Truth Matters Today

Living Life Again

“…Martha welcomed him [Jesus] into her house.  And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching.  But Martha was distracted with much serving…”  ESV Luke 10:38-40

A good many people adore Billy Graham and regard him as a stalwart of the Christian faith in modern times.  Certainly nobody denies his tenacity in preaching.  Even near the end of his public ministry, he was still filling stadiums around the globe for his evangelistic crusades. 

Now 92, Reverend Graham has slowed down, stepped out of the public eye somewhat and I presume has had time to reflect on his life.  He shared some reflections with Greta Van Susteren on Fox News back in December.  One of his comments stood out in my mind as particularly noteworthy.

Greta asked Reverend Graham:  “If you were to do things over again, would you do it differently?”  The Reverend replied forcefully and without a moment’s hesitation:  “Yes.  I would study more, I would pray more, travel less, take less speaking engagements; I took too many of them in too many places around the world.  If I had it to do over again, I’d spend more time in meditation and prayer and just telling the Lord how much I love him and adore him…”

Reverend Graham’s words are stuck in my head as I begin a new year.  As is so often the case when we turn the page on our calendars from December to January, this is a year filled with new and renewed aspirations; a year of new hopes and desires; a busy and full year.

I wonder though, is our true joy and fulfillment often lost in business?  This year, will the truly important things in my life be crowded out by urgent things?  If I were to ask 100 of you what your top priorities in life were, I’d venture to guess that God, family, work and health would rank near the top with almost everyone.  Do your daily activities match the order of priority of these important things?

Mary prioritized her activity and focused on that which was most important; sitting at the Lord’s feet.  Looking back, even Billy Graham would have re-prioritized some of his activities to focus on the most important things.  How about you?

Today, ask God to grant you the wisdom, energy and discipline to focus your activities on those things which are most important this year.

God bless.

 

Humble submission

“But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper.”  ESV 2 Kings 5:11

Naaman was a very important man in his country.  Scripture tells us that he was commander of the army for the King of Syria.  Don’t you suppose that Naaman, in his position as a commander, was accustomed to having most events unfold just as he planned or imagined?  Certainly his attendants and soldiers would have gone to great lengths to know his likes, dislikes, and personal whims and I suspect they would have done everything possible to please the man. 

A commander demands more than a smidgen of respect and obedience from those under his authority and Naaman would have been no different.  Few would fault Naaman for being a proud man, but Naaman was also a leper.  When I think about it, it must have been frustrating for Naaman to be an outcast, a leper, yet also be among the elite of the King’s household.

One day, word comes to Naaman of a possible cure for his disease in Israel and with the blessings of the King he assembles and entourage and heads out.  After first stopping by to see a very surprised and distressed King of Israel, he eventually arrives at the house of a prophet named Elisha; the man of God who can offer him a cure.

From inside Elisha’s house it must have been quite a sight.  I mean Naaman, the commander of the Syrian army, had come calling and was parked in his front yard with horses, chariots, and animals loaded with silver and gold.  I wonder what the neighbors thought?

Naaman, after staging such a grand entrance, and being such an important man and all, was not ready for Elisha’s prescription that arrived by messenger:  “Go and wash in the Jordon seven times, and your flesh shall be restored…”  Naaman was insulted and angry.  Surely the healing of someone of his stature would be something of a public spectacle with hand waving, speeches and such.  But no, Elisha told him to go bathe in a river that was downright nasty by his standards; how humiliating.

Naaman didn’t like it, but he was eventually convinced to follow Elisha’s instructions.  He did and he was healed.  Naaman left Israel a changed man inside and out.  On the outside, his leprosy was cured.  On the inside, he was praising the one true God.

How often I wonder does our pride rob us of the blessings of God?  Do you have certain expectations you expect to be met before you worship and praise Him?  Has a church leader or member wounded your pride somewhere along the way?

Scripture doesn’t guarantee that outward healing is ours for the asking, but I can assure you that spiritual healing is available to everyone who humbly submits to God’s word.  “Repent, and believe in the gospel (Mark 1:15).” 

 

Ask, seek and knock

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”  ESV Matthew 7:7

We are a demanding society.  I heard a great example of our demanding attitude the other day as I was listening to a sermon by Alistair Begg.  He says that you need to walk no further than your local coffee shop or restaurant to see just how demanding we are.  Just approach the counter and listen as people place their orders and you’ll here phrases like ‘give me a _____, or I’ll take a _____, or mine is a _____.’  Gone it seems are the days of patience and the common courtesy associated with the word please or phrase may I?.  No, we want what’s ours and we want it now!

My fear is that we are equally demanding and discourteous of God when we go to him in prayer.  How often have we prayed:  God, give me _____; God, here’s what I need; or God, here’s what would ease my mind.  But, one might argue, our verse from Matthew 7 is pretty simple and straightforward isn’t it?  Ask, seek and knock and it is yours for the taking, right?  Well, not exactly.

Matthew Henry places this verse in proper perspective by noting that ask, seek and knock should be properly interpreted to mean:  “Pray; pray often; pray with sincerity and seriousness; pray and pray again; make conscience of prayer, and be constant in it; make a business of prayer, and be earnest in it.  Ask, as a beggar asks alms.”  My ESV Study Bible links the same words (ask, seek and knock) with humility, action, and persistence on our part.  Notice the total absence of a demanding tone in either explanation, and rightly so.  God is not in the “name it and claim it” business.

As I read the prayers of Saints in scripture, even prayers of Jesus Himself, one thing stands out; their prayers and requests were ultimately for the glory of God.  Read the prayers of Moses and you’ll find that while he often prayed for the deliverance and well being of the Hebrews, he always qualified his request so that God would be glorified by answering it.  The same could be said of King David.  David often prayed for personal deliverance from perils and hardships but he always asked in a way that would give God glory by answering him.  Even Jesus, when he prayed in Gethsemane before his betrayal, made his request known to the Father and then added, “…nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39).

Now friends, if even the saints of old and the son of God Himself make their requests known to God with humility and earnest desire that God the Father receive the glory in answering them, shouldn’t we do the same?

So yes, ask, seek and knock just like Matthew 7:7 says, just be mindful to do so with God’s glory as your ultimate aim and not your personal gratification.

 

Eternity in view

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” ^ESV Colossians 3:1-2

Alcohol.  It’s the subject of much discussion in my hometown of Russellville as the citizens wrestle with the merits of legalizing its sale.  It’s a subject for which many display an intense passion so I hope these words are received with the graciousness of their intent (Ephesians 4:29) by everyone.

Try as I may, I cannot find a strict biblical prohibition against alcohol and many of the scriptures commonly used for its condemnation are equally applicable to the food we eat.  Yes, even eating is detrimental to our bodies, and unbiblical, in excess.  But at least let us all agree that alcohol, along with many other things, is sinful when consumed to excess (Proverbs 23:20-21).

Having said that, let me point out that drunkenness is condemned by scripture in many, many places; I Corinthians 6:10, Galatians 5:21 and Ephesians 5:18 to name just a few.  And Proverbs tells us that it is unwise for kings and rulers to consume strong drinks because it could affect their judgment (Proverbs 31:4-5) and hence their legacy.

The Apostle Paul observed once that not everything he was permitted to do was necessarily beneficial (I Corinthians 6:12) for him to do.  And, in the same passage, he states his resolve to not be “enslaved” or addicted to anything.  As we weigh the question before us I think it is both wise and prudent to consider Paul’s convictions.

One of the arguments commonly associated in favor of legalizing alcohol is that it would increase our tax revenues and attract nice restaurants; thereby increasing our quality of life.  Yet a casual observation of other communities that have adopted legal alcohol sales in recent years doesn’t convince me that they are demonstrably “better off” than we are today.  Argue to the contrary if you desire, but when all things are considered, regulations, inspections, enforcement, etcetera, it is very much like pouring water into a leaking bucket.

Some of the rhetoric surrounding the issue is so temporal and self-serving at times that I fear a view of eternity is too often lost entirely.  Yet, at the end of the day Christians are called to set their “minds on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth (Colossians 3:2).”  Christians are always supposed to keep eternity in view.

To quote the Apostle Paul once more, “…whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (I Corinthians 10:31).”  Whatever you do, including when you vote your convictions on this issue, I encourage you to do so with eternity view and with the intent of glorifying God. 

God Bless.

 

Truth is not manufactured

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.  See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.”  ^ESV Colossians 2:6-8

Why do you suppose antiques are valuable?  Why is one person’s antique just another person’s junk?  By definition antiques are old, but age itself is not necessarily a virtue.  The value in antiques is a bit of a mystery to me because I don’t have an “eye” for it; I have not been trained in the craft.  Even so, a novice like me would be suspicious, as Jim Rohn says, if I saw someone “manufacturing antiques” for sale.  Think about it—aren’t antiques “old” by definition?

Truth is similar.  Truth is certainly valuable and enduring and it is necessarily “old” by definition.  You can’t manufacture truth anymore than you can manufacture an antique can you?  No, of course not.  Instead, truth is discovered.  Solomon said that there “is nothing new under the sun.”  The same thing can be said of truth.

It is no surprise when a novice like myself buys an old piece of junk mistaking it for a valuable antique.  But for someone with a trained eye, the same a purchase would be an embarrassing mistake.  Christians should find themselves in a similarly embarrassing situation when they’re caught following the advice of society instead of the truth found in the bible.

It would be impossible for me to number the times that I’ve talked with a fellow Christian about a problem or situation only to find that their situation was being compounded because they were embracing human philosophy and tradition instead of depending on the truth of God’s word.  It is an amazingly easy trap to fall into.

As I read Paul’s letter to the church at Colossae, it seems that he is warning against that very error.  Paul is admonishing Christians, those who have “received Christ Jesus,” to act like it!  He’s telling them to live by faith in Christ, to be ruled by the teachings of Christ and not by the deceitful musings of human philosophy and tradition.  By doing so of course, that is living by the truth of God’s word, you run the risk of being labeled “different.”  But, shouldn’t Christians be different?

Resolve to be different.  Don’t be an untrained believer in Christ.  Train yourself in the faith by immersing yourself in God’s word so that “truth” is obvious to your trained eye.  In doing so, you’ll save yourself from much pain caused by following the logic of this world.  Remember, truth is not manufactured, but it can be discovered in the word of God.

 

Thankful for the Holy Spirit

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” ^ESV John 14:26

Too often I think the work of the Holy Spirit in the church today is ignored or at the very least unappreciated but He is ever present and at work in the world today.  In the Gospel of John, Jesus referred to the Spirit of God four times as the Helper.  And while He helps us in many ways, I wish to give thanks today for the work he does inside of Christians that brings knowledge of truth and the desire to persevere in the faith.

I’ve just recently returned from India where I met with Christian men and women from all over the country who, in the face of tremendous obstacles, persevere in the Christian faith and share the good news with others because they have the Helper; the Holy Spirit.  So, today I want to give thanks for the Holy Spirit and…

…for the young Christian man who lives on his father’s front porch with his new bride because he doesn’t have an extra $30 per month for rent.  This same young man shows no fear as he proclaims Christ to unreached people across the region.

…for the missionary’s wife that designs and sells Christmas cards to supplement their income while her husband works full time, pastors a small church and has a vision for planting a church in every corner of his state.

…for the young man that has been imprisoned because of his faith, put in jail simply because he is a Christian, yet wears a smile that brightens the day of every person he meets.

…for the young college student who was saved as she read through the New Testament.  She made it to Matthew, chapter 5 before the Spirit opened her eyes and brought understanding.  She and her fiancé intend to be missionaries.

…for the South Korean Christian who left his home country has been working in youth ministry in India for sixteen years in an extremely inhospitable region.

…for a large group of Christian pastors who refused to accept financial aid because of theological differences with the donor.  They understand that truth matters.

…for the young couple ministering to neighboring Christians in house fellowships because having a church building and gathering in public is prohibited.

…for Desiring God Ministries (www.desiringgod.org) who has donated a suitcase full of books on three occasions for me to deliver to pastors.

…for HeartCry Missionary Society (www.hcmissions.org) who financially supports, equips and teaches over 100 missionaries around the world.

…for Tharptown Baptist Church (www.tharptown.com) who gives generously to missions locally, nationally and around the globe.

This Thanksgiving, among the many, many things you have to be thankful for, remember to give thanks for the work of the Holy Spirit.

 

Justice comes slowly

“Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; protect me from those who rise up against me; deliver me from those who work evil, and save me from bloodthirsty men.”  ESV Psalm 59:1-2

Varanasi.  It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and perhaps the oldest city in India. Like most Indian cities, it is densely populated and not particularly clean.  And while the city is considered holy by both Buddhists and Hindus, the Hindus hold the city in reverent regard in accord with its ancient meaning; The City of Light.  The name holds much irony in my mind.

Though Christians are a small, small minority in Varanasi, there are Christian churches in the city and Christians are allowed to worship in relative peace.  Though, that’s not to say that discrimination doesn’t exist in various forms; it does. 

When we arrived at our appointed meeting place, we were greeted by our gracious host pastor and striking adobe buildings, including a sanctuary, that were almost two hundred years old.  The building walls were eighteen inches thick with layers plaster, adding to their character.

As the ceiling fan whirred overhead in the heat of the evening, we listened as the pastor explained that we wouldn’t be meeting in the sanctuary except on Sunday because of a disagreement, sadly and ironically, with another group of professing Christians.  Yet, in my mind, their actions deny the very faith they proclaim.

Though locked out of the sanctuary, our host was most humble in the way he dealt with the inconvenience and prayed on more than one occasion in our presence for God’s blessing and glorification in the situation. Even as he observed that in India, “justice comes slowly,” his actions bore out the faith he professed.  More so, his confidence rests, not in the justice of the state, but in God, who is ever faithful.

The Psalms, perhaps more so than any other book of the bible, are filled with prayers to God for deliverance from various trials and persecutions.  Too often our response to trials is to take matters into our own hands and lash out at those whom would do us harm.  We seek to bring justice swiftly.  I wonder though, how often do we rob God of glory when we take matters into our own hands?  Wouldn’t it be infinitely better to commit our trials to God and marvel in his deliverance? 

Don’t rob God of his rightful glory.  Pray for those who persecute you.  Seek refuge in God.

 

 

 

Timeless Counsel

“What is your life?  For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”  James 4:14 ESV

The short hand in the upper right hand corner would be meaningless to all who might wander across the page, but it stands as a reminder to me, almost a caution, that I must be guarded, prudent and wise with my time; a constant battle it seems.  At present, there are four simple notes dating back to 2004 that remind me of when I last read the pages that follow.  And, as the sermon is aptly titled, it reminds me of “The Preciousness of Time, and the Importance of Redeeming It.”  The sermon, by Jonathan Edwards, is dated December, 1734, but its message is timeless; permit me to share some excerpts.

“Time is precious…because a happy or miserable eternity depends on the good or ill improvement of it.”  Here, Edwards makes the point that we have no assurance of tomorrow and that securing reconciliation with our maker—God, the Creator of heaven and earth—is something that must be done in the present.  He continues, “…when the time of life is gone, it is impossible that we should ever obtain another such time.  All opportunity of obtaining eternal welfare is utterly and everlastingly gone.”

Reflecting on time past, Edwards asks, “Have you let the precious golden sands of your glass run?”  Certainly, we cannot live in the past nor can we relive the past.  But, we can reflect on our lives with a penetrating eye to gain wisdom as to how we should act in the present.

In reference to mindlessly wasting time Edwards quips, “If men were as lavish of their money as they are of their time…we should think them beside themselves, and not in possession of their right minds.”  It has been said that “time waits for no man” and I believe that’s true.  One of the most repeated dadisms heard around my house is, “You’re burning daylight.”  My point being there is no time like the present to tend to important matters of the day.  Also, in the big scheme of things, I’m convinced that time can be employed most profitably during the day—not during the night.

Near the end of the sermon Edwards poses this question that cuts to the heart of the matter:  “Would you not behave otherwise than you do, if you considered with yourselves every morning, that you must give an account to God, how you shall have spent that day?”  Today, would you burn endless hours in front of the television or computer screen if you had to give an account to God this evening?  Would you toss and turn in your bed during the morning if you had to give an account in the evening?  If God were to pass judgment on how you spent your day, would you be as captivated by the affairs of others as you are?

The sermon concludes with three pieces of advice:  (1) “Improve the present time without any delay.”  (2) Take special care not to waste special seasons of time (like your youth) and (3) don’t waste time in useless diversions or amusements.  Instead, make use of each day as if you would give an accounting to God each evening.

Mind Games

“Take to heart all the words by which I am warning you today, that you may command them to your children, that they may be careful to do all the words of this law.  For it is no empty word to you, but your very life…”  ESV Deuteronomy 32:46-47.

It isn’t often that I’m tempted into a theater but, after reading reviews and hearing comments about Inception, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, curiosity got the best of me this past weekend. I won’t ruin the movie for you, but it highlighted the power of a thought and plumbed the (fictional) depths of a thought’s beginnings.  It was a mind-bender of a story that unfolded in a world where dreams and human imagination are indistinguishable from reality. But then again, what is reality?

What is reality?  The question is not a recent one.  It’s been asked over and over throughout the ages.  John Locke (1632-1704), a British philosopher, proposed that the mind was like a blank sheet of paper that could only be filled through experience.  Locke’s hypothesis would lead one to conclude that reality was very much an individualistic phenomenon.  Even earlier, Plato (427-347 BC), though not quite so individualistic in his thought, proposed that visual perception (shadows in his example) represented reality.  In Plato’s world, reality was circumstantial and dependent on one’s vantage point.  Both ideas are dangerous. (reference: Looking at Philosophy, third edition, by Donald Palmer.)

Remember the old television commercial with the tag line “Is it real or is it Memorex?” ?  For those of you without gray hair, the commercial was refers to an ancient recording media known as “tape.”  The theoretical challenge was to listen to a sound and determine whether it was authentic or pre-recorded.  Was the sound “reality” or was it a representation or a shadow of reality?

Moses had a firm grip on reality; he didn’t dance with shadowy thoughts.  As you read Moses’ final words to his people, it’s obvious that Moses wanted to be sure that the nation knew and passed on truth; that they grasped reality.  Moses knew that grasping the truth of God’s word was not a thing to be trifled with.  He knew that false doctrines, warped ideas, and creative thinking would come their way.  He knew that they would encounter idols.  He knew that their children would be especially vulnerable to strange teachings.  He knew that the mind was prone to wander.  That’s why he went so far as to exhort the people that their very lives and the lives of their children depended on them understanding God’s word; reality.

Now, I propose to you that the warning of Moses is no less dire today.  The mind is creative, mind games abound, and our thoughts carry a curious influence over our concept of reality.  Don’t be deceived and don’t let your family be deceived.  Avoid foolish, shadowy thoughts and grasp hold of the truth of God’s word.  Grasp hold of reality—your very life depends on it.

The Antics of Nations

“All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.  To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him?”   ESV Isaiah 40:17-28

The United States, in addition to being engaged in two serious wars, is engaged in joint war games this week off the coast of South Korea in a show of force meant to impress North Korea and to deter North Korean aggression.   It is a display of military power and strength; a bit of posturing and muscle flexing if you will.  For its part, North Korea does a good deal of posturing on an ongoing basis; most recently by sinking a South Korean ship.

India and Pakistan regularly fire warning shots at each other, literally and figuratively, over a spot of land known as Kashmir.  This posturing and muscle flexing has gone on since the late forties.

I would be remiss in any discussion of the antics of nations to omit the long history of defiance and bravado from Fidel Castro in Cuba or the arrogant voice of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela.  Time and space require that I omit the middle east and eastern Europe. 

The antics of nations are endless it seems.

Yet for all their brashness, for all their fearsome muscle flexing and posturing, nations and the antics of nations amount to nothing when compared to God.  Isaiah says that nations are “less than nothing” in contrast to God.  Now, I don’t know about you, but “less than nothing” ranks high on the scale of insignificance in my mind.

Are the wars we fight important?  Sure.  Men and women die for their nations.  Is deterrence by show of force important?  Absolutely.  Should leaders be confident?  Yes.  My purpose is not to pass judgment in these examples but to emphasize their relative insignificance before God.

God is big.  He’s bigger than any war this nation has ever waged.  He’s bigger than any personal battle raging within you.  God is bigger than any challenge you can possibly be facing today.  God is big.  Let your mind wander a moment.  Go ahead, think of the grandest display of power, might and magnificence that you can--God is bigger.  God is bigger than life.

I’m taken aback at how little we think of God and of how small we make him.  As a nation it is obvious we don’t maintain a reverent fear of God and that, in and of itself, is a fearful thing.   Individually, too often our confidence is in the antics of nations instead of God.  We’d do well to grasp hold of the truth that even nations are “nothing before him” and place our confidence in he who is beyond comparison; the most high God, creator of heaven and earth.