Help and Hurt

Our Help is in the Lord

All of us experience hardships and face struggles that make little or no sense to us.  Sometimes the hurt comes from what others do to us, sometimes we cause our own pain, sometimes it takes place at work, or in our home or family, or in our finances.  The fact is, there are times of hardship in all our lives.  God knows this is our situation; that’s why he sent his Son to save us.

God is ready when your hurt needs help.

God is ready when your hurt needs help.

Do you remember how hard life got for the mothers of Bethlehem a few months after Christ’s birth when Herod murdered their children (Matt. 2:13-23)?  God sent Jesus to offer hope, and right away Herod caused the deaths of all those little boys!  As a parents, I can’t imagine the suffering of those families.  Had they known this was caused by the birth of Jesus, they might not have been so thrilled to know the Messiah had come.  Yet, in the midst of all this hurt, God demonstrated how much he cares for us.

Remember that God warned Joseph three times about what Herod intended to do, thus intervening to save Jesus’ life.  That’s the good news in this story.  God is not on vacation, way off in the distance watching our lives as some disinterested being.  He is involved in our lives, helping us cope with the hurt that he sees.  That’s what “Immanuel” means – “God with us” (Matt. 1:23).  God sent his Son to let us know that he is close by and wants to be involved in our everyday lives.

He is not only close, but is busy in your life.  When you are hurting, it is often difficult to see God at work around you.  But he is caring and loving and working for your good (Rom. 8:28).  He knows how much we hurt, and he stays close by to help.  And in the end, he will give us the victory through Jesus, as long as we obey his will (1 Cor. 15:57; Heb. 5:9).

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Acting Presumptuously

Acting Presumptuously

In 2 Samuel 6–10 we read of several individuals who act presumptuously.

Do you choose your actions presumptuously?

Do you choose your actions presumptuously?

In chapter 6 David desires to bring the ark of God to Jerusalem. He acts presumptuously in moving the ark via a new cart that was specially made for the journey. Instead of the ark being carried by the priests as was commanded in the Law the cart was pulled by oxen. When they came to Nachon’s threshing floor the oxen stumbled and Uzzah, standing nearby, reaches out to steady the ark. Touching the ark Uzzah kindles the wrath of God and is struck dead.

In chapter 7 Nathan speaks presumptuously in allowing David to build a house for God. Yet this was not God’s will and David is subsequently refused permission to build a temple for God. This honor would be left to David’s son Solomon. And Nathan is left with “egg on his face.”

In chapter 10 Nahash, the king of Ammon dies and Hanun, his son, takes his place on the throne. acts David sends ambassadors to show his respect following the death of Hanun’s father. However, Nanun deals presumptuously with the delegation. He shaves off half of each man’s beard and stripes them of clothing and sends them away. David’s anger is kindled and the children of Ammon and Syria are defeated by Israel and Hanun is deposed of the throne.

What does all this have to do with us? A close examination of these three stories tells us that we often bring troubles and difficulties upon our selves. The world is filled with enough obstacles to living a peaceable and blessed life, and we as Christian (if we are living right) are going to suffer persecutions (2 Timothy 3:12). Why do we invite even more unnecessary trouble? Simple, we act presumptuously. We act arrogantly, audaciously, insolently, imprudently, and brazenly. Simply put we sin. We don’t stop and ask (and pray) that whatever we are about to say or do is in harmony with God’s will. Bad move!

Life’s hard enough without us having to make it harder. Jesus wants us to enjoy an abundant life (John 10:10). The first steps in doing this is to humble ourselves (James 4:10) and turn our will over to the Father (James 4:15). Confess our sins and His Son (Matthew 10:32; 1 John 1:9), be baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins (Acts 2:38), and arise to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:3–6). Be faithful, live happy!

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Religious or Spiritual?

Are you Spiritual, Religious, or Both?

Religious or Spiritual?

Religious or Spiritual?

There is in the popular mindset today, the idea that an individual can be spiritual without being religious. I’ve seen this concept presented in some recently read articles. I’ve also heard such touted in some television programs on the subject. And, there are many people today who have bought into this idea that one can be spiritual without being religious. The mindset basically is this: everything that is associated with organized religion is “religious,” whereas, everything that is associated with the individual person’s heart is spiritual. Hence, as long as I am taking care of my “inner self” by being “spiritual” then I don’t need to be religious (by practicing some form of organized religion). I want to ask two questions regarding these presuppositions. First, is this a distinction that ought to be made? Second, is God happy with such a distinction?

Perhaps we should begin looking at this subject by defining these two terms. The American Heritage dictionary offers several definitions of the word “spiritual”:

1. Of, relating to, consisting of, or having the nature of spirit; not tangible or material.
2. Of, concerned with, or affecting the soul.
3. Of, from, or relating to God; deific.
4. Of or belonging to a church or religion; sacred.
5. Relating to or having the nature of spirits or a spirit; supernatural.

On the other hand, the word “religious” has the following definitions:

1. Having or showing belief in and reverence for God or a deity.
2. Of, concerned with, or teaching religion: a religious text.
3. Extremely scrupulous or conscientious: religious devotion to duty.

It should be noticed that there are similarities in both definitions. Some things that are spiritual are religious and some things that are religious are also spiritual. However, those who set up such a contrast between the spiritual and the religious have a special definition of each in mind. By “spiritual” they mean specifically, religious behavior related to the mind (such as meditation, prayer, devotion, etc.). By “religious” they mean behavior that is associated with the activities of religion (such as the forms of worship, church attendance, participation in church activities, etc.). It’s not that these individuals are opposed to what they consider to be “religious.” It is just that they don’t feel as if they need to engage in “religious” activities.

Is there a real distinction between the “spiritual” and the “religious?” There is a distinction inasmuch as there is a difference between the inward person (spirit) and the activities of the outward person (body). We see this in passages such as 2 Corinthians 4:16 “Wherefore we faint not; but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day.” And in our worship to God, there is such a distinction as well. Jesus talked about worship being in spirit and worship being in truth in John 4:24. This would roughly correspond to that which is “spiritual” (in spirit) versus that which is “religious” (in truth). So, yes, there is a distinction between the two words. However, the Biblical distinction between these two concepts isn’t nearly as great as what some are making it out to be. In fact, instead of promoting the idea that you can have one without the other, the Bible teaches that being religious is dependent upon spirituality and that being spiritual is dependent upon being religious as well.

Take for example what James writes in James 1:26, 27: “If any man thinketh himself to be religious, while he bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his heart, this man’s religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” One might think that controlling our speech would be a “spiritual” thing. But here, James speaks about it as being “religious.” Visiting orphans and widows is also an activity that we would consider “spiritual.” But again, we are told that this is “pure religion.” The point here is that one cannot be religious without being spiritual.

The opposite is true as well. One cannot be spiritual without being religious. Galatians 6:1 states: “Brethren, even if a man be overtaken in any trespass, ye who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” Those who are “spiritual” are to be involved in “religious” activities, such as helping those who have gone astray to return to the church. Peter describes the church as a spiritual institution in 1 Peter 2:5. He says, “ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” The worship that the church offers up to God is supposed to be “spiritual” in nature. Worshipping God entails that we involve ourselves in certain religious activities. Hence, one cannot be spiritual without being religious as well.

Returning to John 4:24, Jesus said, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” There is no doubt that God expects Christians to be spiritual. This is the basic idea of what it means to worship God “in spirit.” However, Jesus didn’t stop there. He also said that we must worship God “in truth.” We must have both the right attitude and the right actions, the right internals and the right externals. God wants us to be both “spiritual” AND “religious.”

Really, when one starts examining the truth on this subject, one finds out very quickly the codependent nature of these two things. The bottom line is that a person cannot be spiritual without being religious and a person can’t be religious without being spiritual. The problem today is that there are so many “religious” people who aren’t spiritual, that this has driven many away from true religion. They have been turned off by the extravagant measures to which modern day “churches” go in order to attract the masses and have given up on practicing religion altogether. But let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater. We can be both spiritual and religious. In fact, we must be if we are going to please God! Let’s resolve to be both spiritual and religious in the way that God would have it by following His word, the Bible. Here is the true standard for that which is both spiritual and religious.

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Thanksgiving Pilgrims

Thanksgiving Pilgrims

As America prepares in anticipation of yet another annual Thanksgiving celebration, I could not help but consider some of the parallels between the birth, growth, struggles and direction of this country, as compared to the birth, growth, struggles and potential direction, of a born again New Testament Christian.

As Christian Pilgrims let us be Thanksgiving.

As Christian Pilgrims let us be Thanksgiving.

In 1620, the pilgrims, seeking a new life free from the tyranny of oppressive persecution, by their faith in the power and providence of God, determinedly “set sail” into largely uncharted territory across a vast ocean in order to gain separation from their oppressor and his servants once and for all. This body of water was as essential to their separation from their oppression, as the waters of Noah’s day separated him and his family from the sin of their world, and as the waters of the Red Sea eventually separated God’s Old Testament people from their Egyptian slave masters and oppressors as well (Exodus 14).

Similarly, when a lost sinner today finally tires of the relentless aggression and oppression of the power of sin, death, and Satan over him, he, too, must set out for a new world, separating himself, once again, through water, from Satan’s tyranny and the power of sin (1 Peter 3:18-21; Romans 6:1-23; Hebrews 2:14-15). This is accomplished as he is, by faith in the power of God (Colossians 2:12), born again of water and the Spirit (John 3:3-5), being obediently immersed in the waters of Christian baptism (Galatians 3:26-27) for the forgiveness (or washing away – Acts 22:16) of his sins, and to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).

Upon emerging from the watery first leg of their journey to freedom, both the pilgrims of 1620 and the Israelites of Exodus 14, took their first few steps on dry, solid ground, to begin a new life in a new land. But it would not be easy. There would be desperate hardships, deadly battles, and a whole new way of life to become accustomed to, and integrated into. Temptation to turn back to even such monstrous and oppressive masters as they had distanced themselves from via the watery wall of separation standing between them, was at times, almost too much too bear.

New Testament Christians taking their first few steps of fully forgiven freedom on the other side of their biblical, baptismal burial in water, also encounter all sorts of devastating life and death struggles as well. Many face their own potentially deadly, daily battles in the form of the terrible temptations, addictions, and/or immoral practices from their former way of life, which they must fight desperately to defeat, put to flight, and to fully and finally overcome (1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Ephesians 4:17-5:13). Others face contempt, rejection, and exclusion from their former friends and families due to their decision to become New Testament Christians (Matthew 5:10-12; Luke 6:22-23; 1 Peter 4:3-16).

As the pilgrims’ progress began to become obvious, and new life on a new level began to become prosperous, an old world nemesis who refused to recognize the loss of his dominion without a further fight, marshaled his forces in an all out assault on those seeking to live a new and better life in their new world. And the fight for freedom in the form of the revolutionary war was on. Even after a horribly costly and hard fought victory by those residents of the “new world,” their former master still refused to accept their independence from him, and once again, it was war in 1812. Repeatedly their former master refused to accept their new found freedom and forced them to fight – hard – to maintain it.

Life as a Christian is very often like that; a series of hard fought and foe-forced battles against Satan and former sins that used to reign but now no longer do (Romans 6:1-18) – but still repeatedly seek to try to re-assert their once-held and vice-like death grip on those living a new life of blood-bought freedom (Galatians 5; 2 Peter 2:20-22).

Fast forward to today. With many battles fought and won since that initial day in 1620 when the first steps of their still-wet ancestors’ feet landed on this side of the water, America has been blessed by God with more abundance than anyone could have ever imagined. By God’s power and providence, America has grown rich, fat, powerful and prosperous. And just like the much-blessed nation of Old Testament Israel before them, they have pridefully, purposefully, passionately and pointedly rejected the great God who gave it all to them (Deuteronomy 31:20-21; Nehemiah 9:16-35). And in what has to be one of the saddest and most tragic ironies of our time, is that next week, this once-God-fearing and God-honoring nation, which now seeks to defiantly eliminate, eradicate, and extricate themselves completely from almighty God’s authority on every level imaginable, will largely gather to give that same God they refuse to acknowledge by their obedience, thanks for the blessings they enjoy from His abundance…? (The utter epitome of irony, height of hypocrisy, and tragedy of thoughtless tradition, is it not?)

But before we judge our nation too harshly, perhaps we should acknowledge that the same thing can – and does –all too often just as easily happen within the Lord’s church. How consistently does it happen, that some of those who were set free from sin and death in the waters of Christian baptism several decades ago, and who have fought and won to maintain that God-given freedom and victory through many a trial and temptation, may have since grown proud and prideful to the point of rejecting and rebelling against God’s authority on almost anything they don’t particularly want to do (such as evangelizing, repenting, or serving with the saints); but yet they still gather around the Lord’s table, in the Lord’s house, each Lord’s Day, out of tradition, to give thanks to the Lord whom they, in all reality, pretty much virtually reject any true allegiance or obedience to otherwise, except for paying Him lip-service (Matthew 15:7-9)? And once again, the example of God’s abundantly-blessed but unwilling to be truly grateful in return Old Testament people who did very much the same type of thing, can be seen throughout the Old Testament, in places like Isaiah, chapter one; Malachi, chapter one, and etc..

May God help us to ensure that none of us ever follow that example; and may He help any of those of us who might have started sliding in that direction, to fully recognize our condition, and truly repent of our rebellion. Let none of us ever allow ourselves to sit back and thoughtlessly partake of the Lord’s Supper – this spiritual feast of “thanks giving” – simply out of some sense of time-tested, mind-numbed, assembly-asserted tradition. “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body” (1 Corinthians 11:28-29). “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?” (1 Corinthians 10:21-22).

God bless. And a Happy and Holy Thanksgiving to all, this coming… SUNDAY!

 

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Tragedy

Jesus’ Response to Tragedy

How did Jesus deal with Tragedy?

How did Jesus deal with Tragedy?

As bullets ring out and bombs go off, whether it be in Paris or an American school, our nation temporarily pauses as we tune in for details, and share our emotions on social media. Twitter and Facebook light up with Christians arguing for a response that fits their political worldview. Some make strong statements about defending our borders or defending our families. Others turn toward a more pacifist or libertarian response, as they point out the government is not the answer.

Oftentimes, in the heat of emotion, we neglect the one response that Christians should constantly turn to—what does God’s inspired Word say on the matter? The Bible is the source for all Truth (John 17:17; Psalm 119:160), so what does the Bible have to say about such tragedies?

We arrogantly believe that we are the first one’s to experience such tragedies—and that somehow our tragedies are worse than all that have come before. This humanistic/narcissistic response is expected from a generation that proudly wears t-shirts declaring that “It’s all about me.” But the reality is tragedies have been present since Eve made the decision to eat of the fruit in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3).

During the time Jesus walked the earth there were tragedies just like we experience today. Now there were no 24/7 news agencies to cover the events like we have today, but these events were still well-known enough that all Jesus had to do was reference them to His listeners:

There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:1-5).

Jesus’ response was not necessarily what many might expect. He did not spend hours and hours in sympathy, discussing the virtues of those who were tragically killed. He did not spend hours eviscerating Pilate and his wicked actions. Instead, Jesus reminded those around Him that the victims had not suffered this evil and suffering because of something they did—but rather because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. But notice where Jesus did focus His energy. In both instances above He reminded His listens to repent—to get their lives right.

If we were to strip Jesus’ name from that response and simply say that a “Christian’s” response was that people should repent, we would quickly be labeled as cold-hearted or judgmental. However, nothing could be further from the truth in the case of Jesus. Jesus cared so much about people’s souls that He wanted to make sure they were prepared to meet His Father. Jesus’ message was one of repentance—changing one’s life to walk in accordance with God!

Some have seen the horrible images of blood spread all over the floor of the theater in Paris. Sadly, this will not be the last time blood is spilt and lives are cut short. But thankfully, there was blood shed roughly 2000 years ago that gives everyone hope.

While much energy will be expended on how we stop the shooters, maybe we should redirect our attention on the souls of those in Paris (or wherever tragedy strikes), and instead demonstrate the love and concern Jesus had for souls. What this world desperately needs is not a solution to guns or fighting, but it needs the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ—both the victims and the shooters. For without that blood that was shed no one would have hope.

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