Every new year, we make decisions about who we want to be. We make resolutions; we set goals. But often these goals are focused on ourselves. Losing weight, saving money — even the best goals are often inherently self-centered. To live the life God has for us, we must be willing to reject our own comfort for the good of others. It’s not easy, and it sure isn’t comfortable. But when you deny yourself, God can do so much more.
www.lifechurchtv/open. Used by permission.
Desire is a very powerful force in our lives, and I am convinced it’s the root of why it’s so difficult for us to live intentionally. The reason we get into trouble is because our desires are not aligned with what God has for us.
James 1:14-15 says, “Each one is tempted when, by this own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then after desire has conceived it gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death.”
There are four things James notes about the word, desire, that can help us be more intentional in our lives.
1. James says desire is personal. We are drawn away are tempted by our own evil desires. Satan is a deceiver and a liar, but ultimately, his biggest trick is to build desires within you that will draw you the wrong direction. But ultimately you choose to follow your own desires.
2. Desire is powerful. James describes it like you are being dragged away. Have you ever experienced a desire for something, and it felt like someone grabbed you by the collar and pulled you into it?
Let’s just get real for a minute. In psychology, we talk about food filling a hole of some unmet need in your life, which is true. We could analyze these things, but the fact is food can develop as a desire center. How about the desire for power? We see power in politics, and how it corrupts. People go through great loss when they lose power. How about the desire for sex, which is God-given? As Christians, in marriage, should have the best sex lives. 1 Corinthians 7 is pretty clear about that, but we take things that should be normal desires that God has placed in a box, and they become distorted.
The desire for control for some people is a big issue. I wrestle with that one. You’ve always got to know where the boundaries are in having that sense of control. Intellectually I don’t control much, but I have this desire to make sure there are things I can control.
3. Desire is progressive after it is conceived. It is like a seed is put into the ground, growing and developing into whatever that seed is.
Desire demands more to be satisfied, but it is never satisfied. Some of us have family with an addiction – it’s a very powerful force. There’s draw that pulls people into needing more and more, even though intellectually they know the desire for that ultimately will kill them, it overtakes their life.
4. Desire is perilous. Ultimately, according to our verses in James, left unchecked, it will lead to sin and death.
God’s intention for us to be led by His desires. His desires drive us to live.
How do you know when you are driven by your desires?
Our biggest enemy is ourselves.
I’m the one that gets in my own way. Have you ever noticed that you get up and you realize that our greatest enemy isn’t our spouse, our neighbors or our culture? Some days it’s not even Satan, it’s you! For example, we:
· Procrastinate on important things.
· Eat what’s unhealthy for us.
· Say things that are unkind.
· Buy what is unaffordable.
· Trust those who are unreliable.
· Support rules that are unjust
· Think what is untrue.
·
That is how many of us live our lives. In fact, we even have a vocabulary to identify this thing of the problem of self. We use phrases like, “I’m my own worst enemy,” or “I’m going to shoot myself in the foot.” We set ourselves up for failure.
The problems we face in life have roots that go into yesterday’s desires and into yesterday’s actions. We become a product of the things that we desire in our lives. The desires of our heart get us into trouble. Even the Apostle Paul had this challenge in Romans 7. He said, “For I have the desire to do what is good, but I can’t carry it out.” He admits that of all the things that he knew in his relationship with Christ, and all that he went through, the biggest problem he had was himself. He got in his own way.
We live in a world of good intentions. Living intentionally in Christ is hard because the desires we have can be the problem. If you change your desires, that changes your actions, and ultimately changes your life.
What is desire? From a biblical perspective, the word desire means something I long for. It’s a deep, abiding thing that grabs hold of me, and I desire it. The world tells us we should desire – a new car, a new way of living, or a new experience. The world constantly places things in front of us to distract us. If we pick those things up, they become the desires of our heart, and unfortunately create problems.
God’s intention for us to be led by His desires. His desires drive us to live.
Think about your desires. Where did they come from? How did your desires from yesterday impact your life today? What one thing can you do during these next 30 days that will help you align your desires to God’s desires to bring Him glory?
The Psalmist in Psalm 37:4 says: Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. In the Hebrew, the word delight means total dependence upon, and pleasure in. When you have total dependence, and pleasure in God, then he will give you the desires of your heart.
Take a challenge for the next 30 days. Every day, get up and say, Lord, give me the right desires in my heart that are in alignment with your intentions for my life. Whatever the desire I have may it be in accordance with your will because I am totally dependent upon you.
www.theintentionallife.com. Used by permission of the author.
Are you clueless or savvy when you relate to others? You can develop great relationships with others if you learn to develop high social intelligence.
What Does Social Intelligence Look Like?
What Does Social Ignorance Look Like?
SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE EXPLAINED
All human interaction takes place in a context (setting, environment) so to be socially intelligent one must accurately perceive and properly manage all the elements that influence a social context.
1. Cultural issues
Every social setting has its own, unique culture that includes issues like: values, beliefs, norms of behavior, codes of conduct, and social rules. Social intelligence requires that you understand these cultural nuances and adjust to them. For instance, cultural subtleties become particularly important as we enter into different geographical areas. The culture of the deep South is different than the North-east. India is different than France.
2. The history of a group and its present and future issues.
When entering into a social setting, it’s important to be aware of past (both distant and recent), present, and future issues because they will invariably affect the relational interaction.
Prior to a social engagement, try to discover this information (ask others, search the internet) and/or, at the beginning of the engagement, ask about these issues.
3. Physical elements, including: space, ambiance and atmosphere, audio issues, temperature and air quality, lighting, sight lines, comfort level.
4. People – who’s in the room, what is their relationship with each other, what are the lines of authority (both official and de facto).
5. The purpose of the gathering
It’s important to understand the purpose of each social gathering—Why are we meeting? What do we want to accomplish?—and then maintain that focus and accomplish the purpose.
6. Emotional elements
Whenever two or more people meet together, emotions are present. Ignore these emotions at your own peril. This is where emotional intelligence and social intelligence overlap.
7. Political Aspects
If you work for an organization or participate in any kind of organized human activity, you’ve involved yourself in its politics. Declaring yourself out of the game doesn’t get you out of the game. You might as well engage the opportunities for acquiring influence with others, rather than passively accept the fate others decide for you.”[i]
8. Expectations
Unless the social setting is totally each person brings into a social setting, certain expectations about what can, should, or will happen. This sense of anticipation can be positive (wonderful things will happen) or negative (pending gloom and doom). Being aware of these expectations is important.
9. How various “agenda items” affect each other
When people gather together and multiple things transpire, it’s important to anticipate how those different elements will affect each other. It’s also advantageous to think through the optimum order in which these elements should be addressed.
Know what part you, as an individual, can and should play in a particular environment.
The question to ask here is, “How do I fit into this social setting; what role should I play?” For instance, though you may function as the leader at your office, when you take your son on a Boy Scout camping trip, you will probably be just one of the dads – a leader in one setting, a follower in another.
Developing Social Intelligence
· Learn how to leave your own “world” and how to enter into another person’s (or group’s) “world.”
· Prefer others
· Strive to have a nourishing influence on social settings, not a toxic one
· Be a student of social settings. Observe and analyze.
· Develop your ability to perceive.
· Learn to read clues- verbal and non-verbal.
People With Good Social Intelligence Are
· Connecting with and influencing people
· Managing interpersonal experiences
· Making personal, subtle adjustments to better fit into a social setting.
· Understanding “presence” – The way a person affects individuals or groups of people through physical appearance, mood, demeanor, body language and how he occupies space in a room.
How can we be more socially intelligent in any particular setting?
Before entering into an environment, do your homework. Find out as much as you can about the environment (and environment includes people) As soon as you enter into an environment, have your “social radar” turned on. Constantly monitor the changing dynamics of the social encounter and be willing to adjust accordingly or to maintain focus.
Social intelligence requires having the wisdom and grace to accommodate individual differences within the context of the whole!
What exactly did Jesus do the week before He died? As we enter into His suffering, we grow in our compassion and understanding of our Savior.
THE PROOF OF THE RESURRECTION MEANS HOPE IN EVERY SITUATION
S-1605
HOOK: three skits on hopelessness: loss of wife, sexual abuse, where was God.
Student suicide my first year at Baylor
Remember two things. Deep impression on me.
Eyeballs popped out when he hit the sidewalk.
God forbid that we are ever in a position where there is absolutely no hope.
Paul understood this:
When we know Jesus Christ, no situation is ever hopeless. The Bible proclaims, countless multitudes testify by their own experiences that there is an alive and resurrected Jesus Christ Who is forever willing and ready to enter into every situation and bring healing and hope.
We need to understand how hope works:
Faith in a person. Hope is in a coming event or situation.
90 % of verses in Bible about hope center on the afterlife—It accepts the fact that this life is hard and won’t always work out like we want. But there is eternity after death.
We can’t live without hope.
Reminds me of that young missionary in downtown Atlanta praying for God to provide the funding she needed for the month. As she looked down on the sidewalk below her urban apartment window, she saw a disheveled homeless man picking up cans. Feeling a wave of compassion, she took ten dollars out of her almost empty pocketbook, placed it in an envelope with a note to the man that read “Don’t Despair.” She tossed it down to the street below.
Two days later, the man knocked on her door. “Here’s $60,” he said: Don’t Despair” paid off six to one!!”
We can’t live without hope.
If we can’t find hope in present, we will look to find it in the immediate future.
If we can’t find hope in the immediate future, we will look for it in the distant future.
If we can’t find hope in the distant future, we will look for it in the afterlife.
Let me illustrate: those who experienced slavery two centuries ago. Slaves with no hope in the present, immediate or even the distant future brought their hope of eternal life into their present.
Their hopes were clearly expressed the “Negro Spirituals” that have powerfully affected American musical styles and shaped our future impressions of Heaven.
Listen to the singing:
“I’m Gonna Ride The Chariot in the Morning, “Lord.”
“Deep River, My Home Is Over Jordan”
“Shall we Gather at the River…” “When the Roll is Called up Yonder…”
We are the people of the Open Tomb. We are the Easter People. We are the people of Hope.
Our hopes all hinge on the veracity of the resurrection of Christ.
Christianity stands of falls with the resurrection. If Christ was not raised, then all of our hopes and religion is lost.
Jesus taught over and over again that He would die and be raised on the third day from the dead.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is either one of the most vicious, wicked, heartless hopes ever connived by the minds of men—or, it is the most fantastic fact of history.
Was a skeptic, mocked Christ in his classroom. Some students challenged him to apply the principles of his books to the evidence of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Took up the challenge during next sabbatical. Finished the process and accepted Jesus Christ as his own personal savior. Wrote:
READ MATTHEW 27:57-61.
Body places on stone slab. Then linen cloth 11 ½ inches wide wrapped around his body from feet up to armpits. Spices sprinkled in continuously. Then put arms down and wrapped up arms with spices. Finally wrapped head and neck in a separate piece of cloth.
John tells us that they used about 100 pounds of spices (John 19:39), Much spices! Not really. That was normal. Used 86 pounds for Gamaliel the Jewish Rabbi who taught the Apostle Paul.
Jewish tomb had entrance of 4 ½ to 5 feet. Hewn out of solid rock. Only one entrance. Usually place for three bodies.
Groove slopes downhill.
Mark says, “A stone”. Matthew 27:60 says, “A large stone.” “Man, get a load of that rock!” Probably weighed between two and two-and-a-half tons.
Bazi Manuscripts in London – Luke 24 portion said, “A stone (which twenty men could not move)”.
READ MATTHEW 27:62-66.
The word for Guard here is “Custodian”. Word refers to a very special Roman guard.
Flavius Renaultus lived at the height of the Roman Empire, was a military historian who wrote a book on the offensive and defensive military methods of the Romans which is still used even today by the United States Government in training our special forces.
Custodian was a sixteen-man security unit. Each man was trained to protect six square feet of ground. With four men on each side, a Roman Custodian was able to protect thirty-six square yards of ground from an invading army and hold it.
Seal was two pieces of rawhide latched onto a wax seal of the Roman Emperor.
If the Custodian failed in its mission, then the penalty was death.
All sixteen were stripped and burned alive with a fire started with their own clothes.
READ MARK 16:1-4.
Mark 16 – different Greek word – roll upward. Woman arrive and the stone is rolled away up slope.
Matthew 27 – large stone rolled against door.
Luke 24 – Woman arrive and used word which means, “roll far away from.”
Woman arrive and marvel at that stone! That stone was up a slope and away from not just the entrance but away from the entire sepulcher!
John 20:1-2 – John uses an entirely different word. Means to pick something up and carry it away!
Amazing sight. Stone the size of a small car, now totally removed from the entrance and angel is on it.
Why did the angel roll the stone away?
To let Christ out? No! already gone! Rolled stone away so that all could see that he grave was empty!
By the way, Matthew tells us that at the moment of resurrection and appearance of the angels, the Custodian Guards literally fainted from shock! Soon to testify that disciples stole body. How could they know? All were passed out!
READ MARK 16:5-7.
Despite all the precautions the body was not there on Easter morning. One of the best supported facts in history is that the tomb was empty. The body was not there.
No one questions that there was no body. Otherwise the Jewish leaders would have shown it and Christianity would have been aborted while still in the womb.
Need to examine this one carefully because it is even mentioned in Scripture—however, it’s so full of holes that Scripture writers never even try to refute it.
READ MATTHEW 28:11-15
If believe then you must deal with disciples defeating the Roman custodian and breaking the seal.
Foreign armies feared breaking that seal—meant immediate death. Disciples were cowards, hiding in Upper Room.
Then, Who moved that large stone so far away
Animals dragged off body.
Problem with stone, guard, and seal.
Women went to the wrong tomb.
Jews would simply point out the right one.
Christ drugged. “died” on cross. Revival in cool of tomb. Got out and convinced disciples He’d risen from the dead.
Yet, it doesn’t answer how He
Moved stone from inside
Got past Custodian
Survived spear thrust into His side
View largely held by Moslems.
Examine all available evidences and the only logical explanation for the empty tomb is he Biblical answer! Christ rose and He took His body with Him!
READ JOHN 20:1-2.
Mary finds tomb to be empty. Matthew fills in the details. Earthquake. Angel rolls away stone. Mary arrives and sees no guard and empty tomb and assumes body has been stolen, but not by disciples. By the Jewish leaders!
Last thing that she thinks of is a Resurrection. Wonders where body is! Has great love but weak faith.
READ JOHN 20:3-5.
John outruns Peter. Looks in but goes not in. Waits for Peter to arrive.
READ JOHN 20:6-7
Now watch verse 8
READ JOHN 20:8
John looks in and what he sees causes him to know that Christ has risen. What did he see?
Saw grave clothes “lying”. “Lying” means “undisturbed and in their proper places.” Not scattered around. Wrapped up as if body were still inside but no body!
Grave robbers would not unwrap 100 yards of linen wrapping and take the body naked. If they did, grave clothes would be scattered all over the tomb.
But, when John looked in, he saw them still wrapped up as if the body were inside—but no body—just gone.
What happened at the moment of resurrection? No one witnessed it. Can surmise from Bible verses.
Christ materialized through the wrapped-up “ace bandages”. Body obviously just moved out of the burial clothes. If spices hardened was like a hollow shell. Maybe fell in place.
Then Christ took time to unwrap head napkin and then fold it up away from the rest of the clothes as living proof that He’d been physically resurrected.
READ JOHN 20:8-9
John didn’t believe until he saw the evidence.
Luke 24:12 tells us that Peter wondered about it all. But John believed. John was convinced and praising God! Peter still scratching his head.
►SLIDES from S-1226: B.C. COMIC STRIP ON THE RESURRECTION
Josephus tells us how he died.
Let me ask you, when Christ was alive, did his brothers and sisters believe in Hi, as Messiah? No! Thought He was a freak. He is deranged! Thought He was a nut going around saying, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life… I am the Bread of Life… I am the Resurrection and the Life… If you believe in Me you will never die…”
At crucifixion He was disgracing the family name. Christ on cross, up comes James, “You’re a fool to let yourself get crucified.”
Yet a few weeks later we find James in Jerusalem preaching. Preaching about what? About the resurrection of his brother Jesus!
That changed James’ life? Only one conclusion. 1 Corinthians 15. Jesus appeared to James!
What made the difference? Resurrection power of Jesus Christ.
The same Life and Power that brought Christ out of the grave is available to you and to me.
We all need Jesus. He brings hope into every moment of life. Jesus is in the business of pouring in resurrection power to make us fit for Heaven and fit for earth.
Easter hope. Want to live in life and power of Christ now, want to live in His presence forever. If we want to live forever we must trust someone who has come out of the grave.
Alfred Hitchcock is an old name. He was the Stephen King horror man of the last generation. Used TV as a medium to chill people to the bone—pull up the covers and hide shivering under the sheets after watching one of his night-time thrillers.
I never go to the California coast without keeping a close watch to be sure that the birds—the seagulls—aren’t gathering unnaturally on the power lines around me.
In one of his stories a woman is being sentenced to life in prison by the federal judge: “There’s not a jail built that can keep me in. I will escape; I will get out. You’ll see!”
Scene switches to long bus ride to prison.
Enter prison grounds and pass prison cemetery just outside the walls. Old, old gravedigger with wooden-wheeled cart is placing a casket into the ground.
She is thinking. “If I am ever to get free, I will need a key. He has a key.”
Turns out that the old, old grave digger is also a prisoner. Every time prisoner died, bell rang. Gravedigger collected the body, put it in casket, on wooden-wheeled cart, dug grave and buried body.
Woman befriended old grave digger. Cataracts, going blind.
Put plan to him. “I have a lot of money stashed outside these walls. Use key and we can both break out of jail. I will give you the money you need to fix your eyes and keep you from going blind!”
“No. Couldn’t do that.” “You haven’t even heard the plan. Next time prisoner dies and I head the bell, I’ll wait until you have collected the body, then I will come down to the morgue and jump in the casket with the corpse. Then, you bury the casket and than night, when it is dark, you unbury the casket and we will be free.” The deal was set.
Next time the bell rang, she waited for the grave digger to collect the body, ran down to the morgue and jumped in the casket with the corpse. Not much later she felt the casket begin to move. She smiled, “this is working great.” Felt the motion of the wooden-wheels, casket lowered and soon dirt began to hit the lid. “Just like clockwork.” She settled down to await nightfall.
Well, nightfall came and he was late. Waited several more hours. He should have been here by not. Began to get a little worried. Reached in her pocket and lit a match and found herself staring into the face fo the old gravedigger.
If you want to live forever, you must trust someone who has come out of the grave.
It is time to put your faith in the person of Jesus Christ. He is the only one who can guarantee hope both now in the present and forever
Everybody loves the limelight, except spiritual grownups that have learned to shine the spotlight on Jesus Christ. Hairy John the Baptist may have reeked of sweat and barbecued grasshoppers, but Jesus said nobody was greater than he. Why? The dusty prophet spent his life pointing people to Christ. Stepping back and giving Jesus center stage was hard for me. As a pastor’s wife and musician, both careers pointed to extended time in the limelight. How do any of us learn humility and meekness? God spent years working on my ego. My penchant for attention started early in life.
My stunning showbiz career began at age five. I stormed the stage with a convincing depiction of a broccoli stalk. The play was “Tummy Ticklers” and each bunny class member was heroic or villainous according to FDA approval ratings. Only the skinny girls could play carrots and corn. Since I had a fluffy posterior, my premed green hair added symmetry to my somewhat “pudgy” stalk. The roughage got to cut a rug because we were nutritious, so the carrots, corn, squash and broccoli leaped around the stage captivating crowds before “Veggie Tales” was ever invented. Hamburgers, cheese fries and donuts lay motionless on a heap of yellow beanbag fat cells. The audience was instructed to cheer for the veggies and boo for the junk food. This moralistic tale of nutrition gone awry didn’t have much impact on us as kindergartners. As soon as we finished the show, we high-tailed it to the lunch room to down our Oscar Mayer wieners, Cheetos and Twinkies. I paid a high price for my veggie debut, however. I tried to wash the green “broccoli” jello out of my hair for a week, but the green powder simply faded my dishwater blond locks to the color of snot.
My next bid for stardom came in December at the Sunday School Christmas pageant. Randy Phelps was a shoe-in for Joseph because he was the tallest kid in the class. Unfortunately, Randy had a short attention span, so he spent more time horsing around with the donkeys than paying fatherly attention to Mary and Baby Jesus. Ellen Stuffle was the obvious choice for Mary because she still had all her baby teeth. She should have been replaced by her understudy because Ellen couldn’t say her lines and rock her little offspring at the same time. Nine times out of ten, Baby Jesus ended up somewhere on the linoleum under the straw. Always the prima donna, Ellen monopolized the kindergarten toilet, constantly glopping on grown-up blush and lip gloss, and demanded a fresh towel headdress at every rehearsal.
Once again, my stocky shape made me a natural pick for livestock. Manger mammals were selected according to size: boys were camels and donkeys, girls were sheep and goats. Eddie, the class clown, was thrilled with his donkey role. He “hee-hawed” his way through recess, telling “jackass” jokes in his most convincing Eeyore voice. My “baas” were better than my “bleats” so I became a barnyard sheep. I didn’t realize at the time that this was the worst possible role to play. Our furry sheep costumes were hot and itchy. After three sweaty rehearsals, my wet hair was plastered to my head and I reeked like a cow patty. Tilly Savage clawed her way to the top to assume the starring role of the Christmas angel. Angel auditions were cut-throat, so Tilly brown-nosed the teacher by clapping erasers and bribing Mrs. Lucas with Christmas saltwater taffy. All of her efforts paid off. In the end, Tilly floated atop her cotton-ball cloud and warbled “Silent Night.” Stars like Ellen and Tilly had their own paparazzi. I was only allowed to “baa” in the background and blend into the sea of preschool wannabees. Rats.
My sister Kathy was destined for stardom. She was a full-blown scene stealer. At three, Kathy demanded a captive audience, forcing extended family members to offer undivided attention and applause while she clogged endlessly on the bathroom tile with Mom’s stilettos. If parents and grandparents weren’t around to watch her warble and hoof, Kathy would pull nearby neighbor kids away from Mickey Mouse to play her adoring fans.
Nicknamed “Tiger Lil” by my father, Sissy roped me into working full-time as her manager and wardrobe designer. Before breakfast every morning, Kathy plopped on my peacefully slumbering body and demand that I style her curly blonde locks into a “Cinderella bun” as soon as we downed our Cocoa Puffs. I painstakingly pinned her ponytail into a yellow lump and spray it with Aqua Net until it remained stiff and motionless the rest of the day. Bows and barrettes were added according to her fancy. After hair and makeup were complete, we hit the closet to pull out the old lace bedroom sheers Grandma Moy willed to us when they were too shabby to remain on her windows. We’d use rubber bands, safety pins and an oversized rhinestone brooch to create magical wedding dresses and ball gowns.
Kathy was determined to be a headliner on the Ed Sullivan show along with Mr. Ed and Ringo. Mom and I rolled the grocery cart around K-Mart and Kathy practiced her act by standing up in the shopping cart seat, throwing her arms out and crooning “Moon River” in front of the Frosted Flakes. If other shoppers failed to pay attention, she just modulated to a higher key and used the English pea can as a microphone. By the time we hit the cash register, she was signing autographs. Once Kathy could finally stuff her little round shape into a sequined leotard, she was unstoppable. She tap-danced, tip-toed, cart-wheeled and belly danced for anyone who looked her way.
Tiger Lil’s first taste of stardom came when she nabbed the famous “mirror ball” trophy at the John W. Carpenter talent show. She warbled a compelling rendition of “Big Bad Bill is Sweet William Now.” (I’m quite serious-that was the name of the song!) I believe she had absolutely no idea what those lusty lyrics meant, but the grownups sniggered and awarded her first place for her gumption. Most of the time I accompanied Kathy, but our dynamic duet her second grade year was a show-stopper. We pulled on fish-net tights, furry tails and kitten ears. We shimmied and shook our way through Billboard’s number one pop hit “Alley Cat.” We still perform encores upon request.
Kathy and I held onto the center-stage spotlight as long as we could. We performed a litany of recitals, concerts and musicals, and begat offspring every bit as splashy and uninhibited as we. Our sequins, gowns and feather headdresses are tucked away in plastic bubble wrap and cotton balls. But every now and then, when we’re feeling low, out come the tutus, tiaras and tap shoes.
All of us have a bent towards “scene-stealing.” Our diva tendencies can get us into trouble. John the Baptist had no desire to upstage his Messiah. His whole life was consumed with taking a backseat and serving the Savior.
God continues to teach me humility by placing me in circumstances where I must depend upon Him. The challenges and failures I have faced in my life have taught me much about humility. If I surrender my life to God each day, I have no choice but to be dependent upon Him and shine the spotlight where it should be: upon the Son of God.
James writes in James 4:6-10: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” Brokenness and obedience make us meek, joyfully giving the honor to Jesus, who deserves all of the glory.
King Solomon teaches many valuable lessons about love and romance in the marriage relationship. We learn from him that love is pure, love protects and love is passionate. In the marriage relationship, God portrays the intimacy that He wants to have with us. The divine romance is Christ laying down His life for His bride, the church.
King David is called “the sweet psalmist of Israel” in 2 Samuel 23:1. On top of that, he is the most frequently mentioned individual in the psalm headings throughout the book of Psalms. David is also largely responsible for the Old Testament tradition of instrumental music in worship, which began as he ascended the throne of Israel, and extended to the time of Christ.
Prior to King David, worship in ancient Israel was relatively silent, largely without the use of instruments. Beginning with David’s reign as king, though, there was an explosion of instrumental music, as evidenced in a wide variety of passages in 2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles. In 1 Chronicles 16, David formed a small orchestra of eight strings, two trumpets and one cymbal player to accompany the worship before the Ark of the Covenant. Seven chapters later, in 1 Chronicles 23, this orchestra seems to grow to four thousand players! How’s that for tremendous orchestra growth? Actually, some Biblical scholars think that figure may be an exaggeration on the part of the writer of Chronicles. Others feel that the Hebrew word, translated “thousand,” is more accurately understood as a clan or group. In 1 Chronicles 25, a more reasonable orchestra of twenty-five players is listed, closer in size to what we are accustomed in our worship.
The group of Israelites appointed by David as instrumentalists were from the tribe of Levi. These Levites were ancient Israel’s worship leaders, responsible for the care and transportation of the wilderness tabernacle and all its furnishings under Moses. Once the Tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant were in their final resting place, the Levites’ job description changed. They were no longer the moving crew for the Tabernacle. Instead, David set about training the Levites to sing and play instruments, and then set them apart for the service of the Lord through music. 1 Chronicles 25:1 and 6-7 says:
“Moreover, David and the commanders of the army set apart for the service some of the sons of Asaph and of Heman and of Jeduthun, who were to prophesy with lyres, harps, and cymbals; All these were under the direction of their father to sing in the house of the Lord, with cymbals, harps and lyres, for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman were under the direction of the king. And their number who were trained in singing to the Lord, with their relatives, all who were skillful, was 288 (there’s that word skillful again!).”
After the reign of King David, there were periods of moral and spiritual decline, followed by times of revival under kings like Hezekiah and godly leaders like Nehemiah. With these times of revival, worship was restored in the manner of King David, and that always involved the use of musical instruments. You can read about this in 2 Chronicles 29, Ezra 3, and Nehemiah 12.
Finally, one of our goals, when we gather each week for worship, is to glorify God and seek His presence among us. When Solomon dedicated the first Temple, he did it with musical instruments in the tradition of his father, David. In 2 Chronicles 5:11-14, we read:
“And when the priests came forth from the holy place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, without regard to divisions), and all the Levitical singers, Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and kinsmen, clothed in fine linen, with cymbals, harps, and lyres, standing east of the altar, and with them one hundred and twenty priests blowing trumpets in unison when the trumpeters and the singers were to make themselves heard with one voice to praise and to glorify the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice accompanied by trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and when they praised the Lord saying, “He indeed is good for His lovingkindness is everlasting,” then the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.”
The Temple dedication service reached its climax when the instruments and singers were unified in praise of almighty God, and God, in turn, put His stamp of approval on the gathering by filling the house of God with His glorious presence, in the form of a cloud. Let us, as instrumentalists, seek to be unified in our praise, as we glorify God and seek His presence!
The scene: A bunker on the front lines. Artillery shells are exploding all around. Machine-guns lay down a blanket of tracer rounds overhead. The drone of enemy dive-bombers is increasing in pitch. A fully equipped soldier cowers, sniveling at the feet of his superior officer saying, “Captain, they keep shooting at me. Please make them stop!”
Have you seen the movie? Probably not.
After all, war movies are about war. Soldiers know they are at war, and they expect to be shot at, because that is what war is all about. Yet, how many times do I play the part of the sniveling soldier? The apostle Peter writes,
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. (1 Peter 4:12-13)
We are at war. We have an enemy who is hell-bent on destroying us because we belong to Christ, nothing personal about it. He even seeks to destroy those that don’t yet belong to Christ, simply because they are made in the image of God. And he hates God. Why does it amaze me that he and his minions would shoot at me. And if he can’t “take me out”, he will be content to keep me neutralized, cowering in my foxhole. The last thing he wants is for me to engage him in battle. He knows the power I have at my disposal.
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. (Ephesians 1:18-21)
The question is, do I know the power I have at my disposal? Oh yes, I can quote the verses above, and others. But do I know it not just in my mind, but in my heart? What will it take to convince me of the power I have to oppose the enemy, not just on my own behalf, but also on the behalf of others? What will it take to “encourage” me?
I think it is largely a question of focus. On what do I focus the thoughts of my heart and mind? Think of Peter, as he was walking towards Jesus out on the troubled waters of the Sea of Galilee. He did fine as long as he kept his focus on Jesus. Once he began to focus on the angry waves, he began to sink. Is that my problem too?
Do I keep my focus on Jesus, who has defeated the enemy already? Or do I become distracted by the noise of battle around me and allow it to unnerve me? A big part of maintaining an intentionally-biblical world-view is to remain cognizant of the truth. The truth is that Jesus has already defeated the enemy. Eternal life is mine, now, not just after I die. Eternity is now, and Satan’s head has already been crushed under Christ’s heel. I don’t need to cower in fear. I am on the winning side!
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:2-3)
I used to have a bumper sticker that read, “I know the future … God wins!” I need to remember that. In the passage above, the word “perfecter” could also be translated “finisher” or “completer”. It is done, in eternity, and I am in eternity now, so I can live according to that truth. As Jesus said from the cross, “It is finished!” Though in this life, I am still bound by time, I know I have been purchased for eternity, and I can choose to live with an eternal perspective. A biblical world-view is by definition an eternal perspective.
Therefore, I need to gird myself with this knowledge as I face life each day, not fearing the battles to come, but preparing myself for them.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:10-18)
We often quote those verses from Ephesians, but I think we too-often miss that last sentence. I need to remain alert to the reality about me, not just the physical reality, but the spiritual reality. I need to recognize that the spiritual is far more real than I think, and the stakes are much higher. As that sinks in, I could become frightened, like Peter out on the waves, or I could remember who I serve and turn my eyes on Him.
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. (2 Corinthians 4:16 – 5:1)
Though the stakes are high, the reward is already in place. I have a place in eternity. I have a home in heaven. The worse thing the enemy can do to me will only make that reward more real to me.
The way to keep my eyes on Jesus is to remain in prayer and fellowship with Him. This must be an intentional act, but will become more “natural” the longer I practice it. In prayer and fellowship I need to worship Him, remembering who He is, and what He has done, and how much He cares for me and for those around me. As that truth sinks in, it will be easier to appropriate the joy and peace He has already given.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phiippians 4:4-7)
In fact, as I practice worshipping in His presence, all of the fruit described in Galatians 5 and elsewhere, will begin to flow from me as evidence of His presence in me. That alone is a death knell to the enemy. When the fruit of God’s Spirit pours from my life, it affects those around me, and ushers them into the presence of God Himself. In His presence, they will be free from the harassment the enemy uses to enslave and blind them to the love and mercy and grace so freely offered them.
Therefore, let me resolve continually to be bold and courageous in battle, not because I am strong, but because I serve one who is strong. Let me remember who the real enemy is; it is not those around me. Rather, let me resolve to do battle for my Lord, under His command, in His power, and for His glory.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)
iPods, iPhones, text messaging, e-mail, social networking, video and audio input are all screaming for our attention.
It’s funny how the absence of something in your life causes you to be more aware of its impact and value. The other day, all of my roommates were away from home and I was left in the still quiet of an empty house. I found myself purposely avoiding the television, the internet, or anything else that might disturb the rare peace of this environment. It didn’t take long, however, before I became bored and uncomfortable. Suddenly I realized that I was alone with my thoughts, with no external stimulus, with no distractions, no diversions. What was initially peaceful began to seem strange and unnatural as I experienced what could best be described as media withdrawal symptoms.
How did I get to this point?
We live in a society that is screaming at the top of its lungs, demanding that we pay attention, demanding that we consume. Media can potentially saturate every moment of our day, if we allow it. Often I find myself going so far as to be lulled to sleep by the T.V., never allowing myself a break from the noise. If I’m not listening to music in the car, the boredom seems unbearable. It seems as though I’ve allowed this idea of silence – of undisturbed peace and stillness – to become something completely foreign to me.
What are the implications of living this way?
The Bible makes it clear that the voice of the Lord is heard in silence and in stillness. I’m reminded of the story of the prophet Elijah, in which the Lord tells Elijah to stand on a mountain top in “the presence of the Lord” (1 Kings 19:11). Then, as if to make a point about the nature of His revelation, the Lord causes a great wind to erupt, followed by an earthquake and a fire. The author of the account makes clear, however, that Lord is not in these things. Instead, God’s voice arrives in what the NIV calls a “gentle whisper” (19:13). Perhaps we are allowing our society to drown out the gentle whispers of God. Imagine what we could be missing!
Now, am I suggesting that our computers and our iPods are inherently evil? Of course not! I would, however, like to suggest that we would allow ourselves time and space to experience peace, solitude, and silence, in order to hear the voice of our Lord.
In my own experience, I’ve found this practice of silence to be exceedingly difficult. It seems as though I’ve fed my mind in such a way that it craves noise and constant engagement. I’m going to try to be more proactive about fostering “unplugged moments,” in which I choose to seek the Lord in stillness. You might consider trying it yourself. I fear that by allowing ourselves to be continually bombarded by the clatter of our culture, we may be stifling the very voice of God.
