Preparation Pays

            Forty days in the Valley of Elah Israel trembled at the taunting of Goliath of Gath. The man was a giant. He was trained as a warrior from his youth and confident in his strength; his size; and his skill.
“And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, why are ye come out to set your battle in array? Am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? Choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.”

The champion who walked out of Israel’s camp didn’t look like a warrior. He was little more than a boy. He had no armor; no sword and no military training. He was armed with only a shepherd's sling. On his way to meet Goliath in battle, David stopped to gather five smooth stones from the brook that ran through the valley.

As a trained warrior Goliath knew the deadly power of a sling. He also knew that in practiced hands a stone could be hurled with pinpoint accuracy. Supremely confident in his armor and his size Goliath threw aside caution and knowledge. He advanced on David. The first stone pierced Goliath’s helmet and shattered the bone beneath. The giant stumbled and fell. Both armies watched in shocked disbelief as David beheaded Goliath with the Philistine’s own sword. David’s trust in God and a handful of stones put the enemy army to flight.

There’s more to the story than a victory for the underdog. There’s a lesson here about the sufficiency of God and the weapons God has placed at our disposal. In preparation for the battle David refused Saul’s armor. He didn’t refuse because it was poor quality armor. David refused because it was not his personal armor. David understood that his life, thus far, was under God’s control and that it was a life of preparation. God doesn’t lead His people in aimless circles. He is constantly preparing us for what’s over the next hill. He is still preparing each and every one of His children for the battles and the giants that come our way. David was prepared for battle. He had used his sling against long odds before. Goliath threw away his preparation—David used his. That was the difference between victory and defeat.

The word of God applied effectively to a Christian’s life is his greatest weapon against fleshly and spiritual enemies. Reading the Bible will not make you a Christian nor will it result in victorious living. The ability to quote scripture is a wonderful gift, but without an experimental knowledge of the scripture being quoted it is nothing more than beating against the air. Victory comes when a Christian has been prepared by God’s word and then acts upon it. That is, when the Spirit brings to life God’s word as it applies to everyday thoughts and actions; we hear it; agree with the word; and act accordingly. As the old saying goes, “experience is the best teacher.” A certain knowledge that the word of God will work in your life is worth more than any weapon.

Whether it’s made of hardened metal or pseudo-intellectual egotism man’s strongest armor is no match for the word of God. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” God weighs and tests the sincerity of a Christian’s commitment to the scripture even to the intentions of the individual heart. When allowed to, He refines, hardens and hones that commitment to a fine edge worthy of use in the battles of life. Every Christian is armed and armored by God. Victory lies in trusting the efficiency of God and the weapons He has given us.

With God on his side David needed only one stone to defeat Goliath. Have you ever stopped to speculate why he picked up five? I believe it was because David knew might never pass that brook again and so he used the one opportunity given him to gather all the resources he could hold. Before going into battle it’s good to know where you stand and the resources at your disposal. Christians are to gather all of the word of God they can carry. One verse may be enough to defeat our giants, but isn’t it comforting to be holding a handful?

TV Theology

      I do not get my Christianity from television, but I pay attention to how Christians, fictional and otherwise, are portrayed there because I know some people do. Television exists to shape opinion. It's subtle, but undeniable. You are being entertained in the hope that you will buy the merchandise advertised during your favorite program. It's a fair trade off. The problem is the shaping of opinion doesn't stop at the commercials. That's why networks change their minds when there is an uproar over what is aired and sponsors are threatened. Every program you watch tells a story and every story has a message or, as we dinosaurs say---a moral.

      Now, don't get me wrong, every story needs a bad guy. But, in the best written stories, a bad guy doesn't always look like a bad guy. Which brings me to the point I wish to illustrate. In a recent episode of Bones, an FBI agent quotes scripture several times to a preacher whose daughter is gay in an effort to find a motive for murder. We all know he's looking for that knee jerk reaction of "hate" all Christians have whenever gays are mentioned. Here's the twist, the preacher commends the agent on his knowledge of scripture and tells him, "You know the scriptures, but these verses pale in comparison to the true message of Christ's love and acceptance."

      Whaaaat?

      The scriptures, all the scriptures even those that tell us what we're doing is wrong, are the true message of Christ's love and acceptance. More than that, the scriptures are Christ. He is the Living Word of God. There are no true and false messages living side by side in scripture. There are no inspired, blood laden verses and uninspired, pale verses keeping company in the Bible. Christ is not divided.

     Someone may quote to me, "the letter killeth, but the Spirit maketh alive." To which I say, "Amen," and remind them that the Spirit never disagrees with the Word. How can He? The Spirit and the Word are one. It is the Spirit of God that brings the Word to life in us. Jesus said, "The words I speak to you are life."

     "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth."

     What has that got to do with the words of some television character? The writer didn't pluck that thought out of thin air. He's heard it before; those words come from real life. Sharing them on television gives them an air of legitimacy; the story a sense of realism; and watcher a tacit permission to believe a hidden message exists in scripture that exonerates the guilty apart from the written word.

     The message is hidden in the story. People say they ignore such things, but it's not lost on anyone. Nothing that we see or hear is "lost." The true message of Christ's love and acceptance apart from the scriptures is alive and well in our society. What was once “ignored” for the sake of not raising a fuss has become accepted fact.

     Don't believe me? Think about how KY's His and Hers, or Trojan products being advertised on television was unheard of in our parents day. Today it's normal and we chalk it up to enlightened morals. Americans from our President on down are infected with the notion that every rule of law, human and divine, is open to personal interpretation and we are free to obey or neglect them as we will for the "true Good of all." Accommodating the whims of every man is hailed today as the blessing of diversity.

      Christianity is not exempt from this infection. Christians are being seduced by the spirit of accommodation. Christianity and Christian worship are being bent to the will of the unwashed. The shame of "seeker friendly" churches is not the music they play or their style of worship, it's their offer salvation without repentance; life without new birth and heaven without abandoning one's affinity for the world. They beacon, "Come, celebrate our diverse lifestyle and call it Christianity."

      This alternative doctrine and worship is not misguided. It is demonic.

      Christianity produces joy unspeakable and full of glory. But, it doesn't start out that way. New birth comes with tears brought by the pain of guilt. New life matures in the transformation of every thought and intent of the heart. Before I became a Christian it bothered me a great deal to hear Christians say that the things I said and did were contrary to God. It was true, but it still bothered me. My feelings did not change the message of Christ's love and acceptance; they only kept me from that love and acceptance.

     I had what the world had. I had it in abundance and was empty. I wanted something different. I wanted what those Christians had. I couldn't get it by bending them to my will. I had to submit my will to God's and accept the wisdom of those I once thought foolish. Every child of Adam carries around a load of guilt. We carry it every moment of every day. It doesn't get lighter by saying, "Don't judge me." Guilt gets heavier the longer we apply salves to our conscious. Salves---like a television version of Christianity.

     The message of Jesus says, "Come unto me all ye who labor and are heavy laden...I will give you rest." That is the true message of Christ's love and acceptance. There is no other.

Come On Out

    Long hair and long dresses for women and short hair and long sleeved shirts buttoned to the neck for men do not salvation make. No one holds this opinion with greater fervency than the children of old time Pentecostal parents. These youngsters turned grandparents are quick to remind people that according to the old hymn one may come to Christ, "Just as I am."

    The Bible agrees with their assessment of the situation. The scripture says, "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved' and "he that cometh to me (Jesus) I will in no wise cast out." There are no prerequisites for coming to Christ. Anyone may come at anytime, in any state of dress, and in whatsoever posture suits the moment. If his plea for salvation is sincere, he will be saved. Generally speaking, however, that is not the whole story of salvation.

    The new birth is only the beginning; the starting point of a new life. Throughout its course this new life is to be lived in loving obedience to Christ. The key word here is "lived." The chick cannot remain in its shell nor can the babe stay in the womb. They must enter into the real world and live. No where in the gospel is a Christian allowed to remain static forever.

    The New Testament is equally clear that the new life is the Christ life. It is a life of promoting reconciliation between men and God. It is also a life of ministering to the needs of others while holding oneself apart and distinct from the world. Jesus ate with sinners and visited in their homes. He did not adopt their ways or commend their behavior to others. He never became one of the crowd.

    Whatever one may think of the old time Pentecostals, they were without a doubt set apart and distinct from the world. Even the uninitiated could pick them out. But, here's something to consider. Those I knew didn't dress as they did in order to be saved. They dressed that way because they were saved. They made a statement about their relationship to the world.

    Conformity is the club the world uses to beat down the opposition. The world, not Christianity, is the proponent of "correct" thinking; "perfect" body image; and "proper" diet. The world criticizes Christianity because there are so many churches. But, diversity produces many branches from the same tree. Christianity calls for individual transformation; the world demands conformity.

    "Wherefore, come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you." Dare to be different.

   

As He Said.

      “And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said.”

      Jesus Christ is risen. By the grace of God, we celebrate His resurrection each day. Through His sacrifice we have peace with God. By His resurrection, we have life everlasting and not only life, but life more abundant. We have a living advocate who knows our pain; our trials; and the temptations we face. He knows them not because He knows all things, but because He has taken on our flesh and walked in our shoes. There is comfort in knowing His grave is empty. There is strength in knowing that it is; “as He said.”

      Paul reminded King Agrippa and Festus, “this thing was not done in a corner.” The resurrection is not an event His disciples conjured up after the fact. Jesus plainly told all who would hear that He planned to die and rise again. The Sanhedrin could have put an immediate halt to Christianity by simply producing the body of Jesus. They were told by Christ that He would rise and obtained a guard detail to secure the tomb. They didn't lack the will to prevent Christ's resurrection; they lacked the power.

      Heaven and Earth will pass away, but God's word will never pass away. What God says; He does because His word is laden with the power to bring its message to pass. There is no incongruity between His words and His actions.

      “And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again. “

      These words were as sure to happen as, “ Let there be light: and there was light.” What Jesus said became reality. In this we have cause to rejoice because He that said, “the third day he shall rise again, “ also said:

      “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. “

      ^{“ I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.”}

      ^{“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”}

      ^{And, “ I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”}

^{Happy Easter!}

A Diamond---Some Day

      I've been blessed with exceptional mentors over the course of my Christian walk. My mentors always seemed so secure and so confident in their experience. I was sure they had reached a point where trials were easy when they came at all. Forty years later, I know how wrong I was. The older I've become, the deeper I find God digging through my life.

     C.S. Lewis wrote that as a child he had bad teeth. However, he refused to tell his mother when he had a toothache because he knew she would take him to the dentist. The problem Mr. Lewis had with dentists is that they are never happy just to fix the tooth that is hurting. Dentists all have a terrible habit of wanting to fix everything--even teeth that don't hurt. He went on to say that God is like dentists. You may seek God to deliver you from a painful situation. He will fix the hurt that brings us to Him, but be warned, He will not stop there.

     Jesus says, "If you love me, keep my commandments." If we truly love God, the Holy Spirit will use that love to work ever deeper into our life. We soon find "if you love me" invading places in our heart which we hoped to keep our private domain. God has a complete plan for sainthood that reaches down into our thoughts, our emotions, and our intentions. He even turns up in our imagination.

     Charlotte marvels at how quickly I fall asleep. My secret is bedtime stories. I have certain story lines in my imagination geared to sleep. Once my thoughts start down those lines, I fall asleep. They stories have changed over the years, but most had a martial theme. Lately, however, I've been aware of the Lord ordering changes in the stories so that the old standards no longer work.

     Is thinking about holding a hilltop against an enemy onslaught wrong? No, not in itself. But, if that hilltop is not where the Lord wants you to go--stay off it. "If you love me" is not just for what we consider "big" things. It is for every detail and every corner of our life. It is even for the stories we tell ourselves.

     If the Lord isn't working changes in your life, it's clear your not paying attention. Transformation through the renewing of your mind never takes a break. It's time we all look into how deep the love of God goes into our lives. Maybe, we need a new outlook on love. God's not dead and He's not on vacation. He's interested in every moment of your life.

Not a Man

      "God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent; hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?"

       That God is not a man is a truth so elemental, so simple, and yet, so beyond reach. We think we know Him, but the most basic truths about the person of God are beyond any mortal frame of reference. He is one being eternally existing as three persons, each of which is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, self-existent, and timeless. Anyone who thinks he understands all that that entails is delusional. Nevertheless, Christians and non-Christians alike have readily labeled God; stuffed Him into a box; and profess to know all that God would or would not do as if He were not the Sovereign of all. God is not "the man upstairs" because he is not a man.

     

     God is not like us. God is the I Am; uncreated, self-existent and self-sustaining. He is not a part of the universe, the universe flows from Him like the words of a song. "With God nothing shall be impossible," is not an exaggerated, motivational meme, it is a statement of the absolute truth. Paul's statement that he could do all things through Christ is equally true, but what the apostle is not saying the same thing. We are enabled through God, but God is able of Himself. We are created in His image, but He is the master--the source of inspiration.

As far as the likeness and image thing goes, we would do well to remember that was written on the sixth day of creation. Things have changed since then. The likeness and image in which we are created Is corrupted by sin. Our natural state is a satanic inspired imitation of the being God created for divine fellowship. A dim reflection of what we were is still present in us, but is far from dominant. Our life is now an effort to either reclaim that true image or a continued rebellion against it.

     God is not a man. His thoughts are not our thoughts. I don't think one can read the bible and come away with the opinion that Man is nothing worse than a happy-go-lucky moral bumbler. We like to tell each other how our sin is no worse than the next guys as if somehow that makes it acceptable to God and Man. Sin is not simply inherited imperfection or a penchant to err. Sin is a calculated rejection of God's love and provision.

     Sin is not acceptable with God. "The soul that sinneth, it shall die." It doesn't sound like God is playing around or that He's willing to give us a free pass because we disagree with Him about what is or is not sin. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but God's word will never pass away. Meanwhile, our life is a vapor. Which do you suppose is the more trustworthy?

God's ways are not our ways. I'm going to touch on the up side of this divine attribute. We say, "Everybody makes mistakes." In fact, we love the mistakes. A entire segment of entertainment is dedicated to viewing the mistakes of celebrities. News correspondents and political pundits live on the gaffes of political figures. We climb up by tearing down others. On the other hand, God lifts errant souls up to heaven. Along the way He spends the time to dust them off, straighten their tie, and set their feet back on the right way.

     "For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would dare to die. But God demonstrates His love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." In this we know with certainty that God is not a man.

A Reciprocal Trade Agreement

"Master, which is the great commandment in the law?"

Jesus saith unto him, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment."

A simple truth; simply put. However, please note that the command is to love God. Believing in God is not the same thing as loving God. By way of illumination, James points out that the devil believes in God. I would go so far as to say the devil believes in God with a greater certainty than the vast majority of mankind. The devil has seen God face to face, I for one, cannot say the same. Given his use of scripture in the temptation of Christ, it can also be said that the devil has faith in God. Nevertheless, no one would say the devil loves God.

If faith and belief do not constitute love that fulfills the great commandment, what does? The answer is a reciprocal relationship. The scripture assures us that God is love. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that when God reaches out to man, He does so of His own unique nature. That is, He reaches out in love. It is equally reasonable to expect that God is looking for a response in kind.

When we offer our hand to others as a greeting, we expect a like response. In fact, we are offended if the other person refuses our hand. Without a response in kind, any possible relationship is headed for enmity. The problem is that God is not visible to us. How can we know His hand is extended? In a world full of disease, disaster, and death, how can we even be sure God is there? This is where faith and believing come into play. It is impossible to take the hand of a God one does not believe exists.

The bible offers no proof of God's existence. Neither does it offer an apology for God in the classical sense. The Bible states, "In the beginning God..." Since the Bible is God's revelation of Himself it makes no sense for Him to have to prove He exists. "He cannot deny Himself," nor does he find it necessary to debate His existence any more than we feel it necessary to debate ours. "The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God." There ends the Bible's discussion of the subject of God's existence. Now, you may say that is not enough. That is your choice. However, it is all that you will get in print.

Of course, just because God exists doesn't mean He is extending a hand of friendship our way. Historically, man leaned more toward angry gods that need to be appeased. We seem to be born with the notion that whatever divine beings may exist, they must be angry with us. In this, we are not mistaken. We are merely uninformed as to the whole story.

Unlike the majority of His creatures, this God who is love, even loves His enemies. He has held out His hand all the day long to a "rebellious and gainsaying people." When that was not enough, He sent His Son to make peace with mankind. God desires an end to the enmity that exists. We cannot see His hand extended, but we can touch it with our heart, our soul, and our mind. Whosoever takes His hand, to them God gives peace.