There is an interesting story in Mark and Luke that reveals the value Jesus placed on money, or more importantly on giving. The story is that of a poor widow who walks up to the temple treasury and makes her financial offering. The story is found in Mark 12:41-44 and Luke 21:1-4. Just to give you a little background I will explain some of the events of the day.
At the temple in Jerusalem there are a number of “courts” and “gates” where various activates take place. Jesus walks up to “The Treasury” and sits across from one of the thirteen receptacles where people were placing offerings (Tithes). The receptacles are there to collect the temple tax as well. Because the receptacles are in the open everyone can see who is giving and they can also get a good idea of how much each person is giving. In other words, there is a great opportunity here for this part of the temple to become a sideshow.
I will tell the story in my own words:
Jesus and his disciple chums walked up to the treasury and sat down across from where the people were giving so they could watch. This was during the Passover feast so the place was packed and a whole lot of rich guy types were walking up and making donations. Every time a person put money into the receptacle everyone could hear the coins slide down. When a super rich dude put in his stash the place echoed with the sound of the coins sliding down the receptacle.
The people standing around were sayin OOOOOOH and AAAAAAAAh whenever the coins made a lot of noise. After a super rich guy made his contribution an average middle class guy would walk up and only made a modest contribution. Since the coins did not make very much noise nobody would say anything. The whole thing was pretty embarrassing. Unless, of course, you were a super rich guy.
Then all of a sudden this old lady walks up and puts in two small copper coins and then walks away. One of the temple guards looks over at his partner standing beside him and they start chuckling. Some of the people standing nearby also start chuckling as well. Even some of the Lord’s disciples look at each other and make faces because they knew the contribution was worthless.
Then Jesus, seeing the time was right for a Sunday school lesson tells his chums to gather round. Jesus said to them, “Did you see what just happened?” One of the disciples said, “Yea nothing happened, nothing at all.” Some of the other disciples start laughing. Then Jesus says to them, “Tell me you who are so wise, who gave the most money today?”
Some of the wiser disciples sense a trap and keep their mouths shut. However, some are obtuse and begin thinking of a few of the rich people who came in an dropped a stash. One disciple said, “I think the guy dressed in purple, you remember he had a long robe. “Yea he gave the most. “I can still hear the coins hitting the bottom of the receptacle in my head. “Man that guy was loaded.” Some of the other disciples agreed.
Then Jesus said, “Wrongo reindeer, the one who gave the most was that poor widow.” The disciples look at each other in disbelief. One says, “Are you tryin to tell me that the old geyser lady gave more than the super rich guy? “This sounds like the new math kids are learnin in school these days and I’m not familiar with it so maybe you can help me out here.”
Jesus says, “Gladly.” “You see the rich guy is a gazillionare and gave about two percent of his earning for the year. “The poor woman is penniless and gave everything she had to live on. “Now she must trust God to provide her next meal. “In God’s eyes she gave the most of all the contributors today.” The disciples looked at each other and had to agree that the poor woman left the temple with nothing, but her faith. As a result she had to have given more than anyone else.
The moral of the story is not just that the woman gave all she had, it is that she was completely trusting God to provide for her immediate needs. The wording Mark uses in his description of the woman is far deeper than poor; it is destitute. The woman was probably homeless.
By temple law she had every right to keep one of the coins for herself. The fact that she was willing to donate everything to God shows her to be a committed Godly woman. When I look at myself I do not see a committed Godly man, certainly not in comparison to her.
The story reveals another aspect into the mind of God and how different His thinking is from our own.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
The Letter of the Law
I suppose there is a bit of a hypocrite in every one of us, at least if we are honest with ourselves. Jesus confronted this vice on a number of occasions usually with the religious elite of the time. On one occasion in Matthew 15:1-9 some Pharisees confront Jesus because his disciples did not wash their hands before eating. Most mothers have these same opinions about their kids however; this was different because the Pharisees wanted the disciples to wash their hands for the sake of tradition and not as a germ control issue sponsored by the CDC. Jesus immediately confronts the Pharisees because of their hypocrisy with regard to the law. When it comes to the letter of the law that sword cuts two ways.
I will tell the story in my own words;
One day when Jesus and his disciple chums were traveling down a dusty road some pesky Pharisees confronted them all with a challenge. The Pharisees did this so often the disciples expected to see it almost every day. One of the Pharisees, a high falutin type, walks up to Jesus and says, “Why is it that your disciples transgress the traditions of the elders? These traditions have been handed down to us for generations and we know the value of paying homage to them.”
Jesus says to them. “What, pray tell, are we talking about now? The grand poo baah Pharisee says, “The one about washing your hands before you eat bread.” Jesus takes a small loaf of bread from the bread bag, with unwashed hands of course, and then takes a great big bite out of it and begins talking with His mouth full; another thing the Pharisees hate. Jesus says to them. “Don’t you guys ever get tired of being hypocrites? “I mean come on get a life. “You Bozos have got to be kidding me. Can’t you find some real issues to come after me with?”
Jesus continues, “Oh by the way, speaking of transgressing the law why do you make a mockery of the law by your distortion of it. God said that children should honor their father and mother and anyone who does not honor their father and mother should be put to death. “However, you say that children are permitted to pay tithes to the synagogue with money that might have been used to help their parents. “In other words a child could say, ‘Hey mom and dad I would love to help you pay for the groceries this week but I gave the money to God. ‘If you don’t like it take it up with Him.’ “So you see you are telling a child not to honor their father and mother and they can dishonor their father and mother by filling your pockets.”
No doubt the Pharisees were steamed by what Jesus had pointed out to them however it reveals the painful side of pointing the finger at another’s transgressions. The simple fact is we all transgress at least some of God’s laws and pointing out one person’s faults will invariably lead to someone else pointing out some of our own.
Hypocrisy is a street that runs both ways. I find myself walking the hypocrisy line if I am watching a ball game on TV and I see a call made that goes against my team. I might say to the referee, who can’t hear me of course, “Yo ref why are you calling that a penalty? Are you kidding me that wasn’t roughing the quarterback.” Now to be fair, the grounds crew is on the field with a backhoe trying to dig the quarterback’s helmet out of the ground. While the entire city’s paramedic squad has surrounded the player with several priests administering last rites. So the officials may have seen something I missed.
When my team’s offense is on the field and one of the opponent’s defensive linemen so much as breathes in the direction of my quarterback I scream at the official for not making the call. I tell the ref that a visit to the optometrist is in order and I demand that he admit to the National Football League authorities that he is on the take for the other team. You see even I can be a hypocrite at times.
What Jesus was trying to point out to the religious leaders of the day was that the letter of the law is too difficult to live by and living by the spirit of the law is more practical. The instructions about washing hands before eating is more of a ceremonial gesture not a command punishable by death if not obeyed. Jesus later points out to his disciples that the body is not contaminated by what goes into it but, rather what comes out of it. The evil words we say to one another and the slanderous statements we make are not the result of our unwashed hands, but rather our unwashed hearts.
Remember, the letter of the law kills but the Spirit of the law gives life.
I will tell the story in my own words;
One day when Jesus and his disciple chums were traveling down a dusty road some pesky Pharisees confronted them all with a challenge. The Pharisees did this so often the disciples expected to see it almost every day. One of the Pharisees, a high falutin type, walks up to Jesus and says, “Why is it that your disciples transgress the traditions of the elders? These traditions have been handed down to us for generations and we know the value of paying homage to them.”
Jesus says to them. “What, pray tell, are we talking about now? The grand poo baah Pharisee says, “The one about washing your hands before you eat bread.” Jesus takes a small loaf of bread from the bread bag, with unwashed hands of course, and then takes a great big bite out of it and begins talking with His mouth full; another thing the Pharisees hate. Jesus says to them. “Don’t you guys ever get tired of being hypocrites? “I mean come on get a life. “You Bozos have got to be kidding me. Can’t you find some real issues to come after me with?”
Jesus continues, “Oh by the way, speaking of transgressing the law why do you make a mockery of the law by your distortion of it. God said that children should honor their father and mother and anyone who does not honor their father and mother should be put to death. “However, you say that children are permitted to pay tithes to the synagogue with money that might have been used to help their parents. “In other words a child could say, ‘Hey mom and dad I would love to help you pay for the groceries this week but I gave the money to God. ‘If you don’t like it take it up with Him.’ “So you see you are telling a child not to honor their father and mother and they can dishonor their father and mother by filling your pockets.”
No doubt the Pharisees were steamed by what Jesus had pointed out to them however it reveals the painful side of pointing the finger at another’s transgressions. The simple fact is we all transgress at least some of God’s laws and pointing out one person’s faults will invariably lead to someone else pointing out some of our own.
Hypocrisy is a street that runs both ways. I find myself walking the hypocrisy line if I am watching a ball game on TV and I see a call made that goes against my team. I might say to the referee, who can’t hear me of course, “Yo ref why are you calling that a penalty? Are you kidding me that wasn’t roughing the quarterback.” Now to be fair, the grounds crew is on the field with a backhoe trying to dig the quarterback’s helmet out of the ground. While the entire city’s paramedic squad has surrounded the player with several priests administering last rites. So the officials may have seen something I missed.
When my team’s offense is on the field and one of the opponent’s defensive linemen so much as breathes in the direction of my quarterback I scream at the official for not making the call. I tell the ref that a visit to the optometrist is in order and I demand that he admit to the National Football League authorities that he is on the take for the other team. You see even I can be a hypocrite at times.
What Jesus was trying to point out to the religious leaders of the day was that the letter of the law is too difficult to live by and living by the spirit of the law is more practical. The instructions about washing hands before eating is more of a ceremonial gesture not a command punishable by death if not obeyed. Jesus later points out to his disciples that the body is not contaminated by what goes into it but, rather what comes out of it. The evil words we say to one another and the slanderous statements we make are not the result of our unwashed hands, but rather our unwashed hearts.
Remember, the letter of the law kills but the Spirit of the law gives life.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Barnabas and Paul
An old friend of mine who is serving in the mission field in the Middle East made a comment recently about some personality problems among fellow staff members. The mission field generally has personnel issues because of the strong personalities that tend to end up there. Only very strong and determined people survive living for years in foreign countries. The same thing was true in Jesus’ day.
In the early days of the Christian church within a few years of the Lord’s resurrection, missionary journeys were started to promote the gospel of Jesus. On one of those journeys two men appear in the book of Acts. They are Barnabas and Paul. In Acts chapter thirteen both men are called together by the Lord to go on a missionary journey (Acts 13:2-4). They take along a young man called Mark (Acts 13:5). Theologians generally agree this is the same Mark who wrote the Gospel of Mark.
At one point in their travels Mark decides that the missionary life is not for him and chooses to depart for Jerusalem alone. We do not know why he left Barnabas and Paul but some time later Barnabas wants to bring Mark back so he can continue to work with them in their travels. Paul rejects this idea and, as a result, a great argument ensues and Barnabas and Paul separate and go their own ways. Barnabas takes Mark with him to Cyprus and Paul takes Silas with him and continues the Lord’s work (Acts 15:36-40).
There is much to learn about how different personalities impact the church. The story of the separation of Barnabas and Paul can teach us how to better handle difficult situations. There is also much to learn about how God intervenes in these matters. The story is not a total loss, as I will explain later. Nevertheless, it is important to remember that what the Lord brought together (Acts 13:2) man separated (Acts 15:39).
I will tell the story of Acts 15:39 in my own words.
Barnabas and Paul are sittin around shootin the buffalo when Paul says, “Yo dude, why don’t we go back to the churches we started and see how they are fairin? Barnabas says, “Cool beans. I’ve been wonderin how some of those guys are holdin their own with all this persecution and everything. I want to take Mark with us.” Paul says, “No can do dude. After he bailed on us in Perga I don’t think he can handle all this missionary stuff. I know he’s a relative of yours and everything, but that kite won’t fly.”
Then Barnabas said, “Mark is a reliable and everything he just needed some space, a chance to clear his head. He’s cool now that’s why I want to take him with us.” Paul responded, “Don’t you remember what him leavin cost us? “We had to take money out of our own stash to send him back to Jerusalem. “Not to mention all the food and blankets. “He pretty much stripped us clean.” Barnabas said, “He’s a young guy, these things are gonna happen with young guys.”
But the stage was set and both men were digging in their heel for the next round. The next round of any argument generally brings out other issues that may not have anything to do with the original argument, but have to do with personality problems that were not addressed earlier.
Barnabas says, “Ya know you have been givin orders since we started out and I for one am getting real tired of all your yappin. “You need to take a chill pill and learn a thing or two about humility.” Paul graciously responded, “Look Mr. Potato Head, I know a thing or two about people and I know what they can and can’t do and I am tellin you Mark can’t hold his water on the mission field.” Barnabas responded with a level of diplomacy that is still spoken about today. “You snore so loud the camels are complaining.” Paul, not wanting to be outdone responded in kind. “Yea, well your cooking stinks.” Barnabas says, “Well if that’s the way you feel I’m outta here.”
Fortunately, none of this came to blows I mean after all how much Christian love can the world handle. Nevertheless, the story does reveal a great deal about human emotion and pride. Maybe more to the point, the story reveals the cost of human emotion and pride, as there is no record of Paul and Barnabas ever seeing each other again. It is interesting to note that Paul eventually has a change of heart about Mark and works with him on future assignments.
Mark is apparently with Paul during his first imprisonment (Colossians 4:10; Philemon 24). The next time we see Paul in prison he tells Timothy to send Mark to him because he needs him, or more precisely he needs Mark’s knowledge of the Old Testament (2 Timothy 4:11).
What a shame it was for Barnabas and Paul to separate the way they did especially since Paul works with Mark during his future ministry years. How many of us can look at a foolish argument that resulted in a permanent separation; a separation that a little humility could have prevented.
One ounce of humility will bring far more success then ten pounds of arrogance.
In the early days of the Christian church within a few years of the Lord’s resurrection, missionary journeys were started to promote the gospel of Jesus. On one of those journeys two men appear in the book of Acts. They are Barnabas and Paul. In Acts chapter thirteen both men are called together by the Lord to go on a missionary journey (Acts 13:2-4). They take along a young man called Mark (Acts 13:5). Theologians generally agree this is the same Mark who wrote the Gospel of Mark.
At one point in their travels Mark decides that the missionary life is not for him and chooses to depart for Jerusalem alone. We do not know why he left Barnabas and Paul but some time later Barnabas wants to bring Mark back so he can continue to work with them in their travels. Paul rejects this idea and, as a result, a great argument ensues and Barnabas and Paul separate and go their own ways. Barnabas takes Mark with him to Cyprus and Paul takes Silas with him and continues the Lord’s work (Acts 15:36-40).
There is much to learn about how different personalities impact the church. The story of the separation of Barnabas and Paul can teach us how to better handle difficult situations. There is also much to learn about how God intervenes in these matters. The story is not a total loss, as I will explain later. Nevertheless, it is important to remember that what the Lord brought together (Acts 13:2) man separated (Acts 15:39).
I will tell the story of Acts 15:39 in my own words.
Barnabas and Paul are sittin around shootin the buffalo when Paul says, “Yo dude, why don’t we go back to the churches we started and see how they are fairin? Barnabas says, “Cool beans. I’ve been wonderin how some of those guys are holdin their own with all this persecution and everything. I want to take Mark with us.” Paul says, “No can do dude. After he bailed on us in Perga I don’t think he can handle all this missionary stuff. I know he’s a relative of yours and everything, but that kite won’t fly.”
Then Barnabas said, “Mark is a reliable and everything he just needed some space, a chance to clear his head. He’s cool now that’s why I want to take him with us.” Paul responded, “Don’t you remember what him leavin cost us? “We had to take money out of our own stash to send him back to Jerusalem. “Not to mention all the food and blankets. “He pretty much stripped us clean.” Barnabas said, “He’s a young guy, these things are gonna happen with young guys.”
But the stage was set and both men were digging in their heel for the next round. The next round of any argument generally brings out other issues that may not have anything to do with the original argument, but have to do with personality problems that were not addressed earlier.
Barnabas says, “Ya know you have been givin orders since we started out and I for one am getting real tired of all your yappin. “You need to take a chill pill and learn a thing or two about humility.” Paul graciously responded, “Look Mr. Potato Head, I know a thing or two about people and I know what they can and can’t do and I am tellin you Mark can’t hold his water on the mission field.” Barnabas responded with a level of diplomacy that is still spoken about today. “You snore so loud the camels are complaining.” Paul, not wanting to be outdone responded in kind. “Yea, well your cooking stinks.” Barnabas says, “Well if that’s the way you feel I’m outta here.”
Fortunately, none of this came to blows I mean after all how much Christian love can the world handle. Nevertheless, the story does reveal a great deal about human emotion and pride. Maybe more to the point, the story reveals the cost of human emotion and pride, as there is no record of Paul and Barnabas ever seeing each other again. It is interesting to note that Paul eventually has a change of heart about Mark and works with him on future assignments.
Mark is apparently with Paul during his first imprisonment (Colossians 4:10; Philemon 24). The next time we see Paul in prison he tells Timothy to send Mark to him because he needs him, or more precisely he needs Mark’s knowledge of the Old Testament (2 Timothy 4:11).
What a shame it was for Barnabas and Paul to separate the way they did especially since Paul works with Mark during his future ministry years. How many of us can look at a foolish argument that resulted in a permanent separation; a separation that a little humility could have prevented.
One ounce of humility will bring far more success then ten pounds of arrogance.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Answered Prayers
I find myself a much bigger fan of the New Testament than the Old Testament for several reasons. One, many of the prophecies of the Old Testament are difficult to understand. Two, some of the stories told are fascinating i.e. Joseph, Abraham, Moses, Job yet there are many that are difficult to understand and some just don’t make any sense at all.
Take Jephthah for example (Judges 11 and 12) who makes a vow to God for a victory in battle even though God had already promised him a victory. Then we have David (2 Samuel 11) who has wealth, women, and power, yet takes the wife of one of his most trusted military leaders and then has that military leader killed. Finally Solomon who, after being granted one thousand wives and many other things to be sure, commits apostasy. Someone explain that to me. If God had granted me a thousand wives I think I would remain faithful to Him. My reasoning is simple. What other god is going to give me more?
That said, there are other things that appear briefly in the Old Testament that raise more questions than answers. Take Daniel 10 for example. Daniel prays for interpretation of a vision, which had troubled him. He fasted and prayed for twenty-one days and grew weak while waiting for an answer. Then the angel Gabriel appears (Daniel 10:12,13) and informs Daniel that the Lord had heard his prayer and from the first day dispatched Gabriel to Daniel to explain the vision.
However, Gabriel found himself waging war against “the kings of Persia.” The “kings of Persia” is a reference to demonic forces that were attempting to prevent Gabriel from accomplishing his mission. Then Michael an archangel is dispatched to assist Gabriel. Michael begins battling the demonic forces and that in turn allows Gabriel to go to Daniel and inform him of the interpretation of his vision.
The text is not clear as to what exactly had happened to Gabriel after he was dispatched to Daniel. Did demonic forces ambush him while on his way to see Daniel? Or, was Daniel surrounded by demonic forces that prevented Gabriel from communicating with him? The text appears to indicate that Gabriel was intercepted while on his way to see Daniel and fought for three weeks against the demonic forces.
There are other questions that need to be addressed. How did Satan know that Gabriel was on his way to see Daniel? Are there spies in God’s kingdom? Why didn’t God know that Gabriel would encounter demonic forces on his way to see Daniel? If God did know then why didn’t He send Michael with Gabriel on his mission?
The story offers a fascinating glimpse into the spiritual world. Here we see our friend Daniel praying and God answering his prayer immediately. Yet Daniel does not see the answer for three weeks. This causes me to ask how often our prayers are answered immediately yet, not revealed to us for some time. Unfortunately, glimpses like this passage in Daniel are rare and we just don’t know what God is doing. That makes the entire subject of answered prayer esoteric as only God and maybe a few angels are aware of what is going on.
The New Testament offers other clues to the tantalizing world of metaphysics. At the time of Jesus’ arrest just before He was crucified He told Peter that He could appeal to God for help and twelve legions of angels would come and rescue Him (Matthew 26:53). The word “legion” was used by the Roman military and means six thousand. The word is used to identify a specific unit of soldiers. Today the military uses terms like “squad, platoon, company, division, etc.”
Jesus is saying to Peter that He had at His disposal seventy two thousand angels. My question is this. What were all those seventy two thousand angels doing at that time? If they were actually on an assignment then they would have been pulled away from that assignment to help Jesus. Which means they would have not been able to help whoever they were assigned to help, unless of course they were just hanging out at a local pool hall.
This takes us back to the ultimate question of why things happen. In the case of Daniel we are provided a glimpse of the reason why Daniels prayer was not answered for three weeks. However, this is one of the only times we are granted access to the metaphysical world. Unfortunately, there are too many times when things happen and we simply do not know why.
Paul, when writing to the church at Thessalonica, tells the brethren that he had desired to visit them many times before, but was stopped by Satan (1 Thess. 2:18). How could Satan stop one of the foremost missionaries of all time? Why would the Lord allow Satan to stop Paul from visiting a fledgling church that needed encouragement? Paul eventually sends Timothy to the church to strengthen them (1 Thess. 3:1-2).
These verses give us some understanding as to the struggles the giants of old dealt with and that while times have changed spiritual military strategy has not. Satan appears to spend considerable military effort attempting to hinder prayer. He knows the fastest way to defeat believers is to convince them that God does not care, or worse that God doesn’t exist. As believers we should take solace in the knowledge that the same spiritual warfare that disrupted Daniels life and caused stress for Paul is at work against us today.
Apparently, God wouldn’t have it any other way.
Take Jephthah for example (Judges 11 and 12) who makes a vow to God for a victory in battle even though God had already promised him a victory. Then we have David (2 Samuel 11) who has wealth, women, and power, yet takes the wife of one of his most trusted military leaders and then has that military leader killed. Finally Solomon who, after being granted one thousand wives and many other things to be sure, commits apostasy. Someone explain that to me. If God had granted me a thousand wives I think I would remain faithful to Him. My reasoning is simple. What other god is going to give me more?
That said, there are other things that appear briefly in the Old Testament that raise more questions than answers. Take Daniel 10 for example. Daniel prays for interpretation of a vision, which had troubled him. He fasted and prayed for twenty-one days and grew weak while waiting for an answer. Then the angel Gabriel appears (Daniel 10:12,13) and informs Daniel that the Lord had heard his prayer and from the first day dispatched Gabriel to Daniel to explain the vision.
However, Gabriel found himself waging war against “the kings of Persia.” The “kings of Persia” is a reference to demonic forces that were attempting to prevent Gabriel from accomplishing his mission. Then Michael an archangel is dispatched to assist Gabriel. Michael begins battling the demonic forces and that in turn allows Gabriel to go to Daniel and inform him of the interpretation of his vision.
The text is not clear as to what exactly had happened to Gabriel after he was dispatched to Daniel. Did demonic forces ambush him while on his way to see Daniel? Or, was Daniel surrounded by demonic forces that prevented Gabriel from communicating with him? The text appears to indicate that Gabriel was intercepted while on his way to see Daniel and fought for three weeks against the demonic forces.
There are other questions that need to be addressed. How did Satan know that Gabriel was on his way to see Daniel? Are there spies in God’s kingdom? Why didn’t God know that Gabriel would encounter demonic forces on his way to see Daniel? If God did know then why didn’t He send Michael with Gabriel on his mission?
The story offers a fascinating glimpse into the spiritual world. Here we see our friend Daniel praying and God answering his prayer immediately. Yet Daniel does not see the answer for three weeks. This causes me to ask how often our prayers are answered immediately yet, not revealed to us for some time. Unfortunately, glimpses like this passage in Daniel are rare and we just don’t know what God is doing. That makes the entire subject of answered prayer esoteric as only God and maybe a few angels are aware of what is going on.
The New Testament offers other clues to the tantalizing world of metaphysics. At the time of Jesus’ arrest just before He was crucified He told Peter that He could appeal to God for help and twelve legions of angels would come and rescue Him (Matthew 26:53). The word “legion” was used by the Roman military and means six thousand. The word is used to identify a specific unit of soldiers. Today the military uses terms like “squad, platoon, company, division, etc.”
Jesus is saying to Peter that He had at His disposal seventy two thousand angels. My question is this. What were all those seventy two thousand angels doing at that time? If they were actually on an assignment then they would have been pulled away from that assignment to help Jesus. Which means they would have not been able to help whoever they were assigned to help, unless of course they were just hanging out at a local pool hall.
This takes us back to the ultimate question of why things happen. In the case of Daniel we are provided a glimpse of the reason why Daniels prayer was not answered for three weeks. However, this is one of the only times we are granted access to the metaphysical world. Unfortunately, there are too many times when things happen and we simply do not know why.
Paul, when writing to the church at Thessalonica, tells the brethren that he had desired to visit them many times before, but was stopped by Satan (1 Thess. 2:18). How could Satan stop one of the foremost missionaries of all time? Why would the Lord allow Satan to stop Paul from visiting a fledgling church that needed encouragement? Paul eventually sends Timothy to the church to strengthen them (1 Thess. 3:1-2).
These verses give us some understanding as to the struggles the giants of old dealt with and that while times have changed spiritual military strategy has not. Satan appears to spend considerable military effort attempting to hinder prayer. He knows the fastest way to defeat believers is to convince them that God does not care, or worse that God doesn’t exist. As believers we should take solace in the knowledge that the same spiritual warfare that disrupted Daniels life and caused stress for Paul is at work against us today.
Apparently, God wouldn’t have it any other way.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
God and the Touchdown
Have you ever seen football players point up to heaven when they make a touchdown catch, sack a quarterback, or recover a fumble? I am talking about things that take place every week in the National Football League and many other sporting events to be sure. Some of the athletes point up to heaven when they accomplish a big play, one that they are paid to do I might add.
I have never seen an interviewed player asked why they point up to heaven. Common sense would dictate the players who do this are thanking God for the accomplishment. However, I cannot be certain, as I have not heard for myself the reason why any player would give God thanks for a touchdown. Some of you are wondering where I am going with this. To them I say, “Patience whippersnappers, all things in time.”
Thanking God for something good happening is a good thing, isn’t it? Aren’t we commanded to be thankful? Indeed we are. Unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple; nothing scriptural ever is. Lets take a look at some scripture and see what the Lord is instructing us about being thankful.
Always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus (Ephesians 5:20)
And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of our Lord Jesus giving thanks to Him through God the father. (Colossians 3:17)
Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication let your request be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6)
In everything give thanks for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
And we know that God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)
Some of you will say, “There, that settles it, so it is a good thing when a player points up to heaven when he does something good on the field.” However, if you notice, the scripture verses make it clear that we are to be grateful for all things. All things; now that is a big pill to swallow. In other words we cannot pick and choose when we are going to point to heaven and give God an acknowledgement of thanks.
All things means all things, its just that simple. If a football player, or anyone else for that matter, chooses to acknowledge God when they do something great they also need to acknowledge God when something bad happens. Not just the touchdown catch in the end zone, but also the dropped pass in the end zone, the fumble that was recovered by the opposing team and of course all the players must point to heaven when the other team wins the super bowl and begins taunting the losing players right on national TV. Remember; give God thanks in all things.
The pitcher who strikes out the opposing team and wins the game can only point to heaven if that same pitcher agrees to point to heaven when someone blasts a grand slam against him and his team looses in the bottom of the ninth inning.
To be fair, I am not picking on professional athletes, as we are no different than they. Walk up to any Christian at church and ask them how things are going and they will invariably praise God for some event that has turned in their favor. Yet, I don’t know of any Christian who gives God praise when they lose their job. Have you ever heard of a Christian who said, “Praise God my company is closing and I will probably be out of work for many months?” Either have I.
Some Christians claim that the verses instructing us to praise God mean we should give God the glory only when things are going good, and accept the bad things but not necessarily praise God for them. However, that flies in the face of the verses I have listed and it raises other questions. When a Christian football player catches a touchdown pass to win the game he may have been covered by a Christian cornerback on the opposing team who failed to keep his opponent from catching the ball. What is the determining factor in God’s logic here? Does God love the Christian player who caught the ball more than He loves the Christian player covering him?
It is easy to see how complex and confusing things can become when we try to determine God’s reasoning. A Christian can ask, “Why is my child sick when other Christian children are healthy? Does God love them more than me? Fiddlesticks. One can never measure God’s love by what we see as blessings. If that were true then God would have never allowed Jesus to suffer and die in the manner He did. And if there was no crucifixion then would be no complete demonstration of God’s love for us, as there would be no atonement for sin.
So the next time you see a football player, or any athlete for that matter, praising God for a great on field play remind the TV set you’re watching that the Bible says “all things.” If God is in the touchdown catch, He is also in the fumble. As Job said, “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21)
That’s easy for Job to say, he didn’t have to deal with all the problems we have.
I think you get my point.
I have never seen an interviewed player asked why they point up to heaven. Common sense would dictate the players who do this are thanking God for the accomplishment. However, I cannot be certain, as I have not heard for myself the reason why any player would give God thanks for a touchdown. Some of you are wondering where I am going with this. To them I say, “Patience whippersnappers, all things in time.”
Thanking God for something good happening is a good thing, isn’t it? Aren’t we commanded to be thankful? Indeed we are. Unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple; nothing scriptural ever is. Lets take a look at some scripture and see what the Lord is instructing us about being thankful.
Always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus (Ephesians 5:20)
And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of our Lord Jesus giving thanks to Him through God the father. (Colossians 3:17)
Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication let your request be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6)
In everything give thanks for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
And we know that God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)
Some of you will say, “There, that settles it, so it is a good thing when a player points up to heaven when he does something good on the field.” However, if you notice, the scripture verses make it clear that we are to be grateful for all things. All things; now that is a big pill to swallow. In other words we cannot pick and choose when we are going to point to heaven and give God an acknowledgement of thanks.
All things means all things, its just that simple. If a football player, or anyone else for that matter, chooses to acknowledge God when they do something great they also need to acknowledge God when something bad happens. Not just the touchdown catch in the end zone, but also the dropped pass in the end zone, the fumble that was recovered by the opposing team and of course all the players must point to heaven when the other team wins the super bowl and begins taunting the losing players right on national TV. Remember; give God thanks in all things.
The pitcher who strikes out the opposing team and wins the game can only point to heaven if that same pitcher agrees to point to heaven when someone blasts a grand slam against him and his team looses in the bottom of the ninth inning.
To be fair, I am not picking on professional athletes, as we are no different than they. Walk up to any Christian at church and ask them how things are going and they will invariably praise God for some event that has turned in their favor. Yet, I don’t know of any Christian who gives God praise when they lose their job. Have you ever heard of a Christian who said, “Praise God my company is closing and I will probably be out of work for many months?” Either have I.
Some Christians claim that the verses instructing us to praise God mean we should give God the glory only when things are going good, and accept the bad things but not necessarily praise God for them. However, that flies in the face of the verses I have listed and it raises other questions. When a Christian football player catches a touchdown pass to win the game he may have been covered by a Christian cornerback on the opposing team who failed to keep his opponent from catching the ball. What is the determining factor in God’s logic here? Does God love the Christian player who caught the ball more than He loves the Christian player covering him?
It is easy to see how complex and confusing things can become when we try to determine God’s reasoning. A Christian can ask, “Why is my child sick when other Christian children are healthy? Does God love them more than me? Fiddlesticks. One can never measure God’s love by what we see as blessings. If that were true then God would have never allowed Jesus to suffer and die in the manner He did. And if there was no crucifixion then would be no complete demonstration of God’s love for us, as there would be no atonement for sin.
So the next time you see a football player, or any athlete for that matter, praising God for a great on field play remind the TV set you’re watching that the Bible says “all things.” If God is in the touchdown catch, He is also in the fumble. As Job said, “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21)
That’s easy for Job to say, he didn’t have to deal with all the problems we have.
I think you get my point.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Even the Dogs
Both Matthew and Mark tell a story about a Gentile woman with remarkable humility and love. Matthew 15:22-28 and Mark 7:26-30 detail how a non-Jew appeals for help from Jesus for her demon possessed daughter. The story is intriguing on several levels because at first Jesus ignored the woman as He was teaching his disciples, but her constant calling out caused Him to take notice of her. I will tell the story in my own words.
Jesus decides to go to the region of Tyre so He could spend some quality time with the boys (His Disciples). Lo and behold a woman comes up to them who is from that region and she starts askin for a favor. Jesus doesn’t say anything He just keeps talking to the boys. But after a while she is startin to drive them crazy and one of them says to Jesus, “Yo teacher, can we put a muzzle on the dame in the back I can hardly hear you for all her yappin.” Jesus just keeps talking and doesn’t pay any attention to her.
Finally, all the disciples have had enough and tell Peter to do something. Peter stands up starts cracking his knuckles and says to the Lord, “Maybe me and a few of the boys should make this woman an offer she can’t refuse.” Jesus now sees the situation is preciously where it needs to be for Him to have maximum impact. He says to the woman, I was sent only for the lost sheep of Israel.”
The disciples are delighted by the statement and call out, “Three cheers for Jesus Hip hip hurray, hip hip hurray, hip hip hurray. They start giving each other high fives and tell the Lord that He was right to put this Gentile woman in her place. Then something incredible happens. The dame walks right up to Jesus and bows down before Him and said, “Lord help me.” The apostles are speechless as they look at Jesus to see what He is gonna do.
Jesus says to the woman, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” You could have heard a pin drop. Then the woman looks up at Him and says, “Yes Lord, but even the dogs get to gobble up the crumbs that fall from the masters table.” The Lord smiled. He says to the woman, “Go, your child is well.” Then the woman humbly leaves.
Some commentators try to diminish Jesus’ comment to the woman and state that the word dog means “house dog” or “domesticated animal” as opposed to a scavenger. They claim it is not a derogative statement. The commentators who feel this way are completely off in their thinking. Call any woman from any culture a “dog,” domesticated or otherwise, and they will be insulted, and rightly so.
What is remarkable about this scene is the woman’s humility. There is no love between the Jews and Gentiles of Jesus day. The Lord’s initial comment about being sent to the lost sheep of Israel states as much. Nevertheless, His comments are to bring out an understanding to His disciples as well as to demonstrate the measure of love this woman has for her daughter. The fact that God loves the child as well was something the disciples were not ready to accept.
A woman that did not love her daughter as much as this woman did may have spit at Jesus for the comment he made. She would have also harbored anger and hatred towards the apostles for their comments about sending her away. Just think of what could have happened if this woman did not take all the abuse that she was faced and stormed away embittered by the experience.
What if she had gone back to her village and told everyone how Jesus spoke to her and how the apostles forced her to go away. She would have had to endure more traumas from her demon-possessed daughter and her village would have become angrier because of the injustice of it all. Then when Jesus’ disciples would have visited their village after His resurrection the people would not have welcomed them in and the salvation message would not have been accepted because of the bitterness they would have held.
Yet, because of this woman’s faith that the Lord would heal her daughter, she remained at His feet until he answered her request. Another thing to keep in mind is the woman’s trust. She leaves Jesus when He tells her she can go and she trusts Jesus at His word. Keep in mind that most people brought their sick to Jesus and watched Him heal them right before their eyes. Others brought Jesus into their homes and had Jesus heal relatives in their own homes. This woman believed Jesus when He told her that her daughter was well and went away taking the Lord at His word.
Now the woman will tell the people of her village what happened and how her daughter was healed. Her village will be receptive when the next generation of evangelists comes to her town and tells everyone about the Lord’s resurrection and love for everyone. Thanks to this “dog” her Gentile neighbors will see Jews in a different light and may come to the salvation the Lord intended for all mankind.
Yes, “Even the dogs” possess great faith that believers talk about two thousand years later.
Jesus decides to go to the region of Tyre so He could spend some quality time with the boys (His Disciples). Lo and behold a woman comes up to them who is from that region and she starts askin for a favor. Jesus doesn’t say anything He just keeps talking to the boys. But after a while she is startin to drive them crazy and one of them says to Jesus, “Yo teacher, can we put a muzzle on the dame in the back I can hardly hear you for all her yappin.” Jesus just keeps talking and doesn’t pay any attention to her.
Finally, all the disciples have had enough and tell Peter to do something. Peter stands up starts cracking his knuckles and says to the Lord, “Maybe me and a few of the boys should make this woman an offer she can’t refuse.” Jesus now sees the situation is preciously where it needs to be for Him to have maximum impact. He says to the woman, I was sent only for the lost sheep of Israel.”
The disciples are delighted by the statement and call out, “Three cheers for Jesus Hip hip hurray, hip hip hurray, hip hip hurray. They start giving each other high fives and tell the Lord that He was right to put this Gentile woman in her place. Then something incredible happens. The dame walks right up to Jesus and bows down before Him and said, “Lord help me.” The apostles are speechless as they look at Jesus to see what He is gonna do.
Jesus says to the woman, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” You could have heard a pin drop. Then the woman looks up at Him and says, “Yes Lord, but even the dogs get to gobble up the crumbs that fall from the masters table.” The Lord smiled. He says to the woman, “Go, your child is well.” Then the woman humbly leaves.
Some commentators try to diminish Jesus’ comment to the woman and state that the word dog means “house dog” or “domesticated animal” as opposed to a scavenger. They claim it is not a derogative statement. The commentators who feel this way are completely off in their thinking. Call any woman from any culture a “dog,” domesticated or otherwise, and they will be insulted, and rightly so.
What is remarkable about this scene is the woman’s humility. There is no love between the Jews and Gentiles of Jesus day. The Lord’s initial comment about being sent to the lost sheep of Israel states as much. Nevertheless, His comments are to bring out an understanding to His disciples as well as to demonstrate the measure of love this woman has for her daughter. The fact that God loves the child as well was something the disciples were not ready to accept.
A woman that did not love her daughter as much as this woman did may have spit at Jesus for the comment he made. She would have also harbored anger and hatred towards the apostles for their comments about sending her away. Just think of what could have happened if this woman did not take all the abuse that she was faced and stormed away embittered by the experience.
What if she had gone back to her village and told everyone how Jesus spoke to her and how the apostles forced her to go away. She would have had to endure more traumas from her demon-possessed daughter and her village would have become angrier because of the injustice of it all. Then when Jesus’ disciples would have visited their village after His resurrection the people would not have welcomed them in and the salvation message would not have been accepted because of the bitterness they would have held.
Yet, because of this woman’s faith that the Lord would heal her daughter, she remained at His feet until he answered her request. Another thing to keep in mind is the woman’s trust. She leaves Jesus when He tells her she can go and she trusts Jesus at His word. Keep in mind that most people brought their sick to Jesus and watched Him heal them right before their eyes. Others brought Jesus into their homes and had Jesus heal relatives in their own homes. This woman believed Jesus when He told her that her daughter was well and went away taking the Lord at His word.
Now the woman will tell the people of her village what happened and how her daughter was healed. Her village will be receptive when the next generation of evangelists comes to her town and tells everyone about the Lord’s resurrection and love for everyone. Thanks to this “dog” her Gentile neighbors will see Jews in a different light and may come to the salvation the Lord intended for all mankind.
Yes, “Even the dogs” possess great faith that believers talk about two thousand years later.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Gabriel, Zacharias and Mary
I could never be an angel. I have neither the patience, nor tolerance for people and would be tempted to tell them what I think rather than do exactly what God assigned me to accomplish. Sometimes I wonder what the angels are thinking when they look at man and see him struggle with faith. The story of Jesus’ birth is found in Matthew and Luke, however only Luke 1:5-38 describes in detail the announcement the angel Gabriel gave to Zacharias and Mary concerning their miracle babies. I want to focus on the reaction of both Zacharias and Mary when the angel Gabriel appears to them. I’m going to give Gabriel the day off and I will take his place when he makes the announcement to Zacharias and Mary. I will tell the story in my own words.
The Lord God almighty looked down from heaven and saw the pain of Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth because they were childless. Then the Lord said to angel lowest class Ron, “Hey Ron, why don’t you head on down to the temple in Jerusalem and tell my pal Zach that he and the Mrs. are gonna get a visit from the stork. So I make my way down to the temple and appear to Zach. Zach sees me and nearly has a heart attack. Angelic visits are not an everyday experience, at least not to Zach so when he sees me he nearly passes out.
I say to Zach, “Don’t be scared Dude I got some great news.” Zach says, “I hit the lottery?” ‘No man, something much better, the Lord has heard your prayers and you and the Mrs. are gonna have a baby.” Zach looks a little dumbfounded and says, “I stopped praying about that when the wife turned forty. “Why I stopped chasing her around the house ten years ago.” I can see this isn’t going to be easy so I say, “This is important so pay attention. “This kid (your baby) is gonna be 'The Man' when he grows up and everybody is gonna be glad he was born because he will talk about the Messiah."
Zach says, “How shall I know this for certain? “My wife and I are old geezers so how are we gonna have a baby?” I look at Zach and say, “What are you stupid? What do you mean how will I know this for certain? It’s real simple, just go home get the wife drunk and then take advantage of her. Before long she will start to become real crabby and then she will have cravings for foods that she has never liked before. In a few months her belly will grow so big she won’t be able to see her feet." I continue, “You must have heard about this when other women got pregnant?” Zacharias says to me, “I know all about that. I just didn’t think the Lord was gonna answer my prayers this way.” I say, “Nobody ever does.”
A few months later the Lord God almighty looks down from on heaven and sees a young woman named Mary. God says to me (still the lowest ranking angel in the kingdom) “Go down to Jerusalem and tell Mary that she is gonna have a baby and the world will never be the same again.” So I say to God, “Are you sure this is a good idea I mean after all the last time I did this that guy Zach didn’t even know anything about women, or babies or much of anything else.” The Lord says to me, “This time things will be different I promise.”
So I appear to Mary and say, “Hail favored one.” Mary is a little concerned about what I just said, as she could not understand why a poor girl from Nazareth would receive a visit from an angel who calls her a favored one. I’m beginning to like this kid. I can see why God choose her. I tell her that she is gonna have a baby and the world will be talking about him from now on. Mary says to me, “How is this gonna happen since I am a virgin? I tell Mary that God calls the shots and when He say’s something is going to happen, it will happen. Mary says something to me that still sticks with me to this day. She said, “I am the Lords bondservant let it be done according to your words.”
When I go back up to heaven I see God and say to Him that even though I wasn’t so sure about that Zach fellow, He really knew what He was doing with Mary. God looks at me a little funny and says, “I knew what I was doing with Zach as well.” To make a long story short everything worked out according to God’s plan and I even got my wings thanks to Mary and Zach.
The two reactions of the news presented to both Zacharias and Mary are noteworthy. Zacharias was looking for a sign from the angel that would solidify his belief while Mary was merely asking how a virgin could conceive a baby. I would have figured an appearance by an angel of the Lord was enough of a sign for Zacharias, but apparently not. As for Mary, she was asking a logical question about an event that still mystifies humanity. If we spend some time thinking about it each one of us is a bit like Zacharias and Mary. We need to keep in mind the proper response when the Lord answers our prayers. Mary had the proper response.
The Lord God almighty looked down from heaven and saw the pain of Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth because they were childless. Then the Lord said to angel lowest class Ron, “Hey Ron, why don’t you head on down to the temple in Jerusalem and tell my pal Zach that he and the Mrs. are gonna get a visit from the stork. So I make my way down to the temple and appear to Zach. Zach sees me and nearly has a heart attack. Angelic visits are not an everyday experience, at least not to Zach so when he sees me he nearly passes out.
I say to Zach, “Don’t be scared Dude I got some great news.” Zach says, “I hit the lottery?” ‘No man, something much better, the Lord has heard your prayers and you and the Mrs. are gonna have a baby.” Zach looks a little dumbfounded and says, “I stopped praying about that when the wife turned forty. “Why I stopped chasing her around the house ten years ago.” I can see this isn’t going to be easy so I say, “This is important so pay attention. “This kid (your baby) is gonna be 'The Man' when he grows up and everybody is gonna be glad he was born because he will talk about the Messiah."
Zach says, “How shall I know this for certain? “My wife and I are old geezers so how are we gonna have a baby?” I look at Zach and say, “What are you stupid? What do you mean how will I know this for certain? It’s real simple, just go home get the wife drunk and then take advantage of her. Before long she will start to become real crabby and then she will have cravings for foods that she has never liked before. In a few months her belly will grow so big she won’t be able to see her feet." I continue, “You must have heard about this when other women got pregnant?” Zacharias says to me, “I know all about that. I just didn’t think the Lord was gonna answer my prayers this way.” I say, “Nobody ever does.”
A few months later the Lord God almighty looks down from on heaven and sees a young woman named Mary. God says to me (still the lowest ranking angel in the kingdom) “Go down to Jerusalem and tell Mary that she is gonna have a baby and the world will never be the same again.” So I say to God, “Are you sure this is a good idea I mean after all the last time I did this that guy Zach didn’t even know anything about women, or babies or much of anything else.” The Lord says to me, “This time things will be different I promise.”
So I appear to Mary and say, “Hail favored one.” Mary is a little concerned about what I just said, as she could not understand why a poor girl from Nazareth would receive a visit from an angel who calls her a favored one. I’m beginning to like this kid. I can see why God choose her. I tell her that she is gonna have a baby and the world will be talking about him from now on. Mary says to me, “How is this gonna happen since I am a virgin? I tell Mary that God calls the shots and when He say’s something is going to happen, it will happen. Mary says something to me that still sticks with me to this day. She said, “I am the Lords bondservant let it be done according to your words.”
When I go back up to heaven I see God and say to Him that even though I wasn’t so sure about that Zach fellow, He really knew what He was doing with Mary. God looks at me a little funny and says, “I knew what I was doing with Zach as well.” To make a long story short everything worked out according to God’s plan and I even got my wings thanks to Mary and Zach.
The two reactions of the news presented to both Zacharias and Mary are noteworthy. Zacharias was looking for a sign from the angel that would solidify his belief while Mary was merely asking how a virgin could conceive a baby. I would have figured an appearance by an angel of the Lord was enough of a sign for Zacharias, but apparently not. As for Mary, she was asking a logical question about an event that still mystifies humanity. If we spend some time thinking about it each one of us is a bit like Zacharias and Mary. We need to keep in mind the proper response when the Lord answers our prayers. Mary had the proper response.
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