Psalm 119:37
Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.
When the church caught fire, everyone turned out to offer assistance. Many members of the congregation were crushed by the loss of the building. To many, the church had been a showplace, and they wondered whether the church could ever recover. The pastor chastised those members, reminding them that a church is much more than the building that houses it. Whether services took place in an assembly hall or a church sanctuary made no difference. What was important was that people stuck together and worshipped as a church family.
We cannot allow ourselves to lose sight of what is really important in our churches and in our Christian lives. Certainly, our church buildings are important, but the work of the church will go on regardless of the condition of the buildings that house them. Let not your eyes be turned from the way of the Lord. Focus always on Him.
Prayer:
I can get sidetracked from the really important things, Lord. Help me to remain steadfast concerning Your work and Gospel. Set my priorities as You would have them. Amen.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
The Booster Rocket
Joshua 1:1-2
After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: "Moses My servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them-to the Israelites.
A rocket launch is truly an amazing phenomenon to me. Tons of weight is stacked vertically to the sky with thousands of gallons of fuel exploding in a matter of moments. Soon the rocket drops its take-off boosters and uses additional boosters to move the rocket to the next stage of the mission. The first engines have a unique purpose...to get the rocket to the next stage.
Joshua was known for almost 40 years as "Joshua, servant of Moses." God's preparation for him required years of selfless service, training in the desert, and tests of faith. Those preparation years were booster rockets designed to move Joshua into each new stage of his development and his ultimate calling.
God allows each of us preparation times to lay a foundation that He plans to build on. Some of those foundation times appear to be laborious and meaningless, yet these varied experiences are what God is using to frame your life for the message He plans to speak through you. Without these foundational experiences, the Jordan River can never be crossed and we cannot enter the Promised Land.
Embrace these times of seeming inactivity from God. They, too, are a rocket booster to your next stage of your walk with God.
Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6).
After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: "Moses My servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them-to the Israelites.
A rocket launch is truly an amazing phenomenon to me. Tons of weight is stacked vertically to the sky with thousands of gallons of fuel exploding in a matter of moments. Soon the rocket drops its take-off boosters and uses additional boosters to move the rocket to the next stage of the mission. The first engines have a unique purpose...to get the rocket to the next stage.
Joshua was known for almost 40 years as "Joshua, servant of Moses." God's preparation for him required years of selfless service, training in the desert, and tests of faith. Those preparation years were booster rockets designed to move Joshua into each new stage of his development and his ultimate calling.
God allows each of us preparation times to lay a foundation that He plans to build on. Some of those foundation times appear to be laborious and meaningless, yet these varied experiences are what God is using to frame your life for the message He plans to speak through you. Without these foundational experiences, the Jordan River can never be crossed and we cannot enter the Promised Land.
Embrace these times of seeming inactivity from God. They, too, are a rocket booster to your next stage of your walk with God.
Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6).
Wars, Recessions, and Remembering Our Heavenly Citizenship
There is a lot of unease in our nation now, including in our churches. Between the economy, wars overseas and changes in Washington, it is easy for many Christians to feel uneasy. But Christians in other times and in other countries today have not been as affected by situations like this. Why? One answer is because they realize that this world is not their home and that here, they can expect difficulty. Jesus said: “In this world you will have tribulation...” (John 16:33).
But for many American Christians, this is a hard lesson to learn because, comparatively speaking, the world has been a more comfortable place for us. Consequently, we often live as though this world is our home and fail to have our true home in view to bring perspective to our temporary hardships here.
In this article and another one I just wrote , I would like to look at two biblical truths that are easily neglected during “good” economic times but which are critical for the Church to embrace during trials: (1) This world is not our home since our true citizenship is in heaven, which should free us to give to and serve others far more than when this world is our focus; and (2) God uses hardship for our good and his glory, and no hardship we experience is beyond his control. This article concentrates on the first topic.
Seeing Ourselves as Citizens of Heaven
The concept of heavenly citizenship was expressed by the Apostle Paul when he wrote to Christians in Philippi, which was a Roman colony whose citizens, like Paul, were also Roman citizens. He told the Philippians that first and foremost, they were citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20). If we see ourselves as emissaries from another world, here now but headed to a far better place, what happens here won’t define us or our long-term futures.
Think about this example: suppose you were sent by a perfectly secure, stable country to serve in an unstable one. You know that you are headed back to that secure homeland but right now you have a tour of duty in a difficult place. Would you buy a home? Perhaps, but probably not a mansion. Would you be upset if you lost that home? Probably, but since you are only there temporarily, it would not be a permanent loss. You would have to surrender that property before leaving anyway. And the permanent provision waiting for you is beyond comprehension.
That is the attitude we should have here. I don’t use this example to make light of any believer going through foreclosure. There is nothing easy about that. But having a heaven-bound view of life should put our earthly circumstances in perspective.
At a practical level, having our hope fixed on heaven should free us to do more good here. Paul had this view when he wrote to the Philippians: “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things . . .” (Philippians 3:7-8).
Christian history has many other examples. Some of the wealthy Christians who worked with William Wilberforce to free slaves in England spent their entire fortunes on that task. Christians who cared for plague victims in the early fourth century led many non-Christians to glorify God because of this selfless act of service to others. C.S. Lewis said accurately in Mere Christianity that many of the saints who have made the greatest difference in this world are the ones who have their hope set on the next.
But getting to that place is hard when we have been able to amass so many things and become addicted to the Idol of Comfort. Having the willingness to surrender earthly things will be particularly important for American Christians as our economic crisis worsens, so we can share with others inside and outside the Church. We also have to resist the temptation to hoard and instead give out of love and in faith as the Macedonian Christians gave out of their “extreme poverty” in Paul’s day (2 Corinthains 8:2).
I hope that in retrospect Christians will look back on these tough economic times as a blessing. Perhaps having less money for cable television and trips to the mall will help us turn to God, each other and our neighbors in badly needed ways. In that sense, the hardships we are encountering could be a blessing in disguise if we have the heart and eyes to see.
Having a Kingdom Perspective: It’s About His Plans and Glory
Understanding that our true citizenship is in heaven and that we, like Paul, are Christ’s ambassadors here (2 Corinthians 5:20), also carries responsibilities. One critical responsibility for any ambassador is to understand the relationship between his home country and the one where he is stationed. For us, that includes understanding that God holds groups (including nations) accountable for what they have been given materially and spiritually.
The judgments pronounced on Israel and other nations through the Old Testament prophets and the judgments described in the Book of Revelation make it clear that God holds nations accountable for their actions. But part of that is determined by the degree of revelation he has given them. In Matthew 11:20-24, Jesus warned two Jewish towns that it would be worse for them on the day of judgment than for two pagan cities that perished centuries earlier. The reason: the Jewish cities were given greater exposure to the truth but still did not repent. Luke 12:47-48 reinforces this point: "That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”
Applying this to our circumstances, America’s exposure to the Gospel and unparalleled wealth make it far more culpable in God’s eyes for its sins and excesses. Rather than nostalgically harkening back to a “Christian” past, we need to plead for mercy for our country now (cf. Jeremiah 29:7). But doing this work of prayer takes time, and I’m afraid that many churches still work at a frenetic pace more than they make time to pray. An honest look at our calendars may be a good indicator of just how much we depend, or don’t, on the Lord.
Having this broader perspective of serving God’s Kingdom should also help us see that God is at work far beyond our time and shores. His Kingdom is the point, not our comfort. If he allowed Rome to fall a century after it was “Christianized,” God could allow America to decline while other nations rise. Our ever-increasing national debt, soon to be made worse by entitlement spending and further bailouts, makes possible a long-term decline for America. Daniel 2 chronicles God’s orchestration of the rise and fall of several earthly empires. But the earthly nations are not the point of the story. God’s Kingdom is.
If America does decline, we should give thanks that the Church in China is growing rapidly in what could one day be the next world superpower. We don’t know. But keeping Kingdom priorities in mind should put our own nation’s ills--and our own--in proper perspective. { I hope this has answer some of the questions that some have asked . Thank you and God Bless
But for many American Christians, this is a hard lesson to learn because, comparatively speaking, the world has been a more comfortable place for us. Consequently, we often live as though this world is our home and fail to have our true home in view to bring perspective to our temporary hardships here.
In this article and another one I just wrote , I would like to look at two biblical truths that are easily neglected during “good” economic times but which are critical for the Church to embrace during trials: (1) This world is not our home since our true citizenship is in heaven, which should free us to give to and serve others far more than when this world is our focus; and (2) God uses hardship for our good and his glory, and no hardship we experience is beyond his control. This article concentrates on the first topic.
Seeing Ourselves as Citizens of Heaven
The concept of heavenly citizenship was expressed by the Apostle Paul when he wrote to Christians in Philippi, which was a Roman colony whose citizens, like Paul, were also Roman citizens. He told the Philippians that first and foremost, they were citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20). If we see ourselves as emissaries from another world, here now but headed to a far better place, what happens here won’t define us or our long-term futures.
Think about this example: suppose you were sent by a perfectly secure, stable country to serve in an unstable one. You know that you are headed back to that secure homeland but right now you have a tour of duty in a difficult place. Would you buy a home? Perhaps, but probably not a mansion. Would you be upset if you lost that home? Probably, but since you are only there temporarily, it would not be a permanent loss. You would have to surrender that property before leaving anyway. And the permanent provision waiting for you is beyond comprehension.
That is the attitude we should have here. I don’t use this example to make light of any believer going through foreclosure. There is nothing easy about that. But having a heaven-bound view of life should put our earthly circumstances in perspective.
At a practical level, having our hope fixed on heaven should free us to do more good here. Paul had this view when he wrote to the Philippians: “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things . . .” (Philippians 3:7-8).
Christian history has many other examples. Some of the wealthy Christians who worked with William Wilberforce to free slaves in England spent their entire fortunes on that task. Christians who cared for plague victims in the early fourth century led many non-Christians to glorify God because of this selfless act of service to others. C.S. Lewis said accurately in Mere Christianity that many of the saints who have made the greatest difference in this world are the ones who have their hope set on the next.
But getting to that place is hard when we have been able to amass so many things and become addicted to the Idol of Comfort. Having the willingness to surrender earthly things will be particularly important for American Christians as our economic crisis worsens, so we can share with others inside and outside the Church. We also have to resist the temptation to hoard and instead give out of love and in faith as the Macedonian Christians gave out of their “extreme poverty” in Paul’s day (2 Corinthains 8:2).
I hope that in retrospect Christians will look back on these tough economic times as a blessing. Perhaps having less money for cable television and trips to the mall will help us turn to God, each other and our neighbors in badly needed ways. In that sense, the hardships we are encountering could be a blessing in disguise if we have the heart and eyes to see.
Having a Kingdom Perspective: It’s About His Plans and Glory
Understanding that our true citizenship is in heaven and that we, like Paul, are Christ’s ambassadors here (2 Corinthians 5:20), also carries responsibilities. One critical responsibility for any ambassador is to understand the relationship between his home country and the one where he is stationed. For us, that includes understanding that God holds groups (including nations) accountable for what they have been given materially and spiritually.
The judgments pronounced on Israel and other nations through the Old Testament prophets and the judgments described in the Book of Revelation make it clear that God holds nations accountable for their actions. But part of that is determined by the degree of revelation he has given them. In Matthew 11:20-24, Jesus warned two Jewish towns that it would be worse for them on the day of judgment than for two pagan cities that perished centuries earlier. The reason: the Jewish cities were given greater exposure to the truth but still did not repent. Luke 12:47-48 reinforces this point: "That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”
Applying this to our circumstances, America’s exposure to the Gospel and unparalleled wealth make it far more culpable in God’s eyes for its sins and excesses. Rather than nostalgically harkening back to a “Christian” past, we need to plead for mercy for our country now (cf. Jeremiah 29:7). But doing this work of prayer takes time, and I’m afraid that many churches still work at a frenetic pace more than they make time to pray. An honest look at our calendars may be a good indicator of just how much we depend, or don’t, on the Lord.
Having this broader perspective of serving God’s Kingdom should also help us see that God is at work far beyond our time and shores. His Kingdom is the point, not our comfort. If he allowed Rome to fall a century after it was “Christianized,” God could allow America to decline while other nations rise. Our ever-increasing national debt, soon to be made worse by entitlement spending and further bailouts, makes possible a long-term decline for America. Daniel 2 chronicles God’s orchestration of the rise and fall of several earthly empires. But the earthly nations are not the point of the story. God’s Kingdom is.
If America does decline, we should give thanks that the Church in China is growing rapidly in what could one day be the next world superpower. We don’t know. But keeping Kingdom priorities in mind should put our own nation’s ills--and our own--in proper perspective. { I hope this has answer some of the questions that some have asked . Thank you and God Bless
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
God Controls Even Our Suffering
I like to discussed the need for American Christians to recapture the truth from scripture that we are first and foremost citizens of heaven, not earth, and how that truth can free us to serve those inside and outside the Church during trying times. In this article, I want to look at how a biblical understanding of God’s love and sovereignty should encourage and sustain us during trials. If we understand God’s sovereign control even over our hardships, it should help us see God’s purposes for that hardship and help us realize that we are not beyond his grasp during trying times.
This is not to say that God directly causes all the suffering we experience, but none of those experiences are outside of his control. Both the Old and New Testaments teach this important truth. For example, Job’s sufferings were caused directly by Satan but only occurred with God’s permission (Job 1-2). In the midst of his sufferings, Job asked: “Shall we accept only good from God’s hands but not bad?” (Job 2: 7, 10). Joseph was wrongfully sold into slavery and imprisoned for years. But in the end, he learned all was part of God’s plan and what others meant for evil, God meant for good (Gen. 50:20). Amos’s statement is even more direct: “If a calamity occurs in a city, has not the Lord done it?” (Amos 3:6).
The prophet Habakkuk shared this perspective when he looked into the near future and saw that his own country, Israel, was going to be devastated by a seemingly worse nation, Babylon. But Habakkuk still said he would “rejoice in the God of my salvation” and praise him, even though Israel’s entire economy was going to be destroyed (Habakkuk 3:17-19). We would do well to remember this critical fact if God allows our country to suffer at the hands of seemingly “worse” people.
In the New Testament, Jesus said that not a single sparrow falls apart from our Father’s will (Matt. 10:29). If that is so, how could a company, or a country? Paul was harassed by a messenger from Satan, but Paul knew that God had a purpose for that, namely to keep Paul humble (2 Cor. 12:7). At the outset of Paul’s apostolic ministry, God told Ananias that God would show Paul “how much he must suffer for my name” (Acts 9:16). Even Christ himself learned from what he suffered (Heb. 5:8). We cannot think that we are exempt from this same school of learning.
It is important to remember that each of these men was deeply loved by God, but God had a divine purpose for putting each of those men, including his own Son, through trials. The entire American Church would do well to recapture that idea now, especially with the prospect of more troubled times ahead.
C.S. Lewis realized that even as his country was being bombed during World War II, the war had some positive spiritual affects on the Church:
War makes death real to us, and that would have been regarded as one of its blessings by most of the great Christians of the past. They thought it good for us to be always aware of our mortality. I am inclined to think they were right. All . . . schemes of happiness that centered in this world, were always doomed to a final frustration. In ordinary times only a wise man can realize it. Now the stupidest of us knows . . . . If we thought we were building up a heaven on earth . . . we are disillusioned, and not a moment too soon.[1]
Closer to home, we see a powerful example of this principle from a Christian military officer who was badly burned on 9-11 during the attack on the Pentagon. When he wanted to give up during the painful wound cleanings he had to endure after that attack, his wife reminded him that nothing had happened to him that did not pass through God’s hands first. This is exactly the perspective we need now and in the days ahead, especially since something much worse than 9-11 could still befall our country.
These truths are hard to comprehend when we are in the middle of suffering. Raw emotions and the pain of loss can overwhelm our reason and cloud our view of things. That is why it is so important to instill these truths in our hearts before hardship hits. Otherwise we will be more tempted to view suffering through the pain of our emotions, rather than through the lens of scripture.
In his book The Hidden Smile of God, John Piper shows how three saints from the past were better prepared for suffering because of their understanding of God’s sovereignty. Piper states: “For nothing glorifies God more than maintaining our stability and joy when we lose everything but God. That day is coming for each of us, and we do well to get ready, and to help the people we love get ready.”
Christian leaders in particular, and all believers in America, need to heed this warning now and embrace this truth as we head into what could be far more difficult times.
This is not to say that God directly causes all the suffering we experience, but none of those experiences are outside of his control. Both the Old and New Testaments teach this important truth. For example, Job’s sufferings were caused directly by Satan but only occurred with God’s permission (Job 1-2). In the midst of his sufferings, Job asked: “Shall we accept only good from God’s hands but not bad?” (Job 2: 7, 10). Joseph was wrongfully sold into slavery and imprisoned for years. But in the end, he learned all was part of God’s plan and what others meant for evil, God meant for good (Gen. 50:20). Amos’s statement is even more direct: “If a calamity occurs in a city, has not the Lord done it?” (Amos 3:6).
The prophet Habakkuk shared this perspective when he looked into the near future and saw that his own country, Israel, was going to be devastated by a seemingly worse nation, Babylon. But Habakkuk still said he would “rejoice in the God of my salvation” and praise him, even though Israel’s entire economy was going to be destroyed (Habakkuk 3:17-19). We would do well to remember this critical fact if God allows our country to suffer at the hands of seemingly “worse” people.
In the New Testament, Jesus said that not a single sparrow falls apart from our Father’s will (Matt. 10:29). If that is so, how could a company, or a country? Paul was harassed by a messenger from Satan, but Paul knew that God had a purpose for that, namely to keep Paul humble (2 Cor. 12:7). At the outset of Paul’s apostolic ministry, God told Ananias that God would show Paul “how much he must suffer for my name” (Acts 9:16). Even Christ himself learned from what he suffered (Heb. 5:8). We cannot think that we are exempt from this same school of learning.
It is important to remember that each of these men was deeply loved by God, but God had a divine purpose for putting each of those men, including his own Son, through trials. The entire American Church would do well to recapture that idea now, especially with the prospect of more troubled times ahead.
C.S. Lewis realized that even as his country was being bombed during World War II, the war had some positive spiritual affects on the Church:
War makes death real to us, and that would have been regarded as one of its blessings by most of the great Christians of the past. They thought it good for us to be always aware of our mortality. I am inclined to think they were right. All . . . schemes of happiness that centered in this world, were always doomed to a final frustration. In ordinary times only a wise man can realize it. Now the stupidest of us knows . . . . If we thought we were building up a heaven on earth . . . we are disillusioned, and not a moment too soon.[1]
Closer to home, we see a powerful example of this principle from a Christian military officer who was badly burned on 9-11 during the attack on the Pentagon. When he wanted to give up during the painful wound cleanings he had to endure after that attack, his wife reminded him that nothing had happened to him that did not pass through God’s hands first. This is exactly the perspective we need now and in the days ahead, especially since something much worse than 9-11 could still befall our country.
These truths are hard to comprehend when we are in the middle of suffering. Raw emotions and the pain of loss can overwhelm our reason and cloud our view of things. That is why it is so important to instill these truths in our hearts before hardship hits. Otherwise we will be more tempted to view suffering through the pain of our emotions, rather than through the lens of scripture.
In his book The Hidden Smile of God, John Piper shows how three saints from the past were better prepared for suffering because of their understanding of God’s sovereignty. Piper states: “For nothing glorifies God more than maintaining our stability and joy when we lose everything but God. That day is coming for each of us, and we do well to get ready, and to help the people we love get ready.”
Christian leaders in particular, and all believers in America, need to heed this warning now and embrace this truth as we head into what could be far more difficult times.
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