Passion of Change: April 2009

Taking God Seriously

>> Saturday, April 11, 2009

Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. . . . But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.
1 Timothy 6:6, 9-11

During the Exodus, the ancient Hebrews escaped the slavery and punishment of Egyptian rule. On their journey home to Israel, they witnessed the miracle of God parting the water at the Red Sea that brought doom to their Egyptian pursuers. These people had everything. God guided them with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. God’s leader, Moses, was out in front of them. God provided nourishment with manna from heaven and water from the rock. They were surrounded by unparalleled privileges. God’s presence was constant. His workings were evident. In fact, one would think that these people would be the epitome of godliness, if for no other reason than out of gratitude for what God had done for them. But they were not. The apostle Paul wrote of these people, “Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness” (1 Corinthians 10:5). As they journeyed from Egypt, they played games with their lives and with their God.

That is dangerous business.

What happened to these potential saints? What caused their demise? Paul, again, surmises their tragedy and demise, “The people celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry” (1 Corinthians 10:7). It sounded like a fraternity party. The supernatural became commonplace. God-talk abounded. But they lacked a reverence and awe for God. They became calloused to the divine. They became nonchalant in their values. They forgot their heritage. Apathy ran rampant. They did not mean business with God. The relationship with him became a farce.

Sound familiar? Never in the history of the world has one country been so blessed. We are inundated with churches, Christian radio and television, Christian magazines and books, Christian schools, Christian conferences and seminars. Never has the potential for religious instruction been so paramount. Our churches should be overflowing with godly men and women. Are they? All too often, we walk down the same paths of carnality as these ancient Hebrews. We make light of what we should honor. We wink at what we should weep about. We play with what we should take quite seriously. And our families suffer the effects of our lax faith.

The children of Israel serve as a warning to every believer. Heed the warning. Take God seriously.

Choosing to Love

By Eric Elder

www.theranch.org

If you read the tribute I wrote to my dad last week, you’ll know that I thought my dad was a great man, “A grand man, a man of the land,” as I described him. Today, in the words of the famous radio announcer, Paul Harvey, who also died a few weeks ago, I want to tell you “the rest of the story.”

Don’t worry. I’m not going to tell you that my dad wasn’t a great man. He was! But I do want to tell you that I didn’t always perceive him to be a great man. He was, like me, imperfect. And he was, like me, probably more aware of his imperfections than anyone else. As D.L. Moody said, “I have more trouble with D.L. Moody than with any other man I ever met.”

But there were times when I tended to let his flaws overshadow his greatness. There were things he did that I wished he didn’t do, and things he didn’t do that I wish he did. One of those things became apparent to me one weekend when I was attending a Christian conference.

The speaker was talking about the power of saying the simple words, “I love you.” He asked us if there was anyone in our life whom we wished had spoken those simple words out loud to us. As I thought about his question, I tried to remember the last time my dad had told me he loved me. I couldn’t remember.

But then the speaker challenged us by asking us when we had said, “I love you,” to that person. As I thought about that, I couldn’t remember saying it to my dad, either.

I was convicted of the very thing I felt he hadn’t done. I decided to go visit my dad that week, bring lunch over to his house, and, as awkward as it may be, tell him, “Dad, I just wanted to tell you I love you.”

It was that same weekend that I returned home and my wife told me that my dad had called. He wanted to surprise me by bringing the piano over from his house to mine, because he knew I wanted a better one than I had. I broke down and cried. I realized that this was just one of many ways that my dad had demonstrated to me over the years how much he loved me, more than a thousand “I love you’s” ever could.

I did bring him lunch that week and told him I loved him, too. It was a turning point for me in my relationship with him as an adult. Writing the tribute to him was yet another turning point as God brought to mind scene after scene from my life where my dad’s life had had a positive impact on my own. By honoring my dad in this way, God poured out His blessings on me as well. I was experiencing just what the Bible verse promised:

“Honor your father and mother”--which is the first commandment with a promise-- “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth” (Ephesians 6:2).

When I finally honored my dad the way that God had called me to do all along, God opened my eyes to see the blessings He had already poured out on my life, and He opened the door to the blessing of a renewed relationship with my Dad these past many years.

So now you know “the rest of the story.” My dad really was a great man, and I’m thankful that my perception of that reality finally caught up to the truth.

By choosing to love others, God can use that love to pour out blessings on you that you may have never experienced otherwise.

Keep choosing to love those whom God has placed in your life. Keep choosing to love those who may seem to be unlovable. Keep choosing to love others, in spite of their flaws, and in spite of your own perceptions of reality. As the Bible says:

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8).

Let’s pray...

Father, thank You for loving me in spite of my flaws and failings, and help me to love others with that same kind of love. Open my eyes to see the whole truth, and help me to love those whom You have placed in my life so that they--and I-- can experience the full extent of the blessings You have in store for us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Zeal

The passionate commitment of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!
Isaiah 9:7

We read in Isaiah that a king will come who will establish a rule of justice, peace, righteousness—all sorts of good things that we need desperately. Yet throughout history we observe that the evil and the powerful continue to rule with cruelty and greed over the meek and the righteous. Has the king come? Where is his perfect kingdom? How does the zeal, the passionate commitment of the Lord accomplish it?

The zeal of the Lord is beautifully strange. The zeal of the Lord defied the natural order of life and placed the baby Jesus in Mary’s womb. Her frail, human baby was also an eternal King. God’s zeal produced the good and the unexpected. It was perfect. A baby born in complete innocence turned out to be our only hope of escape from the slavery of our sinful nature.

But the zeal of the Lord is also fearsomely strange. The zeal of the Lord also translates into Jesus wrapped not in swaddling cloths anymore but a bloodied purple robe awaiting vicious execution. No longer visited by kings but ridiculed and mocked by sadistic soldiers. This, also, demonstrated God’s zeal: love abused by hatred, compassion spat upon. The zeal of the Lord brought his only beloved Son before the dark hearts of man and the evil of Satan to be brutalized and murdered. Yet it was good, for by the zeal of God’s love for us, we are given a way out of darkness and into the light of God’s love. The zeal of the Lord is astoundingly strange. A battered and bruised dead man rose from the grave making a mockery of all greed, power, and evil. An eternal kingdom of peace, justice, righteousness, and love was secured for all who would open their heart.

The truth is that the zeal of the Lord does accomplish a new kingdom for all those who believe. How will we allow God’s zeal to build his kingdom through us?

Desperation

About that time David’s son Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, began boasting, “I will make myself king.”
1 Kings 1:5

Life can be unfair in the most aggravating ways! One of the amazing aspects of studying the Bible involves the discovery that ancient lives reflect our experiences. The similarities can be eerie. People and the way they relate to one another have not changed in thousands of years. That’s why we can learn so much from their lives.

Adonijah wanted to be king of Judah. After all, he was the oldest living son of David. He was handsome, perhaps regal in appearance. So much so that several of David’s advisers (Joab and Abiathar) gave him their support. But David had already promised his throne to Solomon. Adonijah’s dreams and plans were in vain. Unfortunately, that didn’t stop his attempt to take the throne.

David was an absent father in Adonijah’s life. He never guided or questioned his son’s actions or attitudes. Consequently, Adonijah never learned to recognize limits or how to work within them. He was spoiled into thinking he could always have his own way. He was unable to respect the wishes of others or to acknowledge God’s will. Even though David thwarted Adonijah’s attempt to take the throne, he failed to deal directly with his son. Adonijah’s life was an example of the fact that although David was an outstanding leader and king, he was a poor model as a father. Adonijah’s willfulness led to his own death.

Parents do not love their children by letting them do whatever they want or by giving them whatever they desire. Gifts can be an expression of love but so can limits. Self-centered children grow into self-destructive adults. Teaching our children how to respond correctly to the word no can be difficult. But failing to teach them that lesson will do them great harm.

How well have you learned to respond to limits? The word no can be a priceless gift. Knowing how to respond to no is a priceless lesson.

Adapted from 365 Life Lessons from Bible People (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 1996).

Deepening Your Love for the Word of God

By Eric Elder

www.theranch.org

Have you ever thought about going to Israel? I’m planning a trip there this fall and would love for you to come along! But even if you can’t come, I thought this would be a good time to share with you how much it can help to deepen your love for the Word of God when you know that the people and places mentioned in the Bible are real.

When I was a kid in Sunday School, my teachers would put maps and charts and pictures on the wall, showing us what Israel looked like in the days when the Bible was written. But the images looked so distant and unfamiliar that it never occurred to me that Israel was still a real place that I could still go and visit today. Even when studying the Bible as an adult, it hardly crossed my mind that the Israel of today had much to do with the Israel of the Bible.

So I was caught by surprise when I had a chance to actually go to Israel myself. On my first day out, driving around the countryside with my host, I saw a small sign on the side of the road that said, “Tomb of Samuel the Prophet.” I did a double-take and asked my host, “Does that mean it’s the tomb of Samuel THE Prophet? The one who anointed King David to be king over all of Israel?”

From that moment on I started to picture the whole Bible differently. Here I was, looking at the same hills where Samuel grew up, spoke to God, and was eventually laid to rest. All of a sudden, the reality of the people and places described in the Bible came to life in a whole new way!

When my wife had a chance to go to Israel a few years ago, I asked her several months after she had returned home if she had thought much about her trip since she’d been back. She said, “Every day!” Every day since she had gotten back, every time she read the Bible, the images of what she had seen in Israel came back to her mind. She says she can’t remember how she pictured those stories before she went to Israel, but ever since going there herself, the pictures are vivid and clear in her mind.

Now you don’t have to have to go to Israel for the Word of God to come alive to you. The words in the Bible are already “living and active” all on their own. As the writer of Hebrews said:

“For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double- edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

God has brought His Word to life to me many times, causing the words on the page to practically stand up in three dimensions, especially when they answer a question that’s been burning on my heart.

So I know you don’t have to go to Israel for the Bible to come to life, but I’m sharing this with you about Israel today so that the next time you read your Bible, you’ll read it with the assurance that the people and places described within it really did exist--and you can still see many of those same cities and sites today!

You can still stand at the top of Mount Carmel, where Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to rain fire down from heaven. You can still sail on the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus calmed the storm and preached to thousands on the seashore. You can still visit the city of Bethlehem, where David tended sheep, and where Jesus Himself was born.

It’s all real, and every archaeological discovery over the years seems to confirm the reality of what God has recorded in His Word. Maybe they should change the name from Israel to “Is-Real!” At least, that’s what it has become to me.

So whether you’re able to come with me this fall or not, keep on reading your Bible, remembering that the stories you’re reading are absolutely real. And if you do want to join me this fall, you can read more about the trip in the P.S. below.

But first, let’s pray...

Father, thank You for Your Word, which tells us so much about who You are and how You’ve cared for people throughout history. Help me to read Your Word in a way that will deepen my love for You, and in a way that helps me realize how deep Your love for me already is. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Antidote to Fear

But now, O Jacob, listen to the LORD who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.”
Isaiah 43:1

Fear is very much a part of life. To be afraid is normal. Yet, if fear is out of control, it is the most paralyzing emotion of all. Fear makes people doubt their abilities and paralyzes the free use of their talents. It brings on “cold feet,” makes one a “chicken,” and “eats away at one’s guts.” Fear motivates one to make more money—“just in case”; to always have the resume out—“you never know”; and to look over one’s shoulder—“you can’t trust anyone.”

While fear is present in most every circumstance of life, it does not have to paralyze you. Moving to a new community, changing jobs, making new friends, or attending a new church can all be fear-producing events. But they don’t have to erode the fulfillment in life.

“Fear not” appears 365 times in an older version of the Bible. Like a daily vitamin, God has provided just what is needed to move on and to conquer one’s fear. One faces one’s fears with fact. God says that we do not have to fear because of the fact that his presence accompanies us through the unpredictable events of life. He has redeemed us—setting us free from the slavery of fear. He calls us by name—he knows us intimately. He says we are his—we are his children, his beloved.

It’s only two words—“fear not”—easier to preach than to practice, but easier to practice with the fact of God’s power and presence accompany us through every dark alley of life.

NLT

In Control

“Why don’t you talk to me?” Pilate demanded. “Don’t you realize that I have the power to release you or crucify you?” Then Jesus said, “You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above.”
John 19:10-11

It’s a battle of the wills.
Mom and Dad have set a curfew. The teenager balks.
“But, you guys don’t understand! The party doesn’t even start ‘til after ten, and everyone will be there. I’m going, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me! I’ll be back when I’m back.”

Bam. The car keys are confiscated, and the curfew has turned into a grounding.

This scenario might have ended differently if our teenager had had a healthier respect for authority and an appreciation for her boundaries.

At the time of Roman rule in Jerusalem, Pilate’s overall duty was to keep the peace. From Pilate’s perspective, the push to crucify Jesus was just another power play by the Jews that challenged his authority. Searching for solid evidence to release Jesus and thus to show his authority over the Jews, Pilate asked Jesus, “Why don’t you talk to me? Don’t you realize that I have the power to release you or crucify you?”

Imagine Pilate’s surprise when he heard Jesus say, “You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above.” After this discussion, Pilate and Jesus had an understanding; Pilate was not in charge. Any course of action Pilate chose to take would inevitably end in Jesus’ death on the cross.

Unwittingly, Pilate played a critical role in the fulfillment of an eternal plan to save all of mankind from sin, death, and eternal separation from God. The only real choice Pilate had was personal. Would he hear and believe the words of Jesus or not?

Over a lifetime, we will make many critical choices, some that may change the course of our lives. One of our principal challenges as parents is to teach our kids that choices matter. But we must also let them know who’s really in control

Despite all the power and authority we believe we possess, we really only possess what God has given. We control only what God allows us to control. In truth, the most important choices we will make in life are the personal ones. Will we hear and believe the words of Jesus? Will we follow his calling? If we choose to hear, to follow, and to obey, we will find ourselves living under the authority of a loving God. We will realize that we can trust his judgment. We will find rest in his wisdom and joy in his guidance.

Good Decisions Make Good Men

By Eric Elder

www.theranch.org

Do you have a decision to make today? Maybe it’s a decision about your job, your family, your future. Maybe it’s about your health, your friends, or your finances. Maybe it’s about who to marry, where to go to school, or where to go to church.

Whatever decision you’re facing today, I want to encourage you to take the time you need to make a good decision. Don’t gloss over it and don’t give up on it. Keep wrestling it out in prayer with God until both you and Him come to a conclusion.

The decision you make today could affect you for some time to come, perhaps even the rest of your life. I want to encourage you to make a good one.

I had a dream this week that I was walking through a room, and written on the ceiling were these words: “Good decisions make good men.”

When I woke up, I thought I must have read it wrong. Shouldn’t it have read, “Good men make good decisions”? But it was clearly the other way around: “Good decisions make good men.” The more I thought about it, the more I realized the truth of those words. Decisions are what make the man. And good decisions make good men.

If only “good” men made good decisions, then none of us could make good decisions, because none of us are inherently good. Even Jesus, who many would consider to be the ideal of what it means to be a “good man,” said this when someone called Him good:

“Why do you call me good? No one is good--except God alone” (Mark 10:18).

Even though Jesus was God’s Son, He still had the free will to make His own decisions. He was still “tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus didn’t automatically say, “Yes,” to all the right things and, “No,” to all the wrong things. He had to wrestle with His decisions, just like we have to wrestle with ours.

When faced with temptation, He sometimes faced a struggle so intense that God had to send angels to minister to Him when He had finally made His decision (see Matthew 4:1-11). When He was going to choose twelve of His followers to become His disciples, He spent the whole night beforehand in prayer (see Luke 6:12-14).

The most agonizing decision He ever had to make seems to have been the one He made the night before He died. He agonized over that decision so much that He not only broke out in a sweat, but “His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground” (Luke 22:39-44).

Jesus had to decide whether to follow His own will, or follow the will of His Father, even though Jesus knew it could cost Him His life. Three times Jesus went back to God in prayer to wrestle out His decision. And three times, He came to the same conclusion that God wants you and me to come to each time we wrestle with a decision:

“...yet not my will, but Yours be done.” (Luke 22:42b).

And for that decision, Jesus is remembered as not only a “good” man, but as the greatest man who ever lived.

You don’t have to be a “good” man or woman to make a good decision. You just have to be willing to submit your will to God’s, and then do what He says. As Joshua told the Israelites as they were about to enter the promised land:

“Now fear the LORD and serve Him with all faithfulness.... But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve... But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD” (from Joshua 24:14-16).

You can make a good decision today. You may have to wrestle all night in prayer with God about it, but you can do it! Jesus made a good decision for you. I pray that you’ll make a good decision for Him today, too.

Good decisions really do make good men (and women, too!).

Let’s pray...

Father, help me to make a good decision today. Help me to know Your will and be willing to do it, even if I have to stay up all night in prayer. I trust You with my life, and I trust You to help me make the decision I have to make today as well. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Soft Answers

A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.
Proverbs 15:1

Husbands and wives know almost instinctively the truth of the first half of this proverb. Many report that their dating and engagement period illustrated the proverb regularly. But they sense the second half of the proverb is also true. They can remember a few spats, tiffs, and downright arguments in which harsh words incited anger and tempers flared.

The wedding day was supposed to fix all that. Maybe that’s why so many of the “difficult conversations” revolved around the wedding plans. So much is riding on that day being perfect! If it isn’t perfect, how can the marriage ever be perfect? It comes as quite a shock to many couples that neither the wedding day nor the marriage has any real hope of being perfect. Two deeply flawed human beings becoming one doesn’t create a perfect product. Fortunately, we haven’t promised to be perfect in our vows (even if we thought that’s what we were promising). Nor has our mate promised to be perfect in their vows (even if that’s what we thought we heard). But the promises we did make (to take, to have, to hold, to love, to cherish) are at least partly achievable if we will practice this proverb and create soft answers as often as possible.

What’s a soft answer? A soft answer speaks to what the person actually said, not what we thought he or she said, or how we feel about what we think he or she said. A soft answer begins by demonstrating active listening.

This conversational tool may seem very awkward when you try it—until you see what wonders it creates. We practice active listening when we calmly repeat back to our partner what we heard him or her say and give them a chance to edit. What’s amazing is how often, when they hear what we heard them say, they are dumbfounded. They are eager to restate their thought. We quietly repeat what we heard. If they agree to our restatement of their words, we can proceed to respond. If nothing else, this tool gives us added time to consider how to express ourselves—in other words, more time to formulate a gentle answer.