Prayer

by

The Right Thing In The Wrong Place

Life is full of things that are good and useful when used in the correct manner and place.  Many of these same things can wreak havoc on an individual, group, or society when used in ways and places contradictory to their intended purpose.  Lesson 6 of the study I am leading through 1 Samuel looks at this very thing as the Philistines capture the Ark of the LORD from the Israelites.  They believed that simple possession of this “right thing” would ensure God’s presence among them and His departure from the Israelites.

The Ark definitely was the right thing — it was to represent the very presence of God in the midst of the Israelite nation.  It was built according to the design and instruction of God Himself.  The directions from God for its care and treatment were very specific.  The very mention among the Philistines that the Israelites were bringing it to the battle front caused great fear and trembling among all the soldiers.  So when victory came to the Philistines they took the ark with them and set it up in the temple of their God, Dagon.

In 1 Samuel chapter 5, we see the results of the Philistines having the “right thing” in the wrong place.  As they arrive at their temple they discover their God, Dagon, lying face-down on the floor.  They set him back up only to find him on the floor again the next day missing his head and hands!  The area around the city was filled with devastation and the people were afflicted with tumors.  Yet rather than recognize they had the right thing in the wrong place, they passed the ark on to another city with the same results there.  So they in turn pass it on to a third city with similar results.  You might say the third time is charm because it is here that the people cry out to have the ark sent back to where it belongs.

So, I’m guessing that Harrison Ford’s search for the lost ark didn’t result in you obtaining the ark and keeping it in a place and manner contrary to its intended purpose. 😉  What, then, is the lesson in this scripture text that God would have for us?  The answer to that comes down to an understanding of right things, wrong places, and the connection between the two.  In talking about the freedom we have in Christ, Paul writes that “all things are permissible, but not all things are beneficial”.  Through even a casual reading of Paul’s writings, it is obvious he is not dismissing the “thou shalt not’s” of scripture but is writing about matters of opinion and preference.  He is writing about doing things that are right, but doing them in ways and places that are wrong because of the negative influence it would have on a brother or sister in Christ. 

In connection with the 1 Samuel text, the question that begs an answer is “what do I do with the sacred things — the meaningful symbols — of my relationship with God?”.  In the sermon on the mount, Jesus instructs his listeners to not give what is sacred to the dogs nor cast their pearls to the swine.  He indicates that doing so not only destroys what is valuable, but it puts us in danger as well.  Paul writes in reference to our participation in the Lord’s Supper that there is a wrong place, or way, to do a very right thing.  Some were making a mockery out of the communion elements — eating and drinking to satisfy their own stomachs while ignoring the needs and the people surrounding them.  Paul writes that these individuals were not eating and drinking fellowship with Jesus Christ, they were eating and drinking judgment unto themselves.  He goes on to say that it is for this reason that some of them are sick and have even died. 

The command is for each person to examine themselves so that they are spiritually in the right place to do the right thing.  I pray that you and I would make good use of the opportunity that God has given us through the remembrance meal of the Lord’s Supper.  May our communion with Jesus Christ help us to do the right things and to do them in the right  places and ways.

by

Be STILL . . . And Know That I Am God

“Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
Psalm 46:10 (NIV)

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to share a message at Deer Run, Be STILL, based out of Psalm 46.  The chapter begins with a reminder that whatever happens in this world, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”  This is a very contemporary Psalm as we can look around us, and even within us, and see “the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.”  We open the paper or turn on the news and we see “nations are in an uproar; kingdoms fall”.  But it is not just the earth, the nations, the kingdoms — the turmoil often hits on a personal level and much closer to home.  It is in these times of national and world turmoil — and yes, in personal turmoil — that God calls us to be STILL and know Him!

So, what does that mean?  How can you and I “Be STILL” and know God?  Let me spell it out for us.  🙂  Being STILL begins with us being Silent.  I know, uh-oh, can’t I start with something easier?  Many times we have an extreme dislike, even fear, of silence.  How often have I prayed for God to speak clearly to me but I’m not silent long enough to listen to that still, small voice?  The silence that I am talking about is more than just a lack of sound, it is a silence that has deliberately set aside all the distractions both internally and externally.  It is often in these times of planned silence that we begin to prepare ourselves to be Still and know God.

Secondly, being STILL involves our desire to be Teachable.  As we remove all distractions and become silent, we must open our heart and mind to God’s instruction.  Being Teachable is an attitude and a decision.  It requires a recognition that someone else knows more than I do and there are things they can teach me.  It also involves a willingness on my part to make changes based on what I am taught.  To be Teachable requires that we have an open and submissive spirit to both the content that is being taught and to the one doing the teaching.

As we move down the word STILL, we come to the letter “I”.  To be STILL and know God will require us to be Inspected.  Ouch!  In David’s desire to know God, he calls out for God to search him and know his heart — to see if there is any offensive way in him.  To be STILL requires us to come before God and allow Him to Inspect any and every part of us to reveal if there is anything that would interfere with our knowing God.  This Inspection isn’t really for God’s benefit, He is our creator and knows us more intimately than we know ourself.  It is for the good of our relationship that we pay attention as God points out to us the results of our Inspection. 

As we move along in our desire to Be STILL, we must also be Learners.  I think when I first preached this text I used the word Listeners.  Either way the point is the same — we must be intentional in our Silence, in our Teachable times, and in our Inspection in order to understand what God would have us to know about ourself and about Him.  This isn’t about collecting information, it is about having a personal relationship with the living God.  As Learners, we begin to connect the dots and make the application of what God reveals to us as we are STILL before Him.

And finally, we tie it all together with a willingess to be Led.  This amplifies our submission to God that has been growing in the previous aspects of being STILL.  It is at this point we must surrender everything to God so that wherever He leads us, we will follow.  Being led assumes that the direction, speed, and purpose of where we are going are not our own but that of the One leading us. 

While it is easy to spell out — Silent, Teachable, Inspected, Learner, Led — I recognize it is much more difficult to live out.  It is through God’s strength in the practice of these elements of being STILL that we can look at the chaos in and around us and state with king Jehoshaphat, “We don’t know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”!

I pray that you and I would grow in our practice of God’s command; “Be still, and know that I am God.”

by

Caution: Objects In Life May Not Be What They Appear

You’ve seen the warning on the side mirror of  your car, right?  You know the one, “Caution: Objects in mirror may be closer than they appear”. 

Have you ever observed a specific situation and you just knew what was going on?  Have you watched a person’s actions and were confident of their motives and judged them according to what you saw?  And then when the truth came out you realized just how wrong you were?  Perhaps we need a similar “mirror warning” in constant view as we live life.  I think it would read something like this, “Caution:  Objects in life may not be what they appear”. 

I’m not sure anyone is immune to this, or above needing this reminder.  As a matter of fact, these thoughts come from the preparation I am doing for a lesson series through 1 Samuel this fall.  Listen to what took place and the presumption that followed:  “As she kept on praying to the LORD, Eli observed her mouth.  Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard.  Eli thought she was drunk  and said to her, ‘How long will you keep on getting drunk?  Get rid of your wine.'” (1 Samuel 1:12-14)

Ouch!  Unfortunately, Eli has plenty of modern-day companions.  How often have you and I observed what takes place on the surface of lives around us and jumped to conclusions that were just as wrong as Eli’s judgment of Hannah?  The pain, the distress, the activity in another person’s life may not always be what it appears to be.  You know that is true in your life, why is it so hard to remember it is true in others as well? 

How can we avoid the surface judgments?  I don’t think there is an easy to do answer but James gives us great insight to this as he writes in James 1:19, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.”   This simple statement is so profound but so very hard to remember to do at all times!  Listening with our eyes and ears and heart through the filter of the Holy Spirit will go a long way in keeping us from making judgments based on outward appearances. 

In God’s great sense of humor and/or irony, over in chapter 16 of 1 Samuel God has to remind Samuel (remember that Samuel was the answer to the prayers that Hannah was praying),  “The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”   Our reaction is often to pass judgment based on what we see but God is calling us to look beyond what we can see and really notice what He sees.

I pray that I become a better listener — a godly listener — before I am tempted to jump to conclusions that are far from accurate.  I pray that you and I recognize that our need for grace and understanding in regard to our actions is the same need that others have from us.

May God grant us ears to hear, eyes to see, and hearts to understand the work He is doing in our life and in the lives of those around us!

 

 

by

Back Again . . . Maybe

It has been a while since I have done any writing . . . and even longer since I have written on this particular blog.  My plan is to return to writing on a regular basis — whatever that might mean. 😉

As I thought about this return, I had to consider why it had been so long.  Has God not been teaching me important lessons?  Have I not been listening?  Did I miss the value in what I have learned?  Have I missed the importance of writing down the insights gained no matter what size they appear to me?  Is there no more treasure in this jar of clay worth sharing?

While each of these questions may have some element of truth to them in regard to my not writing, I think the cause is much simpler and more pervasive in its attempt to draw me away from that which is good and right.  A lifestyle of busyness and distraction has been the primary culprit in keeping me from recording and sharing the lessons I have been learning.

It has been nearly 3 years since I have written on this blog and 4 months since I have written elsewhere.  I know that in that time span there are lessons I have forgotten because I did not write them down.  Lessons that I need to be reminded of.  Lessons that others may have benefitted from if I had bothered to share.

Paul wrote to Timothy, “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.  Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.” (1 Timothy 4:13-14)  As I consider the gift of preaching and teaching, of writing and communicating, that God has given me, I want to be careful that I don’t neglect this gift.  I want to use it for the good and benefit of others that they would grow in their relationship with God through His son, Jesus Christ.

So, my encouragement for you is the same admonition God is placing on my heart — discover and use the gift(s) God has given you!  Do not neglect your gift but use it to invest in others to the glory of God!  Encourage others by using your gift.  Encourage others, including me, to use their gift — reminding them gently if they begin to let the busyness and distractions of life sidetrack them.  God has given us the “one anothers” in our life for both our benefit and theirs!  

Praying that we live our life in such a way that people would see our good works and glorify our Father who is in heaven!

by

Southern Gospel Concert

Mitchel Jon  

Mitchel Jon

In Concert

Saturday, December 13, 2008

7:00 PM

Deer Run Church of Christ
2730 S Ironwood Dr
South Bend IN 46614

Free Admission

An offering will be taken to benefit the ministry of Michiana Christian Service Camp.

If you are in the South Bend, Indiana area and enjoy good Southern Gospel music, then this concert is for you.  Not only will this be a great night of music and fellowship, but it will also be an opportunity to support the ministry of Michiana Christian Service Camp.

by

L.O.S.T – Part 4: Teach

It seems like I’ve gotten “lost” over the past couple of months when it comes to writing.  There are a number of reasons for that which I hope to write about soon.  However, I do want to finish up this 4-part series with this final segment called, “Teach”.

As I looked at in the previous three articles, there is a progression that we move through as we break free from being “lost”.  We begin by learning to listen.  We hear a lot of things, but we are not particularly good at listening — especially when it comes to listening to God.

As an outgrowth of listening, we begin to observe.  We take notice of what God is doing in, through, and around us.  Our observations lead us to see a different path, or direction, we ought to be taking so that we’re no longer in a lost condition.

The hardest part for most people is often the third stage where we must surrender.  All of the listening and observing does little good if we are unwilling to surrender to what God has called us to be.  Surrendering is an admission that we are lost and in need of direction that only God can give.

That brings us to this final stage — one that is often overlooked because we think that completing the stage of surrender brings us out of our lost condition and completes our “quest”.  But there is much more to it.  We don’t become “un-lost” strictly for our own benefit.  We must teach that which we’ve learned on our journey.  Jesus states in Matthew that we are not simply to make disciples through a process of bringing them to full surrender, we must also be busy about “teaching them to obey all that [He] commanded.”

I’ve been taught, and believe, that you cannot teach what you do not know.  I would go a step further and say that you cannot effectively teach what you do not practice.  We teach by what we say, but we often teach much more by what we do.  In order to effectively teach what Jesus commanded, we must be doing what Jesus commanded.  As we live a surrendered life, we must be busy teaching that same surrendered lifestyle to others.  Listening is not natural for most people, so when we use the tool of listening we gain a valuable practice that we ought to be teaching to others.  As we observe the working of God, we ought to teach others to take notice of what God is doing in and around them as well. 

I pray that as you take note of these L.O.S.T. principles, that you would apply them in your life and live them out in a way that teaches others that you have found direction through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

by

L.O.S.T. – Part 3: Surrender

Okay, it would seem since it has been quite some time since I began this series that I must have gotten lost somewhere in the writing process. 

Maybe part of the delay is that part three is the hardest part for me to actually do.  I can handle the listening and the observing because I’m still involved in seeking out the solution.  Part three in dealing with being lost is that we must surrender.  There, I’ve said the word:  Surrender!  Being lost causes us to surrender our will and desires to one who knows where we are and how to get to where we need to be — that is if we want to be “un-lost”. 

I generally have a good sense of direction and usually can find my way around new places rather easily.  Even when I am out traveling and end up in unfamiliar territory, I often just keep driving, figuring eventually something will look familiar or I will see a needed road sign or somehow discover where I am at so that I can begin to make my way back to where I want to be.  At times I am so confident of my ability to figure out where I am at that I end up in unknown territory, way out of the way, lost, before I finally surrender and pull out a map to help me discover where I’m at and how to get to where I am going. 

While that is hard enough for me to do, the more difficult times are when the map isn’t available, or doesn’t help, and I am forced to completely surrender and tell someone that I have no idea where I am at and need their help to get to where I am going.  You would think that after enough practice having to do that, it would be easier — especially when it becomes apparent how much time and energy could be saved simply by surrendering and asking directions much earlier.

Many times, people remain in their lost state in relationship with God because they refuse to surrender.  There is no way to make it to a vibrant and growing relationship with God except to surrender to the lordship of His Son, Jesus.  He put it this way in Matthew 16:24-25:

“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses (surrenders) his life for me will find it.”

Then in John 14, Jesus comforts His followers with the news that He is leaving to prepare a place for them and that He will return for them.  He assures them that He will be back to take them to the place that He is going to and that they know how to get there.  Thomas is not so sure and responds, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”  The answer from Jesus in John 14:6-7 is classic and points out that the disciples did know the way to where Jesus was going — that way is Jesus Himself!

“I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.  If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well.  From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

Wow!  When I am lost, I must surrender to the only way out.  This cuts straight across the grain of modern thinking — particularly modern religious thinking.  Rather than surrender to God when lost, people have a tendency to “drive around”, thinking that somehow they will find another way to get to where they want to be.  Recent surveys show that many “religious leaders” profess that there may be multiple ways to get to heaven and varied paths to God.  It makes me wonder what they do with the Bible, especially the words of Jesus above from John 14:6.  Jesus could have said, “I am a way” or “I am the primary way” or even “I know the way” but instead He said, “I am the way”!  Just in case we miss the exclusive nature of His statement, He emphasizes it with the next sentence, “No one comes to the Father except through me.” 

When a person is in a lost condition, separated from God, surrender is absolutely necessary.  There is only one way to go from lost to relationship with God and only Jesus can get us there.  It is time for each of us to really examine our life and commit it to being a life surrendered fully to Jesus.

by

L.O.S.T. – Part 2: Observe

In my previous post, I wrote about the need to listen.  In part two, I want us to consider our need to observe.  Just as we often have difficulty listening, we often fail to observe for a variety of reasons.

We use the word observe in a couple of different ways.  We may talk about observing the law and our focus is on obedience.  However, when we talk about observing a sunset, our focus is usually on enjoyment.  As I thought about these two very different reactions to the same word, I began to realize that maybe they are not so different after all.

From a Christian point of view, when we think about observing God’s commands, we define observe as including both the aspect of noticing something and then responding appropriately to it.  God doesn’t simply say, “Look at my commands!”  Yes, we must look at them.  We must take notice of what God has said through His Word,  to “gaze intently into His perfect law”.  We need to pay attention to the work God is doing in and through us in transforming us to be what He wants us to be.  God has given us His very own Spirit and we need to “see” the work He is doing so that we can be a more accurate representative of Jesus.

But we have to move beyond simply noticing, or seeing, when we observe.  To observe correctly, we must respond appropriately.  It is hard enough to “see”.  The distractions and busy-ness of life often keep us from focusing on the things God has placed in front of us to observe.  We stumble through our Christian life because we are not paying attention to where we are going.  Yet many times when we do take in the information that is needed, we still stumble because we fail to have an appropriate response to what is “seen”.  This is where I think the two examples that I started with connect.  The appropriate response to “seeing” God’s commands is to obey them.  An appropriate response to seeing a sunset is to enjoy it as part of God’s incredible creativity.

When we feel “lost” in our spiritual walk, it is a good idea to stop and take a look around.  Ask yourself some basic questions:  How did I get here?  Does anything look familiar?  What do I see and hear around me?  What dangers currently exist?  How do I get back to where I was?  As we ask these questions, and genuinely seek answers to them, we begin to recognize the correct responses that we ought to make.  As we begin to put our faith into action and actually do what we observe needs done, we begin the process of truly “observing all that [He] commands”. 

I pray that when we observe, we do so not only with our senses but with our actions as well.