The Wandering Shepherd

Positive Heart: Negative World - “Seven Rules for the Positive Captive” - Daniel 1

 

How's your attitude barometer? Do you ever feel beat down by the news surrounding you? Are your friends sharing more and more about illnesses and troubles with you? Do you sometimes just want to sit in a dark room and cry? It is hard to have a positive attitude when negativity swirls around you. Yet, God says that we can - and he offers models and instructions to help us do it! It is time to smile again!

 

Key Principle: Because life is filled with negative people and situations does not mean the believer should be negative. Even in the garden with weeds, I farm in my Gracious Father’s field!

 

• Your attitude is the tint you apply to the windshield of your life. You see through it according to the tint – and respond to what you see.

 

• There is very little that distinguishes one person from another that is not easily changed – hair color, shape, dress. The one thing that can make the person stand out is there attitude!

 

• Attitude is one of the smallest differences with the biggest impact on people.

 

• Attitude is perhaps the most important governing factor to how someone handles adversity!

 

 

Seven Rules to Keep Your Attitude UP!

Rule #1: You are in God’s hand! See it in the perspective of God’s Control. Note: “The Lord gave” (1:1-2). In the year 605 the capital city of my people was besieged (1:1) and we lost the battle (1:2a). My king was taken into captivity (1:2).

 

Life is out of our control. A man who battled cancer for two years testified: "The things that matter the most to us in life are the things we control the very least." Someone else said: "Life is meant to bring us a succession of experiences to show us our need of Christ." The object of Daniel’s faith was the always present, powerful, knowing, and changeless God.

 

Rule #2: Collect the knowledge you need to navigate. You will get along better if you understand the situation well and comprehend the actual conditions you are under and what you are expected to do (1:3-7). Assume that EVERY PERSON can teach you something and you can learn important information in EVERY SITUATION!

 

Your identity isn’t found in your outward symbols – church, dress, name…The truth is inside you! They cannot take that away from you. Look at the names of them men that were changed in Daniel 1:6 “Daniel – (God is my judge), Hananiah, (the Lord has been gracious), Mishael, (The one who comes form God), and Azariah (The Lord is my helper). The chief official gave them Babylonian names: to Daniel, Belteshazzar (the secret of their God Bel), to Hananiah, Shadrach (“the inspiration of the sun god”, To Mishael, Meshach (he who belongs to the goddess Sheshach.) and to Azariah, Abednego (servant of Nego - the morning star). They could have changed characters with the change of their names, but they understood they were still the same men. Dress up a duck and it is still a duck!

 

"

Life is a shipwreck but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats". ~Voltaire

 

Rule #3: Try to work in the system. Make up your mind that you will stand for God with a positive voice as He enables you and then attempt to work in the system to accomplish the task (1:8).

 

It's so hard when I have to, and so easy when I want to. ~Annie Gottlier

 

If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it. ~Mary Engelbreit

 

The Missionary Hudson Taylor demonstrated faith and inner calm in a challenging situation in 1853, when young Hudson Taylor was making his first voyage to China. His ship was delayed near New Guinea because the winds had stopped. A rapid current was carrying the ship toward some reefs and the situation was becoming dangerous. Even the sailors using a longboat could not row the vessel out of the current. “We have done everything that can be done,” said the captain to Taylor . But Taylor replied, “No, there is one thing we have not done yet.” There were three other believers on the ship, and Taylor suggested that each retire to his own cabin and pray for a breeze. They did, and while he was at prayer, Taylor received confidence from God that the desperately needed wind would be sent. He went up on deck and suggested to the first officer, an unbeliever, that he let down the mainsail because a breeze was on its way. The man refused, but then they saw the corner of the sail begin to stir. The breeze had come! They let down the sail and in a short time were on their way!

 

Rule #4: Don’t get self centered. When you have success, remember it is God who gave it to you. (1:9).

 

After a forest fire in Yellowstone National Park, forest rangers began their trek-up a mountain to assess the inferno’s damage. One ranger found a bird literally petrified in ashes, perched statuesquely on the ground at the base of a tree. Somewhat sickened by the eerie sight, he knocked over the bird with a stick. When he struck it, three tiny chicks scurried from under their dead mother’s wings. God will take you through the fire under His wings. (sermon central illustrations - unattributed).

 

Rule #5: Be sympathetic to the other side without giving in on truth. Listen with understanding to the fears of the ungodly (1:10). Meet them half way if there is something you can do that with (1:11-16)

 

Rule #6: Choose time with positive people and doing positive things. People that are engaged in growth and life are invigorating and get better opportunities to be used of God (1:17-19).Keep people, words and activities that help you stay up in your sight!

 

• Think big thoughts but relish small pleasures. ~H. Jackson Brown, Jr., Life's Little Instruction Book

 

• Whenever you fall, pick something up. ~Oswald Avery

 

Rule #7: Work out your giftedness and stay at your post for God (1:20-21). Daniel was taken in 606, but stayed in the work until 537 – nearly 70 years later!

 

Nothing contributes so much to tranquilize the mind as a steady purpose - a point on which the soul may fix its intellectual eye. ~Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Frankenstein, 1818

 

 

Because life is filled with negative people and situations does not mean the believer should be negative.

 

Life is great. Don't let circumstances and society fool you into believing it's not. ~Adabella Radici

Missed Opportunity: “Choosing Door Number Two” - 2 Kings 8:16-9:37

When I was a child, Monte Hall used to host a TV show called "Let's Make a Deal!" The idea was that a series of choices were placed in front of a contestant and they could choose the best prize or the worst one, but they couldn't see the prize until after they chose. In some ways, life is very much like that!

Key Principle: Choices we make often take a lifetime to show themselves as victorious moves of God or tragedies of selfishness.

The Players (8:16-17):

Jehoram of Israel: The story opens with a wicked king in Israel named Jehoram, also called Joram. They both are the same name – “God is great” or literally “God is lifted up”. He was the son of the legendary apostates - King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. We’ve met them before in our continued study back in the ending chapters of 1 Kings. Jezebel married Ahab and brought an onslaught of state sponsored Baal worship and publically funded pagan priests unlike anything Israel had ever seen before (1 Kings 16). Ahab joined in the revelry and built altars with as his own show of support (16:32). Elijah’s stand against the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18) brought the wrath of Jezebel that threatened the life of Elijah (1 Kings 19). Jezebel’s plotting that killed an innocent Naboth to gain his property for Ahab brought out the prophecy of Elijah once more. That curse of God in 1 Kings 21:20-23 is a key feature of our story. God pronounced doom to Ahab’s household – they were all living on borrowed time. Ahab died in battle (1 Kings 22), but Jezebel was still alive and well, and Ahab’s son sat on the throne…Here we are in 2 Kings 8, a full five years after Jehoram has taken his father’s throne (8:16). The time clock on the curse is counting down. Dogs haven’t eaten Jezebel yet, and there is still a son of the Omride Dynasty on the throne…but that would end soon. You should hear theme music playing softly in the background… this king is a marked man.

Jehoram of Judah (alias “JJ”): Into the middle of 8:16 a new man enters our story, the son of Jehosophat – who happens to be called Jehoram as well. We’ll call him “JJ” for “Jehoram of Judah” just to keep them straight! JJ was 32 when he took the throne of Judah (8:17) – old enough to know NOT to do what he was about to do. So much for age…  JJ was a Judahite king, but he acted like an Israelite king. He took after Ahab, not after his father Jehosophat. Despite having a pretty good dad, he decided – like many do – to emulate the evil people that looked like they were having more fun. It is interesting how JJ bought into the lie, because he didn’t understand that Ahab’s family was living on borrowed time.

Bad Seeds Planted (8:18-23):

Wrong pals: In fact, JJ bought into the scene so much that he joined the family! 2 Kings 8:18 explains his first big mistake, that he walked like an Israelite “because” of the marriage into the family. He joined a doomed family that looked like they were really going places… (and they were!).

All he did was marry a girl. After all, that was only a natural desire…”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.

Once we assuage our conscience by calling something a "necessary evil," it begins to look more and more necessary and less and less evil. - Sidney J. Harris.

Wrong assessments: This early in the story we read the HEART of the whole problem. JJ made a choice. He wanted Athaliah to be his queen. He wanted to mimic the world’s worst family and mirror their apparent success. He compounded the problem of the wrong choice with a second mistake – he misread God’s patience in the success of his early reign. He thought he was doing well, when God was simply holding back on judgment unwilling to remove David’s house over an old promise (2 Kings 8:19).

When we get away with wrong, we grow more emboldened to continue along in our way. It is in the nature of fallen man to assume God’s patience is some lack on His part (2 Peter 1). It has always proven to be a critical error on the part of those who hold it.

Dr. Ralph Sockman writes about an experience he had while standing on the edge of Niagra Falls one clear, cold March day. Wrapped in white winter garments, the falls glistened in the bright sun. As some birds swooped down to snatch a drink from the clear water, Sockman's companion told how he had seen birds carried over the edge of the precipice. As they dipped down for a drink, tiny droplets of ice would form on their wings. As they returned for additional drinks more ice would weigh down their bodies until they couldn't rise above the cascading waters. Flapping their wings, the birds would suddenly drop over the falls. Today in the Word, October, 1990, p. 14.

Wrong conclusions: JJ made a third mistake. He didn’t notice the fragmentation that God was allowing in the kingdom in an attempt to drive JJ to his knees and His God.

First, Edom revolted and set a king on the throne of their own kingdom (8:20). That cut off trade routes from the southeast and affected the economy in an untenable way, so King JJ went of to take them on. Then the problem got worse! His men abandoned their posts in the midst of a fight, and JJ barely escaped with his life, getting whopped on the field of battle (8:21). That never plays well in the hometown papers! Second, emboldened by the Edomite revolt, Libnah revolted, and King JJ was watching his kingdom come apart from under his beautiful throne (8:22-23).

JJ died a man with broken dreams and bad choices. But that wasn’t the end of the story. It never is. When he chose to intertwine his life with a condemned and despicable family, he placed that curse on his children, and on his nation. History is changed by compromises and bad choices. Remember, choices we make often take a lifetime to show themselves as victorious moves of God or tragedies of selfishness.

I live in a small, rural community. There are lots of cattle ranches around here, and, every once in a while, a cow wanders off and gets lost . . . Ask a rancher how a cow gets lost, and chances are he will reply, 'Well, the cow starts nibbling on a tuft of green grass, and when it finishes, it looks ahead to the next tuft of green grass and starts nibbling on that one, and then it nibbles on a tuft of grass right next to a hole in the fence. It then sees another tuft of green grass on the other side of the fence, so it nibbles on that one and then goes on to the next tuft. The next thing you know, the cow has nibbled itself into being lost." Americans are in the process of nibbling their way to being lost. . . We keep moving from one tuft of activity to another, never noticing how far we have gone from home or how far away from the truth we have managed to end up. Mike Yaconelli, "The Wittenburg Door."

The Slanted Tree Grows (8:24-29):

1. Wrong Links (8:24-27): Enter the 22 year old Ahaziah (held by God), the son of “JJ the entangler” in 2 Kings 8:24-26. He was a nephew of the king of Israel, Jehoram. His mother was Athaliah, a practical clone of Jezebel! The Biblical commentary on the reign of Ahaziah was simply rendered: “He did evil in the sight of the Lord, like grandpa Ahab had done… wait for it… BECAUSE he was a son-in law of the (insert CONDEMNED AND WAITING FOR JUDGMENT) house of Ahab!” (8:27).

Time-lapse photography compresses a series of events into one picture. Such a photo appeared in an issue of National Geographic. Taken from a Rocky Mountain peak during a heavy thunderstorm, the picture captured the brilliant lightning display that had taken place throughout the storm's duration. The time-lapse technique created a fascinating, spaghetti-like web out of the individual bolts. In such a way, our sin presents itself before the eyes of God. Where we see only isolated or individual acts, God sees the overall web of our sinning. What may seem insignificant -- even sporadic -- to us and passes with hardly a notice creates a much more dramatic display from God's panoramic viewpoint. The psalmist was right when he wrote, "Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. Keep back your servant from presumptuous sins" (Psalm 19:12-13).

2. Wrong Priorities (8:28): Entangled up to his neck at home, Ahaziah found himself on the wrong side of a battle with the Arameans – not because Judah had much to gain, but because his uncle wanted his army. Daddy JJ signed him up for the entangled family, and now he was fighting for the north INSTEAD of bringing Moab and Libnah back into the family of his own nation! (8:28).

3. Wrong Place, Wrong Time (8:29): Chapter eight closes with Uncle Joram, king of Israel pulled off the field of battle and wounded with his nephew Ahaziah, sitting to comfort his wounded family (8:29). Ahaziah never saw coming the terrible events of chapter nine. He was set up by the accommodations of his father as well as his own poor choices to follow the wrong people.

It is worth remembering that the cost of Adam and Eve’s small sin was the lostness of mankind. The jealousy of Cain poisoned his soul into the first murder. The smutty mouth of Noah’s son Ham brought a curse on the nation of Canaan. The rebellious building of Babel brought the confounding of language. The failure of Abraham to lead his family brought about countless deaths in Near East conflict… all that and we aren’t out of the first book of the Bible!

A young woman told me, “When my father deserted us, I didn’t just lose my dad. I lost my mom too, because she had to work two jobs and I hardly ever saw her.” The effect on this young woman has been lifelong. (Pat Morley)

Bad Harvest (9:1-29):

Ignorance of God’s Word (9:1-10): When Ahaziah divorced himself from God’s people and chose to hang out with his lost uncle (who long since dismissed any tie to Elisha and the prophets) he snubbed any connection to a warning. God’s prophet was prompted to send a student prophet to the army at Ramoth-gilead and seek out a commander in the field office (9:1). The messenger was to deliver the “God chose you” message personally, then head for the exit quickly! (9:2-3). The student delivered the message just as he was told! (9:3-10). When God acted, it was totally outside the view of those who were about to get their judgment. They had no clue. They sat in their veranda recuperating as if God couldn’t see where they were. Funny they chose the Palace at Jezreel!

God said it all before, but Uncle Jehoram didn’t believe it and nephew Ahaziah didn’t know it. When dad chose to align himself with evil, he BLINDED HIS CHILD to the truth. That is part of the tragedy of rejection in one generation – it blinds the next, binding them to a judgment…. The sins of the fathers…

“THE CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN OF SINFUL FATHERS START THEIR LIVES UNDER SERIOUS ADVANTAGES. THE VICIOUS LIVES OF THEIR PARENTS WOULD HAVE SOWN IN THEM THE SEEDS BOTH OF PHYSICAL AND MORAL EVIL, THEY WOULD COMMONLY BE BROUGHT UP IN WRONG COURSES OF LIFE, HAVE THEIR MORAL SENSE EARLY PERVERTED, AND SO SUFFER FOR THEIR PARENTS’ FAULTS. IT IS THEREFORE VERY DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO RISE OUT OF THEIR UNHAPPY CONDITION.” -THE PULPIT COMMENTARY-

A Move from the Answer to the Problem (9:11-26): Jehu went into a battle to defend his king. His friends were all servants of Jehoram (9:11-12). They would have died for Jehoram. He was the king, and he was their master. As the prophecy was unfolded, Jehu realized that he was appointed by God to be the vehicle to remove the king. The king began as the ANSWER to the persecution of the Arameans and returned blessing on the land from war and strife. Now the king was the PROBLEM! We either work WITH GOD or AGAINST GOD in the lives of those around us. If we ignore a relationship with Him, we force others to trip over our sin, and to clean up after our messes. We aren’t their hope, we are their problem.

False Trust in Accomplices (9:27-37): Because there is no honor among thieves, it is impossible to know WHO TO TRUST when you decide not to walk with God. Ahaziah found himself very trapped and paid with his life (9:27-28). Jezebel thought she could trust the people of her palace, but ended up on the ground (9:29-37). The relatives of Ahaziah thought they could trust Jehu to make a treaty with them (10:13), but they were all killed (10:14).

· Who pays when I sin? If I am a member of nation, my sin makes others, who have not been guilty, stumble and fall. There were thirty-six men who died as a result of the sin of Achan.

· Who pays when I sin? If I am a member of a congregation – all of them may suffer for that sin. Paul told Corinth the unrepentant caused all of them harm (1 Cor. 5:6-7).

· Who pays when I sin? If I have family members, the Bible says they may pay. Consider how a father paid in the story of Joseph’s brothers selling him into slavery (Gen. 37:28). How his father cried for him! Consider how the brother, Joseph had to work as a slave in Egypt, spend his life in a foreign land.

· Who pays when I sin? If I am child, public sin may cause shame and disgrace to my parents and ruin the good name of my family. The weight of the tremendous pain and tears may break their heart and their health (Did not David say this of Absalom?}

· Who pays when I sin? If I have a spouse, I must acknowledge that many a spouse has had to pay the price for the sin of the mate. Where is the love and respect of 1 Peter 3:7?

· Who pays when I sin? Ultimately, the Lamb of God pays - JESUS CHRIST, the innocent Son of God had to die for my sins (Rom. 5:8; 2Cor. 5:21;Isaiah 53).

Choices we make often take a lifetime or more to show themselves as victorious moves of God or tragedies of selfishness. We know inside if we are not walking with Him. Others will know the truth in time!  There is a difference between you and a contestant on “Let’s Make a Deal”... You can know when a series of choices are placed in front of you – which is the best prize or the worst one. It is your choice. Just remember… it affects more than JUST YOU!

Following God's Way: "Uncommon Answers" - 2 Timothy 4:1-5

Art Linkletter used to host the show, "Kids say the Darndest Things". He parlayed that into a number of books. All of them came from the same premise: Ask a child a question, and his answer will come from the mysterious store of his own understanding. Sometimes they completely got the idea of the question wrong! The truth is, in life, so do we...

Key Principle: Since “life comes at you fast”, having a firm grasp of the basic skills you will need to navigate life is essential.

Paul was running out of time to say to Tim what he most wanted to say. Tim had been at the job long enough to see what was and was not working, but he needed a second pair of eyes on his life (as we all do) to help him see what he was not getting right. Paul’s Instructions were:

1. Understand You are Accountable (4:1): 2 Timothy 4:1 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:" (NASB)

Paul opened this short series of closing instructions to his final letter recorded in Scripture with the truth that Timothy was under authority --“I charge you”. Timothy needed to know that he was accountable to both Paul’s authority (4;1) and “presence of God”-- God’s authority (4:1b).

Principle: I must know I am not MINE. As long as I believe I am in charge of my own destiny, and can run my own life apart from the constant watchful eye of both my partners in life and my God, I am destined to fail God’s purpose for me… period.

2. Don’t hide your foundation (4:2a): “preach the word…”

Because Timothy’s function in the Body of Messiah was to be a teacher to the Bible study leaders that made up the house churches of a whole city, Paul addressed another direct call for him to “DO HIS JOB”. At the same time, every believer is called to model the truth before the world. The command to “preach the Word” includes the verb “kerudzon”: which is to ‘publicly cry out in order to persuade with’. Our lives should model both truth and a positive perspective to life that people are drawn to Jesus. Take God’s word and thoroughly proclaim its message. Never depend on your own message imposed on the text but allow the Holy Spirit to speak the point GOD had in the text – faithfully given through you. Preach the actual Word not just from books and quotes about the word.

Principle: If we lift him up properly, Jesus will draw men to Himself. If no one wants what we have, we might begin to ask the question, “Do I have a life that reflects who God really is?”

It is easy for us to become unbalanced and portray only “one facet” of God’s nature. We can become judgmental and share with everyone that they are “getting what they deserve”. Though that may be true, that doesn’t express the GRACE of the Lord. At the same time, we may share the love of God with others and never express a frank comment about their agreement with error that is sowing the seeds of their destruction. That isn’t God’s kind of love – that is sentimentalism that won’t help the person when tragedy strikes and they ask, “Did you see this coming?”

The Word of God includes instruction, modeling and encouragement. It houses truth that cuts me, and truth that heals me. Sometimes I need surgery, sometimes I need a hug. When I share truth with others I have to remember they are like that as well. My life should reflect truth in all its facets – and not just one or two.

3. Grasp the Bigger Picture of Truth 4:2b “be ready in season and out of season…”

In addition to the command to make sure Tim was sharing the Word, there was a flag of caution that Paul added. He said to “be ready” whether it seemed in season or not, to share the Word with people. When Paul said “be ready”, he used the term “ephistemi”, which means ‘to stand upon’. The idea was not simply to make sure he was prepared, but rather to TAKE HIS STAND on the Word. It is possible that even a man of God could make his stand on his own preferences and opinions. Never let the turning away from the truth by people affect your teaching it.

In addition, Paul warned that there would be “seasons” of the truth – times when some tantalizing tidbit would become the focus of the masses. The idea of “in season” or out of season is taken from the Greek word “eukairos” a word that is compound of “in time” which was meant to say ‘opportunely or conveniently’.

Principle: The bigger picture is NOT just what is HOT today, but standing with the truth taught broadly and systematically delivered over the longer span that will train us to become what we need to be. Fads come and go. They aren’t wrong, but they aren’t necessary if people are learning the whole context of God’s truth. You can chase them, but the temptation will be to become imbalanced.

4. Don’t just know WHAT the tool is for but HOW to use it: 4:2b: “…reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.“

I heard recently a Pastor share this passage and he noted something I have to share with you, because I thought he said it so well. He said we must communicate the Bible specifically, prophetically, expectantly, patiently and intelligently. I want to show you in Scripture what he was saying (I wish I could remember who taught this!).

There are three TIMES we apply truth, and three WAYS we present it:

Reprove (elegcho - el-eng'-kho: to convict, tell a fault, explain what underlying belief has been wrongly accepted.) We need to We’re also to communicate the Bible specifically. The word "correct" here means "to show someone what they are doing is wrong." This can only be done when we communicate the Bible in very specific ways.

(Haddon Robinson, Making A Difference in Preaching p. 93). In a town many years ago that revolved around the lumber business The town decided that they to hire a new pastor for the town church. One day, the new pastor saw some of his church members dragging logs which had floated down the river from another village upstream. Each log was marked with the owner’s stamp on the end of the log, much like a cattle brand. But to his dismay, this pastor saw his church members sawing off the ends of the logs where the owners stamp appeared. That Sunday the pastor preached a sermon on the commandment, "Thou shalt not steal." After the sermon people said, "Great sermon pastor" and "mighty fine preaching." But the next week they were back to stealing logs. So the next Sunday the pastor preached the same sermon, but he ended the sermon by saying, "And thou shalt not cut off the end of thy neighbor’s logs." When he finished that sermon they ran him out of town. Now I don’t know if that’s a true story or not, but it does illustrate the need to communicate the Bible specifically.

Rebuke (epitimao - ep-ee-tee-mah'-o: to censure or forbid). We also need to communicate the Bible prophetically. The word "rebuke" is "to express strong disapproval about something." Most of the Biblical prophets didn’t spend a lot of time “making predictions” but openly stating truth against the grain of their culture’s value system. The fallen culture has impacted and infected all of us, and we need to be courageous to communicate the whole Bible - including those aspects that disapprove of our culture’s values. We need to be careful always to speak in love, but to speak. We cannot simply roll over in the ever growing darkness of our world. We must rebuke prophetically – and that will always cause some to conclude we are “too negative”. The important thing is to keep your focus on whether you are being harsh because you are upset, or if you are speaking truth from a broken heart for poor choices.

Exhort (parakaleo: to call near, to invite and give comfort) ALL with great patience and with a view to training! We also need to communicate the Bible expectantly. As we encourage, we should anticipate that some will respond to the message.

Don’t forget – all three presentations must be in the context of communicating the Bible patiently. We find this in the phrase "with great patience." Sometimes we can be tempted to give up on people when they don’t get it the first time. We can get irritated when people don’t respond to a biblical principle the first time they hear about it.

In addition to patiently, we are told to use the Bible for INSTRUCTION (didache: instruction or authoritative answer). We need to communicate the Bible intelligently. We communicate the Bible intelligently when we not only show people what the Bible means and how it applies, but also why the Bible makes the claims that it does. Some people believe that thinking deeply is somehow unspiritual, forgetting that the Bible tells us to not only love God with all our hearts but also with all our minds.

I was shopping for illustrations for a teaching I had to do in the first message on Jehu killing off Ahab’s family in 2 Kings 9. I found only a few messages on the text I was getting ready to preach, but one particularly intrigued me. A Pastor was using the text of 2 Kings 9:20 that says: “The watchman reported, "He came even to them, and he did not return; and the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously." He decided to preach on the evils of drunk driving from this text! He evidently thought this was appropriate, but didn’t take into consideration that the text had no drinking in it, and that Jehu was fulfilling a mission from God. By that method, I could prove that “furious driving” was actually an act of a godly man on a great mission – the very opposite of the truth he was preaching. Communicating bits and pieces of the Bible rather than communicating the whole Bible intelligently is devastating to our outreach across the country. We must be committed to communicating the whole Bible in its context and in its timeless truths!

5. Remain calm in the storm (4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.”

• Defection from truth is a Reality: We shouldn’t be surprised that error will become very popular – the “time will come”. Note he didn’t say “might come”. God chooses His words very carefully.

 

• Defection from truth can be Recognized: People “will not endure” is an interesting idea in the original language. After the negative “will not” is the word “anechomai”: to hold oneself up against, to forbear, suffer. “sound doctrine” the phrase that means “healthy instruction”. In other words, the time was coming when people would simply NOT HOLD THEMSELVES ACCOUNTABLE TO TEACHING THAT IS HEALTHY(“hugiaino”: healthy and wholesome, plus the word “didaskalia”: instruction or teaching).

 

• Defection from truth has a Reason: Note what happens next. First, people reject the hearing of the truth. Next, they seek out someone who will tell them a LIE that matches their inner desires to do the things that God has said wilol hurt them and violate His holy plan (epithumia: longing or burning to do that which God has forbidden).

 

George Barna writes, “To the average American, truth is relative to one’s values and circumstances. Only one out of every four adults- and even fewer teenagers- believe that there is such a thing as absolute moral truth.” Barna suggests that this disregard for truth “may be the single most intense threat to the health of the United States and its people.” Barna goes on give the implications of a disregard for the truth: “Without absolute moral truth, there can be no right and wrong. Without right and wrong, there is no such thing as sin. Without sin, there can be no such thing as judgment and no such thing as condemnation. If there is no condemnation, there is no need for a Savior.”

Why tell us these things? God wanted to EXPLAIN the events so that His Word contained a prophetic record. He didn’t leave us in the dark wondering, “Am I following a myth if many or most go the other way?” He told us to SECURE OUR HEARTS in a time when that defection seems huge and rampant. Don’t worry! He knew it would come!

6. Carefully plot a direction forward to the goal (4:5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

The idea of being “sober” is taken from nepho: to abstain from wine or (figuratively) be watchful and alert in all the things happening. I keep running into people who think the best way to answer the defections from truth both in the church and the society are to IGNORE THEM and pretend they aren’t happening. That won’t help. The Greek term for a person “disconnected” from the issues was “IDIOTES”. Paul says, “Tim – don’t be an idiot!” You do not have to be consumed by the enemy to recognize his hand in what is going on. Ignoring it won’t make it go away. Losing your positive grip won’t effectively fight him! What do I do then?

Paul mentions three specific areas to work out the problem:

Endure hardship: “kakopatheo” is a one word phrase meaning “undergo trouble”. Paul isn’t wishing tough times on Tim, he is saying that Tim needs to set his mind on PASSING THROUGH THE STORM. We naturally avoid troubles and try to do only what we see is urgent. Like Tim, we tend to be lazy about many important areas of our work. There is a difference between putting off some issues to deal systematically and putting off because we don’t want to do the hard thing. We must STOP putting energy into AVOIDING issues God has called us to deal with.

Do the work of an evangelist: Paul tells Tim to work at (poieo) the hard toil (ergon) of preaching persuasively to those who are lost (euaggelistes: a preacher of the gospel or evangelist). Tim found other things to do then to focus on working at the GIFTS God gave him to do his part of the work on the field. We are masters at focusing on other people’s works and their ineffectiveness while our own house is burning! We want to remove specks in others while logs hang in the eyes of our own lives. We must START focusing all our energy on using our giftedness to the fullest!

Fulfill your ministry: Paul told Time to stick to the GOAL God had placed in front of him (“plerophoreo” is entirely accomplish your “diakonia” or area of service). Tim wanted to CHANGE to something that would feel new and different than the work he had. We all get “antsy” sometimes to move on, because the work of dealing with people is at times arduous. Commitment over the long haul yields the best results. “Short term yardage keeps you in the game, but wastes a lot of time on the clock.”

In 1968, Tanzania chose John Stephen Akhwari to represent them in the Mexico City Olympics. Along the way as he ran, he stumbled and fell, severely injuring both his knee and ankle. It was 7 PM and a runner from Ethiopia had won the race. Everyone else had finished and there were only a few thousand spectators left in the huge arena. All of a sudden a police siren caught every-one’s attention. Limping through the gate came 36 year old Akhwari with his leg wrapped in a bloody bandage. The people cheered. A reporter at the gate asked him the question that was on everyone’s mind: “Why continue the race after being so badly injured?” He replied, “My country did not send me 7000 miles to begin a race; they sent me to finish a race” (sermon central illustrations)

One Pastor preached that "the things that would make Tim an effective pastor are also things that can make us effective believers in our community and in our church." We need to see it clearly. People who are effective for God are known for:

What They Know (2 Timothy 4:1): I belong to Him and I am accountable for this life!

What They Communicate (2 Timothy 4:2): The truth is found in His Word and I want to live it! I don’t want to run around and dabble from place to place looking for the “hottest truth”. I want to grow under systematic teaching and learn how to use God’s truth in my daily life!

What They Refuse (2 Timothy 4:3-4) I know my heart will resist truth when it causes discomfort. I refuse to let comfort rule me, and push me to use religion to justify my own wants and desires. I will settle down and stop looking for someone to scratch my ears.

What They Focus On (2 Timothy 4:5): I will stop avoiding the hard stuff, buckle down and work my gifts to His glory and accomplish God’s list for my life.

Key Principle: Since “life comes at you fast”, having a firm grasp of the basic skills you will need to navigate life is essential.

“The Truth About Walking Wisely!” - Ephesians 5:15-33

When I was in grade school - about one hundred years ago (it seems), there was a movie called “Walking Tall”. It was about Buford Pusser, a wrestler, whose wife wanted him to settle down. He moved back to his home town in Tennessee and planned to get into business with his father. He was shocked when he discovered all sorts of graft, corruption and racketeering that was going on in the small town. He decided to run against the corrupt sheriff and won, which started his own little war against the crooked infrastructure of the town. He cleaned up the corruption with some violent scenes including a “two by four” over his shoulder. He was a lawman... He walked tall.

In Ephesians 5:15 we are faced with the Biblical injunction to “Walk Wisely”. Though we don't get to thrash around with big pieces of wood and break things, we do discover there is a corruption under the surface of what we see. In fact, we are told to battle it as Buford Pusser did – but this time in the emotional and spiritual world of our own hearts and impulses.

Key Principle: Walking wisely is setting my focus on pleasing God and serving His eternal purposes for me by learning what pleases Him in every area of life!

I have to tell you that by my estimation, men are neither walking tall nor walking wisely in our day, so this is a time we need to make a clarion call to men in our homes! Today in American society, and in the church much the same thing is happening – both because of a prolonged exposure to a misguided culture and because of a “felt needs” pulpit pablum... wisdom, real Biblical wisdom about practical life in our homes is slowly getting smaller and smaller until there are few real homes left.

Wives complain that far too many men have become detached and passive in their relationships with their spouse, their children and their Lord (not in that order!) Men increasingly abdicate leadership; they cease showing initiative, and they avoid taking responsibility. Our culture is elevating men that run away from the commitment of a wife or a child, a mortgage or and routinely renege on promises made to their boss, their family and their Lord.

Here are the statistics as they relate to one issue – the lack of dads:

·25 million children (36.3%) do not live with their fathers.
·40% of children in fatherless homes have not seen their father in at least 1 year.
·50% of children who live without their fathers have never stepped foot in their father’s home.
·63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes
·85% of children that exhibit behavior disorders are from fatherless homes
·80% of rapists are from fatherless homes
·71% of high school drop outs are from fatherless homes
·75% of all adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers are from fatherless homes
·70% of juveniles in state operated institutions come from fatherless homes
·85% of youths in prison are from fatherless homes
·70% of teen pregnancies are from fatherless homes
·72% of Americans polled recently said the physical absence of fathers is the most serious problem facing America’s families.

Men are not just missing, THEY are also hurting. Modern life is taking a toll on modern man:

·88% of drunk drivers are men.
·83% of people arrested for serious crimes are men.
·85% of all murders are committed by men.
·A man is 25 times more likely to end up in state prison.
·Men are more likely to have ulcers, and to die from cancer, pneumonia,liver disease, strokes, hardening of the arteries and heart failure.
·75% of all suicides are men.

The home, the church and the nation are in trouble, but the story isn't over yet... God gets to weigh in! We can get WISE to the problems and walk well in spite of them.  What is Walking Wisely?

Ephesians 5:15-16 says “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise - making the most of your time, because the days are evil.” (NAS) Look at the Greek terms closely:  “Regard (blepete) therefore (soun) how (pos) circumspectly (akribos) you walk around (peripateite), not (me) in the manner (hos) of unwise (asophoi) but conversely (all') how (hos) wise (sophoi) walk. Buy back the time (exagoradzomenoi ton kairon) because (hoti) the times (hai hemerai) morally deficient (ponerai) are (eisin).”

If we take apart the words of the original Greek sentence, five important statements rise to the surface!

1.Walking wise is intense! (Blepete is “be careful” in NAS): Living life wisely before the Lord will require intensity and focus. “Random” is not a feature of a godly life!

When I was a boy, my father, a baker, introduced me to the wonders of song,” tenor Luciano Pavarotti relates. “He urged me to work very hard to develop my voice. Arrigo Pola, a professional tenor in my hometown of Modena, Italy, took me as a pupil. I also enrolled in a teachers college. On graduating, I asked my father, ‘Shall I be a teacher or a singer?’ “‘Luciano,’ my father replied, ‘if you try to sit on two chairs, you will fall between them. For life, you must choose one chair.’ “I chose one. It took seven years of study and frustration before I made my first professional appearance. It took another seven to reach the Metropolitan Opera. And now I think whether it’s laying bricks, writing a book—whatever we choose—we should give ourselves to it. Commitment, that’s the key. Choose one chair.” Guideposts

Golf immortal Arnold Palmer recalls a lesson about overconfidence: It was the final hole of the 1961 Masters tournament, and I had a one-stroke lead and had just hit a very satisfying tee shot. I felt I was in pretty good shape. As I approached my ball, I saw an old friend standing at the edge of the gallery. He motioned me over, stuck out his hand and said, “Congratulations.” I took his hand and shook it, but as soon as I did, I knew I had lost my focus. On my next two shots, I hit the ball into a sand trop, then put it over the edge of the green. I missed a putt and lost the Masters. You don’t forget a mistake like that; you just learn from it and become determined that you will never do that again. I haven’t in the 30 years since. Carol Mann, The 19th Hole (Longmeadow), quoted in Reader’s Digest

2. Walking as wise is tricky: Walking must be accomplished in a circumspect way (akribos). It is like a circus acrobat who must concentrate on where the trapeze is so that he catches it at the right time. There are things you will need to observe and learn, and there are strategies to be employed to walk successfully.

When it comes to being on the alert and ready at any moment to do the job, it’s hard to beat the Pony Express. This historically famous mail service between St. Joseph, Missouri, and California depended on constant movement and readiness. Relay stations were established every ten to fifteen miles. A rider would shout aloud as he approached a station, giving the station master very short notice that he needed to be outside waiting with a fresh mount. Even when a rider came to the station where he was to spend the night, another rider was already mounted and waiting, ready to grab the first rider’s bundle of packages and continue the trip...When you hear that, do you get the feeling there was an intensity and focus in that organization?

3. Walking wise is unusual: The unwise (aspohos) are mentioned before the wise because there are so many of them. The call of the disciple of Jesus is to swim upstream in life, acting on the impulses of the Word – not of the crowd. The compass must always be set on the Finisher of the faith, not the crowd in the stands!

The opposite of wisdom is folly, meaning the short-term self-indulgence which marks out the person who doesn’t think about long-term priorities and goals but lives on a day-to-day basis, asking, “What is the most fun thing to do now?” --Your Father Loves You by James Packer, (Harold Shaw Publishers, 1986), page for July 5.

Running red lights is the No. 1 cause of car crashes in American cities. Annual cost to society: $7 billion in damages, medical bills, and lost work time. The average amount of time saved by running a red light is 50 seconds. – U. S. Department of Transportation, quoted in MSC Health Action News, January, 1996

4. Walking wise is possible: We are commanded to walk “conversely” (all') because we are enabled to do so. Marriages among believers DON'T HAVE TO FAIL – even when faced with the same set of circumstances as the world. Children don't HAVE to walk away. Parents do HAVE to lose it in the home.

5. Walking wise is urgent: We are called to face the fact that time is slipping away fast and the moral deficiency of the day can easily overtake us! There is no time to lose. In fact, we have to buy up the days we have left, because we have wasted some of our lives on the same pursuits as those around us!

How Do I walk wisely? Six statements offer the HOW to the command. I walk wisely when..

1. I learn what God's will is (5:17).
2. I do not allow other things to dominate my clear thinking (5:18).
3. I allow the Spirit access to all of me (5:8b).
4. I make my life about other people and encouraging them (5:19).
5. I work on my heart and its contentment and happiness (5:19b-20).
6. I revere Jesus and place myself under others (5:21).

How does this apply to the family?

1. Wives place themselves under the husbands – to do it for Jesus, obedience to His instruction, and for the sake of His Divine illustration (5:22-24).

2. Husbands love wives – for the sake of Jesus' illustration (5:25-27) and because she was taken from him (5:28-29, in submission to the creative place of the woman.

3. The family relationships are to show eternal truths (5:30-33).

Walking wisely is setting my focus on pleasing God and serving His eternal purposes for me by learning what pleases Him in every area of life!

Following God's Way: "The Uncommon Insight" - 2 Timothy 3

Peering through the darkness on the hillside, it was impossible to see anything with the naked eye. The hill was mined, and the enemy was everywhere. One soldier was cut off, and desperately struggling to find his platoon and a way out of there. Hope was slipping away until the sound of his drill sergeant began to capture his heart. "Use the goggles", the shouted during training years earlier. These high tech goggles allowed him to see what others could not - infra-red showed the body heat of others on the hill. Now he could see what they could not...

Key Principle: The spiritual battle against the darkness is real. The casualties are real. The war is on... But as a believer you have the ability to peer into the darkness. You can see life from the perspective of the Lord of Heaven who is set to win the battle!

The Word Explains the Cycle of Truth (3:1)
 
3:1 “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come...” Believers and shepherds are forewarned - During the period of the “last days” the truth will be less welcomed at some points than others (3:1). The term “difficult times” I the Greek term “Chalepos”: hard to do, to take, to approach. It likely comes from the verb “Chalao”: to loosen, slacken, relax or to let down from a higher place to a lower. In other words, times will come when because of the loosening of the standards and adherence to truth, it will be hard to live among people in the world. Though it does not say in this verse that it gets “worse and worse and then Jesus comes” the implication that the waves become more severe with time is found in 3:13 “from bad to worse”. It says that during this whole era, there will be cycles in which the truth will be held in low regard!

The Word reveals the character of darkness (3:2-5):

3:2 “For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. “ The most important thing when entering a mine field is to learn how to AVOID (arneomai ar-neh'-om-ahee: to contradict, i.e. disavow, reject, abnegate -- deny, refuse) THEM (3:5b). We don't try to just keep away. We point out the dangers to those who follow us!

During the times of low regard for the truth, men will have characteristics that we can observe and prepare to live in the midst of- Note the words of the NASB followed by the Greek term and its meaning:

They are "Lovers of self": (phil-autos) love self;  "Lovers of money": (Phil-arguros) love shining (as in coins);  "Boastful": (Aladzon) empty braggard;  "Arrogant": (huperephanos) appearing above others (conspicuous), i.e. (figuratively) haughty -- proud;  "Revilers": (Blasphemos) slanderous;  "Disobedient to parents" (Apeithes) non compliant and unbending; "Ungrateful" (Acharistos) ungracious; both unpleased and unpleasing;  "Unholy" (Anosios) not walking in an undefiled state from sinful practices.  "Unloving" (Astorgos) literally “not cherishing”; without natural affection, unsociable (Rom 1:31), inhuman (2 Tim. 3:3 RSV), unloving (2Ti. 3:3 NKJV); "Irreconcilable" (Aspondos) not with contract; unwilling to remain in things not mutually agreed upon; cannot be persuaded to enter into a covenant;  "Malicious gossips" (Diabolos) used of the Devil - false accuser, slanderer;  "Without self control" (Akrates) not operating with dominion; "Brutal" (Anemeros) not tame, savage, fierce;  "Haters of good" (Aphilagathos) not loving good;  "Treacherous" (Prodotes) a betrayer, traitor;  "Reckless" (Aropetes) to fall forwards, headlong, to be rash, reckless;  "Conceited" (from Tuphoo) to raise a smoke, to wrap in a mist; to be puffed up with haughtiness or pride; "Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" (fil-ay'-don-os) love (hedonistic) pleasures; "Holding (echo: possessing) a form (Morphosis: shape, resemblance) of godliness – denied (ar-neh'-om-ahee: act entirely unlike himself) power (Dunamis: inherent power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature) – Some will continue to do the things that look like they work, but will not act consistent with the value of those things!

The Word exposes the strategies of dark leaders (3:6-9):

Remember, to AVOID (arneomai ar-neh'-om-ahee: to contradict, i.e. disavow, reject, abnegate -- deny, refuse) THEM (3:5b) is not to simply keep away. We point out the dangers to those who follow us! What is their mode of operation?

3:6 “For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith. 9 But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, just as Jannes's and Jambres's folly was also. “

Some will enter into households:

They will captivate (prey on) “enter households and captivate”: ενδυνοντες verb – from enduno en-doo'-no: to sink into or “wrap around and cling to” (by implication, wrap on, i.e. (figuratively) sneak – creep. PLUS αιχμαλωτευοντες verb - aheekh-mal-o-tew'-o: to capture -- lead captive. The image of a giant squid of mythological proportions wrapping around and entrapping...

• weakened guilt ridden people: The combination of words is “γυναικαρια” (goo-nahee-kar'-ee-on), the term for a little (fig. foolish) woman, or “silly” woman; the verb “σεσωρευμενα” from sore-yoo'-o: to pile up -- heap, load; and αμαρτιαις for a sin (properly abstract) -- offence, sin(-ful). The idea is an “easy victim” who carries the baggage of heavy past sins.
• who are impulsive: This phrase is three words - αγομενα verb – from ag'-o: (reflexive) to be driven by; επιθυμιαις: a longing (especially for what is forbidden) ; ποικιλαις adjective - poy-kee'-los: various in character -- divers, manifold. The idea is that they will find victims among those who have strong urges to do all kinds of wrong but need to feel justified by someone.

• who are searching but not truly knowledgeable: The phrase is of one who is running from one exchange of information to another seeking truth, but without the power or apparatus to identify it clearly. 

They will use tricks: like the two magicians in Egypt's court that withstood Moses (Exodus 7 does not name them, but they became established identities) they will MIMIC the work of God!

They will oppose the truth: anthistemi : to stand against, or resist being scrutinized by the truthful ones.

They demonstrate depraved values: “men of depraved minds” is from κατεφθαρμενοι: kat-af-thi'-ro: to spoil entirely, to corrupt, to utterly perish. Their value system will place high value on all things perishing and truly worthless.

They will be rejected by those who hold the faith: is a phrase including αδοκιμοι “ad-ok'-ee-mos”: unapproved and cast away; περι through the pistis: persuasion of truth. The phrase means cast aside by those who have been convinced to view the world by God's standards, i.e. the truth.

They will eventually be exposed openly:Their ανοια (an'-oy-ah): stupidity would be εκδηλος (ek'-day-los): wholly evident -- manifest.

The Word records the path of those who passed us the Message (3:10-12):

We should not be discouraged when troubles come to the modern church, as though we must be doing something wrong if things are tough. The generations that God used to give us the message of the Gospel experienced some of the same things. Note that Paul says two different kinds of experiences were his:

• The good testimony: You know my teaching, conduct (or manner of life), my purpose (goals), my faith (Biblical world view), my patience (long fuse when burned), love (selfless actions), my perseverance (ability to remain under pressure).
• The hard times: You also know my persecutions, my sufferings!

 

Paul's final words on these troubles should cause all who desire to follow the Lord a time of pause. “All who desire to live godly... will be persecuted.” It is the normal expectation of the believer that troubling words and actions will come from non believers. We need to stop building the expectation of all new followers of Christ that He is primarily focused on making them more comfortable in this life – or they will fall away “en masse” when the troubling events occur.

The Word offers two answers:

Discipleship (mentoring) and adherence to the Word! (3:13-17):

According to a 1996 Barna survey, 42% of Americans say they believe that the Bible is the literal word of God. Yet almost half of Americans believe that the Bible is too hard for them to understand, so on given week very few people actually read the book they claim to embrace as God’s literal word. Clearly there’s a discrepancy between what we say we believe and our true beliefs as demonstrated by our actions.

The word "Bible" has come to mean in our culture any collection of writings regarded as authoritative on a topic. You will read of writings called “The Beauty Bible” or “The Accountant's Bible”. One local newspaper claimed, "If your religion is sports, then our newspaper is your Bible."
An authentic Christian teaching openly proclaims that no other book is more authoritative on the topic of truth than the Bible – written over a span of 1,500 years in three different languages, with a unified message of God’s plan and purpose for humanity.

Let me be clear: real Christians believe, teach, trust and model the Bible. They don't dodge it, try to water it down or explain it away. Get on board with the God of the universe and you won't have a problem with Him simply creating the world.  The Bible was given by God to men: Real Christians believe in the relevance of the Bible in their daily decision making. The Bible claims to be "God breathed" sometimes rendered "inspired by God," but this word means to breath out rather than in, and that makes the focus of this word on God’s breath being the source of the Bible. The Bible communicates God’s voice (cp. 2 Peter 1:20-21)

The Word was given for a stated purpose: (3:16)

Despite some modern writers, it was not a diet book, nor a prosperity manual. It is "profitable" or the word “practical," and "beneficial." I think the word "relevant" captures the meaning here,-it has vital practical relevance for our lives. This relevance is seen in four areas:

Teaching: This focuses on how to live life and become what God intended you to be. It isn't just instruction about Heaven, but practical things like being a good spouse, being a good parent, using your time talent and treasure for God's kingdom and glory.

Reproof: or rebuking. That sounds kind of harsh, but it simply means confronting our wrong ideas or beliefs about life. We grow up with misconceptions and distortions about God, ourselves, and the world around us that need to be changed.

Correction: Correction is similar to rebuking, but focuses in on behavior (instead of beliefs). When we act out in a way that shows what we learned BEFORE we knew God, the Bible pushes us back on the path by correction.

Training in righteousness: This focuses on the Bible’s role in helping us live the kind of lives that please God. Since integrity doesn’t come naturally to fallen people, we need training to walk in integrity within and authenticity without.

Men and Women, the battle is real. The casualties are real. The war is on... But you have the ability to peer into the darkness. You can see life from the perspective of the Lord of Heaven who is set to win the battle!

Missed Opportunity: “The Secret Cabin of Rescue” - 2 Kings 8:1-15

The two men were nearly exhausted, overtaken by cold and near defeat from hunger. The trek up the mountain had long since turned into a nightmare. The cold stormy weather had taken its toll. From a break in the downpour they saw an image of salvation – the cabin ahead. It wasn't much, but it offered badly needed shelter from the storm! They swiftly moved toward the porch and entered the door. Inside they discovered the wood pile near a stove, and hope returned. The provisions of this small cabin were the difference between death and life, between misery and promise. Someone went before and built what became their saving place.

Every believer who opens the Word of God and seeks to obey will find the same “saving place' there. I am not referring to the salvation through Christ (though that is there), but rather the “saving place” of God's continued direction, protection and promise from the storms of life. Just as the cabin offered restoration to the travelers, so the Word will to those who seek to obey the Lord. To the lost, they continue on their way – without shelter from the storm, and only with a promise of destruction ahead!

Key Principle: The Word offered to the obedient offers promise, protection, and direction. To the disbelieving and disobedient it offers only warning.

Our text offers two stories of God's Word. One was to an obedient believer that sought to follow, and was saved. A second story, in contrast, was to an unbeliever who heard and hardened. Let's look at Ten Critical Principles of the Word of God:

1. The Word must be faithfully shared: Elisha faithfully delivered the Word of God as it was given to him (8:1a). God gave him the Word for OTHERS and it was only helpful to them when he faithfully shared it.

Christians are often accused of worshiping the Bible. No, but we worship the God who gave it. He alone deserves our worship. Now at the same time the Bible makes this declaration concerning the Word of God: Ps 138:2 says “I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.” We dare not “lift high” the name of the Lord in worship and neglect His Word – for that is not what HE HAS DONE!

It has always been the work of real believers to share the Word of God. Paul wrote: “(1 Thessalonians 2:13) For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”

2. The Word reveals the covered path of God's Providence: God is at work in human history, caring for His children and His story. The loving testimony of the woman was rewarded by God (8:1b) and the “Lord has called” reminds us that God is in control (8:1b). Sensitivity to the Word of God opens our eyes to the work of God in our daily lives!

“For the word of God is living and powerful.” (Heb. 4:12) The word translated “powerful” (energes) is the word from which we get energy and energetic. The word literally means “at work.” Charles Swindoll comments, “News articles may inform us. Novels may inspire us. Poetry may enrapture us. But only the living, active Word of God can transform us.” [Charles Swindoll, p. 73]

3. The Word isn't always happy: In the earlier story of the woman, Elisha offered her a promise that she would bear a son by God's grace (2 Kings 4). Now, the Word of the Lord is a warning that was unexpected and severe (8:1b). We dare not pay attention only to the parts that we LIKE!

4. The Word demands unrestrained obedience for fulfilled promises: The woman was immediately obedient and did not resist God's Word (8:2a). She did a very hard thing without any verification that the Word was true (8:2b). She remained a LONG TIME in a difficult place, trusting the Lord's Word (8:2b). She took the Word so seriously, that when it was due to be over, she returned (8:3a). Delay on her part would have changed the story, as she would not be “in place” where she could be blessed (cp. 8:5a).

I was reading about Roger Staubach, the former quarterback of the Cowboys. And I was reading that for years, he wasn’t allowed to call his own plays. And even though Coach Landry was a football genius, Staubach was mad at first, because most of the great quarterbacks in the NFL could call their own plays, but he couldn’t. Later on, Roger said, "I faced up to the issue of obedience. Once I learned to accept the authority of my coach, there was harmony, fulfillment, and victory."

5. The Word lived does not remove all obstacles – it is not a “good luck” charm: when lived it offers no guarantee that problems will not arise. When she obeyed and trusted – it did not guarantee there was no problem. She came to find her things taken over (8:3b). The point of the obedience is to walk with God – not simply to walk on always smooth ground!

6. The Word offers a compelling record of God's power: God moved a record of God's accomplishments through Elisha His servant into the king's ears to prepare him to care for one of God's servants when the time came (8:4). God timed the message to the king for the right moment - “As he was relating.. this is the woman and her son” (8:5a). The king was prepared to aid her because of the story and timing, and she received the answer to her need (8:6).

Isn't this an example of the the prophecy of God to Israel in Joel 2? Joel 2:25-26 “And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. “

The Bible declares itself to be many things and to have many uses:

1. A Two Edged Sword – Heb. 4:12
2. A Hammer – Jer. 23:29 – It breaks the resistance of the heart.
3. A Mirror – James 1:23-25 – It reflects the true picture of man
4. A Fire – Jer. 23:29 and 20:9 – The Word of God is pure and refining
5.5. A Lamp – Ps. 119:105 – It is illuminating

Remember what the prophet wrote? Isa 55:11 “11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”

Someone once asked the great preacher Charles Spurgeon if he was prepared to defend the Word of God. He replied, “Defend it! I would as soon try to defend a lion. God’s word doesn’t need defending. Just preach it. Let it out of it’s cage and it will defend itself.”

7. The Word is sometimes sought by unbelievers for help: When Ben-Hadad was facing a severe illness, though he had previously sought to kill Elisha for giving the Word, he became open to its power (8:7).

8. The Word's power gets confused in the unbeliever's mind with the messenger: Ben-Hadad orders gifts be brought to Elisha, ostensibly to soften the message against him (8:8-9). It isn't up to the messenger, but the unbeliever can easily confuse God's power with the speaker's power.

No heart is too tough and no soul is too dark. “When God wills it, his word can pierce anyone as a certain Mr. Thorpe in the 18th century Bristol found out. Thorpe was a part of a band of men who called themselves, the ‘Hell Fire Club.’ Their reason for existence was to mock and ridicule the work of the famed evangelist, George Whitefield. On one occasion, the ‘Hell-Fire Club’ gathered at a pub for such mockery. Mr. Thorpe offered his brilliant imitation of Whitefield, whom he and his friends called, ‘Mr Squintum’ because of Whitefield eyes. He delivered his sermon with brilliant accuracy, perfectly imitating his tone and facial expressions as he quoted Scripture and Whitefield’s exposition. Suddenly amidst the laughter he had to sit down for he was pierced through and was converted on the spot. Mr. Thorpe was a thoroughly nasty man, engaged in a nasty action yet the Word of God pierced his heart and changed him in an instant. Mr. Thorpe went on to be a prominent Christian leader in the city of Bristol” [C. H. Spurgeon. The Metropolitan Pulpit. Vol. 34. (Pasadena, TX: Pilgrim Pub, 1974) p. 115]

9. The Word exposes the evil of men's hearts: Elisha has been shown by God's power what the man before him is capable of doing, and what will become of him. It breaks his heart for both the man and those who will suffer from his rise to power (8:10-12).

We want God to see us when we are hurting and when we are going through difficult times. We want Him to see and come to our aid. But when it comes to our sin and wrongdoing we would rather that God looked the other way. But Hebrews 4:12 concludes by saying that the Word of God “… is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” The word “discerner” (kritikos) is the word from which we get critic. As the word of God penetrates into the innermost recesses of man’s being it does so as his critic or judge.

10. The Word's clarity is obscured by hardened hearts: People hear what they want to hear (8:13-15). Note that Hazael didn't flinch at the sound of the cruelty he was being accused of bearing in his heart. He only questioned HOW that could happen! An Assyrian inscription found concerning Hazael calls him the “son of a nobody (commoner)” who usurpted the throne!

Every believer who opens the Word of God and seeks to obey will find the warm cabin of a “saving place' there. Yet to lost men and women – hardened to living for themselves, they find no shelter from the storm, and only with a promise of destruction ahead! The Word offered to the obedient offers promise, protection, and direction. To the disbelieving and disobedient it offers only warning.

Dr. W.A. Criswell tells of a small N.T. that was taken from the breast-pocket of a fallen American soldier in Vietnam, a young boy from Georgia. When Mr. Pat Zondervan held up that New Testament before the congregation of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Dr. Criswell could see the light of a bullet hole through its middle. Later, when Dr. Criswell held it in his hands, he saw that the pages were stained with the blood of that fallen soldier. Flipping through it, he found an inscription in the back that had survived intact. It read, "On this date, I Wilton Thomas take Jesus Christ as my personal Savior." Then it was signed and dated by the hand of that young man. That is what the Bible is for. It is not to amaze us with its scientific accuracy or impress us with its historical integrity, but to lead us to a personal knowledge of God through Jesus Christ as Savior. (sermon central illustrations)

Missed Opportunity: “The Weight of Wait” - 2 Kings 6:24 - 7:20

The longer I live, the more impatient I become. In my flesh, I have come to quietly believe that lines should move faster, computers should load faster, and the doctor should see me within three minutes of the scheduled time of our appointment. I take work with me to occupy the moments that I may need to wait for someone or something, filling that time with usefulness. Waiting makes me feel like WASTING. A weight forms in my chest when I have to wait. That’s what I am calling the WEIGHT of WAIT.

I am not the first to experience this. King Jehoram was watching his Kingdom fall apart, when all God told him to do was WAIT. A famine was crushing his people, and the prophet of God spoke a word of promise that has attached to it a time set by God alone. King Jehoram was up and about, trying to occupy the time. He was running out of patience. He was in a hurry, God was not. When the word came to Elisha it was “Tomorrow about this time…”  A seed is sown, there is a process that the seed goes through before there can be a harvest. In due season and harvest will come – not before. This is one of the most difficult lessons there is to learn as a believer - How do I learn to wait on God? Every hope, every dream, every seed, every promise must pass through this process. It is God’s way.

This was an experience like Psalm 105 when the song writer recalls the life of Joseph:  16 And He called for a famine upon the land; He broke the whole staff of bread. 17 He sent a man before them, Joseph, {who} was sold as a slave. 18 They afflicted his feet with fetters, He himself was laid in irons; 19 Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of the LORD tested him.

Remember Joseph had a dream revelation from God, then he was tested by time to see if he would hold on to the truth of that revealed promise or if he would forsake it. Time is the great sifter through which all of our dreams must pass.

Key Principle: Only those who trust in God’s Promise pass through the tests and arrive at God’s blessing.

The Conditions (6:24-33)

24 Now it came about after this, that Ben-Hadad king of Aram gathered all his army and went up and besieged Samaria. 25 There was a great famine in Samaria; and behold, they besieged it, until a donkey's head was sold for eighty {shekels} of silver, and a fourth of a kab of dove's dung for five {shekels} of silver. 26 As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall a woman cried out to him, saying, "Help, my lord, O king!" 27 He said, "If the LORD does not help you, from where shall I help you? From the threshing floor, or from the wine press?" 28 And the king said to her, " What is the matter with you?" And she answered, "This woman said to me, 'Give your son that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.' 29 " So we boiled my son and ate him; and I said to her on the next day, 'Give your son, that we may eat him'; but she has hidden her son." 30 When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes--now he was passing by on the wall--and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth beneath on his body. 31 Then he said, "May God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on him today." 32 Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. And {the king} sent a man from his presence; but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, "Do you see how this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold the door shut against him. Is not the sound of his master's feet behind him?" 33 While he was still talking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him and he said, " Behold, this evil is from the LORD; why should I wait for the LORD any longer?"

There were five conditions that set up the text: Remember the story is never about the PROBLEM it is always about God’s SOLUTION!

First, there was a time of blessing and peace (6:23) based on following King Jehoram heeding God’s Word from the mouth of Elisha (6:8-23). The pattern was clear – God spoke to the prophet and the prophet passed the message to the King (6:8-10). Note that the King followed the word, but he still needed to CONFIRM the words with men (6:10). It may well be that God sent a different test simply because of that – we cannot know for sure.

Second, there was a renewal of troubles by an old enemy without the forewarning of God’s prophet as they besieged Jehoram’s capital city by cutting off all supply lines. At some point God held back the forewarning and told the prophet (and thus the king) to wait on Him (6:33 implies the king was told to wait). Jehoram became angry with God and Elisha (6:31). It was not a seamless siege, as it allowed the King to pass near the city, but his life was constantly in peril and his capital was about to fall.

Third, as a result of God's withheld message of the point of the attack there was the siege of Samaria, and there were severe shortages and starvation in the city (6:25). The shortages were obviously for food and for fuel (dung).

Fourth, there was open violation of God’s standards and flagrant disregard for the truths of God’s Word among the people. They ate unclean animals (Dt. 14:4-8). That compromise made a horrid compromise of cannibalism seem more reasonable (6:28). Interestingly, the people were fighting within about the morality of being “honest” while cannibalizing their children! In the absence of God’s Word, the frame of moral thought is bent to into a shape that cannot be honestly discerned. Watch for moral compromise to move forward when the people of God are distracted by economic problems – immorality accelerates when distraction abounds in God’s people!

Fifth, King Jehoram became impatient with God. He was quietly attempting to please God and renew blessing – note his sackcloth! (6:30). Yet, he wanted it IN HIS TIMING and not on terms that did included unquestioned obedience to God’s Word (his elders were with Elisha but he was angry at him!). He could have waited on God’s Word with God’s people – but he mounted his horse and got busy. Note: Time away from God’s people and God’s Word will increase your anxiousness about God’s timing! Only those who truly trust in God’s promise pass through the tests and arrive at God’s blessing. Jump the gun and miss the blessing – don’t try to force God’s hand! (Credit cards are a classic example of false short term blessing!)

The Blessing: Promised and Missed (7:1-2)

7:1 Then Elisha said, "Listen to the word of the LORD; thus says the LORD, ' Tomorrow about this time a measure of fine flour will be {sold} for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.' " 2 The royal officer on whose hand the king was leaning answered the man of God and said, "Behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?" Then he said, "Behold, you will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat of it."

The promise of delivery: Elisha was sitting and waiting on God to care for the need, because God told everyone to WAIT for the answer. When God DID answer, it wasn't an immediate release, but a timing that would again require waiting. At least Elisha could see the end of the tunnel! (7:1).

The problem of disbelief: The Elders of the people were waiting with him, while the king was away. One particular confidant of the king objected to the suddenness of the restoration of God. “It can't happen that fast!” was his reply. Ironic that they were annoyed at having to wait, now they were amazed and disbelieving that God would overturn the harsh penalty in so quick a time. There is always the temptation to assume the only answers to every question are the ones that you can see. The fact is that the God of the Bible delights in offering answers that no one else thought of. The king's man never thought of the ENEMY supplying all the needed food! They were right there in front of the city, with tents filled with supply. Yet, he only saw what he saw! (7:2a)

The penalty of disbelief: The issue wasn't that God's Word wasn't going to be very difficult to see completed, the issue was the king's royal official didn't believe it once God had said it would be so. When God speaks all others should stand silent. There is no alternative. There is no secondary truth that negates what He says. He is God and there is no other. Believe His Word: The same thing happened in Jesus hometown when he came to minister to them. They said is this not the builder's son. Just who does he think he is to claim to be the Son of God? If they would have accepted him and received him warmly and believe his word, they would have seen mighty miracles. But instead, very little happened because of their unbelief. You have got to believe what God’s word says if you are going to receive anything from him. The point is clear: You can grow up in Jesus' living room but if you don't believe, you don't participate in the blessings (7:2b).

The Lucky Lepers (7:3-11)

3 Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, "Why do we sit here until we die?

The Cast (7:3): There were four lepers outside the city (7:3). The have a terrible dilemma. First, they were sick men. In the ancient world the disease of leprosy was regarded as a awful punishment from the Lord. It’s very name means "smiting". Second, they were separated. No leper could live in a walled city. And wherever he was he was required to have his outer garment torn as a sign of deep grief. He was required to go bareheaded, and to cover his beard with his mantle as if lamenting at his own virtual death. Third, they were starving. Not only were the lepers forced to deal with the disease that ravished their body, and the shame that occupied their soul....they were starving.

4 "If we say, 'We will enter the city,' then the famine is in the city and we will die there; and if we sit here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us go over to the camp of the Arameans. If they spare us, we will live; and if they kill us, we will but die." 5 They arose at twilight to go to the camp of the Arameans; when they came to the outskirts of the camp of the Arameans, behold, there was no one there.

The Commitment (7:3b-5): The lepers discussed the only three options they saw: first, they could retreat and brave their way back into the city and die with everybody else in the famine. This wouldn't be easy, since they were kicked out. Second, they could remain right where they were and eventually fade away from hunger. They were sick, and it could have been an option! Third, they could risk and go into the enemy camp. It may mean a quick death but that is better than sitting still and watching each other's noses fall off.

They never saw the option that would be their fate. We often don't. They had no idea they were going to be the first blessed with abundance and full stomachs, and then they were going to become the mouthpieces of salvation! All they had to do was take some steps. Don't overplay their importance. They did NOTHING to get God's blessing but respond to hunger and pain with a “nothing to lose attitude”. That didn't make them saints. Blessing doesn't come to the good – it comes to the chosen of God's plan.

6 For the Lord had caused the army of the Arameans to hear a sound of chariots and a sound of horses, {even} the sound of a great army, so that they said to one another, "Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us." 7 Therefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents and their horses and their donkeys, {even} the camp just as it was, and fled for their life. 8 When these lepers came to the outskirts of the camp, they entered one tent and ate and drank, and carried from there silver and gold and clothes, and went and hid {them;} and they returned and entered another tent and carried from there {also,} and went and hid {them.} 9 Then they said to one another, "We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, but we are keeping silent; if we wait until morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come, let us go and tell the king's household." 10 So they came and called to the gatekeepers of the city, and they told them, saying, "We came to the camp of the Arameans, and behold, there was no one there, nor the voice of man, only the horses tied and the donkeys tied, and the tents just as they were."

The Celebration (7:6-10): The lepers found the camp empty because the Lord emptied it! It is worth noting that the state of the men was such that no one would have thought them to be the source of the news of blessing (least of all them since they thought they were cursed by God!). Wait a minute... the initial source was the Word of God! In the absence of belief in the Word of God there was a secondary option that God brought out to use... the lepers! If the king would have sat and waited with Elisha, the people would have known exactly when they would be free, and would have been able to act on that knowledge. Because the king rode off and his officials disbelieved, God had to bring out the “Plan B” - “foolish things of this world to confound the wise!”

Ironically, the lepers were outcasts, kept apart from the city; and they were half-dead, from hunger and their disease – and they were the source of the news of God’s blessing. Evangelism has been defined as “one beggar telling another where he found bread.” Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity of magnifying His own power; for His time to appear for His people is when their strength is gone. Funny, if it was not for the lepers desperation and decision most, if not everyone, would have died within the city walls.

I think it may be high time for a leper uprising! The lepers of our time need to rise up. God can turn a leper into a hero that can save a nation. Fear says "no"; Apathy says "wait"; Weakness says "it can’t be done"; Character weakness says "1 don’t want to"; Obedience and desperation for our lost and dying neighbors says "yes"!

Lepers… You must not forget that God is working behind the scenes! When Isaiah 59:19 says: “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him!” Don't forget, God is the one who will fight the greatest battles for you.

The Claim (7:11-20)

11 The gatekeepers called and told {it} within the king's household. 12 Then the king arose in the night and said to his servants, "I will now tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know that we are hungry; therefore they have gone from the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, 'When they come out of the city, we will capture them alive and get into the city.' " 13 One of his servants said, "Please, let some {men} take five of the horses which remain, which are left in the city. Behold, they {will be in any case} like all the multitude of Israel who are left in it; behold, they {will be in any case} like all the multitude of Israel who have already perished, so let us send and see." 14 They took therefore two chariots with horses, and the king sent after the army of the Arameans, saying, "Go and see." 15 They went after them to the Jordan, and behold, all the way was full of clothes and equipment which the Arameans had thrown away in their haste. Then the messengers returned and told the king. 16 So the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. Then a measure of fine flour {was sold} for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD. 17 Now the king appointed the royal officer on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate; but the people trampled on him at the gate, and he died just as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him. 18 It happened just as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, " Two measures of barley for a shekel and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, will be {sold} tomorrow about this time at the gate of Samaria." 19 Then the royal officer answered the man of God and said, "Now behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?" And he said, "Behold, you will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat of it." 20 And so it happened to him, for the people trampled on him at the gate and he died.

Delay (7:11): The message reached the ears of the king – finally (7:11). How many had died since the message was first made known by Elisha. Freedom had come, but God’s Word was left unheard.. and on the people went convinced of a bondage they no longer had!

Disbelief (7:12): The bondage was lengthened yet again by the unbelief of the king. Note that he was so sure he was right that it never occurred to him that God may have actually delivered them (7:12). His stubbornness delayed the relief even more. You have to really believe to get the blessing: When the king heard the news he didn’t believe it. He either didn’t hear or didn’t believe when Elisha said the problem would be over that day. Elisha promised, You are going to have plenty of food.”

What is faith? Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. It is seeing things as God says they are! I can tell you what God will do for you. But it won’t do you any good unless you accept it by faith – see life as in His hands. Hebrews 11:6 says: “Without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently see him.”

Determination (7:13-16): After the request was made by a servant of the king, the men were sent to find out if the story was true. Samaria had been delivered but did not know it. Elisha shared the truth. Lepers showed the truth. Now men had to investigate further.

The clock was ticking and people were dying in disbelief. Men and women, the Good News of the work of salvation in Jesus will not keep. We must share it now ! We dare not hold our peace any longer ! The church can no longer tarry. Many are hungry, thirsty, and dying! The souls of men, women, boys and girls hang in the balance! Their loving God has set them free, but they DON’T KNOW IT because they haven’t heard it, or they are waiting for PROOF. Be the proof. Show them a life set free. Show them that Jesus changed you..

In a trade to a primitive tribe, a more developed tribe gave the group in the jungle a sundial. The tribe regarded it as a holy relic or fetish and wanted to keep it holy, so they built a house over it to keep it safe. Because this kept the sun from shining on it – it was rendered useless. They honored the sundial, but they made it of no practical use. That’s how many people regard Christianity. It has become something they have enclosed within the beautiful walls and stained glass windows of cathedrals. It is time to take it to the streets where people live. You can do it in your job, your park, your neighborhood!

Deadly job (7:17-20): The end of this story left the people with several outcomes. The man who doubted when the Word was given was the one who died, trampled in the street as Elisha had promised. It is what the Bible says of those who refuse the message of hope and deliverance

On the other hand, the lepers found life and deliverance – and announced it to everyone else.. It’s been said, “to flee God’s wrath, cling to His mercy.” Mercy means we are no longer condemned. The lepers outside the city walls were brought to the point of desperation. Death had already stared them in the face and they had nothing to lose by surrender. They realized they couldn’t keep going. Maybe you are like them today? Blessed are they who surrender to the Lord, who call on Him for mercy.

What will you find in surrender? At the end of the Civil War, when the Confederate Army had been defeated, Abraham Lincoln was asked how he would treat the rebellious South. The question hinted at the desire to see the South severely punished. Unexpectedly, the merciful President replied, “I will treat them as if they had never been away.”

Only those who trust in God’s Promise pass through the tests and arrive at God’s blessing.

Surviving the Broken Wheel - When the Economy Fails

I was watching a Vietnam era war movie, I cannot remember which one. All I recall was the term that was used when it was evident the lines of the battle were broken, and defense of their position was now seen by the field commander as useless. Defeat was imminent, and the commander notified the base shouting, "Broken Arrow, Broken Arrow!" The words caused the radio operator to shudder, as he could see in his mind's eye his buddies being overrun in their position and perishing, regardless of the valiance of their effort.

The stock market is beginning to feel like that movie. Valiant retirees are steeling themselves to withstand unseen but powerfully crushing forces that are robbing away all their hard earned and carefully planned nest eggs. A man missed a board meeting because he is a broker and there is a run by his clients pulling their money from the markets. My credit card companies informed me that they are doubling my rates, or I can drop out - not the finest moment in customer service and customer loyalty expression I have ever seen. Yesterday I was a valued customer with a high credit limit BECAUSE I PAID THEM ON TIME each month. Today I am a liability on an ailing balance sheet, despite bailouts and TARP funds. I think alot of Americans are ready to shout, "Broken wheel! Broken wheel!" The economy in the short term is a disaster, and the long term is a mystery.

How does a believer not lose their edge in the midst of the breakdown? How do we keep a good attitude despite the news. I am meeting too many believers that sound as angry as FOX news in the evening. We may be forgetting something... Fox isn't there to spread the GOOD NEWS, that is our job. (*So I don't get hate mail, I don't have a vendetta against FOX, I am just making the observation that many people get stirred up and this seems to be a common source...I don't have a TV.)

I was reading 2 Samuel early this morning. As the sun rose over Florida, I was delighting in the rise of King David and how God brought about the long awaited plan for his ascendancy to the throne of Judah, then all of the tribes of Israel. By 2 Samuel 5 David took over Jebus and made the capital of the Kingdom the new city of Jerusalem. By 2 Samuel 6, David attempted to move the ark to Jerusalem, failed to do it properly, and doubled his efforts to do God's will God's way. Another false start in 2 Samuel 7 was David's attempt to follow God by taking on the agenda of building a Temple, when God never directed him to do so. Because his heart was to serve God, God redirected his steps.

Following the revealed program of God to defend the Kingdom and expand it, David began to dig in to God's program for him in 2 Samuel 8. He really put some miles on the war chariots and took on several important tasks:

He found his chief identity in what God told him concerning himself. He listened to the words of God in 2 Samuel 7 by the mouth of Nathan. He knew what God wanted from him, and he began to settle into that role to serve God. Chapter 8 opens, "After this.." because he wasn't ready to be the victorious king until he heard what God said and began to live within it!

Understanding his identity (what God said about his mission in life) left David open to beginning to fulfil his mission - to take responsibility for what God said to do (8:1b-12). He got busy! First, he settled the most pressing problem. They had killed his predecessor, and needed to be dealt with. David took them on and pushed them back. Next, he dealt strongly with perennial enemies like the Moabites in a powerful fashion (8:2). This signaled that David was ready to take on the uncomfortable and to deal decisively. Next he turned to stabilizing the kingdom in strategic moves (8:3-6). Finally, David experienced the blessing of God and KNEW that is what he was living in (8:6b).

With God clearly moving him forward, David planned the use of resources that God put in his lap. First he saved from his intitial successes, not assuming he would always have more coming in (8:7-9). Next, he received the perks of victory without becoming over-infatuated with those perks (8:10), for the spoils would be needed later in his work (8:11-12). His reputation was built on hard work and sensible management - with a resume filled with actual accomplishments but based on God's good hand in his life (8:13-14).

Gaining ground isn't enough. David knew that he needed to organize and administrate to make the whole kingdom work together (8:15-18). Spirituality isn't synonymous with spontanaiety - God is a planner. David both did his job faithfully (8:15) and planned a way to maintain the work (8:16-18).

Finally, David knew there was a reason for his blessings. He was blessed to be a blessing! He lloked for someone else to bless, honoring the people in his life that made his rise possible. He didn't snub the past, he reached out in warmth to Saul's household (9:1-7). He gave Mephibosheth meaningful tools to build his own self esteem (instead of handing him money, he gave him charge over his lands so that he could work!). He spent time sharing with Mephibosheth personally over meals (9:7b). David engendered, taught and accepted respect (9:8). He spoke openly to honor Mephibosheth before others (9:9) and provided both tools and companions for his success (9:10). He didn't compete, but shared provisions and prestige with him (9:11) while celebrating their mutual growth and blessing (9:12). He saw beyond Mephibosheth's limitations and into his abilities. In short, he made life about blessing another.

How does David's life inform and aid us in the time of broken wheels? David was successful and at the top of his career, but if you look more deeply, he was at a time when false starts abounded and not everything went his way. Step out of time and into principles of the passage:

• I need to live in the identity of what God says about me. I am worth what HE says I am worth. I have what He gives as I work and save.
• I am still responsible for what God told me to be and do. Markets rise and fall, but obedience and careful stewardship is always appropriate - in fat times and lean.
• Whatever my resources, I must plan and be careful. Careless spending of resources can be covered over in times of lavish prosperity, but in times of recession these patterns will show themselves as perilous.
• Organizing my life and keeping good records is critical to honoring God and carefully stewarding resources. Haphazard records are a symptom of poor stewardship!
• I must remember that what I have, large or small, was given to me to use for God's glory. I can look for someone to bless today with the blessings I have been given. I can seek out someone who has needs greater than mine. It will help me to focus outside of myself, but even more, it will bring rich fulfillment when I allow God to use me to help them!

These are tough times, but they are not the FIRST tough times ever experienced. We will get through, and this can be the BELIEVER'S FINEST HOUR!

 

Missed Opportunity: "When You Want to Hit the Panic Button" - 2 Kings 6:1-23

In recent years, an office supply company has advertised an “easy button”. Now, of course, there is no such thing. Yet, the more familiar button that each one of us seems to possess is the “panic button”. There are two kinds of panic common in our lives – panic when “things” are in peril, and panic when our lives are seem in peril. God has a solution that is NOT in the panic button!

Our text has two stories that address two levels of panic.

1. The first story is about a “thing” that was borrowed and lost – something that would cause shame and even perhaps temporary servitude for the man of God that was doing what he should have been doing, but had an accident. The panic button was near. (6:1-7).
2. The second story was about life threatened. Two men of God were serving Him and woke up surrounded by an enemy army. Their lives threatened, one servant had confidence while the other was ready to panic. (6:8-23).

Key principle: When I panic, the cause will likely be one of two things: lack of faith or lack of discipline. God works mightily through one who maintains their walk but ultimately trusts in His strength.

Story #1: The Lost Axe Head (6:1-7)

The story: The students of Elisha needed a greater shelter for a common study place (6:1) and were ready to build the place together (6:2). Elisha was asked to come with them and he agreed and came (6:3). The trees were being harvested as tragedy struck one of the young seminary students (6:4) and his borrowed ax head flew off into the water of the Jordan River (6:5).

As always, the RESPONSE to the trouble is the lesson of the text. You can’t change what you get handed, you change what you DO about it! The Word offers Six Observations about the student that lost his effectiveness in ministry and hit the panic button:

First. the seminary student decided to admit he lost his effectiveness and accept help from the prophet. Nothing happens until we admit we have a problem – nothing at all.. He could have sat down and quit working. He could have said, “Oh well, it must be God's will that I don't succeed!” It isn't my fault, and there is nothing I can do! He could have ignored the ineffectiveness and chopped away with just a handle. You think I am kidding, but a great many ministries have failed to maintain effectiveness some time ago and they are chopping wood without a head on the ax. They keep every program in place and work hard, exhausting themselves with no sign that they are effective anymore!

Second, the student acknowledged that the ax head was borrowed – not his at all. He was effective when he was using something he did not OWN, but he was able to USE. In the same way, it is worth remembering that our talents and our abilities are not ours either.. they are on loan to us from God.

Third, the seminarian turned to the one that could help him – the teacher and prophet that knew how much God loved and cared for him.

Fourth, the student learned the value of maintenance. Is there anyone else here that is wondering how the ax head flew off of a well maintained tool? Is it possible that this student should have been maintaining his tools well? It is worth asking when our effectiveness is drawn down – are we disciplined about checking our tools and maintaining them for His glory? One Pastor wrote: "If I look deeply inside, I will see some of the critical reasons for my ineffectiveness. I will see where the ax head fell off.God is concerned with the things that will defeat one who is serving Him with their whole heart. He will move the normal and do the extraordinary to pull you through."

Fifth, when the young prophet lost his cutting edge – Elisha made him determine the place where he lost it. One important lesson the student learned was the RESULT of not maintaining the discipline to check his tools. Slipping in areas of personal discipline may not be obvious – no man suddenly hardens to God. Yet, sometimes the tragic results of the slipping may not be retrievable without Divine intervention.

Sixth, did you notice that Elisha did not retrieve the axe head for him? He had the power to make that axe head fly straight up into the air, out of the Jordan and into the hands of the young prophet standing on the bank. But he didn’t, Why didn’t he? God wanted the man to be involved in his own recovery. He needed to admit he had a problem, and he needed to seek help, but that didn't take his responsibility to work on the solution away! If he wanted to regain the tools to work effectively, he needed to PUT OUT HIS HAND and take the ax head once God's man pointed out where the problematic tool head was!

The lack of effectiveness that comes from a lack of discipline is important, and can be crippling, but it is NOT the only thing that will make you want to hit the panic button! The second story is just as significant. Though longer, in some ways it is a simpler story to dissect.

Story #2: The Servant with Bad Vision (6:8-23)

Maybe you have been walking with God well for quite some time. Your issue isn't discipline. You know how to “do” the Christian life. You know what to stay away from and what to feed on. The problem is that somewhere in the process you found the whole thing “powerless”. You walk uprightly, but your problems quickly overtake your day. This second story is for you! Where the enemy sees no lack of discipline, he attacks a lack of faith.

The text: The Syrian king couldn't get any traction under his ambushes against Jehoram, king of Israel (6:8-10). Thwarted repeatedly, he assumed a leak in his staff was the problem (6:11) but was informed that God's prophet was blocking for Israel (6:12). The Syrian king sent an army to Dothan and surrounded the home of the prophet (6:13-14). awaking surrounded by an army, the servant of Elisha hit the panic button, crying out “Alas my master!” just as the statement of the earlier story!

More observations:

First, it seems a funny how the king of Syria didn't think Elisha would know he was coming to get him, isn't it? The world can see the evidences over and over, and yet still somehow convince themselves that God will not know the next move they make! (6:13). In case it isn't abundantly clear to all who read this story today, remember this: “Be sure your sin will find you out!” God is not mocked. He sees. He knows. He cannot be tricked by your games.

Second, you may be able to minister, but still not see very well! The servant could see the danger, but not the deliverance! I read recently of a fish worth mentioning here. "The clearer sight we have of the power of heaven, the less we shall fear the troubles of earth. There is a minnow-like fish called “Four Eyes” which makes home in Central and South America. What's unusual about him is his large, bulging eyes. They are so situated on his head that he can spend his time cruising along the water with the upper half of each eye above the surface. The top half has a water lens, which amounts to a set of bifocals, giving him the ability to see in both the upper and lower world. He has an advantage other fish don't have. You can have such vision!" (sermon central illustrations).

The hymn writer calls on us to: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.”

Third, though we can be disciplined in ministry, we can be blind to God's presence. We can be blind to God's protection. We can be blind to God's provision. We can begin to believe God is not where we are, and forget that Psalm 139 says we cannot go from His presence – even if we tried!

Fourth, It is worth remembering today that God is not afraid of your troubles. He is not afraid of the darkness of this world. Someone has said that “God is so big that the heavens cannot contain Him and small enough to dwell within our hearts”. Elisha lived within the presence of God. That is why he was victorious. Surrounded by the enemy, there was no terror in Elisha's face, no panic in his heart. With calmness, courage and confidence he replied, "Don’t be afraid, those who are with us are more than those who are with them" (6:16).

• Abraham went forth because he knew God was with him.
• Moses went into the wilderness, confident of God's presence.
• Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem despite the ridicule from even his companions – because God put Him there.
• The world crowns success but God crowns faithfulness in seeing HIS perspective from His Word.

 

An ocean liner left a British port during WWII and headed for a harbor in the U.S. Enemy ships were everywhere. The captain was given secret directions charting the route. Added were these instructions: “Keep straight on this course. Turn aside for nothing. If you need help, send a message in code.After a few days at sea, the crew spotted an enemy cruiser on the horizon. It appeared to be trailing them. The captain immediately sent a coded message: “Enemy cruiser sighted. What shall I do?” The reply came from an unseen vessel: “Keep straight on. I'm standing by.” No friendly ship could be seen, but the captain kept the liner on course until it safely reached port. Within a short time, a British submarine glided quietly into the same port. Although it had been out of sight, it had been present all the way.

You see, there is another resource we forget God has. When Psalm 34:7 says “The angel of the Lord encamps round about those that fear him, and delivers them.” He isn't kidding. The Syrian King found out and it nearly cost him his mighty army! Look up and see the chariots of fire! Now in your troubles - moves the mighty hand of God. Have you not read His great story?

God specializes in deliverance:

• He delivered unruly Hebrews slaves who had forgotten His name from Egyptian bondage.
• He delivered the aging prophet Daniel from the lion's den.
• He delivered the small, scrawny David from mighty Goliath.
• He delivered two fisherman - Peter and John - from the iron bars of a prison.
• He delivered a barely five foot tall balding Jew named Paul from an angry mob.
• He LOVES to deliver. The problem isn't His ability, it is my vision.

Someone wrote: “The Christian's Horizon” (here is but a part of it):

What do I see as I look back?
Millions of mercies along life's track;
God's love shining where all was black;
That's what I see, looking back.

What do I see as I look within?
A heart by my Savior redeemed from sin;
A hope, through His grace, heaven's joys to win;
That's what I see, looking to Him.

What do I see as I look on?
Burdens lifted and trials gone;
A light at even, surpassing dawn;
That's what I see, looking on.

What do I see as I look above?
God's own banner, whose name is love:
Love unspeakable, wonderful love;
That's what I see, Above!

Friends, with a vision of what God says is true, Elisha did the impossible; knew the unknowable; saw the invisible; accomplished the unthinkable! When I am not effective for God, the cause will likely be one of two things: lack of faith or lack of discipline. God works mightily through one who maintains their walk but ultimately trusts in His strength.

Following God's Way: "Fear Factor" - 2 Timothy 1

No matter how much has been invested in us, and no matter how much God has bestowed in gifts on our life, we can fail to produce fruit with two simple problems: fear and shame. God's moves don't always make sense to us. When we can't figure out what God is doing we can shrink away from our faith or boldly recall all that God has done and why He did it!

One of the greatest hazards to success is fear...Timothy faced a time in his life when his ministry didn't come together. Things weren't going as well as he wanted them to. He had some good ideas, and some good intentions, but the church was facing larger and larger issues, and he was getting drowned out in the process. God knew it, and so did Tim's mentor - the Apostle Paul. Both believed in Tim, but he needed both instruction and reassurance.

Key Principle: What you know affects what you do. We must KNOW the right things to DO the right things!

Timothy knew HIMSELF too well - and thus suffered from not having “it all together”. Look at his symptoms and feel his problem:

 1. Dereliction of duty: He had to be prodded to fight the spiritual battle, he wanted a back row seat (1 Tim. 1:18; 2 Tim. 1:6 “stir up the gift”; 2 Tim. 1:13 “grab what I taught you!”

 2. Misdirected energy: He had to be instructed to get the ladies settled down (He got them stirred up! (1 Tim. 2:11)

 3. Poor self-image: He appears to have felt pressure because of his age and lack of experience (1 Tim. 4:11,12). He engaged in discussions over his head (1 Tim. 6:20).

 4. Peer pressure: He seemed ready to ordain elders that weren’t ready because of the pressure to be accepted by his peers (1 Tim. 5:19-22).

 5. Pain: His stomach was in knots (1 Tim. 5:23).

Tim needed a Reminder - Timothy not only had some issues, he had some particular assets. He needed to be reminded of the things he had that HE was inclined to FORGET!

With God in focus we can face our fears. One Pastor said, "He gives us the ability to do what life demands, to love when others hate, and to be under control when others throw restraint to the winds." Another Pastor, Max Lucado says, “Fear doesn’t want you to make the journey to the mountain. If he can rattle you enough, fear will persuade you to take your eyes off the peaks and settle for a dull existence in the flatlands.”

1. A mentor that was called of God to disciple him and others (1:1).

2. A leader that loved him deeply (1:2) and missed him intensely (1:3-4). Not having any friends who care about you can be devastating.

3. A real and growing, if undeveloped, view of God's Kingdom and God's truth (1:5a).

"There was a test conducted by a university where 10 students were placed in a room. Three lines of varying length were drawn on a card. The students were told to raise their hands when the instructor pointed to the longest line. But 9 of the students had been instructed beforehand to raise their hands when the instructor pointed to the second longest line. One student was the stooge. The usual reaction of the stooge was to put his hand up, look around, and realizing he was all alone, pull it back down. This happened 75% of the time, with students from grade school through high school. The researchers concluded that many would rather stand with the majority than risk being right and alone. Now is the time when you will have to face some of your fears squarely with a firm confidence in God. Never, ever, take your cues from the crowd." (sermon central illustrations).

4. A great family that encouraged him in Jesus and had a history of faith (1:5b).

5. Giftedness from the Spirit of God that enabled him to do what God called him to (1:6).God offered His church three specific kinds of gifts:

a) Serving gifts (Romans 12: As in Ministry (Rom. 12:7); Teaching (Rom. 12:7); Exhortation (Rom. 12:8); Giving (Rom. 12:8); Administration (Rom. 12:8). Practical gifts were given to the body of Christ for its normal function of growing in Christ, by means of WORSHIP, WITNESS and WORK (service to one another).

b) Manifestation Gifts: These were given to the body of Christ for three works: a) Direction as in wisdom and word of knowledge (1 Cor. 12:8); b) Authentication as in Faith, Healing, Miracles, Prophecy and Discernment (1 Cor. 12:9-10); c) Revelation as in Tongues and Interpretation of Tongues (1 Cor. 12:10).

c) People Gifts: Ephesians 4 lists four different kinds of people that God prepackages for His work and sends them in to do a job: Apostles: First contact people (Ephesians 4:11); Prophets those given direct revelation in the context of beginning ministry (Ephesians 4:11); Evangelists gifted to reach the lost in a variety of situations and presentations (Ephesians 4:11) and Teaching Shepherds who possesses both the teaching gift (Rom. 12) and a mix of the Administration, Ministry (better service), and other practical gifts found in Romans 12 that he can mentor others with (Ephesians 4:11).

Maybe you can identify with Tim and his dry spell. Maybe you have had times in your walk as a believer where you didn’t do what God wanted you to do. Maybe you can understand Tim. With all his ills and all his assets, two particular problems knocked Timothy off his ability to bear the fruit that was intended in his life:

Timothy was afraid. He lacked confidence. He believed in God's power, but not enough to overcome HIS inadequacies! (1:7). He hid in that fear and did not experience the full measure of God's POWER in his life, the full measure of LOVE in his life, nor the full measure of DISCIPLINE in his walk. Fear led him to under-produce. Fear led him to weakness. Fear led him to coldness where love should have exuded. Fear led him to slack off when hard work was in order. He was afraid!

In the midst of World War II, Oxford University asked then Prime Minister Churchill to address its commencement exercises. Dressed in his finest suit, he arrived at the auditorium where the service was to be held with his usual props, a cigar, a cane and a top hat. As Churchill approached the podium, the crowd rose in appreciative applause. Standing there looking very dignified, he settled the crowd down and asked them to be seated. Standing confidently before this crowd of great admirers, he removed his cigar and placed his top hat on the podium. Then Churchill gazed at his waiting audience that included some of the most noted scholars in the world. With an authoritative tone in his voice he began with three words: “Never give up!” Several seconds passed without him saying another word. Finally he repeated those same three words again, “Never give up!” There was a deafening silence as Churchill reached for his hat, steadied himself with his cane and left the platform. His commencement address was finished. (sermon central illustrations).

Timothy was ashamed. He couldn't explain why, if his message was right, his mentor was sitting in prison and his movement looked like it would be snuffed out (1:8). He didn't think he could take prison or suffering. He didn't understand that it was a holy calling from God to walk where others would shy away (1:9).

OK, I think we grasp the problem. Maybe we can even sympathize with Tim’s failures and problems. How does that help us? What we need are SOLUTIONS to moving forward! Paul didn’t only attack what TIM was DOING, he attacked the root of the problem – Tim’s thinking. Remember, What you know affects what you do. We must KNOW the right things to DO the right things!

Paul offered six truths to Tim that he needed to know, recall and rehearse. Failure was not an option. Focus was the order of the day:

1. Know that God has a purpose for each of us when He calls us to serve Him (1:9).

2. Know that this life is not the end, but the foyer of the real life to come (1:10).

3.Know that when God calls upon you to serve, you serve. It is what you were made for! (1:11).

4.Know that God's allowance of suffering in my life is NO indication of His lack of power or ability, it is temporary and His will (1:12). In 2 Timothy 1:12 the apostle Paul said, "I know whom I have believed & I am convinced that He is able to keep that which I have entrusted to Him until that day." Then just two verses later, Paul tells the young preacher, Timothy, "Guard the treasure which has been entrusted to you." In both places Paul uses the Greek word, "paratheke." which means "a treasure or a deposit left with someone you trust completely." The person you asked to take care of your most precious possessions was someone you knew very well, and trusted deeply. Paul offers a key here: Conquering fear is not a matter of self determination, it is a matter of unshakable trust on the God in whom we can depend. It is trust in His words, His promises, and His gifts to you.

5.Know the Word, and stand in it as truth no matter what you see. It will not fail you! (1:13). Guard its truths like a valuable treasure (1:14).

6.Know that though we must trust God to deal with people – He will use some in our lives to keep us encouraged! (1:15-18). Someone has noted, "The more we love others the less fear we will have. Love causes us to overcome our fear for the good of others. Think of those brave rescue workers; ambulance drivers, or stories you have heard of the parent rushing into a raging inferno to rescue their child. The army has countless stories of soldiers braving a hail of bullets to rescue a wounded buddy. Love gives strength. It causes us to tell others about Jesus no matter what others will say - and it does so much more to add to our boldness!

The 1st Century world marveled at the attitude that the Christians had about death. They couldn’t understand how Christians could rejoice when one of their number died. But we are told that we can rejoice because Jesus has won the victory over sin & death. Look at some of the paintings of that time. There is one that is particularly outstanding. It is a picture of Christians in the center of the Coliseum at Rome. Behind them are hungry lions ready to devour them. In the stands are people filled with hatred & malice towards the Christians, cheering on the lions. But on the face of every Christian there is a look of peace & life & hope, because "He is able." (sermon central illustrations)

Paul told him clearly: Face your fears. Forget your failures. Follow your faith. Focus on God’s Word. What you know affects what you do. We must KNOW the right things to DO the right things!