I attended a marriage retreat this past weekend with my wife. There was so much I learned but I felt there were three trends the speakers mentioned (Larry and Sue Spousta) that were worth recording because they apply for all areas of life, not just marriage. These trends are prevalent in the Church and I’ve seen their tendency in my own life.
1- The false assumption that the Bible reduces the challenges of life to step-by-step solutions.
--instead of crying out to Jesus I, realizing that HE is my only hope. I ask: “what are the 3 things I need to do to change this situation?” Many Christian books are written in this vein. What I need to do is be on my face praying and relying on God and His mercy for direction and strength. I’m sure many of these books are great but the heart-relationship must be with Him directly.
2- Overemphasis on happiness and personal achievement.
--I’m assaulted in this culture about my happiness and what I have accomplished. This deals a crushing blow when I know God as led me somewhere and I also know that I’m not “being successful” at it. There are many reasons for this but I tend to think that God sent me down this path, therefore I’m going to be successful at it. Hebrews chapter 11 has a good list of people whom our culture (even a Christian culture) would have said were complete failures but were commended by God for their faith.
3- The belief the Bible is an optional guide on the road to emotional fulfillment.
--This was a painful one. I confess sometimes I don’t LIVE as if I take the Bible seriously. As a case in point here I will mention a temporary job I was working about a month ago at an investment bank. Working at this job was a man who was the 3rd best portfolio manager in the whole bank (the bank’s assets were among the top 10 in the country). This is no small feat. I got talking to him about investment stuff (as it is one of my hobbies) and he handed me a book. He said, “Read this and you’ll beat 95% of the portfolio managers out there.” I immediately read and digested this book as well as recommended it to my friends. In fact, I read it faster than I’ve read any other book, ever. Then I was convicted as I realized I have a book written by God. This book contains truths about the one who made me, and the entire universe. It explains to me how to live a life of PEACE regardless of my circumstances. The Bible teaches me how to live in wisdom which can save my life. The Bible teaches me how to receive ETERNAL salvation! HOW MUCH MORE IMPORTANT is that than my retirment? And yet I do not read this book with the same fervor as I read a book about money.
I believe this shows where my priorities lie. God help me.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Monday, February 19, 2007
The Beachhead
The Battle of D-Day was about establishing a beachhead. You can’t take over a country or an island all at once, you must get a place where you can land your boats, and begin the true invasion. Normandy was the beachhead for taking back France.
There are some very natural applications for this. When I desire to start a new habit, say reading my bible regularly, instead of trying to read 10 chapters and journal a page and a half (thus taking over all of France in one day), I tend to prefer the reading of one chapter and then stopping on purpose. The next day, I do the same. Why not? It’s only 5 minutes. Maybe I get to the end of a week and have read 3 of the 7 days. Next week, I’ll shoot for 4 days. Then once I’m reading 4 days, I might add a chapter to the days: 2 chapters 3-4 days a week. My goal is 4-5 chapters, 4 times a week plus a journal entry about what I read each day. But that would have been too much to try to do at the beginning.
I will do the same thing with exercise. I start with 15 pushups, and do that 3 times per week. 15 pushups takes literally 20 seconds. I do have 20 seconds in my day. If I don’t, I might need to shift a few things around. 15 pushups is 15 more than 0 pushups. If I’ve done that 3-4 times per week, next week I might sit down and do 20 pushups plus 5 sit-ups. Later adding some crunches or some lunges. If I make my additions SLOW, after 6 months I’ll have a real workout going and I won’t want to stop since by that time, I’m doing 40 pushups (or more), 40 sit-ups, 40 crunches, 40 lunges, 40 squats, and anything else I decided to add. Again, if I tried to do that on the first day (since I was SO desperate to get in shape) I would have failed for sure.
There are some very natural applications for this. When I desire to start a new habit, say reading my bible regularly, instead of trying to read 10 chapters and journal a page and a half (thus taking over all of France in one day), I tend to prefer the reading of one chapter and then stopping on purpose. The next day, I do the same. Why not? It’s only 5 minutes. Maybe I get to the end of a week and have read 3 of the 7 days. Next week, I’ll shoot for 4 days. Then once I’m reading 4 days, I might add a chapter to the days: 2 chapters 3-4 days a week. My goal is 4-5 chapters, 4 times a week plus a journal entry about what I read each day. But that would have been too much to try to do at the beginning.
I will do the same thing with exercise. I start with 15 pushups, and do that 3 times per week. 15 pushups takes literally 20 seconds. I do have 20 seconds in my day. If I don’t, I might need to shift a few things around. 15 pushups is 15 more than 0 pushups. If I’ve done that 3-4 times per week, next week I might sit down and do 20 pushups plus 5 sit-ups. Later adding some crunches or some lunges. If I make my additions SLOW, after 6 months I’ll have a real workout going and I won’t want to stop since by that time, I’m doing 40 pushups (or more), 40 sit-ups, 40 crunches, 40 lunges, 40 squats, and anything else I decided to add. Again, if I tried to do that on the first day (since I was SO desperate to get in shape) I would have failed for sure.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Jesus, The One Foretold
Isa 53:10, “Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days.”
53:12, “Because he poured out his life unto death and was numbered with the transgressors.”
Up until the first century AD, Jewish scholars taught this verse referred to Messiah. Then the Christians took it up to show how Jesus fulfilled these prophecies. (Subsequent to this, the Jewish scholars no longer think this refers to Messiah but rather to Israel in general.) Isaiah would have had in his mind what he was writing when he wrote about the “Guilt Offering”. It was standard knowledge:
Lev 5:14, “[the sinner] is to bring to the Lord as a penalty a ram from the flock, one without defect… it is a guilt offering.”
The connection goes deeper. In Genesis, God tested Abraham and told him to sacrifice Isaac, his “son, his only son” (God uses this reference three times) on mount Moriah. Moriah is a hill near of modern Jerusalem.
Gen 22:7-8, “[Isaac said] the fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering.”
God stopped Abraham as he was about to strike down Isaac. God said to him:
Gen 22:12 “I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” Abraham looked up and there in the thicket he saw a ram caught by its horn.
Is it possible that Abraham sacrificed the ram (the first guilt offering) on the same mountain as Jesus was crucified (the true Guilt Offering)? Whether it was the same mountain or not, the connection is undeniable. Abraham knew God would either raise Isaac from the dead or provide another sacrifice. God looked through time and saw two sacrifices and was no doubt making a statement. “I will not allow you to sacrifice your son here but I will sacrifice mine, I will provide the Guilt Offering.”
Gen 22:14, “So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
53:12, “Because he poured out his life unto death and was numbered with the transgressors.”
Up until the first century AD, Jewish scholars taught this verse referred to Messiah. Then the Christians took it up to show how Jesus fulfilled these prophecies. (Subsequent to this, the Jewish scholars no longer think this refers to Messiah but rather to Israel in general.) Isaiah would have had in his mind what he was writing when he wrote about the “Guilt Offering”. It was standard knowledge:
Lev 5:14, “[the sinner] is to bring to the Lord as a penalty a ram from the flock, one without defect… it is a guilt offering.”
The connection goes deeper. In Genesis, God tested Abraham and told him to sacrifice Isaac, his “son, his only son” (God uses this reference three times) on mount Moriah. Moriah is a hill near of modern Jerusalem.
Gen 22:7-8, “[Isaac said] the fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering.”
God stopped Abraham as he was about to strike down Isaac. God said to him:
Gen 22:12 “I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” Abraham looked up and there in the thicket he saw a ram caught by its horn.
Is it possible that Abraham sacrificed the ram (the first guilt offering) on the same mountain as Jesus was crucified (the true Guilt Offering)? Whether it was the same mountain or not, the connection is undeniable. Abraham knew God would either raise Isaac from the dead or provide another sacrifice. God looked through time and saw two sacrifices and was no doubt making a statement. “I will not allow you to sacrifice your son here but I will sacrifice mine, I will provide the Guilt Offering.”
Gen 22:14, “So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
The Real Deal
Exodus 33:15-16, “If your presence does not go with us, do not send us… What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the Earth?”
Moses was not trying to be like the world he was living in. He wanted to be different. The truth is, without the presence of God nothing differentiates me from the world I’m living in. I am nothing without him. When I walk apart from him, I look like everyone else.
This would almost seem a value to me sometimes – to be defined as the culture defines people – to blend in as well as possible.
What about God’s definition? What about the One who spoke the stars into existence? What does He think about me? Does His presence go before me? If not then let my cry be like Moses, “do not send us”.
Moses was not trying to be like the world he was living in. He wanted to be different. The truth is, without the presence of God nothing differentiates me from the world I’m living in. I am nothing without him. When I walk apart from him, I look like everyone else.
This would almost seem a value to me sometimes – to be defined as the culture defines people – to blend in as well as possible.
What about God’s definition? What about the One who spoke the stars into existence? What does He think about me? Does His presence go before me? If not then let my cry be like Moses, “do not send us”.
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
From Miracle to Menial
Exodus 32:1, “When the people saw Moses was so long in coming down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come make us gods, who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses… we don’t know what has happened to him.”
Exodus 20:18, “When the people saw the thunder and lightening and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.”
The second verse above occurred about 30 days before the first verse.
The Israelites went from fear to pride. This is such a natural progression it is almost unbelievable. It might “seem” natural but it is from hell.
When God gives me a blessing (job, baby, wife, provision, direction) I am at first in awe and wonder. I am thankful. Something happens over time, that blessing begins to look normal. (keep in mind, when the Israelites were dancing around a golden calf the mountain above them was STILL ON FIRE). I take my wife, my job, my health for granted and don’t view them through the same eyes.
A thankful heart is the cure for this. The more you thank God for his goodness and blessings, the more you are reminded of the fact that HE DID IT. Eventually you will begin to view those “normal” things as God’s blessing for you.
Exodus 20:18, “When the people saw the thunder and lightening and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.”
The second verse above occurred about 30 days before the first verse.
The Israelites went from fear to pride. This is such a natural progression it is almost unbelievable. It might “seem” natural but it is from hell.
When God gives me a blessing (job, baby, wife, provision, direction) I am at first in awe and wonder. I am thankful. Something happens over time, that blessing begins to look normal. (keep in mind, when the Israelites were dancing around a golden calf the mountain above them was STILL ON FIRE). I take my wife, my job, my health for granted and don’t view them through the same eyes.
A thankful heart is the cure for this. The more you thank God for his goodness and blessings, the more you are reminded of the fact that HE DID IT. Eventually you will begin to view those “normal” things as God’s blessing for you.
Friday, February 2, 2007
Death of The Firstborn
Exodus 8:15
“when I see the blood, I will pass over you”
The final plague God brought against Pharaoh was the striking down of the firstborn. It was also the most significant moment in Jewish history. This was the day when God told them who they were, essentially saying, “you are mine”.
The only way to be spared was to put the blood of a lamb on the front doorframe of your home.
It is interesting that God Himself hardened Pharaoh’s heart so no other plague caused Pharaoh to relent but this one – the death of the firstborn. It was only in the death of his own son where the Jews were set free.
And so it is with me. Through the death of God’s son I am given freedom. When God sees the blood of his Lamb on the door of my heart, he will pass over and not destroy me when I stand before Him. I have been forgiven.
“when I see the blood, I will pass over you”
The final plague God brought against Pharaoh was the striking down of the firstborn. It was also the most significant moment in Jewish history. This was the day when God told them who they were, essentially saying, “you are mine”.
The only way to be spared was to put the blood of a lamb on the front doorframe of your home.
It is interesting that God Himself hardened Pharaoh’s heart so no other plague caused Pharaoh to relent but this one – the death of the firstborn. It was only in the death of his own son where the Jews were set free.
And so it is with me. Through the death of God’s son I am given freedom. When God sees the blood of his Lamb on the door of my heart, he will pass over and not destroy me when I stand before Him. I have been forgiven.
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