Friday, December 20, 2019

Walking with God & Our Self-esteem

Boosting self-esteem is big business, even in churches. The default assumption is that God wants us to feel good about ourselves. That theory would have seemed incredible to previous generations. John Newton (best known for the hymn “Amazing Grace”) did not agree with the “positive self-image” advocates. Newton wrote, “Depend upon it, if you walk closely with God forty years, you will at the end of that time have a much lower opinion of yourself than you have now.”

My brother is not only older, he is also larger than I. He is at least three inches taller, and for much of our lives he was at least 100 pounds heavier. When he was around me, I am sure he felt big. But one day on his paper route he rang a doorbell and a real, live NBA star answered the door. At 6’5” John Havlicek towered over my brother more than my brother did over me. My brother did not feel so big when he stood beside John Havlicek.

If walking with God boosts your self-esteem, let me suggest that you have another look at this god with whom you are walking. The false gods of our own imaginations may boost our self-esteem; but an encounter with the real God would lead us to cry, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” (Isa 6:5, ESV)

John Newton found grace to be amazing only because he understood that this grace was offered to “a wretch like me.” If he had, like so many today, considered himself deserving, then nothing would have been amazing about it. As Randy Alcorn put it, “When sin seems small to us, grace is taken for granted. When sin seems scandalous to us, grace becomes amazing.”

Newton was right, a long walk with God will cure us of our silly illusion of being good. But it will not discourage us. While meeting John Havlicek cured my brother of feeling big, having John on our team would have given us great confidence had we put together a little playground basketball game. We would have known that we personally were no good at basketball; but we would also have known that we would win the game.

Walking with God is not about thinking ourselves right. It is about knowing that we are not right and knowing that we do not have to be, as long as we stick with Him.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Good Boasting

Surely that is an oxymoron. Surely boasting is wrong, so there can be no such thing as “good boasting.” Or can there?

When a teacher tells someone about the good work a pupil has done, knowing that the pupil will overhear and knowing that this pupil needs a bit of encouragement, is that not good? When the apostle Paul, the chief of sinners (1 Tim 1:15), boasted about how the cross of Christ had saved him from his sin (Gal 6:14), is that not good boasting? When Peter and John told the people that they had no power to raise the lame and make them walk, but Jesus could do it (Acts 3), is that not good boasting?

We normally associate boasting with one who talks about himself. But in the three examples above, someone is speaking highly not of self but of another. In two of the three examples, that other is Jesus. That can often be a good form of boasting.

To become a good boaster, we must be willing to admit negative things about ourselves. To boast about the cross, we must admit that Christ’s horrible death was necessary because of our sin. Even for the teacher to effectively boast about the student, there should be an admission that the student is going beyond what the teacher thought could be made of the lesson as the teacher gave it.

Herein lies our problem. We want the credit. But it is impossible to do good boasting while sneaking in a little boasting about ourselves. “I am such a brilliant teacher that even little Johnny understands algebra now” is not going to do Johnny a bit of good. It is an insult rather than a help. “The Lord saved me because he saw that I was really a good person at heart” is boasting for sure, but not of the good kind. The focus becomes self. The star of the show is the speaker, not the Lord.

Let’s try to do more good boasting, on others and on the Lord. We will fail at it. We will catch ourselves sneaking in a little self-promotion along the way. But let’s try.

“But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth” (Jeremiah 9:24, ESV).

“Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord” (2 Corinthians 10:17, ESV).

Friday, November 15, 2019

God Guides

In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good (Ecclesiastes 11:6, ESV).

I have often heard people complain that the Lord did not seem to be guiding them. Perhaps I have complained that way myself. Sometimes we claim to be seeking God’s will, but he does not make his will clear to us. There could be many reasons for that. In an article of reasonable length, it will not be possible to cover more than one of the possible reasons.

Could it be that we are not being led because we are not going anywhere?

When Abraham sent his servant to find a bride for Isaac, the Lord led him to just the right place (Gen 24:26-27). The Bible does not tell us how the Lord did that, but it does tell us what was happening when the Lord led the man. The servant was travelling. He was moving. He was doing something.

The Lord did not draw a detailed map of how to get to Rebecca’s house and send it to the servant before he ever left home. The man knew the general direction that he needed to travel, and he travelled that direction. As he travelled, the Lord led him.

All too often we sit at home waiting for guidance. That is foolish, and perhaps lazy as well. We know the general direction of God’s will. Let us travel in that direction. If we will do so, more specific guidance will be given as it is needed. But it will normally come to those who are moving, not to those who are sitting still doing nothing.

There are times when God’s people are called upon to “be still.” There are times when we are to sit still and let God take the needed action. But, when we claim to be seeking guidance, it is imperative that we do something. It is impossible to lead a person who insists on sitting still.

So, if you want God’s guidance, get busy. Head in a general direction that you know to be in accordance with his will. As you do so, he will guide more specifically when that is needed.

Friday, November 1, 2019

The Stroop Effect

The Stroop effect is a fundamental principle of psychology. Dr. John R. Stroop first described the negative effects of multi-tasking in the 1930s. The basic tests that Stroop developed to study the problem continued to be used almost 90 years later. I would go into an explanation of the Stroop effect, but you can look that up on your own if you happen to be in psychological studies.

Those of you not interested in psychology may wonder why I bring up the Stroop effect, only to drop the subject without even explaining what it is. Fair enough, here is my reason. John R. Stroop did the research for his Ph.D. carefully. His name has been and will be remembered because he did his work well.
That is my real subject, doing our tasks well.

Dr. Stroop enjoyed studying and teaching psychology, but he was first and foremost a worshipper of God. If you seek his name in our church library, you will find that he authored at least four books on biblical subjects. His biblical studies are, like his writings on psychology, somewhat dated. Writing styles have changed. As a result, some of what he wrote might seem a bit dry to many twenty-first century readers.

But what impresses me about the man is that he did his work well. John R. Stroop (or J. Ridley Stroop as he was generally known in the church) was a hard worker and a clear thinker. He was not in the habit of just repeating what others said (about the Bible or about psychology); nor was he one of those fools who just wanted to say something new to be saying something new (regardless of its truthfulness or practical value).

We live in a day of overspecialization. Too many people have studied almost everything about almost nothing. Within their area of specialization, they may be okay but their other work is poorly done. We live in a day of shoddy workmanship and throwaway products. The Bible tells us “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ” (Col 3:23-24). J. Ridley Stroop understood that; and he lived that way. I admire him for that.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Missing Out

It seems that there are at least three books bearing the title The Joy of Missing Out. One is subtitled Live More by Doing Less; another Finding Balance in a Wired World; yet another is subtitled The Art of Self-Restraint in an age of Excess. I wish that I had time to read all three, but I guess attempting to do so would contradict the thesis of the books.

I am glad to hear that some folks are waking up to the danger of doing too much. None of us can do everything. Few of us will learn to excel at more than a few tasks. Keeping life simple would likely be better for all of us. But the key question remains, “What should be eliminated?”

Several years ago, I studied with a young man who was not sure that he believed in God. He was unusual in that he kept an open mind and was willing to give the Bible a chance. He read it, and as he read the Bible the Bible also read him. He found that the Bible spoke clearly to his inner thoughts, fears, and failures. A short time later something happened that convinced him absolutely that there is indeed a God.

But this young man never comes for Bible study anymore. He never attends worship. He explained to me that there is not time for everything in life. He and his wife decided that they wanted to devote their Sundays to playing with the children. In answer to the question “What should be eliminated?” He chose to eliminate the worship of God.

We cannot give our kids everything. We cannot enjoy everything ourselves. We must make choices. It is good to have a hobby. It is not good to have twelve.

There are a few things that should not be eliminated. Meals, for both the body and soul, are served every day at our house; and it is going to stay that way. I may miss out on a lot of things in life, in fact I intend to do so. I will miss out on many things because that is the only way to find joy in the things that really matter.

Everyone misses out on something. Those who try to do everything end up missing the most important. What are you missing?

Saturday, October 5, 2019

Lesson of a New Stove

I picked up a new stove on Monday. We do not go in for fancy. So, the new one is a lot like the old one. It is the same color, uses the same type of heating element; the control knobs are in the same places. The new stove is, in every way it could be, just like the old one. But the heating elements are located differently. They are the same size and type as the old elements, but the large are where the small were and the small where the large were.

One might not think that a little change like that would matter, but it does. When the ingredients for breakfast are set on the counter, it turns out that they are in the wrong place. The oatmeal is where the sweet potato needs to be; and the sweet potato is where the teapot ought to be. It is amazing how the placement of the heating elements changes everything. We will get used to the new arrangement eventually, but we might as well learn the lesson the stove is teaching us.

Change is rarely as easy and straightforward as we expect it to be. If we were learning to use a stove with all the latest technologies, we would expect a “learning curve.” But the truth is, even when one sticks to the simplest model available, there will be unexpected complications. Let us remember that and try to be patient.

Let’s remember that and try to be patience when the church makes changes to its programs. Some people believe it should be simple to make changes in a church, but often small changes have unexpected consequences. It takes time to work out the details. Be patient.

Let’s remember that in our attitude toward others. Some people are struggling with uncomfortable changes in their lives. Perhaps an old familiar voice is absent, or a new voice is making itself heard at all hours of the night. Such changes upset the pattern of our lives and may lead us to be less able to cope with other things. Change is a necessary part of life, but it is never as simple as we think it should be. Let us be kind and considerate of one another.

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph 4:1-3, ESV).

Friday, September 13, 2019

Busy or Faithful?

The busiest generation in history may not be the most productive one. An article that I read recently suggests that complaints about being busy are at an all time high in America, but that evidence of actual work getting done is lacking.

People say they are busy, and they may be quite busy, but relatively little is being accomplished by all this busyness. For too many, working long hours has become a substitute for working effectively. In many companies, those who work long hours are honored as martyrs, while those who work shorter hours (even if they accomplish more) may be belittled as lazy. It is a shame that this is happening in the business world, it is worse yet when it spills over into the church.

With Christians there are two things almost sure to be neglected when we begin to honor busyness.

Prayer will be neglected. From a human point-of-view it is counter-intuitive, but if there is a big and important job to be done, we should NOT get busy on it right away. We should pray before starting, while working, and after we have finished working on it. We may find that we will not be as busy, but we might be more effective, and we certainly will have been more faithful.

Preparation will also be neglected. The kind-hearted person who sets up a doctor’s office without “wasting time” going to medical school will soon be in deep trouble with the law. He may argue that he needs to get busy saving lives now, but his claim will not be heeded. Those who are too hasty sometimes take on work for which they are ill-prepared. They will likely stay very busy; but great harm may be the result. With regard to the medical profession there are clear guidelines to protect us from the hasty. Within some circles in the church, the practice of appointing the ill-prepared is an honored tradition. But it is one against which the scriptures warn (1 Tim 3:10; 5:22).

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Dead Unto Sin

Bradley Wright is a sociology professor at the University of Connecticut. He admits to having that common problem of overdoing certain behaviors. It is not a sin to eat an occasional dish of ice cream, but he found himself eating too much, too often. He tried to practice moderation, but it did not work. Then he made an interesting discovery. He explains it this way,

In actuality, abstention is usually easier than moderation.
“How can this be? As I understand how the brain works, it loses neural connections underlying a behavior once we stop doing that behavior. Use it or lose it. Moderation keeps brain circuits active. Abstention lets them atrophy.” (quote taken from an email newsletter, emphasis is in the original)

It is easier to give up a harmful or dangerous behavior completely than it is to practice it in moderation. If we attempt to cut back on sin, we keep the neural connections that cause us to desire it alive, and there is virtually no chance of success. If we consider ourselves “dead unto sin” (Rom 6:11) the connections begin to atrophy, and we have a much better chance of success.

Too many of us are trying to walk the tight rope, or to skirt the edge of the canyon. Instead we should be getting as far away from sin as possible. We should “put to death therefore what is earthly” in us (Col 3:5). We should “make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires” (Rom 13:14).

As a preacher in my hometown used to say, “Too many people have just enough Christianity to make them miserable.” He was right. Half-way Christianity is no fun. It does not work. Go all out for the Lord or you will never find success or happiness in your faith.

Friday, August 23, 2019

Overcoming Bigotry

I do not remember the young man’s name; but I remember what he said, and the look on his face when he realized what he had said. His words were, “I hate bigots!”

If he had said, “I hate bigotry” it would not have been the same. If he had said, “I hate the fact that I still find a bit of bigotry in myself” it would have been significantly different. But he said, “I hate bigots.” That was nearly 40 years ago. I still wonder how life has gone for that (no longer young) man.

I wonder if he would have hated Pete. Pete was a preacher in an earlier era. He preached about how much God loved everyone. He preached about taking the gospel to everyone. But he was unwilling to eat with people of other races. God might love everyone, and he might even be obligated to say so in his preaching, but surely God did not expect Pete to eat with Gentiles.

So Peter thought and so Peter practiced. Even after the Lord gave Simon Peter a vision regarding inclusiveness and commanded him to change his practice (Acts 10 & 11), he still fell back into his bad habits at times (Gal 2:11-14). Peter was wrong, and Paul rebuked him sharply for it. But Paul did not hate Peter, bigot though he was.

It is hard to hate the bigotry and yet love the bigots. It is hard to hate the sin and yet love the sinner; yet most of us manage to do it with reference to ourselves. We hate our sin; and yet manage to avoid hating ourselves. Could we not extend the same grace to others?

Someday we will approach the gate of heaven. If the old jokes are correct, a recovering bigot named Peter will be there to greet us. Will we hate him? I hope not. Because if we get inside that gate we will find the city full of people who had failings, and who never completely overcame most of those failings in their earthly life. Eternity will be rather tedious for us if we choose to focus on those failings.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Constructive Criticism

We should always accept “constructive criticism,” or so we are told. But does that really make sense? I recently read an article that suggests otherwise. Sally Illingworth said, “What I’ve learned is to take constructive feedback from only those whom have constructed something in their life….”

Now that makes better sense.

Should a master mechanic spend time listening to advice from a person who cannot tell a dipstick from a differential? Should a parent take parenting advice from those who have shown themselves to be disastrous parents? Should a carpenter build according to advice given by someone who has never built so much as a birdhouse?

Not all advice is of equal value. Eve should not have listened to the dietary advice of a snake; it would have saved a world of trouble. Rehoboam should not have listened to the advice of his immature friends; it would have saved the Kingdom of Israel if he had ignored them.

We should not heed everyone’s advice. The book of Proverbs instructs us to listen to certain people and just as clearly tells us to ignore others. Those who have proven themselves by godly living and by service to others are to be heeded (1 Cor 16:15-16).

To heed everyone is at best a waste of time and will often lead to disaster. Choose your advisors carefully and prayerfully. Take constructive criticism only from those who have been constructing something good.

The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice (Psalm 37:30, ESV).
The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverse (Proverbs 10:32, ESV).

Friday, August 9, 2019

Missed Opportunities

On my first trip to Africa in 1985, I changed planes in New York. As my inbound flight taxied toward the terminal, we had to stop to allow another plane to land. I had a window seat. A Concorde landed right beside us. But I did not snap a picture. It was a lost opportunity that will not occur again. The Concorde no longer flies.

Later, from another airplane during that same trip, I had a chance to get a photo of Mount Kilimanjaro. I figured that I would see plenty of that mountain. I did not take the picture. I have seen Kilimanjaro again and taken photos of it; but I have never had another opportunity to take a photo of it from the air. It was a lost opportunity that is unlikely to occur again.

Every day is full of opportunities. Many of those opportunities will never occur again. Missed photo opportunities are not a huge issue, but some of the opportunities we let pass are far more significant.

Encourage someone today. Yes, you may get another opportunity to encourage someone tomorrow; but you will never get today’s opportunity back.

Speak the gospel to someone this week. Yes, you may have the chance to do so again later, but then again, you might not.

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going" (Ecclesiastes 9:10, ESV).
So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10, ESV).

Friday, August 2, 2019

Inability is no Excuse

Inability to do one task is no excuse for refusing some other task. The oft-quoted (and misquoted) words of Edward E. Hale still ring true.
“I am only one, but still I am one.
“I cannot do everything, but still I can do something.
“And because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.”

Helen Keller (blind and deaf from childhood) was one who often quoted these lines. Many people, with all their senses working perfectly, have excused themselves from trying by focusing on their inabilities.

C.S. Lewis spoke to another common excuse when he told a group of students during World War Two, “If we let ourselves, we shall always be waiting for some distraction or other to end before we can really get down to our work. The only people who achieve much are those who want knowledge so badly that they seek it while the conditions are still unfavorable. Favorable conditions never come.”

Of course, we cannot do it all. Of course, conditions are unfavorable. But if we hide behind these excuses Satan will see to it that favorable conditions never develop, and what ability we do have will atrophy. The person who does nothing soon reaches a state where he can do nothing.
As some else states,

Moses had a walking stick.
David had a sling.
Samson had a jawbone.
Rahab had a string.
Mary had some perfume.
Dorcas had a needle.
All were used by God.

So, do something. It may not be much but do it and wait for the Lord to bless your effort.
For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have (2 Corinthians 8:12, ESV).

Friday, July 26, 2019

The "Venting" Myth

It is common knowledge that “venting” is good for us. “Go ahead,” people say, “get it off your chest.”

That “common knowledge” is a myth, an urban legend, an old-wives tale. Research on the subject tends to indicate the opposite. The more we talk about our frustrations, the more we reinforce them.

I knew that. I had read some of the research. But I made the mistake none-the-less. I have kept a diary for several years. Without realizing it, I began to use my diary as a form of venting. I recorded the negative, the insults, the failures, the times when I did not feel well. In fact, it seems that if I had a good day, I did not record it. Only the disasters were counted worthy of being recorded.

The result, according to the venting myth, should have been that I would have gotten these things off my mind. The reality was that I was reinforcing the negative emotions. I felt worse and worse. Finally, I realized that the diary was part of the problem, so I gave up keeping one.

Then someone suggested to me that I restart the diary, but this time I should record only success. I was urged to write down two or three things that went well, even at the end of a day when many things went wrong.

It was not easy to do this. At first it seemed dishonest; but I kept trying. I realized that it is no more dishonest to record the good and overlook the bad than it had been to record the bad while overlooking the good. Slowly it began to make a difference. Just as venting the negative had reinforced the negative, recording the positive began to reinforce the positive.

The research indicates the value of thinking on the good rather than the bad. My own experience has now confirmed it. But I should have known it all along, for it is the teaching of scripture.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8, ESV).

Friday, July 12, 2019

Two Severed Fingers

My grandfather owned a table saw. It was not a Delta, or a Craftsman, or DeWalt. It was a home-made table saw. Now I can highly recommend home-made bread, home-made peanut butter, and even home-made soap; but I have never seen a home-made table saw that I trusted. That saw was an accident waiting to happen.

A really nice table saw may cost between $500 and $2000. I do not know what my grandfather originally paid for his saw, but about 1967 it almost cost him two fingers. He was trying to rip a board when something slipped and he sliced the first two fingers of his left hand – severing them almost completely. [That much is true; the rest is parable.]

For years people had been telling him that they could keep the slightest of connections to the body of Christ and still manage to remain spiritually alive. So, my grandfather decided to test the claim. He asked the doctor to just stem the bleeding, but not to bother reconnecting the fingers to his hand. After all, if members can remain spiritually healthy while barely participating in the life of Christ’s body, why couldn’t two of the members of his physical body remain healthy while disconnected almost completely from his body?

His fingers died, of course. His body suffered for the loss of those fingers, of course. But it was a noble experiment and it proved what everyone should have known, that the health of a member always depends on the close connection of that member to the body.

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it (1 Corinthians 12:27, ESV).

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned (John 15:4-6, ESV).

Friday, July 5, 2019

The Centrality of Truth

A Nigerian friend shared this information in a recent newsletter. He wrote,
“When the late Wendell Broom paid his last visit to Nigeria, he made this statement, ‘NIGERIA IS GOING TO BE THE CENTRE OF RELIGION.’ That statement has become a very big challenge to me and many others.
1. Would it be a Religious Centre and a place of worshiping God ignorantly as the people of Athens?
2. Would it be a Centre of entertainment in the name of worship?
3. Would it be a Centre or a place to worship God in vain because of teaching the doctrine of men?”

To many people, religion is all about stirring the emotions. But for Jesus, a saving faith is grounded in revealed truth. Those who do not have, or are not interested in the truth, are lost – even though they may worship enthusiastically. Jesus said, “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:8-9, ESV).

Ignorance does not save. Sincerity does not save. Those who “know not God” are not saved by not knowing him; they are lost thereby according to the scriptures (2 Thess 1:8). Saul of Tarsus was as sincere as he could be when he clung to Judaism, but he was still in his sins until baptized into Christ (Acts 22:16). It is not any and all forms of religion that will save. If we are saved, we are saved “by obedience to the truth” (1 Peter 1:22).

A church should be many things. The church is pictured as the bride of Christ, the family of God, and as the kingdom of heaven. There are emotions involved in our work and our worship; and there certainly should be enthusiasm involved. But the revealed truth of God’s word must always be central.

Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding. (Proverbs 23:23, ESV)

Tuesday, July 2, 2019

Expecting the Best

Many years ago, I heard an old friend ask his son a simple question. The father was looking at the son’s report card. I do not know if the grades were high or low. I did not see the report card. All the father said was, “Did you do your very best?” The son admitted that he had not done his best all the time. The father then replied, “Well I expect you to do your best.”

I had a father like that too. He did not expect of me what I was incapable of doing; but he did expect me to do my best, every day, at every task.

Some people, who did not really know him, thought that my father was an angry and overly demanding person. Perhaps he was not what would be called handsome; and his looks may have contributed to the impression that he was angry. But I think that the impression came mainly from the fact that he expected people to do their best – and let them know that he was not happy if they failed to do their best. People do not accept that approach these days. The old saying, “Anything worth doing is worth doing well, is rarely heard now.” That is a shame.

It is the father who accepts second best who is failing his children. The father too lazy or disinterested to call for the best from his children is the one who lacks love. The father who expects their best effort is the one who truly loves his children.

We should expect the best effort from our children. Church leaders should expect the best efforts from church members. Friends should call upon friends to do their very best. We should not expect of people what they are incapable of doing. But neither should we ever accept half-hearted effort.

Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him (Proverbs 13:24, ESV).

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ (Colossians 3:23-24, ESV).
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil
(Ephesians 5:15-16, ESV).

Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall (2 Peter 1:10, ESV).

Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace (2 Peter 3:14, ESV).

Tuesday, June 18, 2019

Seasons

I took a brief walk a few minutes ago. It is a beautiful day. Perfect weather for late Spring. A question occurred to me as I walked.

It is well-known that modern Americans (and Westerners in general) are fighting levels of depression unknown in previous generations. Could it be that the lack of seasons in our lives contributes to this? Now, you may be tempted to ask, “What do you mean ‘lack of seasons’? Don’t we have four seasons, just like we always did?”

No, I do not think that we do have four seasons, just like we always did. Our houses are kept at about 68 to 72 degrees, year-round. We still have snow in this part of the world, but with our cars, plows, and snow blowers, winter is no longer the battle it was. It gets hot in the summer, yes, but we retreat indoors, turn on the air conditioning, get ice from our freezers and are soon quite comfortable. Food comes from the supermarket, not from the garden. They cycle of seedtime and harvest has been broken for most of us. From the point of view or our ancestors, we no longer have yearly seasons.

Emotionally, we tend to reject the seasons of life. Children are forced to face grownup decisions too soon; they react by then acting like children once they become legally adult. We often see grandmothers dressed like schoolgirls, and hear grandfathers talking like teens.

Could it be that the lack of seasons in our lives contributes to our instability, uncertainty, to many of the social and emotional problems of this generation? I am not going to claim to know the answer. Somehow, I think just asking the question might be enough.

Friday, May 31, 2019

The Everlasting Future

Rudyard Kipling was not, and did not claim to be, a Christian. But occasionally he said things that Christians cannot help but admire. Here is one such gem.

“And since he cannot spend nor use aright
The little time here given him in trust,
But wasteth it in weary undelight
Of foolish toil and trouble, strife and lust,
He naturally clamours to inherit The Everlasting Future"

We are saved by grace, not works (Eph 2:1-9). We are saved by what Christ has done for us, not by what we are doing. But we were created for good works (Eph 2:10); and are commanded to use our time wisely (Eph 5:15-16). How are we doing? Is it reasonable of us to expect an everlasting future when we waste so much of the time given to us here?

If we have given our children watermelon and found that they waste it by throwing it at one another, what will we do when they later cry for something cool to eat? Will we waste more watermelon on them? Why would God grant eternal life on those who have wasted the limited life that he has given them? Only because of his grace. Only because of his grace. Only because of his grace.

None of us will enter glory having perfectly used our time down here; but could we not get into a little better practice? Could we not spend a bit less time on “weary undelight of foolish toil and trouble, strife and lust” and more time in “working heartily as for the Lord and not as for men” (Col 3:23)?

Friday, April 26, 2019

The Ikea Effect

A recent BBC article spoke of “the Ikea effect.” To sum the article up, people value things more if they put some effort into the items. In fact, research seems to indicate that many people will pay more for furniture they must assemble than for a similar item already assembled. That into which we put little or no effort will normally be dissatisfying to us. That into which we have put significant effort, we will value.

It is also true that, when we put significant effort into something, other people are more interested in it.
Last Thursday a man named Dean Oliver came by my office. I had not seen Dean in forty-four years. As we talked the clock on my desk chimed the hour, which led to a question and to a walk across to the house so that Dean could see the first clock that I ever built. He was not interested in seeing a clock purchased at Walmart, but something I had worked on with my own hands interested him.

How valuable is the church to you? How interested are your friends in knowing about the church? There may not be a simple and direct correlation, but the answer to those two questions will relate closely to the question of how much effort we put into the church.

Araunah the Jebusite offered to give King David a piece of land, and some animals for sacrifice, but David replied, “I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing” (2 Sam 24:24). What are we offering to the Lord? Do we have any “sweat equity” in the church? If we are not satisfied with the church, could it be because we have put little effort into it?

Friday, April 19, 2019

A New Home

In the summer of 1968 my family moved. It was the first of many moves I would experience in life. For the first eleven years of my life, home had been in the little frame house with the big yard. Now it would be the big brick house with the very small yard. It took some time to get used to the new place. Since we moved again five years later; I cannot say that I ever felt completely at home in the brick house. In the last 43 years, Chery and I have lived in 16 different houses (in five U.S. states and five other countries). It is not always easy to feel at home. In some of these places we never did feel at home.

I mention this for a simple, practical and spiritual reason. The church is called the household or family of God (Gal 6:10; Eph 2:19; 1 Tim 3:15; 1 Pet 4:17). Some people who have been in the church for a long time feel that it really is. But for some, when they first come to Christ, it takes a while to feel at home with the church. For some, the world has been their home, their biological family has been their family, and they do not feel comfortable with their new brothers and sisters in Christ. Remember, it takes time to feel at home.

Those who have been in the church a long time, and who feel at home here, must learn to reach out to newcomers and try to help them feel at home. I think that we do a pretty good job of that at Flanders Road, but let’s stay alert for anyone who seems to not feel at home. Let’s try to help them.

Those who are new to the congregation must realize that it may take some time to feel at home. Do not be unreasonable in your expectations. The new brick house seemed strange to me after all my previous life had been spent in the little frame house. But mom and dad, grandma and grandpa were there, so I tried to think of it as home. [Some days I wished that we had left my brother and sisters behind at the old house – but that is another story for another time.]

The church is God’s household. Because he accepts people by grace, we have members in this family who are far from perfect. Sometimes we might get on one another’s nerves a little, but out of respect for our heavenly Father, we learn to get along. For the most part we enjoy one another’s company. Little by little we begin to feel at home; and that is good. The Father’s plan is for us to be together forever; so it is good if we learn to think of the church as our family, our real home.

“For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (Matthew 12:50, ESV).

Friday, April 12, 2019

"And That's The Way It Is"

I grew up watching the CBS Evening News. We knew not to trust what Walter Cronkite said. We noticed, even back then, intentional warping of the facts. For example, my dad noticed that they cut his uncle’s house out of the film footage when they ran a story about Four-States, West Virginia. A successful miner did not fit their storyline, so they cut his house out and showed only the houses owned by drunks. But we liked to hear Cronkite talk. Maybe I should not say it, but the truth is the way that man lit his pipe at the end of every program was almost a work of art.

While we applauded Cronkite’s abilities, we did not feel obligated to tune in every evening. If the lawn needed to be mowed, or there was a ball game to attend, we would miss his broadcasts. He was a good talker, but not that good. We could miss his show without much regret.

I thought of that recently. Someone praised my morning sermon, but did not bother to come in the evening. My morning sermon was good, but not that good. This does not really surprise me. I do not claim to be as good at talking as Walter Cronkite (nor am I much good at lighting a pipe). So obviously, those who come to hear someone talk, or who come because they like acapella singing, will feel no obligation to come back again on Sunday night. That makes sense if, and only if, the purpose of our assembling is to sing and to hear a professional speaker.

If on the other hand, the purpose of our assembling is to honor a Lord to whom we are infinitely indebted … I will leave it to you to finish that sentence.

It hurts me deeply when someone praises my sermons but wilfully misses our assemblies. It does not hurt me because I think their praise insincere. It hurts me because I feel certain that they have missed the whole point. It is not about me; it is about the Lord. If you are out there doing something that honors him more than being in our assembly would honor him, then by all means do it. But when someone praises a sermon, and then stays home to watch a ballgame, the sermon is being treated as the main show, and the Savior is being treated as a sidelight.

Friday, April 5, 2019

The Sound of Silence

Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10, ESV)

A recent New York Times article noted that, “We live in a culture obsessed with personal productivity. .... We worship at the altar of hustle and boast about being busy.” But busy is not always productive, nor is it often peaceful.

Christians are not immune to the busyness fad that is sweeping our world. We too can be guilty of overloading our life and even our worship with busy-work. Of course we are to be hard workers, diligent workers (Col 3:23-24). But we are also supposed to be meditative, thoughtful people who are not always busy. Sometimes we need to be still.

I believe firmly in the value of daily Bible reading. But what is the value of reading the Bible if we never take the time to meditate on what it says and to consider how it might apply in our lives?

I believe in the need for Christians to serve others. But what message are we sending to others if we are so busy serving that we seem never to have time to savor the beauty and blessings of creation?

Yes, we are to be busy in the Lord’s work, but there are also times to be silent (Psalm 62; Eccl 3:7). I love to be in the Lord’s presence singing his praises; but there are times to sit silently before him (Hab 2:20). Of course our delight in the instruction of the Lord will cause us to tell others about it; but it will first cause us to meditate on that word (Psalm 1:1-2).

We should not always be busy. We definitely should not always be in the midst of noise. We need to balance our busyness with the sound of silence; we need to seek quiet moments and to use quiet moments to listen to our Lord.

Friday, March 29, 2019

No Bananas in Africa?

For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Corinthians 1:25, ESV).

Do not get me wrong. I have the utmost respect for real research and experts who are really experts. But a lot of people in our nation today are claiming to be experts regarding things they know nothing about, and claiming to be able to change what God settled long ago.

Last Sunday was the birthday of one of our grandsons, so naturally we phoned to sing “Happy Birthday.” While talking with him, he told us of a recent encounter with an “expert.”

The family was on vacation in Florida and had toured one of those places where children are supposed to be able to learn about nature. They were in the part of the exhibit supposedly devoted to African fauna and flora. The guide asked, “Tell me something that grows in Africa.” Jacob spoke up and said, “Bananas.” The guide, so sweetly and condescendingly said, “I’m sorry, but bananas do not grow in Africa.”
Well, I am sorry to contradict, but we had bananas growing right outside our house for years. Here was someone posing as an expert on Africa, and she had probably never even been to Africa.

So it goes. Someone is put in a position of seeming authority and they pronounce their opinion as if it is proven fact. In many cases, they may know little, if anything, about the subjects on which they pontificate.

Today (Tuesday, 26 March, 2019) it was announced that Duke University will pay a fine of $112 million dollars because several medical research projects supposedly carried out at Duke never really happened. The “results” were announced and used to sway public opinion and government decisions, but it was all fake.

So, next time someone claims that research has proven something that contradicts the teaching of scripture, just reply “pork fat” or “bananas” or “Duke.”

As I said, I have the utmost respect for real research. But real research does not contradict God. Figures don’t lie; but boy are the liars figuring!

Friday, March 22, 2019

Ukulele Music and Similar Matters

As I type this I am listening to Ukulele music. I like all kinds of music, but rarely listen to anything played on the Ukulele. But I was feeling a little blue, so I did a quick search for happy sounding music, and this is what came up. It is not a cure-all, but it helps. Music affects our mood. So do colors, temperature, and posture. As Screwtape reminded Wormwood, “…they can be persuaded that bodily position makes no difference to their prayers; for they are constantly forgetting, what you must always remember, that they are animals and that whatever their bodies do affects their souls.”

The fact that someone is kneeling does not prove that they are offering a humble prayer. The fact that someone is running does not prove that they are not offering a humble prayer. But, the one position is more conducive than the other. A person might be happy while listening to sad sounding music. A person might be sad while listening to Ukulele music, but the odds are somewhat against it.

When I was in high school the dress codes were beginning to be relaxed. We were allowed to wear jeans to school. Most of the time I kept to the old dress code (dress shirt, dress trousers and dress shoes), but occasionally I wore jeans, a work shirt, and my combat boots. I never got in a serious fight at school, but a couple of times I was tempted to try those boots out on someone. The clothes did not set my mood, but they had an effect on it.

So, what am I saying? Am I judging you according to your clothes? No. No. And absolutely, No.

I am just suggesting that how we dress, what we listen to, our posture, and even the colors around us have an effect. So let’s keep that in mind. If you get down, put on some upbeat music, turn on brighter lights, dress up in your best clothes, and smile. [I tried it just then and it did not hurt (well, not much).] If you struggle to pray, try a different posture, or even a different place. Sometimes getting out into God’s creation can help a lot with this. For certain kinds of prayer, kneeling can sometimes be a significant tone setter.

Screwtape was right. What our bodies do has an effect on our souls. Let be aware of this fact and respond appropriately.

Tuesday, March 12, 2019

A Good Book Getting Better

I have never cared for the “new and improved” label. Vista was new, but it was not an improvement over XP. The Chevy Vega was not an improvement over the Nova. But the latest changes to Howard Belben’s book The Mission of Jesus will be welcomed. The text of the book is unchanged from the way it was republished last year. But we have added a “reflection and discussion guide” to help those who might use it in a small group setting, or even for individual reflection. The cost is unchanged, it is still $5.75 in paperback and $2.99 in the Kindle edition.

Friday, March 8, 2019

Not The First Generation

We live in a dark and sinful world. It is discouraging. But we must remember that we are not the first generation to live in a climate of spiritual and moral decline. The world is dark and sinful, but no more dark and sinful than it was when “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” That is the last sentence in the book of Judges. When the context is considered, it may be the most discouraging verse in the Old Testament. What many of them considered right was clearly wrong – very wrong.

The next sentence in the Bible reads, “In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons.” That is the first verse of the book of Ruth. Truly, there was a terrible famine in the land at that time – spiritual as well as physical. But the LORD, unseen by human eyes, was working through the lives of Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz (and even through the deaths of Naomi’s husband and sons). God was preparing the man who would become the benchmark leader for the nation. Several generations would pass before David became king. But the faithfulness of the few, people like Boaz, would help to prepare the way for David.

We are not the first generation to face discouragement; ours is not the first generation to struggle against spiritual and moral decay. The Hebrew writer remembers those who were tortured and those who suffered mocking, flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. He says that “They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— of whom the world was not worthy…” (Hebrews 11:37-38, ESV).

J.C. Ryle wisely pointed out that “It is not ‘the good and successful servant,’ but ‘the good and faithful servant,’ to whom He will say, ‘Enter into the joy of your Lord.’”

We may not be successful in trying to brighten this dark world; but let us be faithful. And let us remember that while we are to be the “light of the world” (Mt 5:14) Christ did not mean that any one of us could brighten the whole world, or even our whole community. Sometimes we have to merely brighten our little corner.

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9, ESV).

Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Which is the Bigger Issue, Opportunity or Attitude?

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might…” (Eccl 9:10)
Many years ago I read of a young man who grew up in a poor neighborhood where there was very little to do. He wanted to stay in shape, but had no money for a gym membership. For exercise the young man used to push a car up and down the street.

Eventually he went from pushing the car to tackling running backs. He was pretty good at it. My brother once had the opportunity to speak with NFL running back Ron Johnson. He asked him, “What is it like to be tackled by Dick Butkus?” If I remember right the answer was, “A lot like being run over by a train.”

Dick Butkus could have become bitter about his lack of opportunities. Most American kids have more than a junk car to entertain them. But then, most American kids do not sign a contract for $200,000 as soon as they leave college. Most do not end up with a net worth of 8 million.

What is the lesson here? Perhaps the lesson is that sometimes our lack of opportunities, if responded to properly, become our opportunity.

So, if you do not have the opportunities that you wanted and prayed for, if God does not seem interested in giving you the gifts and ministries that you sought, maybe you should find an old car and push it. I am not suggesting that it will lead you to a net worth of millions, but I am sure that it will lead to something better than you will find by crying over the lack of opportunities.

If you cannot do the big jobs, do the small ones. If you cannot find the jobs that will gain you notoriety, do the ones no one will notice. But whatever you do, do it with your might – the best of your ability. Even if no one else notices, the Lord will know. Deep down you will know also, and you may in the end find more satisfaction in the simple and homely tasks than you really would have in the things you dreamed of doing.

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

A Balanced Perspective

The following is a statement that I have heard and even used myself. It is, within the right context, a very true and useful statement. “If one has done his best, no one can do any better than that.”

Sometimes we have tried our best but things have not gone well. Sometimes we lack the skill for the task at hand. Sometimes factors beyond our control kept us from succeeding. In those situations, the words of J.C. Ryle are helpful, “It is not the good and successful servant, but the good and faithful servant, to whom He will say, “Enter into the joy of your Lord (Mt 25:21).”

But while all of the above is true, it could be over-extended and misapplied.

On July 11, 1970 I attempted to preach a sermon about heaven. I collapsed a few minutes into the sermon and never finished it. I had done the best I knew how at the time; but frankly, it was not a good sermon and it is remembered only because I fainted, not because the content was worth remembering.

I had done the best I could at the time, and that is okay. But it would not have been okay for me to have taken the attitude, “That was my best and God will accept it.” Surely, if that had been my attitude, it would have been a sinful attitude. Surely, while taking some comfort in the fact that I had done my best at the time, it was only right that I should desire to improve my best.

In preaching, teaching, singing, praying, in giving, serving, and in all that we do, it is one thing to say “I did my best” and something very different to say, “I did my best and God will have to accept it.” No!!! As soon as we add that second part to the thought, we have said too much. If we are not striving to improve on our preaching, teaching, singing, praying, giving, serving, and all that we do, then we are sinning and God decidedly will not accept it.

Dr. Bob Whitaker, assisted by my oldest son, attempted a brain surgery. Dr. Whitaker was not a brain surgeon. But the man was going to die if someone did not do something, so Bob tried his best. The man died. But Bob did not take the attitude, “Well, I did my best and I will do the same again next time.” Living where he did, he knew that this would come up again. So he asked Dr. Charles Branch (a neurosurgeon) to teach him how to do the surgery right.

God may accept our best, if it really is our best. But our best should be getting better. If it is not, then probably it is not really our best.

Monday, January 14, 2019

What Price Are We Willing to Pay?

While not the most famous words of his inaugural address, this statement by President Kennedy was significant. “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”

It was understood in January of 1961 that anything worthwhile in life had a cost. It was understood that there are burdens and hardships to bear. It was understood that a man or woman seeking only their own comfort was a man or woman without significance, meaning, or purpose.

At that point in our history, the worth of pain and the might of self-sacrifice were understood by many. The mindset of our nation at that time was still heavily influenced by the scriptures. We were not really a Christian nation, but we were a nation strongly influenced by the faith that has a cross at its center. We are no longer such a nation.

Today the question is not “what can I do for my country?” but “what is the government going to do for me?” That shift in attitude may be the most destructive force in our national life. But I am not writing primarily about our national life.

Is it any different with Christians? Has our faith and focus also drifted? Do we gather to sing our favorite songs and to see our friends? Or do we gather to honor the Lord? Do we live as consumers, trying to get the best bargain we can from the local merchants, on the Internet, and from the Lord? Or do we live as those who “have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised” (2 Cor 5:14-15)?

I am sorry to ask such challenging questions. But somehow I don’t think the church was built by means of positive thinking pep talks, and I don’t think that is what will restore it to its original purity and purpose. What price are we willing to pay, what burden are we willing to bear for the cause of Christ? Admittedly, it is a challenging question, but then most worthwhile questions are.

Friday, January 4, 2019

Pork Fat and Faith

I do not pay much attention to the news. I do not take the paper; I do not listen to the television or radio news. On those occasions when I want to be a bit depressed, I can always look up the news on the BBC web-site. I suppose it was our years in Africa that made the BBC my favorite source for news (although it was only by means of shortwave radio in those days).

New Year’s Day I saw an article on the BBC site that claimed to list the 100 most nutritious foods (hwww.bbc.com/future/story/20180126-the-100-most-nutritious-foods). I ran through the whole list rather quickly, reading the details on only a couple of items. The biggest surprise was “pork fat.” That is right; they listed pork fat as one of the most nutritious things we can eat, and said that the rumors of it causing heart attacks have been proven false.

For more than forty years we were told to avoid pork fat. Now, a group of 100 nutritionists have listed it as one of the best foods. Frankly, I do not know (or care) who is right on this particular matter. I just want to make one simple point.

The next time someone tells you that there is scientific evidence that homosexuality is unavoidable for those who have the “homosexuality gene,” you could say, “Pork fat.” The next time someone claims that scientific evidence supports the idea that children should not be made to mind their behavior, just say, “Pork fat.” The next time someone claims that monogamy is bad for us, just say “More pork fat” and keep going.

The sad truth is that the so-called scientific community is full of people who are anything but scientific. Some of these people manage to prove (to their own satisfaction) whatever it was they set out to prove. No matter what they claim to have proven now, they will someday be busy proving the opposite. On matters of faith and morals we will do best to just stick with what God has said, and let the manipulators of statistics go their merry way. We really do not want to go where they are going anyway.

If God says something is bad for us, it is. If he says something will eternally separate us from him, it will. If he says that a given action is evidence that the person engaging in it has an arrogant and sick mind, they do.

One of the great things about being a Christian is that we do not have to keep up with the constantly changing claims of contemporary theorists. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb 13:8).