Changing Times
“The times, they are a changin’.” Or so Bob Dylan says in one of his songs. And he’s correct. The times are changing, and changing rapidly. In fact, I suggest you take a few moments and list the various changes you are aware of in your lifetime – yes, even our youth should be able to name a few.
Whether you took time to write down anything or not, you will undoubtedly agree that our world is changing in ways few of us would have ever imagined - certainly in ways that many of us would never have hoped. To some degree, we are living in the world science fiction writers spoke of 2 and 3 generations ago. Someone has said that there have been more technological advancements in the past 20 years than in all the previous history of man combined. And the pace of change doesn’t appear to be slowing down. In fact, we might be only on the cusp of advancement.
Whether or not you favor, and plan to use, the developing technology, you must answer this question: how do the advancements in society impact the way I live out and present the Gospel of Jesus Christ? I think it’s safe to say that the Church struggles with effective ministry in our postmodern culture. Part of that problem should be placed at the feet of leadership.
Many leaders (not just pastors and elders, but all who have a leading role in the Church) are often lax in staying abreast of changing trends and ideas within culture at large. Even those who are aware of change often fail to consider how to Biblically respond. Or they respond inappropriately or too late. By-and-large, I believe it is safe to say that when leadership fails to give a Biblical response to current trends, congregations suffer.
But that does not excuse others. We are each called to be students of the Word and the time in which we live – to be “sons of Issachar, men who understood the times” (1 Chron 12:32). We are commanded to deliver the Truth of salvation by grace through faith to all, even those who disagree with us and with whom we disagree.
While it is true that the times are changing, it is equally true that Word of the unchanging God is constant:
1 Peter 1:24-25 “All flesh is like grass, And all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, And the flower falls off, But the word of the Lord endures forever.”
Psalm 119:89 Forever, O Lord, Your Word is settled in heaven.
To which all the redeemed said, “Amen!”
Biblical Generosity
Biblical generosity is not the response to a need, but rather the response of indebtedness in recognition of how much we have received from the hand of God. And, in case you have forgotten, our task is to be stewards – not possessors – of God’s blessings.
I feel confident that the average giving among those who attend our congregation exceeds the national average of church-goers, which in 2019 was a paltry 2% of net income. I am also confident that several among us have not risen to the level of a full tithe – not because I have accessed the giving records but because I know the human condition. I am fully aware of all of the justifications for not tithing; however, I believe a failure to return to God the portion He asks of us shows a lack of trust in His ability to provide.
Having now stepped on some toes and kicked a few shins, I want to share a few reasons (borrowed from the EFCA) why we should all give generously.
1. To demonstrate love for God. “I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.” 2 Corinthians 8:8
2. To help with the carrying out of the great commission. Matthew 28:19–20
3. To put faith into practice. “We live by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7
4. To abound in the grace of giving. “But just as you excel in everything… See that you also excel in this grace of giving.” 2 Corinthians 8:7
5. To encourage others in the grace of giving. “For I know your eagerness to help… And your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action.” 2 Corinthians 9:2
6. To experience the love of God in all its fullness. “For God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7
7. To bring glory to God. “… Men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.” 2 Corinthians 9:13
8. To please God. “… They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.” Philippians 4:18
Hopefully by this point some of you are wondering how you might possibly squeeze any more out of your pay check. Well, as an older saint once told me, if you give to God off the top instead of from the bottom you don’t have to worry about squeezing.
When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required. [Luke 12:48]
Finding What You Seek
Everyone, whether they realize it or not, is seeking something in life. There are a few who find it early on and tenaciously cling to it for a lifetime. Others spend vast of amounts of time and energy planning and calculating how best to achieve it. Still others pursue that one thing they hope will bring them joy, only to change methodology – or perhaps even their destination – in mid-stream. Unfortunately, others purposely choose to not seek after anything at all.
During my formative years I fell into that latter camp. As a teen I fell in with the crowd who were pursuing nothing but the moment and the chance to have a “good time.” I don’t believe that any of us were “dumb” – at least intellectually speaking. Yet, in retrospect, I can say with certainty that we did a lot of “dumb” things.
Among those dumb things was the time I spent seeking after nothing (I was into “nothing” long before Seinfeld coined the phrase). In my haste to seek nothing I found exactly that. I did discover, however, that even in my wretched condition I shared something in common with those who had their life mapped out with goals and steps to achieve them. We each had a God shaped vacuum in our hearts. For all of their plans and material possessions, they were just as empty on the inside as I was. We were each masking our pain – we simply chose different sedatives. In our separate ways, we had each found what we were seeking. Yet, to be more exact, we were each attempting to escape the One who was seeking us.
It was not until the reality of my heart’s emptiness set in that I began to understand the depth of my problem. I tried valiantly to plug up that empty spot in my heart with good things. Instead of filling the hole, everything I did seemed only to make matters worse.
It took a near tragic set of circumstances for me to come to grips with what I now know to be the Good News – the Good News that I had refused to admit I had been seeking all along. I had to come to the point of admitting my need, my desire for God. Not just to know about Him but to be loved by Him. To finally understand that I didn’t have to make myself good enough (and couldn’t no matter how hard I tried), that He loves me just as I am, was the most freeing experience of my life.
This marvelous event didn’t happen because I woke up one day and sought out Jesus. Jesus found me in a gutter I called my life and convinced me that what I wanted most in life could be found by seeking Him and following Him. I protested that I wasn’t good enough. He reminded me that nobody is. It is a gift from the Father to those who recognize their own spiritual bankruptcy.
What are you seeking today? You will find it in Jesus.
Even If
I suppose it is because I grew in a home with a chronic worrier that I became accustomed to asking, “what if”… followed by the worst thing possible for the present scenario. I have since discovered that asking the ‘what ifs” did little beyond taking away any sense of peace and security I might have had.
“What ifs” are not restricted to our day and time, however. The people of the Bible were also prone to ask “what if.” Moses wondered, “What if they don’t believe You sent me.” The brothers of Joseph asked, “What if he bears a grudge against us?” The servant of Abraham questioned, “What if the young woman refuses to come and wed Isaac?”
We are filled with a host of “what ifs.” Some are life altering, others are less significant – but we ask the question none-the-less.
While asking “what if” may be a natural part of living in this fallen world, it is also evidence that, at least temporarily, we have fallen into the mindset that God is not enough, He really is not sufficient. What if my health spirals and I end up with some terminal disease? What if my child rebels and walks away from me and God? What if my spouse is suddenly, unexplainably taken from me? What if all my hopes and dreams are cruelly crushed and tossed on the ash heap? Is God enough to sustain me in times such as these?
I believe He is – if we change the “what if” to “even if.” Asking “what if” implies I am trusting God only as long as He meets my needs and supplies my dreams – in other words, as long I get payback for my worship and service. “Even if,” on the other hand, says that I love, honor and worship God simply because of who He is, because He is worthy.
In the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (Daniel 3) there is the marvelous line: “the God we serve is able to deliver us … But even if he does not, we want you to know that we will not serve your gods.” Yes, even if the very worst possible thing should happen, we are trusting our God.
I encourage you to find the freedom Jesus intends for you by exchanging two simple words in your vocabulary. Turn “what if” into “even if.” Trade our irrational fears of an uncertain future for the loving assurance of an unchanging God. Follow the example of Habakkuk:
Even if the fig tree does not bloom and the vines have no grapes,
even if the olive tree fails to produce
and the fields yield no food,
even if the sheep pen is empty
and the stalls have no cattle—
I will truly find joy in God, who saves me. (Habakkuk 3:17–18)
Yes, even if!
The Duty of a Dad
“Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord and to practice it.” (Ezra 7:10)
I am the only one of my siblings to grow up in a home with two loving adults at the helm. Perhaps I should rephrase that. I am the only one to have the same two adults at the helm through all of my growing up years. I had the blessing of being reared by my grandparents. My siblings, on the other hand, were not so fortunate. My older brother lived with our dad and saw four step-moms come and go. My three younger half-siblings lived with our mom and watched her go through five husbands. Meanwhile, grandma and grandpa continued to do their best with me.
I’m certain I tried them mightily. As a very young child, I had medical problems. Later I had an attitude. Still, they taught me what they could and exemplified what I would need to be successful in life.
One of grandpa’s favorite words (it must have been because he spoke to me about it often) was responsibility. He often told me that a man must fulfill the responsibility he undertakes. Sometimes that means doing something he would rather not do. Sometimes it means doing without something you want so that a debt can be paid. Sometimes it means making unpopular decisions and living with the consequences. Sometimes he showed me negative examples from our own family (there were plenty of them) and said he hoped I would never put myself in such predicaments. We would talk about how to prevent those situations from happening and how to overcome them if they did.
But there was one important thing my grandpa did not teach me. Neither did my dad. None of my siblings learned it. None of us were taught, by word or example, the importance of God’s Word – the need to understand it and obey it. I have since come to realize that the greatest responsibility I have is to teach this essential truth to my children. It is my duty. I look forward to a time when (hopefully) my children will thank me for modeling for them the real duty of a dad. I will count that – if and when it occurs – as the best father’s day gift of all. I want them to know that above all else, their dad set his heart to study the law of the Lord and to practice it, because he knows that it makes a difference.
United We Stand
“United we stand, divided we fall, and if our backs should ever be against the wall, we’ll be together.” Or so proclaimed the lyrics to a song from my youth. It was the turbulent days of the Vietnam war, Flower Power and ‘love the one you’re with.’ Bell bottoms, tie-dyed anything and bushel basket hair were the norm then. It was “us” against “them,” with “them” being anyone in a position of authority.
In my youthfulness, I aligned myself with a few groups simply for the sake of being “united.” I can’t recall what they were for or against. I only know they espoused unity among their members and I wanted to be part of a group who would (so I assumed) be there for me and allow me to call them my people. Did I mention that during those days “everything was groovy, yeah”?
Since those days I have come to understand a bit more the value of unity (who says those sociology and psychology classes didn’t pay off?). The purpose of most organizations is to draw together in a bond of unity people of similar interests, to give people a group of their own, people with whom they can share a oneness. Whether it is a garden club, a political organization, a civic club or the local tavern, in general, people desire to experience a sense of unity with others.
To some degree the Church is no different. It is a meeting place of like- minded individuals, people who share common goals, values and purposes. Yet, there is something much more – much greater and more significant.
The Church aspires to a oneness – a harmony, an inseparability – that those outside it cannot grasp. It is as though, in spite of our different cultural backgrounds, educational or economic achievements, we are thrilled to gather and discuss an ancient Book, translated from languages we don’t know, filled with customs we struggle to understand. We sing, worship and pray to a God most of the world denies even exists. We support one another emotionally and financially, encouraging one another to never lose heart. Even more surprising, we agree to disagree on issues which evoke strong partisanship. Well, usually.
As long we have breath, it is inevitable that we will sometimes have conflict with others. What separates the healthy Church from others (and from the world), however, is how we deal with those conflicts. To preserve unity among us, we confront issues directly; we fight fair, and we only fight over issues of Biblical importance. Unity is more important than carpet color or who is invited to sing a solo. Because it is based on genuine love – for one another and our Redeemer Lord – it makes us both different and attractive to a lost and dying world. Without unity we are nothing more than a social club with odd hours and unusual customs!
Holy, Holy, Holy
Leviticus 19:1-2 The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: `Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.’”
While the word holy defines God, it also defines the places where God is present. Upon receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, God is present in each individual who makes up His church. Granted, we are not instantly made holy, but we are set on course to become holy - if we desire it.
Therein lays the problem for much of the church today. We seem to lack a desire for true Biblical holiness -- a desire to become increasingly more like God with each passing day. It would seem that the world has polluted our minds so that many of us believe salvation is enough. We don’t think we need to strive for holiness or a Christ-like character. In fact, comparisons with the lost world make us feel pretty good about ourselves.
For many, Christianity has become an industry rather than a lifestyle of ministry. Lyrics to contemporary Christian songs create warm fuzzy feelings instead of theological platforms upon which to grow. Language some Christians use in public would never have been spoken even in private a generation ago. The influences which are allowed into many homes via television, videos and music would not have been tolerated just a few short years ago. Is this a compromise based on the fact that there isn’t much worthwhile being produced (after all, I’m often told, “we don’t watch the really trashy stuff”), or is it a lack of desire for holiness?
Please understand that I am speaking from personal conviction, not from judgment. If we who are called to be the dwelling place of the Most Holy God do not desire with our whole selves to represent God by holy living, holy thinking, and holy worship, how can we ever expect the lost world to see Him for Who He really is? More importantly, how can we expect them to embrace saving grace and holy living?
Isaiah 6:3 …“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”
How Jesus Prayed
As I studied the prayer of Jesus in John 17, there were several things which caught my attention. None of them are earth-shattering new revelations. Yet, they confirmed for me once again not just the importance of prayer, but also how to pray.
Jesus began by praying for Himself. Strangely enough, even though He was only hours away from being physically brutalized, publicly humiliated and then torturously crucified, He didn’t pray for His own comfort or safety. Instead, He prayed that His Father would be glorified through what was about to happen to Him. Is this the focus of our lives and our prayers? It should be. We should bathe every prayer we utter with the desire that, first and foremost, God will be glorified through what we do and what happens to us. In our work, our homes, our relaxation and socialization, we need to seek out avenues and opportunities where God will be exalted and glorified. When it appears, at least to our human minds, that no such situation exists – that it is hopeless for God to expect any glory from the conditions at hand – pray even more fervently for His glory to be made evident. Jesus did.
Next, Jesus prayed for those He was closest to – His Apostles. He reminded God of why they had been chosen and of the relationship that existed between them. Then He asked that they be protected and empowered to carry out their calling. Not just because He loved them – which He did – but also because they belonged to God Himself. As God’s chosen instruments in a fallen world, Jesus understood that what they did and how they did it would bring either honor or dishonor to His Father. While He was concerned for them, His greater concern was for the reputation of His Father. When we pray for those close to us, are we praying what we desire for them or that God’s honor and character would somehow be maintained through their walk and witness?
Finally, Jesus prayed for the Church at large – the countless numbers of future believers, including us today. He did not pray that their numbers would increase or that their doctrinal knowledge would abound. Rather, He prayed for their unity. He prayed that they would become one as He and the Father are one. He desired that they would learn to function exclusively in the realm of an interdependent relationship with Himself, the Father, the Holy Spirit and one another. Even this request was based on the concept of God being made known in the world and thus having His glory made manifest. How do we pray for the church, especially that part we have no contact with? Do we, at all costs, seek unity within the Body so that God is glorified before a lost and dying world?
By now I’m sure you’ve noticed the major theme of Jesus’ prayer: the glory of God. All His requests revolve around His Father receiving glory and being made known. What is the focus of our prayers? Do we pray like Jesus?
It’s All About Joy
Depending on your point of view, the Church is either a celebration of diversity or a monument to stubbornness.
I’m not sure who said those words, or where I first heard them, but they have echoed in my mind ever since. I have had the privilege of attending many church services in a multitude of traditions and styles. I have participated in services filled with praise – and sometimes even a bit of spontaneity – in celebration of the goodness of the Great and Mighty God. Those congregations possessed an over-riding sense of gratitude and thankfulness for the large number of blessings which had come their way – almost as if they knew what they justly deserved from God and, having received mercy instead, rejoiced in all things. They sensed that each one who attended the service was vastly different; yet beneath their differences was a common bond that held them together through all that life brought their way.
I have also attended churches in which it appeared that the only function of the worship service was to recruit members – who would then be trained to become like the rest of the congregation. They let it be known that all who disagreed with them disagreed with God. They reminded me very much of the man in Luke 18 who stood and prayed, “I thank you, God, that I am not like other men…” There seemed to be no place for spontaneous outbursts of celebration and very little intercession for needs beyond their own or repentance of wrongs done. The contrasts between worship services were as noticeable as day and night, feasting and mourning.
Those who have overcome the world by trusting Jesus for forgiveness and who are experiencing His ongoing, daily presence in their lives may claim His wonderful promises:
o These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. (John 15:11)
o …your grief will be turned into joy (John 16:20b)
o …No one will take your joy away from you (John 16:22b)
Is joy an ongoing part of your walk with Christ? Or are you so weighed down trying to “live up to the standards of holiness” that laughter and spur of the moment happiness seems a distant memory? We have the choice to either fast and mourn over the hardships of life or else feast and rejoice with the Savior Who has won the victory over sin and death for us.
Opposing God
From the time I was very small I have always wanted to be able to sing. I mean really sing. I wanted the kind of voice that would make others listen and smile. I wanted to bring pleasure to others by doing something which brought pleasure to me. It was made very plain to me early on, however, that I didn’t have that kind of voice. I was told I could sing harmony in the junior high choir - as long as I didn’t sing too loud. I was always envious of those who had the ability I longed for.
After coming to receive Christ I read the Scripture which says, “ask what you will and it shall be given unto you.” I thought I had finally found my ticket to a wonderful singing voice. So I prayed. And prayed. And prayed some more. I couldn’t understand why, after all that prayer, I was still only a “mediocre fiver” (that means only half way to a decent tenor). I practiced often, I didn’t restrict myself to only one style and I continued to ask God to make me better.
It wasn’t too long until I began to look askance at those in the congregation who were being asked to sing solos and duets and form groups. I was convinced that, given the chance, I could do as well - if not better - than they. The chance never came. I began to sulk and mope about my unrealized desire.
In frustration, I finally shared this with my pastor. I asked why God was not answering my request. I expected a deep, theologically profound answer to such an earnest question. What I got was simply, “Because you are asking for the wrong thing.” At first I was offended because I felt he was saying something about my singing. It turned out to be one of the most educational statements I ever received.
In essence my pastor told me that I had been setting myself in opposition to God by demanding that He give me a certain ability. What I should have done was to ask God to reveal to me what talent He wanted me to have, for the ability to use it and then set out to do so. Anything less than that would keep me from experiencing the full joy and peace of God.
Well, it took awhile. Four years to be exact. But God finally convinced me what ability He desired me to have and use in His service. I must admit that I was less than thrilled with His choice. Public speaking has always been something I detested. It terrifies me even now. But to not do it would put me in the same situation I was before - opposing God.
So I have learned to be content in what God has called and gifted me to do. I have learned that to be desirous of an ability which is not mine - especially to the point of envying those who have it - sets me in opposition to God. Likewise to not perform the task He has called me to puts me in that same position. As Christians our job is to find and fill the role God has designated for each of us. I mean, we can’t all be great singers, can we?
The Gift of Suffering?
I have yet to meet anyone who truly enjoys suffering. Whether physical or emotional, suffering takes a toll on us. It can affect our sleep, our attitudes, our relationships, our perceptions and our ability to make rational judgments. In other words, suffering simply isn’t any fun!
Scripture tells us, however, that we are to welcome suffering as a friend, to use it as a tool for our growth and development toward greater Christ-likeness. We’re not exactly prone to that kind of thinking when it feels like our world is crashing in on top of us, are we?
I recall once being in the midst of what I thought was an unbearable situation. After several weeks, I was becoming quite unbearable myself. I developed attitudes that were unbecoming to any person, let alone one who claimed to be a Christian. Bitterness and anger seemed to leak out of me in bucketfuls. I lacked patience in all areas of my life and thought others made it a sport to see how much abuse they could heap on me.
During this time, I heard Richard W. DeHaan (RBC Ministries) teach a lesson about the value of suffering. It not only changed the way I viewed my circumstances at the time, but also changed the way I viewed suffering as a whole. In a condensed and paraphrased form, this was his message:
Suffering has a reason – our task is to discover that reason. I found this idea intriguing because he didn’t say that we are to look for the cause of our suffering. I believed I knew the cause of my suffering (other people and what they had done/were doing to me). I didn’t realize at the time that by reason he meant the good that can emerge from our suffering.
Suffering is a means of communicating spiritual truth. According to Mr. DeHaan, suffering is one of the ways God uses to teach us about His holiness, to remind us of our mortality, to call us to make proper decisions, to reveal His grace, to develop our character and to prepare us for greater service.
As I have considered these ideas over the years, I have come to realize that Mr. DeHaan was right – God does have a definite purpose in our suffering. It may be to discipline us for some sin we have allowed to linger in our lives. It may be to use us as an instrument through which He can display His grace. It may be to prepare us for some new avenue of ministry down the road.
Strange as it may sound, suffering is often the means to living a life worthy of the Gospel. While I do not want any of us to suffer needlessly, my prayer is that, when suffering comes, we will receive it as a gift from God designed to bring us into greater intimacy with Him.
Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel …For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him… (Philippians 1:27, 29 NIV)