THE JESUS I DIDN’T KNOW: LOVE I’VE NEVER KNOWN

May 10, 2012 at 5:33 PM (Life of Christ, The Jesus I Didn't Know)
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How well do you know Jesus? We all like to think we know Jesus pretty well. I’ve had close to fifty years of wonderful, sweet communion with Jesus. I’ve devoted over forty years of my life to studying and teaching His Word. I’m talking about going back to the original languages and learning as much as I can about Jewish culture, institutions, and beliefs. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not a Know-It-All. And you can ask my kids: I’m not inerrant or infallible. But still, knowing what I know, I’d like to think I know Jesus pretty good. To my pleasant surprise, however, I don’t know Jesus as good as I think I do. To this day, He still shows me more about Himself. Here, let me give you some snippets of the Jesus I never knew. 

LOVE I’VE NEVER KNOWN

For those of you who have real, true love—the love of family and friends—you are so blest. You are richer than the richest guy around! Here, let me tell my story.

My name is Legion. And for as long as I can remember, no body loved me or wanted me—not even my family. Of course, I was a nut case and there really wasn’t much to love about me. That’s because I was a demoniac. I had all kinds of demons living inside me. You may scoff at the idea and think I’m off my rocker. But believe me, and you can ask my parents and all the townsfolk, I was possessed. That’s why my name is Legion—because there were gobs of demons living inside me. (Just so you know, a legion of the Roman army in Jesus’ time was about 600 soldiers.)

Anyways, I very clearly wasn’t normal. I was full of demons. I’d act like an animal and howl like a hyena. I’d constantly be hurting myself, cutting myself. No, I wasn’t suicidal. But long before Leopold von Sacher-Masoch came along, I was the ancient poster child for masochism. Every part of my body was tattooed with the scars of self-inflicted abuse. I looked like a monster right out of a horror movie. I was a danger to everyone. That’s why nobody wanted me around. They were all scared of me. They tried all sorts of ways to restrain me. One time, people even tied me up in chains. But I tore the chains apart as easily as if they were made of paper. That’s the kind of power I had because of these devils. That’s when my parents and the townsfolk decided that I couldn’t live among them anymore. I was so strong and violent that I was a real danger to everyone. So, in one of my saner moments, they took me to the cemetery at the outskirts of town and that’s where I lived.

As you would imagine, I didn’t get very many visitors. People didn’t want to die because they didn’t want folks coming to the cemetery. I guess I can’t blame them. It was a pretty lonely life. It was just me and the demons, constantly hurting me and driving me nuts, that I really wanted to die. It’s a miserable way to live. What’s even more miserable is not being able to die. The devils got a big kick out of hurting me that there was no way they were going to let me kill myself.

One day, several guys came by the cemetery. I was genuinely surprised! It wasn’t a funeral. There was no bier. No women wailing. They were headed my way! It was like they were coming to see me! One Guy in particular, at the forefront, seemed unafraid and intent to see me. I didn’t know Him from Adam. But strangely, at the sight of Him, I ran towards Him. When I reached Him, I promptly fell prostrate at his feet and said, What have I to do with you, Jesus, you Son of the most high God? I beg you by God, please don’t torment me (Mark 5:7).

Apparently, the demons in me knew who the Guy was and they were genuinely scared of Him. Imagine that! Demons scared of a Fellow! It was always the other way around: it was always people who were afraid of demons. But, for the first time in my life, these devils inside me were genuinely afraid of the Guy! He must have been someone special. Someone powerful.

The Guy started talking to me. What’s your name?, He asked. My name is Legion, because we’re many, I said. Really, it was the devils in me that were speaking. Anyways, Jesus looked me straight in the eyes and commanded all the demons to come out of me. I couldn’t believe it! No one had ever done that to me before! I didn’t even know it could be done! I always thought the devils were gods that couldn’t be pushed around. But here was this Guy, telling these demons what to do. And He was calmly standing there, waiting, and expecting, these demons to comply with His order. He definitely acted like He was the Guy in charge. No wonder the demons in me were afraid of Him!

To make a long story short, all the demons came violently out of me and headed towards a herd of swine nearby. The pigs all ran off a cliff and drowned in the Sea. But I felt a strange calm and relief. For the first time in my life, I felt peace and rest. I was a human being again! I laid there in the dust, savoring a peace that I’d never known.

Jesus picked me up and, for the next few minutes, we talked. The love and care that He had for me brought tears to my eyes. I couldn’t stop crying. I didn’t think anyone could ever love me. I didn’t think anyone cared. For some unknown reason, I mattered to Him.

The townsfolk came up a short while later. They were shocked to see me in my right mind! But they were afraid of Jesus and they asked Him to leave. I guess they didn’t want any more pigs getting killed: that would surely ruin the town’s economy.

So, like a Gentleman, He complied with their request and He, His disciples, and I started walking back to the coast where Jesus’ boat was moored. I wanted to get in the boat with Jesus and serve Him. But Jesus told me I could serve Him more by going around the district and telling everyone what He did for me. So, with tears in my eyes and joy in my heart, I waved them off and thanked God Almighty for setting me free.

No one ever loved me the way Jesus did. I didn’t think this kind of love was possible, or that it even existed.

I forgot to tell you that Jesus lived in Capernaum across the Sea. He sailed across the Sea last night and a furious storm arose that nearly sank their boat. Come to find out, it was the devil trying to kill them and stop them from coming to me. Anyways, Jesus knew what was happening. So He rebuked the storm and there was an immediate calm on the Sea Mark 4:34-41).

Anyhow, He came to see me. He set me free. Then He got back in His boat and sailed right back to Capernaum. In other words, as busy a Teacher and Healer that He was, He dropped what He was doing and made a special trip across the Sea—and nearly got Himself and all His disciples killed—just to set me free!

That, dear friends, is love. And who was I? I was a nobody. A worthless reject. A vile sinner and abject demoniac. I walked around in the buff: I was stark naked. I hadn’t had a haircut or shave since time immemorial. I didn’t shower or clean up after myself, so I stunk to high Heaven. I was truly a sight to behold. My scraggly looks and body odor would have driven everyone away!

But Jesus came and loved me! He saw worth in me! And He went through death’s doors to save me, give me back my humanity, and make my life worth living. I’ll never forget Him. I’ll never stop serving and praising Him. I never knew this kind of love existed.

I know He loves you too! Jesus is Love Incarnate. He can help you, save you, and change you. Like me, He’ll give you a life who’ll never forget or regret. I didn’t think life could be so fun. So meaningful and worthwhile. That’s because I didn’t know Jesus. But thanks to Him, now I know.

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ONE BAD DECISION: AN EARTH-SHATTERING DECISION

May 4, 2012 at 12:07 PM (Christian Living, One Bad Decision)
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In the course of a twenty-four hour period we make gobs of decisions. Some of these we make with a serious amount of forethought and prayer. But, if you’re like me, we make many of our decisions spontaneously with little, or no, thought as to the consequences or impact our decisions will have—not only for ourselves, but also for the many others whose lives are intertwined with  ours.

Have you ever thought much about how a single decision can change your life forever? Sometimes a single decision will change us for the better. And sometimes a single decision will change us for the worse.

In these blog posts I’d like to look at the singular decision that some people in the Bible made that changed their lives forever…for the worse. By looking at ourselves in the mirror of God’s Word it’ll give us reason to stop and think about both the long-term and short-term ramifications of the decisions we make. Lots of forethought and prayer, I’m convinced, will save us from the pain and regret of a hastily-made decision for the worse.

AN EARTH-SHATTERING DECISION

Moses had it hard. The desert heat, travels, and deprivations were bad enough. But to make matters intolerably worse, he was constantly having to deal with people who didn’t like his decisions; people who questioned his leadership and his wisdom.

Korah was one such person. He was a rather influential Levite. A big shot as far as Levites went. Anyways, he was disenchanted with Moses’ and Aaron’s leadership. He felt like he needed to be a part of the upper echelon leadership team.  He wanted to be a priest which, by lineage, was not his right or prerogative to pursue. He wanted the laws of priesthood to be changed so that he could become a priest. And if changing the laws meant getting rid of Moses and Aaron, then, by God, that’s what Korah set out to do. So, he gathered 250 of the nation’s most powerful princes and they had themselves a very public showdown with Moses and Aaron.

Numbers 16:1-3 tells the story.  Now Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and On, took men:  (2)  And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:  (3)  And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, You have gone too far! For all in the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?

As you can imagine, Moses was rather disheartened by this rumbling of revolt. The rights of the priesthood and leadership were not his to make, but God’s. So here’s what God told Moses to tell Korah and his insurrectionists. “In the morning the Lord will show who belongs to him, who is holy, and who it is that he will allow to come near him. Only the person the Lord chooses will be allowed to come near him.  (6)  Korah, you and all your followers must do this tomorrow: Take incense burners,  (7)  and put burning coals and incense in them in the Lord’s presence. Then the Lord will choose the man who is holy. You’ve gone far enough!”  (8)  Moses also said to Korah, “Listen, you Levites!  (9)  Isn’t it enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the community of Israel? The Lord has brought you near himself to do the work for his tent and stand in front of the community to serve them.  (10)  He has brought you and all the other Levites near himself, but now you demand to be priests (Numbers 16:5-10).

The burning of incense was the priests’ prerogative. Only they could do it and no one else, not even a Levite. So here was Korah’s chance to at least taste a little of the priestly rights and prerogatives that he coveted for himself.

Well, morning came and Korah and his insurrectionists showed up at the Tabernacle as instructed. In fact, the whole nation showed up. Moses then took them on a walk and led them to the tents where Korah, Dathan, and Abiram lived. Moses wanted these men to be with their families. Once there, Moses told the people what to do.

Numbers 16:26-30, Move away from the tents of these wicked men. Don’t touch anything that belongs to them, or you’ll be swept away because of all their sins.  (27)  So they moved away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram had come out and were standing at the entrances to their tents with their wives and children.  (28)  Moses said, “This is how you will know that the Lord sent me to do all these things and that it wasn’t my idea:  (29)  If these men die like all other people-if they die a natural death-then the Lord hasn’t sent me.  (30)  But if the Lord does something totally new-if the ground opens up, swallows them and everything that belongs to them, and they go down alive to their graves-then you’ll know that these men have treated the Lord with contempt.

The scene is emblazoned in my mind. It’s a sad, tragic picture that I cannot erase or forget. Its horrors haunt me. I can see Korah, Dathan, and Abiram at the door of their tents. I can see them gathered with their families. The men have one hand around their loving, beautiful wife; the other, tenderly holding on to the children. A smug look of defiance is on the face of each man, as if to say, Bring it on, Moses. Let’s see what you’ve got. But the women and children look with alarm, eyes enlarged with fear, as the authoritative voice of Moses thunders through the crowd.

Like standing beside the tracks as a train goes whizzing by, the earth begins to rumble. Softly, at first. Then, as the people begin to yell hysterically and run in fear, Korah, Dathan, and Abiram hold their families with both hands, as if to protect and shelter them from a coming calamity. The earth violently shakes and yawns, opening her mouth wide, and swallows the insurrectionists. Entire families, tents, and livestock—everything that belonged to these rebels—were sucked into a black hole. The earth closed her mouth. And the rebels—and everything they owned, the families they loved and held dear—were gone (Numbes 16:31-33).

What a sad, tragic, and dreadful end! It all began with Korah, Dathan, and Abiram moping around one day, wanting to know how they should do about righting a perceived wrong. After some deliberation, a decision was made. Let’s get a bunch of Israel’s most powerful and respected princes and let’s stage a showdown with Moses.

Unbeknownst to them, the decision would be a debacle. It would literally be an earth-shattering decision that would not only kill them, but kill their wives and children also. The insurrectionists saw what they wanted to see: they saw themselves forcing Moses’ hand and forcing him to cede more power to them. But what they didn’t see is what killed them. WHAT THEY WANTED, WHAT THEY COVETED, KILLED THEM. AND THOSE THEY LOVED.

Brethren, think slowly and think twice before you create a scene. Clear your mind and get God’s mind on the matter. YOUR DECISIONS AND ACTIONS AFFECT THE LIVES OF THE ONES YOU LOVE THE MOST. IN SOME WAYS REAL, THEIR LIVES AND WELL-BEING ARE IN YOUR HANDS. If not for yourself, then think of them. And don’t let your foolishness kill them.

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FIGHTING OUR GOLIATHS PART 6

April 27, 2012 at 4:29 PM (Fighting Our Goliaths, Spiritual Warfare)
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The following post is a continuation of Fighting Our Goliaths Part 5. I’m dealing with the things we can do to cultivate a habit of courage and faith.

3. DAVID FOUGHT BECAUSE OF WHAT HE WAS FIGHTING FOR. Instead of doing what comes naturally and instinctively to human nature when one’s life is being threatened—that is, run; David chose to stay and fight. Why? Because, like a true shepherd, DAVID CARED FOR THE SHEEP.

What’s even more astounding is the fact that DAVID WASN’T WILLING TO LOSE SO MUCH AS ONE LAMB. Count it. One lamb! Look at verses 34 and 35 again, And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: {35} And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. One lamb mattered to David and he wasn’t willing to lose so much as one lamb among many.

Now some of us would choose to stand our ground and fight a hungry, angry lion or bear for the sake of our sheep—as long as we could do it from a distance with the help of a powerful, semi automatic gun and scope. David did that with his sling. He wasn’t foolish. He fought from a distance with his sling. That’s what it was for and he fought wisely and responsibly.

But on this particular occasion, the wounded beast turned on David and David found himself in close, hand-to-hand combat with a lion. How many of you would volunteer to wrestle with a wounded, angry lion? David did it and, with God’s help, he managed to kill that crazed, murderous beast. We call that kind of wrestling crazy, stupid, and senseless! We could have gotten killed!

But, in the interest of saving one lamb, David looked to his God, then went on the attack, and came out victorious with his one lamb intact and alive. DAVID’S LOVE FOR HIS SHEEP, I’M SAYING, WAS WHAT PROMPTED HIM TO TUSSLE WITH THE LION AND THE BEAR.

In the spiritual realm, we are faced with all sorts of menacing lions called demons who are out to forcibly and defiantly rob us of what is ours. Our faith in God. Our fear of God. Our desire and commitment to obey God. Our moral purity. Our loyalty and faithfulness to Jesus Christ. Our love for an uncompromised Word. Our discernment. Our spiritual hunger for  the  things of  the Lord.  Our presence  and participation in the local church. Our witness and testimony to this world of an omnipotent, faithful, promise-keeping, soul-saving, body-healing, family-preserving, God. The Devil is out to rob us of our spouse. Our children. Our marriage. Brethren, these are our lambs. They are the lambs that God has called us to shepherd, nurture and protect.

If we don’t love our lambs enough, if we’re more concerned about saving our life instead of saving our lambs; then we’re going to end up losing a whole lot of lambs because the Devil isn’t going to stop with one lamb. He isn’t going to be satisfied with taking two or three of our lambs. THE DEVIL’S AFTER THE WHOLE FLOCK! And he’s going to keep on attacking, robbing, afflicting, inflicting, and devouring until he’s gotten everything that we’re willing to let him have.

WHAT LAMBS ARE YOU WILLING TO LOSE, BRETHREN? HOW MANY OF YOUR LAMBS ARE YOU WILLING TO FORFEIT AND GIVE INTO THE JAWS OF THE LION OR THE BEAR? Will you give the Devil your lamb of faith? Your lamb of purity? Commitment? Love? Obedience? What fruit of the Spirit, what Christian virtue, are you willing to lose and live without? Friends, you’ve got to hold on to every one of your lambs! You can’t afford to let the Devil have any one of them! Like David, love your lambs enough. Then go out there in the Name and the strength of the Lord, tussle with the lion and bear, and GET YOUR LAMBS BACK! DON’T SETTLE FOR LOSING SO MUCH AS ONE OF YOUR LAMBS!  

4. THE MORE DAVID FOUGHT, THE BETTER HE GOT.  David’s tussles with the lion and bear prepared him for his tussle with Goliath. Each fight helped him develop good fighting skills with the staff, the sling, and the knife. HE GOT BETTER WITH EACH FIGHT. AND EACH FIGHT PREPARED HIM FOR THE NEXT. THE SMALLER ONES PREPARED HIM FOR THE BIGGER ONES. And the bigger ones prepared him for the lone  Goliath that now stood before him in the Valley of Elah. BY THE TIME DAVID MET UP WITH HIS GOLIATH DAVID WAS TRAINED, PREPARED, AND EQUIPPED TO FIGHT BECAUSE HE MADE IT HIS LIFE’S HABIT TO STAY AND FIGHT AND WIN!

Best of all, THROUGH ALL OF HIS TRIALS AND EXPERIENCES AS A SHEPHERD DAVID LEARNED TO LOOK TO GOD AND TRUST HIM FOR PRESERVATION AND VICTORY NO MATTER WHO OR WHAT HE WAS UP AGAINST. His confidence of the victory, or his knowledge of how the fight would end, wasn’t based on his skills or his fearlessness. It wasn’t about David. For him, it was all about God and what God would do for him. Look at verse 37, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.

WITH EACH FIGHT FOUGHT, WITH EACH FIGHT WON, DAVID LEARNED IN A RESOLUTE, IRREVOCABLE, UNWAVERING MANNER THAT GOD WAS FAITHFUL IN EVERY FIGHT. His power to deliver was not limited by the size or strength of the foe. By the name or severity of the battle. By the destructiveness or winsome way of the enemy. DAVID LEARNED THAT IN EVERY FIGHT, IN EVERY VALLEY, GOD WOULD SHOW HIMSELF STRONG ON DAVID’S BEHALF AND DELIVER EVERY FOE INTO HIS HAND EVERY TIME.

Brethren, YOUR LIFE’S BATTLES AND TRIALS, LIKE DAVID’S, ARE MEANT TO FILL YOU WITH COURAGE AND FAITH. They’re meant to teach you to look to God and trust Him for the help, the wisdom, and the victory. To show you God’s faithfulness,  power,  and   glory   in   the midst of overwhelming odds and circumstances. To strengthen you even more in faith. To make you a fighter who’s not hampered by fear, or worry, or despair. To teach you that the battles and trials you face in the present are no different from all the others you faced in the past: God brought you through those trials and He’ll bring you through these ones as well! He will not fail or forsake you! To convince you in a resolute and irrevocable faith that God is Victor in every valley, He’s faithful in every fight, He’s triumphant in every trial, He’s powerful over every Philistine, He’s greater  than  any Goliath.  Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!  Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?  Nothing is too hard or difficult for Him to do. The battle belongs to the Lord. He will deliver Goliath into your hand!

Brethren, just as God granted David the victory in every trial despite the severity and ferocity of the trial; so this same God is willing to do the same for every David today who’s willing to trust Him and stay put, stand his ground, and fight in the Lord’s Name for the Lord’s glory. God is no respecter of persons. What He did yesteryear He will do today. But, like David, you’ve got to look to the Lord and fight your battles with the resolute faith and determination that the battle can end one, and only one, way—in victory for you and in defeat for your foe. May God bless you with the will, the courage, and the faith to believe!  And fight! And win!

[I’ve got two more soul-stirring, faith-inspiring posts on Fighting Our Goliaths. Lord willing, I’ll be posting them sometime around the 1st of June. In these final two posts I deal with some practical things we can do to get rid of fear and revive faith in our heart. If you have a problem with fear, like most of us do, you’ll definitely want to drop by around June 1 and get spiritually renewed to bring this giant down. With God’s help you can do it! See you then!]

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FIGHTING OUR GOLIATHS PART 5

April 23, 2012 at 2:40 PM (Fighting Our Goliaths, Spiritual Warfare)
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CULTIVATING A HABIT OF COURAGE AND FAITH

God’s talking to us today about cultivating a habit of courage and faith. IF WE’RE GOING TO FIGHT OUR GOLIATHS AND WIN, WE NEED TO BE ARMED  WITH COURAGE AND FAITH. Why?

Because IT’S GOING TO TAKE COURAGE AND FAITH TO GET OUT OF THE FOXHOLES, FIGHT THE GIANT, AND WIN.

So how do we go about cultivating a habit of courage and faith? There are four things that I’d like for you to see in the way David conducted himself in his day to day life as a shepherd.

1. DAVID STAYED AND FOUGHT HIS FIGHTS. Getting into a tussle with a hungry lion or bear is no light matter. People have been killed and eaten in that horrible way. Many, if not all, of us would have run. But David chose to stay and fight! HE DETERMINED FROM THE VERY START TO FIGHT LIFE’S TRIALS AND BATTLES, NOT SHIRK THEM OR AVOID THEM.

Nobody likes trials. Most of all me. I don’t like them and I don’t volunteer to go through them. But I’ve learned that YOU DON’T GAIN ANYTHING BY SHIRKING YOUR TRIALS. IN FACT, YOU DO YOURSELF MORE HARM THAN GOOD WHEN YOU RUN FROM YOUR TRIALS!

(A) For one thing, whenever you shirk your battles and refuse to fight them you’re making a coward out of yourself. You’re reinforcing and strengthening the grip that fear and unbelief have on you. It’s as if you’re building a prison cell around you that will keep you locked in in the prison of fear and unbelief.

WHENEVER YOU GIVE UP FAITH AND DON’T ENDURE YOUR TRIALS YOU’RE MAKING IT HARDER AND HARDER FOR YOU TO BELIEVE AND ENDURE THE NEXT TIME AROUND.

You see, there’s no doubting the fact that there will be more fights, more trials, more wars up ahead. For David, the  lion and  the  bear were not  the last or  the end of  his  trials. There was a Goliath after that. And even after Goliath, David had his fights and wars as Israel’s king. So you’ve got to recognize the fact that you’re going to have more trials down the road.

Now when you choose not to believe God for the promises and choose not to endure your trials you’re making it less and less likely that you’ll stay around and fight the next fight. You’re cultivating a habit of fear and faithlessness that makes it harder for you to stand up to the Devil, resist him, and drive him and his minions out of the Valley.

(B) Moreover, WHEN YOU SHIRK YOUR TRIALS YOU’RE ONLY ASKING FOR MORE! Stop and think about it for a moment. Who does a bully pick fights with? With those he knows he can push around and beat. Who does a criminal attack? Those who are vulnerable, weak and unarmed. When you read the text of Scripture you see who Goliath haunted and taunted for forty days and forty nights. He haunted the cowards in the foxholes. Those who were much smaller and weaker than him. Those whom he was confident of beating.

Brethren, WHEN YOU REMAIN IN THE FOXHOLES AND REFUSE TO COME OUT AND FIGHT YOUR BATTLES–BE IT WITH THE LION, THE BEAR, OR THE GIANT–YOU’RE ONLY ASKING THE LION, THE BEAR, AND THE GIANT TO KEEP ON COMING BACK, TIME AFTER TIME, TO ROB YOU OF YOUR SHEEP AND TO ROB YOU OF YOUR FAITH. You see, THE TRIAL WITH THE LION, THE BEAR, AND THE GIANT, DIDN’T END UNTIL DAVID PUT IT TO AN END. It took a courageous, faith—filled shepherd boy to bring the trial to an end.

AS  LONG AS YOU REFUSE TO FIGHT THE DEVIL, THE DEVIL WILL KEEP FIGHTING YOU, TAUNTING YOU, AFFLICTING YOU, ROBBING YOU–BECAUSE HE KNOWS HE CAN DO IT AND GET AWAY WITH IT. HE KNOWS YOU WON’T STOP HIM FROM DOING IT. SO HE KEEPS ON DOING IT UNTIL HE’S TAKEN EVERYTHING AWAY FROM YOU. YOUR FAITH. YOUR MORALS. YOUR LIFE. YOUR SOUL.

2. THE THOUGHT OR DESIRE FOR SELF PRESERVATION DIDN’T STOP DAVID FROM FIGHTING. How many of you would like to get into a tussle with a lion or bear? Have you ever seen a lion or bear who was hungry and angry? Our first reaction would be to run and keep a lot of distance between ourselves and that rampaging beast.  Naturally, we wouldn’t enjoy seeing our lambs and sheep get killed. But better the lambs instead of us! As far as we’re concerned, saving the lambs is not worth getting ourselves killed! Father would rather have dead lambs and a live son instead of a dead son and dead lambs. Our first instinct, I am saying, would be for our own personal safety and life. It’s called self-preservation and the desire to stay alive.

But David didn’t think that way! The welfare of the flock was placed directly in his hands and he would not stand idly by and watch his family’s lambs served raw as lamb chops  for some wild beast of the field. Whatever thoughts and desires David might have had about running and saving his own skin, he didn’t let them dissuade him from tangling with a lion or bear. The desire to stay alive and not get killed didn’t stop David from fighting what was, in the natural, a life and death trial. It didn’t stop him from fighting what most of us would have considered a doomed and suicidal fight that was certain to end in defeat and death.

Could David have been killed in his tangle with the lion and bear? Well, there are two ways of looking at anything in life. From a natural point of view, yes, David could have been killed by the lion and the bear. In the natural, a brother or sister who’s going through a severe trial could end up dying. Death is always a possibility—if not a very real likelihood—whenever a Goliath is involved. That’s the natural point of view.

But God’s wanting to teach us a new way of thinking or looking at things. He’s wants us to see things from a spiritual point of view. The spiritual point of view is this. When you’re walking with the Lord and trusting Him and His Word, then IT’S YOU WHO DETERMINES HOW THE BATTLE IS GOING TO END. NOT THE LION, NOT THE BEAR, NOT THE GIANT, NOT THE TRIAL. NOT THE DEVIL. WHEN YOU BRING GOD, THE PROMISES, AND FAITH INTO THE TRIAL, BRETHREN, YOU’LL KNOW HOW THE TRIAL IS GOING TO END.

Look again at verses 36 and 37: Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.  (37)  David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.

DAVID KNEW HOW THE BATTLE WAS GOING TO END BEFORE HE EVEN GOT ON THE BATTLEFIELD! What’s even more astounding is, when David walked out on the battlefield, he got even bolder and stronger in faith! And he wasn’t afraid to speak or confess what he was believing would happen.

David made very specific predictions about how the fight was going to end and he even told Goliath what these predictions were. Look at verse 46, This day [this is what’s going to happen today. Not tomorrow. Not some unknown time in the future. But today.] will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand [Goliath, you’re going to lose this fight]; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee [Goliath, you’re going to lose your head today. David is getting very specific here about how he’s going to kill Goliath. And the thing of it is, David doesn’t even have a sword. All he has is his shepherd’s staff, a sling and 5 stones. So how is he going to cut Goliath’s head off?]; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth [David puts God in a position of doing even more and greater miracles for him. Not only is David going to kill Goliath, but he’s going to kill a lot more Philistines today, so that by the time this day is over, the battlefield is going to be littered with Philistine carcasses]; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

David, I am saying, knew how the battle was going to end before the first stone was even slung. How did he know that? He knew it because he was trusting God to do the same thing to the Philistine that He helped him do to the lion and bear. By faith, David knew that what God did yesterday He will do today. The miracle that God did yesterday He will do today. Today is no exception. This fight, this trial, this giant, is no exception. God is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. He saved yesterday. He will save today.

Brethren, WHEN YOU’RE BELIEVING GOD, WHEN YOU’RE BELIEVING HIS PROMISES, YOU’LL KNOW SOME THINGS BEFORE YOU EXPERIENCE THEM. BEFORE THEY EVEN COME TO PASS. You may not know everything about how it’s going to end. You may not  know all the details. But you’ll at least know how it’s going to end because, by faith, it’s you who determines how the fight is going to end.

David knew how the fight was going to end.  That’s why he wasn’t afraid to fight. That’s why his desire to stay alive and not get killed didn’t stop him from fighting Goliath. He already knew how the fight was going to end.

We all want to live in safety, in health, and in peace.  We do not savor the thought of dying a horrible death in combat or trial. It’s natural  to  want  to  stay  alive. THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH WANTING TO STAY ALIVE AND KEEP OUT OF HARM’S WAY OR OUT OF DEATH’S REACH.

But WHEN YOU LET THE DESIRE FOR SELF-PRESERVATION KEEP YOU IN THE FOXHOLES, WHEN YOU LET IT STOP YOU FROM FIGHTING YOUR GOLIATHS; THEN THAT’S WHERE THE DESIRE FOR SELF-PRESERVATION BECOMES A VERY DETRIMENTAL THING FOR YOU.

Why detrimental? BECAUSE IT’S STOPPING YOU FROM BELIEVING AND FIGHTING. AND WHENEVER YOU REFUSE TO BELIEVE AND FIGHT YOU’RE ASKING THE DEVIL TO KEEP COMING BACK AND TAKING MORE LAMBS FROM THE FLOCK.

Brethren, YOU CAN’T FIGHT YOUR GOLIATHS AS LONG AS YOU’RE GOVERNED BY THE DESIRE TO STAY ALIVE! The desire to stay alive will keep you in the foxholes of life. It’ll keep you defeated, demoralized, and dispirited. It’ll keep the Devil coming back.

Coming Up On My Next Blog, Part 6. A continuing look at how David cultivated courage and faith in his day-to-day life as a shepherd.

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FIGHTING OUR GOLIATHS PART 4

April 16, 2012 at 11:36 AM (Fighting Our Goliaths, Spiritual Warfare)
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INTRODUCTION

We’re looking at the story of David and Goliath. God, through the story, wants to encourage our heart with the fact that we can fight our Goliaths and win! Now most of us would rather not face or fight a Goliath. But there are just some things that we have no say in; there are some things that we have no control over. God’s in charge. And even though He knows we don’t want to ever meet up with a Goliath, He nevertheless brings a Goliath our way and He expects us to fight him and beat him.

In our last post, we looked at the fearful Israelite army. God showed us how we can conquer our fears, get out of the foxhole, and fight.

Today, we want to look at David. Unlike the fearful Israelites, David was prepared, ready, and willing to fight Goliath. God wants to encourage our hearts with the fact that we can beat our Goliaths. But before we even meet up with him, we need to cultivate a habit of courage and faith.

DAVID VOLUNTEERED TO FIGHT

1 Samuel 17:12-13,  Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehemjudah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul.  (13)  And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.

1 Samuel 17:17-22,  And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, [that’s about ¾ bushel of grain—most likely either wheat or barley that was dried, or roasted, in an oven; the Israelites did not grow corn] and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren;  (18)  And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge. [A pledge was a token or proof that Jesse’s sons were alive & well. Usually, the pledge would be a lock of hair or a piece of their clothing.]

(19)  Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.  (20)  And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.  (21)  For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army.  (22)  And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren.

As David was talking with his brothers, Goliath came out and gave the same speech that he’d been giving for the last forty days: he wanted the Israelites to send out a man to fight him. To make a long story short, David volunteered to fight him!

1 Samuel 17:31,  And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul: and he sent for him. Now I’d like for you to notice David’s first words to the King. Verse 32,  And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this  Philistine. For forty days, neither the King nor any of his generals, colonels, sergeants, or soldiers, volunteered for the fight. They were all plumb scared to fight Goliath. Along comes David and the very first thing he does is, he volunteers to fight! He’s not scared! He wants to fight Goliath!

Well, you would think that the King would be relieved that he’d finally find someone who was willing to fight the giant. But the King wasn’t convinced that that was a good idea because David was just a scrawny teenager. Besides that, he wasn’t a soldier, he didn’t know how to fight, he’d only get himself killed if the King sent him out there into the Valley. 

1  Samuel 17:33,   And  Saul  said  to  David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. [Youth in the Hebrew refers to a teenager; someone who wasn’t an adult. Most scholars agree that David, at this time, wasn’t 20 years old. Many believe he was around 17 years old.]

If David was just bluffing and full of hot air, here was his chance to get out of fighting the giant. But David isn’t bluffing. He wants to fight. So he gives the King some background history about himself that might persuade the King to change his mind and let him fight.

1 Samuel 17:34-37,  And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:  (35)  And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.  (36)  Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: [Notice David’s faith and courage here: he is so absolutely sure and convinced that] this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. (37b)  David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.

DAVID BROUGHT GOD INTO THE VALLEY AND, WITH GOD BY HIS SIDE, DAVID KNEW HOW THE FIGHT WOULD END! That, dear friends, is confidence! Not self-confidence, but confidence in God. THAT’S WHAT FAITH IS. FAITH IS PLACING YOUR CONFIDENCE IN GOD.

DAVID WAS READY AND PREPARED TO FIGHT

Now the thing that I want you to notice is, when David went into the Valley of Elah he went there with faith already in his heart. He didn’t have to stop and muster it up. He didn’t have to tarry and pray. He didn’t have to wrestle with fear or doubt. He didn’t have to stop and ask God to help him get rid of his fears or doubts.  When David went into the Valley faith was already in his heart and, because of it, he was ready to fight.

Brethren, do you know why faith was already in his heart?  Because  DAVID MADE IT A POINT TO KEEP FAITH IN HIS HEART AT ALL TIMES. HE MADE IT A HABIT TO FIGHT LIFE’S BATTLES. AND WIN THEM! HE DIDN’T CULTIVATE A HABIT OF FEAR AND ESCAPE, BUT RATHER, A HABIT OF COURAGE AND FAITH.

David acquired the habit of fighting and faith—not as a soldier, but as a shepherd. The life of a shepherd was no gravy job. The job had its own fair share of trials. Unbeknownst  to David at  the  time, his day to day trials as a sheep herder prepared him for this battle with Goliath.

Now back in those days, grass for the sheep was not grown, cut, dried, and stored in barns, much the way farmers of today would grow hay in the fields, then cut, dry, and store them so that the livestock would have a steady, continual supply of hay throughout the year. Shepherds brought their flocks to wherever the pasture and water were. A lot of times, it would take days to get to a field of grass or days to get to a river or well. So David was accustomed to spending large amounts of time on the road, in the fields, taking care of the sheep. Day  and  night, he  kept watch over the flock—making sure that brigands didn’t steal the sheep. He had to fend off wild beasts from devouring and decimating the flock.

On two particular occasions, David had a tussle with a lion and bear. We read about it in verses 34-35. And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: {35} And I went out after him, and smote him,  and  delivered  it  out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. 

It  would  be  erroneous  for us to think that these tussles with the lion and bear were the only fights David had out in the field. There were other wild beasts to contend with. Smaller perhaps. And not as threatening as a lion or bear. But the point is, DAVID HAD HIS FIGHTS. AND HE FOUGHT THEM.

Coming Up On My Next Blog, Part 5. Cultivating a habit of courage and faith.

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God, It’s All Your Fault! Really?

April 9, 2012 at 8:14 PM (Christian Living, It's Your Fault)
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We all have a tendency to blame other people when things go wrong or when bad things happen. Naturally, there are indeed times when other people are to blame. People make mistakes. And when they do they need to assume responsibility for their decisions and actions, accept the blame, and work to clean up the mess they’ve made. Not everything, I repeat, not everything is our fault!

But when we’re the leading characters in a tragedy, when we’re at the helm of a sinking ship; then passing the buck just isn’t cool. It doesn’t make us look good. We can find creative ways to look at an error or a disaster and make a scapegoat of others. But people aren’t dumb. They can smell a skunk when they see one. And they don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know who shot who when they catch us with a smoking gun in our hand.

In the anger and panic of the moment we seldom take the time to look at ourself and see if we bear any blame for the nightmare that we’re faced with. We’re so busy blaming others because it makes us look good. It makes us look innocent. But are we?

In these series of posts I’d like to step into the sandals of several Biblical characters. They were human like you and me. You can be dead sure they passed the buck, or were tempted to do so, when they found themselves in hot water.

By looking at these familiar Bible figures I’m hoping we’ll learn from the mistakes and examples of our forebears. I hope we’ll learn not to pass the buck, but accept the guilt and blame that are rightfully ours. 

Why is that so important? Because assuming responsibility for our actions is the necessary first step towards fixing the mess we’ve made. We can’t fix something that we’re not willing to fess and face up to. It begins with summoning the courage to be honest with ourselves, with others, and with God. With the help of the Biblical characters I believe we can be honest and say, God, it’s not your fault! It’s mine. And I’m sorry I fingered you for the bed that I made and slept in.

PARADISE LOST

Hi there. My name is Adam. You all know me even if you’ve never met me. I’m the guy who got you into all the mess you find yourselves in as far as sin, suffering, sickness, and death. Sorry about that! I really didn’t mean for it to happen. I had no idea that this is how everything would turn out!

When you live in a perfect, sinless, peachy world like I did, you have no idea how life can possibly be different from the paradise you live in. Once outside of Eden, I learned soon enough how sin was going to make life a deplorable hell. Wow! Am I ever so sorry for what I did!

I wish I could turn the hands of time back and relive that fateful day in the Garden and not make the mistake I ended up making. But it’s too late and there’s no going back.

Honestly, at the start of it all, I didn’t think any of this was my fault. God gave me a woman to wife. She was the most beautiful thing in the world. I would have done anything for her—well, actually I did. She took a bite of the forbidden fruit, then gave it to me to try. In hindsight, I should have never listened to my wife. But when you’re crazy in love you just don’t ever think about crossing your wife. So I took a bite and that was the bite that changed the world and the course of human history.

When God showed up later that same day and asked us if we ate the forbidden fruit, I promptly told Him the truth, Genesis 3:8-12. God, this is all your fault! After all, it was You who gave me the woman to wife. If I didn’t have her around I’d never have taken that bite. I only ate it because she egged me on. So it was her fault. And Yours too! But definitely not mine!

When God questioned my wife about what she’d done, she blamed it on the snake. It’s all the snake’s fault! He fooled me into eating the forbidden fruit!

Well, God promptly pronounced a curse on the snake. Then He told my wife what her punishment would be. I blew a sigh of relief. I thought for sure I was off the hook. But God wasn’t done. He started talking to me and that’s when I knew my world was about to come to an end: Because you gave ear to the voice of your wife and took of the fruit of the tree which I said you were not to take, the earth is cursed on your account; in pain you will get your food from it all your life.  (18)  Thorns and waste plants will come up, and the plants of the field will be your food;  (19)  With the hard work of your hands you will get your bread till you go back to the earth from which you were taken: for dust you are and to the dust you will go back (Genesis 3:17-19).

His tone of voice told me there was no use arguing the point. God had spoken and that’s the way it was going to be. He told me not to eat the fruit (Genesis 2:16-17). I didn’t listen. I ate it. It didn’t matter if my wife, or anyone else for that matter, suckered me into it. I knew I wasn’t supposed to eat it. And when I ate it I disobeyed God. I had never done that before and it was a hard, bitter lesson learned—namely, DISOBEDIENCE HAS CONSEQUENCES AND THE CONSEQUENCES AREN’T PLEASANT. All of history proves it, as you all very well know.

I tried to pin the blame on God. But I found out God’s no fool. He isn’t taking the blame when it’s we who messed up, not Him. Paul puts it this way in Galatians 6:7, Don’t delude yourselves: no one makes a fool of God! A person reaps what he sows. Take it from me because I know what I’m talking about. I blamed God just like you! But God gave me all the time I needed to change my tune and admit the truth. Believe me, God knows how to get even you to change your tune!

So don’t fool yourself. You’re not fooling God. IF YOU HAVE A PART IN MAKING A MESS, THEN YOU’RE TO BLAME. AND THE SOONER YOU ADMIT YOUR GUILT THE SOONER YOU’LL SEE THE UTTER USELESSNESS OF BLAMING GOD FOR SOMETHING HE DIDN’T DO.

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BEST DECISION EVER: THE INFORMANT

April 3, 2012 at 5:22 PM (Best Decision Ever, Christian Living)
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In the course of a twenty-four hour period we make gobs of decisions. Some of these we make with a serious amount of forethought and prayer. Others we make spontaneously with little or no thought as to the consequences or impact our decisions will have—not only for ourselves, but for the many others whose lives are intertwined with ours.

Have you ever thought much about how a single decision can change your life forever? For better or worse?

In these blog posts I’d like to look at the one good decision that some people in the Bible made that changed the course of their life for the better. By looking at ourselves in the mirror of God’s Word I hope we’ll all take comfort, courage, and hope in the fact that, despite the mess we’re presently faced with, we can still turn things around. A lousy past or dismal present doesn’t have to give us the same future. By God’s grace, our future and life can be changed for the better…if we only make the right decision today. May God help us do that on a daily basis!

THE INFORMANT

We all are probably familiar with the story of Mordecai and Queen Esther. The preservation of the Jews in Persia has largely been attributed to the good and beautiful Queen. And rightly so. But I’d like to look at the story from Mordecai’s perspective.

What were the Jews doing in Persia in the first place? Here’s the scoop. Mordecai’s and Esther’s forebears had been carried into captivity in Babylon (part of the Kingdom of Persia). That was over a hundred years ago  in Mordecai’s time. Many of the captive Jews subsequently returned to Judah when the Persian King Cyrus gave the Jews their freedom and released them from captivity. But Mordecai’s dad and granddad decided they were going to stay in Persia. Esther’s parents decided to stay too. They lived in Shushan, the capital of Persia. Anyways, both of Esther’s parents died when she was still young. So Mordecai, her cousin, being much older than her, took her in and treated her as if she was his own daughter.

Anyways, you know the story. The Persian King Ahasuerus is looking for a new Queen. Gobs of young virgins from all over the Empire are brought to Shushan to serve as concubines for the King. One of these lucky concubines, whoever pleased the King the most, will be chosen as the next Queen.

Well, Esther was one of these virgins and, to make a long story short, the King immediately fell in love with her and crowned her his Queen. Of course, nobody in the Court knew she was a Jewess. That would have caused quite a scandal. Imagine a Jewess being Queen in Persia! That wouldn’t go over too well with the Persians. So Mordecai told Esther not to tell anyone in the Court her true nationality.

The next time we hear about Mordecai, we find him sitting in the King’s gate (Esther 2:19). That’s where civil trials were held. So Mordecai is probably a Judge. If not that, then he’s a royal government official. In any case, he’s probably there because his daughter pulled some strings for him and got him this gravy job in the employ of the King. (By the way, I neglected to tell you that Mordecai also told his daughter not to tell anyone that Mordecai was her dad.)

One day, while Mordecai was at the gate, he happened to overhear two of the Court officials plotting the kill the King.  They were eunuchs who stood guard at the door of the King’s bedroom. So they had easy access to the King and that made the King all the more vulnerable to their treachery and treason. So Mordecai ratted on them and told the Queen about the plot.

Of course, Esther wasn’t going to let these royal guards get away with murder. So she went to the King and informed him of the conspiracy. This she did wisely in Mordecai’s name (Esther 2:22). That is, she gave Mordecai full credit for the information. She told the King that it was Mordecai who uncovered the plot.

Well, when the truth of the conspiracy was confirmed, the two conspirators were promptly hanged. End of threat.

Now it was customary for Kings to reward their spies and informants handsomely for passing on life-saving news of this sort. After all, they did save the King’s life. But, for some unexplained reason, King Ahasuerus never rewarded or recognized Mordecai for his valuable service. I wonder if Mordecai was outraged and offended by this royal flub. If it was anyone of us, we’d probably be counting all the ways we would spend the King’s rewards. What a bummer to spend our days waiting for a recognition and reward that would never come!

Fast forward several months. The wicked Haman, who was the King’s Grand Vizier or Prime Minister, has built a gallows for Mordecai. He so despises the Jew who wouldn’t bow before him and reverence him that the wrathful Haman is fully intent on destroying what he sees is a Jewish dog. In fact, he’s not only going to kill Mordecai: he’s going to kill every Jew in the Kingdom! Haman’s hate was truly legendary! He issues a royal decree in the King’s Name and, on a certain day, every Persian is given the right to kill every Jew in sight (Esther 3). This would be the original Holocaust of the Jews.

Well, the King couldn’t go to sleep one night. So he commanded the chronicles of the Kings to be brought forth and read to him (Esther 6). That would surely put him to sleep! Or so he thought. Quite providentially, (don’t you just love the hand of God working everything out!), Mordecai’s name comes up in relation to the two conspirators against the King. At the remembrance of the event, the King’s ears perk up. What did we ever do to reward Mordecai for his life-saving information?, the King asked. Nothing, sir, replied the scribe. We never paid him a dime for saving your life.

Well, this just isn’t right! It won’t do! We’ve got to pay him back for saving my life, the King said. So, with Haman’s unwitting help, Mordecai is paraded throughout Shushan’s streets, clothed in the King’s robe, wearing the King’s crown, and riding the King’s horse. Haman himself went before the royally-honored Mordecai as a herald, shouting, This is what happens to the man who the King honors!

Haman is utterly humiliated! The guy he was planning on hanging is now honored by the King. Everyone in Haman’s house sees the handwriting on the wall. Haman’s days are numbered. Instead of you hanging Mordecai, that Jew is going to hang you, Haman!

Well, the King ended up hanging Haman. And he made Mordecai Grand Vizier in Haman’s place (Esther 8). He even gave Mordecai the royal ring with which he was authorized to issue edicts in the name of the King. It was this ring that enabled Mordecai to issue a national decree: every Jew in the Kingdom was given the right to bear arms and defend himself and his family on the day of Haman’s Holocaust. When it was all said and done, it was Mordecai’s vizierate, ring, and decree that preserved the Jews from extinction in Persia. God and the Queen placed Mordecai in the King’s good graces where he could play a pivotal role in the preservation of God’s people in Persia.

Do you know how Mordecai got in the King’s good graces? Queen Esther, in a moment of time, decided to tell the King that it was Mordecai who discovered the plot against his life (Esther 2:22). She could have kept quiet and not said anything to the King about who her informant was. She could have claimed all the credit for the conspiracy’s discovery for herself. But the good Queen gave credit where credit was due. Mordecai’s name got written in the history books. And the rest is history.

So, in a very real way, the preservation of the Jews in Persia can be attributed to Esther’s decision to name her informant. It was one little decision made spontaneously in a moment’s notice. But it was a decision that would ultimately save all the Jews in Persia. Wow! How neat is that!

Friends, don’t ever minimize the decisions you make. ONE TINY, SEEMINGLY INSIGNIFICANT DECISION CAN END UP CHANGING THE COURSE OF YOUR FUTURE—OR SOMEBODY ELSE’S FUTURE.  One “small” decision can be larger than life and end up being your best decision ever. May you be blessed with many such “small” decisions!

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THE JESUS I DIDN’T KNOW: HE CHOSE WHO?

March 28, 2012 at 8:23 AM (Life of Christ, The Jesus I Didn't Know)
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How well do you know Jesus? We all like to think we know Jesus pretty well. I’ve had close to fifty years of wonderful, sweet communion with Jesus. I’ve devoted over forty years of my life to studying and teaching His Word. I’m talking about going back to the original languages and learning as much as I can about Jewish culture, institutions, and beliefs. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not a Know-It-All. And you can ask my kids: I’m not inerrant or infallible. But still, knowing what I know, I’d like to think I know Jesus pretty good. To my pleasant surprise, however, I don’t know Jesus as good as I think I do. To this day, He still shows me more about Himself. Here, let me give you some snippets of the Jesus I never knew.

HE CHOSE WHO?

Many of you know Nathanael. He was one of Jesus’ disciples. When our Lord first saw him, Jesus said, Behold, an Israelite in whom there is no guile (John 1:47). Nathanael was a pretty upright fellow. When I think of him I think of someone who’s squeaky clean. Not perfect or sinless by any means. But a cut above the rest. Righteous in every way.

I’ve lived my life pretty much like Nathanael. I walk the straight and narrow. I love the Lord. I’m thankful for all He’s done for me. And I’ve given my life to serving and glorifying Him.

The down side of being a goody two-shoes like me is you start thinking you’re high and mighty and you start looking down on people who aren’t toeing the line. If Nathanael was like me, then here’s how this story might have unfolded.

Hi. My name is Nathanael. I’m honored to be one of Jesus’ earliest disciples. I’m a pious Jew and I don’t make any apologies for that. I love the Lord. I love the Scriptures. And I enjoy living a clean and upright life. I find it so satisfying and gratifying to be faithful and obedient to God. Temptations abound. And it’s so much easier to just give in and live a carnal, sinful life. But sin has never done anything good for me. I found that out early on in life. So I steer clear of sin and live by the Good Book.

Anyways, I’d like to tell you about a time when I was really ignorant, self-righteous, and had major problems with the Lord. We were in Capernaum one day when Jesus decided to take a stroll down by the seaside (Luke 5:27-28). Nothing wrong with that. It’s good exercise and the fresh air works wonders on a body. Jesus headed to the tax booth that was down by the harbor and, to everyone’s shocked surprise, Jesus called the publican to follow Him. The guy’s name was Levi. He also went by the name of Matthew.

Anyway, the guy’s a publican. Do you know anything about publicans? No, they’re not the ancestors of the Republicans. And they weren’t Democrats either! Publicans were tax collectors. They made their living by collecting taxes for the Roman government. The only thing about it was the Romans didn’t pay them to do that. They got their money by charging more tax than what the Emperor actually charged. If the Hot Shot in Rome charged $10 tax on a produce merchant, the publican would charge at least $30! He’d give $10 to the Romans, $10 to his boss the chief publican, then he’d keep the rest for himself. There were no set rates for publicans to follow. Every publican charged however much he wanted to charge. The really greedy ones charged exorbitantly. And since the merchants had no recourse or choice, they paid what was charged. And in so doing, they got robbed and the publicans got rich. Filthy rich.

If there’s any one thing you need to know about publicans, it’s this. They’re crooks! They’re all crooks! Us Jews really hate and detest these guys. They may be Jews. But we hate them because they’re unscrupulous. They’re wicked and vile. Our religious leaders wouldn’t have anything to do with them. Why, they won’t even accept tithes from publicans! That’s how bad our leaders detested these crooks. These guys are bad and we make it our practice to stay as far away from them as possible.

You can imagine how horrified I was when Jesus called a publican to become a disciple. I was ticked! Up to now, all of us disciples were clean, upright Jews. Andrew, Peter, James, John, Philip, and myself, were all honest, hard-working, righteous men. We were upstanding pillars in the community. We got along well because we all believed in hard work and clean, honest living.

Suddenly, without warning or consultation, Jesus brings a publican on the bus. Do you know how bad that makes us look? The guy’s got a reputation. A bad reputation. People don’t like him. And with him on board they’re not going to like us either.  They’re going to wonder if Jesus has lost His marbles.

You know how a politician’s going to be judged by his reputation or past. If he’s got skeletons in his closet, believe me, they’re going to come out no matter how hard the guy tries to keep them hidden. People are going to talk. They’ve got big mouths. And they’ll sink any candidate for office who’s got dirt in his history.

That’s what’s going to happen here. People are going to talk and they’re going to question Jesus’ smarts. Let’s face it. A publican’s bad news. Everyone knows that. We’re going to get flack for that.

The guy threw a big party for the Lord and invited all his publican friends. Well, you guessed right. Like we knew would happen, the Pharisees showed up and excoriated us for the bad choice of company. Everywhere we went it was going to be like this. People just aren’t going to appreciate seeing a publican so close to Jesus.

I tried reasoning with the Lord. We were all concerned about our reputation. About Jesus’ reputation. We didn’t want anyone messing up our reputation. We were out to win the world. But that would be a very hard thing to do as long as we gave people cause or reason to criticize us. I advised Jesus to rethink this decision and let the guy go. But my pleas fell on deaf ears. Jesus wasn’t budging. He let me know in no uncertain terms that the publican was on board to stay. I certainly didn’t agree with the Master. But I had no choice. Grudgingly, I let the publican take his seat on the bus.

The more I followed Jesus the more I understood Him. We’re so wrapped up in what other people think. But I learned that Jesus wasn’t like that. He didn’t care what other people thought or said. He was out to obey the Father and He did that no matter how bad that made Him look.

The  nail that crucified and changed me was this: God often doesn’t think the way I think! Paul said it so well in 1 Corinthians 1:26-29,  For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:  (27)  But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;  (28)  And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:  (29)  That no flesh should glory in his presence. That’s just another way of saying that God doesn’t choose who I would choose.

Turned out, the publican proved us all wrong. More than anyone of us, he worked the hardest to convince our countrymen that Jesus really was the prophesied Messiah. He wrote a Gospel. And, instead of driving a lot of people away from Jesus like we thought he would do, the publican brought them to the Lord.

I’m ever so glad I was wrong about him. I’d hate to think what would have happened if Jesus listened to me and booted the publican off the bus. Christianity wouldn’t be the same. Our Bible wouldn’t be complete without the publican’s Gospel. I thought Jesus was making a big mistake. I flew off the handle when I found out Jesus called a publican. It was bad for publicity. It was a poor reflection on Jesus. Jesus was wrong. Boy was I ever wrong! Just goes to show that God doesn’t make any mistakes in who He chooses. Jesus knew what He was doing all along. I didn’t know. But now I do.

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ONE BAD DECISION: DEATH BY GREED

March 21, 2012 at 9:19 AM (Christian Living, One Bad Decision)
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In the course of a twenty-four hour period we make gobs of decisions. Some of these we make with a serious amount of forethought and prayer. But, if you’re like me, we make many of our decisions spontaneously with little or no thought as to the consequences or impact our decisions will have—not only for ourselves, but also for the many others whose lives are intertwined with  ours.

Have you ever thought much about how a single decision can change your life forever? Sometimes a single decision will change us for the better. And sometimes a single decision will change us for the worse.

In these blog posts I’d like to look at the singular decision that some people in the Bible made that changed their lives forever…for the worse. By looking at ourselves in the mirror of God’s Word it’ll give us reason to stop and think about both the long-term and short-term ramifications of the decisions we make. Lots of forethought and prayer, I’m convinced, will save us from the pain and regret of a hastily-made decision for the worse.

DEATH BY GREED

The forty long years of desert travels have ended. The Israelites have entered the Promised Land. They’ve begun their war of conquest and possession of Canaan land. Jericho has fallen. Next up was the small city of Ai. It wasn’t anywhere near as big as Jericho, so Joshua sent a token force to take the city. To their utter shock and dismay, the small army of Ai routed the Israelites in battle! The Israelites couldn’t believe it! What in the world was going on? Joshua, the General of the Army, was so disheartened by the disaster that he went boo hooing into God’s presence for an explanation.

Turned out, somebody in the army messed up. The rule was, after all the city’s inhabitants were killed, the Israelites could confiscate the spoils of war for themselves. The only exception was the gold and silver, as well as vessels of brass and iron: all these belonged to the Lord and were to be deposited in the Tabernacle Treasury.

While the small Israelite force was busy going house-to-house in combat, one of their soldiers named Achan spotted the spoils of war that were just too enticing for him to pass up. He somehow managed to stop fighting long enough to carry away for himself a splendid Babylonian robe, along with 200 silver shekels and a wedge of gold. Weighted down, he resumed the war. That’s when the invasion started falling apart and the army of Ai started getting the upper hand. The Israelites sounded retreat and they marched back to camp forlornly and ashamed.

Achan hid the forbidden spoils of war in his tent. He knew full well that he had disobeyed the Lord’s orders. Achan coveted and took what rightfully belonged to the Lord. He’d stolen from God. And for this sin, the Israelite army and nation suffered a humiliating national defeat. You can read about it for yourself in Joshua 7.

Well, Achan hid his sin. But God brought it to light. YOU HIDE NOTHING FROM GOD. Achan was eventually discovered as the guilty culprit and the reason for the national defeat. He fessed up. But the confession would not diminish or lighten his sentence. He and his entire family—his wife and children—and everything he possessed, including his flocks and livestock, even his tents, clothes, furniture, and all; were brought to the Valley of Achor. And there the congregation of Israel stoned them to death, Joshua 7:24-26.

Of all the story pictures in the Bible, this one burns brightest and most vividly in my mind. I can picture the scene as Joshua passed judgment. How Achan must have begged and pled for mercy—if not for himself, then for his family. How his wife must have cried and looked frightfully in her husband’s eyes, and screamed, Achan, help me! Don’t let them hurt the children! I can hear the cries of the children as the reality of what was about to happen to them sank in. I can see them struggling and resisting as they were escorted to the Valley. I can see all the animals herded into the valley and all of Achan’s possessions thrown down around him. I can see Achan holding his wife and children close to his body, trying to shield them from the inevitable stones that were soon to fall upon them all. I can hear their cries of anguish and pain as the stones hit their bodies. I can hear the cries of the animals. I can see the blood flowing into the ground. What a terrible way to die! All because Achan was greedy!

If we reckoned the value of the stolen silver and gold by today’s standards, reckoning $32/ounce of silver and $1,665/ounce of gold; a shekel being ½ ounce; then 200 silver shekels and the wedge of gold that Achan stole for himself was worth almost $45,000 in today’s currency. Was it worth it, Achan? You lost your life—you got your wife and children killed—in the most painful and gruesome of ways. For what? $45,000. And you never even got a chance to spend it or enjoy it! Was it worth it? The treasure of wealth that you acquired was not worth the treasure of life and family that you lost. One quick, spontaneous decision made in the heat of battle cost Achan his life and that of his entire family. He died regretting his decision.

Friends, watch what decisions you make spontaneously without deliberation or forethought. WHEN YOU’RE BEING CARNAL, FLESHLY, DISOBEDIENT, OR SINFUL; THAT’S NOT THE TIME TO BE MAKING DECISIONS. Decisions made in this state produce heartache, regret, and sometimes, literally, death as in Achan’s case. James 1:14-15,  But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.  (15)  Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

Learn from Achan’s death. Stay out of the Valley of Achor. Get rid of covetousness and greed. You’ll live longer and you’ll be a lot happier without greed. Just ask Achan. From beyond the grave he’ll tell you…No amount of money is worth losing your life or your family. They’re your greatest treasure. Don’t let greed rob you of your treasure. Your life. Your soul.

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FIGHTING OUR GOLIATHS PART 3

March 14, 2012 at 10:41 AM (Fighting Our Goliaths, Spiritual Warfare)
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FEAR WILL KEEP YOU FROM FIGHTING

1 Samuel 17:11,  When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid…{23} And as David talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them.  (24)  And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.

FEAR WILL KEEP YOU FROM FIGHTING. That might not seem like such a bad thing to you. After all, it’s  a  lot  safer in the trenches than on the battlefield with the giant. At least you’re alive in the foxhole, instead of dead on the battlefield. But BATTLES ARE NOT WON IN THE FOXHOLES! Where would we be today if Jesus stayed in the foxhole? If He stayed in Heaven and refused to fight Satan on battlefield Earth?

THE DEVIL DOESN’T WANT YOU TO FIGHT HIM. Do you know why? BECAUSE HE KNOWS HE’LL LOSE IF YOU DO! Look at James 4:7, Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. The Bible promises us that if we submit ourselves to God and fight the Devil back, the Devil will flee from us. He’ll quit fighting. He’ll quit stealing, killing, destroying, and damning. He’ll cut it out and leave us alone.

BUT IT TAKES A FIGHT TO PUT HIM TO FLIGHT. NO FIGHT, NO FLIGHT. IF YOU WON’T FIGHT, HE WON’T RUN. IF YOU DON’T START FIGHTING, HE WON’T QUIT FIGHTING. Brethren, YOU’VE GOT TO FIGHT IF YOU WANT THE DEVIL TO STOP HASSLING YOU AND MESSING WITH YOU. And this brings me the fifth thing that I’d like for you to see from Scripture.

FEAR WILL KEEP THE DEVIL COMING BACK AND MESSING YOU UP EVEN MORE

1 Samuel 17:16,  And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days. Twice a day, for over a month, Goliath came out for a fight. HE KEPT ON LOOKING FOR A FIGHT. HE KEPT ON ASKING FOR A FIGHT. AND HE DIDN’T QUIT ASKING UNTIL HE FINALLY GOT HIS FIGHT.

THE DEVIL, BRETHREN, DOESN’T GIVE UP WITHOUT A FIGHT. HE DOESN’T GO AWAY WITHOUT A FIGHT. HE DOESN’T LEAVE YOU ALONE WITHOUT A FIGHT. HE DOESN’T QUIT MESSING YOU UP UNTIL YOU FIGHT. The Devil’s come for a fight and HE’S GOING TO KEEP ON MESSING WITH YOU, HASSLING YOU, STEALING FROM YOU, KILLING YOU, DESTROYING YOU, DAMNING YOU; UNTIL YOU DECIDE ENOUGH’S ENOUGH AND GET OUT OF THE FOXHOLE AND FIGHT.

You see, friends, THE DEVIL IS GOING TO DO WHATEVER YOU LET HIM DO TO YOU. If you don’t stop him, he’ll keep on doing what he’s doing to you. And HE’LL KEEP ON DOING IT FOR AS LONG AS YOU LET HIM DO IT. YOUR REFUSAL TO FIGHT HIM, BRETHREN, IS WHAT KEEPS HIM COMING BACK.

That’s why THINGS ALWAYS GET WORSE WHEN YOU’RE NOT FIGHTING. THE LONGER YOU STAY IN THE FOXHOLE, THE MORE THE DEVIL WILL MESS YOU AND THE MORE YOU’LL HURT. Are you tired of seeing him? Tired of letting him have his way with you? Tired of letting him mess you up? Then fight! THE ONLY WAY YOUR BATTLES AND STRUGGLES ARE GOING TO END IS IF YOU PUT THEM TO AN END.

Well, my time’s up and I’ve gotta go. I’d be back in a month with another Goliath blog and I guarantee  you’ll really get pumped full of faith and courage. It’ll be your Goliath’s turn to start shaking in his boots! Hope to see you then. God bless and keep you.

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