Bigger, better, more?

 
Someone close to us belongs to a large cult. Yesterday he called and boasted of an upcoming international gathering that would be a huge bonus to the city he lives in. Several times he mentioned that thousands of people would attend. I didn’t know what to say, but the Apostle Paul did. 

He wrote to the church at Corinth that were inundated with false teachers. He first urged them to keep the promise they made in giving, and to do it without expecting any payback. However, he also told them that, “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. . . . (because) He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.” (2 Corinthians 9:6–12)

Then he addressed the boasting of the false teachers by reluctantly doing the same thing, but not boasting about his power but his hardships and weaknesses…

To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that! But whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant? If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands. (2 Corinthians 11:21–33)

Thinking of this, I could have told the cult member who boasted of the size of their gathering that I’ve seen God do amazing things through one person or just a few. What about the boy who offered five loaves and two fish? What about Paul? What about Martin Luther, or Billy Graham? God isn’t interested in the efforts of many and their boastings. 

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. (Psalm 51:17)

He offers redemption and eternal life through the efforts of One, and through the weakness of His death. He uses ordinary men and women who are weak in themselves and relying on His grace and power to do whatever He asks. Paul learned this:

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:7–10)

With that description, Paul challenges his readers to make certain they have faith and that Christ lives in them. It isn’t about their numbers or power, it is about Jesus and their love for Him. 

PRAY: I understand Paul’s thinking. He was glad when he was weak because You could then use him to reach and strengthen others. Again, this is not about boasting or trying to make an impression with numbers or statistics. You use weakness, and while I don’t like it, I do know that when I am weak, others can be blessed.

God uses ALL things...

 

When I don’t want to admit unloving attitudes, it is easy to rename them so they seem okay. I might be ‘righteously indignant’ about sin, or even excuse bad behavior because I am tired. This happens to many. Today’s devotional reading says: “The root and cause then of our wavering experience is not, as we may have thought, our sins, but is simply and only our doubts.”

The Bible clearly indicates that doubt and unbelief are indeed sins, the very sin that is the opposite of faith and trusting God. This is the same as any other sin and needs to be confessed as such. Merely moaning over such a lack does nothing. Nor does trying harder. Like any other sin, it must be confessed as such.

This ties to another reading, more from Charnock’s book in the section about why God allows sin. He describes how God uses it in our lives. Renaming it and calling it something else is a mistake that keeps us from experiencing His power to change our lives. Charnock gives many examples.

Without sin, I would have no humility or compassion for others to speak of them about salvation. Holy sorrow would have no fuel nor would God need to exercise His patience, nor would I. Charnock and the Bible say patience is one of the noblest virtues.

God also uses sin to produce the sense of need to depend on Him. Sin causes me to run to Him for refuge, to lower my self-confidence and trust Him instead. It brings me closer to God. He actually used it to bring me receptive to the gospel and also to further His work in changing my life.

By permitting lapses, the Lord shows me the folly of trying to live for Him in my own strength and teaches me to rely more and more on Christ. No one knows the nature of Paul’s thorn in the flesh, but God used it to bring this Christian leader to greater confidence in God and less in himself.

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:7–10)

Just as God permitted sin to enter into the world to honor and reveal Himself in the Redeemer, we daily battle sin and even in losing that battle at times, I discover the greatness of His love and the persistence of His redemption, also the wisdom of imputed righteousness. If I had become sinless, I could easily boast in that and have no need for His continual saving power. If God removed all  remainders of sin and guilt, I would forget that I am a fallen creature and that He is my Redeemer. Sin reminds me of my condition without Him and of His perpetual care. God also lets me see what filth yet remains in me and how He keeps cleansing me so I do not forget about His blood that washes it away.

Again, sin reminds me of my impotency. I cannot expiate it, nor conform to the law. I must wrap myself in grace and say: “Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.” (Romans 7:24–25) and “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set (me) free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1–2)

Sometimes my courage for God is sharpened by the shame of my sin. I want to serve Him more and be less apt to fall for Satan’s lies or the world’s temptations. He let the original fall happen for that end. Not only that, my errors and disobediences beat down pride. Charnock points to Hezekiah who was more humbled by his fall into pride than by all the distress he experienced (2 Chronicles 32:26) and  Peter whose confidence before his fall gave way to humility after it.

PRAY: Jesus, I don’t always understand all You do, yet realize if I make excuses for my sin, I will miss the wonder of You using even it to change my heart and realize the incredible value of Your wisdom and love for me. You desire a life change — and I need to admit what changes are needed, not rename or make excuses for what You call sin. Keep my eyes on You too, not only when I need instruction but also when I need rebuke and correction.

Whatever it takes…

 
Realizing that God is totally sovereign and that everything that happens to me is part of His plan for my life makes possible the reason and ability to give thanks in all things. That is, even the most disagreeable event of life is a bearer of blessing. If I look beyond the pain and discomfort, God is apt to reveal to me the good He has in mind in allowing it.

Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast. By your appointment they stand this day, for all things are your servants. (Psalm 119:90–91)

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18)

I’ve wondered about the will of God when I see so much evil in the world, and even more, when I see my own sinfulness. Yet I’ve missed many messages from Him because they were wrapped in ugly packages or delivered by unkind people. Most of the opposite idea involves teaching about God's goodness and that He desires my comfort. With that, I complained about the rough stuff and do not hear what God was saying to me.

Yet some years ago, and with other believers, we began praying for the salvation of unsaved loved ones using the phrase “whatever it takes” even as we realized this was a dangerous way to pray. We knew that God could bring disaster into their lives to alert them to their need for Jesus. Even so, it took me a long time to realize that I also may need disaster to expose my selfishness and to realize how little I depend on the Savior.

Today’s reading says “welcome every event of life as God’s servant bringing me something from Him, to overlook the disagreeableness of the messenger in the joy of the message, and to forget the hurt of the trial in the sweetness of the blessing it brings.”

The example is Paul. He wrote:

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:7–10)

I learned the same thing — that it is good to be weak and that is when God’s goodness shines brightest. What I’d missed is thinking about the thorn in the flesh. I saw it as a messenger from Satan to keep me from being strong in the Lord, but didn’t see it also as a messenger from God to tell me that I needed His sufficient grace rather than removal of the thorn or a cure for the discomfort or even rest from the agony it was producing in me. He allowed the thorn to be put there — remember, all things are His servants, even thorns. Even the evil one cannot do anything without His permission (read Job 1-2).

PRAY: Jesus, I cannot be thankful for my sinful failures but I can be thankful that You use even them to show me how much I need You and how much You love me and want me to live for You… whatever it takes.

Burdens from God — or me worrying?

 

Over the past few weeks I’m realizing the difference between spiritually-motivated Christian living and that which is from the old nature trying to be godly. Oswald Chambers says, “Every element of self-reliance must be slain by the power of God. Complete weakness and dependence will always be the occasion for the Spirit of God to manifest His power.”

What comes in to counter that power from God? The world says I’m to have self-confidence. I’m to be sure of myself and trust my abilities and judgment, moving forward in everything with an assurance that I can do it without any problem. God says:

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)

If I don’t conform to the ideas of the world about confidence and instead discern the will of God, what can be expected? Here are some things:

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. (Romans 12:3)

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. (1 Corinthians 12:4–6)

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:7–10)

So much for the wisdom of the world. And the above verses also apply to my so-called confidence in my old nature with its sinful ways of thinking. Jesus adds this just to make sure I’m not putting my confidence in me:

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:4–5)

What about the lies of Satan? I once did a Bible study through much of the NT where I read the truth God says, then pondered the lies that counter it. For instance, God says this… but the enemy says this…

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. (John 15:9–10)

God does not love you the way you want to be loved. He sent his son to be scorned and die; is that love? You don’t need to accept that because if you do, you are going to wind up like Jesus and suffer.

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

God wants you healthy, wealthy and wise. Work hard to make money. Let your lack of contentment drive you. That lack is just more evidence that God does not love you or want the best for you. He is busy with other things and not  even with you because he does not care about you.  

There are many ways to illustrate the lies, but only one way of exposing them; read the Word of God and believe it, keeping sin and doubt confessed and trusting the truth of God. Be spiritual disciplined but not trusting me — only Him. He is the Savior; I am not.

PRAY: Jesus, this day I am bombarded with things I could worry about. Family members who are suffering, Christians who are tangled up in worldly and fleshy thinking, unsaved neighbors without interest in you, and more responsibilities that I can handle. Abiding in You seems difficult. Fruit-bearing? Where is it? Yet the weakness I feel indicates there is power lurking. Enable me to keep trusting You, no matter what the world or my flesh nags me about, and enable me to sort lies from truth so I can live in Your power and not worry about anything.

Not in heaven yet . . .

 

READ Mark 1–4

Yesterday a younger woman and I shared a bit about self-esteem struggles, chuckling that despite our age difference, we had so much in common. At the end of our conversation, we felt that we had known each other forever, even though we just met. After thinking about this and other similar experiences, I am convinced of the value of transparency, being open about our problems and failures. It binds us together. Sharing accomplishments or hiding behind layers usually does not do that.

Today’s reading begins with John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus by proclaiming a baptism of repentance. People responded in droves. Whatever motivated them, they knew the value of being transparent by admitting their sins and they did it publicly.

When Jesus asked to be baptized, He explained that it was an act of obedience. John knew repentance was not the issue. This was the Father’s will so he did it. Obedience was the issue, just as it always is for me. Everything God asks me to do involves obedience — based on faith. I trust Him and demonstrate it by doing what He says, even if it seems illogical . . . unlike the OT people in Judges who “did what was right in their own eyes.”

After Jesus obeyed, He was tested even more. “The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan . . . .” (Mark 1:12–13)

He passed the tests, began to proclaim the Gospel, initiated followers, demonstrated His power over evil spirits, illness, even the weather, and showed how vital prayer is when trusting the Father’s guidance. As I read these chapters, I could see the results of His obedience. Sometimes I expect a ‘rose garden’ but that was not true for Jesus and it is not true for me. A quick outline shows some results for Jesus, many that I experience or can expect when I do what my Father wants me to do.

One note: He may ask me to be quiet. For example, a leper came to him asking to be made clean. Jesus was moved with pity and stretched out his hand and touched him saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. Then Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away saying, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” However the man “went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.” (Mark 1:40-45)

This story tells me that speaking when I am told to shut up can limit Jesus’ activity. I cannot stop what He is doing, but could change the parameters. Not good.

As well as that lesson, I can see that by obeying His Father, Jesus lost popularity with some. He also forgave sins and demonstrated supernatural power. The crowds loved Him but some wanted to destroy Him because of these things. If I am more like Jesus, would these things also happen to me?

Jesus also ate and drank with sinners, accepted those others rejected, refused to get involved in meaningless religious rituals, did good on the Sabbath, experienced family members thinking He was crazy and others decided He was demonic (and as long as they do, that is unforgiveable), and considered Himself a brother to all who believed.

These results also happen to those who follow Jesus. Yes, we are blessed yet the blessing is not always a rose garden; it can be deep peace and joy in the midst of very difficult circumstances. The point is, when we share with others the roses and leave out the weeds, it creates in them a sense of being inferior, of somehow missing out on God’s best. But when we share the trials and troubles those who hear it are actually edified and blessed — just the opposite of what seems right.

Paul learned this. He wrote about his experiences and shared a major problem by admitting this one:

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:7–10)

He realized that in sharing his lows as well as his highs, he did a great service to anyone who wants the Christian life to be totally wonderful yet sadly realize that we are not in heaven yet!