Death. It is our last enemy.
We don't like to think about it. Our culture has sanitized it, locked it away, or just ignored it. We might see a gruesome fake corpse in a movie, but it's all pretend. It isn't real until you are in that ICU, hearing the words that nothing can be done. Or maybe it's a phone call. There's been an accident. I'm so sorry.
I was there. It was time to take away Mom's life support, and the hospital staff were trying to be helpful. They said we could have music or whatever we would like. To make it more pleasant. I wasn't quite sure what to make of this offer of amenities. In the end, we asked for nothing special, and it was just as well. She didn't last more than a couple of minutes.
Watching my mother die was one of the hardest things I think I've ever done. She hadn't been conscious for some time, so in one sense it was like passing away in her sleep, but the body struggles to live, and that last gasp was really that. The last effort of her body to breathe. And then she was gone.
It was then that I concluded that death is ugly.
In my Bible I read that death is the result of the Fall. Our first parents rejected God and in turn were cursed with something new called "death."
. . . but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you shall eat of it you shall surely die.-- Gen 2:17
God had given one proscription, one simple command. They broke it, and the penalty was death. The original Hebrew implies continuous action: they immediately entered into a state of dying. They became mortal. In the New Testament we receive further light on what "death" means:
And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins . . . Eph 2:1
There is clearly a spiritual death, or separation, taught in the Scriptures. The separation is between us and our Creator. The cause is our sin.
Christ's substitutionary death opened the door for spiritual--and ultimately physical--restoration from the Curse of the Fall. Eternal life is that renewed fellowship with God, which was purchased at so high a price.
And one day, physical death will be conquered too. But like Christ, we must first pass through death's door to finally experience bodily resurrection and the restoration of all things.
So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory."
"O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory" I Cor 15:54-55
Today, we see death in all its ugliness. But as believers we have hope, and when we see another believer fall asleep in death, we do not sorrow as those who have no hope. We feel grief. We feel sorrow and loss. But underneath are the everlasting arms.
Christ is our Redeemer. Christ is our conquering Captain.
For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. I Cor 15:25-26
Monday, November 9, 2015
Monday, October 12, 2015
Guarding my House
Words shift their meanings over time. Sometime the meaning remains but it's just kind of buried.
Like the word "keep." When we define it in English, we quickly realize that it has a range of meanings--just check out Webster's if you doubt me. A farmer keeps sheep. I have kept my promise. A woman keeps house. She is a "housekeeper."
The Scriptures exhort us to be "keepers at home." (Titus 2:5) A number of things may come to mind hearing this phrase. When we think of a "housekeeper" we typically think of a married woman who spends her time cooking, cleaning, and caring for children. She doesn't work outside the home. This is our modern, cultural, English definition.
But let's take a closer look at the Greek. Behind this phrase is a single compound word: "house" and "keep" put together. It can mean "housekeeper" in the sense of someone who performs domestic duties. But it has a broader meaning. I think we can understand this better if we look at other passages of Scripture.
Proverbs 14:1 states that a wise woman builds her "house." Well, I must say that I don't think this indicates that women were engaged in construction in Bible days. Instead we see the word "house" as it was commonly used in the Old Testament: a household, a family. We could say the wise or godly woman "builds" her family. Caring for her husband and children isn't on some "to-do" list--it's at the center of her being.
The woman described in Proverbs 31 is an example of this. The heart of her husband "trusts" in her--he knows she's not going to speak ill of him to her neighbors, or run up a big balance on the credit card buying shoes. No, instead she does things that help out the economic situation of the family, and though not much is said about her children, we discover at the end of the passage that they esteem her highly. She does things outside the home and even engages in trade--but she's not trying to escape her family. She's actively "building" it, no matter where she is.
The second part of the word in Titus is "keep." In the Greek it carries with it the idea of guarding. We see this in English as well: the farmer keeps sheep. He manages them, feeds them, and protects them. Likewise, we are to guard our family.
Husbands do this too, although their role in building and protecting looks different. Ours is often behind the scenes but just as important. We protect our children from illness by using good hygiene and cooking healthy meals. Along with our husbands, we teach them the Scriptures, and do our best to protect them from destructive influences in the world. We pray for them. We encourage our husbands and children, enabling them to do right.
Ever see a cute dishtowel in the store, and purchase it because it coordinates with your kitchen colors? Even cleaning and decorating our homes are part of the family safeguard. Keeping our tongues--watching what we say--is even more important. Physically and emotionally, we want our homes to be places of rest. You can help guard your husband from temptation by creating a welcome environment at home.
But most of all, we want our own hearts to be guarded with gospel armor. (Eph 6:10-18) Don't let the cart get before the horse. The better we understand the gospel of grace, the better able we will be to serve the Lord as a "family guardian."
Like the word "keep." When we define it in English, we quickly realize that it has a range of meanings--just check out Webster's if you doubt me. A farmer keeps sheep. I have kept my promise. A woman keeps house. She is a "housekeeper."
The Scriptures exhort us to be "keepers at home." (Titus 2:5) A number of things may come to mind hearing this phrase. When we think of a "housekeeper" we typically think of a married woman who spends her time cooking, cleaning, and caring for children. She doesn't work outside the home. This is our modern, cultural, English definition.
But let's take a closer look at the Greek. Behind this phrase is a single compound word: "house" and "keep" put together. It can mean "housekeeper" in the sense of someone who performs domestic duties. But it has a broader meaning. I think we can understand this better if we look at other passages of Scripture.
Proverbs 14:1 states that a wise woman builds her "house." Well, I must say that I don't think this indicates that women were engaged in construction in Bible days. Instead we see the word "house" as it was commonly used in the Old Testament: a household, a family. We could say the wise or godly woman "builds" her family. Caring for her husband and children isn't on some "to-do" list--it's at the center of her being.
The woman described in Proverbs 31 is an example of this. The heart of her husband "trusts" in her--he knows she's not going to speak ill of him to her neighbors, or run up a big balance on the credit card buying shoes. No, instead she does things that help out the economic situation of the family, and though not much is said about her children, we discover at the end of the passage that they esteem her highly. She does things outside the home and even engages in trade--but she's not trying to escape her family. She's actively "building" it, no matter where she is.
The second part of the word in Titus is "keep." In the Greek it carries with it the idea of guarding. We see this in English as well: the farmer keeps sheep. He manages them, feeds them, and protects them. Likewise, we are to guard our family.
Husbands do this too, although their role in building and protecting looks different. Ours is often behind the scenes but just as important. We protect our children from illness by using good hygiene and cooking healthy meals. Along with our husbands, we teach them the Scriptures, and do our best to protect them from destructive influences in the world. We pray for them. We encourage our husbands and children, enabling them to do right.
Ever see a cute dishtowel in the store, and purchase it because it coordinates with your kitchen colors? Even cleaning and decorating our homes are part of the family safeguard. Keeping our tongues--watching what we say--is even more important. Physically and emotionally, we want our homes to be places of rest. You can help guard your husband from temptation by creating a welcome environment at home.
But most of all, we want our own hearts to be guarded with gospel armor. (Eph 6:10-18) Don't let the cart get before the horse. The better we understand the gospel of grace, the better able we will be to serve the Lord as a "family guardian."
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
#IAmAChristian
"Are you a Christian?"
This was the question asked by a young man armed with several weapons, standing in the doorway of a classroom located on a small Oregon college campus. He asked the instructor first. When she responded affirmatively, he fired a fatal shot. Some of the students also confessed Christ and died almost instantly. Others who did not profess faith received flesh wounds.
In the end, nine were dead and a number of others wounded, some critically.
Almost immediately the story of their courage went viral on social media. A presidential candidate was seen holding a sign in support reading "I am a Christian." T-shirts were made with #IAmAChristian emblazoned on the front, in an attempt to identify with the slain and remember them.
It's not the only time I have thought about my own mortality.
Most of us deal with death by buying life insurance. We do those things that everybody recommends, not able to deny the event intellectually but maybe, just maybe, not acknowledging it in any real way.
Christians know that this life is temporary, but often we live as though it were not. I know that is true for me. The days string along, one after another, and each gray hair or wrinkle just irritates me in a superficial way. Well, what hair dye shall I buy this month?
But when we read the New Testament we see an entirely different attitude. For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain, the Apostle Paul wrote. He knew that death was a positive thing because it meant going home. Going home to be with Christ.
Jesus spoke of these matters in very real and graphic terms. He spoke of the the rich man dying and experiencing torments (Luke 16:19-31). He spoke of the Day of Judgment and the Resurrection.
Peter wrote of the heavens "passing away" (II Peter 3:10) and the world burning up. His epistles exhort us to live as "sojourners and pilgrims" (I Pet 2:11)--this place is only temporary, and our "real" home--and our real citizenship--is in heaven.
I needed to be reminded that anything less than a genuine longing for the "blessed hope"--the return of Christ--is an indication of worldliness and spiritual sloth on my part.
He may not return in my lifetime, but in a way, that's irrelevant. I may die today and then I will see Him. I will see the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. For me.
Those who lay dead in that classroom were ushered into glory. They are Home.
#IAmAChristian.
This was the question asked by a young man armed with several weapons, standing in the doorway of a classroom located on a small Oregon college campus. He asked the instructor first. When she responded affirmatively, he fired a fatal shot. Some of the students also confessed Christ and died almost instantly. Others who did not profess faith received flesh wounds.
In the end, nine were dead and a number of others wounded, some critically.
Almost immediately the story of their courage went viral on social media. A presidential candidate was seen holding a sign in support reading "I am a Christian." T-shirts were made with #IAmAChristian emblazoned on the front, in an attempt to identify with the slain and remember them.
It's not the only time I have thought about my own mortality.
Most of us deal with death by buying life insurance. We do those things that everybody recommends, not able to deny the event intellectually but maybe, just maybe, not acknowledging it in any real way.
Christians know that this life is temporary, but often we live as though it were not. I know that is true for me. The days string along, one after another, and each gray hair or wrinkle just irritates me in a superficial way. Well, what hair dye shall I buy this month?
But when we read the New Testament we see an entirely different attitude. For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain, the Apostle Paul wrote. He knew that death was a positive thing because it meant going home. Going home to be with Christ.
Jesus spoke of these matters in very real and graphic terms. He spoke of the the rich man dying and experiencing torments (Luke 16:19-31). He spoke of the Day of Judgment and the Resurrection.
Peter wrote of the heavens "passing away" (II Peter 3:10) and the world burning up. His epistles exhort us to live as "sojourners and pilgrims" (I Pet 2:11)--this place is only temporary, and our "real" home--and our real citizenship--is in heaven.
I needed to be reminded that anything less than a genuine longing for the "blessed hope"--the return of Christ--is an indication of worldliness and spiritual sloth on my part.
He may not return in my lifetime, but in a way, that's irrelevant. I may die today and then I will see Him. I will see the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. For me.
Those who lay dead in that classroom were ushered into glory. They are Home.
#IAmAChristian.
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Eunice's Victory
As wives and mothers, we like things to be just right. Floors cleaned. Pantry stocked. Clothes pressed. Children obedient.
In our dreams! In reality, there are spots on the floor, sometimes meals aren't gourmet, laundry piles up, and our children . . . well, raising children is an incredible challenge. We can feed them right, dress them, even teach them right from wrong, but they still often choose to do wrong.
And then there is the challenge of teaching them the Scriptures. The most fundamental thing our children need. The most lasting contribution we can give them. Sometimes it can feel as if we're spinning our wheels. Are they really learning? Will it stick? And what about the influences of the world, some of which may even be rooted inside the family. Family members and friends who oppose any efforts at practical godliness.
I want to tell you about a woman named Eunice. She is referred to three times in the Scriptures (Acts 16:1; 2 Tim 1:5; 2 Tim 3:15). She was the mother of Timothy, the Apostle Paul's "son" in the faith.
Then he[Paul] came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek. Acts 16:1
Lystra was a town in modern-day Turkey. Jews were living all over the Roman Empire, speaking the Greek language, and interacting with Greek culture. But they maintained a separate identity and established synagogues for worship. They had the Scriptures, too, written in Greek, which was what they spoke every day. But in Lystra, the predominate religion was the worship of Greco-Roman demi-gods. For devout Jews and later, Christians, there was a tension. Sometimes even persecution.
This is where Eunice lived. Her mother was devout and she learned the Scriptures. But for some reason, she married a Greek. Now some Greeks, hearing God's Word, became "proselytes." They chose to identify with the Jews and obey the Law. But this was not one of them.
We know this because their son Timothy was not circumcised as an infant. A traditional Jew would be horrified at the thought of omitting this important ritual. We don't know what Eunice thought about this. We can guess that she was not pleased. Or, perhaps, she may have wandered from her mother's instruction for a time. It would explain the marriage.
Eunice may have understood that circumcision did not make a person right with God. If not then, she must have learned it eventually, when she heard and embraced the gospel of grace. Even Abraham was justified--made right with God--by faith even before he was circumcised, as Paul explains in Galatians.
Whatever Eunice's thoughts may have been, she did not give up. She taught her son the Scriptures, assisted by her mother Lois. It might have been tough at times. It is quite possible that Timothy's father educated him in the traditional Greek way. This would be like having your child attend a public school all day--then you get the "remnants" of your child's time and attention. But despite these hardships, Paul remembers this mother and grandmother when writing to Timothy:
when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also . . . 2 Tim 1:5
It wasn't the "perfect" Christian family. Such a thing does not exist. Eunice faced unique trials. But she was faithful and is now forever remembered in the annals of Scripture. Her name, translated from the Greek, means, "good victory."
In our dreams! In reality, there are spots on the floor, sometimes meals aren't gourmet, laundry piles up, and our children . . . well, raising children is an incredible challenge. We can feed them right, dress them, even teach them right from wrong, but they still often choose to do wrong.
And then there is the challenge of teaching them the Scriptures. The most fundamental thing our children need. The most lasting contribution we can give them. Sometimes it can feel as if we're spinning our wheels. Are they really learning? Will it stick? And what about the influences of the world, some of which may even be rooted inside the family. Family members and friends who oppose any efforts at practical godliness.
I want to tell you about a woman named Eunice. She is referred to three times in the Scriptures (Acts 16:1; 2 Tim 1:5; 2 Tim 3:15). She was the mother of Timothy, the Apostle Paul's "son" in the faith.
Then he[Paul] came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek. Acts 16:1
Lystra was a town in modern-day Turkey. Jews were living all over the Roman Empire, speaking the Greek language, and interacting with Greek culture. But they maintained a separate identity and established synagogues for worship. They had the Scriptures, too, written in Greek, which was what they spoke every day. But in Lystra, the predominate religion was the worship of Greco-Roman demi-gods. For devout Jews and later, Christians, there was a tension. Sometimes even persecution.
This is where Eunice lived. Her mother was devout and she learned the Scriptures. But for some reason, she married a Greek. Now some Greeks, hearing God's Word, became "proselytes." They chose to identify with the Jews and obey the Law. But this was not one of them.
We know this because their son Timothy was not circumcised as an infant. A traditional Jew would be horrified at the thought of omitting this important ritual. We don't know what Eunice thought about this. We can guess that she was not pleased. Or, perhaps, she may have wandered from her mother's instruction for a time. It would explain the marriage.
Eunice may have understood that circumcision did not make a person right with God. If not then, she must have learned it eventually, when she heard and embraced the gospel of grace. Even Abraham was justified--made right with God--by faith even before he was circumcised, as Paul explains in Galatians.
Whatever Eunice's thoughts may have been, she did not give up. She taught her son the Scriptures, assisted by her mother Lois. It might have been tough at times. It is quite possible that Timothy's father educated him in the traditional Greek way. This would be like having your child attend a public school all day--then you get the "remnants" of your child's time and attention. But despite these hardships, Paul remembers this mother and grandmother when writing to Timothy:
when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also . . . 2 Tim 1:5
It wasn't the "perfect" Christian family. Such a thing does not exist. Eunice faced unique trials. But she was faithful and is now forever remembered in the annals of Scripture. Her name, translated from the Greek, means, "good victory."
Thursday, July 16, 2015
A Call to Die
Hedonism. I heard this word the other night, used to explain modern American culture. According to Webster's it means "the self-indulgent pursuit of pleasure as a way of life."
Yes, this does describe the American culture, and it is a universal human failing. The Apostle Paul warned Timothy about evil men who were "lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" (II Tim 3:4).
What seems different now--as compared to previous generations--is that this goal, this lifestyle, is publicly celebrated as never before. What is pleasurable--what makes you "happy"--is seen as the highest end. It's easy to condemn the results: homosexual "marriage," the sale of fetal body parts. Christians who read their Bibles have no trouble seeing that these things are wrong.
But according to the Apostle Paul, "those who are outside [the church] God judges." (I Cor 5:13) God will take care of the world; we need to look to our own hearts. Peter writes, "For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?" (I Pet 4:17)
Whatever this may mean, we are certainly to remove the "beam" from our own eyes before examining others (Matt 7:3-5).
Do I live for pleasure?
No, I don't do all the outward things condemned in Scripture. I certainly don't engage in sexual perversion or sell fetal body parts. But when Jesus taught his disciples about the Law of God--in the "Sermon on the Mount"--we quickly see that much of the Law is internal, not external. Do you lust? Do you hate? Do you covet?
I have been guilty of coveting time and again. No, I don't wear an embroidered "C" on my chest for all to see. But that lust to have is part and parcel of living for pleasure. For you it might be shoes or the latest gadget. For me it's books or maybe just a healthier body. Our wants are endless.
And what about all those "innocent" pleasures we enjoy day to day? Do I really have to have that dessert? Or watch that movie? The things in themselves may not be especially harmful, but when you realize how easy it is to fall into a lifestyle of living for those pleasures, you understand Spurgeon's railing against the "theatre." He was talking about a pleasure-seeking lifestyle.
Jesus' call to deny ourselves and follow Him is a call to say "no" to hedonism. In order to embrace Christ, to receive life, we must put away death. It is a daily walk, a fellowship. It is a fellowship of joy but also of suffering as we turn aside from our fleshly lusts again and again.
Yes, this does describe the American culture, and it is a universal human failing. The Apostle Paul warned Timothy about evil men who were "lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" (II Tim 3:4).
What seems different now--as compared to previous generations--is that this goal, this lifestyle, is publicly celebrated as never before. What is pleasurable--what makes you "happy"--is seen as the highest end. It's easy to condemn the results: homosexual "marriage," the sale of fetal body parts. Christians who read their Bibles have no trouble seeing that these things are wrong.
But according to the Apostle Paul, "those who are outside [the church] God judges." (I Cor 5:13) God will take care of the world; we need to look to our own hearts. Peter writes, "For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?" (I Pet 4:17)
Whatever this may mean, we are certainly to remove the "beam" from our own eyes before examining others (Matt 7:3-5).
Do I live for pleasure?
No, I don't do all the outward things condemned in Scripture. I certainly don't engage in sexual perversion or sell fetal body parts. But when Jesus taught his disciples about the Law of God--in the "Sermon on the Mount"--we quickly see that much of the Law is internal, not external. Do you lust? Do you hate? Do you covet?
I have been guilty of coveting time and again. No, I don't wear an embroidered "C" on my chest for all to see. But that lust to have is part and parcel of living for pleasure. For you it might be shoes or the latest gadget. For me it's books or maybe just a healthier body. Our wants are endless.
And what about all those "innocent" pleasures we enjoy day to day? Do I really have to have that dessert? Or watch that movie? The things in themselves may not be especially harmful, but when you realize how easy it is to fall into a lifestyle of living for those pleasures, you understand Spurgeon's railing against the "theatre." He was talking about a pleasure-seeking lifestyle.
Jesus' call to deny ourselves and follow Him is a call to say "no" to hedonism. In order to embrace Christ, to receive life, we must put away death. It is a daily walk, a fellowship. It is a fellowship of joy but also of suffering as we turn aside from our fleshly lusts again and again.
Saturday, June 27, 2015
Keeping Silent
There is so much I would like to say.
Hezekiah, a godly king of Judah, knew when to keep silent. And he knew to whom it was important to speak.
You see, the great superpower of his day was at his gates. Sennacherib the king of Assyria was spewing threats. You can read the story in Isaiah 36 and 37.
The Northern Kingdom had already been taken away captive, and many of the walled towns of Judah were overrun. There really was no defense against the might of the Assyrians.
When Sennacherib's captain came within earshot of the walls of Jerusalem, Hezekiah wasn't even there. He instructed his men not to say anything to the enemy. They merely listened as the confident Assyrian mocked the frailty of the Jews. They listened as He mocked their God. They didn't respond.
Then, when Hezekiah received a threatening letter from his nemesis, he didn't whip out writing materials for a quick response. Instead, he took the letter to the house of the Lord. He opened it up before his God and poured out his heart.
Now, Hezekiah had done right in the sight of the Lord. He had led the people in doing right, and in worshiping the Lord according to the Law of Moses. Under his rule the people tore down idols and brought in the tithes. A true revival had broken out in the land. (See II Chronicles 29 for the details of his reign.) I wonder what Hezekiah was thinking at this point. If he doubted or questioned God it couldn't have lasted long, for next we see him in the temple with that letter.
Today I saw something just as alarming to me as that army at the gates of Jerusalem. I saw a picture of the White House all lit up in rainbow colors. The Supreme Court discovery of same-sex "marriage" in the Constitution spelled party time for many, including the president. For the inhabitants of Zion it was like the glint of spears in the distance. We've already seen various legal skirmishes in our country. Anyone who refuses service of any kind to a gay couple wanting to wed can be prosecuted. Even if it's against his conscience or religion. From now on it can only get worse.
It's also been a huge discouragement. For American Christians who love their country, it is grievous to see. The Constitution is godly in the sense that it recognizes that you can't trust people. Human nature is not inherently good. We must be governed by laws, not men. That's what the Founders thought. But John Adams predicted that even this worthy document would not be enough to restrain a people not governed by morality or religion. And so we see his words come to pass. According to our Court, words no longer mean what they say.
What to do? What to say? Hezekiah's example returns to my mind. Clothes torn in grief, he kneeled before the Lord, the letter spread out. And God answered. (Read the story!)
At the same time, the example of his entire life comes to mind: making sure that his own heart--and the choices he made in ruling the people--were right. In the end, my main concern must be how I treat my neighbor, how I love my husband, how I teach my children. Are there idols I allow in my heart and life? There are constant temptations to sin on every hand, and many of these only God can see. All this comes first.
If my own heart is right, then I can say with Esther, "If I perish, I perish." But I'm also going to spread out my "letter." Who knows what God may do?
Hezekiah, a godly king of Judah, knew when to keep silent. And he knew to whom it was important to speak.
You see, the great superpower of his day was at his gates. Sennacherib the king of Assyria was spewing threats. You can read the story in Isaiah 36 and 37.
The Northern Kingdom had already been taken away captive, and many of the walled towns of Judah were overrun. There really was no defense against the might of the Assyrians.
When Sennacherib's captain came within earshot of the walls of Jerusalem, Hezekiah wasn't even there. He instructed his men not to say anything to the enemy. They merely listened as the confident Assyrian mocked the frailty of the Jews. They listened as He mocked their God. They didn't respond.
Then, when Hezekiah received a threatening letter from his nemesis, he didn't whip out writing materials for a quick response. Instead, he took the letter to the house of the Lord. He opened it up before his God and poured out his heart.
Now, Hezekiah had done right in the sight of the Lord. He had led the people in doing right, and in worshiping the Lord according to the Law of Moses. Under his rule the people tore down idols and brought in the tithes. A true revival had broken out in the land. (See II Chronicles 29 for the details of his reign.) I wonder what Hezekiah was thinking at this point. If he doubted or questioned God it couldn't have lasted long, for next we see him in the temple with that letter.
Today I saw something just as alarming to me as that army at the gates of Jerusalem. I saw a picture of the White House all lit up in rainbow colors. The Supreme Court discovery of same-sex "marriage" in the Constitution spelled party time for many, including the president. For the inhabitants of Zion it was like the glint of spears in the distance. We've already seen various legal skirmishes in our country. Anyone who refuses service of any kind to a gay couple wanting to wed can be prosecuted. Even if it's against his conscience or religion. From now on it can only get worse.
It's also been a huge discouragement. For American Christians who love their country, it is grievous to see. The Constitution is godly in the sense that it recognizes that you can't trust people. Human nature is not inherently good. We must be governed by laws, not men. That's what the Founders thought. But John Adams predicted that even this worthy document would not be enough to restrain a people not governed by morality or religion. And so we see his words come to pass. According to our Court, words no longer mean what they say.
What to do? What to say? Hezekiah's example returns to my mind. Clothes torn in grief, he kneeled before the Lord, the letter spread out. And God answered. (Read the story!)
At the same time, the example of his entire life comes to mind: making sure that his own heart--and the choices he made in ruling the people--were right. In the end, my main concern must be how I treat my neighbor, how I love my husband, how I teach my children. Are there idols I allow in my heart and life? There are constant temptations to sin on every hand, and many of these only God can see. All this comes first.
If my own heart is right, then I can say with Esther, "If I perish, I perish." But I'm also going to spread out my "letter." Who knows what God may do?
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
A place to stand
I read an article recently about the "world" creeping into the church. The author made some good points, but I'm just a regular person, not a pastor, and my main concern is myself.
Am I worldly? How do I let the philosophies--the dominant ideas and practices--of this ungodly world influence me?
To begin with, I considered: how does the Bible define worldliness? I found the answer in the book of 1st John:
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. I Jn 2:15-17
Reading these verses I can see that John is not talking about this physical world per se. There was a heresy back then which said that the spirit is good but physical things are bad, and I suppose it's possible to fall into that trap even today. But clearly, John is talking about something unseen.
The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life--this is what worldliness is to the Apostle. By the way, the Greek word translated "lust" simply means to long for. It is used in a good sense in I Tim 3:1 about "desiring" the office of a bishop (elder). It encompasses a lot of things.
What is my heart drawn after? What is my time consumed with? My thoughts? I am beginning to see that outward performance is not the best test of "worldliness." It is actually a matter of the heart--and I find myself guilty as charged.
Even innocent things--good things--can claim the throne of my heart and push out the love of the Father. This is my new litmus test: do I love the Father? Is my love to God and my neighbor flourishing or receding?
When I think of an activity or choice, I ask, "Will this come between me and my God?" Sometimes I can say, "Yes, this is okay, but not too much!" The human heart will fall in love with anything.
Another scriptural test of our hearts is our speech. What do we talk about? Is it easy or difficult to speak about Christ and His redemption? What do we write about or post on Facebook?
. . . out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. Matt 12:34
Meditating on all these things, I found encouragement in John 17:16:
They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
This is amazing. Here Jesus is praying for his disciples. He states that they are already--actually and legally--not of this world. From this basis he argues for their sanctification through the Word. I can take encouragement that my Advocate has given me legal standing to live apart from the world.
I'm not of this world. Therefore I should--and can-- live accordingly.
Am I worldly? How do I let the philosophies--the dominant ideas and practices--of this ungodly world influence me?
To begin with, I considered: how does the Bible define worldliness? I found the answer in the book of 1st John:
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. I Jn 2:15-17
Reading these verses I can see that John is not talking about this physical world per se. There was a heresy back then which said that the spirit is good but physical things are bad, and I suppose it's possible to fall into that trap even today. But clearly, John is talking about something unseen.
The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life--this is what worldliness is to the Apostle. By the way, the Greek word translated "lust" simply means to long for. It is used in a good sense in I Tim 3:1 about "desiring" the office of a bishop (elder). It encompasses a lot of things.
What is my heart drawn after? What is my time consumed with? My thoughts? I am beginning to see that outward performance is not the best test of "worldliness." It is actually a matter of the heart--and I find myself guilty as charged.
Even innocent things--good things--can claim the throne of my heart and push out the love of the Father. This is my new litmus test: do I love the Father? Is my love to God and my neighbor flourishing or receding?
When I think of an activity or choice, I ask, "Will this come between me and my God?" Sometimes I can say, "Yes, this is okay, but not too much!" The human heart will fall in love with anything.
Another scriptural test of our hearts is our speech. What do we talk about? Is it easy or difficult to speak about Christ and His redemption? What do we write about or post on Facebook?
. . . out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. Matt 12:34
Meditating on all these things, I found encouragement in John 17:16:
They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
This is amazing. Here Jesus is praying for his disciples. He states that they are already--actually and legally--not of this world. From this basis he argues for their sanctification through the Word. I can take encouragement that my Advocate has given me legal standing to live apart from the world.
I'm not of this world. Therefore I should--and can-- live accordingly.
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