I just got back from a vacation. It didn’t solve any of my problems. But then again, that’s not why I went on vacation. Yes, it was nice to not think about certain things, but the reality is that things don’t disappear just because I distance myself from them. There is no magical solution to eliminating problems. Problems are tackled, not avoided. Overcome, not swept away. Those who think that their problems will be solved by getting away or going around them instead of running straight toward and through them are fooling themselves. For example, if a Christian husband and wife throw a vacation at their problems they will simply buy themselves time. They should instead seek repentance and forgiveness; they should pray for each other and together. A vacation or a quick fix cannot change a marriage - it cannot change a heart. A short cut, a detour, or a scenic route to avoid the potholes, bumps and re-construction that all of us must face on the road of life is fantasy.
Faith, for some, is living in a fantasy land where God does all, fixes all and heals all. But faith in the real life is where God works with us as we walk in obedience to Him (Philippians 2:12-13); where God shows His kindness towards us if we continue in His kindness (Romans 11:22); where God works all things together for our good, but where “all things” includes tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, and a sword. (Romans 8:35). Faith in the real life is where God heals sometimes, but not all the time. It is where God allows calamity to come and to take everything away from a man named Job. It is where problems arise out of no where, persist and sometimes, like Paul’s thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7), are with us everyday of our lives. Faith in the real life is not for the faint-hearted or the cowardly. Yet, a Christian is also not a super-human, but an exile. (1 Peter 1:1) And when we think of our exile we like to think of the Exodus and God’s incredible, supernatural and unstoppable deliverance of the Israelites, but not the 400 years prior of cruel slavery. Or we like to think of the woman with the flow of blood who simply touched Jesus’ garment and was healed, but not the 12 years she suffered before she was healed. (Mark 5:25-26) We like to think that the mourning before the dancing will last a moment. Or that we’ll wear our sackcloth for an hour before we’re clothed with gladness. (Psalm 30:11) We like to think that sorrow will pass quickly and then comfort will come and stay forever. (Jeremiah 31:13) But more often than not the reason the Bible calls us to persevere and to endure and to run the race and to fight the fight is precisely because these things, these trials, do not last a moment, but may last a long time, if not a lifetime.
For the Christian, perseverance is perspiration; it is endurance and discipline; it is running and crawling; it is fighting and waiting. Trials are not simply obstacles to our present-day, cheap and instant happiness. But they are fires by which we are purified and refined and brought into deeper relationship with God, our greatest joy. This joy supersedes are experiences and our expectations. This joy is not quenched by pain or suffering or even death because this joy is rooted in a measure of the love of God that can only be known through the fire. Husbands and wives fail to reach the glorious heights of marriage because they refuse to endure the deep valleys of trials. To know God, to love Him, to know others, to love them, is truly and only accomplished through hardship. Therefore, God will not remove our problems or save us from them because it's only through these circumstances that God purges sin from our hearts and refines us into His image.
This purifying, Peter says, is done through fire - trials, tribulations, temptations, problems. (1 Peter 1:7) This more than anything else results in the praise and worship and glory of God. Unfortunately, when we ask God to quench the fire that is purifying our faith, because we think He only wants to make life easy, we are asking God to stop bringing glory to His name. And where God's glory is not being sought, God's will is not being obeyed. If we choose to walk according to our will and not God's, then we are not walking by faith but in disobedience and blind arrogance. On the other hand, faith is trust and trust is no more evidenced than in times of great uncertainty, discouragement, frustration and pain. To trust in a sovereign God at a time when His sovereign work and purpose is hidden from us, is great faith. And faith results in glory and joy.
Paul’s famous statement, “we walk by faith and not by sight” is found in the context of suffering. And the context further teaches us that this walking by faith is not for believing that the present circumstance is going to change, but that though we are burdened and are groaning in our bodies that are wasting away, we will soon be with our God and Savior Jesus Christ. This is faith: to look forward to Christ. It is to look beyond today to the day when we will be with Him. This is faith: to hold on in trials and tribulations, in sickness and in death, to the promise of God that He works all things together for the good of those who love Him. This type of faith is clearly not for cowards who want to avoid all that Paul is talking about. This faith is not for those who want to please themselves and seek their own glory. This faith, Paul says, is for those who want to please Jesus Christ. How does this faith please Him? By not being discouraged by what we see, but by being encouraged by what we do not see, namely, His love and power working for His glory and our joy in ways that we cannot see or imagine.
Suffering must bear it's fruit. It must be brought to completion. We cannot cut it short. Too many of us run to books on how to be a better parent; on how to be a better spouse; on how to be a better Christian; on how to be a better pastor and preacher; on how to...While these have their place, walking by faith and not by sight is about trusting and seeking God day after day in the “realness” of what I face. Faith is evidenced in the normal daily grind before it is evidenced in the extra-normal and exceptional. God responds supernaturally to those who by faith trust in Him day in and day out, through the fire and through the valley. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:8 that Jesus will sustain you to the end. Yet, Jesus will not only establish you once and for all in the end, but He will keep you believing in Him until the end! This is a great promise. The promise is not that He will always do something miraculous or out of the norm, but that by His grace He will always richly supply you with everything you need to endure until the end, which may include the supernatural. There is nothing un-amazing about His grace! All signs and wonders are because of His grace, but His grace is much greater than this, enabling us to persevere as He prepares us through the burdening and groaning of life for fellowship with Him.
It takes great faith to trust a sovereign God in the midst of great trials. We cannot escape our trials. We are to quick to ask God to deliver us from them. We should instead be praying that He strengthen us to walk by faith and not by sight in this life, fully knowing that all that we have not seen will one day be revealed. Then our heart will fully praise and worship God, the Faithful and Sovereign One, when we have come to see that His good and perfect will was done upon the earth and in our lives for His eternal glory and our eternal joy.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
UNHEARD AND UNKNOWN, ON EARTH...
Approximately 20 years ago, a concerned mother walked in to our church in Uruapan, Mexico, looking for my father to pray for her troubled son. My father, the pastor, gathered some of the elders to quickly pray for Jose Luis before the service started. The mother’s concerns were well founded. As soon as the praying began the demons possessing Jose Luis began to fight for his soul. To make little of Satan and to make much of Christ, Christ set him free and delivered him from all darkness and demonic control. Jesus saved Jose Luis that day from sin and death. Jesus became Lord and King over his life and all his possessions. Jose Luis was so transformed, thankful and filled with God’s love for him, that he informed his wife that he was going to give our church the piece of property that he owned. Now, our church was meeting on the rooftop of a women’s home at that time. We were outgrowing the size of the roof, not to mention that we regularly sat through violent thunderstorms. Needless to say, we were praying for a new home. This property was in the city, a prime location. God not only rescued a life, but through that life answered our prayer. Over time, Jose Luis’s wife came to Christ, as well as his children. He joyfully served the church and faithfully witnessed for Jesus in that city. Jose Luis died yesterday from cancer.
As I sit and reflect on his life, I am amazed at how God rescued one soul and through that rescue operation touched thousands of lives. It was through Jose Luis that we received the property on which we were able to build a new church and from there reach that city for Christ. The church still stands on that same piece of property and the Word of God continues to be preached, as every sermon is in a way the fruit of Jose Luis’s faithfulness and obedience to Christ.
You’ve never heard of him. You don’t know what he looks like. It doesn’t matter. The God of the universe chose him and saved him. He loved Him, a sinner. Our lives are unheard of and unknown to most of this world, but God has chosen us and saved us for His glorious purpose. His will is not something you can measure out or unfold to see all that He is doing or will do in you and through you. Our desire must be simply to be faithful to Him where we are and in whatever we do. You and I don’t know what kind of impact our lives will have on our family, friends, church, neighborhood, city, state, country or even the world. But I can guarantee you this: if you are not faithful with the little God has given you to do and thankful for what He is doing, your fruit will be minimal.
Here’s what I want written on my tombstone: “He was like a tree planted by streams of water that yielded its fruit in its season, and its leaf did not whither. In all that he did, he prospered.” (Psalm 1:3)
How do I want to prosper? Simply, in this way: I want to be faithful to love the God that loves me. I am convinced that to be faithful to God and to His Word and to be filled and empowered by His Spirit, will result in the bearing of fruit IN my life and in the bearing of fruit THROUGH my life. This He does for His glory, my joy and others good.
To help clarify what Christ does in us and, therefore, does expect from us, there is another unheard of and unknown man. His name is Archippus. He is mentioned two times in the Bible. We know that he probably worked in some manner with Paul in the ministry and that he might have been Philemon’s son. Yet, knowing as little as we do about who Archippus was and what he did, in these two verse two things are abundantly clear:
1. God had given Archippus a ministry. Paul says in Colossians 4:17, “See that you fulfill the ministry you have received in the Lord.” God had called him to be faithful in something, somewhere and with someone. When Jesus saved him, Jesus called him. Paul is encouraging him to complete the task, to run the race, to fight the fight. Paul is wanting him to take hold of that for which Jesus took hold of him. Paul is not asking Archippus to do something that he was unwilling to do. Paul knew what Archippus was going through and what he needed to make it through. Paul would die having devoted his life as a living sacrifice to His Savior. Those that die in their faithful service to God never fall short. They fully complete what God has given them to do. It may seem to us that their life was short or unfruitful. It may appear to us that they did nothing significant or with obvious results. But I am certain that God has spoken and that Jose Luis fulfilled the ministry he received from the Lord. Was it only to give the property to the church? Who knows! If it was, his obedience has led to the proclamation of the gospel to hundreds if not thousands of lives and has resulted in the salvation of multitudes of souls. I am certain that God spoke this same thing over Archippus. God spoke it over Paul. God will speak it over us. Whenever a faithful servant of Christ dies, I am convinced that God says to that servant, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have completed what I’ve given you to do.” This is hard to believe in the face of tragedy or a young one’s death, but God has established and knows the exact purpose we are to fulfill for His glory on earth and into eternity. We will do exactly that, nothing more and nothing less. Christ declares over each of His own, “My purpose is complete.” Be a Jose Luis. Be an Archippus. Know that you have received something to do: faithfully live your life for Christ.
2. God had equipped Archippus for ministry. In Philemon 2 Paul calls him, “our fellow soldier”. Archippus fought the fight of faith. He struggled and doubted I’m sure. He probably suffered like Paul. He may have questioned what he was doing and was it making any difference in anyone in anyway. Archippus would need to persevere and to endure and, like all those who are called, to put on the armor of God everyday. We do not live in a world at rest or at peace. We live in the midst of a never-ending war, a ferocious and incessant battle over the souls of men. Living for Christ is to live like Christ. If people hated Him, they will hate us. If Satan tempted Him, He will tempt us. If people betrayed Him, they will betray us. If people insulted Him, they will insult us. If Jesus had no where to lay His head, we may have no where to lay our head. The big question is: as a soldier, are you willing to give your life? God may ask you to do many things, to surrender many desires, to abandon many comforts? A soldier, Paul says, does not get entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. (2 Timothy 2:4). What is your aim? As a soldier, it must be to please the one who has enlisted us, who has saved us and called us to follow Him, and to complete the mission He has assigned us. God’s mission is not a worthless mission. Because God is completely worthy, all that He commands and desires and seeks and does is to uphold the worth of His name and to therefore bring Him glory. All that we are called to do serves the highest purpose that exists in the universe: God’s glory.
To be unheard of and unknown is for many undesirable. But we do not live for the glory of men. We live for the glory of God, which not coincidentally is to live for our joy! Our lives are not about us, at all. They are all about Him. Be faithful to the ministry he’s give you, whatever that might be right now. Serve Jesus. Be a soldier and aim to please Jesus as you follow His example and His Word. Love Jesus, for He has loved you.
We are not unheard of or unknown in heaven. There stands one on whose heart is written our names.
As I sit and reflect on his life, I am amazed at how God rescued one soul and through that rescue operation touched thousands of lives. It was through Jose Luis that we received the property on which we were able to build a new church and from there reach that city for Christ. The church still stands on that same piece of property and the Word of God continues to be preached, as every sermon is in a way the fruit of Jose Luis’s faithfulness and obedience to Christ.
You’ve never heard of him. You don’t know what he looks like. It doesn’t matter. The God of the universe chose him and saved him. He loved Him, a sinner. Our lives are unheard of and unknown to most of this world, but God has chosen us and saved us for His glorious purpose. His will is not something you can measure out or unfold to see all that He is doing or will do in you and through you. Our desire must be simply to be faithful to Him where we are and in whatever we do. You and I don’t know what kind of impact our lives will have on our family, friends, church, neighborhood, city, state, country or even the world. But I can guarantee you this: if you are not faithful with the little God has given you to do and thankful for what He is doing, your fruit will be minimal.
Here’s what I want written on my tombstone: “He was like a tree planted by streams of water that yielded its fruit in its season, and its leaf did not whither. In all that he did, he prospered.” (Psalm 1:3)
How do I want to prosper? Simply, in this way: I want to be faithful to love the God that loves me. I am convinced that to be faithful to God and to His Word and to be filled and empowered by His Spirit, will result in the bearing of fruit IN my life and in the bearing of fruit THROUGH my life. This He does for His glory, my joy and others good.
To help clarify what Christ does in us and, therefore, does expect from us, there is another unheard of and unknown man. His name is Archippus. He is mentioned two times in the Bible. We know that he probably worked in some manner with Paul in the ministry and that he might have been Philemon’s son. Yet, knowing as little as we do about who Archippus was and what he did, in these two verse two things are abundantly clear:
1. God had given Archippus a ministry. Paul says in Colossians 4:17, “See that you fulfill the ministry you have received in the Lord.” God had called him to be faithful in something, somewhere and with someone. When Jesus saved him, Jesus called him. Paul is encouraging him to complete the task, to run the race, to fight the fight. Paul is wanting him to take hold of that for which Jesus took hold of him. Paul is not asking Archippus to do something that he was unwilling to do. Paul knew what Archippus was going through and what he needed to make it through. Paul would die having devoted his life as a living sacrifice to His Savior. Those that die in their faithful service to God never fall short. They fully complete what God has given them to do. It may seem to us that their life was short or unfruitful. It may appear to us that they did nothing significant or with obvious results. But I am certain that God has spoken and that Jose Luis fulfilled the ministry he received from the Lord. Was it only to give the property to the church? Who knows! If it was, his obedience has led to the proclamation of the gospel to hundreds if not thousands of lives and has resulted in the salvation of multitudes of souls. I am certain that God spoke this same thing over Archippus. God spoke it over Paul. God will speak it over us. Whenever a faithful servant of Christ dies, I am convinced that God says to that servant, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have completed what I’ve given you to do.” This is hard to believe in the face of tragedy or a young one’s death, but God has established and knows the exact purpose we are to fulfill for His glory on earth and into eternity. We will do exactly that, nothing more and nothing less. Christ declares over each of His own, “My purpose is complete.” Be a Jose Luis. Be an Archippus. Know that you have received something to do: faithfully live your life for Christ.
2. God had equipped Archippus for ministry. In Philemon 2 Paul calls him, “our fellow soldier”. Archippus fought the fight of faith. He struggled and doubted I’m sure. He probably suffered like Paul. He may have questioned what he was doing and was it making any difference in anyone in anyway. Archippus would need to persevere and to endure and, like all those who are called, to put on the armor of God everyday. We do not live in a world at rest or at peace. We live in the midst of a never-ending war, a ferocious and incessant battle over the souls of men. Living for Christ is to live like Christ. If people hated Him, they will hate us. If Satan tempted Him, He will tempt us. If people betrayed Him, they will betray us. If people insulted Him, they will insult us. If Jesus had no where to lay His head, we may have no where to lay our head. The big question is: as a soldier, are you willing to give your life? God may ask you to do many things, to surrender many desires, to abandon many comforts? A soldier, Paul says, does not get entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. (2 Timothy 2:4). What is your aim? As a soldier, it must be to please the one who has enlisted us, who has saved us and called us to follow Him, and to complete the mission He has assigned us. God’s mission is not a worthless mission. Because God is completely worthy, all that He commands and desires and seeks and does is to uphold the worth of His name and to therefore bring Him glory. All that we are called to do serves the highest purpose that exists in the universe: God’s glory.
To be unheard of and unknown is for many undesirable. But we do not live for the glory of men. We live for the glory of God, which not coincidentally is to live for our joy! Our lives are not about us, at all. They are all about Him. Be faithful to the ministry he’s give you, whatever that might be right now. Serve Jesus. Be a soldier and aim to please Jesus as you follow His example and His Word. Love Jesus, for He has loved you.
We are not unheard of or unknown in heaven. There stands one on whose heart is written our names.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
The Truth and The Lie
The Bible teaches us that there is one truth and there is one lie. (Romans 1:25) This one truth is that there is a God who is eternal and infinitely great, lovely, powerful, wise, holy and good. Because this is who He is, He is infinitely worthy of all the praise, honor, glory and power forever and ever. From eternity to eternity it’s all about Him. In between what has always been and what will always be is the here and now. We live this life on earth in the light of the glory and majesty of the one true God, the Creator of all things.
Since this is the truth, anything that distorts or denies this is a lie. Since our existence is because of Him and for Him, anything that suggests either subtly or overtly that this is not the purpose of our created existence is also a lie. These alternate descriptions and twisted presentations of the truth are countless and varied, yet they can all be summed up as one lie and attributed to the father of lies, Satan. (John 8:44) All of Satan’s attempts since the beginning have been aimed at robbing God of His worth by making Him appear to be less glorious and less beautiful than He actually is. This is his sole purpose in the world, and, even, in the church. My concern, then, is how can we expose the lie and set free those in the world caught in it’s deception and how can we identify the lie and awaken those in the church who are being led astray.
THE PROBLEM
In 2 Timothy 3:8, Paul writes to Timothy to remind him that these days will be filled with difficulty and this difficulty will come in the form of false teachers. These teachers will be opposed to the truth. Paul compares the false teachers to two men in particular, Jannes and Jambres. These are the names given to the magicians in Pharaoh’s court who opposed Moses. Paul is telling Timothy that these false teachers are like magicians! The way the magicians, Jannes and Jambres, opposed Moses was by imitating the signs that Moses did. The people and Pharaoh saw what Moses did and heard what he said and then turned and saw what the magicians did and heard what they said. As a result, they did not believe Moses because they were deceived by Jannes and Jambres. So here it is: today there are countless mis-representations of the truth; there are countless counterfeit and self-proclaimed gods; there are countless imitations of divine power. All of these serve to deceive people today into believing a lie.
THE SOLUTION
Now Paul presents to Timothy (and to us) the solution to the problem. He commands him to “Preach the word”. (2 Timothy 4:2) Every lie is eventually exposed by the truth. The way we will set free the captives and rescue the wandering is not by power or might or eloquence, but by the Spirit-empowered proclamation of the Word of God, which is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This preaching of The Word is the ONLY solution for a world living in darkness and the greatest way to protect the church from believing the lie. This is not just any word. It’s not the word of any man. This is the Word of God, breathed out, spoken from out of the very heart of God. (2 Timothy 3:16) It is inspired, and therefore, illuminating. We need to believe in the power of the Word of God. When He speaks, He acts. He speaks through His written Word through the spoken Word.
Husbands and fathers, though this passage is written to a pastor, you are the pastor or shepherd or overseer of your home. Subsequently, the greatest way to lead, protect and feed your family is through a consistent reading of and teaching from the Bible. Would you make no use of the greatest weapon in your arsenal in the thick of battle? The only way you and your family will be able to identify the lie is by teaching and holding to the truth. Pastor, (Senior, Associate, Youth, etc.) the greatest way to lead, protect and feed the souls entrusted to you is through the faithful preaching of the Word of God week in and week out. Nothing else will make a bigger impact. To think that something other than God’s Word will be better or make a bigger difference is to already begin to believe the lie. If we consistently and predominately preach sermons with the main "text" being from a movie clip (or a book, an idea, a real life illustration, a good thought, etc) and not from the Bible, then you and I are poor excuses for under-shepherds and we are being unfaithful to the Great Shepherd. We should either repent or resign. These things can supplement, but never replace. We will be held responsible for these souls and if we do not lead them, protect them and feed them FROM the Bible, the Word of God, we have abandoned the truth about God and exchanged it for a lie and handed those precious souls over to destruction. Just as the magicians could only imitate God’s signs and power up to a certain point, so also imitations of the truth have limitations. God’s power overcame the magicians and they could no longer match the true God and His awesome power. They were convinced, ashamed, and God overcame. The Word of God goes forth to destroy strongholds and false ideas of God. His Word reveals that He is above and beyond all earthly powers and lies.
THE URGENCY
Having established the problem and the solution, Paul describes the urgency of the matter. In 2 Timothy 4:1 Paul lists two big reasons that teaching the truth is critically urgent:
1. We preach before the face of God. We surely live before the face of God. As I said above, as pastors preach, the congregation is not the only one listening and watching - God is also. Husband, you love and serve your wife BEFORE the face of God. Father, you love and discipline your children BEFORE the face of God. We do not live to please men or ourselves. We live to please the God who created us and created us for Him. Seeking the glory of men will lead you down a path of substituting God for another god and the Word of God for the words and strategies and ideals of man. Paul’s main concern and his biggest joy was to be able to stand before the face of God and say that he was innocent of men’s blood. (Acts 20:26) But the reason he was innocent was because he did not shrink back from declaring to them the whole counsel of God! The faithful preaching of God’s Word will either be the grounds for our innocence or our guilt.
2. We preach because Jesus is coming SOON to judge the living and the dead. The days of difficulty that Paul described to Timothy are not over. They have increased and multiplied. But the focus lies not on the difficulty of the opposition by the lie to the truth, but on the reality that Jesus Christ is coming soon. While we wait for Him, we preach Him. While we long for Him, we point to Him. If the hurricane is coming you will secure the house. If the thief is approaching you will prepare yourself. Prepare your house. Prepare your soul. Prepare the hearts of those commended to you by God. The greatest preparations you can make are through the Word of God. Jesus’ coming is both glorious news and terrible news. We will be held responsible for the words we speak and the words we don’t speak; for the words we hear and the words we don’t hear and ignore. He is watching, He is coming. PREACH THE WORD!
THE CHALLENGE
Finally, the challenge to confronting the lie and holding to the truth is enormous. What we need to do and what we are called to do is not easy. It will cost you time, money, friends, family, possessions, reputation and, potentially, even your life. Do you believe in the truth? Meaning, do you believe that God is worthy of everything you are and have? Do you believe that He alone is worthy of worship and praise? Do you believe that all things exist by Him, through Him and for Him? Do you believe that His Word is the truth? That in it God has revealed to us everything we need to know about Him, us, this world and eternity? That from it we receive wisdom and guidance for how to live our lives? Paul says in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 that the truth will be opposed. Humanity has exchanged the truth about God for a lie. We have exchanged the lie about God for the truth, but this only by the riches of His grace in Jesus Christ. He has opened our eyes, our ears and our hearts by His word. The truth has made us free. Yet, this same truth is offensive and those who proclaim it will be rejected for it. This is in accordance with the promise Jesus made that so many choose to ignore: “If they persecuted me they will also persecute you.” (John 15:20) We must expect difficulty. But know for sure, that if you are faithful to God and to His Word, He will be faithful to you and to His Word.
Preach the word and hold to the truth. Live your life from the Word of God and He who is The Truth and The Word will reward you not only in this life, but in the eternal life to come.
Since this is the truth, anything that distorts or denies this is a lie. Since our existence is because of Him and for Him, anything that suggests either subtly or overtly that this is not the purpose of our created existence is also a lie. These alternate descriptions and twisted presentations of the truth are countless and varied, yet they can all be summed up as one lie and attributed to the father of lies, Satan. (John 8:44) All of Satan’s attempts since the beginning have been aimed at robbing God of His worth by making Him appear to be less glorious and less beautiful than He actually is. This is his sole purpose in the world, and, even, in the church. My concern, then, is how can we expose the lie and set free those in the world caught in it’s deception and how can we identify the lie and awaken those in the church who are being led astray.
THE PROBLEM
In 2 Timothy 3:8, Paul writes to Timothy to remind him that these days will be filled with difficulty and this difficulty will come in the form of false teachers. These teachers will be opposed to the truth. Paul compares the false teachers to two men in particular, Jannes and Jambres. These are the names given to the magicians in Pharaoh’s court who opposed Moses. Paul is telling Timothy that these false teachers are like magicians! The way the magicians, Jannes and Jambres, opposed Moses was by imitating the signs that Moses did. The people and Pharaoh saw what Moses did and heard what he said and then turned and saw what the magicians did and heard what they said. As a result, they did not believe Moses because they were deceived by Jannes and Jambres. So here it is: today there are countless mis-representations of the truth; there are countless counterfeit and self-proclaimed gods; there are countless imitations of divine power. All of these serve to deceive people today into believing a lie.
THE SOLUTION
Now Paul presents to Timothy (and to us) the solution to the problem. He commands him to “Preach the word”. (2 Timothy 4:2) Every lie is eventually exposed by the truth. The way we will set free the captives and rescue the wandering is not by power or might or eloquence, but by the Spirit-empowered proclamation of the Word of God, which is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This preaching of The Word is the ONLY solution for a world living in darkness and the greatest way to protect the church from believing the lie. This is not just any word. It’s not the word of any man. This is the Word of God, breathed out, spoken from out of the very heart of God. (2 Timothy 3:16) It is inspired, and therefore, illuminating. We need to believe in the power of the Word of God. When He speaks, He acts. He speaks through His written Word through the spoken Word.
Husbands and fathers, though this passage is written to a pastor, you are the pastor or shepherd or overseer of your home. Subsequently, the greatest way to lead, protect and feed your family is through a consistent reading of and teaching from the Bible. Would you make no use of the greatest weapon in your arsenal in the thick of battle? The only way you and your family will be able to identify the lie is by teaching and holding to the truth. Pastor, (Senior, Associate, Youth, etc.) the greatest way to lead, protect and feed the souls entrusted to you is through the faithful preaching of the Word of God week in and week out. Nothing else will make a bigger impact. To think that something other than God’s Word will be better or make a bigger difference is to already begin to believe the lie. If we consistently and predominately preach sermons with the main "text" being from a movie clip (or a book, an idea, a real life illustration, a good thought, etc) and not from the Bible, then you and I are poor excuses for under-shepherds and we are being unfaithful to the Great Shepherd. We should either repent or resign. These things can supplement, but never replace. We will be held responsible for these souls and if we do not lead them, protect them and feed them FROM the Bible, the Word of God, we have abandoned the truth about God and exchanged it for a lie and handed those precious souls over to destruction. Just as the magicians could only imitate God’s signs and power up to a certain point, so also imitations of the truth have limitations. God’s power overcame the magicians and they could no longer match the true God and His awesome power. They were convinced, ashamed, and God overcame. The Word of God goes forth to destroy strongholds and false ideas of God. His Word reveals that He is above and beyond all earthly powers and lies.
THE URGENCY
Having established the problem and the solution, Paul describes the urgency of the matter. In 2 Timothy 4:1 Paul lists two big reasons that teaching the truth is critically urgent:
1. We preach before the face of God. We surely live before the face of God. As I said above, as pastors preach, the congregation is not the only one listening and watching - God is also. Husband, you love and serve your wife BEFORE the face of God. Father, you love and discipline your children BEFORE the face of God. We do not live to please men or ourselves. We live to please the God who created us and created us for Him. Seeking the glory of men will lead you down a path of substituting God for another god and the Word of God for the words and strategies and ideals of man. Paul’s main concern and his biggest joy was to be able to stand before the face of God and say that he was innocent of men’s blood. (Acts 20:26) But the reason he was innocent was because he did not shrink back from declaring to them the whole counsel of God! The faithful preaching of God’s Word will either be the grounds for our innocence or our guilt.
2. We preach because Jesus is coming SOON to judge the living and the dead. The days of difficulty that Paul described to Timothy are not over. They have increased and multiplied. But the focus lies not on the difficulty of the opposition by the lie to the truth, but on the reality that Jesus Christ is coming soon. While we wait for Him, we preach Him. While we long for Him, we point to Him. If the hurricane is coming you will secure the house. If the thief is approaching you will prepare yourself. Prepare your house. Prepare your soul. Prepare the hearts of those commended to you by God. The greatest preparations you can make are through the Word of God. Jesus’ coming is both glorious news and terrible news. We will be held responsible for the words we speak and the words we don’t speak; for the words we hear and the words we don’t hear and ignore. He is watching, He is coming. PREACH THE WORD!
THE CHALLENGE
Finally, the challenge to confronting the lie and holding to the truth is enormous. What we need to do and what we are called to do is not easy. It will cost you time, money, friends, family, possessions, reputation and, potentially, even your life. Do you believe in the truth? Meaning, do you believe that God is worthy of everything you are and have? Do you believe that He alone is worthy of worship and praise? Do you believe that all things exist by Him, through Him and for Him? Do you believe that His Word is the truth? That in it God has revealed to us everything we need to know about Him, us, this world and eternity? That from it we receive wisdom and guidance for how to live our lives? Paul says in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 that the truth will be opposed. Humanity has exchanged the truth about God for a lie. We have exchanged the lie about God for the truth, but this only by the riches of His grace in Jesus Christ. He has opened our eyes, our ears and our hearts by His word. The truth has made us free. Yet, this same truth is offensive and those who proclaim it will be rejected for it. This is in accordance with the promise Jesus made that so many choose to ignore: “If they persecuted me they will also persecute you.” (John 15:20) We must expect difficulty. But know for sure, that if you are faithful to God and to His Word, He will be faithful to you and to His Word.
Preach the word and hold to the truth. Live your life from the Word of God and He who is The Truth and The Word will reward you not only in this life, but in the eternal life to come.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Having patience, but with joy
Paul writes in Colossians 1:11, 12, “May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light."
I am an avid coffee drinker. I enjoy it. The taste, the smell...anytime on any day I could drink it. So in my pursuit of a better cup of coffee I purchased a French Coffee press. Now oddly enough, since making coffee with the French press I’ve begun to drink less of it! Why? Here’s my answer: It takes more time to make, but it is more satisfying than instant coffee.
Now, in the verses above, Paul is praying for his readers and he’s praying that God would strengthen them with His power for the purpose of their endurance and patience with joy. I think joy is satisfaction. If I have joy in my wife, I am satisfied with her. If I have joy in God, I am satisfied with God. Notice, though, the words I used: in and with. If my joy is in something, than I am satisfied with it. The Bible teaches that Jesus went to the cross for the joy set before Him. What does this mean? Jesus did not enjoy the torture or the pain or the mockery. What brought Jesus joy was not the cross itself, but what the cross would bring! And what would it bring? Salvation from sin and victory over death. It would wash away our sins, reconcile us to God and give us eternal life. Jesus was patient, undeterred, unswerving and unwavering on the cross with joy.
How often do we get impatient because something is taking to long. I don’t want to wait six minutes for one cup of coffee! But the reality is that instant things are simply not as good as those things that take time. Good cooking takes time. Sowing and reaping takes time. Investing and saving takes time. Raising and disciplining your children takes time. Loving and serving your spouse takes time. God’s work in your life takes time. We are too easily dis-satisfied and to quickly satisfied. No one has spent more time on your behalf than Jesus did on the cross. He was tortured for a long time. He carried his cross a long distance. He bled with patience till the last drop necessary to pay the price for our sins flowed from his body. Because of this, nothing will satisfy you more than Him. And if this is true, than everything else will satisfy you less than Him. Instant joy will produce fading satisfaction. But patient joy will produce enduring satisfaction.
The challenge for us, then, is to be patient with joy. As Paul and Jesus, our joy must be anchored to the other side of waiting. Why does a groom wait patiently for his bride? Because he knows he’s going to receive her hand to become his wife. She is his joy! As Christians we wait patiently in this life and through our difficulties, not because we might receive something in this life to make it all worth it, but because we believe we will receive an inheritance that is heavenly and it will so satisfy us that when we look back, if we ever do, we will realize that nothing in this life could ever have satisfied like this has!
What is the inheritance? As the Psalmist says, “All my springs are in YOU God.” (Psalm 87:7, emphasis added)
I am an avid coffee drinker. I enjoy it. The taste, the smell...anytime on any day I could drink it. So in my pursuit of a better cup of coffee I purchased a French Coffee press. Now oddly enough, since making coffee with the French press I’ve begun to drink less of it! Why? Here’s my answer: It takes more time to make, but it is more satisfying than instant coffee.
Now, in the verses above, Paul is praying for his readers and he’s praying that God would strengthen them with His power for the purpose of their endurance and patience with joy. I think joy is satisfaction. If I have joy in my wife, I am satisfied with her. If I have joy in God, I am satisfied with God. Notice, though, the words I used: in and with. If my joy is in something, than I am satisfied with it. The Bible teaches that Jesus went to the cross for the joy set before Him. What does this mean? Jesus did not enjoy the torture or the pain or the mockery. What brought Jesus joy was not the cross itself, but what the cross would bring! And what would it bring? Salvation from sin and victory over death. It would wash away our sins, reconcile us to God and give us eternal life. Jesus was patient, undeterred, unswerving and unwavering on the cross with joy.
How often do we get impatient because something is taking to long. I don’t want to wait six minutes for one cup of coffee! But the reality is that instant things are simply not as good as those things that take time. Good cooking takes time. Sowing and reaping takes time. Investing and saving takes time. Raising and disciplining your children takes time. Loving and serving your spouse takes time. God’s work in your life takes time. We are too easily dis-satisfied and to quickly satisfied. No one has spent more time on your behalf than Jesus did on the cross. He was tortured for a long time. He carried his cross a long distance. He bled with patience till the last drop necessary to pay the price for our sins flowed from his body. Because of this, nothing will satisfy you more than Him. And if this is true, than everything else will satisfy you less than Him. Instant joy will produce fading satisfaction. But patient joy will produce enduring satisfaction.
The challenge for us, then, is to be patient with joy. As Paul and Jesus, our joy must be anchored to the other side of waiting. Why does a groom wait patiently for his bride? Because he knows he’s going to receive her hand to become his wife. She is his joy! As Christians we wait patiently in this life and through our difficulties, not because we might receive something in this life to make it all worth it, but because we believe we will receive an inheritance that is heavenly and it will so satisfy us that when we look back, if we ever do, we will realize that nothing in this life could ever have satisfied like this has!
What is the inheritance? As the Psalmist says, “All my springs are in YOU God.” (Psalm 87:7, emphasis added)
Friday, August 6, 2010
What is the worse way your day could end?
If the day ends and you’re angry or have caused someone to be angry, then it has ended in the worst possible way. Anger left unattended can begin to breed resentment and bitterness and begin to harden the heart against another. For me, the way my day ends is far more important than how my day begins. In fact, as of late it has become critical for me to end my days well. My mission is to go to sleep tonight in the best possible way. By definition of my first sentence, this means to go to sleep NOT ANGRY! But there’s more to this.
The average day is long and grueling. By the end of it, we’re tired, stressed and probably less than satisfied with how it went. For most of us patience has nearly run out. If you have kids, this is where things can go one of two ways.
As a father, you don’t discipline your kids for doing something right, you discipline them for doing something wrong. This is good. At times anger will arise towards the wrong that was done. This is also good. But in this type of good-anger scenario a subtle twist can occur. What we wanted to correct for being wrong we now want to correct because it infringes on our time and relaxation. Discipline is hard work and when you want to rest you don’t want to work! But discipline is also love, so love is costly. To end the day well will cost you. It may cost you your time and plans. It may cost you every last bit of strength and self-control to pray for patience. Is it worth it? The fruit of your obedience will far outweigh the cost of your obedience. Be assured that once you’ve said goodnight and they’re asleep, the day is over. You cannot go back. Yes, everyday is a new day, but knowing that tomorrow is coming is not an excuse for our anger today. We must spend our last moments with our kids in patience and self-control, not because we can’t wait for them to be gone, but because tomorrow depends upon it. We reap what we sow.
James 1:20 says that sinful anger will not produce righteous results. So what is sinful anger?
Paul says in Ephesians 4:26 that we should not let the sun go down on our anger. In other words, don’t sin by going to bed with anger in your heart! This is sinful anger and this is important because of the next verse: and don’t give the Devil an opportunity. (Ephesians 4:27) By going to bed angry (or by causing and/or allowing someone else to go to bed angry) we have opened up a passageway by which the devil could enter into our heart. Now this is applicable to husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, friends, anyone and everyone. To allow the sun to go down on our anger is sin against God and a helping hand to the devil. At it’s furthest point this will result in our being unwilling to forgive someone and, therefore, God being unwilling to forgive us. (Matthew 6:15) At it’s closest point this will result in silence, awkwardness and unspoken hurt. Whether in our relationship with God or with one another, sinful anger brings death and not life.
This is huge for me. I don’t want my children to spend their last minutes awake feeling and harboring anger. I don’t want to wake up feeling justified in my anger because I didn’t repent when convicted of that same anger the night before. Sin hardens and before you know it your numb to it. I would rather lay my head down knowing that I have fought for my family. I have fought by grace to end the day well. Then the Holy Spirit can have access to my heart and to the hearts of my children (my wife, friend, etc.). He will work and produce His fruit in us even as we sleep. I can go to bed grateful, knowing that when we awake we can begin the day in the best possible way.
The average day is long and grueling. By the end of it, we’re tired, stressed and probably less than satisfied with how it went. For most of us patience has nearly run out. If you have kids, this is where things can go one of two ways.
As a father, you don’t discipline your kids for doing something right, you discipline them for doing something wrong. This is good. At times anger will arise towards the wrong that was done. This is also good. But in this type of good-anger scenario a subtle twist can occur. What we wanted to correct for being wrong we now want to correct because it infringes on our time and relaxation. Discipline is hard work and when you want to rest you don’t want to work! But discipline is also love, so love is costly. To end the day well will cost you. It may cost you your time and plans. It may cost you every last bit of strength and self-control to pray for patience. Is it worth it? The fruit of your obedience will far outweigh the cost of your obedience. Be assured that once you’ve said goodnight and they’re asleep, the day is over. You cannot go back. Yes, everyday is a new day, but knowing that tomorrow is coming is not an excuse for our anger today. We must spend our last moments with our kids in patience and self-control, not because we can’t wait for them to be gone, but because tomorrow depends upon it. We reap what we sow.
James 1:20 says that sinful anger will not produce righteous results. So what is sinful anger?
Paul says in Ephesians 4:26 that we should not let the sun go down on our anger. In other words, don’t sin by going to bed with anger in your heart! This is sinful anger and this is important because of the next verse: and don’t give the Devil an opportunity. (Ephesians 4:27) By going to bed angry (or by causing and/or allowing someone else to go to bed angry) we have opened up a passageway by which the devil could enter into our heart. Now this is applicable to husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, friends, anyone and everyone. To allow the sun to go down on our anger is sin against God and a helping hand to the devil. At it’s furthest point this will result in our being unwilling to forgive someone and, therefore, God being unwilling to forgive us. (Matthew 6:15) At it’s closest point this will result in silence, awkwardness and unspoken hurt. Whether in our relationship with God or with one another, sinful anger brings death and not life.
This is huge for me. I don’t want my children to spend their last minutes awake feeling and harboring anger. I don’t want to wake up feeling justified in my anger because I didn’t repent when convicted of that same anger the night before. Sin hardens and before you know it your numb to it. I would rather lay my head down knowing that I have fought for my family. I have fought by grace to end the day well. Then the Holy Spirit can have access to my heart and to the hearts of my children (my wife, friend, etc.). He will work and produce His fruit in us even as we sleep. I can go to bed grateful, knowing that when we awake we can begin the day in the best possible way.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Leading your family through spiritual warfare.
A husband and father takes responsibility for his family's well-being. Providing for his family means that a man will have to work and work hard. Providing comes with great difficulty and at great cost to the provider. But a husband and father must also take responsibility for his family's spiritual well-being. He must provide food, drink, protection and shelter of a different kind.
Just as opposition comes to any man trying to work hard and provide, so also if any man stands as the spiritual leader of his family and home he can expect opposition. Of course, the lazy worker has nothing to give to his family since he has received nothing. And the lazy spiritual leader has nothing to give to his family since he has received nothing. As far as I'm concerned, the temporal provisions that my family needs are incredibly important, but their spiritual needs are infinitely more important. This conviction does not excuse me, though, or even inhibit me from providing the earthly things they need to live and grow. In fact, how I care for my family's natural needs is a sign of how important their spiritual needs are to me. To forfeit one of the two because of laziness is shameful on my part. We must do the natural and spiritual things that fall to us to do as the natural and spiritual leaders of our families. But I do think that since the spiritual battle we face is ultimately a battle for our heart, for our soul, for our eternal living, that it is the more important and intense battle. Questions: What am I doing to defend the heart of my wife and the hearts of my children? What am I doing to provide for her heart and their hearts? The man, as husband and father, leads the family. He is the representative of his family before God and he is the representative of God before his family. God will hold the husband and father responsible for how he leads, provides, and protects his family. God will also hold him responsible for how he reflects Him to his wife and children. Here is the double call of duty for each head of home: You are responsible FOR them as a man of God and disciple of Jesus Christ AND you are responsible TO them in that you must show them Christ in every circumstance.
Though there are countless circumstances that a godly man will have to lead his family into, through and out of, here are four things that have helped me lead my family through spiritual warfare:
1. Food - every soldier needs to eat. (Matthew 4:4) A man who does not eat has no energy or strength for the fight. Husband/Father, you need to read and teach the Bible to your kids. Everyday. You eat everyday. Would you not provide food for your wife and kids everyday?! They cannot live on your words alone. They need God's word. Understand that unless you feed your soul first you will not have anything to feed their souls with! Read it, pray it and meditate on it - ask God to keep the sweet taste of it in your mouth. (Psalm 119:103) Then, take the time to feed and teach your family. Explain it to them. Let them ask questions. You are providing the best and richest food for them!
2. Weapon - every soldier needs a weapon. (Ephesians 6:17) Paul says that our primary weapon is the Sword of the Spirit. This is the Word of God. His Word is truth. Satan speaks lies and darkness. Combat him with truth and light. Give God opportunity to speak into the minds and hearts of your family through speaking His word to them. Here is power. Here is life. The Word of God also searches your heart and separates your thoughts from His. (Hebrews 4:12) This is important. His Word will keep you focused and help you to see where your thoughts, words and actions might be wrong and detrimental to your family in this critical moment.
3. Discipline - every soldier needs to stay disciplined. One of the hardest things to do, is to consistently teach your kids the "ropes" day in and day out. You're teaching them about work, attitude, relationships, etc. This takes a lot of energy every day! So when warfare comes, we tend to stop caring about the daily disciplines of our home and life. We can stop caring about the little things that we otherwise would address, highlight and correct. This lack of discipline on our part as the leader will result in chaos. You won't be able to think straight, manage your time, control your emotions and above all pray for help and direction. Discipline is a demonstration of your love for your children. (Proverbs 13:24) As hard as it is, keep doing what you're doing. And don't forget your daily disciplines too. Go to bed as normal. Get up as usual, get your coffee, sit in your favorite chair and pray. Self-control is critical in these times. Don't get over run. (Proverbs 25:28)
4. Joy - every soldier needs downtime. I recently felt that the weight of the battle was so heavy and the seriousness of the battle was so real to me that I stopped having fun. So I took the kids and we did something fun. What a difference it made! Remember, because you're the head of the family you're going to get hit the hardest! But your wife and children will see the effects of this on you and they will feel it. For their sake, find something fun to do. Go get ice cream or see a movie. Take your wife out to dinner. Joy is often the first thing to go in battle. Yet, we are called to endure and be patient with joy. (Colossians 1:11)
We don't fight alone. He stands behind us to strengthen us as we strengthen our family. He stands with us to encourage us as we encourage our family. He goes before us to lead us as we go before and lead our family.
Just as opposition comes to any man trying to work hard and provide, so also if any man stands as the spiritual leader of his family and home he can expect opposition. Of course, the lazy worker has nothing to give to his family since he has received nothing. And the lazy spiritual leader has nothing to give to his family since he has received nothing. As far as I'm concerned, the temporal provisions that my family needs are incredibly important, but their spiritual needs are infinitely more important. This conviction does not excuse me, though, or even inhibit me from providing the earthly things they need to live and grow. In fact, how I care for my family's natural needs is a sign of how important their spiritual needs are to me. To forfeit one of the two because of laziness is shameful on my part. We must do the natural and spiritual things that fall to us to do as the natural and spiritual leaders of our families. But I do think that since the spiritual battle we face is ultimately a battle for our heart, for our soul, for our eternal living, that it is the more important and intense battle. Questions: What am I doing to defend the heart of my wife and the hearts of my children? What am I doing to provide for her heart and their hearts? The man, as husband and father, leads the family. He is the representative of his family before God and he is the representative of God before his family. God will hold the husband and father responsible for how he leads, provides, and protects his family. God will also hold him responsible for how he reflects Him to his wife and children. Here is the double call of duty for each head of home: You are responsible FOR them as a man of God and disciple of Jesus Christ AND you are responsible TO them in that you must show them Christ in every circumstance.
Though there are countless circumstances that a godly man will have to lead his family into, through and out of, here are four things that have helped me lead my family through spiritual warfare:
1. Food - every soldier needs to eat. (Matthew 4:4) A man who does not eat has no energy or strength for the fight. Husband/Father, you need to read and teach the Bible to your kids. Everyday. You eat everyday. Would you not provide food for your wife and kids everyday?! They cannot live on your words alone. They need God's word. Understand that unless you feed your soul first you will not have anything to feed their souls with! Read it, pray it and meditate on it - ask God to keep the sweet taste of it in your mouth. (Psalm 119:103) Then, take the time to feed and teach your family. Explain it to them. Let them ask questions. You are providing the best and richest food for them!
2. Weapon - every soldier needs a weapon. (Ephesians 6:17) Paul says that our primary weapon is the Sword of the Spirit. This is the Word of God. His Word is truth. Satan speaks lies and darkness. Combat him with truth and light. Give God opportunity to speak into the minds and hearts of your family through speaking His word to them. Here is power. Here is life. The Word of God also searches your heart and separates your thoughts from His. (Hebrews 4:12) This is important. His Word will keep you focused and help you to see where your thoughts, words and actions might be wrong and detrimental to your family in this critical moment.
3. Discipline - every soldier needs to stay disciplined. One of the hardest things to do, is to consistently teach your kids the "ropes" day in and day out. You're teaching them about work, attitude, relationships, etc. This takes a lot of energy every day! So when warfare comes, we tend to stop caring about the daily disciplines of our home and life. We can stop caring about the little things that we otherwise would address, highlight and correct. This lack of discipline on our part as the leader will result in chaos. You won't be able to think straight, manage your time, control your emotions and above all pray for help and direction. Discipline is a demonstration of your love for your children. (Proverbs 13:24) As hard as it is, keep doing what you're doing. And don't forget your daily disciplines too. Go to bed as normal. Get up as usual, get your coffee, sit in your favorite chair and pray. Self-control is critical in these times. Don't get over run. (Proverbs 25:28)
4. Joy - every soldier needs downtime. I recently felt that the weight of the battle was so heavy and the seriousness of the battle was so real to me that I stopped having fun. So I took the kids and we did something fun. What a difference it made! Remember, because you're the head of the family you're going to get hit the hardest! But your wife and children will see the effects of this on you and they will feel it. For their sake, find something fun to do. Go get ice cream or see a movie. Take your wife out to dinner. Joy is often the first thing to go in battle. Yet, we are called to endure and be patient with joy. (Colossians 1:11)
We don't fight alone. He stands behind us to strengthen us as we strengthen our family. He stands with us to encourage us as we encourage our family. He goes before us to lead us as we go before and lead our family.
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