99.9% Pure

Thoughts on the Sabbath School lesson for 8.18.12

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”  Philippians 4:8

Sounds simple enough, right? No problem – just think about the good stuff and the bad stuff won’t be a problem. But then the news comes on, or your favorite old song, or that movie the folks at work said was so good, or you’re just checking your email, but the side and top banners are just staring at you…and before you know it, those good things have slipped quietly away.

And really, what difference does it make, anyway, I’m not actually doing any of that stuff. I’m just looking/listening.

Well, author Craig Gross would disagree with you. “In his book Eyes of Integrity, Craig Gross contends that our battle with sexual immorality (and other sins) often begins in the mind. Then he shares the following personal story about identifying the battle for our mind:

“It was spring break in New Orleans, the streets were packed with college-age partiers, and the debauchery had reached an all-time high. My friend Donald and I ... had no idea we were going to be stepping into a raucous street party. A few minutes of the madness swirling around us, and both of us knew we needed to get out. Quick. The smell of beer infused the air, and high above the street level, lined along the apartment balconies, women revelers danced, flashing the crowd. Spontaneous applause and cheers erupted in every direction every few seconds.
“Waiting for a cab, I was torn as thoughts of these women flooded my mind. I was thinking about who they were. I thought of my own little girl at home and wondered if any dads knew their little girls were here, dancing. But while one side of me wanted to pray for the lost little girls, I felt the other side being drawn in, tempted to stop and stare. I was engulfed in a war of conscience and conviction, between my commitment to guard my mind and a strong call to take mental snapshots.
“‘Take every thought captive’ the apostle Paul declared …. Why? Because he knew the mind is the root issue, the systematic cause of all moral failures. The mind begins the process of every action we take, and I had to ask myself: Am I willing to arrest these thoughts that are producing an insane magnetism towards unhealthy action? When I sat in the taxicab with my mind on erotic autopilot, I had to make a decision …. [Thankfully], God was faithful and really did provide a way out for me.”[1]

Okay folks, that’s pretty straight forward – immorality, or any sin for that matter, doesn’t start with action but with thought. And where does thought start? Thoughts are started by what we see and hear – with what we put in our brains. That links the text I started with in Philippians and the text that Gross referenced from Second Corinthians: 

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.  For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,  casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-6

Taking every thought captive…I really like the mental picture that those words make and the encouragement that they give. They let me know that I can’t always control the thoughts that pop into my head, but as soon as an inappropriate thought pops in, I, with the help of the Holy Spirit, need to “grab it” and throw it out. Then I can take the things from Philippians 4:8 and fill up my brain with good thoughts again.

Ellen White gives us advice on how to have fewer thoughts that need to be taken into captivity:

“Those who would not fall a prey to Satan’s devices, must guard well the avenues of the soul; they must avoid reading, seeing, or hearing that which will suggest impure thoughts. The mind must not be left to dwell at random upon every subject that the enemy of souls may suggest. The heart must be faithfully sentineled, or evils without will awaken evils within, and the soul will wander in darkness.” (Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 518.)

Paul reminds us that God has called us to live a pure and holy life. The enemy is doing his best to make sure that that doesn’t happen. Our world is so sexualized and out there that there is almost no escape, immorality is almost everywhere. It is accepted as and even celebrated while chaste, pure life choices and those who try to make those choices receive derision and laughter.

The only way we can be successful is to put our hand firmly in God’s Hand and to walk close beside Him and to keep our eyes fixed on His face.

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.”[2]

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[1] Adapted from Craig Gross, Eyes of Integrity (Baker, 2010), pp. 45-49

[2] Helen H. Lemmel, “Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus”, 1922

What are YOU wearing?

Do you think a fireman would run into a burning building without all of his safety gear on?  Would a SCUBA diver attempt a dive without wearing every single piece of his SCUBA equipment?  What about a soldier? A policeman? An astronaut?  No matter what we're doing, if it calls for some specialized safety equipment, we make sure we're properly attired before we start, right?  I mean, would any of us, intentionally, put even one hand into an oven without first protecting our hand?  Not on purpose anyway.

But when we face everyday trials and tribulations, we don't think twice about going forward virtually (or is it literally) unprotected – practically naked, in fact.  What's up with that?  

In Ephesians, Paul tells us how we should be clothed and prepared to face life in a sinful world:

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;...”  Ephesians 6:10-18

I know what you're thinking.  You're thinking that putting on armor was all well and good for folks who lived when Paul did, but we'd look pretty odd walking down the street dressed like roman soldiers.  But let's think it through a little bit farther.  Our lives really aren't much like a nice walk in the park, are they?  We (or maybe just I) often forget that we're walking through an active battlefield where the angels of God and the angels of Satan are fighting for our souls, every minute of everyday.  

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:  Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”  1Peter 5:8-9

The question is, would you step into a lion's cage naked?  Don't laugh because we're walking around in front of that hungry lion not just naked, but wearing raw meat perfume!  Who thought that was a good idea?

Let's check back with Paul and figure out what we need to be wearing to keep from getting eaten up by the lion, shall we?  Paul tells us that the first thing we have to do is to wrap ourselves in the truth.  But how do we do that, you ask?  Check out John 14:6: 

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

  Ah-ha!  We wrap ourselves in the truth by surrounding ourselves with Jesus—He is our foundation.

“The Lord will be your helper, and if you trust Him, will bring you up to a noble, elevated standard, and will place your feet upon the platform of eternal truth. Through the grace of Christ, you can make a right use of your entrusted capabilities, and become an agent for good in winning souls to Christ.” E. G. White, Our High Calling, 1961.

Next, Paul tells us to cover our hearts with Christ’s righteousness so that when Satan tells us that God would never really love sinners and that we will never be good enough, we can defend ourselves with the righteousness of Christ. 

“Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:” Philippians 3:8-9

Now comes one of the hardest of Paul’s directives:  "to walk in the footsteps of Jesus…” There will always be obstacles before us, but we are to follow our Leader, and meet our difficulties unitedly, hand in hand. There is only one way to heaven. We must walk in the footsteps of Jesus, doing His works, even as He did the works of His Father. We must study His ways, not man's ways; we must obey His will, not our own. Walk carefully. Do not go ahead of Christ. Make no move without consulting your Leader. Ask in humble prayer, and "ye shall receive." He is the Way, the Truth, the Life. …Our only hope of reaching heaven is to be one with Christ, and then, in and through Christ, we shall be one with one another. No one is called to walk alone. In Christ life and immortality are brought to light. He has opened the way to the kingdom of heaven to those who believe in Him, but He assigns to no one a path different to that which all must travel. He calls for unity, and unity we must have. God asks us to sink self in Christ. For the natural man this is not easy. But through the power of the incarnation of Christ, God manifest in the flesh, the strength of God is revealed in gentleness and beauty. To 

"as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God." By this power we may overcome our evil tendencies and so modify our imperfect dispositions that the will of God may be fulfilled in us.” E.G. White, Letter 79, May 7, 1903, to J.A. Burden and wife.

We must always carry in our minds the reality of our own salvation, once we have given our lives to Jesus.  

“Many have confused ideas in regard to conversion. … They could not comprehend the plan of salvation. “Many have stumbled to ruin because of the erroneous doctrines taught by some ministers concerning the change that takes place at conversion. Some have lived in sadness for years, waiting for some marked evidence that they were accepted by God. …they dare not profess Christ, because they fear it would be presumption to say that they are children of God. They are waiting for that peculiar change that they have been led to believe is connected with conversion. “… God accepted them when they became weary of sin, and having lost their desire for worldly pleasures, resolved to seek God earnestly. But, failing to understand the simplicity of the plan of salvation, they lost many privileges and blessings which they might have claimed had they only believed, when they first turned to God, that He had accepted them. “…The evidences of a genuine work of grace on the heart are to be found not in feeling, but in the life.”  E.G. White, My Life Today, 1952.

Finally Paul tells us that the Word of God and prayer are our weapons against evil.  There is a difference here though.  So far Paul has told us to “put on” something, but these last two are things we must “pick up”, and practice with so that we will be able to use them effectively when the need arises. 

“Let them study the Scriptures. Let them commit text after text to memory, and acquire a knowledge of what the Lord has said. . . . And in trial … spread out the Word of God before them, and with humble hearts, and in faith, seek the Lord for wisdom to find out His way, and for strength to walk in it. . . . “Let them have stated seasons for prayer, never neglecting them if it can possibly be avoided. … armed with the Word of God, having it treasured in heart and mind, they will come forth unharmed by all the assaults of the foes of God or man. . . . “Satan is a wise general; but the humble, devoted soldier of Jesus Christ may overcome him.” E.G. White, My Life Today, 1952.

Living The Fruity Life

Thoughts on the Sabbath School Lesson for 12.17.11

Now, before anybody gets too worried, by “the fruity life” I mean the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”  Galatians 5:22-23

That’s quite a list, isn’t it?  I think we all skim through it like it’s a checklist, mentally ticking all the traits we’re pretty sure we’ve mastered, right?  We’ve got this whole fruit of the Spirit thing under control; we’re good to go…in our own minds.  Ahem…time for a reality check.

“Here's some good news: if you're like most people, you're way above average—at almost everything. Psychologists call this the state of ‘illusory superiority.’ (It's also called ‘The Lake Wobegone Effect,’ from Garrison Keillor's fictional Minnesota town where ‘all the children are above average.’) It simply means that we tend to inflate our positive qualities and abilities, especially in comparison to other people.
“Numerous research studies have revealed this tendency to overestimate ourselves. For instance, when researches asked a million high school students how well they got along with their peers, none of the students rated themselves below average. As a matter of fact, 60 percent of students believed they were in the top 10 percent; 25 percent rated themselves in the top one percent. You'd think college professors might have more self-insight, but they were just as biased about their abilities. Two percent rated themselves below average; 10 percent were average and 63 were above average; while 25 percent rated themselves as truly exceptional.
“Of course this is statistically impossible. One researcher summarized the data this way: ‘It's the great contradiction: the average person believes he is a better person than the average person.’ Christian psychologist Mark McMinn contends that the ‘Lake Wobegone Effect’ reveals our pride. He writes, ‘One of the clearest conclusions of social science research is that we are proud. We think better of ourselves than we really are, we see our faults in faint black and white rather than in vivid color, and we assume the worst in others while assuming the best in ourselves.”[1]

Wow!  No wonder Paul reminds the Romans: 

“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.”  Romans 12:3

So, IRL (I’ve just learned from my children that IRL stands for In Real Life) can we be so quick to assign all the elements of the fruit of the Spirit to ourselves?  I’m not saying that we don’t have one or two of them at one time or another, unless there’s a big deadline at work, or somebody else got a raise/promotion, or our kids/spouse/pets are making us crazy…but, you know, anybody would lose it under those circumstances, right? We don’t have to have all those attributes all the time, do we?

Let’s look at the verses around 22 and 23:  

“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”  Galatians 5:16-26

Hang on there, there’s another list we need to read through carefully.  It’s pretty easy, once again, to decide we don’t have a problem with any of those “acts of the flesh.”  I meant, sorcery? Really?  Heresies?   Murders?  Don’t be silly!

But there are some other things on that list:  hatred, envy, jealousy, and a couple of things the New International Version calls “fits of rage” and “selfish ambition.”  That hits a little closer to home, doesn’t it?

The truth is that we can try to create the fruit of the Spirit ourselves, but sheer force of will, and we might be able to manage things for a little while, but our “flesh lusts against the Spirit.”  It wants to pitch fits and be jealous and envious and petty; we just cannot resist the pull toward the “acts of the flesh” on our own.  It isn’t possible.

“Love, joy, and all that other good stuff are the fruit of the Spirit, not the fruit of our efforts. We can't produce them on our own. Period. The fruit comes only as we submit our lives and let the Spirit control us.”[2]

That’s why Paul tells us over and over again to “walk in the Spirit.”  And “those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”  The fruit of the Spirit only becomes a part of us when we quit fighting ourselves and surrender completely to Jesus.

“The fruits of the Holy Spirit are, it seems to me, largely fruits of sustained interaction with God. Just as a child picks up traits more or less simply by dwelling in the presence of her parent, so the Christian develops tenderheartedness, compassion, humility, forgiveness, joy, and hope through ‘the fellowship of the Holy Spirit’--that is, by dwelling in the presence of God the Father and Jesus Christ his Son.”[3]  

I’m ready to live the fruity life.  I want to admit that I’m less than I would like to think I am, that my only chance is to stop struggling against “the flesh.”  It’s time to surrender and, as the Alcohol Anonymous folks say, “Let go; Let God.”

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[1] Matt Woodley, managing editor, PreachingToday.com; sources: "Study: Self-Images Often Erroneously Inflate," ABC News (11-9-05); Mark McMinn, Why Sin Matters (Tyndale, 2004), pp. 69-71

[2] Susan Maycinik (now Susan Nikaido), editor of Discipleship Journal, "Who's Afraid of the Holy Spirit?" Discipleship Journal (Issue 91)

[3] Robert C. Roberts in The Reformed Journal (Feb. 1987). Christianity Today, Vol. 32, no. 10.

“Then I Will Go With You.”

Thoughts on the Sabbath School lesson for 12.10.11

“There is an old story [probably apocryphal, according to one Lincoln historian] that Abraham Lincoln went down to the slave block to buy a slave girl. As she looked at the white man bidding on her, she figured he was another white man going to buy her and then abuse her. He won the bid, and as he was walking away with his property, he said, ‘Young lady, you are free.’
“She said, ‘What does that mean?’
“‘It means you are free.’
“‘Does that mean,’ she said, ‘that I can say whatever I want to say?’
“Lincoln said, ‘Yes, my dear, you can say whatever you want to say.’
“‘Does that mean,’ she said, ‘That I can be whatever I want to be?’
“Lincoln said, ‘Yes, you can be whatever you want to be.’
“‘Does that mean I can go wherever I want to go?’
“He said, ‘Yes, you can go wherever you want to go.’
“The girl, with tears streaming down her face, said, ‘Then I will go with you.’”[1]

Whether or not that story is true, can we argue with the girl’s desire to go anywhere with the person who bought her freedom?  Wouldn’t we think it strange, though, if the girl, having just been freed, stepped back onto the slave block and allowed herself to be sold back into slavery?  We’d think that she was ungrateful and, quite frankly, crazy to give up her freedom.

What if, on the other hand, the girl accepted her freedom from Abraham Lincoln, but without so much as a thank you very much, ran off and, say, became a bank robber or a prostitute?  Yes, she’d technically be free, but would she be experiencing her freedom in the way Mr. Lincoln had hoped she would?

Jesus has bought and paid for our freedom from Satan.  Paul reminds the Galatians to be careful not to let their freedom slip away from them.  

“IN [this] freedom Christ has made us free [and completely liberated us]; stand fast then, and do not be hampered and held ensnared and submit again to a yoke of slavery [which you have once put off].” Galatians 5:1 AMP

Paul seems to be worried about two specific problems that the Galatians were running into.  The first, Paul has been talking about all through the first part of Galatians:  legalism.  The other extreme, though, is also a threat.  

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.”   Galatians 5:13

So, on one end of the spectrum we have legalism (I can save myself), and on the other end we have licentiousness (I can do whatever I want).  In the middle we have justification by faith.

 

It’s tough to stay in the middle isn’t it?  Most of us are so much more comfortable when we are given specific instructions for accomplishing something.  We like checklists and step-by-step instructions. 

Think back to when you were a teenager, becoming an adult.  You’d come to your parent for advice about what you should do in a certain situation.  When you were a little younger, your parent would have told you what to do, but now, he (or she) says something like, “It’s your decision.  Do what you think is best.”  Can you remember that frustration?  You wanted to be told what to do (even though if your parent had told you what to do, you would have argued about it).

One year in high school, the band needed to raise money for a trip we were taking.  We all split up and some people had bake sales and all kinds of sales or service projects.  My brother, some friends and I wanted to have a car wash, but we didn’t have a good place to have one, so we came up with an idea.  We would load up our parents car with hoses, buckets, and soap; go to a neighborhood and knock on doors and ask if the people who lived in the house would like us to wash their car.  Now the brilliance of this plan was not so much house to house part; it was the part where we didn’t set a price.  We did the job and when the people asked how much they owed us, we said whatever they thought the job was worth, or whatever they thought was fair.

That really put people off their guard.  They had to generate their own price.  Well they didn’t want to short change us because there we stood, sweaty, sunburned, soaking wet…we really made a lot of money that day.  And yes, we turned it all over to the band, but that was really an eye-opening experience for me.    People are much more comfortable when things are spelled out for them.

“An Arab chief tells a story of a spy who was captured and then sentenced to death by a general in the Persian army. This general had the strange custom of giving condemned criminals a choice between the firing squad and the big, black door. As the moment for execution drew near, the spy was brought to the Persian general, who asked the question, ‘What will it be: the firing squad or the big, black door?’
“The spy hesitated for a long time. It was a difficult decision. He chose the firing squad.
“Moments later shots rang out confirming his execution. The general turned to his aide and said, ‘They always prefer the known way to the unknown. It is characteristic of people to be afraid of the undefined. Yet, we gave him a choice.’
“The aide said, ‘What lies beyond the big door?’
“‘Freedom,’ replied the general. ‘I've known only a few brave enough to take it.’”[2]

What do you think?  Are you brave enough to take the freedom that Jesus has paid for with His life?  Am I?  If we accept that freedom, we also have to accept the change in our relationship with Jesus and with the world. 

“Christian freedom means receiving a new nature that institutes an internal transformation of behavior rather than an external regulation of behavior. The bicycle’s chain attaches to the rear sprocket and, from the center of the radiating spokes, transfers power that mobilizes the entire bicycle. Some motion could be accomplished by turning the tire outside the rim, but such motion is superficial when compared with the power radiating from the centered sprocket. Civil government does bear some responsibility for regulating society so that such egregious evils as violence, robbery, and so on will not go unchecked; but history has shown that spiritual revival is exponentially more effective in transforming behavior than is imprisonment and punishment. The Holy Spirit’s power, radiating from the completely surrendered heart, is humanity’s only realistic hope for lasting transformation and survival.”[3]

How will I serve my Savior?  By remaining a slave, by ignoring His wishes, or giving myself completely to Him?

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[1] Steve Brown, Preaching Today, #58

[2] "Reasons to Fear Easter," Preaching Today, Tape No. 116

[3] Dan Solis, “Freedom in Christ,” The Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide

Flavored or Filled?

Thoughts on the Sabbath School Lesson dated 11.26.11

“[The label on the bottle said:] 'Blueberry Pomegranate, 100 percent juice, all natural.'  [There was also a picture of] a ripe pomegranate [spilling] its exotic, glistening seeds onto mounds of fat, perfect blueberries. …
“And then I read the ingredients list: ‘Filtered water, pear juice concentrate, apple juice concentrate, grape juice concentrate.’ Where was the blueberry? Where was the pomegranate? Finally I found them, fifth and seventh on a list of nine ingredients, after mysteriously unspecified ‘natural flavors.’
“By law, food ingredients are listed in descending order of weight. That means a product contains the greatest proportion of the first ingredient on the list and successively less of those farther down. So according to this list, the jug in my hand held mostly water and other juices, with just enough blueberry and pomegranate for flavor and color.
“In the bottom corner of the front label, in small, easy-to-miss type, were the tell-tale words: ‘Flavored juice blend with other natural ingredients.’ The enticing pictures and clever labeling were decoys to sell a diluted, blueberry-pomegranate flavored product, convincingly disguised to look like something it wasn't. I put the juice back on the shelf.
“I left the store empty-handed and wondering, What if I had an ingredients list printed on me? Would Jesus be the main ingredient? If not, how far down the list would he be? Would my ‘label’ accurately represent my contents? Or would I falsely project a misleading outward appearance that cleverly masked diluted ingredients? My packaging may be convincing. I may look and sound like the real thing. But what if someone came to me looking for Jesus beneath my ‘Christian’ label and found something else? Something Jesus-flavored, but not Jesus-filled? …”[1]

When Paul wrote to the Galatians, he begged them to be Christ-filled. Being Christ-filled is the antidote for being led into legalism by false teachers.  Legalism is being Christ-flavored: looking, smelling and maybe even tasting like Christ, but lacking that One Essential Ingredient – Jesus.

It’s interesting that if you ask a bunch of people if they are Christians, chances are good that they’ll say yes, but in some cases, they haven’t really made a full commitment to Jesus.  They want to be associated with Christianity but don’t really want to change their lives.

Steve Sample, president of the University of Southern California, offers this illustration:

“In the spring of 1970, when I was 29, I learned I had won a fellowship from the American Council on Education, which would allow me to serve an administrative internship with Purdue University President Fred Hovde for the 1970–71 academic year. I was elated by the opportunity. Despite having only recently been awarded tenure and promoted to associate professor of electrical engineering at Purdue, I was already leaning toward a career in administration….
“Soon after the award was announced, I happened to bump into a colleague, Vern Newhouse, who was a highly respected senior member of the electrical engineering faculty. ‘So, Sample,’ Newhouse said, ‘I see you've won some sort of administrative fellowship in the president's office.
“‘Yes, that's true,’ I said.
“‘And you'll be learning how to become an administrator?’
“‘I suppose so.’
“‘And then you'll probably want to be president of a university somewhere down the road?’
“‘Well, I don't know. I guess I've thought about it now and then,’ I said, somewhat disingenuously.
“He smiled and said: ‘Personally, I've never had any ambition whatsoever to be an administrator. I am totally inept at managing things…. But I've been a careful observer of ambitious men all my life. And here, for what it's worth, is what I've learned: many men want to be president, but very few want to do president.’ And with that he wished me well and walked away.”[2]

It’s so easy to slip away, isn’t it?  We want to be Christian, but we don’t necessarily want to do Christian.  It’s a moment by moment commitment, and if someone comes along and tells us there’s an easier way, our instinct is to jump at it.

 We want the benefits without the hard work so we listen to the folks who say that following Jesus is as easy as checking off the boxes on a list of do’s and don’ts.  That’s what the false teachers were telling the Galatians – that relationship was nothing, following the rules was the way to go.  Paul is using every argument to convince them of the truth.

“Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.”  Galatians 4:21-23

In other words, “Come on people, you know better!  Where are you getting your information?”

Can you imagine how frustrating it must have been for Paul? This group of people that he felt like he practically had given birth to, had started placing greater value on their behavior than on their identity in Christ.  And that was because of where they were getting their information.

“My eight-year-old embraces some interesting sources of truth. We were coming home from the grocery store recently when he asked, ‘Dad, do you believe in the Bermuda Triangle?’
“‘Jack,’ I replied, ‘if you're asking me if I believe that this place exists, my answer is yes. If you're asking me if I believe all the mysterious stories about ships and planes disappearing, no: I think that's all baloney.’
“‘Well, Dad,’ Jack said with a note of defensiveness, ‘I believe in it. And I bet you want to know why.’
“‘Yes, Jack. I do.’
“‘Well, I was watching Scooby Doo …’”[3]

Where are we getting our information?  Someone who wants to convince us of the easy way?  or someone who tells us the truth?  Someone who agonizes over our salvation as though it were his own – Christ-flavored or Christ-filled?

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[1] Erin Bunting, "Jesus Flavored, or Jesus Filled?" Kyria.com (10-7-09)

[2] Steve Sample, The Contrarian's Guide to Leadership (Jossey-Bass, 2002), pp. 159-160

[3] David Slagle, Atlanta, Georgia

The Happiest Place on Earth

Thoughts on the Sabbath School lesson dated 10.29.2011

Where is the happiest place on earth?  I know a place that claims to be.  If you are a person of a certain age, you have grown up with the “knowledge” that the happiest place on earth is somewhere with the name Disney in the title.  If the advertising is to be believed, any place “Disney” is where people go to celebrate victories, for birthdays and anniversaries, for family reunions…or just because.  Just recently I have noticed that it’s a big deal to video the moment when someone learns he or she is going to some place Disney.  The person, adult or child, usually explodes with screams and/or dissolves into tears.  I guess I just don’t get it.  I went to Disneyland and, well, just never felt the magic, I guess.

Anyway, Disney[fill in the blank] is supposed to be the happiest place on earth; so happy, in fact, that Disney designed a town based on “Disney values.” 

“It was supposed to be the ‘perfect’ town. After all, it was planned by Disney itself. The town of Celebration, Florida, a 16-acre utopian community just ten minutes from Walt Disney World, was developed in order to promote ‘Disney values.’ Disney designed the buildings, as well as its education and health policies. Most homes look identical, even with the same plants in the front garden. During winter evenings, the town even gets a gentle dusting of artificial snow every hour on the hour. (If you're familiar with the movie The Truman Show, you probably get the idea).”[1]

Okay, so my question is, what exactly are “Disney values?”  Where does a person learn what they are – by watching Disney movies?  Are they written down anywhere?  Are they concrete enough to live by?  Well, I’m thinking not, because the article quoted above, goes on:

“But this carefully planned, picture-perfect world was shattered in 2010 by two violent deaths: a murder and a suicide. Matteo Giovanditto, aged 58, was the victim of the town's first murder. Just three days later, Craig Foushee, distraught over his impending divorce and bankruptcy, barricaded himself in his home and started firing shots. After a tense standoff with authorities, Mr. Foushee eventually shot and killed himself.”[2]

Heartbreaking!  I can understand wanting to live in a perfect place, with perfect weather and perfect people, but we live on a fallen planet with sinful people.  We can pretend that it snows politely in Florida, but can we pretend that highly impolite hurricanes don’t hit Florida from time to time?  Can we pretend that tragic things don’t happen?

That’s kind of like trying to save ourselves through our own works.  We might be able to fool ourselves for a little while, but eventually most of us are going to have to admit that we’re fighting a losing battle.  We can’t pretend that we’re perfect, forever.  

Paul had to get pretty harsh with the church members in Galatia because they had forgotten that faith in Jesus was their only hope for justification.

“You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? … For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.’ Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because ‘the righteous will live by faith.’ … Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.’ He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.”  Galatians 13:1-3,10-11,13-15

Paul pointed to Abraham quite a bit; whenever he wants his readers to understand what real faith is, Paul mentions Abraham.  Why do you think that is? 

I think it’s because Abraham didn’t give up on God.  That sounds strange, but we know that God would never have given up on Abraham.  So many times through Abraham’s lifetime, he could have said, “You know what, God; this just isn’t working for me.  I’m done.” 

Abraham could have refused to move away from his family’s land in the first place or given up on the promise of a son, or walked away when God asked him to sacrifice that son.  Abraham could have walked away from God at any time, but he didn’t.  He kept on believing when the believing seemed impossible. 

“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.  And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
“All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.”  Hebrews 11:8-13 

Abraham (along with everybody else listed in Hebrews 11) knew something we all need to learn about what real happiness, joy, success, wealth, peace, and salvation come from.  Those things don’t come by pretending life is just a Disney-esque adventure with scheduled snowfall and assured of a happy ending.  Those things only come when we have learned to walk and talk with our Savior and Redeemer.

“It was no light test that was thus brought upon Abraham, no small sacrifice that was required of him. There were strong ties to bind him to his country, his kindred, and his home. But he did not hesitate to obey the call. He had no question to ask concerning the land of promise—whether the soil was fertile and the climate healthful; whether the country afforded agreeable surroundings and would afford opportunities for amassing wealth. God has spoken, and His servant must obey; the happiest place on earth for him was the place where God would have him to be.”[3]

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[1] Matt Woodley, managing editor, PreachingToday.com; sources: Mark Mynell, "Quaerentia," (12-7-10); Jon Swaine, "Murder and suicide in Celebration, the perfect town built by Disney," The Telegraph, (12-3-10)

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 126

Can’t We All Just Get Along?

Thoughts on the Sabbath School Lesson for 10.15.11

In the interest of full disclosure, I hate conflict.  I will go to great lengths and do almost anything to avoid it.  I know folks who, maybe love is too strong a word, but are not afraid to say exactly what they mean even if they’re pretty sure it’s going to upset someone. 

Anyway, when we talk about the early Christians we like to concentrate on the “all in one accord” parts of the story – they were so unified.  Everybody got along and there was no conflict in the early church.  But that’s not the way it was!  We forget that as the disciples were setting things up, they ran in to some rough spots; some places where they didn’t agree.  We can even read in Paul’s letters how he reminded them to not let their disagreements over who their preacher was get in the way of their belief in Jesus.

“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers Sand sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, ‘I follow Paul’; another, ‘I follow Apollos’; another, ‘I follow Cephas’; still another, ‘I follow Christ.’  Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?” 1 Corinthians 1:10-13

When I think of unity – “all in one accord”, I think of that famous scene in the movie, Spartacus.  In case you haven’t seen it:

“Spartacus is a classic movie that retells the historical account of the great Roman slave rebellion in 71 B.C. Spartacus was a highly trained gladiator who escaped and led other slaves to freedom. As news of his rebellion grew, thousands of slaves joined his cause and followed him through victories and defeats.
“Near the end of the movie, a massive Roman army under the command of Senator Crassus (Laurance Olivier) captures the rebels. Although Crassus does not know what Spartacus (Kirk Douglas) looks like, he suspects that Spartacus is alive amongst the prisoners under guard. In full Roman uniform, Crassus gallops up to the mouth of the valley where the prisoners are being held and shouts an offer to them: they can escape death by crucifixion if they turn Spartacus over to him.
“Spartacus studies the ground for a moment and then nobly gets to his feet, intending to turn himself in. But before he can do so, his comrade to the left stands and calls out, ‘I am Spartacus!’ Then his comrade to the right also stands and calls out, ‘I am Spartacus!’ As the real Spartacus looks on, comrade after comrade in his slave army rises to their feet and calls out, ‘I am Spartacus!’ until there is a chorus of thousands united.”[1]

That scene really demonstrates the concept of unity, something that can so easily be lost in our day to day walk with Jesus.   We get caught up in our differences of opinion about things that don’t really matter to our salvation, like whether the pews should be dark or light wood and whether the bathrooms are painted blue or green.  Remember, the early Christians met in the catacombs, caves filled with dead people.  I’m pretty sure decorating was not the first thing on their minds.

Unity is really, really important, but sometimes, our push for unity goes too far.  We decide that unity is more important that truth and that’s a real problem.

Check out this comment from a church leader about what is more important – unity or truth:

"If you must make a choice between heresy and schism, always choose heresy."[2]

This quote comes from an Episcopal bishop, Peter James Lee.  He was voting with 59 other Episcopal bishops whether or not to approve a practicing gay man as bishop.  Now, I’m not trying to debate the whole homosexuality issue, what I want you to notice is what this bishop is saying.  He is saying that he believes that if we ever come to a place where we have to decide between allowing false teachings into our church or standing up for the truth at the risk of causing a split in the church, we should accept the false teachings.  Did you get that?  Unity at the cost of truth … wow.

Maybe you’ve seen the bumper sticker/t-shirt that says "COEXIST" using the symbols that represent Islam, Pacifism, Gay Rights, Judaism, Paganism, Taoism and Christianity for the respective letters in the word. 

If the question is, “Can we, as Christians, get along with all these other people?” the answer is, “YES!” 

“Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:  Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.”  I Corinthians 10:32-33

But if the question is, “Should we agree with all of those beliefs and practice them in our own congregations?”  Then the answer is absolutely, “NO!”  Unity doesn’t mean compromising the truth.

“The Texas Army National Guard has a group of special workers called riggers. Their job is to fold and pack the parachutes soldiers use when jumping from an airplane at 5,000 feet. These people are intensely dedicated to their task. The Rigger's Creed states, ‘I will be sure always!’ They know jumpers need assurance that everything regarding their chutes is perfect. In the 20 minutes it takes to meticulously pack an MC1-1 military parachute, 30 folds are required. A jumper has nothing to do with the chute until they put it on before a jump. Trust in the error-free performance of the riggers is all a jumper has to rely on.
The Rigger's Creed further states: ‘I will never let the idea that a piece of work is 'good enough' make me a potential murderer through a careless mistake or oversight, for I know there can be no compromise with perfection.’  Riggers know that the parachute business is a life-or-death enterprise. Mistakes cost lives. There is no room for complacency.
“Do we approach our kingdom responsibilities with equal fervor?”[3]

Satan uses many ways to turn us away from God.  He can use the everyday conflicts between people to drive us out of the church or he can use the infiltration of false teaching so we are lost without ever leaving the church. 

We can’t let our salvation be threatened by disagreements with our brothers and sisters in Christ, but we also must guard against compromising what we know to be truth in an effort to be unified.

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”  1Peter 5:8

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[1] Spartacus (Universal Pictures, 1960), directed by Stanley Kubrick; submitted by Bill White, Paramount, California

[2] BreakPoint with Charles Colson, (Commentary #040205, 02-05-04)

[3] Bill Donahue and Russ Robinson, Walking the Small Group Tightrope (Zondervan, 2003) p. 157-158

Redirect

Thoughts on the Sabbath School Lesson for October 8, 2011

“Redirect” is one of those words, which in the last twenty years or so, has become very important in the education / behavior management fields.  At some point, we stopped telling individuals who were behaving badly to “Stop it!” and began “redirecting them to more appropriate behaviors” by reviewing consequences and offering choices.

Having said that, I’d have to say that Saul’s Damascus Road experience has to be history’s biggest redirect.  Although it was dramatic and sudden, the follow up must have been truly difficult.  It’s one thing to change someone’s mind, but changing his (or her) behavior is a much tougher thing.  And for Paul, he had the added struggle of convincing others that he had really changed – not a simple task by any means!  Imagine his first meeting with the original disciples…I’d be interested to know what happened, wouldn’t you?  I mean, Stephen was one of their friends!

Do you think Paul explained that he was converted; Ananias said, “Yeah, that’s pretty much it;” and then they had a big group hug?  I’m thinking not so much.

I’m thinking the process of gaining the trust of the disciples and other early Christians happened pretty gradually.

You can tell the process wasn’t complete yet when Paul wrote to the Galatians.  Somebody or somebodies in Galatia were sniping at Paul and whether or not he had the authorization to be included in the early Christian cadre of church leaders. 

“I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin.  I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.
“For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers.  But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being. I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus.
“Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days.  I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord’s brother. I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie.
“Then I went to Syria and Cilicia. I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only heard the report: ‘The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.’  And they praised God because of me.”  Galatians 1:11-24

You can kind of tell Paul’s had to explain all this before.  He ends up doing some redirecting of his own.  Paul has to show the Galatian church that they are letting their mistrust of him lead them to reject the truth of the gospel just because it came from him.

Do we ever do that same thing?  Do we reject what a certain preacher says because we’ve heard that he used to belong to another religion?  Do we ignore everything Ellen White says because someone in our past has used her wisdom to punish us?  Are we quick to discount good information because we dislike the source?  You know, the enemy works hard and constantly to distract us from the truth, and he will use any trick to make sure we aren’t aware we’re being led astray.

“In his book Tempted and Tried Russell Moore recounts an NPR program about a scientist named Temple Grandin who is researching new ways to gently kill cows. It's an important issue because if the animals experience high stress levels prior to death, hormones get released that lower the meat quality. Thus, Grandin has been exploring how to keep the cattle calm as they are being led to slaughter.
“Grandin's research has led to one simple insight: novelty distresses cows. The key is to keep everything in their lives feeling and looking as normal and natural as possible. Russell Moore summarizes Grandin's techniques for gently killing the cows:
“Workers shouldn't yell at the cows, [Grandin] said, and they should never use cattle prods, because they are counter-productive and unneeded. If you just keep the cows contented and comfortable, they'll go wherever they're led. Don't surprise them, don't unnerve them, and above all, don't hurt them (well, at least until you slit their throats at the end).
“Along the way, [Grandin] devised a new technology that has revolutionized the ways of the big slaughter operations. In this system the cows aren't prodded off the truck but are led, in silence, onto a ramp. They go through a ‘squeeze chute,’ a gentle pressure device that mimics a mother's nuzzling touch. The cattle continue down the ramp onto a smoothly curving path. There are no sudden turns. The cows experience the sensation of going home, the same kind of way they've traveled many times before.
“As they mosey along the path, they don't even notice when their hooves are no longer touching the ground. A conveyor belt slightly lifts them gently upward, and then … a blunt instrument levels a surgical strike right between the eyes. They're transitioned from livestock to meat, and they're never aware enough to be alarmed by any of it. The pioneer of this technology commends it to the slaughterhouses and affectionately gives it a nickname. [Grandin] calls it ‘the stairway to heaven.’”[1]

Okay, does anybody else find that absolutely terrifying? Are we so distracted from our relationship with Jesus that we don’t realize we’re being herded in the opposite direction?  We’ve forgotten about grace and have long ago allowed ourselves to be convinced that we can earn our way into heaven.

“To substitute external forms of religion for holiness of heart and life is still as pleasing to the unrenewed nature as it was in the days of these Jewish teachers. Today, as then, there are false spiritual guides, to whose doctrines many listen eagerly. It is Satan’s studied effort to divert minds from the hope of salvation through faith in Christ and  obedience to the law of God. In every age the archenemy adapts his temptations to the prejudices or inclinations of those whom he is seeking to deceive. In apostolic times he led the Jews to exalt the ceremonial law and reject Christ; at the present time he induces many professing Christians, under pretense of honoring Christ, to cast contempt on the moral law and to teach that its precepts may be transgressed with impunity. It is the duty of every servant of God to withstand firmly and decidedly these perverters of the faith and by the word of truth fearlessly to expose their errors.”[2]

We have been redirected…now we have to choose – grace or works.

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[1] Russell D. Moore, Tempted and Tried (Crossway, 2011), pp. 25-26

[2] E.G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 387

Who Am I?

Ok, so how many of you have seen the movie The Runaway Bride?  Julia Roberts Richard Gere – not much to complain about … except that Julia Roberts plays a woman with a particular personality type.  Maggie (the girl played by Julia Roberts), is the absolute epitome of the phrase “all things to all people”.

 

Have you ever met anyone like that?  He (or she) shapes himself into someone he thinks you want him to be.  If you say you like jazz, this person likes jazz.  If you like anchovy and garlic pizza, that becomes his favorite food.  You’ll never have any arguments with him because he will always find someway to agree with you.

Oddly enough, he’s not doing this consciously at all.  In the world of psychology, this is called low ego strength.  (In the 70’s and 80’s it was called “co-dependency”)  When a person has low ego strength, he really has no sense of himself—his feelings, his likes and dislikes, opinions.  He is open to being led by the people around him.  In The Runaway Bride, Ike (Richard Gere) demonstrates to Maggie that she is so dependent on other people to define who she is that she doesn’t even know how she likes her eggs fixed.  She has always just “liked” them the way her boyfriend liked them.  When her boyfriend changed, so did her egg preparation preference. 

Psychologists will tell you this is NOT a healthy way to live; we can’t make everybody happy all the time.  So, then why does Paul say in I Corinthians 9:22, “I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.”?  Is he saying that we should be chameleons like Maggie? Is it more of a cultural thing (When in Rome…, and all that)? Or none of the above?  What do you think?

 

Well, apparently there are folks out there who assert that Paul was telling Christians to be “situational pragmatists”.  Well, first I had to look up what that meant—if you already know, go ahead and skip down a few lines, but for the rest of us:  A situational pragmatist is someone who goes through life like a chameleon, continually changing to match his environment, for the sole purpose of convincing other people of his ideas.  Remember the Nixon years and the phrase “The end justifies the means.”?  That is a situational pragmatist’s mantra. But I don’t believe it was Paul’s, do you?  He never pretended to be something he wasn’t or to believe something he didn’t, just to get folks to become Christians.

Ellen White describes Paul’s approach to his mission like this:  

"We know that the apostle did not sacrifice one jot of principle. He did not allow himself to be led away by the sophistry and maxims of men.  He was not to coincide with the suppositions and assurances of men who were teaching for doctrine the commandments of men…” The Southern Work, p76

Another interpretation of Paul’s statement “all things to all men” is that Paul was keeping up with the cultural changes around him so that his message remained “culturally relevant”.  I have to say that this particular angle has taken up a lot of webspace.  People feel very strongly about what they believe Paul would/would not have condoned if he were around today.  Would he have added other-than-hymns music to his worship services? One pastor went so far as to comment, “I think he’d be the first to be thrown out of the church today for disobeying the law.”

Mrs. White explains it a bit differently in Sketches From the Life of Paul: 

“…his purpose to become all things to all men as far as he could do this and not sacrifice principle,…”.

So, Paul wasn’t a chameleon and he wasn’t a pragmatist, so what was his point?

“He [Paul] did not approach the Jews in a way to stir up their prejudice. He did not run the risk of making them his enemies by telling them the first thing that they must believe on Jesus of Nazareth; but he dwelt on the promises of the Old Testament scriptures, which testified of Christ,… Thus he led them along …, showing them the importance of honoring the law of God. He also gave due honor to the ceremonial law,… After dwelling upon these things, evincing that he had a clear understanding of them himself, he brought them down to the first advent of Christ, and proved that in the crucified Jesus every specification had been fulfilled. This was the wisdom that Paul exercised. He approached the Gentiles, not by exalting the law at first, but by exalting Christ,… Thus he varied his manner of labor, always shaping his message to the circumstances under which he was placed; and, yet,… many would not be convinced. There are some who will not be convinced by any method of presenting the truth. The laborer for God should, nevertheless, study carefully the best method, in order that he may not arouse prejudice or stir up combativeness unnecessarily. Let him give the people evidence that he is a true Christian, conscientious, desiring peace and not strife, and that he has a love for their souls. Thus the confidence of the people will be gained. Canvasser, December 11, 1890