Disgustingly Distasteful

 

“I know you inside and out, and find little to my liking. You’re not cold, you’re not hot—far better to be either cold or hot! You’re stale. You’re stagnant. You make me want to vomit.”

—Revelation 3:15-16 MSG

Imagine someone in her car arriving at the coffee shop’s drive-thru window and purposely ordering lukewarm coffee. She’s missing some of the great comfort of a well-brewed, piping hot cup of “joe,” or an ice cold cup on a very hot summer day. (Personally, I prefer tea, but only if it’s very hot or very cold.)

Can you imagine your church having the kind of evaluation that you read in the Scripture at the top of this devotional? Can you imagine reading that your church is stale, stagnant—lukewarm—when God made your church, and those who belong to it, with the purpose of being present in order to refresh and to revive others, as well as to please Him?

Not only that, but this ancient church of Laodicea—located in a region of Greece that is now a part of modern day Turkey—received even more accusations from God. In the passage from The Message, found in Revelation 3:17, God says:

“You brag, I’m rich, I’ve got it made, I need nothing from anyone, oblivious that in fact you’re a pitiful, blind beggar, threadbare and homeless.”

This sentence reminds me of the twisted American mentality that has crept into our churches. We have readily accepted God’s blessings, believing that through our hard work and wisdom we have created the riches to which we have grown so accustomed. Have we gotten to the point where we no longer hear the warnings of Scripture? Do we really intend to ignore the calls to put God and His Kingdom first? Does God have to vomit us out of His mouth, or can we become useful and thirst-quenching again?

Laodicea had much to brag about. The region was known for its industries in banking, black wool making, and manufacturing of eye salve for tired eyes. And, this geographic region contained followers of Christ that God greatly valued. So, He warns them in Revelation 3:18:

“Here’s what I want you to do: Buy your gold from me, gold that’s been through the refiner’s fire. Then you’ll be rich. Buy your [white] clothes from me, clothes designed in Heaven. You’ve gone around half-naked long enough. And buy medicine for your eyes from me so you can see, really see.”

Do you hear the urgency in this passage of Scripture? Just as He spoke to the church at Laodicea, I think that God calls us and our church to change our ways.

Have the COVID-19 Pandemic and the tragedies in leaving Afghanistan caused us to hear our Lord’s voice? Will we heed the warning He gives us? Will we seriously repent of our uselessness and our pride? Will we plead with Him to send the Holy Spirit to empower us?

We need divine power in order to get busy supplying the Water of Life to this world. We need holy power in order to display the gold that shows the richness of His glory. We need God to give us white clothing to replace the clothing of those still wearing worldly rags. We need God’s holy medicine to heal the spiritual blindness of our world.

Spread the word! Hurry! The coffee is getting cold!

 

 

Sober or Silly?

 

The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.

—1 Peter 4:7

As a teacher, I identified second graders as “seven, social, and silly.” They had discovered that school gave them a chance to giggle and have fun with others their own age. It didn’t take much to get them concentrating on silly things at the expense of the reasons they should have come to school. I remember some lessons that I toiled over and even included learning games. But, some crazy stunt by one of their classmates took everyone off task.

Sometimes, I look at God’s people and wonder if they have taken “silly pills,” too. The prophet Jeremiah had a sobering message for God’s ancient people, whom he saw headed for exile. In his frustration he stated the following, as recorded in Lamentations 1:12:

“Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look around and see. Is any suffering like my suffering that was inflicted on me, that the Lord brought on me in the day of his fierce anger?”

The people who had the Holy Scriptures, the Law and the Prophets, were, so to speak, “fiddling while Rome burned.” In these days of collapsing countries, tyrannical leaders, weather disasters, moral decay, pride, and complete neglect of truth, what is God calling His people to do?

In another passage of Scripture, 1 Thessalonians 5:4-6, the Apostle Paul admonishes us:

But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.

I have no way of knowing when Christ will come back for His church. But, when things go awry all over the world, it begins to look like the “growing pains” leading to the Second Coming that the Bible talks about. Along with the society in which we live, we can be tempted to “eat, drink and be merry,” to enjoy life, and to try to forget the terrors experienced by Christians in other places of the world.

Instead, God calls us to live sober-minded lives. He calls us to live in this way, so that we can pray, so that we can live urgently to serve Him and, as best we can, to call others to know Him and prepare for His coming.

Let us not disappoint our Heavenly Teacher with our giggling and silly distractions. Instead, let us face Him soberly and live seriously, as He has instructed. The days call for a spiritual work force, clear minded and ready to serve, relying upon Christ’s power and wisdom.

 

 

Inky Blackness

 

“You hurled me into the deep, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me.”

—Jonah 2:3

Have you ever been in complete darkness? The closest most of us come to that is a tour of an underground cavern or walking in an unlighted tunnel at night. We might grasp for the wall to keep our equilibrium, but we do not know where we’ve been or where we’re going.

Jonah had a most unique experience with darkness. After disobeying God and being tossed into the sea by a boatload of reluctant sailors, a great fish swallowed him alive and he stayed in the belly of this fish for three days and three nights. What’s the difference in night and day in a place like that anyway?

God had Jonah where he could not escape. God must have known that was the only place where Jonah would wake up to the requests his God was making of him and recognize his responsibility to Him. In Jonah’s astounding prayer from the fish’s belly, as recorded in Jonah 2:9, he finally cried:

But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the Lord.

Does God also have you in a place where He waits for you to “cry Uncle”? We know from this story that God takes advantage of the places and circumstances that will turn us to Him. I don’t believe God willingly creates circumstances like this, for Jeremiah said in Lamentations 3:33:

He does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men.

You know the famous line parents often give when punishing a child: “This will hurt me more than it hurts you.” God sees your plight if you have found yourself in a dark place with no way out and not a clue what to do. He understands and has compassion on you. Be reminded of Jonah. Though he went through utter distress, God knew all along the circumstances He would use to get Jonah back on track with His plan.

God wants us to trust Him in the dark. He alone has the means to rescue us. He wants us to believe in His power and in His will to do just that!

 

 

I Like Sog

 

I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.

—Isaiah 42:16

My parents used to remind me of the statement I made as a toddler, when I sat next to my dad as we drove through the foggy landscape: “Daddy, I like sog.” I don’t quite know what made me say that. Although, I guess a picture of the world in the mist can appeal to us at times.

However, as an adult, I know now that driving in thick fog no longer holds the fascination it did for me at age three. Fog makes us slow down and sometimes hinders us from our travel. When we drive where we cannot see, danger can lurk. Sometimes having a car ahead of us with good strong rear lights helps—as long as that driver stays on the road!

Life can sometimes seem like we’re walking through a thick fog. We become easily confused and lost. We wonder where we are going. If we look around, we cannot clearly see from where we came. Looking off to the left, or off to the right, doesn’t help us in any way. We are surrounded by confusion. Each step seems treacherous to us.

When surrounded by the “fog” of life’s confusion, we should be heartened by the knowledge that our God guides us in the paths of life and leads us to places we can trust. But what of the days when we feel that we can neither see nor hear Him? What do we do then?

Do we keep walking in the fog anyway? Do we slow our pace? Do we look carefully before we take each step? Do we peer out into the darkness? Do we whisper a prayer for help?

Perhaps, if we can just catch a glimmer of God’s will for us, we will be able to move very cautiously ahead. But, if that glimmer eludes us, if some days we cannot see even our spiritual hand in front of our face, then we must just stop and wait until God lifts the soupy haze that obstructs our view.

Have you ever had to pull to the side of the road until the fog lifted? When a spiritual fog descends into our lives, perhaps we should just pull over and wait for God to lift that spiritual fog? Making this frustrating choice actually develops our trust in Him. We must believe that He wills us to rest in His loving omniscience. We must believe that the spiritual fog will eventually lift and we will see clearly again to follow our God and move along the pathway He is providing.

One of my favorite allegories, Hinds’ Feet On High Places,^¹ written by the author Hannah Hurnard, tells the story of little “Much-Afraid” on the journey she set out upon after meeting the “Shepherd.” While He assigned to her some companions to go along, she encountered many other characters that did all they could to hinder her on the way.

At one point in the story, little “Much-Afraid” found herself in a thick mist:

Now there was nothing but tameness, just a trudge, trudge forward, day after day, able to see nothing except for white, clinging mist which hung about the mountains without a gleam of sunshine breaking through. At last she burst out impatiently, “Will this dull, dreary mist never lift, I wonder?”

Little “Much-Afraid” then heard the voices of “Resentment,” “Self-Pity,” and “Bitterness,” who said to her:

“Trudge, trudge, day after day, nothing to show for it, and you ought to be getting up onto the High Places.”

One afternoon, she walked along all muddy, wet, and bedraggled. She decided to sing a little song. As she sang, the “Shepherd” appeared and sang along. As they talked together, she told Him all about the wanderings in the mist and how the voices suggested she had wandered from the path and lost her way. It was then that He said to her:

“Did you really think that I would let you stray from the right path to the High Places without doing anything to warn you or to prevent it? … You had better become a singer,” He said smiling. “Then you won’t hear what they say to you.”

Finally, He said to her, “Do you love me enough to be able to trust me completely, Much-Afraid?” … She faltered, “You know that I love you and that I long to trust you as much as I love you, that I long both to love and trust you still more.”

We can learn from this little episode in Hannah Hurnard’s book. Our Lord commonly takes care of all those who love Him and long to climb nearer to Him, as they travel through the fog and mist of the sinfulness of our dark world. He sees us wherever we are.

God finds us when we feel we are lost. He directs us, even while we struggle. He longs to hear us sing to Him, despite our doubts and fears. Through our puzzling paths ahead, may we learn to trust the God who loves us with His unfailing love and not be afraid.

______________________

1 Hurnard, Hannah. Hinds’ Feet On High Places. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1977. Pp.156-169.

 

 

Teacher's Pet

 

Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them.

—John 20:21

Ricky always thought he was chosen as the teacher’s pet. After the first or second day of school, the teacher pulled his desk up close to hers. He loved it there. He often had her attention with his interruptions and hijinks. “Why,” he thought, “if I had been a ‘problem student,’ she would have long ago sent me to the Principal’s Office. Right?” Not necessarily so.

Talker and all-around class clown, the other students liked Ricky. And, wherever he sat, he made friends. His teacher, Mrs. Allen, saw potential in him and sat him in the front next to her desk for reasons far beyond a mutual admiration.

In the Gospel of John, this close friend and devoted follower of Jesus referred to himself as the “disciple whom Jesus loved.” It seems quite possible that John might have considered himself the “teacher’s pet,” too. Yes, he did share the spotlight with James and Peter. But, Jesus often chose John for special, close-up teaching.

After all, the title “disciple” has within it the same root as the word “discipline.” Ricky didn’t perceive that the teacher actually found his behavior abhorrent. She brought him close to her, so that she could more easily control and guide him to learn self-discipline, to prevent him from interfering with the learning of the other students, and to help him through individualized teaching. Indeed, individualized teaching was the key, just as Jesus used individualized teaching with Peter, James, and John.

As a result, when the first leaders of the New Testament Church were assigned, we find that Peter, James, and John came out above all the others. They had stayed close to Jesus. His nearness gave them an unforgettable glimpse into His character and His person. Part of His discipline of them involved bringing them so close to Himself that they had to see and learn from Him.

When his classmates played outside on the playground, sometimes Ricky even got the chance to sit next to the teacher during recess! I doubt that Ricky was happy with that arrangement. Yet, in the end, we know he benefitted from this special kind of love and care given by someone more wise than he.

Proverbs 3:11-12 tells us:

My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.

Just as we would probably find Ricky’s name at the top of Mrs. Allen’s “worry list”—forcing her to stretch her human resources of creativity and care—God has each of us at the top of His special list, too. We are, all of us, this divine Teacher’s Pet. And, He know just how to draw us close and keep us in the place where He can teach us to live as His disciples.

 

 

Lifestyle of the Rich and Famous

 

When the Queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built, the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the Lord, she was overwhelmed.

—1  Kings 10:4-5

If Robin Leach had the opportunity to host an episode of his television show, “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,” about Solomon, King of Israel, this famous reporter would probably have had enough material for a year of programs! We learn about this King in 1 Kings 1-11 and again in the Book of Ecclesiastes, which he wrote.

Not only was Solomon the richest man who ever lived, he also gained fame as a philosopher, composer of music, zoologist, botanist, teacher, writer, builder, and of course, King. Some 487 years after the Israelites came out of Egypt, Solomon had the honor of building the great Temple in Jerusalem. Under Solomon’s leadership, the Israelites spared no expense in creating this magnificent structure.

God had also given the nation of Israel peace with the neighboring nations. As payments of a tribute to assure peace with King Solomon, many of these neighboring nations gave significant gifts of gold and silver.

At the beginning of his reign, Solomon bowed humbly before God and prayed with a committed heart. Not only did God satisfy Solomon’s request for wisdom in leading and building this great nation, God also gave to Solomon more than any man could ever ask in material possessions. Along with all these blessings, God warned Solomon many times to keep his heart tuned to following and obeying the God of Israel.

These numerous warnings were nothing new. God had warned the entire nation of Israel at Mt. Sinai about the kinds of behaviors that they were to studiously avoid. In Deuteronomy 7:3 we read these words from God:

When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations … make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy. Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, for they will turn your sons away from following me to serve other gods, and the Lord’s anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you … for you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.

Unbelievably and inspite of God reiterating this warning by speaking it directly to Solomon, we find that the wisest man to ever live disregarded the warning. The results of Solomon’s failure to obey proved disastrous.

From other nations, Solomon took 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. According to 1 Kings 11:4:

As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God.

Solomon must have spent a great deal of time reflecting on what things would make him happy. In Ecclesiastes 2, we find Solomon telling about all the pleasures he pursued, the projects he undertook, the things he owned, and even that harem he had built for himself. What was his conclusion? Ecclesiastes 1:2 sums it up:

Vanity of vanities, says the Treacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.

King Solomon came to the conclusion that, as he recorded in Ecclesiastes 2:24, after all of the pleasures and fame his life produced:

A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness.

What lesson do we find here for us? If we are totally honest with ourselves, we will admit that most of us look for satisfaction in all the wrong places. Instead, the genuine reality is that to know and enjoy God, and to appreciate all that He wills and does, must give us the maximum amount of joy in this life.

Jesus Himself said in John 10:10:

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

Let’s devote ourselves to pursuing the pleasure of pleasing God!

 

 

Good Luck Charms

 

“Why did the Lord bring defeat on us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the Lord’s covenant from Shiloh, so that he may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies.”

—1 Samuel 4:3

You probably know people who keep an object they hope will bring them good luck: a rabbit’s foot, or a four-leaf clover, or lucky horseshoe, or some memento that they expect to have power in their lives. Some people of particular religious faiths will mount the statue of a saint on the dashboard of their car, or place a religious statue in their flower garden. I even know a couple who admitted that they named their baby “Christian” as a special “nod to God.”

We might feel tempted to look down on such practices with a kind of superior glance, feeling quite smug about our own opinions on such matters. But, hold on! Let’s consider one of the stories of the Old Testament Prophet, Priest, and Judge, Samuel.

Samuel had carefully taught the people of Israel God’s written Word. Later, on the occasion when they gathered to fight against the pagan Philistine army, they were soundly defeated.

In their zeal as the Lord’s people, the Israeli army had reasoned that in their second battle against the Philistines, they needed some “magical” help. So, they sent for the Ark of the Covenant from Shiloh and had it brought to the battlefield.

Upon the arrival of the Ark of the Covenant, according to 1 Samuel 4, there was such shouting that the ground shook! Giving such a powerful response to the presence of this holy object, the army of Israel felt sure that God would go out with them against the Philistines.

Yet, in the end, not only did the Philistines win the battle, but they also stole the “lucky” Ark from Israel. Following this tragic loss, Israel experienced many days of disaster.

We need to consider the error of the people of Israel. We need to ask ourselves: “Do we put our faith in religious things rather than in the living God?” Consider these behaviors:

• Some people join a church with a magnificent building, so that their babies can be baptized there, their daughters married there, and they can be buried there in great pomp.
  
  
• Other individuals, misunderstanding the role of the Sacrament of Baptism, rest in making certain their sons and daughters are baptized as babies as a sort of safe-keeping assurance of their entrance into heaven in the afterlife.
  
  
• In the same way they enroll their children in scouting programs, or athletic teams, still others bring their children to church because they want the cultural and moral training that helps fit those children to grow up and become well-prepared, upstanding citizens.
  
  

The Bible teaches us about the Living God and His standards of righteousness. Consider these excerpts from Acts 17:24-31:

The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else … God did this so that they would seek HIM and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being …

Therefore, since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine begin is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice.

Yes, Certificates of Baptism and family religious traditions have a definite place in the lives of followers of Jesus. But, we should never confuse such items and traditions with “good luck charms” that keep us “in good” with God. He does not look on the external trinkets as humans do. He looks at our hearts and wants to see the image of His Son engraved there by His Holy Spirit!