Today, until He comes

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

The Good Life

That’s our grail isn’t it? The vast majority of people are looking for something we call “the good life” – also known as living abundantly. But do any of us know what either of those phrases really means? Would we be able to tell if we were living abundantly? Or is the good life something you only find in memories

I tried to find a good definition for abundant life and nothing I found really helped. I did find out that to most folks it’s code for monetary wealth. For the new agey people, it means becoming one with yourself and the universe. And neither of those really fit with the text, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10 ESV)

This is what I got from the dictionary:

"present in great quantity; more than adequate; oversufficient: an abundant supply of water; well supplied; abounding: a river abundant in salmon; richly supplied: an abundant land; overflowing” (abundant. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved June 01, 2007, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/abundant)

Very helpful, but still not exactly what I was looking for. I did find out that the Greek word that John used there can be talking about quality as well as quantity, like living a superior life. And then I found some really interesting and enlightening information. First off, the word happy is from the same root word (I know, my English major is showing, sorry) as haphazard and happenstance, and it was the word for luck So, does that mean that the abundant life depends on luck? Oh, I hope not!

My search continued. Then I found a sermon from a preacher in Seattle, in which the preacher talks about the Sermon on the Mount. He mentions that some Bible translations use the word ‘happy’ instead of the word ‘blessed’. Which works ok for “Happy are the peacemakers”, but not so well for “Happy are the sad”. (?) This preacher’s comment is that happy isn’t the right word in this case, and the translators should have used the word ‘joy’.

So, what’s the difference between happiness and joy then? Don’t they mean the same thing? Well, according to a study that I found, “almost but not quite.” First of all, I was shocked that somebody actually spent time (and money) studying this and second, how many people have spent time (and money) to study what they call “near-synonyms” or “plesionyms”. Apparently many, many people want to make sure that we are using exactly the right word in every situation. In fact, there are books out there that actually compare and contrast the minute differences between synonyms so that you and I can choose the exact word we want to use. I can see why that would be important. Even Mark Twain had something to say about this subject: "The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between the lightning and the lightning bug."

Anyway, in this study that I read (an actual scientific study), they were trying to find out how people decided when to use either the word ‘happiness’ or the word ‘joy’ – and, of course could they do anything to influence those choices. Well, I struggled through all the technical stuff like ratios, testing situations, statistics, etc., but then I read something truly enlightening. When happiness and joy are used in metaphors, “happiness has a tendency to be described as a thing to be searched for and acquired, while joy tends to be talked about as though it were a liquid that fills the body.”

QUICK! Read that again. Wow.

You’ve seen those people, haven’t you? They’re trying to find happiness all the time—trying everything they can think of to make them happy. And usually they are happy, for about ten minutes…if that long. Then they start looking for their next happiness fix. Check this out:

“Happiness must be sought in the right way and from the right source. Some think they may surely find happiness in a course of indulgence in sinful pleasures or in deceptive worldly attractions. And some sacrifice physical and moral obligations, thinking to find happiness, and they lose both soul and body. Others will seek their happiness in the indulgence of an unnatural appetite, and consider the indulgence of taste more desirable than health and life. Many suffer themselves to be enchained by sensual passions, and will sacrifice physical strength, intellect, and moral powers to the gratification of lust. They will bring themselves to untimely graves, and in the judgment will be charged with self-murder.” {My Life Today 162.2}

In the same book, Ellen White says this: “They are ever trying to find out of Christ that enjoyment which is found alone in Him…There is no true joy except Christ’s joy.” p158

There it is. Joy is not something we have to look for; we know exactly where to find it. We just need to allow ourselves to be filled with it. And the great thing is that joy isn’t based on luck or happenstance. It isn’t even based on our mood. Remember the Beatitudes? Can you be happy when you are “poor in spirit, mourning or sad, or when you’ve been attacked, or when men give you a bad name, are cruel to you, and say evil things about you? Probably not. But you can be joyful in all those situations.

Why? Well according to a sermon called, “The Ultimate Lifestyle: Living Joyfully”, Darryl Dash out of Ontario says, “Joy is not the absence of problems; joy is the attitude that you carry regardless of your problems…Joy is internal. Happiness is external.” And to drive home his point, Darryl points to Paul. If anybody in the Bible had a right to be unhappy, Paul did. He was wrongly jailed and waiting for a trial that might just lead to a death sentence. The person who wanted him tried was Nero—definitely not a nice guy. On the way to jail, he had been shipwrecked, stranded on a desert island (not Gilligan’s), and been bitten by a poisonous snake. And that was just on the way! Once he got there, he was thrown in a cell, chained up 24/7, with a new guard every four hours around the clock; he was never by himself. Do you think the jail food was any good?

The world would really have excused Paul if he had let himself give in to whatever emotions presented themselves: anger, bitterness, hopelessness and probably a whole bunch more. But Paul didn’t give into those feelings. He chose something better. In his letter to the Philippians he says,

“I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.” (Php 1:12-13 ESV)

Excuse me? When I imagine myself in that situation, those are not, repeat NOT, the words I imagine myself saying! But Paul had made a choice long before he ended up in that jail, and he kept making that choice every single day: to put his life in God’s hands no matter what happened. Can you believe it?

“Though he was a prisoner, Paul was not discouraged. Instead, a note of triumph rings through the letters that he wrote from Rome to the churches. ‘Rejoice in the Lord alway,’ he wrote to the Philippians, ‘and again I say, Rejoice. . . . Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.‘My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. . . . The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.’" {AA 484.3}

Paul, instead of focusing on himself and his happiness and comfort, what people thought of him, how he looked or any of those things, he only cared about one thing. He cared that the love of Christ was being preached everywhere and to everybody. For Paul, like for so many others, it wasn’t about his comfort or happiness or even about his life; it was about Jesus.

“But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.” (Acts 20:24 KJVR)

Paul knew how to get joy. Not by searching everywhere, but by looking to God and being abundantly filled. He didn’t have any room for anything else but his joy and his mission for Jesus.

Even Jesus, Himself, focused on one thing only.

“’Jesus . . . for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.’ Heb. 12:2, R.S.V.

"’”These things have I spoken unto you," said Christ, "that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full."’ John 15:11.
“Ever before Him, Christ saw the result of His mission. His earthly life, so full of toil and self-sacrifice, was cheered by the thought that He would not have all this travail for nought. By giving His life for the life of men, He would restore in humanity the image of God. He would lift us up from the dust, reshape the character after the pattern of His own character, and make it beautiful with His own glory.“Christ saw of the travail of His soul and was satisfied. He viewed the expanse of eternity and saw the happiness of those who through His humiliation should receive pardon and everlasting life. He was wounded for their transgressions, bruised for their iniquities. The chastisement of their peace was upon Him, and with His stripes they were healed. He heard the shout of the redeemed. He heard the ransomed ones singing the song of Moses and the Lamb. Although the baptism of blood must first be received, although the sins of the world were to weigh upon His innocent soul, although the shadow of an unspeakable woe was upon Him; yet for the joy that was set before Him He chose to endure the cross and despised the shame.“This joy all His followers are to share. However great and glorious hereafter, our reward is not all to be reserved for the time of final deliverance. Even here we are by faith to enter into the Saviour's joy.” {Maranatha 316}

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Who Are You? Hoo Hoo – Hoo Hoo

Thoughts on the Sabbath School Lesson for 7.9.11

Pretty much from the moment Adam and Eve listened to the serpent, God has had to demonstrate who He is. Every now and then we get it, but it’s like the Camelot thing – “one brief shining moment” – and then, POOF! it’s gone.

I mean, Adam and Eve had it for a little while, and then Eve got distracted and started listening to the serpent. Enoch got it, and managed to hang on. Noah and his family seemed to understand who God was, right up until the time they got off the ark. Things went haywire again.

The book of Genesis tells one story after another about the trouble people had hanging on to any understanding of who God is. By the time Moses meets God at the burning bush, most folks really didn’t have any idea who God was. Thankfully, Moses understood, so God took him back to start the arduous process of re-introducing Him to the Children of Israel.

The Children of Israel proved to be very difficult to teach (not unlike us), but God didn’t quit trying. He used miracles, manna, water from rocks, pheasants, and the Ten Commandments.

Yes, you read that right. I believe the Ten Commandments are God’s self-portrait, maybe even His autobiography. I believe that they say more about Him than they do about us.

Now, I know lots of folks are going to disagree with me. Most people who think of the Ten Commandments at all, think of them as a list of restrictions that God put out so He could catch people breaking the rules and then punish them. Or, probably more accurately, rules that some people threw together to control other people.

In fact, Haddon Robinson implies that if there were no rules, people wouldn’t think to break them.

“The law can prompt us to sin. I am told that several years ago a high-rise hotel was built in Galveston, Texas, overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. In fact, they sank pilings into the gulf and built the structure out over the water. When the hotel was about to have its grand opening, someone thought, What if people decide to fish out the hotel windows? So they placed signs in the hotel rooms, "No fishing out the hotel windows." Many people ignored the signs, however, and it created a difficult problem. Lines got snarled. People in the dining room saw fish flapping against the picture windows. The manager of the hotel solved it all by taking down those little signs. No one checks into a hotel room thinking about fishing out of the windows. The law, although well-intentioned, created the problem.”[1]

Is Robinson really saying that the Ten Commandments are what make us sin? That’s what it seems like to me, but I could be wrong. I’d love to know what you think.

On the other hand, there’s Randy Cohen who’s comments seem to imply that people only need a suggestion of the appropriate behavior.

“In New York at 33rd and Broadway, it's a big transportation hub. Penn Station's right there. A lot of commuter trains stop there, a major subway stop. Thousands and thousands of people pouring out…and what everybody wants more than anything else is: They want a taxi.
“And the most appalling episodes of violence I've seen since I've been here—and I've been in New York for 30 years—were committed there. People did just terrible things.
“Then about 10 years ago, someone—I guess, the Taxi and Limousine Commission—they did something very simple. They painted a yellow strip down the sidewalk and they stenciled two words on the sidewalk: Cab Line. It utterly transformed behavior there. It's the most astonishing thing. Nearly everyone, almost all the time, simply waits in line. It's magnificent. It's never enforced—there are no "line" police there. But we changed the physical conditions and made it possible for people to behave, invited them to behave, and they do![2]

The thing is, that however we feel about them as rules, I believe that the Ten Commandments are the clearest representation that the people who lived between Eden and Jesus had of just who God is.

“You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3 God is loyal to His people and asks for theirs in return. “and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20

“You shall not make for yourself an image…” Exodus 20:4 God knows how fruitless it is for us to put our faith in anything other than the God who created us. He wants to spare us the heartbreak that would inevitable come from worshiping the wrong thing.

“You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God…” Exodus 20:7 God respects and values every human being who has ever or will ever live, regardless of gender, wealth or race. He wants to teach us how to extend that respect to each other by learning to respect Him.

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” Exodus 20:8 God has put time with us on His calendar. He knows He can spend time together anytime, but He wants to make sure we have that fenced off, uninterrupted time together so we don’t grow apart.

“Honor your father and your mother,…” Exodus 20:12 God wanted us to experience the relationship that He has with Jesus and the Holy Spirit – individuals who are unified by their love for one another.

“You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” Exodus 20:13-16 God wants everyone to know that each of us is valuable to Him. When we injure each other, whether it’s physically or emotionally, He experiences that pain too. His heart is broken when our hearts are broken.

“You shall not covet…” Exodus 20:17 God longs to give us the desires of our hearts, but if we allow ourselves to want wrong things, He can’t give them to us. When our hearts are aligned with His, we will want only what He can give us.

The Ten Commandments can’t just be rules to us or we’ll begin to worship the rules and not the Ruler of the Universe. Rules for the sake of having rules are about power and control. The Ten Commandments are about love and protection. If you think about it, the Ten Commandments are the rules of Heaven. If they feel like bondage now, how will they feel for eternity?

Satan works really hard to make sure that people believe that the Ten Commandments are God’s way of controlling the population of Heaven; that they’re the barbed wire around eternity. He wants us to feel pricked and chafed by them. But that’s not what God intended. He wants us all there. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

The question is, do you want to be with Jesus for eternity? I do.

[1] Haddon Robinson, Biblical Preaching (Baker Academic, 2001), p. 100

[2] From an interview with Randy Cohen, "Jesus Has a Lot of Explaining to Do!" Homiletics (September/October 2004) p. 67

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

A cheerful heart

“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” Proverbs 17:22

Ya know, I did a lot of research this week…maybe too much because I got way, way off the track. There are sooooo many theories about how to stay healthy! Some of them are really really strange – and really not helpful, at all.

The one thing pretty much everybody agreed on was that our minds and our bodies are so closely connected that if one is sick so is the other. Exercise can help you beat depression; pessimists tend to have more heart disease than optimists, etc. In fact, most of the articles can be summed up in this quote from an article put out by the Public Health Agency of Canada:

“Positive mental health can help you cope with life’s challenges and enjoy life to the fullest. It can also help your recovery if you develop a mental illness. The following suggestions can help you develop and maintain positive mental health.
• eat a well-balanced diet based on Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating;• take part in physical activity regularly;
• get enough sleep each night;• avoid overuse of alcohol, such as binge drinking or drinking to cope with problems;• avoid the use of illegal drugs;• learn to deal with the stresses of modern life and take steps to minimize the stress in your life; and• talk to others – your family, friends, colleagues – about things that concern you. Sharing feelings and anxieties can help you cope with them.”

Pretty much everybody said the same things unless they were trying to sell something. Something very important is missing though, and it was missing in almost everything I read…you know what I’m talking about, don’t you? There’s a third part to the health equation – the spiritual part. The only time I saw any reference at all to spiritual health was when I was told that meditation was the best way to relieve stress.

But then, I came across an article that I really enjoyed. It said that research has proven that people who laugh more are less prone to have heart attacks and heart disease. And you know what text immediately came into my mind. Of course, in my own misquote, it’s a cheerful heart that “doeth good like a medicine.” I looked and looked but could not find a translation that actually says it that way, so I must have made it up.

Anyway, that sent me off searching through the Ellen White database and I found that she was a real proponent of maintaining a cheerful attitude. She urges people over and over again not to dwell on the sadness and frustration of sin because that that is a tool of Satan. But she goes further by saying that those kinds of feelings affect the efficiency of the way our bodies work, causing all kinds of health problems.

So, I’m convinced that we’re supposed to keep our hearts “merry”. The question is, is that something that I can control over? My psychologist colleagues would have us believe that our emotions are something we experience, not control. In fact, some would say that if you control your emotion s, that you are “repressing” them which is a really bad thing to do. I mean, come on, can I be happy just by choosing to be happy? What if I’ve been diagnosed with depression? I can’t choose to be happy can I? I need medication for that right?

Are we at the mercy of our feelings? This is another spot where I think teaching people that they are descended from monkeys causes problems. So many of the kids I see everyday are at the mercy of their emotions. When they get angry they throw things, hit things or people, break things, yell – all things we’ve seen an angry animal do. If you talk to the student afterward, you’ll see very quickly that he (or she) feels no remorse for acting that way. In fact, he thinks it’s perfectly normal. The student will explain the behavior as, “Well, [that person] made me mad.” In his mind, his response was acceptable and the expected response.

Now I’m going to ask a scary question. What if everybody reacted to anger and frustration like the animals we’ve been taught that we are? Don’t answer too fast because I believe the evening news is proof that a lot of us do act and react like that. I guess the bigger question is: Is that how God wants us to act? He didn’t make us to be just another animal. He made us in His image, just a little lower than the angels. Did He make us to be controlled by our emotions? I believe He made us to be better than that. I believe that God has given us the ability to choose our reactions and, to some extent, our emotions themselves.

Now, don’t disagree too fast. Even psychologists agree with me on this one. There is a therapy style that teaches that if you start acting a certain way, your brain will follow. Yes, I know it’s weird. These are the same folks I told you teach folks that controlling your feelings is a bad thing…but sometimes humans do think things all the way through. Anyway, the theory is that you should act the way that you would if you were happy or not scared or whatever. And as you act that way, your brain follows along and you begin to feel that way. There is even a behavior theory for teachers to use that goes so far as to tell the teacher to talk and react to students as though they were reacting to you exactly the way you wanted them to…whether they actually are acting that way or not. That may go a little farther than I, personally, am comfortable with, but some folks that I’ve heard speak claim that it works.

What I’m trying to say is that I believe that God has given us a choice not only with how we act, but in our feelings as well. Think about how many times in the Bible we’re told not to be afraid. Well, we’re also told over and over again to rejoice and be glad.

¯ Psalm 32:11 Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

¯ Psalm 68:3 But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.

¯ Psalm 118:24 This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

¯ Psalm 97:1 The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof.

¯ Isaiah 65:18 But be ye glad and rejoice forever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.

¯ Isaiah 66:10 Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her:

¯ Joel 2:21 Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.

¯ Zephaniah 3:14 Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.

¯ Matthew 5:12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

¯ 1Peter 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

¯ Revelation 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

Nowhere does it say TRY to rejoice and be glad. And we know that wherever God tells us to do something, He gives us the means to do it, right?

So, does that mean that we never admit to feelings other than happiness? I don’t think so. We know that Jesus was sad, angry, and afraid. We know that God has those same emotions. But remember that God, instead of annihilating us whenever we mess up the perfect world He created, He sent His own Son to make our mistakes right. Can we really ever lose our joy if we keep that thought always in our minds?

So, what do we do to maintain that cheerful heart that will help keep us healthy? God tells us all through the Bible. “Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.” Joel 2:21 Remember, there are supposed to be 365 “Fear Not” verses in the Bible; one for every day of the year. And there’s another text that a friend showed me a few years ago that I really like in this context:

“For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. Look at what is before your eyes. If anyone is confident that he is Christ's, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ's, so also are we. For even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed.” (2Co 10:4-8 ESV)

I especially like the phrase “take every thought captive to obey Christ”. I believe that that is God’s promise that we don’t have to act on every thought that comes into our heads. We don’t even have to think every depressing, angry, bitter, frustrated, sinful thought that comes into our heads. Ok, well, the thought can pop up…but we can take it captive and throw it out as soon as we can. Or we can dwell on that thought.

We have a decision to make. Will we let our emotions run our lives and make us sick? Or will we

“… count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” (Jas 1:2-4 KJVR)

Monday, June 27, 2011

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]

[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”

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

We Have This Hope

Do we really? Have this hope, I mean? Do we really have something more, in the way of hope, than people who don’t believe in God? Well, I did some reading this week and, believe it or not, the Christians say “yes” and the atheists say “no”. That’s a shocker.

What are some things you think about when somebody says the word “hope”? A lot depends on the context, doesn’t it? I mean, “I hope we’re having ice cream for dessert,” is way, way different than “I hope it’s not cancer.” I’ve heard people use hope and pray interchangeably. Sounds kind of silly when you plug it into that first example, but makes perfect sense in the second. Do you have to have faith to have hope? Do you have to believe to have hope? Can you be at peace without hope?

In Roget’s New Millennium Thesaurus, I found the definition of hope listed as to “dream about” along with these synonyms: “anticipate, aspire, assume, await, believe, cherish, contemplate, count on, deem likely, depend on, desire, expect, feel confident, foresee, hang in, have faith, hold, long for, pray, presume, promise oneself, rely, suppose, surmise, suspect, sweat, sweat it, take heart, think to, trust, watch for, wish.”

I’m not sure I agree with all of those. And I’m pretty sure we could discuss the definition of hope all day and still not come much closer. Maybe a better question, then, would be, not what is hope, but where can we get it?

This is where those who believe in God and those who don’t part ways. In many ways, Christians and Atheists have trouble comparing notes because they have such different expectations. Here’s an exchange I found very interesting. Cliff Walker, the editor of a web-zine called Positive Atheism, and an anonymous letter writer who asks Walker where atheists find “eternal hope that is equivalent to the ‘inner peace’ that many Christians feel in their relationship with God?” And this is where I noticed that these two individuals are not speaking the same language because Walker responds that he has found the “peace of mind” that the correspondent was asking about. In my own opinion, inner peace and peace of mind aren’t really the same thing…

Anyway, Walker then goes on to discuss how and where he has found his peace. His claim is that the church and the pub serve the same purpose: the camaraderie that we find when we are with like-minded believers. He goes on to say that there is nothing that “religion has that cannot be found apart from religion.” Well, for me, that is the absolute opposite of finding hope. It is, on some level, I think, admitting that life is hopeless.

Another internet writer goes to great lengths to explain “How to find hope when hopelessness attacks”. For Melissa Quiter, thought, hope is something that you can give yourself by using the right tools. These tools are the “Law of Attraction” (we’ve talked about that before—“This law states that whatever you place your energy and focus on is what you attract back to you.”), the “Nine Environments of Holistic Living” where you “break down your life into manageable segments”, “Neuro-Linguistic Programming” which Quiter explains is “an advanced form of communication that not only improves communication between people, but also opens up communication with all the parts of your subconscious mind.” And the last tool Quiter mentions is the “Process of Deliberate Creation” which she explains is “about combining all these tools and giving yourself the gift of hope.” Again, I’m just not feeling that “inner peace” kind of vibe, what about you?

And then things got REALLY weird. I read the transcript of a sermon that contains quotes from people like Nietzsche and Henry Miller stating that hope is a bad thing, a disease, and the answer is hopelessness. In fact, saying things like “Hopelessness can change the world.” I was appalled and then I found out that the “sermon” was supposed to be funny. Pheww! What a relief!

But then I read the next article, written by Margaret Wheatley. It was called, “From Hope to Hopelessness”, and she wasn’t kidding. Wheatley quotes someone named Thomas Merton who says, “we are consoled and strengthened by being hopeless together.” Excuse me? Now I was on my way to hopelessness!

I needed the “camaraderie of like-minded believers”! I high-tailed it to the E.G.White website and typed “hope” into the search box. What a difference…and what a relief! The first quote to come up was this:

“Christ says to His followers, ‘Ye are the light of the world.’ Then let you light shine forth in clear, steady rays. Do not wrap about you a cloud of darkness. Cease to suspect others. By good works represent the character of Christ. When you are tempted to yield to despondency, look to Jesus, and talk with Him. Your Elder Brother will never make a mistake. He will judge righteously. He will guide you aright.“God is not well pleased to see His children wrapped in gloom and sadness. …He wants us to make melody in our hearts to Him.” {BEcho, September 24, 1900}

There is no doubt in my mind that we, as Christians, have something very special that someone who has not met Christ cannot understand. The peace that passes all understanding is not simply peace of mind. I think the biggest difference is that we can’t find hope, faith, peace or real happiness by looking within ourselves.

“Faith and hope are not to be centered in self…Talk of the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
“…Put away all fretting and complaining, for this is the snare of the devil. Let us make a pledge before God and the heavenly angels that we will not dishonour our Maker by cherishing darkness and unbelief, by speaking words of discouragement and mistrust. …Think not that Jesus is the Saviour of your brother only. He is your personal Saviour. If you entertain this precious thought, you will beat back the clouds of despondency and gloom, and make melody to God in your soul.” {BEcho, September 24, 1900}

Over and over again, Ellen White reminds us to avoid being discouraged because we have a hope that people who don’t know Christ don’t have and can’t understand. We have the hope of spending eternity with Jesus. Can you think of anything at all that you would rather do? Better yet, we don’t have to wait until then. Jesus promises hope now to survive out everyday trials.

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” (Romans 5:1-5 KJVR)

I’ll admit that I have taken hope for granted. For me, knowing that this life is only the preview of what God has promised us makes the junk that happens from day to day a little easier to handle. As I read the philosophies of those people who haven’t met Jesus, I realized that they have to expend a huge amount of energy on NOT accepting the hope that Jesus offers. As humans we all long for that power that is outside of ourselves. And C.S. Lewis says that we don’t crave things for which there is no fulfillment. We thirst and there is water. We get hungry and there is food. We long for the support of a strength outside of ourselves and there is Jesus.

Atheists’ lives are not any easier or harder than ours; we all struggle and we all have times when things go well.

“Are the wicked free from disappointment, perplexity, earthly losses, poverty, and distress? Many o them suffer a lingering sickness, yet have no strong and might One to lean upon, no strengthening grace from a higher power to support them in their weakness. They lean upon their own strength. They obtain no consolation by looking forward to the future, but a fearful uncertainty torments them; and thus they close their eyes in death, not finding any pleasure in looking forward to the resurrection morn, for they have no cheering hope that they shall have part in the first resurrection. …“The Christian is subject to sickness, disappointment, poverty, reproach, and distress. Yet amid all this he loves God, he chooses to do His will, and prizes nothing so highly as His approbation. In the conflicting trials and changing scenes of this life, he knows that there is One who knows it all, One who will bend His ear low to the cry of the sorrowful and distressed, One who can sympathize with every sorrow and soothe the keen anguish of every heart. …A short rest in the grave, and then the Life-giver will break the fetters of the tomb, release the captive, and bring him from his dusty bed immortal, never more to know pain, sorrow, or death.” {OHC9}
We do have something extra, something special because we can look forward to a world with no pain, no tears, no sickness and no death. We can look forward to a world without hurricanes, tornadoes or earthquakes. We can look forward to an eternity with our Creator and Savior.“Jesus, precious Jesus, ‘merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty’ (Exodus 34:6,7). O How privileged we are that we may come to Jesus just as we are and cast ourselves upon His love! We have no hope but in Jesus. He alone can reach us with His hand to lift us up out of the depths of discouragement and hopelessness and place our feet upon the Rock. Although the human soul may cling to Jesus with all the desperate sense of his great need, Jesus will cling to the souls bought by His own blood with a firmer grasp than the sinner clings to Him.” {TMK80}

Clouds