Misapplication of Grace?

I've often wondered how frequently the apostle Paul was haunted by his own past, after becoming a Christian.  Perhaps his spiritual ability to receive and to communicate the grace of God sprang from that grace liberally applied to his own life.  As a reminder, Paul (while named Saul) had many Christians killed for their faith, while he zealously persecuted the Christian movement.  He had much to be forgiven.

(If we are honest with ourselves, don't we all?)

This morning's news program featured a U.S. Congressman who was railing against the fact a certain public figure had committed numerous legal transgressions.  Yet, no action has been taken or is being taken against her.  She is unrepentant.  There seems to be, increasingly, an uneven, one-sided application of justice in our country, a "misapplication of grace".  Those who are of a certain political persuasion or social class or of "greater value to society" are apparently "above the law".

This misapplication of grace is rather prevalent in our country.  Admittedly, it is a conundrum.  As a parent, for instance, it is very hard to know when it is best to hold our children responsible for bad decisions and when to "rescue" them, when to give grace.

For some, the story of Onesimus rankles.  It bothers them that this thief is being "let off the hook". To them, Onesimus will always be defined in light of his mistake; he will always be viewed a thief.  Of course, we do not know all the details of the story.  We do know this, though, that Paul is requesting
a.  to pay the debt Onesimus owes his master, Philemon
b.  that Philemon treat the returning Onesimus as a brother in Christ, as opposed to merely a slave.

The entire book of Philemon is a picture of God's grace to each of us.  The heart of the letter is love, the "law of God the Son".  Paul, here, represents our Triune God.  Onesimus represents every repentant sinner. Philemon represents the Church.

1.  Paul represents God.
He does not force Philemon to accept Onesimus although, with apostolic authority he could have ordered Philemon to obey.  Paul instead reminds Philemon that it was through Paul's ministry he was led to Christ.  He appeals to Philemon on the basis of love.  Father God treats us the same way.  He does not force.  He invites.   He appeals.  He beseeches.
Paul also represents the Father in that he pays the price Onesimus owes (vs. 18-19), just as Jesus Christ, God the Son, did for us.

2.   Onesimus represents slaves like we (are/were).
He had gotten himself into a situation from which he was unable to free himself. He owed a debt he could not pay.  In trying to fix his own situation, he only made it worse.  However, upon hearing the gospel from Paul (which is not to say he had not already heard it in Philemon's household), he accepted God's "fix", God's solution to his sin problem...salvation through grace/faith in Jesus Christ.
So, Onesimus is not being "let off the hook".  Rather, a tremendous price was paid by God to "make things right" for him positionally and eternally, the price of God's own Son.  Being accepted in Christ does not automatically free the new believer of the consequences of sin here on Earth, as we all know. Physical scars remain.  Nor does salvation cause us to never sin again in this world.  Sin ever seeks to again enslave us, pursuing us as a cheetah pursues a gazelle.

3.  Philemon represents the Church, the brotherhood of the saints.  Oh how hard it is to model ourselves after the character of God, according to His Holy Spirit who lives within us!  Perhaps Philemon struggled with this as well.  Satan tempts us to deal with each other harshly and with an unforgiving spirit.  Again, the key here is that Onesimus was a changed person, a repentant brother in Christ.  Nowhere in Scripture is the covering-over of sin applauded. This letter is not advocating overlooking sin or condoning a lack of confession or repentance. True restoration must contain those elements before restorative grace can be applied to one another and fellowship reaffirmed.
May we never be a Church that defines repentant sinners in light of their sins.  Instead, may we "remember them against them no more" (Isaiah 43:25; Hebrews 8:12)

I am reading a book that contrasts the Muslim faith with the Christian.1  The writer, a former devout Muslim, now a devout Christian, points out that Muslims struggle mightily with the concept of the Christian God's grace.  It is totally foreign to them.  "Why obey if you are already forgiven everything?"  The Christian's answer:  the law of love.  He/she who has been forgiven much, loves much.  (Luke 7:47)

The Bible does not tell us whether or not Philemon received the transformed Onesimus as he would receive Paul, who led the both of them to faith in Christ.  But, I imagine he did.  May we do the same.

Father God, I have so much for which to be forgiven, day in and day out.  But, I marvel at Your eternal grace, which has covered all my sin.  I pray that I may never make you ashamed of the grace You so lavishly poured out on me.  May I be even more emboldened and empowered to share that message of grace with others, who don't yet know You, who so desperately need to hear it, who so deeply desire to turn from their sins and find their eternal salvation (their soul's rest) in You.  In Jesus' name, amen.

Source:

1   Qureshi, Nabeel (2016). No God but one: Allah or Jesus?: A former Muslim investigates the evidence for Islam and Christianity.  Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

 

Trampling Locusts

There are times when the lifelong, amazing faithfulness of my God simply stupefies this old girl.

Recently, while sitting in church, listening to a wonderful sermon, designed to urge our church family to greater prayer, fasting, evangelism and discipleship, God brought today's verse to my mind.  Later, during the invitation period, a lady joined the church.  She is a Christian, but had not formally joined our local fellowship of believers.  Those are two separate events in a person's life, although many times joining a church closely follows the decision to accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

In my friend's case, however, the latter was not the case.  She had some time ago made that eternal decision, for Jesus.  But, a family situation was holding her back from joining our church. Her husband is of another faith. After our service was over, we were invited to the front to come and welcome the new member into our fellowship.  This is typical of our church.  As I was standing in line, thinking about her situation, God reminded me of His faithfulness, even when we see little hope of things changing for the better.

When my husband and I married, there was no doubt in my mind he was a true believer in Jesus Christ.  He wanted to go to church with me, within our church denomination.  We settled in to a church routine. It was the first time he had regularly attended church in his adult life. We both attended, and I exercised my spiritual gifts.  This situation could have been worse, I understood. Still, I was longing for my husband to realize his own spiritual gifts and use them for God's kingdom.  He was very hesitant.  Years went on (about 17), and it appeared that, well, that's just the way it was going to be.

All during those years, though, God was working!  He was still faithful!  I could not see it, but He knew exactly what he was doing.

Fast forward: today my husband is a deacon, who ministers to widows, goes out weekly on visitation, teaches Sunday School, serves on key committees ... It's just a miracle, truly.  It was, and is, a beautiful work of God to behold, to see His faithfulness on display.  I thought about that, as this dear sister in faith, stepped out in obedience.  When I got my turn to shake her hand, I shared words of encouragement with her.  God is faithful!  

Your faithfulness continues from generation to generation. You established the earth, and it stands firm.

Psalm 119:90

When we exercise our faith, despite our circumstances, we are closely imitating Jesus.  I've been in some excruciating circumstances over the years, but honestly, I've never sweat drops of blood.  Have you?  Yet, that is what Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane, shortly before He was taken into custody to begin the long, torturous road to the cross and grave.  We are spared from knowing our own futures.  But, Christ knew God's plan.  He knew what He would be facing.  In those Gethsemane prayers, His humanity wrestled with His deity.  In the end, He submitted His will to walk in faith the path His father, our Father, set before Him.

It is when we exercise our faith, hold on to His love for us despite the circumstances that we trample on locusts.  It is only through our faith that God restores what the locusts have eaten.

I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—

    the great locust and the young locust,

    the other locusts and the locust swarm—

Joel 2:25 is such an interesting verse!  Even though the NIV translates the word "locusts" on the second and third lines above, the four Hebrew words used there have an unknown origin.  What seems to be the intent is that, regardless of the varied damage caused by our ravaging enemy, Satan, God can restore.  He can redeem.  He can bring beauty from ashes.  He only asks us to trust Him, exercise our faith in His ability to do it.  He gives us several examples in the Bible of where He has done this.  Here are a few: Abraham, Ruth, Naomi, Esther, Job, Daniel, David, Paul, Peter, Mary Magdalene, Lazarus...the more I've thought about it, there are "restoration stories" in nearly every biblical character. 

So, no roadkill-gazing!  We do ourselves nor anyone else any good to stand and watch the flies buzz over the roadkill of our choices, dreams, relationships, devastating losses. There is a time for regret or mourning.  But, we must move on to grab hold of His forgiveness and peace.   We must repent, if necessary, or if not, at least humble ourselves under the hand of our all-knowing, all-mighty God, put our hand in His, and move forward in faith.

Is this prosperity teaching?  Does this mean that things will always turn out as we wish them to?  No. Often His way of restoring does not look like we think it should.  He is the source of all peace, which surpasses all of our limited understanding.  Regardless of the way He chooses to restore, we can have His peace - - - that He has a plan, and that it is being unrolled for our spiritual good.  Always. Always!

Dear God, thank you for never "letting go" of us, Your children, for holding tight to our hands as You lead us through the valleys and mountain peaks of this life.  Thank you for the encouragement of Your Holy Bible, godly counselors and most of all the the Holy Spirit of Your blessed Son, Jesus, all of whom teach us how to walk in faith, how to trample locusts.  In Jesus' name, amen.

When Siblings Sin

The other day I went hiking, by myself, in a state park.  The trail led alongside a steep cliff, down to a waterfall.  There were signs every few feet, warning hikers to "stay on the path!"  Those signs are there because the tendency for hikers is to get as close to the edge as possible, supposedly in the name of experiencing the hike to the fullest, or somesuch.  This is a great analogy of the Christian walk.  While Christians do not dwell in, wallow in sin (or else they are not truly Christians --- Galatians 5:21, for one...) there are times that we wander off the resplendent path.  What to do?

I'm continuing on in Galatians, almost ready to finish this Pauline letter.  Galatians 6:1-5, our text for this morning, is one of those neglected texts.  I have heard very few, if any sermons about it.  But, it is an important bit of teaching.  So, we are not going to gloss over it today.

Brothers and sisters, if a person is discovered in some sin, you who are spiritual restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness. Pay close attention to yourselves, so that you are not tempted too. 2 Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.4 Let each one examine his own work. Then he can take pride in himself and not compare himself with someone else. 5 For each one will carry his own load.

First, notice that this passage (like the entire letter of Galatians) is addressed to believers, Christians. So, this is not to be applied to non-believers.  Regardless of an unbeliever's sin, their highest, greatest need is to enter in to a salvation relationship with Jesus Christ.  Trying to apply Galatians 6:1-5 to an unbeliever is like trying to "put lipstick on a pig" (to quote Sarah Palin, who I am deeply disappointed in, but that's another story...).  "Brothers and sisters" always refers to those who are Jesus Christ's children and followers, those forever saved by grace.

What Paul is doing here is instructing this young group of believers in how to deal with sin in the church, because Christians will lapse into sin.  "You who are spiritual" does not mean "the most perfect person in the church" - - - what a ridiculous concept!  It refers to a mature Christian who has examined his or her own work, as directed in verses 1 and 4.  We read in verse 2 that the Christian who has gotten bogged down in some sin - - that the situation is a burden to him.  Absolutely right! One of the marks of the Christian is that the HolySpirit will not leave him/her alone about a sin, but will pester and nudge and sometimes wallop until the believer confesses it and makes it right with those who have been wronged.

Mature believers who see another believer in a sin must, after self-examination, restore that brother or sister with gentleness.  Obviously, this is tricky business.

Sometimes, a brother or sister will confess his or her sin to a fellow believer, because this is scriptural:

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

James 5:16 NIV

In that case, the restoring brother/sister will listen with gentleness, comfort with gentleness, and advise with gentleness and pray for the other person.  It is a great blessing to be chosen by another believer in this way.  It is a sign of tremendous trust.  God promises His healing when we restore each other in this way.

At other times, believers do NOT realize their sin and go confess it to God and then to a fellow believer.  At still other times, believers DO realize their sin and don't want to confess it ... or give it up for that matter.  It is at those times that a loving brother or sister in the faith should prepare his or her heart and speak to the other person privately and gently about the matter.

What about that fellow believer who stubbornly refuses to confess and repent?  That's the subject of another blog post.  But, here are a couple of relevant scriptures for you to study:
2 Thessalonians 3:6-15
1 Corinthians 5:9-13
And, if you want to read an excellent, thorough treatment of this subject, I highly recommend John MacArthur's commentary on it, which you can find here:
https://www.gty.org/resources/print/bible-qna/BQ081012

Here is where we fall down as the Body of Christ.  We simply do not do Galatians 6:1-5.  Let's just 'fess up, here.  We make all kinds of excuses to avoid doing it.  Here are a few:
"It's none of my business."
"If I'm honest with myself, I'm doing the same thing...or something worse."  (There's a real stinger!)
"It will ruin our relationship if I mention it."
"It's 'judging' ".  (total hogwash, and worthy of an entire blog post in the future! See the MacArthur link above, as a starting point.)

Let's consider for the moment the repercussions of not doing Galatians 6:1-5, of not examining ourselves, routinely confessing our own sins, and holding our fellow Christians accountable.
The number one, major result of this is a sin-filled church that not only doesn't win others to Christ, it propels them AWAY from our Savior!  A sin-filled, self-centered, hypocritical church is offensive to "the unsaved world", and it should be equally offensive to us, His Own.  Then, obviously, the sin is hurting the Christian who is sinning.  If we love our brothers and sisters in the Lord, we should long to see them restored.

In closing, let me emphasize that these matters MUST be bathed in fervent prayer.  Don't fire off the gun of your mouth with the hammer "half-cocked", as the expression goes.  When God lays on your heart to speak to a brother or sister in the spirit of this Galatians passage, hit your knees first...and stay there a while, listening to the Spirit give you wisdom and direction.  Then, proceed with gentleness, as the Scriptures command.

Father, first of all, make me even more diligent about allowing Your Spirit to root out my own sin, before I even notice the sins of my brothers and sisters.  On those occasions when you want me to speak to someone else, to share Your words with a burdened believer, fill my mouth, Lord.  Don't let me say one ungentle word, one unloving word or one word that is contrary to Your desires.  In Jesus' name, amen.

My God Who Chases

I remember playing tag as a child.  On summer nights, at community or church gatherings, we children would burst out of the adult conclave and run with the fireflies.  How wonderful it felt to be chased, joyful screams of laughter bursting out of us when caught!

If you ever went to church as a child, you most likely heard the story of "Jonah and the Whale". You may have even worked on a coloring page about it, as this is a mainstay of children's Sunday School. On the face of things, it seems like just one more fantastical tale.  However, I believe it was chosen for inclusion in the Old Testament (Jonah 1:1 - 3:5) for the purpose of teaching us rich lessons.
Here are facts:

1.  Nineveh was a huge, rich, wicked city, the capital of the barbaric Assyrian Empire.  (Think Las Vegas, for example.)
2.  God instructed Jonah to go preach to Nineveh's inhabitants a message of repentance:  "Repent or be destroyed".
3.  Jonah refused to obey God.  Didn't like the message; wanted none of it...
4.  Jonah ran from God in an effort to escape this assignment.
5.  God chased Jonah, using a mighty storm and a huge fish for his purposes.
6.  Jonah (many believe) died in the belly of the whale.  Regardless, he was there for 3 days and 3 nights.
7.  The fish, heartily sick to its stomach, spewed Jonah out onto the seashore, alive.
8.  God re-issued the assignment to Jonah.
9.  Jonah obeyed.
10.  Nineveh repented.

That is not the end of Jonah's story, but we'll stop with the above facts for today's post.
Now, so what?  What does this have to do with Advent, after all?

Jonah was a real man, but he represents so much more!  I find myself resembling him way too much for my own liking.  Have you ever said, "No!" to God?  I have, on many occasions.  Essentially, any time we choose to act out, we are saying, "no" to God.  There are reasons we do this.  I don't need to list them here, because you know them.  Just like me, you've thought them or done them.

Imagine you are able to go back in time to Bethlehem and have the privilege of approaching the stable to kneel at the manger.  Can you picture it?  Can you see yourself?  What are you wearing? Are your clothes spotless?  Is your body clean?  Do you smell good?  At Advent, this is something we do: in our hearts, we approach the Manger, to worship the King.  And, this is good and right.  Many times, though, as we come to worship, we have manure on our shoes, and our pits stink.  There are food droppings on our chest from where we've been careless in our eating.  Our hair is tangled or our beards are nasty. There is crud under our nails.

The latter is a picture of our sin, our personal running from God.  It dirties us up so that, when we approach His presence, we are soiled, stained, ruined, in need of salvation, in desperate need of grace.

Ann Voskamp points out that repentance "is the only way to be ushered into grace."

Repentance means literally "to turn around and go in the opposite direction".  In Jonah's case, it meant to cease from running from God, then turning around and going toward Nineveh.  In our situations, it means to come to a full stop, turn around and move toward the God who chases, seeking His will in our lives.  When we move toward Him, our hands cannot bring our beloved sins with us. No, in our turning, we must lay them down and leave them behind.  Only cleansed, covered by His grace can we truly bow at His feet in worship.

Jonah not only represents us.  He also pre-figures, foreshadows Christ.  We read Jesus' own words in Matthew 12:40 - - 

"For just as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish (Greek: κήτους ) three days and three nights,

so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights."

It is because of these words of the Lord that many Bible scholars believe that Jonah drowned before being swallowed up by the great fish, and that after being dead for 3 days, God resurrected him.  I will not debate this point; I merely offer it for your consideration.

Whether at Advent or not, we often find ourselves drowning in life's stormy waters.  We cry out, "I can't handle this!"  So true.  We can't.  But God can.  No storm of life can submerge me beyond where His goodness, mercy and grace can resurrect me!

I am so glad that God chased after Jonah.  I am so glad He passionately chases after you and me.  He does so ... not only that we may carry out His perfect plans, but to rescue us, to wash and restore us, to resurrect and bring us out onto dry land.

It's right there in Psalm 23:6 (The Message) - -

Your beauty and love chase after me, every day of my life.

False gods expect us to perform, to measure up.  Our God comes down to us, in the form of a Baby, and He chases and chases and chases us.  The Hebrew word for "chase" in verse 6 is "radaph", which means "to pursue", "to hunt down".  My God, the Lover of My Soul, never gives up on me.  He chases me to repentance, pursues me with His love and grace.

Stop pursuing your image of "a better life".  Recognize that the Author of Abundant Life is pursuing you.  Stop running.  Allow yourself to be caught today.

If you have time, you will be so blessed by watching this adaptation of Francis Thompson's classic poem, "The Hound of Heaven".

Here is a link to the poem:
http://www.bartleby.com/236/239.html

And here is the wonderful video adaptation:
https://vimeo.com/89705938


Additional Sources:

Voskamp, Ann. The Greatest Gift: Unwrapping the Full Love Story of Christmas. 

http://www.aholyexperience.com/2012/08/when-you-are-finding-it-hard-to-keep-up-chased-by-grace/

Sledgehammer Seasons

Today’s post comes to you from the interior of my car.  No, I am not typing and driving, though some of you would not put it past me.  Hubster is at the helm, and we are traveling to the funeral of one of his long-time friends, a dear one he has known for over 45 years.  A dear one who now rests in the arms of his Savior.  And to Jim’s friends and family today feels like a sledgehammer day.

What is a miracle?  Some would say that it is some grandiose event that causes people to gasp in amazement at the sheer goodness of it.  These are flagrant, outrageous miracles.  Some miracles ARE like that…stupefying.  Often, a miracle is defined as God doing what we want Him to do in a situation that threatens to beat us into the ground, leaving us lying there, a bloody mess.

The greatest majority of miracles, though, go unrecognized, unseen.  Ann Voskamp reminds us of Naomi as an example of a sister who had been so hammered by the heart-rending events of her life, she was blind to the miracle unfolding around her.   I can’t self-righteously condemn Naomi because I have reacted the same way to adversity, haven’t you?   Been so wracked with pain that I could not see God’s hand of redemption, could not see how He was using my situation for His glory, could not see how He would ever, ever restore what had been lost?

The other night I watched the autobiographical movie, produced by Dolly Parton, called Coat of Many Colors.  There was a Naomi story, for sure.  Dolly was about 8 when her mother became pregnant with her 9^th child. (I may be misremembering the numbers...) She and her husband had been very fertile, and Mrs. Parton had birthed a new baby just about every year for several years.  Still, the family was very excited about the new baby on the way.  Mrs. Parton had told Dolly this baby would be “hers” to help raise.  They had guessed he would be a boy, and they had named him “Larry”.  God, in His sovereignty, chose to call Larry home, before he could fully develop.  Larry died shortly after birth.  What a sledgehammer moment!  In addition to that, the Partons were, as Dolly’s daddy described it, “the second poorest family in Sevier County”.  But, the truth which dragged Dolly’s mother down the most was the knowledge that her beloved husband was not a believer in Jesus Christ.  All of these circumstances conspired to throw her into a deep depression and to rip apart her relationship with her husband and family.

When she began to emerge from this, she took the baby blanket she had made for Larry, ripped and rearranged it, and made a “coat of many colors”, a patchwork coat, for Dolly.  Such a beautiful picture of how God takes the most broken pieces and weaves them into something new and spectacular.  Dolly had her own Naomi road to walk, as she grieved for her baby brother.  It took her a long time to see God’s hand at work.  What Satan meant for evil, God transformed for good.  Mrs. Parton’s gifted daughter went on to become the songbird God had created her to be, one who has inspired millions.

God delights in doing His greatest works with the least “resources”.  I’m reminded of that verse, “He has chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the mighty.”

For many, the “holiday season” is particularly brutal; the hammer hits particularly hard.  JOY is abundant, swirling around the broken like a suffocating mist.

 It is in our own personal weaknesses that we must look for His miraculous power.  He has not left or abandoned us in those Naomi times.  Just as Advent is the promise of His coming, just as He brought Great Light to a hopeless people, those “who walked in darkness”, He is busy, doing His impossible, perfect work.  Ann says, “Brilliant people don’t deny the dark; they are the ones who never stop looking for His light in everything.”  I don’t think she means “brilliant” in the sense of “extremely smart”.  I think she is referring to those who are so radiantly filled with Jesus, the Light of Life, that they shine brilliantly, resplendently, exploding with God’s Spirit, the Divine Sledgehammer who is able to break all darkness into pieces.

Father, I love the story of Ruth, Naomi, Boaz, Obed, Jesse and David.  Out of one woman’s greatest loss, your blessings came rolling on, like a tsunami wave.  And now, she is known not as Naomi the Bitter, but as Naomi the Blessed, Naomi the Great-Great-Grandmother of David, the greatest king the Hebrews had known, the one who was only eclipsed in glory by his descendant, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  What redemption!  What restoration!  What glory! May His blessed name be forever praised, amen.

Source:

Voskamp, Ann. The Greatest Gift: Unwrapping the Full Love Story of Christmas. 

Rice and Refuge

Good morning,

There are times when, even having heard the truth of the gospel, we lose our way.  We get off God's path.  We lose perspective.  It may be a sudden event which catapults us into the briar patch.  Or, it may be a more gradual veer.  Suddenly, we find ourselves in the weeds, or in the swamp, or in the muck and mire.

Last night was a great time of ministry in ATL.  However, it was a late night and at an ungodly hour I climbed into the bathtub with my iPad.  This is part of my evening ritual.  What was not typical about last night was that the iPad got baptized.  I keep it in a combo case-keyboard, which most assuredly was ruined. Still, I was hoping that the case kept the iPad sheltered enough to save it.  With a hopeful heart I tried to use it, only to find that it was flitting around from app to app, blinking, trying to shut down, but then powering back up - - - doing all kinds of frantic didos.  It looked kind of like it was losing its mind.

After taking it out of the case and drying it off, into a Tupperware container of rice it went; and, I headed off to bed.  This morning, I got up, started the coffee and looked in on my little, electronic friend.  Miraculously, it seemed to be normal; so, I plugged it in and am currently sending it through an OS update.  I figure if it can survive that, it can handle just about anything.

Over the Thanksgiving break I was made aware of a loved one who, figuratively speaking, had gotten a dunking.  Those closer to him had despaired of his very life.  I was heartbroken to hear that this beautiful, gifted soul had come so close to total breakdown and destruction.  His closer loved ones are rallying around him, bringing critical resources to bear as they support him through this time of anguish.

One resource is indispensable in times like these: the LORD.  He is "the rice" who will rescue, revive and restore us.  Without him, all other "resources" are of extremely limited value.  Often, our unintended destinations result from our deliberately turning our backs on Him, and refusing to walk in His ways.  Other times, we end up where we don't want to be because of circumstances out of our "control" (or the illusion thereof).

Regardless, the Scriptures tell us that He is our hiding place and our deliverer.  Although there are many verses pertinent to this topic here is one of my favorites, from Psalms.

You are my hiding place;

you protect me from distress.

You surround me with shouts of joy from those celebrating deliverance. (Selah)

8 

I will instruct and teach you about how you should live.

I will advise you as I look you in the eye.

Psalm 32:7-8 (NET)

He surrounds his troubled children in times of terror, like a blanket of dry rice.  He is a refuge, a place of safety and security.  As soon as we seek Him, the shouts of deliverance joy begin.  Don't you just love that?  He knows the end from the beginning!  Even when we cannot see the end of our troubles, He not only sees them, He shouts for joy as the One who "makes all things new".

I'm aware of another, separate situation in which the "child" going through it may not see ultimate deliverance in this earthly life.  Sometimes, deliverance is perfected in Heaven.  There is nothing to compare to that standard of "making all things new".  Wow, what a thought to contemplate!

Even in those kinds of "hopeless" situations, though, as in all such trials and tribulations, the LORD says He will "look us in the eye."  Most of us have a memory, either as a child or as a parent, of someone taking us by the chin and saying, "Look at me".  Usually, it is before vital instruction is about to be given.  So it is with the LORD.  He takes us by our spiritual chins and says, "Look at me. I will instruct and teach you about how you should live."  Thank you, sweet LORD!

You may or may not be in a situation today where all your circuits are going haywire, where you are blinking and apping all over the place.  You may or may not be in a situation where you are too broken even to flop and flounder, physically.  Regardless, let the rice of the Holy Spirit cover you, surround you.  He is there with you, in the middle of your trouble, grief or terror.  He is waiting for you to call on Him to come and reach you, rescue you, make all things new again.  Your only Savior is waiting; all you have to do is call.

Oh LORD, the world and its rulers are often sickeningly successful at deceiving us into believing we do not need You, that we can handle this on our own, that we are our own gods.  The result of our deception is that we get lost in the weeds.  I am so thankful that You never turn your back on us in those times; all of us have "been there" to one extent or another at some time or another.  When You answer our cry for help and rescue us, in "making all things new" You don't always reverse the consequences of our situations.  You do, however, give us a greater portion of Your Holy Spirit so that we come out of those trials "stronger" in Your incomparable strength.  I praise You for that, LORD.  I praise You for how You bring beauty out of ashes, new growth out of a dead stump, how You restore what the locusts have eaten (Joel 2:25).  Father, I pray for those who need for You to take them by the chin this morning.  I pray that they will seek You, fix their eyes on You so that You can do what only You can do...the miraculous!  In Jesus' name, amen.

Victory Parade

Good morning,

For whatever the reason I have very strong memories of a band trip I took to Mobile, AL, while in high school.  We were quite "jazzed" (yes, it WAS an intentional pun!) to be marching in the Mardi Gras parade that year.  I think it was 1974.   At any rate, we had these uniforms which were designed for guys.  I looked like a total heifer in them.  And, our shoes had to be "whitewashed" on a regular basis with shoe polish.  The thing I remember about the parade, other than my total revulsion over the shenanigans I saw was that, along the route, I stepped in a huge pile of horse manure.  Needless to say, I was quite disgusted; the situation distracted me for the rest of the parade.  I can still remember trying to clean that stuff off those white shoes.  It was impossible for me to get off!

2 Corinthians 2:14-17 describes "the resplendent walk", which inspired the title of this blog.  An alternate title could have been "triumphal march" or "victory parade"!

14-16 In the Messiah, in Christ, God leads us from place to place in one perpetual victory parade. Through us, he brings knowledge of Christ. Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance. Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God, which is recognized by those on the way of salvation—an aroma redolent with life. But those on the way to destruction treat us more like the stench from a rotting corpse.

16-17 This is a terrific responsibility. Is anyone competent to take it on? No—but at least we don’t take God’s Word, water it down, and then take it to the streets to sell it cheap. We stand in Christ’s presence when we speak; God looks us in the face. We get what we say straight from God and say it as honestly as we can.  

The Message

What does this mean, then - - - to march in victory?  Does it mean we never step in the poo?  Does it mean that things are "happy, happy, happy all the time"?  Of course not.  I'll be honest.  I've been struggling lately.  Since the beginning of September, I've spent more time than I would like in hospitals and funeral homes.  People I know and love (8 different families) have experienced a tragic loss since the beginning of September.  It has been heartbreaking and frankly, smelled a whole lot like "the poody-poo" (as Turtleman calls it).  I know in my head and in my heart that we have the victory in Jesus; I've just not so much been "feeling it" lately.

So, this morning, I am consoling myself with the truths of this passage.
1.  Victory begins by accepting Jesus as Savior (vs. 14).  This does not mean going through the machinations of this or that church, per se.  Machinations and spiritual gymnastics (aka "works") do not save you or put you on the parade route.  No, there must be an intentional, heartfelt decision, a willful turning to Christ as Lord and Savior.  You must "put on Christ", as it says in Galatians 3:27 and Romans 13:14. This clothing of ourselves in Jesus is like putting on our band uniform; you can't get into the victory parade without it.  As vs. 14 says above, it is only in Christ that God leads us from place to place in one, perpetual victory parade.
2.  Then, God leads us.  When you march in a parade, you must follow your designated leader.  To continue with this (somewhat flawed) analogy, God is our divine Drum Major.  Victory is only possible if we keep our eyes on Him and follow.  Sometimes, He leads us where we don't want to go. But, that is not up to us.  We used to blithely (or at least I did it blithely) sing in church, "Where He Leads Me I Will Follow" years ago.  Not as easy as the song says, is it?
3.  Victory walk is "redolent with life"!  Christ in us gives us a distinct "smell of victory".  If you have been a Christian for any length of time, you know this.  Other believers will often recognize that "signature scent", and it is a sweet aroma to them.  On the contrary, to unbelievers, we stink.  The odor of salvation is so offensive to them that, often, they seek to smear us with poody-poo in order to cover the scent.  The degree of offense here is staggering.  The Bible says that the aroma of salvation stinks like a "rotting corpse" to the unsaved.  Now, I've never smelled a rotting corpse; I hope to never have that experience.  This degree of revulsion on the part of unbelievers (many of them at least) explains why only the Holy Spirit can draw a person to salvation (John 6:44).  This is why we must pray earnestly for our lost friends, acquaintances and loved ones.
4.  Walking in victory means taking God's message, His undiluted words of salvation, and sharing them with a lost world.  Oh y'all, I am so convicted by this command from our Savior (Matthew 28:18-20)!  Refusing to tell the good news, ignoring "The Great Commission" is NOT an option for the Christian.  "Is anyone capable of this in him- or herself", Paul asks (vs. 16)?  No.  It is only Christ in us who gives us the power to accomplish His commission to us.  We don't have that power in or of ourselves.

So, what about that poo?  Well, we go to the Lord for cleansing, because we are incapable of cleaning ourselves up, just as I was unable to get all that horse poo off my white shoes.  He scrapes the filth off of our souls, pats us on the butt and sends us back out into the parade.  There is no poo He cannot handle.  You know, I can't think of much worse than sitting around, covered in filth.  On a recent mission trip, one of our team members fell into a ditch of nastiness....while trying to help someone else!  He had great intentions and wonderful motives!  Yet, he became covered in poo.  What was his response?  To sit around in it and say, "Woe is me.  I am done for.  I am useless. I might as well give up.  God can't use me  - - - I'm covered in poo."  ??  Of course not!  He immediately went to the place of cleansing and got cleaned up.  In no time, he was back in the victory parade.  God is always SO good, Y'all!

This is a particular peril for unbelievers.  Some of them actually want to come to Jesus for salvation, but the enemy has convinced them that they are covered in so much poo that not even Jesus can clean them up.  Nonsense!  Jesus is the One who "makes all things new" (Revelation 21:5)!  One of these days, He will completely re-create the heavens and the earth.  He can certainly transform completely your soul, whether you are covered in the poo of addiction, sexual enslavement, lying, cheating stealing, killing...He is greater than all that!  His grace is far greater than all our sin.

My Christian brother, Chuck Colson, knew this.  He knew about that supernatural grace that is greater than all our sin.  If you have 9 more minutes, watch and listen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eO19Tdjl5w

Dear Father, I thank you with my whole heart that Your grace is greater than any poo the devil can sling, smear or place in our paths.  You are so glorious, so far beyond our wildest imaginations.  I praise You for taking us from the deepest pits of sin and transforming us forever, then continually molding us into a more recognizable likeness of Your Son.  Thank you for giving us eternal victory and for leading us in Your victory parade, that resplendent walk.  In Jesus' name, amen.

Forgiveness

Good morning,

I was listening via the morning news to a replay clip of Jimmy Fallon's conversation with The Donald last night on The Tonight Show.  Jimmy asked Mr. Trump if he had ever apologized....ever?  Mr. Trump replied that if he ever does anything wrong, he will apologize for it.      <crickets...>

Anyone who has lived long enough has been badly hurt by someone.  That is just a fact of life.  And, if you are not in the former category, you may be in the category of being the "hurter".  Most likely, most of us have been both, at one time or another.

In Matthew 6:12, Jesus prays something astounding.  In the Greek, it is written like this:

"And forgive us the debts of us as also we forgive the debtors of us."

The Greek word for "debts" is ὀφειλήματα, "opheilemata" , which is not found anywhere else in the New Testament, as far as I can determine.

Jesus could have merely prayed, "Father, forgive us."  But, no, He tied our forgiveness to the same manner in which we forgive those who do wrong to us.  In other words, if we refuse to forgive others, forgiveness will be withheld from us.

This statement must have rocked the listeners back on their heels because, after Jesus finishes His model prayer, in verse 13, He goes back to this forgiveness point, to re-emphasize and clarify it, just so there is no misunderstanding.

14For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Jesus reiterates this message in Mark 11:19-26, as He is teaching His disciples.  In Matthew 18:21-35, Jesus tells the story of the unmerciful servant, as illustration of this truth.  Elsewhere in Scripture, we have learned that, as Christians, we are to model Jesus Christ in all aspects of our lives.  Our salvation is assured, because we have accepted Jesus as Savior.  These verses do not contradict those truths.  Our salvation is not conditional on our own works or good deeds.  If it were, the grace of God would be null and void.

However, when we harbor hate and bitterness in our hearts, we fracture our relationship with Father. When we do this, we are acting in diametric opposition to the life of Jesus Christ, which was characterized by forgiveness, even as He was dying on the cross.  We may not be called to die for our belief in Christ Jesus; but, if we are, we will be expected to forgive our murderers with our dying breath.  This is the standard of holiness that our Lord has set before us.

Unreasonable?  Not if you consider the forgiveness of God, which was extended even to the dying thief who was crucified next to Jesus, and whose only redeeming "work" was to cast himself on the mercy of the One, True God, being crucified beside him.  Once we have a clear picture of what we have been forgiven for, we are much more likely to forgive others.  If we have truly experienced God's forgiveness, we will be much more ready to forgive our fellow man.  

12Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, 13bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if someone happens to have a complaint against anyone else. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also forgive others.

Colossians 3:12-13

Unforgiveness is not a healthy state of being.  It leads to anger, bitterness, depression - - - all of which will eat at one's soul, like an acid.  

Crucial Point:
If we have wronged another person, and this comes to our attention either through the testimony of someone else or through the urging of the Holy Spirit, we are to go and make things right with the person we've wronged before we ask God for His forgiveness.  
Psalm 66:18 - - - If I had harbored sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.
Matthew 5:23-24 - - - “Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,  leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.

Sometimes, the person we've wronged is unavailable; perhaps they are dead.  Still, do your best to make things right with those you can.  The Spirit will lead you in this.  Follow His direction.

Listen!  This command includes the failure to forgive yourself.  There are some of us dearly beloved brothers and sisters who are quick to forgive others, but cannot forgive ourselves.  When we attempt to do so, the Enemy, Satan, continues to bring up the past - - horrible mistakes and sins, in an effort to derail the work of God in and through each of His children. Satan is a master of deception and accusation. He will lie to you by claiming that God has not forgiven you and that you should not forgive yourself.

But, here is the truth of God:

When we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  1 John 1:9

God will not despise or reject a broken, repentant, contrite heart.  Psalm 51:17

He has removed our sins from Himself, as far as the east is from the west.  Psalm 103:12

He has cast our sins down into the depths of the deepest sea.  Micah 7:19

He remembers our sins against us no more.  Hebrews 8:12 

These words are our aggressive weapon to use when Satan attacks.  The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17)

  

In his book, I Should Forgive, but..., Dr. Chuck Lynch said this:

"I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard a counselee say, 'Oh, I confessed that sin a year ago - - - a thousand times.'  First, that is 999 times too many.  Second, each subsequent time that sin is confessed, rather than the confession bringing relief, it only reinforces the false belief that it has not been forgiven.  Double, or re-confession, only deepens the false belief that we have not been forgiven."

So, what should we then do when attacked by Satan in this manner?  We should thank God for His forgiveness by praying His Word out loud, and then move on.  Here are some Scriptures to help with that.  Study them on your own and accept their truth.

2 Kings 22:19

Psalm 40:2-4, 11-12

Psalm 32:5

Psalm 51:1-2, 10, 17

Isaiah 55:7

2 Corinthians 7:9-10 

Romans 8:1-3 (precious promise!)

Romans 4:7-8

2 Timothy 1:12

Sobering, isn't it?  Are you getting the idea that God is serious about our forgiving others and ourselves?

Father, I don't want any sin to stand between You and me.  So, I confess my waywardness and deliberate disobedience to You this morning.  If I have wronged another person, Lord, please make me aware of that so that I can make it right.  Thank you for forgiving me so completely and for setting the example that I am commanded to follow in my daily living.  In Jesus' name, amen.

Sources:

Moore, Beth. Praying God's Word. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2009. Print.
Lynch, Chuck. I Should Forgive, But--: Finding Release from Anger and Bitterness. Nashville: Word Pub., 1998. Print.

Cleaning House

Good morning,

There is something wrong with my dishwasher.  It cleans the dishes, sort of, but only after I've mostly washed them by hand.  A repairman said I only need a rinse aid product.  I have my doubts.  I am not a huge fan of cleaning house; every modern convenience is treasured.

1 Corinthians 5 presents a shift in Paul's emphasis.  He moves on to spiritual "house cleaning", addressing another concern observed among this fellowship of believers.  It had apparently been reported to Paul that sexual immorality was occurring in the local church.  He uses this example to emphasize that ongoing, sinful practices in the lives of professing believers should not be tolerated. Frankly, this is not a pleasant chapter to study, because the topic is difficult.

First of all, Christians do not want to admit to their own sin, habitual or occasional.  Pride comes into play here, although there is also the genuine element of not wanting to tarnish Jesus' name.  Yet, when "one of our own" is committing sin repeatedly, and especially in a very public way, something should be done to address it, whether we are comfortable doing so or not.  I remember, several years ago, in another church far away, a church member (also a prominent member of the community) was committing adultery; everyone knew about it.  The spouse was still attending the church.  The pastor and deacons visited their fellow deacon and urged him to repent, to reconcile with his wife.  Well, the man refused.  So, he was told that his membership was going to be rescinded until he changed his ways.  During a church conference, this was prayerfully handled.  It was not fun at all, Y'all.  It was downright awful, in fact.

The Corinthian church did not want to confront their "situation".  Remember, they were "pretty new at all this"; so, one could guess that they were perplexed as to what to do. However, in verse 6, Paul calls them "flippant" and "arrogant" about it.  They did not see that to allow this type of continual sin to go on would soon contaminate the entire congregation.

Your flip and callous arrogance in these things bothers me. You pass it off as a small thing, but it’s anything but that. Yeast, too, is a “small thing,” but it works its way through a whole batch of bread dough pretty fast. So get rid of this “yeast.”

1 Cor. 5:6 (MSG)

Today, there is wholesale cowardice, rampant "looking the other way" going on in many churches. Pastors, leaders and people in the pews are often unwilling to take a stand for righteousness in a godless society.  Taking such a stand often comes at a steep price, one that many are not willing to pay.  Today, for instance, I was reading that a so-called Baptist church in an adjacent state is planning to ordain as ministers those who live a sexually immoral lifestyle, by biblical standards.  This is heartbreaking to me, because it tarnishes the name of all Baptists (in a way similar to those Westboro Baptist Church folks do).  Obviously, not all who call themselves Baptists believe anything close to the same thing.

In chapter 5, Paul was not preaching condemnation to the man living in sin. He was condemning the man's sin.  There was always room for the man to repent and to be restored to the fellowship.  This is clear in verse 5.

I’m telling you that this is wrong. You must not simply look the other way and hope it goes away on its own. Bring it out in the open and deal with it in the authority of Jesus our Master. Assemble the community—I’ll be present in spirit with you and our Master Jesus will be present in power. Hold this man’s conduct up to public scrutiny. Let him defend it if he can! But if he can’t, then out with him! It will be totally devastating to him, of course, and embarrassing to you. But better devastation and embarrassment than damnation. You want him on his feet and forgiven before the Master on the Day of Judgment.

1 Cor. 5:3-5 (MSG)

Paul's earnest desire (and Christ's) was for the man to repent of his sinful practices and be restored to God and to the community of faith.  The whole point of the censure was the sinner's restoration. God's grace is greater than all our sin.  It still is, today.

The other big reason that Christians shy away from confronting sin in the community of faith is because they individually are not walking in holiness.  And, in fact, Jesus railed against this hypocrisy in Matthew 7:1-5 (MSG).  (also recorded in Luke 6.)

7 1-5 “Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.

Dishwasher or not, "cleaning house" had better start at home, yes?  Hebrews 12:14-17 tells us that when we harbor sins that have not been confessed to God, a bitter spirit (spiritual weeds) can take root in our souls. We are wise to be very vigilant about our own shortcomings, our own "failures to hit the target", which is the Greek origin of the word "sin".  Swallow a big old "pride loogie"; confess (to God and to others as needed); repent (turn away from the sin and leave it in the dust); be restored (by the Holy Spirit) - - - the path to holiness, to Christ-likeness.

Remember this important point.  Paul was talking to Christians here about their behavior.  He was not preaching to the non-Christian folk outside the Corinthian fellowship of believers (5:13).

I’m not responsible for what the outsiders do, but don’t we have some responsibility for those within our community of believers? God decides on the outsiders, but we need to decide when our brothers and sisters are out of line and, if necessary, clean house.

It is a distortion of the enemy to portray all Christians who stand on biblical truth as hateful or unloving. Now, granted, some are, ranging from the hate that Westboro spews to implicit condescension or to casual disregard.  However, nothing is more unloving that leaving a person enslaved to sin or on the highway to Hell.  Love isn't wimpy; love must be tough.  Speaking the truth in humility and love is exactly what Jesus did.  It is exactly what we must do.

Father, you know that I did not want to study or blog about 1 Corinthians 5.  Examining my life is not my favorite pastime.  It's so much easier and more fun to just...."la-la-la-la-LA" down life's path, looking the other way.  Save us from this "counterfeit discipleship", Lord.  Give us the courage, the power, through Your Holy Spirit, to be honest about our own sins and to help our brothers/sisters who are floundering in a mud pit.  Such is love.  In Jesus' name, amen.