Goodbye 2020

 

It is almost time to say goodbye to the year 2020. This has been a year for the books, hasn’t it? When 2019 was winding down you might have had some big plans for the new year. As you watched the ball drop and sang  Auld Lang Syne, you might have been excited about a clean slate and a new decade. Perhaps you made some resolutions about what you were going to do better. “2020 is going to be my year,” you might have said. 

 

And maybe it was. But I’d be willing to bet this wasn’t the year you hoped it would be. When I was a kid I decided to run for President in 2020 because I would turn 35 this year. Obviously I didn’t. Think about all that we endured this year: we are still in a global pandemic; we were quarantined; our record-high economy came to a screeching halt; people have worked from home; school abruptly ended, and many are doing virtual school; churches closed or went online or into parking lots; businesses closed for good; we have gone through extended periods without being able to visit loved ones, and we have lost too many; we have endured record setting highs, lows, and wetness; we had an earthquake and murder hornets; we had civil unrest all summer, preceded by acts of hatred and violence. And then there was the election. 

 

Did I leave anything out?

 

We use the expression that we are having “one of those days.” 2020 has been one of those years. As we prepare to close the book on this year and ring in 2021, many are jokingly saying they hope it is a better year than 2020 (“Hey, it can’t be any worse!”). And in all seriousness, I hope that 2021 is a great year for everyone reading this. 

 

This year has been a reminder that things do not always go according to plan. I am not suggesting that we should not have plans; I love the old adage that says, “to fail to plan is to plan to fail.” Having a plan is a good thing, but sometimes life happens and our plans fall through. As Robert Burns famously wrote, “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” We should make plans, but we do so understanding they may just go awry. It might be God that is spoiling our plans. 

 

Paul planned to go to Asia to preach the gospel—a noble plan indeed. But then, in an event commonly referred to as the Macedonian Call, Luke wrote, “And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us (Acts 16:9).’” Paul’s plan went awry, but it was God shutting the door. Because God spoiled Paul’s plan, he went instead to places like Corinth and Philippi, and we have some great books of the Bible because of it. 

 

If 2020 hasn’t been you’re year, it may be tempting to try to erase it from your memory and just chalk it up tp being one of those years. Or, like Paul going to Macedonia, we can try to look for something good that came from it. Did you spend more time with your kids than normal? Did you reevaluate your priorities? Did you learn to make do with a little less? Did you watch more church services online? Did you cry out to God like you didn’t do when your job was safe and the economy was booming? Did you get to share the message of hope through Jesus with someone who was desperate? 

 

Hindsight is always 20/20, and soon 2020 will be hindsight. It is easy to join the chorus of complainers, but lets always look for blessings instead. As long as Jesus is on the throne, there is plenty of bright side to see.

 

 

Doubt, Think, or Believe

Rene Descartes was a famous mathematician and philosopher of the 1600s. He was a rationalists, a man who believed he could only believe something that he could experience with the five senses. As a mathematician, he knew that two plus two is always precisely four. As a philosopher, how could he prove he existed, let alone with as much certainty as could prove the sum of adding a pair of twos? 

 

This caused Descartes to become filled with doubt, even about his own existence. But alas, doubt was a good thing for him, for it proved he was rational. Only a thinking person can doubt. Descarte concluded dubito, ergo cogito— I doubt, therefore I think. More importantly, he realized cogito, ergo sum—I think, therefore I am. It was his doubt that helped him conclude he existed. That seems like a miserable life to me, only knowing we live because we doubt. 

 

Is there a better way? Anselm, the Archbishop of Canterbury until his death in 1109, was a philosopher that Descarte should have studied. Instead of cogito, ergo sum, Anselm said, credo ut intelligam—I believe in order to understand. Belief is of great importance, and what one believes is even greater. We now live in a humanistic world with almost no beliefs. Everything is in flux, so much so that some call themselves “gender fluid,” a man one day, and a woman the next. Absolute truth is a relic of the past. I contend that if we would believe, then we would understand. Jesus said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free (John 8:32).” Far from wondering whether or not we even exist (and what our gender may be), we can be set free simply by embracing God’s truth.

 

We all may have some doubts on occasions, and I am all for thinking. But I would put a premium on believing. When we develop convictions about God’s Words—things we would be willing to die for—then we will certainly know what to live for. Some today, including many inside the church, will call it arrogant to claim we know the truth, but Jesus didn’t hide the truth from us; He gave us the Holy Spirit, who He said would “lead us into truth (John 16:13).” He even gave us a book called Revelation, which means “to reveal,” not conceal. This whole notion that we cannot know truth is absurd. 

 

God does not want us to doubt, but to believe. That is why the creeds are important (creed comes from the Latin credo, “I believe”). Do you know what you believe, or are you a person of doubt? I would encourage you, whether you call yourself a believer or not, to study the church creeds, to study doctrine, and most importantly, to study the Bible. Develop a belief system that you can articulate to others. There is no reason to doubt; if you really want to understand, then simply believe.     

Work While You Wait

 

Most of us probably remember the song from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs that said, “whistle while you work.” That song was sung by a group of woodland creatures that helped Snow White clean. Working isn’t fun, but when we are idle the time seems to move even more slowly. If we keep busy the clock seems to move with a little extra pep in its step. 

 

For those of us who believe that Jesus will return to rapture the church, we too find ourselves waiting. The animals whistled while they worked to help pass the time, but the Apostle Paul told us to work while we wait to help pass the time. In I Corinthians 1:7 Paul said the Corinthian Christians were “eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The phrase eagerly waiting translates a Greek verb that implies activity while waiting. 

 

Sometimes while we wait for something we just sit back and let others do the work. When we fly on an airplane we open a book, put on our headphones, or take a nap; while we are waiting someone is moving us to our final destination. Sometimes we wait while nothing is happening. When we sit in the doctor’s office waiting room, we flip through a magazine or scroll through our phones, but we are just killing time. Nothing productive is taking place. While we are waiting for the return of Christ Jesus, we need to be productive. The best use of our time while waiting is to worship and witness. 

 

Worship is so much more than just singing songs. When we worship we make a big deal out of God—we lift Him up with our words and actions. Witnessing will be the natural result because we will find ourselves constantly telling people about our great God. All the other good things we should do, from charitable giving, to serving, to using our spiritual gifts to minister, all flow from a heart that is engaged in worship. 

 

Waiting can be hard, but if we stay busy, it doesn’t seem like we are just waiting. Since Jesus is going to come back, we need to try to bring as many people with us as we can before we punch the clock and run out of time. We aren’t killing time, we are redeeming it.  

 

So whistle while you work, and work while you wait. The world might think it is dopey, and they might even get grumpy, but it will make God happy.   

Wide Ranging Emotions

 

Humans are emotional beings. We can experience emotional highs and emotional lows, often times close together. There may be no better example of that than in the song writing of Hank Williams. In 1948 he wrote a fun song titled “I Saw the Light” that boasts of “no more darkness, no more night,” and goes on to say “Now I’m so happy, no sorrow in sight.” It is an upbeat song that demonstrates the good feelings that Williams was experiencing. 

 

Just one year later, however, Williams came out with another song titled “I’m so Lonesome I Could Cry.” That tune says in part, “Did you ever seen a robin weep when leaves begin to die? Like me, he’s lost the will to live. I’m so lonesome I could cry.”

 

How did Williams go in one year from “I’m so happy” to “I’m so lonesome”? I realize they are only songs, but Williams has explained that he wrote both songs based on things he was feeling at the time. He went from an emotional high to an emotional low in a very short time. We probably all have a little Hank Williams in us. We have probably been there, feeling happy and on top of the world, then feeling sad and at the bottom of a valley. That is part and parcel to living in this world; we are going to have good days and bad ones. 

 

But because of the sacrifice of Jesus our souls can be in a settled state. Before coming to Christ we were all in a low place. Things might have been going well in life, but in our soul we were separated from our Maker. At salvation everything changes, and our souls become elevated to a place that transcends our circumstances. Things might not be going well in life, but in our soul we are united with our Maker, and that brings a joy that the world cannot take from us. 

 

In a rather understated verse, the anonymous writer of Psalm 126 said, “You have done great things for us; we are glad (v.3).” It sounds simple; it certainly lacks the poetic flavor of much of the psalms, but how else can it be stated? God has done great things, and we are glad. God sent His Son, and we are glad. Jesus bore our sins, and we are glad. Jesus died for us and rose again, and we are glad. God has forgiven us, and we are glad. If you have experienced these great things, you can say along with psalm writer, “We are glad.” 

 

That is a gladness that cannot be lost because the results of our salvation are forever settled in heaven. Hank Williams went from very high to very low, but we have the opposite experience. At salvation we go from very low to very high, and we can truly say “no more darkness, no more night.”

East to West

 

Last week I wrote about David instructing his soul to worship God. Now I would like to point out a different thought from that same psalm (103). I absolutely love that David wrote, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us (v.12).” 

 

This is a wonderful thought about God’s forgiveness. He has removed our sin from us if we have put our trust in Him. The idea of removing sin was borrowed from levitical language. In Leviticus 16 Aaron was instructed to take a young goat and symbolically transfer the sins of the nation to the kid by laying his hands upon its head. The goat was then bearing the sins of Israel, as it was sent off into the wilderness, never to be seen again. That gesture was God’s way of demonstrating that the people would not have to bear their own sin if they called upon Him. 

 

David only had an elementary understanding of forgiveness, however. The king was grateful that God would remove his sin and send it off into the wilderness, but that didn’t fully satisfy sin’s demands. It was not until Jesus went to the cross as the Lamb of God that sin could finally be once and for all dealt with. Instead of symbolically putting our sin on the scapegoat, God put our sin on His Son. In this way, our sin can be forever removed from us.

 

How far away is our sin sent? David said it is as far away as the east is from the west. According to author Max Lucado, east and west become farther away from each other as one travels. If you leave your house and head east, you can spend the rest of your life going east, and with every step, west becomes farther away from your starting point. The same is true for the person heading west. However, that is not true for the person heading north or south. If you leave your house and head north, you will eventually reach the North Pole, and then you are automatically going south; if you head south, you will eventually reach the South Pole and then be heading north. 

 

North and south are only separated by just over 12,440 miles; that is the distance between the Poles. But east and west have no such dimensions. If they did, Satan could pack a lunch and a GPS, track down our sin, and bring it back to us. That is now impossible because God put our sin on the back of Jesus, and He has carried it away as far as the east is from the west.    

 

Who Do You Worship?

 

The famous nineteenth century preacher Henry Ward Beecher was scheduled to speak at a church, but an unforeseen circumstance caused him to cancel last minute. Instead of calling off the service, Beecher asked if his brother Thomas, who was not famous at all, would stand in the pulpit in his place. When the church assembled that night to hear the renowned pastor, they were disappointed to see someone who wasn’t famous get up to preach. Many people began to head for the door until Thomas Beecher shouted, “All those who came here to worship Henry Ward Beecher may head home. All those who came to worship the Lord may stay.” With those words the church members made their way back to their seats. 

 

I have had a similar experience. Several years ago I was asked to speak at a church in the county, and the bulletin announced that Tommy McManus—the retired pastor of Philippi (whom I greatly admire)—was going to be the guest preacher. Fortunately for me no one headed for the doors, but I know there were some disappointed people that morning!

 

It’s great when a church loves its pastor, but they should never worship him. We do not worship personalities or people, but our precious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. While “Christian celebrities” can use their platform for the kingdom of God, we should never elevate the messengers. Whether they are authors like Max Lucado, or athletes like Tim Tebow, their goal is to lift up Christ, not themselves. In Psalm 103:1 David wrote, “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name!” To bless means to worship, give thanks, or to magnify. David wrote a psalm addressed to his own soul, encouraging himself to bless the Lord. 

 

To what extent did David say to bless the Lord? With “all that is within me.” With his entire being. David wanted to worship God with all of his heart, soul, mind, and strength. At the tail end of that same psalm David wrote, “Bless the Lord, all you His hosts, you ministers of His, who do His pleasure (v.21).” His hosts refers to the angels of heaven, and the ministers refers to the human ministers who served in the tabernacle. 

 

David instructed his own soul to worship the Lord with all that was within him, and from reading his other psalms, we know he did. David instructed the angels to worship the Lord, and from reading other Scriptures, we know they do. David instructed the human ministers to worship the Lord. You and I can only account for ourselves. Are you a true worshipper of God? The angels are doing their job. The rest is up to us. May we never worship the one who brings the message, but the One who the messengers proclaim.   

Power Cycling

 

“Have you tried turning it off and turning it back on again?” 

 

That question is my contribution every time something doesn’t work. I’m terrible with electronics. I don’t know the difference between a router and a modem, but we have one of those things at the church and it powers our internet (I think). It seems that once a week no one can get online, but when I unplug the device, wait twenty to thirty seconds, and plug it back in, it usually works. Apparently that is called “power cycling.” If power cycling doesn’t work, I’m out of ideas. 

 

While I will never understand the ins and outs of electronic devices, I have come to learn that sometimes they just need to be unplugged. During that half minute or so it somehow regains it composure and is able to function again. It seemingly forgets how stubborn it was being just seconds ago, and it kicks right back into gear. I understand people a little bit better than I understand electronics, and I have also discovered that people need to unplug every now and then as well. 

 

Does the news ever get you frustrated? Turn it off. Does the violence on TV make you feel sick? Turn it off. Do the sexually explicit lyrics on the radio put bad thoughts into your head? Turn it off. Does the negativity on Facebook drag you down? Turn it off. Do the pictures of everyone else’s “perfect life” on Instagram make you feel inadequate? Turn it off. Does Twitter, well, just turn off Twitter. 

 

The Bible calls Satan the “prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2),” and I believe he uses the airwaves to get inside our heads. There is so much negativity, so much intended to divide us or tempt us, and it is constantly pumped into our heads. But we do have an advantage in this fight; we can simply turn it off. This is the way of escape mentioned in I Corinthians 10:13. No one is prying our eyelids open, forcing us to absorb any of this content. We do it willingly, and I wonder why. If Facebook made me angry every time I got on it, I’d stop getting on. If instagram made me feel like I can never measure up to other people, I’d stop getting on. But people have become addicted to those outlets, not even realizing how little they get in return. 

 

If that describes you, let me ask you the only question I know in regards to electronics: Have you tried turning it off? Take a break. Let things cool back down. I’m not saying never turn it back on; that is up to you. But I imagine that just like our modem (or maybe our router?), you will feel better after you unplug everything. And whatever you do, make sure you are filling your mind with something positive. That is why Paul wrote “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things (Philippians 4:8).”

 

Loneliness

 

Chuck Swindoll once spoke about a newspaper ad he saw in a Nebraska newspaper. The advertisement stated, “I will listen to you talk for thirty minutes without comment for $5.” That might seem crazy to some, but Swindoll related that the young man who placed the ad was soon receiving ten to twenty calls per day, as strangers would pay him money to listen to whatever was on their heart. This is a reminder that there are lonely people all around us who are desperate for human contact. There are people who are praying for a telemarketer to call just so they will have someone to talk to. 

 

Adrian Rogers wrote that eight out of every ten people who seek psychiatric help do so as a result of loneliness. Pastor James Merritt said that when people feel lonely they should reach up to Jesus and reach out to others. We can reach up to Jesus because He knows what it is like to be lonely. As readers may well know, you can be alone and not be lonely, and you can be lonely without being alone. Jesus felt all alone in the Garden of Gethsemane, even though His disciples were asleep in that garden. He felt all alone at His trial, even though Peter was just outside the room denying Him. Jesus felt all alone on the cross, even though John and Mary were standing at His feet.   

 

We can reach up to Jesus because He knows what it is like to be lonely. We can pray and ask Jesus to comfort us when we feel down, and we will find that He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. We can also reach out to others because there are other people who can use our company. If you are lonely, why not reach out to someone else who is lonely? Invite them out for a cup of coffee or to have lunch. If you are lonely and they are lonely, you can help yourself while you are helping someone else. Please do not be afraid to reach out to someone if you need help.

 

The writer of Psalm 102 felt lonely. He described himself as being afflicted and overwhelmed, like a sparrow eating all alone on a rooftop. The psalmist said he was so miserable that that he forgot to eat his food. I have forgotten many things, but I have never forgotten to eat. When he did eat, he said he ate ashes and drank his tears. Ashes referred to a person in mourning who would dress in sackcloth and spread ashes on his forehead. He was so accustomed to mourning, so frequently spreading ash on his head that he would inhale it; the steady stream of tears running down his face became his drink to wash down the ashes. 

 

But the psalm turns on a dime in verse twelve when he says, “But You, O LORD, shall endure forever, and the remembrance of Your name to all generations.” The Christian who is lonely can reach up to Jesus and reach out to others, but he must also let his worship reach the throne of God. It is easy to say we don’t feel like worshipping God, but if we make worship a habit, it will go a long way towards making us feel better. Worship keeps things in perspective, so if you are feeling down, reach up.

A Spider Web

Frederick Nolan, a Christian living in Africa, told the story of the time he was a being pursued by a group of unbelievers because of a stand he had taken for the gospel. If this mob could get their hands on Nolan, he was certain they were going to kill him. After hours of pursuit Nolan finally collapsed from exhaustion. He had run into a cave to hide, but his strength was gone, and he feared he would be found and captured at any moment. 

 

While he was lying on the ground anticipating being found, he watched as a spider began to weave a web at the opening of the cave. In almost no time at all Nolan saw that spider produce an elaborate web from one side of the cave’s mouth to the other. Suddenly the men pursuing Nolan came upon the cave, but after observing the spider web, decided he could not have been inside. They decided the search was hopeless and called it off. 

 

Nolan would later write these words: “Where God is, a spider’s web is like a wall. Where God is not, a wall is like a spider’s web.” Obviously a spider web is not strong enough to keep people from tearing through it; in fact, we have probably all had the pleasure of accidentally walking through one and having to pull the web from our hair. But when God is with us, something as weak as a web becomes like a wall. 

 

Jeremiah once spoke of the power of God when he wrote, “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for you (32:17).” Because of this truth Paul was able to add, “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me (II Corinthians 12:9).” When a spider web keeps an army at bay, God gets all the credit. That is a case of the power of God coming through in our weakness. 

 

Maybe you can relate to Frederick Nolan. You know what it is like to be pursued by an enemy that wishes you harm. I am not talking about a real army of people, but maybe your trials feel like that. The mounting debt is chasing you down. The pressures at work are pursing you. Your marital problems, your addictions, or a hundred other things can bring you to the point of exhaustion. When you are at your weakest, look up; God may just send a spider to weave a web—a hedge of protection—to keep the enemy away. The God who made the heavens and earth can certainly make a web around you, so keep praying, and don’t loose heart. 

A Tandem Bike

 

I heard about two brothers who got a tandem bike for Christmas. Those bikes built for two can be a lot of fun, but they require teamwork. These two brothers decided to attempt going up an especially steep hill. The older brother was in the front of the bike, peddling hard, and giving it everything he had to reach the top. When they finally did, he wiped his brow and said, “Man, that was a steep hill.” 

 

His younger brother agreed, saying, “Yeah, and if I hadn’t been putting the brakes on the whole time we might have rolled back down.” 

 

Have you ever felt like you were doing all the work? Even worse, have you ever felt like people were working against you when you were doing all the work? I know Nehemiah felt like that. Nehemiah was the cupbearer for the Persian king Artaxerxes, but when his brother gave him a sad update about the state of affairs in Jerusalem, he asked leave of his king and set out to the land of his fathers. Seventy years earlier the city had been destroyed by the Babylonians, and the temple and city walls were still in ruins. God used Ezra to rally the people to rebuild the temple, and then He used Nehemiah to get them to rebuild the walls around the city. 

 

 While the work was being done a few antagonists began to work against Nehemiah. Like a little brother putting the brakes on the bicycle, these guys worked to undermine the work around the city. Sanballat and Tobiah openly mocked Nehemiah, sent open letters to embarrass him, lied about him, and plotted to physically attack him. They continually tried to lure him away from the work because they wanted to stop construction by any way possible. Nehemiah 4:6 simply says, “And we built the wall.” No fanfare, just dedicated work. 

 

In Chuck Swindoll’s classic book Hand Me Another Brick, he wrote that throughout all of the antagonizing Nehemiah’s response was always, “Keep mixing the mortar, and hand me another brick.” That must be our attitude whenever Satan tries to get us off course. We have to be able to drown out the noise and keep doing the work. Just keep building the wall. Keep mixing the mortar. Keep grabbing the next brick. 

 

There will always be a Sanballat and a Tobiah that try to thwart the plan when we are working for the Lord. They will try to keep you from teaching, preaching, and sharing your faith. Whenever they put the brakes on your bike, just say, “Keep mixing the mortar, and hand me another brick.”   

Revive Us Again

 

There was a visiting pastor preaching at a church for a special occasion, and he was taken back by two signs he noticed mounted in the sanctuary. The first sign was a large banner washed out in orange and red; there were flames coming up the banner leading to words that said, “Come, Holy Spirit!” That wasn’t what struck the pastor. 

 

Directly under the banner asking for God’s Spirit to come was a small sign that simply said, “Fire Extinguisher,”advertising the location of the emergency device. 

 

That poor sign placement is indicative of what many churches do: on the one hand they beg God to send Holy Ghost revival, while on the other hand we bring a fire extinguisher with us. Just when God may be about to do a work among us, we grab the fire extinguisher and put it out. How do we do this? Sin is the fastest way to put to a stop the moving of the Holy Spirit. Whether there is lack of unity in the church due to gossip, or some besetting sin in the life of the members, God often chooses not to work where His people choose not to let Him. 

 

Praying for revival while carrying a fire extinguisher is like reading the second half of II Chronicles 7:14 while ignoring the first half. We want God to hear from heaven, to forgive our sin, and to heal our land, but do we do not want to humble ourselves, seek God’s face, and turn from our wicked ways. I believe this is the idea Paul had in mind when he wrote, “Do not quench the Spirit (I Thessalonians 5:19).”   

 

Our sin quenches the Spirit when God is trying to work. Instead of quenching Him, we need to agree with the writers of the Psalms who said, “Revive us, and we will call upon your name (80:18),” and “Will you not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You (85:6)?” 

 

I believe America needs to experience revival now more than ever. Yes, the lost need to get saved, but that might happen more if the church would wake up. Christian, we need the church to repent of any sin that may be quenching the Spirit from working; if we do, there may be a revival that leads to the church seeing more converts and making more disciples. We can’t do it if we are lukewarm. 

 

There just isn’t room for both signs in the sanctuary. We need to pick one. Do we want to the Holy Spirit to bring revival, or do we want the fire extinguisher? 

 

 

 

Ejection

 

Danny Cox, a former fighter pilot, wrote a book called Seize the Day, which details the history of fighter jets. One feature he highlights is the ejection system for the pilot. The early model was simple: all the pilot had to do was push the button, and as he rolled forward, his parachute would open. A hitch was discovered during testing, however. Because the jets were so much faster than their predecessors—the propeller planes—the pilots were terrified and held onto their seats for dear life. As long as they held onto their seats, their chutes could not open. 

 

Designers had to tinker with the system. They added a strap underneath the seat and behind the headrest. When the pilot pushed the ejection button, these straps gave the pilot a push, which not only ejected them, but allowed their parachutes to open and take them safely down to the ground. Those original jet fighter pilots knew what to do, but they just needed a good push. 

 

There are times in our lives when we could use a push ourselves. Maybe you know there is something you are supposed to be doing, but you are sitting in the cockpit clutching to your seat. I realize that what you have been called to do may be scary, but there is no point in going down with the ship. 

 

Had God laid in on your heart to serve the church in some capacity? Do you know deep down that you are supposed to be volunteering to teach, sing, or minister in some other way? Maybe you get stage fright. Maybe you have never done it before. I get it. But if God has called you, He will equip you to do it. You do not go alone when you are serving God. Paul said that the Spirit of God is the one who gives us the ability to serve, “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12).” 

 

Throughout the Bible God used ordinary people to do great things: Moses delivered Israel from Egypt, David was a shepherd turned king, Ezra rebuilt the temple, and Nehemiah rebuilt the city walls. Outside of the Bible God still works through people: George Whitfield, Johnathan Edwards, Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, Billy Sunday, Billy Graham—maybe one day we can add your name to the list. 

 

It won’t happen if you keep holding onto your seat. Just push the ejection button and let go. God’s Holy Spirit will take over and guide you the rest of the way.  

 

 

The Wonderful God of Oz

 

“We’re off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz.” Those words comes from the classic 1939 movie (which was based on the 1900 children’s story by L. Frank Baum). In the movie The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy and her dog Toto follow a yellow brick road to the Emerald City in hopes that the wizard will be able to send her back to Kansas, where she lived before she was displaced by a tornado. When Toto pulls back the curtain the cast learns that the wizard was really just a fraud, a man working machinery but devoid of power. At the end of the movie Dorothy famously declares there is no place like home. 

 

The Wizard of Oz is a fun story with lovable characters, including the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man, and the Scarecrow. They are all disappointed to realize that the wizard they longed to see was actually powerless. He couldn’t give the lion courage, the tin man a heart, and the scarecrow a brain; he couldn’t even take Dorothy home. It would be crushing to learn that the one they sought, the one they believed would help them, was just a fake. 

 

I have good news. When it comes to our God, we never need to worry about the man behind the curtain. We will never discover that God is actually powerless, or that He is a fraud. The Bible tells us that God is powerful. We often describe Him as being omnipotent, or possessing all power. 

 

Psalm 62:11 says, “Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God.” Just a chapter later we read, “So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory (63:2).” God even likes to introduce Himself as El Shaddai—God Almighty (Genesis 35:11 for example).  

 

The power that is used to describe God in the Psalms and elsewhere is actually the Hebrew word oz. Because our God is El Shaddai, we do not serve the Wizard of Oz, but the Wonderful God of Oz. The wizard told Dorothy that he is “a good man but a terrible wizard.” Our God is not terrible, or even good; our God is great. He is not a trickster (or a “humbug” as the wizard calls himself). He possesses all power and is able to fulfill every promise He has ever made. 

Among those promises are forgiveness of sin to whoever calls on the Lord, and a promised home with the Him forever. Because of the Wonderful God of Oz, all who trust in Him will one day be able to say, “There’s no place like home.” 

 

Misunderstandings

 

Did you hear about the homeless man who was looking for food? He went into a nice neighborhood on the good side of town and approached the first house he saw. He rang the doorbell, and in a few minutes the owner of the house opened the door. 

 

The poor man introduced himself and explained that he had fallen on hard times. He asked the affluent man if there was any way he could spare a few dollars, or maybe a bite to eat. The homeowner said that he is a believer in honest work, and told the man that he had been meaning to paint his porch for quite a while. “If you paint my porch, you can come inside and I’ll serve you a hot meal.” 

 

Not half an hour later the beggar walked right in through the front door and announced he was finished and ready to eat. Surprised that he was finished so quickly, the rich man told him to have a seat at the table while he finished preparing lunch. It was then that the homeless man dropped this bombshell: “By the way mister, you really need to learn your cars. You don’t drive a Porsche, but I painted your BMW.” 

 

We can get in real trouble if we do not understand something. In Scripture we see far too many people who misunderstood Jesus and His mission. For some, they had expectations that when the Messiah came, He would come as a conquering general or a ruling king. When Jesus did not launch an assault against the Roman government, people decided Jesus must not be the Messiah after all. For others, they wrongly viewed Jesus as someone who minimized their laws and traditions, even though Jesus said He came to fulfill the law, not destroy it. 

 

Today we can make a similar mistake if we misunderstand Jesus. Part of the problem is due to our misunderstanding of the Bible. We may develop the wrong idea that nothing bad is ever supposed to happen to a believer, or even go so far as to expect nothing but material and physical blessings from God if we truly believe.

 

Jesus said “These things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world (John 16:33).” Many misunderstand this verse (and others) to say that only good things are in store for us in this life, but they overlook the clear part that promises tribulations as long as we live in this world. People walk away from the church the second something bad happens, deciding that Christianity must not be real. Don’t let this, and similar misunderstandings, keep you from God. That would be as foolish as painting a car instead of a porch. We need to study the Word so that we do not fall victim to these misunderstandings. 

 

God’s House

 

I don’t know what kind of house you live in, but I would guess there may be some things you would like changed or updated. You may watch renovation or house hunting shows on TV and find yourself wishing you had a bigger house, a newer house, or a nicer house. Maybe you see other people’s houses and envy what they have. 

 

Retired NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal is selling his house in Orlando for a reduced price of “just” 19.5 million dollars. The house has twelve bedrooms, a regulation indoor basketball court, a movie theater, and a showroom style garage with room for “17+” cars. It isn’t that it is too much house for the seven-footer, it is just that he has too many other houses. 

 

Some may criticize O’Neal and others like him for having a house like that. What he does with his money is his business. When this becomes a problem is when Christians ignore the needs of others while they live in mansions. Imagine the audacity of building yourself a house fit for Shaq, while knowing that your local church did not have the funds to repair a leaky roof. That is exactly what God’s people were doing in the book of Haggai. 

 

Israel had been destroyed during the Babylonian invasion, and the temple laid in ruins for seventy years. When the Israelites began returning home, their first order of business was to rebuild God’s house. Ezra tells us the people acquired the timber they needed for the project, but fifteen years later the temple construction and stopped, but the Israelites were living in luxury. Haggai asked, “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins (1:4)?”

 

What happened to all that timber? And why were the people living in paneled houses? Hmm…

 

It becomes clear that the Jews were stealing the timber meant for God’s house and incorporating it into their own. There was still no place to go worship, but at least they had luxurious homes. Paneled houses were reserved for royalty (I Kings 7), but thanks to the five-finger discount, now anyone can have the finer things! 

 

They let themselves off the hook by coining a new proverb: “This people says, ‘The time has not come, the time that the LORD’s house should be built (1:2).’” They basically said, “We can do it later. We have plenty of time to build the temple.” God had to send a prophet to scold the people and get them back to work. Besides the fact that stealing is wrong (and stealing from God seems even worse), the people were out of line because they made excuses for themselves and kicked the can down the road. It is always easier to let someone else handle a problem, but when we are the ones who are supposed to be doing the work, we need to do it. Whatever God may be calling you to do, do it. Don’t live in a paneled house while the temple lies in ruins. No delays; no excuses. Just get it done.

Lion of Judah

 

Our family recently took a trip to the Greenville zoo. That is a trip that is fun for the kids, but in truth, I always enjoy seeing the animals and reading the facts posted about them. My favorite part is the African area, where giraffes tower over the buildings and lions walk harmlessly just feet away. This was the closest I have ever been to a lion. There was only about an inch between us and his powerful jaws (that inch was glass in the viewing area). 

 

The lion is an intimidating animal. I could not help but think about the biblical references to the lion; for example, Isaiah 31 compares God to a roaring lion, and at the zoo I read that a lion’s roar can be heard from an astounding five miles away. The most prominent lion passages, however, are the ones that bookend the Bible. 

 

In Genesis 49 the dying Jacob is blessing his children, and when he gets to his son Judah, he said, “Judah is a lion's cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him (v.9)?” This was part of a messianic prophecy that looked forward to the day when Jesus would return to earth to judge the nations. 

 

In Revelation 5:5 we see the prophecy come full circle: “And one of the elders said to me, ‘Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.’” The genealogies of Jesus provided by both Matthew and Luke show that Jesus was a descendant of Judah (from the line of Judah) as well as David (the root of David).

 

The lion is called the king of the jungle, and for good reason. It is a fierce yet majestic creature. This is a fitting picture of Jesus, the King of Kings. He is fierce, yet majestic. His roar is terrifying, but only to His prey. Romans 11:22 contrasts “the goodness and severity of God.” He is severe to the wicked, yet good to His children. To the unbeliever God is that severe lion—fierce, terrifying, and dangerous. But to those of us who have trusted in Him, to those of us who have been saved, we can be an inch away and have no reason to fear.  

 

Dirty Dishes

 

Does anyone like to eat on dirty dishes? We go to great lengths to make sure our dishes are clean before we eat from them. Sometimes, even after washing them, they still do not pass our standards, so we wash them again. Dirty dishes are a quick way for a restaurant to get a bad review. 

 

It isn’t the bottom of the plate I am concerned with. Frankly, the underside of the plate does not even concern me; it is the part that touches the food that I want to be spotless. The same is true of a cup. Some people have fancy china that is reserved for those most special occasions, and when they take out the expensive dishes, they make sure they look pristine. 

 

Jesus once told the Pharisees that they were like dishes—dirty dishes. The outside of the cup was clean, but the inside looked as if it hadn’t been washed. It matters not how pristine or polished the outside of a glass is, if the inside is dirty, no one wants to use it. I don’t care if you spend an hour cleaning the bottom of the plate if you don’t clean the part that holds my food. 

 

Jesus said it like this: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean (Matthew 23:25-26).”

But He wasn’t finished. He also said they were like whitewashed tombs. A fresh coat of paint on the outside does not change what is stored on the inside. In Israel many people buried their loved ones by putting them in tombs, which were basically caves. At Passover people would come from around the world to celebrate, and if they accidentally entered a tomb, they would be defiled and unable to celebrate. To help prevent this, people gave their tombs an annual whitewashing.   

 

No matter how much you try to dress it up, when the cups are filled with dirt and the tombs are filled with decay, the whole things becomes uninviting. A lot of people think that as long as the outside looks right then they are ok. They put on their Sunday best, they carry their Bible, they raise their hands, and even shout an occasional Amen, but their hearts are far from God. 

 

Jesus saw right through their disguise. They may have cleaned the outside of the cup and painted the tomb, but Jesus could see their heart. He sees yours too. Are you trying to trick people into thinking you are right with God? Is it all an act, or have you given God your heart? 

Chamberlain’s Charge

 

The Civil War produced many great stories of bravery and heroism. One of those lesser-known heroes was Joshua Chamberlain, who was a thirty-four year old schoolteacher who served in the Union Army. Chamberlain achieved the rank of colonel, and was soon tasked with an important mission. 

 

The Northern army was spread out over a great distance in Gettysburg, and they could not afford to lose the high ground to the Rebels. Chamberlain’s 20^th Maine Regiment made up the end of the line—if they allowed the Confederates to get past them, they would lose the war. “Hold the line at all costs” were his orders. He and his 300 men were prepared to fight til the death to ensure Union victory. 

 

On July 2^nd, 1863, the the South began their charge. Five separate times the Confederate soldiers charged Chamberlain, and all five times the 20^th Maine battled them back. But that was all they were equipped to do. Those 300 men were down to just 80, and they were completely out of ammunition. They knew the next time the South made a move, they were doomed. When they saw the enemy approaching Chamberlain remembered his orders. Staying put was a suicide mission; retreat would cost them the war. Chamberlain looked at his men and shouted for them to affix their bayonets, and then yelled, “Charge!”

 

Those 80 men followed his lead, sprinting down the hill towards certain death. That is, until the Confederates dropped their loaded weapons and ran in retreat. Chamberlain’s 80 men took 400 prisoners of war—all without a single round of ammo. 

 

What happened? The Confederate soldiers figured the only way Chamberlain would go on the offensive was if he had reinforcements; they thought they were the ones outmanned, so they ran, not knowing their captors carried unloaded guns.  

 

This true story only took place because Chamberlain made a quick decisions. When he was out of options, he thought to himself, “When I am faced with the choice of doing nothing or doing something, I will always choose to act.” That choice to act helped end the war and keep the states united. 

 

We will be faced with similar situations in which we do not know what to do. That is normal. In those moments, when we don’t know what to do, let’s do what we do know. Inactivity is not the solution. Standing still accomplishes nothing. I always liked how Paul said it: “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14).” 

 

When life is hard, when it doesn’t make sense, when you feel stuck between a rock and a hard place, just put one foot in front of the other. Take one step, and then another, and then another. Keep living. Keep serving. Keep worshipping. When faced with doing nothing or doing something, do something. Press on, and you may just see the enemy lay down his weapons and surrender. 

 

God Can’t Learn

  

Did you know that God cannot learn? He does not have the ability. 

 

That may sound like blasphemy. When we speak of a person’s inability to learn, it is usually an offensive, even if honest, assessment. When a person is unable to learn, there is usually some mental explanation as to why. Some people cannot learn, period. Some people cannot grasp certain subjects (like me and algebra. OK, like me and math in general). We throw up our hands in desperation when someone cannot learn. 

 

And yet God cannot learn. Many times we say things like “God can do anything,” or “There is nothing that God cannot do.” In reality, there are several things that God cannot do. He cannot die or lie, for example. It is also true that God cannot learn. 

 

God cannot learn because there is nothing He does not already know. Learning implies a person is lacking in some knowledge, but that cannot be said of God. As A.W. Tozer so simply put it in his classic work The Knowledge of the Holy, “To think of a God who must sit at the feet of a teacher, even though that teacher be an archangel or a seraph, is to think of someone other than the Most Hight God, maker of heaven and earth.” Tozer continued, “He never discovers anything. He is never surprised, never amazed. He never wonders about anything, nor…does He seek information or ask questions.” 

 

Even when God asks questions of people, it is for the benefit of the one He is asking (“Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”), not so that God can learn. 

 

We refer to this attribute of God as His divine omniscience. Isaiah posed this rhetorical question: “Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, or as His counselor has taught Him? With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him, and taught Him in the path of justice? Who taught Him knowledge, and showed Him the way of understanding (40:13-14)?” The answer is nobody.

 

David once wrote, “Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You (Psalm 139:12).” God is never in the dark about anything, because to God, the dark is the same as the light. Teachers often speak about that lightbulb coming on in the minds of their students when they finally catch on to a new concept, but for God, that light has been on even before He said “Let there be light.”  

 

Every time we learn something, it should be a comfort to remember that God never has.  

 

 

The Donut Shop

 

I love sweets. It’s hard for me to pass up dessert, and I often choose to eat less or no dinner in order to have room for the good stuff. I’d rather use my calories on cheesecake than cheesesteak. Is it hard for you to drive by that lit up Hot Now sign at Krispy Kreme? I try not to overindulge, but I’m not perfect. 

 

Sometimes I feel like the man who used to stop at his favorite bakery on the way in to work. He would bring in a box of donuts for his coworkers, but he made sure there was always plenty for him too. Eventually he knew he needed to go on a diet, so in order to avoid the temptation he changed his route to his office. Several months went by and he was doing great. One day an errand required that he drive right by that old bakery, and he wondered if he should pick up something for his coworkers since they were being so supportive. Maybe a donut for himself wouldn’t hurt either. He began to pray that if God wanted him to stop in the bakery, then to let him know by making the first parking spot open. And that is exactly what happened. The first spot was open, and he only had to circle the block five times first!

 

It is hard when we are tempted. Maybe your temptation is for something sweet too. Maybe it is your tongue or your thoughts. Maybe your temptation is what you put before your eyes or into your ears. James wrote, “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death (1:14-15).” Temptations are going to come well enough on their own without us going out and looking for it. Instead, we need to build safeguards to try to keep the temptation to sin from coming in. Change your commute. Hide a Facebook friend. Get rid of cable. Download software that blocks bad websites. 

 

If we do not try to escape temptation then we’ll keep circling the block until a parking spot opens and we give in. Lust gives birth to sin, and then sin gives birth to death. Not right away, of course; this only happens when sin has used us and abused us. 

 

Temptation will come, but the good news is that we are promised a way out. I Corinthians 10:13 says that with every temptation there is a way of escape so that we do not have to give in. Instead of looking for an open parking spot, lets look for a way of escape.