Jesus

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SALT

Sodium is a highly reactive element that can explode when it contacts water. Chlorine is poisonous to all living organisms.  Yet together in the compound sodium chloride (salt) they are essential for life.  Salt is another of the amazing items in this wondrous world that God created.  This simple compound has greatly affected life on earth and has been used by God to relate to us and to teach us.

In modern America salt is found in great abundance, but in ancient times salt was often worth its weight in gold.  Before refrigeration salt was used to preserve foods.  Many countries used salt to prepare the dead for burial.  It was therefore essential for survival and a part of cultural traditions.  Trade routes were established just for the selling of salt.  Countries went to war over it, and many countries levied taxes on salt.  Salt was highly valued.

For the ancient Hebrews, salt was a sign of their covenant with God.  Salt was added to their offerings to represent their covenant relationship. (See Leviticus 2:13) The salt covenant was also mentioned in relationship to King David’s promised eternal reign. (See 2 Chronicles 13:5)

Jesus used salt as an analogy when he taught, “You are the salt of the earth.  But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?  It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot” (Matthew 5:13).  We are the salt of the earth!  We are the ones who bring flavor to the earth.  This makes sense to us because salt is a part of our daily life.

Salt is a very useful item in God’s world both as a flavor enhancement and a preservative.  Its properties also provided Jesus with a useful analogy to teach us.  So for us who love and follow God, we can enjoy salt and be salt as we walk through God’s world.

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SIBLING RIVALRY

Have you ever felt like God’s favorite?  God has a unique way of making each one of his children feel special.  He knows us intimately and speaks to us individually in a personal specific manner.  No one else knows us this well.  He is never condemning even when correcting us.  Therefore we should rejoice in our close relationship with God, but we should also be aware that this intimate closeness is available to all who will receive him.

Being special to God does not in any way invoke superiority in comparison to others.  For us humans who carry a sinful nature, this is an important caution.  We want to be special, but in our fallen state, we feel it necessary to prove ourselves superior to others.  I’m better than so-n-so because _______.  It’s easy to fill in the blank because we’ve all been there.  However, Christ died for all of us.  We each get the full power of redemption through his shed blood.  Nobody gets or needs a greater portion.

As the principal of a Christian school, my position had a great deal of responsibility and prestige.  The young man who cleaned the building had a different position.  We were both called of God to fill our respective positions.  Was one job superior?  Not in God’s eyes.  We were both walking in what God had set before us.  With God there is no favoritism. (See Acts 10:34, Romans 2:11, Ephesians 6:9).  We were equally important in God’s kingdom.  Both of us were created and gifted to fulfil our purpose for Him.  We were also equally loved by God.  In God’s eyes we were and are his special children.

God is able to have an infinite number of favorites.  We are each one God’s favorite.  We are all special to him.  In the family of God there is no need for sibling rivalry.  We need only to love one another and trust our Father to provide what we need.  He created us with a special purpose in his kingdom.  As he directs you through your life be content.  You are unique and special in his eyes.

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NO CONDEMNATION

It happens so regularly that it’s predictable.  The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up.  I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight.  Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.  I’ve tried everything and nothing helps.  I’m at the end of my rope.  Is there no one who can do anything for me?  Isn’t that the real question?  The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does.  He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.  With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved.  Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud.  A new power is in operation.  The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death. (Romans 7:21-8:2 The Message)

What then is our responsibility in regard to sin?  This question reveals the trap that catches many believers.  We often feel that we should now more than ever focus on being sinless, missing the fact that we can’t make ourselves sinless.  We are still flawed by our inherited sinful nature.  Focusing on making ourselves sinless is self-indulgent and actually leads us away from God.  Our focus should be on God.  That is where we find freedom.  Paul calls it living in the Spirit not in the flesh.  All the power to overcome sin is in Christ Jesus.  We have no power in ourselves.  Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)  Our responsibility is to seek God.  He takes care of the rest.  Try sinning while you’re seeking God.

In closing, I’d like to remind you that we are justified through Christ’s blood shed on the cross.  That means we are acceptable in the sight of God.  We are welcome into the presence of God.  The work is finished.  There is no condemnation for us who have received Jesus.  When we are seeking God, he wants, and may I say is excited for, us to find him.  It is his delight for his children to know him.

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DOES GOD REALLY CARE?

A small group stands in the sanctuary near the platform engaged in prayer.  The leader is training the group to seek the Lord’s words for those they pray for.  Suddenly the leader turns to one of the men and says, “She will be with you for a long time.”  The man is immediately convulsed with deep sobs.  He seems thoroughly overwhelmed by these simple words.  No one else knows why these words impact him so deeply, but he does.

I am that man.  About ten years ago my wife was having some health issues, and I began to worry that I was going to lose her.  This worry occupied much of my thought life almost to the point of obsession.  One afternoon as I was driving back to my office, the Lord spoke these words to me, “She will be with you for a long time.”  The prayer training seminar happened several months after this.  When the leader spoke those words to me, I was overwhelmed by God’s personal care for me.  What she spoke to me was word for word what God had spoken that day.  The lady was from out of town, and I had never met her until that day.  I had not shared with anyone what God had spoken to me.  I had never been as deeply touched as I was that day when God confirmed his word to me.

I felt I was being unfaithful by not trusting the lord for my wife, but He didn’t condemn me.  He just comforted me.  God’s love and mercy are truly amazing.  He cares for us.  This is my story of his care.  What has happened in your relationship with God that shows he cares?  Listen for his voice.  He desires an intimate, personal relationship with each of us.  He cares for us.

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VALUABLE INSIGHTS

Situations come upon us from time to time in which prior information would be quite valuable.  Say you come upon a situation where two people are engaged in a quarrel.  What should you do?  If you don’t have much income, but you’re living comfortably, should you still give to the poor? Are you a person who has to have something to say about every subject?  A wealthy but stingy man invites you to dinner, should you go?  At work there’s a group of party animals that go out 3 or 4 times a week.  They spend the next day talking about the great time they had. When they invite you to join them, should you go?

These are just a few of the situation addressed in the Book of Proverbs.  Our God has provided us with a rich source of information for our daily lives.  Proverbs is not outdated wisdom, but it is full of wisdom for all times.  Provers contains 31 chapters.  By reading a chapter a day you can read the whole book in most months.  Try filling your day with rich practical information for your daily decisions.

You can find valuable insights into the situations I mentioned above by looking at these verses:

Proverbs:         26:17,  21:13,  21:23,  23:6-8,   23:20-21        {these are listed in order}

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THE NATIONS WILL BE JUDGED

Is anyone concerned?  Is anyone fearful?  I’ve been reading in the Prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel.  They speak of Israel’s sin against God, and the pending doom that awaited them.  Jeremiah 9:3 states,

“They make ready their tongue like a bow, to shoot lies; it is not by truth that they triumph in the land.  They go from one sin to another; they do not acknowledge me,” declares the Lord.

We are not Israel, but we are a blessed nation.  Did the blessings come from our own hand, or did they come from God?  Can we escape the doom of Israel as we continue to reject God? Are we exempt?  Though it reads on our coins “In God we trust”, we as a nation do not.  We have gone our own way, and we refuse to acknowledge God.  When Israel strayed and turned its back on God, the surrounding nations, the descendants of Ishmael, harassed them.  I find it most interesting that the eyes of Ishmael’s descendants are now turned to the U.S.  We have now become the great evil.  Ishmael is against us.  Is it by accident that this has happened?

If indeed God does not exist, as many now declare, then we have nothing to worry about.  I believe God does exist, and he created us. We as a people belong to him.  I also believe that God has the right to and will judge nations.  Individuals are judged after death, but nations are judged here and now.  If this is true, the people of the U.S. should be concerned; we should be fearful.  I close with this warning from Hebrews 10:30-31,

For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.”  It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

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FAITH AND DOUBT

Are you convinced that Christianity is true? Do you ever doubt your belief? Does God really exist? Is my belief in vain? Do these questions of doubt haunt you at times? They do me. During these times of doubt I have two processes that I follow, reason and experience. Reason alone cannot restore faith, but it can help.   Walking back through my life and remembering my experiences with God seals the breach in my faith, and I am restored.

These nagging questions that challenge my faith cause me to return to the process of reasoning. I start with the basic question of where did I and all I know come from. There are only two possible answers. It all came about by some accidental occurrence of events over millions and billions of years, or an intelligent force designed it. The complexity of the universe and the existence of life itself lead me to believe that an intelligent force designed it. And if this is so, what do I know about this intelligent force. I have concluded that the Bible is the most reliable source of information about this intelligent force. This process, to remind myself of the logic of my belief, gets me started. But the most interesting truth about this reasoning process is that it all came about after I believed. My belief in God is therefore founded in something other than reason.

I next reminisce on my experiences with God. God has spoken to me at key moments in my life, and he drew me to himself. He answered prayers and provided miracles all to build a relationship of trust. My faith is rooted in a relationship with God that he has built over many years. Then I remember, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” Ah, my faith is based not on my ability to reason, but on my relationship with God. Experience trumps reason. The questioning of my faith is entrenched in my reasoning skills. My reasoning is faulty, but my experience is sound. There is no argument against what I have experienced.

I feel that faith is even more deeply based on a spiritual foundation. When I first believed reason played a small part, experience barely existed, yet I was drawn to God. Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him …” (John 6:44). My reason and my experience came because God drew me. I simply said yes to him. I believe because I was predestined to believe. God is sovereign over all his creation, even me.

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TRUST IN THE LORD AND DO GOOD

The title above comes from Psalm 37:3.  Trust in the Lord and do good.  This is wisdom for God’s people from King David who later, in verses 8&9, exhorts us to: Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret – it leads only to evil.  For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.   These verses challenge us, but they also comfort us.  Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble, but take heart. I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

In light of the Supreme Court’s decision on gay marriage, I believe June 26, 2015 is a day to be marked as another “in your face God” moment for our country.  That is why I was looking for comfort and direction from Psalm 37.  God’s people need to be aware that God is not surprised by the decisions of man.  He gave them over to a depraved mind because of their rejection of him.  He is in charge, and we belong to him.  We are redeemed!  And we are bearers of his message of love and forgiveness.  Nothing good will come if Christians join the ranks of haters and revilers.

In Romans 1:18-32 Paul gives a clear dissertation on what’s happening.  He starts out: “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.”  Reading on we see that the depravity over taking our nation is because we have turned our backs to God.  Even the futility of our thinking, the illogical thinking of our leaders is a result of denying God.  So, what should be our response to this evil?

I think that we should trust in the Lord and do good.  God has his hand on all that is taking place on the earth with a promise to work it out for his glory and our good.  Trust him!  As King David pointed out, hating, fretting and being filled with wrath only leads to evil.  Our charge is to do good, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.  Do good to those who spitefully use you.  Jesus made it clear how we are to proceed.  Don’t turn your back to him.

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IT IS NOT EASY, BUT IT IS TRUE

What I write about in this blog is founded on the belief that God, as described in the Hebrew and Christian scriptures, created the world we live in.  Therefore it is reasonable to look to him for guidance.  Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to, “trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.”  Jesus tells us (see Matthew 6:25-34) not to worry about what we will eat, or drink ,or wear, but to focus on the kingdom that God is building, and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to us.

In the parable of the sower (Matthew 13: 1-23) Jesus warns us about focusing on the cares of this world.  He explains to his disciples that the seed sown among the thorns is about the cares of this world.  He says, “But the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it (the message of the kingdom) making it unfruitful.”  The worries of this life keep us distracted from the direction God would have us go.  We are then unfruitful.

I believe with all my heart that these scriptures are exactly how I should conduct my life.  Yet, this is not easy.  Every aspect of our American culture wars against what these scriptures teach.  I’m supposed to be proactive and make it happen.  I’m supposed to seek wealth.  You’re still doing that job?  Can’t you find anything better?  “Well the Lord wants me here” I respond sheepishly.

Friends and fellow Christian aren’t much help either.  When asked, “What are you going to do about this?”  My answer, “I haven’t heard from the Lord yet, but I’m trusting that he will direct me in this,” gets some interesting reactions.  They are often speechless, at least to my face.  Would Christians talk behind my back?  “Aren’t you worried about that? “  I am asked.  “No, Jesus said don’t worry.”  That answer is definitely a conversation stopper.   So, there are cultural and peer pressures, but the greatest pressure comes from within.

Guilt is a big one.  “I should be doing something about this.”  I’m now seeing the cartoon with the black devil on one shoulder and the white angel on the other.  The devil is pumping guilty thoughts in one ear and the angel is reminding me of scripture.  I know what the scriptures say, but……  That “but” is always troubling.  Did the Lord already tell me, but I missed it?  God helps those who help themselves.  I know that this is not in the scriptures.  My flesh is always warring against my spirit.  Now that is in the scriptures.

Trusting in the Lord to take care of things is not easy, but He has shown me over a life time that his word is true.  He is my provision, and he does guide my path.

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Humbleness, an Attribute of God

One of my favorite scripture passages is Matthew 11:28-30.  In this passage Jesus refers to himself as “gentle and humble in heart”.  Doesn’t gentle and humble sound safe.  I am drawn to him when I think of him being gentle and humble.  Paul supports Jesus’ statement that he is humble with this declaration in Philippians 2:6-8,

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking on the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!

Jesus not only declared himself humble, but he unequivocally demonstrates his humble nature on the cross.  When you think of God, do you think of him as humble?  That’s not my first thought when I think of God, but he truly is humble.  So, what is humble? In all the definitions of humble, I find that not putting yourself first seems to clarify its meaning.  Jesus did not put himself first.  He put our needs ahead of his.

Adam and Eve were humble because they were created in the image of God.  They lost this attribute as a result of the fall.  They then became self concerned.  At the start of Philippians chapter 2 Paul is exhorting us to return to being humble.  He tells us, (Philippians 2:3-4) “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”  He follows this with the scriptural illustration in Philippians 2:6-8 of Christ’s humility.

In our desire to be more like Jesus, humbleness should be near the top of the list.  As I looked at this attribute of God, I had to ask myself, am I gentle and humble in heart?  Am I safe?  These questions will dominate my self reflections for the rest of the week.  How about you?