Is God for Your Good?

Andy Stanley poses these two question in message #3 of his Right in the Eye sermon series which can be found at rightintheeye.org.  I find that every wrong or bad decision I’ve made is reflected in these questions.  These two questions are:

Is God for your good?

    or

Is God keeping something good from you?

If God is for my or our good, then everything He does and everything He says is for our best life.  All His directions, all His requests, all His Words have the single effort to produce what is good for us.  He can be trusted.

If God is keeping something good from me or us, then He can’t be trusted.  Everything He does or says is just for our suffering and its intent is unknown.  So, we need to figure out our own lives to determine what is best for us and what will complete us. 

This is the essence of faith.  It is also the original sin.  Satan told that woman that if she ate the fruit she would not die as God had said.  She would instead be as He was.  So, God could not be trusted to be for her good, but was keeping something good from her.  Instead, she and Adam would face death and separation from their Father.  Nothing good was kept from them, until they had no faith and decided they knew better than God and stopped following His Word.

As I look back at my own decisions and following experiences, I can say without question that this reflects life.  I either make decisions in faith believing God solely because He is God and has what is best for me or I don’t and do what I think is best and the best for my life is kept from me until I repent.  It is amazing to me how little man has changed since the beginning of all of mankind.

Decide today that God is for your good and have faith.  Know that all the good things in life only come from God and Him alone.  Nowhere else in life can your best life be found.

The Use of Power

Matt Ayers has great thoughts on The Use of Power as he relates how God uses His power from Psalms 113.

THE USE OF POWER

Psalm 113 is the first psalm in a six-psalm collection called the “Egyptian Hallel” (113–118). It is tradition for Jews to recite (or sing) these six psalms around the time of Passover to commemorate the deliverance from Egyptian slavery. This explains why when Jesus was entering Jerusalem on a donkey during the time of Passover, the people shouted, “Hosannah! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Matt 21:9). This isn’t random, this is the people of Israel singing Psalm 118:25–26. They are remembering the great salvation of generations past. They faced the difficulties of their present (and the future) while being mindful of God’s faithfulness in the past. This gave them great hope.

What I love about Psalm 113 is that it demonstrates why one should praise God. Namely, it first details that God is all powerful, then it goes it describes how God uses his power. One can tell a lot about a person by what they do with power and influence. Do they abuse their power? Manipulate? Oppress? Not the God of Israel, not the God of the Bible. Israel’s God is all powerful (Ps. 113:4–6), and he uses that power to lift up the downtrodden (113:7–9).

The psalmist goes into further detail still. He tells us that God not only lifts people up, but he lifts the lowest of the low to the place of the highest privilege. This is what it means when he says, “He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people” (113:7–8). God doesn’t just pursue those who need him, he pursues those who need him most.  Jesus was explicit about the fact that he didn’t come for the healthy, but the sick (Mark 2:17). He says this in the context of being ridiculed by religious leaders for not obeying the rules. What they didn’t understand was that Jesus wasn’t concerned about rules as much as he was about bringing healing to a broken and hurting world. He is out to redeem those who look unredeemable to human eyes.

He not only pursues the most dire cases of human need and suffering, he also works until the point of completion. So many settle for mediocre. God is not a god of mediocre. He’s a God of perfection. He works on us and in us until his work is complete.  This is what Paul means when he says, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6). Adding to this is Jude, who says, “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy…” (Jude 1:24).

How do you use the power that you have?  Each of us has some kind of power in influence and action.  Do we seek to lift ourselves up or drag others down?  Is our focus selfish or encouraging?  (This can be tricky, I know someone who claims to only want to help others and encourage them, but he clearly does this so everyone who knows him will think he’s a great person.  He does it for his own reward.  When we truly help others, do we sincerely only want for them to be helped and for no one to know we were a part of it?) 

Every day it is important for me to know that I am no greater than any other person who has ever lived and that no other person is greater than I am.  Remember the “we are all beggars at the Cross” example?  How can I use my power, no matter how weak it is, to lift someone closer to the Cross?  This is the real question that matters every day.

America Today?

2 Cor 1:  3But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.
13For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 

2 Peter 2:

1But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

4For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell,^a putting them in chains of darkness^b to be held for judgment; 5if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; 6if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless 8(for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— 9if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment. 10This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh^c and despise authority.

Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings; 11yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not heap abuse on such beings when bringing judgment on them from^d the Lord. 12But these people blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like animals they too will perish.

13They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.^e 14With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood! 15They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer,^f who loved the wages of wickedness. 16But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey—an animal without speech—who spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.

17These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. 18For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. 19They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.” 20If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. 21It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. 22Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,”^g and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.”

True Love

John 8: 11She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

If one rages against sin, then it seems one should address treatment of the sinner.  Yesterday, I briefly address the preposterous letter from the Obama administration regarding transgender treatment in public schools.  I feel obligated to address those who are sinners, ie all of us!

I note with interest that in John ch 8 in the failed attempt to trap Jesus by the Pharisees that he did not condemn the woman, but he did tell her to go and sin no more.  In this case, condemnation meant physical death by stoning.  That physical death would have taken away that woman's ability to choose to love God via obedience.  Instead, Jesus tells everyone without sin to stand in judgement which drives everyone to inspect their own lives and realize they are really no better than this woman of ill-repute.  So, finding no-one to stone her, Jesus offers her the opportunity to choose this day to love God by obeying him (sin no more). 

Scripture says it best:

John 14:15  "If you love me, keep my commands.

1 John 5:3  In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,

2 John 1:6 And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

So as Christians if we love our neighbors, we should be encouraging them to demonstrate their love for God by obeying His commands.  This is in direct argument against those who believe love means acceptance of whatever behavior one demands.  In fact, acceptance of sin is to fail at loving your neighbor.  Don't believe me?  If I saw a neighbors young child playing in the street, would I love that child by accepting that behavior?  No!  I would be complicit in placing that child in danger.  Instead, love demands that I remove the child from danger and encourage them to stay out of the street.  This is simple to understand, yet we fail to apply it to "adults" who insist on living whatever lifestyle of sin they choose and claim I don't love them if I confront a choice inconsistent with obedience to God. 

Finally, many people are so demanding that I accept them they fail to realize they are not loving me.  What do I mean?  For someone to demand I accept something that is contrary to scripture is to violate my rights and worship as I see fit.  2 John 5:2 says "This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands."  For someone to demand that I lay aside my beliefs to accept their lifestyle is to establish a double standard which God says also dishonors him. 

We are to love God and love His people.  We are not called to condemn his people, but allowing someone to live a sinful lifestyle is to allow them self-condemnation.  We don't love someone by allowing them to condemn themselves.  While I'm not called to be everyone's accountability partner, I am called to demonstrate my love for God by ensuring that I obey His commands and encouraging others to do the same.  Acceptance of behavior is not in any form an aspect of love. 

Is Hope Lost?

²⁶ Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.  ²⁷ My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be My people.  ²⁸ And the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore. – Ezekiel 37:26-28

Today, in the midst of society declaring that Christians are full of hate, intolerance, judgment, and anger for not accepting their moral authority and in the midst of other Christians who want to preach intentionally misconstrued words of God, it is refreshing to know that the Lord makes a covenant of peace with His own.  He has saved those who repent from their sins and cry out for salvation through the Son of the one true living God, Jesus, and in Him alone.  That salvation is for evermore.  It does not fail, ever.  He is our God and we are His people. 

We should never be a people whose hope is lost.  The Creator of all that is, the single authority over all that we could ever possibly know, the essence and presence of the fullness of love, peace, and joy, has promised to you and to me to never leave us and that He Himself will always be with us.  By what other power of authority should we hear or see that could possibly compare?  There is nothing else.  Every other person, place, or thing in all that we see, hear, taste, touch, or smell in this physical world or understand to know in our thoughts and feelings is a desert wasteland by comparison.  Life is only found in the Creator.

Anytime we do not know this, we must be careful to see that we are drifting away from the source of life.  He has not moved, but we have.  We must be very intentional to have faith in God and in all that He promises.  We must be intentionally looking for everything that tries to lure us away from His Word and His life-giving directions. 

We have a blessed hope and it is in our Redeemer.  Blessed be the name of the Lord.  His love will endure forever.

Unrecognizable America

Deuteronomy 22: "A woman shall not wear man's clothing, nor shall a man put on a woman's clothing; for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD your God.

I find it completely unfathomable that the Obama administration spent our tax dollars and time to send a letter to each school district in America "directing" each to allow students to use restrooms and locker rooms "consistent with their gender identity" (copy of the letter here: http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-obama-letter-transgender-students-20160513-htmlstory.html).  Really?  Is this the most pressing matter for the Depts. of Education and Justice?  I really can't believe that America has sunk to this low.  Clearly its time for me to begin writing my congressmen to hold this administration accountable to dealing with relevant issues. 
Worse, I find a raging debate in social media within the church.  This I really can't wrap my brain around.  There are some things that scripture isn't crystal clear about such as should I attend college and if so, which one?  Yet there are many things that scripture is crystal clear about that either people don't know or they choose to ignore.  Scripture is very clear when it comes to sexual immorality clearly condemning acts of heterosexual contact outside of marriage (do I really have to remind everyone that the Bible only addresses marriage as a Godly state between man and woman?  Surely not...) and all forms of homosexuality, yet we debate it in the church as if we can't understand it or scripture isn't clear or no longer applies. 
God was very clear and concise in Ro 1 (among many other places) to condemn all acts of sexual immorality with a statement of clear condemnation for those who know better, but approve of sin: Ro 1:32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. 
The most egregious of posts were by a misguided Methodist minister who stated that we need to get past "winning" and learn to love in a post related to yet another failed attempt to change the Book of Discipline to become more inclusive towards LGBQT community.  Let me be clear to those who are misguided: its not a matter of winning, its a matter of taking a stand on scripture - a stand for that which God has already made clear.  It's a matter of life and death and the relevancy of the church.  If we don't stand for God, than we stand for nothing! 
I can't believe that I'm posting this in a High School Facebook page, but this is what America's politicians believe worth millions of our tax dollars to address, so I'm forced to highlight the scriptural stance.  Unfortunately, most high school students have moved on from Facebook, but perhaps a few parents will read this post and have an opportunity to discuss with their kids.  I look forward to your comments.
Ugh!

Who Do You Hear?

⁴² Jesus told them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but he sent me. ⁴³ Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me! ⁴⁴ For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. ⁴⁵ So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me! ⁴⁶ Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin? And since I am telling you the truth, why don’t you believe me? ⁴⁷ Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t belong to God.” – John 8:42-47

Here Jesus describes what the devil does and describes his character.  He destroys life (murderer) and always has.  He hates truth (Jesus and God).  There is no truth in him.  He lies – always.  He makes lies where none exist. 

So, He explains to those who are listening to Him that do not believe Him that they naturally don’t believe Him.  They can’t hear Him.  The words do not make it through the ear canals.  They can’t hear or understand because they follow the devil.  If the truth of the presence of the one living God can’t be heard and is determinedly not believed, there is only one reason why.  That person is not following God, but following the opposer of God.  The one who destroys life, hates God and lies. 

This is a remarkable confrontation as it shows how thick-skulled and determinedly stupid we are as lost sheep.  Jesus remarks as a confounded teacher whose students can’t understand a simple concept, “Why can’t you understand what I am saying?”  He then reasons to them the why, but they do not accept it.  How can they possibly not understand something he is saying?  They are the educated.  How can He possibly tell them they can’t hear?  How preposterous!  How absurd! 

Then Jesus tells them they follow the devil, their father.  As shocked as they are about being told that they can’t understand or even hear simple concepts, now He says they follow the devil – outrageous!!  How can anyone say such blasphemy?!  He is a bigot, He hates people, He is intolerant!!  He must be killed!

Jesus concludes this paragraph with “And since I am telling you the truth, why don’t you believe me? Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t belong to God.”  Yikes.  If you belong to God you gladly listen to His Words.  But if you don’t listen you don’t belong to Him.  Wow.  In this age of pastors preaching what they want to believe and not the clearly written Words of God, Jesus says powerfully that they are not listening to Him.  And anytime I do not want to hear His Word, I am not listening to Him, but to the devil. 

While that is very clear to understand, it is so difficult to be willing to grasp.  No one likes to be told they are what they really are.  Reality is hard to accept, but living apart from it is a fairytale and it can take years off your life.  The sooner we accept the reality of our sinfulness and decide to gladly listen to the Words of God and believe them, the sooner we enter life.

The Narrow Way

Enter through the narrow gate.  For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it. – Matthew 7:13-14

Billy Graham commonly uses an analogy regarding this narrow path.  He considers that when we are on an airplane, we want the pilot to use a very specific and narrow approach to his landing.  We don’t want all the pilots just coming into the airport however they want and whenever they want because it would be chaos.  People would get killed.  We want our pilot to follow the guidelines of the flight controller and the guidelines for the runway’s approach to be at the right altitude and speed at the right marker so the plane is in the safest and best position to not hit another plane and to land safely.  Those landing approaches are very specific and very narrow.

Julie and I started a series by Andy Stanley yesterday entitled Right in the Eye.  The messages can be seen HERE.  This message series addresses the concept being pushed by our society that people can and even should do what they want, when they want, to whom they want as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone.  It is absolutely mind-blowing at how relevant this message is to every single thing we battle against in our lives today. 

I spoke to an older man the other day whom I have been friends with for decades.  I truly respect this man from the perspective of how he immediately is able to take his heart desire of loving someone and transform it into an action.  He is able to quickly in most cases perform an action that reflects his heart.  I seem to be so unable or insensitive to do this.  However, this man has had serious sin problems in his life as well.  I asked him, what is today’s biggest problem with Christians?  He answered that too many Christians are worldly Christians.  They live too deep into the society and not committed to holiness above everything else.  He confessed that this is his problem as well.

In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes. – Judges 17:6 & 21:25.

Today, at least in my world, society is bowing long and low to living to do what is right in its own eyes with no defined or accepted moral compass.  God is no longer the king.  The religions supposedly based on God’s Word and designed to educate in knowledge, wisdom, and in action the holiness of God - are instead turning worldly.   They trade the narrow path for society’s wide path because they are unwilling to be rejected.  The religions seek acceptance from a society who does what is right in their eyes and rejects the Words of God that specifically indicate the narrow way we are to find eternity and to live. 

People are going to be hurt.  A society, or even a single person, cannot do what they want, when they want, to whom they want without hurting someone.  The Nazis proved this in a very extensive way.  Many thought that everything they were doing was right and many people were killed.  I do not see how, as a society, we think we can do the same and expect a different result. 

However, in such a society the church should stand apart and proclaim the truth, the life, and the way.  It must be intolerant.  Jesus Himself said the path is narrow.  He is the ONLY way.  God does not tolerate an alternate path to Him.  Follow the Messiah today and determine to walk on His narrow path.  

Field of Dreams

Matt 8: 20Jesus replied, "Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

I've never been satisfied with the commentaries on this verse.  All that I've read are much more obtuse than the verse itself.  This verse comes in the middle of a promise of commitment from a potential follower, but Jesus' response to this promise is this odd verse.  Clearly Jesus, who can uniquely know the motivations of the potential follower's heart, knew that this person would lack the commitment it takes to be an itinerant rabbi with no home in which to live, no home church in which to preach, etc. 

I think we often fall into what I call the "Field of Dreams" trap: if we build a nice building and orchestrate programs with worldly excellence, than people will flock to the doors of our church.  To be clear, I don't advocate anything less than our best for our Savior, but we need to study Him to know how to be like him.  He had a radical approach that would be equally radical today. 

First, He didn't build an all-inclusive band of followers.  In fact, in this series of exchanges, he turned away two people who were pledging to follow him.  So I don't feel pressured in any way (except by the world) to water down scripture and accept any behavior.  While today's world is telling us that it is politically incorrect to reject anyone because of their beliefs and resultant behavior, we can stand confidently in the God of the Bible who does not change and sets exactly one standard: Holiness (Lev 11:44-45, 19:2, 1 Ptr 1:15-16). 

Second, Jesus spent three years living into 12 lives.  He didn't build a mega church welcoming everyone he met into membership with no standards.  He didn't build a program or a building.  He built deep and abiding relationships with only 12 people.  I often worry that the worldly standards of job performance creep into our churches and we build expectations for our paid staff of 40 hours of service behind a computer working on communication strategies, lesson or sermon plans, and cool trips and fail to set expecations and allocate work hours to intentional visitation.  Furthermore, I bet when I mention visitation, we think of bereavement or hospital/nursing home visits.  It seems instead that the first priority should be visitation that seeks to discern spiritual maturity.  After all, Jesus even told one of the potential followers that they should let the dead bury their own and this person should follow Him now (obviously this person lived at home with a parent who was very much alive and He was putting off discipleship until this person passed away).  Jesus has an urgency first and foremost about our spiritual health. 

Finally, we should be mindful that the work of the church isn't limited to its paid staff. We are all called into the priesthood (1 Ptr 2:9) and we should be about the Lord's work in all that we do (Col 3:17). 

Is Forgiveness a Doormat?

An issue we seem to face today is, does being a Christian and continually forgiving and loving people  again and again make us the doormats of society?  Writer Natasha Dern said, “If people are constantly expecting you to give in, let go, forgive bad behavior, and accuse you of not being spiritual when healthy boundaries are established, then they are treating you like a doormat.”  It seems to me that many Christians are very unsure what are the rules of engagement.  Is it unloving to establish boundaries?  

One consideration is that Jesus said the 2^nd greatest commandment is to “love you neighbor as you love yourself”.  We are not loving ourselves very much if we put ourselves in a position to be disrespected, slandered, or in extreme cases violated by others.  That is not a demonstration of love or affection.  No one is going to grow closer to God by doing ungodly acts to others.  If we put someone in a position to do so, we are not encouraging their spiritual growth or ours.

Jesus also said we are to teach others how to treat us.  He said, “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them.”  This is commonly known as the Golden Rule.  If we continually allow someone to mistreat us, to disrespect us, to slander us to our friends and family, or to even physically abuse us, we are or have trained them to do this every time there is no confrontation to state it’s wrong.  When we do oppose this formed habit there will be resistance.  If we want to be treated differently then we need to train others how we want to be treated.  This training is directly related in how we interact with them.  While two tools we have are our words (communications) and our actions, our greatest tool is to pray for the direct interaction of God’s Holy Spirit in every word and in every action.  If someone is hell bent on opposing us, then we are fools if we do not adamantly ask for God’s protection so they can oppose the Spirit of God Himself. 

We need to consider in our responses to the threats, accusations, verbal attacks, and condemnations more than our pain (if we show it at all), but reflection of God’s Word.  Anyone who mistreats others, disrespects others, slanders others, or abuses others is really in a fight against God.  It is important for us to forgive them and not be resentful, but it is equally important to love ourselves enough to establish boundaries.  1 Corinthians 5:11 says, “I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler--not even to eat with such a one.”  And 2 Timothy 3:2-5 says, “For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.”  So the Bible tells us it is not rude or unloving to establish boundaries with others.  Forgiving someone does not mean they have the same place in your life they did before.  However, if there has been repentance, then there can be a re-establishment.  But forgiveness itself does not permit the same authority, respect, and allowed actions as before.

Finally, Psalm 34:11 says “depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.”  How do you seek peace when you purposefully put yourself around people who mistreat you, attack you, or condemn you?  We have to very careful in our associations so that such people do not disrupt our communion with God or our walk with God.

We are required to forgive forever.  That forgiveness should not be with resentment.  It should be a complete work.  However, forgiving does not mean the relationship doesn't or shouldn't change.  It is often a work of love and sacrifice to establish boundaries.  Often it is also necessary so all parties involved have the greatest chance of growing closer to God.