difference – one life at a time! In 1913 in the French Alps, because of careless deforestation, the mountains around Provence, France, were barren. Former villages were deserted because their springs and brooks had run dry. The wind blew furiously, unimpeded by foliage.A simple shepherd named Elzeard Bouffier, took it upon himself to do something about it. Each night he meticulously sorted through a pile of acorns, discarding those that were cracked or undersized. When the shepherd had counted out 100 perfect acorns, he stopped for the night and went to bed. By 1913, the 55-year-old shepherd had been planting trees on the wild hillsides for over three years. He had planted 1,100,000 trees, 20,000 of which had sprouted. Of those, he expected half to be eaten by rodents or die to the elements, and the other half to live. By the middle of the century something incredible had happened: there was a veritable forest, accompanied by a chain reaction in nature. Water flowed in the once-empty brooks. The ecology, sheltered by a leafy roof and bonded to the earth by a mat of spreading roots, become hospitable. Willows, rushes, meadows, gardens, and flowers were birthed. Where there had been only ruins now stand neat farms. Little by little, the villages have been rebuilt. (Hal Seed, Oceanside, California, Leadership, Spring, 1993, p. 48). What brought about the transformation? The Tenacity of one simple farmer. The tenacity of one that worked with diligence in HIS LIFE to deal with issues and become a tool in the hand of the GREAT FOREST GROWER.
 
Chuck Swindoll has been an inspiration to me over my whole adult life. As one lion of the faith has retired or gone to glory after another, I treasure every older man who remains faithful to the Word even more… Recently he preached an urgent message called his congregation to “grab discernment” as sons and daughters of Issachar (cp. 1 Chron. 12:32) called the “Disturbing Realities of our Time”. If you haven’t heard it, get a copy. The speaker is burdened prophetically, and his words were exceptionally well stated. It was a heavy message, but a timely one.
 
I mention it because he stated three things that he saw as an older preacher that were very much a part of our time. He says that without an ability to truly grasp the secret war the enemy is raging, we will be hopelessly confused by what is happening around us and deeply gullible of Satan’s schemes in the days we live in. He eloquently parses three issues that are the hallmarks of troubling changes in our time:
 
1) The blurring of the line between right and wrong – that which separates truth from error. It is becoming difficult for us to call anything WRONG. He says he was raised in a time when he knew what was right and wrong. Pulpits, Congress and even media noted right and wrong and were able to annunciate a wholesale standard of morality. Calling anything wrong brings now the wrath of the society, but it was not so a short time ago.
 
2) The growing ignorance of Biblical knowledge. There was a time when Biblical understanding was a guide in the public square of our nation. If the Scripture said it, it was a guide to us.
 
· Thomas Jefferson: God who gave us life gave us liberty, Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that His justice cannot sleep forever.” (On the Jefferson memorial).
· “The first and almost the only book deserving of universal attention is the Bible.” John Quincy Adams
· “..but for the book (the Bible) we could not know right from wrong.” Abraham Lincoln
· “…the Bible…is the one supreme source of revelation of the meaning of life, the nature of God and the spiritual nature and need of men. It is the only guide of life which really leads the spirit in the way of peace and salvation.” Woodrow Wilson
· “The foundations of our society and our government rest so much on the teachings of the Bible it would be difficult to support them if faith in these teachings would cease to be practically universal in our country.” Calvin Coolidge
 
Today such thinking is considered “bigoted” and ‘out of touch”. There is a famine of Biblical truth. Churches are fast becoming entertainment centers and Biblical exposition is its first casualty. Swindoll adds these penetrating words: “Face it men and women, unless you are very unusual, you know less about the Bible than your grandparents knew.” He backed up this assertion. He shared that Gary Burge, Professor of Wheaton College studied the Biblical literacy of the incoming freshmen. “The students come from Biblical traditions, good evangelical churches. They use the Bible frequently to defend positions, but curiously, they do not know how the basic Bible stories unfold.” The average grade for sequencing major events in the Bible, was 50-55.
 
Other evidence, Jay Leno last year went out on the street to ask, “Name one of the ten commandments. After several could not, one man said: “God helps those who helps themselves”. Sadly, the crowd laughed. “Can you name one of the Apostles?” Nobody could name one. Then he asked, “Can you name the four Beatles”… everyone answered quickly with all four - no problem. “Who was swallowed by the great fish?” He asked. “Pinocchio!” was one man’s reply.
 
If you lack Biblical knowledge and the ability to relate the principles you are sunk. You are at the mercy of the next persuasive tongue that comes and offers to provide you with security and prosperity. An antichrist awaits such a generation to lead them astray.
 
3) The intensifying embrace of post-modernism: We have entered post-Christian America. Instead of life being considered honestly, it is considered emotionally.  Do not underestimate the power of this on the lives of all of our children.
 
The Bright Side (1 Kings 18:1-8)
 
 * It was the dark time we just described in the neighboring north (18:1a). I mention this to make sure we not somehow believe that it was somehow easier for King Hezekiah to choose a life of distinction of testimony.
 
 * His family was compromising (18:1b). He had no support growing in becoming a distinct follower of God. Hezekiah was born in Jerusalem in 753 BCE, and lived in the "dysfunctional" palace of his father King Ahaz. His father was supposed to lead God’s, but he was far from it. Ahaz worshipped false gods, offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, gathered all the furnishing of the temple of God and took them away. He shut the doors of the temple so people could not worship God, and in turn he set up altars to other gods at every street corner in Jerusalem. If this was not "dysfunctional" enough Ahaz even took his own sons, Hezekiah’s brothers and he burned them as sacrifices to these false gods...It was only by God’s grace and through his hand of providence that Hezekiah survived...
 
“The Human Fly” (pp.18,19, A Treasury of Inspirational Illustrations, Earl C. Willer): Some years ago, a so-called “human fly” went to Los Angeles. It was announced that on a certain day he would climb up the face of one of the large department store buildings. Thousands gathered to watch him perform this seemingly impossible feat. Slowly and carefully he made his way upward, now clinging to a jutting brick, again to a cornice. Up and up he went. At last he was near the top. He was seen to feel to right and left and above his head for something firm enough to support his weight. And soon he seemed to spy what looked like a gray bit of stone or discolored brick protruding from the smooth wall. He reached for it but it was just beyond him. He ventured all and leaped for it. But before the horrified eyes of the spectators, fell to the ground and was broken to pieces. In his dead hand was found a spider’s web! He had mistaken it for a stone. What a lesson for those who will only stop and think. While human efforts are to be used and opportunities accepted and challenges met, it is equally true that no one knows, understands, or has meaning to his life if he ignores the only solid “Rock” that one can find—the God-man, Christ Jesus. We as a people need to stop grasping for things that are unstable and anchor ourselves to the God who has our destiny in His hands. Ahaz never got that, but Hezekiah did.
 
 * But Hezekiah's life was not completely dark. There was a light in a man of God -- a prophet whose name was Isaiah (cp. Isa. 38:1ff) who made regular entrance to the king. He spoke powerful words of truth about life and about God, words that made Hezekiah’s heart race with joy, excitement and hope.
 
Because of the choices Hezekiah made, he was able to:
 
 * Do right before God with the heart of David (18:3).
 * Stand against the spreading of idolatry, immoral behavior, old time practices that honored religious life, but not God (18:4).
 * He was able to TRUST God, and that made him different that ALL THE OTHER KINGS. Assyria was strong, and the vast empire bore down on him, but he trusted God (18:5).
 * He was able to walk outwardly, publicly with God (18:6). He did this by knowing and obeying the Word of God. He unapologetically believed and followed God’s Word as truth. He didn’t just theologize it, he lived it practically. He DID God’s Word.
 * God’s presence was obvious, and his progress was also obvious (18:7-8). Those who afflicted God’s people were driven back. There was victory!
 
He fought in a dark trench on the German frontier. A vicious firefight left the battle lines torn and bodies of men strewn all across the field before him. Night fell. Though he was commanded to maintain that position until reinforced, the cries of men from distant places haunted him. In the darkness of the night he left the hole where he hid to flee the scene. He stumbled across a ditch and felt the edge of a road. In a few feet he came upon on a road sign. So dark and so lost, he had no idea what the sign said. He could only hope that it offered him some clue as to where he was and what was nearby. He decided to climb the pole. Each movement hurt as his exhausted body slid upward against the force of gravity. When he got to the crossbeam, he held on to read the sign. Took out a match, lit it, and looked directly into the face of Jesus. He had climbed an outdoor crucifix! Stunned by what he saw, he realized the shame of his life. He was looking into the face of the One who had endured it all for him and had never turned back. The next morning, the soldier was back in the trenches.
 
Someone has said: "If you want to be distressed, look within. If you want to be defeated, look around. But - If you want to be delivered, look to Christ."
 
I am reminded of Patrick Henry, who was a famous statesman and orator of colonial Virginia. "In 1764 he was elected to the House of Burgesses where he became a champion of the frontier people, supporting their rights against the arrogant exercise of power by the aristocracy. In 1774 he was a delegate to the First Continental Congress. In 1775, before the Virginia Provincial Convention, which was deeply divided between those who supported England and those who desired freedom, he uttered his most famous words, "Give me liberty or give me death!" During the Revolutionary War he became commander-in-chief of Virginia’s military forces, a member of the Second Continental Congress, helped draw up the first constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and was largely responsible for drawing up the amendments to our Constitution known as the Bill of Rights. He became Virginia’s first governor, and was re-elected four times. Then he retired from public life, but despite his strong objections the people went ahead and re-elected him Governor for the 5th time. But he meant what he said, so he refused to take the office. He was offered a seat in the U.S. Senate, and posts as ambassador to Spain and to France. President George Washington asked him to join his cabinet and become Secretary of State, and later wanted to appoint him the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Buthe refused all such honors and recognitions. Listen to these words from him: "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists, but by Christians - not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ." His Last Will & Testament was filed in the Brookneal County courthouse in Virginia. You read his will and you’ll see that he bequeathed everything to his children, just as most people do. But the last paragraph in his will is especially interesting. He wrote, "I have now given everything I own to my children. There is one more thing I wish I could give them and that is Christ. Because if they have everything I gave them and don’t have Christ, they have nothing." SOURCE: Melvin Newland, Central Christian Church, Brownsville, Texas.
 
Patrick Henry wasn’t just a statesman, he was a distinct believer who was living out his faith to the very end. Because of that, he made a difference. Believers that live distinctly offer a high contrast difference -- a choice. God uses the distinct, not the compromising.

The "Wax On, Wax Off" Discipleship School - John 4:27-42

It was all the way back on 1984, that Mr. Miyagi taught his pupil in "The Karate Kid" a series of lessons by making him do practical projects. Watch this old Youtube cut to get the idea: What Mr. Miyagi did for his student was plagarize a discipleship method that was used by Jesus extensively nearly 2000 years before. Jesus sent the disciples into a Samaritan village to get some food for the group, while He encountered a badly treated and scorned woman at the city well. When the disciples returned from the village with the food they came upon Jesus ending a discussion with the woman. The whole scene was a "wax on, wax off" teaching moment. Jesus used the opportunity to teach seven lessons to mature the men that were following Him.

Key Principle: The disciple is shaped to maturity by the "planned experiences" God takes them through, but we must carefully observe the lessons!

Seven Lessons toward Maturity

Lesson One: True satisfaction comes when we fulfill the purpose for which we were created. (4:31-34). 1) This satisfaction is not comprehended by the new believer yet, but is learned by maturity in Messiah (cp. 4:32). 2) The satisfaction comes through the faithful execution of the call from God (4:34a). Satisfaction also comes through the completion of a project within the call (4:34b).
 
31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging Him, saying, "Rabbi, eat." 32 But He said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about." 33 So the disciples were saying to one another, "No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?" 34 Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.
 
Lesson Two: The mature believer sees a harvest where others see a way to to help themselves (4:35). The disciples encountered the same people in the village that Jesus did, and the woman who returned to her village did – yet the disciples yielded only physical fruit (a meal) and not spiritual fruit (souls). Why? Because they could not see the people as they were – needy and open to the good news.
 
35 "Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest.
 
Lesson Three: Those who see the field and do the work will reap the harvest for all of us, while others remain oblivious to the field until the harvest comes in. (4:36).
 
36 "Already he who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.
 
Lesson Four: The mature disciple will not allow the amazement with Jesus to wane in his life, and cannot help but share (4:36). The woman was new to Jesus and His message, but she was moved to share and sowed her newfound amazement (perhaps faith?). The disciples were deeply familiar with Jesus, but the novelty wore off, and they simply didn’t share that He was near the village! Evangelism is a program to an un-amazed disciples. Those who are struck by the presence of Jesus need not force to share their excitement.
 
37"For in this case the saying is true, 'One sows and another reaps.'
 
Lesson Five: Mature disciples understand they do not reap the harvest on their own – it is a work aided and seeded by many. (4:38-39). Jesus said I sent you to get food you didn’t grow, but you were blessed by the working hands of others. You understood that. You knew I didn’t expect you to buy the field, plant it, reap it, grind the flour and make the bread. You could simply purchase and enjoy what another labored over. Spiritually speaking, you must learn that you gain a harvest because of the labor of many others.
 
38 "I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored and you have entered into their labor." 39 From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all the things that I have done."
 
Lesson Six: The believer that loves the lost will reach the lost (4:40-41). The woman identified with the people as “her people”. Jesus dwelt with the Samaritans to show them love and care -- the disciples had no real love for the people (cp. Lk. 9:54).
 
40 So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41 Many more believed because of His word;
 
Lesson Seven: People may begin by following the believer, but in the end it comes down to them accepting the Word of the Savior! (4:42).
 
42 and they were saying to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world."

The disciple is shaped to maturity by the "planned experiences" God takes them through, but we must carefully observe the lessons! We must be careful not to simply use the time on this planet to "fill out our needs". We must observe the people around us, the specific places God places us - and look for a way to bring Him joy through our lives!

Knowing Jesus: I Object! - John 4

We have all seen it. The lawyer jumps to his feet in the midst of his opponent taking apart the logic of the witness on the stand. "I object!" the lawyer shouts. The line of the questions is broken, and the rhythm of the opponent is slowed. It is a strategic move, and sometimes a tactic.

Key Principle: When people are confronted with the direction that Jesus offers, they often place road block objections - but Jesus knows the answers to deal with their objections.

The story is a simple and familiar dialogue between Jesus and the woman at the Sychar well. It is easy to divide the story into three parts, as John recalls the events:
 
    * The Setting (4:1-6)
    * The Exchange (4:7-28)
    * The Results (4:29-42)

Because John says that he is deliberately attempting to show character and power traits in Jesus to allow one to believe and have life (John 20:30-31), the story’s primary purpose is to reveal the truth about Jesus. Along the way, we meet the unnamed woman, her fellow Samaritan villagers, and the disciples.

A quick word about the setting (4:1-6): Jesus became aware that the Pharisees were “bean counting”, trying to measure the rise in popularity of Jesus over John, and He made a hasty retreat from them. He had no desire to get caught up in the certain celebrity status that He would soon be afforded, so He left. He arrived close to midday and asked His disciples to go into town and get something for them to eat. Though normal water gathering was made in the early morning and late afternoon, a woman appeared to draw water at an unusual hour – as Jesus was propped beside the well.

Jesus and the woman had a verbal exchange that has become familiar to many Bible students. The discussion helps us see the kinds of objections that are common when people are confronted with the truth of Jesus; and how Jesus was able to answer the objections with direct and important claims.

Objections People Raise to Jesus and His Message

   1. Doubt of Intention: What does Jesus really want from me? (4:9). Clearly the woman was stunned that Jesus as a Jew would ask her as a Samaritan for something to drink. Yet, on more careful examination, it appears that she was not only asking why a Jew would speak to her, but she was exposing a very basic reaction that many people have when Jesus reaches out to them. The Gospel offers something to each person, but it also requires something of them. It requires that an individual trust Jesus, and obey what He asks of them. Without submission of the will there is no real salvation. Jesus began ASKING FOR HER TO DO SOMETHING FOR HIM. The simple act of giving a drink to Jesus was an act of obedience – an act of trust. She was a woman alone, and this man may have had MANY ideas on his mind. She didn’t know Him, and her history was such that we would not be surprised to find out that she didn’t trust Him right away.

   2. Sense of Unworthiness: How can you deal with someone LIKE ME? The misconception that people carry in their minds about Jesus is that He spent His time with religious people in clean and tidy places. That is not the Jesus of the Gospels. At the same time, a Samaritan woman aptly pointed to a true breach in the relationship between Jews and Samaritans that did exist. Prejudices existed on both sides, and clearly this woman has encountered them, or simply possessed them. Whether she felt an intense unworthiness as a Samaritan is not the whole issues. It is clear that she felt that Jesus would perceive her as inferior. That is the key: people are confronted by Jesus and they react because they know themselves. Little do they realize that this is a form of a worshipful reaction (cp. Isaiah 6) to see one’s own sinfulness in the light of God’s truth and perfection!

Jesus’ answer was direct to her – You are worried about who you are and what I may really want. That is the wrong focus. If you refocus on Who I am, you will find a gift is awaiting you! (4:10)

   3. Doubt of His Ability: Jesus made an overt claim that He had something to GIVE the woman, but she couldn’t see how it was possible for Jesus to deliver on the promises (4:11). She chided, “You don’t think you are greater than our fathers, do you? (4:12). Wrapped in her question is one of the oldest forms of objection to Jesus and His message. She wanted to compare Jesus to other great men, and didn’t see how He could claim to offer more than other men of seemingly greater stature could offer. Do you have greater power than…? That is the age old question. As the Creator of all things (Col. 1:16-17; Hebrews 1) Jesus initiated every other life to which he would later be compared. Yet, this objection is common by those who see the “great men” of religious history, and Jesus as one among many.

Jesus’ answer was again direct and overt – I am not one among many. That is the wrong conclusion. I have the gift and the ability to deliver it. (4:13-14). It will surely accomplish satisfaction beginning within and flowing outward. It is superior to anything offered before, and it will deliver the ultimate and final rewards.

   4. Distraction over Benefits: The woman appeared to be ready to accept the offer made by Jesus, but Jesus knew she was not truly prepared. She was distracted by the part of the offer that appeared to care for her problems, but she did not comprehend what Jesus wanted from her (4:15)

Jesus peeled into her life to help her expose the deep secret that she was hiding. He asked her to go and bring her husband. This was a respectful request, especially if she was about to make a bold move to accept His claims and follow Jesus (4:16). The woman replied, “I have no husband!” She told a half-truth (4:17-18). She was a woman who both lived in pain, and as a result walked in hidden compromise. Here is the central issue – she wanted to add Jesus to a life of self will and impure behaviors. That is a wrong assumption. It is true that Jesus loves us. It is true that He came to save us. It is simply NOT TRUE that He is so longing for us that He will simply dismiss our desire to continue to walk as we choose – in sinful practices that are forbidden by God. I am not suggesting that we must become perfect to be saved – that is not even close to the truth. I am suggesting that Jesus is not interested in licensing wrong behaviors and adding salvation to our lives. If we assume this, we are not ready to truly receive Him –for we fail to understand the call to distinctiveness He demands.

Because we know that in the first century Jewish context, divorce was an issue of a man putting away a woman in most cases – it is likely that the woman’s history of marriages has more to do with stinging repeated rejection and not simply a life as a “loose woman”. She was evidently repeatedly judged deficient in some way by the men in her life. Rejection upon rejection appears to have left her desolate of self respect. She eventually shed the need to even have the appearance of a real marriage (4:18).

   5. Theological Redirection: Jesus spoke resounding truth into the life of the woman, and she knew it. He opened her eyes to the truth about her own pain. He peeled her heart to its core. She perceived He was a prophet. Yet, she was not ready to surrender to Jesus. She re-directed the conversation to theology and arguments over the place and nature of worship, emphasizing the difference between Jews and Samaritans (4:19-20). Some read these words and believe she is just cleaning up loose ends, but I believe there was a very basic smokescreen she was attempting to raise. It is always preferable to redirect the painful peering into the hurt soul by the Lord to a theological discussion. Theology can easily be a cold discussion – removed of self inspection and the pain of inner reflection -- and Jesus was hitting very close to her center.

Jesus answered her and told her that she was essentially on the wrong issue. She was concerned with the PLACE of worship, and Jesus answered with the NATURE of worship (4:21-24). Jesus flatly claimed that neither mountain would last, and the worship systems found on them wouldn’t last either. Worship is neither a service nor a hall. Jesus foretold that both would be swallowed up in the larger truth – worship would one day be both spirit empowered from within the believer and centered on the truth that was revealed by God’s Word. Getting caught up in any discussion that kept the pressure on the woman to yield her broken heart to the Lord, no matter the value of the discussion, was a distraction.

   6. The Voice of Procrastination: “Someday I hope it will happen for me!” was the final objection raised (4:25). Many have raised it. “One of these days, when things work out for me, then I will be ready to commit to Jesus.”

Jesus replied to the woman, “You are on the wrong timing!” The time for her salvation was the day Jesus beckoned. Later would be too late. The acceptable time of salvation was the day of the presentation. Jesus, the very Anointed of God was standing before her. Today was the day she needed to respond to. That future time she pondered and dreamed of was no longer relevant.

Perhaps you relate to the woman. Maybe you have heard that Jesus will save you from your sins, but you possess the “Doubt of Intention” – you aren’t sure what He will expect you to lay on the line to follow Him.

• Maybe you have been hurt by people that pressed into your heart the idea that you are worthless. You may suffer from the “Sense of Unworthiness” – the notion that you must clean up first to invite Jesus within.
• Maybe you are awaiting some new proof that sets apart Jesus from other great religious leaders. You have the “Doubt of His Ability” – and await Him to show you the truth.
• Could it be that at some time in the past you were ready to accept Jesus to get salvation, but you didn’t intend to give your life to Him – you had “Distraction over Benefits” – and wanted to simply add Jesus without surrendering anything. You were not saved.
• Maybe some argument of theology is keeping you from clearly hearing the message that you are lost. Maybe you are worried about what version of the Bible you should read, or how baptism truly works and why people you know disagree. You are being tempted to “Theological Redirection” – when EVERY decent translation says that you need to yield, and every one says that baptism isn’t the issue (the thief on the cross knew better!)
• Maybe you have thought about coming to Christ “some day” but offer nothing but the “Voice of Procrastination” that someday it will happen for you. Can you really put this off? Are you so secure in your driving, in your body and its health, in everyone around you and your own safety that you KNOW you can wait?

When people are confronted with the direction that Jesus offers, they often place road block objections - but Jesus knows the answers to deal with our objections.

Missed Opportunity: "The Big Brother Effect" - 2 Kings 17

Growing up, I had the blessing and the curse of a big brother. Russ saved me many troubles in life because he ventured into trouble - and I could watch his “progress” (or descent), and his punishment - before I needed to risk any adventure. He managed a long litany of injuries, stitches, etc. that I didn't ever personally have to endure. I stopped participating before I got hurt and learned the lesson by watching my older brother. One of the great benefits of a living example played out directly in front of us is the fact that we can gain by the power of example what we need not learn through the pain of experience. This is what can be termed, “the big brother effect”.

What was true of my family could have been true of another ancient family – the tribe of the sons of Judah. They watched their brothers to the north of them, the ten northern tribes of Israel, as they descended into the chaos that brought on both continued moral decay and political confusion. Judah had the opportunity to learn from a patient God and His careful dealings with a sin sick brother. Unfortunately, Judah replicated Israel’s behaviors, rather than recognizing her broken system for spiritual, moral and political bankruptcy. Judah borrowed her brother’s ideology – even when it led to moral bondage followed by economic and political collapse! That seems strange, but in my own experience counseling people, I often find alcoholics that are children of alcoholics, and parents who are abusive that grew up abused. Hurt people hurt people – and often become the very thing they have learned to hate!

Key Principle: There is a pattern of decadence that we can identify in defecting believers that leads to a lost testimony and finally the removal of God’s hand of blessing.

Seven Steps into Obscurity
 
1. The first step to wiping out a testimony and moving into obscurity is complication – confusing the central issue - a relationship of celebrated submission with God (17:1-7). It is easy to become confused between the symptoms and the actual problem. Israel was disintegrating politically. The successive overthrows of one dynasty after another led to frequent turnovers of government leadership: Jeroboam II passed his scepter to his son Zechariah, who lasted all of six months before he was killed and replaced by Shallum. He in turn was killed after a mere month on the throne by Menachem – a man who lived to reign ten years and pass the throne to his son Pekaiah. After two years, Pekaiah was killed by Pekah, who held the throne for twenty years and was eventually assassinated by his successor Hoshea. Hoshea ruled for nine turbulent years before the Assyrian empire came and shut down the palace of Samaria – carting off the people into captivity.

If CNN were covering those turbulent years, they would no doubt offer a host of analysts to examine the layers of problems in the kingdom. Why was there so much unrest? Could the tax base be reliably updated to care for a vassal relationship with Assyria that would satisfy the foreign power? Was the military producing the right kind of soldier, or was this a central cause of the frequent overthrows? All this and more would be the daily fodder of the twenty-four hour news cycle.

From God’s perspective the problem wasn’t (and still isn’t!) very complicated. The central problem was the break in the relationship with the Living God – and a deliberate walk in obedience to Him. Without honest submission to Him, obedience is impossible; it is little more than placing wallpaper over a termite infestation of the heart. One significant problem is that we cover up the real issue by focusing on the symptoms that come from the separation with God. The first six verses tell the story of the last chapter of the political life of the northern kingdom, but the REASON for the story is given in verse seven: 17:7 “Now this came about because the sons of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up from the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and they had feared other gods.”

The sin of Israel was that is simply wouldn’t submit to a complete and total service of the Lord God. They wanted to claim that God was their God, but offer no claim that they were His people – if it brought with it the necessity of following Him daily. God framed His relationship with them as “Setting them free” and the following after sin as “bringing you into bondage”. Ultimately, we are free when we become what we were created for – to submit lovingly and wholly to the Lord of the universe. Every attempt of man to “break free” from that submission enslaves the man. How many have thought they would be freed by a bottle or capsule that they ended up enslaved to?

2. The second step to moving from testimony to obscurity was amnesia – the loss of the memory of God’s commands for a distinctive identity of a people created to serve and follow Him (17:8). Believers constantly fight the struggle not to be “pressed into the mold” of the lost world (cp. Romans 12:1ff). Identity holds us in place, and informs our choices. God called believers to form their priorities from His revealed will and be distinct, not from their desire to be like the world.

3. The third step to obscurity was hypocrisy – the creation of the image of a mythical loving believer from an obstinate and self-willed criminal (17:9a). When we fail to be distinct, we become imposters – imitating surrendered lives before other believers and imitating the world when we are with them. The father of lies births a corps of hypocrites. The people were living lies and hiding sin – ashamed and compounding guilt upon guilt. The enemy kept them feeling defeated and demoralized – the result of defection and deception.

4. The fourth step to obscurity was compromise (17:9b). High places were open defiance at first. Generations later, it was the acceptable thing to do. Necessary evils often seem to become more necessary and look less evil to us over time. The people compromised a critical hallmark of their testimony before the nations – their unique worship. When it became another manmade institution, faith moved into becoming religion.

5. The fifth step to obscurity was the death of discernment (17:10-11). Without their identity and attachment to a vital relationship with God, the people found it easy to begin to look for answers in places that clearly were not meant for them. They set up sacred pillars, and developed places for determining important direction of life issues, as well as found themselves sliding into the sexually permissive practices of the Asherim. They became the “horoscope reading” believer – the compass-less ship searching for a star on a cloudy night.

6. The sixth step to obscurity was the abandonment of revelation (17:12-16). As their conformity to the world became complete, they surrendered the Word of God fully, openly deciding that God’s commands and counsels were flawed and unnecessary. They cast off the restraints of the revealed truths of God and fully swallowed the lies of their age.

7. The final step that tossed them from God’s presence and into a captivity from which they wailed, was the denial – the overturning of all things once held sacred (17:17-18). The people were transformed from a people of God to a totally depraved and brashly immoral bunch. They didn’t have the normal ties of the believer. Family wasn’t a sacred issue; life was not an un-compromised value. Everything was on the table for change.

There is a pattern of decadence that we can identify in defecting believers that leads to a lost testimony and finally the removal of God’s hand of blessing. Sadly, Israel misinterpreted the PATIENCE of God in judgment with IMPOTENCE of His mighty hand. As God withheld judgment and they continued in sin, Judah became cynical and eventually learned to join and imitate them (17:19), one of the lasting effects of a hypocritical generation.

Judah did not need to go through the pain of captivity. They could have watched their older brother make the mistakes and learn by example… but we seldom ever do!

 

The Most Important Lap: Instructions to the Finish Line! Ecclesiastes 11 and 12

No matter how excellent your form is, no matter how well you launch off the blocks, the lap that determines your most durable memory is often your last lap around. That is not to say that other laps can be run badly - how we run the race of life counts. Yet, too many seem to run well for awhile and then "shut down" or end with a bitterness in their mouth to those who come behind.  Spending time with my dad in this stage of life has helped me become an up close observer to a part of life I never considered when I was young.

Ecclesiastes offers some words that we should re-examine on the "finishing lap" of our lives on earth. Like other “Wisdom Literature” of the Bible, it explores life and draws from experience the truisms of the ages. While both life for self and life for God are both explored, both sides of the equation are measured.  On the one hand, philosophy (man’s search for the underlying truths of life) is measured. On the other, the revelation of God during man’s life experiences is seen.  The search for truth, reality and meaning comes in three ways: experiential empiricism (I made, I built, etc in 2:4-7); rationalism (I set my mind to know, etc in 1:16-17); revelation (God gave a man, 2:26). Key verse: 1:13 “And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven It is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with”. With the technical stuff out of the way, let's take a quick look at some observations about the final lap of our earth walk!

Key Principle: Since our life on earth is very finite and time beyond this life does not exist, we must look at this time as a great gift to express our growing love and devotion to the God that created and saved us!

11:8 Indeed, if a man should live many years, let him rejoice in them all, and let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything that is to come will be futility. 9 Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things. 10 So, remove grief and anger from your heart and put away pain from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting.

1. Settling matters inside of us…We cannot help anyone if we do not have ourselves in order! (11:8)

Observation #1: Not everyone is given the long life, and that is God’s Sovereign choice – the same as your sex, race and time in history. “Indeed, if a man should live many years..” Have you caught yourself at a funeral asking why someone who seems more vital and productive has left while God has kept you here? Christians say they believe in prayer, but they actually believe in working for God more than they believe in communing with God and interceding for others. If we believed in intercession as a higher calling, we who know and love the Lord wouldn’t question our remaining.

Observation #2: Long life is both a gift and a test of growing in obedience! (11:8b). The text offers, “…let him rejoice”. We will not naturally rejoice in the length of our years. Aches and pains increase as our spirit groans to shed this body. Yet, our obedience can drive us forward in rejoicing!

Observation #3: Rejoicing in days is a learned skill based on a deep walk. We must UNDERSTAND to live each day in JOY is a learned art of trust (11:8b). “Indeed, if a man should live many years, let him rejoice in them all”. Hebrew has two common terms that are translated “rejoice” or “joy” (Gila and simcha). The term rejoice (saw-makh’) is figuratively used to BRIGHTEN, but comes from a root that has to do with assurance, not simply happiness. Assurance is learned, and is rooted in a track record with God.

Observation #4: As we age, it can become easy to disengage and stop our planning, leaving the problems to another generation. We must deliberately VIEW life in a balanced way (11:8b). “and let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many.” To focus on the darkness too much is NOT a true picture, but to ignore planning for future troubles is seriously unwise. To believe that the future will care for itself is foolish!

Observation #5: Though some disengage, more find it easy to get caught up in WORRY. We must SURRENDER our view of the future (11:8b). The writer warns not to get too caught up in the future worries, as they are transitory. “Everything that is to come will be futility.” The term futility is ‘heh-bel’ a term for quickly transitioning things. The idea isn’t that the future will be empty, but that it will not stay fixed in place, and should not warrant undue stress on us. God is Sovereign and He alone knows the outcome of the plan.

2. Relating to those who follow us…We all want to leave behind those who will carry on the work we have carried from those who went before us! (11:9-12:8)

Observation #7: We must encourage those who come behind us to live both ENTHUSIASTICALLY (11:9). “9 Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes."

Observation #8: We must encourage the young to remember to also live REFLECTIVELY – examining the truth carefully at every opportunity (11:10).”Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things.” Our young life gives us the opportunity to aggressively seek the things we believe will make us happy, for this is God’s gift to us. Remember in those days that we will reap what we sow!

Observation #9: We must encourage the young to remember to live GRACIOUSLY – by both example and word letting go of wrongs committed against us and surrender what we cannot solve or control in this life (11:10). “10 So, remove grief and anger from your heart and put away pain from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting.” The text reminds us that we can prevent the pain of later by better decisions now, for the time will pass swiftly and “PAY LATER” is only a heartbeat after “BUY NOW”!.

Observation #10: Those who did not build a relationship with God in their youth, will find it difficult to initiate one in the latter years of life (12:1). 1 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, "I have no delight in them".

Observation #11: The difficult days of life will soon come and only those who prepare with a walk with God will face them well (12:1b) - because our minds will eventually fade – and our “brightness” slip, as well as our bodies ability to recoup quickly (12:2). “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, "I have no delight in them"; 2 before the sun and the light, the moon and the stars are darkened, and clouds return after the rain;”

• Growing too soon weaker and our hands trembling, our bodies are stooping, our teeth coming out and our eyesight failing (12:3). “3 in the day that the watchmen of the house tremble, and mighty men stoop, the grinding ones stand idle because they are few, and those who look through windows grow dim;”

• “Gumming” our food when the teeth fail (12:4a), failure to sleep well (12:4b) and failed hearing (12:4b). 4 “and the doors on the street are shut as the sound of the grinding mill is low, and one will arise at the sound of the bird, and all the daughters of song will sing softly.”

• Fears of difficult physical challenges becoming very real (12:5) as our hair turns white. Limbs will grow stiff and sexual drives will fail ('abiyownah: ab-ee-yo-naw' – a stimulating taste), as a man yields this life and passes to eternity - and is remembered (12:5b). 5 “Furthermore, men are afraid of a high place and of terrors on the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags himself along, and the caperberry is ineffective. For man goes to his eternal home while mourners go about in the street.”

• The spinal column weakens, the mind becomes dulled and the bowels become unpredictable, in addition to the accompanying heart problems (12:6). 6 “Remember Him before the silver cord is broken and the golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the well is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed;”

• In the end, the body is laid to rest and turn back to dust and memories, while the spirit is whisked into eternity (12:7). 7 “then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.”

• It all passes quickly, and much that appears to have meaning, really doesn’t! (12:8). 8 "Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, "all is vanity!"

 

3. Settling the final conclusion of it all…(12:9-14). There is a point to this life, but without revelation that point is beyond our grasp.

Observation #12: Following God’s Word in life will draw us to a positive testimony NOW and a positive reward later! (12:9-13)

13 The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. 14For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.

Follow the words that have been carefully ordered by the giver of the Word (12:9-10). 9 In addition to being a wise man, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, searched out and arranged many proverbs. 10 The Preacher sought to find delightful words and to write words of truth correctly.

11The words of wise men are like goads, and masters of these collections are like well-driven nails; they are given by one Shepherd. 12But beyond this, my son, be warned. The teachings should perform four ways in our lives:

• They should “goad and guide us”,
• they should “nail” us, and be applied to OUR lives to push us to do right! (12:11)
• they should always point us to the source of truth – the ONE Shepherd (12:11b).
• they should warn us (12:12a).

“…the writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body.” Accumulating knowledge for the sake of theory is exhausting and unproductive (12:12b). Walk reverently and obediently to the Word of the Lord – it is what God really wants from us! (12:13). Make sure the obedience leads you to DO the right things! (12:14).

Since our life on earth is very finite and time beyond this life does not exist, we must look at this time as a great gift to express our growing love and devotion to the God that created and saved us!

Knowing Jesus: "Father Loves Most" - John 3:22-36

The radio show begun in 1949 with Robert Young as Father was called “Father Knows Best”. The TV show that followed in the 1950’s mirrored a rosy picture of American society in the 1950’s suburbs, and ran until Young left in 1960. The show highlighted a father’s wisdom, wit and loving nature.

Tucked into the Gospel of John is another story of a loving father. This picture is found in an obscure, tiny sermon of John the Baptizer, the cousin of Jesus, given to his followers before Jesus really got His popular ministry in "high gear". In the sermon, John shared a pattern of godliness that sustained him through the end of his ministry. In addition, he shared a startling truth that made it possible for John to submit his life's work to Jesus!

Key Principle: Because of the Father's love for His Son, He offered authority and supreme trust. A real follower of Jesus can offer no less!

To understand the content of the message of John's mini-sermon, the writer includes three important details about the setting:

 1. Jesus and His Disciples were baptizing at another location at the same time as John, His cousin, continued the baptism work at Aenon near Salim. The crowds to Jesus’ ministry appeared to be increasing, while John’s work was shrinking and giving way to the new work (3:22-24).

 2. John’s disciples were feeling on the defensive because they were being questioned by an unidentified man in the crowd about their practices (3:25).

 3. John’s disciples apparently felt a disappointment over the shrinking crowds. Remember, they lost some of their own fellow disciples to Jesus (see John 1:37ff).

The mini-sermon is recorded in John 3:27-36. The sermon revealed seven critical character traits that John wanted his disciples to understand about a man and his relationship with God.

Seven Character Traits of a Godly Man

 1. CONFIDENCE (3:27): John soothed the envious hearts of his disciples with these words – “You get what God gives you!” Out of context these words could be used for one who was simply hiding laziness, but that isn’t what was going on here! John was acknowledging the reality of a Sovereign God, and the need to be content in His hands. Godly men and women lose their self confidence and gain a God confidence!

 2. POSITION (3:28): John knew the purpose and place of his life was not to be the center of anyone’s universe. Only a mature godly man understands this. We all have a deep longing to be the center of someone’s universe – but our place as believers is help others put their relationship with the Lord at the center – not the relationship with US. John knew he was a POINTER not a CENTER. Godly men and women answer the question, “Father, what have you made me to be?”

 3. JOY (3:29): John wasn’t simply sure that he wasn’t the center of the world – he learned the secret of taking JOY in being what God created him to be. He didn’t “settle” for his lot in life, he REVELED in the joy that came with an understanding that his very value in life came from his joyful dwelling in his identity as the close friend of the groom. Godly men and women seek to take the joy of the journey on each step with them – the resolute assurance that God has not lost interest in them, nor lost the ability to care for them.

 4. CLARITY (3:30): One cannot read the words: “He must increase and I must decrease!” and not recognize the crystal clear sound of a voice that has embraced TRUTH. John knew he wasn’t the main character in the drama being played out. Godly men and women always know this. If the story is about US, then it is not about God’s Son!

 5. SUBMISSION (3:31): John answered his disciples’ complaints with a straightforward claim that Jesus is Lord from Heaven, and worthy of all submission. No man or woman can ever truly be considered Godly that does not understand full and complete submission. It doesn’t mean we will live every moment with our spiritual knees bowed, but it means that is the GOAL.

 6. DISCERNMENT (3:32-34): John claimed that Jesus spoke that which He knew first hand, that is was the very truth of the Words of God and that it was infused with the limitless power of the Spirit of God. He trusted what Jesus taught, and he had the discernment to see it as truth and label it as such. Godliness presupposes the ability to discern truth from nonsense. No godly man or woman will truly walk as they ought without discernment that acts as a screen to filter out the false and allow the truth to permeate.

 7. UNDERSTANDING (3:35-36): John shared the DEPTH of understanding of the larger picture of the world. He was not so ego bound that all he could perceive was how everything affected him – he was a man with a bigger picture in front of him. It is within this larger frame that everything God was calling him to do made real sense. John understood that God was from the beginning a God of relationship. He loved, and because of that, it was easy for God the Father to offer authority to the Son. If the Father could do that, so could John! He loved Jesus, so surrendering crowds and accolades to Him was not a sacrifice he couldn’t accept!

That understanding is where the great truth was revealed from John's lips. Because John saw that the Father in Heaven loved the Son, and trusted the Son completely - John could follow suit and give up any position, title, fame or importance to Jesus. God - out of love - gave the Son authority, how could John give less than his passing fame?

In the end, every believer must surrender his life's fortune, fame, power and pleasure to the One he serves. John saw the pattern from the Father and responded in love. Shouldn't we surrender in love as well?

Missed Opportunity- "Leftovers from Dad!" - 2 Kings 15:32-38; 2 Chronicles 27:1-9

One of the words that used to bring groans to my friends was the word, “leftovers”. Coming from a large family, it was half way through my life before a friend explained to me what they were – since we never had any at my house! Men seem to be able to accomplish great feats and accumulate accolades, but many offer only leftover time and effort to shaping their children.
 
Jotham was an example of such a man. He had a pattern of accomplishment that any man would envy. He came from a good home, and accomplished good things. Yet sadly, he left behind a son that burned down what he built. Like many older Americans, had Jotham lived to watch, he would likely have been horrified to see what he DIDN’T do.
 
Key Principle: Great men both build a model of a man, and help their children take joy in the daily work of the model.
 
Real men want to engage their world. They are marked by the things that happen in their times, and they leave a mark on the world around them. Jotham was a great example of this. The Bible records seven great life marks of Jotham:
 
Seven Great “Life Marks”:
 
 1. He had the heritage of godly parents (27:1): We know his father Uzziah was a good man, though as flawed as anyone who gets caught believing their own press. His mother was a Zadokite, likely from the priestly family by that name – a woman deeply influenced by Godly family. Because Jotham entered the world with godly parents, he was provided one of the essential lessons in his early life - an example of how to pick a good life partner, and godliness in the home.
 
 2. He learned how to follow good patterns without imitating all the bad ones (27:2). Jotham’s father Uzziah was not always “on his game” walking with God. He clearly had some glaring ego issues that gave rise to his leprosy and thrust Jotham into the throne room as a regent before his time. At the same time, Jotham did follow the right part of what his father showed him. A man of god must be able to gain from another, without adopting the false beliefs and bad attitudes that are prevalent in most every mentor.
 
 3. He learned how to discern the evil in the world around him without either slipping into the pattern or becoming soured and cynical (27:2b). The writer inserted the truth that “the people continued to act corruptly.” That helpful little comment showed that Jotham didn’t live in some idyllic world, but in the real one. Not everyone was doing right just because he chose to do right. Godly men must be able to rightly discern their times, without becoming like the people around them.
 
 4. He learned to both value and protect sacred things (27:3a). The upper gate to the Temple was an important and costly project, but Jotham knew that the protection to the Temple in the north part of the city, where Jerusalem was always most vulnerable, was important. It is incumbent on godly men to identify things that are sacred – important to God and important to His message – and learn to cherish and protect those things. These things were called “holy” or distinct before the Lord, and there was a special offering “the Awshawm” to mark repentance when these were not taken seriously enough (Lev. 5).
 
 5. He built effective channels to stay connected to God personally (27:3b). The “wall of Ophel” was likely the wall that connected the city of David in the south to the Temple Mount in the north. The connection neck (where Ha-Ophel Road is today in Jerusalem) housed the storage buildings of the kings, as well as the connecting porticoes from the palace of the Judean kings to the Temple access. Jotham wanted to fortify his connection to safely accessing the Temple, particularly in light of the number of assassinations in the northern kingdom during his lifetime! He knew his ability to reach the Temple and stay connected the Lord was an important element of his life’s success. Godly men realize they can only accomplish something eternal when fastened steadfastly to the Eternal One.
 
 6. He built defenses from the world (27:4). Jotham built cities, towers and fortresses in the immediate area of the hill country of Judah. The world around Judah was ever creeping into the small kingdom and pulling at the its sensitivity to follow the Lord and trust Him completely. Jotham knew that in order to commit to follow the Lord, some thing would need to be kept out of his life, and the lives of those who followed after him. Godly men know that they cannot and should not handle all the world has to dish out. Some things shouldn’t be viewed, heard, or let in!
 
 7. He learned to provide for his own and used wealth without becoming a slave to its acquisition (27:5). Jotham subjected the eastern enemies that consistently cut off the flow of food and other vital goods to and from the east of Judah. Ammon was once under Judah, but an unanswered rebellion left the children of Judah vulnerable. Without trying to enslave or destroy, Jotham subjected the people and re-established the flow of goods to his kingdom. The use of wealth was vital to feed and supply his kingdom. Godly men don’t wish to harm others, but they learn to use the things of this world to care for the needs of those put in their charge. Jesus taught that as a principle in a cryptic Luke 16 parable.
 
The seven marks look good, and clearly Jotham accomplished some great things. He is recalled as a mighty and godly man (24:6-9). Yet, sadly, the next chapter of Judah’s history reveals the cracks in his life. They are seen where they most often are seen – in the life of his child.
 
Take a moment and read these words, the tragic summary of Ahaz’s reign, the son of Jotham:
 
2 Chronicles 28:1 Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do right in the sight of the LORD as David his father had done. 2 But he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel; he also made molten images for the Baals. 3 Moreover, he burned incense in the valley of Ben-hinnom and burned his sons in fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had driven out before the sons of Israel. 4 He sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills and under every green tree.
 
In all that he succeeded to accomplish he failed in one critical way. He failed to communicate how important his son was to him. He didn’t model the relationship in the home that would convince his son that children are a heritage of the Lord, and a great and precious treasure. Great men both build a model of a man, and help their children take joy in the daily work of the model. Failure to do so produces a vile and angry generation. They feel left out of their parent’s life – and struggle to find their own way. Children were not designed to find their own way. They have few instincts that are sound, and need guidance in every stage of life!
 
It could be that some fathers are interacting with this Bible story and feeling left in guilt. The Word was not meant to leave a man or woman with guilt, but rather with GOD. How can a man or woman make up for the time they have wasted? Frankly, they can’t! The good news is that our God is able to do what we cannot. When ancient Israel sinned and received the judgment they were due, God came to them with a message of comfort: “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten - the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm - My great army that I sent among you. (Joel 2:25). Many a believing parent, broken from repentance, clings to God’s ability to do what we cannot, and do not deserve. Yet, to be honest, is there any place more secure than trusting in God’s abilities and His care?

"The Salt Covenant" Video Clip shot in Israel

For those interested in information about the Dead Sea area and the "Salt Covenant" this is a neat little video clip from our new release this month!

Want to know about Camels?

The following clip is part of a new video we will be releasing this month from the Holy Land tour of last year...

The Camel from Kerugma Productions on Vimeo.

Missed Opportunity "Presumptuous Living!" - 2 Kings 15:1-7; 2 Chron. 26:1-25

Alex Haley, the author of Roots, had a picture in his office, showing a turtle sitting atop a fence. The picture was there to remind him of a lesson he learned long ago: “If you see a turtle on a fence post, you know he had some help.” Haley said, "Every time I write something significant, and begin to feel proud of myself, I’ll look at the turtle on top of the fence post and remember that he didn’t get there on his own. He had some help.”
 
How we respond to the Lord’s blessings makes all the difference. It is easy to get so used to blessing and love from the Lord, that we conclude there is something different about us, something that makes our walk unique. Feeling special isn't bad, until it leads to presumption.
 
Key Principle: Because God has chosen to bless me does not mean I can now do as I please.
 
Today we have a simple model from the life of Uzziah, who is also called Azariah. We will see the summary in 2 Kings 15, and then look in more detail in 2 Chronicles 26:1-23.
 
Our story opens with SEVEN MARKS OF SATISFACTION in the life of Uzziah:
 
1) UNITY: (2 Chron. 26:1a): “All the people”: Uzziah began his reign with a united people.
 
2) ENERGY (26:1b): “Was sixteen years old” – started early in life!
 
3) FOCUSED (26:2): “Built Elath and restored it” – Got Judah’s key eastern port back early to grow his economic base.
 
4) STABILITY: (26:3): “Reigned fifty-two years” – one of the longest and most powerful! Uzziah reigned the longest of the 8 good kings in the Southern Kingdom.
 
5) MODELED (26:4): “Did right according to all his father had done” – saw the example of his father for better and worse (2 Chron. 25:27-28).
 
6) GUIDED (26:5b): “Zechariah, who had understanding through visions…” God opened truth to Uzziah in a unique relationship with a seer. He could get God’s revealed perspective in a way few could in his time.
 
7) SUCCESSFUL (26:5b): “God prospered him”…repeated in verse 7 and 15! He was prospered in:
 
· FAME: He was successful in humbling the kingdom’s enemies (26:6-8) – including the Philistines at Gath, Jabneh and Ashdod (26:6) as well as the Arabs in Gurbaal, the Meunites (26:7b) and the Ammonites (26:7) who were reduced to offering tribute. Even Egypt backed away from meddling! In his tower building, his kingdom became known as impregnable (26:15b).
 
· POWER: He was able to add massive fortifications to Jerusalem (26:9). He added whole divisions to the army (26:11-13). He was the first biblical king to be credited as “very powerful” (26:15b). In Israel’s history of the Divided Kingdom, only his army was described as “a powerful force” (26:13)
 
· FORTUNE: He built a protected and prosperous agricultural industry (26:10). The prosperity allowed him to outfit an army – something his predecessors could scarely find the ability to do (26:14-15a).
 
What was the secret to his success? We skipped a verse that is essential to understanding the whole story – and the man himself.
 
Uzziah was DEPENDENT (26:5a): “Continued to seek God… he sought God.” Uzziah took the initiative to seek God. The word ‘sought’ appears twice in verse 5. He was conscious of his weakness and his inability to rule Judah rightly in his own strength. This humble recognition of need was the key to his success. He knew he needed God’s help. Go back to the beginning of the story and note his name… they “took Uzziah” – means “might of Jehovah; also called Azariah “whom Jehovah helps” (picking up the source of his strength!)
 
Wouldn’t it be great if this was the end of the story? What a nice story – obedience and blessing. We could all go home happy. But the Bible doesn’t pull punches on life… things are rarely simple when it comes to God’s followers.
 
Our story continues with SEVEN MARKS OF DESTRUCTION in the life of Uzziah:
 
1) PRIDE (26:16a): C.S. Lewis said of pride: “There is no fault which makes a man more unpopular, and no fault which we are more unconscious of in ourselves. And the more we have it ourselves, the more we dislike it in others. The vice I am talking about is pride or self-conceit. It is the essential vice, the utmost evil. It leads to every other vice; it is the complete anti-God state of mind.”
 
Proverbs 26:12 says that there is more hope for a fool than someone wise in their own eyes. It’s reminds me of a man who once went to the doctor he said: “Doctor, I don’t know what to do,” said the new patient. “People shun me because I have delusions of grandeur.” “We’ll figure this out,” the doctor said. “Let’s start at the beginning.” “Okay,” the patient replied. “In the beginning I created the heavens and the earth. . . . “
 
2) CORRUPT BEHAVIOR (26:16b): Acted “to his destruction” or in “his own decay”; shachath (shaw-khath') to decay, i.e. to spoil, mar, perish, spill, utterly waste). The word suggests a decline to stench. It is a process, not a momentary lapse.
 
3) UNFAITHFULNESS (26:16b): ma`al (maw-al') is literally to cover up; used only figuratively, to act covertly, i.e. treacherously -- transgress, (commit, do a) trespass(-ing). Uzziah hid sin inside first, then he showed it later. That is how it starts.. it is just a seed inside. James says that seed grows and gives birth. Just like you cannot see a pregnancy the first week, you can’t see treacherous sin, and covert corruption.
 
4) INDIGNANCE: Uzziah wrote the rules for himself. When eighty-one ‘courageous’ priests could not stop him from doing what God forbade, he was enraged and acted as though no one had the right to tell him what to do. Was that true? No! But he acted as though he believed it. It was ironic that what led to his heart being proud were the blessings of God. He was helped by God so much that he became extremely powerful. He lost sight of what had made him strong in the first place. He began to believe that it was HIS talent and HIS leadership that had accomplished it.
 
Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric, recognised as America’s #1 Manager for making his corporation one of the most valuable company in the world, was interviewed by Fortune Magazine on its 75th Anniversary - “What was the best advice he ever got?” “It was in 1979 or 1980. I was on the board of GE for the first time. I had just gone to my first or second board meeting and at a party for the directors afterwards, Paul Astin, the former chairman of Coke, came up to me. He said to me, “Jack, don’t forget who you are and how you got here.” … ‘The Best Advice I Ever Got,’ Fortune 21 March 2005 “Remember who you are and how you got here.”
 
5) PHYSICAL MARKS: Leprosy broke out, beginning with his face. Sin may start out in the hidden recesses of the heart, but the breaking effect of sin is seldom hidden. The marks were obvious for all to see (26:19a).
 
6) DISTANT WORSHIP: He could have fellowship, but he could never have what he once had – innocence. This is not a popular message today, because we all want to see God as always ready to fully restore us when we “learn the lesson”. Sadly, some things have no “do over” and we do wrong to suggest that Grace means we can presume a full restoration. God still met him, but He couldn’t have it all back the way it was (26:21a).
 
7) PUBLIC HUMBLING: Jotham filled the seat of his once very powerful father! (26:21b).It is worth the warning: Don’t be too preoccupied with the gifts – look at how successful I am; how talented, look at my grades, look at how much I’ve achieved – and be so filled with SELF that God is pushed out. He will remain in place, you will lose yours!
 
The donkey awakened, his mind savoring something pleasant. He arched his neck, walked around with mincing steps. "That group of people," he said, "I'll go over and show myself to them." They took no notice. "Throw your garments down," he said crossly. "Don't you know who I am?" They stared at him in amazement. Someone threw a stone. "Miserable unbelievers!" he muttered as he turned away in rage. "I'll go down to the market. Some good people are sure to be there." But it was the same. "The palm branches! Where are the palm branches? he shouted. "Have you forgotten?" Dazed he returned to his mother. "Foolish child," she said gently. "Without him you can do nothing." (sermon central illustrations).

Remember, because we are blessed we cannot presume to do as we wish!

Christian Youth Experience: Israel June 2010!

        

Christian Youth Experience: Israel

Christian Travel Study Programs, Ltd announces the beginning of a new series of adventure tours for CHRISTIAN YOUTH! The first scheduled departure will be to Israel. If you want to HIKE, CLIMB, CAMEL, KAYAK and BUS around Israel to learn about the land of the Bible - AND - you want to meet local Arab and Jewish teens, as well as SERVE IN VOLUNTEER PROJECTS for a few days...We have the trip for you! The first trip is planned for

June 15 - July 1, 2010. 17 Awesome days!!!

To request an itinerary and pricing for you or your youth group, email me!

Knowing Jesus: "The Total Makeover" - John 3:1-21

A number of popular TV series were obsessed with taking houses, and even people and "remaking" them. Each reworked the externals of their project. Jesus claimed that no one can reform, conform or be informed into the Kingdom - (externally oriented change) - it was entered only by complete miraculous inner transformation!

The story of Nicodemus is set up by the penetrating truth offered at the end of John 2:

John 2:24 But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, 25 and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man.

The story in the beginning of John 3 is an illustration of how Jesus could read the heart of a man, albeit a man of stature and importance.

John 3:1 is short, but PACKED with information to set up Jesus’ ability to see through the outer layer of Nicodemus:

1) The “Man of the Pharisees” was seen by others as a man of POSITION and PIETY. You couldn’t have raised a more moral son than Nicodemus… but being born again is not about positions…

2) The man “named Nicodemus” was named in Greek “conqueror of the people” or “the people’s champion (victor)”. The name suggests POPULARITY...but popularity does not save you…

3) The next phrase is “ruler of the Jews”, a statement of obvious POWER and PRESTIGE in the community...but Power and Prestige does not save you…

You see, being born again is not about human efforts – it’s about a personal relationship which is from above… New birth is not something we do, it’s something God does through the power of the Holy Spirit… and it’s a miraculous thing…Being born again is an intervention from God, that leads to a TRANSFORMATION by God… This supernatural act of God takes the Holy Spirit & implants the Spirit into our hearts – He gives us a heart transplant… It causes us to be a changed creature…

Key Principle: You cannot INFORM your way to Heaven, REFORM your way in, CONFORM your way in – you must allow God to TRANSFORM you.

Nicodemus was all about the externals, and that was his primary problem. He was all about RELIGION. Religion is all about standards and conformity – man’s desperate attempt to please God by DOING SOMETHING that will win the Creator’s love and forgiveness.

Even today, religious groups are known by external characteristics!  Nicodemus has three statements that were captured in the Gospel account. If you look closely at them, they reflect three assumptions that still plague people and keep them from understanding salvation by Grace:

Statement #1: John 3:2 this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."

Look closely at what Nicodemus was saying.

 1. First, his words were essentially incorrect. It was NOT TRUE that only God’s presence could bring about miraculous events. If he looked carefully at the Exodus 4:3, he would see that God could make a staff into a serpent that would scare even Moses! Later, in the hands of Aaron, his brother, as they stood before Pharaoh in Exodus 7, the eighty year old Moses and eighty-three year old Aaron saw God perform this same miracle in Pharaoh’s court. Yet, Pharaoh’s black magic men were able to do the same. Unfortunately for them, Aaron’s serpent ate all of theirs – leaving them “staff-less” in the end! The sad account should remind us that JUST BECAUSE A MIRACLE TAKES PLACE, DOES NOT MEAN GOD INITIATED IT. Nor does it imply He is on board with the deliverer! Nick, your opening statement is just plain false.

 2. In addition to being wrong, second, Nick’s opening line gave away the wrong assumption of his heart. Nicodemus assumed that the externals were accurate proof of internals. Another way of saying it, perhaps more clearly is: YOU CAN SEE ON THE OUTSIDE WHAT SOMEONE IS ON THE INSIDE. This is wrong on every level, but it is the normal stuff of religious people. They believe that what you see is what is there, because they focus on the external life as an indicator of the inner life. The problem is I CAN CONFORM TO LOOKING LIKE A BELIEVER! Jesus took apart the assumption in His answer…

Answer #1:John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Jesus offered a complete counter to the idea that externals offer accurate proof of internal conditions of a man. He says essentially two things:

 1. First, it is possible to see the kingdom of God – but there is an impassable requirement. He offers only one method to this end, with no exception.

 2. Second, Jesus offered the words that set Nicodemus back on his heels. Jesus said that one can ONLY see the kingdom if they are REBORN. Jesus reversed the external proof to a TOTAL TRANSFORMATION that comes from inside out.

The idea of new birth is a perfect analogy of an “inside to outside” transformation. Many men struggle to have any attachment to a “not yet born” child. I wrote a series of letters to Rachel, our first born, prior to her birth. I watched with amazement as the lump moved on my wife’s belly. I smiled as we both felt little kicks from her hidden legs. Yet, in all of it, she seemed like a lump to me. She wasn’t yet a cooing and smiling baby. She was a moving lump inside a belly, and it is hard to get attached to that! It was in the delivery room I saw that lump transformed into a living, breathing baby girl! What an amazing event!

The point of the statement that “only by being born again” is this: Nicodemus, you must totally rethink your premise. Entering the Kingdom is NOT by conforming to a set of rules, reforming your lifestyle to a certain set of rules… it is being transformed by a process YOU DO NOT CONTROL! That seemed remarkable, and Nicodemus offered several questions…

Statement #2: John 3:4 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?"

Nicodemus shows another big assumption of his life. The first assumption we saw above was YOU CAN SEE ON THE OUTSIDE WHAT SOMEONE IS ON THE INSIDE. We saw that was a FALSE assumption.

Look at what he asked Jesus. First he wanted to know if Jesus was saying that an old man could be physically born. In his second question he gets even more graphic and questions the possibility of entering the womb anew. How ridiculous! Maybe, but again he tips his hand and shows the misunderstanding of his heart. His second assumption is as false as his first one. He is in effect thinking: SPIRITUAL CHANGE OCCURS BECAUSE OF PHYSICAL CHANGES YOU MAKE. Another way of saying this is MY INSIDE CHANGES BY STUFF I DO OUTSIDE. If I am to be “born again” it must be a physical thing – and that doesn’t make sense.

This is the call of the works based salvation of a great many religious faiths. Do these works, wear these clothes, use these terms… you will be saved. The problem is that is all OUTSIDE CHANGE and (as Jesus showed already above) the outside is an unreliable indicator of the inside heart condition.

Nicodemus assumed that Jesus was speaking physically, and that He wasn’t making any sense. Truthfully, it didn’t make sense because the answer went beyond the places Nicodemus normally sought for answers – into the God controlled spirit realm. That is a terribly uncomfortable place for a worker that thinks he is earning his way into the Kingdom.

Maybe this will help you grasp the problem: “Three men died and were standing at the pearly gates. What have you done to deserve Heaven? 1st—police officer, enforced law, fought crime. Peter, “OK, go on in.” 2nd—very wealthy and gave lots of money to charitable causes. Peter, “OK, go on in.” 3rd—director of an HMO organization. He had helped save millions of dollars for health care and insurance companies. He had helped cut down on waste, fraud, and abuse in the system. Peter, “OK come on in, but you can only stay for 3 days.” We have all heard jokes about people showing up at the pearly gates seeking entrance into Heaven. While many of these jokes bring a smile to our faces, behind most of them is the false assumption that we must do something to get into Heaven. It is shocking to people to hear that they can’t do anything to earn entrance into Heaven. Grace marches beyond human comprehension. By nature, we want to earn and then deserve God’s favor. Grace scandalously challenges our natural way of thinking.

Answer #2: Jesus countered his questions with a series of important and careful statements. In John 3:5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6"That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 "Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' 8"The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit."

Look at the three points of His response:

1) Two types of birth are necessary to be in the kingdom – a physical birth and a spiritual birth.
2) The two are distinct from one another – but both are transformational events.
3) Those born of the spirit are compared to the wind – the effects of wind can be seen without the work of the wind being displayed. In the same way, the effect of the spirit’s transformation can be observed, but not the work – for it is NOT PHYSICAL.

It is the nature of religious people to look for ways to observe God’s hand – even when He doesn’t choose to display it. Ironically, who church movements that began with an emphasis on the work of the Spirit have found themselves tilting quickly into a theology that emphasizes blessing in the physical world… even though Jesus seems to say they are not reliably connected – at least in appearance. Can the Spirit be doing a great transforming work inside someone and people around they are unable to tell? Yes, for awhile. But like the wind, things will get moved around in their life and it will eventually show!

Statement #3: John 3:9 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can these things be?"

In itself it seems impossible to know if Nicodemus was replying with an honest question. It is true that he eventually became a follower of Jesus, and that he was a part of the burial of Jesus along with Joseph of Arimithea. He eventually got there. Yet, the more I read Jesus’ answer to this encounter with Nicodemus, the more I am convinced that Nicodemus wasn’t buying the spiritual formula of transformation. His assumption was, IF IT DOESN’T FIT MY PHYSICAL SENSE OF UNDERSTANDING, IT MUST BE NONSENSE! Jesus poured it on at the end with a rather detailed reply to his question. Parts of it seemed pretty abrupt and hard.

Answer #3: John 3:10 Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things? 11 "Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony. 12"If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13"No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man. 14"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. 16"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17"For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18"He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19"This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20"For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21"But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God."

The seven part answer is detailed, but absolutely essential to understand:

1) A teacher of God’s people should understand transformation by the Spirit (it is required!).

2) This is not a theory, and not an option (3:11).

3) Failure to grab the transformation will block other truth from your heart (3:12).

4) The truth of transformation has only one source – Me! (3:13).

5) Failure to get behind this message will block your ability to lead others to eternal life (3:14-15).

6) My coming is to SAVE, not judge (3:16-17). I don’t bring God’s wrath (a message many others have given before Me) but I bring God’s MERCY AND GRACE.

Let’s imagine that you are driving and through carelessness you jump a curb, damage your car and knock down and destroy a city sign. Now, the police officer arrives on the scene. He surveys the scene and you admit that the accident was your fault so he gives you a ticket for careless driving. The officer assigns you a court date and informs you that the city will be in touch so that you can pay for a new sign -that’s justice -deserved punishment. But let’s say out of the goodness of his heart the officer says, "Well, I know this can happen to anybody and you’ve already got to pay for the damage to your car so I’ll just let it go, no ticket and you don’t have to pay for the sign.” You’d say, "That’s incredible," but that’s MERCY - Exemption from punishment. But let’s say that the officer is really generous and he tells you, you’re not going to get a ticket; but not only that-but he pulls out his check book and writes you a check to pay for the full amount of the damage done to your car and further, he tells you that “He’ll pay the city for the damaged sign and your ticket too.” You say, "That’s impossible!” But that’s GRACE. Favor given when punishment is deserved. (Adapted from illustration Timothy Smith contributed to Sermon Central)

7) The sole basis of judgment is belief in My Word. People choose not to believe, because they prefer to live under the darkness of their own controls! (3:18-21).

God wants us to seriously listen to His heart!

 Isa.1:18 says, "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool."

How? By something I DO? By REFORMATION? NO! God says:

 * Rom.3:10 says, "There is none righteous, no, not one."

 * Rom.3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

 * Rom.6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." This teaches us that we cannot earn salvation, that our sin earns us eternal death and that Jesus gives us eternal life.

 * Rom.10:9 "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

 * Rom.10:13 says, "For whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.

 * Psa.103:12 says, "As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us."

You cannot INFORM your way to Heaven, REFORM your way in, CONFORM your way in – you must allow God to TRANSFORM you.

Fourth Annual GCBI Graduation

After a fantastic year with the 08-09 dozen, we now look forward to them "making disciples" on their own. I couldn't be more thankful for such a great group!

Missed Opportunity: “Leaders in the Hands of a Loving God” - 2 Kings 14:23-29

On a hot July morning in 1741, Jonathan Edwards delivered a stinging evangelistic sermon about how every sinful man and woman on earth survived moment by moment because of the goodness of God. His message has been studied by scores of students and is a window into the “Great Awakening” of that period.
 
There have been three Great Awakenings in this nation's history that profoundly affected the Church and surrounding culture, so much so that history could not ignore these spontaneous movements of God and their dramatic effects.
 
 * The first occurred in New England during the 1730s and 1740s when God used the preaching and persuasion of men like Jonathan Edwards. “Before this season of awakening, the American colonies stood at a very low ebb morally and spiritually. Family life was breaking down at alarming rates. Drunkenness and drug abuse were at an all-time high and sex outside of marriage was considered acceptable by alarming numbers of people. After the season of revival things changed dramatically.” (Armstrong, True Revival).
 
 * By 1770 the first Great Awakening and its effect on the culture had dissipated. Some historians estimate that less than 5 percent of the population attended church during the period just prior to the American Revolution. "Colleges, once Christian in their orientation, were now staffed with prominent faculty members who were 'freethinkers.' ...professors regularly attacked biblical faith. ...By 1795 Yale, a previously Christian institution, had only 12 students who openly professed their faith in Christ. This sad situation was the same all across the colonies."(Armstrong, True Revival, p. 106). God's mercy was one again near at hand as the second Great Awakening, beginning around 1800, would transform American universities and American culture. Armstrong points outs, "By 1802...one-third of the student body [at Yale] professed faith in Christ. This, in effect, was the beginning of a new wave of spiritual awakenings that touched Andover, Princeton, Amhurst and other colleges."
 
 * Unfortunately, by the 1850's the "culture wars" over issues such as slavery, prison reform and temperance had divided the nation worse than anything before or since. God again poured out His Spirit upon the land. "It has been estimated, conservatively, that over one million people were converted during this two-year period from late 1857 to late 1859." (Armstrong, p.108) Dr. Armstrong offers needed perspective when he writes, "To get an idea of how this would compare to our day, imagine about 8-10 million people experiencing true conversions in a matter of a few weeks - without the programs and plans and the massive human engineering of our age."
 
Each movement was preceded by: the church’s sense of thanksgiving for God’s salvation and a real view of their own sinfulness, and incredible and fervent prayer for lost men and women. Listen for a moment to what Edwards message was that July morning in 1741:
 
"There is nothing that keeps wicked men, at any moment, out of hell, but the mere pleasure of their God." (Paraphrase): The lost world is wicked and God is fully just to cast all of us into hell. It is NOT divine justice that stands in the way. It should be no security to wicked men for one moment, that there are no visible means of death at hand. Natural men's wisdom and self interest to care and to preserve their own lives do not secure them a moment, while they continue to reject Christ. Salvation is offered ONLY by the love of God – His love stands as the only barrier that held men alive for the moment, as God called on us to surrender. "Therefore let everyone that is out of Christ, now awake and fly from the wrath to come."
 
Edwards offered the hopeful observation that the love of God rescues those who deserve destruction. I would like to ask a companion question: Is it only an eternal feature, or does God keep at times nations and individuals from the troubles of this life out of His compassion? In other words, can I only find the mercy and grace of a loving God in my nation when its leadership desires to follow His principles? Do the leaders need to seek and honor God to be used of God? The simple and yet incredibly positive answer from Scripture is a resounding “No!”.
 
Key Principle: God uses men and women that do not know Him, nor show a desire to know Him to show love and grace to a lost world, and to forward His Divine plans.
 
We have come to a thirteenth new king that followed the breakup of north and south – Jeroboam II of Israel. Because it is easy to get confused about his family as the story weaves in and out of Israel and Judah, let’s take a quick look back at his family photo album before we focus on him, and our principle in the text:
 
The Book of Kings was originally one book with the three natural divisions of:
 
 * United Kingdom (1 K 1-11),
 * Divided Kingdom (1 K 12 – 2 K 17),
 * Judah Alone (2 K 18-25; Hezekiah to Zedekiah).
 
Because of huge volume of information, the book was separated -- breaking the Divided Kingdom section in two).
 
First Kings told the stories of Solomon and the first seven kings of the divided kingdom (970-853 BCE), the narrative having been artificially broken at the death of Ahab of Israel (circa 853 BCE). The seven kings after Solomon (1 Kings 1-11) included: Jeroboam son of Nebat (1 King 12:16-13:34); his son Nadab (two years – 1 Kings 15:25-26, killed by conspiracy); Baasha (twenty four years – 1 Kings 15:27-16:6); his son Elah (two years – 1 Kings 16:6-10, killed by conspiracy); Zimri (seven days, 16:10-20, burned house down on himself!); Omri (twelve years, 1 Kings 16:21-28); his son Ahab (twenty-two years, 1 Kings 16:29-22:50).
 
Second Kings told the story of the remaining twelve kings of the Divided Kingdom period before Israel (the Northern Kingdom) was swept away into Assyrian captivity. These kings included: Ahab’s son Ahaziah (two years, 1 Kings 22:51-2 Kings 1:18, fell through lattice); his son Joram/Jehoram (twelve years, 2 Kings 3:1-9:26, shot by Jehu); Jehu (twenty-eight years, 2 Kings 9:27-10:36); his son Jehoahaz (seventeen years, 2 Kings 13:1-9); his son Joash/Jehoash (sixteen years, 2 Kings 13:10-14:14); his son Jeroboam II (forty-one years, twenty-none alone, 2 Kings 14:16-29).
 
Jeroboam came to the throne as the fourth generation from a coup. His great grandfather Jehu shot with an arrow the last of the Omride Dynasty (Omri, Ahab, Ahaziah and Jehoram), the founders of the city of Samaria. His grandfather Jehoahaz was a “foxhole conversion” to God when the Arameans were upon him, but went back to wickedness after God delivered him. His father Jehoash was a “part time” follower of God that learned lip service and showed remorse at Elisha’s deathbed, but wouldn’t follow all the words of Elisha when they didn’t make sense, so he lost out on full blessing.
 
When we look at his life, he saw distance from God, mockery of truth, half hearted commitment and self driven leaders. That was all he knew. Baalite worship was now more than one hundred twenty years old in the kingdom. He doesn’t have any idea, but God was running out of patience with the Northern Kingdom of Israel, and there would be only a few short-lived kings that would follow his forty one year reign. God had enough!
 
2 Kings 14:23-29 tells the story of a man far from God with a line of modeled hypocrites that went back as far as anyone could recall. He picked up his lone reign in 782 BCE (he was a co-regent since 793 with his dad). The five facts given in the passage are these:
 
 * Record: Jeroboam II remained another twenty-nine years on the throne, a veritable record for kings of Israel (14:23).
 
We cannot judge the effectiveness nor the importance based on the length of a reign. Yet, in an environment where a coup was not uncommon and hostility existed on all sides, it is remarkable to see longevity. This suggests there were systems of protection in place. In other words, Jeroboam was not likely to feel the effects of his policies directly. The length of the dynasty (the longest EVER in the kingdom) had given him insulation from the people and their trickery. Yet that same insulation came at a price…disconnection.
 
 * Repetition: Jeroboam II did evil in God’s sight (14:24a).
 
When a child grows up in a home characterized by compromise, they learn not to take seriously the connection between evil and consequence. They learn to mistake the patience of God for the absence of God. They learn to do things without God.
 
…”Sin comes when we take a perfectly natural desire or longing or ambition and try desperately to fulfill it without God. Not only is it sin, it is a perverse distortion of the image of the Creator in us. All these good things, and all our security, are rightly found only and completely in him.”
Augustine, The Confessions of Saint Augustine.
 
The world around us tells us that the sacred has got to go. Bill Gates, Founder and CEO of Microsoft put it this way in an interview "Just in terms of allocation of time resource, religion is not very efficient. There’s a lot more I could be doing on a Sunday morning." (Quoted in Chicago Tribune, Jan 13, 1997).
 
 * Replication: Jeroboam II did not turn from the leadership of sinful worship set up by Jeroboam I (not a relative) nearly one hundred fifty years before (14:24b).
 
The story is told of a child who came to school filthy everyday, the teachers, appalled that anyone could let their child come to school that way were discussing the situation. One said "That mother doesn’t love her child." Another replied, "I think she does, she just doesn’t hate dirt." We may say we love the Lord, but until we hate the dirt and remove our self orientation, we kill a move of God in us – and fail to change the pattern of sinful replication.
 
 * Rescue: Jeroboam II restored the border in the north and south of the land (14:25).
 
I believe God gives individual believers in our time an unprecedented opportunity to serve Him in governmental ways. We get to CHOOSE much about our public life! Voting is a spiritual choice: we step up to the booth and vote as salt and light in our society. We will be asked to respond to ideas that are clearly sin – the church dare not be silent!
 
The church was commanded to both “speak out” and “live out” Biblical values.  God is Sovereign and installs governments but has granted us a unique privilege not available to any of the Biblical writers – the opportunity to vote and participate in choices by a political process!
 
Daniel shared that “The Most High rules in the Kingdom of men and gives it to whomever He wills!” (Dan. 4:17). At the same time, that does not imply passivity in our responsibility. James 4, in the context of disagreements and disputes reminds us, “We have not because we ask not!” God partners in the participation of believers as they act to be a light to the Biblical world view to their nation. We need not be squeamish, we are respectful as Romans 13:1 commanded to the first century Roman believers, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.”
 
God is intimately involved in government. He established the purposes of government and even controls the earthly governments as they ascend and fall. Yet as a Christian, you are obliged to vote. Even when you may not be completely sure who should get each position, many other issues come up on a ballot in reference to moral issues.
 
  * Revelation: Jeroboam II was prophesied about by the prophet Jonah to accomplish secure borders (14:25b-27). The Lord agreed to using him because of His compassion on the people who were being economically crushed and had no one to rescue them. God restored them for a time and another opportunity to repent and follow! During this time, God sent not only Jonah, but Hosea and Amos as prophets, and finally an earthquake to get their attention (Amos 1).
 
Don’t miss this! God gave a breather to the kingdom in order that He might offer another opportunity for the people to be confronted with Divine revelation. He offered a prophetic voice of the reprieve from Jonah before assigning him to a distant place… then he introduced very specific messages of judgment (Amos) and the story of His Divine love (Hosea) to call the people to repentance.
 
God wants sincerity.
 
 * Listening to David Jeremiah this week, he related an often repeated folk etymology that ‘sincere’ is derived from the Latin ‘sine’ = without, ‘cera’ = wax. According to this popular explanation, dishonest sculptors in Rome or Greece would cover flaws in their work with wax to deceive the viewer; therefore, a sculpture "without wax" would mean honesty in its perfection. If this explanation is correct, the idea of “a sincere faith” in the list of character traits of Timothy’s life (1 Timothy 1:5) is something that is true, not covering a flaw because we don’t want people to know the truth about what we are!
 
 * The Oxford English Dictionary and most scholars state that ‘sincerity’ from ‘sincere’ is derived from the Latin ‘sincerus’ meaning clean, pure, sound. ‘Sincerus’ may have once meant "one growth" (not mixed), from sin- (one) and crescere (to grow). Crescere derives from "Ceres," the goddess of grain, as in "cereal." If this idea is the true source of the word, “sincere faith” is a faith that has grown in ONE view of God and His world.
 
 
Both are important ideas for us. We must not polish over our flaws and hide to look good before others while we pass ourselves off as something we are not. At the same time, we have to choose one world to serve, one God to live for.
 
God doesn’t need our congress to believe in Him for Him to act. He desires US to participate by living out truth, but He can work without help. The good news for today is: God uses men and women that do not know Him, nor show a desire to know Him to show love and grace to a lost world, and to forward His Divine plans.

Knowing Jesus: "The Surprising Savior" - John 2

Growing up in a small town in south Jersey, I had a lot of images and ideas about who Jesus is. Was he the sullen, sunken eyed corpse that hung on the cross at the front of Paul VI Catholic church a block behind my house? Was he the “flower power Jesus” of the Jesus Movement that was featured on the CBS special on “The New Church” when I was a kid. Was he the “Passover Plot” fake God that was shown in the movies when I was in High School? Was he the twisted religious teacher of “The DaVinci Code”? Will the real Jesus please stand up?
 
John was written to clear up misunderstandings that were already taking place by the end of the first century. The Apostles were nearly all gone when John saw a plethora of “other works” rising in the church and confusion starting. By the close of the first century there were a number of interpretive methods already emerging from the young churches in the Mediterranean. There were in essence four important cities that emerged as the leading centers of Christianity, (along with lesser centers at Ephesus, Smyrna and Corinth):
 
1) Jerusalem: A leader in the movement to call all believers into harmony with God’s promises and restrictions to the Jewish people. There is ample evidence that they saw the new movement of believers as a reflection of promises and covenants God had made to the Jew in the “New Covenant” promises of Jeremiah 31. The best of this group simply wanted Gentiles to recognize God’s special relationship with Israel, the worst of them wanted all Gentiles to become Jews to become followers of the New Covenant Way.
 
2) Alexandria: The home of allegorical belief. A number of early Christians came out of the Alexandrian community, and many reflected a view of the Bible that is frankly, hard to understand today. The most dangerous trends of Christian thought were derived from its works, many of which are now reflected in the “Nag Hammadi Texts” (Upper Egypt, found in 1945). The Epistle of Barnabas, an anti-Jewish and anti-literal diatribe with very strained spiritualized interpretation, illustrates this type of literature. The texts include the “secret Gospels” of Thomas, St. Mary Magdalene, Apocalypse of Peter and many others.
 
3) Antioch: Perhaps best illustrated later by the works of Ignatius, particularly those written as part of his journey to Rome (where he was thrown to the wild beasts by Emperor Trajan in about 110 CE). The works show a disdain for Jewish practices among believers, and is particularly short on quotes from the Hebrew Scriptures. The works are less extreme than Alexandrian literature, but included a light mix of allegory and a generally divorced view of the Jewish and Christian literatures.
 
4) Rome: Center of the “Christianities”. The variety of thought is best illustrated in the diverse schools of Christian teaching. The Apologist School of Justin Martyr (110-165) reflects the notion that Jesus offered the revelation that began through men like Socrates and Plato. He had a particular bend against the Jewish claim to the Scriptures, and argued that Christians were the proper inheritors of the Word of God, as a Gentile born in the Samaritan city of Neapolis (modern Nablus). Opposing those notions were the reflections found in the First Epistle of Clement of Rome (fourth Bishop of Rome). His extensive knowledge and reference to the Hebrew Scriptures as principles made him a well-known Bible teacher.
 
Already by the end of the first century there were four distinct “Christianities” that were emerging, a though that must have been troubling to John. Yet, confident in the power of the Word as he was, he knew the truth would change lives in a way that nothing else could.
 
How do you defend the Word? Like a roaring lion, you LET IT OUT and it will show its power to anyone who encounters it. If the church would but stick to the script, her power would return!
 
Key Principle: Jesus is not who people think He is, and He breaks the molds we make for Him!
 
Nevertheless, John was paying attention to his flock in Ephesus when they needed guidance on who Jesus is. He wrote the things he knew would help them understand him. He wrote of seven life changing works:
 
1. Water into Wine (2:1-11): He can change ME!
2. Long distance healing (4:46-54): He wants my TRUST!
3. Lame man at Bethesda (5:1-11): He remembers when all forget.
4. Loaves and Fishes (6:6-13): His resources are inexhaustible.
5. Storm on the Sea of Galilee (6:16-21): His strength is unlimited.
6. The man born blind healed (9:1-7): He opens light to the darkness of man.
7. The raising of Lazarus (11:1-45): He bring LIFE from death.
 
As we zero in on chapter two, there are two stories that cast Jesus in a light different than people normally think of Him.
 
The first story is that of the “Wedding at Cana” (John 2:1-13).
 
 * On the third day there had been a wedding at Cana, and Jesus’ mother was there (2:1).
 * Jesus and His first five followers were invited (2:2) apparently arriving at the end of the feast.
 * When the wine ran out, Mary called upon Jesus to address the problem (2:3), explaining they had run out of wine. She was evidently confident that Jesus was able to meet the need in some incredible way.
 * Over Jesus’ initial objections (2:4), she leaves Him with the servants, who are instructed to follow His commands (2:5).
 * Jesus told the servants to take the six stone twenty to thirty gallon pots and fill them with water (a stunning violation of their purpose of ritual purity collection – 2:6-7).
 * Jesus told them to draw out from the stone jars a cup and take it to the head cupbearer of the feast and have him sample it for the guests (2:8).
 * The cupbearer was shocked and complimented the groom on his surprising stash of excellent wine (2:9-10)
 
What do we learn about Jesus from this important first miracle?
 
1) We learn that Jesus wasn’t so “other worldly” that He wouldn’t celebrate a wedding with two people starting a new family.
 
2) We observe that Jesus can make the ordinary into the extraordinary. God transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary, but only after the ordinary was set apart for His exclusive use. The water that was set aside for a specific use was put exclusively under the control of Jesus, and it was transformed into something greater.
 
Yet, there is something more surprising.. more penetrating than either of those observations. Look again. Jesus got there and there was a problem. It was Mary his mother’s problem, or at least she felt it was her problem…Watch in the text what she did. She identified a problem and then she thrust HER PLAN for the problem on Jesus.  Now I realize that Jesus was, at least from an earthly perspective, her son. Yet, think carefully about what the story can show us about the way believers act toward Jesus in their lives and their problems.
 
The text doesn’t reveal that Mary dropped to her knees and sought God concerning the difficulty. In fact, she didn’t even consult Jesus on what should be done. MARY HAD A LITTLE PLAN and she wanted her plan cared for by Jesus.  Did you ever do that? Did you ever decide that you knew what God SHOULD DO about something and then tell Him how it would honor Him?
 
Though Jesus was truthful to point out that she was pressing Him on issues out of their time, Jesus fulfilled the need. Why?
 
 1. Because she had a relationship with Jesus.
 2. Because she had a track record of faithfulness to Jesus.
 3. Because He chose to honor the request and not to embarrass her.
 
Yet, here should be a note of warning… We dare not tack Jesus on the plans we have. We are called to make Him our Master, not our Holy errand boy. We don’t tell Him – He tells us! I recognize the problem of her being his mother makes this lesson more strained thatn many, but I trust that you recognize the tendency of a believer to fit God into his plans, and not wait on God to direct the plan. Why didn’t she ask Him? Because she is like all of us who have a plan so good that even God should recognize it.  Think about it. Jesus may honor your request, and asks us to make requests to Him. Yet, the Word is not to be mistaken as an underhanded order from us to our Savior!
 
The second story is that of the “First Cleansing of the Temple” (John 2:13-25).
 
After Jesus performed His first miracle at the wedding in Cana, He traveled with His Disciples and family to Capernaum … about 15 miles away (2:12).
 
A few days later, Jesus journeyed south to Jerusalem for the Passover … about 80 miles (as the crow flies). (2:13). “Passover” was so important we have some record of authorities that would repair the roads for the great influx of people … and whitewash the tombs so nobody would accidentally touch them & defile themselves. Homes would be cleaned, cooking utensils washed, and the house was searched to make sure no leaven was found. Those living in Jerusalem were expected to put up guests, so they thoroughly cleaned their houses.
 
 * Jews celebrated deliverance from bondage in Egypt and Jews from all over would come to the Temple in Jerusalem to present their offerings. Animals would be slaughtered, fat would be burned, and blood would be sprinkled on the altar. Meat would be taken home, and roasted, and eaten by the family. It was at this time that they could pay the temple tax of a silver ½ shekel coin.
 * It was the biggest event of the year. Jesus went to the south porch of the Temple, where the main floor was covered with merchants selling animals and money changers hawking the crowds as the best rate providers. (2:14).
 
 * The ½ shekel Temple tax was being exchanged, and the place sounded more like a shuk or market than a place of worship and prayer. The sound of change and hawking drowned out the sound of the Levitical choir, and Jesus responded with open rebuke. (2:15).
 
It isn't reasonable to interpret the narrative as if Jesus suddenly “lost it”. He walked and listerned. While He was walking, He must have been tying them together into a small whip. God’s plan is for His House to be a house of prayer … a special place … a place of worship and praise. “My Father’s house” (2:16)
 
Jesus saw their attitudes, actions, and decorations of worship, but not the focus of worship! How much we need to be UNDISTRACTED in our worship of God.  Do we have Jesus’ zeal of heart (2:17)? Do we say, “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.”? (cp. Psalm 69:9).
 
His zeal was pressing … He had a burning PASSION for the things of God… Today we find ourselves often passionate about our sports … our eating … music…our work. Are we that passionate about worship and prayer?
 
The authorities didn’t ask about the nature of His dispute, that wasn’t their issue. They wanted to know: “By what authority do you take charge?” (2:18).  That was John’s point – that very question. Who was Jesus anyway? He was not willing for people to PLAY AT WORSHIP and mock a surrendered life before His Father!
 
We often see Jesus in His love, tenderness and mercy. Yet that is not the whole story of His person:
 
“The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis were set in a world outside of our own. It’s a world inhabited by all kinds of mythical creatures. The land of Narnia was covered in an endless winter as the result of the cruel White Witch. Their world was waiting for winter's grip to end. The central character was a lion by the name of Aslan – in Aslan the author represented Jesus.
 
In the book, the portrayal of Aslan is a bit more direct than the movie. Four children – Lucy, Edmund, Susan, and Peter – came to Narnia  and Mr. and Mrs. Beaver told them about Aslan --the true King and son of the “Emperor-Beyond-The-Sea.” When they learn that Aslan is a lion, Susan exclaimed, “Is he – quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.” Mr. Beaver replied, “If there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or just quite silly.” Then the youngest of the children, little Lucy, said, “Then he isn’t safe?” To this question Mr. Beaver replied, “Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he’s not safe. But he’s good.”
 
Jesus is not who people think He is, and He breaks the molds we make for Him!

Knowing Jesus: "The Big Five" - John 1:19-51

In South Africa, the "big five" refers to five species that are indigenous to Africa that are carefully watched because of their endangered futures. In basketball, the "big five" refers to five important teams that are top ranked. Among psychologists, the phrase "Big Five" refers to five broad factors of personality - theoretically discerned and then rated for comparison by testing a subject. First mentioned in 1933, the five factors are Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism (OCEAN, or CANOE if rearranged).
 
In our text, the “big five” refers to five men (Andrew, John the Disciple, Simon Peter, Philip and Nathaniel) that came to Jesus through the preaching of John the Baptizer. Like the other “big five” lists, all five of these men were unique. They didn’t come to Jesus the same way, because God reaches different people different ways for different purposes!
 
I want to take a simple approach this morning to some observations about their lives as revealed by the Spirit in John 1. In the text I see FIVE OBSERVATIONS ON GOD’S TRANSFORMATION WORK IN US – another “big five” if you will.
 
Before we jump in to the five observations, I want to offer a few words that I hope will penetrate our hearts…I have been a believer for a long time. I have spent time in half a dozen churches both on staff and in the chairs where you are. I have heard many a message on outreach and evangelism. I have been door to door in communities. I have shared Christ across a dining room table, in a train station, on an airplane, in a horse stable and over a dead body. I have stood before large numbers and proclaimed Jesus as Lord, and I have sat while a young man sobbed and gave his heart to the Lord…. and I am concerned today.
 
I am concerned because a great many preach and share Christ out of a sense of duty. Others share Christ out of fear that we are losing ground to a pagan culture. Some, I dare say, share Christ out of greed for money and lust for power. They want more people to come to their church and help them feel more significant… I am hearing fewer and fewer that are sharing out of brokenness for the lost world. Jesus taught that even something as holy looking as prayer can be used as a show … Our compulsion for importance and significance opens our hearts to a legion of sinful attitudes and actions.
 
We cannot truly reach people we do not care about – and today care is getting harder to find. We are very busy. So very busy. Can we see them anymore? We lose our Father’s heart when we don’t see the world through our Father’s eyes…
 
Key Principle: When we understand what God is doing in the people around us, we will see them as He sees them!
 
Observation 1: Some Believers are called to prepare and equip others both in pre-evangelism and early disciple training.
 
For this, let’s take a few moments to look carefully at the call and ministry of John the Baptizer, the cousin of Jesus in John 1:19-34.
 
 1. John lived out a testimony that invited questions by people (1:19). Here is one of the great truths about outreach: We must live in such a way that others see something in us they must know more about!
 
 2. John deliberately turned any focus on HIM to focus on Messiah – this is NOT ABOUT ME (1:20-23). Another great truth: We must live in such a way that others are directed to Jesus through our lives and lips. We cannot lead them to our talents, our purity, our decency. Short of an encounter with Jesus, they have failed to reach the destination necessary for every man’s heart!
 
 3. John knew his work was attracting the attention, but his words were the heart of all that he should accomplish (1:24-28). The truth: We need to care for people and offer real help to those around us. Our work cannot be just talk. At the same time, living a good life and caring for others will not bring them to Jesus. We must work, but we must witness. Out of balance in words and we become preachers with no substance. Out of balance with works and we become empty philanthropists.
 
 4. John shared the progression of his own transformation by Jesus with people (1:29-34). John spoke openly of three areas:
 
· Identity: He began with Jesus being the substitute for all of our sins, and the Lord above us all (1:29-30).
 
· Personal Journey: He honestly shared that he had missed the truth of Who Jesus is (1:31a) and as a result he changed his lifestyle to draw attention to the truth he found in Jesus (1:31b)!!
 
· Work: He made sure that the work of Jesus was his central message (1:32-34). He was approved of God (32), empowered by God (33), and the eternal Son of God (34).
 
Truth: God hasn’t left us with nothing to share. People need to know that God sent His Son, and that Son was empowered to care for man’s need. Apart from that message, we have no hope. We cannot earn God’s love, for we stand condemned -- whether claiming ignorance, independent morality or religiousity (Rom. 1:1-3:20). Yet God was rich in mercy and sent His Son (Rom. 3:21-5:21).
 
Remember our observation about John? Jesus came and met him and John shared openly about Jesus – but he didn’t leave with Him and follow Him. That wasn’t his call. He wasn’t going on the far flung adventure to distant places… he was to remain at home and do the work of pre-evangelism and early training of disciples…that was his call.
 
Don’t you wonder if John wanted to quit the baptism gig and take off with his cousin Jesus to see the great things that would happen? Not everyone is called to that adventure. Some are called to quiet places of the deserts where parched men and women come in thirst and meet the messenger that has the words of life.
 
Observation 2: Some believers follow someone to Jesus, then outgrow their first discipler, leaving on a great adventure of following Jesus personally (1:35-39).
 
For thousands of years, men were trained under an apprenticeship program. After their trainer felt they were ready, they joined a guild. When they gained all they could in the shop they were raised in, they were sent on the road and became “journeymen”, learning their trade in guild shops in other villages. After a number of years, they returned home with a broader knowledge of the trade. They began a special work that would mark their ability – called there “masterpiece”. When that piece was seen as worthy, they would begin training others, now called a “Maestro” or Master. The new Maestro was a reflection of his own master, but also a reflection of what he learned on the road as a journeyman.
 
John trained some men, including Andrew and John (implied) in John 1:35ff.
 * Note that the men were disciples of JOHN before they became disciples of Jesus (1:35).
 * It was John that pointed them to the Master of all (1:36).
 * John had to be prepared to let them go to Jesus and follow on their own (1:37-38) – a painful step for a trainer…
 * It was a credit to John’s training that made them persistent in their following of Jesus and desire to grow in their personal knowledge of Him…(1:39).
 
Note that the ends of the two followers – Andrew and John – play out differently: John became a Pastor of Ephesus and a writer of a number of important NT letters. Andrew became an activist – reaching out to his brother Simon almost in the next breath after meeting and talking to Jesus.
 
The motor home has allowed us to put all the conveniences of home on wheels. A camper no longer needs to contend with sleeping in a sleeping bag, cooking over a fire, or hauling water from a stream. Now he can park a fully equipped home on a cement slab in the midst of a few pine trees and hook up to a water line, a sewer line and electricity. One motor home I saw recently had a satellite dish attached on top. No more bother with dirt, no more smoke from the fire, no more drudgery of walking to the stream. Now it is possible to go camping and never have to go outside. We buy a motor home with the hope of seeing new places, of getting out into the world. Yet we deck it out with the same furnishings as in our living room. Thus nothing really changes. We may drive to a new place, set ourselves in new surrounding, but the newness goes unnoticed, for we’ve only carried along our old setting. The adventure of new life in Christ begins when the comfortable patterns of the old life are left behind.
 
Observation 3: Some confront a promise of God for them and it dramatically changes them, offering hope and utterly convincing them (1:40-42) – as in the case of Simon Peter.
 
Peter was initially led to Christ by his brother Andrew. Andrew brashly shared that Messiah had been found, and that was sufficient for the impulsive and boisterous Peter to follow (1:40-41). When Peter approached Jesus, the Savior offered a specific word of HOPE and PROMISE to Peter, and he was forever changed.
 
It is impossible to understand all that is involved in this, but I can say that what Peter heard marked a moment when he knew a decision had to be made…
 
For each of the disciples of Jesus there is a moment of challenge and surrender of our hearts. For some it is dramatic – like Simon Peter. A few words, but a big change. For others, they surrender their hearts in quiet Sunday School rooms as small children. Nothing dramatic, humanly speaking, but something eternally powerful nonetheless…
 
Observation 4: Some believers are called by God even when they weren’t looking for Him – chosen because He delighted to do something specific in them for His glory (1:43-44) – as in the case of Philip!
 
John 1:43 simply says that Jesus came upon Philip of Bethsaida and told him to follow Him. Philip did it! He heard the word of Jesus, the tone of His voice, and looking into His eyes… he followed the Master.
 
We don’t know what convinced Philip to follow. We know that he knew Andrew and Peter (and so did everyone else who lived in the village because they were loud mouths called “sons of Thunder”!) Whatever caused Philip to change his plans and begin to follow – it was compelling. I have met people who were called by Jesus in this way. They were living life without a thought of God, eternity, sin or anything of the sort. Yet, at a moment of God’s choosing, He popped into their lives in an unmistakable way… and they could not resist the love of God.
 
Paul had his DAMASCUS ROAD SMAKDOWN by God when he was on a personal witch hunt against the cause of Christ. You don’t have to be looking for Jesus to find Him, but you do have to submit to Him to follow Him!
 
Observation 5: Some will not follow until they take their time and challenge everything they hear concerning Christ. Yet, when they truly meet Jesus, they are forever changed! (1:45-51).
 
Nathaniel wasn’t quick to get on board. First, he had an issue with the origin of Jesus and His message – Nazareth wasn’t a source that he could identify as valid at first (1:45-46). The testimony didn’t make sense, and he wasn’t just going to run after anyone that offered hope!
 
Jesus knows that most people don’t really listen, but searching hearts are testing every word. The story is told of Franklin Roosevelt, who often endured long receiving lines at the White House. He complained that no one really paid any attention to what was said. One day, during a reception, he decided to try an experiment. To each person who came down the line and shook his hand, he murmured, “I murdered my grandmother this morning.” The guests responded with phrases like, “Marvelous! Keep up the good work. We are proud of you. God bless you, sir.” It was not till the end of the line, while greeting the ambassador from Bolivia, that his words were actually heard. Confused, the ambassador leaned over and whispered, “I’m sure she had it coming.”
 
Nathaniel came to see Jesus, but questioned Him before he would get on board. (1:47-48). Jesus made claims and Nate questioned how Jesus could make them. Jesus didn’t get upset – that isn’t His way. He is not afraid to be tested, because He knows what is a real test from a seeking heart, and what is mockery and deceit.
 
When Jesus addressed him on a personal and heart level (something only the two of them truly grasped) Nathaniel was moved in his heart – and it came out his lips! (1:49).
 
Jesus offered Nathaniel even greater hope and promise for the adventure of giving Jesus his life to control! (1:50-51).
 
When we understand what God is doing in the people around us, we will see them as He sees them!

Missed Opportunity: “Big Head, Big Mouth, Small Ears” - 2 Kings 14:1-14

The suspect has escaped… a brief description is given over the airwaves to find him. What does he look like? He has a “big head, big mouth and small ears! What? Amaziah took over the throne in the shadow of the coup that killed his father. With a good heritage, and initial pleasing steps - he moved forward. Sadly, his head grew, his ears shrunk and his mouth got bigger – and it became his undoing. I wonder… what would God’s description be if HE were describing what He sees in me?
 
Key Principle: God sees what we really are long before anyone else. We cannot hide from Him!
 
There are two passages on Amaziah that help really explain what God saw in his life. The first is found in 2 Kings 14:1-14. The second is found in 2 Chronicles 25:1-28.
 
When God recalled his life, he highlighted six features that tell the whole story, from the inside out:
 
1. His family (14:1-2): This is the place we get our first identity. His father was known, and his mother.

His dad is well known to us from 2 Kings 12. He was a "forger of the faith "- Joash followed Jehoida the High Priest from his early years and gained the closeness and connection from the relationship. He was related to the believer, but failed to have a heart connection to God that would stand up to the test of faith! When Jehoida died, Joash sought the affirmation and popularity and found the ones that would provide it were not among the priests – but among compromised and unbelieving civil leaders (24:17-18).  Do you recall why not turn to the leaders among the believers, the priest? Remember in 12:4-8 we saw compromising and undisciplined spiritual leaders in the Temple? Joash was exposed to half-hearted faith already – it didn’t satisfy. It wasn’t compelling in its weakness. Joash seemed to be a follower primarily because He possessed few personal convictions.
 
We know little of his mother beyond her name and the fact that her family was that of the High Priest Jehoida that was so close to Joash before his death. She had a godly dad, and that helps identify something of the expectation for Amaziah – his mother was from a great home.
 
2. His heart (14:3): God always looks here when He wants to truly see us. Amaziah was not fully yielded. 2 Chronicles 25:2 clearly shows how God saw him: “He did right in the sight of the Lord, yet not with a whole heart.” Don’t lose track here – God saw what men didn’t see. 2 Kings 14:3 says he DID RIGHT – he was compliant. Yet God was not happy, because compliance is not obedience and not full surrender. He did right on the outside, but the inside domain of his heart was not God’s property – it was his alone.
 
3. His neglect (14:4): Like his father before him, he compromised in a key area that kept his kingdom weak. He did what people wanted – what they had come to expect. He wasn’t courageous in his walk and bold in his faith – because he wasn’t yielded in his heart. The high places remained, but they were a SYMPTOM not the problem. Other altars are the overflow of the unsurrendered heart.
 
4. His relationships (14:5-6): He was incensed by the men that executed his father in 2 Kings 12:20-21. He grasped the scepter tightly, and he had them summarily executed. He also tempered his anger to stay within the law. This may have been from real respect, we cannot tell – but the text appears that he would not openly violate the law.
 
Isn’t that a funny thing? We can grasp our hearts and not surrender them to God, but live some resemblance of morality? We don’t want the world to see what we KNOW is going on in our unyielded heart.

5. His accomplishments (14:7-8): What? God took stock of what he did? Yes, but only because it affected what he became. God made us to BE what He desired before we can DO what He desires. When we are not inside yielded, our works become either a poor substitute for relationship, or an occasion for self affirmation. We are so easily impressed with ourselves!
 
2 Chronicles 25:5-13 Blows up the story in more detail.
 

• It shares that Amaziah took a census of 300,000 men who could fight (5)
• He hired from the Northern Kingdom another 100,000 men (6) by spending a huge wad of cash from the treasury.
• He wanted to retake some Edomite cities last years before. A prophet of God warned him not to take the men of Israel with him, and he dismissed them and sent them home (7-10).
• They got mad and plundered some of the Judean cities while Amaziah went off to war (13)
• Meanwhile, Amaziah DID defeat the Edomites and killed 10,000 men, while allowing his men to throw another 10,000 off a cliff to their death – an act of barbarity uncommon even in that day (12).

 
You can start to see his heart peaking through now. He gained affirmation and popularity by allowing his men to behave badly. He let baser instincts take over. He took cheap shots – cruelly killing captured and defenseless men. He wanted FAME. He was building a REPUTATION. He was demanding respect… He was breathing his own air! HIS HEAD WAS GETTING BIGGER!
 
When he came home, he started trying to push around other kings. Even they could see it! The words of King Joash of Israel summed it up when he called him out to fight…(2 Kings 14:8-10) “Your heart has become proud. Enjoy your glory and stay at home!”
 
Can you see what happened? He started out respectful on the outside and unyielded on the inside. Left to ourselves our inner condition will show through. Our bright coat of compliance will become threadbare and show the dark under garments of our hardened heart. It WILL happen. It is the reason we must yield now, and not wait. To wait is to invite the hardness to overtake us.
 
6. His rebellion (2 Chronicles 25:14-16): For this you must leave the 2 Kings passage to gain clarity. Amaziah had enough of his charade of life. He took off the mask and began to show openly what he had always been – an inner idolator. All the respect for God’s Word and for people was now openly set aside. His big head swelled, while his ears shrunk to the messenger of God. The prophet asked, “Why have you sought the gods of the people who have not delivered their own people from your hand?” (2 Chronicles 25:15) and Amaziah cut him off before he finished…”As he was talking..(25:16).
 
Amaziah rebellion swelled his head, shrunk his ears and enlarged his mouth. Listening to God’s warnings and messengers is of extreme importance throughout the Bible. We all make mistakes, but when we refuse to listen to His correction we harden to stone the problems that will crush us.
 
Every coach knows the heartbreak of a gifted player who would not yield to instruction from the bench. Every parent knows the pain of having a prodigal who must have his or her own way. God understands, because He lives with the same pain from us...
 
Wisdom instructs us to listen carefully and then obey. Personal righteousness does not happen because somebody requires and commands it of us. People do not live pure lives due to warnings and threats. Our walk is determined by our choices... Failure to pay attention, to heed the truth  will always cause difficulty and pain...
 
Eastern Air Lines Flight 401, operated by a four-month-old Lockheed L-1011 carrying 163 passengers and 13 crewmembers, left New York's JFK on Friday, December 29, 1972 at 9:20 pm, en route to Miami International Airport. The flight was routine until 11:32 pm, when the flight began its approach into Miami. After lowering the gear, First Officer Stockstill noticed that the landing gear indicator, a green light identifying that the nose gear is properly locked in the "down" position, did not illuminate. The cause, discovered after much investigation, was due to a 79 cent burned-out light bulb. The landing gear could have been manually lowered either way. The pilots cycled the landing gear but still failed to get the confirmation light. The plane flew in a large circle pattern while the crew checked out the light failure. The question was, Did the landing gear engage or not? The flight engineer fiddled with the bulb trying to remove it from the socket but it would not budge. Soon another of the cockpit crew began to assist. Before long the entire cock pit crew was eyeballing the light problem. All the eyes where on the .79 light bulb problem. No one noticed that the plane was loosing altitude. Not remembering and listening to the instructions the pilots knew so well, “Above all else, fly the plane.” The plane and many people were lost in the crash of flight 401. In all, 69 of the 163 passengers and 8 of the 13 crew survived the crash, with 99 initial fatalities.
 
Above all else, we need to listen to the Lord instructions for our life -- and truly surrender the ground of our heart before we crash the plane we are flying...
 

• We can be so busy correcting a small minor problem that we do not notice we are losing spiritual altitude. All of our attention can be so focused on the issue facing us right now that we will miss the more important instruction from God.
• We can even be respectful of the things of God and act as though He can’t see the willful and stubborn state within us.

Listen to Jesus' observation: (Matt 13:15) " …For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’
 
It is a matter of choice:

God is looking at you. He is not unaware of what is going on inside. Your spouse may not know, but your God does… Your friends and family may have no idea, but your God does…  If God called out over the radio a description of you, what would He say. Angel 17, be on the lookout for the ….?  Remember, God sees what we really are long before anyone else. We cannot hide an stubborn and unyielded heart from Him!

Ten Lessons Mary Learned About Motherhood - Luke 2, John 2

The family photo album of Jesus offers only a few glimpses of his home life on earth - but they are precious reminders of how God set up families and what moms are for!

Key Principle: God knew what He was doing when He established motherhood as an invaluable calling in our lives. All of us have a mother – it is a common experience.

Ten Lessons in Seven Snapshots:

1. Birth: Luke 2:7: “And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn…"

 * In the earliest event between Jesus and His mother, she is meeting His basic provisional needs of clothing and warmth. She sought the best place she could (she settled for what she could provide). Lesson One: You can’t give them everything you want to give them – but provide what they most need- YOU. Your time, your love means everything!

2. Shepherd Visit: Luke 2:17-19 “When they (the shepherds) had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.”

 * Later that same night, the shepherds told her of a great future for her child. She delighted and dreamed of a future for her child! Lesson Two: Dream for your child. Delight in every step of learning and cheer them into being what God intended them to be! Mothering is not an act of biology, it is a dynamic relationship.

3. Circumcision at Temple: Luke 2:21-24: “And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. 22 And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "EVERY firstborn MALE THAT OPENS THE WOMB SHALL BE CALLED HOLY TO THE LORD"), 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, "A PAIR OF TURTLEDOVES OR TWO YOUNG PIGEONS."

 * Eight days after His birth, Mary and Joseph were offering a sacrifice for the child and naming the baby in accordance to the angelic command at the time of the conception. Lesson Three: “My children” are not “my children”.  Israel redeemed their first born child as the Law stated (Lev. 12:6). We all need reminders they aren’t “our” doing, and they don’t truly belong to us!

4. Prophecy at Temple Gate: Luke 2:34-35: “And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed—35 and a sword will pierce even your own soul--to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed."

 * We live and die a thousand times in the excitement and pain of our children as they live – we face the heart break of every disappointment or trouble they will suffer in their future. Lesson Four: Hard times will come for our child, and we must prepare the child, but we must also prepare ourselves! Happy is the woman who has built a great relationship with an unfailing God in the good years. "Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who reveres the Lord will be praised." Proverbs 31:30.

5. About 12 years old: Luke 2:41-52 “Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when He became twelve, they went up there according to the custom of the Feast; 43 and as they were returning, after spending the full number of days, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. But His parents were unaware of it, 44 but supposed Him to be in the caravan, and went a day's journey; and they began looking for Him among their relatives and acquaintances. 45 When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem looking for Him. 46 Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. 48 When they saw Him, they were astonished; and His mother said to Him, "Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You." 49 And He said to them, "Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father's house?" 50 But they did not understand the statement which He had made to them. 51 And He went down with them and came to Nazareth , and He continued in subjection to them; and His mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”

 * Teen years! First, it is notable that Jesus had parents that went out of their way to be consistent to obey the Word of God at great cost to themselves (41). Lesson Five: Life’s biggest lessons are taught without words – in patterns! Following God’s way cost time, money, and effort. In a word, they taught Jesus COMMITMENT through their lives. They stayed committed to each other, and to God’s Word. That taught volumes without words.

 * Second, they learned to trust Jesus, and added extra freedoms to his life as He grew (42-43). Lesson Six: Children need more than provision, they need preparation. They moved past provision and protection into preparation for life. This is no easy task. We want to hover, many of us, and do everything for the child. In an effort to keep them from struggles we will do their homework and projects for them, giving them token roles. We pick up what they drop, clean up what they spill, put their clothing, tools and games away. All the while we train them to be waited on. Sometimes they need to reap, so they learn consequences.

 * Finally, I found it very amusing and not al little heartening that the ONLY exchange we have between Jesus and His parents during his teen years was a “conflict” in which verse v.50 simply exclaims: “They did not understand what he was saying!” Without the need to comment much, don’t skip past this. Lesson Seven: The conflict that happens in the home as our children grow independent is not always a sin issue. Some of the conflict has to do with assumptions – on the part of parents or on the part of children. Some has to do with undeclared expectations.

6. Grown Son at Public Event - Wedding: John 2:1 “On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; 2 and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine." 4 And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come." 5 His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." 6 Now there were six stone water pots set there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing twenty or thirty gallons each. 7 Jesus said to them, "Fill the water pots with water." So they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He said to them, "Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter." So they took it to him. 9 When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom, 10 and said to him, "Every man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now." 11This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him."

 * Mary was pushing Jesus to solve a problem that probably appeared as meddling to Jesus. Mom was acutely aware of his abilities, and wanted to get him involved in solving another’s problems. Jesus responded with obedience, but reluctance over being placed in the position Lesson Eight: Learn when to push and when to stand back and let things happen. A push is not always the right thing! Sometimes a child needs to be encouraged to reach outside themselves and help others. Sometimes we can embarrass our child by trying to push them into a limelight they do not feel prepared for. Don’t push too hard – look at their hearts with understanding!

 * Mary told the servants to listen and then left the scene to Jesus. Mom set him up to have expectation placed on him, then left him to show what he could do. Lesson Nine: Don’t micromanage the “how”! If you want to drive, get out of the back seat and do it. If you are letting them take on the project, it won’t get done exactly the way you would do it. I am not saying you shouldn’t teach. I am not saying you should not outline your expectation to have the mess cleaned up by them. I am saying they need to test their wings the way they need to do it.

7. The Big Move Away John 2:12: "After this He went down to Capernaum, He and His mother and His brothers and His disciples; and they stayed there a few days.”

 * Even though He was an adult, she wanted to be sure He was moved in and situated, because a mother is always a mother! Lesson Ten: Even as an adult, you will need to build the relationship. They will move away and you may not be involved in their daily life, but you can have input if you lovingly inject a deliberate attention to who their friends are, what their needs are, and what their life is about.

I want to close with a story told by Nan Pinkston, a nurse in a cancer ward, and herself a mother. This is how she remembers it (published by by Most Rev. Dr. Robert M. Bowman, Presiding Bishop, United Catholic Church) :

“I remember the day she was admitted to the ward. As I reviewed her admission papers, I was surprised to see that she was 32 and being admitted for chemotherapy to treat breast cancer that had been diagnosed two weeks earlier. I entered the room and introduced myself. Rebekah, her eyes sparkling with love and her ponytail bouncing, introduced me to her husband, Warren, and her daughters, Ruthie, age six, and Hannah, age four. Cradled in her crossed legs wiggled her third daughter, Molly, age two. While I filled out forms, Rebekah directed the unpacking of her suitcase — a comforter made by her grandmother, a poster of cheer from her church circle, and a family portrait for her bedside table, along with her worn Bible. Warren gathered the girls to go to the airport to pick up Grandmother. "I need to place a needle in your arm to give you the chemotherapy," I explained. "I’ll do anything to get well for my husband and girls. I can handle throwing up, losing my hair, and being tired, but I’m absolutely terrified of needles." Rebekah’s voice shook and her eyes brimmed with tears. "You can cry, but please don’t move. On the count of three ..." "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." Rebekah said loudly as the needle slid smoothly into the vein. With the successful completion of the intravenous, Rebekah asked, "What is your favorite Bible verse?" "John 11:35," I answered. "Jesus wept." "Oh! That’s a sad verse," she replied, a bit somberly. "It brings me comfort, knowing that Jesus is sad when bad things happen to his people. It demonstrates to me a human side of him that I need to know when I care for sick people. I know he can and will heal the sick, but returning to health can entail sad times, so I know he is there to support me in the sad times so that I can support patients." "I’ll have to give that some thought," replied Rebekah. For the next 18 months, I saw Rebekah on a regular basis to receive chemotherapy and radiation. A chest X-ray showed the cancer had spread and there were no further medical weapons to use against the cancer. How could I support her in this new challenge? I entered Rebekah’s room and found it cluttered with paper, tapes, and a tape recorder. "Nan, I’m making tapes for my daughters, to know what I feel, think, and advise on important occasions. I don’t want them to forget me. Do you have any suggestions?" I looked over her list — first day of school, becoming sweet 16, first date, first kiss, confirmation, etc. She let me listen to the tapes, which were moving and filled with motherly advice, encouragement, and love. Rebekah taped each day from her notes as she grew weaker and weaker. Rebekah explained to her young daughters that she was making special tapes that their dad would keep for them to listen to later. She explained that she was going to live with God and help him get a home ready for them when they were very old. We all knew the end was approaching. I was surprised when I got a frantic phone call at home from a nurse who said that Rebekah was pleading — begging that I come with a blank tape. Making a mental checklist of all the tapes she had made, I could not imagine what topic could have possible been forgotten. Entering Rebekah’s room, I noticed she was having severe shortness of breath and was very anxious, gasping, "Nan, do you have the tape?" "Take a deep breath. Of course I have the tape," I replied.As I set up the tape recorder, she explained, "This is my most important tape." I held the microphone close to her mouth and she began, "Ruthie, Hannah, and Molly, some day your daddy will bring a new mommy home. I want you to make her feel very special, and how proud you will make me feel if you are kind, patient, and encouraging to her as she learns to take care of each of you. Help her set the table. Please bring her dandelions to put in the special vase — most important, hug her often. Please do not be sad for long. ‘Jesus cried.’ He knows haw sad you are and he knows you will be happy again. I love you so much, Hannah, Ruthie, and Molly. Big hugs, your first mommy." I turned off the tape player. "Thank you. I can sleep now." I adjusted the pillow under her head and rolled a pillow to her back and exited quietly. Rebekah died two days later. I mailed the tape to their dad four years later when Warren and the girls prepared to welcome their new wife and mommy."

Since time began, there have been several billion mothers. This was the story of just one of them.

Every story of motherhood is different. Each one is valuable. Each of us has our own. Today is a day for remembering those stories. Mothers, we honor you this day and thank you. We thank God for giving you to us and for endowing you with the spirit of giving, caring, nurturing, loving, and (when necessary) letting go.” God knew what He was doing when He established motherhood as an invaluable calling in our lives.

Character: “The Sculpture of a Modern Mom" - Galatians 5

I have always found sculpture fascinating. The whole process of removing marble from a block with a chisel and completing a breathtaking work like that of Michelangelo or Bernini amazes me. I have sat in churches in Europe for hours studying the lines of some of the greats.  Not long ago, I found there was another way to “shape” or “sculpt” something. I saw my first perfectly square lemon and another perfectly square watermelon. The fruit grew to fit within the constraints of a bottle or container that was placed on the limb of the tree (on vine respectively) when it was quite small. The constraint shaped the growth - it always does.

Key Principle: The "shape" around someone forms their growth to a pattern.

Moms and Dads are sculpture artists. In the Bible, that process is called parenting. The shape is formed at the earliest stage by parents, but as the child grows, the school community, the sports coaches, the neighbor families, playmates homes – all become shaping places. The message to parents is how to include the right shaping elements and exclude those that misshape the child.

The letter I have chosen for this Mother’s Day is not primarily about the recognition of mothers. In fact, it is not even primarily about shaping children. Yet, it has been carefully chosen because it reflects God’s Words concerning how a believer should be shaped in terms of character, and has a particular application on this special day. Let me be clear: We should pick a topic and then look for a place in the Bible to “prop up” our conclusions – it is a dangerous way of presenting truth. The Bible should not be spoken from, it should SPEAK. While I will be addressing moms, I want to address all of us from what God’s intent is from the passage in Galatians 5.

Paul wrote Galatians to believers in what is today Central Turkey. The area was visited by Paul, but he did not stay long on any of his mission trips. He preached the Gospel to them, and they responded. The new birth was exciting, but the enemy quickly planted in Paul’s path some who came behind Paul with a message that Paul’s Gospel was insufficient. The formula of salvation was then amended by these following teachers to include a host of other acts to obtain true salvation.

This is always a tricky problem for the church of all ages. We preach two things that seem to tug at one another – on the one had, we preach that salvation comes through trusting Christ, and Him alone for salvation. On the other hand, we preach that such a new birth will be evident by a commitment to a lifestyle that honors God each day. The problem comes when some claim to believe, but have no evidence that belief has, in fact, changed them. Are they truly one of us? Add to that the problem that many in our day confuse “believe” with “be convinced of the truth of” – rather than an issue of commitment. They make our faith into a theological and cognitive exercise, rather than what the message of the Gospel is really about – the heart and the will.

The key to Galatians is the understanding that the Good News is unchanging: Jesus paid for your sin, and by committing your life, your future, you will to Him – you will have eternal life. At the same time, that life is to be conformed to the shape of God’s spirit – not a list given by a church or other authority. Real life will be seen in a believer by the shape of their character in Christ, and the empowering of the Spirit in very practical ways.

Building character and shaping behavior – doesn’t that sound like the job of a MOM? Sure it does. So it is with that in mind we approach Galatians this mother’s day. Walk with me through Galatians and let me bring you up to speed on the book to drop us into the last part of the book:

In Galatians 1:6 Paul opened with the shock of a parent that had raised children that were not acting the way they were brought up. They were taught the Gospel, but were leaving that truth for another message. What parent can’t relate to this story? Paul finished the chapter stressing what the Gospel of Christ is. In verse 7,8,9,11… over and over he pounds out what they were raised in their early faith to believe. He gave them evidence that what he told them was true – that it did not come from men, that it was approved before the Apostles in chapter 2, and that he defended it before the Apostles when they weren’t consistently living it.

In Galatians 3:2 he reminded them of the new life experience they had with the coming of the Spirit of God into their lives. Any parent would do the same thing with an erring child. You take them back to when they felt attached to all the things they had as blessing to offer evidence of the truth of the lifestyle you trained them in. Let me apply this, for example, to our nation:
We had foundations in Biblical thought. The country was founded with Biblical principles related to family, responsibility, community and personal integrity. I am not saying all those who lived in the colonial period knew Jesus as their Savior. I AM saying that no one would have made the public argument that the Bible was the reason for ills of the society and that pagan philosophy could offer salvation. Yet sadly, that echoes from learned halls across the nation.

 * People want a family to nurture them, but they don’t want the responsibility of commitment.
 * People hunger for relationship, but they don’t want the constriction of monogamy.
 * People want a trusting society, but they don’t want to face Biblical principles of truth.
 * People want prosperity, but they don’t want the Biblical restrictions of integrity that force us to pay for what we sign, and deliver what we promise.

One way the church can encourage the society is stop preaching to them about what they are doing wrong, and build strong marriages, and strong homes. We can show up at work early, work harder than our counterparts, do MORE for LESS. We can live within our means and make progress of character more important than prosperity in our bank account. We can laugh more, grow together more, protect one another more… and they will WANT to have what we have. We can literally draw them in with the BENEFITS of knowing God and His family… but only if we commit to live that way.

Paul took the early Galatian believers back to a time when the Spirit changed them. He reminded them that all the benefits were theirs BEFORE these additional teachers came to them to lay burdens of a “new way” in their path. He called them back to the sonship they received in the Gospel in Galatians 4:4-5 and called them away from the symbolic things they were being sucked into in Galatians 4:9-10. He told them they were free in Galatians 5:1, but that freedom was not a reason to march off and do whatever they wanted to do.

In Galatians 5:13 he instructed them that their freedom was given to them for the purpose of caring for those who were yet in bondage, and for others who were set free, but still weak from the bondage:

Imagine you were on a cruise ship in the Bahamas. You came for a wonderful vacation, but a storm pushed the captain of the ship to leave the normal path of operations and you found yourself happy, overfed and well rested – but in a part of the world you didn’t intend to be in. Early one morning, a few days into the journey you awoke to hear shots fired on board the vessel and left your cabin to go up on deck. As you got to the deck, you were horrified to see the captain and grew rounded up by some poorly dressed, motley looking pirates. The entire crew and all passengers were assembled and put in chains. The luxurious liner was ransacked by the pirates as you sat helplessly in the hot sun on the deck and watched. Some of the passengers were brutalized. Some young women were taken away by the pirates, and never came back. Everyone was changed together. A few days passed. People were weakened by hunger and thirst, and blistered by the sun. Spirits were breaking, and no one was able to gain control of the situation. People sat in their stinking clothing, soiled and sweaty. The elderly and the very young were beginning to succumb to death. Within a few days, the journey of luxury was turned to a nightmare. One of the pirates came over and saw several men and women and unchained them. He set them free to begin to serve the others some meager bread and water rations. As he set them free, they could have attempted to escape, relishing their freedom. With only a few pirates aboard, they could have gotten lost in the ship in hiding, raiding some cabins and eating well. They could have used their freedom ON THEMSELVES. Yet, they were called to use their freedom to serve the others. Some who were in chains, others who were loosed but so weak they would not survive without assistance…. That is the believer. He has been set free, but not for himself… He has been set free to help the weaker freed ones, and to help those still in chains… that is the PURPOSE of his freedom!

No parent is happy when a child misuses the freedoms of “getting out on their own”. No mother wants to protect and provide alone --- the calling includes PREPARATION for real life. What mother who knows Jesus this morning would find it hard to hear themselves saying what Paul said in Galatians 6:13-15? If I paraphrased the verses in MOM LANGUAGE it would sound like this:

“You have grown up freedoms for more than just yourself! This isn’t just so you can party, but so that you can be responsible to your community and care about others. Real happiness isn’t found in hoarding, but in serving and loving! If you become all about GETTING you will end up wounded and torn apart by one another!”

Some time ago, a Pastor wrote (I cannot recall where I got this): "A lecturer was once invited to speak to a religion class at a private high school on the topic of Christianity. At the end of his talk, an athletic-looking, street-wise student raised his hand and asked, “Do you have a lot of don’t in your church?” Sensing that the student had a deeper motive, he answered, “What you really want to ask me is if we have any freedom, right?” Yes, he nodded. “Sure, I’m free to do whatever I want to do,” he answered. The student’s face reflected his disbelief at what the man said. “I’m free to rob a bank. But I’m mature enough to realize that I would be in bondage to that act for the rest of my life. I’d have to cover up my crime, go into hiding or eventually pay for what I did. I’m also free to tell a lie. But if I do, I have to keep telling it and I have to remember who I told it to and how I told it or I will get caught. I’m free to do drugs, abuse alcohol and live a sexually immoral life-style. All of those “freedoms” lead to bondage. I’m free to make those choices, but considering the consequences, would you really be free?”

Then Paul followed with these shocking words to these believers (Galatians 5:16-17): Walk by God’s Spirit and you will not fill up the shopping cart with items to satiate your fleshly desires. The Spirit isn’t about filling up the flesh, and the flesh isn’t about filling up the Spirit!

Any child would shout out a question at this point: “How? How can I walk by the Spirit? What does that mean in PRACTICAL TERMS?

Paul offered the advise that I want every parent and grandparent to hear. I want every believer to take special heed to these truths – they are the answer to the problem of a disintegrating church in a morally sliding nation. They did, can and will work – but we must first listen, then truly hear the words within – then conform our lifestyle to their teaching:

First, Paul says, “If you attempt to work to earn God’s salvation, you don’t understand it!” (Galatians 5:18) You are not justified by what you live like. You don’t earn God’s love, no matter how good the items on the list are. You give your heart to Him, and you submit your will to Him. He will direct your steps. When you submitted your heart, you were saved. Your feet will follow – but they won’t lead you to Him.

As a mom, you get the opportunity to teach unconditional love as the BASIS for relationship. The creation in your womb evoked love in your heart before you knew the child. It wasn’t about them, it was about a deep work of God inside you. Parents teach relationship. When families fracture, they tear the heart of a child’s ability to understand unconditional love. They drive their children from a right understanding of God’s love!

Second, God offered through Paul a definition of a real love relationship: “If you live in the deeds of the world, you show that your heart and will were not really submitted to God at all – no matter what you say you did!” This seems like the opposite of the first principle, but it is not. This is easily illustrated by the child that constantly says to his mom, “I LOVE YOU!” when everything they do is a demonstration that this is merely a manipulative statement unsupported by life facts. If we love someone, we don’t intentionally set out to hurt them. If we love someone in authority, we show them respect by not flaunting disregard for their rules. We don’t respect their rules to earn their love (as we said above), we respect their rules BECAUSE we have their love and we treasure the relationship.

In the text, flaunting disrespect for God looks like these – note they are ALL ABOUT ME (Galatians 5:19-21):

 * Immorality: porneia; illicit sexual intercourse (Using body for self pleasure is misuse of the gift of sexuality). USING GOD’S GIFT OF SEXUALITY DESIGNED TO BUILD INTIMACY IN A MARRIED COUPLE FOR SELFISH “FEEL GOOD” REASONS.

 * Impurity: akatharsia; uncleansed living, living with unbridled desires that are not corrected. (Living with guilt that you try to hide from God isolates you from Him). USING FREEDOMS TO SATIATE SELF DESIRES RATHER THAN CARING FOR THE OTHER PRISONERS CHAINED TOGETHER.

 * Sensuality: aselgia; shameless hungers for self fulfillment. (Openly making it be about you and thinking that is ok!) THIS IS AN EXERCISE IN MAKING A PRIMARY FOCUS OF “MY NEEDS” SOUND LIKE A MATURE RESPONSE TO A LIFE SITUATION!

 * Idolatry: idolateria; things pertaining to idols. THIS IS ABOUT LIVING WITH SOMETHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN GOD BUT CLAIMING THAT I AM HIS!

 * Sorcery: farmakia; the use of anesthetizing drugs or highs from them. (I need to feel good and I will pay any price to do so.) THIS IS ABOUT DESIRING TO USE MY LIFE TO FEEL BETTER RATHER THAN TO DO BETTER – A FORM OF SELFISHNESS.

 * Enmities: fthonos; actions prompted by envy that will lead to the corruption of someone, usually to get someone else back (revenge). (I will bring them down!)

 * Strife: eris; wrangling and dissention. (If they hate each other, they will like me more!)

 * Jealousy: to want what has not been granted to you. (I will obsess over things that I don’t have that others seem to get.)

 * Outbursts of anger: thoomus; boiling over passionate lashing out verbally or physically. (It’s not my fault, they all make me so mad!)

 * Disputes: erithia; electioneering, manipulation for personal gain. (I can get what I want out of them!)  After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him... The moral: When you’re full of bull, keep your mouth shut.

 * Dissensions: dikhosetia; force a wedge between to divide. (I am not happy that they are happy, so I will divide them and get one of their attentions.)

 * Factions: haheresis; factions like Pharisees or Sadducees that operated to undercut each other without regard to those used. (My point is more important than you are!)

 * Envying: ftonos; to plot the downfall because of jealousy. (You are going down sister!)

 * Drunkenness: methay; intoxication. (I can’t face my problems, I need this!)

 * Carousing: komos; from the Bacchus festival; late night revelries that include boisterous displays. (Life is short and I want to have as much fun as I can!)

Do you see it? It is SELF, SELF, SELF, SELF… my needs, my desires, my life. This is the person who claims to be a follower of Jesus – claims to have submitted their will, their future, their heart to Him… but their life is about themselves. Their life is about fulfilling desires that God never intended to have as their focus of life.

Third, God uses Paul to point out the relationship of productive love. Parents love children and desire they become productive parts of their community. They want them to become people of character. They want them to show the character they were trained into when they go into the world.

 * Love: agape; acting to meet need of others without expectation. This is about living out the shape of God in the lives of people.

 * Joy: kharah; assurance. This is one of the crown jewels of the Christian life – the resolute assurance that God is on the throne, and intensely aware of my world, and my life. Where I am is where He knows He can use me!

 * Peace: iraynay; confident rest. Because I have joy, I sleep well. Because I have peace, I breath easily.

 * Patience: makrothumia; distant boiling. Things aren’t beating me up. I am not driven by my problems, I am led by my God!

 * Kindness: kray-stot-ace; moral integrity; comes from a potter’s word for usable. The secret to reflecting God in my walk is keeping myself usable to His purposes. Unkind people are unusable people.

 * Goodness: kalos: favoring the good and right. I feed on things that are wholesome and draw me to Him, not things that draw me to the baser instincts of my fallen man.

 * Faithfulness: pistis; in the vision of what God says is true. My world is seen through God’s Word, and my thinking is fully shaped by His Word.

 * Gentleness: pra-ootace; mild disposition. I am harmless and uncomplicated.

 * Self-control: engratia; mastered his own desires.

Chapter six goes on and offers three more:

Fourth, I hunger to care for the needs of others, even when they haven’t shown a pattern of deserving that (6:1-4).

Fifth, Learn to take care of your own messes and face that my problems are often the consequences of my bad choices (6:5-8).

Sixth, I can give up far too easily and not stick with obedience in tough times (6:9-10).

Look carefully at the shape of the jar you are putting around your children. Do they understand unconditional love? Do they demonstrate the respect of real love – acted out in value and lifestyles? Do they walk in productive love – that informs their choices? The "shape" around someone forms their growth to a pattern. We must be deliberate about what we show them and what we withhold from them to shape their lives..

You cannot give away what you do not possess. Do YOU walk in unconditional, real and productive love?

Missed Opportunity: “Part Timers” - 2 Kings 13

Not long ago I was sitting and waiting to have my car serviced. In the place where the work was being done, there was a TV set showing “Judge Judy”. There on the screen I witnessed a man who had rented out a house to someone he did not know on a one year contract. After the man gave the keys to the new tenant, they moved in and loved the place. About three months into the agreement, the young woman tenant walked out of her bathroom wrapped in a towel only to find the landlord standing in the Living Room removing a small box from inside a small compartment by the radiator. The tenant was startled and dismayed, and couldn’t understand why the landlord used his key to come into the house. The landlord used a small safe inside the house for some of his personal treasures. Oddly enough, he truly believed that he had the total right to come and go as he pleased because he “owned the house” though the young woman had never failed to pay her full rent on time. Judge Judy simply told the man, “She gave you her money. You gave her the exclusive right to the house. That’s it! You don’t get to go in when you want, you don’t get to use things in the house when you want. Either rent it or use – but you can’t do both!”.

We live in a time when people don’t understand ownership at all. They buy something and think that if they can get away with it, someone else should pay for it. They don’t put boundaries in place that were once obvious. They deliberately misuse the product and then return the broken product, or even sue the manufacturer! It is worth going over some very basic ideas of OWNERSHIP with people when we look at our relationship to the Lord. Case in point, look at our key principle below…

Key Principle: God doesn’t really OWN a car that He needs permission from you to drive. Make no mistake, the relationship God is looking for is one where He will own your life. He wants to own your choices and take responsibility for your destiny!

In the last chapter we saw that some follow the Lord as "forgers" and fakes of the faith - like King Joash of Judah. In this chapter we will meet two familiar faces - the "foxhole believer" and the "part time" believer. When we follow only when we are in trouble, or offer a half-hearted commitment to God - we experience neither complete peace in our lives nor wholly transforming power. Part time believers are anemic and ill defended though they serve a God who is boundlessly powerful and deeply securing.

One definition of immaturity is “people who want the results without the process”. Another corollary seems to be people who seem “wholly unable to connect their actions with the circumstances that resulted from them”! As a people of God, we must understand that many people are trying to live as though they have a walk with a God they know OF, but do not truly KNOW. They aren’t HIS. He isn’t in charge of them at all. Let’s look at two examples:

First, meet the “Fox Hole” Follower! (13:1-9)

King Jehoahaz (The Lord has held or sustained) of Israel (son of Jehu) took the throne in the year 814 BCE. He reigned seventeen years. His life was riddled with sin with one notable moment of apparent yielding – in the foxhole of a war where he was losing badly!

Look at the progression of his life:

 * A child of unearned privileges: He got power handed to him because of his family. He didn’t earn it, and we have no reason to believe he was particularly good at it. (13:1). Even those who cannot claim to have royal blood have been given much they have no claim over.

 * Oblivious to God: He lived life by rules that suited him (13:2). He continued the sinful practices of divided worship (calf centers), which were considered “normal” by this time. It had been a hundred and twenty years since that was instituted. Interesting how sin, when left in the culture, will stop bothering or causing a blush. Eyes adjust to spiritual darkness. He didn’t turn from these things, because for a long time he simply saw no need. The sins his parents did – he continued in.

 * Sustained serious losses: God got his attention when one thing after another got stripped out of his kingdom (13:3). He began life ignoring God, but now it was obvious things just weren’t working anymore! As the losses became harder, he began to consider his ways.

 * Reached up for help: In the middle of the growing darkness, Jehoahaz reached up to the Lord (13:4). That seems uncharacteristic of his life, but think about it. How many people don’t ever stop to consider the Lord at all until they are confronted with things they have no way of standing up to?

 * Got relief: God heard his cry and ushered in help that he couldn’t deny at the time was the Lord’s hand (13:5). In this case, the attack of Adadnirari III on Damascus caused Hazael’s troops (led by Ben Hadad his son) to turn and forget about Israel. The day before it all looked bleak. Jehoahaz couldn’t see Adadnirari and his army from Assyria. God moved the right things into position just at the critical time. Further reading shows that Jehoahaz’s army was reduced to a fraction of its former size and viable fitness (13:7).

His response? He went back to what he knew when the pressure was off! (13:6). The intersection of Jehoahaz and God did not result in transformation. This was RELIEF not REDEMPTION. How many people seek God in the middle of the divorce, flirting with obedience in their brokenness. Yet, you meet them a few years later in the supermarket and they “got too busy” to stick with the “God stuff”. They talk about the RELIGION not the RELATIONSHIP – because they don’t have one.

You can meet God and believe that He did some great act on your behalf but not have a personal relationship with Him.

Finally, meet a “Part Time” Follower (13:10-25)

Jehoash was the son of Jehoahaz took the throne of Israel after the death of his father. His name is the same as his counterpart king in the south (Judah), but he is much younger. Like his father, he walked his own way and in a hardness of heart. Like his father, he had a chance to experience a meeting with God that would either trash or transform him. Look again at a life pattern:

* A child of unearned privileges: He got power handed to him because of his family. He didn’t earn it, and we have no reason to believe he was particularly good at it. (13:10).

* Oblivious to God: He lived life by rules that suited him (13:11). He continued the sinful practices of divided worship (calf centers), which were considered “normal” by this time.

* Got his chance to encounter God: The big event wasn’t the loss of a battle, but the loss of a national symbol (13:14-20). Elisha lay dying, and Jehoash of Israel knew it was a blow to the people’s psyche, even if he hadn’t given a lot to credence to the God of Elisha up to that point. Sure, he went to the public religious ceremonies. He even spoke about “God” in political speeches where family values and warm themes seemed the right way to win hearts... Now a problem presented itself. God used this loss to intersect with Jehoash’s life.

Lip Service: He spoke respectfully and correctly in front of the man of God (13:14) attaching Elisha’s life to his own tenderly. More than that, he spoke of Elisha as the spiritual Schwarzkopf of the nation. King Jehoash wept over Elisha who was on his deathbed. He used the same statement Elisha used of Elijah in 2 Kings 2:12. Israelite history and poetry revealed this theme in abundance:

•  “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.” (Psalm 20:7)

 

• Later, the Lord told governor Zerubabbel: “‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.” (Zechariah 4:6)

 

Small Steps: Elisha told Jehoash to take out a bow and arrows. Obedience in such a small matter was nothing difficult, so the king obliged. (13:15). Because of even the small obedience, there was a blessing imparted (13:16). This is where the story of the Bible often gets mottled. Small acts of obedience bring blessing, but not relationship with God. Jehoash felt the hand of Elisha over his own, a message that God would put His power behind the bow of Jehoash.

Double Dip: It looked like God gave pretty good benefits for reasonably small commitments, so Jehoash went on to a second step of obedience (13:17). This time Elisha asked for a bit more. He told him to open the eastern window and fire an arrow out the window. Jehoash obliged on cue. Next, Elisha told him to take out arrows and strike the ground with them (13:18). It is unclear if he meant to hit the ground with them or shoot them into the ground, but the latter appears more likely. OK, wait a minute. Arrows aren’t cheap, you know. Shooting them into the ground will cause them to lose their affixed head, and the shaft may warp. It will probably cost me something to do this… Jehoash shoots….one, two, three….good enough! No sense in getting crazy with this!

Penalty: Elisha saw the enthusiasm drain from Jehoash, and a half-hearted work replace obedience when this whole “following God’s Word” became costly. Elisha opened up verbally and let Jehoash know what he just did (13:19). You didn’t apply yourself to do what God instructed (just like your father before you!). It is remarkable how very trivial actions often reveal a great deal of character. Alexander Maclaren wrote, “Here is all the power for a perfect victory, and yet the man that has it has to be contented with a very partial one” (Expositions of Holy Scripture, Vol. 3, p.31).

 

Jonathon Falwell: “Carrie Prejean, the California representative in this year’s Miss USA competition in Las Vegas, was faced with one of these situations recently when she was asked before a national television audience to voice her perspective on same-sex marriage. In a now famous statement, Carrie replied, in part, “I do believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman; no offense to anybody out there. But that’s how I was raised and I believe that it should be between a man and a woman.” As a result of this assertion which reflects her Christian faith, Carrie has been bitterly assailed by critics, most prominently by homosexual activist and blogger Perez Hilton, who posed the question. (It should be noted that Carrie is a student at San Diego Christian College so it is interesting, to say the least, that Mr. Hilton would target Carrie to answer the pointed query. But we know that God works in strange ways.) On Wednesday, my brother Jerry Jr., the chancellor at Liberty University, introduced Carrie to our student body during a convocation service. She told students that the unexpected event has opened more doors than she ever dreamed possible to speak about her faith in Jesus Christ. “This has given me an opportunity to proclaim my faith with millions of people,” she told a cheering Liberty University audience. She said that when Mr. Hilton’s question was posed, she immediately knew that she had come to a spiritual crossroads. “I knew right there that I was either going to please man or please God. And I knew there was no choice,” she told our convocation audience. Then she reminded students that the Christian life is often full of challenges. “You’re going to be persecuted, you’re going to be made fun of and you’re going to be called names. But when you are given an opportunity to stand up for Christ, do it,” Carrie said with a radiant smile. “We deeply appreciate what you did,” my brother (Jerry, Jr.) told her.”

View of Power: Jehoash got to see and hear of God’s power, but he didn’t get to really live in it! (13:20-25). He heard about how God was able to use Elisha even after his death to transform and envigorate! (13:20-21). Not only that, he lived out the partial blessing of God for the limited obedience he offered. Sadly, he never was transformed – like father, like son. (13:22-25).

What is God looking for?

He never asked the kings to be perfect – only to be submitted. God doesn’t really OWN a car that He needs permission from you to drive.

“Every morning in Africa a gazelle wakens and knows it has to run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakens and knows it must outrun the swiftest gazelle or it will starve to death. The saying goes, “ It matters not whether you’re a lion or a gazelle, when the sun comes up you’d better be ready to run!” (sermon central illustrations).

We have to grasp the truth that we often FAIL TO UNDERSTAND THE SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING on the daily opportunities of submission and surrender of our lives. Unyielded hearts FAIL TO CAPITALIZE ON A GOD GIVEN OPPORTUNITY!

America is desperate for surrendered men and women. Men and women of history who have surrendered to the Lord have been our heroes of the past. We need a new generation of heroes

We need heroes - who can find the presence of the Lord.
We need heroes - who know how to get his attention in the time of need.
We need heroes - who will work for the Lord even when it presents no benefit to them!
We need heroes – who are not afraid of fasting and prayer.
We need heroes – who know they can whisper a prayer that can change the course of a nation.

It is time to make a choice to follow and truly submit. Get off the sidelines! Make no mistake, the relationship God is looking for is one where He will own your life. He wants to own your choices and take responsibility for your destiny!