THE OVERFLOWING CUP

For the last few weeks I have been teaching a Bible class on Psalm 23 at our home church. Over the past forty years I have preached and taught on Psalm 23 dozens of times and have spent countless hours studying this amazing love expression of King David. It is no exaggeration to say that Psalm 23 is one of the most widely read and respected passages of Scripture in all literature.

My experience with this psalm is akin to holding a diamond up to the light. Just when you think you’ve seen all the beauty and colors the gem has to offer, with a slight turn you suddenly see new flashes of brilliance. So it was this time as I prepared to teach the Bible class.

I will take the time to review only one verse but it definitely is a gem.

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows” (Psalm 23:5, ESV).

In this verse the setting of the psalm changes from that of God as a shepherd to God as a gracious host.

David’s family essentially lived a nomadic/bedouin lifestyle. In the bedouin law of hospitality, when a guest was received into a host’s home and food had been prepared for him, he was then under the protection of his host.

This verse says, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” God displays His love, His provision and His protection for us “in the presence” of those who are trying to destroy us.

Verse 5 goes on: “You anoint my head with oil.”

In the early evening after a long day of tending the sheep as they grazed, the shepherd stood at the door of the sheepfold with a bowl of oil and a jar of water beside him. He watched each sheep as it was brought in and whichever one needed personal attention received it immediately—a healing touch of the oil or some refreshing water.

Life at times bruises and hurts us. Just as the shepherd dealt daily with the wounds of the sheep, so our Shepherd daily puts His healing oil on the wounds we have sustained on our journey through life.

In David’s time, when a guest was received into a home, one of the first things a host did was “anoint the head” of the guest with perfumed olive oil. This was both refreshing to the traveler and also served as a way to cover over the smell of travel through the dry, parched countryside. There was little water and I don’t believe showers had been invented yet—and Right Guard deodorant certainly was not yet in wide distribution.

Verse 5 goes on: “My cup overflows.”

In David's time, there were few inns or places for travelers to stay or secure food. The rules of hospitality of the day required that residents along the traveler's path provide food and drink for those who asked. At the end of the meal, the host would often pour a final glass of wine. If the host poured half a cup, it was a sign to the guest that the host's obligation of hospitality had been met and it was time for the traveler to move on. But if the host poured the cup until it overflowed, it was an invitation to the guest to spend the night (or longer).

In Psalm 23, David has been granted hospitality at God's table (You prepare a table before me). At the end of the meal, God pours the cup to overflowing. This is God's invitation to stay, to dwell in His house, to be received into His kingdom for all eternity!

John 10 describes Jesus as the Good Shepherd. In verse 10 He says, “I am come that they might have life and that they may have it more abundantly.” The word abundantly used here means “to be filled to overflowing.” Jesus died for us that we might receive “abundant/overflowing” life. His death guaranteed us the “overflowing cup” and the invitation to enjoy His presence for all of eternity.

We sit at His table and partake of His food, yet we settle for so little when there is so much more. It is time to lift your cup to Him and let Him fill it to overflowing—let Him give you an abundant life.

“Fill my cup, Lord, I lift it up, Lord!
Come and quench this thirsting of my soul;
Bread of heaven, Feed me till I want no more;
Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole!”

(Fill My Cup, Lord  lyrics by Wanda Jackson)

THE HYPOCRISY SHUFFLE

A few days ago Carol and I drove down to a private preview of a new Christian movie entitled VICTOR. The film tells the story of Victor Torres, a former gang member and heroin addict in Brooklyn, New York, who was one of the first to be reached and helped through the Teen Challenge ministry led by David Wilkerson. The rough cut of the movie is outstanding and the story is very compelling. David Wilkerson’s son Greg is the Executive Producer of the movie and it should be in circulation in 2014.

The preview was in an area just north of downtown Dallas known as Mockingbird Station. We planned to arrive early and have a light supper and then attend the showing. As we pulled off the freeway, we stopped for a red light and a homeless man shuffled up to the driver’s side with a hand-printed sign on a piece of cardboard that read: “No money . . . need help.” Before I could respond, Carol pulled a few dollars from her rather huge purse and handed them to me. I knew she wasn’t tipping me for my driving skills so I rolled down the window and gave the bills to the homeless man. He softly responded, “God bless you,” and then shuffled away, walking with that distinctive gait that seems to belong to alcoholics who are in poor health and have hurting feet.

A few minutes later Carol and I were in a casual restaurant sitting at a nice table near the window and placing our order. The restaurant was nearly empty and very quiet. We had just started to eat when Carol said, “Oh, there’s that homeless man.” I looked up and, sure enough, the man had darted in a side entrance to the dining area and quickly made his way to the restroom. It was a little disconcerting to see this and I wondered aloud what he was doing. Was he changing clothes or perhaps counting his money?

A few minutes later the “homeless” man exited the restroom and slipped out the same side door. He had not changed his clothes but he had smoothed out his shirt, combed his hair back and straightened his shoulders. And there was a marked difference in the way he walked. The shuffle and the seemingly painful feet had been replaced by the firm and quick steps of a mature, confident man.

Later that night as I sat in my study and thought about what we had seen, several things struck me. The first was rather cynical. My thought was that this man was not homeless at all but his act was simply a con. Through his panhandling, he had found a way to secure whatever funds he needed to keep him going. Also the word “hypocritical” kept coming to mind. What we had seen was a picture of hypocrisy!

One day Jesus called His disciples together and made this warning statement: “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy” (Luke 12:1). Jesus was not attacking the Pharisees as a group but warning against a spirit that was embedded in their religious and social philosophy. He was warning against hypocrisy! I believe He was warning against the spirit of hypocrisy, which is like a virus because it’s infectious and if you embrace just a little bit, it will spread through your whole system.

Jesus compared hypocrisy to leaven. Leaven was a type of yeast used in the baking of bread and the fermentation of wine. It takes only a little yeast to do the necessary work. Paul also warned about leaven in 1 Corinthians 5:6: “A little leaven leavens the whole lump.” Leaven is a spoiler; a little bit in the wrong place infects everything.

 

Hypocrisy is a Greek word borrowed from the Greek theatre and means “mask.” Actors in the Greek theatre would wear an oversized mask to portray a character, which was known as their “persona.” With the use of masks, an actor could play several different roles and since all actors were men, they could assume a female part, as well.

Hypocrisy as it is used in Scripture is speaking of the “wearing of a mask” regarding spiritual matters. Jesus soundly condemns this behavior of “mask wearing” in any part of our life. He is saying, “You can’t make this work. What you are in private will eventually be seen in light of day.” This is a strong condemnation of pretending that you are living for God when you are not.

One of the favorite accusations leveled by the secular world at the church is “hypocrisy” because they have seen people who call themselves Christ followers lie, cheat and live less than honest lives with little of Christ showing in their daily behavior.

Jesus says we are to be on guard and not allow any of that leaven, that viral infection of hypocrisy or duplicity, to get into our lives. Our lives are to be lived in openness and transparency before Him, our brothers and sisters in Him, and before the world. We need to deal with hypocrisy the moment we are aware of its attempt to invade our life and destroy the effectiveness of our witness.

In Galatians 2 Paul illustrates how hypocrisy can “inch” its way into Christian conduct and how it can devastatingly spread.

“But when Cephas [Peter] came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James [from the church at Jerusalem], he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy^” (Galatians 2:11-13, ESV).

So let’s drop the phony Christianese shuffle and walk in openness and honesty before our Lord and the whole world! Let’s show them what real mature Christians look like!

WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP

Last week I wrote about the need to “fine-tune” our devotional life using Hebrews 12:1 as the basis for the article. Most of the focus in that post was on taking some things off (becoming an ultra-lighter) and putting others on so that we run the race of life with the best possible level of effectiveness.

 

I have been reminded over and over in my spirit that “fine-tuning” is not a one-time event but a lifetime process. My first car was a 1949 Ford Coupe with a big, V-8 engine. When I got my Ford in 1961, gas cost about 20 cents a gallon and three or four dollars bought me enough gas for a week—oh, the good old days! The carburetors on those engines could be adjusted by hand and we would spend a lot of time playing with the carburetors trying to get the engine to run a little better. We worked hard to “fine-tune” our hot rods!

 

This is very much like the “fine-tuning” process of our devotional lives. Your devotional life is what defines your life with God. Going to church, singing in the choir, paying your tithes, doing volunteer work, doing good deeds and even witnessing are all anecdotal. While it is interesting, it does not define who you are in your relationship with God. How you live out your personal life with Him is defined by how you carry out your personal commitment and communication with Him, i.e. your devotional life.

Jesus says, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19, NKJV). As the Lord is calling Peter and his brother Andrew into His service, He is addressing the part He will play in assisting them to develop their potential as His followers. The word “make” is loaded with meaning. It is the word that describes an author as he takes disconnected words and thoughts and begins to work with them until he completes a story or an article. It also is the picture of a craftsman who takes rough wood and works with it until he has the piece of furniture he has envisioned in his mind.

I believe the Lord has three pictures of each of us in His view. The first is of us before our conversion; the second is of us as we are now; and the third is of what we can become. It is this third picture that becomes His ideal as He “makes” us. The process of “making” is a cooperative work. He does not overwhelm our will; He certainly could but He doesn’t. Sometimes, of the three pictures before the Lord, the “then” picture and the “now” picture are virtually the same because of reluctance on our part to cooperate with Him. The word obedience comes to mind as I think about our need to cooperate with the Lord’s plans for our lives.

The heart of every piano is the soundboard, which is the part that enables the piano “to speak” with rich and full tones. It is the soundboard that gives the piano its personality, its quality. A quality soundboard cannot be made in a few minutes or even a few hours. For concert pianos, the time needed to build a soundboard can be a year or longer.

 

A soundboard is made of separate pieces of wood that are carefully selected and glued together. After the gluing, the wood is allowed to dry and “season.” All along, the process is carefully monitored so that the moisture content of the wood that is to become the tonal heart of the piano is just right.

 

After the wood of the soundboard has dried and seasoned, then it must be stretched. This stretching is what brings out the rich tones and quality. Stretching is achieved by slightly bending or “crowning” the soundboard. Stretching is a result of pressure being carefully and consistently applied. If the wood is too dry, it will break and crack; too wet, and the wood fibers will not have the necessary quality.

 

When the soundboard is crafted properly, you have the possibility of a Steinway or a Yamaha. If it is done wrong . . . well, you get the picture.

 

Our Lord, His Father, and the Holy Spirit are “Master Craftsmen” who are working with the third picture of you in view. It is the meticulous attention of the Master Craftsmen that brings His work of art as near to perfection as He can get it. That is the Lord’s goal for each of us. He will mold us, He will stretch us so that we are brought to the place of maturity, and then our lives will “speak” with the richness and fullness of God.

 

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10, NKJV).

 

FINE-TUNING

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Hebrews 12:1, NIV).

A few years ago I did a little hiking on the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina with my long-time friend, Bill Prather. As I prepared for the hiking, I was fascinated to discover that there is a subset of hikers who are minimalists— their whole approach to hiking is to go “ultra-light.” They are so consumed with not carrying any extra weight that they overlook no items. They carry only what they must have and then they look for the very lightest version. If they need to carry an extra T-shirt, they cut the label out of the shirt; they cut off most of the handle from their spoon, fork and toothbrush; they cut the extra inches off their shoe laces. I think you get the idea of how consumed they are with saving weight. Ultra-lighters don’t want to burn any energy by carrying unnecessary weight; they want to conserve their energy for the trail, for reaching the goal.

The writer to the Hebrews was an “ultra-lighter.” In the Scripture above, he talks about removing anything that would slow us down or trip us up as we run the race of faith. I like to call this kind of attention to detail “fine-tuning.”

·         In order to run his best race, every runner must fine-tune not only what he wears and how he runs (his stride, his breathing), but he must also try to bring his body and his mind to a state of preparation. Why? So that he can run the best possible race.

·         Every instrument in an orchestra must be fine-tuned so that when the conductor raises his hand for the first note to be played, every instrument is in harmony. It is to be a symphony not a cacophony.

·         A rifle has to be “sighted in” (fine-tuned) so that when it is called into use, it sends its bullet to the intended target. A rifle is not much good if it cannot hit the target while in the hands of a skilled marksman.

The Bible has a lot to say about “fine-tuning” and it is important that you know the definition: it means “to make small adjustments for optimal performance or effectiveness; to improve by pruning or polishing.”

Fine-tuning is a combination of God’s involvement in the development of our lives and our personal attention to issues that God’s Word and the Holy Spirit bring to our awareness.

“Every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it may be even more fruitful” (John 15:2, NIV).

“My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline (correction), and do not resent his rebuke (instruction); because the Lord disciplines (corrects) those he loves, as a father the son he delights in” (Proverbs 3:11-12, NIV).

The verb “correct” means to alter or to adjust. In these verses we see God’s heart of love for us; we see again that God delights in His children and as a loving Father, He works with us to bring us to the fullest potential possible. The best coaches are those who are firm but fair; they know when to praise and when to challenge.

But fine-tuning is not all God’s responsibility; a great portion of it is ours. As the writer to the Hebrews said, “Let us throw off everything that hinders.”

Colossians 3 speaks very clearly to our responsibility to fine-tune; to become ultra-lighters.

            Verse 5 — “Put to death . . . whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.”

Verse 8 — “Rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language.”

Verse 9 — “Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices.”

Our part of fine-tuning is not just getting rid of things that hinder; it is not complete unless we put on those things that help. Paul talks as much or more about “putting on” as he does about discarding.

Verse 10 — “Put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”

Verse 12 — “Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

Verse 14 — “And over all these virtues put on love.”

Eric Liddell, 1924 Olympic champion, missionary to China and hero of the movie “Chariots of Fire,” once said, “I believe that God made me for a purpose . . . but he also made me fast, and when I run I feel His pleasure.”

Let us run and feel His pleasure!