For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.” (Acts 17:21)
We live in a culture today that would make the people of Athens look like girl scouts when it comes to the obsession with news. Just a couple of generations ago, dad would send Rover out to get the morning paper and read it during breakfast, then listen to Walter Cronkite over dinner for half an hour, and that was the extent of his news. He spent the rest of his day actually doing something. When I read the verse above, my first thought is, “Hey, man, get a job!”
When Ted Turner started CNN, the whole world thought he was out of his mind. No one was going to listen to the news for 24 hours a day. Today we have multiple stations devoted to “nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.” I was watching one of them recently, and between the “screen in a screen” and scrolling news tickers, there were seven different news stories bombarding my senses at the same time. Multiply that by each of the dozens of news agencies and by the 24 hours in the day, and it will drive you crazy trying to keep up. We can “tweet” the day’s activities of thousands of our “friends” to get mountains of useless information to feed our passion for something new. We can get updates sent to our cell phones for every event on earth (standard text message rates apply). Yet it seems the more information we get, the less knowledgeable we are about things that really matter like God and his word.
Solomon asked the fabled question: “Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new?” (Ecclesiastes 1:10). He then answered his own question in the rest of the verse: “it hath been already of old time, which was before us.” He uttered the famous truth in this passage that there is nothing new under the sun. Yet mankind is obsessed with the new. From the Garden of Eden, man has been infected with the disease of “secret information”. Satan led our first parents into sin by promising them they would “…be as gods, knowing good and evil.” He convinced them that God was “holding out on them” and not keeping them in the loop on all they needed to know. Since then, this disease of the insatiable desire for gossip and “scoop” has plagued mankind. With modern technology, the wildfire has been lit, and the disease will eventually be terminal. Satan will use this power in the tribulation to hold the world in his grip of bondage.
Solomon said there is nothing new under the sun. He did not know about the only thing that is really new because Jesus had not yet come to die for our sins. When we trust him as our Saviour, dwells in us, and we are now, “…seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6). That is not under the sun, it is above it. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (II Corinthians 5:17) As a Christian, you already possess the only thing that is really new – a new man in Christ. Everything else in your life that is new will someday be old – your car, your house, your new suit of clothes, and most disturbingly, your body. Someday, God will “make all things new” (Revelation 21:5). Until then, take the good “news” of the gospel to everyone you come in contact with. The only thing you have that is truly new is the only thing the world needs – Jesus. Go ahead and keep up with the flood of other news (as best you can). God does not counsel us to stick our heads in the sand and ignore the world we live in. But people need to know Jesus first. Gossip and news flash and scoop comes later. Without him, nothing else makes sense, and nothing else matters.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Five for Five
“And he (David) took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.” (I Samuel 17:40)
Everyone is familiar with the story of David and Goliath. We were doing our VBS a few years back, and I announced to the kids that our story that night would be on David and Goliath. One 10 year old rolled his eyes and said, “Yeah, I’ve heard that story about a million times…”
In stories like these, there are always a few details that go “under the radar”. God is a master at dropping little subtil things under our noses, then scattering the details in various parts of the Bible to make us dig for them. The verse above says David chose five stones for his battle with the giant. Most people would never notice that detail, many others would not think it was worthy of notice or comment, and if they did, they would think David was just “playing it safe” and making sure he had enough ammo for the job. But every detail of the Bible is important.
When we do a little digging, we find that Goliath had four sons (II Samuel 21:15-22) who later came against Israel and were defeated in the latter days of David. When our hero chose five stones out of the brook to take on Goliath, he was intending to take on the entire family and go “five for five”. There are a couple of important lessons for us in this detail.
First of all is faith. David took on Goliath “In the name of the Lord of hosts” (I Samuel 17:45). One stone would be plenty. He didn’t need four other stones as “back-ups” in case God did not come through with the first one. Most Christians “step out by faith” with a back-up plan in place just in case God swings and misses. Those other four stones were not “plan B, C, D, and E”. God does not bat .200 (one for five). God promised that those who “call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). He meant it. He promised to “preserve us unto his heavenly kingdom” (II Timothy 4:18). It is guaranteed. He said, “…that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). He will “git-r-done”. If God has led you to accomplish something for his glory, one stone is enough.
The other lesson we see in this story is the relentless onslaught of the enemy. Once Goliath was out of the way, his four sons came back later to try to finish the job. We serve a God who is persistent and dedicated to the mission of bringing the world to the saving knowledge of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Satan is just as persistent in his desire to defeat the work of God and frustrate God’s people. When Goliath went down, his boys ran for the hills. But it wasn’t long before they mounted a counter offensive. Life is like that. As soon as we get the victory over some problem in our life, four more problems take its place. Our adversary is “as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (I Peter 5:8). He will never leave you alone until you are safe in the arms of Jesus at home in heaven. Israel faced a constant battle with the Philistines during the Old Testament, and they still face it today. The Philistines are the same people as the modern day PLO. That problem will never be solved until the King of Kings returns to take care of it. He is the only one who is “man enough” to do it the right way. Until then, brethren, strap it on and get ready for a battle. We know who wins because we can read the last page of the book. But our enemy ignores that and continues his assault. God has equipped us with plenty enough “smooth stones” to get the job done. Just pick them up, load up the sling, and trust God to accomplish his work in your life with each one of those smooth stones. He will give you as many as you need, and he will never miss with any of them.
Everyone is familiar with the story of David and Goliath. We were doing our VBS a few years back, and I announced to the kids that our story that night would be on David and Goliath. One 10 year old rolled his eyes and said, “Yeah, I’ve heard that story about a million times…”
In stories like these, there are always a few details that go “under the radar”. God is a master at dropping little subtil things under our noses, then scattering the details in various parts of the Bible to make us dig for them. The verse above says David chose five stones for his battle with the giant. Most people would never notice that detail, many others would not think it was worthy of notice or comment, and if they did, they would think David was just “playing it safe” and making sure he had enough ammo for the job. But every detail of the Bible is important.
When we do a little digging, we find that Goliath had four sons (II Samuel 21:15-22) who later came against Israel and were defeated in the latter days of David. When our hero chose five stones out of the brook to take on Goliath, he was intending to take on the entire family and go “five for five”. There are a couple of important lessons for us in this detail.
First of all is faith. David took on Goliath “In the name of the Lord of hosts” (I Samuel 17:45). One stone would be plenty. He didn’t need four other stones as “back-ups” in case God did not come through with the first one. Most Christians “step out by faith” with a back-up plan in place just in case God swings and misses. Those other four stones were not “plan B, C, D, and E”. God does not bat .200 (one for five). God promised that those who “call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). He meant it. He promised to “preserve us unto his heavenly kingdom” (II Timothy 4:18). It is guaranteed. He said, “…that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). He will “git-r-done”. If God has led you to accomplish something for his glory, one stone is enough.
The other lesson we see in this story is the relentless onslaught of the enemy. Once Goliath was out of the way, his four sons came back later to try to finish the job. We serve a God who is persistent and dedicated to the mission of bringing the world to the saving knowledge of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Satan is just as persistent in his desire to defeat the work of God and frustrate God’s people. When Goliath went down, his boys ran for the hills. But it wasn’t long before they mounted a counter offensive. Life is like that. As soon as we get the victory over some problem in our life, four more problems take its place. Our adversary is “as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (I Peter 5:8). He will never leave you alone until you are safe in the arms of Jesus at home in heaven. Israel faced a constant battle with the Philistines during the Old Testament, and they still face it today. The Philistines are the same people as the modern day PLO. That problem will never be solved until the King of Kings returns to take care of it. He is the only one who is “man enough” to do it the right way. Until then, brethren, strap it on and get ready for a battle. We know who wins because we can read the last page of the book. But our enemy ignores that and continues his assault. God has equipped us with plenty enough “smooth stones” to get the job done. Just pick them up, load up the sling, and trust God to accomplish his work in your life with each one of those smooth stones. He will give you as many as you need, and he will never miss with any of them.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Fear of Heights
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12)
Last week I talked about flying, and mentioned that I had taken off in an airplane “hundreds of times”. That is not an exaggeration. For a couple of years I flew weekly on my job (when I had a real job before I became a pastor). Fifty weeks with two flights (many of which had connections) for two years puts me well over 200. Add all the other business trips, vacations, and missions trips, and “hundreds” is quite accurate. Back when the “frequent flyer” programs were getting started, I racked up quite a few “freebies”. In fact, my first trip to Hawaii almost 30 years ago was paid for by American Airlines, and cost me less than $200 out of pocket.
That said, those who know me know that I am deathly afraid of heights. I am only about 5’10”, but I don’t even like being this tall. I cannot do anything that involves a ladder. Standing on a step-stool makes me nervous. Watching someone else climb a ladder or do something on a roof gives me the “willies”. Things that need to be done around the house involving heights are done by my wife or son, and it is better if I am not home to even know about it. I cannot describe what goes on in my mind and body when I get into positions like that. Typing these words makes me a little nauseous. But I can fly anywhere – in a window seat, or even in a little four-seater “puddle jumper” – and I have no fear of flying. You might think that is a huge “contradiction”. But I am not flying the plane. When I am on a ladder, it is up to me whether I fall. So I get queasy about it because I don’t trust myself. Yes, you are right. I am a strange and complex person. So are you.
There is another “height” that I am afraid of in the verse above. We face an enemy who is “more subtil than any beast of the field” (Genesis 3:1). He is a “…roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (I Peter 5:8). Satan is the embodiment of “spiritual wickedness in high places”. He loves to cavort with the “high and mighty” of this world; the religious and political leaders, the rich and famous, and the “movers and shakers” in high society. Through his subtilty, he deceives men and women into believing they have the power to shape their own destiny and “change the world”. As a roaring lion, he tramples the masses under foot, and uses any means possible to get them to kill each other off as fast as possible before the gospel can make inroads into their hearts. It is proper to have a healthy fear of Satan.
Job was faced with this issue, being tested and persecuted by the devil. At the end of the book, God finally revealed the nature of his trial, and who his enemy was. God told Job, “Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more. Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him? None is so fierce that dare stir him up.” (Job 41:8-10). It is a wise man who “lets the sleeping dog lie” and does not think he can take on our enemy.
But the fear we have for our enemy is handled the same way I “fear” flying. I know that a plane I am on could fall out of the sky at any time. But 6 feet up on a ladder freaks me out far more than 35,000 feet in an airplane because I am not flying the plane. It is not up to me if I fall. In life, God has promised to keep us and preserve us unto his purposes and his kingdom. If “God is your co-pilot”, it’s no wonder you are in trouble. In my plane, God is the pilot, and I am the passenger (in first class!). “For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” (II Timothy 1:12) Go ahead and have a healthy respect and fear of your enemy. A man who claims to have no fear of Satan is on drugs or crazy or both. But God has sealed us unto the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30). He lives in us as believers, and “…greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” (I John 4:4)
Last week I talked about flying, and mentioned that I had taken off in an airplane “hundreds of times”. That is not an exaggeration. For a couple of years I flew weekly on my job (when I had a real job before I became a pastor). Fifty weeks with two flights (many of which had connections) for two years puts me well over 200. Add all the other business trips, vacations, and missions trips, and “hundreds” is quite accurate. Back when the “frequent flyer” programs were getting started, I racked up quite a few “freebies”. In fact, my first trip to Hawaii almost 30 years ago was paid for by American Airlines, and cost me less than $200 out of pocket.
That said, those who know me know that I am deathly afraid of heights. I am only about 5’10”, but I don’t even like being this tall. I cannot do anything that involves a ladder. Standing on a step-stool makes me nervous. Watching someone else climb a ladder or do something on a roof gives me the “willies”. Things that need to be done around the house involving heights are done by my wife or son, and it is better if I am not home to even know about it. I cannot describe what goes on in my mind and body when I get into positions like that. Typing these words makes me a little nauseous. But I can fly anywhere – in a window seat, or even in a little four-seater “puddle jumper” – and I have no fear of flying. You might think that is a huge “contradiction”. But I am not flying the plane. When I am on a ladder, it is up to me whether I fall. So I get queasy about it because I don’t trust myself. Yes, you are right. I am a strange and complex person. So are you.
There is another “height” that I am afraid of in the verse above. We face an enemy who is “more subtil than any beast of the field” (Genesis 3:1). He is a “…roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (I Peter 5:8). Satan is the embodiment of “spiritual wickedness in high places”. He loves to cavort with the “high and mighty” of this world; the religious and political leaders, the rich and famous, and the “movers and shakers” in high society. Through his subtilty, he deceives men and women into believing they have the power to shape their own destiny and “change the world”. As a roaring lion, he tramples the masses under foot, and uses any means possible to get them to kill each other off as fast as possible before the gospel can make inroads into their hearts. It is proper to have a healthy fear of Satan.
Job was faced with this issue, being tested and persecuted by the devil. At the end of the book, God finally revealed the nature of his trial, and who his enemy was. God told Job, “Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more. Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him? None is so fierce that dare stir him up.” (Job 41:8-10). It is a wise man who “lets the sleeping dog lie” and does not think he can take on our enemy.
But the fear we have for our enemy is handled the same way I “fear” flying. I know that a plane I am on could fall out of the sky at any time. But 6 feet up on a ladder freaks me out far more than 35,000 feet in an airplane because I am not flying the plane. It is not up to me if I fall. In life, God has promised to keep us and preserve us unto his purposes and his kingdom. If “God is your co-pilot”, it’s no wonder you are in trouble. In my plane, God is the pilot, and I am the passenger (in first class!). “For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” (II Timothy 1:12) Go ahead and have a healthy respect and fear of your enemy. A man who claims to have no fear of Satan is on drugs or crazy or both. But God has sealed us unto the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30). He lives in us as believers, and “…greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” (I John 4:4)
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
I Can Fly!
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2)
For centuries, man looked to the heavens in the desire to fly, yet were continually defeated until the Wright brothers discovered the law of aerodynamics. Every time I get on an airplane I marvel at the idea that this giant tube can get off the ground when it weighs hundreds of tons (with all the passengers who packed too much weight in their bags, and carry too much weight in their seats). The law of gravity demands that the plane stay right there on the ground. Yet every one of the hundreds of times I have sat in the plane as it rumbled down the runway, it took off just as it was supposed to. From the great big “wide-body” double-aisle jumbos to the little four-seater puddle jumpers, the law of aerodynamics has sent me on my way in safety every time.
The laws of flight are a perfect illustration of the above verses. We are born in sin, and destined to die by the law of sin and death. Just like gravity, we are stuck to this world. All of our lives, we seek to be free to “soar above the eagles”, and find continual frustration due to the law of sin and death. No one is immune from that law, just as no one is exempt from gravity. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) When we trust Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour, God gives us his Spirit to override the law of sin and death in our lives. The law of aerodynamics does not cancel gravity, it overcomes it. Gravity is still very much in effect when an airplane flies. But the vacuum created by the design of the wings of an airplane is a stronger law than gravity, and that is what lifts tons of steel above the ground.
It is a good thing that gravity is a fixed law. Think of the challenges presented if all of a sudden without notice, gravity took a break. As a Christian, sin and death are still a part of our lives. It is a fixed law we cannot escape, but we can override it. Even after we are saved, we still sin, and some day, we will die. The “law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” is like aerodynamics. It was put in place by the Creator in the beginning. The Wright brothers did not invent aerodynamics, they discovered it. Too many Christians are trying to “invent” a way to deal with sin instead of simply accessing the “law of the Spirit of life” that God put in place from the beginning and gave us the day we got saved. Open your Bible, obey its commands and principles, and walk with God. The longer you “walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16, 25), the more “ground speed” you can build. At some point, the law of the Spirit of life will kick in and free you from the law of sin and death so you can overcome the “sin that doth so easily beset us.” (Hebrews 12:1)
Once airborne, an airplane can hit pockets of air that can make the ride pretty rough. We call that “turbulence”, and it pictures the inevitable struggles every believer faces. When those times come, don’t give up and quit “flying”. Even when things don’t seem to be working, and the ride gets scary, the law of the Spirit of life always works. When an airplane crashes, it is because something happened to cause the law of aerodynamics to quit operating. Aerodynamics is a law. It always works. Bible Christianity always works. Never stop reading, serving Christ and others, doing right and fleeing from evil, praying, and sharing your faith.
The ultimate in “flying” is when a rocket accesses the law of aerodynamics sufficiently to escape the earth’s gravity into outer space. In that environment, gravity is no longer an issue. Some day soon, the last trumpet will sound, and God will take us home to be with him forever. In heaven, the “law of sin and death” is done away with forever. May it be today!
For centuries, man looked to the heavens in the desire to fly, yet were continually defeated until the Wright brothers discovered the law of aerodynamics. Every time I get on an airplane I marvel at the idea that this giant tube can get off the ground when it weighs hundreds of tons (with all the passengers who packed too much weight in their bags, and carry too much weight in their seats). The law of gravity demands that the plane stay right there on the ground. Yet every one of the hundreds of times I have sat in the plane as it rumbled down the runway, it took off just as it was supposed to. From the great big “wide-body” double-aisle jumbos to the little four-seater puddle jumpers, the law of aerodynamics has sent me on my way in safety every time.
The laws of flight are a perfect illustration of the above verses. We are born in sin, and destined to die by the law of sin and death. Just like gravity, we are stuck to this world. All of our lives, we seek to be free to “soar above the eagles”, and find continual frustration due to the law of sin and death. No one is immune from that law, just as no one is exempt from gravity. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) When we trust Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour, God gives us his Spirit to override the law of sin and death in our lives. The law of aerodynamics does not cancel gravity, it overcomes it. Gravity is still very much in effect when an airplane flies. But the vacuum created by the design of the wings of an airplane is a stronger law than gravity, and that is what lifts tons of steel above the ground.
It is a good thing that gravity is a fixed law. Think of the challenges presented if all of a sudden without notice, gravity took a break. As a Christian, sin and death are still a part of our lives. It is a fixed law we cannot escape, but we can override it. Even after we are saved, we still sin, and some day, we will die. The “law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” is like aerodynamics. It was put in place by the Creator in the beginning. The Wright brothers did not invent aerodynamics, they discovered it. Too many Christians are trying to “invent” a way to deal with sin instead of simply accessing the “law of the Spirit of life” that God put in place from the beginning and gave us the day we got saved. Open your Bible, obey its commands and principles, and walk with God. The longer you “walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16, 25), the more “ground speed” you can build. At some point, the law of the Spirit of life will kick in and free you from the law of sin and death so you can overcome the “sin that doth so easily beset us.” (Hebrews 12:1)
Once airborne, an airplane can hit pockets of air that can make the ride pretty rough. We call that “turbulence”, and it pictures the inevitable struggles every believer faces. When those times come, don’t give up and quit “flying”. Even when things don’t seem to be working, and the ride gets scary, the law of the Spirit of life always works. When an airplane crashes, it is because something happened to cause the law of aerodynamics to quit operating. Aerodynamics is a law. It always works. Bible Christianity always works. Never stop reading, serving Christ and others, doing right and fleeing from evil, praying, and sharing your faith.
The ultimate in “flying” is when a rocket accesses the law of aerodynamics sufficiently to escape the earth’s gravity into outer space. In that environment, gravity is no longer an issue. Some day soon, the last trumpet will sound, and God will take us home to be with him forever. In heaven, the “law of sin and death” is done away with forever. May it be today!
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