Monday, September 30, 2013
Warts and All
After more than a year and three doctors later, I'm finally rid of a wart that had embedded itself on the middle finger of my right hand. Actually, it turned out to be a cluster of warts.
I hated it! I felt contaminated and apologetic to anyone who, for whatever reason, had to touch my right hand (though I kept it covered with a bandage). Even hidden, I felt embarrassed by it.
Plus, it hurt! Since it protruded, and I am right handed, I was always bumping it or scraping it against something. Uncovered it was really ugly (the final blow to my dreams of becoming a hand model--just kidding). I hated the thing.
I was relentless in trying to get rid of it. First I tried home remedies: smashing it with a heavy book (hey, old wives tails sometimes work!), Super Glue, duct tape and every over-the-counter cure my pharmacy had to offer. I went to a couple of doctors for several painful liquid nitrogen treatments, but I kept torturing the thing in hopes of winning the battle. I was begging them to get out the scalpel and cut deep and wide! Finally, a dermatologist zapped the thing in several spots with a laser and I'm now wart-free but permanently scarred.
I couldn't help thinking how much getting rid of sin is like getting rid of a wart: often painful and it can leave scars. Wart removal offers us some good clues to dealing with persistent sin:
*hate it
*never flaunt it, but confess it
*have a sober shame before God
*protect others from your sin
*seek help for as long as it takes
*endure whatever pain may be involved
*be persistent until you've won the battle
Matthew 5:30
And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Miley
Entertainers need attention from their audience to keep their careers moving forward. That often means they have to upstage one another to get top billing. It seems this week that Miley Cyrus has accomplished that. Poor Miley; she's not the problem. She's simply a representation of a culture whose values have gone awry.
Jeremiah 8:12
Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush.
History records individual declines in morality and national declines. Neither ends well. We don't learn, do we? How did we get to a point where we are ashamed of purity? When did high moral standards start being seen as narrow and bigoted? It's been in my lifetime. It happened very quickly. But there was a time I never thought I'd see the things I'm seeing today.
Instead of shame, we take pride in our "broadmindedness." We flaunt philosophies that degrade God's laws. We replace God's wisdom with our own folly.
Philippians 3:19
...their glory is in their shame.
Today our culture holds tolerance as the highest virtue. Humanism has no boundaries that will not eventually crumble in the face of our most prurient desires. As Christians we must be careful never to be ashamed of holding up God's standards.
II Corinthians 4: 2, 4
...we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God....The god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
We have the privilege and hope of being used by God to restore sight to the blind. It will take courage and steadfastness and humility and, most of all, love.
Jeremiah 8:12
Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush.
History records individual declines in morality and national declines. Neither ends well. We don't learn, do we? How did we get to a point where we are ashamed of purity? When did high moral standards start being seen as narrow and bigoted? It's been in my lifetime. It happened very quickly. But there was a time I never thought I'd see the things I'm seeing today.
Instead of shame, we take pride in our "broadmindedness." We flaunt philosophies that degrade God's laws. We replace God's wisdom with our own folly.
Philippians 3:19
...their glory is in their shame.
Today our culture holds tolerance as the highest virtue. Humanism has no boundaries that will not eventually crumble in the face of our most prurient desires. As Christians we must be careful never to be ashamed of holding up God's standards.
II Corinthians 4: 2, 4
...we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God....The god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
We have the privilege and hope of being used by God to restore sight to the blind. It will take courage and steadfastness and humility and, most of all, love.
Monday, September 16, 2013
Guns and Violence
Genesis 6:5, 6, 11, 12
The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.
The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.
Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and was full of violence.
God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for the people on earth had corrupted their ways.
In the aftermath of the tragic shootings at the Naval shipyards in Washington, D.C. today, politicians are again blaming the availability of guns. Sadly, violence has always been a problem here on earth--even before guns were invented. And it has always broken God's heart.
Violence is not a problem of accessible weapons. Violence is a problem of the heart. It is a problem that will permeate and corrupt a society, but the answer will never be found in legislation. Violence can only be effectively abated by lifting the moral integrity of a culture. This happens one person at time as we turn ourselves over to the will of a perfect God.
Supporting evidence for this perspective lies in the fact that guns have been available to our citizens since our country was founded. Their abuse is not new, but it is certainly more publicized and politicized today. However, you can chart the atrocities in our headlines on a parallel track with the declining morality of our culture.
The answer to all human problems are found in heavenly principles as we seek to conform to the teachings on which our nation was founded. A good place to begin is to turn as many hearts as we can back to God.
Matthew 15:19
For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.
It is frighteningly easy as human beings in assessing cause and effect to land on the wrong cause and then employ ineffective or even harmful solutions. Humility needs to take us back to the basic principles of the Bible to change what only He can change--one heart at a time.
The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.
The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.
Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and was full of violence.
God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for the people on earth had corrupted their ways.
In the aftermath of the tragic shootings at the Naval shipyards in Washington, D.C. today, politicians are again blaming the availability of guns. Sadly, violence has always been a problem here on earth--even before guns were invented. And it has always broken God's heart.
Violence is not a problem of accessible weapons. Violence is a problem of the heart. It is a problem that will permeate and corrupt a society, but the answer will never be found in legislation. Violence can only be effectively abated by lifting the moral integrity of a culture. This happens one person at time as we turn ourselves over to the will of a perfect God.
Supporting evidence for this perspective lies in the fact that guns have been available to our citizens since our country was founded. Their abuse is not new, but it is certainly more publicized and politicized today. However, you can chart the atrocities in our headlines on a parallel track with the declining morality of our culture.
The answer to all human problems are found in heavenly principles as we seek to conform to the teachings on which our nation was founded. A good place to begin is to turn as many hearts as we can back to God.
Matthew 15:19
For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.
It is frighteningly easy as human beings in assessing cause and effect to land on the wrong cause and then employ ineffective or even harmful solutions. Humility needs to take us back to the basic principles of the Bible to change what only He can change--one heart at a time.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Transformation--How Bad Do You Want It?
What passion stirred in the heart of the apostle Paul to make him long to be like Jesus to the point of dying like him? What combination of love, zeal, admiration, loyalty, and idealism caused him to make this statement in Philippians 3:10, 11:
I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
This is the ultimate example of a desire to be like Jesus. Paul displays an eagerness to be like Jesus in every aspect, no exceptions, no boundaries. The New Testament story doesn't reveal every aspect of Paul's journey to put off the old man and to put on the new (Colossians 3:5-14) but it does give us a glimpse into the character of the old Saul of Tarsus and the transformed apostle Paul.
We first meet Saul in Acts 9 where he was standing at the periphery of an angry crowd that had been whipped into a murderous frenzy by the peaching of a young man named Stephen. Saul wasn't just a part of the melee, caught up in the hysteria of the mob. Paul had a harder heart than the men throwing the stones that killed Stephen. He stood coldly by observing, approving, authorizing the atrocity. He held the coats of the murderers so they could do their grizzly work.
I wonder if a personal view of his other relationships revealed a softer side? I can't imagine it. This picture of religious zeal almost reveals a sociopath. He simply went from town to town dragging Christians to prison or to their death. It was his consuming mission. (Acts 8:1-3)
The rest of the book of Acts begins to introduce us to the changed man, Paul. He retained a zeal for God, but shaped that zeal by the love of Jesus. I find the most stunning example of his transformation in the book of Philemon. In this appeal to his old friend, Philemon, to have mercy on his new friend, Onesimus, Paul uses these phrases:
"Your love has given me great joy and encouragement...."
"...I appeal to you on the basis of love."
"...Onesimus, who became my son...."
"I am sending him--who is my very hear--back to you."
How many guys do you know who are this vocally effusive and tender? In Saul's early life as a Jewish zealot, it is hardly imaginable that he could become this vulnerable in his expressions of love. But here it is in black and white--the transformation of a man on a quest to become like Jesus.
I look at my life and think of the ways that I am different from Jesus. I have to ask myself: how much do I want to be like him? What am I willing to crucify in my nature to embrace his nature? How unselfish am I willing to be? How seemingly foolish am I willing to look in order to imitate his love? How far out of my comfort zone am I willing to step to look like him?
Monday, September 9, 2013
Futile Focus: Self
I admit I can tend to over-think things. Knowing this tendency is unwise is barely a deterrent--but I think I might be locked up somewhere if I didn't have some small ability to reign in my tangled musings. While I have made great progress over time, it is still a part of my nature to try to sort things out, to understand, to figure out my own motivations, to know my own heart....
I Corinthians 1:25
For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.
It used to be consuming to fret over my own motives and responsibility. In broad daylight, I could seek perspective from a spiritual friend. But in the dead of the night, I could become the helpless victim of my own head: Why did I do this or that? What am I responsible for in this situation? Are my motives pure? Could I have said that better?
Somehow, it is in the middle of the night that I am most vulnerable to insanity. I can pray then, but groggy prayer has seldom been effective for me. I know that rumination accomplishes nothing, but even that knowledge used to seem like a foggy, illusive truth. These midnight recriminations accomplished nothing but sleep-deprivation and self-doubt. They never led me to spiritual insight and clarity.
I finally realized that these thoughts had me focused on the wrong person. I'll always be discouraged if I'm focusing on me. It is only God who can make something meaningful and useful out of my inadequacies. I sleep a lot better these days because I'm more able to be excited that God can use anything--even my mistakes and my sub-par motives to accomplish something good.
I Corinthians 12:2
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus....
I Corinthians 1:25
For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.
It used to be consuming to fret over my own motives and responsibility. In broad daylight, I could seek perspective from a spiritual friend. But in the dead of the night, I could become the helpless victim of my own head: Why did I do this or that? What am I responsible for in this situation? Are my motives pure? Could I have said that better?
Somehow, it is in the middle of the night that I am most vulnerable to insanity. I can pray then, but groggy prayer has seldom been effective for me. I know that rumination accomplishes nothing, but even that knowledge used to seem like a foggy, illusive truth. These midnight recriminations accomplished nothing but sleep-deprivation and self-doubt. They never led me to spiritual insight and clarity.
I finally realized that these thoughts had me focused on the wrong person. I'll always be discouraged if I'm focusing on me. It is only God who can make something meaningful and useful out of my inadequacies. I sleep a lot better these days because I'm more able to be excited that God can use anything--even my mistakes and my sub-par motives to accomplish something good.
I Corinthians 12:2
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus....
Friday, September 6, 2013
Sane and Satisfied
God longs to supply everything we need to be sane and satisfied. In the pursuit of happiness we often make insane choices trying to satisfy longings that only God can be counted on the meet. He alone is able, not just to supply, but to be all that we hunger for within. God alone is able to be our all in all. At our core we need love, and peace, and hope--without any of these elements we cannot retain a state of sanity or satisfaction.
Love gives us our security and our identity. When we feel loved it shapes our sense of self as a worthwhile being. It makes us know someone is there for us--someone we can rely on through the hard times; someone to delight in us and enjoy us; someone who gets us; someone who knows we are not perfect but who will cheer us on as we try to be.
I Corinthians 13:11
...the God of love...will be with you.
We all long for peace--not boredom--peace. We want freedom from turmoil. We want peace personally, internally and externally. The list of stressors in daily life and the resultant anxiety-induced health issues keep our medical community overwhelmed. We look for answers to give us peace and for offenders to blame and eliminate from our lives. We obsessively look for solutions to problems but as soon as one problem is resolved another arises. But often we miss who the real enemy is and where the real solution lies..
Romans 16:20
The God of Peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.
Often our joy in the moment depends on our security in the future. Not every life circumstance points to a secure future. When our hope lies in circumstances, it is tenuous and fragile. We hold our breaths watching for signs of hope fulfilled. The funny thing is, we often don't even know what to hope for and we stake our dreams for a better tomorrow on empty wishful thinking. God doesn't just want to offer us hope he wants to be our hope.
Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Love, peace and hope--who could ask for anything more? These wonderful qualities supply our sanity and satisfaction in life. God, himself, is the unfailing source of these and so much more!
Love gives us our security and our identity. When we feel loved it shapes our sense of self as a worthwhile being. It makes us know someone is there for us--someone we can rely on through the hard times; someone to delight in us and enjoy us; someone who gets us; someone who knows we are not perfect but who will cheer us on as we try to be.
I Corinthians 13:11
...the God of love...will be with you.
We all long for peace--not boredom--peace. We want freedom from turmoil. We want peace personally, internally and externally. The list of stressors in daily life and the resultant anxiety-induced health issues keep our medical community overwhelmed. We look for answers to give us peace and for offenders to blame and eliminate from our lives. We obsessively look for solutions to problems but as soon as one problem is resolved another arises. But often we miss who the real enemy is and where the real solution lies..
Romans 16:20
The God of Peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.
Often our joy in the moment depends on our security in the future. Not every life circumstance points to a secure future. When our hope lies in circumstances, it is tenuous and fragile. We hold our breaths watching for signs of hope fulfilled. The funny thing is, we often don't even know what to hope for and we stake our dreams for a better tomorrow on empty wishful thinking. God doesn't just want to offer us hope he wants to be our hope.
Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Love, peace and hope--who could ask for anything more? These wonderful qualities supply our sanity and satisfaction in life. God, himself, is the unfailing source of these and so much more!
Sunday, September 1, 2013
World Peace
John 16:33
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
Everyday newspaper headlines confirm the truth of Jesus' words, "In this world you will have trouble."
Centuries ago, war on one side of the world would not impact the other. Today our world is small and the fallout of conflict and the reach of weapon power weaves a fabric of caution and fear on every continent.
For sure God would like for us to live in peace. He just doesn't promise it. Having given us free will, he doesn't impose his will when we have disputes.
I Timothy 2:1, 2
I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone--for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
The Bible addresses peace on several levels. In the above passage, it talks about a peace at a national level. In several passages we are encouraged to access inner peace through our faith in the midst of turmoil. In fact he promises us a peace "which transcends all understanding." (Philippians 4:6, 7) And it really doesn't make sense to most people to be calm in a storm.
Still, the most important peace we can seek, and the one the Bible addresses the most is peace with God. For many it's hard to acknowledge that we are enemies of God, waging war against his will for our lives, but all of us have been there. (Romans 8:6, 7)
Finding peace with God makes us able to cope with every earthly source of turmoil. Understanding and having peace with God puts the rest of life into perspective.
You may be familiar with Richard Carlson's book Don't Sweat the Small Stuff...and it's all small stuff. Great title! But it is no small thing that God extends peace to us. Knowing we have peace with God is what makes everything else the small stuff.
Colossians 1:19, 20
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
Everyday newspaper headlines confirm the truth of Jesus' words, "In this world you will have trouble."
Centuries ago, war on one side of the world would not impact the other. Today our world is small and the fallout of conflict and the reach of weapon power weaves a fabric of caution and fear on every continent.
For sure God would like for us to live in peace. He just doesn't promise it. Having given us free will, he doesn't impose his will when we have disputes.
I Timothy 2:1, 2
I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone--for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
The Bible addresses peace on several levels. In the above passage, it talks about a peace at a national level. In several passages we are encouraged to access inner peace through our faith in the midst of turmoil. In fact he promises us a peace "which transcends all understanding." (Philippians 4:6, 7) And it really doesn't make sense to most people to be calm in a storm.
Still, the most important peace we can seek, and the one the Bible addresses the most is peace with God. For many it's hard to acknowledge that we are enemies of God, waging war against his will for our lives, but all of us have been there. (Romans 8:6, 7)
Finding peace with God makes us able to cope with every earthly source of turmoil. Understanding and having peace with God puts the rest of life into perspective.
You may be familiar with Richard Carlson's book Don't Sweat the Small Stuff...and it's all small stuff. Great title! But it is no small thing that God extends peace to us. Knowing we have peace with God is what makes everything else the small stuff.
Colossians 1:19, 20
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
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