Miscommunication

Posted on December 5, 2011 by Pastor Dave

One day when we returned home and were listening to our phone messages, there was one where the caller didn’t identify himself, but from the voice and context, we determined was from the Waddington family in North Dakota, asking whether we would like them to stop in at our church on a Wednesday night for a presentation. The Waddingtons had lived here previously and then moved to North Dakota. They are family of excellent musicians and they had given concerts at our church several times. It happened to be that time of year when their business in North Dakota allowed them to travel, so we were excited to have them come again. We had an AWANA  program on Wednesday evenings but decided to just do our handbook time for the first half hour and then have the Waddingtons for the next hour, and invite the parents to come as well as to notify the community since many were familiar with the Waddingtons.

     I went on their website to get their email address and emailed them to let them know that the date would work and that they would have lots of kids in the audience but that we would invite parents and the church and community to come as well. I also asked if they could send us some flyers so we could advertise for them.  I didn’t hear back so tried emailing again. Still no response. It was getting close to time for them to come so I finally called back on the number left with the phone message. I asked if they were still heading our way, and the “man” (who sounded like Mr. Waddington, or one of his boys), said, “Yes, we are still plan to be there on  Wednesday.” I reminded him of the format of the evening and asked if they would need to get in early to set up and he replied, “No, we only need a few minutes to do that.” (which I thought strange.) I added that we would release the AWANA kids at the normal time but if they wanted to continue we could invite folks to stay longer.
     Well, we invited the AWANA parents and our church congregation and told others we thought would be interested. We didn’t put anything in the paper since we hadn’t received any flyers. The Wednesday night of their “concert” arrived and when it was time for AWANA to begin (6 p.m.) the Waddingtons had still not arrived. I thought that was pretty odd and started to get a bit nervous. I went ahead and started working with my Truth and Training group of 3rd-6th graders and Kathy was helping out at the registration desk.  Still no Waddingtons!  Then, a missionary couple from Latvia, the Petersons,  whom our church had been supporting, but from whom we had not heard in some time, showed up in the church entry.  They were planning on giving a missions report and to tell us that they were resigning from their mission and returning to the United States where Dusty would pastor a church in Oregon!     
     It was Dusty (whose voice sounds much like one of Mr. Waddington’s sons) who had called, but because he is a bit hard of hearing, he had started talking before the beep and his identifying who he was had not recorded. When we had talked again later, he still did not identify himself. As we visited and laughed over the “miscommunication” and how it had happened, folks started coming for the Waddington concert!  Well, I waited until everyone was seated and announced that though they had come to hear the Waddington family they had the “privilege” of hearing from our missionaries to Latvia, the Petersons!
     To add to the “misadventure,” we discovered our adapter was missing for sound on the video that the Petersons showed, so Dusty just had to narrate. Then afterwards, I had planned to invite folks to stay for refreshments and discovered that not enough goodies had been brought to provide for everyone so had to cancel that as well. It was a whole “comedy of errors,” but I had to remember that all things happen for a reason in God’s plan and even our blunders and miscommunications He uses for His purpose. And as far as the Petersons coming rather than the Waddingtons, God has no substitutes!  I’m sure that those who came that evening were there by “divine appointment” and undoubtedly God spoke to hearts through the presentation. I also couldn’t help but wonder if we had advertised an evening with missionaries from Latvia how many people would have attended?  We definitely had a better turn out than we would have expected! 
     A couple days later, I got a call from North Dakota from Mr. Waddington!  He said he’d received a strange call from a family in Libby asking where in the world they had been. “We drove over  to Three Lakes to hear you sing and you weren’t there!  I explained to him what had happened. He said that their email hadn’t been working so he never received my messages so knew nothing of what had transpired. I said, “You’d best schedule a trip out our way soon!” 
     As I rehearsed that crazy event in my mind I couldn’t help but think of how people sometimes think they have “heard from God,” but never bother to check out the message with his written revelation to make sure it is biblical (i.e., from Him), and they proceed on a false assumption, often “paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons” (I Tim. 4:1).   Their are lots of voices in the world today, many claiming they have the truth, but there is only one source of Truth and that is God and His Word. Jesus is “the way, the truth and the life” (Jn. 14:6), and “His Word is truth” (Jn. 17:17).  Everything else, every voice, every teaching, every religious group must be checked out against the absolute standard of God’s Word. Miscommunication such as caused our interesting adventure on a Wednesday night is embarrassing, but miscommunication and misunderstanding about who Jesus Christ is and how we can have eternal life is a matter of eternal consequence. Be sure the voice you are hearing is God’s. Get in His Word and check it out!  God cannot contradict Himself, will never go against his Word, and cannot lie or deceive you. It is Satan who is the great deceiver, He is “the father of lies” (Jn. 8:44) and can even “disguise himself as an angel of light” (II Cor. 11:14), so “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (I Jn. 4:1 cf II Jn. 1:7). We need to heed the Apostle Paul’s advice to the Galatians: “Even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:8).
    And, if someone leaves you a phone message, make sure you know who it was before acting on it! 
 
                                                        Forever His,
                                                                Pastor Dave
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God Has Chosen the Foolish Things

Posted on November 30, 2011 by Pastor Dave

Tom and Gayle Shook, who serve with Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA) Reachglobal, were recent guest speakers at Faith Bible Church where we now attend. They began their presentation with a photo taken at their wedding in Las Vegas, underneath which was written out this verse: “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong” (I Cor. 1:27).  The passage goes on to say… “and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are, that no man should boast before God” (vv. 28,29). 

     When Tom and Gayle were married, he was an unbeliever and she a struggling Christian. In the photo, he had very long, curly hair, looking like a hippie from the 60’s!  But, she had a Christian sibling who continued sharing with them and inviting them to church. One Sunday Tom was convicted of his sinful lifestyle, repented, and received Christ into his life as Savior and Lord. Then at a New Year’s Eve service, they made a commitment to God saying, “We will go anywhere and do anything you want us to, Lord.” Soon after that as they were looking through a list of countries to pray for, they landed on Mongolia and Tom says, “That’s where God wants us to go!”  Well, if you know your geography, Mongolia is located between Russia and China, and at that time it was still under communist domination and there were no known believers in the country.
     But, as they had promised God, they went there and began befriending the people, thinking of how God would use their serving them to open the door to share the Gospel. Tom said that he and Gayle were actually a bit cocky and proud of how they had followed the Lord and sacrificed for Him and how God would thus mightily use them. He would, but not before He humbled them. They happened to be in Mongolia during the time of the fall of communism, and the country was in economic chaos. Some people had pocketsfull of money, but there was nothing to buy. Inspite of the situation, the Shooks decided to remain there with their three young boys. Then, one of the boys, while looking for something with a candle for light (they had no electricity), accidentally set the house on fire and it burned down.  The Mongolians asked if they would now return to America. They said, no, we will stay, but we will need your help. Well, guess what?  The Mongolians proved to be very caring and provided them with shelter, clothes and food–and it proved to be the way in which the door opened for them to share the gospel, but only after they were greatly humbled before God and those they were serving. Soon there was the first convert to Christianity in Mongolia and before long a church was meeting.
     After developing some leaders in the newly formed church, the Shooks moved to another location, further north, in Mongolia, and again lived among the people, waiting for an open door of sharing Christ. It was very difficult for them as their boys had now grown up and headed back to the States for college. They experienced the death of some loved ones back home and felt very helpless and lonely so far away in Mongolia. But, they persevered, finally led someone to faith in Christ, and soon a church was planted. After 17 years in Mongolia they left behind a vibrant church with national leadership.
     There’s no limit to what God can do through us when we commit our ways to Him, saying, as did the Shooks, “Lord, we will go anywhere and do anything for you.”  But, we also must be humbled and acknowledge that it is not about us and our skills and abilities, but all about Him, and He will do what is necessary for us to realize that.  Then we can say with the Apostle Paul, “I can do all things through Him (Christ) who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13). 
     The Shooks have recently been helping with the cleanup in Japan (and resulting ministries) caused by the Tsunami, and now feel God is calling them to a ministry to those in North Asia. It is exciting to see what God is doing in countries which have been closed to the Gospel. He is definitely building His Church from every tribe and nation. We can all be part of that in some way if we humble ourselves and make ourselves available to Him, “For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe…For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong…that no man should boast before God” (I Cor. 9:21,26,27).  Do you feel foolish, weak, inadequate?  Hey, you qualify! Tell Him you are available.
 
                                                                Forever His,
                                                                    Pastor Dave
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Giving Thanks

Posted on November 21, 2011 by Pastor Dave

 Many times we Christians want to know: “What’s God’s will for my life?”  Well, a great place to start would be to obey the commands found in Paul’s letter to the believers at Thessalonica: : “And we urge you brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all men. See to it that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all men. Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (I Thes. 5:14-18).  While it is true that the virtue that should most definitely characterize the life of a Christian is the love we have for one another (Jn. 13:34,35),  it would seem safe to say that another quality which should set a believer apart is an “attitude of gratitude,” and not just for the times when things are going the way we wish, but “in everything!”  (Note that the command is not to give thanks for everything, but in everything.)

     It is interesting that when Paul wrote about the ungodliness and unrighteousness of those who are suppressing the truth (of which there are many today), he said this: “For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools” (Ro. 1:21,22).  A lack of thankfulness is an indication of spiritual blindness or hardness.
     So why should we be thankful to God? First of all because it is His due.  All that we are and have is from His hand–our health and strength, our food and shelter, our very blood and breath, our time, both now and for eternity. God is worthy of our thanks and praise because He is our Maker. We are not our own; we belong to Him. The rampant feeling today is that every man’s life is his own. But in Revelation 4 and 5 we have two glimpses of praise around the throne in Heaven and we hear these words: “Worthy art Thou, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for Thou didst create all things, and because of Thy will they existed, and were created” (Rev. 4:11).  We are creatures. God is the Creator.  We are to worship the Creator, not His creation!  When we stop being thankful, we turn our eyes and heart to what God has made and make it our god.
     God is also our Provider and Sustainer.  We have no other source. Life’s necessities, as well as all its extras, come from Him. The Pilgrims knew this well. Do we?
     Our Creator God is also our Redeemer.  The Apostle Paul sums up the wonder of God’s redemptive love in a few words: “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not counting their trespasses against them” (II Cor. 5:19).   The Apostle Peter added this: “Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold…but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ” (I Pet. 1:18,19). 
     God deserves our thanks. He is a faithful Creator and Sustainer. He loves us and redeems us by the shedding of the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. But we should also thank God because this is His will and purpose for all men. Whenever and wherever men have valued their relationship with God, they have offered their thanks. Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, and David gave thanks to God. As their eyes were opened to discern the beauty of God’s holiness, His love and perfections, they responded with thanksgiving and praise.  The Psalmist, David exhorted: “Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His name. For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting, and His faithfulness to all generations” (Psa. 100:4,5). Thankfulness and praise will be our theme in Heaven throughout eternity, but we need to get started making that the focus of our life now.
     There’s another important reason why we should be thankful to God. To acknowledge His goodness is to see Him as He is and to take our rightful places as His wholly dependent subjects. When we are thankful, we see God’s love and goodness–no matter the circumstances. We are able to discern His judgments. We are receptive to His will. To be unthankful, on the contrary, is to declare our independence from God, to cut ourselves off from Him. Unthankfulness blinds us. An unthankful person probably doesn’t even realize that God is in the picture. An unthankful nation is an unthinking nation and its people are in mortal peril. America’s deepest problems are rooted in blindness to God’s goodness and sovereign power. Her problems are the products of unthankfulness. Where God is pushed out, fear comes in–for the individual or for a nation. “They were in great fear where no fear had been” (Psa. 53:5)  is spoken of those referred to in verse one: “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ ” The price of unthankfulness is high. You cannot ignore God’s rights, God’s sovereignty, or God’s lovingkindness without losing touch with God–on whom your life depends. 
     The Christian should be thankful for many other things; but let me mention only one. Be thankful that all the circumstances of life are in God’s hands. If you belong to Christ, you are called according to His purpose and God will not waste anything in your life. He will make all things work together for good. This is the anchor promise of Romans 8:28 and it will always hold. Nothing God permits will be unplanned or pointless no matter how it seems. Tears will come, but as you trust and thank Him in “all things,” He will weave the tapestry of your life for His glory and for your good.
     Let me close with some thoughts from Charles Swindoll in The Finishing Touch: “THANK YOU LORD: for Your sovereign control over our circumstances, for Your holy character in spite of our sinfulness, for Your commitment to us even when we wander astray, for Your Word that gives us direction, for Your love that holds us close, for Your gentle compassion in our sorrows, for Your consistent faithfulness through our highs and lows, for Your understanding when we are confused, for Your Spirit that enlightens our eyes, for Your grace that removes our guilt.”
 
                                                                                                                   Happy “Thanks-Living”
                                                                                                                                    Pastor Dave
 
 
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He Goes Ahead of Us

Posted on November 14, 2011 by Pastor Dave

 I have an area within 15 minutes of our home that I have hiked and hunted many, many times over the past 30 years. I have explored pretty much every portion of the landscape and can quite easily find my way back to where I started .  I took a friend hunting with me there this fall and led him on quite a long, circuitous route through the area, sometimes walking on old logging roads and sometimes walking on game trails or pushing our way through some challenging downfall. I couldn’t help but think of how he was trusting that I knew where we were going, because he, having not been there before, didn’t. Sure enough, we ended up back at our vehicle (which always makes for a successful hunt!)  If you are going into a new area to hike or hunt, it really helps to have someone with you who has been there before and knows the terrain and can be your guide.  If not, be sure to take a map and compass or a GPS. 

     I was reminded of the charge that Moses gave to the new generation of Israelites that were about to enter the Promised Land, facing the nations that they were to destroy there as they took the land. He said to them: “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.  “The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear, or be dismayed” (Dt. 31:6,8). The Israelites had just finished 40 years of wandering in the wilderness where God also “was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night” (Ex. 13:21).  The Israelites could be courageous and not fearful knowing that God would not only be “with them,” but would “go before them.”  Since God is “the Alpha and the Omega…the LORD God who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Rev. 1:7 cf Isa. 41:4), He has already lived in our tomorrows for He lives in the eternal present. There is nothing that can take Him by surprise. He never gets “turned around” or confused or has to come up with “plan B.”  And, having a complete knowledge of where we are and where we need to head, He, through the Holy Spirit living within us, goes before us and guides us on our pathway in life.
     David, who was very familiar with the ways of shepherding in the Middle East, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote one of the most loved passages in all of Scripture, Psalm 23, in which he refers to “The LORD” as his “shepherd” who “makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside quiet waters…who guides me in the paths of righteousness…who prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies” (vv. 1-3,5).  A shepherd would go up in the foothills and mountains to prepare the summer pasture land, making sure there was water and that it was safe from the dangers of noxious weeds, predators, etc.  Then he would guide his sheep to those lush mountain meadows.  The Middle Eastern shepherd always led his sheep. He did not drive them as most often occurs in the west. That is the way of our “Good Shepherd” who, as the Apostle John wrote, “When he puts forth all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice” (Jn. 10:4).  In speaking prophetically of the coming Messiah, Isaiah wrote: “I will go before you and make the rough places smooth…”    (Isa. 45:2). 
     There is great comfort in accompanying someone who knows where they are going. You can focus on enjoying the journey and trust the directing of your paths to your guide.  There may be times when the unfamiliar surroundings are confusing, even frightening, but you can trust that the one leading you has a purpose for where you are and where you are headed. You can say with David, “But as for me, I trust in Thee, O LORD, I say, ‘Thou art my God. My times are in Thy hand’ ” (Psa. 31:14,15). David had confidence in his “Shepherd” who said to him, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you” (Psa. 32:8).  When we are doing as Solomon counseled, “Trusting in the LORD with all our heart and leaning not on our own understanding but in all our ways acknowledging Him, (then) He will direct our paths” (Pr. 3:5,6).  There will be difficult, confusing times when we wonder where we are and what in the world is happening and how we can find our way out of this mess, but, when we are trusting in our Divine Guide, we can claim the promise that the Apostle Paul, who also went through great adversity and turmoil, proclaimed: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Ro. 8:28).  And that purpose, as Paul goes on to explain, is that we might be conformed to the image of Christ (v. 29). We can have the attitude and outlook that Solomon wrote of in his “Book of Wisdom”:  “Since the Lord is directing our steps, why try to understand everything that happens along the way” (Pr. 20:24 in The Living Bible).
     You may be in some unfamiliar territory in your life right now, and maybe even in a thick mess of circumstances wondering how you will ever find your way out. Well, put your complete trust in your Guide to “guide you in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake” (Psa. 23:3).  And, “if you can’t see His hands, trust His heart!”
 
 
                                                                                                            Forever His,
                                                                                                                Pastor Dave
 
 
 
 
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Stop It!

Posted on November 9, 2011 by Pastor Dave

  A lady came in to see Bob Newhart, psychologist, for some counseling to deal with an improper behavioral pattern in her life. As she shared her struggles, he said he had the answer for her. She took out a pad and pen to take notes, expecting something very profound. He said I don’t know that you need to do that. I have just two words for you, but if you want to take notes, that’s fine.” She poises with pen ready to write down his words of wisdom for her. Bob leans over his desk, looking into her eyes and says very firmly and loudly: “STOP IT!”  The woman has a rather startled look on her face and finally responds: “So what are you saying?”  Bob says, “You can’t believe how many people ask that same question.”  He leans forward again, and speaking very directly repeats: “STOP IT!” 

     In our last “Wisdom of the Week,” we talked about how we are “creatures of habit,” and tend towards repetitive behavior and actions, whether it is our morning routines, where we sit at church, how we deal with criticism, adversity or disappointment, the route we take to work, how we spend our free time or what we eat and drink.  Almost everything we do–at least 95 percent–is based on habit. So, habits are not necessarily bad. Certain patterns of behavior work to our benefit. Think, for example, of the difficulties you would have if you didn’t brush your teeth regularly. Imagine what your life would be like if you didn’t routinely take things to God in prayer or confess sin.  On the other hand, some habits work to our detriment,  negatively affecting our lives, our health, our relationship with others and our relationship with God. Habits develop over time, over repeatedly doing or thinking the same thing.  It’s like trees which become strangled by huge coils of ivy which are wound around them like snakes. They are firmly fixed, the little rootlets of the climbers sucking the life out of the tree. There was a day when the ivy was tiny, only asking a little assistance in climbing.  Had it been denied then, the tree would never have become its victim. But, little by little, the humble little vine assumed mastery and the tall tree became the prey of the creeping, strangling destroyer. Bad habits are like that–starting ever so small and seemingly insignificant, they gradually grow until their victims find themselves in a stranglehold.  “The chains of evil habit are oft too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken” (Franklin).  Bad habits are formed by continuing to make unwise choices. Each time the choice becomes easier to make until it becomes our normal response. We develop habits of mind just as we develop habits of the body. Our attitudes toward things and people, as well as our actions, are made by repetition.
      Last week in the “WOW,” we didn’t have time to discuss how to break a bad habit.  Just how do we follow Bob Newhart’s advice and “STOP IT”?  Someone else said, “The best way to break a bad habit is to drop it,” but how do you do that when it has such a strangle hold on you?  Whether or not we like to admit it, we get some satisfaction out of a bad habit, or we wouldn’t keep it. What we have to do in such a case is find out what it is about the bad habit that satisfies us and then do something about it. One of the keys to breaking a bad habit is to put something positive in its place.  The void that is left when we remove something from our lives needs to be filled, or it will be filled again–if not with the same old habit, then with something worse.  Don’t expect to change your old habits merely by saying that you’re going to stop them. Bob Newhart’s counsel was good, but didn’t provide a “how to” to help it succeed. When the Apostle Paul counseled the Ephesian believers to eliminate some of their bad (sinful) habits, he shared this with them: “…in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth” (Eph. 4:22-24).  Note that he told them not only to “Stop It!” (“lay aside the old”), but he also told them to “be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self…” And then he gave some examples: stop lying and start telling the truth, quit stealing and start working hard, stop using unwholesome speech and start saying that which edifies and is gracious (vv. 25-29). 
      Paul also stressed the importance of being “renewed in the spirit of your mind” (v. 23).  When we have done something over and over, it is though we have made a groove in the gray matter of our brain and the “needle” of thoughts and actions soon just falls into the groove and we are in a habit or routine. In order to change that, we need a “renewing of the mind,” i.e., we need to fill in the groove by replacing those negative thoughts and actions with positive ones. For example, when we start thinking about that person who hurt us, instead of becoming angry, start praying for them. When you are tempted to succumb to the lusts of the flesh,  quote an appropriate verse of Scripture and then “Just say no!”  Remember that when Jesus was tempted by Satan, He quoted Scripture to resist him.  We need to follow that example. So, make sure you memorize some verses that deal with your particular weaknesses and bad habits.  The Psalmist wrote: “How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Thy word…Thy word I have treasured in my heart that I may not sin against Thee” (Psa. 119:9,11).  The Apostle Paul’s counsel was: “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you…” (Col. 3:16), and “…walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh” (Gal. 5:16).  As we consistently spend time in the Word and memorize and meditate on key verses that fit our need, we are being “armed” for the Holy Spirit within us to aid in our resisting temptation and breaking bad habits, replacing them with positive, fruitful ones.  We are being “renewed in the spirit of our mind” (Eph. 4:23 cf Ro. 12:2). 
     To change a bad habit, you must not only substitute a better one, but you must prepare yourself to fight any criticism, fear, doubt, or disappointment that may come as a result of trying to change.  Bad (sinful) habits are one of Satan’s greatest tools to defeat us and make us unfruitful and thus when we determine to break those habits, we are in for a spiritual battle. So, read Ephesians 6:10-18 and “…be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (vv. 10,11).  Remember that the spiritual life is not a do-it-yourself operation. You may have talents and abilities and a strong personality, but all these things amount to nothing if you do not allow God to change you from within so that you substitute good habits for bad ones and so that your life reflects His will for you.  Habits, remember, are nothing but repetitions. God can make you original and different. He can lead you to form new habits that will enable you to be all that God wants you to be. Try “Delighting yourself in the LORD,” you just may find it “habit forming!”
 
                                                        Forever His,
                                                                Pastor Dave
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Creatures of Habit

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Pastor Dave

So, where did you sit at church yesterday (assuming, of course, that you went!)?  If you are like most, you sat in the same spot you have been sitting, maybe for years! As a pastor, I could tell with one glance who was missing from church on any given Sunday because I knew where everyone sat. (I also knew about what time each attendee would arrive!)  Well,  having recently retired from the pastorate and now attending a new assembly, my wife and I found ourselves doing the same thing–sitting in the same location each Sunday, so yesterday (knowing I was going to write about this today) we sat on the opposite side of the church–probably taking someone else’s places!  At least no one stood there and glared at us to indicate we had their spot!

     It is amazing how we are such “creatures of habit.”  We do something often enough in the same way and soon it becomes automatic. I remember that when I was working at Hyster Company in Portland, we first lived in some apartments on 133rd and Sandy Blvd. and I would take the 122nd exit off the freeway. Then we bought a house in Gresham on 213th so I needed to take a new route home. More than once I found myself turning off at 122nd. It had become automatic. It had become a habit! 
     Athletes often develop a routine (habit)  they go through, say before they step up to the plate in baseball. I think of Nomar Garciapara, who played shortstop for the Boston Redsox and how he had an annoying habit of adjusting his batting gloves for several seconds when he came up to bat, and often even in between pitches. For you Seattle Mariner fans, I’m sure you are probably thinking too of Ichiro Suzuki and his unusual routine of pulling at the sleeve of his jersey before he bats.  Or for you tennis fans, you have probably noticed how Rafael Nadal goes through a little ritual not only before he serves but also before he receives serve. We are “creatures of habit.”
      And humans aren’t the only ones who develop routines or habits. Our neighbors’ two golden retrievers, for example, when they come over to the fence to see us (and get their daily dog treats!), always follow the same path out to the fence, and it is not in a straight line!  I also recall once when I had taken down our field fence to do some repairs, I watched a couple of our resident deer come to where the fence had been that they were accustomed to jumping and they stopped and–jumped as if the fence were still there–creatures of habit. When you are out in the woods hiking or hunting, you often see what we call “game trails” and sometimes you can even lose your way when you start following them instead of your own path because they are quite pronounced, having been used often due to the habits of animals taking the same routes each time.  In fact, you can see trails made by rabbits or even tiny little chipmunks or squirrels. Though they weigh very little and don’t make much of an impression on the ground, because they use the same path over and over, they soon have left a definite trail–“creatures of habit.”
     Since we all have the tendency towards habits, whether in attitude or action, we obviously need to beware of developing bad habits, because they will be hard to break. Someone said, “Bad habits are like a comfortable bed (or chair), easy to get into, but hard to get out of.”  And, because they develop over time, we may not realize that it is becoming a habit–or an addiction.  “The chains of evil habit are oft too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken” (Franklin).  “We first make our habits, and then our habits make us” (John Dryden).  So, as the sign on the old muddy road said, “CHOOSE YOUR RUTS CAREFULLY–YOU WILL BE IN THEM FOR THE NEXT ____ MILES!” 
     Since we all are prone to developing habits, let’s focus on developing good ones. I’m reminded of Daniel of the Old Testament, who, even when Darius, the Medo-Persian king was talked into making an edict that anyone caught praying to anyone other than himself, would be cast into the lions’ den, “he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously” (Dan. 6:10).  Would you say that prayer is a habit for you? It should be; in fact, we are commanded in I Thes. 5:18 to “Pray without ceasing,” meaning that we should always be in communication with God as well as having special times of prayer, such as before we arise in the morning or when we go to bed at night, or when we sit down for meals. What a great habit to have to automatically take things to God in prayer. Even Jesus, while on earth, made that a routine of his life. How about you?
     Another good habit to acquire is that of reading, studying, memorizing and meditating on Scripture. We sang a chorus in Sunday School years ago that went: “Get the Bible reading habit and then daily keep right at it ’til you read the Bible through, clear through…”  Most of us have the habit of eating two or three meals a day. Obviously our body needs us to do that. But, equally important is the daily intake of God’s Word. Our soul becomes starved without feeding on Scripture. The Psalmist wrote: ” The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes…They are more desirable than gold…Sweeter also than honey…Moreover by them Thy servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward…The law of Thy mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces…O how I love Thy law! It is my meditation all the day…Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path…the unfolding of Thy words give light; it gives understanding to the simple” (Psa. 19:711; 119:72, 97, 105, 130).  Jeremiah the prophet wrote: “Thy words were found and I ate them, and Thy words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart” (Jer. 15:16).  Do you have the habit of spending daily time in God’s Word?
     We also need the habit of assembling with other believers for fellowship, encouragement and edification through hearing and studying God’s Word.  God made us to need one another and to work together in service to Him. We like to think we can handle things on our own and that we don’t need church. But God never intended for us to isolate ourselves. In fact, we have a commandment in Hebrews that says: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day (of His return) drawing near” (Heb. 10:23-25). 
     Habits can make a person or break him or her. Good habits can lead to useful lives, and those that are bad lead to wasted energy and time, and destructive priorities–not to mention sin!  Bad habits can be broken and good ones put in their places–if we’re willing to work at it and to depend upon God to help us. But that’s a topic for another day!
 
                                                                                             Forever His,
                                                                                                Pastor Dave
 
      
    
    
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“The Wrath of Man Shall Praise Thee” (Psa. 76:10)

Posted on October 24, 2011 by Pastor Dave

To me, one of the most amazing verses in the Bible is  Psalm 76:10, where Asaph wrote: “For the wrath of man shall praise Thee…”  As you look down throughout history, both in Bible times and in recent days, you see how man at his worst is no match for the Sovereign God, who, in fact, uses the evil of man to accomplish His purposes.

     I’m reminded of stories like that of the hatred Joseph’s brothers had toward him, and how they plotted to kill him but ended up selling him as a slave. In spite of their evil actions, Joseph ended up as second in command to the Pharaoh of Egypt. As a result, he was able to save his family from starvation during a severe famine. When reunited with his brothers, and given an opportunity to “get even” with them for how terribly they treated him, “Joseph said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive'” (Gen. 50:19,20).  God’s plan is larger than any one person or groups of people. In an amazing way, He weaves together the lives of many different people–even those opposed to Him–to accomplish His will. “For the wrath of man shall praise thee…” (Psa. 76:10).
     The Psalmist wrote: “Why are the nations in an uproar, and the people devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers take counsel together against the LORD and His Anointed: ‘Let us tear their fetters apart, and cast away their cords from us!’  He who sits in the heavens laughs. The Lord scoffs at them” (Psa. 2:1-4).  The Psalmist also said: “The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of His heart from generation to generation” (Psa. 33:11), and “Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all the deeps” (135:6).   In speaking to Isaiah, God said: “…My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure…Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it” (Isa. 46:10,11). 
     Most of the prophets of the Old Testament faced severe persecution (Acts 7:52), yet through it, God’s plans and purposes were carried out, just as with Joseph. We also see Satan’s attempts to destroy the royal line and stop the “Seed of the Woman” from being born, but God always had the final word and “In the fullness of time, God sent forth His son, born of a woman…” (Gal. 4:4).  In the New Testament, we see Satan’s attempts, through man’s evil nature, to kill Jesus once He came. Jesus, however, made it very clear that no one could take His life from Him, but that He would offer it up at the appropriate time (Jn. 10:17,18). God even used the hatred of the religious leaders toward Jesus to carry out the divine plan and timing for the sacrifice of “The Lamb of God” (Jn. 1:29).  The mob in Jerusalem cried out, “Away with Him, crucify Him!” (Jn. 19:15).  And it would appear that Satan and the evil of men had won, for “They took Jesus therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha. There they crucified Him…” (vv. 16-18).  But this was all in God’s plan. Isaiah had prophesied, “But the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; by His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities” (Isa. 53:10,11).  “For the wrath of man shall praise Thee…” (Psa. 76:10)!
     The Apostle Paul also knew what it was to face an angry crowd, but saw too, how God used it to carry out His purpose. In the aftermath of Paul’s conversion, as he began preaching in Damascus, the Jews who lived there “plotted to do away with him…but his disciples took him by night, and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a large basket” (Acts 9:18).  He ended up in Jerusalem where God put him together with Barnabas, preparing them for the missionary journeys on which God would send them. Later, when Paul and Barnabas split up over a debate about taking John Mark with them a second time, Paul took Silas with him and traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches” (Acts 15:41).   Then, after God closed the door to continue on in Asia, Paul and Silas ended up in Europe where Paul asked God to deliver a slave girl from the demon that was enabling her to make a profit for her master through divination (Acts 16:16-18).  This incited a riot and they were beaten and thrown into prison where God had yet another divine appointment for them. God sent an earthquake to shake the foundations of the prison house, opening all the doors and releasing everyone’s chains. The jailer, thinking the prisoners had all escaped, was going to take his own life, “But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Do yourself no harm, for we are all here!’ ” (Acts 16:28).  The jailer responded by asking Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved and your household’ ” (vv. 30,31).  Not only did God use the rioting crowd to bring the Philippian jailer and his family to Christ (and who knows how many others?), but also to give us a key verse on the doctrine of salvation. “The wrath of man shall praise Thee…” (Psa. 76:10).  
     In 1989 China’s government drove tanks into Tiananmen Square where a group of several thousand young people were protesting in hope of reforming communism. An estimated 2,600 were brutally killed (something China continues to deny).  One of the protestors who survived was Chai Ling, a top leader in the Tiananmen Square democracy movement. Twenty-two years ago she escaped from China to the United States where she attempted to put together all the puzzle pieces of her life. She discovered something that had been hidden from her, the answer to perhaps her most difficult question: Where was God during the 1989 massacre at Tiananmen? She lived with that question until she heard from a colleague from Hong Kong who was also at Tiananmen, but was a Christian at the time. She too had questioned how God could allow such a terrible thing to happen. But, God had shown her how He really was there. Her testimony helped Chai Ling trust Christ as her personal Savior. She was Baptized Easter Sunday 2010 at Park Street Church in Boston. She said, “God used the massacre to pronounce the death of communism. We thought we were a political movement. What was happening was a spiritual movement” (from “Saving China’s Daughters” in the Oct. 2011 issue of Christianity Today). A third of the survivors of Tiananmen have turned to Christ and the others are still searching. God is using the Tiananmen massacre to bring salvation to China. And today, Chai Ling is spearheading a movement called “All Girls Allowed” to try to stem the tide of abortion in China, where, with their “one-child policy,” each day 35,000 baby girls are aborted and 500 women commit suicide!   But, “The wrath of man shall praise Thee…” (Psa. 76:10).
     We see all around us today evil and moral decay and injustice and a mocking of our God, but, rest assured, none of this will stop the plans of God. In fact He will use it to carry out His purpose. What a comfort to know that even “The wrath of man shall praise Thee!”
 
                                                                        Forever His,
                                                                                    Pastor Dave 
                                                   
    
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Complaining About the Darkness

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Pastor Dave

 We recently returned from a trip to Oregon to see our kids and grandkids and to visit some friends.  It was dark when we arrived home and our car has no trunklight, so unloading was a bit of a pain. We had the choice of complaining about it or getting a light so we can see what we were doing. I can’t help but think of how often we complain about how dark our world is with all its immorality, corruption in politics, wars, crime, and spiritual decline.  It’s much easier to sit around and discuss all that is wrong with society and how the darkness is increasing than it is to shine our light, that is to share our faith in Jesus Christ who is “The Light of the World” (Jn. 8:12). 

When we get together with friends of like mind, we have no problem discussing how disgusted we are with the loss of Christian liberties, the increase of ungodly practices in our nation, and the apostasy taking place in the church.  But, as I read Scripture, I see no directives to have a “pity party” or to “join a gripe group,” nor do I see any examples of such. What I do see are directives such as in Mt. 5:13-16, where Jesus, in His “Sermon on the Mount,” said: “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is good for nothing anymore, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.  You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. (You will be watched!) Nor do men light a lamp and put it under the peckmeasure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” 
     It is our natural tendency to want to isolate ourselves from the corrupt world around us and just hide behind the walls of our churches and our homes and surround ourselves with others of similar beliefs so we can complain together about how bad it is out there, while we are basking in the light we share with our Christian friends. Jesus, however, sent his disciples out into the world, saying, “Go therefore (literally, “having gone”) and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you…” (Mt. 28:18-20).  Just before He ascended back to heaven, Jesus gathered His disciples together and “He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised (the coming of the Holy Spirit)” (Acts 1:4,5), but then He prophesied: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (v. 8). The Holy Spirit came at Pentecost to indwell the believers just as Jesus had promised, but then they didn’t want to leave Jerusalem for they were having a great time meeting together, studying Scripture, praying and breaking bread together (Acts 2:42).  So, God had to raise up the fires of persecution against the church to “catapult” them out. We read this in Acts 8: “…And on that day a great persecution arose against the church in Jerusalem; and they were scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria.”  And guess what! “Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word” (v. 4).
     It seems that it has always been our tendency as believers to just join together to shine our lights for each other rather than to go out and dispel the darkness which is all about us.  Now, it is important that believers gather together for fellowship and teaching, “not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near” (Heb. 10:25), but don’t forget Jesus said, “Let your light shine before men (the unsaved) in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Mt. 5:16).
     In the October 2011 issue of Christianity Today, John R. W. Stott has an excellent article entitled “Salt and Light” in which he lists four ways Christians can influence the world. “First, there is power in prayer. The church’s first duty toward society and its leaders is to pray for them.” Paul wrote these words to Timothy: “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity” (I Tim. 2:1,2).  Could it be that much of the darkness of which we complain is due to the lack of prayer by the church?  As individual believers and as congregations of believers we need to “bow down before God and bring to Him the world and its leaders, and cry to Him to intervene.” 
     “Second, there is the power of truth.”  The Apostle Paul wrote:: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…” (Ro. 1:16).  All of God’s truth is powerful, much more powerful than the devil’s lies (Jn. 8:44), much more powerful than the philosophies and empty deceptions and traditions of men (Col. 2:8).  When John, in his gospel, wrote: “And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend (overcome) it” (Jn. 1:5), he spoke of the incarnate God, Jesus Christ, who is “the way, and the truth, and the life” (Jn. 14:6).  But, the Word of God is also the truth which cannot be overcome by the darkness into which it shines.  Darkness will not be driven out of the world, not until Jesus comes, but light can swallow it up. The reverse is never true: there is no such thing as darkness swallowing up light. Light is light and all the world’s darkness cannot extinguish it, but must retreat before even the glow of a tiny candle!   Don’t ever underestimate the power of sharing God’s truths in this world of darkness.
     “Our third power as Christians is the power of example.”  Truth is powerful when it is shared. It is even more powerful when it’s exhibited!  People need to not only understand what God teaches in His Word, they also need to see how it works in the lives of believers, changing them little by little into the image of Christ (Ro. 8:29; II Cor. 5:17).  The examples of Christian lives being lived out publicly in the workplace, on the playing field, are powerful influences for Christ. “Christians are marked people. The world is watching.” And God’s way of bringing light to the darkness and a preservative to the decaying world is to place godly people in key places to demonstrate His power, love and forgiveness.  Jesus said, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Mt. 5:16). 
     “Fourth, Christians have the power of group solidarity.”  Robert Belair, at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton University, said, “We should not underestimate the significance of the small group of people who have a vision of a just and gentle world. The quality of a whole culture may be changed when two percent of its people have a new vision.” Remember, Jesus began with just a handful of disciples but within a few years, Roman officials complained they were turning the world upside down. “There is a great need for dedicated Christian groups committed to one another, committed to vision of justice, committed to Christ; groups that will pray together, think together, formulate policies together, and get to work together in the community.” 
     Are you disturbed by what is happening in our society today?  I surely am!  Well, rather than just getting together and complaining about it, let’s get together and pray, go out and share the truth from God’s Word, be an example of Christ-likeness, and join with other believers in making a difference as we are salt and light in the little world in which God placed us.  Together we can have a major impact on our world and help to drive out some of the darkness and decay that we  gripe about
 
                                               Forever His,
                                                    Pastor Dave
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Your Mission Statement

Posted on October 10, 2011 by Pastor Dave

 If you are like me, you are intrigued by bumper stickers. They are often a reflection of a person’s political persuasions and who he voted for in the last presidential election. Or a bumper sticker may indicate a person’s spiritual interests.  Years ago, when we lived in Portland, we drove a Volkswagen Beatle (Bug) with a bumper sticker that read: “IN CASE OF RAPTURE, THIS VEHICLE WILL SELF-DESTRUCT!”  It was always fun to look in the rear-view mirror and see the puzzlement on people’s faces as they tried to figure out what that meant. I’m sure many, who hadn’t a clue what the rapture is, thought it said,”IN CASE OF RUPTURE…!”  Many bumper stickers indicate what people would rather be doing than driving their car right now: “I’D RATHER BE GOLFING…SKIING…FLYING…HUNTING…”  Their bumper sticker reveals their hobby or passion in life, what it is that drives them. In essence, it is their “Mission Statement.” 

     Most organizations, businesses, churches, and para-church organizations have a “Mission Statement,” in which they summarize in a brief statement why they exist, what their main purpose is.  For example, the mission statement of the church we now attend is: “Faith Bible Church exists to be a Christ-centered, Bible-teaching church whose mission is exalting Jesus Christ, evangelizing and discipling people in service for Him, and connecting with each other.”  Yesterday, in fact, during adult Sunday School, we were discussing the church’s “Core Values” and “Mission Statement,” and one gentleman suggested that we should be able to replace the church name with ourselves, or “I, Dave Nelson, exist to be a Christ-centered, Bible-teaching man, whose mission is exalting Jesus Christ, evangelizing and discipling people in service for Him, and connecting with others.” Quite a challenge!  What about you? Could you put your name in that “Mission Statement” ?
     I thought about several passages by the Apostle Paul where he, in essence, gave us his “Missions Statement.”  For example, in his letter to the Philippians, he wrote: “According to my earnest expectation and hope, that I shall not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ shall even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:20,21).  If you were to consider the phrase, “For me to live is ______________,” what would you put in the blank: my job, my family, my hobby, my friends, my possessions?  Or would you be able, with Paul to say, “For me to live is Christ”?  That was really his mission statement. It was the main purpose of his life to exalt Christ in all that he did–whether through being alive to minister to others, or through his death.  Later in that same letter, Paul wrote this: “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death” (Phil. 3:7-10).  During the three verses prior to this, Paul had listed some of the rather spectacular credits he had obtained “in the flesh” (3:4). His family lineage and achievements were both professionally stellar and legally blameless. He had every right to be proud of himself. Yet, in strong language, Paul values these personal achievements as the excrement of animals when he compares the gain of being given “the righteousness of God by faith.” What a contrast! 
     When Paul invited the elders from the church at Ephesus to come see him at Miletus, he said to them: “But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, in order that I may finish my course, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24).  We know that Paul, inspite of all the adversity he faced (see II Cor. 11:24-28), stayed on course, because he was committed to following his “Mission Statement.” In the final letter he wrote before being martyred for His faith, he was able to say this to Timothy: “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith” (II Tim. 4:6,7).  Everything Paul did flowed out of his purpose for living, out of his “Mission Statement.”  He, of course, was only able to do so because He depended upon the power of the Holy Spirit and the indwelling Christ within him. He wrote: “And for this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me” (Col. 1:29). “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13). 
     So, what’s your “Mission Statement”?  What is your main purpose for living?  Is it to exalt Christ in all that you do?  Well, then how do all the activities in your life fit into that mission?  That’s a great way to examine what needs to be added to and deleted from your life. If you don’t have a personal “Mission Statement,” I suggest you work on one and then make it the basis for all you do the rest of your days, so that you too can “finish your course and the ministry which you have received from the Lord Jesus to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.” “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men; knowing that from the Lord, you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve” (Col. 3:23,24).   
 
                                                                                                                Forever His,
                                                                                                                            Pastor Dave
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Your Affections

Posted on October 5, 2011 by Pastor Dave

 “How about your heart, is it right with God? That’s the thing that counts today. People only see you, just as you are outside. Jesus really knows you, for He sees inside. So, how about your heart, is it right with God? That’s the thing that counts today.” So go the words of an old hymn, How About Your Heart?  As used in Scripture, heart refers to the mind, thoughts, feelings, desires, sentiments or affections.  It refers to the “middle” of our being, or the control center–the “Central Processing Unit” (CPU).  It is where we make the decisions that affect what we do, how we act, and what we are  becoming. The Psalmist wrote: “Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psa. 37:4). John Piper said, “The will is ultimately governed by the delights of the soul.” 

     Every day there is a battle for our affections. We are being pulled in many directions.  In the Old Testament, Solomon warned us to “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life” (Prov. 4:23).  In the New Testament, Jesus, in the “Sermon on the Mount,” told us not to lay up treasures in heaven rather than on earth, saying: “for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Mt. 6:19-21).  And the Apostle Paul wrote: “Set your mind (affections) on the things above, not on the things that are on earth” (Col. 3:2). 
     We recently had a missionary at church who spoke on three affections about which Jesus spoke. First was The Affection for a PLACE, based on Mt. 8:18-20. A scribe had said to Jesus, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” To which Jesus responded: “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”  In other words, Christ should have a greater place in our life than any physical place on earth. We are aliens or sojourners here, as Peter wrote in his first epistle (I Pet. 1:1; 2:11).  As Paul wrote in Phil. 3:20, our true citizenship is in heaven. “This world is not my home, I’m just a passing through…”  Too often we are unwilling to leave the comforts of our home and location to follow the Lord’s leading in our lives, indicating our affections are not set on things above but on things below. Are you willing to go wherever God should lead you?
     Second, we have Affections for PEOPLE.  In Mt. 8:21,22, we read of another would-be follower of Jesus saying, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” Jesus replied: “Follow Me; and allow the (spiritually ) dead to bury their own (physically) dead.”  We have the natural tendency to put our affections for people above our affections for the Lord. In Luke’s gospel, we read of another who said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home” (Lk. 9:61). Jesus responded, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (v. 62).  Then later in Luke we have a rather difficult statement of Jesus recorded: “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple” (Lk. 14:26).  So primary was the disciple’s love for Christ to be that his affection to his closest kin, and even himself was to be “hatred” in comparison. Abraham, remember, when he was called out of Ur of the Chaldees, had to leave both his PLACE and his PEOPLE to follow the LORD’s leading.  How often have believers been held back from “Taking up their cross and following Jesus” because of affections for people. But, remember Jesus’ promise in Mk. 10:28-30: “Peter began to say to Him, ‘Behold, we have left everything and followed You.‘  Jesus said, ‘Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house (place) or brothers or sisters, or mother or father or children (people) or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he shall receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life.”  Even if we have to leave places and people to follow Christ, God has a big family and we meet new “brothers and sisters.”  Give your heart (affections) to that which really matters–eternal things–and you will be fulfilled.
     And also, when you think about it, when we hesitate to speak out for Christ, to witness to someone, it is often because we are  more concerned of what people may think or say or do than of what Christ thinks.
     Finally, Jesus spoke of The Affection of PURSUITS.  Going back again to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave this exhortation: “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness…” (Mt. 6:33). He was saying, “Make My pursuit your ultimate affection, not careers or money or fame or family or friends. What are you pursuing in your life?  Where do you find your significance?  Is Christ the focus of your life, of your pursuits?  Are your willing to take a risk for Christ? It costs to be disciple of Christ. Are you willing to count the cost to follow Him?
     Jesus cares about our “heart condition.” If He has our heart (affections), then the other areas will fall into place: our affections for Place, for People, and for Pursuits. Is Jesus first and foremost in your heart?  “How about your heart, is it right with God, that’s the thing that counts today” (cf Psa. 73:25,26). 
 
                                                                                                        Forever His,
                                                                                                            Pastor Dave
 
    
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