Listening In A Noisy World

“Bats fly by echolocation. They rapidly emit from their mouths high-pitched and high-frequency sounds. Bats tell how close they are flying to objects by the rapidity with which the sounds fly back. Experimenters have tried to confuse bats by making other sounds louder than the sounds the bats produce. No one yet knows how it is done, but a bat continues to pick out his own echoes. Even when the man-made sounds are 2000 times louder than those a bat makes, the flying mammal recognizes the right ones and stays on course. Could Christianity profit by the example of the bat? With all the loud voices clamoring for attention in our world today…don’t we need this sensitivity to line up with the right sounds on God’s course? Even the bats aren’t batty enough to get off course by trying to listen to all the sounds of all their traveling companions on the evening flights. If we want to keep ourselves on course in life, we need to let our hearts and minds feel the echoes from God” (Gary Bagley, Bayshore World).

Jesus addressed the need for not being distracted by competing sounds in this way: “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers” (John 10:1–5).

Lord, help me to recognize the voice of the Good Shepherd in the midst of a noisy world.  Help me train my ears to listen to Him instead of strangers.

God loves you!

Mike

Big Boy Pants

“Righteous are You, O LORD, that I would plead my case with You; indeed I would discuss matters of justice with You: Why has the way of the wicked prospered? Why are all those who deal in treachery at ease? You have planted them, they have also taken root; they grow, they have even produced fruit. You are near to their lips but far from their mind” (Jeremiah 12:1–2).

Jeremiah lived in difficult times.  Many of his fellow Israelites had become desperately wicked and this frustrated the prophet.  His job was to call them to repentance but no one seemed to be listening.  In fact, it seemed as if they were being blessed in their rebellion.  O sure, they paid lip service to God but He was really the last thing in their minds and hearts.  The NET Bible puts it this way: “They always talk about you but they really care nothing about you.”

So Jeremiah vents his frustration to God and calls upon Him to pour out His wrath.  “Drag them off like sheep for the slaughter and set them apart for a day of carnage!” (Jeremiah 12:3b).  Have you ever felt that way when it seems like the wicked have it made?  “Let ‘em have it, Lord!  They don’t deserve to be blessed!”

I’m intrigued by God’s answer to Jeremiah.  He doesn’t console him with promises to take care of it eventually.  Not even a pat on the back for his own faithfulness.  Here is what He says: “If you have run with footmen and they have tired you out, then how can you compete with horses? If you fall down in a land of peace, how will you do in the thicket of the Jordan?” (Jeremiah 12:5).

In modern parlance, it’s “Suck it up, buttercup!  Put on your big boy pants.”  Things were going to get worse and Jeremiah needed to focus on what he was called to do instead of complaining about the state of things.  Perhaps there’s a lesson in there for us.

God loves you!

Mike

Complaining

“Maya Angelou is a famed American poet and author. From the age of three to seven she was raised by her grandmother, a period of calm and stability in what would be a very traumatic childhood. Grandma ran a general store and one thing that riled her was people complaining. They’d complain about the heat, the cold and a myriad of other issues Maya’s grandmother thought trivial.  Whenever that occurred Maya’s grandmother would wait til the complainer left the store, call Maya over to her and say,  “Sister, did you hear what Brother So-and-So or Sister Much-to-Do complained about? Sister, there are people who went to sleep all over the world last night, poor and rich and white and black, but they will never wake again. And those dead folks would give anything, anything at all for just five minutes of this weather that person was grumbling about. So you watch yourself about complaining, Sister. What you’re supposed to do when you don’t like a thing is change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it. Don’t complain.”*

But it’s so easy to complain, isn’t it? The New Testament doesn’t talk about it much, but when it does, it has some important reminders.

First, complaining doesn’t escape the notice of God. “Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door” (James 5:9).

Second, complaining can reveal a lack of patience and forgiveness toward fellow believers. We should be “...bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you” (Colossians 3:13).

Third, complaining shows our love is growing cold. “Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaint” (1 Peter 4:8–9).

Dale Carnegie sums it up pretty well: “Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain - and most fools do.”

God loves you!

Mike

*https://storiesforpreaching.com.au/category/sermonillustrations/attitude/

A Clear Conscience

“But I confess this to you, that I worship the God of our ancestors according to the Way (which they call a sect), believing everything that is according to the law and that is written in the prophets. I have a hope in God (a hope that these men themselves accept too) that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous. This is the reason I do my best to always have a clear conscience toward God and toward people” (Acts 24:14–16 NET).

Ever since the incident at the temple in Acts 21, Paul had been defending himself against false charges made by the Jewish leadership. After hearing of an assassination plot on Paul’s life, the Roman commander in Jerusalem delivers the apostle to governor Felix in Caesarea. Once again, Paul has to answer the same old accusations. How frustrating it must have been!

But Paul graciously and patiently defends himself again. In the text above, we learn there is something which the apostle is eager to confess. To the accusation that he is a worshiper of God as a follower of Christ, Paul would say, “Guilty as charged!” It was his hope in God and his commitment to Christ that enabled the apostle to continue to witness in such difficult situations.

Paul’s goal was to have a clear conscience in every area of life. That meant he treated his accusers in a firm but godly way. It also meant he maintained his allegiance to God even when it was hard to do so. Paul is exemplifying what his fellow apostle Peter taught in 1 Peter 3:15-16: “...but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame” (1 Peter 3:15–16 NAS95).

God loves you!

Mike

The Gift Of Time

“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away” (James 4:13–14).

“Scientific researchers recently estimated that: A lightning bolt lasts 45-55 microseconds. An average running shoe lasts 350-500 miles. A hard pencil can write up to 30,000 words. A ball point pen can draw a line 7,500 ft. long. A 100 watt incandescent bulb lasts 750 hours. A 25 watt bulb lasts 25,000 hours. A one dollar bill lasts 18 months in circulation.

“Yet, James says that our life is but a puff of smoke from a fire; steam that rises from a cup of coffee; or, one’s breath briefly visible on a cold morning. The days of our life, while precious, are also passing like a vapor. I recently read a most interesting article entitled, “If You Are 35, You Have 500 Days to Live.” The article went on to contend that when you subtract the time you spend sleeping, working, tending to personal matters, eating, traveling, doing chores, attending to personal hygiene, and you add in the miscellaneous time stealers, in the next 36 years you will have only 500 days to spend as you wish. It then poses the question, “When all of the necessary things are done, how much time will you have left?””*

Sobering thoughts, right? Time truly is fleeting for all of us. Who knows how much we have left? For the believer, this doesn’t have to be discouraging but perhaps it can be a reminder to use our time well. The start of a new year is a great time to pause and take stock of our lives. How am I using the precious gift of time that God has given me? 

God loves you!

Mike

*Steve Wagers, pastorlife.com

The Greatest News Of All

“Take the year 1809. The international scene was tumultuous. Napoleon was sweeping through Austria; blood was flowing freely. Nobody then cared about babies. But the world was overlooking some terribly significant births. 

“For example, William Gladstone was born that year. He was destined to become one of England's finest statesman. That same year, Alfred Tennyson was born to an obscure minister and his wife. The child would one day greatly affect the literary world in a marked manner. On the American continent, Oliver Wendell Holmes was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. And not far away in Boston, Edgar Allan Poe began his eventful, albeit tragic, life. It was also in that same year that a physician named Darwin and his wife named their child Charles Robert. And that same year produced the cries of a newborn infant in a rugged log cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. The baby's name? Abraham Lincoln.

“If there had been news broadcasts at that time, I'm certain these words would have been heard: "The destiny of the world is being shaped on an Austrian battlefield today." But history was actually being shaped in the cradles of England and America. Similarly, everyone thought taxation was the big news when Jesus was born. But a young Jewish woman cradled the biggest news of all: the birth of the Savior.”*    

“In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:8–11).

This is truly the greatest news of all. One was born Who would deliver us from our sins.  Praise God for a Savior!

God loves you!

Mike

*Adapted from Charles Swindoll; sermonillustrations.com

Patience Isn't Indifference

“We often confuse God’s timing with ours. A country newspaper had been running a series of articles on the value of church attendance. One day, a letter to the editor was received in the newspaper office. It read, “Print this if you dare. I have been trying an experiment. I have a field of corn which I plowed on Sunday. I planted it on Sunday. I did all the cultivating on Sunday. I gathered the harvest on Sunday and hauled it to my barn on Sunday. I find that my harvest this October is just as great as any of my neighbors’ who went to church on Sunday. So where was God all this time?” The editor printed the letter, but added his reply at the bottom. “Your mistake was in thinking that God always settles his accounts in October.”

“That’s often our mistake as well, isn’t it — thinking that God should act when and how we want him to act, according to our timetable rather than his. The fact that our vision is limited, finite, unable to see the end from the beginning, somehow escapes our mind. So we complain; we get frustrated; we accuse God of being indifferent to us; we do not live by faith” (Larry R. Kalajainen, Extraordinary Faith for Ordinary Time; via Sermons.com newsletter).*

Some believe that if God doesn't immediately punish disobedience and indifference, He never will.  But there could be a reason for His withholding of judgment.  There were mockers in Peter’s day who castigated Jesus for not coming in their generation as He promised (2 Peter 3:3-4; Matthew 16:27-28; 24.34).  After all, it had been 35 years or so and He hadn’t returned yet.  The reason for the delay according to Peter was to provide an opportunity for repentance (2 Peter 3:9).  But don’t doubt God’s resolve just because He is patient.  Jesus did come again in judgment through the agency of the Roman army and judged Jerusalem and the temple, all within the window of that generation just as he promised.

God loves you!

Mike

*Michael Duduit, preaching.com

Take Courage

“And as a great dissension was developing, the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them and ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force, and bring him into the barracks. But on the night immediately following, the Lord stood at his side and said, “Take courage; for as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also.” When it was day, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul” (Acts 23:10–12).

Things hadn’t been going well for Paul and they were about to get worse.  He had traveled to Jerusalem to worship and deliver financial aid to the church in the area.  But he ends up being falsely accused of anti-Jewish teaching and of desecrating the temple.  His opponents drag him away with the goal of putting him to death but he is rescued by a contingent of Roman soldiers.  Once removed from immediate danger, the apostle is given an opportunity to address his accusers.  That goes pretty well until he brings up going to the Gentiles and then the riot begins anew.  Eventually, the Roman commander assembles the Sanhedrin and sets Paul before them, hoping to get an answer to what the fuss was all about.  That gathering immediately devolves into more chaos as revealed in the verses above.

Wow! Talk about a rough day!  If Jesus loved Paul, surely He would rescue him out of the struggle.  But he doesn’t.  Instead, He calls him to be courageous in the midst of the difficulty.  Rescue doesn’t always take the form of escape.  Sometimes it looks like courageously leaning on the One Who has overcome the world (John 16:33).  When we are battered by the storms of life, it would be good to remember the words of the Master to his disciples on a stormy night long ago: “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27).

God loves you!

Mike

Speaking Clearly

“A college senior took his new girlfriend to a football game. The young couple found their seats in the crowded stadium and were watching the action. A substitute running back was put into the game, and as he was running onto the field to take his position, the boy said to his girlfriend, “Take a good look at this guy. I expect him to be our best man next year.” His girlfriend snuggled closer and said to the surprised young man, “That’s the strangest way I ever heard of for a guy to propose to a girl. But never mind—I accept!” (from Cybersalt Digest newsletter).*

Misunderstandings happen, don’t they? Often they are the product of unclear speech. This was part of the problem in the church at Corinth in the first century. At that time, the group was arguing among themselves over spiritual gifts. Speaking in tongues was one of the gifts prized by some in the church. But that was problematic for the apostle. Speaking in tongues was, by nature, narrowly focused and mysterious rather than broadly edifying (14:2-4). Another problem was that, without an interpreter, speaking in tongues was unclear speech to most. Notice how Paul addressed the clarity issue. “But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what will I profit you unless I speak to you either by way of revelation or of knowledge or of prophecy or of teaching? Yet even lifeless things, either flute or harp, in producing a sound, if they do not produce a distinction in the tones, how will it be known what is played on the flute or on the harp? For if the bugle produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle? So also you, unless you utter by the tongue speech that is clear, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air” (1 Corinthians 14:6–9).

The gospel is vital and, like Paul, we should always endeavor to “...make it clear in the way I ought to speak” (Colossians 4:4).

God loves you!

Mike

*preaching.com 

The Slow Extraction Option

As the patient sat down in the dentist’s chair complaining of his aching tooth, he asked, “Doc, how long will it take to pull this thing?” “Oh, don’t worry,” said the dentist. “I can have it out in less than ten minutes.” “And how much is this going to cost?” the patient asked. “A tooth extraction is about $150,” the dentist answered. “$150 for ten minutes work?” the patient said. “That’s a bit steep, isn’t it?” The dentist replied, “Well, I can extract it very slowly if you’d prefer.”*

Rooting out persistent sin in our lives can be a difficult process. Old habits, especially sinful ones, die hard. Like any addiction, it can be hard to kick the habit. But that is the task to which we are called as disciples of Christ.  With reference to our sinful practices, we are to “...lay aside the old self…” (Ephesians 4.22).  We are to “...put them all aside…” (Colossians 3:8-9; cf. James 1:21; 1 Peter 2:1). In even stronger language, those who belong to Christ are called to “...crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24).

That can be tough. Due to the difficulty involved as well as our attachment to sinful pleasures, sometimes we opt for the slow extraction option.  But giving up sin gradually is dangerous. One thing it does is give the devil extra opportunities to entrap us in his webs of deceit (Ephesians 4:27; 2 Corinthians 2:11). Believe me, he doesn’t need the help or encouragement! Not dealing decisively with sin is like intentionally leaving a stumbling block in our path. Jesus vividly advocated for not messing around with things that can trip us up (Matthew 18:8–9).

Sin is not to be trifled with. “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death” (James 1:14–15). Don’t choose slow extraction.

God loves you!

Mike

*preaching.com

Refusing To Listen

““And He said to me, ‘Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’” They listened to him up to this statement, and then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live!”” (Acts 22:21-22).

Perhaps you have witnessed a young child who has reached his or her listening threshold.  They may have stuck a finger in each ear and began loudly chanting, “na, na, na, na, na…”  Depending on the right circumstances, you may have even chuckled at such behavior.  But this kind of conduct is not nearly so funny when practiced by an adult.

In Acts 21, the apostle Paul has traveled to Jerusalem and ends up being falsely accused of preaching against his fellow Jews and the Law as well as desecrating the Temple.  All in a day’s work for the Pharisee-turned-missionary, huh?  Anyway, the angry Jerusalem crowd grabbed Paul with the intent to put him to death.  Their plans were thwarted when Roman soldiers rescued him.  As they take him away to the barracks, Paul is granted an opportunity to address the mob.  He begins his defense by recounting his earlier history as a Christian persecutor.  He then shares his conversion story which occurred as he traveled to Damascus.  I’m convinced that he eventually hoped to share the gospel with the crowd, but he didn't get the chance.  As he spoke of God’s intent to send him “...far away to the Gentiles,” the mob erupted again.  They were through listening.  If they had just listened a bit more, they would have heard the truth that could have saved them.

Don’t be too quick to turn your ears off.  Yes, someone may be telling us something we’ve never heard before or something difficult.  But it may be exactly what we need to hear.  And we would never know if we plug our ears in anger or frustration.  Quick judgments without hearing all the facts could be cutting us off from what God may be trying to say to us through others.

God loves you!

Mike 

Relics

A September article by Debbie Lord on the kiro7.com website carried this title: “St. Jude relic: The arm belonging to the cousin of Jesus to be on tour in the U.S..”*

According to quoted sources, “...Jude’s arm was placed in a wooden reliquary shaped like a priest’s hand giving a blessing. A reliquary is a special receptacle for body parts or personal items of those deemed to be saints and martyrs....” One church official associated with the supposed relic shares the purpose of the tour: “Regarded as the patron saint of lost causes and desperate situations, the visit provides an opportunity for individuals to experience intimacy with someone who dwells in Heaven and beholds God face-to-face” and “It allows devotees to receive his blessing and entrust him with their petitions.”

I won’t wade into the debate over whether this is an actual body part from an actual relative of Christ other than to say I have my doubts.  But for the sake of discussion, let’s just assume for a moment that it is what some claim it to be.  In that case, I would ask myself some questions.  Why would I, as a disciple of Christ, have any interest in a part of a dead body, whether it came from a saint or not?  Why would I need to seek “...to experience intimacy with someone who dwells in heaven and behold God face-to-face…” with anyone other than Jesus Christ?  He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).  There is salvation in no One else (Acts 4:12).  Why would I seek Jude’s blessing and entrust him with my petitions?  While I’m sure that Jude blessed many during his lifetime, the only blessings I need to receive come from My Savior.  God has blessed me with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).  Jesus Christ is the only mediator needed between humanity and God (1 Timothy 2:5).  I can entrust my petitions to Him.

God loves you!

Mike

*https://www.kiro7.com/news/trending/st-jude-relic-arm-belonging-cousin-jesus-be-tour-us/L3PTPSMBZ5F5LEV6LNU66RPJMU/?fbclid=IwAR1B-gWZcdeWcu0ShnywK1UkF7U-m_UyDS0bOUsIR0bxIl6ko_pmA9xq5Rk

 

If You Need A Law, Make One Up

The incredible design and complexity of the world around us has long been one of the more powerful evidences for God. Whether you are talking about the intricacies of the DNA sequence or all of the minute factors that have to line up for life to exist on our planet, it all points to a Creator.  Even known laws of science attest to the observable fact that closed systems, left to themselves, move toward greater disorder and loss of information instead of higher order and information (i.e. the second law of thermodynamics). All of this has been problematic for those who cannot accept the existence of a Designer.

But never fear! If observable and testable scientific laws and principles cannot provide the backing you need for your theories, feel free to make up your own.  A recent article makes a bold claim: “Scientists Unveil A ‘Missing Law’ Of Nature That Explains How Everything In The Universe Evolved, Including Us.”* What I would really like to have explained is “How can you unveil something that is missing?” It sounds much like the “missing link” of evolution that has been touted long and loud by evolutionists but which they mysteriously have never been able to produce.  Hmmm…

Here is a quote from one of the scientists promoting the new “law”: ““We see, in the universe, so much richness and complexity, so many evolving systems, and yet we don't seem to have a law of nature that adequately describes why those systems exist,” Wong told Motherboard in a call.” Well, if you don’t have the “law” you need, make one up. Kudos to Wong for admitting the “richness and complexity” of the world around him.  But nevermind that this newly suggested “scientific law” contradicts other firmly established scientific laws.

The efforts of those committed to denying the existence of God knows no boundaries.  If they have to unveil a mysterious, unprovable new “natural law” to advance their cause, so be it. Whatever it takes, right?

God loves you!

Mike

*https://www.vice.com/en/article/4a3bgw/scientists-unveil-missing-law-of-nature-that-explains-how-everything-in-the-universe-evolved-including-us?fbclid=IwAR0clRONW3VbKwTAuXA6x58U4Q6i-2IMsQPEvPV6Z2KlW7J9FJHhtxSiY6E

Seeing Grace Clearly

“Charles Swindoll tells of a friend who wanted to purchase a gem for his wife. He visited a jeweler who knew just how to display his merchandise. He stopped under a bright light, slid a piece of black velvet onto the glass counter, took the gems from the case and laid them one by one on the velvet. Without that black backdrop, he couldn’t have seen the cut, the hues, or the beauty of each gem. “I learned something from his search for that jewel: we cannot appreciate the beauty and the luster and the brilliance of the gospel of Christ, with all of its hope and grace, if we’ve never seen the backdrop of sin as it really is” (Insights, Spring-Summer 1986).

The brilliance of God’s grace is most clearly seen against the backdrop of the depths of sin from which it can free us. This is emphasized by Paul in his letter to Ephesus. “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:4-7). The apostle contrasts being dead in our transgressions with the abundant riches of God’s grace.

Perhaps Paul can speak clearly on this topic because he had experienced it in his own life. “For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me” (1 Corinthians 15:9-10).

“May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure” (1 Peter 1:2).

God loves you!

Mike

 

The Gift Of Time

“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away” (James 4:13–14).

“Scientific researchers recently estimated that: A lightning bolt lasts 45-55 microseconds. An average running shoe lasts 350-500 miles. A hard pencil can write up to 30,000 words. A ball point pen can draw a line 7,500 ft. long. A 100 watt incandescent bulb lasts 750 hours. A 25 watt bulb lasts 25,000 hours. A one dollar bill lasts 18 months in circulation.

“Yet, James says that our life is but a puff of smoke from a fire; steam that rises from a cup of coffee; or, one’s breath briefly visible on a cold morning. The days of our life, while precious, are also passing like a vapor. I recently read a most interesting article entitled, “If You Are 35, You Have 500 Days to Live.” The article went on to contend that when you subtract the time you spend sleeping, working, tending to personal matters, eating, traveling, doing chores, attending to personal hygiene, and you add in the miscellaneous time stealers, in the next 36 years you will have only 500 days to spend as you wish. It then poses the question, “When all of the necessary things are done, how much time will you have left?””*

Sobering thoughts, right? Time truly is fleeting for all of us. Who knows how much we have left? For the believer, this doesn’t have to be discouraging but perhaps it can be a reminder to use our time well. The start of a new year is a great time to pause and take stock of our lives. How am I using the precious gift of time that God has given me?

God loves you!

Mike

*Steve Wagers, pastorlife.com