By John Stallings
There is a knock at the front door.
Peeking through the window a mother sees a man & woman both in uniform. They are agents of health-care reform.
“Excuse me ma’am” says the man, “Our records show that your eleven-year old daughter hasn’t been immunized for genital warts.
“And your four year old still needs the chicken-pox vaccine” says the woman.
“He won’t be allowed to start kindergarten unless he gets that shot, you know” says the man—smiling from ear to ear.
“So can we please come in?” asks
the woman. “We have the vaccines right here,” she says, lifting up the medical bag. “We can give your kids the shots right now.”
Is this a scene from the over-heated imagination of a conspiracy theorist? Or does it actually exist in the health-care reform bill approved recently by the Senate?
The actual language in the bill says;--“Authorizes a demonstration program to improve immunization coverage. Under this program, CDC will provide grants to states to improve immunization coverage of children, adolescents and adults through the of evidence-based interventions that are recommended by the Community Preventive Services task force such as reminders or recalls for patients or providers or home visits.”
Can we say, “Forced immunization?”
Should Obama Care pass, it will mean slavery to a system that won't look like anything we've ever seen. Freedoms are already being lost left right & center. In a nut-shell—No more private sector insurance.
Other than our spouse, family members, & maybe a few close friends, what other relationship do we have closer than with our family Doc? In the not too distant future, should the door on Obama Care be passed we’ll never see our doctor again, & in all probability we’ll never again see the same doc twice.
If a restaurant near your home started advertising free food & beverages, what do you suppose would happen? Right! There would immediately be constant lines at that restaurant stretching for blocks.
This would go on for a short time. What do you suppose would happen next? Right again. The restaurant would start rationing their food. They’d have to because of the overwhelming demand. People who weren’t even hungry would nonetheless stand in that line. Obviously now the restaurant would start turning people away. If they persisted in giving away food, they’d have to find outside financial support to help them pay for it.
I could go on with that analogy but I think you see my point.
Let's take a close look at what the Democrat Party has waiting in the wings should they be successful at ramming this socialized health care down our throats. Most of the physicians I've spoken to are opposed to UHC, for one reason because they don't want to become Government employees. They'd also like to keep the medical profession something they even recognize & want to continue to be rewarded both financially & intellectually.
From what I’m able to glean, the road to becoming a physician is one of the most demanding & expensive among all the professions. The cost of eight years of college, then three to six years in residency would leave them about $140,000 in debt. Of course what the medical student looks forward to is the appealing salary they’ll get someday to compensate for all the hard work & money spent. That perk or reality would disappear after the enactment of Universal Health Care.
What would immediately appear however would be a huge new tax burden hung around the necks of already jaded & tapped out American taxpayers. By the way--if Obama-care is signed into law, the tax consequence will begin April 15, 2010.
Doctors who now get frustrated working within the guidelines of Medicaid, Medicare & HMOs, would find ever increasing aggravations with the adoption of universal health care. The way doctors would be paid now; “single payer” would be set by the federal government & would be appreciatively lower than they currently receive. Everything in America that pertains to health care would be paid out of one huge pot, thus the name “single payer.”
Now the doctors would be answerable to a group of politicians & the freedom they had to practice medicine as an art/science, i.e. treat patients as individuals, would leave & have in its place federally mandated guidelines for certain procedures across the board. Now you have a group of highly trained doctors being forced to treat each patient the same even though they might feel certain patients would benefit from an alternative type of treatment. We’re talking about a “one size fits all” approach. But people are different & don’t respond the same to medicines & protocols.
Let’s go back to our restaurant illustration when all those people came looking for that free food, stifling the place. Likewise, under “free-health care” now people would be jamming every medical facility. Because there isn’t a fee, people who before would have thought twice about going to a doctor, now will visit the doctor with minor problems that really don’t require medical attention. So you have people being turned away & you also have longer waiting lists.
Personally I need no further proof of the aforementioned than the experience I’ve had as a minister. From time to time my particular denomination would seek to secure group insurance policies for its constituents but the coverage would generally be discontinued after a few months. Though a letter would be sent to the ministers not to start taking their families to doctors for things that weren’t serious, invariably they’d do it anyway; and this in a church group that believes strongly in divine healing. It’s just human nature.
In 2007, in Canada where they have “free health care” the average wait was 18.3 weeks for surgical treatment. In the U.S the wait is just a couple of weeks. Under universal health care, Doctors will lose the fulfillment of being able to help every sick or injured person & the order of the day would become summarily turning people away due to full schedules.
Many jobs in the U.S would be eliminated by the removal of the current insurance companies. In short, in this writer’s view, “free” universal health care would be a bad deal for all America.
Another downside to “free” health care would be that the government would make decisions for the patient & make rules that the patient must follow. For instance, under this plan, a man could be told to report for a prostate examination at 7: am on Monday morning or risk losing further care. A woman could be told when to report to have a mammogram & if she failed to show, her medical care could be affected.
My wife & I are with an HMO & though we’re happy with the plan, we’re pressured to have more & more tests & take medications we don’t want to take, & won’t. This would be but a small sample of what the face of “free” health care would look like. I realize it sounds harsh to say anything the government runs isn't done very well but I would invited the reader to drive around to the public housing areas or "projects" in their town & look them over. These are government run. Is that the way we want our health care to look?
There are stories coming out of the UK, who’ve long been on free health care, that smokers are told to quit smoking or surgery will be refused. I’m not a smoker but if a government can make rules against smokers, they can conceivably refuse health care to individuals who don’t eat at least five or six veggies a day or get from 20-40 minutes of aerobic exercise at least three times a week.
“Die in Britain, survive in the U.S” was the cover article of the February 2005 issue of The Spectator, a British magazine in which James Bartholomew details the downside of Britain’s free health care system;
“Among women with breast cancer for example, there’s a 46% chance of dying in Britain vs. a 25% chance in the U.S. Britain has one of the worst survival rates in the advanced world, while Americas has the best.”
He continues, “If you’re a man diagnosed with prostate cancer, you have a 57% chance of it killing you in Britain. In the United States the chance drops to 19%.” Again, reports Bartholomew, “Britain is at the bottom of the class & America is at the top.”
Explains Bartholomew, “This is why those who are rich enough often to go to America, leaving behind even private health care. The reason for that is in America you’re more likely to be treated & further, you’re more likely to get better treatment.”
In America, if you’ve had a heart attack, you are given beta-blockers compared to fewer than one-third in Britain. Similarly, American patients are more likely than British patients to have a heart condition diagnosed with an angiogram, more likely to have an artery widened with angioplasty & more likely to get back on their feet by way of a by-pass.
“In the main, Britain’s universal health care system has evolved into a ramshackle structure where even having a test, beyond an x-ray tends to be a rare extravagant event,” writes Bartholomew. “In Britain 36% of patients have to wait more than four months for non-emergency surgery. In the U.S 5% do. In Britain, 40% of cancer patients do not see a cancer specialist.”
Bartholomew tells about a woman named Peggy, an American radiologist who went to Britain to meet her English boyfriend’s family. While she was there, her boyfriend’s father found blood in his urine & went to a local National Health Service hospital in which no CT scans or cystoscopy tests were done. The patient had asthma & lay in his hospital bed with breathing difficulties but still didn’t see a specialist. He was told it would take six weeks. Short of six weeks he was discharged from the hospital. Back home before his appointment with a consultant he died of an asthma attack.
Bartholomew reports that Peggy was “surprised at how ‘accepting’ her boyfriend’s family was.” “What we saw was an unexpected passivity, a lethal submissiveness to systemic incompetence & tragedy, a reaction that seemed poles apart from how things happen in the U.S.” She didn’t say too much because she didn’t want to come across as a pushy, arrogant American but she was thinking that “in America we’d go nuts if we were told we’d have to wait six weeks to see a specialist. Expectations are so much higher.”
As far as the elderly, [and some have suggested that age would start at around fifty] they can just forget it if UHC becomes law. Obama himself has said that-" those old people will have to be given pain pills instead of expensive medical procedures."-Check this out on YouTube.
As a footnote on Canada, the average wait for a simple MRI is three months. In Manitoba the median wait for neurosurgery is 15.2 months. For chemotherapy in Saskatchewan patients can expect to be in line for 10 weeks. At last report 10,000 cancer patients who waited an average of two months for radiation treatment have filed a class action lawsuit against Quebec’s hospitals.
Anyone who has a heart will immediately think as I did; what about all those who can’t afford health care? Let’s take a look at the numbers we’re given.
We hear & read a good bit about the 47 million Americans who don’t have health insurance & anecdotal evidence usually accompanies the figure, dramatizing the tragedy. It’s implied if not bluntly stated that this denotes a scandalous shortcoming of our society, our government & our capitalist way of life. The message is – “these Americans are your friends & neighbors & they don’t have health care.”
But Census data shows that 9.5 million of the uninsured listed themselves as “Not a citizen”: they aren’t Americans. The number of uninsured now drops to 37.1 million, about 12% of the population. The Census data also shows that there are 8.3 million uninsured that make between $50,000 & $74,000 per year & 8.7 million who make more than $75,000 per year. That’s roughly 17 million people who ought to be able to “afford” health insurance. Should we count those who can afford health insurance among the uninsured?
So 37.1 minus 8.7 minus 8.3 now leaves us with roughly 20 million people without health insurance which is approximately 7 % of the population, a far cry from the 16% we’ve been told by the socialized medicine lobby & the compliant media who are obviously too lazy to examine the facts.
The Kaiser Family Foundation which is frequently a source for the mainstream media says that Americans who don’t qualify for existing government programs & who make $50,000 a year total actually no more than 5% of our population. Also the number of uninsured American “floats” & 45% will be uninsured for only approximately four months.
This information begs the question; if all this be so, & universal health care has been an abysmal flop around the world, why would intelligent & conscientious politicians want to try it in the U.S? I won’t presume to have that answer in its entirety, but a couple of answers come to mind. Many politicians feel with a more centralized, omnipotent government things work better. It also militates toward a grand design of getting the people more & more under government control. The proponents of universal health care feel that it has yet to be done by the right people; i.e. –them.
When Mr. Obama talks about change, you can be sure what he's always had in mind was some incarnation of universal health care. This, if it happens will be a quantum leap for America toward the abyss of socialism. Mr. Obama seems genial enough but we knew from the get-go--he’s far, far Left.
It’s a well known fact among serious observers that a major reason communism shriveled up & died in Russia is that people quit working. The reason they quit working is hard work only pays off in a free-enterprise system. But as you probably know, in the last few years, they've moved back toward the free-market system. As a matter of fact more millionaires are now being produced in places like Russia, China & India than in America. This sounds hard to believe but motor-car companies like Rolls Royce, Bentley etc. report that the lions share of their sales are coming from what we used to think of as third world nations.
There’s an ocean of material on the Internet about the pros & cons of so-called free universal health care so you need not take my word for anything. But consider this;
In Canada, while thousands of baby-boomers & the elderly wait for knee & hip replacement surgery, a dog can get a joint replacement operation at a veterinary hospital done in a matter of weeks.
But the real danger of adopting a system like the one in Canada & Britain is not just long waits for medical treatment. Americans would pay much higher taxes & lose important liberties while turning over personal, life-and-death decisions to government bureaucrats.
This article doesn’t presume to bore down particularly deep into the universal health care question because I'm obviously not an expert on the subject, but hopefully it will give some food for thought.
The ultimate question is; does it make sense to destroy, [though imperfect,] the best medical care the world has ever seen because 5 out of 100 don’t have adequate access to it?
THE MIRACLE OF CHRISTMAS EVE-2009
On Christmas Eve of 2009, “Tracy Hermanstorfer went into cardiac arrest & stopped breathing during labor” said Dr. Stephanie, a maternal fetal medicine specialist’s at Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs Colorado.
“She had no signs of life. No heartbeat, no blood pressure, she wasn’t breathing,” said Dr. Martin. “The baby was… it was basically limp, with a very slow heart rate.”
She said she couldn’t explain the mother’s cardiac arrest or recovery.
“We did a thorough evaluation & can’t find what explains what happened,” she said.
While one team worked on saving Mrs. Hermanstorfer, another team of medics set to work on the child.
Moments later Mike Hermanstorfer was stunned when he saw his son show signs show signs of life & learned his wife has inexplicably started breathing again.
“My legs went out from underneath me,” he said. “I had everything in the world taken from me, & in an hour & a half I had everything given me.”
Mr. Hermanstorfer credits “The hand of God.”
This was a miracle given to us in 2009. I wonder, would this have happened if Obama Care was a legal bill?
When this mother was found with no pulse, heartbeat or any other sign of life, would a doctor have been quickly summoned & asked to establish the time of death? Would the “death-panels” have been consorted to decide if this woman & her baby would be denied life? Would a C section immediately be performed to save the child? I think we all know the answer to that question.
If you're getting anywhere close to mid-life & you feel UHC really doesn't involve you, & so you defer being pro-active in this effort because you can't see yourself needing things like cat-scans, MRIs, knee, hip or any joint replacements etc.- may God bless you & may you be correct in your assessment.
But if you see the dangers of all this, & you believe with the final passage of this unjust health care bill many of the freedoms will disappear that young men & women have fought & died to protect, & you just haven’t taken the time to write & call your representatives letting them know in no uncertain terms where you stand, I trust & pray you’ll reconsider & let your voice be heard.
If you & I work together & pray, God has promised to hear from heaven & heal our land.
Blessings,
John
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
The Pathology Of Misunderstandings
By John Stallings
Many of us can remember the “hippy” days of the 1960’s.
If you remember this era, you’ll also remember the hippies grew older, married & had children though not necessarily in that order. But they didn’t name their kids Melissa or Brett, Johnny or Susie. The schools & kindergartens soon became accustomed to, Time Warp, Spring fever, Moonbeam, Earth, Precious Promise & Sun Ray -etc.
That’s when the teachers & pupils of one kindergarten got acquainted with five year old, “Fruit Stand.” Every fall, according to tradition, parents bravely applied name tags to their children, kissed them good-bye & sent them off on the school bus.
So it was for “Fruit Stand.” The teachers thought the boy’s name was odd, but they tried to make the best of it.
“Would you like to play with the blocks, Fruit Stand?” And later, “Fruit Stand, how about a snack?” He accepted hesitantly. By the end of the first day his name didn’t seem much odder than the other strangely different names.
At dismissal time the teachers led the children out to the waiting buses. “Fruit Stand” do you know which one is your bus?” He didn’t answer. That wasn’t strange because he hadn’t answered anything all day long. Lots of kids are shy on their first day of school.
It didn’t matter. The teachers had instructed the parents to write the names of the children’s bus stops on the reverse side of their name tags. The teacher simply turned over “Fruit Stand’s” tag. There, neatly printed, was the word “Anthony.” Let’s hope little Anthony wasn’t too traumatized by the misunderstanding about his name & let us also hope “Fruit-stand” didn’t stick as a nick-name.
A great man has said that one of the world’s most pressing problems was the misunderstanding among people. Man’s problem has always been our inability to understand our neighbors.
Have you ever agreed to meet someone & had a misunderstanding about the time & place? I’ve had it happen many times over the years. It’s embarrassing as I think about it. Cell phones help a lot these days if we are wrong about the meeting place, but how did we make it without these little phones?
I remember, especially during my college years in the late fifties, how misunderstandings stood between me & what could have been many great friendships. Looking back I can see that is was basically a North/South thing. It’s hard to believe that even in a Bible college setting; there could be this type of divide.
I remember toward the end of my sophomore year, something fluky happened one day that brought several of my northern classmates to my room to hang out for a while. To me they were the “elites” on campus. I wasn’t exactly a “big man” on campus, that’s my point. Not a class officer, not most popular, nor most likely to succeed. Even from a perspective of over fifty years it still seems strange to me that it happened.
A group of fellow male students just sort of gravitated to my dorm-room & we sat around & talked. I don’t remember what the occasion was; I can just remember the incident. No one seemed to be rushed & everyone got a chance to talk. In retrospect, I can now see it was a God-thing, because in our own way we were reaching out, trying to get to know one another. From that day on things were different & we all seemed to see each other in a new light. As we talked, I began to realize that the northern guys were a lot different than I’d thought. It was obvious after that time of fellowship that they were seeing me differently.
Funny thing, almost all of us were preacher’s boys of the same denomination. But still we’d held back on being friends separated -I guess by our geographical origins. We’d spent nearly two years feeling estranged from one another & we may have spent another two years feeling the same had it not been for that get-together. After about an hour of yammering & yapping, we all left feeling, I think- lifted up. But simultaneously we all experienced a little let down because we saw how much time we’d wasted on our preconceived judgments of each other.
As I left college & went into a traveling ministry, I determined not to let foolish misconceptions & misunderstandings stand in the way of friendships.
We’re not in a perfect world, & obviously things won’t always go the way we’d prefer. But if we think “outside the box,” our world will open up & our coasts will be enlarged as we include others from all walks of life. Over the years I’ve ministered in churches in many lands where I was the only white face present but when I could touch their love with my love, all the differences melted into irrelevance.
There will always be misunderstandings. Sometimes we bring them on ourselves, sometimes they’re unavoidable. No matter if you’re “Mr. Mercedes” or “Mr. Prius,” there’ll always be those times when you’re misunderstood. Sometimes the consequences will be benign, other times they can be very traumatic, even deadly. Even if you & I are faithfully following God’s leading we may still become a victim of misunderstandings. Let me flip it & say it another way; it’s not possible for any of us to always be understood. It doesn’t get any better as we age, in many respects.
Three senior citizens were taking a walk one day & they all were a little hard of hearing.
One of them said, “Windy, ain’t it?”
“No” he second man replied, “It’s Thursday.”
The third man chimed in, “So am I. Let’s have a coke.”
WHAT CAUSES MISUNDERSTANDINGS?
1. Careless listening.
We misunderstand each other many times because we don’t really listen to what the other person says. This is a problem I’ve had to be on guard against most of my adult life.
If there are any restaurant servers among my readers, I hope I don’t offend them, but I have this theory that the overwhelming majority of servers only listen to a food order with about 80% attention. A few weeks ago Juda & I went to our favorite restaurant for Sunday dinner. The female server took my order first & as I spoke she was looking somewhere across the room. This lady knows us well so I felt free to say, in a very light & humorous way, “You’re not even listening to me.” “Oh yes I am” she said, & went ahead & took our order.
I felt pretty sure I was dealing with a woman with Adult Attention Deficit Disorder. I told Juda as the lady walked away that if she ever came back, our order would be messed- up. Lo & behold I wasn’t disappointed. Several items were missing when the food got to us. That, in the servers mind wasn’t a big problem because she slowly added little dishes incrementally during the meal. It’s great to end up with Cole Slaw as your desert.
To their embarrassment, two or three other servers had to help her serve us & this woman wasn’t a beginner. Anyway we left feeling that the lady did the best she could that day & we all have our “off days.” Though I use this personal experience as an illustration, I’m hardly in a position to criticize anyone for careless hearing.
Another vital factor in misunderstandings is;
2. Careless speaking.
Jeremiah compares our mouths to a sharp arrow. He speaks of the difference between a sharp sword & a sharp arrow. If one draws a sword, he can always change his mind & put the sword away & no harm is done. But according to Jeremiah, if one shoots an arrow at his target & then he changes his mind it’s too late. Once words are spoken, -like arrows, they can’t be stopped from hitting their target. When we speak abusively to someone we can do permanent damage.
Sometimes seemingly innocent comments can be stumbling blocks for us & to us. There are times, especially when our children are young, when our nerves are frayed & if we’re not careful we can say things that we’ll wish a thousand times we could get back- but the damage is already done. We can easily take out our frustrations on those we love.
Let me give you a poem that illustrates just how “friendly fire” at home can be so devastating. The author is unknown but the title is;
“THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL.”
A weary mom returned from the store, lugging groceries through the kitchen door.
Waiting for her was her 8 year old son, anxious to tell what his young brother had done.
“While I was out playing & dad was on call, T.J took his crayons & wrote on the wall.
It’s on the new paper you just hung in the den, I told him you’d be mad at having to do it again.”
She let out a moan & furrowed her brow, “Where is your little brother right now?”
She emptied her arms with a purposeful stride; she marched to the closet where he’d gone to hide.
She called his full name as he entered the room, - trembling with fear for he knew that meant doom.
For the next ten minutes she ranted & raved, about the expensive wallpaper & how she had saved.
Lamenting all the work it would take to repair, she condemned his behavior & total lack of care.
The more she scolded the madder she got, then stomped from his room totally distraught.
She headed for the den to confirm her fears, what she saw on the wall made her eyes fill with tears.
The message she read pierced her soul with a dart, It said “I love you mommy,” surrounded by a heart.
Well the wallpaper remained just as she found it, with an empty picture frame hung to surround it.
The book of Proverbs says that life & death are in the power of the tongue. Life is filled with joy when our words are kind & loving but life is filled with pain & strife when they aren’t.
Another thing that can cause misunderstandings is;
3. Preconceived ideas.
This is a matter of a previous mind-set. A good example of this in scripture is the story of Naaman the leper in 2 Kings 5. When this powerful man arrived at Elisha’s house after traveling all the way from Syria to Israel, the prophet sent his servant to tell him to go dip seven times in the river Jordon. Remember Naaman’s words; “behold I thought…….”
Naaman had a very clear misunderstanding of how Elisha would do the healing & was very upset. Naaman almost missed his miracle because of this. He was headed home driving like Jehu when one of his helpers said—“You know Sir, if he’d have asked you to something big you’d have probably done it wouldn’t you Sir?” That very wise statement culminated in one of the greatest miracles in the Old Testament.
A preconceived idea was behind the Jews’ rejection of Jesus as their Messiah. They had expected a Messiah who would lead them in establishing an earthly kingdom, in driving the Romans out of their land & ushering in a period of prosperity. When the Jews saw Jesus, His plan was so far from their plan that all they could do was reject Him. Think about this; all the miracles Jesus did & all His magnificent teachings weren’t enough to overcome their preconceptions.
From time to time the Apostle Paul had to stand before astute men, men of great power & authority. A careful reading of these appearances before judges & magistrates gives us a glimpse into the fact that there were some people who were just unimpressed with Paul or Jesus. The Savior of the world & the greatest Christian who ever lived barely made it onto their radar screens.
In Acts 18, Paul went before Gallio. Gallio wasn’t of a mind-set to spend his precious time making judgments about this Jesus man. It reads like the man was just irritated with the whole thing. Gallio kicked the whole kit-&-caboodle out of his courtroom because he deemed it all too trivial to waste his time on.
Much the same thing happened when Paul went before Agrippa in Acts 25. Here a Roman governor got no more of the essence of who Jesus was than to see it as a dispute whether a man was dead or alive.
What does this mean? To me it means that some people came from such divergent backgrounds they found it difficult to comprehend the teachings of Christ or to even conceive of the importance of this man in the grand scheme of things. In modern day colloquialism, they just “didn’t get the Jesus thing.” Christ to them was “a tempest in a tea-cup.”
WHAT CAN WE DO THE HAVE BETTER COMMUNICATION?
Most people are naturally sensitive & many of us are too sensitive. I can be sitting on the couch with Juda around 4 o’clock & innocently look at my watch & she’ll say-“Dinner will be ready in half an hour.” Sometimes this will happen when the last thing on my mind when I checked my watch was dinner. We can get in the car to go someplace & Juda might do something as simple as just glance around the inside of the car & I might say, “I’ll get the car cleaned up tomorrow.” She often says, “I wasn’t even thinking about that.”
Do you see the nature of the battle? When we consider all our relationships, we’ve got left-brain-right-brain stuff going on. We’ve got divergent backgrounds going on. We’ve got gender differences going on. Some of us might have racial differences going on. We have educational disparity going on. We’ve got generation gaps [our children] to deal with. We’ve got hearing deficits in people we love that’d rather die than admit their hearing isn’t what it used to be. We’ve got people who can “read our minds” to try to work in harmony with. What’s it gonna take to live in happy productive relationships with all this variety? Glad you asked! The first thing is,
HONESTY
If you want to get off on the right foot with others be upfront. Be honest & straightforward from the start. Sometimes when I’m browsing through the men’s section of a department store a salesperson will come up. Very often I’ll say, “I’m not in the mood to buy today, I’m just looking, but I’ll probably be back.” I find many time this takes the pressure off, just telling them how it is; just speaking the truth in a plain, respectful way. [sometimes this doesn’t work.]
TACT
Now I know some folk don’t know the word tact. Diplomacy doesn’t ring any bells with them either. Their tact & diplomacy resembles that of a Bull in a China shop. They have all the tact & refinement of a wrecking ball. I’ve often wondered, if an actual Bull did get loose in an actual China shop & tore it all to pieces, what analogy would we use to describe it? Just a thought.
WISDOM
Wisdom will help us be tactful. Wisdom is promised to us if we’ll just ask God for it. James 1:5. James also said;
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, & easy to be entreated, full of mercy & good fruit, without partiality, & without hypocrisy. 3:17
LOVE
When people feel loved & cared for it puts everything else in proper perspective. You & I may do lot’s of things wrong, but if we’re motivated by love; big problems or misunderstandings will become small ones.
PRAYER
Jesus found it necessary to pray. Paul requested; brethren, pray for us. In the Bible men would pray & planets would be thrown into reverse. Men would pray & Lions mouths would be locked. Men would pray & prison doors would swing open. Men would pray until oceans & rivers would stand up to allow dry passage. Men would pray & famines & droughts would end. Prayer will bring prodigals home, open blind eyes & raise the sick off their death beds. If you’re wrestling with a problem, don’t stop praying until the answer comes.
God’s phone is Jer333. Jeremiah 33:3 says,
Call upon me & I will answer thee & show thee great & hidden things which thou knowest not. If you & I want to have hidden things revealed to us, we must call on the Lord.
POSITIVENESS
A man & his young son visited a new church one Sunday morning. The father was so negative that day that when he walked out into the Sun, he developed. As they walked back to their car after the service, the father was filled with complaints. The singing was bad, the sermon was boring & the service had lasted too long. Finally the son said, “pretty good show for a dollar though wasn’t it dad?”
Being upbeat with people usually elicits a good response. Sincere appreciation & encouragement are always appreciated.
You’d be surprised how often someone will write me or approach me somewhere & start off like this…… “Brother John, I know you don’t need encouragement- but”…..The idea is, I suppose, [& I’m sure most ministers can relate to this,] that because we carry ourselves with confidence & are never at a lack for words or opinions, that we get a lot of encouragement. The truth is, because of that kind of thinking, many times we get no encouragement. Just food for thought.
Open-mindedness, sensitivity, patience, approachability, a sense of humor, & just being willing to make an effort are other vitally important components in the pathology of dealing with misunderstandings.
Let’s face it; it’s quite common to have tension in relationships because of the realities of heredity, background, experiences, attitudes & values. It’s not the end of the world or for that matter, the end of our relationships if we just admit that there will be times when spouses, neighbors, friends, associates & those in our church will have misunderstandings & we’ll even find ourselves with feelings of estrangement from each other.
One of the world’s biggest problems is man’s inability to get along with his fellowman. Absolute peace & harmony seem to be an illusive dream until we someday find it in another world. The human element; Competition, pettiness, jealousy, & just the nature of man to want his/her own way will make this a certainty.
However, as Christians you & I must realize that God expects us to grow & mature & maintain sweetness in our dispositions especially as we relate to other Christians. Jesus gave an enormous amount of time to laying down His methods of how to resolve conflicts.
We’re told;
Let all bitterness & wrath & anger & clamor & slander be put away from you long with all malice.
It doesn’t take much for one of these cords to begin to fray & our closeness & unity will be the first causality. A home, a church or even a nation that loses its unity forfeits the blessings of God.
Behold how good & how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, coming down upon the beard, Even Aaron’s beard, coming down upon the edges of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon, coming down upon the mountains of Zion; for there the LORD commanded the blessing—life forever.—Psalm 133
Blessings,
John
Many of us can remember the “hippy” days of the 1960’s.
If you remember this era, you’ll also remember the hippies grew older, married & had children though not necessarily in that order. But they didn’t name their kids Melissa or Brett, Johnny or Susie. The schools & kindergartens soon became accustomed to, Time Warp, Spring fever, Moonbeam, Earth, Precious Promise & Sun Ray -etc.
That’s when the teachers & pupils of one kindergarten got acquainted with five year old, “Fruit Stand.” Every fall, according to tradition, parents bravely applied name tags to their children, kissed them good-bye & sent them off on the school bus.
So it was for “Fruit Stand.” The teachers thought the boy’s name was odd, but they tried to make the best of it.
“Would you like to play with the blocks, Fruit Stand?” And later, “Fruit Stand, how about a snack?” He accepted hesitantly. By the end of the first day his name didn’t seem much odder than the other strangely different names.
At dismissal time the teachers led the children out to the waiting buses. “Fruit Stand” do you know which one is your bus?” He didn’t answer. That wasn’t strange because he hadn’t answered anything all day long. Lots of kids are shy on their first day of school.
It didn’t matter. The teachers had instructed the parents to write the names of the children’s bus stops on the reverse side of their name tags. The teacher simply turned over “Fruit Stand’s” tag. There, neatly printed, was the word “Anthony.” Let’s hope little Anthony wasn’t too traumatized by the misunderstanding about his name & let us also hope “Fruit-stand” didn’t stick as a nick-name.
A great man has said that one of the world’s most pressing problems was the misunderstanding among people. Man’s problem has always been our inability to understand our neighbors.
Have you ever agreed to meet someone & had a misunderstanding about the time & place? I’ve had it happen many times over the years. It’s embarrassing as I think about it. Cell phones help a lot these days if we are wrong about the meeting place, but how did we make it without these little phones?
I remember, especially during my college years in the late fifties, how misunderstandings stood between me & what could have been many great friendships. Looking back I can see that is was basically a North/South thing. It’s hard to believe that even in a Bible college setting; there could be this type of divide.
I remember toward the end of my sophomore year, something fluky happened one day that brought several of my northern classmates to my room to hang out for a while. To me they were the “elites” on campus. I wasn’t exactly a “big man” on campus, that’s my point. Not a class officer, not most popular, nor most likely to succeed. Even from a perspective of over fifty years it still seems strange to me that it happened.
A group of fellow male students just sort of gravitated to my dorm-room & we sat around & talked. I don’t remember what the occasion was; I can just remember the incident. No one seemed to be rushed & everyone got a chance to talk. In retrospect, I can now see it was a God-thing, because in our own way we were reaching out, trying to get to know one another. From that day on things were different & we all seemed to see each other in a new light. As we talked, I began to realize that the northern guys were a lot different than I’d thought. It was obvious after that time of fellowship that they were seeing me differently.
Funny thing, almost all of us were preacher’s boys of the same denomination. But still we’d held back on being friends separated -I guess by our geographical origins. We’d spent nearly two years feeling estranged from one another & we may have spent another two years feeling the same had it not been for that get-together. After about an hour of yammering & yapping, we all left feeling, I think- lifted up. But simultaneously we all experienced a little let down because we saw how much time we’d wasted on our preconceived judgments of each other.
As I left college & went into a traveling ministry, I determined not to let foolish misconceptions & misunderstandings stand in the way of friendships.
We’re not in a perfect world, & obviously things won’t always go the way we’d prefer. But if we think “outside the box,” our world will open up & our coasts will be enlarged as we include others from all walks of life. Over the years I’ve ministered in churches in many lands where I was the only white face present but when I could touch their love with my love, all the differences melted into irrelevance.
There will always be misunderstandings. Sometimes we bring them on ourselves, sometimes they’re unavoidable. No matter if you’re “Mr. Mercedes” or “Mr. Prius,” there’ll always be those times when you’re misunderstood. Sometimes the consequences will be benign, other times they can be very traumatic, even deadly. Even if you & I are faithfully following God’s leading we may still become a victim of misunderstandings. Let me flip it & say it another way; it’s not possible for any of us to always be understood. It doesn’t get any better as we age, in many respects.
Three senior citizens were taking a walk one day & they all were a little hard of hearing.
One of them said, “Windy, ain’t it?”
“No” he second man replied, “It’s Thursday.”
The third man chimed in, “So am I. Let’s have a coke.”
WHAT CAUSES MISUNDERSTANDINGS?
1. Careless listening.
We misunderstand each other many times because we don’t really listen to what the other person says. This is a problem I’ve had to be on guard against most of my adult life.
If there are any restaurant servers among my readers, I hope I don’t offend them, but I have this theory that the overwhelming majority of servers only listen to a food order with about 80% attention. A few weeks ago Juda & I went to our favorite restaurant for Sunday dinner. The female server took my order first & as I spoke she was looking somewhere across the room. This lady knows us well so I felt free to say, in a very light & humorous way, “You’re not even listening to me.” “Oh yes I am” she said, & went ahead & took our order.
I felt pretty sure I was dealing with a woman with Adult Attention Deficit Disorder. I told Juda as the lady walked away that if she ever came back, our order would be messed- up. Lo & behold I wasn’t disappointed. Several items were missing when the food got to us. That, in the servers mind wasn’t a big problem because she slowly added little dishes incrementally during the meal. It’s great to end up with Cole Slaw as your desert.
To their embarrassment, two or three other servers had to help her serve us & this woman wasn’t a beginner. Anyway we left feeling that the lady did the best she could that day & we all have our “off days.” Though I use this personal experience as an illustration, I’m hardly in a position to criticize anyone for careless hearing.
Another vital factor in misunderstandings is;
2. Careless speaking.
Jeremiah compares our mouths to a sharp arrow. He speaks of the difference between a sharp sword & a sharp arrow. If one draws a sword, he can always change his mind & put the sword away & no harm is done. But according to Jeremiah, if one shoots an arrow at his target & then he changes his mind it’s too late. Once words are spoken, -like arrows, they can’t be stopped from hitting their target. When we speak abusively to someone we can do permanent damage.
Sometimes seemingly innocent comments can be stumbling blocks for us & to us. There are times, especially when our children are young, when our nerves are frayed & if we’re not careful we can say things that we’ll wish a thousand times we could get back- but the damage is already done. We can easily take out our frustrations on those we love.
Let me give you a poem that illustrates just how “friendly fire” at home can be so devastating. The author is unknown but the title is;
“THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL.”
A weary mom returned from the store, lugging groceries through the kitchen door.
Waiting for her was her 8 year old son, anxious to tell what his young brother had done.
“While I was out playing & dad was on call, T.J took his crayons & wrote on the wall.
It’s on the new paper you just hung in the den, I told him you’d be mad at having to do it again.”
She let out a moan & furrowed her brow, “Where is your little brother right now?”
She emptied her arms with a purposeful stride; she marched to the closet where he’d gone to hide.
She called his full name as he entered the room, - trembling with fear for he knew that meant doom.
For the next ten minutes she ranted & raved, about the expensive wallpaper & how she had saved.
Lamenting all the work it would take to repair, she condemned his behavior & total lack of care.
The more she scolded the madder she got, then stomped from his room totally distraught.
She headed for the den to confirm her fears, what she saw on the wall made her eyes fill with tears.
The message she read pierced her soul with a dart, It said “I love you mommy,” surrounded by a heart.
Well the wallpaper remained just as she found it, with an empty picture frame hung to surround it.
The book of Proverbs says that life & death are in the power of the tongue. Life is filled with joy when our words are kind & loving but life is filled with pain & strife when they aren’t.
Another thing that can cause misunderstandings is;
3. Preconceived ideas.
This is a matter of a previous mind-set. A good example of this in scripture is the story of Naaman the leper in 2 Kings 5. When this powerful man arrived at Elisha’s house after traveling all the way from Syria to Israel, the prophet sent his servant to tell him to go dip seven times in the river Jordon. Remember Naaman’s words; “behold I thought…….”
Naaman had a very clear misunderstanding of how Elisha would do the healing & was very upset. Naaman almost missed his miracle because of this. He was headed home driving like Jehu when one of his helpers said—“You know Sir, if he’d have asked you to something big you’d have probably done it wouldn’t you Sir?” That very wise statement culminated in one of the greatest miracles in the Old Testament.
A preconceived idea was behind the Jews’ rejection of Jesus as their Messiah. They had expected a Messiah who would lead them in establishing an earthly kingdom, in driving the Romans out of their land & ushering in a period of prosperity. When the Jews saw Jesus, His plan was so far from their plan that all they could do was reject Him. Think about this; all the miracles Jesus did & all His magnificent teachings weren’t enough to overcome their preconceptions.
From time to time the Apostle Paul had to stand before astute men, men of great power & authority. A careful reading of these appearances before judges & magistrates gives us a glimpse into the fact that there were some people who were just unimpressed with Paul or Jesus. The Savior of the world & the greatest Christian who ever lived barely made it onto their radar screens.
In Acts 18, Paul went before Gallio. Gallio wasn’t of a mind-set to spend his precious time making judgments about this Jesus man. It reads like the man was just irritated with the whole thing. Gallio kicked the whole kit-&-caboodle out of his courtroom because he deemed it all too trivial to waste his time on.
Much the same thing happened when Paul went before Agrippa in Acts 25. Here a Roman governor got no more of the essence of who Jesus was than to see it as a dispute whether a man was dead or alive.
What does this mean? To me it means that some people came from such divergent backgrounds they found it difficult to comprehend the teachings of Christ or to even conceive of the importance of this man in the grand scheme of things. In modern day colloquialism, they just “didn’t get the Jesus thing.” Christ to them was “a tempest in a tea-cup.”
WHAT CAN WE DO THE HAVE BETTER COMMUNICATION?
Most people are naturally sensitive & many of us are too sensitive. I can be sitting on the couch with Juda around 4 o’clock & innocently look at my watch & she’ll say-“Dinner will be ready in half an hour.” Sometimes this will happen when the last thing on my mind when I checked my watch was dinner. We can get in the car to go someplace & Juda might do something as simple as just glance around the inside of the car & I might say, “I’ll get the car cleaned up tomorrow.” She often says, “I wasn’t even thinking about that.”
Do you see the nature of the battle? When we consider all our relationships, we’ve got left-brain-right-brain stuff going on. We’ve got divergent backgrounds going on. We’ve got gender differences going on. Some of us might have racial differences going on. We have educational disparity going on. We’ve got generation gaps [our children] to deal with. We’ve got hearing deficits in people we love that’d rather die than admit their hearing isn’t what it used to be. We’ve got people who can “read our minds” to try to work in harmony with. What’s it gonna take to live in happy productive relationships with all this variety? Glad you asked! The first thing is,
HONESTY
If you want to get off on the right foot with others be upfront. Be honest & straightforward from the start. Sometimes when I’m browsing through the men’s section of a department store a salesperson will come up. Very often I’ll say, “I’m not in the mood to buy today, I’m just looking, but I’ll probably be back.” I find many time this takes the pressure off, just telling them how it is; just speaking the truth in a plain, respectful way. [sometimes this doesn’t work.]
TACT
Now I know some folk don’t know the word tact. Diplomacy doesn’t ring any bells with them either. Their tact & diplomacy resembles that of a Bull in a China shop. They have all the tact & refinement of a wrecking ball. I’ve often wondered, if an actual Bull did get loose in an actual China shop & tore it all to pieces, what analogy would we use to describe it? Just a thought.
WISDOM
Wisdom will help us be tactful. Wisdom is promised to us if we’ll just ask God for it. James 1:5. James also said;
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, & easy to be entreated, full of mercy & good fruit, without partiality, & without hypocrisy. 3:17
LOVE
When people feel loved & cared for it puts everything else in proper perspective. You & I may do lot’s of things wrong, but if we’re motivated by love; big problems or misunderstandings will become small ones.
PRAYER
Jesus found it necessary to pray. Paul requested; brethren, pray for us. In the Bible men would pray & planets would be thrown into reverse. Men would pray & Lions mouths would be locked. Men would pray & prison doors would swing open. Men would pray until oceans & rivers would stand up to allow dry passage. Men would pray & famines & droughts would end. Prayer will bring prodigals home, open blind eyes & raise the sick off their death beds. If you’re wrestling with a problem, don’t stop praying until the answer comes.
God’s phone is Jer333. Jeremiah 33:3 says,
Call upon me & I will answer thee & show thee great & hidden things which thou knowest not. If you & I want to have hidden things revealed to us, we must call on the Lord.
POSITIVENESS
A man & his young son visited a new church one Sunday morning. The father was so negative that day that when he walked out into the Sun, he developed. As they walked back to their car after the service, the father was filled with complaints. The singing was bad, the sermon was boring & the service had lasted too long. Finally the son said, “pretty good show for a dollar though wasn’t it dad?”
Being upbeat with people usually elicits a good response. Sincere appreciation & encouragement are always appreciated.
You’d be surprised how often someone will write me or approach me somewhere & start off like this…… “Brother John, I know you don’t need encouragement- but”…..The idea is, I suppose, [& I’m sure most ministers can relate to this,] that because we carry ourselves with confidence & are never at a lack for words or opinions, that we get a lot of encouragement. The truth is, because of that kind of thinking, many times we get no encouragement. Just food for thought.
Open-mindedness, sensitivity, patience, approachability, a sense of humor, & just being willing to make an effort are other vitally important components in the pathology of dealing with misunderstandings.
Let’s face it; it’s quite common to have tension in relationships because of the realities of heredity, background, experiences, attitudes & values. It’s not the end of the world or for that matter, the end of our relationships if we just admit that there will be times when spouses, neighbors, friends, associates & those in our church will have misunderstandings & we’ll even find ourselves with feelings of estrangement from each other.
One of the world’s biggest problems is man’s inability to get along with his fellowman. Absolute peace & harmony seem to be an illusive dream until we someday find it in another world. The human element; Competition, pettiness, jealousy, & just the nature of man to want his/her own way will make this a certainty.
However, as Christians you & I must realize that God expects us to grow & mature & maintain sweetness in our dispositions especially as we relate to other Christians. Jesus gave an enormous amount of time to laying down His methods of how to resolve conflicts.
We’re told;
Let all bitterness & wrath & anger & clamor & slander be put away from you long with all malice.
It doesn’t take much for one of these cords to begin to fray & our closeness & unity will be the first causality. A home, a church or even a nation that loses its unity forfeits the blessings of God.
Behold how good & how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, coming down upon the beard, Even Aaron’s beard, coming down upon the edges of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon, coming down upon the mountains of Zion; for there the LORD commanded the blessing—life forever.—Psalm 133
Blessings,
John
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
A Teeny Bopper Preaches Me A Sermon
By John Stallings
Once in a while someone will ask my favorite type of music. As you might expect, it’s Gospel but they usually mean-besides gospel.
I’ve loved gospel music since childhood, but I do enjoy other kinds of music. With other types of music, I have no “favorite type.” It all depends on the song.
I was 16 when Elvis came on the scene & blew a hole in music’s status quo. I was driving to school one morning & I heard a guy singing “Heartbreak Hotel” & said to myself, now there’s something different. I didn’t know it was Elvis because I hadn’t even heard his name yet.
I liked a few of his songs as many of my generation did, but I was never a big Elvis fan. My parents wouldn’t let me be an Elvis fan, & I didn’t have the money to buy records anyway.
I never saw an Elvis movie save one—“Love me tender.”[Bad Johnny showed up one day & secretly went to see Elvis.] I remember hearing some of the girls I went to school with sobbing, “They’ve killed my Elvis.” His other movies I didn’t see until they were played on T.V years after he was dead. I guess you could say I never “got” the whole Elvis thing until a few years after his death. [Slow learner that I am.] In retrospect, I recognized that Elvis had 39 or 40 number one hits & as far as I know he didn’t write a one of them.
Elvis wasn’t a songwriter. Do you realize how hard that had to be for a man to sift through multiplied thousands of other peoples words to find the ones he wanted? If he’d been a songwriter, 80% of that problem would have been solved. Of course it didn’t seem to be a problem for Elvis.
In the early nineties, Juda & I visited Graceland & watched a short film presentation called ‘If I can dream.” That song, to me, has to be at the top of the list of Elvis’ best. I have to tip my hat to old Elvis, for his accomplishments & especially his love of Gospel music. I feel terrible about the way he died but that’s all ancient history now.
THE CLIMB
One of the best secular songs to come along in years, I think is Miley Cyrus’ song, “It’s the climb.” I pray the girl doesn’t go the way of Brittany Spears but that’s another blog.
When I first heard “It’s the climb” I was moved by the truth of its message. I was feeling a little down & the song ministered to me in its poignancy & truthfulness. It reminded me that we’re all facing some kind of mountain in life. To be perfectly honest, I never expected a secular song sung by a teenager to minister to my soul but we never know what God will use to speak to us.
Life has taught me that everybody wants a problem which is good because everybody’s got them. We should embrace our challenges because they are the things that keep us alive. Listen to the words;
The Climb
Songwriters: Alexander, J; Mabe, J;
I can almost see it
That dream I am dreaming
But there's a voice inside my head saying
"You'll never reach it"
Every step I'm taking
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction
My faith is shaking
But I gotta keep trying
Gotta keep my head held high
There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb
The struggles I'm facing
The chances I'm taking
Sometimes might knock me down
But no, I'm not breaking
I may not know it
But these are the moments that
I'm gonna remember most, yeah
Just gotta keep going
And I, I got to be strong
Just keep pushing on
'Cause there's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb!
The climb proclaims that life is a journey. As a matter of fact, the sooner you & I learn that life is a journey, the sooner we’ll get on better terms with life, relax a little bit & enjoy the trip.
Whether we realize it or not life is a spiritual journey. We’re on a road trip. That’s the only realistic way to view our lives. Every trip, no matter its length has a beginning, middle & an end. Some of us might be closer to the end of our journey than we’d like to think. All of us have a finish line out there somewhere & our objective as Christians should be to finish strong.
Let’s look at some ways we can make our trip, or climb more enjoyable.
1. TAKE ONE STEP AT A TIME
Recently our son & family were running from the snow in Pennsylvania, [kidding] & visited us for a week. It was one of the most enjoyable weeks I can ever remember. We went through four of the parks in & around Disney. Our should I say, - they, including Juda went through four parks; I only made it to three of them. My dogs were barking so loud after the third day, I had to drop out.
To get as far as I did on this marathon, I had to keep telling myself—“One step at a time.”
2. UNDERSTAND THAT THE CLIMB ISN’T EASY
More than Miley’s chorus spoke to me. I like this line; “The struggles I’m facing, the chances I’m taking, sometimes might knock me down but no, I’m not breaking.”
That reminds me of Paul’s words—we’re knocked down but never knocked out.
It’s also reminiscent of the gospel song, “We fall down but we get up.” I can’t remember who wrote that great song but it’s so true isn’t it?
Years ago I read the book “The road less traveled.” I am familiar enough with it to know the first line in the book says; Life is hard. But when we accept that it’s difficult, it’s not difficult anymore, because in the acceptance comes the strength to rise above life’s difficulties.[paraphrased]
3. TAKE THE CLIMB SERIOUSLY, BUT NOT TOO SERIOUSLY
Have you read the book of Ecclesiastes lately? This book is so grounded in reality some complain that it doesn’t sound like scripture. Sometimes the message is extremely realistic. The message in Ecclesiastes seems to be in some respects, “Life stinks.” This book is so realistic it says to us; the wise person trusts God for the future but lives each day to its fullest. This book reminds us that all will die & some will die too young & some of us tragically before we think it’s time. The preacher in this book teaches us a perspective on life we’d be wise to consider.
What is faith? According to Ecclesiastes it’s living each day not knowing what tomorrow will bring. That’s faith! Ecclesiastes teaches that the ratio of people who die is one-to-one. We all die. Death wipes us out, at least on this earth. A live dog is better than a dead lion. All the great faith teachers like Kenneth Hagen & Oral Roberts die. To be fair, they never said they wouldn’t someday go to heaven. I heard Kenneth Hagen Jr. tell about being with his father on his death bed. Kenneth Jr. asked his father if he wanted people to really get hold of heaven on his behalf & rebuke death. The elder Hagen said, no, it was time & he was ready to go to heaven.
If Jesus tarries, we’re all going to go to sleep & wake up in eternity. The fact of death however is a far cry from you & me living out our days sick & in bed. The fact that life is but a vapor makes it too precious for that.
The certainty of death isn’t all there is to know about life & death. Not at all. That’s why we should take life seriously but not too seriously. We must face the reality of death but conversely we must keep in mind that there is one who died so that we might live. He also rose from the dead.
Jesus came- that we might have life & that we might have it more abundantly. The Bible speaks of death as—the last enemy we’ll face.
Ecclesiastes also speaks about realities such as-the race isn’t always to the swift. Life isn’t always ‘fair.” The best team doesn’t always win. The smartest people don’t always succeed. Great planning won’t always produce a great outcome. Expect the unexpected. Don’t assume things. Don’t give up & don’t be shaken when things don’t turn out the way you planned. This doesn’t give us a license to worry because worry is a lack of trust in God.
In the final analysis, the writer of Ecclesiastes tells us that the certainty of death makes us think more realistically about life. The Psalmist speaks of numbering our days so that we might apply our hearts to wisdom.
To make the journey more enjoyable;
4. CHOOSE THE RIGHT TRAVELING COMPANIONS
1. Corinthians 15:33 says, -- bad company corrupts good morals.
Loneliness is a growing problem in our society. A study recently showed that the loneliest group in America is college students. That’s surprising. Next on the list are divorced people, welfare recipients, single mothers, rural students, housewives & the elderly.
Recently an ad appeared in a Kansas newspaper. It read, “I will listen to you talk for 30 minutes without comment for $5.00.” Sounds crazy doesn’t it? But it was serious & it wasn’t long before the individual was getting 10-20 calls a day. The pain of loneliness is so sharp in our world the many people are willing to try anything for half an hour of companionship. The Bible is very clear that-two are better than one.
All of us need a friend. All of us need love. We need “someone to watch over us.” We need someone who’ll double our joy & divide our grief. We all need someone who understands our silence. We all need someone who’ll come in when the whole world has gone out. As the saying goes, “No man is an island.”
We also need the right kind of friends if we are to be happy on our journey. Not just anyone will do. The verse says—Bad Company corrupts good morals.
The opposite is also true, good friends lead to good character. Proverbs 13:20 says, -He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.
We don’t need soothsayers or fortune tellers to tell us our future. All we need to do is take a long hard look at our friends.
If you’re head over heels in debt because you’re trying to keep up with your friends, you need some new friends who’ll accept you for who you are not what you have. When they get a new car, you get a new car. When they go on expensive trips, you go on an expensive trip. When they get the latest gadget, you must have that gadget. You may need friends who aren’t so materialistic.
I love the words of Psalm 1;
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners.-But his delight is in the law of the Lord & on His law he meditates day & night. According to the psalmist, that man is blessed who avoids bad companions & makes the law of the Lord his companion.
Our friends can either help us or hurt us on our life journey. They can either help or hurt us in our relationship with the Lord or they can lead us away from him if we’re not very careful. Again—Bad Company corrupts good morals.
Another way we can make our climb more enjoyable & productive is;
5. DON’T TAKE TOO MUCH BAGGAGE ON YOUR JOURNEY
Baggage is the perfect metaphor for things we collect & carry with us.. This baggage is where we keep all our psychological stuff we’re unable or unwilling to jettison. All of us have collected emotional junk as souvenirs from places we’ve been & people we’ve met. This is weighty stuff & can not only get in our way; it can clutter the lives of the people who love us.
I remember a story about a 5 year old boy who misbehaved & was put in a closet for some quiet time to think over what he’d done. The mom told her son he’d have to stay in the closet for 30 minutes. She heard strange sounds coming from the closet, & then everything got quiet. The mother was curious so she opened the door. “Jimmy,” she asked, “What on earth are you doing?” The little boy said defiantly, “I spit on your clothes & I spit on your shoes. Now I’m just waiting for more spit.”
I’ve seen adults who react the same way. You can look at them & tell by the expression on their face that they’re just waiting for more spit.
All of us can have a tendency to harbor grievances against others. Baggage can be things like, “I was abused,” “Nobody knows what I’ve been through,” “I hate my job,” -anger, bitterness, haunting memories, regrets, concerns, worries, hurts, fears, resentments & grudges we harbor. If we’re going to enjoy the road trip we’re on, we can’t be loaded down with all this baggage.
On this climb, we’ve got to travel light. Maybe we think our baggage keeps us grounded to reality but it truth it keeps us from flying. The problem is, we have to be willing to open the door & let all these things out but the door can only be opened from the inside. If we can’t get release from this baggage, through turning it over to the Lord, then we will inevitably be crushed under its burden.
6. HAVE JOY & INSPIRATION ON YOUR JOURNEY
No language has as many words for joy as does Hebrew. In The Old Testament, thirteen Hebrew roots found in twenty-seven different words are used for some aspect of joy. Hebrew language often puts God as the source of joy. The good Israelite regarded God as both the source & the object of true joy. The Psalmist said;
In your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures for evermore. 16:11
Also- The joy of the Lord is our strength.
In the New Testament another element is added to joy. The Hebrews found joy in focusing on all the good things God had done, while the early followers of Jesus discovered joy everywhere, even in suffering. Paul called joy “A fruit of the spirit.”
How’s joy working for you these days? You & I know that this joy is supernatural & is a gift we can’t buy with money. This joy is something we can’t contain & keep hidden. If we have it, it will overflow into the lives of others.
Next;
7. DON’T EXPECT PERFECTION ON THIS JOURNEY
We shouldn’t expect perfection from those around us, our circumstances or from our own selves.
Have you ever noticed the pockmarks covering the surface of a golf-ball? They make the ball look imperfect, but why are they there? An aeronautical engineer who designs golf balls says that a perfectly smooth ball would travel only 130 yards off the tee. But the same ball with dimples will fly twice that far. Those apparent “flaws” minimize the ball’s resistance & allow it to travel much farther.
Most of us can name a few things about ourselves we wish we had been born without. It’s hard to imagine that those “imperfections” are there for a purpose & are a part of God’s master design. Don’t forget that David said—we’re fearfully & wonderfully made. If we accept our “flaws & imperfections” as part of God’s master plan for us, it will make all the difference in our outlook on life.
God wants to take the baggage off our shoulders so we can be free from its bondage. Jesus said;
Come unto to me all you who are weary & burdened & I will give you rest. Matt. 11:28.
He invites us to come to Him & check our baggage once & for all. I realize this journey will have its rough spots. Every journey does. But by the grace of God I intend to enjoy the process that gets me to my destination. How about you? I also know-
There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Somebody's gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb!
Blessings,
John
Once in a while someone will ask my favorite type of music. As you might expect, it’s Gospel but they usually mean-besides gospel.
I’ve loved gospel music since childhood, but I do enjoy other kinds of music. With other types of music, I have no “favorite type.” It all depends on the song.
I was 16 when Elvis came on the scene & blew a hole in music’s status quo. I was driving to school one morning & I heard a guy singing “Heartbreak Hotel” & said to myself, now there’s something different. I didn’t know it was Elvis because I hadn’t even heard his name yet.
I liked a few of his songs as many of my generation did, but I was never a big Elvis fan. My parents wouldn’t let me be an Elvis fan, & I didn’t have the money to buy records anyway.
I never saw an Elvis movie save one—“Love me tender.”[Bad Johnny showed up one day & secretly went to see Elvis.] I remember hearing some of the girls I went to school with sobbing, “They’ve killed my Elvis.” His other movies I didn’t see until they were played on T.V years after he was dead. I guess you could say I never “got” the whole Elvis thing until a few years after his death. [Slow learner that I am.] In retrospect, I recognized that Elvis had 39 or 40 number one hits & as far as I know he didn’t write a one of them.
Elvis wasn’t a songwriter. Do you realize how hard that had to be for a man to sift through multiplied thousands of other peoples words to find the ones he wanted? If he’d been a songwriter, 80% of that problem would have been solved. Of course it didn’t seem to be a problem for Elvis.
In the early nineties, Juda & I visited Graceland & watched a short film presentation called ‘If I can dream.” That song, to me, has to be at the top of the list of Elvis’ best. I have to tip my hat to old Elvis, for his accomplishments & especially his love of Gospel music. I feel terrible about the way he died but that’s all ancient history now.
THE CLIMB
One of the best secular songs to come along in years, I think is Miley Cyrus’ song, “It’s the climb.” I pray the girl doesn’t go the way of Brittany Spears but that’s another blog.
When I first heard “It’s the climb” I was moved by the truth of its message. I was feeling a little down & the song ministered to me in its poignancy & truthfulness. It reminded me that we’re all facing some kind of mountain in life. To be perfectly honest, I never expected a secular song sung by a teenager to minister to my soul but we never know what God will use to speak to us.
Life has taught me that everybody wants a problem which is good because everybody’s got them. We should embrace our challenges because they are the things that keep us alive. Listen to the words;
The Climb
Songwriters: Alexander, J; Mabe, J;
I can almost see it
That dream I am dreaming
But there's a voice inside my head saying
"You'll never reach it"
Every step I'm taking
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction
My faith is shaking
But I gotta keep trying
Gotta keep my head held high
There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb
The struggles I'm facing
The chances I'm taking
Sometimes might knock me down
But no, I'm not breaking
I may not know it
But these are the moments that
I'm gonna remember most, yeah
Just gotta keep going
And I, I got to be strong
Just keep pushing on
'Cause there's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb!
The climb proclaims that life is a journey. As a matter of fact, the sooner you & I learn that life is a journey, the sooner we’ll get on better terms with life, relax a little bit & enjoy the trip.
Whether we realize it or not life is a spiritual journey. We’re on a road trip. That’s the only realistic way to view our lives. Every trip, no matter its length has a beginning, middle & an end. Some of us might be closer to the end of our journey than we’d like to think. All of us have a finish line out there somewhere & our objective as Christians should be to finish strong.
Let’s look at some ways we can make our trip, or climb more enjoyable.
1. TAKE ONE STEP AT A TIME
Recently our son & family were running from the snow in Pennsylvania, [kidding] & visited us for a week. It was one of the most enjoyable weeks I can ever remember. We went through four of the parks in & around Disney. Our should I say, - they, including Juda went through four parks; I only made it to three of them. My dogs were barking so loud after the third day, I had to drop out.
To get as far as I did on this marathon, I had to keep telling myself—“One step at a time.”
2. UNDERSTAND THAT THE CLIMB ISN’T EASY
More than Miley’s chorus spoke to me. I like this line; “The struggles I’m facing, the chances I’m taking, sometimes might knock me down but no, I’m not breaking.”
That reminds me of Paul’s words—we’re knocked down but never knocked out.
It’s also reminiscent of the gospel song, “We fall down but we get up.” I can’t remember who wrote that great song but it’s so true isn’t it?
Years ago I read the book “The road less traveled.” I am familiar enough with it to know the first line in the book says; Life is hard. But when we accept that it’s difficult, it’s not difficult anymore, because in the acceptance comes the strength to rise above life’s difficulties.[paraphrased]
3. TAKE THE CLIMB SERIOUSLY, BUT NOT TOO SERIOUSLY
Have you read the book of Ecclesiastes lately? This book is so grounded in reality some complain that it doesn’t sound like scripture. Sometimes the message is extremely realistic. The message in Ecclesiastes seems to be in some respects, “Life stinks.” This book is so realistic it says to us; the wise person trusts God for the future but lives each day to its fullest. This book reminds us that all will die & some will die too young & some of us tragically before we think it’s time. The preacher in this book teaches us a perspective on life we’d be wise to consider.
What is faith? According to Ecclesiastes it’s living each day not knowing what tomorrow will bring. That’s faith! Ecclesiastes teaches that the ratio of people who die is one-to-one. We all die. Death wipes us out, at least on this earth. A live dog is better than a dead lion. All the great faith teachers like Kenneth Hagen & Oral Roberts die. To be fair, they never said they wouldn’t someday go to heaven. I heard Kenneth Hagen Jr. tell about being with his father on his death bed. Kenneth Jr. asked his father if he wanted people to really get hold of heaven on his behalf & rebuke death. The elder Hagen said, no, it was time & he was ready to go to heaven.
If Jesus tarries, we’re all going to go to sleep & wake up in eternity. The fact of death however is a far cry from you & me living out our days sick & in bed. The fact that life is but a vapor makes it too precious for that.
The certainty of death isn’t all there is to know about life & death. Not at all. That’s why we should take life seriously but not too seriously. We must face the reality of death but conversely we must keep in mind that there is one who died so that we might live. He also rose from the dead.
Jesus came- that we might have life & that we might have it more abundantly. The Bible speaks of death as—the last enemy we’ll face.
Ecclesiastes also speaks about realities such as-the race isn’t always to the swift. Life isn’t always ‘fair.” The best team doesn’t always win. The smartest people don’t always succeed. Great planning won’t always produce a great outcome. Expect the unexpected. Don’t assume things. Don’t give up & don’t be shaken when things don’t turn out the way you planned. This doesn’t give us a license to worry because worry is a lack of trust in God.
In the final analysis, the writer of Ecclesiastes tells us that the certainty of death makes us think more realistically about life. The Psalmist speaks of numbering our days so that we might apply our hearts to wisdom.
To make the journey more enjoyable;
4. CHOOSE THE RIGHT TRAVELING COMPANIONS
1. Corinthians 15:33 says, -- bad company corrupts good morals.
Loneliness is a growing problem in our society. A study recently showed that the loneliest group in America is college students. That’s surprising. Next on the list are divorced people, welfare recipients, single mothers, rural students, housewives & the elderly.
Recently an ad appeared in a Kansas newspaper. It read, “I will listen to you talk for 30 minutes without comment for $5.00.” Sounds crazy doesn’t it? But it was serious & it wasn’t long before the individual was getting 10-20 calls a day. The pain of loneliness is so sharp in our world the many people are willing to try anything for half an hour of companionship. The Bible is very clear that-two are better than one.
All of us need a friend. All of us need love. We need “someone to watch over us.” We need someone who’ll double our joy & divide our grief. We all need someone who understands our silence. We all need someone who’ll come in when the whole world has gone out. As the saying goes, “No man is an island.”
We also need the right kind of friends if we are to be happy on our journey. Not just anyone will do. The verse says—Bad Company corrupts good morals.
The opposite is also true, good friends lead to good character. Proverbs 13:20 says, -He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.
We don’t need soothsayers or fortune tellers to tell us our future. All we need to do is take a long hard look at our friends.
If you’re head over heels in debt because you’re trying to keep up with your friends, you need some new friends who’ll accept you for who you are not what you have. When they get a new car, you get a new car. When they go on expensive trips, you go on an expensive trip. When they get the latest gadget, you must have that gadget. You may need friends who aren’t so materialistic.
I love the words of Psalm 1;
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners.-But his delight is in the law of the Lord & on His law he meditates day & night. According to the psalmist, that man is blessed who avoids bad companions & makes the law of the Lord his companion.
Our friends can either help us or hurt us on our life journey. They can either help or hurt us in our relationship with the Lord or they can lead us away from him if we’re not very careful. Again—Bad Company corrupts good morals.
Another way we can make our climb more enjoyable & productive is;
5. DON’T TAKE TOO MUCH BAGGAGE ON YOUR JOURNEY
Baggage is the perfect metaphor for things we collect & carry with us.. This baggage is where we keep all our psychological stuff we’re unable or unwilling to jettison. All of us have collected emotional junk as souvenirs from places we’ve been & people we’ve met. This is weighty stuff & can not only get in our way; it can clutter the lives of the people who love us.
I remember a story about a 5 year old boy who misbehaved & was put in a closet for some quiet time to think over what he’d done. The mom told her son he’d have to stay in the closet for 30 minutes. She heard strange sounds coming from the closet, & then everything got quiet. The mother was curious so she opened the door. “Jimmy,” she asked, “What on earth are you doing?” The little boy said defiantly, “I spit on your clothes & I spit on your shoes. Now I’m just waiting for more spit.”
I’ve seen adults who react the same way. You can look at them & tell by the expression on their face that they’re just waiting for more spit.
All of us can have a tendency to harbor grievances against others. Baggage can be things like, “I was abused,” “Nobody knows what I’ve been through,” “I hate my job,” -anger, bitterness, haunting memories, regrets, concerns, worries, hurts, fears, resentments & grudges we harbor. If we’re going to enjoy the road trip we’re on, we can’t be loaded down with all this baggage.
On this climb, we’ve got to travel light. Maybe we think our baggage keeps us grounded to reality but it truth it keeps us from flying. The problem is, we have to be willing to open the door & let all these things out but the door can only be opened from the inside. If we can’t get release from this baggage, through turning it over to the Lord, then we will inevitably be crushed under its burden.
6. HAVE JOY & INSPIRATION ON YOUR JOURNEY
No language has as many words for joy as does Hebrew. In The Old Testament, thirteen Hebrew roots found in twenty-seven different words are used for some aspect of joy. Hebrew language often puts God as the source of joy. The good Israelite regarded God as both the source & the object of true joy. The Psalmist said;
In your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures for evermore. 16:11
Also- The joy of the Lord is our strength.
In the New Testament another element is added to joy. The Hebrews found joy in focusing on all the good things God had done, while the early followers of Jesus discovered joy everywhere, even in suffering. Paul called joy “A fruit of the spirit.”
How’s joy working for you these days? You & I know that this joy is supernatural & is a gift we can’t buy with money. This joy is something we can’t contain & keep hidden. If we have it, it will overflow into the lives of others.
Next;
7. DON’T EXPECT PERFECTION ON THIS JOURNEY
We shouldn’t expect perfection from those around us, our circumstances or from our own selves.
Have you ever noticed the pockmarks covering the surface of a golf-ball? They make the ball look imperfect, but why are they there? An aeronautical engineer who designs golf balls says that a perfectly smooth ball would travel only 130 yards off the tee. But the same ball with dimples will fly twice that far. Those apparent “flaws” minimize the ball’s resistance & allow it to travel much farther.
Most of us can name a few things about ourselves we wish we had been born without. It’s hard to imagine that those “imperfections” are there for a purpose & are a part of God’s master design. Don’t forget that David said—we’re fearfully & wonderfully made. If we accept our “flaws & imperfections” as part of God’s master plan for us, it will make all the difference in our outlook on life.
God wants to take the baggage off our shoulders so we can be free from its bondage. Jesus said;
Come unto to me all you who are weary & burdened & I will give you rest. Matt. 11:28.
He invites us to come to Him & check our baggage once & for all. I realize this journey will have its rough spots. Every journey does. But by the grace of God I intend to enjoy the process that gets me to my destination. How about you? I also know-
There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Somebody's gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb!
Blessings,
John
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Five Desperate Women
By John Stallings
Numbers 27:1-11
Recently I read the top ten reasons God made woman.
10. Adam seemed to always be lost in the Garden.
9. Adam needed someone to hand him the T.V remote, not to see what was on but to see what else was on.
8. When Adam needed a new fig-leaf, he’d never order one without a wife.
7. Adam would without question forget garbage night.
6. Adam would never make a doctor's appointment for himself.
5. Adam would have never gone through the pain of childbirth.
4. With Eve, Adam would have someone to blame if things went wrong.
3. Men left alone get into all kinds of trouble.
2. Adam would never remember where he kept his garden tools.
1. After making Adam God said, “I can do better than that.”
In Numbers 27, after the forty years in the wilderness, & toward the end of Moses’ life, there is a fascinating story of five sisters, Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah, the daughters of a man named Zelophehad. This man was of the tribe of Manasseh who died during the wilderness journey.
He had five daughters but no sons. In order to perpetuate their fathers name by means of the allotted share of the Promised Land that would have gone to him, & then to his sons if he had any, Zelophehad’s daughters approached Moses & asked if the land might be given to them instead.
Up to that time there was no provision made in the law for property or possessions to be passed down to women when there were no living male sons.
These daughters were facing the stark reality that the system & its policies were set up in such a way that some were going to be left out of the promise from the very start, & that included them. They came because Israelite customs threaten to erase their father’s memory. Their claim is both affectionate & courageous.
The story is interesting first of all because it wasn’t customary for women to approach Moses in this way. These women came to petition Moses to change things, indeed to if necessary make a new law that would do away with this injustice which in truth made second class citizens of women. These young women were women of faith & came to Moses in such humility & presented their case so convincingly, that Moses had to take the matter to God for directions on how to handle it. God told Moses the women were right & that a new law should be written to see to it that in such future cases, women would receive the same benefits that man received when it came to family inheritance.
Let’s consider five specific stand-out principles that could work for us all when it comes to seeing change effected in our lives & our world. The first thing about these daughters of Zelophehad was;
1.THEY KNEW THEIR IDENTITY.
They not only knew who they were from a human standpoint, they knew they were daughters of covenant. They knew who they were in God & they knew God is not a respecter of persons. They were daughters of the Most High God & approached Moses with Faith.
They knew before the verse was written the meaning of 1 Peter 2:9—But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an Holy nation a peculiar people that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
THEY WEREN'T CONFUSED ABOUT A GENDER GAP.
What an example they set for women & as a matter fact all people. It’s always been sad to me to see women who feel somehow they're second class citizens. To be frank, in the 21st century, women are in many quarters, underpaid, under valued & under appreciated. You see women almost everywhere wearing t-shirts that carry the message that they are sexual objects. They seem to feel that if they don’t pass the test of sensuality they need to have re-constructive surgery so that they can measure up to what men & society think they should be.
Sadly many young men also seem to be plagued with an identity crisis. Though I’m not an expert on the subject, I’ve heard that the style of wearing their trousers hanging so low [pants on the ground] they seem in danger of falling off came from prisons where the men have to wear hand-me-downs. Another explanation for the style would be, God forbid,- it transmits to other males their availability for sexual contact.
I doubt that the naive kids who style & profile through the Malls have the slightest clue of where the style they are wearing really comes from. But again it points to a confused generation of youth who haven’t a clue who they are & were meant to be.
These five daughters of Zelophehad knew who they were and set a good example for all women to come by recognizing who they were as daughters of God, made in His image & commanding every bit as much respect as men.
They knew the meaning of Galatians 3:28……..For in Christ there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ.
Romans 8: 16-17 says,-The spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if children then heirs; and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together.
They understood;
2 Corinthians 5:20 which says,--Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ……
They understood;
1 Peter 2:9,--But ye are a chosen generation a royal priesthood an holy nation a peculiar people……
2. THESE WOMEN TOOK THE INITIATIVE.
The five sisters saw a challenge when they realized that property rights were passed on through males of the same ethnic clan. They saw that whatever was about to be celebrated by the allotting of land to the people, it didn’t include them. When their father died, if they had been sons they would have inherited his portion of the land. If they had been brothers they’d have been able to share in their brothers’ land. If they had been married they’d have gone to live on their husband’s land. If they had been widowed their husbands family would have taken care of them. But being that they had no father, no brother, no husband & no in-laws, they had no rights to any land. They were coming into the land of promise but it was clear that they didn’t count for anything & they’d remain forever disconnected from the land & from sustainable life.
They looked through the dark foreboding window of the future & realized that they were invisible, at least when it came to possessing any earthly goods.
They approached Moses & Eleazar the priest at the door of the Tabernacle in front of the congregation. What makes this so spectacular is that there was no forum for Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah, to voice their grievance. A woman’s place was in the home. For them to act outside the system was to take a great risk, the risk of being rejected by the rest of the community. Even Moses’ own sister was stricken with leprosy for daring to question her brother’s judgment as God’s spokesman.
Some might have seen this request as confrontational, out of order or disrespectful but God judged their motive. They were doing their part in preserving the inheritance of their father.
How did these girls know their rights as heirs to their father’s inheritance? I believe it was because they spent time at their father’s feet as he shared with them the promises of God to Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob. God had promised to preserve the legacy. They were assured of their birthright because of the time spent with their father. Zelophehad had built faith in his daughters that God would keep His word.
They understood Hebrews 4:16 before it was written,--Let us come boldly therefore the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
These five sisters with no precedent, no rights, no authority & no testosterone go ahead & take action & initiative. They had the right stuff to go before Moses & take on the legal system in the most public place possible with imagination & grace.
Everyone heard them plead their case to Moses. These women respected the Shekina Glory in the tabernacle but it didn’t cause them to be intimidated. They knew they were right in what they were requesting so they proceeded.
INITIATIVE MEANS SEEING A NEED & DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT WITHOUT WAITING TO BE PRESSURED.
They approached Moses with boldness not arrogance, & with confidence not pride. They didn’t have the attitude of militant feminists nor were they presumptuous.
A little boy had played in the mud until he was almost covered with it from head to toe. As he entered his house his mother playfully asked, “Who’s that little boy coming in my house?” The boy answered, “Well the lady next door was right. She said I was so dirty my mother wouldn’t recognize me.”
These five daughters didn’t have an identity crisis. They recognized exactly who they were & without being cocky about it, they took the initiative. They took action. And not only did they approach Moses with no fear, they were successful & actually got things changed. There was no anger in what they did. They weren’t all worked up & in a rage. Had they done that, nothing would have changed as a matter of fact they would have set their cause back.
James 1:21says –For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
1 Peter 3:4 says—But let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek & quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price.
These women weren’t pushy & brassy. They had courage but they also were in possession of their emotions & they showed humility. Have you noticed that we can’t get much done of any consequence if we’re angry? Anger just makes other people angry. If you & I aren’t being successful in getting our ideas implemented we should stop & ask ourselves if we’re going about it in the right way. We also should realize that not much will happen in our lives until we move on our ideas.
I heard the story of an immigrant who came to America years ago. He’d never seen a cafeteria before so he walked into one & sat down, waiting to be served. A man was watching him & figured he was confused so he walked up & told him how a cafeteria worked. He could just go up to the buffet & get anything he wanted & then go pay for it. The man later said he then understood what America was all about. He could have anything he was willing to pay for but no one was going to get it for him. He’d have to go get it himself.
That’s what initiative is all about. Just do it.
3. THESE WOMEN BROKE WITH TRADITION.
There can be no question that while their father was alive, they were going to have an inheritance & they had probably dreamed about what their share of land would look like. However when he died, all that evaporated & since no mention is made of a mother, they were now no doubt orphans. The girls had probably spent a lot of time talking about their plight; this seems to me to be a valid female approach to dealing with things of importance. In their discussions it probably came up that the land was being given to Israel by God so in truth no one was earning their share. Grace was involved here much more than law & they had faith to believe that God was going to work for them in the matter. But they were smart enough to realize that a few "sacred cows" would have to be slaughtered if they were going to have any chance at all in an inheritance. The definition of a sacred cow is: Once a rule is in place it's very difficult to replace that rule even though the original reason for the rule has disappeared."
It wasn’t customary for women to go to Moses. There was nothing in the law to pass an inheritance down to women so in essence they were asking that another law be written. How nervy can you get? Obviously pretty nervy. But it worked. They got Moses so shook-up that he had to go & pray about it. Long before women actually had any rights at all these women were asking for equal dignity for women. Long before the phrase was coined, they were asking Moses to “think outside the box.”
I read about a young married woman who was cooking a ham for her family. As she proceeded to cut the ham in two, her little girl came by & asked her why she was doing it. The mom confessed that she didn’t know but she’d go call her mom & asked why she always cooked ham that way. Her mother said she didn’t really know either; her mom had always cut hams in two before cooking them. The mother called the grandmother who was quite old & asked her why she’d always prepared a ham by cutting it two pieces & she answered, “Oh, the reason I always cut hams in two was because I didn’t have a pot large enough to cook a ham in one piece.”
So a tradition was born in that family & people were going through the motions not recognizing there was no longer a valid reason to be doing it.
These daughters of Zelophehad knew nothing had been written about their need so everyone was just following a tradition; a tradition that needed changing.
Sometimes people will pray for supernatural discernment when all that is needed is a little common sense. The sisters knew that there was the written law but there was also such a thing as the spirit of the law & the spirit of the law said they should be treated as fairly as anyone else. We can get so hung-up in our traditions that we don’t realize how silly we look doing things just because that’s the way we’ve always done them.
In 2 Corinthians 3:7 Paul said, “Who has made us able ministers of the New Testament; not of the letter but of the spirit: for the letter killeth but the spirit giveth life.
Legalists will write a rule for everything. When that happens, everything gets in bondage & boxed in to rule keeping, consequently all joy evaporates. The Bible doesn’t speak on every little issue we face; if it did it would be so big it would take a box-car to carry it. What God expects us to do in those cases is use our sanctified common sense & follow the spirit of the law. If a person accidentally shoots another person & it is very obvious that it was an accident, a judge isn’t going to treat it like a murder. If it’s demonstrable that it was an accident the judge will use the spirit of the law to judge the person. Intent & motivation are always carefully examined.
If you want to see a depressed group of people, go into a church that’s bound up by laws, rules & regulations & you’ll see the saddest sight you can imagine. Where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty & joy in the Holy Ghost. There’s no need for God’s people to get all bound up with legalism when all we have to do in cases where there’s no written direction is read the intent of God’s law.
If you want to know what legalism really looks like read Matthew 23 & you’ll not only read the best description available anywhere about what makes legalists tick. You’ll also see Jesus excoriating the Pharisees until you can almost smell the hide burning. He scolded them because all they could think about was their traditions. If you haven’t read that chapter lately you should re-read it.
In the book of Revelation we hear Jesus speaking to the seven churches about hearing-- “what the spirit is saying to the church.” Yes- God’s written word is true. Yes -it’s all written under the Spirit’s directive. Yes -it’s all profitable to living victorious lives. But Jesus is saying that God is still speaking to the churches in the 21st century & we need to have keen listening ears.
These women motivated Moses to think & to pray. You have probably observed that women have a talent for building fires under men.
4. THEY MOTIVATED LEADERSHIP
When these women got through presenting their petition; all Moses could do was go pray. When I think about these sisters I can’t help but think about Barak & Deborah. Mention is made of Barak in Hebrews eleven. When I think about them it also brings to mind Abigail & the way she confronted David when he was on his way to kill her weak husband & probably all the males in her family. Abigail confronted David & taught him mercy, saving him from untold regrets.
In 1859 a woman by the name of Sarah J. Hale petitioned the Government to have a special day of Thanksgiving. She had to jump through a lot of hoops but the bottom line is that today we men have a full day of eating turkey & watching football because of this woman.
My mother was, by any standards a very strong woman. When my sister & I were in junior high & high school the pressure was constantly put on us to learn to dance. My mothers answer to that was, “you teach my kids reading, writing & arithmetic & I’ll teach them the social graces.” Though she was called on to confront several school systems in several different states she always prevailed & her children never graced a dance floor.
My wife Juda has taken my mothers place & she stands as a sentry in my life calling me to do more than I think I can do. She often throws me out of the boat and says “walk.” When you look at my life don’t give me too much credit. The credit goes to great women who saw in me more than I ever saw in myself & pushed me to excel.
How often have I heard the admonition-“you’re thinking too small?”
5. THE DAUGHTERS OF ZELOPHEHAD'S ACTION BENEFITED OTHERS.
It would have been risky to approach Moses in private. It would have looked like they were trying to get a better, maybe secret deal for themselves. [Don’t you just despise those back-room secret deals?] By coming to him publicly their petition becomes an action to effect change on behalf of the whole community. These sisters were using their heads & being extraordinarily creative, & along the way, filing one of the earliest law suits on record.
Notice that Moses came out of his prayers & announced- “These women are right.” What they started has benefited women across the ages up to this day.
I think of Rosa Parks. In 1955 she’d had it up to her neck with being treated like a poodle dog so she refused to move to the back of the city bus. History will show that by taking the stand she took, all women were blessed. Frankly the entire human race was blessed because she refused to be treated like a second class citizen that day in Montgomery Alabama. Likewise, the daughters of Zelophehad didn’t do what they did for strictly selfish reasons. They knew what they were doing would help women of many coming generations.
These daughters knew that they and all others were priests under God & because of their persistence a new law was written not only for them but to secure rights to property for generations to come.
Thank God for women & thank God for the differences that are woven into our lives by our creator. Without these differences life would be rather lack-luster. Thank God for the woman’s touch even though it historically has been somewhat underappreciated. As for me, I’ve appreciated women since I first found out they weren’t men.
I recently wrote an article in my blog called-“I hope you dance.” It was inspired by the country song of the same name. Dancing in the song was really synonymous with being engaged with life, not sitting on the sidelines letting life with all its opportunities pass us by.
Life isn’t meant to be feared, it’s meant to be lived with gusto. I’m always amazed when I read Christ’s parable about the talents that a business man gave his servants. When he returned he expected to see that they had invested his money & made it grow for him. The servant who was given one talent went & hid it while the others immediately went & put the money to work to see an increase. When the master returned he commended the ones who’d wisely invested his money & chastised the one who’d played it safe & put the money in a hole in the ground.
The reason it surprises me when I read this parable is that you just wouldn’t think Jesus, being so spiritually oriented would have financial investments on his mind. Of course the parable, like all of Christ’s parables has many shades of meaning. Not only was He stressing wise money management, He was reminding us that God expects a return on the talents & abilities He’s given us, whatever they may be. If we don’t use what we’ve been given we’ll have to face God someday & explain why we allowed His investment in us to stagnate.
The daughters of Zelophehad were shining examples of being engaged with the realities of life. They had the courage & initiative to take the bull by the horns -as it were -& effect change, not only for themselves but for future generations. Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah, didn’t change everything but they did make a significant difference in their rights as well as others that would be beneficiaries of this legal change.
The book of numbers doesn’t record the reaction of the sisters when they won their case but I think I know what it was. Of course, they danced.
What is it you believe that God has called you to do? Have you been sitting at your father’s feet daily? Are you waiting for your next assignment? Don’t let any man, women or world system intimidate you or victimize you into believing you are only a woman. You are a daughter of Zion. Arise & shine for your light has come. The glory of the Lord has risen upon you -Ish.60:1-2. Take your rightful place & claim your God given heritage. Your reward will be great because you’ll receive your inheritance & that will be time well spent.
In closing here’s a poem to mothers, wives, & all the loyal, loving hearted women who have graced our lives & made them richer; women who’ve indeed been- the wind beneath our wings. It’s called;
WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN’T LOOKING.
When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator & then I knew how proud you were of me.
When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw you feed a stray cat & I thought how wonderful it was to have such a kind heart.
When you thought I wasn’t looking I noticed you baked my favorite cake & I was so glad you were my mother.
When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw tears come from your eyes & I knew you had a soft heart & it made me love you more & I said I wanted to be just like you.
When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw how much you cared for me & all our family & I wanted to say thanks for all the things you did,
---when you thought I wasn’t looking.
Blessings,
John
Numbers 27:1-11
Recently I read the top ten reasons God made woman.
10. Adam seemed to always be lost in the Garden.
9. Adam needed someone to hand him the T.V remote, not to see what was on but to see what else was on.
8. When Adam needed a new fig-leaf, he’d never order one without a wife.
7. Adam would without question forget garbage night.
6. Adam would never make a doctor's appointment for himself.
5. Adam would have never gone through the pain of childbirth.
4. With Eve, Adam would have someone to blame if things went wrong.
3. Men left alone get into all kinds of trouble.
2. Adam would never remember where he kept his garden tools.
1. After making Adam God said, “I can do better than that.”
In Numbers 27, after the forty years in the wilderness, & toward the end of Moses’ life, there is a fascinating story of five sisters, Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah, the daughters of a man named Zelophehad. This man was of the tribe of Manasseh who died during the wilderness journey.
He had five daughters but no sons. In order to perpetuate their fathers name by means of the allotted share of the Promised Land that would have gone to him, & then to his sons if he had any, Zelophehad’s daughters approached Moses & asked if the land might be given to them instead.
Up to that time there was no provision made in the law for property or possessions to be passed down to women when there were no living male sons.
These daughters were facing the stark reality that the system & its policies were set up in such a way that some were going to be left out of the promise from the very start, & that included them. They came because Israelite customs threaten to erase their father’s memory. Their claim is both affectionate & courageous.
The story is interesting first of all because it wasn’t customary for women to approach Moses in this way. These women came to petition Moses to change things, indeed to if necessary make a new law that would do away with this injustice which in truth made second class citizens of women. These young women were women of faith & came to Moses in such humility & presented their case so convincingly, that Moses had to take the matter to God for directions on how to handle it. God told Moses the women were right & that a new law should be written to see to it that in such future cases, women would receive the same benefits that man received when it came to family inheritance.
Let’s consider five specific stand-out principles that could work for us all when it comes to seeing change effected in our lives & our world. The first thing about these daughters of Zelophehad was;
1.THEY KNEW THEIR IDENTITY.
They not only knew who they were from a human standpoint, they knew they were daughters of covenant. They knew who they were in God & they knew God is not a respecter of persons. They were daughters of the Most High God & approached Moses with Faith.
They knew before the verse was written the meaning of 1 Peter 2:9—But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an Holy nation a peculiar people that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
THEY WEREN'T CONFUSED ABOUT A GENDER GAP.
What an example they set for women & as a matter fact all people. It’s always been sad to me to see women who feel somehow they're second class citizens. To be frank, in the 21st century, women are in many quarters, underpaid, under valued & under appreciated. You see women almost everywhere wearing t-shirts that carry the message that they are sexual objects. They seem to feel that if they don’t pass the test of sensuality they need to have re-constructive surgery so that they can measure up to what men & society think they should be.
Sadly many young men also seem to be plagued with an identity crisis. Though I’m not an expert on the subject, I’ve heard that the style of wearing their trousers hanging so low [pants on the ground] they seem in danger of falling off came from prisons where the men have to wear hand-me-downs. Another explanation for the style would be, God forbid,- it transmits to other males their availability for sexual contact.
I doubt that the naive kids who style & profile through the Malls have the slightest clue of where the style they are wearing really comes from. But again it points to a confused generation of youth who haven’t a clue who they are & were meant to be.
These five daughters of Zelophehad knew who they were and set a good example for all women to come by recognizing who they were as daughters of God, made in His image & commanding every bit as much respect as men.
They knew the meaning of Galatians 3:28……..For in Christ there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ.
Romans 8: 16-17 says,-The spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if children then heirs; and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together.
They understood;
2 Corinthians 5:20 which says,--Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ……
They understood;
1 Peter 2:9,--But ye are a chosen generation a royal priesthood an holy nation a peculiar people……
2. THESE WOMEN TOOK THE INITIATIVE.
The five sisters saw a challenge when they realized that property rights were passed on through males of the same ethnic clan. They saw that whatever was about to be celebrated by the allotting of land to the people, it didn’t include them. When their father died, if they had been sons they would have inherited his portion of the land. If they had been brothers they’d have been able to share in their brothers’ land. If they had been married they’d have gone to live on their husband’s land. If they had been widowed their husbands family would have taken care of them. But being that they had no father, no brother, no husband & no in-laws, they had no rights to any land. They were coming into the land of promise but it was clear that they didn’t count for anything & they’d remain forever disconnected from the land & from sustainable life.
They looked through the dark foreboding window of the future & realized that they were invisible, at least when it came to possessing any earthly goods.
They approached Moses & Eleazar the priest at the door of the Tabernacle in front of the congregation. What makes this so spectacular is that there was no forum for Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah, to voice their grievance. A woman’s place was in the home. For them to act outside the system was to take a great risk, the risk of being rejected by the rest of the community. Even Moses’ own sister was stricken with leprosy for daring to question her brother’s judgment as God’s spokesman.
Some might have seen this request as confrontational, out of order or disrespectful but God judged their motive. They were doing their part in preserving the inheritance of their father.
How did these girls know their rights as heirs to their father’s inheritance? I believe it was because they spent time at their father’s feet as he shared with them the promises of God to Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob. God had promised to preserve the legacy. They were assured of their birthright because of the time spent with their father. Zelophehad had built faith in his daughters that God would keep His word.
They understood Hebrews 4:16 before it was written,--Let us come boldly therefore the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
These five sisters with no precedent, no rights, no authority & no testosterone go ahead & take action & initiative. They had the right stuff to go before Moses & take on the legal system in the most public place possible with imagination & grace.
Everyone heard them plead their case to Moses. These women respected the Shekina Glory in the tabernacle but it didn’t cause them to be intimidated. They knew they were right in what they were requesting so they proceeded.
INITIATIVE MEANS SEEING A NEED & DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT WITHOUT WAITING TO BE PRESSURED.
They approached Moses with boldness not arrogance, & with confidence not pride. They didn’t have the attitude of militant feminists nor were they presumptuous.
A little boy had played in the mud until he was almost covered with it from head to toe. As he entered his house his mother playfully asked, “Who’s that little boy coming in my house?” The boy answered, “Well the lady next door was right. She said I was so dirty my mother wouldn’t recognize me.”
These five daughters didn’t have an identity crisis. They recognized exactly who they were & without being cocky about it, they took the initiative. They took action. And not only did they approach Moses with no fear, they were successful & actually got things changed. There was no anger in what they did. They weren’t all worked up & in a rage. Had they done that, nothing would have changed as a matter of fact they would have set their cause back.
James 1:21says –For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
1 Peter 3:4 says—But let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek & quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price.
These women weren’t pushy & brassy. They had courage but they also were in possession of their emotions & they showed humility. Have you noticed that we can’t get much done of any consequence if we’re angry? Anger just makes other people angry. If you & I aren’t being successful in getting our ideas implemented we should stop & ask ourselves if we’re going about it in the right way. We also should realize that not much will happen in our lives until we move on our ideas.
I heard the story of an immigrant who came to America years ago. He’d never seen a cafeteria before so he walked into one & sat down, waiting to be served. A man was watching him & figured he was confused so he walked up & told him how a cafeteria worked. He could just go up to the buffet & get anything he wanted & then go pay for it. The man later said he then understood what America was all about. He could have anything he was willing to pay for but no one was going to get it for him. He’d have to go get it himself.
That’s what initiative is all about. Just do it.
3. THESE WOMEN BROKE WITH TRADITION.
There can be no question that while their father was alive, they were going to have an inheritance & they had probably dreamed about what their share of land would look like. However when he died, all that evaporated & since no mention is made of a mother, they were now no doubt orphans. The girls had probably spent a lot of time talking about their plight; this seems to me to be a valid female approach to dealing with things of importance. In their discussions it probably came up that the land was being given to Israel by God so in truth no one was earning their share. Grace was involved here much more than law & they had faith to believe that God was going to work for them in the matter. But they were smart enough to realize that a few "sacred cows" would have to be slaughtered if they were going to have any chance at all in an inheritance. The definition of a sacred cow is: Once a rule is in place it's very difficult to replace that rule even though the original reason for the rule has disappeared."
It wasn’t customary for women to go to Moses. There was nothing in the law to pass an inheritance down to women so in essence they were asking that another law be written. How nervy can you get? Obviously pretty nervy. But it worked. They got Moses so shook-up that he had to go & pray about it. Long before women actually had any rights at all these women were asking for equal dignity for women. Long before the phrase was coined, they were asking Moses to “think outside the box.”
I read about a young married woman who was cooking a ham for her family. As she proceeded to cut the ham in two, her little girl came by & asked her why she was doing it. The mom confessed that she didn’t know but she’d go call her mom & asked why she always cooked ham that way. Her mother said she didn’t really know either; her mom had always cut hams in two before cooking them. The mother called the grandmother who was quite old & asked her why she’d always prepared a ham by cutting it two pieces & she answered, “Oh, the reason I always cut hams in two was because I didn’t have a pot large enough to cook a ham in one piece.”
So a tradition was born in that family & people were going through the motions not recognizing there was no longer a valid reason to be doing it.
These daughters of Zelophehad knew nothing had been written about their need so everyone was just following a tradition; a tradition that needed changing.
Sometimes people will pray for supernatural discernment when all that is needed is a little common sense. The sisters knew that there was the written law but there was also such a thing as the spirit of the law & the spirit of the law said they should be treated as fairly as anyone else. We can get so hung-up in our traditions that we don’t realize how silly we look doing things just because that’s the way we’ve always done them.
In 2 Corinthians 3:7 Paul said, “Who has made us able ministers of the New Testament; not of the letter but of the spirit: for the letter killeth but the spirit giveth life.
Legalists will write a rule for everything. When that happens, everything gets in bondage & boxed in to rule keeping, consequently all joy evaporates. The Bible doesn’t speak on every little issue we face; if it did it would be so big it would take a box-car to carry it. What God expects us to do in those cases is use our sanctified common sense & follow the spirit of the law. If a person accidentally shoots another person & it is very obvious that it was an accident, a judge isn’t going to treat it like a murder. If it’s demonstrable that it was an accident the judge will use the spirit of the law to judge the person. Intent & motivation are always carefully examined.
If you want to see a depressed group of people, go into a church that’s bound up by laws, rules & regulations & you’ll see the saddest sight you can imagine. Where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty & joy in the Holy Ghost. There’s no need for God’s people to get all bound up with legalism when all we have to do in cases where there’s no written direction is read the intent of God’s law.
If you want to know what legalism really looks like read Matthew 23 & you’ll not only read the best description available anywhere about what makes legalists tick. You’ll also see Jesus excoriating the Pharisees until you can almost smell the hide burning. He scolded them because all they could think about was their traditions. If you haven’t read that chapter lately you should re-read it.
In the book of Revelation we hear Jesus speaking to the seven churches about hearing-- “what the spirit is saying to the church.” Yes- God’s written word is true. Yes -it’s all written under the Spirit’s directive. Yes -it’s all profitable to living victorious lives. But Jesus is saying that God is still speaking to the churches in the 21st century & we need to have keen listening ears.
These women motivated Moses to think & to pray. You have probably observed that women have a talent for building fires under men.
4. THEY MOTIVATED LEADERSHIP
When these women got through presenting their petition; all Moses could do was go pray. When I think about these sisters I can’t help but think about Barak & Deborah. Mention is made of Barak in Hebrews eleven. When I think about them it also brings to mind Abigail & the way she confronted David when he was on his way to kill her weak husband & probably all the males in her family. Abigail confronted David & taught him mercy, saving him from untold regrets.
In 1859 a woman by the name of Sarah J. Hale petitioned the Government to have a special day of Thanksgiving. She had to jump through a lot of hoops but the bottom line is that today we men have a full day of eating turkey & watching football because of this woman.
My mother was, by any standards a very strong woman. When my sister & I were in junior high & high school the pressure was constantly put on us to learn to dance. My mothers answer to that was, “you teach my kids reading, writing & arithmetic & I’ll teach them the social graces.” Though she was called on to confront several school systems in several different states she always prevailed & her children never graced a dance floor.
My wife Juda has taken my mothers place & she stands as a sentry in my life calling me to do more than I think I can do. She often throws me out of the boat and says “walk.” When you look at my life don’t give me too much credit. The credit goes to great women who saw in me more than I ever saw in myself & pushed me to excel.
How often have I heard the admonition-“you’re thinking too small?”
5. THE DAUGHTERS OF ZELOPHEHAD'S ACTION BENEFITED OTHERS.
It would have been risky to approach Moses in private. It would have looked like they were trying to get a better, maybe secret deal for themselves. [Don’t you just despise those back-room secret deals?] By coming to him publicly their petition becomes an action to effect change on behalf of the whole community. These sisters were using their heads & being extraordinarily creative, & along the way, filing one of the earliest law suits on record.
Notice that Moses came out of his prayers & announced- “These women are right.” What they started has benefited women across the ages up to this day.
I think of Rosa Parks. In 1955 she’d had it up to her neck with being treated like a poodle dog so she refused to move to the back of the city bus. History will show that by taking the stand she took, all women were blessed. Frankly the entire human race was blessed because she refused to be treated like a second class citizen that day in Montgomery Alabama. Likewise, the daughters of Zelophehad didn’t do what they did for strictly selfish reasons. They knew what they were doing would help women of many coming generations.
These daughters knew that they and all others were priests under God & because of their persistence a new law was written not only for them but to secure rights to property for generations to come.
Thank God for women & thank God for the differences that are woven into our lives by our creator. Without these differences life would be rather lack-luster. Thank God for the woman’s touch even though it historically has been somewhat underappreciated. As for me, I’ve appreciated women since I first found out they weren’t men.
I recently wrote an article in my blog called-“I hope you dance.” It was inspired by the country song of the same name. Dancing in the song was really synonymous with being engaged with life, not sitting on the sidelines letting life with all its opportunities pass us by.
Life isn’t meant to be feared, it’s meant to be lived with gusto. I’m always amazed when I read Christ’s parable about the talents that a business man gave his servants. When he returned he expected to see that they had invested his money & made it grow for him. The servant who was given one talent went & hid it while the others immediately went & put the money to work to see an increase. When the master returned he commended the ones who’d wisely invested his money & chastised the one who’d played it safe & put the money in a hole in the ground.
The reason it surprises me when I read this parable is that you just wouldn’t think Jesus, being so spiritually oriented would have financial investments on his mind. Of course the parable, like all of Christ’s parables has many shades of meaning. Not only was He stressing wise money management, He was reminding us that God expects a return on the talents & abilities He’s given us, whatever they may be. If we don’t use what we’ve been given we’ll have to face God someday & explain why we allowed His investment in us to stagnate.
The daughters of Zelophehad were shining examples of being engaged with the realities of life. They had the courage & initiative to take the bull by the horns -as it were -& effect change, not only for themselves but for future generations. Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah, didn’t change everything but they did make a significant difference in their rights as well as others that would be beneficiaries of this legal change.
The book of numbers doesn’t record the reaction of the sisters when they won their case but I think I know what it was. Of course, they danced.
What is it you believe that God has called you to do? Have you been sitting at your father’s feet daily? Are you waiting for your next assignment? Don’t let any man, women or world system intimidate you or victimize you into believing you are only a woman. You are a daughter of Zion. Arise & shine for your light has come. The glory of the Lord has risen upon you -Ish.60:1-2. Take your rightful place & claim your God given heritage. Your reward will be great because you’ll receive your inheritance & that will be time well spent.
In closing here’s a poem to mothers, wives, & all the loyal, loving hearted women who have graced our lives & made them richer; women who’ve indeed been- the wind beneath our wings. It’s called;
WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN’T LOOKING.
When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator & then I knew how proud you were of me.
When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw you feed a stray cat & I thought how wonderful it was to have such a kind heart.
When you thought I wasn’t looking I noticed you baked my favorite cake & I was so glad you were my mother.
When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw tears come from your eyes & I knew you had a soft heart & it made me love you more & I said I wanted to be just like you.
When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw how much you cared for me & all our family & I wanted to say thanks for all the things you did,
---when you thought I wasn’t looking.
Blessings,
John
Monday, January 11, 2010
Just Do It!
By John Stallings
Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you. John 5:14--NIV
A successful young lawyer was driving one day & a policeman pulled him over for not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign. The young man argued technicalities for a living so he thought he’d engage the young cop in some of his courtroom expertise.
The lawyer said, “I slowed down & no one was coming, & I moved on after looking both ways, why isn’t that enough?” The young man was doing what I see drivers do every day & that’s the “rolling stop.”
The lawyer said, “Why don’t you give me a good, practical reason why it’s so important that I come to a complete stop when I can slow down to a “snails pace,” look carefully & move on with great caution?” The educated to the hilt lawyer was asking the unsophisticated policeman to give him an illustration of the difference in slowing down, almost stopping, & coming to a complete stop.
The policeman asked the man to step out of his vehicle & when he did he proceeded to pull out his Billy-club & began hitting the young man repeatedly. As he swung the Billy-club across the back of the lawyer’s neck he asked, “Now, -- you tell me the difference in stopping & just slowing down.”
Some of the better truths in the story of Jesus healing the man at the pool of Bethesda happen after the man was healed & entered the temple, encountering the Pharisees.
In John 5:14, Jesus later found the man in the temple & spoke to him. Jesus had already dealt with the man in “grace” & now He applied “truth,” telling him to stop sinning or something worse would happen to him. Notice;
JESUS FOUND THE MAN IN THE TEMPLE
The narrative seems clear to me that Jesus went looking for the man He’d recently healed. It’s amazing how Jesus can always find us. Though we sometimes want to feel we went looking for Him, the fact is, God came searching for us. Do you know why it’s often said that Christianity isn’t a religion? Answer; religion is defined as, “Man’s search for God.”
In the strictest sense, a person can be praying to a bird or the Sun & be said to be practicing religion. Mankind is & has always been on a cosmic search for God.
But in Christianity, man wasn’t searching for God, but rather God came searching for man. It was happening all through the Old Testament through the prophets & other phenomenon, & it culminated in Christ coming to earth to dwell among men & die on the cross.
Paul said in Romans 3:11, --there is none that seeketh after God.
The Psalmist said in Psalm 14:3—there is none that doeth good, no not one.
Over & over it’s been demonstrated that when an individual sinks so far into sin all seems hopeless, --“man’s extremity is God’s opportunity,” & God finds that person.
WHEN JESUS FOUND THIS MAN IN THE TEMPLE, HE SAID, “STOP SINNING OR SOMETHING WORSE MAY HAPPEN TO YOU.”
STOP-SINNING!! Here’s one of the most profound theological commands ever uttered. Are you ready?
STOP IT!!
I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the YOUTUBE video on STOP IT with comedian Bob Newhart. If not, take six minutes & watch it. He’s at his funniest, stuttering, brilliant best.
Newhart plays a very different kind of Psychiatrist who charges five dollars for a five minute session. A woman comes into his office & unburdens her phobia about being buried alive in a box. Newhart asks her if anyone had ever threatened to bury her in a box or if there was any real basis for the fear & she says there isn’t. Then he looks at her & says; STOP IT!
Newhart’s finished in three minutes but he can’t break a five dollar bill for the woman so she stays for two more minutes to get her monies worth. She tells him she doesn’t think his advice is going to work for her, & he says, “O.k. if the two words aren’t enough for you I’ll give you ten words,
“STOP IT OR I’LL BURY YOU ALIVE IN A BOX.”
That little skit is humorous but in reality it speaks volumes.
We could read the Bible through & memorize every word of it but until we, as an act of our will make the decision to forsake sin & put it to death, we’ll never be victorious over sin. At some point we have to stop the action, habit or sin because no one else can do it for us.
Are you thinking negatively? STOP IT!!
Are you over-spending? STOP IT!!
Are you overworking? STOP IT!!
Are you gossiping? STOP IT!!
Are you judging others? STOP IT!!
Are you obsessive/ compulsive? STOP IT!!
Do you think your opinions are always best? STOP IT!!
Do you lose your temper? STOP IT!!
Are you overeating? STOP IT!!
Are you indulging in a secret sin? STOP IT!!
It’s like the man who went to the Doctor & told him when he lifted his arm a certain way it hurt. The Doctor, said, “Stop lifting it like that.”
I heard about a man who was having trouble with his voice. He went to a throat specialist, & after a long series of tests, the doctor told the man, the only thing I can tell you is; you talk too much. Stop it!”
Years ago I heard comedian George Burns, nearly one hundred at the time, tell about developing a condition that caused him to constantly clear his throat with a little short cough. He’d been doing it for thirty years & mentioned to his doctor that he was concerned about the cough especially since he smoked cigars. The doctor told him he could easily get rid of the cough for him & gave him instructions, “Stop doing it.” Burns said “that was fifty years ago & I’ve never coughed since.” They aren’t making doctors like that any more.
Here’s the best way I’ve ever found to lose weight; STOP EATING SO MUCH!!
You can do it the low-carb way, which is the way we’ve done it for the last few years, or you can eat 1,000 to 1,500 calories a day but however you do it, you’ve got to STOP EATING SO MUCH.
You may have a problem that isn’t a sin-- it’s just a bad habit but you can handle it the same way, JUST STOP IT!!
DON’T TRY TO MODIFY OR REDEFINE SIN, OR SLOW IT DOWN, JUST STOP IT!
In the seventies Dr. Karl Mennineger wrote a very good book called, “Whatever became of sin?” He talked about this problem of rationalizing sin or calling it by another name. Over thirty years later the problem has grown exponentially. Our society now has a hard time labeling things right or wrong. When President Ronald Reagan called The Soviet Union an evil empire, it upset a lot of people because they couldn’t come to terms with calling certain things or nation’s evil.
When I read Dr. Mennineger’s book in the mid-seventies, I humbly answered his question thusly; “Sin went to the doctor & was diagnosed as a disease. Sin went to the psychiatrist & was diagnosed as a dysfunction.” Some people choose to try to modify their sin or cut down on it, like ordering a half-order of something in a restaurant. But the edict of heaven is still, STOP IT.
Jesus tells the paralyzed man,--SIN NO MORE!
You may think a Christian can’t sin but as long as we have a robe of flesh we will have a bent toward sin. The Lord’s Prayer says-- forgive us our sins; it doesn’t say –forgive them their sins.
You can be saved, sanctified & filled with heaven’s sweet Holy Ghost but you still have to STOP SINNING!! You can pray until your hair turns green but you still have to STOP SINNING!!
You can fast until you are skin & bones & God will certainly grant you His grace & power but at some point you’ll still have to make the decision to STOP SINNING!!
In Romans 8:13 Paul says, --For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the flesh ye shall live. The word mortify comes from the same word that we get the word mortician. This is what must be done to sin.
It’s possible to be “too spiritual,” expecting to sit passively by while God comes in & takes the evil desires & temptations out of our way. He won’t do that but He’ll always create an escape hatch for us to escape the temptation. Of course we’ll have to take the time to look for His way of escape.
Listen how Paul handles a situation where a person has a problem with stealing;
Does he say to the person: “You know, stealing is so ingrained in you & you’ve been so defeated by it, the only hope you have to being victorious over stealing is to have the Lord come in & deal with it for you?” No! What does Paul say? Listen to Ephesians 4:28;
Let him that stole, steal no more! --- JUST STOP IT! Now that’s some deep theology, wouldn’t you agree?
Paul deals much the same way when it comes to growth in grace & spiritual maturity. He tells us in 1 Corinthians that he was at one time young & immature like everyone else. There were the same weaknesses & childishness in Paul’s life that all of us know about.
But did Paul say, “Well, I went to a great revival meeting & went forward & do you know what? God came & instantaneously took away all my childish ways in a heart-beat?”
No. What did Paul say? He said, -When I became a man I put away childish things.-1 Cor.13:11
Paul is saying that as an act of his will, he put away from him the juvenile things that were holding him back.
Paul also tells us how he was able to deal with his day by day attitudes. But he didn’t say;--“You know, I had such a problem with my attitude, I didn’t know what I was going to do.” He didn’t say; “I was always miserable & constantly complaining about my accommodations, the food, and the beverages & really just about everything in my life. But, you know, one night in prayer, God just came into the room & touched me. And since that night, I’m just as contented as one of those old contented cows, anywhere God puts me.”? No! Paul didn’t say that.
What Paul said was;
……For I have LEARNED, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. Phil.4:11
Paul didn’t get his sweet disposition in a miraculous manner. No Sir! He had to cultivate it. He had to learn it. Have you seen these spiritual babies that are waiting for God to work a miracle & transform them from a miserable Christian to a happy camper? God isn’t going to do for us what, through prayer, study of His word, & bringing our flesh into subjection, we should be doing for ourselves.
AN OLD TESTAMENT WAY OF DEALING WITH SIN
In 1 Samuel 15, Samuel anointed Saul & gave him instructions to kill all the Amalekites. While God doesn’t need me to come to His defense, there was a reason for this seemingly cruel order to be given. These folk, a nomadic race & descendants of Esau, were the mortal enemies of the Israelites. This was the people who attacked Israel in the famous battle when Aaron & Hur had to hold up Moses’ arms. God had already told Moses he would utterly blot out the memory of these people from under heaven.
The bloody Amalekites were one of the reasons the Israelites disobeyed God & balked at entering the Promised Land. God’s anger burned against these people because they hated Him & detested Israel. In short, the Amalekites were very bad people & Saul was to be God’s instrument to execute judgment on them.
As we know, Saul didn’t obey the clear command of God & motivated by covetousness he kept all their best possessions & actually spared their king, king Agag. Maybe Saul’s pride led him to want a “king on a string.”
The disobedience by Saul was so serious to God that He sent Samuel to tell him God was taking the throne of Israel from him & his descendants forever. We don’t usually think of Samuel, that great prophet of God who was called as a youngster under the tutelage of Eli, as a harsh & vindictive man.
But what Samuel later did about this miscarriage of God’s justice is shocking. He coolly said, “Bring me Agag!” Agag thought he was safe & came to Samuel & cheerfully told him he was glad the threat of death had passed. Obviously Samuel wasn’t amused. Do you know what Samuel did then? He took a sword & cut Agag to pieces. 1 Sam.15:32-33.
This might seem cruel & merciless, but let there be no mistake; this was an act of divine judgment to show the holy wrath of an indignant God against a cruel & incorrigible people.
For proof, you only have to go to the end of the book of 1 Samuel not long afterwards, to see the reinvigorated fragments of the Amalekites were still running around the countryside, eating, drinking & pillaging & still causing trouble for Israel. It was they who raided David’s town Ziklag & took his family captive. David caught up with them & got his family back, fighting them all night long into the next morning killing all but four hundred of them.
I can’t think of a more perfect illustration of what sin can & will do if not dealt with harshly. Like the Amalekites, sin if not mortified has a way of reviving, regrouping & launching new & unexpected attacks at the worst times & in the most unexpected ways.
Let’s be real here; living a pure life is difficult today & sexual temptation is one of the strongest. Did Jesus talk about that? Yes He did & He gave us three ways to break the power of sin in our lives.
1. LOOK AWAY
In Matthew 5:27-30, Jesus said;
Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, “Thou shall not commit adultery: But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a women to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Jesus is saying that looking at someone lustfully is just as detrimental to our heart & soul as if we had physically committed adultery. If you allowed contempt & hate to build up in your heart against a person it would create a barrier between you even if you never acted on those feelings. Likewise, having lustful thoughts hurts us spiritually if we never act on them because seeing someone as a sexual object builds the wrong feelings & motivations. We realize that thoughts precede actions & thinking about something paves the way to acting it out.
Look away, divert your eyes. Looking refers to one who continues to look with deliberate intent. We can’t live in a world without visual temptations but we don’t have to stare. We can always get up & leave a theater. We can put a book aside & not finish it. Even though we rented a movie, if it gets weird we don’t have to watch it.
If you go on a diet the last place you need to go is to the Dairy Queen or Wendy’s. If you’re counting calories the last thing you need is to go somewhere they have luscious pictures of Lobster Primavera on the menu. Then Jesus said;
2. CUT IT OUT.
If your eye or hand offends, put them away from you. Now we know Jesus isn’t actually speaking of mutilation here, He’s speaking figuratively. What He’s saying is whatever causes you to sin, get rid of it.
I’ve heard of good honorable people who can’t have a computer because of the temptation to log onto a porn channel. Not having a computer prevents them from communication with relatives, checking their bank accounts, checking news stories, driving directions to different locations, purchasing things conveniently, using the spiritual materials that are available online, knowing what’s happening to ministries around the world, & a multitude of other good things. But they can’t trust themselves to have those conveniences because it could open a door for a temptation they feel might be their spiritual downfall.
There are others who can’t have cable T.V because they don’t trust their ability to change the channel. Some people won’t listen to certain kinds of music & even terminate romantic relationships that are leading them into tempting situations.
There are people who haven’t had a drink for years & won’t go places where alcohol is served because it’s a temptation they don’t want to have to deal with. We might look at these folk critically but the bottom line is; whether it’s canceling AOL, having cable television disconnected, transferring to another department at work, whatever is necessary to keep out of a situation that causes temptation to sin, it’s wise to cut it out. It’s better to go dateless, have no television, not get a promotion & forego the knowledge the internet could supply than to be trapped in sin.
3. GUARD YOUR HEART
David said; Create in me a pure heart O God….Psalm 51:10
I realize that temptation is a matter of the heart not just our surroundings & certainly our heart must be dealt with but in the case of many people, they feel by eliminating certain sources of temptation they get along better & give themselves the opportunity to focus on the real issues, the state of their heart.
God wants to purify our hearts so that dating isn’t a problem, surfing the internet isn’t a problem or working with an attractive member of the opposite sex isn’t a problem. But we have to do our part. In order to be victorious, we’ve got to eliminate certain distractions, learn to look away from temptations, learn to avoid sinful situations, & learn to focus on the work he wants to do in us.
Please understand the Christian life isn’t a cut & dried proposition, a life that we live in our own strength. While It’s true that we can never abandon our responsibility to mortify our own sin, as Christians, God’s Spirit is always with us working in us, both to will & to of His good pleasure. Phil.2:13. If we have a desire to do right in the first place, it’s God’s spirit that has come along side us to give us that desire.
In a very real sense, it’s as simple as this; “Walk in the Spirit & you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. Gal.5:16.
Let us therefore cleanse ourselves from all defilement of the flesh & spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. -- 2 Cor.7:1
“When we all get to heaven” we’ll be rid of the flesh, but like the Amalekites, until totally eradicated, sin can always come screaming back with hellish fury when least expected.
Paul said, -But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. 1 Cor.9:27.
We might as well accept the fact that we have a stalker named sin & it’s our duty, with the daily faithful assistance of the Holy Spirit, to mortify it, until we rest in gloryland.
Blessings,
John
Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you. John 5:14--NIV
A successful young lawyer was driving one day & a policeman pulled him over for not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign. The young man argued technicalities for a living so he thought he’d engage the young cop in some of his courtroom expertise.
The lawyer said, “I slowed down & no one was coming, & I moved on after looking both ways, why isn’t that enough?” The young man was doing what I see drivers do every day & that’s the “rolling stop.”
The lawyer said, “Why don’t you give me a good, practical reason why it’s so important that I come to a complete stop when I can slow down to a “snails pace,” look carefully & move on with great caution?” The educated to the hilt lawyer was asking the unsophisticated policeman to give him an illustration of the difference in slowing down, almost stopping, & coming to a complete stop.
The policeman asked the man to step out of his vehicle & when he did he proceeded to pull out his Billy-club & began hitting the young man repeatedly. As he swung the Billy-club across the back of the lawyer’s neck he asked, “Now, -- you tell me the difference in stopping & just slowing down.”
Some of the better truths in the story of Jesus healing the man at the pool of Bethesda happen after the man was healed & entered the temple, encountering the Pharisees.
In John 5:14, Jesus later found the man in the temple & spoke to him. Jesus had already dealt with the man in “grace” & now He applied “truth,” telling him to stop sinning or something worse would happen to him. Notice;
JESUS FOUND THE MAN IN THE TEMPLE
The narrative seems clear to me that Jesus went looking for the man He’d recently healed. It’s amazing how Jesus can always find us. Though we sometimes want to feel we went looking for Him, the fact is, God came searching for us. Do you know why it’s often said that Christianity isn’t a religion? Answer; religion is defined as, “Man’s search for God.”
In the strictest sense, a person can be praying to a bird or the Sun & be said to be practicing religion. Mankind is & has always been on a cosmic search for God.
But in Christianity, man wasn’t searching for God, but rather God came searching for man. It was happening all through the Old Testament through the prophets & other phenomenon, & it culminated in Christ coming to earth to dwell among men & die on the cross.
Paul said in Romans 3:11, --there is none that seeketh after God.
The Psalmist said in Psalm 14:3—there is none that doeth good, no not one.
Over & over it’s been demonstrated that when an individual sinks so far into sin all seems hopeless, --“man’s extremity is God’s opportunity,” & God finds that person.
WHEN JESUS FOUND THIS MAN IN THE TEMPLE, HE SAID, “STOP SINNING OR SOMETHING WORSE MAY HAPPEN TO YOU.”
STOP-SINNING!! Here’s one of the most profound theological commands ever uttered. Are you ready?
STOP IT!!
I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the YOUTUBE video on STOP IT with comedian Bob Newhart. If not, take six minutes & watch it. He’s at his funniest, stuttering, brilliant best.
Newhart plays a very different kind of Psychiatrist who charges five dollars for a five minute session. A woman comes into his office & unburdens her phobia about being buried alive in a box. Newhart asks her if anyone had ever threatened to bury her in a box or if there was any real basis for the fear & she says there isn’t. Then he looks at her & says; STOP IT!
Newhart’s finished in three minutes but he can’t break a five dollar bill for the woman so she stays for two more minutes to get her monies worth. She tells him she doesn’t think his advice is going to work for her, & he says, “O.k. if the two words aren’t enough for you I’ll give you ten words,
“STOP IT OR I’LL BURY YOU ALIVE IN A BOX.”
That little skit is humorous but in reality it speaks volumes.
We could read the Bible through & memorize every word of it but until we, as an act of our will make the decision to forsake sin & put it to death, we’ll never be victorious over sin. At some point we have to stop the action, habit or sin because no one else can do it for us.
Are you thinking negatively? STOP IT!!
Are you over-spending? STOP IT!!
Are you overworking? STOP IT!!
Are you gossiping? STOP IT!!
Are you judging others? STOP IT!!
Are you obsessive/ compulsive? STOP IT!!
Do you think your opinions are always best? STOP IT!!
Do you lose your temper? STOP IT!!
Are you overeating? STOP IT!!
Are you indulging in a secret sin? STOP IT!!
It’s like the man who went to the Doctor & told him when he lifted his arm a certain way it hurt. The Doctor, said, “Stop lifting it like that.”
I heard about a man who was having trouble with his voice. He went to a throat specialist, & after a long series of tests, the doctor told the man, the only thing I can tell you is; you talk too much. Stop it!”
Years ago I heard comedian George Burns, nearly one hundred at the time, tell about developing a condition that caused him to constantly clear his throat with a little short cough. He’d been doing it for thirty years & mentioned to his doctor that he was concerned about the cough especially since he smoked cigars. The doctor told him he could easily get rid of the cough for him & gave him instructions, “Stop doing it.” Burns said “that was fifty years ago & I’ve never coughed since.” They aren’t making doctors like that any more.
Here’s the best way I’ve ever found to lose weight; STOP EATING SO MUCH!!
You can do it the low-carb way, which is the way we’ve done it for the last few years, or you can eat 1,000 to 1,500 calories a day but however you do it, you’ve got to STOP EATING SO MUCH.
You may have a problem that isn’t a sin-- it’s just a bad habit but you can handle it the same way, JUST STOP IT!!
DON’T TRY TO MODIFY OR REDEFINE SIN, OR SLOW IT DOWN, JUST STOP IT!
In the seventies Dr. Karl Mennineger wrote a very good book called, “Whatever became of sin?” He talked about this problem of rationalizing sin or calling it by another name. Over thirty years later the problem has grown exponentially. Our society now has a hard time labeling things right or wrong. When President Ronald Reagan called The Soviet Union an evil empire, it upset a lot of people because they couldn’t come to terms with calling certain things or nation’s evil.
When I read Dr. Mennineger’s book in the mid-seventies, I humbly answered his question thusly; “Sin went to the doctor & was diagnosed as a disease. Sin went to the psychiatrist & was diagnosed as a dysfunction.” Some people choose to try to modify their sin or cut down on it, like ordering a half-order of something in a restaurant. But the edict of heaven is still, STOP IT.
Jesus tells the paralyzed man,--SIN NO MORE!
You may think a Christian can’t sin but as long as we have a robe of flesh we will have a bent toward sin. The Lord’s Prayer says-- forgive us our sins; it doesn’t say –forgive them their sins.
You can be saved, sanctified & filled with heaven’s sweet Holy Ghost but you still have to STOP SINNING!! You can pray until your hair turns green but you still have to STOP SINNING!!
You can fast until you are skin & bones & God will certainly grant you His grace & power but at some point you’ll still have to make the decision to STOP SINNING!!
In Romans 8:13 Paul says, --For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the flesh ye shall live. The word mortify comes from the same word that we get the word mortician. This is what must be done to sin.
It’s possible to be “too spiritual,” expecting to sit passively by while God comes in & takes the evil desires & temptations out of our way. He won’t do that but He’ll always create an escape hatch for us to escape the temptation. Of course we’ll have to take the time to look for His way of escape.
Listen how Paul handles a situation where a person has a problem with stealing;
Does he say to the person: “You know, stealing is so ingrained in you & you’ve been so defeated by it, the only hope you have to being victorious over stealing is to have the Lord come in & deal with it for you?” No! What does Paul say? Listen to Ephesians 4:28;
Let him that stole, steal no more! --- JUST STOP IT! Now that’s some deep theology, wouldn’t you agree?
Paul deals much the same way when it comes to growth in grace & spiritual maturity. He tells us in 1 Corinthians that he was at one time young & immature like everyone else. There were the same weaknesses & childishness in Paul’s life that all of us know about.
But did Paul say, “Well, I went to a great revival meeting & went forward & do you know what? God came & instantaneously took away all my childish ways in a heart-beat?”
No. What did Paul say? He said, -When I became a man I put away childish things.-1 Cor.13:11
Paul is saying that as an act of his will, he put away from him the juvenile things that were holding him back.
Paul also tells us how he was able to deal with his day by day attitudes. But he didn’t say;--“You know, I had such a problem with my attitude, I didn’t know what I was going to do.” He didn’t say; “I was always miserable & constantly complaining about my accommodations, the food, and the beverages & really just about everything in my life. But, you know, one night in prayer, God just came into the room & touched me. And since that night, I’m just as contented as one of those old contented cows, anywhere God puts me.”? No! Paul didn’t say that.
What Paul said was;
……For I have LEARNED, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. Phil.4:11
Paul didn’t get his sweet disposition in a miraculous manner. No Sir! He had to cultivate it. He had to learn it. Have you seen these spiritual babies that are waiting for God to work a miracle & transform them from a miserable Christian to a happy camper? God isn’t going to do for us what, through prayer, study of His word, & bringing our flesh into subjection, we should be doing for ourselves.
AN OLD TESTAMENT WAY OF DEALING WITH SIN
In 1 Samuel 15, Samuel anointed Saul & gave him instructions to kill all the Amalekites. While God doesn’t need me to come to His defense, there was a reason for this seemingly cruel order to be given. These folk, a nomadic race & descendants of Esau, were the mortal enemies of the Israelites. This was the people who attacked Israel in the famous battle when Aaron & Hur had to hold up Moses’ arms. God had already told Moses he would utterly blot out the memory of these people from under heaven.
The bloody Amalekites were one of the reasons the Israelites disobeyed God & balked at entering the Promised Land. God’s anger burned against these people because they hated Him & detested Israel. In short, the Amalekites were very bad people & Saul was to be God’s instrument to execute judgment on them.
As we know, Saul didn’t obey the clear command of God & motivated by covetousness he kept all their best possessions & actually spared their king, king Agag. Maybe Saul’s pride led him to want a “king on a string.”
The disobedience by Saul was so serious to God that He sent Samuel to tell him God was taking the throne of Israel from him & his descendants forever. We don’t usually think of Samuel, that great prophet of God who was called as a youngster under the tutelage of Eli, as a harsh & vindictive man.
But what Samuel later did about this miscarriage of God’s justice is shocking. He coolly said, “Bring me Agag!” Agag thought he was safe & came to Samuel & cheerfully told him he was glad the threat of death had passed. Obviously Samuel wasn’t amused. Do you know what Samuel did then? He took a sword & cut Agag to pieces. 1 Sam.15:32-33.
This might seem cruel & merciless, but let there be no mistake; this was an act of divine judgment to show the holy wrath of an indignant God against a cruel & incorrigible people.
For proof, you only have to go to the end of the book of 1 Samuel not long afterwards, to see the reinvigorated fragments of the Amalekites were still running around the countryside, eating, drinking & pillaging & still causing trouble for Israel. It was they who raided David’s town Ziklag & took his family captive. David caught up with them & got his family back, fighting them all night long into the next morning killing all but four hundred of them.
I can’t think of a more perfect illustration of what sin can & will do if not dealt with harshly. Like the Amalekites, sin if not mortified has a way of reviving, regrouping & launching new & unexpected attacks at the worst times & in the most unexpected ways.
Let’s be real here; living a pure life is difficult today & sexual temptation is one of the strongest. Did Jesus talk about that? Yes He did & He gave us three ways to break the power of sin in our lives.
1. LOOK AWAY
In Matthew 5:27-30, Jesus said;
Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, “Thou shall not commit adultery: But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a women to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Jesus is saying that looking at someone lustfully is just as detrimental to our heart & soul as if we had physically committed adultery. If you allowed contempt & hate to build up in your heart against a person it would create a barrier between you even if you never acted on those feelings. Likewise, having lustful thoughts hurts us spiritually if we never act on them because seeing someone as a sexual object builds the wrong feelings & motivations. We realize that thoughts precede actions & thinking about something paves the way to acting it out.
Look away, divert your eyes. Looking refers to one who continues to look with deliberate intent. We can’t live in a world without visual temptations but we don’t have to stare. We can always get up & leave a theater. We can put a book aside & not finish it. Even though we rented a movie, if it gets weird we don’t have to watch it.
If you go on a diet the last place you need to go is to the Dairy Queen or Wendy’s. If you’re counting calories the last thing you need is to go somewhere they have luscious pictures of Lobster Primavera on the menu. Then Jesus said;
2. CUT IT OUT.
If your eye or hand offends, put them away from you. Now we know Jesus isn’t actually speaking of mutilation here, He’s speaking figuratively. What He’s saying is whatever causes you to sin, get rid of it.
I’ve heard of good honorable people who can’t have a computer because of the temptation to log onto a porn channel. Not having a computer prevents them from communication with relatives, checking their bank accounts, checking news stories, driving directions to different locations, purchasing things conveniently, using the spiritual materials that are available online, knowing what’s happening to ministries around the world, & a multitude of other good things. But they can’t trust themselves to have those conveniences because it could open a door for a temptation they feel might be their spiritual downfall.
There are others who can’t have cable T.V because they don’t trust their ability to change the channel. Some people won’t listen to certain kinds of music & even terminate romantic relationships that are leading them into tempting situations.
There are people who haven’t had a drink for years & won’t go places where alcohol is served because it’s a temptation they don’t want to have to deal with. We might look at these folk critically but the bottom line is; whether it’s canceling AOL, having cable television disconnected, transferring to another department at work, whatever is necessary to keep out of a situation that causes temptation to sin, it’s wise to cut it out. It’s better to go dateless, have no television, not get a promotion & forego the knowledge the internet could supply than to be trapped in sin.
3. GUARD YOUR HEART
David said; Create in me a pure heart O God….Psalm 51:10
I realize that temptation is a matter of the heart not just our surroundings & certainly our heart must be dealt with but in the case of many people, they feel by eliminating certain sources of temptation they get along better & give themselves the opportunity to focus on the real issues, the state of their heart.
God wants to purify our hearts so that dating isn’t a problem, surfing the internet isn’t a problem or working with an attractive member of the opposite sex isn’t a problem. But we have to do our part. In order to be victorious, we’ve got to eliminate certain distractions, learn to look away from temptations, learn to avoid sinful situations, & learn to focus on the work he wants to do in us.
Please understand the Christian life isn’t a cut & dried proposition, a life that we live in our own strength. While It’s true that we can never abandon our responsibility to mortify our own sin, as Christians, God’s Spirit is always with us working in us, both to will & to of His good pleasure. Phil.2:13. If we have a desire to do right in the first place, it’s God’s spirit that has come along side us to give us that desire.
In a very real sense, it’s as simple as this; “Walk in the Spirit & you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. Gal.5:16.
Let us therefore cleanse ourselves from all defilement of the flesh & spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. -- 2 Cor.7:1
“When we all get to heaven” we’ll be rid of the flesh, but like the Amalekites, until totally eradicated, sin can always come screaming back with hellish fury when least expected.
Paul said, -But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. 1 Cor.9:27.
We might as well accept the fact that we have a stalker named sin & it’s our duty, with the daily faithful assistance of the Holy Spirit, to mortify it, until we rest in gloryland.
Blessings,
John
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