By John Stallings
“That’s none of your business.”
How often have you & I heard that statement made?
How about this one; “if I’d wanted your opinion I’d have asked for it?” Let me interject right here; --- when people say this they really mean it.
Recently Juda & I watched the movie, Margaret, about the Queen of England. It dealt especially with the time period when Princess Diana was killed. Since she was no longer in the Royal family at the time of her death in a car wreck in Paris, the Queen & her husband didn’t want to leave their summer retreat to personally join the grief stricken millions in the London area. The upshot was that the newly elected & youngest ever Prime Minister Tony Blair had to engage in some expert arm twisting to get the Royals back to London for the sad occasion.
I had expected the movie to be somewhat stodgy but the tension between Blare & the Queen was totally engrossing. You were allowed to see & actually feel the acrimony the Queen had for Blair as he continued to cajole & seek to persuade her to not ignore this event. Blair was forced by virtue of his position & this historic event to walk into an area “Where angels fear to tread.” The phrase, “It’s none of your business” wasn’t uttered but the sentiment hovered just beneath the surface in every conversation between Blair & the Queen. I hadn’t realized how close the Royal family came to sticking their heels in the sand & refusing to dignify Diana’s death, nor the superb job young Tony Blair did in finally saving the Royals from themselves.
Over the years, Blair has been a stand up guy in a world of politicians who use focus groups to make their decisions.
LETS TALK ABOUT THIS THING CALLED UNSOLICITED ADVICE & IT'S PERIL.
Proverbs 26:17 says, --He that passeth by & meddeleth with strife belonging not to him is like one that taketh a dog by the ears.
I’ve never tried picking a dog up by the ears but I can imagine what an awful response a person would get from the dog if they tried it. If the dog had any size, he’d without doubt do that person some real damage & if he was just a little pup, the pain would be so intense his squealing & howling would make it a very unpleasant experience to say the least. Either way it would be a very ugly scene & it’s very likely a doctor would be involved.
What is a person supposed to do? --To advise or not advise. It could be something as mundane as a co-worker with bad breath & body odor to a daughter-in-law who serves food half cooked. Or maybe it’s a person in church who spreads gossip like kids spread peanut butter. Here’s another important thing to remember if you’re a person who likes to “get your two cents” in; --People as a rule don’t take well to unsolicited advice. To put it a little stronger, most people have a strong aversion to it. But does that mean that we should never give it?
Here are some guidelines that will be helpful in deciding what to do if faced with a situation where we must make such a decision.
1. Pray,-- but don’t only pray,--- pray long and hard before you do it.
James 1:5 says; --If any man lacks wisdom let him ask of God.
I remember back in the sixties when I was starting out as an evangelist. It was the big thing in those days for people in local churches to go to another individual with a “word” for them or sometimes a verse of scripture God had given to them to pass on the other person. Having the advantage of traveling nationally, I saw what was happening. Many people were passing off to others what God was trying to tell them. I would tell people to make sure when they felt compelled to give someone a “word” that it wasn’t something God was trying to say to them & they were rejecting it personally. We can always ask God to clarify His message for He knows for sure who the message is for. Ask Him.
2. Scope out the terrain & be sure your timing is right.
When we were raising our kids, they knew that ice cream was allowed but ice cream thirty minutes before a meal was not. If it involves a spouse, you’d want to make sure you didn’t open a can of worms at bedtime. Bad timing. The same would go for mealtimes or as soon as someone gets home from work. A fight on the way to church won’t work & certainly a fight in front of the children is a bad idea. It wouldn’t be advisable for a spouse to say, “You should have been kinder to your Dad when he was alive.” It’s a little too late to fix that isn’t it? When dad was alive that might have been good advice but the timing is all wrong now.
In scoping out the terrain, other relevant questions would be; is the wife going through PMS? Is the husbands head spinning because he had a run-in with his boss? Did your daughter just break-up with her boyfriend? Is the person ill? Ask yourself-would you want to hear what you’re about to offer? It’s not that we should deny that our advice needs to be given nor should we analyze an issue to death but we certainly should ask God’s guidance. Many a good word has been lost because of bad timing.
When a Christian Brother or sister is going through trouble, they are probably under satanic attack. In times like these we can be used as tools of the devil if we’re not careful. One of Satan’s delights when a person is undergoing an attack is to use the people close to them as accomplices to unwittingly compound their hurt. He did this with Adam & Eve & he did it by using those closest to Jesus to hurt him. He certainly did it with Job by using his wife & closest friends to give him all sorts of crazy advice. It’s a good thing Job didn’t take his wife’s advice to curse God & die, but instead chose to bless God & live.
3. Don’t make a habit out of telling someone how to run their life.
Sometimes rather than “straightening someone out” maybe we could just act as a sounding board. Maybe it would be better to help someone sort out their options. Maybe we can just listen, that’s a lost art these days. I have known people who had a word spoken to them about whom they should marry; they followed the advice & ended up divorced.
In Exodus 18:17-27, Moses’ father-in-law Jethro saw he was overburdened, so he came to Moses & advised him to seek out wise men within the camp to help & advise him. Moses was wise enough to heed his father-in-laws words. Although Jethro didn’t play a large role in Moses life this one word of wisdom to the great leader made him even more effective.
Now if we saw Jethro coming to Moses constantly with some complaint or suggestion, we’d quickly pick up on it & feel he must have had some control issues in his life. You & I can take a lesson from wise Jethro.
4. Ask yourself if it’s your place to offer advice.
Maybe there is someone closer in relationship that is better suited to speak to the individual. A parent, a spouse or maybe the person needs professional help. You may see the need but that doesn’t mean you should be the one to speak to it.
Tiger Woods may be in a slump & I may see it but that doesn’t make me qualified to offer him counsel. One reason among many would be that if I were ranked as a golfer, I’d be somewhere around the bottom 5,000 golfers in the world. See the point? If your burden is great enough, & you still feel checked about going to a person, maybe going to a pastor, spouse or parent to get them involved would be the answer. Then again, if God is making you aware because you are the one to go, you should go. Just be sure it’s God.
5. Does the situation merit your unsolicited advice?
I’ve learned that some things bother me that don’t bother God in the least- or the other person. Some things aren’t sin they’re style. They aren’t a trespass they’re an annoyance. They aren’t a matter of conviction but a transgression. Some people pronounce tomato different than I do. They say potato differently than I do. Some people play Rook in their church annex while other people would have a stroke if they saw a deck of cards near a church. If you don’t watch some people, they’ll stick their biscuit in gravy right at the table (heaven forbid.) The Bible is silent on some issues & we’d be wise to be silent there also. There have been times when unsolicited advice has saved a life & times when it’s ruined a life.
6. Limit what you say.
A lady in a church I pastored once called & asked if she could come over to the house & speak with my wife & me. I of course said yes. She arrived & sat down on the couch & pulled out a yellow legal pad & proceeded to read a list of grievances with the church & my pastoral style. After the first two or three things I stopped her. I told her that she’d made a terrible mistake to sit back for months making her list when she could have come sooner when it was only two or three things. My children came in from school while the lady was there & afterward they asked what in the world it was all about. They could feel an awful spirit permeating their home, brought by this woman. Even a child can sense a raunchy attitude.
The take-away lesson from that is; words of correction are strong medicine best given in small doses. Have you ever noticed when you get on an elevator that they have a weight limit posted? Even a modern elevator can only take so much. We human beings are the same & we all have our load- limits. We don’t want to be guilty of overloading an individual with our criticisms no matter how well meaning our intentions are.
7. Ask permission to speak.
Give the person an out. Don’t start by saying you have a word from God because then they have no way out. Ask them if the time is right or if they’d mind if you share something that’s on your heart. If a person indicates a desire to receive what you have to say it will be much easier. If they don’t grant permission they are telling you they won’t listen or heed what you have to say so you might as well save your breath. When you stop to think about it people are bombarded every day with free advice from every direction from Oprah to Dr, Phil & many people can be on “advice-overload.”
Another thing I’ve learned about giving advice in person or in letter form; the person you speak to will probably have something to say in response, so you’d better be sure you have heard from God & that your skin is thick enough to hear it.
You may remember that when Nathan went to David telling him “thou art the man” in regards to his sin with Bathsheba, David fell under deep conviction. But when Samuel confronted Saul about his sin in not destroying the Amalekites & all their livestock, Saul lied through his teeth even though he had the Amalakite king walking by his side. Saul was always so preoccupied & busy with self-justification it makes his life painful to read.
8. Analyze your motives.
Make sure you’re not wanting to get the other person “told.” Make sure you have their best interest at heart & you’ve prayed until your love-level is high. Are you seeking to bless or curse? Just to be safe, check your heart-felt motives before you go. Remember there is something about advice giving that can promote pride, & the moment you have a superior attitude shining through your ability to help another person will as a rule be nil.
9. Listen
James 1:19 tells us to be slow to speak & quick to listen.
This is doubly true when we give advice. There is much you & I don’t know & the other person is in a good position to help us understand them. If you feel a person is unwilling to talk in some areas, let them lead to the areas they are open in & that way you’ll stay our of harms way. We earn the right to speak by listening.
We can all have a tendency to get preachy when giving advice. Don’t do it. Preaching is a powerful tool when done by one person to a group but it doesn’t work one-on-one. Sometimes the best thing we can do is get off the soap box, open it, take out the soap & wash our brother’s feet.
10. Properly discern the level of your relationship.
There are things you’d say to a close friend that you wouldn’t say to the butcher or the baker. A surface relationship won’t allow you to say things you’d say to someone who knows you well & visa versa. How long have you known the person? True relationships require time. Do you have their number on your speed dial?
A person who deigns to grab a dog by the ears had better be careful. So it is with speaking into another persons life. Proceed with great caution. Hopefully some of the truths in this article will be helpful. One thing is for certain, we all have our unique set of needs & concerns & we all come from different backgrounds with our own expectations, perceptions & fears. God can use each one of us if we remain humble & know that only Jesus has unlimited knowledge. We must at all times keep pointing people to Him.
As for receiving reproof, if it happens to you, it’s far better to hear it than to reject it. Thank God for it; for someone who cared enough to risk their neck to share it. If it’s inaccurate, you’ll live. But more times than not there’ll be some merit to it.
I’ve been there & done that. So have you.
Take it. -Think on it. -Pray over it.- Be grateful for it.
Blessings,
John
Sunday, October 29, 2017
Monday, October 23, 2017
Who let the dogs out?
By John Stallings
Beware of dogs; beware of the evil workers, beware of the concision. Phi.3:2
Preach the Word; be instant in season out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap unto themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. --2 Timothy 4:2-4
I believe we are in a time when many of God’s people won’t endure sound doctrine. We are here now;
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron.—1 Timothy 4:1-2
-- For among my people are found wicked men; they lay wait as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men. A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof? ---Jer.5:26/30-31.
When Paul calls someone a dog, he’s speaking of false teachers. Since dogs in our time are called man’s best friend, and loved by most everyone it’s too bad that in the Bible dogs are almost always seen in a negative light. This would be because in that day dogs ran wild, had no masters, and were considered filthy & dangerous.
Paul referred to those who were teaching circumcision as a necessity for salvation as dogs. He abhorred this teaching & his entire letter to the Galatians dealt with the temptation the church had to return to the dead works of the law.
LET ME BE CLEAR, I’M NOT WRITING THIS IN A CRITICAL, JUDGMENTAL SPIRIT.
I intend to basically let the scripture speak for itself. We need to be careful that we never brand people as false prophets just because they don’t agree with us on every detail of our theology. When we go there, we get into the harmful judging we’re warned against.
How are we to do something that Paul doesn’t do? In 1 Corinthians 8, Paul speaks about meat that was sacrificed to idols. He clearly calls people confused about eating or not eating it. He says they are brothers who just don’t have sufficient knowledge. Paul makes it clear that God loves the people on both sides of the debate. He isn’t calling them false prophets or “dogs.” Paul states what he believes to be the true but says, “an idol is nothing, but not everyone knows this.” Paul isn’t going to get his knickers in a knot about the issue.
If we move to Romans 14 & 15 Paul goes further into it. He starts off by telling us to “receive those who are weak in the faith & don’t get embroiled in doubtful disputes.” Too much labeling & line-drawing is done today & God is displeased with it. Certainly we aren’t to compromise the truth or our convictions, but neither are we to be “Holy Ghost juniors” setting ourselves up as judges.
Dogs or false teachers will always be with us. Listen to the words of Jesus;
And many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold……For there shall arise false Christ’s, and false prophets and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Matt. 24:11-12/24.
Many people love the smooth sayings of false teachers. Listen to Peter;
But there were false prophets among the people even as there will be false prophets among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that brought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you; whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. 2 Peter 2:1-3
Listen to John;
--Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they be of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of the anti-Christ, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.---1 John 4:1-3
Paul told Timothy;
Holding faith and a good conscience which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: of whom is Hymeneus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme. 1 Timothy 1:19-20
“Who let these dogs out?” I think it’s rather obvious that Satan is the father of all these “dogs” who spew forth lies in the name of God. If we read Revelation we’ll see many other dogs will be released in the end-time.
Let’s look at seven marks of a false prophet or DOG.
1. A FALSE PROPHET IS A MAN PLEASER.
Micah 23:16-17 says,--Thus saith the Lord, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart and not out of the mouth of the Lord.
We wouldn’t go to a doctor who would rub Vaseline on a cancer & we need to be careful listening to a ministry that never rocks the boat or tells us “thus saith the Lord.” Salvation is more than a fire- escape but Jesus had so much to say about sin, it’s consequence & eternal hell, you’d think a man/woman would mention these things at least once or twice every ten years or so. In my view a preacher who doesn’t declare the whole council of God has zero credibility, isn’t scripturally balanced & is probably a people pleaser. Acts 20:26-27.
Years ago an evangelist was working within the organization I was a part of. This man had past moral lapses but was repentant and was given a second chance. He drew big crowds because he had the ability to tell people things that he couldn’t have known. This man died with an Aides related disease a few years ago so obviously his work & his walk weren’t consistent. Herein is the rub; there is always the human element in the greatest spiritual move of God. People forget that when a person uses a spiritual gift it says nothing about whether or not their lives are pleasing to the Lord. The gifts & callings of God are without repentance, (Romans 11:29,) meaning when God gives a gift, He never revokes it. But there’s a kicker; God has a hammer & a person exercising a gift living an inconsistent life will ultimately be dealt with harshly by God. Matt.7:20-23.
Jesus said --by their fruit ye shall know them (Matt.7:20) but too often people ignore that & incorrectly believe, --by their gifts ye shall know them.
It’s strange to me that in Bible days miracles were done to convince the unbeliever, but in our day believers are the ones who have to be convinced of God’s supernatural power.
2. A FALSE PROPHET SCORNS & OPPOSES TRUE MINISTERS OF GOD.
In Numbers 16 a man named Korah gathered others around him & went to Moses challenging his leadership. The narrative tells us that Moses fell on his face. Moses just collapsed right there. We might interpret it that Moses fell in humility & in a prayerful way but it seems to me Moses was so stunned at his core he fell out from the shock.
Why did Moses fall? It may have been he was aghast at these men rebelling against his leadership when they were there all through the wilderness journey. These men saw how God used Moses & the great miracles God wrought to keep these people alive, but they rose up against God’s man anyway. God dealt with this in a harsh way (He opened the earth and it swallowed them) as He will always do at some point when his anointed leaders are assailed.
It’s the mark of a wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing to have the unmitigated gall to presume to rise up against & oppose the work a true man/woman of God is doing.
3. A FALSE PROPHET GIVES UNTRUE PROPHESIES & VISIONS.
Then the Lord said unto me, the prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision, and divination, and a thing of naught, and the deceit of their heart.—Jer.14:14
Thus saith the Lord of hosts, hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart and not out of the mouth of the Lord.
Jer. 23:16
This is sort of funny but I once was a pulpit guest in a church where the pastor (a very fine man) felt he was highly & mightily used of God to foresee events. One night after our service he “felt led” to drive across town & pray for a man who was having some difficulties.
It was a cold rainy night & the pastor’s wife was against him going & told him he could pray for the man & go see him the next day. But nothing would make him happy until the brother had me in the car & we headed out into the bleak night to take care of business. I was a little embarrassed for my preacher friend when we arrived at the house & the man wasn’t home. Now I didn’t think any less of my friend because of this because in truth, though I loved & respected him, I never had that much confidence in his radar anyway.
We need to be careful when we use the words “God told me.”
4. A FALSE PROPHET MAJORS ON MINORS.
From which some have swerved and have turned aside unto vain jangling; desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor whereof they affirm.-1 Timothy 1:5-6
If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even to the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to Godliness. He is proud knowing nothing but doting about questions and strifes of words where cometh envy, strife, railing , evil surmisings, perverse disputing of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth supposing that gain is Godliness; from such withdraw thyself. 1 Tim.6:3-5.
Did you notice the words “vain-jangling?” That’s the best way to describe what you get from a lot of radio & television ministry nowadays, vain-jangling! When someone offers me a miracle wallet telling me If I send them an offering the wallet will never be empty, I wonder why they don’t just keep all those wallets & use the money that’s obviously already in them.
One morning I woke up too early & turned on the TV & there was a man I usually don’t watch. However in the early morning my defenses were down & I sat for a moment to listen to him. He seemed sincere. As the gentleman spoke, he said he saw a man out in T.V land, & basically for a minute I thought he was talking straight to me, describing me. The more I listened, the better the man got. I thought, “Now I’ve been too hard on that fellow, he seems to know just who I am & everything about me.” Then the man ruined it all. He said, “Now God is telling me to tell you to go the phone & give me a (large amount) donation. I thought, “For a minute there I thought he was talking to me.”
Please don’t misunderstand, I believe strongly in the miraculous power of God who can move in wondrous & supernatural ways. I also believe in giving & have always tried to stay open to God in the area of giving, even to ministries I don’t personally know. But for some reason this didn’t pass the smell test to me. He wasn’t trying to impress a need on me; he was trying to impress me with how great he was & get an offering on that basis. I passed as I usually do with this type of appeal.
5. A FALSE PROPHET WILL DISGUISE DANGEROUS TEACHING WITH ELOQUENCE.
Now I beseech you brethren mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them. For they serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
Romans 16:17-18.
Woe unto them! For they have gone in the way of Cain; and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in their gainsaying of Korah. -- Jude 11
These are murmurers, complainers walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage. ---Jude 16
6. A FALSE PROPHET WANTS TO MAKE A CONVERT NOT CHANGE A LIFE.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte and when he is made ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Matthew 23:15
7. A FALSE PROPHET IS COVETOUS.
For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophets even unto the priest everyone dealeth falsely. Jer.6:13
In my reading of the New Testament, no one has a periscope quite like Peter’s. It’s well worth the time to reread the second chapter of his second little letter where he deals with the destructiveness, the doom & depravity of false teachers.
He says “Through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you, whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not and their damnation slumbereth not.-2:4
These false prophets want “your goods,” but not “your good.”
It sickens me to turn on my TV or go to a church service & have someone get up & tell the people in essence that EVERYTHING God will do for them is determined on how much money they give. As far as I’m concerned when they do this they cross the line, they go too far& they commit “spiritual rape.” These people to me are the same as spiritual “wife-beaters.”
How are they different than the Catholic Church before the Reformation when they were selling indulgences? Answer; they aren’t different!
How can a God-called individual tell people (as a TV evangelist did) “If you have $79.00 in your bank account that’s not going to help you, I dare you to close that account & send me that money?” The person who bites on that, unless they’ve really heard from God will in all probability be asking their church to pay their light bill in a few days.
How about this one, “I want you to post-mark that offering within three days. If you don’t send it in three days I don’t want it & we won’t accept it. God said three days!” How about this one, “You & I working together are going to be millionaires.” There are TV ministries I believe are sincere & I’ll go so far as to say that the majority are open & honest, but religious charlatans abound today. These people who are on giant ego trips & they’re in it for the money. I can best describe them using my grandmother’s favorite word, “superficiality.”
It’s easy to just turn our ears away and refuse to listen to these evil teachers. We already have seen that we should avoid false teachers. But we also need to stand against some of the excesses that abound today, know about the errors that are being taught and we need to be prepared to defend the truth when it becomes necessary.
Banks train tellers to spot counterfeit money by letting them spend time handling & acquainting themselves with real money. When we come upon these false teachers, we need to be fortified with truth and the best way to do that is to stay in the Word of God.
In Acts 8:18-20, a man named Simon wanted to buy the Holy Spirit’s power from the apostles. He knew if he had that power he could make a fortune with it. But Peter told him his money would perish with him because he thought the gift of God could be purchased with money.
But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 3:13-15.
I know thy works, and thy labor and thy patience and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are Apostles and are not, and hast found them liars….. Revelation 2:2
For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers,
And idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. Rev.2:2
Be careful, be very careful, the DOGS are out.
BLESSINGS,
John
Beware of dogs; beware of the evil workers, beware of the concision. Phi.3:2
Preach the Word; be instant in season out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap unto themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. --2 Timothy 4:2-4
I believe we are in a time when many of God’s people won’t endure sound doctrine. We are here now;
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron.—1 Timothy 4:1-2
-- For among my people are found wicked men; they lay wait as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men. A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof? ---Jer.5:26/30-31.
When Paul calls someone a dog, he’s speaking of false teachers. Since dogs in our time are called man’s best friend, and loved by most everyone it’s too bad that in the Bible dogs are almost always seen in a negative light. This would be because in that day dogs ran wild, had no masters, and were considered filthy & dangerous.
Paul referred to those who were teaching circumcision as a necessity for salvation as dogs. He abhorred this teaching & his entire letter to the Galatians dealt with the temptation the church had to return to the dead works of the law.
LET ME BE CLEAR, I’M NOT WRITING THIS IN A CRITICAL, JUDGMENTAL SPIRIT.
I intend to basically let the scripture speak for itself. We need to be careful that we never brand people as false prophets just because they don’t agree with us on every detail of our theology. When we go there, we get into the harmful judging we’re warned against.
How are we to do something that Paul doesn’t do? In 1 Corinthians 8, Paul speaks about meat that was sacrificed to idols. He clearly calls people confused about eating or not eating it. He says they are brothers who just don’t have sufficient knowledge. Paul makes it clear that God loves the people on both sides of the debate. He isn’t calling them false prophets or “dogs.” Paul states what he believes to be the true but says, “an idol is nothing, but not everyone knows this.” Paul isn’t going to get his knickers in a knot about the issue.
If we move to Romans 14 & 15 Paul goes further into it. He starts off by telling us to “receive those who are weak in the faith & don’t get embroiled in doubtful disputes.” Too much labeling & line-drawing is done today & God is displeased with it. Certainly we aren’t to compromise the truth or our convictions, but neither are we to be “Holy Ghost juniors” setting ourselves up as judges.
Dogs or false teachers will always be with us. Listen to the words of Jesus;
And many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold……For there shall arise false Christ’s, and false prophets and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Matt. 24:11-12/24.
Many people love the smooth sayings of false teachers. Listen to Peter;
But there were false prophets among the people even as there will be false prophets among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that brought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you; whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. 2 Peter 2:1-3
Listen to John;
--Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they be of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of the anti-Christ, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.---1 John 4:1-3
Paul told Timothy;
Holding faith and a good conscience which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: of whom is Hymeneus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme. 1 Timothy 1:19-20
“Who let these dogs out?” I think it’s rather obvious that Satan is the father of all these “dogs” who spew forth lies in the name of God. If we read Revelation we’ll see many other dogs will be released in the end-time.
Let’s look at seven marks of a false prophet or DOG.
1. A FALSE PROPHET IS A MAN PLEASER.
Micah 23:16-17 says,--Thus saith the Lord, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart and not out of the mouth of the Lord.
We wouldn’t go to a doctor who would rub Vaseline on a cancer & we need to be careful listening to a ministry that never rocks the boat or tells us “thus saith the Lord.” Salvation is more than a fire- escape but Jesus had so much to say about sin, it’s consequence & eternal hell, you’d think a man/woman would mention these things at least once or twice every ten years or so. In my view a preacher who doesn’t declare the whole council of God has zero credibility, isn’t scripturally balanced & is probably a people pleaser. Acts 20:26-27.
Years ago an evangelist was working within the organization I was a part of. This man had past moral lapses but was repentant and was given a second chance. He drew big crowds because he had the ability to tell people things that he couldn’t have known. This man died with an Aides related disease a few years ago so obviously his work & his walk weren’t consistent. Herein is the rub; there is always the human element in the greatest spiritual move of God. People forget that when a person uses a spiritual gift it says nothing about whether or not their lives are pleasing to the Lord. The gifts & callings of God are without repentance, (Romans 11:29,) meaning when God gives a gift, He never revokes it. But there’s a kicker; God has a hammer & a person exercising a gift living an inconsistent life will ultimately be dealt with harshly by God. Matt.7:20-23.
Jesus said --by their fruit ye shall know them (Matt.7:20) but too often people ignore that & incorrectly believe, --by their gifts ye shall know them.
It’s strange to me that in Bible days miracles were done to convince the unbeliever, but in our day believers are the ones who have to be convinced of God’s supernatural power.
2. A FALSE PROPHET SCORNS & OPPOSES TRUE MINISTERS OF GOD.
In Numbers 16 a man named Korah gathered others around him & went to Moses challenging his leadership. The narrative tells us that Moses fell on his face. Moses just collapsed right there. We might interpret it that Moses fell in humility & in a prayerful way but it seems to me Moses was so stunned at his core he fell out from the shock.
Why did Moses fall? It may have been he was aghast at these men rebelling against his leadership when they were there all through the wilderness journey. These men saw how God used Moses & the great miracles God wrought to keep these people alive, but they rose up against God’s man anyway. God dealt with this in a harsh way (He opened the earth and it swallowed them) as He will always do at some point when his anointed leaders are assailed.
It’s the mark of a wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing to have the unmitigated gall to presume to rise up against & oppose the work a true man/woman of God is doing.
3. A FALSE PROPHET GIVES UNTRUE PROPHESIES & VISIONS.
Then the Lord said unto me, the prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision, and divination, and a thing of naught, and the deceit of their heart.—Jer.14:14
Thus saith the Lord of hosts, hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart and not out of the mouth of the Lord.
Jer. 23:16
This is sort of funny but I once was a pulpit guest in a church where the pastor (a very fine man) felt he was highly & mightily used of God to foresee events. One night after our service he “felt led” to drive across town & pray for a man who was having some difficulties.
It was a cold rainy night & the pastor’s wife was against him going & told him he could pray for the man & go see him the next day. But nothing would make him happy until the brother had me in the car & we headed out into the bleak night to take care of business. I was a little embarrassed for my preacher friend when we arrived at the house & the man wasn’t home. Now I didn’t think any less of my friend because of this because in truth, though I loved & respected him, I never had that much confidence in his radar anyway.
We need to be careful when we use the words “God told me.”
4. A FALSE PROPHET MAJORS ON MINORS.
From which some have swerved and have turned aside unto vain jangling; desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor whereof they affirm.-1 Timothy 1:5-6
If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even to the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to Godliness. He is proud knowing nothing but doting about questions and strifes of words where cometh envy, strife, railing , evil surmisings, perverse disputing of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth supposing that gain is Godliness; from such withdraw thyself. 1 Tim.6:3-5.
Did you notice the words “vain-jangling?” That’s the best way to describe what you get from a lot of radio & television ministry nowadays, vain-jangling! When someone offers me a miracle wallet telling me If I send them an offering the wallet will never be empty, I wonder why they don’t just keep all those wallets & use the money that’s obviously already in them.
One morning I woke up too early & turned on the TV & there was a man I usually don’t watch. However in the early morning my defenses were down & I sat for a moment to listen to him. He seemed sincere. As the gentleman spoke, he said he saw a man out in T.V land, & basically for a minute I thought he was talking straight to me, describing me. The more I listened, the better the man got. I thought, “Now I’ve been too hard on that fellow, he seems to know just who I am & everything about me.” Then the man ruined it all. He said, “Now God is telling me to tell you to go the phone & give me a (large amount) donation. I thought, “For a minute there I thought he was talking to me.”
Please don’t misunderstand, I believe strongly in the miraculous power of God who can move in wondrous & supernatural ways. I also believe in giving & have always tried to stay open to God in the area of giving, even to ministries I don’t personally know. But for some reason this didn’t pass the smell test to me. He wasn’t trying to impress a need on me; he was trying to impress me with how great he was & get an offering on that basis. I passed as I usually do with this type of appeal.
5. A FALSE PROPHET WILL DISGUISE DANGEROUS TEACHING WITH ELOQUENCE.
Now I beseech you brethren mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them. For they serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
Romans 16:17-18.
Woe unto them! For they have gone in the way of Cain; and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in their gainsaying of Korah. -- Jude 11
These are murmurers, complainers walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage. ---Jude 16
6. A FALSE PROPHET WANTS TO MAKE A CONVERT NOT CHANGE A LIFE.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte and when he is made ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Matthew 23:15
7. A FALSE PROPHET IS COVETOUS.
For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophets even unto the priest everyone dealeth falsely. Jer.6:13
In my reading of the New Testament, no one has a periscope quite like Peter’s. It’s well worth the time to reread the second chapter of his second little letter where he deals with the destructiveness, the doom & depravity of false teachers.
He says “Through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you, whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not and their damnation slumbereth not.-2:4
These false prophets want “your goods,” but not “your good.”
It sickens me to turn on my TV or go to a church service & have someone get up & tell the people in essence that EVERYTHING God will do for them is determined on how much money they give. As far as I’m concerned when they do this they cross the line, they go too far& they commit “spiritual rape.” These people to me are the same as spiritual “wife-beaters.”
How are they different than the Catholic Church before the Reformation when they were selling indulgences? Answer; they aren’t different!
How can a God-called individual tell people (as a TV evangelist did) “If you have $79.00 in your bank account that’s not going to help you, I dare you to close that account & send me that money?” The person who bites on that, unless they’ve really heard from God will in all probability be asking their church to pay their light bill in a few days.
How about this one, “I want you to post-mark that offering within three days. If you don’t send it in three days I don’t want it & we won’t accept it. God said three days!” How about this one, “You & I working together are going to be millionaires.” There are TV ministries I believe are sincere & I’ll go so far as to say that the majority are open & honest, but religious charlatans abound today. These people who are on giant ego trips & they’re in it for the money. I can best describe them using my grandmother’s favorite word, “superficiality.”
It’s easy to just turn our ears away and refuse to listen to these evil teachers. We already have seen that we should avoid false teachers. But we also need to stand against some of the excesses that abound today, know about the errors that are being taught and we need to be prepared to defend the truth when it becomes necessary.
Banks train tellers to spot counterfeit money by letting them spend time handling & acquainting themselves with real money. When we come upon these false teachers, we need to be fortified with truth and the best way to do that is to stay in the Word of God.
In Acts 8:18-20, a man named Simon wanted to buy the Holy Spirit’s power from the apostles. He knew if he had that power he could make a fortune with it. But Peter told him his money would perish with him because he thought the gift of God could be purchased with money.
But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 3:13-15.
I know thy works, and thy labor and thy patience and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are Apostles and are not, and hast found them liars….. Revelation 2:2
For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers,
And idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. Rev.2:2
Be careful, be very careful, the DOGS are out.
BLESSINGS,
John
Saturday, October 14, 2017
"Tear Down This Wall"
By John Stallings
A very successful businessman was on a road trip with his wife.
When they stopped for gas she got out for a moment & shortly thereafter the businessman saw his wife engaged in conversation with the male service attendant.
After they finished she got back in the car. As they drove away the husband asked about the guy his wife was talking to & learned that she’d dated him in high school.
Feeling cocky, her husband says to her, “I bet I know what you’re thinking. I bet you’re thinking that you’re pretty lucky that you married me, a very successful president of a mega-corporation & not a service station attendant.”
She said, “No, actually I was thinking that if I’d married him & not you, he’d be the president of a mega-corporation & you’d be working in this gas station.”
There is a sin that is hard to detect, & its results are deadly.
It has been around since before man.
It is no respecter of persons.
It can creep in at any stage of your life.
It is a sin over which most Christians stumble.
Believe it or not, this is the only sin that even our face can commit.
The sin-PRIDE
In 1981 I had the privilege of visiting the Republic of China with The Blackwood brothers Quartet.
I was privileged to speak in several major rallies all over the Far East. God was gracious to give us many souls during these days.
I was more impressed with the city of Hong Kong than any other place I visited in the Orient. We ate one meal that had 23 separate entrees.’ Seven of these entrees’ were desserts. Ugh! But I did learn some things on this adventure; The Cantonese cooks are the best.
I also learned that The Great Wall of China was started about four hundred years before Jesus was born & is the only man- made object visible from outer space.
The wall continued to be built on & off for about two thousand years. Today it stretches, though it has collapsed in many places, from the east coast of China all the way into the north-central part of the country.
The Chinese people built it to keep enemies from attacking & invading their country. To this day, the Great Wall is a great source of pride among the Chinese. Tourists come to see it. Historians study it, & scientists use it to study earthquakes.
But did you know that some historians believe the Great Wall-the pride of China-backfired on them? It may have protected China from attack, but it also isolated the nation from many good things. For centuries much of the progress & discoveries that benefited people in other parts of the world never reached China. A great nation became a backward nation of barbarians partly because the Great Wall kept progress from flowing into China.
PRIDE
That’s a lot like what pride does. Some folk act prideful because they think it protects them or makes them look better than others around them. Little do they know their pride makes it harder for God to help them, or other people for that matter.
On the other hand, humility opens the windows of blessing. Humility makes it easier for God to speak to us & help us & bless us. Pride builds a wall that keeps many good things out of our lives; humility opens a window that brings many good things in.
Perhaps the highlight of Ronald Reagan’s Presidency was on June 12, 1987 when he addressed a throng gathered at the Brandenburg Gate in what was then West Germany. In a speech that could be heard behind the Berlin Wall in Communist East Germany President Reagan said…..
“General Secretary, if you seek peace. If you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union & Eastern Europe, if you seek liberation; come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, TEAR DOWN THIS WALL!!”
These emotion- filled words have been compared by many with President John F. Kennedy’s speech given twenty-four years earlier at the same place where Ronald Reagan threw out his challenge, when he declared; “Ich bin ein Berliner.”[I am a Berliner!]
Just two years & four months after President Reagan’s speech was delivered, the Berlin Wall was torn down.
Pride’s most dangerous aspect is that it builds walls between people. You could almost use the words pride & wall inter- changeably.
FOREBODING WALLS WE FACE
There are a multitude of walls we all must face, many of which can be overwhelming. There’s;
…Racism
…Sexism
…insensitivity in others
…Strife
…Hostility
…Grudges
…Addiction
…Stubbornness
…Unforgiveness
…PRIDE
HERE’S A PRIDE QUIZ;
Are you easily offended?
Does it irritate you when your faults are corrected?
When you make a mistake do you have a pocket full of excuses?
Do you find it hard to receive instructions?
Do you mind being told what to do?
Do you get upset when someone crosses your rights?
Do you ever seek council or advice?
Do you have a grateful spirit?
Forty years ago this summer, the first moon landing took place, Apollo 11. It was then that the first man set foot on the moon. Many of my readers will remember the man’s name; Neil Armstrong. You will no doubt remember his words when stepping onto the moon, “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” There was another man on that trip & many will remember his name, Buzz Aldrin. Buzz was the 2nd guy on the first trip to the moon.
Later that year there was the 2nd trip to the moon, Apollo 12. I’m going to refresh your memory by giving you the name of the lead astronaut on the 2nd trip, Pete Conrad. I bet few people could give me the name of the 2nd guy on the 2nd trip. His name was Alan Bean, but almost nobody remembers him.
SILAS
Silas was the Alan Bean of the Book of Acts. Because he, like Alan Bean, was the 2nd guy on Paul’s 2nd missionary trip he gets sort of lost in the shuffle. Of course we know that Barnabas was the 2nd guy on the first trip, but the 2nd guy on the 2nd trip gets a little fuzzy. We don’t know too much about Silas.
What do we know about Silas? For one thing we know he’s called a “Fellow worker.” We’re first introduced to him in Acts 15, at the Jerusalem council-the first church convention if you will. The apostles & elders hash out a thorny situation about what to do with the Gentiles & they composed a letter to be sent out & chose two men to take it—“Leading men among the brothers.” One of these leading men was Silas. Later Silas is mentioned as a prophet & he “encouraged & strengthened the brothers with many words.”
When Paul & Barnabas had a bit of a falling out, Paul needs a good 2nd banana to travel with him, so he chooses Silas. There must have been something about Silas that caused both the church at Jerusalem & the apostle Paul to choose him for some important albeit unglamorous tasks. Maybe the words we’re looking for are “faithfulness” & “Humility.” In 1 Peter 5:12, Peter mentions Silas using his Latinized name, Silvanus, & calling him a “faithful brother.”
Sometimes Silas traveled with Paul & at other times Silas & Timothy traveled elsewhere; places like Philippi, Thessalonica, & Corinth. Faithful, humble, willing to take the lower part-that was Silas. Let’s move this story along.
So Silas goes with Paul on his second missionary trip. They go through Syria, Cilicia, Asia Minor where they pick up Timothy to join the group. Paul gets his Macedonian vision & now the little band heads over to northern Greece. First stop- Philippi. One thing we know is—Paul is Paul! If ever a man could have worn a T-shirt saying “Here comes trouble” it was he. As you well know Paul is “hung –up” on Jesus & can’t & won’t try to hide it [thank God.]
“ANOTHER FINE MESS”
So now Paul’s preaching gets him in trouble resulting in him & Silas being arrested, beaten & tossed into the slammer. These men are in all probability hanging up on a dank prison wall with their hands & feet in stocks.
What now? Try this guys; give up. It’s not worth it. Of course we know that’s untrue but you wonder if Silas ever wondered, “Maybe I should have stayed in Jerusalem.” I don’t know what was running through Silas’ mind on this occasion. We might ask ourselves what our thoughts would be in a mess like this. How do we react when trouble & hardship comes our way? Do we blame God or say, “I don’t deserve this, - After all God, I’m doing your work?” I suppose this is a temptation for all of us; to blame God & others for our difficulties. It seems that sinful flesh is-“The same yesterday today & forever.”
A GOOD TIME TO PRAY
Friend, forgive me for pointing out the obvious, but I’ve learned when things are “all tied up in knots & wrapped around the axle” that’s a very good time to pray. When you can’t do anything & God is going to have to do everything, that’s another real good time to call on Him, am I right? Paul & Silas knew the same thing you & I know- that we have a heavenly Father who loves us. We can call upon the Lord in the day of trouble& expect to hear from Him. That’s what Silas did. At midnight, Paul & Silas prayed & sang songs to God. The only thing these two men of God had they could use were their tongues so they operated within the fullest extent of their liberty.
DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE STOCK MARKET
Paul & Silas never heard of the Stock Market but they were familiar with Stocks. The prayers & praises of these two men went up through the roof, moved through the clouds, shot through the Milky Way, scooted by Orion & the Pleiades & didn’t stop until they reached the throne room of heaven. Then God took their songs of worship & praise & sent them back down to earth in the form of an earthquake & the stocks fell off Paul & Silas the prison doors flew open. Then they probably sang a chorus of “Unchained melody.”
The jailor & his household were saved because of this miraculous jail-break but there was still work ahead for Paul & Silas, more towns to go to. “And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them & departed.—Acts 16:40
People can get spiritually “star struck,” & feel that if what they do for God isn’t evident to all, they’re wasting their time. The devil will tell us that we should never play second banana or be willing to play a humble role. But if the truth be told, God needs an army of Silases, fellow workers, faithful & humble, singing & praying & praising individuals who stay in there, not worrying about the accolades of men.
Isn’t it instructive that when Jesus rode into Jerusalem for His Triumphal Entry, when He made His grand entrance into the City of God, he didn’t come riding on a white stallion, wearing shining armor. That would have made Him look like a conquering military man.
No! Jesus made His grand entrance on a humble donkey. How great is that? No king in history ever rode into a conquered city on a donkey. That would be out of the question because it would be too humiliating. Other kings rode on prancing stallions or chariots in procession. Only Jesus rode a donkey. If you & I would be like Him, we should ask God to give us humility.
I close with a story from my life that after many years still troubles me. For years I had a minister friend who, though I loved him as a brother, I never truly understood.
To be frank, he was the kind of a person who always seemed to have an invisible wall up, through which, as far as I know, few ever passed. The wall was to me, unmistakably a wall consisting of fear, mistrust, & pride. The manifestation of this pride was that he’d never; under any condition, ever admit to any kind of failure. Out of 52 Sundays, I could usually count on a few “disaster Sundays,” either we got clobbered by the weather & the crowd was down, or I didn’t do as well as I felt I should in my preaching. Or maybe the church offerings were low.
This good brother never had a down Sunday to hear him tell it. He had an almost unbelievable mind-set. According to him, things in his life were always perfect. And to be candid, things did always seem to be going swimmingly for my friend. If I ever mentioned to him any problem I was going through, real or imaginary, he’d look at me & shake his head in wonderment. Every sermon he preached went great for him, every alter call was extremely productive; the sun was always shining, the birds always singing. This man never knew mediocrity.
Through the years of friendship, I would sometimes hear of reversals he was having, nothing of a moral nature but if I ever asked him about it the wall would go up & he’d put such a good face on things it made me feel I’d just listened to idle gossip.
I knew for a fact some of his children had gone through divorce but it wasn’t that different from what most men his age experience with their family. But he’d never mention it. I was pastoring a church in a distant town from my friend, & one day I heard through unimpeachable sources that the church he pastored had just filed bankruptcy. We spoke by phone but he never mentioned this & it was evident he was covering it up. By this time I was catching on that he had a problem facing reality. Do you think??
But I was older now & experienced enough that I was no longer going to be intimidated by his elusiveness, so in one of our next conversations I pinned him down about some of the things I’d been hearing. Still he hedged, never admitting to anything negative in his life.
Some time later our families were together. My preacher friend & I & were riding to the store one day & I finally decided to put a question to him respectfully but point-blank;-
“Have you ever had anything to happen in your ministry or personal life that you’d feel to be negative or bad or hurt you in any way?” Can you imagine asking a question like that? My friend knew me well enough to know I wasn’t just being nosey & that I was a friend who wasn’t going to spread anything negative about him.
He thought for a moment & then he spoke; “Well to be honest with you, the only thing I can think of that I think was my worst fault has been my tendency to be so far ahead of people & events that sometimes it caused problems, not because I was wrong but because I was moving too fast for people.”
Then I asked the last question I ever remember asking him. I said;-“Then what you’re saying is that the only fault or failure you ever had in your life & ministry wasn’t really a fault in you but the weakness in others around you.” He thought a short while & then a big smile crossed his face. I felt for a minute that hopefully my pushing him like this would cause him to get real with me & our friendship, instead of being bruised, would be enhanced. I thought he might even feel I was being sarcastic or dealing with him in a humorous way.
Finally he answered, sober as a judge; “John, you’re exactly right. It is, & has always been the problems of those around me.”
Not long after that conversation I got the shocking news that my friend had dropped dead suddenly. I spoke to a family member & learned that he’d just had a physical check-up & was told by the doctor that his constitution was a strong as an Ox. Later I learned he had stress related problems & had suffered a massive coronary occlusion. In essence, his heart had exploded; an extremely athletic man who had hardly gained a pound since his high school days.
I will always believe that my friend died very prematurely because he carried such unrelenting pride in the perfection of himself & everything connected to him. At some point the tipping point was reached & he was confronted with the incontrovertible evidence that his illusion of personal perfection wasn’t true & would never be true. This revelation devastated him, shattered him & killed him.
What we’re dealing with here is beyond a positive confession. Certainly words of faith & great expectation are powerful weapons in our spiritual arsenal. And unquestionably I would have been concerned if my friend had been prone to get down & wallow in his weaknesses & failures.
What I’m suggesting is that we by the grace of God tear down every wall that pride has constructed, because those walls will inevitably shut us off from the love, support & understanding we need from each other. They’ll certainly cut us off from our loving & compassionate God.
For…
.The lord resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.-
James 4:17
Blessings,
John
A very successful businessman was on a road trip with his wife.
When they stopped for gas she got out for a moment & shortly thereafter the businessman saw his wife engaged in conversation with the male service attendant.
After they finished she got back in the car. As they drove away the husband asked about the guy his wife was talking to & learned that she’d dated him in high school.
Feeling cocky, her husband says to her, “I bet I know what you’re thinking. I bet you’re thinking that you’re pretty lucky that you married me, a very successful president of a mega-corporation & not a service station attendant.”
She said, “No, actually I was thinking that if I’d married him & not you, he’d be the president of a mega-corporation & you’d be working in this gas station.”
There is a sin that is hard to detect, & its results are deadly.
It has been around since before man.
It is no respecter of persons.
It can creep in at any stage of your life.
It is a sin over which most Christians stumble.
Believe it or not, this is the only sin that even our face can commit.
The sin-PRIDE
In 1981 I had the privilege of visiting the Republic of China with The Blackwood brothers Quartet.
I was privileged to speak in several major rallies all over the Far East. God was gracious to give us many souls during these days.
I was more impressed with the city of Hong Kong than any other place I visited in the Orient. We ate one meal that had 23 separate entrees.’ Seven of these entrees’ were desserts. Ugh! But I did learn some things on this adventure; The Cantonese cooks are the best.
I also learned that The Great Wall of China was started about four hundred years before Jesus was born & is the only man- made object visible from outer space.
The wall continued to be built on & off for about two thousand years. Today it stretches, though it has collapsed in many places, from the east coast of China all the way into the north-central part of the country.
The Chinese people built it to keep enemies from attacking & invading their country. To this day, the Great Wall is a great source of pride among the Chinese. Tourists come to see it. Historians study it, & scientists use it to study earthquakes.
But did you know that some historians believe the Great Wall-the pride of China-backfired on them? It may have protected China from attack, but it also isolated the nation from many good things. For centuries much of the progress & discoveries that benefited people in other parts of the world never reached China. A great nation became a backward nation of barbarians partly because the Great Wall kept progress from flowing into China.
PRIDE
That’s a lot like what pride does. Some folk act prideful because they think it protects them or makes them look better than others around them. Little do they know their pride makes it harder for God to help them, or other people for that matter.
On the other hand, humility opens the windows of blessing. Humility makes it easier for God to speak to us & help us & bless us. Pride builds a wall that keeps many good things out of our lives; humility opens a window that brings many good things in.
Perhaps the highlight of Ronald Reagan’s Presidency was on June 12, 1987 when he addressed a throng gathered at the Brandenburg Gate in what was then West Germany. In a speech that could be heard behind the Berlin Wall in Communist East Germany President Reagan said…..
“General Secretary, if you seek peace. If you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union & Eastern Europe, if you seek liberation; come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, TEAR DOWN THIS WALL!!”
These emotion- filled words have been compared by many with President John F. Kennedy’s speech given twenty-four years earlier at the same place where Ronald Reagan threw out his challenge, when he declared; “Ich bin ein Berliner.”[I am a Berliner!]
Just two years & four months after President Reagan’s speech was delivered, the Berlin Wall was torn down.
Pride’s most dangerous aspect is that it builds walls between people. You could almost use the words pride & wall inter- changeably.
FOREBODING WALLS WE FACE
There are a multitude of walls we all must face, many of which can be overwhelming. There’s;
…Racism
…Sexism
…insensitivity in others
…Strife
…Hostility
…Grudges
…Addiction
…Stubbornness
…Unforgiveness
…PRIDE
HERE’S A PRIDE QUIZ;
Are you easily offended?
Does it irritate you when your faults are corrected?
When you make a mistake do you have a pocket full of excuses?
Do you find it hard to receive instructions?
Do you mind being told what to do?
Do you get upset when someone crosses your rights?
Do you ever seek council or advice?
Do you have a grateful spirit?
Forty years ago this summer, the first moon landing took place, Apollo 11. It was then that the first man set foot on the moon. Many of my readers will remember the man’s name; Neil Armstrong. You will no doubt remember his words when stepping onto the moon, “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” There was another man on that trip & many will remember his name, Buzz Aldrin. Buzz was the 2nd guy on the first trip to the moon.
Later that year there was the 2nd trip to the moon, Apollo 12. I’m going to refresh your memory by giving you the name of the lead astronaut on the 2nd trip, Pete Conrad. I bet few people could give me the name of the 2nd guy on the 2nd trip. His name was Alan Bean, but almost nobody remembers him.
SILAS
Silas was the Alan Bean of the Book of Acts. Because he, like Alan Bean, was the 2nd guy on Paul’s 2nd missionary trip he gets sort of lost in the shuffle. Of course we know that Barnabas was the 2nd guy on the first trip, but the 2nd guy on the 2nd trip gets a little fuzzy. We don’t know too much about Silas.
What do we know about Silas? For one thing we know he’s called a “Fellow worker.” We’re first introduced to him in Acts 15, at the Jerusalem council-the first church convention if you will. The apostles & elders hash out a thorny situation about what to do with the Gentiles & they composed a letter to be sent out & chose two men to take it—“Leading men among the brothers.” One of these leading men was Silas. Later Silas is mentioned as a prophet & he “encouraged & strengthened the brothers with many words.”
When Paul & Barnabas had a bit of a falling out, Paul needs a good 2nd banana to travel with him, so he chooses Silas. There must have been something about Silas that caused both the church at Jerusalem & the apostle Paul to choose him for some important albeit unglamorous tasks. Maybe the words we’re looking for are “faithfulness” & “Humility.” In 1 Peter 5:12, Peter mentions Silas using his Latinized name, Silvanus, & calling him a “faithful brother.”
Sometimes Silas traveled with Paul & at other times Silas & Timothy traveled elsewhere; places like Philippi, Thessalonica, & Corinth. Faithful, humble, willing to take the lower part-that was Silas. Let’s move this story along.
So Silas goes with Paul on his second missionary trip. They go through Syria, Cilicia, Asia Minor where they pick up Timothy to join the group. Paul gets his Macedonian vision & now the little band heads over to northern Greece. First stop- Philippi. One thing we know is—Paul is Paul! If ever a man could have worn a T-shirt saying “Here comes trouble” it was he. As you well know Paul is “hung –up” on Jesus & can’t & won’t try to hide it [thank God.]
“ANOTHER FINE MESS”
So now Paul’s preaching gets him in trouble resulting in him & Silas being arrested, beaten & tossed into the slammer. These men are in all probability hanging up on a dank prison wall with their hands & feet in stocks.
What now? Try this guys; give up. It’s not worth it. Of course we know that’s untrue but you wonder if Silas ever wondered, “Maybe I should have stayed in Jerusalem.” I don’t know what was running through Silas’ mind on this occasion. We might ask ourselves what our thoughts would be in a mess like this. How do we react when trouble & hardship comes our way? Do we blame God or say, “I don’t deserve this, - After all God, I’m doing your work?” I suppose this is a temptation for all of us; to blame God & others for our difficulties. It seems that sinful flesh is-“The same yesterday today & forever.”
A GOOD TIME TO PRAY
Friend, forgive me for pointing out the obvious, but I’ve learned when things are “all tied up in knots & wrapped around the axle” that’s a very good time to pray. When you can’t do anything & God is going to have to do everything, that’s another real good time to call on Him, am I right? Paul & Silas knew the same thing you & I know- that we have a heavenly Father who loves us. We can call upon the Lord in the day of trouble& expect to hear from Him. That’s what Silas did. At midnight, Paul & Silas prayed & sang songs to God. The only thing these two men of God had they could use were their tongues so they operated within the fullest extent of their liberty.
DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE STOCK MARKET
Paul & Silas never heard of the Stock Market but they were familiar with Stocks. The prayers & praises of these two men went up through the roof, moved through the clouds, shot through the Milky Way, scooted by Orion & the Pleiades & didn’t stop until they reached the throne room of heaven. Then God took their songs of worship & praise & sent them back down to earth in the form of an earthquake & the stocks fell off Paul & Silas the prison doors flew open. Then they probably sang a chorus of “Unchained melody.”
The jailor & his household were saved because of this miraculous jail-break but there was still work ahead for Paul & Silas, more towns to go to. “And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them & departed.—Acts 16:40
People can get spiritually “star struck,” & feel that if what they do for God isn’t evident to all, they’re wasting their time. The devil will tell us that we should never play second banana or be willing to play a humble role. But if the truth be told, God needs an army of Silases, fellow workers, faithful & humble, singing & praying & praising individuals who stay in there, not worrying about the accolades of men.
Isn’t it instructive that when Jesus rode into Jerusalem for His Triumphal Entry, when He made His grand entrance into the City of God, he didn’t come riding on a white stallion, wearing shining armor. That would have made Him look like a conquering military man.
No! Jesus made His grand entrance on a humble donkey. How great is that? No king in history ever rode into a conquered city on a donkey. That would be out of the question because it would be too humiliating. Other kings rode on prancing stallions or chariots in procession. Only Jesus rode a donkey. If you & I would be like Him, we should ask God to give us humility.
I close with a story from my life that after many years still troubles me. For years I had a minister friend who, though I loved him as a brother, I never truly understood.
To be frank, he was the kind of a person who always seemed to have an invisible wall up, through which, as far as I know, few ever passed. The wall was to me, unmistakably a wall consisting of fear, mistrust, & pride. The manifestation of this pride was that he’d never; under any condition, ever admit to any kind of failure. Out of 52 Sundays, I could usually count on a few “disaster Sundays,” either we got clobbered by the weather & the crowd was down, or I didn’t do as well as I felt I should in my preaching. Or maybe the church offerings were low.
This good brother never had a down Sunday to hear him tell it. He had an almost unbelievable mind-set. According to him, things in his life were always perfect. And to be candid, things did always seem to be going swimmingly for my friend. If I ever mentioned to him any problem I was going through, real or imaginary, he’d look at me & shake his head in wonderment. Every sermon he preached went great for him, every alter call was extremely productive; the sun was always shining, the birds always singing. This man never knew mediocrity.
Through the years of friendship, I would sometimes hear of reversals he was having, nothing of a moral nature but if I ever asked him about it the wall would go up & he’d put such a good face on things it made me feel I’d just listened to idle gossip.
I knew for a fact some of his children had gone through divorce but it wasn’t that different from what most men his age experience with their family. But he’d never mention it. I was pastoring a church in a distant town from my friend, & one day I heard through unimpeachable sources that the church he pastored had just filed bankruptcy. We spoke by phone but he never mentioned this & it was evident he was covering it up. By this time I was catching on that he had a problem facing reality. Do you think??
But I was older now & experienced enough that I was no longer going to be intimidated by his elusiveness, so in one of our next conversations I pinned him down about some of the things I’d been hearing. Still he hedged, never admitting to anything negative in his life.
Some time later our families were together. My preacher friend & I & were riding to the store one day & I finally decided to put a question to him respectfully but point-blank;-
“Have you ever had anything to happen in your ministry or personal life that you’d feel to be negative or bad or hurt you in any way?” Can you imagine asking a question like that? My friend knew me well enough to know I wasn’t just being nosey & that I was a friend who wasn’t going to spread anything negative about him.
He thought for a moment & then he spoke; “Well to be honest with you, the only thing I can think of that I think was my worst fault has been my tendency to be so far ahead of people & events that sometimes it caused problems, not because I was wrong but because I was moving too fast for people.”
Then I asked the last question I ever remember asking him. I said;-“Then what you’re saying is that the only fault or failure you ever had in your life & ministry wasn’t really a fault in you but the weakness in others around you.” He thought a short while & then a big smile crossed his face. I felt for a minute that hopefully my pushing him like this would cause him to get real with me & our friendship, instead of being bruised, would be enhanced. I thought he might even feel I was being sarcastic or dealing with him in a humorous way.
Finally he answered, sober as a judge; “John, you’re exactly right. It is, & has always been the problems of those around me.”
Not long after that conversation I got the shocking news that my friend had dropped dead suddenly. I spoke to a family member & learned that he’d just had a physical check-up & was told by the doctor that his constitution was a strong as an Ox. Later I learned he had stress related problems & had suffered a massive coronary occlusion. In essence, his heart had exploded; an extremely athletic man who had hardly gained a pound since his high school days.
I will always believe that my friend died very prematurely because he carried such unrelenting pride in the perfection of himself & everything connected to him. At some point the tipping point was reached & he was confronted with the incontrovertible evidence that his illusion of personal perfection wasn’t true & would never be true. This revelation devastated him, shattered him & killed him.
What we’re dealing with here is beyond a positive confession. Certainly words of faith & great expectation are powerful weapons in our spiritual arsenal. And unquestionably I would have been concerned if my friend had been prone to get down & wallow in his weaknesses & failures.
What I’m suggesting is that we by the grace of God tear down every wall that pride has constructed, because those walls will inevitably shut us off from the love, support & understanding we need from each other. They’ll certainly cut us off from our loving & compassionate God.
For…
.The lord resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.-
James 4:17
Blessings,
John
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Curb Your Enthusiasm
By John Stallings
…..The joy of the lord is your strength.
An elderly man was at home dying in bed. He smelled the aroma of his favorite chocolate chip cookies baking.
He wanted one last cookie before he died. He fell out of bed, crawled to the landing, rolled down the stairs & crawled into the kitchen where his wife was busily baking cookies.
To have one or two cookies before he checked out was all the old man wanted. With his strength failing, he crawled toward the cookies on the table & as he grasped a warm, moist chocolate chip cookie, his wife suddenly whacked his hand with a spatula.
“Why?” He whispered. “Why did you do that?” His wife answered, “These cookies are for the funeral.”
This story, though darkly humorous, underlines one of the realities of life; there’ll always be something or someone to squelch whatever enthusiasm or joy that we can muster up.
“Curb your enthusiasm,”- you may know is a TV show on HBO that has been popular since the year 2000. I’ve never watched a whole episode, mainly because we don’t subscribe to HBO. The show, written by writer/comedian Larry David underscores his idea that many people seem to live their lives projecting “false enthusiasm” which he believes is used to imply that “they are better than you.” David’s style is droll & dry & so he would like to urge people to “curb their enthusiasm.”
Since my knowledge of the show is limited, I couldn’t tell you much of anything except the main theme of the show. I’ve seen David interviewed occasionally & have heard him explain in detail what his show is all about. Mr. David wants to condition his audience not to expect too much from life & in all candidness, not to expect too much from his show. This is David’s “shtick.” He hits the jackpot on at least one of his objectives
I think few would disagree that our world at present is a world in agony. In the past few years the number of people seeking treatment for depression in the U.S has doubled. More antidepressant drugs are being prescribed than ever before in our history. Our school children are unhappy in school so schools are beginning to require that kids take certain drugs to control their behavior.
Materialism & the obsession for accumulating things is what people are turning to trying to find some sort of joy. The very atmosphere in which we live seems to encourage us to be morbid & to curb any excitement, joy or enthusiasm we might be clinging to. There will always be some outward circumstance that if we dwell on it, can steal our joy.
I heard the story of a mother of eight who came home from a neighbor’s house one Saturday afternoon. As she walked into the living room she saw five of her youngest children huddled together concentrating with great interest on something. As she slipped near them trying to discover the center of attraction, she couldn’t believe her eyes. Right dab in the middle of the room were five baby skunks. She screamed at the top of her voice, “Children run!!!” Each child grabbed a skunk & ran.
Life is like that sometimes. We’re going full steam ahead, feeling wonderful with the wind in our sails & the next thing we know we’re confronted with a room full of skunks. All of the sudden our joy is gone.
We can exchange the word joy for enthusiasm, & we can also speak of fervency & excitement & be in the same vein. Here’s a kicker; you & I can’t make ourselves joyful in the New Testament sense. That kind of joy is produced by something else. False joy manifests itself in flippancy. True joy isn’t uncontrolled emotion just as love isn’t. Godly joy is a mindset that results from love, faith, & hope that spring from the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.
Joy isn’t a commodity that can’t be produced, bought, sold or stolen. We can’t buy joy on discount at Sears. We can’t purchase joy-in-a-jug. We can’t download joy. We can’t lobby for it. We can’t win joy in a lawsuit. We can’t turn it on with a remote control. We can’t earn joy & we can’t learn joy. We certainly can’t inherit it. Joy is as unpredictable as the one who bestows it. We can’t achieve joy, we can only receive it.
Let’s look at three elements of true joy;
1. In Godly joy there’s the state of complete satisfaction.
Not long ago, in keeping with Rock N Roll’s 50 year legacy, a poll was taken across the country to find out the most popular song of all time. When I read the results, I was flabbergasted to learn that neither Elvis, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny cash, nor Little Richard were associated with the No.1 Rock n’ Roll song of all time. Instead the poll revealed that the number one Rock song of all time was by the British band, The Rolling Stones, titled “I can’t get no satisfaction.” That truly surprised me.
As I thought about it, it occurred to me that the popularity & longevity of the song can be attributed to a simple observation:- the song speaks to the fundamental dilemma of so many people in our society who are in a constant quest for something that can bring them satisfaction. You can almost see the history of the last 50 years of American life & culture written through the lens & lyrics of that song. The song has a refrain that says; I tried, & I tried & I tried & I tried & I can’t get no satisfaction.”
Maybe they’re saying; “I tried LSD & cocaine & I can’t get satisfaction.” “I tried sex orgies & I can’t get satisfaction.” “I’ve tried alcohol & amphetamines & I still can’t get satisfaction.” “I’ve tried money & materialism & all I can say is I can’t get no satisfaction.” Maybe the reason for the tremendous popularity of that song & its persistent appeal is that it speaks to a universal aspiration that reaches deep into our psyche- to a frustration that burns within our society which says; -- “I tried, & I tried, & I tried & I tried -but I can’t get no satisfaction.”
The other morning we were watching the news & it seemed that every other commercial was for Viagra, Levitra & Cialis. I suppose married couples use these products, but in my heart I know the heavy emphasis on these products stems from our national fascination with sex. Sex, -in too many cases, cheap, fleeting, loveless encounters that are so much a mark of our present culture. Never mind that our country is over run with teenage pregnancy, unwanted births, a staggering use of abortion as a means of birth control & once solid marriages that are destabilized by extra-marital affairs. People try all these pursuits to find satisfaction but something is missing
If you & I are unsatisfied in any way we can’t be joyful. It can’t be said that we truly have Biblical joy unless we’re satisfied in our emotions, our thought life & our desires. Furthermore, if we don’t have contentment, we don’t have real joy. Someone said, “if you can look back over your life & feel contented about it, then you have one of man’s most precious gifts—a selective memory.” I guess we’ve all felt that way at times.
We’re living in a world of discontent, especially in America. People can have a nice home, a nice enough car, & wonderful friends & family & still be inwardly miserable. Many folk feel life has been unfair to them or “dealt them a bad hand of cards,” so they have a resentful attitude toward others & many times toward God.
The Stone’s song says, “I can't get no satisfaction.” But as Christians we should be living in a state of complete satisfaction.
A miracle takes place that turns us from unsatisfied people who’re cumbered by many things, into people who have full “Jesus joy.” Jesus said to His disciples;
These things have I spoken to you that MY joy might remain in you…. Matt. 15:11
This isn’t the momentary buzz we get when we go fishing or shopping. If you & I can get tickled over a few moments of doing fun things but after it’s over & our hearts are cold, we aren’t in a state of “Jesus joy.” Real joy & contentment is freedom from irritation, anxiety, worry & dissatisfaction.
ANCIENT ISRAEL
Israel had a problem with complaining & in my opinion they still do. Listen to what God told them;
….because you did not serve the Lord your God joyfully & gladly in the time of prosperity, therefore in hunger & thirst, in nakedness & dire poverty you will serve the enemies the Lord sends against you. Duet.28:47-48
Of course you & I are spiritual Israel & we also tend to have this problem. Our society has an impact on us, constantly bombarding us with negativism even though we may fight hard to resist it.
We must overcome this temptation of discontentment the world so fiercely has. Real joy it keeps us from succumbing to the spirit of this age.
For Paul & other writers of the New Testament, joy & contentment are paradoxical because they were able to have it in the midst of the worst of afflictions. An example of this joy in suffering is seen when Paul & Silas are in a Philippian jail. Though their bodies are bruised & beaten, they are singing & praising God at midnight.
Paul said;
…for I have learned that whatever state I’m in, there to be content. Phil. 4:11
Paul didn’t just happen to be extra blessed with contentment. He said he’d learned to be content. He had to work at it. He had to keep his faith strong & keep on believing in the character of God.
True contentment is a deep-seated habit or permanent state of mind & must be based in Godliness. A contented mind arises from the assurance that God is always right & that His will is always best for us.
2. In joy there’s a spirit of excitement.
We’ve ministered In Jamaica several times over the years. When we’d get to church to start services, the whole church would already be around the alters. The people were excited about being at church. The sounds of their prayers & praises reached such a decibel level, you’d have had a hard time hearing it if the Blue Angels flew just over the rooftops. It would take great effort for the pastor to get their attention & let the people know it was time to start the service. Since Jamaica is a very poor country, certainly their joy & enthusiasm wasn’t predicated on their material possessions or their circumstances. Here in America, often it’s like pulling teeth to get people to come around the alter for prayer.
The Jamaicans are so full of “Jesus joy,” that if humor is used in a message they are always one step ahead. Very little ever goes over their heads. Sometimes the laughter would be so loud & last so long it would be a little startling. My travels around this world have convinced me that joy isn’t contingent upon the abundance of things people possess.
We can’t have true joy & it not be evidenced by excitement. And if we have excitement, we’ll have an enthusiasm that will cause people look at us in a quizzical manner, wondering what’s up with us.
Some churches however seem to think that joy is one of the “7 deadly sins.” I’ve been to funerals where more joy was expressed than in some church services I’ve attended. The Bible says --where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty & joy.
3. In joy there’s always a feeling of power & strength.
Joy is one of the greatest powers in the world. True joy fuses us with a dynamic feeling of power & strength that is exhilarating. A person in the state of joy is in a sense afraid of nothing. Jesus was able to face the onslaughts of hell because he had faith in His father which gave Him deep-seated joy.
Just a few weeks ago we all were witness to the devastating earthquake in Haiti. I remember seeing a Haitian woman pulled from the rubble of a building after being buried for almost a week. Experts tell us that three days is the limit for a person to live with no food or water. The elderly woman was singing a hymn & had a big smile on her face as she was finally freed from the concrete tomb. I don’t have a clue as to what it was like to be buried alive for days without food or water & I hope I never have to find out.
Also I remember seeing a four year old boy pulled from the wreckage after being buried for a week. He shouldn’t have been alive but when they finally pulled him out, he was smiling ear to ear & both his arms were raised like he’d just come from an old fashioned revival meeting. I can’t say that this joy was spiritually motivated. But what I can say is, if this old woman & this child can manifest this kind of joy over being rescued physically, you & I who know the Lord, & have been pulled from the pits of sin & established on the Rock Christ Jesus shouldn’t let anything steal our joy or curb our enthusiasm.
NEHEMIAH
In the 5th century BC, Nehemiah stepped forward to do the will of God. He did what God had put in his heart & mind & found the joy of the Lord was his strength.
As a result he was able to overcome intense opposition & threats; by taking wise defensive measures, by setting a good personal example & by forging ahead with his obvious courage. In Nehemiah 8 he spoke to the people saying;
Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet & send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
King David called the Lord “my rock”, “my strength & my shield; my heart trusted in Him, & I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, & with my song I will praise Him.
ALL IS RIGHT-OR-ALL IS WELL?
There’s a big difference between saying “all is right in my life” or-“All is well in my life.” The first phrase suggests that everything in my life is in order & under perfect control. This statement suggests absolutely everything is going exactly as I desire & there’s not a worry in the world. Frankly I couldn’t make that statement with a straight face -could you?
However the second phrase suggests something very different. “All is well” suggests that things may not be going according to my plan. Things may not be as great I would like in my health. My finances & my relationships may not be right in this moment. Nevertheless, I can still sing this old song;
When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
I can’t always say- “everything is right” but I can always by faith say, “it is well with my soul.” It’s clear to me that if an individual “can’t get no satisfaction” they’re looking in the wrong place.
Listed among the Fruit of the Spirit is, love, joy, & peace. As we’ve tried to say-this isn’t something man can achieve on his own. It’s a “God thing.”
There’s an old Bill Gaither song we used to sing back in the seventies;
The world didn’t give it to me, and the world can’t take it away.
You know the world didn’t give it to me, and the world can’t take it away.
This happy face that I’m wearing, my JESUS put it there to stay,
Because the world didn’t give it to me, and the world can’t take it away.
This is what makes Christians different. This separates real joy from the cheap thrills & temporal pleasures of this present world.
Only joy can say;
"The world didn’t give it to me, and the world can’t take it away."
Blessings,
John
…..The joy of the lord is your strength.
An elderly man was at home dying in bed. He smelled the aroma of his favorite chocolate chip cookies baking.
He wanted one last cookie before he died. He fell out of bed, crawled to the landing, rolled down the stairs & crawled into the kitchen where his wife was busily baking cookies.
To have one or two cookies before he checked out was all the old man wanted. With his strength failing, he crawled toward the cookies on the table & as he grasped a warm, moist chocolate chip cookie, his wife suddenly whacked his hand with a spatula.
“Why?” He whispered. “Why did you do that?” His wife answered, “These cookies are for the funeral.”
This story, though darkly humorous, underlines one of the realities of life; there’ll always be something or someone to squelch whatever enthusiasm or joy that we can muster up.
“Curb your enthusiasm,”- you may know is a TV show on HBO that has been popular since the year 2000. I’ve never watched a whole episode, mainly because we don’t subscribe to HBO. The show, written by writer/comedian Larry David underscores his idea that many people seem to live their lives projecting “false enthusiasm” which he believes is used to imply that “they are better than you.” David’s style is droll & dry & so he would like to urge people to “curb their enthusiasm.”
Since my knowledge of the show is limited, I couldn’t tell you much of anything except the main theme of the show. I’ve seen David interviewed occasionally & have heard him explain in detail what his show is all about. Mr. David wants to condition his audience not to expect too much from life & in all candidness, not to expect too much from his show. This is David’s “shtick.” He hits the jackpot on at least one of his objectives
I think few would disagree that our world at present is a world in agony. In the past few years the number of people seeking treatment for depression in the U.S has doubled. More antidepressant drugs are being prescribed than ever before in our history. Our school children are unhappy in school so schools are beginning to require that kids take certain drugs to control their behavior.
Materialism & the obsession for accumulating things is what people are turning to trying to find some sort of joy. The very atmosphere in which we live seems to encourage us to be morbid & to curb any excitement, joy or enthusiasm we might be clinging to. There will always be some outward circumstance that if we dwell on it, can steal our joy.
I heard the story of a mother of eight who came home from a neighbor’s house one Saturday afternoon. As she walked into the living room she saw five of her youngest children huddled together concentrating with great interest on something. As she slipped near them trying to discover the center of attraction, she couldn’t believe her eyes. Right dab in the middle of the room were five baby skunks. She screamed at the top of her voice, “Children run!!!” Each child grabbed a skunk & ran.
Life is like that sometimes. We’re going full steam ahead, feeling wonderful with the wind in our sails & the next thing we know we’re confronted with a room full of skunks. All of the sudden our joy is gone.
We can exchange the word joy for enthusiasm, & we can also speak of fervency & excitement & be in the same vein. Here’s a kicker; you & I can’t make ourselves joyful in the New Testament sense. That kind of joy is produced by something else. False joy manifests itself in flippancy. True joy isn’t uncontrolled emotion just as love isn’t. Godly joy is a mindset that results from love, faith, & hope that spring from the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.
Joy isn’t a commodity that can’t be produced, bought, sold or stolen. We can’t buy joy on discount at Sears. We can’t purchase joy-in-a-jug. We can’t download joy. We can’t lobby for it. We can’t win joy in a lawsuit. We can’t turn it on with a remote control. We can’t earn joy & we can’t learn joy. We certainly can’t inherit it. Joy is as unpredictable as the one who bestows it. We can’t achieve joy, we can only receive it.
Let’s look at three elements of true joy;
1. In Godly joy there’s the state of complete satisfaction.
Not long ago, in keeping with Rock N Roll’s 50 year legacy, a poll was taken across the country to find out the most popular song of all time. When I read the results, I was flabbergasted to learn that neither Elvis, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny cash, nor Little Richard were associated with the No.1 Rock n’ Roll song of all time. Instead the poll revealed that the number one Rock song of all time was by the British band, The Rolling Stones, titled “I can’t get no satisfaction.” That truly surprised me.
As I thought about it, it occurred to me that the popularity & longevity of the song can be attributed to a simple observation:- the song speaks to the fundamental dilemma of so many people in our society who are in a constant quest for something that can bring them satisfaction. You can almost see the history of the last 50 years of American life & culture written through the lens & lyrics of that song. The song has a refrain that says; I tried, & I tried & I tried & I tried & I can’t get no satisfaction.”
Maybe they’re saying; “I tried LSD & cocaine & I can’t get satisfaction.” “I tried sex orgies & I can’t get satisfaction.” “I’ve tried alcohol & amphetamines & I still can’t get satisfaction.” “I’ve tried money & materialism & all I can say is I can’t get no satisfaction.” Maybe the reason for the tremendous popularity of that song & its persistent appeal is that it speaks to a universal aspiration that reaches deep into our psyche- to a frustration that burns within our society which says; -- “I tried, & I tried, & I tried & I tried -but I can’t get no satisfaction.”
The other morning we were watching the news & it seemed that every other commercial was for Viagra, Levitra & Cialis. I suppose married couples use these products, but in my heart I know the heavy emphasis on these products stems from our national fascination with sex. Sex, -in too many cases, cheap, fleeting, loveless encounters that are so much a mark of our present culture. Never mind that our country is over run with teenage pregnancy, unwanted births, a staggering use of abortion as a means of birth control & once solid marriages that are destabilized by extra-marital affairs. People try all these pursuits to find satisfaction but something is missing
If you & I are unsatisfied in any way we can’t be joyful. It can’t be said that we truly have Biblical joy unless we’re satisfied in our emotions, our thought life & our desires. Furthermore, if we don’t have contentment, we don’t have real joy. Someone said, “if you can look back over your life & feel contented about it, then you have one of man’s most precious gifts—a selective memory.” I guess we’ve all felt that way at times.
We’re living in a world of discontent, especially in America. People can have a nice home, a nice enough car, & wonderful friends & family & still be inwardly miserable. Many folk feel life has been unfair to them or “dealt them a bad hand of cards,” so they have a resentful attitude toward others & many times toward God.
The Stone’s song says, “I can't get no satisfaction.” But as Christians we should be living in a state of complete satisfaction.
A miracle takes place that turns us from unsatisfied people who’re cumbered by many things, into people who have full “Jesus joy.” Jesus said to His disciples;
These things have I spoken to you that MY joy might remain in you…. Matt. 15:11
This isn’t the momentary buzz we get when we go fishing or shopping. If you & I can get tickled over a few moments of doing fun things but after it’s over & our hearts are cold, we aren’t in a state of “Jesus joy.” Real joy & contentment is freedom from irritation, anxiety, worry & dissatisfaction.
ANCIENT ISRAEL
Israel had a problem with complaining & in my opinion they still do. Listen to what God told them;
….because you did not serve the Lord your God joyfully & gladly in the time of prosperity, therefore in hunger & thirst, in nakedness & dire poverty you will serve the enemies the Lord sends against you. Duet.28:47-48
Of course you & I are spiritual Israel & we also tend to have this problem. Our society has an impact on us, constantly bombarding us with negativism even though we may fight hard to resist it.
We must overcome this temptation of discontentment the world so fiercely has. Real joy it keeps us from succumbing to the spirit of this age.
For Paul & other writers of the New Testament, joy & contentment are paradoxical because they were able to have it in the midst of the worst of afflictions. An example of this joy in suffering is seen when Paul & Silas are in a Philippian jail. Though their bodies are bruised & beaten, they are singing & praising God at midnight.
Paul said;
…for I have learned that whatever state I’m in, there to be content. Phil. 4:11
Paul didn’t just happen to be extra blessed with contentment. He said he’d learned to be content. He had to work at it. He had to keep his faith strong & keep on believing in the character of God.
True contentment is a deep-seated habit or permanent state of mind & must be based in Godliness. A contented mind arises from the assurance that God is always right & that His will is always best for us.
2. In joy there’s a spirit of excitement.
We’ve ministered In Jamaica several times over the years. When we’d get to church to start services, the whole church would already be around the alters. The people were excited about being at church. The sounds of their prayers & praises reached such a decibel level, you’d have had a hard time hearing it if the Blue Angels flew just over the rooftops. It would take great effort for the pastor to get their attention & let the people know it was time to start the service. Since Jamaica is a very poor country, certainly their joy & enthusiasm wasn’t predicated on their material possessions or their circumstances. Here in America, often it’s like pulling teeth to get people to come around the alter for prayer.
The Jamaicans are so full of “Jesus joy,” that if humor is used in a message they are always one step ahead. Very little ever goes over their heads. Sometimes the laughter would be so loud & last so long it would be a little startling. My travels around this world have convinced me that joy isn’t contingent upon the abundance of things people possess.
We can’t have true joy & it not be evidenced by excitement. And if we have excitement, we’ll have an enthusiasm that will cause people look at us in a quizzical manner, wondering what’s up with us.
Some churches however seem to think that joy is one of the “7 deadly sins.” I’ve been to funerals where more joy was expressed than in some church services I’ve attended. The Bible says --where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty & joy.
3. In joy there’s always a feeling of power & strength.
Joy is one of the greatest powers in the world. True joy fuses us with a dynamic feeling of power & strength that is exhilarating. A person in the state of joy is in a sense afraid of nothing. Jesus was able to face the onslaughts of hell because he had faith in His father which gave Him deep-seated joy.
Just a few weeks ago we all were witness to the devastating earthquake in Haiti. I remember seeing a Haitian woman pulled from the rubble of a building after being buried for almost a week. Experts tell us that three days is the limit for a person to live with no food or water. The elderly woman was singing a hymn & had a big smile on her face as she was finally freed from the concrete tomb. I don’t have a clue as to what it was like to be buried alive for days without food or water & I hope I never have to find out.
Also I remember seeing a four year old boy pulled from the wreckage after being buried for a week. He shouldn’t have been alive but when they finally pulled him out, he was smiling ear to ear & both his arms were raised like he’d just come from an old fashioned revival meeting. I can’t say that this joy was spiritually motivated. But what I can say is, if this old woman & this child can manifest this kind of joy over being rescued physically, you & I who know the Lord, & have been pulled from the pits of sin & established on the Rock Christ Jesus shouldn’t let anything steal our joy or curb our enthusiasm.
NEHEMIAH
In the 5th century BC, Nehemiah stepped forward to do the will of God. He did what God had put in his heart & mind & found the joy of the Lord was his strength.
As a result he was able to overcome intense opposition & threats; by taking wise defensive measures, by setting a good personal example & by forging ahead with his obvious courage. In Nehemiah 8 he spoke to the people saying;
Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet & send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
King David called the Lord “my rock”, “my strength & my shield; my heart trusted in Him, & I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, & with my song I will praise Him.
ALL IS RIGHT-OR-ALL IS WELL?
There’s a big difference between saying “all is right in my life” or-“All is well in my life.” The first phrase suggests that everything in my life is in order & under perfect control. This statement suggests absolutely everything is going exactly as I desire & there’s not a worry in the world. Frankly I couldn’t make that statement with a straight face -could you?
However the second phrase suggests something very different. “All is well” suggests that things may not be going according to my plan. Things may not be as great I would like in my health. My finances & my relationships may not be right in this moment. Nevertheless, I can still sing this old song;
When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
I can’t always say- “everything is right” but I can always by faith say, “it is well with my soul.” It’s clear to me that if an individual “can’t get no satisfaction” they’re looking in the wrong place.
Listed among the Fruit of the Spirit is, love, joy, & peace. As we’ve tried to say-this isn’t something man can achieve on his own. It’s a “God thing.”
There’s an old Bill Gaither song we used to sing back in the seventies;
The world didn’t give it to me, and the world can’t take it away.
You know the world didn’t give it to me, and the world can’t take it away.
This happy face that I’m wearing, my JESUS put it there to stay,
Because the world didn’t give it to me, and the world can’t take it away.
This is what makes Christians different. This separates real joy from the cheap thrills & temporal pleasures of this present world.
Only joy can say;
"The world didn’t give it to me, and the world can’t take it away."
Blessings,
John
Thursday, October 5, 2017
Nick At Nite
By John Stallings
Recently the world was aghast at hearing about a small humble house in Seffner, Florida where a man was swallowed by the earth, never again to be seen nor heard from.
This man was in his bedroom ready to retire when his world literally dropped out from under him and he was gone. The rest of the house was intact and its inhabitants untouched. It was as simple as that.
That’s right; straight from his bedroom to the bowels of the earth.
Seffner Florida isn’t an unknown place to me as when I was a kid evangelist I held revival meetings there. It’s very close to Tampa. I’m sure that if I had pressured folk to be saved because they couldn’t be sure the earth wouldn’t someday swallow them up, I’d have been laughed to scorn. To even make a statement like that would have been tantamount to suggesting a flying saucer might kidnap them.
I can’t imagine a more shocking way to die neither can I imagine a situation that would be any more impossible to plan for or for that matter- guard against. Is there even insurance that could cover a person for a thing like this; - “If the earth swallows you, you’re covered”? Covered indeed.
The years have taught me that it can contribute to our spiritual growth to be thrown for a loop once in a while. Befuddlement can lead to experiencing familiar things in a new way.
Confusion can be a prelude to new insight, a breakthrough to newness of life. Perhaps this is why I’m so fond of Nicodemus. In him I find a companion for those times when the familiar suddenly drops out from under my feet, and things become strange and unknowable.
NICK
Spiritual confusion probably came as a surprise to Nicodemus, a man who occupied a position of power in the halls of faith. Nicodemus was a Pharisee, and most probably a member of the Sanhedrin, the “Supreme Court “of the Jewish people.
NIGHT
Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night, a time symbolic of mystery and uncertainty.
Night time is a dark time.
Night time is a quiet time.
It’s easier to do something
secretive at night.
It’s easier to do something illegal
at night.
It’s easier to do something private
and/or personal at night.
Nick came at night. Night gives way to
silence … to stillness … which then gives way to too much time to think … and to
feel. It’s at night that we fight with self-doubt. It’s at night that the “what
ifs” whisper in our ear. It’s at night that fear settles in. It’s at night that
guilt and shame drag us into their torture chamber. Monsters do live in
the dark!
There’s a reason that bars are filled at night. There’s a reason suicide rates climb at night. There’s a reason psychic hotlines and spiritual prayer hotlines peak at night. And there was a reason Nicodemus sought Jesus out at night.
There’s a reason that bars are filled at night. There’s a reason suicide rates climb at night. There’s a reason psychic hotlines and spiritual prayer hotlines peak at night. And there was a reason Nicodemus sought Jesus out at night.
Night time,-when we are apt to grope in the dark and to pray with fervor that old prayer -“and things that go bump in the night, dear Lord, deliver us.”
Night time, -where the edges are fuzzy and the way unclear.
Maybe
Nick, being a religious leader, didn’t want others to know that he was seeking
counsel from this upstart young Rabbi. Perhaps Nicodemus was afraid of the
criticism of others. Perhaps
He didn’t want others to hear what he was asking. Or Nicodemus could have come at
night because Jesus was too busy for a private interview during the day.
Maybe you’ve noticed I’ve borrowed a
phrase from the Nickelodeon Television Channel to name this message, “Nick
at Nite”.
Nicodemus is the “cream of the
Jewish crop.” One wouldn’t dream of having life any better than he has it. He’s
a Jew, a Pharisee, a member of the Sanhedrin -the highest legal, legislative
and judicial body of the Jews-, and a highly respected teacher of the Old
Testament Scriptures.
We
don’t know all that was haunting Nicodemus, it doesn’t matter really – but we do
know that he shows us what we should do and where to go when the night settles
in on us.
Here's what we know;-“Nicodemus came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God …”. Nicodemus was looking for answers or help and he knew God was the place to find them.
It’s interesting to me that Jesus doesn’t give Nicodemus time to go much further. It’s almost as if Jesus cuts him off mid-thought; he interrupts and goes straight to the core of Nicodemus’ problem.
“I
tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again … you
MUST be born again” (vv. 3 & 7).
Nicodemus was haunted by something. He was hoping Jesus could give him some relief … maybe a word of encouragement or a simple key to peace. But Jesus sees the real need and gives the real answer ... enough of the secrecy ... he comes out with it. “You MUST be born again.”
Nicodemus was haunted by something. He was hoping Jesus could give him some relief … maybe a word of encouragement or a simple key to peace. But Jesus sees the real need and gives the real answer ... enough of the secrecy ... he comes out with it. “You MUST be born again.”
Hear Nick speak;
“Rabbi, please tell me. I’m a ruler. I’m an
educated man. I’m a religious man. But Rabbi, I have this void in my heart and
I am a broken man. I need to have something in my life that will transform my
evil to good, darkness to light, hate to love, ugliness to beauty,
stinginess to generosity, and sin to salvation.
Rabbi, please tell
me. What is it that I need?”
Hear Jesus speak;
• Nicodemus,
you don’t need information - you need transformation.
• Nicodemus, you don’t need refinement- you need renewal.
• Nicodemus, you don’t need a new start, you need a new heart.
• Nicodemus, you don’t need a better life - you need a new life.
• Nicodemus, you don’t need to turn over a new leaf - you need to be born again! You need a “do- over” from the inside out.
• Nicodemus, you don’t need refinement- you need renewal.
• Nicodemus, you don’t need a new start, you need a new heart.
• Nicodemus, you don’t need a better life - you need a new life.
• Nicodemus, you don’t need to turn over a new leaf - you need to be born again! You need a “do- over” from the inside out.
Nicodemus, you weren’t born
spiritually sick, you were born spiritually dead.
Bear with
my humble illustration for a moment.
You’re a renowned pianist, trained
by the finest concert pianist the world has ever known. When you perform,
crowds gather to listen. Everyone hails you as the master in your area of
musical expertise. Now suppose some young man comes along who grew up in the back-woods
and who never had a piano lesson in his life, but simply taught himself to play
on a broken-down instrument in his grandmother’s house. When this hillbilly
musician comes to town, his talent is discovered, and people throng to hear him
perform. When he does, tears come to the eyes of those in his audience. You too
listen to him play. You, better than anyone else, recognize in him a musical
genius that you have never had and never will have. When you hear him play, you
wish you had his abilities.
I believe this is the way
Nicodemus must have felt about Jesus. Nicodemus is a Pharisee who is at the top
of his field. Not only is he a member of the Sanhedrin, he’s a Bible teacher.
Yet when he hears Jesus teach, he hears the answers to questions that have
bothered him for years. He watches the crowds as they listen to Jesus, and he
knows he has never held the attention of an audience like Jesus does. Jesus
speaks in simple terms, but His message has great power. Nicodemus observes the
miracles Jesus performs, knowing he has never performed as much as one miracle.
By nearly any standard, Nicodemus doesn’t hold a candle to Jesus.
BUT--NICK CAME!
The most important thing was that Nicodemus
did come to Jesus, and
pays Jesus a compliment.
He sees Jesus as a teacher from God,
because Jesus was working miracles.
Nicodemus was savvy enough to know that Jesus could only do the great
miracles that He did if God was with Him.
What was Nick searching for? I
believe that Nicodemus was searching for the way to eternal life. Jesus’ answer to Him in verse 3 would
indicate that this was the case.
Nicodemus’ question was similar to that of the Rich Young Ruler who
asked Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”
In spite of all Nicodemus’ religion,
he evidently, like that rich young ruler, knew he was lacking something. For all of Nicodemus’ efforts as a
Pharisee who tried to keep the Law of God, he must have realized that he was
falling short of God’s perfect standard of righteousness.
Nicodemus was trying to get to
Heaven by performing good works, and I think that he sensed that he just wasn’t
cutting it. To use a sports analogy, our good works are like a long fly-ball
hit into center-field, right into the glove of the center fielder. It looks
good, but means nothing.
An important discussion took place
between Nicodemus and Jesus under the quite protection of the night. This discussion
had great implications for Nick and for us as well.
I believe that Nicodemus understood that
Jesus was using an illustration. I don’t
think Nicodemus expected to literally go back into his mother’s womb. I
think he was asking, “You say everything has to be new; that there needs to be
a new birth. How
can all things be new?
How can I change who I am? Can I crawl back
inside my Mama and start again? “How can I start over?”
Nicodemus knew that he needed
something different. He just didn’t know how to get it!
But Nick speaks out of a position of
confidence, knowing that he has generations of tradition on his side. “We know….” He begins, taking the posture of a wise old rabbi, “taking the newer, younger rabbi –Jesus -under his wing in a family fashion.”
“We know…” Nicodemus speaks on behalf of a theological set of principles that have long since worked out the kinks of uncertainty. Nicodemus appears to be confident, bold, self-assured, a man with all the answers. However, in this nocturnal meeting with Jesus, “where things go bump in the night,” his safe little world begins to unravel.
Nick doesn’t fully grasp that underneath his certainty is the possibility of uncertainty, and that even though he thinks of himself as having it all figured out, below the surface he is deeply curious, and perhaps a little uncertain, thus his nighttime visit with Jesus.
“Nick, we see you making your way through the darkened streets, and we wonder why you are here. The records indicate that you’re a man of light and reason, a learned man steeped in the discipline of scholarship. Yet here you are, driven by your curiosity, pulled by your insatiable desire to answer the question “Who is this man Jesus and how relevant are his teachings?”
You begin with a statement and set the stage for a speech. But underneath… the questions are bubbling away.
Nick, you are experienced in detecting the subtle nuances in the thought of a rabbi. You are skilled in finding the loopholes in logic. You can articulate with great ease the deep intricacies of faith. Why is it that you stumble here? There is no board lighting up with answers or directions for you in this midnight meeting with Jesus. You follow your curiosity and find yourself walking on thin air trying to fit Jesus’ words, into an understandable pattern.”
Jesus says one thing: “you must be born from above,” “What’s that supposed to mean--? You must be born again?”
If Nick were alive today he might have said…” Say what?
Nick doesn’t stop there. Think about it: if you are born again, then you must grow up again. Think about your life, Nicodemus. What would you do differently if you had half the chance? How would you grow up differently? How would you re-edit the narrative of your life? As you enter more deeply into your puzzlement, Nicodemus, you’ll find that Jesus is inviting you to be curious about your life, and to rethink your assumptions and conclusions with an altered perspective.
You are challenged not only to conduct an autopsy on your past, but to look to the future through the eyes of redemptive possibility. How might your life be different if you were born again? How would your life be altered if you truly believed, from the beginning, that God loves you with an unconditional love? For God so loves the world, Nicodemus, for God so loves you.
“Nicodemus, patron saint of the curious, we see you in the flickering lamplight, your face an arresting mixture of confusion and interest. Jesus waits, the silence broken only by the sound of the wind banging the shutter against the house. You tug at your beard and rethink your life, seeing your past and future through the eyes of the One who loves you.
Every true Christian has been born again. Being born again isn’t about improving one’s morality or having a powerful spiritual experience. It’s a completely new way of seeing the world. It’s the eyes of the new birth that allow a Christian to see the truth of the Gospel. The new birth is also the engine of Christian growth. It’s the new heart God gives that helps us put our hope in God rather than the idols of this world.
In a moment Nick, you’ll disappear from this story. It’s as if you need time to think about what Jesus offers you. You’ll remain silent throughout the rest of the gospel. We’ll wonder time and again what happened to you after this night.
As the story unfolds, and Jesus’ popularity grows and his message spreads and the drama builds and the crowd shouts “Crucify him,” we do not see your face, Nick, but we know you are there in the shadows, watching it all, your safe, predictable world coming apart at the seams.
Nick, later, we’ll see you one more time, for you will come again to Jesus, this time as the day is dawning. Along with your friend Joseph of Aramathea you come to the tomb of Jesus, your hands full of burial spices and your heart full of sorrow. The last of your clearly defined world crumbling around you, and finally, you discover you are wide open to a God you cannot reduce to a set of beliefs or lock safely away in your theology.
Your spiritual confusion leaves you open to a God powerful enough to re-work your life and make it into something altogether new.
And you will turn your face into the breeze that stirs, faintly at first, but then stronger, and you will catch the scent of dawn, and turn your open, newborn face toward the day, full of possibilities you can’t yet imagine.
Blessings,
John
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