Friday, April 30, 2010

PUMPING IRON

Carol and I have been going to the gym in our complex four or five mornings a week, as our schedule allows. After ten years of my not getting any regular exercise, it’s been a chore getting back into the habit and an even bigger chore getting back into any semblance of being in shape. Fortunately I married the right woman and when she needs to be a drill sergeant, she does it well! And let me quickly add, I love my sergeant!

I enjoy watching people, and it’s fun to watch the different kinds of people who visit the gym. There are serious athletes (like me) who are determined to be fit. Then there are some semi-serious ones (again, like me) who want to be fit but don’t want to pay the full price. These are the good folks who buy the magic potions sold on late-night cable stations that promise to make you lose weight while you sleep. Like me, these folks want fitness—as long as it’s on sale and cheap!

Some of the people that come into the gym constantly amaze me. They are not there very long; in fact, they come only to do a few select exercises, usually arm curls and maybe a few stomach crunches. One morning a few weeks ago a middle-aged guy came in and it was the first and only time I’ve ever seen him. This gentleman was dressed in tight, black jeans, black loafers without socks, a black belt with silver trim on it, and a tight, white polo shirt. He went over the dumbbell rack and acted like he felt at home as he picked up two twenty-pound weights and did eight or ten curls. Then he placed the weights back in the rack, stood for a few minutes and admired himself—and then left.

Later, as Carol and I were heading back to our home, she remarked, “That was really weird. That guy just came in and stood over in front of the mirror. What was that all about?” Maybe it is just a “guy thing” but I did understand what the man was doing. “I suspect he was on his way to his office or a meeting and there was somebody there he wanted to impress, so he stopped to pump up his arms. It’s all about looking good.”

About that time I had an epiphany or maybe it was a revelation, or maybe just some common sense bubbled up about exercise and life. The startling conclusion that I arrived at was, “More people die of heart (cardiovascular) problems than from flabby arms or butts.” Wow, did that rock my world! Now let me quickly add that I see nothing wrong with a finely-toned arm or…oops, I’d better not finish that thought, my drill sergeant might read this!

One of the strongest words of rebuke and correction Jesus ever gave to the religious phonies of His day is found in Matthew 23:25-28. My paraphrase of these verses would read something like this:

“You guys don’t get it! All you are worried about is appearance, looking good! So you rush to the gym and concentrate on your arms, stomach and butt. You Botox your face, puff up your lips, spray on a fake tan and then blow your budget on clothes that are in style today! You look like you live on the Jersey Shore. And while you are concentrating on how you look, your heart is growing sick and diseased. The core of your life is not how you look, it’s your heart, your inner person. I came to take the sin-diseased heart out of you, give you a healthy heart, and then help you keep it healthy. In your blindness, you keep pumping iron and spraying on the tan and ignoring your heart. When the heart disease finally takes you down, and it will, your buffed bod and stylish clothes won’t help at all. Your rock-hard abs will not get you very far in eternity!”

In my physical exercise routine I consciously work the cardiovascular to keep my heart in good shape. I also spend some time with the weight machines to work the arms and the upper body. Likewise, my devotional life is structured to continually and consciously work on the inner man. You wanna keep the heart strong!

Proverbs 4:23
Above all else, guard your heart,
for it is the wellspring of life.” (NIV)


Well, I must go. I hear the drill sergeant calling…I love that sound and I love my sergeant!

Friday, April 23, 2010

JOSEPH

I have just finished reading two accounts of the life of Joseph. In Genesis, his story reads like a suspenseful and emotional novel (Genesis 37 through 50). The second account is an interesting and kind of folksy telling by Charles Swindoll in his series entitled Great Lives From God’s Word.

If anyone ever lived a roller-coaster life, it was Joseph. The favorite son of his father Jacob, Joseph was ambushed by his jealous brothers and thrown into a pit in the wilderness to die. I would consider that a downer. Guilt seemed to get the best of his brothers and so they pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him to traders, who then sold him into slavery in Egypt. That’s a downer with a steeper incline.

Joseph ended up as the household slave of Potiphar, of one of the most important men in Egypt. Here he won the approval of his employer and became the chief servant of this high-visibility man. Life was definitely looking up for Joseph. However, the bright new life came to a crashing halt when Potiphar’s wife falsely accused Joseph of rape. Into jail he went and the key was essentially thrown away.

Scripture says a curious thing about Joseph in prison: “The Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden” (Genesis 39:21 NIV).

While in prison, Joseph interpreted the dreams of two men, both from the court of Pharaoh. After correctly interpreting the dreams, Joseph had a simple request. He asked that when the dreams were fulfilled, and the one man was restored to his place in Pharaoh’s court, that he be remembered to Pharaoh. The man readily agreed, but the moment he was released from prison he forgot all about Joseph.

How do you keep your hopes up at such a point in your life? For years, all Joseph had seen were glimmers of hope that were dashed by the unexpected. Up and down and up and down went his life. For two more years Joseph toiled in prison and then unexpectedly he was called to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams.

I want you to see something about Joseph that I think is important. When he was called to come into Pharaoh’s presence, he had been in jail for years and I am sure he looked and smelled like a skid row bum. “When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh” (Genesis 41:14 NIV). This says a lot about this man and his character. Years in prison—and he had not lost his sense of purpose, his sense of dignity, his sense of destiny! This is a man whose life is worthy of study.

The rest of the story is famous. Joseph rightly interpreted the dreams and rose to become the prime minister of Egypt, second in power, authority and wealth only to Pharaoh. He subsequently was reunited with his brothers and his father and brought them to reside with him in Egypt.

There are two things about this amazing man that struck me as I read through these accounts.

First was the incredible integrity Joseph showed through all the ups and downs of his life. We don’t really see it before the ambush by his brothers, but from then on, integrity showed forth and Joseph never wavered in it. Integrity was as much a part of Joseph’s life as was his heartbeat, with him 24/7/365. It was there in prison; when he was being falsely accused; when he was forgotten; and when he became immensely wealthy and powerful. Joseph was an honest man and his life was marked by integrity. “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity” (Proverbs 11:3 NIV).

I have been to countless seminars on leadership. Over and over I have heard speakers exhort leaders to be people of integrity. I was always left with the impression that integrity is only semi-important as you are on your way to leadership, but you should make sure you address it before you get the corner office. This is terribly wrong thinking. As a Christ follower, you start your life in Him in honesty; you admit you are a sinner; honesty is to mark your life from the very beginning.

Joseph addressed this early and learned to live with it through his whole life. He learned his lessons well in Potiphar’s house and when he got to Pharaoh’s house, he already knew how to live it out and do it well. “The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out” (Proverbs 10:9 NIV).

A personal observation as I have watched leaders “become persons of integrity.” About the time they got to that position of power they lusted after, they grabbed integrity like they would pick up a piece of add-on software for their PC. My observation is that these people don’t last long and don’t finish well because they have never learned how to live with integrity. Joseph was a man of integrity who lasted a long time as the prime minister—and he finished very well.

The second thing about Joseph that I found intriguing is that he was a man of forgiveness—he didn’t hold on to grudges and he didn’t hate. Joseph is the closest I can find to Jesus in his willingness to be forgiving. His relationship to his brothers was especially meaningful. Joseph had every reason to dislike them, to stay away from them, to even hate them, to take revenge—but he didn’t.

In Genesis 45:4-8 Joseph tells his brothers he is not angry and they are not to be distressed at what had happened. Everything had been planned by God for the deliverance of their entire family. Joseph spelled it out but his brothers really didn’t believe him. Years later, when Joseph’s father died, his brothers’ insecurities erupted into fear that Joseph would take his revenge. The scene is really an emotional and incredible picture of grace.

“His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. ‘We are your slaves,’ they said. But Joseph said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.’ And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them” (Genesis 50:18-21 NIV).

Joseph had forgiven them and let go of all bitterness and hate—he was a man of integrity and forgiveness.

Friday, April 16, 2010

THE SIN OF THE NICOLAITANS

Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church is one of the most loved and widely read books in the Bible, and rightly so. Writing from prison, Paul unwraps the mystery of the church as the body of Christ. It is an incredibly enriching letter to read and study.

The beloved disciple, John, was the scribe who wrote down the Revelation of Jesus Christ, the last book of the Bible. In Revelation chapter two, John recounts the words of Jesus as He prophetically speaks to the seven churches of Asia. The first of the churches was Ephesus and Jesus’ words are a combination of compliments and a stinging rebuke. The rebuke was not one of anger but, rather, the slap of brokenhearted disappointment.

Jesus first speaks of the strengths of the Ephesian church. He commends them for their intolerance toward evil, their discernment, and their endurance in the face of hardship. Then He rebukes them for leaving their first love and said, “If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place” (2:5).

Ephesians was written around AD 60. The exact timing of the writing of Revelation is unknown but is thought to be between AD 75 and AD 90. The slippage in this great church had happened relatively quickly.

After the warning to the Ephesians, Jesus finishes His prophetic word with this unusual statement, “But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate” (2:6).

Who were the Nicolaitins and what were the practices that stirred hate in both the church and the Messiah? Hate is a strong word and as it is used here, is speaking of the feelings of distaste and anger that arise because of evil behavior.

We don’t know a lot about the Nicolaitans, as they are only mentioned twice in the Bible, in Revelation 2:6 and also in 2:15.

There is evidence that leads us to believe that the founder of the Nicolaitans (Nicolas) was one of the men chosen in Acts 6:5 to be the first deacons of the Jerusalem church. If this is accurate, then the church in Ephesus had a double problem. Nicolas would have been accepted almost without question because of his standing in the Jerusalem church and, therefore, the church at large. For this man to come and bring false teaching would have been deeply confusing and dividing to the Ephesians. To their credit, the Ephesians stood against the error but later the church at Pergamos tolerated it (2:15).

So what was this teaching and why is it meaningful for us to understand? As you read this short treatment, I hope you begin to understand how contemporary the parallel actually is.

First, the Nicolaitans taught that it was permissible for Christians to participate in idol feasts. They rationalized that such conduct was just an empty gesture that fulfilled patriotic or social obligations and was legitimate as long as the Christians did not really believe in the deities being worshiped. However, the early church taught that it was dangerous for believers to continue “eating meat offered to idols.” They taught that there should be a clean break from all aspects of idol worship, with no going back (1 John 5:21 and Acts 15:19-21).

The second major teaching of the Nicolaitans was that Christians should be sensuous. They taught that in order to master sensuality, one must know it by experience, so believers should abandon themselves without reserve to the lusts of the flesh. They falsely rationalized that such behavior concerned only the body but did not touch the spirit of man.

Does this sound at all like some of what is being “pushed forward” in our culture and in segments of the church today? It was these practices that stirred such strong feelings in Jesus.

We don’t have the same type of formalized idol worship that they did in ancient days. However, it is still with us, as our culture makes idols out of all kinds of things; for instance, the pursuit of success in business, entertainment or sports. It makes idols out of education, possessions, and social standing, and a major idol in our culture has been the pursuit of wealth. None of these aforementioned are wrong, of course, when kept in proper perspective but that doesn’t always happen.

I don’t think I have to say much about the declining morals, both in the secular community and in the church. To anyone who thinks there is no problem with rampant immorality, both in and out of the church, let me make a suggestion that I think you might find helpful, “Get your head out of the sand!”

One of the reasons the Nicolaitans got any kind of hearing in the early church was their approach. They came in a seductive manner with a message, not against Christianity, but declaring that they were bringing a new and improved version. In today’s words, they would say, “Our message is more culturally relevant.” Cultural relevance is a foggy term that will continue to be debated long after you and I have returned to the dust. It doesn’t matter if we change the shape of our sanctuary or wear our hair long and shaggy. And if the music is loud and the preacher wears a T-shirt—it doesn’t really matter!

What does matter are the fundamental truths of the Christian faith! One of the truths that some are trying to “broaden” is our understanding of Jesus’ statement, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Those who come like the Nicolaitans say things like, “There are many ways to God but the best way is through Jesus Christ.” On the surface this sounds like an acceptable statement, but it is not. There are not many ways to God—there is but one and that is through Jesus Christ. He is not the best way, He is the only way! The modernized statement is like one of the Nicolaitan heresies of which Jesus says, “I hate this!”

Friday, April 9, 2010

PUT UP YOUR HANDS, YOU'RE SURROUNDED!

I loved to watch cops and robbers programs on television when I was a kid, and out of these shows came a command that actually has a meaningful spiritual application. When the cops finally caught up with the bad guys, they would often loudly shout, “Put up your hands, you’re surrounded!”

“Hands in the air” is the universal sign of surrender. To all those rugged individualists out there (I’m talking about you, not me), surrender is not always an easy subject to embrace. I am not suggesting that we surrender to any of the coarser aspects of our humanity, or any kind of surrender to the enemy of our soul, to the flesh, or to the ways of the world. I am talking about our surrender to Him whereby we establish that He is our Lord. In true surrender we give Him control and we take our hands off the steering wheel of our life. When we truly surrender to His Lordship, we can openly say to Him, “My hands are up, I’ve surrendered to you. My life is under your control.”

Surrender is a very important part of the life of a believer. Jesus addressed its importance when He said to the disciples, “Why do you call me, Lord, Lord, and do not what I say?” (Luke 6:46 NIV). He makes it a question but He is pointedly saying, “You call me your Lord but you are not letting Me have control.”

So what are you waiting for? “Put your hands up!”

The second part of the statement is, “You’re surrounded!”

For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor” (Psalm 5:12 NIV).

The word “shield” used here is also used in Psalm 91:4 where it says, “His truth shall be your shield and buckler.” Shield and buckler are two types of military shields with subtle but important differences.

Buckler seems to have been added here to bring additional meaning to this truth; it comes from a root word that means “to go around.” The indication is that God’s favor (grace) is a wall of defense that surrounds us, totally encircles us.

There are three things that I trust you can take away from this verse: “You surround them with your favor as with a shield.”

1. The favor of God is a shield, a hedge of God’s protection around you.

Another way for us to view this is that God has us hemmed in with His goodness and mercy. When we move, it (God’s favor) moves with us, and when we turn it turns. The legalist immediately begins to moan about the need to stay in the perfect will of God. Honestly, what you need to do is put down that kind of thinking, put your hands up and say, “Jesus, I surrender all parts of my life to You. Here’s the steering wheel of my life; I’m giving it to you because I am the world’s worst driver. Left to myself I’ll continue to make a mess of things.”

2. The shield covers all. “He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and [buckler]” (Psalm 91:4 NIV).

This is not just regular protection for the feet, a bulletproof vest for the torso, and a helmet on the head, leaving the rest of the body open game for the enemy to attack. This shield is the premium package that covers all of you, no exceptions, no fine print, and no deductable.

3. The word shield also means cooling or refreshment. “Like the coolness of snow at harvest time is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the spirit of his master” (Proverbs 25:13 NIV).

The word “coolness” here is the same Hebrew word used for shield in Psalm 5:12 and 91:4. The idea in Proverbs 25:13 is not that we can expect a snowstorm while we are doing our life’s work for the Lord. When a crop is being harvested, a snowstorm would be a disaster—the crops would be ruined. The picture is that of snow being brought down from the mountains (think Winter Olympics in Vancouver) to those laboring in the harvest. Snow would be a tremendous refresher for the hot, tired and dusty workers.

The shield of God’s favor brings with it a “refreshing” for the tired and weary warrior.

No wonder the Psalmist was so positive about God’s blessing and protection. He knew that God would not only hedge him in with protection, but would completely cover him and refresh him.

So, what do you say? Are you ready to make a declaration? Go ahead and say it! “Jesus, I raise my hands to You in surrender. You are the Lord of my life! My hands are off the steering wheel and raised to You in surrender and worship!”

Friday, April 2, 2010

THE SPIRIT OF FEAR

One of the most notorious criminals of the California gold rush was a robber known as Black Bart. In an eight-year period (1875-1883), Black Bart singlehandedly committed 28 robberies of Wells Fargo stage coaches. Bart always operated alone, his face was always covered, and he appeared and then disappeared mysteriously.

As the years passed, no lawman could catch him and his legend grew and grew until it stirred fear and terror in the hearts of travelers throughout the region. Because no one ever saw his face and the law could not catch him, the legend began to take on a kind of supernatural aura. When he was finally caught in San Francisco in 1883, the man they arrested bore no resemblance to the overheated and terror-inducing legend. His real name was Charles Boles, he was small, timid, and somewhat of a dandy. He was afraid to ride a horse so he took a buggy everywhere. While he carried a shotgun in every robbery, he never loaded the gun. Bart’s reputation as a fearsome bad man far eclipsed his actual deeds.

One of the great struggles of the last days will involve every man, woman and child on the planet. This epic struggle will not be a violent confrontation; it will not be an attack from a foreign nation; it will not be a sudden upheaval of nature. The attack will come from within and will be called fear.

People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken” (Luke 21:26, New Living Translation). The New King James says it this way: “Men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth.”

This avalanche of terror-producing fear will find its climax in the days just before the Lord comes to take the church away. Jesus said in the previous verses that there would be signs in the heavens and the earth. It is quite possible that the severity and magnitude of what the population of earth will see and the inability to understand what is happening will be the genesis of much of the fear. Mankind always tends to be afraid of what it does not understand.

As a follower of Jesus Christ, is this what we have to look forward to, this storm of fear? The answer is YES. In the days before Jesus comes for His church, we will all experience whatever happens on this planet. To be a Christ follower does not remove us from the ebb and flow of normal life.

There are essentially two kinds of fear: good and paralyzing. Good fear is the reverential fear of a holy God. Good fear is the fear of danger. It is not unhealthy to be afraid of not doing your best. This kind of fear is motivational; it presses us to do better, to be more careful, to seek God with all our heart.

The second kind of fear is paralyzing in nature. It’s the kind of fear that rose around the legend of Black Bart. When the fear of the unknown rises, it tends to produce paralysis. We have adopted the word fear into our vocabulary by calling it “phobia” and our landscape is littered with phobias. People talk about fear of flying, fear of water, fear of the dark, and the list could go on.

What is the antidote for negative fear?

First, we need to realize that fear that induces bondage and paralysis is not of God, it is a spirit. “For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).

Second, we need to understand that “love casts out fear.”

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18).

I have really struggled to understand this. How does that work—how does love “cast out” fear? The Amplified Bible puts it this way: “Full-grown love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror!” When we are not convinced of the unconditional love of the Father, our lack provides a place for fear to gain a foothold in our life. When we embrace the unconditional love of the Father for us, His children, and we walk in that love, expressing it to those around us, there is no place for fear to get a hold in us.

As I said, I struggled to get an understanding of how love could “cast out” fear.” A few weeks ago sitting in church, my mind began to wander and suddenly I understood how this truth works in us. (Sorry, Pastor John, to admit that occasionally when you are preaching, my mind wanders. Actually, it wanders quite a bit during your preaching…just kidding! This was a one-time occurrence. You believe me, don’t you?)
God wants us to live in an atmosphere of love and confidence, not fear or torment.

“If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us” (1 John 4:15-16 NIV).