Category Archives: Discipleship

Battle Plan – Strategy 2 – The Scriptures

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Strategy 2.  I am renewing my mind actively and regularly by reading, memorizing and meditating on Scripture. 

In each of these strategies I put the statement as an affirmative statement of fact. That helps us focus on what the goal is. It is a true or false statement. Within our own hearts we know whether the statement is true for us or not.  Is this true: I am renewing my mind actively and regularly by reading, memorizing and meditating on Scripture.

Here we have another essential personal discipline that gets overlooked all too often. We are constantly looking for the secret of this or that as though there were hidden methods for being successful in the Christian life. There are no secrets. It’s all right there out in the open. We just don’t do it.

Romans12:2: And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

It’s important to be renewing our minds. God says that this is the way that transformation takes place. And the Christian method of renewing the mind is to spend time reading, memorizing and meditating on Scripture. There is no shortcut. Consider these passages:

Psalm 1:1-3:  Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. (Emphasis mine.) Now when you read the word “prosper,” don’t think about the American definition of prosperity. Prosperity here is success in the eyes of God. He is focused on spiritual growth and Christ-likeness as His goals.

It’s interesting to note that in verse 4, the Psalmist says that the ungodly are not like this. The question we need to ask ourselves is, “Am I like this?” If not, I am putting myself into the category of the ungodly. Is that where I want to be?

Joshua 1:8: This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. (Emphasis mine)

Psalm 119:11: Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.

Take some time every day to be in the Scriptures. Read a portion and spend some time thinking deeply about it.  Begin a Scripture memory plan. Memorize one verse a week or one every other week. Write the verse on a 3×5 card, or use a phone app, and review it every day until you have it learned. Then go on to another.

If these activities are not an important aspect of your life, you cannot expect to have victory over sin and the temptations you may be facing. Don’t look for other solutions. Spending time in prayer and in the Word is foundational to victory.

Priority Goal 2: I am going to spend time each day reading and meditating on the Word of God.

If this is your goal, take a moment right now and determine where in your schedule you will put this important activity. What scripture passage will you begin to read today? Find a notebook where you can jot down questions and thoughts that come to mind as you meditate. Do this now.

Battle Plan Series – Intro – Part 2

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Last time we asked the question, , “Do I really want to pursue righteousness and holiness, and count everything loss in order to know Christ and the power of His resurrection in my life?” Do I really want this? Am I willing to work hard, suffer and sweat to gain it?

This is not a trite question. You shouldn’t just read it and go on. In order to help us think about this, I’d like to look at several passages of Scripture.

The Bible speaks about fleeing some things and pursuing others. Hebrews 12:14 says, “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.”  One of the things that should be pursued is holiness. To pursue means to chase down or chase after. You’ve seen the police chases. Several squad cars are seen pursuing a car speeding to get away. The point is, they are trying to catch the person. They are not just following along after it like they would be during non-chase normal traffic situations.  So we are to chase down holiness, which the writer says we need if we want to see the Lord. Do you have the desire to see the Lord? Do you have the desire to chase holiness? Are you chasing it?

1 Timothy 6:11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.

There are things to flee, but in this case I’m focusing on the pursuit. Here we are told to pursue several traits. Look these over and ask yourself, “Am I chasing these things?” Look at each one of these traits one at a time.  Do you have a desire chase them? Are you willing to ask God for the desire to chase them? Do you want to chase righteousness? Godliness? Faith? Love? Patience? Gentleness?

2 Timothy 2:22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Am I fleeing and do I desire to flee youthful lusts? Older people can have youthful lusts. Sex is certainly one of these, but young people also have other inordinate desires for prestige, acceptance, power, recklessness, etc. Sometimes as we get older, these lusts don’t disappear. We need to run away from these lusts with as much energy as we can. And here again we are to pursue righteousness and other traits. So if you can picture this, we are to be running away from some things in hot pursuit of other things. This is not a lazy afternoon walk. This is a chase. Paul says he beats his body to keep it under control and in subjection to his mind (1 Corinthians 9:27). The author of Hebrews challenges us by saying that we haven’t resisted to bloodshed in our fight against sin (Hebrews 12:4).

And from Philippians 3:8-14 we learn that, like Paul, we should count things that are normally thought of as gain, we should count them loss. Keeping those things would be a negative. The reason is because of the excellence of Christ. Paul wanted to gain Christ. He described his effort as “pressing for the mark.”  He was like a runner stretching out to be the first person across the line. That is the kind of effort he was making in order to know Christ better and to be found in Him.

Before we go on to any of the strategies that I will outline for us, each one of us needs to ask ourselves the question: Do I really want this?  Do I want to pursue righteousness and holiness?  Do I really want Christ above all things? If the answer is “no” or if the answer is “I don’t think I really care,” or if the answer is a shrug of the shoulders, then there’s no point in going on.

Next time we’ll begin to look at some of the strategies in detail.

Battle Plan Series – Intro – part 1

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Every day we are confronted with temptations that attempt to distract us from our primary focus of service and obedience to Christ. These temptations often derail our attempts to live a godly life. Every day we are engaged in a battle to defeat these temptations and to stay the course. What I hope to do in this series is to review some of what the Bible teaches as to methods and strategies we can use to fight successfully. I plan to provide you with 10 or 11 specific statements that you should be able to make about yourself and about your spiritual life. These will be supported with passages of Scripture to help give you a strong foundation for those statements. If these statements are true of you, you will be in a better position for success in this battle against sin, lust, and temptation. If the statements are not true of you, it should provide motivation and a goal that you can work on in order to improve areas of weakness.

You can download the Battle Plan Chart here.

The first thing we need to realize is that this battle is universal among Christians. As you read this material you are going to be tempted to think that this is a battle for someone else. Often, when we speak of lusts, as we will in the following section, people immediately focus on sexual lust, and if that doesn’t happen to be your problem, you might stop reading thinking that you have everything under control. That is a dangerous position to be in because if you are not aware of a battle for your heart and soul, the devil has you right where he wants you. But as soon as you realize that this applies to you just as much as anyone else, and as soon as you take up arms to defeat your own lusts, you will find a battle greater than you ever imagined could exist.

The first step, then, is to ask ourselves the question: “Do I really want to pursue righteousness and holiness, and count everything loss in order to know Christ and the power of His resurrection in my life?”  In order to accurately answer this question, there are some truths we need to consider.

In 1 John 2:15-17 we read: Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

There is a distinction between the things of the world and the things of God. These verses very clearly teach that it is not possible to love the world and love God at the same time. This means a decision is required. Do I really want to abandon the world for Christ?  This is an overarching decision, but it is also a decision that has to be made hundreds of times a day. Making the decision during a momentary temptation without having made it as a principle of your life will make the battle ultimately impossible to win. So, before you go any further you need to decide – Christ or the world.

In this passage, the Bible focuses on lust.  Lust is a strong desire that is excessive to the point of being sinful. In this passage we have three components given for worldliness – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. We don’t have time to go into each one in detail, but if you think about it you will realize that many of the things we do and decisions we make are made based on these lusts. We covet what we see other people have. We lust for sex or excitement or other flesh-based pleasures. We desire to have people look up to us as someone important or powerful or contented.  All of these temptations come from the world and not from God.

In James 1:14-15 we read this:  But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

Here’s the issue then. The world and Satan provide attractions that feed the lusts that John referred to.  But our temptations come from within us, from our own lusts or desires and we are drawn away by them. Everybody has their own set of personalized lusts. Because of them, we are pulled in a wrong direction. The desires come from deep within us. They are part of our sin nature, our fallenness, our brokenness. As these desires are conceived and gestate within us they give birth to sin. Sin is a thought or deed that is not within the will and character of God. These sins begin to grow and then, as James writes, they bring forth death. The Bible teaches that sin has wages and those wages are death.

A Christian, having been born again and now a child of God, has a new desire in competition with the old tendency, and therein lies the conflict. Paul writes it this way in Galatians 5:17 – For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.

So this leads us back now to the first point in what I’m calling Battle Strategies for the war on lust and sin. The first step is to ask ourselves, “Do I really want to pursue righteousness and holiness, and count everything loss in order to know Christ and the power of His resurrection in my life?” Do I really want this? Am I willing to work hard, suffer and sweat to gain it?

We’ll follow up with part 2 next time.

The Good Shepherd

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The Good Shepherd

In multiple passages of the Old Testament, God criticizes and pronounces judgment on the shepherds of Israel. See for example Ezekiel 34, Jeremiah 6, and Zechariah 10. The problem was that the shepherds, in other words, the priests and prophets, were taking advantage of their position, and instead of feeding their flock, they were letting them go to the wolves while enriching themselves. In Ezekiel 34:11, the prophet writes, “For thus says the Lord God: ‘Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day’” (NKJV).

Jesus fulfills that promise as He gives us a picture of the good shepherd in Matthew 18:10 -14 as He describes the shepherd leaving the 99 and going after the one lost one. And then in John 10, He tells the people very clearly that He is the good shepherd. Let’s turn to John 10 to see what we learn from Jesus’ explanation of Himself as The Good Shepherd.

He explains in this passage that the one who enters the sheepfold another way than through the door, is a thief and a robber. Such a “shepherd” does not really care for the sheep, but does what he does for his own gain. And when danger comes, he runs away, because he has no concern whatsoever for the sheep.

In John 10:7, 11, and 14, Jesus tells us that He himself is both the door for the sheep and also the Good Shepherd. What I want to do now is look at the characteristics Jesus gives of Himself as the Good Shepherd, and those of His sheep.

First, in verse 3, we learn that the real shepherd calls his sheep by name. He knows each of His sheep individually. In Isaiah 43:1 we read: “But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.’”

In Jeremiah 31:3, Jeremiah writes, “The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: ‘Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, with lovingkindness I have drawn you.’” In this passage, it doesn’t mention that God used Jeremiah’s name, but it does say that God had an everlasting love for Jeremiah as a person. That love is what motivated God to draw him to Himself with lovingkindness.

There are many other examples. When Samuel was lying in bed, he heard a voice saying, “Samuel, Samuel.” When Elijah was pouting by the cave entrance, God came and said, “Elijah, what are you doing here?” When Moses went to check on the bush that was burning but wasn’t consumed, the voice came from the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And one last example: When Saul was on the road to Damascus and the light shown down from heaven, the voice of God came to him saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” God knows His sheep and calls them by name.

Next, the Good Shepherd leads the sheep, and they follow (John 10:3, 4). Notice that there are two parts to this. The shepherd leads, and the sheep follow. Sheep naturally need to be led, just as we human beings need to be led, especially when it comes to spiritual things. We need the shepherd. Alone, we wander and get lost. Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and His sheep follow Him. Why? Because they know the voice of the shepherd (10:5). The Bible says explicitly that they will by no means follow a stranger (10:5). Why? Because they don’t recognize the voice of a stranger. Notice that the sheep don’t merely know who the shepherd is and observe him leading. They follow. This should cause some self-examination in each of us. Are we following the Good Shepherd, or merely observing what He is doing? If we claim to be one of the sheep, and yet are not following, this is an indication that we are not among His sheep. How can I say that? Because Jesus says that the sheep follow Him. They recognize His voice and the fact that He is their leader in the pastures of life, and they follow. They know Him (10:14). And get this: They don’t follow the stranger, the false shepherd. They don’t recognize his voice. So if you see others following someone other than Christ, or if you yourself are doing that, you must not be one of the sheep. The sheep don’t follow the stranger.

Next, we see that the Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep, and gives abundant life (10:10,11, 15). Unlike the false teachers and the worldly system all around us, the Good Shepherd has laid down His life for us so that, as a result, He is able to give us abundant life. And, as the Bible says it, not just life, but life more abundantly! Unlike all of the human shepherds in Israel and many in the world today, the Good Shepherd actually cares for the sheep and their most essential needs. That need is eternal and abundant life. In order to satisfy the righteousness of a Holy God, the Good Shepherd sacrificed Himself to take upon Himself the sins of the world.

Another thing we learn from this passage is that there are other sheep which also must be brought into the fold. Jesus said, “And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice and there will be one flock and one shepherd.”

Jesus said there were other sheep. It was His intention to go get them. Would He be successful? Jesus says He will be. He says, “Them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice, and there will be one flock” In other words, He is saying the same thing He said earlier, “My sheep hear my voice and they follow me.” In this particular context, I think He is talking about the fact that He is going to go out and call a people for Himself from among the Gentiles and they, together with Jewish believers, will be one body. (See also Acts 15:14-17.) According to the book of Revelation there will be people from “every tribe and language and people and nation” in His flock (Revelation 5:9).

As Jesus was teaching these things, there was a division among the Jews as to Jesus’ authority and the statements He was making. Some said He had a demon and others said that someone with a demon could not teach this way. They asked for a plain explanation. He told them that He had already explained it to them, but they didn’t believe Him. He then made an astounding statement: “You do not believe, because you are not of My sheep.” Jesus didn’t say that they were not His sheep because they didn’t believe. He said the reason they didn’t believe is because they weren’t His sheep!

To explain this more clearly, He repeated what He had said earlier. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” It can’t be any clearer than that. Think about your own life. Do you claim to be a Christian? The question is, do you hear the voice of God through His Word, and does He know you, and do you follow Him? Jesus said that if we don’t take up our cross and follow Him, we can’t be His disciple (Matthew 16:24). You can’t really be a Christian unless you are a follower, a disciple, a learner. That’s what a Christian is.

But for those who truly are His sheep, what does He provide? He tells us in verse 28: “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.”

There you have the bottom line. The sheep are in the best hands possible. The Shepherd has them in His hands and God the Father has them in His hands as well. No one is able to get them out. No wolf, no false teacher, no incompetent shepherd. The sheep are safe eternally. Why? Because there is a Good Shepherd, and His name is Jesus.

Our Idols are Lying to Us

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Isaiah 44:9-20

In this passage, the prophet Isaiah rails against idolatry and the foolishness of it. He first declares, “All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit.” Unlike virtually every nation at that time, Israel believed in one God who had created heaven and earth. They also believed that idolatry was vain, empty, and frankly, stupid.

Sometimes we modern folk think that the people of ancient times were superstitious and irrational in their thinking. And there was a lot of that. But the message which God proclaimed was one of reason. Yes, God emphasizes faith, but not at the expense of reason.

The gist of this passage in Isaiah is that the idols are the creation of a man. The ironsmith creates his image and wears himself out and becomes hungry in the process. The idol does not relieve his hunger. The woodworker expends his energy cutting down a tree, sharpens his tools, makes an idol for himself.

Here is the interesting thing about this latter scenario. The woodworker cuts the log in half. He splits one half and cuts it into smaller pieces so that he can make a fire with which to warm himself. It’s the other half that he uses to create his idol.

Isaiah writes it this way:  “Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it. Half of it he burns in the fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, ‘Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire!’ And the rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, and falls down to it and worships it. He prays to it and says, ‘Deliver me, for you are my god!’”

I don’t know if you can hear it, but there is mockery in the prophet’s voice. It is shear stupidity to think that you can burn part of a log for heat, and then claim that the other half is a god who can supply needs, protect, and deliver! It is totally irrational, and the Bible, in the words of Isaiah, points this out. There is no power to save in a piece of wood that a man has the power to burn. No one thinks to say, as verse 19 says, “Shall I fall down [in worship] before a block of wood?”

Verse 20 says, “He feeds on ashes; a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, ‘Is there not a lie in my right hand?’. “But” you say, “we don’t do this. So, what’s the point?”

The point is that we do do this – just not with physical idols. We create idols in our hearts out of things that our “deluded heart” lusts for. We’re generally not satisfied with God and the things He so graciously provides for us to meet our needs. We want more. As John writes in his first epistle, it is the “the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life,” which, he says, do not come from the father but are from the world – these are the things that we want.

Our natural self longs for the affirmation of others. We want to be seen as beautiful, strong, sexy, self-confident, popular, rich, and/or … the list could go on. Our lusts tell us that if we had just a few more likes on Facebook, or one more look at a pornographic site, or a faster, sportier car, or if we were stronger and more athletic,  then we would surely be happier and more content. Look at commercials. Isn’t that the message? Whether people are drinking the best coffee, driving a car over desert sand dunes, or vacationing with their spouse in the Caribbean, they are all smiling and having loads of fun. But you – you live just a mundane life in your average home, driving a used grocery-getter car with two of the back seats taken up with approved baby-carrying booster seats. Our lusts cry out, “Give us our idols! I want what those people have!”

We are being lied to. Our idols are promising the world, but giving us nothing but sorrow, emptiness, and regret. Look at what Eve was promised in the garden. She looked at the fruit and when she “saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate,” and the human race was plunged into all of the devastating consequences that resulted from our first parents’ disobedience.

Let’s be like the Thessalonian Christians who “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God” (1 Thessalonians 1:9). And let’s obey the admonition of the apostle John who said, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21). Let’s not just keep ourselves from idols, let’s follow Paul’s admonition to “flee from idolatry” (1 Corinthians 10:14).

“When you follow the trail of your time, energy, affection, and money, you find a throne. And whatever or whomever is on that throne is the object of your worship.” ~Louie Giglio

Let’s make sure God is the one on that throne. Don’t believe the lies!

Put Away the Idols

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I’ve been thinking about Joshua 24:15 where Joshua tells the people to “choose this day whom you will serve.” He goes on to say that as for him, he and his family will serve the Lord. In one sense it sounds like a commitment challenge: “From now on, whom are you going to serve?” But in another sense, I think it is a question that faces us each and every day. “Today, whom will you serve?” Today, as you do your work, interact with your family, watch tv – whom will you serve?

Joshua then mentions a couple of possibilities. Will you serve the gods which your fathers served? Or will you, perhaps, serve the gods of the peoples around you? These are questions for us as well. Today we typically don’t have physical statues of gods that we bow down to. Rather, we bow to internal gods and cultural gods. Sometimes there is a trend in our family where our parents or grandparents set a bad example and maybe helped us develop habits of sin that become gods. These would be the gods our fathers served. Sometimes we pick up the worship of these gods from those around us, the people we work with, things we watch on TV or online.

What are some things that find their place as gods for us? There are many. Some examples include money and materialism. Other gods include the god of sex, popularity, prestige, or fashion. Sometimes sports and entertainment become idols for people. Think about how John summarizes the world: lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and the pride of life. Anything that attracts us in these areas can become a god.

How can you tell if something has become a god, replacing the one true God? Think about your reaction if it is taken away. Another way to think about it is where are your affections directed? Where do spend your free time and your extra money? What do you feel like you really have to do or have, and if you don’t, you will feel deprived, depressed, or left out? If we’re honest with ourselves, our idols are not really all that hard to find. If you find something that you think might have become a god for you, commit to getting rid of it for a month. If that’s an easy thing, perhaps it is not a god for you, but if, after a few days, you can hardly stand being without that thing or situation or pastime, maybe you need to take a closer look.

What did Joshua tell the people they should do in verse 23? He said, “Put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord God of Israel.” We need to put away the false gods we worship, and we also need to incline our heart toward God. Stop looking at the idol and start to look at Christ who died for you to pay your penalty for all the sinful garbage that attracts and entangles you.

Technology and Idolatry

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            One of the important things for us as Christians to recognize regarding technology is that it can become an idol, either in itself or in the perceived benefits it provides.

            Tim Challies observes, “There are always spiritual realities linked to our use of technology. We know that there is often a link between our use of technology and idolatry, that our idols are often good things that want to become ultimate things in our lives. Communication with others is just this sort of good thing, a very good thing, that can so easily become an ultimate thing—an idol in our hearts. How can we tell if something has become an idol? One possible sign of idolatry is when we devote an inordinate amount of time and attention to something, when we feel less than complete without it. It may be something that we look at right before we go to sleep, and the first thing we give our attention to when we wake up. It may be the kind of thing that keeps us awake, even in the middle of the night.” (The Next Story, page 74)

            Challies gives us several indications as to when a thing might be becoming an idol. One of the things he mentions is the devotion of an inordinate amount of time to something or anything we feel incomplete without. Haven’t you felt these inclinations in yourself when it comes to your smart phone or computer? Haven’t you felt the sensation that says, “What do I do now?” when your phone or computer is out of order? Do you feel compelled to check your Facebook page before you do almost anything else in the morning? Almost certainly most of us check email or Facebook before we even check in with God in prayer or read His Word. That indicates the possibility of an idolatrous situation taking place.

            One author suggests that people have begun to see technology and the Internet as a sort of spiritual existence: “Many see in cyberspace nothing less than a new, spiritual heaven that is open to all who are computer literate, that is, ‘baptized,’ some observe. Cyberspace gives us the means to realize ‘a dream thousands of years old: the dream of transcending the physical world, fully alive, at will, to dwell in some Beyond—to be empowered or enlightened there, alone or with others, and to return,’ writes editor Michael Benedikt in the influential essay collection Cyberspace: First Steps.” (Distracted, page 51)

            People have always had the tendency to be attracted by the idea of out-of-body experiences and existence. The Internet gives them that capability to a degree. They don’t have to be real; they can become strong online when they are weak in person. They can be beautiful online when they may be plain in person. Such capabilities are alluring to some people and take on an idolatrous tug.

            Challies says that we need to figure out what idol we may be serving. “What is really happening here? Why do we feel this constant need to communicate with others? What idol are we serving? There are any number of idols we may be serving through the tools of communication technology:

 • We may be serving the idol of productivity, communicating so that we feel as though we are being productive, constantly answering work-related e-mails or monitoring work-related social media platforms, feeling the need to respond instantly and decisively morning, noon, or night.

 • We may be serving the idol of significance, finding a sense of value in the number of people who notice us and interact with us. People with an idol of significance will measure their success or popularity by the number of friends they have on Facebook or the number of followers on Twitter. They make popularity something that can be measured and analyzed and feel that their own significance increases as more people pay attention to them and interact with them online.

 • It may be that the very desire for information is an idol for us; that we feel as if having more information holds the key to living a better life.” (The Next Story, page 75)

            One type of sin that I think is related to the idol of significance that Challies mentions is the twin sins of pride and envy. Now that we have the ability to inform all of our friends about every move we make, there is a tendency to mention things that we secretly hope will arouse a certain amount of jealousy. Let’s let people know about our latte at Starbucks or the powerful engine in our new truck. Why not inform people that you are having a fantastic time in Bermuda during the middle of a cold winter. I need to be careful here because it is possible to inform friends of these things without having any intention of arousing their jealousy, but it seems to me there is a danger here that we need to be alert to.  Even in the case when our own motive might be pure, we need to learn to have caution as to how we might be provoking others through our carelessness. As Christians we are not supposed to be causing others to stumble, and when we blatantly announce every new purchase or exciting adventure, we may be triggering jealousy in others.

            The Bible tells us to flee idolatry. The natural tendency when one reads an article such as this one, is to go immediately into self-defense mode and to deny that anything close to idolatry exists in our lives. A more prudent reaction would be to go to God humbly and ask Him to reveal to us any areas of our life where He is not first. Ask Him for wisdom to determine whether something about technology – having it, jealousy of others, pride and boasting in social media, or anything else has become an idol.

            The Bible tells us in 1 John 2:15 that we should not love the world. A love of the world is an indication that the love of the Father is not in us. John then goes on to tell us what things demonstrate this love of the world. 1 John 2:16 “For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world.”

            I’m sure if we look carefully and think deeply, we can see that there is potential for each of these three characteristics of worldly focus to be present in our use of technology. As Christians, let’s take steps to recognize God in His proper place and put our technology in its proper place – a place of helpfulness and productivity, but not the place of control and mastery. As Paul said, “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” 1 Corinthians 6:12 (Emphasis mine)

Here are some steps that might help us determine whether some technology (or anything) is becoming an idol in our lives.

  1. Evaluate the amount of time you spend with technology, playing games, mindlessly hopping around the Internet, checking Facebook posts, etc., compared to the amount of time you spend in the scriptures, praying, meditating, etc.
  2. Examine the attraction of the technology compared to the attraction of other things. When you first get up in the morning, is your first instinct to check Facebook or email, or do you get showered, dressed, and have devotions before checking in with your technology?
  3. Ask yourself how you would feel if you had a technology-free week with the only exception being voice phone calls. Is the feeling similar to the feeling you would have if you missed your Bible reading, prayer, and church attendance for a week?

When you follow the trail of your time, energy, affection, and money, you find a throne.  And whatever or whomever is on that throne is the object of your worship. ~Louie Giglio

What is Life all About? Part 2

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What am I doing here?  That’s the question many people struggle with. What is my purpose in life? Isn’t there some overarching plan that would explain where I fit in?

The answer is yes. There is a plan, a design, and purpose. The purpose and plan is that the Almighty God who created all things, did so for his own enjoyment and glory. He wants us as rational creatures to also delight in that creation, to praise him for it, and to enjoy it with him. He made us in his image, and part of that image is that we ourselves are creative, thinking, and enjoying individuals. God delights in relationship and he wants us to delight in it as well.

God has always existed in three persons and even before creation, the three persons of the God-head had fellowship, communication, and love between them. When they said, “Let us make man in our image” (Genesis 1:26) they wanted to extend that love and fellowship with a particular part of the creation, namely human beings.

Everything God does is ultimately for his glory. In Psalms 4:2 God asks, “How long, O you sons of men, Will you turn my glory to shame? How long will you love worthlessness, and seek falsehood?”

Isaiah 42:8 I am the Lord, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images.

Isaiah 43:7 Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.”

All the way through the Bible God does things for the sake of his glory and for his great name’s sake.

At this point some may think, “That’s what I don’t like about God. He is focused on himself, and seems to go around trying to prove how great he is.”

The problem with this kind of thinking is that if it were a man making these claims it would definitely be egotistical and self-serving. But here’s the point: God was and is all in all. Before he created, there was nothing but him. He made creation for himself. We show a small part of God’s image when we create something for our enjoyment. And when we make something like a piece of artwork, it is for us to enjoy and for others to enjoy with us. Now suppose this piece of artwork somehow had a mind of its own and said that it didn’t want to look as it does, or it doesn’t want to be hung where you decided to hang it, or it didn’t want to be sold for the price you had agreed to. Wouldn’t it be ludicrous for a man-made project to try to dictate its own character and value? This is exactly what God thinks about our reasoning.

In Romans 9:20, God asks, “But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why have you made me like this?’”

So my point today, is that we need to remember that all of this is not about us. When we’re asking the question as to why we are here or what is the meaning of life, we need to remember that the meaning at its core is that we are here for God’s glory and everything we do and say is meant to exalt him and make him look good to others. If we’re running around looking for ways to have the focus shift to ourselves, we will be sorely disappointed and find life to be ultimately meaningless. But if we look for ways to exalt him and demonstrate his greatness to others, we will find meaning and fulfillment in life.

The Crucial Importance of the Church

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The Crucial Importance of the Church

The Church, the body of Christ, is the fullness of God.

“….the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him [God] who fills all in all.” (Ephesians 1:22–23, NKJV)

God the Holy Spirit baptizes (places) us into the body.

“For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body” (1 Corinthians 12:13, NKJV)

He places us in the body as it pleases Him.

“But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.” (1 Corinthians 12:18, NKJV)

We then are one spirit with Christ. He is the head. We are the body and share His spirit.

“But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” (1 Corinthians 6:17, NKJV)

We also have the mind of Christ.

“For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:16, NKJV)

We also are members of His flesh and bones. Our hands, toes and eyes are His flesh and bones.

“For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.” (Ephesians 5:30, NKJV)

We are therefore members of one another since we are part of the same body and share the same spirit.

“so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.” (Romans 12:5, NKJV)

The Holy Spirit gives a manifestation (external evidence, gift, spiritual ability) to each Christian to be used for the profit of the other parts of the body for the overall health and growth of the body.

“But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:” (1 Corinthians 12:7, NKJV)

“But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.” (1 Corinthians 12:11, NKJV)

 

A body is healthy only when all its parts are there and functioning according to their design. When a part of our body is not functioning or is functioning weakly, our body is not healthy and not growing as it should. The same is true of the body of Christ. Every part has a function. Every part is connected to every other part and must be aware of the impact it would have on the other parts of the body if it does not function as it should. There are no individual parts of the body just floating out in space. All parts are interconnected and have the same life and spirit flowing through them.

“from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” (Ephesians 4:16, NKJV)

“But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor… But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.”
(1 Corinthians 12:20–27, NKJV)

Spiritual Gifts Listed in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12

Word of wisdom                                                                          Mercy

Word of knowledge                                                                     Leading

Faith                                                                                                Giving

Healings*                                                                                       Exhortation

Miracles*                                                                                       Teaching

Prophecy1                                                                                       Serving

Discerning spirits                                                                          Administration

Tongues*                                                                                       Helps

Interpretation of tongues*

Many of these characteristics, such as faith and giving, should be present generally among God’s people. But some are especially gifted by the Spirit in these areas.

There may be additional gifts not listed here, but many of these gifts cover a lot of areas. Gifts such as serving, faith, or helps have a broad range of applications.

God gives some men gifts to be used to equip others to do the ministry.

“But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men…. And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;” (Ephesians 4:7–13, NKJV)

“And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers….”
(1 Corinthians 12:28, NKJV)

The main point to remember is that you as a Christian have been given one or more of these gifts. God has given the gift to be used in and with the local body of Christ. There should be a consciousness and awareness of the rest of the body and how your gifts are serving for the edification of others so that the body is made stronger and healthier “to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph 4:13). This is to be intentional. It does not just happen. Paul warned the Corinthian Christians about this when instructing them about communion. It wasn’t general secret sins that Paul warned them about resulting in “some are weak and sickly among you and many sleep,” it was not discerning the Lord’s body. The body of Christ, the fullness of God,  with its many members was right there among them and they didn’t see it. They were just interested in themselves and making sure their personal needs were met.

“For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.” (1 Corinthians 11:29, NKJV)

Questions each Christian must ask himself:

  1. What is the gift or gifts the Holy Spirit has given me?
  2. How am I using my gift in the church to serve the Body?
  3. Am I a healthy member of the body functioning and interconnected with others?
  4. How is my gift strengthening the body, building up others in the body and helping the body to grow and mature?

*We believe these were special gifts given to the church to authenticate the apostles’ message and are no longer widely active today. This does not mean that God cannot or does not use these gifts in some special circumstances today.

1By prophecy we mean the Spirit enabled proclamation of the truth of Scripture, not the foretelling the future.

 

Battle Plan – Strategy 1 – Prayer Life

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Strategy 1  My prayer life is active and effective.

 

In each of these strategies I put the statement as an affirmative statement of fact. That helps us focus on what the goal is. It is a true or false statement. Within our own hearts we know whether the statement is true for us or not.  Is this true:  My prayer life is active and effective.

 

Every Christian man should have an active and effective prayer life. James 5:16 says:  Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

 

At the conclusion on the passage in Ephesians where Paul discusses the Christian armor, he writes, “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.”  Ephesians 6:18

 

The Bible speaks over and over about the importance of prayer and yet praying is a very difficult thing for us. Our lives are busy and taking the time to pray does not seem to us to be as important as God makes it out to be. And yet it is probably the core of our relationship with Christ along with the reading of His Word.

 

So if we are struggling with temptation, let’s not look to a lot of phony remedies and psychological tricks. Let’s invest the time it takes to really get to know God by spending some quality time with Him in prayer.

 

Priority Goal 1: I am going to invest time in prayer each day to strengthen my spiritual life.

 

If that is your goal, get out your calendar right now and decide when you are going to pray today and add it to your list of things to accomplish.