The Sluggard (and it might be us)

"I passed by the field of the sluggard, and by the vineyard of the man lacking sense;

and behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles,

its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.

When I saw, I reflected upon it; I looked and received instruction.

'A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest.'

Then your poverty will come as a robber, and your want like an armed man." 

Pro. 24: 30-34

I love the book of Proverbs.  It is a storehouse of wonderful practical wisdom.  As a book, Proverbs is a book in the OT located just after the Psalms.  It is a very practical book that gives pithy statements of general truth.  In the ancient near eastern cultures, such statements amounted to important cultural intelligence.  To know these proverbs well and to apply them in life illustrated good education.  Solomon was the wisest man in the world because he knew, composed, and passed on these proverbs.

I have met this sluggard Solomon wrote about in Proverbs 24.  I have known him in every church I ever served.  This sluggard, whether a man or a woman, often wants much in life, but they just lack the energy to do anything about it.  It is not like their intentions are wrong or bad.  They merely lack the ability to put any plan into action that will help them achieve their desires.

I have seen the sluggard lose everything.  I have seen people who literally live in homes that are falling apart on a piece of property that is falling apart.  I have also seen folks who desire a better relationship with their spouse or children, yet they spend all their spare time doing nothing but watching sports on TV.  I have witnessed people who eat themselves to poor health and even death because they lack the will-power or desire to begin to exercise and change their eating habits.

I have also closely observed folks who do none of the above, yet have definite sluggard tendencies.  I know first-hand that one can be a sluggard by not following the leading of the Holy Spirit.  I am afraid that all too often, I am that type of sluggard.

How so?  

I have a horrible tendency to put off to tomorrow what I could do today.  Each of us are given 24 hours to live each day.  No one has more time than others.  So why do some of us get more done than others?  They use their time wisely.  As I look back on the first half of my life, I sure have wasted a ton of my God-given time.  I have spend it on amusements, laziness, and non-Kingdom based activities.  I have folded my hands in rest and said to myself, "Tomorrow I will start."

The problem is that tomorrow never comes.

When I was a kid, we had an old bar called the Trading Post where we loved to eat dinner.  It had great food and homemade pies.  It also had a sign outside that said, "Free Beer Tomorrow."  If asked about it, the owner would say, with a sly smile on his face, "Come back tomorrow and all the beer is free."

Tomorrow never comes.

Take the five minutes to start that new project today.  Be in motion for the Kingdom.  Call that friend the Lord lays upon your heart.  Do not put it off!  As you follow the Lord's leading He will give you more strength to face the day.

Our characters are formed by repeated choices.  We can be transformed by God's grace and by asking the Spirit to apply what we hear from the living God.  Ask Him to use you.  You will be amazed what He can do.

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we can ask or think, 

according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory..." 

Ephesians 3: 20-21

Freedom!!!!

On this Good Friday, we remember the ultimate sacrifice paid by Jesus to rescue us from sin and death.

On this day, I also celebrate a great phone call from yesterday that announced my freedom.  To which, I give the Braveheart cry,

Freedom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Fire and Death of Anger

William F. May gives the name of Hatred to the sin of Anger, to emphasize that it takes hold of us "in the highest reaches of the mind," that it becomes an obsession, that once it has taken hold it endures.  The point is important, but Hatred is the wrong word.  Hatred is not the same as Anger, although it is a large component of it.  It is often one (but only one) of its motives, and is unavoidably one of its consequences.  If we are to give Anger another name, to emphasize its character, we should stick to the family of its close relatives.  We may call it Wrath, which carries the same suggestion of an obsession, of something that consumes us, not the flash of lightening, the sudden clap of thunder, but a burning in us like a banked fire.  Wrath is a fixation.  Its eyes are set on the object of its anger.  It devours itself and others.  It lays waste.  A modern symbol of it is the policy of the scorched earth in war.

We think of Anger in terms of fire: blazing, flaming, scorching, smoking, fuming, spitting, smoldering, heated, white hot, simmering, boiling, and even when it is ice-cold it will still burn.  It has been called the Devil's furnace, and other sins will fuel it.

Henry Fairlie, The Seven Dead Sins Today, 89.

I first read Fairlie's book in the early 1990s.  Since that time I have used it as a text in teaching systematic theology, and I have recommended it many times.  This book is an excellent and deep portrayal of sin in the modern world.  I am amazed how a book written in 1978 for an obviously academic audience can remain insightful.  I guess I should not be amazed since the character and effects of sin have not changed!

At different times in my life, I have been a very angry person.  For example, when my dad died I was obsessed with my loss and why it happened.  I remember clearly waking up at night from a dream with my teeth clenched and my blood pressure up.  I wish this only happened once, but it occurred several times.  Even my sub-conscience mind was angry.  

Perhaps a little background might help explain this anger.  My dad died because he had really given up the desire to live.  Because of the pain and hurt he had experience, he ate himself to death.  Now knowing some of my health issues, I believe he suffered from the same malady, which helped sap his desire to live.  At the time, I did not know this.  Instead, I ran over in my head all the ways that by dad had been hurt.  I knew I missed him greatly.  I was mad at all who had caused him pain.

Meanwhile in my own life, I was going through a very difficult period.  I was in my Ph.D. program and preparing for exams.  I had an emotionally and mentally abusive new faculty member who delighted in tearing me down.  Like most graduate students, we had extreme financial pressures.  Pressures from outside and loss weighed me down.

Through it all, I found within myself a consuming anger: fuming, smoldering, simmering, with the occasional white hot and boiling moments.

The problem with anger is that it poisons the well to all relationships and all of life.  Anger casts out love, diminishes faith, and colors every area of life with the very flames of hell.

No wonder anger has been called the Devil's furnace!

Honestly, I do not know if I have ever gotten over it even though people do not tell me anymore "You are really an angry person."  Anger mars the soul.

How did I deal with it?  

First, I had to recognize it.  I could not see it.  I believed my anger was "justified," not only over my dad, but in all areas of my life.  As such, I was displaying "righteous" anger.  Can you see how my pride got involved!  

The Holy Spirit had to use life, others, and His still small voice to confirm my problem with anger.  I was so angry when He did this!  Then as the consequences became more apparent, I was appalled, ashamed, and at the end of my rope.  I had no power to change.

So, I cried out for mercy.  I repented of my sin and confessed my inability to change my angry heart.  I found I truly needed a savior.  I am so thankful that Jesus answered my prayers by lavishing His love upon me.  

Slowly He quieted the fire.  I wish I could testify that I was transformed instantly, but it took time to find healing.  In fact, now that I know what anger looks and feels like, I find it is something I have to constantly repent of and seek Jesus' help to deal with.

In some Christian circles this would illustrate weakness.  I think it illustrates maturity and growth.  Like a "recovering" alcoholic I have many days of anger sobriety, but I now know this tendency is always within me.  All of my other sin tendencies can feed it and bring it back into flame.  As a result, I need to keep close to Jesus and have Him tend my soul!

So what about you?  I have met many believers who are marked by anger.  Mentioning it to them brings denial and "righteous" anger toward your presumption.

Is that you?  Is this your mark?

We live in a fallen world.  It is not fair.  It is often cruel.  It is filled with pain and abuse.  The key is to allow Jesus to transform you so you do not promote unfairness, cruelty, and more pain and abuse.  If you do not deal with the Devil's furnace, it is more than likely that you are passing on more fallenness than grace, no matter what you claim to believe.

Repent of your very real sin and believe in Jesus Christ as your only hope.  Ask Him to love the anger right out of you.  Ask Him to watch over those places within you where anger can come back to life.  He will do so.  He loves you so much.

Spiritual Warfare: The Nature of Temptation

For the past two weeks, I have been discussing the nature of temptation during our teaching evening service at First Seattle (www.seattlecrc.org).  How does temptation work?  How do we recognize it and defeat it?

I think the parallel temptation narratives of Genesis 3 and the beginning of Matthew 4 shed some light on these questions.  In these narratives, we see Adam and Eve giving into temptation and Jesus defeating temptation.

The following is a post from two Decembers ago concerning temptation.  I have gone into much more detail in my sermons, but this post should begin the discussion concerning the nature of temptation.

"Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden?'" 

Gen. 3:1

"The tempter came to him and said, 'If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.'" 

Matt. 4:3

As I write today, I do so with a heavy heart.  My wife and I were traveling this weekend, and we had a chance to proclaim the gospel.  On Sunday afternoon, I received an e-mail that a prominent pastor/religious leader in my area had died.  I had worked with this man in a variety of setting for the past seven years, so I thought I would need to attend the funeral when I get back.  When I returned, I found out that he had died by suicide by jumping off a bridge; and as of last Thursday, we was under investigation for child sexual abuse.  The reports state that he began a sexual affair with a young man in the 1970s and it continued to today.

As you can see, this is a bit to process!  I have already had two or three discussions with folks in the community who ask my take on this sordid affair.  Overall the question keeps coming up, "How could this happen?"  

In today's blog, I wish to give a short answer to this question.  Each case of full-blown sin is different, but they all spring from a similar source.  To help us understand this source, we will look at the fall of humanity in Genesis 3 and Jesus' temptation in Matt. 4.

In both of these passages, Satan's first move is to call into question the character of God.  

"Did God really say...." "If you are the Son of God...."  

Both of these statements point to a flaw in God's character that Satan believes everyone should see.  Of course there is no flaw in God's character!  Nevertheless, Eve takes the bait and she begins the process of the fall.  Meanwhile, Jesus knew that He is the Son of God, so he does not have to prove anything.  He completely sidesteps the temptation by quoting and living the truth, "Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." (Matt. 4:4)

Why did Eve fall?  What was her underlying sin?  I think ultimately the crack in her armor was that of lacking faith and trust in God.  

In discussing the consequences of the fall, John Calvin observes that many vestiges of the Image of God remain in us.  Thus, the fall does not mean that we are as evil as possible, because we still have the ability to express love.  Love remains a vestige of our created good.  Yet, he claims, and I agree with him, that the attribute of faith was completely lost in the fall.  

Eve lacks faith in God's character and the fall begins.  She begins to reason to herself and explain away what God has said.  Eventually, she does exactly the opposite of God's will and expressed command.  On the other hand, Jesus maintains His trust in God's character, and He resists the temptation to handle his hunger on his own.  He lives in faith and trust in God to provide.

Satan's primary temptation is to get us to trust ourselves and our strength instead of relying upon God.  When faced with a decision, if we do not look to God for answers through His word and wise counsel, we are falling right into Satan's primary temptation.

I believe one reason we do not see much outright demonization in America is that Satan's primary temptation matches perfectly with our vision of the World and the Flesh.  In other words, in the West Satan does not have to tempt or drive to fear from direct attack because believers and unbelievers are marked by self-effort, self-righteousness, and a lack of real day to day faith in the Living God.  

Everything about our culture tells us to "trust our hearts" and to "follow our own path."  The World works in perfect tandem with the temptations of Satan.  Our biggest problem is that this temptation also works perfectly with our fallen fleshly nature that loves this message!  We would like nothing more than to be the captain of our own ship and the master of our own soul.  On Satan's side, why risk exposure by being out in the open when the World and Flesh are already keeping believers and unbelievers unfruitful and lacking God's power that comes by faith?

So, how does this shed light on this week's events in Maine?  Our greatest strengths can be used mightily to build the kingdom of God.  They can also be used mightily to keep us away from trusting God.  Who needs God when I can do it on my own?  We must be aware that our fallen human nature will always move us to trust in ourself, our efforts, and our flesh.  

According to many, this pastor had a great ability to care for others.  I must admit that I never thought of him in this way!  Still, a care-giver must protect themselves from using their strengths in an inappropriate manner.  One does not begin the descent of sin with sexual contact and abuse.  It takes time to develop.  Like a cancer, sin turns us away from trusting in the Living God, and instead it always demands that we take matters into our own hands.  Instead of finding joy and strength in God, we find it in any variety of sin tendencies.  As we nurture of sin, it grows in severity and perversion.

It looks like this man took time to develop his sin tendencies!  The act of suicide was a final action expressing these tendencies to trust self.  I sure hope I am wrong on this, but I am afraid I am right.

The direct opposite of self-effort and self-righteousness is faith and trust in God for our life, joy and righteousness.  Similar to the descend of sin, faith and trust is something that must be nurtured and built.  It is given by divine grace, but it does not come naturally to our fallen nature.  We must cultivate it!

The ascent of grace grows as we walk in repentance and faith.  As we confess our tendencies to trust in self, others, and created things for our life, joy and righteousness, we find release from bondage.  As we trust in Jesus for life, joy, and righteousness we experience authentic joy and life-transforming power. 

How about some practical steps to make the transition from the descent of sin into the ascent of grace?  

First, start by how you organize your day.  Take time to listen to God's Word and to meet with Him in prayer.  Ask Him for wisdom with the decisions you need to make.  At work and home begin to involve God in decisions that you usually just make out of habit or your strengths.  

Second, begin the process of walking by faith.  Be particularly vigilant when you feel fear.  Fear prompts us to make choices without faith.  We do not consult God or His Word.  We just react.  How can we have faith and fear at the same time?  (1 John 4:18)  Be aware that in our very spiritual world, Satan and his forces are lurking tempting us to work in our own strength without reference to God.  If you have lived in this manner, repent and believe the gospel!  

In the face of such sordid actions both locally and nationally, may we all be drawn to a deeper  faith and trust in the only True God!

Demonic, False Religions, and Lies

The discussion concerning my post from last week entitled, "Demonic, Discernment, and the Body of Christ" has been interesting.  I think it is wise to follow up on that post to clarify what I take to be a Biblical perspective on spiritual warfare, the demonic, false religions, and cultural lies.  

Let me begin by saying that I know some will immediately tune out the discussion.  They may have been taught that there is no such thing as supernatural evil.  They also may be have been taught that all the NT talk about evil forces really means cultural structures and forces that oppress the poor and weak.  I propose that both of these ideas, though popular in some circles, misunderstand the dynamics of the spiritual world.

In fact, one reason in the West that we that we do not see more outright spiritual and personal evil in the form of open demonic activity is the very nature of the fallen spiritual world.  It is vital for the all to understand that spiritual fallenness and personal evil occur along and in the fault-lines of the world, the flesh, and the devil.  Each of these dimensions of fallenness interact with the others even as each is distinct.

We do not see more open demonic activity because our world system and the flesh have been so corrupted by perverse evil that open demonic activity is not needed to keep people from believing in Christ.  In fact, if there were more open demonic activity, the fear of the supernatural world would drive many to Christ as their only hope.  

The following is a post from last year concerning the OT perspective on the demonic and spiritual warfare.  It is not a perfect fit to answer some of the questions and comments I have received, but it is a good start for a proper explanation.

Jesus' teaching concerning spiritual warfare flows naturally out of the Old Testament background in which He was brought up, instructed, and lived.  If He would have taught something foreign from this background, His Jewish hearers would have rejected Him immediately.  Thus, it is important that we understand the OT background concerning spiritual warfare.

I could begin in Genesis, but I will instead begin in what many believe to be the oldest book in the bible, the book of Job.  This book portrays an active understanding of the spiritual realm.  It also gives an early glimpse into the OT teaching concerning spiritual warfare.

Job begins with an introduction of a godly and blessed man.  Job is the most respected man in the East.  He has 10 children (7 boys and 3 girls), and great amounts of livestock and riches.  He does all he can to nurture his relationship with God, and he understands his covenantal responsibilities by sacrificing offerings for his children, just in case they have sinned (Job 1:1-5).  In other words, Job is the most righteous man on earth at this time!

Now the story gets interesting.  "One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them." (vs. 6)  The Hebrew reads, "sons of God" instead of angels.  From this, we know that Satan is in the same category of creation as the angels.  He is not human nor God, but a spirit being.  Furthermore, the Lord talks with Satan, "Where have you come from."  Satan replies, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it."  A couple of points can be drawn from this brief passage.  

First, Satan was and perhaps is allowed into the presence of God.  As a created spirit being, God still uses Satan and his demons to do His will.  I honestly cannot understand this, but I take it as true since we find it in scripture.  Second, Satan is allowed by God to roam the earth.  In fact Jesus calls him The prince of this world" in John 12:31.

So as to illustrate these observations are not isolated to the book of Job, an interesting parallel to these ideas can be found in both 1 Kings 22 and 2 Chr. 18.  Here, the prophet Micaiah comes before the King Ahab with the command to give a good report about Ahab going off to war.  Ahab does not want him to make the report because Micaiah never says anything good about him.  Yet, Micaiah is brought forth and he tells of an interesting vision.

He proclaims that he saw into the throne room of heaven.  There he witnessed the Lord asking, "Who will entice Ahab into attacking Romoth Gilead and going to his death there?" (1 Kings 22: 20; 2 Chr. 18: 20)  In reply the spirits answered, "One suggested this, and another that.  Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord and said, "I will entice him."  "By what means?" said the Lord.  "I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets," he said.  "You will succeed in enticing him," said the Lord.  "Go and do it." The rest, as they say, is history.  Ahab goes off to war, and he is killed.  We never hear what happened to Micaiah.  

In this vision, the spirit that promises to be a lying spirit is not a good angel.  God does not lie, but Satan is declared by Jesus to be the Father of lies (John 8:44).  This spirit was an evil spirit, known as a demon, that the Lord uses to do His will, which is to lead Ahab to his death.  

So what does this mean?  First, Satan and demons are used by God to bring about His will.  Second, Satan and his demons manifest in lies and in false religious movements and teachings (2 Cor. 11:14 states that Satan masquerades as an angel of light).  I would suggest that these teachings will always appeal to our fallen human nature.  Thus, they will often match exactly what we want to hear!  The purpose of these lies from the evil one's perspective is always the destruction of the individual or people, while God uses it to bring about His purposes.  

We live in a day and age where there is no tolerance nor interest in knowing Truth.  In fact, our entire world system proclaims that we cannot know true Truth, as Francis Schaeffer used to call it.  This fallen system proclaims that each of us as individuals must discover and make our own truth since all truth is relative.  This is exactly the type of lie Satan spins.  It diminishes the glory of God by elevating the self.  It leads to individual and corporate destruction.

Unfortunately, the Church has adopted many of these same ideas.  There is little interest in most bible believing churches in studying true Truth.  We want a salvation message and something to lift us through the week, but we do not like the hard work of forming a Christian worldview.  Many of us lack even the skills to learn how to think critically and carefully through scripture.  We also lack the desire to learn these skills.  In other words, we are ripe for a fall into our individual and corporate destruction through believing good sounding religious lies.

This post is getting rather long, so I will conclude here with several questions.  Does what you believe promote fear of the future?  If it does, then it is not of God.  Does what you believe promote the attitude that Truth and the study of God's word is really not that important?  If it does, it may not be corrupt yet, but this view will lead to corruption, evil, and separation from the body of Christ.  Finally, what are you doing to promote a deeper understanding of God and His word?  How are you developing the skills to understand God's word as well as a prayer life to grow you in intimacy with the Father?

I know there is much more to say about this passage in Job, but I have to end today and pick up on it later!

Margin, Faith, and Spirituality

Richard Swenson has made a living preaching the values of Margin a person's life.  I believe he has written four books on the subject!  Margin is the space on the outside of the pages.  It is the area not written upon.  Swenson, who is a medical doctor, argues that giving 100% of our energy and resources is pure foolishness.  It is like writing on every square inch of a page!  Unfortunately, life without margin is the new normal.  As Swenson states,

As a result, like in modern-day America is essentially devoid of time and space.  Not the Star Trek kind- the sanity kind.  Overload is the new normal.  We have too many choices and decisions, too many activities and commitments, too much change creating too much stress.  We have too much speed and hurry.  We have too much technology, complexity, traffic, information, possessions, debt, expectations, advertisements, and media.  And we have too little margin.

But if overload is the disease, then margin is the antidote.  To balance today's lifestyles, restoring our margin is a needed first step.  The vast majority of us are healthier if we draw a line somewhere short of overload, i.e., if we preserve some margin.

In Search of Balance, 90-91.

So how do we know if we struggle with not keeping margin in our life?  I find it is always easier to see how others struggle with this concept than it is to see it in ourselves!  Swenson gives us a great test to help us gain an accurate diagnosis.

When our margin is depleted and our reserves are gone, we shift emphasis.  Instead of being compassionate and caring in our attitude, we become apathetic or rude.  Instead of being outwardly focused in our service, we become self-protective.  Instead of pursuing innovation and productivity in our job, we become irritable and fatigued. (91)

I know at times in my life, I have really struggled maintaining proper margin.  In my life, one of the big causes of my lack of margin was my health.  For years, I struggled with a gluten allergy that I just did not know about.  In the past five years, it got so much worse!  The result was that my physical strength was limited because I was poisoning my body with the food I ate.  I tried to eat well, but what is good for others (whole wheat grains!) was death to me.

I share this because many people confuse how their spirituality works.  As humans in a fallen world, we are so interconnected between our physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional dimensions.  I meet so many who struggle with their faith, but I think the reason for this struggle is a physical, mental, or emotional problem.  In my case, the physical issue robbed me of margin and left me without the energy to engage as I would wish.  No amount of spiritual, mental or emotional fixing was going to change my physical problem!

So, as we pursue margin in our lives and as we seek a deeper walk with God, check your physical, mental and emotional resources!  If you struggle with depression for chemical reasons, seek to fix the physical problem.  If you have emotional scars from past abuse, find a pastor or counselor to help you work through these emotional and mental bottlenecks!  Having issues in any area of life is not a sign of inability or laziness or lack of spiritual depth.  It is a mark of living in a fallen world.

I will conclude with Swenson's world about regaining margin.

Margin, rightly conceived, is not about laziness, mediocrity, and noninvolvement.  It is about focus, discipline, and self-control.  But mostly is it a prioritizing space where we concentrate on the things that matter most (balance!).

Restoring margin to overloaded lives is possible if we are willing to think creatively, live differently, act intentionally, and stop following the crowds to the malls.  Hundreds of practical margin suggestions have been written elsewhere to assist in such a lifestyle direction.  But the first step, as always, resides within each human heart. (93-94)

Pray for the grace to see if you need to regain margin.  Pray for the grace to see what is robbing you of your margin.  May the Lord bless you as you regain capacity to love others well!

Sabbath and Balance from Deuteronomy

Yesterday, I began a discussion on the Sabbath as a means of maintaining balance.  I shared the story of a fellow pastor who dismissed the need for a "day off" as Western.  His message was to "press on" like Paul.

As I shared, I found this conversation troubling for a number of reasons.  Today I wish to speak to the hermeneutical, or interpretative issue with the pastor's comments.  

I often hear people who claim that they could not find a word in the bible, therefore it must not be a biblical concept.  These folks have been taught that the way to discover what the bible says about a topic is to do a word search.  I must confess that I have found word searches helpful.  Yet, this is not the best and only means of understanding scripture!  

When it comes to proper interpretation, Context is King.  Word searches should get us to read the context of each passage.  People who use one verse proof texts from scripture can and easily do make the bible say whatever they want it to say.  This is dangerous and deadly!  

The Word of God is not a magic book which we look to for easy answers.  It is not the spiritual version of the child's game "Magic 8 Ball", which we flip through with the hope of finding something.  It is the revealed "will" of God.  If we wish to understand someone's will or desires, it takes time to hear them properly.  It takes knowledge of the person, knowledge of the context of what they are talking about, and knowledge of how to apply their desires.  The same goes for the will of God!

When discussing the need for balance and rest, scripture is clear that we humans need to rest from our labors weekly.  Why?  Because this is how we were created!  Thus, Jesus' affirmation, "The Sabbath was made for Man, not man for the Sabbath." (Mark 2:27)  I believe Paul, for all this work to build the Kingdom, would have understood this well!  The context of scripture demands such an interpretation.  Why?  Weekly rest is affirmed throughout the Old Testament as well as the New.

Yesterday we looked at the Ten Commandments as they are written in Exodus 20.  Interestingly, the only commandment that is given a rationale is the keeping of the Sabbath.  Obviously, this command is one that is hard to keep, and has been hard to keep!  In Exodus, Moses writes that we should keep the Sabbath because God rested on the seventh day after creating all things in six.  In Deuteronomy 5, the Ten Commandments are stated again.  Notice, this commandment's rationale is different.

Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you.  Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God.  On it you shall not do any work, ...  You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.  Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

Deuteronomy 5: 12-15

Why would a different rationale be given here?  I think it is the same point, but it comes from a different perspective.  It could be argued that God can create in six days, but I am not God.  I need to labor to complete all my work constantly because I am so weak and human.

I have heard this perspective many times.  I would say from the context of the bible, such talk is false humility.  It reveals our lack of faith in God to provide and complete our work.  Why?

In Deuteronomy, Moses gives us the rationale of God's incredible provision for Israel in rescuing them from slavery.  These people had nothing.  They had to labor as slaves constantly.  They had no military and no power.  They were under the thumb of the greatest military power in the world.  In other words, they could not bring rescue, they could not provide for themselves, and they could not finish their tasks.

So what happened?  God miraculously rescued them, provided for them, and finished the call of bringing them back to the promised land.  If He can do that with such helpless people, could He provide for you?  Could He provide for me?  Could He establish the work of our hands (Moses' prayer in Ps. 90:17)?

Of course God can provide.  In fact, He can provide in six days what those who do not know Him are able to secure in seven.  He could provide more!  

When through constant labor we deny the promise of provision given in the command to keep the Sabbath , we affirm that we don't believe God is God.

This idea is maintained throughout the Old Testament.  In fact, the Sabbath is mentioned 74 times in the OT, with the vast majority of the usages reminders for people to keep the Sabbath because they are breaking it!  (Notice a word study must look at context!)  Paul knew this context.  Jesus came to fulfill the Law, not to nullify it (Matt. 5:17).  We were created to enjoy the Sabbath.  We need it.

How do we apply this teaching?  If you do not keep a Sabbath, repent and begin to use it to renew your relationship with God.  Make the Sabbath a regular time of refreshment!  Also, ask God why you do not keep the Sabbath.  What issues keep you from resting in His presence?  Is it control?  Fear?  Doubt?  Pride?  Ask the Spirit to lead you into deeper repentance and faith!

Most importantly, if you wish to live a healthy life, make the worship and enjoyment of God central to your weekly schedule!  We need the weekly reminder that God is God, I am not God, and His mercy and grace are constantly there for us.

Attacking the Weakest Link

"Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock,

among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers,

to shepherd  the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, 

not sparing the flock;

and from among your own selves men will arise,

speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them."
Acts 20:28-30

Today my family is beginning the preparations for a Thanksgiving feast.  We are so blessed!  In addition to all we have, the Lord has brought a great snow to Maine today.  I love snow storm days as it forces us to slow down.  In Maine, most of us enjoy "hunkering" down and letting it snow.  We will have much to clean-up afterward, but we have all the equipment for it!

Today I was thinking about the nature of temptation for both an individual and groups.  I was thinking of all the church splits I have seen, all of the churches marked by non-biblical teaching, and the "Christian leaders" I have seen fall from grace.  Why does this happen?  Why does God allow this to happen?  I thought He was holy and just.  How can He let His church and His people be marked by such sin?

In the opening passage, Paul is addressing one of his church plants in Ephesus.  I believe it was one of his favorite churches!  In our passage, he is addressing the Elders from this church.  He warns them that from your "own number" will arise false teachers who will bring division.  In other words, from Christian leaders will come those who lead other astray.

I have dealt with this passage in detail in a previous post entitled, "The Myth of the Pure Church" on September 8, so I will not go into more detail about it.  Instead I will take the question of the day in a different direction.  How did these men go astray?  How does one turn to a "savage wolf" who scatters the flock?

I believe one of the primary reasons we see this so often is a lack of understanding of the nature of temptation and spiritual warfare.  As humans in this world, we are fallen creatures who will struggle until death with our sin nature.  We must be constantly on guard.  We have a traitor within who can turn away from righteousness and holiness in a moment's notice.  Thus, we must watch our lives and doctrine closely (1 Timothy 4: 16).

Why?  Because temptation will come at our weakest point, at our weakest moment.

As I have presented before, our greatest weakness is often close to our greatest strength.  In fact, it is often misuse of our greatest strength!  We must be diligent to remain under the influence of the gospel.  This means living a life of constant repentance and faith.  It means drawing near to God so He will draw near to us.  It means recognizing our weakness and need so we can cling to Jesus all the more!

When we move away from this place of dependence and faith we are prepared for the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil.

What I find interesting is that the full force of temptation never comes when we are strong and ready.  It always comes when we are weakest.  You would think we have an enemy that watches and waits for the perfect opportunity?

In a group, like a church, I find the same principle at work.  The strongest members of a group are rarely attacked directly.  What I see happen is that the stronger members of a church are often distracted with assorted busyness and issues.  Then the weaker members are attacked with direct assaults on their faith, their thought (doctrine), or their behavior.  The result is a "sudden" fall from grace that was really well orchestrated and coordinated.

Please note that the strongest people are often not those in leadership!  Often those in leadership can get by on their personalities, their training, or their past performance so they appear as strong.  Yet, they might not be walking in repentant, dependent faith!  Thus, the truly strong get distracted and the evil one sets a scheme against the Church and her leaders.

What is the cure?  The gospel of Jesus Christ believed and lived!  Be on your guard!  Watch your life and doctrine closely.  Do not take anything for granted.  Be thankful that Jesus has won the victory and tie yourself into that victory by faith!

To my American readers, have a great Thanksgiving Holiday!

The Nature of Temptation

"Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden?'" 

Gen. 3:1

"The tempter came to him and said, 'If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.'" 

Matt. 4:3

As I write today, I do so with a heavy heart.  My wife and I were traveling this weekend, and we had a chance to proclaim the gospel.  On Sunday afternoon, I received an e-mail that a prominent pastor/religious leader in my area had died.  I had worked with this man in a variety of setting for the past seven years, so I thought I would need to attend the funeral when I get back.  When I returned, I found out that he had died by suicide by jumping off a bridge; and as of last Thursday, we was under investigation for child sexual abuse.  The reports state that he began a sexual affair with a young man in the 1970s and it continued to today.

As you can see, this is a bit to process!  I have already had two or three discussions with folks in the community who ask my take on this sordid affair.  Overall the question keeps coming up, "How could this happen?"  

In today's blog, I wish to give a short answer to this question.  Each case of full-blown sin is different, but they all spring from a similar source.  To help us understand this source, we will look at the fall of humanity in Genesis 3 and Jesus' temptation in Matt. 4.

In both of these passages, Satan's first move is to call into question the character of God.  

"Did God really say...." "If you are the Son of God...."  

Both of these statements point to a flaw in God's character that Satan believes everyone should see.  Of course there is no flaw in God's character!  Nevertheless, Eve takes the bait and she begins the process of the fall.  Meanwhile, Jesus knew that He is the Son of God, so he does not have to prove anything.  He completely sidesteps the temptation by quoting and living the truth, "Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." (Matt. 4:4)

Why did Eve fall?  What was her underlying sin?  I think ultimately the crack in her armor was that of lacking faith and trust in God.  

In discussing the consequences of the fall, John Calvin observes that many vestiges of the Image of God remain in us.  Thus, the fall does not mean that we are as evil as possible, because we still have the ability to express love.  Love remains a vestige of our created good.  Yet, he claims, and I agree with him, that the attribute of faith was completely lost in the fall.  

Eve lacks faith in God's character and the fall begins.  She begins to reason to herself and explain away what God has said.  Eventually, she does exactly the opposite of God's will and expressed command.  On the other hand, Jesus maintains His trust in God's character, and He resists the temptation to handle his hunger on his own.  He lives in faith and trust in God to provide.

Satan's primary temptation is to get us to trust ourselves and our strength instead of relying upon God.  When faced with a decision, if we do not look to God for answers through His word and wise counsel, we are falling right into Satan's primary temptation.

I believe one reason we do not see much outright demonization in America is that Satan's primary temptation matches perfectly with our vision of the World and the Flesh.  In other words, in the West Satan does not have to tempt or drive to fear from direct attack because believers and unbelievers are marked by self-effort, self-righteousness, and a lack of real day to day faith in the Living God.  

Everything about our culture tells us to "trust our hearts" and to "follow our own path."  The World works in perfect tandem with the temptations of Satan.  Our biggest problem is that this temptation also works perfectly with our fallen fleshly nature that loves this message!  We would like nothing more than to be the captain of our own ship and the master of our own soul.  On Satan's side, why risk exposure by being out in the open when the World and Flesh are already keeping believers and unbelievers unfruitful and lacking God's power that comes by faith?

So, how does this shed light on this week's events in Maine?  Our greatest strengths can be used mightily to build the kingdom of God.  They can also be used mightily to keep us away from trusting God.  Who needs God when I can do it on my own?  We must be aware that our fallen human nature will always move us to trust in ourself, our efforts, and our flesh.  

According to many, this pastor had a great ability to care for others.  I must admit that I never thought of him in this way!  Still, a care-giver must protect themselves from using their strengths in an inappropriate manner.  One does not begin the descent of sin with sexual contact and abuse.  It takes time to develop.  Like a cancer, sin turns us away from trusting in the Living God, and instead it always demands that we take matters into our own hands.  Instead of finding joy and strength in God, we find it in any variety of sin tendencies.  As we nurture of sin, it grows in severity and perversion.

It looks like this man took time to develop his sin tendencies!  The act of suicide was a final action expressing these tendencies to trust self.  I sure hope I am wrong on this, but I am afraid I am right.

The direct opposite of self-effort and self-righteousness is faith and trust in God for our life, joy and righteousness.  Similar to the descend of sin, faith and trust is something that must be nurtured and built.  It is given by divine grace, but it does not come naturally to our fallen nature.  We must cultivate it!

The ascent of grace grows as we walk in repentance and faith.  As we confess our tendencies to trust in self, others, and created things for our life, joy and righteousness, we find release from bondage.  As we trust in Jesus for life, joy, and righteousness we experience authentic joy and life-transforming power. 

How about some practical steps to make the transition from the descent of sin into the ascent of grace?  

First, start by how you organize your day.  Take time to listen to God's Word and to meet with Him in prayer.  Ask Him for wisdom with the decisions you need to make.  At work and home begin to involve God in decisions that you usually just make out of habit or your strengths.  

Second, begin the process of walking by faith.  Be particularly vigilant when you feel fear.  Fear prompts us to make choices without faith.  We do not consult God or His Word.  We just react.  How can we have faith and fear at the same time?  (1 John 4:18)  Be aware that in our very spiritual world, Satan and his forces are lurking tempting us to work in our own strength without reference to God.  If you have lived in this manner, repent and believe the gospel!  

In the face of such sordid actions both locally and nationally, may we all be drawn to a deeper  faith and trust in the only True God!