The Promised Land - 5/31/06

Joshua 11:12, "He did just as Moses, the servant of the Lord, had commanded."

Joshua was the leader responsible for establishing a place for the Israelites to build God's nation. After leaving Egypt and wandering the desert for decades, the Israelites came upon the land of Canaan - the land God had promised to the people He chose to spread His name across the globe.

God needed to secure this land for the only group of people who worshipped Him on the planet. This is the place where His son would be born into the world and offered as a sacrifice to reunite God with all of His children - the same children who had separated themselves from Him by sinning. But first, Joshua must lead the smallest of nations into this land and defeat dozens of kings and their people.

Joshua and his army succeeded in every military campaign because he was obedient. He did exactly what Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded. Therefore it wasn't by Joshua's own power or ability that he was able to deliver this land to God's people, but because the power of God went before him.

One thing that truly amazes me is that the same God, the exact same person who helped Joshua; the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; the God who defeated Pharaoh and the one who invented air, water, earth, and love - works directly in my own life with the same power and authority He had over His people throughout history.

Since that time though, the law has changed. God no longer needs a temple and a blood sacrifice because Jesus' blood sacrifice paid the debt caused by sin, and God has chosen the hearts of His people as His temple.

With the spirit of the living God living in me, I can experience the same level of direction and success when the odds are against me - as long as I am living according to God's will and honestly seeking His direction. Ephesians 6:14 emphasizes the concept of living by God's direction when it speaks of the "Armor of God." This armor consists of:

the belt of Truth
the protection of Right Living on your chest
on your feet wear the good news of Peace
carry the shield of Faith to stop all burning arrows of the Evil One
accept God's Salvation as your helmet
take the Sword of the spirit which is the word of God
... and Pray in the spirit at all times

Joshua had the "protection of right living" on his chest. He lived according to God's will, plan, and purpose. For that reason, he was protected when standing against an army three times the size of his own. In the same way, God will protect us if the way we live is right in His eyes. Not only will He deliver us from our enemy, but He will establish us in a land flowing with milk and honey - a prosperous life where the protection of His hand will allow us to enjoy success.

Small Steps, Giant Leaps

Romans 10:17, "So faith comes from hearing the Good News, and people hear the Good News when someone tells them about Christ."

Every day people easily put their faith in simple, unreliable things. When I insert the key into my car's ignition, I have faith that the engine will turn over - even though cars fail every day. When I flip a light switch, I have faith that the room will be illuminated - even though light bulbs eventually burn out. When a skydiver jumps from a plane, he or she has faith that the parachute will deploy and save them from a series of unfortunate events, so to speak - even though we've all heard of incidents where that was not the case.

Why is it that somebody would actually throw themselves from an airplane and expect to live? On what basis do they have reason to believe the parachute will save them? This is an important question. Think about it. If a person has never attempted skydiving before, why should they believe that the parachute will open for them as it has for others - and believing it strongly enough to step off the edge of the plane? Chances are, there is somebody who explained to them how the parachute works. Another person who put their faith in it - and has proven it to be true in his or her own life - has explained it. Somebody who experienced it first-hand convinced the new skydiver that it really works and is worth the jump. This person explained the "Good News" of parachutes to somebody who will soon be falling fast. This is exactly how faith and the message of Jesus Christ spreads from one person to another. Somebody who has proven it to be true in his or her own life is asked to pass that information along to somebody who has not.

Right now, we're all falling. But many of us have Christ in our lives - the parachute that will save us from eternal death. He loves us enough to catch anyone who is willing to accept His love and believe in Him, guiding them gently to safety. It's open to anyone because not one person in this world is worthier than another to be saved by Him. We don't have to earn it, but we do have to consciously receive it.

Hebrews 12:1 begins, "We have around us many people whose lives tell us what faith means." The first scripture says that faith comes from hearing the Good News of Christ. This second scripture is tangible evidence of that Good News - changed lives and hearts. So if we are surrounded by so many people whose lives tell us what faith means, why aren't they all passing it along? Why aren't they handing extra parachutes out to their friends and family who are still falling? Why aren't people who haven't heard the Good News getting it from those whose lives tell us what faith means?

This morning I came across an excerpt with a similar theme from God Came Near by Max Lucado. It made me chuckle. Here it is for your reading pleasure:

A few nights ago a peculiar thing happened. An electrical storm caused a blackout in our neighborhood. When the lights went out, I felt my way through the darkness into the storage closet where we keep the candles for nights like this...I took a match and lit four of them...
I was turning to leave with the large candle in my hand when I heard a voice, "Now hold it right there."
"Who said that?" I asked.
"I did." The voice was near my hand.
"Who are you? What are you?"
"I'm a candle." I lifted up the candle to take a closer look. You won't believe what I saw. There was a tiny face in the wax...a moving, functioning, flesh-like face full of expression and life. "Don't take me out of here!"
"What?"
"I said, don't take me out of this room!"
"What do you mean? I have to take you out. You're a candle. Your job is to give light. It's dark out there."
"But you can't take me out. I'm not ready," the candle explained with pleading eyes. "I need more preparation."
I couldn't believe my ears. "More preparation?"
"Yeah, I've decided I need to research this job of light-giving so I won't go out and make a bunch of mistakes. You'd be surprised how distorted the glow of an untrained candle can be..."
"All right then," I said. "You're not the only candle on the shelf. I'll blow you out and take the others." But just as I got my cheeks full of air, I heard other voices.
"We aren't going either!" ...I turned around and looked at the three other candles...
"You are candles and your job is to light dark places!"
"Well, that may be what you think," said the candle on the far left..."You may think we have to go, but I'm busy...I'm meditating on the importance of light. It's really enlightening..."
"And you other two," I asked. "Are you going to stay in here as well?"
A short, fat, purple candle spoke up, "I'm waiting to get my life together. I'm not stable enough."
The last candle had a female voice, very pleasant to the ear. "I'd like to help," she explained, "but lighting the darkness is not my gift...I'm a singer. I sing to other candles to encourage them to burn more brightly." She began a rendition of This Little Light of Mine. The other three joined in, filling the room with singing.
I took a step back and considerred the absurdity of it all. Four perfectly healthy candles singing to each other about light but refusing to come out of the closet...

Are you a closet Christian, or are you letting your light shine so that others - having heard the message of Good News from you - can have faith of their own?

Truths and Untruths - 5/21/06

2 Timothy 2:23-26, "Stay away from foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they grow into quarrels. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, a good teacher, and patient. The Lord's servant must gently teach those who disagree. Then maybe God will let them change their minds so they can accept the truth. And then they may wake up and escape from the trap of the devil, who catches them to do what he wants."

"I'm not stupid, YOU'RE stupid!"
"No, YOU'RE stupid, stupid-head!"

Okay, so maybe these aren't the exact words typically used, but I think this dialogue summarizes the mood that so often prevails when a believer and non-believer discuss their differing viewpoints. I actually wrote this journal entry weeks ago after a tense discussion my wife and her sister had with their father regarding spiritual matters. I didn't feel the need to post it at the time for some reason, but in the light of the Da Vinci code being released, so many people are up in arms about a new attack on Christianity by those who don't understand the truth so I felt like I should post it now.

The scripture above warns us to stay away from foolish and stupid arguments when discussing such things because they grow into quarrels - which last much longer. It's so easy to forget how difficult it is for a non-believer to forsake their own will for something unseen. It's just as easy to forget that their spirit has not been touched by the love of our living God, and we must pray for them. God has already changed the hearts and minds of millions of others just like them -- just like you and me.

When we disucss matters of faith with soeone who has never heard them before - or has only heard distorted misrepresentations - we are urged by this scripture to gently teach those who disagree. It says a servent of the Lord must be kind to everyone, a good teacher, and patient.

All three of these can be difficult when the tone of the conversation becomes condescending or hostile. Then, you don't really want to be kind, or patient, and therefore cannot be a good teacher. We must not let our emotions eclipse our ability to pass spiritual knowledge on to somebody who knows nothing of the matter. If in fact they do know something of the matter but have chosen to be against God, then the most you can do for them is to pray for them. The least you can do for them is walk away...

This scripture says that the devil uses traps to ensnare people and do what he wants. In our culture, the science of manipulated facts and theories to support anything that is against God is so often used to that effect. A theory that is unproven and against God is often accepted as truth. Those who believe it are now working for the enemy and against the kingdom of God. Unproven theories become pillars of modern science and used as arguments against the existence of God.

Truth, however, and spiritual facts have three pillars: The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit. Their evidence, other than changed lives, changed hearts, and answered prayers - is simply all of creation.

So when we talk about the evidence of spiritual truth and facts, we must be patient and understand that the person we are talking to has been deceived by the father of all lies. Be kind to them, and pray that their hearts may be softened; their minds opened up to truth, His will, and His way. Do not let it escalate into a foolish or stupid argument. We are ambassadors for Christ, and must work as He did, speaking diplomatically but sternly, unwavering in what we as Christians know to be true.

A Real Jarhead - 5/4/06

2 Corinthians 4:7, "We have this treasure from God, but we are like clay jars that hold the treasure. This shows that the great power is from God, not from us."

The treasure spoken of here in this verse is the light of the Good News about the glory and reality of Christ. It is this treasure that acts as the daily source of hope, joy, and purpose for the believer - even in the midst of trials and tragedy.

The verse just before this one reads, "God once said, 'Let the light shine out of darkness!'" This is what is meant when referring to Jesus as the light of the world. It is explained in this chapter that "the devil who rules this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe." He has covered the globe in darkness, evil, and ignorance. Jesus Christ is the radiant light that pierced that darkness, overcoming it when He allowed His body to be pierced; His sinless blood cancelling the power of evil.

His glory cast out all shadows, and the gift of His love and grace along with the freedom He offers from the bondage of sin is the treasure we carry. Christians carry this light with them to continue shining in a dark world. But, the good news and power and love and grace and success that many Christians enjoy does not come from them. Anything good is from God. We are only clay jars - not equal in value or endurance to the treasure we carry inside. Clay is fragile, crude, and easily broken. It cannot match the purity and brilliance of the treasure inside - the Holy Spirit of the Lord and the knowledge of and relationship with Christ.

This scripture says that the treasure we hold shows that the great power is from God, not us. Nothing as pure and perfect and eternal as God can come from something as flawed and temporary as we are.

This reminds me of an argument by the philosopher John Locke in which he claims that the very idea of a perfect, holy God could only come from such a being. Basically, he argued that you cannot imagine or think of ANYTHING that you don't have some first-hand experience with. Every thought is based on something else we've seen, touched, heard, smelled, or tasted. Try it - the most imaginitive thought you can create cane be broken down into simple, un-original elements based in lifetime experiences. We possess NO knowledge of our own; everything we know has been passed to us from an outside source.

So, if we cannot be all-powerful, all-knowing, omnipresent, eternal, perfect, and holy - but we know of these qualities - that means something actually possessing these traits must exist. That also is a treasure held in the clay jar of our mind; the character of God revealed to mankind.

We serve a powerful God. He works in our lives daily. Some recognize His work and are in awe of it. Ohers labor under a lie and refuse to acknowledge His design and existence and stumble in darkness. But if you swallow your pride long enough to admit thyou don't have it all figured out seek Him, then His light will flood your life and change you forever. As Christians, we are commanded to carry this light to those who've never seen it. And that job will last the rest of our lives.

Your Mission, Should You Choose To Accept It - 5/2/06

Luke 5:31, "Jesus answered them, 'It is not the healthy people who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to invite good people but sinners to change their hearts and lives.'"

Jesus offended many religious leaders by hanging out with people who weren't concerned with looking or acting holy. His is the Son of the Most High God, but you would have seen Him more often in the house of a sinner than the temple - the house of His Father.

It makes perfect sense, that He would spend His time teaching those who have never heard of God's love and how to live holy lives, rather than spending it with those who already knew of it. These are the sick who needed a doctor; their hearts were poisoned with the lies of this world and needed a heart transplant from the Great Physician.

When Jesus rose from the grave and went to heaven to prepare a place for us, this task of caring for the "sick" passed on to us. The Bible says that we are the body of Christ; we are His hands and His feet and must follow His example. We must walk as He walked and work as He worked. This is our mission.

We go on mission trips to oher places and countries, and that is good. But every morning, we wake up in the mission field right here. We are surrounded by sick people who have never heard the good news of God's love and grace. Or, they've heard an incredibly distorted version of it and are avoiding God based on that misguided understanding.

Ideally, we would wake up each morning and prepare for the day as we would if we were on a mission trip - praying, devoting time to God, fellowship, singing, and drawing strength from the source of strength for a day full of affecting the people in our lives.

We can't rely on pamphlets and books and blogs to teach people about God's love. Why weren't any of the books of the Bible written by Jesus himself? I think because there would have been only one book. Granted, the best one I'm sure. But rather than writing, He spent His time working with people. He touched lives every day so they would write about His love and glory from their individual points of view. Then those people went out and touched lives, and those people touched lives; crossing borders and rivers and languages and oceans, spreading like a fire across the globe until millions learned the truth of God. Every kind of person has believed "...from every tribe and every nation, every language."

Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so people can improve each other." Believers in Christ are sharpened iron - sharp enough to cut through every lie about God and sharpen other people's faith.

So, you know your mission; you have your assignment - you're living it. Now, you must do as Christ would have done if He lived your life, because you are living for Him and not yourself.