Unhappy?

God Wouldn’t Want Me Unhappy!

The church at Laodicea was diagnosed by Christ as lukewarm. Imagine the graphic picture of Jesus spewing them out of His mouth because of this sin. I suspect that if Christ came back today and were to write letters to some of the churches in America He would address the epidemic of narcissism. I can easily see Him writing that this sin would cause Him to want to vomit us out of His mouth. Narcissism reigns in our culture—young and old alike. We have relegated God to the back seat of our lives and have placed our own interests, desires, and egos firmly in the front seat.

unhappy

Does God Want Me Unhappy?

Rather than look to God’s Word for how we are to conduct ourselves in areas such as marriage we simply declare, “God wouldn’t want me to be unhappy.” And with that self-divine caveat we proceed to do whatever our hearts desire.

God doesn’t want you to be unhappy? Really? So let me get this straight. God crushed the spotless, sinless lamb of God on the cross for sin that was not His own (Isaiah 53:10). He made Him sin—who knew no sin—to be sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21). But it’s you He wouldn’t want unhappy?

It’s ironic to me that literally tens of thousands of Christians have uttered wedding vows that say some form of:

I, (name), take you (name), to be my lawfully wedded (wife/husband), to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part.

Yet, what we really mean is, “I’ll take you as long as you make me happy.” You have forgotten that your spouse is a part of the body of Christ and what you’re really saying is:

Jesus I can’t love you, not this part of your body, because this part of you makes me unhappy right now. And, since I am the center of my universe, if you want me to love you then make me happy with this part of you. Then I will love you—because Jesus’ blood was not enough.

If you aren’t happy right now with your spouse you may be in that “worse” category (of “better or worse”). And unless your spouse is dead, you made a vow before men and God that you would stay with that person. Never forget you will one day give an account for that vow and your actions.

When your world revolves around yourself it is easy to lose perspective. If you have a problem in your marriage right now, there is a good chance that it is not what your spouse is or isn’t doing. The problem may very well be that Jesus Christ is not magnificent enough to you. He is not majestic enough to you. And above all, he is not sufficient for your egocentric, narcissistic, humanistic and sinful fleshly desires.

After Job lost his wealth, flocks, and children did he leave his wife and say “God wouldn’t want me to be unhappy?” No! He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21).

If you have recently uttered the phrase, “God wouldn’t want me to be unhappy” then allow me to ask you, “Who do you think you are?!” At what point did your happiness become the focal point of the Almighty Creator? Unhappy might be right where God needs you, to bring maximum glory to His name!

This world is not all about you. It’s all about Him. The sooner we learn that and communicate that to our children the better we will understand what God really wants.

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When Was Moses?

What Pharoah Dynasty Was Moses In?

In the lists of Pharaohs of Egypt, there are many “dynasties.” A “dynasty” is a group of rulers who rule in succession from parent to child. Sometimes dynasties simply die out, but usually a dynasty ends when a palace coup or other disaster overtakes a particular Pharaoh – sometime by being overthrown by foreign rulers such as with the Hykosis group. With that said, it is extremely difficult to pen down which dynasty Moses belonged to. According to the Bible, “Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph (Exodus 1:8). From this, we are certain that the dynasty was a new kingdom all together. Well, only the 18-20th dynasties are considered as the new kingdom.

moses

When was Moses?as

Now, when you go to movies, such as the Ten Commandments with Charlston Heston, they mention in the movie about Rameses who ruled in the 19th dynasty. And, while that seems to clear things up, it only makes things more confusing. Rameses I and Rameses II are strongly linked to Moses. However, these two men reigned from 1292-1290 BC and 1279-1213 BC. Moses was already dead by that time. So, that rules them out.

According to many commentaries, Bible dictionaries and Chronological books, Moses seems to be dated somewhere from 1566-1540. But, since a new kingdom had come, it would have to be no later than 1550 because this was when the new kingdom came in Egypt. Therefore, from 1550-1540 is the date of Moses. Well, this date would put him in the 18th dynasty of rulers. More than likely, he was under Ahmosis I, Amenhotep I (this was the one in the Mummy movies), Thutmose I, II, III.

While this seems to be the most logical with facts, historical and Biblical, there are still other questions that come up. Such as, the Bible indicates that the Pharaoh whose daughter adopted three-month-old Moses died when Moses was nearly 80 years old. If this is true, then, there is only one Pharaoh who reigned for over 80 years. That is Pepi II who reigned from 2278-2184. But, he was in the 6th dynasty. In Exodus 7:7, it tells of Moses, being 80 years of age when he stands before a pharaoh who really did not seem to know him like the previous one. Also, we know that this pharaoh, who was before Moses, died in the Red Sea and so he did not seem to reign as long as Pharaoh. This coincides with Pharaoh Neferka who only reigned for one year at best. No pharaoh in the 19th dynasty or the 18th dynasty comes to this short of a reign. This also may seem to fit because the Pharaoh allowed a lot of fortune to be taken from Egypt by the children of Israel. It was almost as he did not really understand what all he had. But again, this does not coincide with many other concrete facts.

So, it is difficult to tell which dynasty Moses was in. A lot seems to be based upon the historical documents of Egyptology which seem to be incomplete and sporadic. But, I would be more grounded to put Moses in the 18th dynasty because the date of Moses seems to be universally accepted in the 1550-1540 birth date.

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Build on the Foundation

Take Heed How You Build

In 1 Corinthians 3:10 Paul says, “According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it.  But let each one take heed how he builds on it.”

foundation

Build with Care on the Foundation.

The context of this verse really begins in 1:11 in which Paul began rebuking the party spirit that existed among the Christians in Corinth.  He said, “Now I say this, that each of you says, ‘I am of Paul,’ or ‘I am of Apollos,’ or ‘I am of Cephas,’ or ‘I am of Christ.’  Is Christ divided?  Was Paul crucified for you?  Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” (vv. 12-13).

In 3:4 he states it this way: “For when one says, ‘I am of Paul,’ and another, ‘I am of Apollos,’ are you not carnal?” At this point, Paul puts things into perspective for them.  He said, “Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?  I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase…” (vv. 5-9).

You see Paul was the one who founded the congregation in Corinth through the preaching of the gospel (hence, he planted).  Apollos, who came to Corinth after Paul, also worked in the gospel there (hence, he watered).  Paul said, “…I have laid the foundation and another builds on it.  But let each one take heed how he builds on it” (v. 10).  Truly, the foundation that Paul laid in Corinth was the foundation of Christ (v. 11), for Christ is the “rock” upon which His church is built (Matt. 16:18).

This brings up a relative point, and one worthy of all acceptance: all preaching today must be according to the doctrine of Christ and that alone (1:10; 2 Jn. 9) or we are not building on the right foundation.  Take heed how you build.

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Christian Giving

Christian Giving

One of the great banes of preaching is to have to address topics that society, and many in the pew, have no desire to hear, and of which many are simply intolerant. The sad truth is, many preachers and elderships have acquiesced to the worldly mindset in order to keep the numbers up and the contributions coming in. A recent survey of denominational preachers noted size of the congregation, amount of contributions, and size of ministerial staff as the leading indicators of success in ministry. Sadly many in the Lord’s church are today operating on the same premises.

giving

How is your giving?

To that end many have either stopped preaching on, or changed their views on, issues like divorce and remarriage, social drinking, modesty, and yes, even giving. Why? Because people don’t want to hear it! They don’t want you meddling in their “personal lives.” But preaching and teaching the truth is going to “meddle” because God demands “personal” changes in our lives (see the definition of repentance) in order to be conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29). With that in mind allow me to go to a little “meddling.”

In 2 Corinthians 9:6–7 Paul writes, “But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” Simply stated, easily understood, and filled with the power of inspiration. So why is it that so many Christians fail to live up to this biblical text? I heard a missionary say recently, “The money is out there in the brotherhood, we just have to get it out of their pockets.” Sad indeed that so many good works are hindered because of greed, worldliness and biblical unfaithfulness.

Consider with me the following points:

We Are Stewards, Not Owners. In Matthew 25:14–30 Jesus tells a story of a man who delivers his own wealth to his servants, and when he returned those servants were called to give an account of their stewardship. Everything we have is thanks to the blessings of God. 1 Timothy 6:7 tells us, “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.” Someone says, “Well, I worked hard for everything I have, God hasn’t given me anything.” People all over the world work just as hard as you do and do not have the blessings you have. Conversely, there are people all over the world who do not lift so much as a finger compared to you who have much more. God gave you a brain, a strong back, and opportunities. What you have you have because of Him! Consider also that Matthew 25 places our eternal destiny squarely on this issue! Martin Luther once said, “I have tried to keep things in my hands and lost them all, but what I have given into God’s hands I still possess.”

We Are Commanded, Not Encouraged. Many who want to dilute the word of God in order to make it more “palatable,” or “appealing,” want to hear God use words like encourage, suggest, or recommend. The problem with this is God requires certain things of us in order for us to reap eternal benefits. Passages like Matthew 25, Hebrews 13:16, and 2 Corinthians 9:6–7 all make certain demands. “But I live in the land of the free,” shouts the American modernist/pluralist. Yes you do and God allows all me the freedom to choose to do good or not. To those who choose to not do good it is sin (James 4:17).

We Are To Be Christ-Like, Not World-Like. Christians are supposed to be different than the rest of the world, not conformed to it (Romans 12:1–2). We are to let our light shine before the men of this world (Matthew 5:16). God predestined His children to be changed into the like image of the Son (Romans 8:9). But being like the world will cause many Christians-in-name-only to be lost for eternity. “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:15–17). What example did Jesus leave us in regards to this issue (1 Peter 2:21)? “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).

So how is your giving to the Lord and His work? Is there more you can do? Do you need to spend some time reflecting on how God has blessed you and how you are using those blessings? Do you need to take a long hard look at your life and your budget? Do you have a budget? Someone once said, “If you give what you do not need, it isn’t giving.” And remember God said, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:21).

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I Am Never Coming Back

I Am Never Coming Back

“Dude!”, “Dude?”, “Duuuuuude!”, “Dude…”. My children and I get a kick out of seeing how the same words can be used to express different meanings. It is a quick break from whatever we are doing and can result in a few good laughs. Words can be silly, serious, scary, etc. However, some words can certainly carry more power with them than others. Consider the words, “I am never coming back”. These are powerful words. In them we can find a number of meanings:

coming back

I am never coming back!

Sadness – “The Ocean is so beautiful, but I am never coming back”
Threat – “Your prices are awful; I am never coming back!”
Happiness – “I am free from jail, and I am never coming back”
Anger – “You betrayed me! I am never coming back!”
Teasing – “You didn’t make carrot cake? I am never coming back.”

The words when stated in truth represent personal decision based on “I”. This means within an individual there is a conclusion that has been reached. They are words of power because ultimately, only the individual controls their personal decisions. Their resolve determines what happens. We can make suggestions to others. We can seduce, bribe, ridicule, influence, suggest, request, or beg others to do something, but their decisions are their own. Personal decisions have been faced by man throughout history. Some decisions have much greater impact than the choice of white bread or wheat with your eggs.

Deuteronomy 30:19 –“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:”

Joshua 24:15 – “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

The term “Never” is an absolute. It means not at any time under reference. Not on a weekday or weekend, not in the morning or night, not in any timeframe specified by never. “Never” is finality depending upon the resolve of the decision maker, time and authority. If the individual’s resolve does not change, then the decision stands without end. How “Never” is impacted by time can be seen by the following Bible verse:

Acts 14:8 – “And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked:”

The time under reference in this scripture is the past. At no point in the past had the man walked. The term does not apply to the future for the apostle Paul through the power of God would make the lame man walk. “Never” is dependant also upon authority. Consider my daughter telling my son he can never have a cookie again. She has no authority to make such a command. Consequently, “never” would not stand, as my son would definitely end up with a cookie at some point in the future. However, “never” with authority is a strong term to use. If the one setting the mandate has the authority to allow something to never happen and holds that resolve, it won’t happen for the duration of the time under reference.

“Coming Back” is to return to something. Whether an idea, a location, or an action, when it is stated someone is never coming back they have determined not to return to it. It pains God when man makes the statement he is never coming back to God. Thus, God through His apostles gave warning concerning such a decision:

Hebrews 3:12 – “Take heed, brethren, lest haply there shall be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God:”

No one, including God, wants to hear a loved one tell them, “I am never coming back”. There are loved ones who can be closer than the physical family. These are one’s spiritual brothers and sisters, the Church. Over a lifetime, many have seen or heard variations of “I am never coming back”, from a number of people who once attended Church. The causes have ranged from hurt feelings, a greater desire for worldly things, or a disagreement regarding the gospel of Christ. Once the powerful words of “I am never coming back” have been uttered, the issue often becomes one of pride.

Proverbs 16:18 – “Pride goeth before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall”.

The “goeth before” references a leading. Pride walks ahead of destruction. It leads the way. When a man or woman makes a statement, they do not like to change back. They do not want to look foolish or be embarrassed. They do not want to admit they were wrong. In fact, if challenged, they will often hold tighter to their statement even if inside they know they are wrong. Such actions pain others who don’t want to see the loss of one for whom they care. The statement “I am never coming back” can be a very negative decision.

As mentioned previously, “I am never coming back” can have a number of meanings. Thus, “I am never coming back”, does not have to be a negative or alarming phrase. It can reference a man never coming back to a life of adultery, theft, murder, lying, alcoholism, or other sins. A term utilized in the Bible that is quite similar to “coming back” is “Repent”. Repent in simplicity means to return or change. Much rejoicing in heaven and on earth occurs when man determines to repent or never come back to living a life that is not righteous.

Act 17:30 – The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent.
Luke 15:10 – Even so, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
2 Corinthians 7:9 – I now rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye were made sorry unto repentance; for ye were made sorry after a godly sort, that ye might suffer loss by us in nothing.

The Bible passage Luke 15, is known by a great number of people as the story of the Prodigal Son. In it a young man determines he wants his inheritance immediately. His father gives it to him and the young man goes out into the world and loses the inheritance by not living wisely. The young man’s actions spoke the unspoken, “I am never coming back”. Yet, in moments of despair, when he realized what he had done, he did not let his pride keep him from changing his decision, he went back to his father.

Man in his foolishness has often made “never” statements. While the instinct is to refuse to repent of those statements and actions, man has and can make that decision. This goes back to his resolve. Remember, “never” is an absolute depending upon resolution of the decision maker, time, and authority. Unlike God, man makes foolish decisions. Man contradicts himself. Because of this, by the authority of God man has been given the opportunity and time to repent of what he resolves in error.

2 Peter 3:9 – The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

In the story of the Prodigal Son, the repentant son goes home to his father and finds the father has been waiting. The Father welcomed his son home and held a big feast to celebrate. Our Father in Heaven awaits those too who have uttered with their life or words to Him, “I am never coming back”. He longs for us to utter the same words in reference to a life of foolishness and sin. If we do, a great rejoicing awaits us as well.

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