One God - One Goal - One Glory

Thoughts on the Sabbath School Lesson for 11.24.12

Do you remember this song?

We are one in the Spirit

We are one in the Lord

We are one in the Spirit

We are one in the Lord

And we pray that all unity may one day be restored

We will work with each other

We will work side by side

We will work with each other

We will work side by side

And we'll guard each man’s dignity

And save each man’s pride

We will walk with each other

We will walk hand in hand

We will walk with each other

We will walk hand in hand

And together we'll spread the news

That God is in our land

And they'll know that we are Christians by our love

By our love

Yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love [1]

That was one of my favorite songs as a young person. I hadn’t thought of it in years, but as I was thinking about ‘unity’ I found myself humming it. (And now it will be stuck in your head too. Ha!)

Did you read the lyrics? They provide an excellent picture of what unity among Christians should look like, don’t you think?

I was reading the dictionary definition of unity. It says, 

“1. the state of being one; oneness. 2. a whole or totality as combining all its parts into one. 3. the state or fact of being united or combined into one, as of the parts of a whole; unification. 4. absence of diversity; unvaried or uniform character. 5. oneness of mind, feeling, etc., as among a number of persons; concord, harmony, or agreement.” [2]

It’s a good definition – it covers all the bases. Number 4 bothers me a bit, though. I don’t believe that one describes the kind of unity we should find among Christians. What do you think?

My understanding of unity within the church with our common belief in a loving, creator God, includes our common goal of bringing as many souls as possible into a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and our shared expectation of spending eternity with our Savior. One God -- One Goal -- One Glory

Beyond that, though, I believe that our methods can be quite diverse. God made each of us individual. There are as many methods of sharing the gospel as there are Christians – and I believe that’s a good thing.

“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:” Ephesians 4:11-12

Can you imagine a football team where, even though the entire team agreed that they all wanted to win the game, everybody wanted to be quarterback? Would that team be able to fulfill its goal to win the game? Probably not. There’d be 11 men throwing the ball around, but nobody would be catching it. That team would be everybody’s joke.

Look at Jesus’ disciples. They did not look like clones of Jesus or each other? Did they all have the same personality? Absolutely not! The disciples were vastly different from each other, weren’t they? But they were unified in their belief that Jesus the Messiah.

What’s the trick to finding unity within the body of Christ? How can we be like the disciples and be “all in one accord” and ready to receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit?

“Notice that it was after the disciples had come into perfect unity, when they were no longer striving for the highest place, that the Spirit was poured out. They were of one accord. All differences had been put away. And the testimony borne of them after the Spirit had been given is the same. Mark the word: ‘The multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul.’  Acts 4:32. The Spirit of Him who died that sinners might live animated the entire congregation of believers.” E.G. White, Counsels for the Church, p.  98

So, what are you doing to further the cause of Jesus Christ? Have you found your ministry niche? If not, why not? Don’t want to stand up in front and speak – no problem. Can’t sing or play an instrument? That’s ok. For everything you think of that you say you cannot do, there is at least one other form of ministry that you can do. You can help the pastor in his office, clean the church, help in one of the children’s departments, help with potlucks, be a greeter, or become a prayer warrior for your spiritual family.

Jesus has a specific and unique mission for you that will fit in perfectly with what everyone else in your church is doing.

When you feel like complaining that someone isn’t doing their job right, pray instead that God will show you how you can help? Maybe that person has been holding that job just for you. If you turn it down, who else will fill your spot?

“Strive earnestly for unity. Pray for it, work for it. It will bring spiritual health, elevation of thought, nobility of character, heavenly-mindedness, enabling you to overcome selfishness and evil surmisings, and to be more than conquerors through Him that loved you and gave Himself for you. Crucify self; esteem others better than yourselves. Thus you will be brought into oneness with Christ. Before the heavenly universe, and before the church and the world, you will bear unmistakable evidence that you are God’s sons and daughters. God will be glorified in the example that you set.
“The world needs to see worked out before it the miracle that binds the hearts of God’s people together in Christian love. It needs to see the Lord’s people sitting together in heavenly places in Christ. Will you not give in your lives an evidence of what the truth of God can do for those who love and serve Him? God knows what you can be. He knows what divine grace can do for you if you will be partakers of the divine nature.”  E.G. White, Counsels for the Church, p. 290-291        

You can’t be a Christian from the sidelines. You’re either part of the problem or part of the solution. You’re either with Jesus or against Him. There is no middle ground. 

     

Remember, we share a belief in the “one, true God.”  Our shared mission is to introduce as many people as possible to our Redeemer.  And, by God’s grace, we will meet beside the Sea of Glass and spend Eternity in the presence of Jesus.  One God – One Goal – One Glory  

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[1] Peter Scholte, “We Are One In The Spirit,” HigherPraise.com, http://www.higherpraise.com/lyrics/p/peter_scholte/peter_scholte-we_are_one_in_the_spirit.html

[2] http://dictionary.reference.com/

Restoration

Thoughts on the Sabbath School Lesson for 10.21.12

There’s a TV show that my family and I watch called American Restoration. The star is Rick Dale, who “is an expert restorer of classic objects and artifacts with nearly 30 years in the business and his own shop in Las Vegas, Nevada--Rick's Restorations. Rick has built his career on an unbridled passion and unique skill for transforming the rustiest and most beat-up items into like-new products that can fetch a big price tag. He doesn't shy away from a challenge and has worked on items as varied as a beaten-down 1940s gas pump, a rusted-out 1950s soda machine and a classic jukebox with a complex mechanical design, upping the value by restoring them to mint working condition. Rick isn't just an exceptional craftsman--he is also a businessman who must manage the big personalities of his employees, many of whom are his own family members.”[1]

Watching Rick restore whatever his clients bring in is an amazing process. Usually what they bring in has been dropped, crushed, rusted or in some other way destroyed. But after Rick and his employees have worked on the item it looks and operates just like it just came from the factory.

Even better than watching the restoration process itself, though, is seeing the joy that bringing something back to “like new” brings to Rick Dale. There’s no doubt that what Rick is doing is his passion. Not many people would have the patience to take a broken, dented and non-working item, take it completely apart, clean and repair each individual piece, sand, repaint and put the whole thing back together again so that it not only looks brand new, but works like it was made to work.

You know, we’re in much the same shape as those broken and dented items that folks bring to Rick’s Restoration workshop. We have been broken and scarred to the point that we are almost not recognizable as the same types of humans that God created on the sixth day of creation.

“Through sin the divine likeness was marred, and well-nigh obliterated. Man’s physical powers were weakened, his mental capacity was lessened, his spiritual vision dimmed. He had become subject to death.” (E.G. White, Education, p. 15)

Can you imagine how God’s heart must break when He sees the marks that sin has made on our lives?

As damaged as we are, though, we can be restored. Before Adam and Eve ever sinned, God had a plan to repair the damage that sin would do – to bridge the separation that sin would open up between God and the beings that He created. God’s instrument of restoration is Jesus. 

“The thought that God’s eye is watching over us, that he loves us, and cared so much for us as to give his dearly beloved Son to redeem us, that we might not miserably perish, is a great one; and he who opens his heart to the acceptance and contemplation of themes like these, will never be satisfied with trivial, sensational subjects.” (E.G. White, Christian Education, p.188)

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

That’s part one of our restoration process – the earthly part. When we accept Jesus as our Savior, His death is applied to our lives so that when our names come before God, He won’t see our sins, He will only see that our debt has been paid. Our relationship with Him is restored to “like new” condition.

But wait, there’s more!

Part two of the restoration process is even more exciting. When Jesus comes to take us home to Heaven, something miraculous will happen. We will be changed into our original, pre-sin condition so that we won’t just be “like new,” we will be completely new.

“Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’ ‘O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?’ The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-55

One of my favorite pastors, Walter Pearson, preaches about the moment when we are caught up in the clouds to be with Jesus. At that moment, we will realize both that we are face to face with Jesus and that we will have our incorruptible bodies. We will look at Jesus and see, for the first time what “made in God’s image” really looks like.

I don’t know which part of our salvation/restoration seems more miraculous – yes, changing our sin battered bodies into God’s original design is amazing, but I think the real miracle takes place when the Holy Spirit touches our sin stained hearts and cleanses and fills them with a love for our Creator and King. How can God fix something so broken as a sinful human being?

Allan Dale Golding gives an illustration that might help us understand God’s restoration process.

“When we were missionaries in the Philippines, we vacationed in Baguio City in the mountains of Northern Luzon. While there, we visited the St. Louis Silver School, where silversmiths are trained. We admired exquisite workmanship in the workshop and gift shop, and took home a souvenir—a pure silver money clip embellished with a distinctive design. I carried that clip for the next 24 years. One day it finally broke as I slipped a few bills into it. I then took the two pieces of the money clip back to the silver school in Baguio. One workman, about my age, asked if he could help me. I explained my predicament and laid the pieces in his outstretched hand.
“After examining the pieces for a minute or so, he looked up at me and said, ‘I designed this clip. I was the only one to make this design. I made all of these that were ever made.’
“I asked, ‘Can you fix it?’
“He said, ‘I designed it. I made it. Of course I can fix it!’”[2]

Jesus designed and created us. He made the plan to fix us when we fell and if we will let Him, he is waiting to re-create us in His image again.

“For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him.” John 3: 16-17AMP

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[1] American Restoration, 1996-2012, A&E Television Networks, LLC.

[2] Allen Dale Golding, “Creator Makes and Fixes Creations,” www.preachingtoday.com

Keepin’ It Real

Thoughts on the Sabbath School Lesson for 7.21.12

“Postmodern” is the descriptor for our world today. For me, the word dredges up mental pictures of grey post-apocalyptic cityscapes populated by grey, blank-eyed, place fillers.

In reality though, our postmodern world is peopled with armies of highly engaged individuals who can access a wealth of information on almost any topic with just a few swipes at the screen of their smartphone.

Maybe a side effect of this information glut is our society’s relativism.

Relativism is defined as “the doctrine that no ideas or beliefs are universally true but that all are, instead, “relative” — that is, their validity depends on the circumstances in which they are applied.”[1]

Obviously, individuals who share that world view are going to be more difficult to engage when talking about what we believe to be truths that govern the universe: a creator God, a seventh-day Sabbath rest, a virgin birth and a risen Savior. Those ideas seem antiquated and restrictive to many people living today. They believe they have no relevance to their everyday lives. Old fashioned rules like the Ten Commandments have been pushed aside in favor of more lenient and “relevant” rules.  In fact, 

“Douglas Taylor-Weiss, rector of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Dayton, Ohio, has proposed a new set of Ten Commandments based on his observations of our culture:1. Have a good day.2. Shop.3. Eliminate pain.4. Be up-to-date.5. Relax.6. Express yourself.7. Have a happy family.8. Be entertaining.9. Be entertained.10. Buy entertainment."He forgot 11. Get in touch with your feelings.”[2]

This kind of relativism has given rise to folks who create their spiritual beliefs cafeteria style.

Steven Van Zandt, a guitarist in Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band describes himself this way,

"I am a reformed Taoist, part-time Buddhist, Hindu, animist, pagan, Jewish mystic, and Christian. I always got along great with priests and rabbis and mullahs and gurus, even though I spend most of my life constructively criticizing them."[3]

In a 2005 interview with the New York Post, singer Sheryl Crow had this to say about her spiritual beliefs. 

“I believe in God. I believe in Jesus and Buddha and Mohammed and all those that were enlightened. I wouldn't say necessarily that I'm a strict Christian. I'm not sure I believe in heaven.”[4]

How do we spread the Gospel to individuals who have these kinds of beliefs? How can we demonstrate that Christianity is relevant to their lives?

“Christ drew the hearts of His hearers to Him by the manifestation of His love, and then, little by little, as they were able to bear it, He unfolded to them the great truths of the kingdom. We also must learn to adapt our labors to the condition of the people—to meet men where they are. While the claims of the law of God are to be presented to the world, we should never forget that love, the love of Christ, is the only power that can soften the heart and lead to obedience.—The Review and Herald, November 25, 1890.”[5]

Paul ran into many of the same issues when He was preaching all those years ago (I guess postmodernism isn’t so different after all). He was spreading the Gospel to traditional Jews, Greek Jews, as well as people who followed philosophers and those who worshiped heathen gods. He knew he couldn’t approach all of those different groups in the same way and be an effective preacher. He had to know enough about each group that he could begin a discussion with them using terms and references with which they were familiar.

“For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law,that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.” 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

We’ve got some work to do, the gospel to share, a mission to complete...let’s keep it real –biblically speaking, that is.

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[1]relativism. (n.d.).The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. Retrieved July 13, 2012, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/relativism

[2]Martin Marty in Context (Feb. 1, 1992). Christianity Today, Vol. 41, no. 3.

[3]Steven Van Zandt, Rolling Stone (1-20-00), p.26

[4] Sheryl Crow, New York Post, September 2005

[5]E.G. White, Evangelism, p. 57 

Doe a Deer -- volume 2

Thoughts on the Sabbath School Lesson for 5.5.12

We’re having a Julie Andrews moment here. I’m sure you remember that song:

“Let’s start at the very beginning; a very good place to start. When we read we begin with a, b, c; when we sing we begin with doe, ray, me…” 

But when we’re sharing the gospel of Jesus with someone, where do we start?

Have you ever thought about in what order we should present Bible truth? Do you think it matters? I mean, it’s all truth, right?

Apparently, it is the order matters. I’ve worked in education for enough years to know that almost everything we do needs to happen in a particular sequence and every step in that sequence is important – not just for what it is, but also for where it falls. For example, babies learn to roll over, to crawl, to pull up on furniture, to walk and then to run. Each one of those steps is important because of the way the muscles and the brain work together to make each one happen.

Actually, Paul talked about that very thing:

“I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able;” I Corinthians 3:2

Ellen White describes the process like this: 

“Christ drew the hearts of His hearers to Him by the manifestation of His love, and then, little by little, as they were able to bear it, He unfolded to them the great truths of the kingdom. We also must learn to adapt our labors to the condition of the people—to meet men where they are.”[1]

How do we know where to start, then? Well, if we look at the way Jesus worked with people, we can see that He almost always started at a purely physical level: if someone needed healing, He healed them. If they needed feeding, He fed them. Only after a person’s physical needs were met would Jesus talk to him or her about His and His Father’s love.

My aunt and uncle have an amazing ministry that follows the example of Jesus. Twice a year for as long as I can remember, they have gone to little villages in Mexico with bus and van loads of doctors, nurses, dentists and assorted volunteers. They spend a week or two meeting the physical needs of hundreds of villagers with every kind of ailment you can imagine…and some you’d rather not. Every day the medical folks work to comfort, if not heal, the people who come to them. Then, in the evenings, they share the love of Jesus. Thousands of people have met Jesus and given their hearts to Him because they experienced the love of people who love Jesus.

I’m not saying that everybody needs to pack up and take a mission trip; there are plenty of folks who are starving for Jesus all around us. Not everyone has a medical need. Thy point isn’t what you do; just that you do something to show someone else how much Jesus loves him.

“Doe a deer, a female deer; ray a drop of golden sun. Me, a name I call myself, fa – a long, long way to run…”

You know when we’re just discovering the world around us, as children, we experience things very simply: the sky is blue, the sun is yellow, all trees are apple trees, and all houses are two stories, have a peaked roof, chimney, a front door and five windows. Do you doubt it? Ask a six or seven year old to draw you a picture of a house and that’s almost certainly what you’ll get. If you ask a child to sing you a song, you’ll probably hear them sing “Jesus Loves Me.”

Is there anything wrong with any of that? Not at all. But as children grow, their understanding grows with them. They learn why the sky looks blue. They realize that all houses and trees aren’t the same and they’ll begin to understand why those differences are important. It wouldn’t do anybody any good though to sit a six year old down and try to explain to him the finer points of architecture or the layers of the atmosphere. You’d both end up frustrated and chances are, the next time you asked that child to draw you a picture, he’d be less likely to oblige.

When we introduce someone to Jesus, it’s important that first and always foremost, he knows that Jesus loves him. What’s the best way to show Jesus’ love? By loving that person ourselves. As we build a relationship with him or her, he will begin his relationship with Jesus as well.

Little by little, as the Holy Spirit leads, the person will be able to understand more and more Bible truth. How fast will you progress? Probably everybody understands at a different rate. As the Holy Spirit works on his or her heart, new truths will sink in.

It’s important to remember, though, that relationship comes first – a relationship with you and then one with Jesus.

Check out these statistics from the Institute for American Church Growth. That organization asked 10,000 people how they came to join their church.

People who started coming to church because they had some special need: 2%

People who just walked in: 3%

Folks who said they joined because of the pastor: 6%

Those who joined a church because somebody came to visit them: 1%

Folks who joined because they liked the church study program: 5%

People who joined through an evangelistic crusade: 5%

Those who joined for a particular program: 3%

Now, here’s the biggie! People who joined a church because they had a friend or relative in that church: 79%[2]

Everything builds on the foundation built through a personal connection with someone who loves Jesus. Everything else builds off of that foundation. As he becomes a more mature Christian, he will have to make the decision to follow Jesus for himself. Every person comes to a point when he or she has to decide to continue to follow Jesus or to walk on by himself. But a belief built on a relationship with Jesus will stand that test.

“Doe a deer, a female deer; ray a drop of golden sun. Me, a name I call myself, fa – a long, long way to run. Sew, a needle pulling thread. La, a note to follow sew. Tea, a drink with jam and bread. That will bring us back to doe!”

We begin and end with Jesus. In between there are truths and trials, heartaches and hopes, but Jesus is the constant. As the Holy Spirit leads to people who are starving for Jesus, we just need to remember to start at the beginning. Find out what that person needs: healing, help or just someone to listen, provide it and then tell him or her the amazing things Jesus has done in your life. Then hang on as the Holy Spirit works through you to help this baby Christian grow. What a miracle!

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[1] Ellen G. White, Evangelism, p. 57.

[2] Wayne Zunkel, Leadership, Vol. 5, no. 3

Oh, What You Said!

It’s not a four letter word, but it’s a word we, especially Americans, extra-especially Texans, really, really hate… Can you guess what word it is?  OK, I’ll tell you, but you’ve got to promise not to get too upset… Are you sitting down?  Submission – ummm, I’m telling!

So, it’s not a bad word, but it’s a word most of us aren’t comfortable with.  Folks get all excited when somebody starts talking about how one group of people needs to submit to another group of people.  Somebody will make a comment about the text in the Bible that says that wives should submit to their husbands (“Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.” Ephesians 5:24NIV) and people just start going off the deep end all over the place!  Have you ever noticed that?  Why do you think that is?

Some folks would say that we have come so far as a race/species that we are self-sufficient and don’t need to-and shouldn’t-submit to anyone.  The problem with that argument is that the first two people on earth had problems being submissive right off the bat.  So did at least one of their children.  In fact, it goes back even farther than that, doesn’t it?  Lucifer had issues with submitting to authority, and he makes sure that we do to.

What does it mean to submit to someone?  When most of us think of a definition, we go straight to the most negative definition, “abjectly submissive; characteristic of a slave or servant; ‘slavish devotion to her job ruled her life’; ‘a slavish yes-man to the party bosses’- ‘she has become submissive and subservient’ [syn: slavish] “  submissive. (n.d.). WordNet® 3.0. Retrieved July 06, 2007, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/submissive

I don’t know about you, but the thought of being slavish doesn’t sound like much fun to me.  We certainly don’t want to consider ourselves slaves.  Only weaklings submit their will to anyone else, right?  But look what the Bible says in Romans 8:6-8: “The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.” NIV

Well, that definitely puts a different spin on the whole idea. Those verses make it sound like we cannot please God unless we submit to Him.  In fact, Mrs. White goes beyond that:

“I know that human beings suffer much because they step out of the path that God has chosen for them to follow. They walk in the sparks of the fire they have kindled themselves, and the sure result is affliction, unrest, and sorrow, which they might have avoided if they had submitted their will to God and had permitted Him to control their ways. God sees that it is necessary to oppose our will and our way, and bring our human will into subjection.
“Whatever path God chooses for us, whatever way He ordains for our feet, that is the only path of safety. We are daily to cherish a spirit of childlike submission, and pray that our eyes may be anointed with the heavenly eyesalve in order that we may discern the indications of the divine will, lest we become confused in our ideas, because our will seems to be all-controlling. With the eye of faith, with childlike submission as obedient children, we must look to God, to follow His guidance, and difficulties will clear away. The promise is, "I will instruct thee and teach thee . . . : I will guide thee with mine eye" (Ps. 32:8). . . .
“If we come to God in a humble and teachable spirit, not with our plans all formed before we ask Him, and shaped according to our own will, but in submission, in willingness to be taught, in faith, it is our privilege to claim the promise every hour of the day. We may distrust ourselves, and we need to guard against our own inclinations and strong tendencies lest we shall follow our mind and plans and think it is the way of the Lord. . . .
“Our heavenly Father is our Ruler, and we must submit to His discipline. We are members of His family. He has a right to our service, and if one of the members of His family would persist in having his own way, persist in doing just that which he pleased, that spirit would bring about a disordered and perplexing state of things. We must not study to have our own way, but God's way and God's will.” That I May Know Him 249}

So, we can’t please God without submissive hearts and spirits, but we can’t even please ourselves.

Abraham and Sarah are given as examples of that kind of submission.  And just so we don’t get discouraged right away, Abraham and Sarah also are examples of what can happen when we get impatient and don’t submit ourselves to God. 

I think we’re mostly comfortable with those pictures of submission.  In theory, we agree that we need to submit to God’s will in our lives, and when we take things into our own hands, they usually don’t go so well.

But there’s something else in that story that becomes very uncomfortable for us (well, for me anyway) to think about.  It’s that pesky idea of one person submitting to another person.  I’m not just talking about wives to husbands, because as I read it, everybody gets the same message at some point or another.  Uh-huh, I saw that eye-roll.  You aren’t any more comfortable with it than I am.

In Ephesians 5:22-33; 6:1-9; Romans 13:1-5; Colossians 3:18-22 and, most simply, Ephesians 5:21 (“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”) we read that God wants us to submit to each other.  So, if we want to submit to God, we have to also submit to humans.  How far do you think we have to take that, do you think?

When we think about the husband/wife or parent/child relationships, we can kind of go along with those, right?  At least in those situations we can usually count on the positive feelings from the people we’re submitting to.  And we know that God wants what’s best.  But those verses don’t stop there. 

“Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.” Ephesians 6:5-9 NIV

Slaves?  Slaves?  We’re not slaves.  Those verses were written for another time and place.  They aren’t talking about us.  Are they?

Well, no, but I think these verses have some very important things to say about the spirit of submission that can be applied in all the other areas. 

Be honest with yourself now, how often have you (me too) done a task just well enough to slide by, or only tried to look busy when your boss was walking through?  Is that the kind of submission God wants?  ‘Fraid not.  Your boss doesn’t want it either.

And what about when you believe your boss/husband/parent is wrong?  Not going against God in anyway, but just wrong…do you have to submit then?

Think about Sarah’s life with Abraham.  We don’t think much about her part of this adventure.  Can you imagine your husband walking in and saying to you, “Morning dear, we’re moving.”

“Where?”

“Don’t know.”

And your response would be…?  Would you submit at that point?  Or would you have some opinions to share before you started packing?

What about later when Abraham told the pharaoh that Sarah was his sister.  Maybe the first time, we would have played along without any discussion, but what about the second time?  What do you think that discussion might have sounded like in your family?

I don’t believe that Sarah was a passive, weak, dependent person; I do believe that after giving her thoughts she submitted to Abraham’s will.  She trusted God enough to be able to trust Abraham.  Just like Isaac trusted God enough to trust Abraham on Mount Moriah.

“We shall see the salvation of God if we trust in God in the darkness as well as in the light.
“All trials, all afflictions, all peace, all safety, health, hope, life, and success are in God's hands, and He can control them all for the good of His children. It is our privilege to be suppliants, to ask anything and everything of God, submitting our request in submission to His wise purposes and infinite will.” E.G.White, Our High Calling 318

Oh, Grow Up!

I was remembering this week a foster kid we had while I was growing up.  Some of you will remember that my family took lots of foster kids over the years.  Eddie is the one who popped into my mind.

Eddie was four years old when he came to live with us.  I think I was in middle school.  When the folks dropped him off they told us what they told us about almost every child we ever took – “This child is severely mentally retarded.  He will never be able to learn or function in any normal way.”  We also learned that Eddie (the name we gave him because he didn’t have one) had been in a different foster home since he’d been born.  At the age of four, Eddie had never been out of a crib; he couldn’t crawl or walk; he had never had a hair cut; he wasn’t potty trained, he didn’t talk; and he had never had anything for nourishment except baby formula from a bottle.  (I think I’ve told you about Eddie before.  I’m making a different point this time…I hope) 

Anyway, Eddie had lived four years with baby formula only and minimal human contact.  He was still living life as a newborn.  He had made almost no progress emotionally, intellectually or physically since the day his was born.  Sure, his body itself was four years old…but nothing else had changed at all.

Do you know any Christians like that?  Have you been a Christian like that?  Newborn Christians are as exciting and miraculous as newborn babies…full of hopes and promise.   And we have to be just a careful and tender with newborn Christians as with babies.  Babies don’t start right out eating (veggie)steak and fri-chick; they start out with something they can digest.  But if you never feed a growing child anything but milk, his body may grow, but he won’t have the energy to learn how to sit-up, crawl, or walk.  And if nobody ever interacts with the baby, he doesn’t learn to talk or respond to humans in anyway.  That’s what happened to Eddie.

The good news is that Eddie learned to eat good food, to talk, walk, and seemed on track to being a regular kid by the time he was adopted.  What about you and me?  Are we on the way to becoming mature Christians?

As Adventists, we probably made our initial commitment to Christ because we were convinced, intellectually.  Adventist preachers and evangelists work very hard, for the most part, to play down the emotional aspects of conversion.  Mrs. White urges us to not be swayed by emotional appeals.  I understand the need for caution.  You’ve probably seen TV evangelists who work their audiences into emotional frenzy and then makes his appeal for Christ.  We might feel uncomfortable with that approach, but it can be quite effective.  Either way, the baby Christian has made a choice to follow Jesus, and that’s a good thing.  The problem is, that, in both cases, the conversion is one-sided.

Someone who has come to Christ based on their conviction that what they have learned is the truth may continue to come to church for the rest of his (or her) life and never take the next step – falling in love with Jesus.  On the other hand, the person who responded to the emotional appeal, will keep coming to church, as long as the church continues to provide emotionally charged services every week.  Both converts are, like newborn babies, completely reliant on what the church feeds them for their continued commitment to Jesus.

Have you ever noticed a baby who is about four or five months old who is just ready to graduate from milk only to food?  Does anybody have to convince them that they are ready for food?  If that baby is sitting where he (or she) can see people eating, he’s probably “looking the food right out of their mouths”, as my father used to say.  He knows he’s ready to take the next step, and he’s eager to start.  Now, he may not like everything you try to give him, and (based on my own experience) if you start with the wrong food, you may have problems, but, for the most part, whatever you offer him, he’s going to take. 

Or, we could look back at Eddie.  I’m sure there was a time for him, when he was four or five months old, that he would have been interested in trying food, if someone had offered it to him.  But when no one did, he lost interest. 

That can happen with baby Christians too.  At some point, we have to move beyond depending on the pastor and/or church for our spiritual food.  The pastor’s (church’s) job is not to keep feeding formula to baby Christians, but to inspire them learn how to spiritually feed themselves.  Church is the appetizer or the dessert, not the meal.

So, how do we get from newborn to born again?  By being hungry to learn more about Jesus.  By getting to know Jesus as a friend.  Everything I read this week brought it down to this:  communication.  Communication is what builds all relationships.

Jesus communicates with us through the Bible, right? He teaches us about Himself, about what He has done for us and what He wants to do.  By reading the Bible we learn who Jesus is.

We communicate with God by praying.  Now, I know that Jesus doesn’t really need for us to pray.  He knows what we’re thinking, what we need, what we want, and what we’re feeling.  But when we pray, we are using our free will to choose to open the door of communication between ourselves and God.  He could just take control of everything so that we didn’t need to pray…but then our free will would be gone.  Plus, talking to people we have relationships with is something we enjoy doing, right?  It’s part of being in the relationship.  Haven’t you had friends that you could talk to for hours and hours?  You looked forward to the opportunity to sit with them and do just that.

A lot of people stop right there.  They read their Bible and pray.  Those are the folks who say that they don’t need to come to church because God can be with them everywhere.  They’re right, but they’re also missing a huge opportunity for growing up as a Christian.  Meeting together with other Christians is huge!  

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.  Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25

God created us to enjoy—need, interaction with other people, and when most of our time during the week is spent with folks who don’t share our love for Jesus, it is really wonderful to come together with others who believe the way we do on Sabbath.  In fact, I’ve know folks who enjoy coming to church just because of the social opportunities, not so much for the spiritual ones. 

Anyway, the last component of growing in Jesus, for me, is the hardest one.  We need to communicate with people who don’t know Jesus personally.  We all have different strengths and gifts for telling others about our love for Jesus.  I don’t have the same gifts you have, but we all need to share what Jesus has done for us with someone who needs to hear it.  Do you want to be a grown up Christian?  I do.  There are really just four steps:  read the Bible, pray, spend time with people who love Jesus, and tell people who don’t know Jesus about Him.

That sounds easy, doesn’t it – on paper.  In real life there are so many things that get in the way; Satan makes sure of that.  But, I believe, that when we ask God to make Him our “one, consuming passion” He will answer that prayer by giving us exactly what we need.

“ If the follower of Christ would grow up ‘unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13), he must eat of the bread of life and drink of the water of salvation.  He must watch and pray and work, in all things giving heed to the instructions of God in His words.”  Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles,  pp. 284-285.

True or False?

Thoughts on the Sabbath School Lesson dated 7.2.11

When I was growing up, one of the Bible stories I had a really hard time with was the story of Cain and Abel.  I couldn’t understand why God didn’t accept Cain’s offering.  It seemed like a reasonable sacrifice to me: Abel had given from what he was best at and Cain offered from what he was best at.  No wonder Cain got mad. It was a long time before I understood that sacrificing or offering only what we thought was liked best to God is not worshipping Him at all.  It’s trying to impress God with how good we are at one thing or another, and that’s not going to end well for anyone.

“In an article for the Gospel Coalition, pastor and author Tim Keller offers this potent definition of sin: ‘Sin isn't only doing bad things, it is more fundamentally making good things into ultimate things. Sin is building your life and meaning on anything, even a very good thing, more than on God. Whatever we build our life on will drive us and enslave us. Sin is primarily idolatry.’
“In his bestseller The Reason for God, Keller further develops this line of thought, showing the reader examples of the ‘particular kinds of brokenness and damage’ caused by idolatry:
“If you center your life and identity on your spouse or partner, you will be emotionally dependent, jealous, and controlling. The other person's problems will be overwhelming to you.
“If you center your life and identity on your family and children, you will try to live your life through your children until they resent you or have no self of their own. At worst, you may abuse them when they displease you.
“If you center your life and identity on your work and career, you will be a driven workaholic and a boring, shallow person. At worst you will lose family and friends and, if your career goes poorly, develop deep depression.
“If you center your life and identity on money and possessions, you'll be eaten up by worry or jealousy about money. You'll be willing to do unethical things to maintain your lifestyle, which will eventually blow up your life.
“If you center your life and identity on pleasure, gratification, and comfort, you will find yourself getting addicted to something. You will become chained to the ‘escape strategies’ by which you avoid the hardness of life.
“If you center your life and identity on relationships and approval, you will be constantly overly hurt by criticism and thus always losing friends. You will fear confronting others and therefore will be a useless friend.
“If you center your life and identity on a ‘noble cause,’ you will divide the world into ‘good’ and ‘bad’ and demonize your opponents. Ironically, you will be controlled by your enemies. Without them, you have no purpose.
“If you center your life and identity on religion and morality, you will, if you are living up to your moral standards, be proud, self-righteous, and cruel. If you don't live up to your moral standards, your guilt will be utterly devastating.”[1]

If you switch the phrase “center your life and identity around” with the word worship, suddenly I understand the difference between Cain’s sacrifice and Abel’s.  Abel presented the sacrifice that God asked for, while Cain offered God what he centered his life and identity around.  See if you see shadows of Cain and Abel in this story about giving.

“In his book The Prodigal God, best-selling author and pastor Timothy Keller offers the following story to illustrate self-centered giving:
“Once upon a time there was a gardener who grew an enormous carrot. So he took it to his king and said, ‘My Lord, this is the greatest carrot I've ever grown or ever will grow. Therefore I want to present it to you as a token of my love and respect for you.’ The king was touched and discerned the man's heart, so as [the gardener] turned to go the king said, ‘Wait! You are clearly a good steward of the earth. I own a plot of land right next to yours. I want to give it to you freely as a gift so you can garden it all.’  And the gardener was amazed and delighted and went home rejoicing. But there was a nobleman at the king's court who overheard all this. And he said, ‘My! If that is what you get for a carrot—what if you gave the king something better?’ So the next day the nobleman came before the king and he was leading a handsome black stallion. He bowed low and said, ‘My lord, I breed horses and this is the greatest horse I have ever bred or ever will. Therefore I want to present it to you as a token of my love and respect for you.’ But the king discerned his heart and said thank you, and took the horse and merely dismissed him. The nobleman was perplexed. So the king said, ‘Let me explain. That gardener was giving me the carrot, but you were giving yourself the horse.’[2]

“The power of Christ alone can work the transformation in heart and mind that all must experience who would partake with Him of the new life in the kingdom of heaven. ‘Except a man be born again,’ the Saviour has said, ‘he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ John 3:3. The religion that comes from God is the only religion that can lead to God. In order to serve Him aright, we must be born of the divine Spirit. This will lead to watchfulness. It will purify the heart and renew the mind and give us a new capacity for knowing and loving God. It will give us willing obedience to all His requirements. This is true worship.”[3]

True worship has nothing to do with self and everything to do with God.

“When the music fades / And all is stripped away / And I simply come / Longing just to bring / Something that's of worth / That will bless your heart
“I'll bring You more than a song / For a song in itself / Is not what You have required / You search much deeper within / Through the ways things appear / You're looking into my heart
“I'm coming back to the heart of worship / And it's all about You / All about You, Jesus / I'm sorry Lord for the thing I've made it / When it's all about You  / It's all about You Jesus
“King of endless worth / No one could express / How much You deserve / Though I'm weak and poor  / All I have is Yours / Every single breath
“I'll bring You more than a song / For a song in itself / Is not what You have required / You search much deeper within / Through the ways things appear / You're looking into my heart
“I'm coming back to the heart of worship / And it's all about You / All about You, Jesus / I'm sorry Lord for the thing I've made it / When it's all about You  / It's all about You Jesus”[4]

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[1] Tim Keller, The Reason for God (Dutton, 2008), pp. 275-276, and Tim Keller, "Talking About Idolatry in a Postmodern Age," www.thegospelcoalition.org

[2] Timothy Keller, The Prodigal God (Dutton, 2008), pp. 60-61; submitted by Van Morris, Mount Washington, Kentucky

[3] E.G. White, Counsels on Health, p. 129

[4] Matt Redman,  “The Heart of Worship”