Papa Steve's Pontifications

MELODY IN F (Author unknown)

2010-02-06T19:43:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader: This is an excerpt from my book, HEADING HOME -- Essays and Poems, by Steve Moore (although this is the one "poem" in the book that isn't mine -- read explanation below. Feel free to read, copy, quote and enjoy it! Someday in heaven we'll find the clever guy who put these words and thoughts together in such a wonderful -- and hilarious -- way...and then we can congratulate him. He did a fine job of staying within the point of view presented by Pastor Mark (of Sierra Bible Church, Sonora, CA)in his series on the Prodigal Son, which says we really don't know what the older brother -- or even the younger brother, for that matter -- did after receiving such grace from their father. The "rest of the story" is written in the individual lives of you and me. The only thing we know for sure (even more than "death and taxes") is that we have a benevolent, loving Father, who always welcomes us back (the FUGITIVE), and welcomes us in (the FAULT-FINDER). And that's got to be the best lesson, among the many lessons, of this parable of our Lord. But I tend to favor the positive hint this author gives at the end: Not telling us the "feather brained fellow" actually received the full pardon offered to him by his "far-sighted and faithful father" -- nevertheless he says the foundation was laid for this boy for some wonderful "future fortitude." Who would not receive the grace of our great "prodigal God" (prodigal in the sense of His extreme and surprising unconditional love for mankind) Hopefully...surely...not you or I!

ESSAY FROM THE BOOK...
Someone might say this poem isn’t really a poem, because it doesn’t rhyme. But then another might say, “I took a poetry class, where I learned that poems don’t have to rhyme. So it IS a poem, a different kind of poem called “Free Verse.” But to that person I would have to say, “I’m afraid you missed it, too!” Though it’s true that some of the best poetry doesn’t rhyme, still there are certain characteristics required for a poem to qualify as free verse, of which this work has none. But I’m still including “Melody in F” in my book of poems because it has “the endearing quality of telling a story with a very clever use us words that tickles the ears even while it inspires the heart and informs the mind” (another good definition of poetry, by the way). The ear-tickling technique used in this poem is a hilariously extreme use of a literary device called alliteration: the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words. This is comparable to rhyme, which is the repetition of vowel and consonant sounds at the end of words. I call this poem mine, not because I wrote it, but because it’s one I “do” – you know, like at parties…or at church services! That’s right, this poem has that rare quality of being not only inspiring but entertaining, too. And it’s G rated: acceptable everywhere. It presents the lesson of forgiveness and reconciliation that Jesus told, but in a way to make even the most bored church member or hardened unbeliever laugh right out loud, in spite of themselves. This is the first reaction, but then, if they’re not careful, they’ll find themselves sitting up and taking notice concerning the truth it contains. I wonder, if Jesus were a standup comedian, appearing before an English speaking crowd, if He would tell this favorite parable by means of the “Melody in F”! Back in my college days I came across this poem in a published compilation called PHIL KERR’S FAVORITE POEMS. Phil didn’t know who wrote it, either, but the author had to be a wordsmith of the highest order. Or maybe he was a man with just an average knowledge of vocabulary, but enabled to pull off a poem like this one by the aid of an uncanny use of the dictionary – no doubt aided by an endless flow of caffeine-laden coffee! Hats off to Mr. Anonymous for giving us this delightful tongue-twister that both tickles the ears with the desire to hear it again and again, and also inspires the heart to quit running from God, but turn around and run back to Him, knowing He’s ready and rarin’ to throw a party…nastily needling naysayers notwithstanding! (Editor’s note: An analysis of this poem reveals the use of 117 words beginning with the letter F, with very few of them used more than once. The word beginning with “F” that IS repeated several times, very appropriately, is the word Father. There are only 24 other words used in the poem, and most of these are simple prepositions and pronouns, contributing almost nothing to the content, but present mainly just to aid the flow. This poem reveals another fascinating bit of trivia: the English language seems to have quite a love affair with the letter F, as it has with no other letter. I discovered this quite by accident, through my failed attempt to write an alliterative poem on the Prodigal Son with an alternate letter of the alphabet. And speaking of F words, isn’t it refreshing how “The F Word” never needed to be used here. It never does, in any context, print or conversation, in my humble opinion! The apostle Paul encourages us to “not be overcome with evil, but to overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). Memorizing and then reciting the “Melody in F” at every appropriate opportunity would be a good start at overcoming evil both in choice of words, and in nurture of relationships, replacing the evil of foul and offensive language with this good and very funny rendition of the story of God’s restorative forgiveness and love. And so now, for your listening pleasure, I give you…

MELODY IN F
(The Prodigal Son)

Feeling Footloose and Frisky, a Feather-brained Fellow
Forced his Fond Father to Fork over the Farthings,
And Flew Far to Foreign Fields, and Frittered his Fortune
Feasting Fabulously with Faithless Friends.

Fleeced by his Fellows in Folly, and Facing Famine,
He Found himself a Feed Flinger in a Filthy Farmyard.
Fairly Famishing, he Fain would have Filled his Frame
With Foraged Food From Fodder Fragments.

“Fooey! My Father’s Flunkies Fare Far Finer,”
The Frazzled Fugitive Furtively Fussed, Frankly Facing Facts.
Frustrated by Failure, and Filled with Foreboding,
He Fled Forthwith to his Family.

Falling at his Father’s Feet, he Forlornly Fumbled,
“Father, I’ve Flunked, and Fruitlessly Forfeited Family Favor!”
The Far-sighted Father, Forestalling Further Flinching,
Frantically Flagged the Flunkies to
Fetch a Fatling From the Flock and Fix a Feast.

The Fugitive’s Fault Finding brother
Frowned on Fickle Forgiveness of Former Folderol.
But the Faithful Father Figured,
“Filial Fidelity is Fine, but the Fugitive is Found!
What Forbids Fervent Festivity?
Let Flags be unfurled! Let Fanfares Flare!

Father’s Forgiveness Formed the Foundation
For the Former Fugitive’s Future Fortitude!

TIME TAGS: "WAIT FOR THE DING!" -- Devotional for April 13, from Good Seeds"

2010-01-06T22:25:00.000-08:00

Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her. (Genesis 29:20)

I am the father of three daughters. I remember telling them, when they got to their teen years – when they started noticing the boys who had started noticing them – something I heard from Christian psychologist, James Dobson: “What’s reserved for the future will not spoil with the keeping.” Young love is often called “puppy love,” a term far more innocent sounding than what it actually refers to: “animal instinct.” The kind of love that draws the sexes together (eros) is not the kind that keeps them together (agape). Though both of these Greek words are translated love in English, they are at two opposite ends of the spectrum: the one has absolutely no patience while the other will wait as long as it takes; the one can think of nothing but self while the other thinks only of the other; the one wants man’s best while the other wants God’s best. I remember when our oldest daughter, Holly (whose birthday we celebrate today), finally reached that wonderful age when she could be read to. I was a schoolteacher then, and read to my fourth graders every day, so I couldn’t wait till I could set my own child on my lap and lift the characters and stories off the page and deposit them, through the magic of books, into her eager mind. But of course these were picture books, and the thousand words spoken by each picture were deciphered by my daughter more quickly than I could read their captions, and so she was ready to turn the page before I could read all the words. So I would tell her – and this became the rule for two sisters that followed, and the eleven grandchildren they gave us – to not turn the page until they heard the “ding” (me, going: “ding!”) This is the Rule of Time Tags: learning to wait longer than we might think necessary, so that everything is ready for the right result. Just because a fourteen year old may have the coordination, strength and skill to drive a car doesn’t mean we would trust him behind the wheel. And just because young teens have all the right parts, in perfect working order, doesn’t mean they are ready to raise up the next generation. There’s a world of difference between “fathering” a child and being a good father to that child, between giving birth and giving worth to your own little one. When Jacob saw Rachel he immediately “fell in love” with her. Was it puppy love? The answer comes in how long he was able to wait – and how hard he was willing to work – for her. Seven years hard labor seemed just a moment to him. And I know from my own long and happy marriage, that waiting five years to love the girl that I loved at first sight was well worth the wait. And so, let us learn – and teach our children – to “wait for the ding.”

A "GENKI" CHURCH -- Devotional for February 29, from "Good Seeds"

2010-01-06T22:08:00.000-08:00

NOTE TO READERS: Though I finished for the year, there are two more entries I am submitting now: 1) Feb 29: for "Leap Day" occurring once every four years, and 2)a changed one for April 13, spinning off of our eldest daughter's birthday, as I did with birthdays of my wife Karen on Aug 30 and our other daughters Heidi, Jan 19 and Heather June 26.

Those who are far away will come and help to build the temple of the Lord, and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you. This will happen if you diligently obey the Lord your God. (Zechariah 6:15)

Today is “Leap Day,” a day we have added to the calendar to keep our human accounting of time in line with the heavenly. This added day synchronizes life on earth with the movements of bodies placed and set in motion by the Creator and Lord of the universe, which dictate the constancy of the seasons and of day and night. In all their detailed search and study astrophysicists have come up with no other place in the universe that could even remotely touch the minimum requirements for the sustenance of life that we enjoy on planet earth. The Bible says that not only was it by Christ that “all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth,” but also that “in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:16-17). Just as the health of our planet is maintained by a certain divinely appointed equilibrium, so is the health of our lives, whether in the physical, mental, social or spiritual realm, all under the concern and care of a loving God. He expects us to do our part, of course, both as careful custodians of our physical environment, but also as good stewards of our own bodies and the family of man. Just as God sent His Son from far beyond the universe to come and dwell with man for the purpose of calling the wanderer back to his Creator, so God has ordained that we, too, in microcosmic imitation, come from afar to build up one another, bringing the loving grace of God to the suffering race of man. After a lifetime of ministry and while contemplating retirement, an American pastor and his wife sensed the call of God to move to Japan to help a missionary pastor with his struggling church. In the months of preparation (and silent grappling with indecision) the pastor received this message from the missionary: “My wife and I were reading in the minor prophets today when we came to Zechariah 6:15. It stopped us cold as it fairly shouted at us a great blast of encouragement – for it made us think of you two coming soon to help us! We have the physical buildings, but our spiritual body is not all that genki (“healthy”). Please pray for us, during this time of constant struggle, that our Lord’s work among the people will draw them first to Himself, and then together as a body, purifying us all to be clearer and better lights in this dark, idolatrous land, at this rather dark time.” Since February 29th only touches down once in four years, this devotional will no doubt be touched upon just as infrequently. But you’re reading it now, right! So as you do, let it remind you to uphold missionaries and pastors with your prayers, and with your help – all for the sake of a genki church!

TETELESTAI -- Devotional for December 31, from "Good Seeds"

2010-01-01T13:55:00.000-08:00

NOTE TO MY READERS: Today ends this one year project. It has been a challenge and a joy for me. Karen has endured the role of a "writer's widow" as I have spent an average of two hours every day of the year, mostly in the evenings, sometimes late into the wee hours, on this project. I will now take the files to my publisher, Lady Bug Press and very soon, I trust, GOOD SEEDS will be available in hard copy form. For those interested in purchasing the book for yourself or as a gift, contact me at papasteve11@gmail.com, or at skmoore62@yahoo.com. Karen and I are leaving for Japan in February, to serve as a co-pastor of International Chapel in Kyoto. We will return in July to serve at Sugarloaf Camp, and then we'll see if God sends us back to Japan or not. Wherever I'm serving and living, I plan to be writing. My next project is to complete my Christian novel, SECOND WIND.

God bless you as you walk and talk with him, one day at a time, in 2010. Maybe you'd like to take GOOD SEEDS along with you on that journey. Steve Moore.

And He said to me, “It is done. I AM the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of water of life without cost. He who overcomes shall inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.”(Revelation 21:6-7)

It takes three English words to translate this one word from the Greek New Testament: “It is finished!” This was the last of the “Seven Last Words” of Christ, spoken just before “He bowed his head, and gave up the ghost” (John 19:30). Is this not also what He will say at the end of time, as prophesied in the last chapter of the Bible: “It is done”? When the apostle Paul came to the end of his life of witness to the world concerning the person and work of Christ, he said a similar thing: “I have fought the good fight; I have finished the course; I have kept the faith” (II Timothy 4:7). There’s something to say about sticking to a job until it is done. Of course the world is full of hard-working people, who create and fabricate and dedicated their lives to competent production and service. But how much of mankind’s blood, sweat and tears are poured out on projects that serve no more than the present? Indeed, how many of the clever people invest their competence only in the service of evil? “He is a really good burglar,” someone says. What does this mean? Simply that this fellow’s skills at thievery are highly developed, and thus far he has gotten away with…a lot of merchandise that isn’t his. James writes, ”When lust has conceived, it brings forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death” (1:15). Paul warns, “Brethren, in evil be babes, but in your thinking be mature” (I Corinthians 14:20). How many professing Christians are experts in the ways and the wonders of this fallen world, in its science and technology, in its music and movies, in its heroes of sports and screen, while remaining mere apprentices in the things of God? It is good to be “good at” something, to be sure, but it is crucial to choose carefully your specialty, that which will occupy your life and define your legacy. Is it something that honors God, serves others, and lasts past today, maybe even on into eternity? “Do not be weary in well doing,” wrote Paul in Galatians 6:9, but there’s no point in doing well what we should not be doing at all, right? If we continue in work that is God ordained and Spirit empowered, we can be confident that wherever we are in that process when God calls us home we will have finished our course. And now, Lord, as we round out the year, let our thoughts be drawn back to You – You who are the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the Author and Finisher of our faith – the Satisfier of our thirst. Tetelestai! Your work is finished! But we press on. Even so, Maranatha! – Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

"YOU'RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME!" -- Devotional for December 30, from "Good Seeds"

2010-01-01T13:44:00.000-08:00

Do not judge one another (Romans 14:13). Do not speak against one another, brethren, for he who speaks against a brother, or judges his brother, speaks against the law of God, to judge it. But if you judge the law you are not a doer of the law. There is only one Lawgiver, one Judge – the One who is able to both save and destroy. So who are you to judge your neighbor! (James 4:11-12)

This is one of the favorite phrases heard in childish sibling rivalry battles. Unfortunately we never seem to outgrow the tendency toward bossing other people around. Was it to children that James wrote this stern admonition, this negative member of the “One Another” family of biblical admonitions? No, it was to adults who in the midst of their God centered worship became distracted by their man centered irritations – and before they knew it, they set themselves up as judges of one another. We need to see that this is not only wrong, but foolish. Why? Because anything less than perfect judgment is failed judgment, and only God can judge perfectly. There are two pre-requisites for being a judge: 1) Perfect Knowledge and 2) Perfect Righteousness. As far as humans are concerned, none of us knows enough and none of us is good enough, to be a judge of others. Any judgment we make will of necessity be based on incomplete information. And, because we are sinners, it will be based on faulty motives and attitudes. Only God knows everything, and only God has a pure heart, untainted by sin. He “does all things well” (Mark 7:37). When we judge others we set ourselves over them as if we were God. But only God is GOD: “Let God be God, and every man a liar” (Romans 3:4). To “speak against” someone may not sound so bad, but the literal translation of this phrase in James 4:11 is “evil slander.” We can slander as effectively with our eyes as with our lips – when we look down upon someone. God is high enough to see men with no obstructions blocking His vision, seeing them as they really are, whereas when we “look down” on others we don't really see them, viewing them only through prideful, haughty eyes. We must realize that only God can look down upon a person with impunity, because He alone stands as the one perfectly wise and righteous Judge. We tend to make premature judgments. In I Corinthians 4:5 Paul says, “Judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time God will give to everyone what praise is due.” We must wait until Jesus comes to hear the final verdict. Until then, seek to see others through the goodness and wisdom of God. If you step down from being judge of your brother, only then can you step up to being his friend!

"'JOIN THE CLUB!' -- Devotional for December 29, from "Good Seeds"

2009-12-29T12:25:00.000-08:00

We are members of one another. (Romans 12:5; Ephesians 4:25)

Isn’t this what you say whenever someone says something about himself that sounds just like you? “He’s talking about me, describing me to a T.” Someone complains, “Why do I get sick every time I have a little time off work?” and almost as a knee jerk response someone else says, “Tell me about it!” – which is just another way of expressing that common sentiment, “Misery loves company,” or, “No one likes to drink alone.” We all know that while success attracts many admirers, "nobody knows you when you're down and out" – nobody, that is, but genuine friends. You may have fewer real friends than you thought, but those few true blue friends are probably more loyal and loving than you might have thought, too. So, what do we mean when we say, “We are members of one another”? Well, we share membership in the body of Christ with other Christians, but that’s not quite the same as saying we belong to one another. Both statements are true, but most of us still have much to learn about the latter. “I go to church to worship Christ,” someone says, and then continues, “and if you’re there, I’ll be glad to see you, but I’m not going for you, but for Him.” Well, that’s a crucial priority, of course, but too many well-meaning believers unknowingly become saintly snobs as they play down the importance of their fellow travelers on the road to glory. When answering a Jewish scribe’s question, “What is the greatest commandment of all?” Jesus couldn’t seen to narrow it down to just one, as requested. Why? Because He knew that “loving God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength” means nothing, and cannot be authentic, apart from “loving your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:28-31). Remember the song that said, “I am a rock, I am an island”? Let that not describe you! Even though God loves each of us individually, and would have died for just you – or just me – if you or I had been the only one needing saving, the fact is we who love the Lord are legion! Although we can only receive salvation one at a time, through the turnstile of faith in Christ, what a comfort to know that millions have done so – and they keep coming! When my pastor baptized me along with a few others, I still remember him saying, “These have come to Jesus, responding to His grace, receiving His forgiveness, and now obeying Him in the waters of baptism – and yet there is room.” It was that last statement that sticks in my mind: “and yet there is room.” A song says, “There’s plenty of room in the family!” Will heaven be over-crowded? We can only hope so, but I’m afraid an over-populated hell is by far the greater concern. What can you do about that? Just make sure you join the club, the right club, and pay your dues. Remember, we are members of one another!

PROPHET, PRIEST AND KING -- Devotional for December 28, from "Good Seeds"

2009-12-29T00:01:00.000-08:00

Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the priest, and he said, “Listen, all Israel, thus says the Lord unto you: “Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s.” (II Chronicles 20:14-15)

These are three titles of our Lord Jesus. A prophet, by definition, speaks to people on behalf of God; a priest speaks to God on behalf of the people; and a King, well, he rules. As PROPHET, Jesus came from God to men with a message. But He was not an angel, a mere messenger – He was the message! The apostle John appropriately called Jesus the Word. His very life: His miraculous virgin birth, His amazing miracles, and His atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world, spoke God’s Word to men – without a word! But He spoke words, too: words of instruction, correction, warning, and comfort. As PRIEST, Jesus “prayed without ceasing,” bringing the needs and hurts of others before the throne of grace. While His friends were sleeping, He was praying – for them; while His enemies were planning His destruction, He was praying – for their welfare! Our Lord was prophet and priest during His earthly ministry, and remains so on our behalf since returning to heaven, but someday the Father will “put all things under His feet” and Jesus will reign over the universe as KING. But even while a humble servant on earth, His kingship was suspicioned, if not outwardly recognized. Even during His brutal execution, an inscription was placed on His cross – a sort of epitaph before His death: “Here dies Jesus: King of the Jews.” Just as Christ delegated His work to His followers before returning to heaven (John 14:12), so He shares these three roles with those worthy of His trust. Though we recognize Jesus as our true King, He delegates His authority to lesser “kings,” such as governors, prime ministers, presidents – earthly rulers of one description or another – for the welfare of society. Though some view it as the enemy, human government really is designed by God to be our friend. But sometimes – at the more benevolent times of history – a king rises to power who also serves his people as a priest. Ronald Reagan was such a man of prayer, following in the path of Jehoshaphat of old. And just as a ruling king may pray like a priest, so a commissioned priest may preach like a pastor. Such a man was Jahaziel. After his king led the people in prayer, this priest heard God’s answer to that prayer and, speaking now as a prophet, proclaimed it to the people. O that pastors today would be so clear and bold in their proclamation: Thus says the Lord: “Why are you dismayed? Are you not My people? Are not these who are accosting you My enemies? This is not your battle, but Mine! So step aside, and get ready to rejoice!”

HOW TO PRAY WHEN FACING DANGER -- Devotional for December 27, from "Good Seeds"

2009-12-27T01:27:00.000-08:00

It was reported that a great multitude was coming against Israel from beyond the sea. King Jehoshaphat was afraid, so he turned his attention to seek the Lord with these words: “O our God, wilt Thou not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude which is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You.” (II Chronicles 20:2-3,12)

The best hymn on friendship is also the best hymn about prayer…
What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear;
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
In movies whenever trouble hits, the hero hits back – but if there’s anyone religious on the scene he starts mumbling the Lord’s Prayer. Here people are facing life threatening danger from evil enemies, natural disasters or unnatural aliens, and all this supposedly holy man can think of to pray is, “Give us this day our daily bread”! Well then, how should we pray when facing trouble? Try the prayer of Jehoshaphat: the prayer of humility and faith. Jesus pointed out the first ingredient of the prayer that gets answered, HUMILITY, in His observation of two men praying in the temple: the Pharisee rehearsed before the Lord all his own good points, as if to prove to God that his prayer deserved to be heard and answered, while the publican could do nothing but beat his breast in penitence and beg for mercy (Luke 18:9-14). Jehoshaphat prayed like the publican: “Lord, I’m scared to death! With my meager strength and resources I haven’t got a chance against this great enemy. But not only am I powerless, I’m also clueless. That’s right, I haven’t the faintest idea what to do.” But it wasn’t just the humility of Jehoshaphat that got God’s attention; it was also his FAITH. James wrote, “It is the prayer of faith that restores those who are ill” (5:15). Jesus concurred when He said, “It is not those who are healthy who call the physician, but those who are sick” (Matthew 9:12). Jehoshaphat did well to turn his attention to seek the Lord, but he didn’t stop with, “I don’t know what to do…” He continued with, “…but my eyes are on You.” Humility admits our weakness, but faith acknowledges God’s strength. A scrawny little kid can face the town bully simply by saying, “My big brother can beat you up!” Relationship is the key: you know your Big Brother by name, you know where to find Him, and you know He loves you and will come to your aid. That’s what we’re saying when we call out, “O my God, I need You. Will You please come to my defense? I’m totally inadequate, but You’re totally in control, and bigger than any problem I could ever face.”
Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge; take it to the Lord in prayer.

WHO CAN LIVE BEFORE HE IS BORN? -- Devotional for December 26, from "Good Seeds"

2009-12-26T19:21:00.000-08:00

But as for you, Bethlehem Ephratha, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity past. (Micah 5:2)

In the mid nineteenth century a man named Joseph Smith came up with a new religion, which claimed to provide closure for some of the unfinished business of the Bible. For example, he taught that the ancient indigenous peoples of the Americas are the lost tribes of Israel (even though DNA tests prove they are Mongoloid, not Semitic). The church of Jesus Christ, in Smith’s opinion, had become weak and ineffective. But with the reestablishment of an Old Testament style priesthood and the provision of a new body of heaven-inspired doctrine it would be revitalized and renewed, attracting millions of enthusiastic saints of in the “Latter Days.” And because they are “good” people – patriotic, community minded, and strong proponents of higher education, family values and biblical morals and ethics, they are viewed by many as just another – if not new and improved – version of the Christian church. But being christian requires more than general goodness. One must believe the Bible concerning God, man, and the world. The person and work of Jesus Christ Himself is the primary issue. And here’s the rub: What the Bible says is unique to the Son of God the Mormons say is characteristic of all “sons of God.” They teach that married couples remain married throughout eternity, and continue having children. Each baby procreated in heaven is a spirit being in need of an earthly body and a family in which to be nurtured. According to this religion the nature of all men is what the Bible teaches is the nature of only one Man, whose “goings forth were from long ago, from the days of eternity past.” Since Christ is fully God He is eternal – there was never a time when He did not exist: “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was God; the same was in the beginning with God” (John 1:1). And so this One who existed before He was born (as Micah prophesied) was incarnated into the human family through the work of the Holy Spirit and the obedience of a humble virgin. On that day long ago, which we call Christmas today, God became man. This is the “old religion” of incarnation, leading to redemption – two miracles making peace between holy God and sinful man. How unfortunate that a “new religion” would take the one-of-a kind “God-becoming-man” and make it an everyday occurrence…and call it an improvement! More than unfortunate, it is tragic – and damning – to make every man a god, removing from him his need for the God-Man, the one Man who could bring him to God!

JESUS, NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES -- Devotional for Christmas Day, December 25, from "Good Seeds"

2009-12-26T19:13:00.000-08:00

For unto us a Child is born; unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulders. And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)

In America we choose our children’s names primarily by the way they sound to us, but in other cultures names are assigned for what they mean. An old gospel song says, “Jesus: O how sweet the name!” There’s no denying the very sound of His name brings joy and comfort to hearts, but could this be because it is associated with the most wonderful personage of all human history? Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua, both meaning “one who saves.” This name for our Savior is not the only one that is as beautiful in sound as it is in meaning. Take a look at the names given Him through the prophet Isaiah hundreds of years before He was born into the human family: WONDERFUL – When we sing, “His name is wonderful,” we tend to think of this word as an adjective describing the name Jesus. But if the songwriter was contemplating Isaiah’s prophecy, then I suspect he was using the word as a noun, which we remember from our English grammar as meaning “the name of a person, place or thing.” Another noun-name for Jesus, then, is Wonderful. The next time you pray, try addressing Him this way and see how it opens your eyes to the spectrum of beauty and wonder that is our Savior. COUNSELOR – This would be a favorite name of Jesus used by anyone needing guidance on how to think or where to turn. Don’t let it bother you that this is part of the job description of the third person of the trinity. Jesus had walked and talked with His disciples for three years, but the time came for Him to leave them, and leave the continuation of His work in their hands, as He approached “the cross, the grave, and the skies.” In order not to leave them “as orphans” (John 14:18), He promised to give them “another Comforter,” the Paraclete (“called alongside to help” – verse 7). The Spirit of God possesses all the attributes of God, but no more so than the Son of God – so we can call Jesus THE MIGHTY GOD. The next name Isaiah gives Christ comes straight from the first member of the godhead – THE EVERLASTING FATHER. This cannot be explained any better than to say Jesus "always did the things that pleased His Father" (John 8:29). They are truly, “Like Father, like Son.” We long for peace, and work for it, even thinking we can achieve it by our own efforts. When will we learn that peace will never exist between men until first the PRINCE OF PEACE has landed in the hearts of men! Someday Jesus will establish an eternal reign of peace over the universe, but peace is available right now to all “with whom He is pleased” (Luke 2:14).

THE FIRST CHRISTMAS -- Devotional for December 24, from "Good Seeds"

2009-12-24T17:24:00.000-08:00

And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, Simeon by name, devout and righteous, who had been looking for the consolation of Israel. The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die before He had seen the Lord’s Christ. The Spirit led him to the temple on the very night when the parents brought in the child Jesus to carry out the custom of the law. He took Him into his arms and blessed God saying, “Now, let Thy bondservant depart in peace, for my eyes have seen Thy salvation. (Luke 2:25-30)

“Christmas with a Capital C” is a new song by GO FISH, a group that targets children as their preferred audience. The group's name is appropriate for two reasons: 1) It’s a simple, non-threatening game, enjoyed by all ages; 2) The sign of the fish has been the symbol for the church of Jesus Christ since its inception. The song begins with an introduction something like this: “‘Happy Holidays!’ How do you feel when people say this to you at Christmas time? If it puts you out when this sacred Holy Day is reduced to a worldly holiday, let me suggest to you something you could say in response: ‘Happy Holidays’? Well, thank you – I am pretty HAPPY, but there’s only one HOLIDAY that makes me feel that way (and then they start to sing)…It’s called Christmas, what more can I say; It’s about the birth of Christ, and you can’t take that away. You can call it something else but that’s not what it will be: It’s called Christmas with a capital C. The very word Christmas means “celebrate Christ.” On the first Christmas Jesus was the only reason for the season. The first celebrants were the angels – oh, and Mary and Joseph, too. Who else even knew about the birth of the Messiah? The innkeeper knew a baby was about to be born, but the only witnesses of that birth were the parents – and the animals in the stable back behind that crowded inn. The angels announced the birth to shepherds out in the fields, who went immediately to see the Child. The Wise Men would not be arriving till many months later. So, who were the first Christmas celebrants? Parents, angels, shepherds. When was the first Christmas? The night of that miraculous birth, of course – but eight days later another possibly much deeper “Christ-mass” took place, this time in the temple. Today people like to say “Christmas is for kids,” or at least, “Christmas brings out the kid in everyone.” But it was no little children with “visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads” who rejoiced that day, but rather an old man, who was just hanging onto life until he saw “the Lord’s Christ.” And it’s still true today: Life, even the good life, spiced up with exciting holidays, will mean nothing to you, and do nothing for you, until the Christ of Christmas is born in you!

MANKIND, GOD-KIND, OR ANGEL-KIND? -- Devotional for December 23, from "Good Seeds"

2009-12-24T17:15:00.000-08:00

For to which of the angels did God ever say, “Thou art my Son, today I have begotten Thee”? And when He brings the Firstborn into the world, He says, “Let all the angels of God worship Him.” Of these angels He says, “I will make them winds, and My ministers a flame of fire,” but of the Son He says, “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever.” (Hebrews 1:5-8)

Shame on us to ever say we do not know who Jesus is, or worse, to say He is anything other than, or less than, what the Bible clearly says that He is. Even a cursory review of traditional carols will reflect biblical truth concerning the Christ of Christmas. Of course, we need to get past those that leave Jesus in the manger. As the tiny infant of Bethlehem He could hardly “bless all the dear children in Thy tender care,” or “prepare us for heaven to live with Thee there.” A baby cannot attend to anyone else’s needs when his own are in such demand. Yes, in spite of the good intentions of the Cradle Song, we’re sure the baby Jesus did His share of crying, and infant mischief, too, for the only Begotten from before the beginning had just taken on the mantle of human flesh. Neither the virgin’s son – the Babe of Bethlehem – nor the carpenter’s son – the Jesus of Galilee - could bring us to heaven. For that our Lord went to Jerusalem, never stopping until becoming the Christ of the Cross! Though His birth saw the “dawn of redeeming grace,” it wasn’t until His sacrificial death that God’s grace was made available to all who would come to Him by faith. But in order to understand the true identity of Jesus Christ, we must comprehend what the Bible teaches about intelligent life. There are three kinds: mankind, God-kind, and angel-kind. The distinction between these was clear until Jesus came, for He crosses over from God to man, taking on the nature of the latter without relinquishing the attributes of the former. Some want to take it a step further, classifying Jesus as an angel, but man’s attempts to embellish Christ’s glory only serves to diminish it. When Jesus took on human flesh He became, as a man, “a little lower than the angels” (Psalm 8:5). But He was simultaneously much higher than angels, too, for from the beginning He was the Firstborn (the preeminent One), who would “rule over all the works of His hands.” God will “put all things under His feet, and crown Him with all glory and majesty” (5-6). Jesus was like an angel in the sense of bringing a message from heaven to earth, but He was both God and man in being that message. Christ didn’t merely preach the word of God, as one more (shudder!) founder of a great world religion – Christ was the “WORD of the Father, now in flesh appearing.” Our only response can be…“O come let us adore Him!”

BEARING FRUIT IN OLD AGE -- Devotional for December 22, from "Good Seeds"

2009-12-23T00:11:00.000-08:00

The righteous will flourish like the palm tree; they will grow like the cedars of Lebanon. They shall be full of sap and very green, and continue to yield fruit in old age. (Psalm 92:12,14)

In God’s world, all that is healthy grows. This is a rule of life. Furthermore, all that grows produces. Some plants produce fruit; others, flowers – but all healthy plants form and continue to rejuvenate their various parts, whether roots, stems, branches or leaves. Think of an old cherry tree. It may have long since grown to its full height and girth, but every year, according to its God-ordained cycle, and in response to the earth’s seasons and the husbandman’s care, it produces first robust leaves, then beautiful blossoms, and finally the plump and luscious fruit for which it is so loved. The words of a poem about a fruit tree that was quite mature but still healthy go something like this:

Although quite old it’s not quite finished,
Because its root is not diminished.
And just like me and just like you,
It keeps on doing what it was made to do.

And what is true for living things is also true for living beings. Though you and I may have long since reached our “full height and girth,” how do we know we’ve achieved our greatest potential? We must resist the temptation to excuse ourselves from activity or offer the excuse for lack of productivity by saying that we are now “over the hill.” It’s both a tragedy and a travesty to hear people say they’ve put in their years of service and it’s high time the younger set takes over, while they pull out and move away from harsh weather and serious responsibility. They want to retire and travel and live the good life while they still have the health and wealth to do so. “What’s so bad about that?” you ask. Just this: the amassed resources and highly developed skills of mature Christians could be dedicated to God’s kingdom like never before. In their later years they could bear fruit as beautiful and plentiful as any borne by their younger brother and sister fruit-bearers. Longfellow expressed his longing to keep growing and bearing fruit well into his sunset years with these stirring words:

What then, shall we sit idly down and say,
“The night has come, it is no longer day”?
The night has not yet come, we are not quite
Cut off from labor by the failing light.
Something remains for us to do or dare –
Even the oldest trees some fruit may bear.
For Age is opportunity no less
Than Youth itself, though in another dress.
And as the evening twilight fades away,
The night is filled with stars invisible by day.

Today’s culture has been poisoned by the cult of youth: the chic and the sleek; the svelte stars and buff athletes; the smart, successful, and very rich young executives. But God’s beautiful people are not ones to fawn over, but to follow, as they just keep on going, growing, and bearing fruit for Jesus, not caring how they look to anyone but their Heavenly Husbandman.

THE CROSS: WHERE LOVE AND HATE MEET -- Devotional for December 21, from "Good Seeds"

2009-12-22T10:01:00.000-08:00

Thou hast loved righteousness and hated lawlessness (Hebrews 1:9). But Christ died for sins, the Just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God (I Peter 3:18).

What does God hate more than anything in the universe? Sin. Why? Because sin is the one thing – the only thing – that separates Him from what He loves more than anything in the universe. And what is that? Sinners – well, mankind – but all men are sinners. We didn’t start out that way, of course. Speaking to Lucifer God said, “You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, until unrighteousness was found in you” (Ezekiel 28:15). At the moment pride entered his heart the highest angel of God became the arch-enemy of God. He sought to be on an equal plane with the Almighty, and it was this self-same sin of envy that the devil tempted our first parents to commit: “You can be like God” (Genesis 3:5). Not only have we all inherited the physical characteristics of our human prototypes, we also have in our spiritual genetic code the same sinful nature Adam and Eve procured when they disobeyed God: an automatic leaning toward wrong thinking and doing. Oh, we know in order to survive in this life we must become civilized, so our parents and our culture teach us to be civil. But whenever our guard is down – our sin nature rears its ugly head: attitudes, thoughts, desires and actions quickly default to ugliness and ungodliness whenever our pride is threatened, our rights are violated, or we experience an onslaught of suffering. But God loves us still. Although we were made “a little lower than the angels,” we are the “apple of God’s eye.” When He sings, “These are a few of My favorite things,” all that comes to His mind are the people who populate this planet – and He knows each one by name! And just because our nature is now depraved, that does not make Him love us any less. How did Shakespeare put it? “Love is not love that changes when it changes finds.” If that is a description of human love, does it not epitomize divine love all the more? When the Bible says, “God is love,” love is a noun reflecting His motives. But when it says, “God so loved the world,” love is a verb describing His actions, for the verse goes on to say, “…that He gave His only begotten Son.” Christ loved us so much, even “while we were yet sinners” (Romans 5:8), that He demonstrated it by going to the cross to pay the penalty for our sin. The message is clear: God loves sinners with as much passion as He hates their sin. The cross is where that love and hate meet – and because it was “the Just for the unjust,” love wins! That’s why the cradle – He came to live among us – led to the cross – He came to die for us…which brings us back to God.

TEACH RELIGION? NO, PREACH CHRIST! -- Devotional for December 20, from "Good Seeds"

2009-12-20T18:22:00.000-08:00

He was in the world, the world He made, and yet it did not know Him. He came to His own people, but they didn’t want Him. But whoever does want Him, and believes Him to be who He claims to be, He will transform them into their true selves, what He intended them to be from the beginning – His children. (John 1:10-12).

The title of a beautiful old Christmas spiritual identifies the central figure of all history at His entrance into the human family as “Sweet Little Jesus Boy,” but then it goes on to shamefully admit mankind’s ignorance of Him when it says, “We didn’t know who You was.” People have debated the character of the Christ since the days when His coming was first prophesied back at the dawn of civilization in the Garden of Eden, when God said to Satan, “I will put enmity between your seed and the seed of the woman. He shall crush your head; you shall bruise His heel” (Genesis 3:15). But just who is this seed of the woman? The Bible teaches that God, though one, is present in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, all of whom were present and active at creation. The God who “in the beginning created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1) is this triune God. John speaks of the role of the Son – whom he called “The Word” – in that creative process: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, creating the world, for this Word was God” (John 1:1-3). The false belief called Deism teaches that though there is a Creator God, He remains hidden and distant from mankind. Deism may teach God’s transcendence, but the Bible reveals His immanence: though God is altogether “other” than man, He desires very much to be known and loved by His creatures, so He made a plan to come and live among us for a time. But it wasn’t merely for a friendly visit. In fact, that would be impossible, for since the inception of sin there was, as prophesied, no friendship between God and man, only enmity and animosity. And so, God’s Son came into the world, not as an ethereal spirit but as a human baby – in the form of a man so that men could know Him. But the bond of friendship between God and man didn’t happen for most people – not then, and not now. People still don’t know who He is. As the spiritual goes on to say: “Didn’t know You came to save us, Lord, to take our sins away. Our eyes was blind, we could not see. We didn’t know Who You was.” What is the cause of this spiritual blindness? Paul speaks of a veil that remains over people’s eyes, which causes hardened hearts. The teaching of the tenants of religion cannot remove the veil. Only one thing can penetrate hard hearts: the preaching of the person of Christ, for “Whenever a man turns to the Lord, the veil is lifted” (II Corinthians 3:14-16).

NO REGRETS -- Devotional for December 19, from "Good Seeds"

2009-12-18T23:02:00.000-08:00

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. (Philippians 1:20)

What is your goal in life? A rather personal question, you say, and difficult to answer. No, not really. Regardless of the specifics of what you want to accomplish before you die, or what you want to be remembered for, I can state in two words a life goal that would be as meaningful to men on earth as it is pleasing to God in heaven. Actually, I’ve already stated it: NO REGRETS. As many mistakes as I’ve made – and will yet make, should God give me more moments and years to live – I still want to be able to say with my last breath, “I am not ashamed of the life I have lived.” Oh, I’ve sins a-plenty to be accounted for, but that’s just it, they have already been accounted for, all of them, paid for, by Jesus, on the cross. That out of the way, I can proceed with my life’s goal, or as Paul calls it, “my earnest expectation and hope,” which is to exalt Christ in my body, as long as I live. A man may have all kinds of aspirations as his life flows, but when it begins to ebb, those many aspirations are reduced to one: respiration. He is desperate to keep on breathing; his life’s goal has mutated to mere survival; his life’s song has become, “Stayin’ alive!” But we don’t see this in the Bible. No, the goal of the God-pleaser is not to stay alive, or to live a long life, but to exalt Christ. What does it take to do this? Faith. But faith is weak and useless apart from boldness. The motivation of our faith is Christ, but the mechanism of it is boldness. And what is the source of such boldness? The answer may surprise you: logic. It just makes more sense to step out boldly on what you believe, than to hang back in doubt and fear. When I think of holy boldness, I think of Jim Elliott, the young missionary to the Aucas of Ecuador. His boldness landed him, in an airplane, along with four buddies, on a river where they were killed by these headhunters, before having a chance even to communicate the gospel to them. Jim Elliott didn’t live long, but he lived boldly for Jesus. He died with no regrets. He died with a legacy not only that those who followed him could emulate, but that led to the salvation of the very men who killed him, and many of their fellow tribesmen. Jim wrote something in his journal that reflects the logic to which I refer: “That man is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” What did Jim Elliott give? His very life, as it turned out. What could have saved it? Nothing but cowardice and complacency. And what did he gain? Many souls, as it turned out. I, too, want to gain souls for Jesus, that cannot be lost. I, too, want such a life, short or long, of no regrets! How about you?

THE SEVEN BEST WORDS OF THE CHURCH -- Devotional for December 18, from "Good Seeds"

2009-12-18T16:24:00.000-08:00

But as for me, the nearness of God is my good. I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all His works. (Psalm 73:28)

Pastors are well aware of “The Seven Last Words of the Church,” and listen with trepidation for them to be stated in one form or another by members of their congregation. “We’ve never done it that way before!” is one way to say it. Or turn the coin over (it’s still just as worthless!): “We’ve tried that already; it doesn’t work.” People just love to talk with authority about God’s business, as if they were all-knowing and all-wise about human nature, and about the future. Now we’re hearing a rather humorous tag added to a tired old cliché: “Been there, done that – bought the T-shirt! (yet another “Seven Last Words” with which to rain on someone’s parade!) What can we do when people we thought were our friends, or at least our teammates, throw cold water on our dreams? We can turn again to Psalm 73. The coda for Asaph’s song takes us from the doldrums of the blues to a praise song of victory: “Instead of dwelling on the meanness of men, I’m going to concentrate on the nearness of God!” People easily discourage us, even when they think they’re helping us. When we spend too much time with others, and not enough with God, we’re going to hear a lot of opinion, even about God’s will for our lives. But the verse specifically says, “the nearness of GOD is my good” – not the nearness of people. He has things to tell us, but He’s a Gentleman: He waits till everyone else is finished -- and He waits till He has our ear. But how often are we tuned to His “still, small voice” (I Kings 19:12)? It’s not that the ideas of others are of no consequence, but they are important and helpful only as they confirm what God is telling us. And if we don’t hear God’s voice we might be tempted to think that the ideas of others are spelling out God’s will for us. Indeed He often does speak to us through others, but remember who else can speak to us through even our best friend: Jesus identified this “wolf in sheep’s clothing” when he said to Peter, “Get thee behind me, Satan, for you are a stumbling block to Me, for your mind is not set on God’s interests, but man’s” (Matthew 16:23). So, when you hear the seven last words of the church coming from well-meaning but self-serving (Satan-serving?) friends, answer back with the seven BEST words of the church. Tell them, “Regardless of what you say does or doesn’t work, God tells me what I must do, and I suspect it’s what He wants all of us to do, which is simply…“To know Him – and make Him known,” or as our verse says it: “I have made God my refuge, and now I’m going to declare His goodness to everyone I meet!” If that doesn’t put your friend back on your team, at least it might stop him from pulling you off of God’s!

WHEN FACING SURGERY -- Devotional for December 17, from "Good Seeds"

2009-12-18T16:19:00.000-08:00

When my heart was embittered and I was pierced within, then I was senseless and ignorant; I was like a beast before You. Nevertheless I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand. With Your counsel You will guide me, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but You? Besides You I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but You are the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psalm 73:21-26)

To get the most out of the Bible we must approach it in two ways. First, we must INTERPRET its meaning. This is impossible for anyone who doesn’t know God. I Corinthians 2:14 says, “a natural man will not accept the things of God, for they are spiritually discerned.” The Word of God is our textbook, but we cannot understand it apart from the Spirit of God, our Teacher. Starting with the illumination of the Holy Spirit, we then proceed to apply the tools of interpretation to discover the original intent of these words for the original recipients. But II Timothy 3:16 says all of Scripture is profitable to all of God’s children, so we, too, are the intended recipients. Second, we can APPLY its principles. In studying this particular Psalm, we discover why the writer cried out with such passion: he was deeply vexed by the fact that the wicked ignore God and indulge in sin, and yet continue to live pleasant, trouble-free lives, while the righteous obey God and walk the line of clean living, and earn only suffering for their trouble. “It’s just not fair, God!” But in the middle of his turmoil he takes another look, at himself, at his enemies, and at his God. When bitterness had blinded him and nearly destroyed him, he felt a faint tug on his hand – on his heart. It was God: not just information from God, but the very person and presence of God, washing over him, rejuvenating him, body, soul and spirit. It came in two waves: 1) the comfort of counsel to help in his present distress; 2) the comfort of hope regarding his future glory. Now, imagine reading this passage to a friend facing surgery. How might it apply? “I have a condition that is piercing me. It worries me, for it could kill me. But I will soon be unconscious, when the doctor will cut and mend, applying all his God-given skills, while I am oblivious – “senseless and ignorant” to what’s going on. But, “like a beast” – a creature that doesn’t know its Creator – I will still be known of God and cared for by Him. He’s my Great Physician, in control of my doctor – and of my life – and afterwards, whether I come out of this better or worse, alive or not, He won’t be done with me, nor I with Him, till He whisks me out of this life and into the next. There’s nothing I desire more than Him, and I’ve got Him, and He’s got me, right here, right now – and forever!”

CHOOSE LIFE, EVERY DAY -- Devotional for December 16, from "Good Seeds"

2009-12-16T23:09:00.001-08:00

See, I have set before you prosperity and adversity, life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life! (Deuteronomy 30:15,19)

If we didn’t know better we might think this was God talking to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. They were perfect in the day they were created, and they were given a perfect paradise in which to live. But this didn’t mean they had no meaningful work to do, nor important decisions to make. They were made in the image of God, and two characteristics of that image are 1) to create and produce; and 2) to consider options and make choices. God said to them, “I have set before you Prosperity, Life and Blessing, represented by the tree of life, and all these other trees full of fruit from which you may freely eat. But I have set before you Adversity, Death and the Curse as well, which are also an option for you, all wrapped up in “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil from which you must not eat, for then you will surely die” (Genesis 2:9,16-17). But we know today’s Scripture is not quoting God speaking to our first ancestors as they were about to set human history into motion, but rather Moses speaking to our spiritual ancestors as they were about to enter another paradise. But the message is the same: a benediction spiced with a warning. If we are to believe God when He said, “I am the Lord – I change not!” (Malachi 3:6) we must conclude that today’s saints are just as much candidates for God’s blessings and warnings as believers of any other age. His loving promise “never to fail us or forsake us” (Deuteronomy 31:6) does not immunize us against His judgment when we stray from His Word and ways. His choosing us as His “bride” doesn’t mean we cannot or will not go a-whoring after other ‘husbands.” A quick perusal of Paul’s history lesson in I Corinthians 10:1-5 reveals the responsibility of God’s chosen to choose Him back: “You’ll remember that although the people of God were all under the cloud, and passed through the sea, and were baptized into Moses and ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink, partaking of that spiritual Rock which was Christ – nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased and were destroyed in the wilderness.” Privilege does not preclude responsibility. We are blessed to be Americans, but we know our “freedom isn’t free!” Having received the free grace of God in Christ doesn’t mean we have no need to grow in that grace by the exercise of faith – “For by [His] grace we are saved through [our] faith” (Ephesians 2:8). The choice is given by God to all. What man in his right mind would ever choose the curse over the blessing? And yet most people do choose that wide road that leads to destruction – death over life. Let that not be you or me! Let us choose life – every day!

I TRUST GOD -- Devotional for December 15, from "Good Seeds"

2009-12-15T19:53:00.000-08:00

I urge you, keep up your courage, for there shall be no loss of life among you -- only of the ship. For the God I serve and to whom I belong has assured me of our welfare. So keep up your courage and do not be afraid – for I TRUST GOD! (Acts 27:21-25).

Reading what Paul said to his fellow shipmates during a bad storm, “Courage men, for I trust in God,” brings to mind a song written by Child Evangelism specialist, Lowell Eason, who mentored me as a children’s pastor back in my college days…
When the devil comes a-creeping and I hear his footsteps sneaking,
I trust in God.
When he beckons me to pleasure, hoping sin I will not measure,
I trust in God.
When he points to jewels that glisten, tempting me to look and listen,
Then I ask my Lord and Master to uphold me from disaster.
Then the devil goes retreating, just as sure as he came sneaking…
I trust in God.
This song speaks of the kinds of temptations that are “common to man” (I Corinthians 10:13), rooted in our covetousness nature: the desire for pleasure and treasure. But there’s another temptation even more lethal: the temptation to doubt God’s interest in us, or His ability to help us. This is serious doubt indeed, for it questions the very nature of God. An atheist came up with this piece of diabolical logic: “If God is God, then He is not good; but if God is good, then He is not God.” In other words, if God is God – totally in control and all-powerful – then He is not good, for a good God who could prevent disaster certainly would. And if God is Good – hating all evil and suffering – then He is not God, for a real God would be able to overcome what He indeed abhorred. Just know this: the temptation to think this way is rooted not in logic, but in unbelief. It makes sense only to minds that deny an Intelligent Designer and Benevolent Sustainer, even while surrounded and inundated by His footprints! The passengers and crew of the storm-tossed ship were scared to death, for they knew they were going down. They might have wanted to believe God would save them, but doubt precluded trust. It took a man who had open and constant communion with God to hear heaven’s promise, and to believe it strongly enough to blurt it out. But it wasn’t what Paul said that convinced them – it was what Paul believed. Sometimes we need to tell the fearful doubter next to us: “Don’t worry, I have faith enough for the both of us. I’ll believe for you until your faith takes root. Don’t be afraid: you may not trust God, but I do. You don’t know Him like I do, or you would trust Him like I do, too! In the meantime, just hold this hand of mine – for God’s got my other one!”

KOINONIA CHRISTIANS -- Devotional for December 14, from "Good Seeds"

2009-12-14T23:06:00.000-08:00

Have fellowship with one another. (I John 1:7)

The honcho of a company or crew is its boss. That’s as true in Japan as in America, for this word comes straight from that land, with no need of translation. And what about the term, macho? Even if you insist you don’t know any Spanish, you probably would use this word to describe someone full of aggressive masculine pride. Koinonia is another one of these words which, although belonging to another language, is used often enough in English conversation, at least in certain circles, to be adopted as part of the common vocabulary. But of course fellowship, the English translation of the Greek koinonia, is the far more common term. Fellowship is one of those Bible words, like grace and faith and love and hope, that is so colorfully rich in nuance of meaning that it far surpasses what some dictionaries – or Bible teachers! – might reveal. But also like those words, fellowship has been dumbed down in its meaning by widespread generic use. Commonality leads commonness. And, because “familiarity breeds contempt,” many Christians, especially those who consider themselves above average in spiritual maturity, tend to miss the deeper beauty, and downplay the crucial importance, of fellowship, even as they mis-define its meaning. There’s an unfortunate human tendency to disregard –- even hold in contempt –- what we do not fully understand. And so it would be very helpful for us to learn the meaning of the Greek word, koinonia, when talking about fellowship. We are far more apt to refine our definition and application of a word we discover to be the very word used by our Lord and His contemporaries. When they said koinonia they meant, “sharing in common.” For us that might include potlucks and picnics, games and get-togethers, and coffee and conversation, but oh, it goes so much further than that! Koinonia is also sometimes translated “communion” in our English Bible, depending on the context. Just as intimacy is the end for which acquaintanceship is only the beginning, so is communion miles deeper than communication in the measurement of relationships. Two workmates can have fellowship down at the water cooler, but we reserve koinonia to describe two Christians struggling together under one load down on their knees, or a congregation sharing in common the stress and distress of one of their number who has come to the end of his rope, and hope -- by gathering groceries, providing transportation, or helping with the utility bill. Maybe this is why koinonia is also sometimes translated “contribution” or “provision,” the practical outcome of true Christian fellowship (see Romans 15:26). There are never enough “Koinonia Christians” to go around, while even one “Lone Ranger Christian” may be one too many!

A WIN-WIN ALL THE WAY! -- Devotional for December 13, from "Good Seeds"

2009-12-12T17:21:00.000-08:00

According to my earnest expectation and my 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 to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me. I do not know which to choose, and am hard-pressed from both directions: having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is so much better, yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. (Philippians 1:20-24)

Whenever someone says, “It’s a matter of life and death,” we know he’s talking about something life-threatening, a danger to be avoided at all costs. But when Paul spoke of life and death, he was rather ambivalent about it. This interesting word perfectly defines the apostle’s dilemma: he had simultaneously contradictory feelings about his future, causing him to fluctuate between one thing (going to heaven), and its opposite (staying here a little longer), resulting in uncertainty as to which to prefer and seek. Paul was so excited about seeing Jesus face to face that he was willing to endure whatever it took to bring him there – and the sooner the better! But what he couldn’t endure was the possibility that he was being hasty at heart. Maybe his mansion wasn’t ready yet – that is, maybe God still had more work for him to do on earth before his graduation to heaven. If so, he’d better dig in and get back to it, and stop daydreaming about glory! Paul was no doubt strongly suspicious that this was indeed the case, but as we eavesdrop on his intimate personal testimony, we detect anything but gloom. As he analyzed his prospects he saw only a “Win-Win” proposition, which filled him with a joy he had difficulty hiding. “For me to live is Christ” – what could be better than having the knowledge of God filling him and the joy of the Lord strengthening him? Only one thing: having the very presence of Jesus embracing him, for “to die is gain!” It was this same man who coined the phrase, “Absent from the body, present with the Lord” (II Corinthians 5:8). Is he speaking only of himself? No! Anyone coming to God through Christ can make that same confident claim. But we admit that since this life is the only one we know, there is some trepidation about the trip to the next. While visiting a very alert 102 year old man in a nursing home our conversation naturally drifted to the subject of heaven. I was amazed at something he said: “Though I’m anxious to be well on my way, I’m not desperate to be there right now.” That’s it! That’s the “sanctified ambivalence” that both haunts and upholds every saint today. But let this be our wonderful consolation: it’s a Win-Win all the way!

THE CHRISTENING -- Devotional for December 12, from "Good Seeds"

2009-12-12T15:16:00.000-08:00

Then Ezra the priest brought out the Book of the Law of Moses before the assembly, and standing at a wooden podium made for that purpose, read from the Book from early morning till midday. When Ezra opened the book, all the people stood, giving God’s Word their respectful attention. (Nehemiah 8:1-5)

The Jews had been in exile, but now were returning to rebuild and re-align themselves with their God. It had been their disobedience that had removed them from His blessing and protection in the first place, making them vulnerable to the attack of enemy nations. God permitted this exile from their homeland in order to teach them what happens when God’s people neglect God’s Word. And so, when the ancient scrolls were found, dusted off and read out loud at a public meeting, the people were overcome with a strange mixture of joy and guilt. It was a turning point for those “wandering Jews,” as they re-discovered what they had lost, and were now on the road to spiritual recovery. Here’s another true story of neglect and its dire consequences: Many years ago, a wealthy European family planned a christening of their newborn baby. Many guests were invited for the occasion, and came in the very latest fashionable dress. Their coats were carried upstairs and laid upon the beds. After the usual lot of commotion and conversation, the time came for the christening ceremony. But where was the baby? No one seemed to know. The nurse was sent upstairs to look, but she returned in alarmed distress, for the baby was nowhere to be found. After several minutes of desperate searching someone remembered seeing the child lying on one of the beds. A frantic search produced the lifeless baby, found among – and smothered under – the wraps of the guests! The chief reason they had come had been forgotten, neglected, and now destroyed! This Christmas many will forget, neglect and even destroy Christ. Every year He is smothered by the giftwrap, ribbon and make-believe that fill the festive month of December. There is no end of celebration, but people seem to have forgotten the “reason for the season” – that the very word Christmas means, “celebrate Christ.” What happened that first Christmas, where there was “no room in the inn” (Luke 2:7), happens every Christmas, as people have no room on their calendars – or in their hearts – for the Christ of Christmas. Others will smother even the mention of His name, and feign to forgot why we gather to eat, have parties, and exchange gifts. Those early Jews came back to the written Word of God. When will we return to the Living Word of God, rescue Him from the wrappings and trappings of Christmas, and give Him back His Day, as we give Him back His rightful ownership of our lives?

REACH THE REACHABLE, WIN THE WINNABLE -- Devotional for December 11, from "Good Seeds"

2009-12-11T22:19:00.000-08:00

Paul solemnly testified to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. But when they resisted and blasphemed he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be upon your own heads. I am clean. From now I shall go to the Gentiles.” Then the Lord spoke to Paul in a night vision saying, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no man will stop you – for I have many people in this city. (Acts 18:5-6, 9-10)

WD-40, the miracle lubricant with a thousand uses, is so named because it wasn’t until the fortieth try at Water Displacement that the inventor came upon the winning formula. He believed he was onto something, but it took tremendous stick-to-it-ive-ness to achieve success. On the other hand, it is said to be a sign of insanity to repeat the same mindless, useless behavior over and over thinking, “next time it will be different.” It takes great wisdom to discern between perseverance and insanity. When sharing Christ, this distinction is crucial. Paul’s heart was for his own people. Whenever he entered a city, he always went “to the Jew first” (Rom. 1:16), reasoning with them in their synagogues concerning the claims of Christ. But invariably he met strong resistance. Did he give up and go back to tent-making? No. Verse 5 says, “He devoted himself all the more to the Word of God.” But surely he asked himself, “What will be the best use of my time and energy?” Just as Jesus had instructed His disciples: “Leave any city that does not listen to you, shaking the dust off the soles of your feet as a testimony against them" (Mark 6:11), so Paul “shook out his garments” as a gesture of non-responsibility, as if to say, “Don’t blame me on Judgment Day when you find out what I told you about Jesus is true after all!” He had to discern just how long to labor among the Jews before turning toward greener Gentile pastures. But we know he did finally make the decision to look for an open door for the gospel rather than to continually beat his head against a perpetually closed door. And when he did this, two things happened, which confirmed his decision: 1) the Gentiles in Corinth were so hungry for the truth that when Paul preached, “they heard, believed, and were baptized” (verse 8); 2) God spoke to Paul in a dream, assuring him of safety and success. And then God said a curious thing: “I have many people in this city” (verse 10). Wow! What missionary wouldn’t love to hear such a statement about his chosen field! But not hearing it, we go back to the wisdom exercised by Paul: Win the winnable; reach the reachable; teach the teachable. Don’t waste time on resisters; rather, pack up and move on. Jesus has many people “in this city” – or that one. There will never be a shortage of souls who need the Lord!

FULL AND EMPTY -- Devotional for December 10, from "Good Seeds"

2009-12-11T17:07:00.000-08:00

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come, for men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness while denying its power, always learning but never coming to the knowledge of the truth. (II Timothy 3:1-7)

We invited the couple next door to come over to our house sometime to play table games. The wife was thrilled and tried to say yes, but was stopped by her husband when he explained why he didn’t play games. Regarding the reasons a person may give for not doing something, it is surprising how logical they sound to him – and how ridiculous they sound to others! He thinks his wall of defense is solid, with no idea others see right through it as if a transparent window. By the way, due to his wife’s cajoling, the husband eventually agreed to come. We said, “Great, how about tonight?” More excuses. It’s no big deal if someone doesn’t want to play table games, but what if the invitation were of a more serious, soul-changing nature? With the intention of sharing Christ with a friend, we invite him to come to church with us, maybe to the special Christmas program, or just a regular worship service. What do we usually hear? “Thank you, and yes, maybe sometime I’ll come, but I can’t right now, for you see…” and now, here come the excuses: “Work has really worn me out lately and I need my Sundays for rest;” or, “I think I’m coming down with something; it wouldn’t be very “Christian” of me to spread my germs!” Or this most common excuse of all: “My life is already so full, I don’t think there’s room to fit in one more thing – even a good thing like this.” And so, folks with lives FULL to the brim with the cares and pleasures of everyday life, remain EMPTY of the cures and treasure of eternal life! Corrupt loves and powerless beliefs fill the soul space where only Christ can fit and occupy and satisfy. December is no doubt the most FULL month of the year. But, although the calendar is so FULL of days marked for special events, it reminds us of some EMPTY things: The manger, where a special Baby lay on that first Christmas, is EMPTY. The tomb, where they buried Him after He died on the cross for our sins: EMPTY! Then He returned to His Father, and once again heaven was FULL of His presence. But the hearts of all who do not yet know the Savior remain EMPTY. Oh, they are FULL to overflowing with the good things of life – just as that Bethlehem Inn was FULL – but none of it satisfies that EMPTY space reserved just for Jesus. May our hearts be FULL of joy, at this Christmas time and always, because of Jesus, because we know Him as the Filler of every emptiness, the Satisfier of every longing – the Savior of our soul.

...MEDDLING! -- Devotional for December 9, from "Good Seeds"

2009-12-08T19:00:00.000-08:00

Preach the word in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. (II Timothy 4:2)

I Timothy 4:8 tells us that bodily discipline has some limited merit, but that “godliness is profitable for all things.” The previous verse gives context to that word, godliness: “being constantly nourished on the words of faith and sound doctrine.” It is only in the Bible we find the godly life rightly defined, and only by obeying it can that life be refined. II Timothy 3:16 says Scripture is profitable for teaching (what to know), for training (how to live), but also for correction and reproof (beliefs and behaviors that poison the soul). I remember hearing my childhood pastor, Dr. J.C. Brumfield, say on occasion: “Now I’m going to quit preachin’ and start to meddlin’!” When he said this we knew he was going to start naming – not names, but sins – and that any sleeping in the church would soon be replaced by squirming! This is the third level of intensity God sometimes intends for us to use to build up one another:
Level Three: REBUKE (reproof and correction). It’s one thing to present truth, another to make application, but sometimes we must go one step further by being very specific (and sometimes very personal) in pointing out error in thinking, or sin in doing. Now we know that the conviction of sin is the Holy Spirit’s job, not the man of God’s, no matter how holy he may be. Still, the time comes when God uses one Christian to admonish another, not to judge, but to correct or reprove. The Greek word translated reprove means “to rebuke, admonish, to convince through evidence, to tell a fault." In I Thessalonians 2:11-12 Paul describes his relationship with that church: “You know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you, as a father would his only children, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of God.” This is the normal approach of a father to his children, or of a pastor to his flock: that of exhortation. I Corinthians 14:3 says, “One who prophesies (preaches) speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation.” As difficult as this might be for the child – or for the church member – to take (as the writer to the Hebrews says: “I urge you, brethren, to bear with this word of exhortation” (13:22), occasionally gentle exhortation must give way to stern reproof, as that same writer indicates: “It is for discipline that you endure, for God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?” (12:7). And so it is that sometimes you and I must give or receive a hard word of reproof, when we would much rather speak or hear a gentle word of encouragement. But if done with great patience, for the sake of good instruction, in the end this will be the sweetest of all the one anothers.

TEACHING, PREACHING, AND... -- Devotional for December 8, from "Good Seeds"

2009-12-08T18:46:00.000-08:00

(NOTE TO MY READERS: Sorry for again falling behind. This time it was due to losing our power during a pretty fierce first snowstorm of the year. I worked at my laptop nevertheless, until the battery gave way! But here now I bring to you devotionals for yesterday, today...and tomorrow, having been blessed with some extra time to write (snowed in, I couldn't drive to work -- what a shame!), and the restoration of electricity and access to the satellites roaming the stratosphere for the sake of our mutual (yes mutual, I look forward to hearing from you!) communication).

Exhort one another (I Thessalonians 5:11); Exhort one another daily, as long as it is called “today,” lest any be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:13); Encourage one another all the more, as you see the day drawing near (Hebrews 10:25).

II Timothy 3:16 says that “all Scripture is profitable teaching, training and correcting.” But what about exhorting? How does this fit into the believer’s toolbox? Paul encourages us to “speak, exhort, and reprove with all authority” (Titus 2:15). These three levels of intensity used in building up the church, match the three uses of Scripture:
Level One: SPEAK (teaching): First, we read the Bible, out loud (I Timothy 4:13), a crucial. foundational step. Then we teach the Bible, “giving the sense” (Nehemiah 8:8). These are directed to the head – but information and instruction do not a sermon make. We air a subject, but we aim a sermon, and the target of God’s Word must always be the heart.
Level Two: APPLY (training): Now the exhortation begins. This word is parakaleo in the Greek, meaning, “to call near.” It can have a stern side, when we beseech, urge, entreat, implore, invoke, or advise our listeners. It also has a softer side, where we comfort, console, and encourage. This single word defines the dual role of the pastor when wielding the Word of God: to disturb the comfortable, and to comfort the disturbed! When we exhort, we invite our listeners to move in and take a closer look at the truth, to find personal implications and make practical applications, as seen in these Scriptural examples… “I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to make good on their promised gift” (II Corinthians 9:5). “We hear that some among you are leading undisciplined lives, doing no work, but acting like busybodies; such we exhort by the Lord Jesus to work in quiet fashion so as to eat of your own bread” (II Thessalonians 3:11-12). “By exhorting in sound doctrine refute those who contradict the truth” (Titus 1:9). “Exhort the young men to think and act with good sense” (Titus 2:6). “Exhort servants to be subject to their own masters, well-pleasing, not argumentative” (Titus 2:9). “While I was planning to write to you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to exhort you that you should contend earnestly for the faith” (Jude 1:3). “With many words he exhorted them saying, ‘Be saved from this perverse generation’ ” (Acts 2:40). Proclaiming truth is teaching. This is vital, but not enough, for it is only by preaching that men are won to Christ, and preaching is exhorting: “So with many exhortations John the Baptist preached the gospel to the people” (Luke 3:18). “And after the reading of the Scriptures the synagogue official said, ‘Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it now’” (Acts 13:15). Yes -- Say it now!

REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR -- Devotional for December 7, from "Good Seeds"

2009-12-08T10:07:00.000-08:00

The spies returned to Joshua and said, “Do not send many, for Ai is small.” But when the nations met for battle, Ai struck down the army of Israel, and the hearts of God’s people melted. (Joshua 7:3-5)

Ai was a tiny kingdom, maybe the size of just one of the tribes of noble Israel. Japan was a small country, maybe the size of just one of the states of mighty America. Little was known of Ai until spies came back with a confident report: “Don’t trouble yourself, Joshua; two or three thousand troops should be more than sufficient to shove this tiny city-state aside.” But when the two forces met, the mouse totally routed the elephant and, as the text renders it, “they struck them down on the descent” (verse 5). In the early days of December 1941, though well aware of Japan’s imperialistic advances, we had no idea our Pacific Fleet was about to be attacked while sleeping in its cozy Pearl Harbor hideaway. Japan proved to be a formidable enemy, and “struck us down on the descent” with wave after wave of bomb laden Zeroes. Nevertheless, the greatest enemy America faced was within – the enemy of complacency. For Israel, it was the same: though Ai was surely a “mighty little giant” (ch. 7), later it was proved that they could be quite handily beaten, once things were in order on the home front (ch. 8). It was the same at Pearl Harbor as at Ai: the problem was not the power without, but the weakness within. And as it is with the armies of any nation, so it is with individuals of any generation: As soon as we let our guard down – which happens whenever our self-confidence goes up – we are doomed to destruction. I Corinthians 10:12 warns, “Let him who thinks he stands take heed, lest he fall.” What was Israel’s weakness within? It all came from their previous miraculous conquest of Jericho. The Lord had won that victory for His people without their wielding any weapon but that of praise. God told them to blow ram’s horns as they marched around the city, a sound that signaled a victory just won. Praise, by definition, is thanking God in advance for what we know He can do and by faith believe He will do. They trusted in nothing but the plan and power of God that day. What else could they do? And God brought a glorious victory! All He asked in exchange for His bringing down the walls of Jericho was that they not covet the spoils, but let them be covered – buried with the rest of the city, as a memorial to His intervention on their behalf. In the midst of violating that command they approached Ai. You, too, have an Ai. “I can handle this one, Lord. Don’t trouble Yourself.” Let not such words pass your lips! Remember Jericho: only God can save you; remember Ai: the smallest enemy can defeat you. Remember Pearl Harbor: complacency can kill you!

SPIRITUAL MATURITY -- Devotional for December 6, from "Good Seeds"

2009-12-08T10:02:00.000-08:00

You who are spiritual, restore…. (Galatians 6:1)

Solomon wrote, “Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised” (Proverbs 31:30). This definition of a “woman of worth” applies directly to anyone who would call himself spiritual. Spiritual people are not ones who LOOK good but rather who ARE good, deep inside, and who DO good on the outside, for the good of others and the glory of God. The Bible tells us that when sin needs to be dealt with, when wrong needs to be made right, when weak souls need to be strengthened, when relationships need to be mended – when the body of Christ needs to be built up in any way – only spiritual people can be depended upon to do the job. What are the characteristics of a man or woman whom God would recognize as truly spiritual? These three would be paramount in God’s list of qualifications:
#1 – TRUE OBEDIENCE. Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). It’s no good being a worshiper of Jesus if we are unwilling to be a worker for Jesus. In Luke 10:38-42 these two emphases are personified in Mary and Martha. In this case Mary was obedient in her worship and Martha disobedient in her service, but it could just as easily be the other way around. “Lord, Lord” are the words of prayer and worship, but Jesus said, “Why do you call me ‘Lord’ and yet do not do what I say” (Luke 6:46). A man approached Jesus one day and said, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go, but let me first go bury my father” (Matthew 8:19,21). True obedience makes no room for this “me first” approach to discipleship. True obedience leads us from mere good intentions to…
#2 – GENUINE SERVICE. Ephesians 2:10 says, “We are God’s workmanship, created for good works which God planned from the very beginning for us to do.” Don’t ask a man to do a special job for God who is not already about his Father’s business in the everyday affairs of his life. James says, “Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only – for faith without works is dead”(James 1:22;2:26). Don’t ask a man to heal or mend or build in the kingdom of God who is strong in knowledge but weak in follow through. Again James is right on the money: “It is sin to know the right thing to do, and yet not do it” (James 4:17). We dare not ask such an unspiritual man as this to deal with spiritual matters.
#3 – VITAL REPRODUCTION. Christ’s last command must be our first concern: “Go make disciples” (Matthew 28:19). True spirituality is easily measured: by an obedience to Christ that shows itself in the way we put Him first, serve Him, and reproduce His life in others.

THE TRAGEDY OF AN ABORTED LIFE -- Devotional for December 5, from "Good Seeds"

2009-12-05T19:35:00.000-08:00

“Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance, and in Thy book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.” (Psalm 139:18)

What is the tragedy of abortion? Just this: a human soul is dispatched straight to eternal life without the benefit of an earthly life. In Psalm 139:13-16 we read of God not only creating but communing with the tiny human being, following conception but preceding birth. His ultrasound vision sees our miniature grasping fingers and beating heart, but more than that, His MRI eyes take pictures of the slices of our lives yet to be lived. Scientists call it a fetus, but God knows – and in their heart of hearts men know, too – that this is not just a living organism, but a complete human being. A developing baby lives in its mama’s womb until it is ready to enter the world of earth and air. But when death occurs before the capacity for decision-making has developed (either before or after birth), a human being goes to heaven’s paradise (see II Samuel 12:23). “Well, what’s so bad about that?” you ask. “Such a one is the lucky one, skipping this ugly world and going straight to the perfect world, that beautiful life with God in heaven!” But it IS bad – it spells loss on two levels: 1) Personal loss – Human life is defined as an eternal soul residing in a corporal body: spirit plus body. And our life is not complete, not fulfilled, when these two parts are separated. Indeed the very definition of death is “separation of the soul from the body.” We instinctively know that we’re “not good if detached!” The Bible also indicates that it is God’s plan for us to dwell on earth, for a time, and afterwards in heaven, for eternity, where our temporary body is replaced with a permanent one. So when unborn children are dispatched to the bosom of the Father, skipping life lived out in a corporal body, they miss the life God intended for them to live in the temporal kingdom. It’s a tough life, starting with struggle, but He is not willing that any should perish: He desires salvation for all. But not only does the individual lose out on this significant part of the purpose for which they were created. So does the world around him. Yes abortion is also 2) Humanity’s loss, Every individual created by God has a contribution to make to the family and community he was born into. Although the believing thief on the cross next to Jesus was promised a life in Paradise in exchange for his faith, there was no opportunity for him to live out that faith on earth. It is clearly evident that to die young, even as young as when still in the womb, is a tragedy. Not so obvious is another scenario: to be dead even while alive (spiritually dead in sin, see Ephesians 2:1), or, like the thief, to not come to life until life has come to an end.

THE CASE FOR PRAYER -- Devotional for December 4, from "Good Seeds"

2009-12-05T00:07:00.000-08:00

We have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work. (Colossians 1:9-10)

In making a case for prayer here are some principles to consider:
#1 Prayer is thanking God for things we know originated with Him.
#2 Prayer is asking God for things no man can provide.
#3 Prayer is telling God things that are for His ears only.
Jesus gave His followers a pattern for prayer in what we call “The Lord’s Prayer.” A better name for it would be “The Disciple’s Prayer.” Not that Jesus never prayed for the things in that prayer, but His prayers went far deeper, and the disciple who would follow His Master to the extreme will model his prayer life after those prayers as well. Today’s Scripture records another pattern for prayer we would do well to follow: The Apostle’s Prayer. We ask our Christian brothers to pray for us all the time, but how often do we ask for the things enumerated in Paul’s prayer for his friends at Colossae. I’m sure if he had asked, “How can I pray for you?” he would have received a laundry list of their aches and pains and disappointments, the very things that dominate our prayer times today. So maybe Paul didn’t ask. Maybe he prayed for other things, things they needed more than comfort and healing and provision of perceived needs – things that if benevolently provided by God according to the apostle’s requests, would have more than made up for the people not having their own way with God. Next time you ask for prayer, ask for the Four W’s: The knowledge of God’s WILL; spiritual WISDOM; a worthy WALK; and fruitful WORK. And next time someone asks you to pray for them, go ahead and intercede for the thing they requested, but then, keep going. And if they’re within earshot of your prayer, they will be blessed to know that God is interested in them, and will care for them, way past the body, deep into the soul; way past obvious hurts and expected cures, deep into surprising serendipitous solutions; and way beyond the painful past, out into a glorious future! When we ask God for the Four W’s for our friends, and we hear them praying them for us, we stop treating God like a divine genie, and learn to know Him as the all powerful creator of the universe who can take care of us without losing track of the rest of the world or hurting humanity. When we learn to pray in this deeper way, we begin to recognize God for who He really is, and a fourth principle of prayer begins to dominate our prayer life:
#4 Prayer is the heart of man reaching out to the heart of God.

ALMOST PERSUADED -- Devotional for December 3, from "Good Seeds"

2009-12-04T14:38:00.000-08:00

Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Almost you have persuaded me to become a Christian.” (Acts 26:28)

I read this quote by Shane Claiborne in my sister’s blog:

To all my non-believing, sort-of-believing, and used-to-be-believing friends: I feel like I should begin with a confession. I am sorry that so often the biggest obstacle to God has been Christians, Christians who have had so much to say with our mouths and so little to show with our lives. I am sorry that so often we have forgotten the Christ of our Christianity.

What Sue said next was just what I was thinking – maybe you, too…

I would hate that to be said of me: that my life was an obstacle to God. The more I think about me, however, the more I realize this can be the case. God doesn't want us over-meditating (or over-medicating!) on our shortcomings. We have them, He knows it – He died for them. Rather, we need to ask Him to fill our gaze with Himself and the cross. Christmas leads to the cross. The season is upon us. May others find Him through our lives and eyes upturned to Him alone. Oswald Chambers wrote, "I am called to live in perfect relation to God so that my life produces a longing after God in other lives." Always going back to this "relationship with God" thing. I love that. Not rules, not rituals. We are loved, and drawn to God, by His cross. I need to get my focus right…and let Him take care of the ones who are ready to come into relationship with Him….(from the blog of Sue Donaldson)

To all this I would add...

Ghandi was heard to say that he had no problem with Christ – it was just Christians he couldn’t abide! But along with meditating on our shortcomings – and doing something about them – maybe we need to consider what else it might take to win those still lost ones to Jesus. When the apostle Paul heard these wistful words from King Agrippa, “Almost you have persuaded me to become a Christian,” was he driven to dark introspection to discern the flaw in his character or the inconsistency in his testimony that surely had blocked the way to the king’s conversion to Christ? There’s no mention of that in the record. Yes, we must clean up our act, but how quickly sincere spiritual self-medication turns into subtle self-absorption, and before long it’s all about us, when it should be all about the one who needs us, and THE ONE still willing to use us. What did Paul do when he heard Agrippa’s words? I think I know – and it’s what we should do: He grieved for a moment, but then he got down on his knees to pray for that crusty old soul. Blaming ourselves never got anyone into God’s kingdom; forgiving ourselves doesn’t do the trick either. Forgetting ourselves and concentrating on our Savior is the better way. Do you know anyone at the “almost stage”? Don’t give up on him. Rather just give him – and yourself – up to God!

THE LIGHTS OF CHRISTMAS -- Devotional for December 2, from "Good Seeds"

2009-12-04T00:31:00.000-08:00

“The people that walked in darkness saw a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined” (Isaiah 9:2).

The lights are coming on all around us. Right after Thanksgiving houses and yards, as well as city streets and businesses, start bursting with the colorful lights of Christmas. Nighttime is never so beautiful as at Christmas time. Our Christmas Eve family tradition is a common one: we get in the car and head for the neighborhoods reputed to have the brightest and prettiest (gaudiest!) lights and decorations. Happily for us, there are plenty of homeowners out there who are glad enough to accommodate us, and feed our need for lack of speed, so we can get a full view and go, “Ooh, Ahh!” Sometimes we say, “Oh look, there’s one that shows the real meaning of Christmas!” Yes, there are still lots of folks, whether Christians or no, we do not know, who are willing enough to put out bright and beautiful versions of that first Christmas scene, of the holy family surrounded by shepherds and animals and Wise Men (which surely wasn't so bright, but dirty, dismal, and dark, even if brightened a bit by the miracle star overhead). Still, as we meander through the neighborhoods we are accosted by the more dominant Santa Claus -– and commercialized -- versions of Christmas. But the common denominator of it all is light, lots of bright, colorful, “huge-electric-bill-but-who-cares-it’s-Christmas” light! Long ago Isaiah prophesied of another light, one not measured in earthly lumens but in heavenly glory – not manifesting in candlepower but in Holy Spirit power. The prophecy spoke of people whose inner darkness had been untouched by the SUN in the sky, who would someday be enlightened within by the SON from on high! And how can we who have experienced the light of Jesus deep in our hearts be satisfied with any of these lesser outward illuminations, for His salvation lights our way throughout our earthly walk, all the way to heaven. Jesus is the light of the world -- but most people still walk in darkness. Let’s go back two thousand years: Jesus had come and gone. The Scrooge of the day was a religious unbeliever named Saul of Tarsus. He followed a dark path in his persecution of Christians. But on his trek through the Damascus neighborhood he came across a Christmas light so bright it blinded him – but saved him, too! Hear the account, in his own words: “And it happened that as I made my journey, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light” (Acts 22:6). Still today there are those who though surrounded by bright holiday lights have only darkness in their souls. They, too, have yet to experience the true light of Christmas. What better time of year to introduce a friend to Jesus, the light of the World!

THE ITALIAN WITCH! -- Devotional for December 1, from "Good Seeds"

2009-12-01T17:00:00.000-08:00

Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. (Ruth 1:14)

A friend of mine told me of his daughter’s mother-in-law, whom she calls an “Italian Witch.” How sad when in-laws become outlaws, especially when this can be one of the most precious of all human relationships. When my wife and I married, we adopted each other’s mothers as our own, and immediately called them “Mom.” Although this caused a little confusion when both women were in the room at the same time, at least it did not cause any consternation, for both mothers received equal billing. The mother that raised us is obviously the one we’re closest to, but to honor our mother-in-law is a corollary to the law of marriage given in Genesis 2:24: “For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife.” Of course we never stop loving and honoring our parents, but a marriage where Mom remains the number one lady in a man’s life is doomed to destruction! But a husband that pours out love upon his mother-in-law demonstrates to both his own mother and his wife that he is truly leaving and cleaving, and an example is set for his wife, who will without doubt follow suit. In the case of Old Testament Ruth, both her husband and father-in-law had died. The same was the case with her sister-in-law, Orpah. Their mother-in-law, also destitute of all her men, was sure she would soon be totally alone, as these girls were young and pretty and surely would go back to their own country and religion, find a nice young man and start a new life. We think of a kiss as a gesture of deep endearment, but in this case the clinging of Ruth was the greater expression of love. Proverbs 27:6 says, “Deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.” In this case, shallow was the kiss of a daughter-in-law. It’s possible to cling to your blood mother too much (and some, like the “Italian Witch,” cling to their sons too much), but rare is the case where a mother-in-law is cared for and clung to too much. For Ruth it was more than a social error to leave her own kind, the Moabites, and stick to this foreign culture she’d married into, the Jews. But she had already seen the difference. Even in her deep depression, Naomi came through as a true daughter of heaven, and Ruth wanted in on that: “Where you go I will go,” she told her. “Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God” (Ruth 1:16). It’s one thing for a mother-in-law to re-attach herself to her children, quite another for a daughter-in-law to cling to her adopted mom. And by the way, when a man looking for real love sees this kind of TLC in a woman, he will recognize it for what it is. For Ruth, loving Naomi was a win-win all the way around: No Italian witch for her, but a Israeli saint – and a rich Jewish hunk of a husband thrown in for good measure!

YOU ARE THERE! -- Devotional for November 30, from "Good Seeds"

2009-12-01T06:27:00.000-08:00

What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up (I Corinthians 14:26). And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives (Matthew 26:30).

I remember a T.V. program I used to watch as a kid (back in the early days of television) that began with Walter Cronkite saying something like this: “The events you are about to see are all true: the places, the people – it all happened just as you witness them now, except…YOU ARE THERE!” What an interesting way to learn about the Landing of the Hindenburg, the Salem Witchcraft Trials, the Gettysburg Address, or the Fall of Troy. History can be either the most boring, or the most fascinating and rewarding subject to study, depending on how it is presented. The challenge to every history teacher – and this would include every Bible teacher – is to portray the people and events of former times in ways that put us right there with them. The French have a proverb, “The only thing we learn from history is that we don’t learn from history.” We know that without a clear understanding of the mistakes of the past we are doomed to repeat them. But what does history have to do with today’s Bible reading? Just this: Hymns. The hymnbook, right along with God’s Book, sends us back into history and places us right next to fellow believers of hundreds of years ago. When we sing hymns we are singing with them of the truths that are as dear to our hearts as to theirs, and we are giving glory to the same Lord. This affords us with a powerful and joyful awareness of the universal family of God, spanning all borders of time and geography. If we sing only the songs of today, written by our contemporaries, as much as they may speak to our hearts with today’s vernacular, they don’t afford to us the sense of belonging, or the experience of kinship with believers of yesteryear. As we sing of the “Faith of our Fathers,” we join our ancestors as they sang of theirs, who in turn sang of our mutual holy faith in our ever-living, never-changing Savior. Three hundred years ago they were singing, “How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in His excellent Word.” Nearly two thousand years ago Christians were singing, “As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be; world without end, Amen!” Are you sometimes disappointed with low church attendance or flagging enthusiasm for the kingdom of God? Open a hymnal and find yourself worshipping with a vast congregation of fellow Christians -- dear friends you’ve yet to meet! But you invite them, even now, into your fellowship when you sing what they sang. And regarding the worship of their God and yours – through hymns…YOU ARE THERE!

IS FAITH A GIFT OF GOD? -- Devotional for November 29, from "Good Seeds"

2009-11-30T19:51:00.000-08:00

“For by grace you are saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8)

What is faith? Is it just a word for religious discussion or is it of more universal interest? The dictionary goes beyond religion in its definitions. First we learn that faith is a derivative of a Latin word meaning trust. So faith means the placing of trust in something or someone. Another definition renders faith “a firm belief in something apart from empirical proof” (some might add: “apart from any visible means of support!”), which leads to the standard definition: “Faith is belief in the traditional doctrines of religion.” Our theology, however, is not rooted in Webster, but the Word of God! We find a pretty succinct definition of faith at the beginning of the faith chapter: “Now faith is the substance (assurance) of things hoped, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). This applies to everyday life just as readily as to the spiritual life: The last time you sat down did you first inspect the chair? Probably not. You just took it “by faith” that it would support your weight and frame. But you’d probably be more careful about the parachute you were about to use, for a fall from a plane might hurt worse than a fall from a chair! We say, “I have no faith in this thing, or that person,” and well we should, for placing faith in unworthy or undependable things or people is the epitome of foolishness. Some think when Ephesians 2:8 says we are saved by grace “through faith, and THAT not of yourselves, it is the gift of God,” it means faith is a special gift of God. But the antecedent (the thing referred to) of the word THAT is salvation, not faith. Salvation is what is being offered as the free gift, while faith is no more or less than the means by which we receive it. Faith is not just for some and not for others. Everyone has faith as an operational tool. It is simply the way God made us to function: we act on what we believe to be true. It is no more spiritual – and no more a special gift from God – than our lungs or our fingers. We all have the capacity to express faith – what we do NOT have is the capacity to save ourselves. That's the work of grace. Grace is God's job – faith is man's job. We cannot do God's job for Him – we cannot save ourselves. And God does not do our job for us – nowhere in the Bible do we read that God expresses faith on our behalf. Rather, it pleads, “Be reconciled to God” (II Corinthians 5:20). And then it tells us how: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31). The question comes down to where we place our faith. Our faith choices lead to beliefs; our beliefs lead to decisions and actions, which in turn lead to our final destiny! And so, my friend, who will you trust with your eternal soul?!

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HOW DO WE COME TO SALVATION? -- Devotional for November 28, from "Good Seeds"

2009-11-28T19:23:00.000-08:00

Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. But how shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good things!” But Lord, who has believed our report? So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ. (Romans 10:13-17)

For hundreds of years Christians have debated with one another – and sometimes departed from one another – over the question of how a lost person comes to salvation. One side of the argument takes Bible verses that speak of God’s sovereign will, concluding that no one can be saved unless chosen by God. And if so chosen, it impossible for them not to be saved, for God will have His will! Since millions of people have died never having come to faith in Christ, the logical conclusion is that God must not have chosen that vast majority of men and women for His kingdom. The other side of the argument takes Scriptures like today’s passage, which says nothing about God choosing men, but everything about men choosing God! The first argument interprets Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace you are saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” to mean that faith is a gift of God. Anyone who has it will believe and be saved. Those who have not received it cannot believe and so are condemned. The means to salvation is the faith God gives to certain ones of His choice. But is this really what Paul meant? If so, he contradicted himself in Romans, where he wrote: “Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” He didn’t say, “whomever God calls,” but “whoever calls God.” Who gets to be saved? That’s the basic question. And here, in black and white, is the basic answer: “Whoever calls out to God.” Paul goes on to tell the Romans the source of faith (notice he says nothing about a gift): “Faith comes by hearing the Word of God,” he says. It’s hard for some to admit it, but it boils down to man’s efforts – all within God’s sovereign plan, of course! How are people going to hear the message? God doesn’t miraculously zap them into heaven. Someone has to tell them. Once they’ve heard, it’s up to them to believe on Christ and then call out to be saved. But it starts with the evangelist. Now any Christian can and should be a witness for Christ, but there are some who specialize in preaching the gospel of salvation. God calls and gifts them. Men equip and send them. What is the result? Saved souls! But what is the process? Beautiful soles! I want the beautiful feet of the missionary! How about you?

CHRISTMAS COMMERCIAL -- Devotional for November 27, from "Good Seeds"

2009-11-28T10:28:00.000-08:00

The angel said to the shepherds, “Do not be afraid, for I bring you Good News of great joy for all people.” And they came in haste to the place they had been told, and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen this, the shepherds went back to their place, and made known the statement which had been told them about this Child, continually glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as had been told to them. And all who heard them were amazed and in awe. (Luke 2:10,16-18,20)

Having a good product but not advertising it is like winking at a girl in the dark: you know what you’re doing, but nobody else does! Even though in this modern materialistic world advertisement has gone to seed, there is a commodity that has slipped under the radar screen of contemporary society which could do with a healthy dose of renewed creative exposure. That precious product is the Good News about Jesus Christ. As we approach the Christmas season we witness the unfortunate dichotomy between the desire to celebrate and the denial of the “Reason for the season.” Sadly, believers in Jesus Christ are caught up in the “lovely traditions” and the “crass commercialism” of Christmas right along with the rest of the world. But we are not mere consumers – we have an advertising job to do, for we have a Savior to proclaim! We need not shrink from this task; we need merely to follow the pattern set for us by the shepherds. The Christmas commercial started with the facts, as proclaimed to men by messengers from heaven: the Savior of the world has landed; the Son of God is now Emmanuel – God with us. But like any good commercial, though a clear explanation of the facts is necessary, it is not enough. The shepherds weren’t satisfied just to hear – they, like old Doubting Thomas, had to see for themselves “if these things be true.” The best advertising comes not from paid professionals, but from satisfied customers. When the shepherds saw the Bethlehem scene, exactly as described by the angel, they were convinced and ready to communicate. Passive hearers then became active eye-witnesses...and enthusiastic proclaimers! Just like those shepherds of old, when we come to know Christ for who He really is, we will never be the same. And when we make our way from the manger to the marketplace –- back to family and neighborhood and job –- we will “go into all our world and preach the gospel” – tell the story (Mark 16:15) – sometimes shouting it from the rooftops, but usually just whispering it to dear hearts, one at a time. And we will be heard, for we’ve been there! It was not the miracle proclamation of angels that convinced the crowds, but the song in the hearts – and the glow on the faces – of those who had just seen Jesus!

EASY FOR YOU TO SAY! -- Devotional for November 26, from "Good Seeds"

2009-11-27T19:34:00.000-08:00

Pray for one another. (James 5:16)

This common cliché has an implied but unspoken finishing statement: “That’s easy for you to say – but not so easy to do.” This is especially true for Christians in the area of prayer. We are so quick to say, “I’ll pray for you,” but how quick are we to actually pray? If we don’t stop and pray right then and there, when will we do it? How will we remember our friend’s need, and our promise to bring it before the Lord? Until we find a way to keep our vigil with God on our friend's behalf, we’d better hold off from making such glib commitments, for “by our words we shall be condemned” (Matthew 12:37). A line from the poem, "The Cremation of Sam MaGee," serves as a sober reminder to every conscientious Christian regarding his promise to pray for someone: “A promise made is a debt unpaid.” Some may not think of it as an actual promise, but rather just a statement of intent. But it’s a question of character here, for ought not our word be our bond? Isn’t saying I will do something really saying, “I promise I will do it”? Otherwise I should say, “I’ll do it – if I don’t forget.” And here’s another problem: because of our sinful nature we fool ourselves into thinking that once we have stated our intent to do something, we’ve as good as done it! And regarding our prayer, who’s to know whether or not we actually prayed as promised? After all, isn’t prayer by definition a very private and personal thing? Yes, so much so that maybe we ought not to talk about it at all, but just do it! Jesus rebuked the religious hypocrites of His day for making a public spectacle of their praying, “in order to be seen by men” (Matthew 6:5). If we are totally honest with ourselves we will admit a certain satisfaction felt inside every time we tell someone we will pray for him. If we don’t tell him, but just do it, we deprive ourselves of that “innocent” little perk, leaving behind just the work! Someone said, “Real prayer is hard work,” and I believe it. But not to promise to pray has its down side, too. Prayer needs planning, and planning begins with desires and goals. To say we will pray is the first step in our prayer plan. In Proverbs 29:18 we read, “Without a vision the people perish.” Sincere intention coupled with a practical plan prevents us from becoming useless, prayer-less saints! Here’s a good plan: 1) Keep track of prayer requests by immediately writing them down in a small notebook that you keep with you at all times; 2) Keep your prayer vigil with the Lord – same time, same station, every day. Then pull out your list, get on your knees, and pray; 3) Keep your prayer promise to your friend. This “Prayer-Keep Plan” will help you walk the walk of prayer, and not just talk the talk, making it easy for you to pray, not just to say that you will!

A CONFESSION OF THANKSGIVING -- Devotional for November 25, from "Good Seeds"

2009-11-27T19:30:00.000-08:00

In everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (I Thessalonians 5:18)

“Lord, today I would like to make a confession of thanksgiving….” So began the prayer I heard at a public meeting recently. I was intrigued by the phrase, “confession of thanksgiving.” Usually our statements of gratitude come with positive and joyful affirmation, not with an implied admission of guilt. Regarding thanksgiving, what’s there to confess? Well, I was soon to find out, for this is what followed: “I’m ashamed to confess, Lord, how easy it is to thank You for my family and friends.” And in our “I’m thankful for…” time around the table after the Thanksgiving feast others may add their gratitude for the precious freedoms we enjoy and the blessing of dwelling in safety and comfort. “O Lord, thank You for giving us all of our needs – and most of our wants!” Confession #1: Thanking God FOR the good things, as reflected in the old hymn, “Count your many blessings, name them one by one.” Just because it is easy to do this doesn’t mean it is not important. Certainly it is right to acknowledge all the good that comes our way, and bow to the One responsible for it. But having done so, are we done? Is our thanksgiving confession complete? Not by a long shot! Look at the verse again…. Does it say, “For good things give thanks”? No, but rather, “In all things give thanks” – which brings us to Confession #2: Thanking God IN the hard things. I must confess that it is not so easy to thank God when I’m going through tough stuff. The fragrant flowers along life’s pathway bring joy to our hearts, but what are we to do about the weeds and thorns, the rocks and roadblocks? These are the pain, distress, and disappointment that we deal with daily. We are not told to thank God FOR them, but by His grace we can thank Him IN them – for He goes with us THROUGH them, and brings us out the other side better people BECAUSE of them. Surely this is what Andrae Crouch meant when he wrote: “I thank God for the mountains, and I thank Him for the valleys; and I thank Him for the storms He’s brought me through; for if I never had a problem I’d never know that He could solve them, I’d never know what faith in God could do. Through it all, through it all, I’ve learned to trust in Jesus, I’ve learned to trust in God.” And so our confession of thanksgiving continues: “Oh God, on this beautiful Thanksgiving Day, I will thank You for the treats, for sure, for they encourage my heart – but for the trials, too, for they strengthen my faith, even as they build my character. And if the rare moments of splendor give me a glimpse of heaven, and draw me closer there, still it is the daily struggle with unpleasant circumstances that show me heaven’s God, and draws me into His care.

BREAKING THE SILENCE, WITH GOOD NEWS! -- Devotional for November 24, from "Good Seeds"

2009-11-24T22:13:00.000-08:00

Good news from a far country is like a drink of cold water to a thirsty man. (Proverbs 25:25)

There are many ways where the image of God is seen in man. One is the desire and ability to communicate. When God created man He gave him the wonderful gift of speech. Oh, He provided adequate language for the lower creatures, too, but nothing like the miracle of words with which He blessed mankind. Your baby’s first steps are a milestone, to be sure, but they don’t hold a candle to your joy at hearing “Dadda” or Mama” from those tiny, rosy lips for the very first time! Man craves to communicate, whether by Indian smoke signals drifting lazily across a valley, or a detailed message sent across town or across the sea, traveling invisibly at the speed of light, bouncing between earth and communication satellites, via the personal computer. Kids today hardly know how to write and send a letter through the postal service, but they’ll teach the older generation a thing or two about text messaging from their cell phone. And loved ones, or strangers soon to be friends, though halfway round the world, can now talk to one another (even see one another, if equipped with a webcam) via email or skype! We think this passion to communicate is unique to our day, but going back in history we see it’s nothing new. Think of the apostle Paul languishing in a Roman prison, isolated from loved ones, how it thrilled his soul when a letter finally came! And he was never beholden to his faraway friends, for they would always receive a letter from him in return. Now God was in those letters, for He caused them to become the Text Messages of Good News from the "far country" of heaven. A twenty-three year old Belgian man was in a car accident that left him totally paralyzed. Doctors told his parents it was futile to keep him alive, for he was no more than a vegetable. How fortunate that they refused to give up hope, for after twenty-three years in a supposed coma a newly developed brain scan technique discovered he was conscious, and had been internally alert the entire time! Such a “far country” he had been in. But now he communicates his thoughts through a touch screen device, and he plans to write a book about his ordeal. The apostle Paul could suggest a good title for that book: “Remember my imprisonment” (Colossians 4:18). But a worse silence than these is going on today between men and the God who is calling them. He calls them from the manger, from the cross – and from the skies! Remember what the angel proclaimed on that first Christmas Eve: “Today I bring you good news of great joy for all people (Luke 2:10). What isolated and imprisoned friend could you touch, refresh, and liberate today with this Good News from a Far Country?

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: Part Five (conclusion) -- Devotional for November 23, from "Good Seeds"

2009-11-23T19:24:00.001-08:00

What happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard – things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity, a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, and able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Some people have great power over other people – others just wish they did! Some people have great power with God – others like to think they do, but reality proves otherwise! And some people claim to have great power over their own bodily parts and passions – but if they really do, we’d like to know who they are and how they do it, for they have a lot to teach the rest of us! But, James, pastor of First Jerusalem Christian Church, would beg to differ with them, for concerning control over just one area, the tongue, he wrote: “He who does not stumble in what he says is a perfect man, able to bridle the rest of the body as well” (James 3:2). But then again, who among us is always loving, or joyful, or peaceful, or patient? And so, as we examine SELF-CONTROL, the last of the nine Galatians 5 spiritual fruits, we view it as a work in progress, knowing we’ll not get it right all the time – not until glory! And in heaven self-discipline won’t even be an issue: because the propensity and temptation to sin will be gone, there will be no struggle to control our passions and desires. Self-control for us then will come as naturally as the kindness, goodness, faithfulness and meekness that we will finally have perfected. Instead of having to practice self-control and the other spiritual fruits, we will be occupied in the practice of godliness (using that word the way it is used of a highly experienced and proficient doctor practicing his trade). Paul makes this contrast in his advice to young Timothy when he says, “Discipline of the body has its place, but the discipline of the soul is far more valuable, since it holds promise for this present life and the life to come” (I Timothy 4:8). Just as there will be no more pain or disease or death in heaven, so there will be no more gluttony or obesity or addiction. But where we are now is no “heaven on earth.” We each have our own demons whispering in our ears to eat this, smoke that, speak thus, take a sip, take a peek! These things won’t hurt you, but actually do you good, making you wise, able to commune with those around you. Indeed, “you will be like God, knowing good and evil! (Genesis 3:5) What a lie! The only time we’re like God is when we are able to marshal and direct our energies in the wisdom and ways of God!

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: Part Four -- Devotional for November 22, from "Good Seeds"

2009-11-22T19:55:00.000-08:00

What happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard – things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity, a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, and able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Are you a list maker? I am. I find it both enjoyable and useful to make lists for myself: things to do today; people to contact; what to buy when I go to town; pros and cons regarding an impending decision…and I could “list” plenty more! List making is fun because we can go back to our list later and check off what we’ve accomplished. And it is helpful because it corresponds with the way our minds work: we learn and understand as we compare and contrast and categorize. And so, it shouldn’t surprise us to find lists in the Bible. For example: the genealogies; the ten commandments; the beatitudes; the gifts of the Spirit; the attributes of God…. “Wait!” you say, “the only place you’ll find that last one is in theology books.” Maybe so, but if verse 22 says these are characteristic attitudes of those who live God’s way, wouldn’t it follow that as we practice them we are walking “in God’s steps,” thinking and feeling and doing as He does? We now come to the seventh fruit, FAITHFULNESS. It doesn’t say faith. Faith is trusting and believing what we cannot see or prove empirically. Technically, God has no need for faith, as He knows all and sees all. Grace is God’s department: the extending of salvation to mankind, whereas faith is man’s domain: the receiving of God’s gracious gift. But Faithfulness describes both God and the godly man. It is a corollary of love as defined in I Cor. 13:7, “If you love someone you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost; you will always believe in him, expect the best of him and stand your ground in defending him.” The relationships of godly people have the distinctive flavor of loyalty about them. Patience helps us stick to a task through to its completion, but faithfulness causes us to stick to a friend to the end. The eighth fruit is gentleness, or better rendered, MEEKNESS. This word means “power under control,” or “strength harnessed for service.” Though it rhymes with weakness, it is anything but weak. But if I want to be godly, I must recognize the limitations of my own strengths and abilities, and remember the damage I caused every time “I did it my way!” Meekness is God’s power manifested in my weakness (II Corinthians 12:10). It is inviting Him to work in my failure to bring about His success!

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: Part Three -- Devotional for November 21, from "Good Seeds"

2009-11-21T11:38:00.000-08:00

What happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard – things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity, a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, and able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. (Galatians 5:22-23)

There are two kinds of people in the world: those who are filled and empowered by God to live as He designed and intended for them to live – and those who are not. Listen to these intriguing lyrics…

Master Designer, whoever You are, all of this beauty both near and afar
can’t just have happened, the odds are too great. There must be a plan, we’re not left to fate. All of this beauty is far too convincing. Master Designer, Your Word must be true. Of all Your creations man is the dearest – Help me to simply believe now in You.

To become part of that first group requires one thing: we must believe in God, including His plan to redeem us and restore us to the way He intended for us to be from the very beginning. And when we believe the Truth and live the Life, and follow the Way (John 14:6), we will start to behave in certain ways, ways that could not be faulted by the sincerest of unbelievers (though unachievable by them). Those ways are called “The fruit of the Spirit.” We’ve looked at four of them. There are five more, as described in our passage. The fifth fruit of the Spirit is KINDNESS. Although “it takes all kinds to make a world,” and there’s glory in variety, it is also true that “if you’re not kind, you’re the wrong kind.” In God’s economy there is definite right and wrong, and it is definitely wrong to be unkind. There are many ways human beings can connect with one another, but unless and until we connect at the heart level, we are less than human. Animals, even plants, can procreate and work together in symbiosis, but only those created in the image of God can feel and demonstrate compassion from the heart. And then there’s GOODNESS. Such a general term, but Peterson gives this particular interpretation: Everything God made was designed with purpose; that is how its beauty is defined and manifested. A basic holiness permeates every corner of His creation – that is, every entity must be separated unto its purpose and protected from being polluted or misused. Linking goodness with kindness causes the fruitful Christian to be the best steward and protector of both the physical and his human environment.

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT - PART TWO -- Devotional for November 20, from "Good Seeds"

2009-11-20T15:08:00.000-08:00

What happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard – things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity, a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, and able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Romans 12:6-8 lists the seven GIFTS of the Spirit. But the question arises, is God giving all these gifts to all His children? A quick glance at verse 4 answers the question: No, each member of the body of Christ has been gifted by God in a different way to do a different task. But now, does this same rule apply to the FRUITS of the Spirit? Again, no. Galatians 5 makes no provision for a division of labor in the attitudes of a Christian. It is not okay if I’m squared away in my love and joy, but a bit lacking in my peace and patience. In fact, if we are strong in all the fruits but one, God says it is as if we had none. Paul wrote to the Corinthians that even if they were perfect in their teaching and preaching, or even if God chose to do amazing miracles in their midst, if they were amiss in just the one trait of love, they would have missed the boat entirely of what Christian life is all about. And so, as we continue to examine the nine fruits of the Spirit, let us remember we can’t afford to come up short in any of them. The third fruit of the Spirit is PEACE. This word immediately brings to mind peace between nations. But international peace cannot happen apart from interpersonal peace. And peace between individuals will never be a reality without those individuals being at peace with themselves, with their circumstances, and with their God. And the word for this internal and spiritual peace is serenity. The fourth fruit of the Spirit is PATIENCE. Enduring difficult people and circumstances is one aspect of patience, often called forbearance. The other is perseverance, or “stick-to-it-ive-ness.” No one likes a quitter, and that includes our Lord, who said, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62). And He practiced the patience He preached. Seeing what was ahead of Him, the road of suffering, leading to the cross of shame, what did He do? He “endured the cross, despising its shame” (Hebrews 12:2). In fact, every time He was confronted with the temptation to take a shortcut, or to quit altogether, He shot back at Satan with His Scripture gun! “Do your worst, vile snake, and watch God do His best!” These are not passive traits. This is spiced fruit. There’s power in peace and patience!

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT - PART ONE -- Devotional for November 19, from "Good Seeds"

2009-11-20T14:59:00.000-08:00

What happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard – things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity, a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, and able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. (Galatians 5:22-23)

I look at this list, especially as paraphrased here, and I realize two things: 1) how far away from this standard I still am, even after all these years of living for Jesus; and 2) how I long to be closer. Taking the inverse of the former three verses (listing fifteen characteristics of those who will not inherit the kingdom of God), we see that these nine fruits are descriptive of all who are the heirs of God’s grace. But then that’s the point: just how descriptive of us are they? Let’s examine them one at a time: LOVE – We know that it was a motive of love that caused God to reach down, to come down, to man, to restore us to our former glory as reflectors of His image. Jesus did this for us when He died for us. But even before that ultimate sacrifice (that only the sinless Lamb of God could accomplish) He made many small sacrifices, things we also could do as we walk “in His steps.” Peter saw this first hand in the Savior’s life and described it this way: “And while being reviled, he did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats” (I Peter 2:23). We know the positive aspect of love, but how well do we know and practice this other side of the coin, this giving good in return for evil? But that’s what happens when we start to live God’s way. JOY – I like Eugene Peterson’s description here: “exuberance about life.” Joy is the transmission in the vehicle of life: First gear is salvation – the initiation of movement. Without Christ we were stationary and stagnant, but in Christ we’re on the road to heaven and moving. Second gear is sanctification – holiness of character. We’re not just traveling, we’re obeying the rules of the road. But we’re still not moving as we should be, as we would be, until we shift into third gear: joy! We all know genuine Christians who demonstrate authentic righteousness, but whose faces betray a sad lack of enthusiasm and whose service for Christ may show their skills and spiritual gifts, but the spiritual fruit of soul energy and exuberant joy is nowhere to be seen. Occasionally I’ve been “accused” of demonstrating such a non-combative love and an exuberant joy, but I know that on my life’s tree the fruit of the Spirit is still mostly slim pickin’s! How I long to be more fruitful for Him! How about you?

TIME'S A-WASTIN' -- Devotional for November 18, from "Good Seeds"

2009-11-20T14:48:00.000-08:00

And so the great dragon, the serpent of old, who is called the devil and Satan, was thrown down, and his angels with him, for there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. Woe to the earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time. (Revelation 12:9,12)

The God of the Universe has all the time in the world to accomplish His plan. He is the ultimate time-manager: never late, but never in a hurry. The god of this world, on the other hand, seems to have gotten behind his time, and now he is rushing to get done what he has planned for man. The devil is like us, always in a hurry to perform his work (or rather, we are like him). And what is Satan’s plan, his work? Destruction and death, that is all. Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy” (John 10:10a). He formerly was a prince in heaven. If Christ is the King of kings,” Lucifer was the “Prince of princes.” But when evil was found in him, he was cast out, and he made his new home on earth. Have you ever had someone move in next door who proved to be a blight upon the neighborhood? That is only a hint of what it was like the day the devil and his millions of minions moved in next door to mankind! There was no room for them in the inn of heaven, but it seems they found plenty of living space in the stable of earth. So now, why is our planet so troubled? Why so much misery in the family of man? Why have we never achieved the utopia we have long dreamed of? Isn’t it obvious? It is due to our bent toward evil coupled with the enticement of the evil one (see Proverbs 1:10). But people miss this altogether, looking rather for another culprit. If it were not so pathetic, it would be funny, the villains we have identified: greenhouse gases, poverty, destruction of the rain forest, the Democrats, money, the spotted owl, ignorance, the Republicans, the internal combustion engine and the petroleum mined and refined to feed it…the list goes on and on! And when we Christians jump on our favorite bandwagon or political railroad, we become totally sidetracked from the work God has ordained for us to do in the short time we have left. In this one way, we would do well to emulate the devil: get busy, knowing your time is short -- “Work, for the night is coming.” The devil’s engine is fueled by hate, the Christian’s by love. He’s working against God, and will ultimately fail; we're working with God and will ultimately succeed. And yet Jesus speaks of saints who will be like branches of the Living Vine, who although they are busy, are not busy for Him – and the ultimate result will be a great sadness for us and for our Lord, at the Judgment Seat of Christ, “when instead of the fruit He is seeking, we offer Him nothing but leaves!”

SEEING GOD -- Devotional for November 17, from "Good Seeds"

2009-11-20T14:37:00.000-08:00

Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man can see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God (Matthew 5:8). No man has seen God at any time (John 1:18).

Here’s another one of those curious apparent contradictions in the Bible: On the one hand it is said of those who live sanctified, peaceful and pure lives that they are able to see the Lord, yet on the other hand we know that God cannot be seen at all with the human eye, for God is spirit, existing in perfection wholly apart from corporal manifestation. The eye organ can only see objects that have atoms and molecules. If God could be seen this way, He couldn’t be God at all, for the God of the Bible has no physical substance. If His essence were contained in – and therefore limited by – a body, He could only be in one location at a time, whether in geography or in history, and therefore not omnipresent, which is one of the attributes of the God we meet in the Scriptures. This is what makes man and God eternally distinct: man is incomplete without a body, whereas God would be incomplete with one. And yet, we are made in His image: we are on the same wavelength; we speak the same language. We are brothers, in a sense, at the heart level. And so, when conditions are right, we “see” one another. He always can see us, and yet because of our sin He must continually look away, even as He had to avert His face from His beloved Son on the cross, as He bore in His body the sin of the world. It is only because of the purity imputed to us by His grace, through our faith, that God can once again look upon us, for now, when He sees us, He sees more -– He sees Jesus! But then, what about our seeing Him? In the Garden of Eden Adam and Eve looked fully upon God, not His substance (for there was none), but His essence. And with the eyes of their hearts they saw Him, and loved Him, and fellowshipped deeply with Him. But then, when they chose to follow the counsel of Satan, immediately their hearts were darkened –- the light in their spirits went out -– and they lost sight of the Lover of their Souls. The declaration of John 3:19, “Men loved darkness because their deeds were evil,” refers to all men, all the way back to the first man. When people make the foolish assumption that since they cannot see God, He doesn’t exist, it escapes their notice that it is not their cleverness, but their blindness, that leads them to such a conclusion. And there is only one way for those blinders to fall off: it happens by the work of Him who is THE WAY! He alone can cleanse men’s hearts. Through daily communion with Him and obedience to His Word we are gradually but steadily separated from sin and unto holiness and peace, and before we know it, with the eyes of faith we are beholding His lovely face.

THE FOURTH MAN -- Devotional for November 16, from "Good Seeds"

2009-11-18T20:31:00.000-08:00

King Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in alarm and said, “Didn’t we just throw three men, bound hand and foot, into the fire?” Yes, O king,” his advisors answered. “But look!” he said, “there are four men now, walking around freely in the fire, completely unharmed! And the fourth man looks like a son of the gods.” (Daniel 3:24-25)

For every one miracle of deliverance recorded in Scripture or occurring in history since Bible times, there are a thousand instances of bad things happening to good people, where a miracle sure would have been handy! Although it is always right to do right and live right, we must not think that our righteousness automatically guarantees comfort and safety for us, or obligates God to surround us with protecting, avenging angels. We know that trouble dogs the wicked, but we also know that persecution for righteousness’ sake is a rather curious and peculiar avenue God to uses to bless His own. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had done nothing wrong – nothing, that is, except to maintain their own religious convictions. But that was enough to earn for them the death penalty in the extreme anti-God culture of the Babylonian empire. It is alarming to see how stealthily but steadily “Christian America” is turning into such a culture. We know not how soon it will be before just standing up for Jesus, or standing against moral and spiritual evil as defined by God’s Word, will earn for us the very hatred we will be accused of foisting upon our fellows. In our flesh we fear such a possibility, but if the Bible is true, we’d better prepare ourselves, for it says the time is coming when men will think they are doing God a service to rid society of such trouble-makers as Bible believing Christians. When we see such persecution coming upon us, we are urged to “lift up our heads, for our redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28). How will that redemption, that physical salvation, come to us? Ultimately it will come with the return of our Lord in power and great glory, to avenge Himself upon the sons of disobedience. We will be saved from the Great Tribulation. But before that final victory, we can anticipate smaller victories, as God stays with us through our suffering. “I will never leave you nor forsake you” is the promise of Hebrews 13:5. Whether we get out of our own personal fiery furnace alive, or if it will be our door into eternity, Jesus promises His calming presence. He will go with us “through the valley of the shadow of death” (Psalm 23:4). It won’t be some “unknown god” (Acts 17:23) of wondering heathen seekers – one who “looks like a son of the gods” – who walks with us in the furnace of suffering, but rather the Son of the Living God, Jesus Himself. Those three men could say, “Do your worst!” to the king, because they knew "the fourth man" was on hand to do His best on their behalf!

WHERE TO GO FOR GOOD ADVICE -- Devotional for November 15, from "Good Seeds"

2009-11-14T18:23:00.000-08:00

In the abundance of counselors there is deliverance. (Proverbs 11:14). Immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood. (Galatians 1:16).

I hope it is not a diabolical delight that I am indulging when I deliberately look for two verses that seem to contradict one another and place them side by side. I don’t do it to confuse people or cause them to doubt the reliability of the Scriptures, but rather to help myself and others maintain a “balance of truth.” This is a phrase I often heard my seminary professors use as they were preparing us to go out and preach and shepherd the flock of God. They knew we would come face to face with sincere Christians who had gone off the deep end on a particular doctrine. Carrying it to its supposed logical conclusions could at the worst extreme lead them into heresy, but at the least cause them to misunderstand the mind of God, and possibly influence others toward that same misunderstanding. And so, what about the issue raised by these two verses? When seeking God’s will and direction for our lives should we listen to the advice of friends, or shun human counsel in favor of the voice of God? Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, recommended the former – and then get a second opinion, and even a third, if need be, for it is in “a multitude of counselors” that we find safety. But from the experience of Paul, the greatest Christian who ever lived, we might feel more inclined to go to our closet – or to some wilderness place – to get alone with God, and then listen for His “still, small voice” (I Kings 19:12) as “His Spirit bears witness with our spirit” (Romans 8:16). The first is surely far more practical, but the second seems far more spiritual. So, which is it? Well, I don’t have an answer on this one – just more questions! Regarding the counsel of others, it makes a huge difference who they are, and what their motives might be in the advice they give. This is where a true friend comes in, who will back you up when you’re right, but back you down when you’re wrong. “As iron sharpens iron,” so a true friend will sharpen you with his words, no matter how abrasive and painful they may be (see Proverbs 27:17). Do you know your friend has nothing in mind but your gain? Then he may be safe to listen to. And he will want you to hear God. But hearing God can be a problem, too. How do you know it’s God voice, and not just your not quite sanctified imagination? The Mormons claim a “burning in the bosom” as their final argument for the genuineness of their teachings. Will you resort to such subjective proof as that? Bottom line: A spiritual man will seek the mind of God, but a godly man will not ignore a message from God, even if it comes through the mouth of a friend.

THE GOSPEL OF GOOD DEEDS -- Devotional for November 14, from "Good Seeds"

2009-11-14T18:21:00.000-08:00

In all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with all purity of doctrine, dignity of life, and soundness of speech, so that those who oppose you may be at a lost to find something bad to say about you – and may be ashamed for trying. (Titus 2:7-8)

Two of my favorite New Testament epistles are James and Titus. I like them for the same reason that I like the dessert course of a meal. Kids will tell you they don’t have much use for food that doesn’t taste good, no matter how “good for you” it may be. This is why kids have parents, to make sure they eat nutritious food, and to get it first. Once their tummies are full, maybe then it will be safe to let them indulge in what they would have started with if you had let them: dessert! Most of the epistles start with the meat and potatoes: DOCTRINE, followed by dessert: DUTY. We tend to want to skip the ponderous foundational truth section and jump to the more interesting application part. But James and Titus give us instant gratification, getting into application right away, without first taking us through a theological dissertation. James is The Proverbs for the New Testament Church, filled with many small and memorable, but wise and powerful, statements of truth. Titus is the Handbook of the New Testament Church, giving the qualifications for leadership and guidelines for Christian behavior. Martin Luther’s favorite book was Romans, with its emphasis on the grace of God: that we are saved by trusting in the work of Christ, but putting no confidence in our own good works. Maybe that’s why he struggled with the book of James, with its easy to misinterpret proverb: “Faith without works is dead” (2:17). And he may have had trouble with Titus, too (for no less than five times in its three short chapters it sings the praises of good deed doing 1:16; 2:7,14; 3:1,8,14) – if it weren’t for Titus 3:5: “He saved us, not on the basis of any good deeds we may have done, but according to His mercy and the washing of regeneration.” With a little careful digging, one can find grace in the book of James, too, mixed in with and balancing out James’ emphasis on good works. I think today’s church may need a little tuning up on its understanding of faith vs. works. A true Christian doesn’t walk around gloating about his salvation (even though he should always be glorying in the One who saved him!) It is so often the case that the world is turned off by the confidence of Christians that so easily looks like arrogance and so quickly turns to pride. How much better to sing that song of longing: “I wanna be a more righteous man; I wanna be a godly man; teach me to do what I can to follow closer to You. I wanna follow a different drum, even if I’m the only one; I wanna hear when I’m done, “You did well, My son.”

THE THREE LIFE STAGES OF TEMPTATION -- Devotional for November 13, from "Good Seeds"

2009-11-13T21:17:00.000-08:00

Flee youthful lusts (II Timothy 2:22). I will say to myself, “Self, you have many goods laid up for many years, so eat, drink and be merry” (Luke 12:19). The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10a).

The three avenues of temptation appeal to men and women in the three stages of life: First: the lust of the flesh (THE FLESH) appeals to young people. They’re no longer children, so they’ve put away childish toys and games. Now they’re ready for some “adult” activities and pleasures. We live in a culture that worships at the altar of youth. How often do you see commercials for products that enhance learning and character? Almost never! The products that sell are those that promise to restore to us the health, strength, beauty, passion and virility of a twenty year old. The lust of the flesh appeals to the young – and all who would be young again! Second: the lust of the eyes (THE WORLD) appeals strongest to those of mature adult years. As we age another passion fills our radar screen: money and the things money can buy. In the middle years of life we come to fully maturity in the exercise of our strengths, skills and talents, and we make the delightful discovery that people value us for how we perform and for what we can produce. So what if we don’t look sixteen any longer, we’d rather have the full belly and big bank account of a successful businessman than the trim figure and empty pockets of a starving student! Third: The pride of life (THE DEVIL). Satan hardly needs to make a personal appearance in the lives of young people, and mature adults – his tools of fleshly and worldly passions do most of the work for him, giving him more time to visit the elderly. That’s right, the devil works hardest on those in their sunset years, when they look back and question, “What was it all about, anyway? Was all the effort worth it? Look at all the fun experiences I’ve had, and all the money I’ve made. Weren’t these things supposed to bring meaning and value to my life? Then why is my life so empty now? And who will miss me when I’m gone? Rather, I think they can’t wait till I’m out of their way, out of their hair. I can’t wait either. In fact, maybe I’ll just take my life into my own hands – and take my life!” A person who thinks this way isn’t coming up with the idea on his own. He has help. He has inspiration for all these lies, from the Father of Lies himself, who was not only a liar from the beginning, but a thief and murderer, too. His one passion is to destroy mankind, body, soul and spirit. He works on the body first, the soul next, but his crowning achievement is to drag our spirit all the way to the pit. Our only help our only hope, is Jesus, who said, “But I am come that they might have life in all its fullness” (John 10:10b).

THE THREE AVENUES OF TEMPTATION -- Devotional for November 12, from "Good Seeds"

2009-11-13T21:06:00.000-08:00

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. (I John 2:16-17)

The Bible says temptation comes to mankind via three channels: the flesh, the world, and the devil. This is the “unholy trinity” every man faces throughout his life. I John 2:16 succinctly lists the three categories: “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.” You can pretty well know that whenever you are tempted to sin it will be through one or more of these three channels. When Satan tempted Eve in the Garden he left nothing to chance: he used all three: It was a beautiful day in Eden; the sun was high in the sky – in fact, it was straight up noon and Eve was starting to feel pretty hungry. Enter Satan, disguised as a snake. “What’s for lunch today, Madam Eve. Not the same old thing, I hope!” And through his eyes she saw that the fruit God had forbidden her and Adam to eat was “good for food” – #1: the lust of the flesh. Next, like any good salesman making his pitch, the serpent pointed out how beautiful the fruit was, that it was “a delight to the eyes”: “Have you ever seen a piece of fruit as knock ‘em dead cherry red as this?” – #2: the lust of the eyes. Finally, Satan steps up to the pulpit. Did you know the first sermon ever preached was by Pastor Lucifer? “Let me tell you how to find real life! Let me teach you what God knows and wants you to know. He told you not to eat that fruit, you say? Yes, but think about it: maybe that was just His way of getting you to do what He actually wants you to do – you know, sort of a reverse psychology – which is to eat it, so that your fellowship with Him can be complete. Remember, He made you in His image, so this is simply your part in the process of becoming like God, knowing what only God and His children can know: the deeper truths of ethics and morality.” And then, like all good sermons, this one ends with an invitation. Eve is urged to come forward to make a decision -– a decision that will affect her life, and her relationship with God, for now and forever! Eve gets out of her seat and makes her way to the altar – the tree of the knowledge of good and evil – and there, fully convinced its fruit will endow her with heavenly wisdom, she gives her life away – and gives in to the third kind of temptation - #3: the pride of life. Eve learned the exchanged life that day: she exchanged the genuine God for a counterfeit. And that’s what Satan continues to do today, three ways: 1) by reminding us of our legitimate bodily needs and hungers; 2) by walking us past flashy displays, of "Mother Earth", and the clever things man has come up with; and 3) by convincing us that we can have it all – because we’re worth it, and we deserve it.

tribute to my friend, Larry Bentley

2009-11-12T11:51:00.000-08:00

(Dear Reader: I'm inserting this tribute to my friend, Larry Bentley, who passed away this past Monday, November 9, at the age of 67. Be watching later for the devotional for today).

OUR DEAR LARRY
Larry and Leonard are mirrors of my older brother and me. They match us very closely in our ages; they have two younger sisters, we have three; we attended the same church when we were kids; and our folks were good friends with each other. I also had the privilege of knowing Larry and Len’s parents, Melva and Loren. I hung around the Bentley home enough when I was a kid to look forward to their Mom’s fantastic homemade sheet cakes that she made for any occasion any of us could think up. And I enjoyed going out with Len and Larry and their dad in their old International Carry-all van to deliver the LA Times on their huge paper route. Later on, in our dating years, I remember Larry chauffeuring Karen and me around once in awhile before I was old enough to drive. And as Larry and Sherry watched Karen and me fall in love, we watched them do the same. I remember in those years being invited over to Sherry’s parents’ home for dinner. That’s where I first tasted, or even heard of, enchiladas! The two sets of brothers were dating and got married all within a few years of one another. We’ve spread out geographically quite a bit since those years, but we’ve stayed close in our hearts. But there was that period of time when Larry was hired by Oregon Public Broadcasting and moved his family to Gresham, and started attending the church where I was pastor. That’s when Larry and I got a chance to get to hang around one another almost as much as Len and I did in the old days. And we got to know Larry and Sherry’s kids at this time, too. We grieved with them at the sudden death of their eldest son. A brain tumor showed up, did its worst, and sent Frank to heaven at the tender age of 27. And as if that weren’t enough for any parents to endure, we watched how they cared for their younger son, Ethan, who was born with a disease that prevented normal development: he could not walk or talk or do much of anything on his own. Doctors predicted he wouldn’t live past 11 years old. But those doctors had no concept of the power of parental love! With the care and affection Ethan received, he lived to age 27, going to heaven at the same age as his older brother. The Bentley parents lived long and good lives but they were the next to go. After that, tragedy stayed away from the Bentley door for awhile. But then, in late August of this year, Larry was diagnosed with cancer. As the poem expresses, Larry’s biggest concern, once he realized he was going to die, was all the unfinished projects on his plate, at home, at work, and down at the church. Who could get the jobs done, to his specifications and satisfaction? The answer is obvious: no one! If that was Larry’s biggest concern, his biggest anticipation, once he knew he was dying, was that he would be reunited with his two boys, now sooner than expected, as well as with his dear parents. I now have my regrets, that I didn’t stay better in touch with Larry and Sherry once we moved back to California. The last time I saw them was at Loren’s funeral in Gresham 3 years ago. I don’t know if I’ll be able to attend Larry’s service, so I’m saying my goodbyes to him now, in these writings. Knowing I will see him again, in glory, under much better circumstances, waiting for him to “hug my neck” at the entrance to heaven’s pearly gates, gives some good comfort to my sad heart right now. So Larry, farewell for now! I’ll see you, not here at my home, not there at yours, but up there, in the air, at God’s place, where He’s got a place for us, and we’ll get together again and eat your mom’s cakes and Karen’s mom’s pies. Then, we’ll “have our cake, and eat it, too!”…and it will truly be “pie in the sky by and by.”

Our dear Larry died today;
Friends and family cried today.
So brave was he in his leaving;
So sad are we in our grieving.

So many precious things about him;
So hard to think of life without him.
His one request they heard him ask
Was help for each unfinished task.

But Larry’s shoes no one can fill.
Machines and men are hushed and still
In honor of our dearest Larry
Whose soul to heaven God will carry.

That special place Christ did prepare –
His folks and sons now greet him there,
Where he for us will watch and wait
To hug our neck at heaven’s gate!

I don’t know if from there he sees us
But I know this: that he sees Jesus!
He’ll take his place in the witness crowd
And by God’s grace he’ll laugh out loud!

For there’s no death, no pain, no sorrow –
That’s our promise for tomorrow.
And knowing now our Larry’s glad
Might just help us not be too sad –

O we’re not sad for him, that’s true;
But for ourselves, what can we do
To go on living without Larry –
For he was everything to Sherry –

And to his sisters and his brother
And to every one another
That he hobnobbed with down here,
O Lord, please take our pain, our fear,
Replacing it with faith and love
That You have promised from above.

Our dear Larry died today
He’s at His Savior’s side today –
And with that confidence we’ll sing:
“O Lord back to our memory bring
The road of Jesus Larry trod –
The road that leads us up to God.

MIGHTY WARRIOR, WIMPY VETERAN! -- Devotional for November 11, from "Good Seeds"

2009-11-11T11:58:00.001-08:00

Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, “Saul slew his thousands, but David his ten thousands?” (I Samuel 29:5). Then it happened, in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and all the Israelite army against Ammon and besieged Rabbah…but David stayed home this time. (II Samuel 11:1)

How common is the name David in the world today? Why, it’s one of the most popular and beloved names of all time! But how common is this name in the Bible? Amazingly, there is no other David in all of biblical history except our David, “The Sweet Psalmist of Israel” (II Samuel 23:1). What is he most known for today? We just said it: his beautiful songs, recorded in the Psalms, the hymnbook of the Bible. When God rejected King Saul He put David in his place, fulfilling God’s search for “a man after His own heart” (I Samuel 13:14). And it was through the kingly line of David that our Savior came to earth, born in Bethlehem, the city of David. We think of him as the gentle, harp-strumming poet-singer, reciting verses in praise of his hero, the God of Israel. And he certainly was that – but he was more, and in his time he was far better known as a mighty warrior than as a worship musician. It started out as he took on the enemies of his sheep, the bears and wolves and lions. As a humble, God-fearing youth, he saw no real distinction between those roaring beasts that threatened his father’s flock and that bragging beast that threatened God’s flock. And so, with no thought that he might fail (or that God might fail him), he put a stone in his sling and slew that Philistine behemoth, Goliath. After that it didn’t take long for David to became Israel’s favorite son, not for his song-singing, but for his sword-wielding. And though he became king after Saul, he never really put away his weapons – not until that fateful spring day when he decided, “enough is enough.” Who could blame him? It was certainly long past time to retire and leave the bloodshed to others. He deserved a little personal peace and space, and quiet rest. Maybe he’d dust off the old harp, tune up the strings, and see was new “Hymn to Him” he could come up with. Yes, the warrior David was now the celebrated war veteran David. But how did he begin his retirement? Sadly, not in the praise of his God, but in the indulgence of his flesh. David had been God’s man all his life. Why couldn’t he end as he began? One reason: sin, which did him in. And from then on it didn’t go so well for him, as even some from own family turned against him. O Lord, let me not live beyond my usefulness to You; take me home before I take myself out of Your hand, and bring shame, instead of praise, to Your name.

ACROSS THE SEA, OR ACROSS THE STREET? -- Devotional for November 10, from "Good Seeds"

2009-11-11T00:36:00.000-08:00

One day John the Baptist pointed Jesus out to two of his disciples, saying, “There He is, the Lamb of God!” They immediately began to follow Jesus. One of them was Andrew, who first went and found his own brother, Peter, saying, “We have found the Messiah!” (John 1:35-41)

Long before the commencement of his evangelistic crusade in a particular city, Billy Graham would send a team out ahead to blaze the trail by enlisting helpers. One time I joined up. Part of our training was an exercise in pre-evangelism called “Operation Andrew,” where we would write down the names of 10 unsaved friends, and then begin to prepare the ground for inviting them to join us to hear Billy Graham when he came to town. We were encouraged to pray every day for those on our list, and then look for opportunities to invite them to the crusade. Though his meetings could be called mass evangelism, Graham put little confidence in general announcements in the mass media. He had far greater faith in the pattern of Jesus, and of the New Testament: “Each one reach one.” And it goes a step further than that: reach out to the one closest at hand: go to your own neighborhood first, the wide world second; your brother now, a stranger later. “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” applies to the commerce of eternal souls every bit as much as to the secular marketplace. The biggest mistake of evangelism is to think we can succeed in exotic, far away places where we’ve miserably failed in – or haven’t even tried – our cozy home places; or that we can bring those of a foreign culture and tongue to Jesus while ignoring our own kind and kindred. Why do we place a higher value on “the uttermost part of the earth” than on our own “Jerusalem and Judea” (see Acts 1:8). This is why Andrew is such a good model for us. There’s nothing wrong with what Peter and Paul did in crossing wide seas and braving wild persecution for the sake of the gospel -– but the big guns would never have fired without the little sparks, the simple souls, the everyday evangelists, who think inside the box before trying to get outside of it, who consider their brothers first, before all the others! Paul himself made this priority crystal clear in this injunction to the Galatian Christians: “So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, but especially to those who are of the household of the faith” (6:10). And how many times do we read his exhortation, and how often do we follow his example, to go “to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16)? Paul was the apostle to the wide world, but his heart was first for his own people. When will we stop pushing for outreach to the exclusion of inreach?

TRUTHFUL ALL THE TIME -- Devotional for November 9, from "Good Seeds"

2009-11-09T10:09:00.000-08:00

Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth, each one of you, with your neighbor. (Ephesians 4:25)

There is a verse that is closely related to this one, not in subject matter, but in concept: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). Just as it is one thing to be on the defensive and not let evil overtake you, and quite another to go on the offensive with a frontal attack on that evil with the weapons of righteousness, so it is a very long stride forward from just not telling lies to coming out with pure truth. As is always the case in the Christian life, it’s not merely what we don’t do, but what we DO do, that counts! Many of us grew up in a culture of restriction. As Christian teenagers our witness revolved mostly around the worldly activities we were not allowed to indulge in. In time I came to understand that such a lifestyle did not fit well with the I Peter 3:15 model of witnessing, to “be ready always to give an answer to anyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you.” The world will not readily seek the restricted Christian life. But when unbelievers observe a greater and deeper joy in people who achieve it apart from the typical stimulations and indulgences, you can be sure they’re going to be curious. Christians should be known for what they do and what they are, far more than merely for what they don’t do, and what they are not. And what real Christians do is tell the truth, and what they are is reliable to the core in genuine honesty. As much as those around us may make fun of us for our restrictive and silly religion (their words), when the chips are down maybe we will be the ones they will turn to for help – and for truth. A Christian should be one who never has to add reassurances to his words with phrases like, “I really mean it; I kid you not; I swear I’m telling the truth.” Why would a person have to swear, as with his hand on his heart, or on a Bible – or on his grandmother’s grave!? Only because he knows (and others also know) that he often is not entirely truthful. Most people are like the little boy who cried wolf: they wouldn’t call it lies that they were telling, just stories, you know, to add color to life. “I was just joking, just teasing, just playing with you – so don’t get all bent out of shape about it!” The trouble with such people is that they cannot be believed even when they are telling the truth. That’s why they have to plead with you to believe them this time. We must be truthful to the point that we can be believed all the time. “Let you yes be yes and your no be no,” says James (5:12). There are times when we do not blurt out everything we know – that’s wisdom; that’s discretion. But when we speak, let it always be “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God!”

TEAMWORK: VICTORIOUS AND GLORIOUS! -- Devotional for November 8, from "Good Seeds"

2009-11-08T23:10:00.000-08:00

Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor (Ecclesiastes 4:9). Better to live in the desert than with a quarrelsome, complaining woman (Proverbs 21:19). How can two walk together unless they are in agreement? (Amos 3:3).

These verses may appear to contradict one another, but in reality they provide a wonderful balance of truth. Solomon’s maxim, “Two are better than one,” refers to people working together as a team. With 1) agreement of purpose, 2) division of labor, 3) synchronization of effort, and 4) mutual respect and encouragement, they will accomplish exponentially greater results for their efforts, than from two people working independently, for true teamwork doesn’t work by addition, but multiplication. The four components just listed reveal that teamwork is no easy task. A team is two people tugging at one load, but that doesn’t say it all. They both could be pulling with all their might, but in two different directions, in which case one man’s efforts would negate the other’s. That is what the Proverbs passage implies: “It is better to work alone than with an uncooperative partner.” And Amos adds another dimension: Not only can two people fail to accomplish God’s best by not WORKING together, they can also break down and come to a standstill by not WALKING together. This word refers to more than just what happens during working hours – it has to do with what occurs during all waking hours! Partners on a team must be in basic agreement about the direction, the destination and the pace of the journey. So, how is such agreement and cooperation accomplished? Two things: Communication and Communion. I enjoy using a GPS navigational guide in my car. As soon as I enter the address of my desired destination the communication begins: the printed name on the screen of the next street I will need to take works in conjunction with the pleasant voice of “Miss Britannia” (I’ve selected UK English option over the crass American dialect) who alerts me at given intervals how soon I must make a change, like this: “In one point five miles, turn left.” This constant COMMUNICATION keeps me on track and gets me where I need to go. If only human team members would be as faithful to one another in providing information, feedback, and directional alerts! But human team members can give to one another what my little “mechanical maiden” could never provide: COMMUNION. Members of the body of Christ don’t just talk to each other, they care for one another, pray for each other, watch each other’s backs, and build up and encourage one another. In fact, it is the putting into practice of all the “One Anothers” of the New Testament that makes God’s team so victorious and glorious!

FALSE SHEPHERDS -- Devotional for October 7, from "Good Seeds"

2009-11-08T21:23:00.000-08:00

Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; even from among your own fellowship men will arise to speak perverse things, drawing away disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert. (Acts 20:28-31)

“It is better to be alone than in the wrong company.” The wisdom of this axiom has many applications. For example: “Better no friends than bad friends;” or, “Better no counsel than bad counsel.” But what about “Better no leader than a bad leader”? No need to sort this one out, for in human society there will always be leaders, though it is surely true that bad ones most quickly filter to the top. We know it is God’s plan for there to be leaders among men, whether parents over children, teachers over students, supervisors over employees, or presidents over nations. But when sin entered human society, a door was opened into the sheepfold and evil wolves entered, disguised as benevolent shepherds. Far greater damage – just as far greater good – can be done by leaders, whether of the political, or the pastoral, variety, than by everyday people. False teaching from a charming personality can quickly find open minds in which to deposit its poison. And we’re not necessarily talking about Satan’s henchmen – sometimes they are God’s men, men who may have started out well, but over time neglected to be “on guard for themselves.” Paul reiterated this warning to his young protégé in I Timothy 4:16: “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching.” Because of the earnestness of their calling, sincere and honest pastors can pay very close attention to their work for the Lord, and yet fall far short in their work for their families, or in their personal walk with the Lord. These men will always have disciples following after them, but where are they taking them? And then of course there are those who are in the ministry not for what they can give to anyone, but for what they can get for themselves. Whether it is money, goods, fame, or just a long line of blind and gullible followers, the pastorate is easy pickings for men with the charlatan gift! It is just as true in the church as in the world that “Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely!” And it is amazing just how much power a local pastor has. The title alone begs for trust. But we must learn how to spot the dishonest ones. Our passage gives the key: they are looking to gather disciples unto themselves. The role of every pastor is that of John the Baptist: to draw people to the Savior. Beware of the one who says “I” and “me” rather than “we” and “us.” Follow, rather, the one who says, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

THE PUNISHMENT OF NATIONS -- Devotional for November 6, from "Good Seeds"

2009-11-06T21:47:00.000-08:00

The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all nations that forget God (Psalm 9:17)

At this writing our nation is recoiling from the news of two separate incidents of senseless shootings of our own people by our own people within our own borders during peace time! Add to these the proliferation of suicide, poverty, broken homes, and now the failing economy and fractured government, of our nation, and we see what happens to a people who once knew their Maker, but now think they know better! A few years ago, just following a devastating hurricane, the daughter of Billy Graham was asked a question that would fit just as well our current circumstances: “How could God let something like this happen?” She gave this profound response: “I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are – but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. Being the gentleman that He is, I believe He has done just what we have asked. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?” We can’t have it both ways: once we’ve bidden God good riddance, He’s gone. But I haven’t rejected Him and, it’s my guess, neither have you! Today’s verse speaks of two human entities: individuals, “the wicked;” and large people groups, “all nations.” Just as people can only enter heaven one at a time, through the turnstile of faith in Jesus Christ, so they are condemned to hell one at a time, following each one’s rejection of whatever light of God’s truth he has received (see Romans 2:11-15). It isn’t nations, but individuals, that are damned or redeemed. When Abraham challenged God, “Will you indeed punish the righteous with the wicked?” (Genesis 18:23), the answer came in God’s sparing of Lot and his daughters from heaven’s firefall upon Sodom. Speaking of the Great Tribulation that will someday come upon the earth, Paul said, “God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Thessalonians 5:9). The Bible clearly teaches that a separation will be made between people who have sought the salvation, and therefore the protection, of God through Jesus Christ, and people who have chosen to take their chances on their own. But regarding nations, since they will not be punished in the next world for their sins, it must be that they are punished in this. If Israel was not exempt, why should America be? That ancient favored nation drifted far from God, and paid the awful price. Now a modern one so profoundly blest by Him is following that same path of the prodigal son. Are we not now eating the pods and feeling the pains that come from going astray? Ben Stein said, “I only hope we find God again before it is too late!”

CATACOMBS AND CROSSES -- Devotional for November 5, from "Good Seeds"

2009-11-06T12:12:00.000-08:00

Our gathering together to Jesus Christ will not occur until the apostasy comes and the son of destruction presents himself as god. And you know what retrains him now. The mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but will only come into full power when the Restrainer is removed. (II Thessalonians 2:1-7)

In preparation for a child dedication service at our church I came up with these new words for a song I’d written some time before:
The family of God is a blessing, but also my family at home.
We gather together for worship in each little safe catacomb.
A member of my praise team questioned my choice of a particular word: “Aren’t catacombs filled with dead men’s bones? Why would you use a word meaning ‘underground graveyard’ to refer to a vibrant and happy home environment?” I had to think of a better answer than that it rhymes nicely with family at home! We know that the early church was driven into hiding by Roman persecution, and found a safe haven for sweet fellowship and worship in those putrid underground caverns. As I shared this with the group, it struck me just how often ugly things in this life are redeemed and beautified by the life of Christ indwelling every believer by the Spirit of God. Referring to the Holy Spirit Jesus told His disciples, “He now abides WITH you, but shall be IN you” (John 14:17). It is very probable that the Restrainer spoken of in today’s Scripture is the Holy Spirit. As God He is omnipresent: always and everywhere present. But as an active force holding back the full release of the evil one’s power “to steal, kill and destroy” (John 10:1), He will be removed along with all Christians at the rapture of the church, referred to in the verse as the “gathering together to Jesus Christ.” Until that time, no matter what evil lurks in the souls of men, the Holy Spirit is present and in full power in the lives of believers, overcoming Satan’s deeds of destruction by “the blood of the Lamb and the death-defying word of their testimony” (Revelation 12:11). And that’s why we say that a Christian home can be a catacomb, a place both safe: from the prying eyes and persecuting intentions of Satan’s agents, and sacred: for the nurture of little minds and hearts in the ways of God. Where goes any man of God, there goes the Spirit of God, overcoming the enemy of God with the blood of the Lamb. Just as a catacomb, a place of death, is redeemed by the presence of Christians, so the cross, an ugly instrument of torture and engine of execution, becomes a thing of beauty to all who come to understand it for what it really is: mankind’s only hope for forgiveness of sin and eternal life. What other tool or domain of Satan could you and I claim and redeem as a means of God’s amazing grace?

REMOVAL CAN LEAD TO REVIVAL -- Devotional for November 4, from "Good Seeds"

2009-11-04T19:17:00.000-08:00

In the year King Uzziah died I saw the Lord, sitting on a throne, high and lifted up. (Isaiah 6:1)

Removal Can Lead to Revival
II Chronicles 26 tells the story of King Uzziah, one of the righteous Kings of Judah. The people of God were blessed to be ruled and protected by a good and great king. He was a GOOD KING: his goodness was rooted in his godliness. “He sought the Lord and did right in His sight” (vss. 4-5) for most of his fifty-two year reign. And he was a GREAT KING: his greatness was manifested in his Midas Touch, for he didn’t just succeed, but excelled, in everything he attempted. First, he was a military genius, gaining victory over his enemies and protecting his borders and cities through the development of an army superior in men, morale, and innovative armaments. Second, he was a man of the people, with domestic policies bringing peace and prosperity to the land. And third, he was a man of the land, for verse 10 says, “He loved the soil.” It seems he had that rare ability to encourage both the commercial ventures of urban industry, and the agrarian achievements of heartland farmers. But there was a chink in his armor – a flaw in his character – that proved to be his undoing. It was pride. (Why is it so often thus with good and great men?) Verses 16-21 record his downfall, when he usurped the ministry of the priests (Was this just one more thing to excel in?) This earned God’s anger and swift judgment: he was stricken with leprosy, requiring him to step down from leadership and turn everything over to his son. What a tragic end to a glorious life! Now, enter young Isaiah, faithfully functioning in his prophetic role, and yet very possibly more passionate about his earthly king than his Heavenly one, and very surely caught up in “Uzziah hero worship” right along with the rest of the crowd. But then, suddenly, this bigger-than-life hero fell from grace, was ostracized from service...and now he was dead! Isaiah was shocked and shaken to the core. Could we blame him if he joined his countrymen in thinking, “I’m never going to trust a God-follower again! Look what his religion got him – and look where it has left me!” This sounds very much like the negative reaction many people have today when they witness the moral downfall of one they had looked up to as a spiritual giant and personal role model. But Isaiah’s response to this tragedy took a positive turn, which we would do well to emulate: he realized his human hero had been blocking his view of God. When a hero fails that view can be permanently tarnished…but not if we allow disappointment in man serve as an appointment with God! My hero’s failures could work better than his strengths in drawing me to God! Indeed, the removal of my hero could lead to a revival in my heart!

AN UNEXPECTED WITNESSING TOOL -- Devotional for November 3, from "Good Seeds"

2009-11-02T22:38:00.001-08:00

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body (which is the church) in filling up that which is lacking in Christ’s afflictions. (Colossians 1:24)

What are the methods we can use to share the gospel with unbelievers? The first and most basic is PROCLAMATION: “Faith cometh by hearing the Word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). Revelation 12:11 says Christians under fire by “the accuser of the brethren” can overcome unbelief “by the word of their TESTIMONY.” A powerful witnessing tool is to simply tell what Christ means to you, and what He has done for you. And then there is the intellectual defense of the gospel through APOLOGETICS. The Bible can stand up both to hateful ridicule and honest scrutiny, for “Thy Word is truth” (John 17:17). In Matthew 5:16 Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men that they see your good works, and glorify your Father in Heaven.” GOOD DEEDS from a pure life can sometimes touch men’s hearts when nothing else can. But then there’s PRAYER. What better witnessing tool could there possibly be? Bring them in? No, pray them in! But…when no powerful presentation of the gospel can do the trick; when no vibrant personal testimony of God’s grace in one’s life, no masterful apologetic defense, no good deed of even the most extreme benevolence, and when not even the most devout prayer by the godliest intercessor can penetrate the cold, unbelieving heart, a Christian quietly SUFFERING FOR JESUS can unlock doors of even the hardest hearts – and faith enters in. We see examples of this in biblical and historical personalities, but we go to the taproot of them all, Jesus Christ, to understand how it works. Peter saw it firsthand and wrote about it: “When my Jesus was reviled and lied about, His character slandered, his reputation maligned, and when He was hated with vicious, tongue-wagging hatred, through it all He held His peace and kept silent. He uttered not a word in His own defense, and not a word of retaliation, or of what judgment lay in store for His tormentors. “As a lamb before his shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth” (Acts 8:32). And in His silence, He “entrusted Himself to Him who judges righteously.” We are told to “follow in His steps” (II Peter 2:21,23). What steps? The steps of suffering. But now He’s gone, leaving us behind to finish His work. We are empowered to proclaim, yes, but also employed to suffer, to receive the stripes meant for Him. Jesus said, “If I be lifted up (on the cross) I’ll draw all men to Me” (John 12:32). Well, now it’s our turn to suffer, not for the sins of others, but in the sight of others – to burn brightly in a dark world, even if at a burning stake of suffering. Whatever it takes to draw men to Jesus!

OUT OF STEP - OUT OF SHAPE -- Devotional for November 2, from "Good Seeds"

2009-11-02T21:13:00.000-08:00

Since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. (Hebrews 12:1)

A man attending a weight loss clinic along with a bunch of women followed the regimen of diet and exercise better than all of them, and in record time he achieved his goal weight. When he was called to the front to receive recognition for his accomplishment, he dragged a heavy suitcase behind him. Without a word he lifted and opened it to show that it was full of rocks. Then he spoke: “Folks, these 40 pounds of rocks represent the forty pounds of fat I carried into this room when I joined the group six months ago. And I carried them back out with me, too, and to and fro, wherever I went! I wish I could say it was as easy to drop them as it is to drop these” – and with that was heard a loud thud as that valise full of rocks hit the floor!” He continued, “Thanks for the award, but there’s no better reward than to lay aside, hopefully for good, these unnecessary and ugly extra pounds I’ve been toting around with me for way too long!” Then, picking up the suitcase again, he opened the door and tossed those rocks into the parking lot. With a spring in his step and a twinkle in his eye, he returned to his seat. As wonderful as he felt that day, it could never match the ecstasy you and I experience each time we rid ourselves of one more sin or habit that has encumbered us since time immemorial. The first act of American retaliation against the Japanese following their bombing of Pearl Harbor was Doolittle’s air attack over Tokyo. The problem was the vast distance the bombers had to travel. The only answer was to strip from them every extra pound of equipment, supplies, and artillery, and then see if they could take off from an aircraft carrier. Sixteen planes, weighed down only with crew, fuel, and bombs, successfully took off, covered the distance, dropped their payloads, and floated on fumes to the China coast for rice field landings. Those brave pilots lived to tell the tale not for the ingenuity of their strategy, or even their strength of character, but because they were able to lighten their load, laying aside the encumbrances that would have surely spelled failure to the mission. What about you and me? What battles are we right now losing? What potential missions for Jesus have doom written all over them because of our sinful habits or flabby condition? And what losses to the kingdom of God are being sustained because not only are we out of step – we’re out of shape? “No soldier in active service entangles himself with the affairs of life,” we read in I Timothy 2:4. Maybe it’s time you and I got ourselves untangled and unencumbered. There’s no better time to start than right now!

FOR ALL THE SAINTS -- Devotional for November 1, from "Good Seeds"

2009-11-01T19:10:00.000-08:00

Since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. (Hebrews 12:1)

This is the title of one of my favorite hymns. Sadly, it has gone the way of that whole genre of Christian music, as hymns have been relegated to the dusty closets of the contemporary church. I love the new music, and we should keep writing new songs, but not as replacements of the old. This hymn draws me, in my mind, into the ranks of the faithful fighting saints of yesteryear, and encourages me to be as bold in my confession of that forever blest name. The communion I feel with them is powerful, especially as I anticipate that glorious day when I will take my place next to them, marching in bright array, into the very presence of Jesus!
1) For all the saints who from their labors rest, who Thee by faith before the world confessed, Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest. Alleluia!
2) Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress, and their Might; Thou, Lord, their Captain in the well fought fight; Thou in the darkness drear their one true light. Alleluia! 3) O may Thy soldiers, faithful, true and bold, fight as the saints who nobly fought of old; and win with them the victor’s crown of gold. Alleluia! 4) O blest communion, fellowship divine! We feebly struggle, they in glory shine; yet all are one in Thee for all are Thine. Alleluia! 5) But lo! there breaks a yet more glorious day; the saints triumphant rise in bright array; the King of Glory passes on His way. Alleluia! 6) From earth’s wide bounds, from ocean’s farthest coast, through gates of pearl streams in the countless host, singing to Father, Son and Holy Ghost: Alleluia!
Whenever I sing this hymn I am overcome, not just with powerful emotion, but also with an overpowering realization that I am part of something huge, something that will only grow as times continues: the Great and glorious church of the Living God, the body of Christ spread across every corner of the world and throughout every century of history! When I meet with the handful of saints down at the church on Sunday morning, sometimes I get a little discouraged by the weakness of our worship, especially when comparing it to that Sunday afternoon “worship service” I experience vicariously through the T.V. – a football game with 100,000 fans all gathered in one place, singing and shouting praises to their team. It makes me wonder, “Where are the fans of Jesus, and how well do we follow Him, and praise Him, compared to these?” That’s when I must turn my gaze heavenward, to that “great cloud of witnesses,” shining in glory, sitting in the grandstands of heaven – no, standing! – to cheer me on in my feeble struggle. Knowing I am one of them, and one with them, and with their Savior, makes me want to shine for Jesus right here, and shout Hallelujah right now! How about you?
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HALLOWEEN: THE NEW CHRISTMAS? -- Devotional for October 31, from "Good Seeds"

2009-10-31T20:34:00.000-07:00

A festival, a new moon, a Sabbath day – these things are a mere shadow of what is to come. But the substance belongs to Christ. (Colossians 2:16-17).

Holidays are reflections of what we hold most dear; they are shadows of past, or future, realities. Christmas is still the favorite holiday for most people, but for some, Halloween is catching up in popularity. We could grieve at this development when we realize the vast difference between these two holidays in what they represent: The word Christmas means “celebration of Christ.” The etymology of Halloween implies that people may just prefer worldly heroes to heavenly ones – and maybe also a lifestyle free of the standards of holiness. But to look at how the world celebrates Christmas, we should not be either surprised or dismayed that Halloween is rivaling Christmas in some quarters. Neither of these, for such people, have much to do with God, with His care and love for His creatures, or with His ultimate plan of the ages. We may try to make a distinction between sacred and secular holidays, but any holiday that directs our attention upon the temporal things of earth, and draws our eyes and hearts away from heaven, as both our present citizenship and future destination, is secular. And by “secular” I don’t mean neutral: not evil, not good, but just in some innocent middle ground. Guess what: there IS no middle ground! “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin,” wrote Paul (Romans 14:23). “He who is not against us is for us,” said Jesus (Luke 9:50). And you can’t have it both ways, either. All holidays, by their very nature, involve worship: lavishing high praise upon, and attributing ultimate worth to an individual, event, or idea. A holiday will find you focusing either on God, or something or someone less than God. But in the first of the Ten Commandments God said, “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3). Jesus put it this way: “You cannot serve God and Mammon” (Luke 6:13). And so, if either Halloween or Christmas finds you buying and decorating and cooking and partying and “candying” (Trick-or-Treat in October, Sugarplums in December!), and spreading good will to all, the real distinction between these two rivals is lost, so who really cares which one wins! By the way, the same could be asked about any holiday you may be inclined to keep: Is it all about God, or man? Does it feed the spirit, or the flesh? Does it draw us to heaven, or tie us to earth (or – shudder! – drag us below). Let these be the questions we ask ourselves next time we carve a Jack-o-lantern or turkey, trim a Christmas tree, send a Valentine, dye an Easter Egg, light a firecracker, or sing Happy Birthday. Any of these can be done to the glory of God, or man. Don’t worry about which holiday is the best. Worry, rather, about what or whom you are worshiping while you are reveling!

HALLOWEEN: A SECULAR HOLIDAY? -- Devotional for October 30, from "Good Seeds"

2009-10-30T23:51:00.000-07:00

Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against evil powers, against the rulers of this present darkness, against spiritual forces of wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12-13)

Today is the eve of Halloween Day, which in turn is, of course, the eve of All Saints Day. I say “of course” as if I expected this to be common knowledge, at least among Christians. But, sadly, it is not. Many of us do not know the spiritual roots of this supposedly secular holiday. The Holy Day is actually November 1st, formerly called “All Hallowmas.” The word hallow means “to make holy, to set apart for sacred use.” Did we say Halloween is considered to be a secular holiday? Well, it is, but only in this unfortunate sense: The day set apart for the honoring of great men and women of the faith, both of Bible days and since, certainly is a holy day. But how many Christians these days pay it even the slightest notice? Instead, they, along with the unbelieving world, have been swept up into the hype given to the day before that day: All Hallow’s Eve. This is the day, supposedly, when evil comes out to play, when the forces of “this present darkness” shout their last hurrah, before righteousness returns to restore order. And so Halloween, at its roots, is not about innocent, ”secular” evil (is there even such a thing?) No, it is rather the day when the Arch-Enemy of God, Satan himself, and all his pawns, cronies, demons and agents are given free reign in the hearts of men. And they’re given such permission seemingly with impunity since, after all, it is THEIR day! Compare Halloween with Mardi Gras and you’ll have it about right. Lent, on the calendar of liturgical churches, is the forty day period before Easter, when the faithful give up pleasures of the flesh to prepare themselves for the celebration of Christ’s death and resurrection. “Fat Tuesday” is the day just prior to the beginning of that time of enforced seriousness when permission is again given, even to professed God fearers, to indulge themselves in ways they would never normally do. Of course, when people of the world see their religious friends dancing in the streets – and dancing with the devil! – they are overjoyed, and join right in, saying, “Now this is a religion I can live with!” But is it true religion to barter with God, promising to be good at certain times in exchange for His looking away at other times? And does it please God when we take the things representing mankind’s undoing and make them our playthings, even if only for one night? “Woe to those,” wrote Isaiah, “who call evil good and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness, and who are heroes in drinking wine” (5:20,22). Could you find a better definition of Halloween than that – and a better reason to turn away from it?

SOMBER SOLILOQUY -- Devotional for October 29, from "Good Seeds"

2009-10-30T00:29:00.000-07:00

Inspired by doubters around me, I think, “Soul, where is this God of yours?” I roll the question over and over in my mind, emptying out the pockets of my life. Wasn’t I always at the head of the worshiping crowd, right out in front, leading them all, shouting praises, singing thanksgiving, celebrating God? What happened? Why am I now so down in the dumps, crying the blues? I must once again fix my eyes on God. Surely I will be praising Him again – so maybe I’ll just start now! See, He’s put a smile on my face. Thank You, Lord – You are my God! (Psalm 42:3-5)

“To be, or not to be – that is the question.” The Psalmist and Hamlet are brothers when it comes to dismal self-talk. Moods can so quickly overshadow us: one moment we are exalting our God, exulting in life, with heart assurance that nothing can stop us now, when in walks an enemy – or a friend (either is just as capable of the deed) – and the slightest, most innocent suggestion of doubt from him does us in. One day while feeling rather ambivalent about an important decision looming before me two emails arrived, one after the other, from two dear friends. The first gave such words of encouragement I just knew I could fly! The second, commenting on the same subject, from one every bit as wise and dear, put such a damper on the project that I was ready to dismiss it as suitable for another man of another time, but not for me. When we allow ourselves to be influenced to such a degree by those around us, no wonder we lose touch with the still small voice within us. Without that voice, all we have left is our own, saying, “What was that all about? What was I thinking? I’ve got to get back to reality!” But what kind of reality is it that has no room for God, no time God, no sight of God? How could this doubter I seem to have become ever have thought I could lead others to the throne of God? As I “empty out the pockets of my life” I find little more than loose change and old ticket stubs, reminders of former good times, with no promise of future happiness. See, I’m doing it again! How quickly we who are experts at cheering others up fall into our own far more exotic doldrums of despondency, with far greater resistance to the kind of encouragement our clients have received from us! No counselor can reason me into cheerfulness; no soul physician can reach in and pull me out of myself; no heart friend can sit quietly by and with his assuring presence rescue me from this secret soul suicide. When in such depths, nothing can be done by even the best that human help can afford. So, what do I do? I turn my eyes upon Jesus; I look full in His wonderful face – and those things of earth that have done me in grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace!

THE FLIP SIDE OF FAITH -- Devotional for October 28, from "Good Seeds"

2009-10-29T00:08:00.000-07:00

The righteous man will live by his faith, but wine betrays the haughty man. The just shall live by faith. Whatsoever is not of faith is sin. (Habakkuk 2:4-5; Romans 1:17; 14:23)

Solomon often expressed God’s wisdom in couplets of two contrasting ideas. For example, Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where there is no guidance the people fall, but in abundance of counselors there is victory.” That pattern for wise sayings used by King Solomon works also for solid doctrine in the writings of the prophet Habakkuk: “A man is led aright by his faith, astray by his addictions.” No doubt the two most important words in the entire Bible are grace and faith. Grace is the way God relates to man, while faith is the way men come to God. There is no theology more significant or crucial than that encompassed by the partnering of these two themes (Ephesians 2:8-9). Anthropologists want us to think the religion of Homo sapien evolved from simple to complex, right along with his physiology. In the minds of pre-human man, they would say, thoughts wouldn’t have gone much beyond those of pain, pleasure and survival. And yet, when we go back thousands of years in history we find Abraham, a man who “believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness” (Romans 4:3). An old philosopher defined his own humanity this way: “I think, therefore I am.” A far more ancient thinker took that rudimentary statement a long step further when he said, “I believe God, therefore I am safe in His care” (Paul: Acts 27:25). And in more recent times (a mere 500 years ago!), when Martin Luther stumbled upon these Scriptures about faith, he found the footing he needed to take his stand against the religionists of the day who were teaching salvation by works: “Do you want to be righteous in the eyes of God, to be forgiven of all your trespasses, past, present and future? Come to Jesus. He will save you, by GRACE ALONE, through FAITH ALONE – truths found in SCRIPTURE ALONE!" This was not a popular slant on the “truth” being taught – or rather sold! – by Luther’s contemporaries. And even today faith teaching remains a burr in the saddle of those who think we can please God through our own efforts. This is taught even by those who claim to believe the Bible from cover to cover – the Bible that says not only that “our iniquities, like the wind, have blown us away, but that even our acts of righteousness are no cleaner than filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). “We dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. On Christ, the Solid Rock, I stand – all other ground is sinking sand.” Indeed, all other grounds for right standing with God are sin, all grounds not of “faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave His life for me” (Galatians 2:20).

CHOTTO MATTE! -- Devotional for October 27, from "Good Seeds"

2009-10-28T01:48:00.000-07:00

Wait for one another. (I Corinthians 11:33)

Do you remember as a child walking with your mom or dad and trying to keep up? Adults walk faster than children not only because they have longer legs, but also because they are in a bigger hurry! If you were in Japan you might hear parents saying, “Isogei!” (ee-so-gay): “Hurry Up!” Running to catch up, their children might reply, “Chotto Matte!” (cho-toe-ma-tay): “Wait up! Just a minute!” It isn’t just age difference that causes one person to move along at a faster or slower pace than another. Some (adult types), thinking only of their destination, view the distance between where they are and where they want to be as a huge irritation. Others (child types), knowing how to relish the moment, stop and smell the roses along the way. Which type are you? Do you sit down at the table and dive right in, or do you wait patiently for others – and do you pause to pray? We think of the dinner table as a place to be waited on, but Paul reminded the Corinthians that it was a place to wait on – and wait for – others. Actually, he was referring to communion, which was not a time to indulge in food, but to revel in worship. Apparently a serious problem had formed in the church at Corinth, where members were using the Lord’s table as an excuse for gorging on food and guzzling down wine, to the point of gluttony and drunkenness! But was it only self-indulgence that Paul condemned, and that was incurring judgment for these Christians? No! There’s another sin here, far more subtle, but apparently just as lethal. Paul alludes to it twice in his first letter to the Corinthians: “What? Have you not houses in which to eat and drink?” (verse 22). “If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you may not incur judgment when you come together” (verse 34). The sin was not so much in their eating and drinking (otherwise Christians might properly fear God’s disapproval of any meal they might share together, down at the church, or over at the restaurant); nor was it their potential disregard for the sacred meaning of the communion elements. When Paul spoke of partaking of the bread and cup in an unworthy manner, and that those who did so were in jeopardy of literal judgment of the body (illness and death, verse 30), he was also referring to the way they disregarded one another! Their self-indulgence was not only a desecration of the worship of God, violating the first part of the great commandment, to “Love God with all your heart,” it was also a desecration of fellowship with one another, violating the second part, to “love your neighbor as yourself.” And so, may all the supposedly mature and spiritually driven Christians among us listen to our rose-smelling little brothers, and wait for them, and upon them – Chotto matte!

EVANGELICAL VS. EVANGELISTIC -- Devotional for October 26, from "Good Seeds"

2009-10-26T22:43:00.000-07:00

Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. (Hebrews 6:1; 5:13-14)

The root of both of these words is the Greek word translated, “Gospel,” meaning “Good News.” But these two terms are not synonymous, in the strictest sense. People who are evangelical emphasize salvation by faith in the atoning death of Jesus Christ through personal conversion. They place the authority of Scripture over the authority of the Church, and the deem preaching more important than ritual. But now, what about evangelists? They believe exactly the same as the evangelicals. The only difference is, they do something about it! They don’t just sit around believing; they don’t find their greatest joy in merely gathering with one another to clarify their doctrines and reinforce their dogmas. Oh, they DO these things right along with the evangelicals, but then they get up and go out, into the world, into the mission field of their neighborhoods and schools and workplaces and social gatherings and athletic events, and they share the good news of Jesus Christ! They don’t try to preach, and they don’t judge; they just tell what Christ has done for them. They hope it shows, in their faces, in their temperaments, in their attitudes and lifestyles. They know the importance of body language, but they use mouth language, too, “always ready to give a reason for the hope that is within them” (I Peter 3:15), once others notice that hope that is written all over their joyful, confident lives! Evangelism is no more than one beggar telling another beggar where to find the food. Evangelicals have that amazing capacity for holding their blessings in check, inside and under control. They keep their gospel and their joy pretty much to themselves, or they might branch out and share it with one another, you know, down at the church on Sundays, or in little holy huddles in homes, behind closed doors. But evangelists, now – they just can’t keep it all in, so some of it just spills! And they can’t seem to stay inside the four walls of theirs homes and churches with their faith: when they’re in a restaurant, their meal prayer is too loud (probably not bothering the sinners that much, but really embarrassing the saints!) They forget to speak in hushed tones when they say, “Praise the Lord,” or “I’ll pray for you” in public places. By the way, if you had to choose, which would you rather be? An evangelical-only is an unfinished, underdeveloped Christian. An evangelist is both: he’s a Christian to the max. But if that’s true, why is it also true that brand new Christians are the better evangelists and the old saints have set aside evangelism for their more controlled and mellowed evangelicalism?

"IT'S NOT MY JOB!" "DO THE WORK ANYWAY!"

2009-10-26T22:38:00.000-07:00

Do the work of an evangelist. II Timothy 4:5

In writing to the Ephesian church Paul listed some of the Big Gun appointments God makes to local churches: “And He gives some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists and some as pastors and teachers” (4:11). The ministry gifts are gifted men, certain men with certain strengths appointed by God to particular churches for a particular time. Paul knew he was an apostle, “the apostle to the Gentiles” (II Timothy 1:11). John the Baptist was a prophet – in no uncertain terms! Phillip we know as an evangelist: just look how quickly he jumped at the chance to witness to that confused traveler in the desert! (Acts 8:26-40). James was a pastor; Apollos, a teacher. But what about Timothy? His name describes his demeanor, his temperament: “Timothy the Timid!” Even his tummy reflected his timidity (see I Timothy 5:23). Paul had to remind him that his “spirit of timidity was not of God,” so it was high time he started claiming the power of God over it (I Timothy 1:7); it was high time he started “disciplining himself for the purpose of godliness” (I Timothy 4:7); high time to shake off the shame that overpowered him whenever he wanted to give a testimony for his Lord or claim friendship with his mentor (for was it not true that whoever associated with Paul wound up sharing his persecutions and prison terms?) And it was high time Timothy stopped hiding behind his youthfulness, letting others ridicule him as a greenhorn Christian. This was a closet to come out of, and it couldn’t be too soon! Had not God gifted him, right along with his peers? Had not the presbytery laid hands on him, conferring on him ordination, right along with Titus and James and all the other pastors of his time? PASTOR. That’s it! That’s what Timothy was. One of the big guns of Christ’s church? Well, if you’re thinking boss? No! A shepherd. A CEO? No! An “equipper of the saints” (Ephesians 4:12). A pastor doesn’t “lord it over his people” (I Peter 5:2,3), but serves as an “example of those who believe”(I Timothy 4:12-14). And I believe that all in good time young Pastor Timothy became powerful Pastor Tim! But as a pastor, was he exempt from the duties of church planting (apostle) and proclamation (prophet) and deep study (teacher), and bold witnessing (evangelist)? No! He had his pastoral appointment, and he was not to be a jack of all trades, and yet – and boy does this apply to you and me today – though they were not his specialties, he was to do the work of all these other specialists, as need and opportunity arose. And so, Pastor Steve: you, too! Do the work of an evangelist. Just sow the seed, and move on. (But if you want some joy, look back once in awhile and see what God did with that seed!)

THE CALL OF GOD: POINTED AND APPOINTED -- Devotional for October 24, from "Good Seeds"

2009-10-26T22:31:00.000-07:00

The Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” When they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them out. The men sailed to Cyprus, where they immediately began to proclaim the Word of God. (Acts 13:2-5)

Though the call of God upon His missionaries is primarily a spiritual thing, it is not entirely separated from geography. Before he was converted, Saul’s base of operation was Jerusalem. From there he branched out to neighboring cities rooting out followers of Jesus and dragging them back to headquarters, where they would be flogged, jailed, and in some cases put to death. If you asked Saul he would tell you he was doing God’s bidding: he had spiritual work to do and he was going to do it! And he would do it within the parameters of his own particular mission field. It just so happens that this mission field of his extended to the town of Damascus. POINTED in that direction, he kept his APPOINTMENT with destiny, for that was where Saul met his Waterloo. In fact, that’s where we say goodbye forever to Saul, and hello to Paul. “Same guy,” you say? Hardly! For Someone met him there, and after he was APPOINTED to his new assignment, he became a clear picture of what he later would teach as the position of the Christian: “If any man be in Christ he is a new creation: old things pass away; behold, all things become new” (II Corinthians 5:17). And if you asked Paul now what was God’s bidding, though he again would say, “I must be about my Father’s business” (Luke 2:49), that business would be in building the church, not destroying it. It would be the exact opposite of his former profession: “I must go, for I am an appointed instrument of Christ’s, to bear His name before Gentiles and Jews alike – whoever stands in my path! (Acts 9:15). When Christ appeared to Saul on the Damascus road, it was like what happens when a mounted cowboy enters the rodeo ring: he appears out of nowhere to the little doggie, and confronts him, and in no uncertain terms, constricts him! Jesus stopped His enemy cold, in his tracks, and bound him – not his legs, but his eyes – getting his full and total attention. And here Jesus APPOINTED Saul to a new task. POINTING to the same road He said, “Get back on your horse and keep going to Damascus, and there you’ll find out “what I’ve got planned for you, and what things you will suffer for Me” (Acts 9:16). That suffering started right away: when he arrived no one would touch him, for no one could trust him. He was white hot with the fire of God, and folks feared getting burned. By the way, that’s the sign of a man appointed and called of God. Is that you? Is that me?

GREATER OR LESSER WORSHIP? -- Devotional for October 23, from "Good Seeds"

2009-10-25T22:06:00.000-07:00

(NOTE TO MY READERS: Again, I've fallen behind. I just returned from our church's Men's Retreat at Mt. Hermon. I did write devotionals at camp, so now I'm busy transcribing and editing them to the computer and eventually, to this blog. I appreciate your reading, and even more, your prayers for me, as I will pray for you, for your growth in the Lord. By the way, though I know of a few who have at least at one time were reading this, I would love to hear from you now, and let me know how I can pray for you, 2) If you have any comments on these devotionals, 3) If you have any ideas for me for future devotionals. email: steveandkaren11@att.net
phone: 209-532-4816 cell: 209-768-2822).

God everlasting is the Creator of the ends of the earth. Men exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator. (Isaiah 40:28; Romans 1:25)

The Bible contends that the best thing you can do for your health – body, soul and spirit – is to worship God. Sadly, only a minuscule number of earth’s population has discovered that fact. Putting it into practice, they prove to themselves and all who watch them that it is true. They start by acknowledging the reality of God by recognizing Him as the Creator of the universe. This same God revealed Himself to mankind in His Son, Jesus Christ, through whom we can come to know this Master Designer as our Heavenly Father – our Abba Father! To worship the Son of God is to worship Father God. Walking with Jesus, filled with His Spirit, we begin to sense God’s presence, bask in His love, and soon we are bowing before His majesty. What are the results of such awareness and worship? Health and wholeness, in every fiber of our being. To worship God as both Sovereign King of the Universe and Lover of our souls is not a sacrifice for us, but rather an investment in our own vitality, and an investment in eternity! Oh that all people on earth would know our God like this! But most do not. Not that they don’t worship, for all human beings worship. A man’s very nature dictates that he must. He instinctively seeks out, identifies and attributes worth to anything he identifies as having ultimate value and beauty. But the health and wholeness afforded to worshipers is not given to those who worship anything less than or other than God Himself. When people first encounter the true and living God they tend to shrink away: “He’s too distant, too ethereal, too altogether other than ourselves,” they say. That’s what they say – but if the truth were known, it is His ultimate goodness and holiness, juxtaposed to their sinfulness, that sends them packing, as far away from God as they can get! But think about it: if a man will not worship God, still, by nature he must worship, so what remains as objects of worship for him? There are only two kinds of people, those who worship the Creator God, and those who worship what God created. Humanists worship man: his works, his thoughts, his pleasures; pantheists worship the earth and its creatures; idolaters worship gods of their own making, usually not recognizing them as agents of Satan himself! Are those engaged in this lesser worship investing in their own welfare, or sacrificing it? The answer is in the payoff: worshipers of anything less than God eventually destroy themselves. Why? Because idols are parasites: they suck the lifeblood from their worshipers; whereas Jesus IS the lifeblood of His worshipers!

MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE DARKNESS -- Devotional for October 22, from "Good Seeds"

2009-10-23T12:20:00.000-07:00

We were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. (Acts 16:6)

The very first missionary movement was in the years of the early church, immediately following the death, resurrection and ascension of Christ. Paul was among the first, and without doubt the greatest, of the early missionaries. Earlier, when Jesus walked and talked with His disciples, He occasionally would send them out on their own, with the edge of His clear and personal commission, but without the advantage of His indwelling Spirit. Jesus promised that when He returned to heaven He would leave His presence with them, and IN them, in the person of the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-18). We still must listen to the voice of Jesus as He directs us in spreading the gospel, by hearing and obeying the voice of His Spirit. Paul heard it loud and clear, many times, including the times God continually forbade him from going east, into Asia. The area referred to in this verse is modern day Turkey, part of the middle east, the gateway to the far east. We know that western Christians later traveled to China for trading for silks and spices, and history tells us that Marco Polo did indeed share some semblance of Christianity during his many overland trips from Europe to China. Later, in the 18th century, Japan was visited by Christian missionaries. But suddenly, for political reasons, that island nation was closed to western influence for over a hundred years. Then came the terrible war where nations under the imperialist attacks of Japan defended themselves, culminating in the only two times (to date) when a nuclear bomb was used in warfare between nations. When peace was made with Japan, Christian missionaries once again came to introduce the Good News of the Risen Son to the “Land of the Rising Sun!” Though Japan is one of America’s “most favored nations,” they have assimilated western culture’s materialistic ways far more thoroughly than accepting the way to God through Jesus. Now the question comes to me and my wife: “Are we still under the curse of Acts 16:6, or will God open a door, specifically for us, to go to Japan with the love of Jesus?” First it was our Japanese exchange students, and then it was our Japanese-American friend, Yoshi, who have introduced to us these beautiful people, 99% of whom are still without Christ. The bright lights of this 85% urban nation cannot mask its spiritual darkness. This song expresses my awareness of Japan’s darkness, and my desire to go turn on the light: We are going to Japan because they need to see the light of Jesus in Japan…will you go there with me? We are going to Japan because they need to know the love of Jesus in Japan…that’s why we want to go. We are going to Japan because there’s darkness there, to make a difference in the darkness, shining forth His care, glowing with His care, sowing seeds of care…bringing Jesus there!

DANGEROUS RETIREMENT -- Devotional for October 21, from "Goods Seeds"

2009-10-22T01:33:00.000-07:00

Jesus told of a rich man who said to himself, “I have many goods laid up for many years to come; so now, I will take my ease, eat, drink and be merry.” But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your soul is required of you!” Such is the end of the man who lays up treasure for himself, but is not rich toward God. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul? And what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”(Luke 12:19-21; Mark 8:35-37)

We all know people who are retired. Some scrape miserably along, while others live high and happy. Some retire at a surprisingly young age, while others wait for that magic sixty-five year old marker, or even later, when they are finally able to make it happen. Some men retire only to hang around the house with nothing to do but drive their wives crazy! Others finally get to do what they’ve always longed to do, but never had the time or resources, and virtually blossom into a second life, finding many more years – much better years – of productivity and satisfaction. Still others, whose only life was their job, sadly waste away, disappearing before dying, when they see how the world – their world – is doing so well without them, having quite forgotten them! What does the Bible say about retirement? The closest thing I could find were these two teachings of Jesus: one a story, the other a sermon, neither giving a very rosy picture, nor conferring much approval from heaven –- even though the scenario Jesus painted of the rich retiree is the goal of the hard working Type-A business or professional man or woman today. But, as always, the Bible washes away the glossy façade, revealing the true interior. If wealthy retirement is a white-washed tomb, a pauper in spirit is the putrid dead man’s bones that reside inside! (see Matthew 23:27). It isn’t that our Lord condemns wise planning and investing enabling one to discontinue the daily nine to five grind in order to follow more meaningful, creative and productive pursuits. Indeed, many Christian retirees are able to give service in Jesus’ name, working as volunteers for ministries or missionaries without needing any outside support, thus leaving funds alone that are needed by those on the front lines for God who have little mouths to feed and bills to pay. The issue is not whether or not one retires, but rather what is his highest goal, his highest treasure (Matthew 6:21). If he spent his working years working for money, money will continue to dominate his retirement years. Some men leave goodwill behind – others just leave a good will! The rich retiree was called a fool, not for his wealth of pocket, but for his poverty of spirit. May that not describe you or me!

"BUCKET LIST" -- Devotional for October 20, from "Good Seeds"

2009-10-20T17:25:00.000-07:00

Hezekiah became mortally ill. The Lord told him through Isaiah the prophet, “Set your house in order, for the time has come for you to die.” But Hezekiah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly: “Will You so soon take my life, though I have walked before You in truth, with a whole heart, and have done what is good in Your sight?” Word came again from God through Isaiah: “I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you, adding fifteen years to your life, and deliver you and your city from the hands of the Assyrians.” (II Kings 20:1-6)

A few years ago I wrote out a list of things I wanted to accomplish before I die. I arranged them into a poem that starts out like this: “Now here’s a little list / It’s written on my wrist / Of things I want to do before I die: / Now I know that my want-to’s / Won’t always be my get-to’s / But maybe some will come if I just try.” I wonder what want-to’s were on Hezekiah’s list when Dr. God came in with this dismal prognosis: “You are about to die and not live.” I suppose we all could present our list to God from our deathbed and beg for the miracle healing that this good man asked for – and received. Well, we can always ask! But how many of us will have that dubious good fortune to know the expected time of our death? (I’d rather not know). Either way, maybe we should live each day as if it were our last day – live it to the full, doing the next task on our list, so we can check it off, for the glory of God! Probably one of the most serious comedies I’ve ever seen was “Bucket List.” It’s a movie about two old men sharing a hospital room who are told they’ve got six months to live. I was struck by what one said to the other: “What do you think happens? You go home to some ceremonial procession unto death, all smothered by pity and grief, where everyone you love stands around watching you die – while you try to comfort them! Is that what you want?” I guess it wasn’t what either wanted, for the two old codgers drew up a list of things they would like to do before they “kicked the bucket.” It was their “Bucket List.” And off they went, skydiving and the like! Instead of worrying about our inevitable death, maybe our minds and hearts would be put to better use if we would let that emotional steam drive our body’s engine to keep busy for God. Two facts are undeniable here: 1) He’s got things for us to do until they day we die; but 2) We won’t be finished with the list when it comes our time. When Paul said, “I’ve finished the course” (II Timothy 4:7) I don’t think he meant he’d checked everything off his list. But still, he had “fought the good fight; he had kept the faith.” Will we be able to say as much? And are the things on our Bucket List worthy of an extended life?

CHANGE MY HEART, O GOD -- Devotional for October 19, from "Good Seeds"

2009-10-19T18:43:00.000-07:00

If any man is in Christ he is a new creation: the old has gone, the new has come! (II Corinthians 5:17)

I’ve been thinking a lot about marriage lately, maybe because I’m so happy with the girl who sought me and caught me so many years ago...(I guess I did my fair share of chasing, too!)...but also because I’ve been talking to some dear Christian friends whose marriages are all but over. In each case, when they first met and got married they truly loved one another -- and I’m confident they love one another still. And yet they have become so dissatisfied and unhappy. She’s looking for some major changes in her husband: “I knew this was a weakness of his when I first met him, but I thought I could change him over once I won him over!” He thought she loved him unconditionally, but now he’s finding out what she loved what her perception of how wonderful he could be once she performed her magic on him! Compare this to when you and I first came to Jesus: He didn’t look us over and say, “Well, you’ve got potential. I’ll take you into My family on condition of the changes I’ll expect to see in you.” That’s how a lot of people view salvation – but that’s not right! Christ expects nothing from us but faith. The goodness and holiness He longs to see in us He gives to us, by His grace. Nevertheless, the story isn’t finished, for we truly are saints in the making. God takes us just as we are, but He loves us too much to leave us that way. But wait! Isn’t that also how it is in human relationships? Yes, but the difference is that it’s still God who makes the changes. We don’t resent it when He does it, whereas we resent very much our friend or spouse trying to fix us! When we finally come to realize that not only is it not our responsibility to change someone else, but that it is also quite outside of our power to do so, it’s actually quite freeing! A husband, for example, has no real power over his wife’s feelings, beliefs, or decisions. She's in the Lord's hands. Not that God ever forces someone to receive Him, but by His Spirit He brings conviction, and by His sovereignty He brings conditions that can work to bring her around to HIS way of thinking, much better than any human being could do. And any preaching or fixing from a spouse will be pointless, even damaging. I Corinthians 7:15 says one is "not under obligation in such cases." He is not ultimately responsible if she strays from the Lord, even as he has not the power to draw her back. That power resides in God alone. But that's why we pray, for "Where prayer is focused, power falls." A wife won’t be won by her husband’s persistence or insistence, or by his superior arguments, but rather by seeing Christ in him. Let God bring conviction; let Him orchestrate the conditions. In the meantime you just keep loving, keep praying, and keep trusting!

LIFE: FORWARD AND BACKWARDS -- Devotional for October 18, from "Good Seeds"

2009-10-19T01:40:00.000-07:00

“You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, in order to preserve many people alive. So therefore do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus Joseph comforted his brothers and spoke kindly to them. (Genesis 50:20-21)

One of the greatest stories in the Bible is the story of Joseph. The narrative is presented in such a way that the reader is always more aware of what is happening than the individual players in the plot. When Joseph is time and again treated so cruelly and punished so unjustly, we observers don’t for a moment believe in anything but his innocence. Though we are told all along that in spite of the ill treatment he received, he had a heavenly Midas touch, where anyone connected to him in any way was blessed by God – still Joseph seemed largely unaware of it. Like Job, Joseph was oblivious to the way God was working through all the adverse circumstances of his life, all his personal pain, to bring good to man and glory to God. The tables were eventually turned where Joseph becomes the one in the know while his brothers remain in the dark. But his intention in concealing his identity was not to play a cruel game of revenge on his brothers, but rather to test them to see if their hearts had been softened through the workings of God on their character through the years. I picked up a little “fortune cookie theology” at a Chinese restaurant the other day which beautifully describes the story of Joseph – and maybe your story and mine as well: “Life must be lived forward, but can only be understood backwards.” Joseph lived his life forward: he did what was right regardless of what wrong was done to him. He was well aware of the ill treatment he received, and often complained about it (so…he was human after all!). “You meant evil against me,” he flatly told his brothers. But he understood his life backwards: before anger or bitterness could rise in his heart, he went on, “…but God meant it for good.” In retrospect, looking back on his life with godly hindsight, he now knew how it had to happen just that way, in order for God “to preserve many people alive.” What a joy for Joseph to eventually discover that God had entrusted him with a significant part to play in His benevolent dealings with mankind. It seems to be a rule of life that “if all were known, all would be forgiven” – and I’m talking about men forgiving God! We’re so quick to blame Him for neglecting us, but who among us really knows what He’s up to? So maybe we should just keep living our lives forward, living righteously, obeying Him, trusting Him – and just wait for the understanding to come later. Knowing “we’ll understand it better by and by,” and that we will thank Him for it all then, why not in faith just praise Him for it all right now!

ARE YOU IN THE LAND OF THE LIVING? -- Devotional for October 17, from "Good Seeds"

2009-10-18T21:20:00.000-07:00

(Dear reader: Hang in there, I'll get caught up yet. I'm still under the influence of jetlag from our return from Japan last Friday, and lagging behind in entries, due to lack of time in Japan to write)

I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for the Lord! (Psalm 27:13-14)

This is an expression I have used, unaware it came straight from Scripture. When seeing someone after a long separation due to illness or depression, I might say, “Well, it looks like you’re in the land of the living after all!” David relates our well being to God’s goodness, apart from which we sense nothing but hopeless despair. Many things militate against hope. The first of these is when our bodies don’t cooperate. That’s when we can get pretty despondent. But the worst of these may be when life doesn’t cooperate, and we begin to languish in the doldrums of discouragement. Even the best of us – even as sterling an example of a Christian as the apostle Paul – can be forced to endure trials so harsh as to cause us to entertain thoughts of our own death, thinking of it as the better alternative to what we are now made to suffer. In Paul’s very personal letter to his friends in Corinth we hear his candid thoughts about death: he’s not wishing for it, but he’s definitely resigned to it: “We would not have you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of living” (II Corinthians 1:8). Have you ever been burdened excessively, beyond all your inner resources for coping or enduring, and you just wanted to die? It could be the suffering of pain, physical or emotional, or the oppression of guilt, or a loss we just knew would be our undoing, or something else we were sure meant the end of life as we knew it – and the sooner that end came, the better! God sees us in such predicaments, but He doesn’t leave us in them. And He wants us to see Him, in them. David said the despair was there, knocking at his door, but right behind it, shrouded in the mist, hovered the Spirit of God, the very presence and essence of the goodness of God. But seeing this, seeing Him, takes faith: “I would have despaired had I not BELIEVED.” And that vision of God, of His goodness, fueled by faith, gives us the strength to wait for Him to “complete the work He has begun in us” (Philippians 1:6). Knowing He’s at work in our lives gives us the patience to wait. Knowing His goodness will finally have its victory in us can give great encouragement to our hearts. When things go wrong for children of the world, they take a pill; but when things go wrong for the children of God, we take courage, finding strength in Him to help us in our time of need. This is what it means to be “in the land of the living.” Is that where you and I reside today?

GOD'S GUIDANCE IN 3-D -- Devotional for October 16, from "Good Seeds"

2009-10-18T01:16:00.000-07:00

Someone made this interesting observation: Why is it that when a man speaks to God we say, “Ah, he’s praying!” but when that same man claims to have heard God speak to him we get suspicious. Indeed, I’ve already gone on record as that suspicious one (see September 27), but I would balance my doubts with the three D’s of determining God’s guidance in a Christian’s life.
DESIRES
Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)
Anyone who truly makes God number one in all his ideas and decisions and passions can claim this promise from God: that He will place within His trusting child’s heart the very desires He wants him to have. What a wonderful thing it is when what we want is also what God wants! That can only happen when we surrender our wills to His will. Do you crave God’s direction for you life? Give Him your compass; relinquish your plans…and then wait for His desires -- to become yours!
DOORS
He was forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the Word in Asia. He tried to enter Bithynia, but Jesus would not permit it. But then a man of Macedonia appeared in a vision saying, “Come over here,” by which Paul concluded that God was calling him to preach there. (Acts 16:6-10)
Paul wanted to go east with the gospel, but every door slammed in his face. But another door opened wide as God seemed to be saying, “Go west, old man!” A closed door is an obvious sign from God what NOT to do, where NOT to go. An open door needs more discernment, for there may be many possibilities. But now, how else does God lead?
DREAMS
Having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi departed for their own country by another way. (Matthew 2:12)
Although this is the most subjective of the three D’s of God’s direction, we cannot deny the inner testimony of the Holy Spirit, which sometimes comes to the waiting soul by way of a dream. Inner convictions, rooted in Scripture but separated from the turnings of circumstances or the opinions of well-meaning friends, have a crucial role in revealing to us God’s will for our lives. But all too often we are deaf to the still, small voice of God speaking deep in our hearts. “Surely the Lord was here, but I was unaware,” said Jacob (Genesis 28:15), who learned that night how receptivity improves as self-reliance dissipates. The more desperate we are to know Him, the more likely we will hear when He calls our name. And when we do hear His voice, we must answer, “Speak Lord, for Thy servant is listening” (I Samuel 3:10).

THE NEMURI NEKO: THE SLEEPING CAT -- Devotional for October 15, from "Good Seeds"

2009-10-16T20:14:00.000-07:00

In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together; the leopard will lie down with the baby goat; the calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion, and the cow will graze near the bear. And a little child shall lead them. A toddler will play safely near the hole of a cobra, putting its hand in a nest of those deadly snakes without harm. Neither animal nor human will hurt or kill in all My holy mountain, for as the waters fill the sea, so the earth will be filled with people who know the Lord. (Isaiah 11:6-9)

While visiting TOSHOGU, one of the sacred Buddhist shrines of Japan, I came across an interesting illustration of prophetic, biblical truth. Yes, embedded within the false and confusing religion of lost mankind can sometimes be found hints and clues which could lead them to the truth of God. Mounted on an inside wall of one of these ancient buildings is the famous Nemuri Neko, a wood-carving of a sleeping cat. Nearby is another carving, showing sparrows at play. A caption reads: “Viewed together these carvings stand as a symbol of peace, for it is not in either the cat’s or the birds’ nature to be so docile while in such close proximity.” The idealist mournfully pleads, “Why can’t we all just get along!” The bumper sticker dryly encrypts: “Contemplate whirled peas.” The most embattled century of human history saw The Great War, not called World War I until there was a World War II! Why didn’t “the war to end all wars” do its job? And whenever there are not hot wars bloodying the countryside, there are cold wars boasting threats of world destruction, all in the name of self-preservation. The longing for peace has led nations to make treaties and to form alliances, and to put in writing promises of future non-aggression. The League of Nations following WW I, and the United Nations following WW II, were sincere attempts at making the world a safer, saner place to live! So, why is the entire world still a war zone? Jesus is called “The Prince of Peace.” The Bible says there is no other governor or government that can establish righteousness on the earth and guarantee freedom to go about life in a peaceful environment, unafraid. When will men learn that regardless of their craving for world peace, there will not and can not be true peace until the Prince of Peace has landed! Only then will the scenarios painted for us by the prophet Isaiah become a reality, where “the beasts of the wild shall be led by a child” (from the spiritual, "Peace in the Valley"); only then will the quest for peace etched in wood at Toshogu temple become a reality. Without the provision of personal heart peace now, as well as the promise of world peace someday – both available only in Jesus – we remain sparrows fluttering nervously in front of a not always sleeping cat!

GOD'S POWER SUPPLY FOR BELIEVERS -- Devotional for October 14, from "Good Seeds"

2009-10-14T08:04:00.000-07:00

Serve one another. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another. (Galatians 5:13; I Peter 4:10)

Since many children don’t start the day with good nutrition some schools provide breakfast for their students, based on the premise that heads can’t be filled if tummies are empty. The work of learning can be applied to the work of fighting, for everyone knows “an army marches on its stomach.” The Bible says “you must not muzzle the ox that treads out the grain” (I Corinthians 9:9). Common wisdom tells us that no work can be accomplished without a power supply. Pastor J. H. Jowett said, “He who gives the command will also give the equipment.” And Bible teacher and author David Roper wrote, “No one is without a divinely appointed task, and the divine means for getting it done.” These are many ways of saying what Paul and Peter taught the church regarding the role of each of its members: On the day of a new Christian’s spiritual birth God gives him His Spirit, to live inside him, to assure him of his place in God’s family, and then teach and to guide him. Along with this gift of God’s presence comes another “birthday” present: a special, spiritual gift. There are as many nuances in the variety of these gifts as there are individual Christians who receive them, and yet there is just one singular purpose for all: that they “be employed in the service of others.” As common as the knowledge of this truth is among Christians, it is sad to see how very uncommon it is in practice. Even those who are taught from the beginning to live first for Jesus, and then for others, still spend way too much time – and expend far too much energy – looking out for number one! And it is because we concern ourselves so broadly in seeking just the perfect place of ministry, that we spread ourselves so thinly over the masses in serving them in the name of Jesus! We compete for places of honor and recognition, when the only competition among believers in Jesus should be our attempts at outdoing one another in serving one another! This is what Paul was saying to the Christians of the church at Galatia: “Beware of using God’s gift of freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do – which will destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that's how freedom grows.” If the record shows that “Jesus went about doing good” (Acts 10:38), why do most of us content ourselves with just “going about”? Oh, we may be earnestly trying to serve our fellow man, but if we’re doing it with only human energies and agendas we are no more than “Peace Corps Christians.” But if we are in touch with heaven’s directives and resources – God’s power supply for believers – there is no limit to what God can and will do through us!

KAMI SAMA -- Devotional for October 13, from "Good Seeds"

2009-10-12T15:31:00.000-07:00

Jesus said, “I and My Father are one.” Upon hearing this the Jews started gathering stones to stone Him. (John 10:30-31)

The word for god in the Japanese language is kami. When we use the word to refer to the one and only true God, we capitalize it. To make a similar distinction the Japanese add sama, a term of great respect. Kami sama could be translated, “the most respected God.” I’m writing this now from Japan, “the land of respect.” That is a key word here. Everything is about showing respect and honor and consideration. If it is done between people, why stop there? Why not continue it on into your religion? And so the people bow to one another, countrymen and foreigners alike. And they bow to God – that that is to god, or gods, or God – it doesn’t seem to matter. I used to think I had an edge on understanding Japanese religious thought by presenting to them this “unique” concept of kami sama, introducing to them the one and only true God, Creator of the Universe, that that would make all the difference in their thinking and set the stage for evangelizing them. But I’ve come to realize this is not a new concept to them. Just yesterday at a local store I was talking to a Japanese man who wanted to practice his English on me. I said, “I believe in God.” He said, “So do I.” Then I said, “But I believe in Jesus.” At that his face turned sour and he said, “No, Buddha!” This sparring match between “lesser gods” is what almost always happens when presenting the gospel in Japan. They have no problem with believing in God (though their understanding of Him is a far cry from the Bible) – it’s Jesus Christ they have trouble with. But is this anything new? To the Jews of New Testament times Christ’s introduction of Himself as the Son of God, as co-equal with God, was tantamount to blasphemy. Such a one, according to Jewish law, was to be immediately put to death. But for the religions of the world with a pantheon of gods, Jesus is given an equal respectful place, right up there next to Buddha (or maybe just one step below him!) To present Jesus as the face of God, the Son of God, the Word of God, the only way to God (even for the Christian who believes in the deity of Christ it is difficult to express this truth without getting it wrong) is a challenge indeed. But apart from Jesus, kami sama is only “Mr. God” – He can never be my Abba Father, my Savior – the Lover of my soul!

THE CHRISTIAN'S COLUMBUS DAY -- Devotional for October 12, from "Good Seeds"

2009-10-12T14:36:00.000-07:00

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, even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:6-9).

People are strongly divided in feelings and opinions regarding the place of Christopher Columbus in the history of the United States. First of all, he didn’t “discover” this land. Yes, it was news to the Old Country that there was a New Country – another continent between Europe and Asia, heading west. But it wasn’t exactly an uninhabited land – it wasn’t new to Native Americans who’d lived here for centuries! And strictly speaking, this Italian explorer, sponsored and outfitted by Spain, wasn’t the first European to touch down on the Western hemisphere, for don’t forget good old Leif Ericksen and his fellow Norsemen, whose Viking vessels had anchored along these shores many years before the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria! And then there’s the problem about what soon followed Columbus’s claim of the New World: with the exchange of goods and services came the ravages of smallpox and the curse of slavery. Why is it that whenever one culture visits another as much or more harm comes from it than good? No matter what the question, regarding the troubles of mankind, the answer is always the same: SIN. Bring it home, now, to where we live: when you or I enter a room of people, do things become better, or worse? What do we bring with us when we come? What do we take away? Every visitor is a Conquistador of one kind or another! But when we read about the early church and how it spread, like wildfire through both the Jewish and Gentile world of the first century, a whole new perspective opens to us regarding God’s plan for man in his dealings with his fellow man. Before His return to heaven, Jesus left us with The Great Commission: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). We are to start with our neighbors across the street, but not to stop until we’ve crossed the sea, in sharing the Good News of salvation and heaven with anyone who will listen. And so, let the followers of Jesus from all over the world accept this dubious American holiday as a reminder of the Christian’s quest: to plant the flag of forgiveness from sin through Christ on the shores of men’s hearts wherever our travels may take us!

SEEING EYE TO EYE -- Devotional for October 11, from "Good Seeds"

2009-10-11T15:54:00.000-07:00

Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, suffer many things from the Jewish leaders, that He would be killed, and be raised up on the third day. At that Peter took Him aside to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord – this shall never happen to you!” Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s. (Matthew 16:21-23).

Just like in any family, Jesus and His disciples didn’t always get along. And the provocations weren’t always just the minor Irritations (Stage 1 conflict) that are inevitable between people who spend life together, twenty-four/seven. But neither were they the conflicts that come when people lose respect for one another and start becoming mean or bitter -- even though today's Scripture may give that idea. Just a few moments earlier, Jesus had put out a test question to the disciples, and Peter had answered correctly, for which he received this wonderful accolade: “Blessed are you, Peter, for hearing the voice of My Father in heaven!” (verse 7). But now, when Jesus entrusted to His friends privileged information regarding the immediate future, Peter, empowered by his newly favored position (or so he supposed), ventured to express his opinion, presenting it as the better way. Jesus did not spare for His friendship with Peter: upon hearing words so foreign to God’s program, not to mention so totally contrary to what He had just told them, He came at Peter with this fiery rebuke, “Get behind Me, Satan!” Would Jesus now resort to name calling? To be called “Satan” was a terrible thing, but to be identified as a “stumbling block” to Christ wasn’t much better! Was Jesus put out with Peter to such a degree that He would risk distancing Himself from His friend with such harsh language? No, this was not a case of Aggravation (Stage 3 conflict), but rather Disagreement (Stage 2 conflict). In such cases the controversy and polarization that take place come not from harsh anger, impatience, or any of the other factors that lead to aggravated verbal assault. Rather, it is merely a case of misunderstanding. Careful, honest dialogue may be all it takes in such cases for clarification and realignment to take place. Other times it may require some pretty confrontational language, to get the point across. But either way the conflict is not about persons, but ideas. Christ was not rejecting Peter himself, but rather his wrong understanding, letting him know in no uncertain terms how he had so quickly fallen into the thinking of the world, and how Satan had so deftly taken him in to use him as his spokesman. By the way, how good are we at correcting the errors of our brothers without rejecting them?

SHUT THE DOOR TO EVIL -- Devotional for October 10, from "Good Seeds"

2009-10-11T14:59:00.000-07:00

“The tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; behold how great a forest is set aflame by it, for it is set on fire by hell itself.” (James 3:5,6)

I was reminded of the truth of this verse one day when some gossip got back to me…about me! But then I thought, “I’m not much better. Just when am I ever going to get control of my tongue?” The temptation is to want to just shut up completely. But talking is not like a drug addiction, where a cure would mean zero intake (zero intake of food would soon result in a zero heartbeat!) Rather it can be compared to over-indulgence in eating, where the cure is manifested by self-control. And with speaking there’s a definite positive side, for with our tongues we can also praise our Creator and encourage our fellow man. Whenever we open our mouths to speak, let it remind us to consider our motives, and try to foresee the effect on our hearers. Ask God, “Is this something You are directing me to say now?” An important way to shut the door to evil is to shut our mouths while God purifies our hearts. Another is by shutting our ears to the evil coming from the lips of others. Sometimes it’s better to just walk away, closing the door to their poison. And this sort of talk can even come from Christians! Remember Jesus’ words to Peter, one of His closest friends: “Get thee behind Me, Satan, you are a stumbling block to Me, for you are not setting you mind on God’s interests, but man’s” (Matthew 16:23). Lord, help us all to learn to “shut the door to evil,” never bidding entrance of its poison to our soul.

Oh, why do men talk? They talk to be heard.
But sometimes they speak such a poisonous word!
‘Tis a gift to be silent, giving moments to think –
Giving God your attention, keeping self from the brink

Of disaster with others, ruination with men.
Shut the door to the devil, close the gate to his den.
Here’s a rule for myself: Speak ill of no man,
Throw opinions away – instead of words, lend a hand.”

Give audience to no one who comes with fresh tales
Of a man’s reputation – finding joy when he fails.
Those wicked truth-twisters, from their lies turn away;
Satan’s brothers and sisters, heed not what they say.

Never wish them “God speed;” never open the door;
To their voice give no ear; never give them the floor.
Godly silence is golden, but there’s a right time to talk –
A right time to listen – but a right time to “walk!”

DREAMERS AND DOERS -- Devotional for October 9, from "Good Seeds"

2009-10-10T06:24:00.000-07:00

Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him. Then he had another dream and related it to his father, who rebuked him. (Genesis 37:5,9-10)

“There are some people who live in a dream world, others who face reality; but then there are those who turn one into the other.” When I read this quote, sent to the world in general from some nameless internet well-wisher, it made me think about this question of dreamers vs. doers. At this writing our American President has just been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize – but it comes to him for his lofty plans and promises, having not yet accomplished any of them, and with many citizens thinking he’s on the wrong track altogether. Solomon wrote, “Man throws the dice, but God controls the outcome.” But, although we cannot determine our future, our daily habits have a great influence on it. It is neither destiny nor dreams that determine a man’s fate, but rather his personal discipline. Some dream, others do, still others dream as they do – doing while dreaming. Someone awakes from a busy night of dreaming. Does he remember his dreams? Does he need to? For such are the mixed-up dreams of subconscious sleep, little more than a hodgepodge of yesterday’s mistakes and missteps – errors turned to horrors! – thoughts best ignored and forgotten. But then there are the dreams we dream by day – not dreams at all, but hopes and wishes, plans and desires, thoughts we can control, and yet they remain in the realm of pre-reality. When we awaken do we think of the day ahead, of what could be, and what could happen if we listened to God and did His bidding? John Maxwell said, “I rarely awaken to a new day without knowing what I will be doing that day.” It’s a good thing to make our plans, but only as long as we are braced for being surprised by the surprises of God! When our feet hit the floor, are our hearts in gear with God? If so, we can hit the ground running: running to our Savior in prayer, running on His Scripture-wisdom as a car runs on gasoline, and then running by the power of His Spirit in the work He leads us to do. That leading starts not in the world of stark reality, but in the world of God-inspired dreams. Don’t be afraid of dreams, or of dreaming, but be very much afraid of only dreaming, while never doing. What can you and God do together today to turn your dreams – His dreams for you, and revealed to you – into reality, for His glory? One more thing: You must not share your dreams with just anyone: not many of your relatives, and not most of your friends. But share them with God – and then ask, “Lord, what would You have me to DO?" Doing God’s will is the litmus test of the genuineness of the dream.

"HIGH FLIGHT" -- Devotional for October 8, from "Good Seeds"

2009-10-09T16:39:00.000-07:00

(DEAR READER: I'm writing from Japan, having lost 16 hours in my flight over the Pacific -- and nearly lost my teeth in the rough weather as we skirted a typhoon over Japan between Tokyo and Osaka. This entry was written in the sky, inspired by the poem "High Flight" which I had purposely brought along to read en route. Quotes from the poem are in bold). I've had a wonderful reunion with Karen, and with some old Japanese friends, and am staying quite busy in a delightful balance between ministry, relationship-building, and enjoying Japanese culture and God's creation. The typhoon washed the atmosphere and environment, and everybody said I brought California weather with me, as we've had some amazing blue sky days with a minimum of humidity. I've learned to say, Subarashi hi deska" - meaning, "What a beautiful day!" Though you can almost see my white knuckles in this entry, can you also see that God is good, continuing to take care of His own!)

Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not get tired; they will walk and not become weary. (Isaiah 40:31)

“Oh I have slipped the surly bonds of earth,” wrote the young pilot-poet, John Gillespie Magee Jr. Well, I have done so, too, though happily not at the helm of my flying machine as was he, but as a simple passenger. This son of missionary parents postponed his Yale scholarship to fly and fight against the Evil Axis as a member of the Spitfire Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force. “And danced the skies on laughter silvered wings. Sunward I’ve climbed and joined the tumbled mirth of sun-split clouds.” Though still in his youth, he was one who “waited on the Lord,” renewing his strength in Him, and as a “vigorous young man” did with his plane “a hundred things you have not dreamed of.” Now, I have no dream of “wheeling and soaring and swinging high in the sunlit silence.” Indeed, my goal and prayer is to keep a straight course, survive this typhoon, and land safely in Japan. I’ll leave the thrill of the ride to somebody else! I’m happy to have a Pilot higher up past the heavens, who’s got His hands on my pilot further up – in the cockpit – as they, together, deftly “fling this eager craft through the footless halls of air.” Nevertheless, how well I know that waiting on the Lord as I now do is no guarantee of a safe earthly landing. Back in 1941 that young pilot went unscathed throughout his whole time of training, even though he’d “topped the windswept heights with easy grace, where never lark, or even eagle, flew.” How high was that? 5,000 feet? 10,000 feet? Try 30,000 feet, from whence I pen my prose! But the time came, all too soon, before his first combat mission – before even his 20th birthday – when he climbed “up, up, the long, delirious, burning blue” – for the last time! He met his untimely death during a final training flight, but not before he had “trod, with silent, lifting mind, the high untrespassed sanctity of space, put out his hand, and touched the face of God!” How long must one live to truly live? He was a young man presumably with his whole life ahead of him; but one day, as he flew, he just kept on flying – like Enoch just kept on walking – right into the presence of God. I, too, would not outlive my faith in God or my exuberance for life and His creation. I have already long outlasted that young man in years, but please, God, though I may not be flying any more – or even running – may I keep walking with You, and believing in You. And yet I still would fly where never lark or eagle flew. I, too, would reach out, and with my hand and heart, touch the face of God!

FIND A GOOD WIFE -- FIND A GOOD LIFE! -- Devotional for October 7, from "Good Seeds"

2009-10-05T20:57:00.000-07:00

(DEAR READER: Now you're going to think, "Now he's not falling behind but jumping ahead." Well, here's the deal: Tomorrow I leave for Japan, to join Karen, my wife, in ministry (who's been there already two weeks. I'll be writing a devotional a day, as usual, but I don't know if I'll have an internet access. So while I'm ahead two days now, I may fall 8 or 9 days behind, in publishing the devotionals. We return on October 16 and shortly thereafter you will find a plethora of devotionals, inspired, no doubt, by the experiences and relationships of my 10 days in Japan. I will be teaching, preaching, and doing puppets and music on Sunday, Oct. 11, and after that spending time with Hiro, our Japanese "son" and his wife and two little ones -- granddaughters we have yet to meet! See you soon again!)

A father can give his sons homes and riches, but only the Lord can give them understanding wives. A worthy wife is her husband’s joy and crown – the other kind corrodes his strength and tears down everything he puts up. But find a good wife, you find a good life – and even more: the favor of God! (Proverbs 19:14; 12:4; 18:22)

It’s pretty hard for these two things NOT to go together. I know a man who is constantly on the lookout to better his circumstances, to improve his situation, to find just the right job that will make the most of his gifts and talents and not waste his time with trivialities and troublesome people. If you met him, you would think to find a worrisome, discontented, and frustrated fellow. But amazingly, that’s not the case at all! And if you asked him if he was happy, the word “deliriously” would probably pass his smiling lips. How can this be, that a man struggles to find a good fit in his life’s vocation, and yet he appears to be just about the most joyful fellow in town? There’s only one explanation: he is one of those men blessed by God with a worthy wife! The Bible says such a woman has the amazing God-sent capacity to not only win her husband’s favor, but to cause him to shine, both in his inward temperament and in his outward testimony. But she is not just her husband’s joy, she is also his crown. If this man I’m talking about is not the most successful in his chosen field, or if he’s not terribly well known in the world at large, still – he is the hero at home! To his wife he couldn’t be more famous! He is the crowned one! What is a crown? It’s the hat worn by the high man, the one in charge, and honored as such. We think of a crown as a metallic, bejeweled affair, with kingly pomp and flair, but originally the word referred to the simple woven wreath awarded to the “one who won” a local – or an Olympic – sporting event. It’s interesting to note that the word for “crowned one” in the ancient Greek language is Stephanos, from which we get the name Steven. Interesting also – at least to me – that that is my name, for I am THAT MAN, that favored one, I’m happy to confess, in the story above! My earthly father gave me my name but, as Solomon said, he could never have given me what my Heavenly Father presented to me these many years ago: my beautiful wife! The old King James Bible says, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing.” Oh she’s a good thing all right, for regardless of my continued struggle to make my mark in this world for God, she makes it clear to me every day that I’ve already made such a mark with her! The best thing God gave me was His Son, when by faith I received Him as my Savior. But the second best thing He ever gave me was my good wife – for with her has come such a good life that I just smile and wink at all my silly struggles!

GIVE "PRESENTS" TO ONE ANOTHER -- Devotional for October 6, from "Good Seeds"

2009-10-05T20:29:00.000-07:00

Regard one another as more important than yourself. (Philippians 2:3); Give preference to one another in honor. (Romans 12:10b)

Is this truly one of the “one anothers” of the Bible? Well, the verse actually reads, “Give preference to one another,” of course, but when my little daughter changed that unfamiliar word into a familiar one, the mispronunciation became a downright inspiration! Nothing excites a child more than receiving presents! If you asked the average kid what his two favorite holidays are, more than likely he would answer, “My birthday and Christmas” – in that order. Makes sense: these are the two holidays where he receives presents. He may prefer his birthday to Christmas for the simple reason that on his own birthday he doesn’t feel as guilty acting like “it’s all about me,” when he may feel some compunction, at least as he begins to mature, about wanting the gifts and attention to be showered on him when he knows good and well Christmas is SOMEBODY ELSE'S birthday, and maybe the one to be honored should be “HIM, not ME!” But let’s get back to the correct word in the verse: preference. This means you put yourself, your own interests, your dislikes and delights, your opinions – even your favorite subjects of conversation – aside, deferring to those of others. This is a lot harder to do than we at first might think. The Bible says it is our sinful nature that causes us to look out for number one. Secularists draw the same conclusion, but with a far more benign reason: it's just the instinct for self-preservation, without which our race would have gone extinct eons ago! Both are right. Still, to put the protection and preferences of self second to those of others is not considered by most people a foolish -- but rather a quite noble -- thing to do! Paul wrote to the Philippian church to, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself” (Philippians 2:3). To behave this way requires not only a whole lot of maturity and a huge dose of humility, but also a big pile of faith. Why faith? Because giving preference to the welfare and well being of others may leave us destitute or defenseless, or so we are tempted to think, and to fear. But faith knows well that old song, “God will take care of you, through every day, o’er all the way,” and will help you to sing it, as you put your trust in God’s resources rather than your own. It goes against our human nature to put others before ourselves, but Christians have been given a new nature, a nature that says to our soul, “Love God and love people, and don’t worry about yourself, for even if they don’t take care of you, God will!” So go ahead, give presents to others – give till it hurts, and you will be healed!

LIVING AS SINGLES, THOUGH MARRIED -- Devotional for October 5, from "Good Seeds"

2009-10-04T19:06:00.000-07:00

One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, and how he may please the Lord; but the one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, and how he may please his wife. His interests are necessarily and properly divided. (I Corinthians 7:32-34)

Two opposite syndromes are making a foray into marriage these days. They are opposites, though actually different sides of the same coin. One is seen when two people are married but the lifestyle of each resembles more the way single people live. The other is when people who are single are living as if they were married. Both are a desecration of marriage as God intended it to be, and neither will bring happiness to man or glory to God, because both ignore the basic foundation of marriage. Let’s look at them one at a time. The apostle Paul was unmarried himself, and he strongly recommended the single life to those who wanted to be single-minded in their service to the Lord. But not all people have the gift of celibacy: the ability to live alone – and live a holy life – without craving intimate companionship with the opposite sex. Indeed it is a very small portion of the human race that would purposely choose such a life. And this is surely of God, for wasn’t it His command from the beginning that His creatures multiply and fill the earth? Paul acknowledges this and says that if you’re destined and determined to be married then do so. But if you desire to be a servant of God, just know that your work for Him will be interrupted by the necessary TLC required by your spouse. In the lives of Christian married couples, though each individual’s DEVOTION must be to God first, and one another second, still the WORK done for God must necessarily come second, while the nurture of marriage and family must be first. This is not a compromise or a contradiction – it is God’s way! But so many people, good people, even godly people, miss this, to the hurt not only of their own happiness but of their witness before a world that hasn’t a clue what marriage is really all about! Though only a tiny portion of people are intended and gifted by God to be single, the trend toward the single life is growing at an alarming rate. How can people who long to be married, and are made so by God, nevertheless remain indefinitely single? Only by living the married life, without the commitment. This is the “Jet Set Generation” adults seeking out intimacy without permanency. Don’t they know they can’t have one without the other? They long for the advantages of marriage but loathe giving up their precious freedom. Isn’t it just like Satan, to counterfeit and desecrate the good things of God? And isn’t it just like people to fall for it, thinking the devil’s got a better way than God’s way?

THE MARRIAGE FAST -- Devotional for October 4, from "Good Seeds"

2009-10-03T21:19:00.000-07:00

Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then, come together again, lest Satan tempt you because of your lack of self-control (I Corinthians 7:5).

The practice of fasting – giving up food for a period of time – has long been practiced for the benefit of both body and soul. As a spiritual discipline its purpose is to draw you closer to God: intentional deprivation brings on the pain of hunger, which then has a way of deliberately putting your mind on one thing (God) because you are reminded every moment of another thing (food). But there are other fasts that food fasts, achieving similar positive results. Today’s Scripture speaks of a marriage fast, where a husband and wife separate from each other for a time. When Christians marry it is “under God,” which means their first allegiance remains to God. They know, or will soon learn, that when they keep God Number One, even before one another, He will maintain the health of that marriage where nothing and no one else can come between. But just as people get sick sometimes, so marriages can get terribly sick. It happens when the basic rules of marriage (Genesis 2:24-25) are violated. Maybe the glue bonding the two of them together is losing its stickiness and they begin to feel strangely independent of one another. Or maybe other people – relatives, friends, even those they are ministering to – begin to take precedence over their mate in thoughts, feelings and activities. Or maybe the two of them have allowed differences and disagreements to drive a wedge between them, and they’ve let many a sun go down “on their wrath.” The Bible tells us what to do in such cases. It’s a surprisingly unlikely prescription, for you’d think He would recommend coming together to practice oneness, but instead He recommends a temporary separation. This separation will be a fast from the full spectrum of intimacy: conversation, meals, fellowship and especially the marriage bed, which is specifically what Paul had in mind here. Separate living quarters will have to be arranged. This is all to be done by mutual consent: partners agree to separate, and they also agree to pray. They will ask for a closer walk with their Lord, for a listening ear to His voice, and for a revealing of His plan for the healing their marriage. This isn’t the time for marriage counseling (that may yet be necessary), or for crying on others' shoulders – or for taking action of any kind. Remember, the very nature of prayer is that you stop doing: you let go - you let God! Most important of all, you also plan beforehand to come together again at an agreed upon time. The difference between a fast and a strike is HOPE. You’re not holding out until you get your way. You’re waiting, rather, for God to show both of you His way!

PRAYER AND FASTING -- Devotional for October 3, from "Good Seeds"

2009-10-02T23:17:00.000-07:00

So I gave my attention to the Lord God, to seek Him by prayer and fasting (Daniel 9:3). But such things come not but by prayer and fasting (Matthew 17:21).

Of all the Christian disciplines, surely the two most difficult and least favored are prayer and fasting. We give plenty of lip-service to prayer, Though we don’t do it very much or very well, we sure like to talk about it: “Please put me on the prayer chain; I’ll remember you in prayer; let’s all pray about that!” Oh the good intentions we Christians have, and the promises we make, concerning storming the gates of heaven with our supplications and petitions. But how much praying do we actually do? And how well do we do it? Someone once said, “Everything in the Christian life is easier than prayer.” He might be right – if it weren’t for fasting, which has got to be the toughest one of all. But these two are really very much alike – and it’s what they have in common that makes them so difficult. They’re both so hard to do because they’re all about what you can’t do, and still say you’re doing them. For fasting, you don’t eat; once you start, your fast is over. When praying you don’t work or figure or do or fix or try or build, but rather you just come to God hungry, thirsty, weak, helpless – like a man who fasts – and you lay it all out before Him. “Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling” – that’s real prayer! In both cases you don’t do anything, but rather you turn everything over to God. “The hardest thing in the world to do,” said someone, “is to do nothing, for it is impossible to stop and take a rest.” That’s the difficulty of prayer and fasting: in doing them you’re doing nothing, and you are desperate to stop doing nothing so you can get back to doing something (or eating something!). Just as there are two kinds of sins: commission and omission, so there are two kinds of disciplines: doing, and not doing. Prayer and fasting fall into the latter category. Why do we fold our hands when we pray? Because there’s nothing for them to do. Real prayer is setting aside OUR work, in favor of GOD’S. And why do we close our eyes? Because we’ve stopped looking at what man can do in order to see what God can do. Praying – and fasting – are all about shutting down our human machine for awhile, to give place to God, to let Him do His will and work in us. Fasting is painful, to be sure, but we are not made perfect by the pain, but rather our attention is diverted by it, from self to God. Every time we feel a hunger pang, it drives us to God, to say with Job: “I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12). Both prayer and fasting are all about re-focusing, from the physical to the spiritual. Both are important, but the latter is greater. When we die, our soul lives on. So which should receive our best attention?

TALKERS AND DOERS -- Devotional for October 2, from "Good Seeds"

2009-10-01T21:40:00.000-07:00

As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves let him do so as by the strength which God supplies. (I Peter 4:10-11)

Have you heard this one: “There are two kinds of people in this world: those who say there are two kinds of people in the this world, and those who don’t”? But we’ve all heard many of these “two kinds of people” summarizations of mankind. And some of them are downright biblical! Dr. J. Vernon McGee used to say, “There are only two kinds of people in this world: the saints and the ain’t’s!” He took the words right out of our Lord’s mouth, except He called them “the sheep and the goats” (Matt. 25:32). But now, among those sheep the apostle Peter makes another distinction. First he says "we’ve all received a special gift from the Lord." Indeed Paul lists seven distinct motivational gifts (leave it to Paul to say, “There are SEVEN kinds of people in God’s kingdom!”) But Peter is to Paul as Mark is to Matthew, saying virtually the same thing but with fewer words. Peter reduces the many gifts into two broad categories: The gifts of speaking, and the gifts of serving – the talkers and the doers. Now it’s only natural that each thinks his is the better gift. There should be no bragging or arguing about it, but it’s a good thing to like best what you do best – as long as you remember where it came from. You don’t get the credit, you don’t get the glory, but you do get the joy that comes from doing well what you were endowed by your Creator to do. Just today I was talking via email to my wife, who is in Japan on a short-term missions endeavor. She was bemoaning the fact that she’s not as gung-ho in ministry as the other team members, and it was making her feel so unspiritual. I told her, “Maybe you’re the only normal one in the group, and you’re there to provide sanity and balance.” I may have been on the right track, but here’s a better way to say it: “You have different gifts than they have. Maybe in what is going on right now their gifts of articulating God’s truth are more needful, and so are at the forefront. But your gifts of friendship and fun (she does the crafts) are just as beneficial – and just as spiritual, for that matter. I’ve long known my wife to be as deft with her hands as I am clever with words. That’s why I married her: opposites attract, and we each need what the other has. She’s always telling me, “I can’t say it as prettily as you.” I come back with, “But I’m the one with no brains when it comes to practical matters. What would I do without you?” And what would the Japan team do without her? Happily, they’ll never know, for she’s there, smiling and serving – and being a good listener to those with the spiritual gift of gab!!

GOD'S ETERNAL NOW -- Devotional for October 1, from "Good Seeds"

2009-09-30T22:09:00.000-07:00

But NOW is Christ risen, the firstfruits of those who have died in Him (I Corinthians 15:20). He who once persecuted us NOW preaches to us the faith he once destroyed (Galatians 1:23). The life which I NOW live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20). Beloved, NOW are we the sons of God (1 John 3:2). For you were formerly darkness, but NOW you are light in the Lord (Ephesians 5:8). Who in times past were not a people, but NOW are the people of God; then you had not received mercy, but NOW you have mercy in abundance (1 Peter 2:10). Behold, NOW is the acceptable time; NOW is the day of salvation (II Corinthians 6:2).

That seemingly insignificant little word now fills the pages of Scripture with colossal hope. It is used not only to link the present to the past, but also to contrast the two by showing how much better, thing are NOW, since certain event have transpired and certain decisions have been made. It’s highly instructive and downright inspirational just to see in these verses what a difference this little word has made in the lives of God’s people. We see this difference first in the resurrection of Christ: Had he died only He would only be a martyr, not a savior. History is full of martyrs, who garner our sympathy, even inspire our courage, but cannot save our souls. If Jesus had died and stayed dead, we would be very unsure of our salvation. Although His death paid the penalty for our sin, His resurrection proved there is a life greater than death: His life, which He gives to us. Yes, once we latch onto His life by faith we can know that right NOW we are the sons of God, and we can know that because He lives, we too shall live! And then, notice how the greatest enemy of the early church, Saul, became its greatest champion, Paul. People who knew him both ways couldn’t help but say, “Wow, would you look at him NOW!” We hear it from his own lips: “This life which I NOW live is so glorious, so filled with light. I know what it’s like for others, for that was me: thinking I was enlightened, I was actually stumbling in the dark.” Then Peter gives his perspective of God’s eternal now when he points out the striking contrast between proud religion and pure relationship: “You who think of yourselves as the chosen people of God are actually outside of His favor, apart from the Savior. Your religion teaches you of God’s judgment, but my gospel tells you of His mercy.” And, according to Paul, this salvation is available to all, NOW! But NOW put off quickly becomes TOO LATE You have no guarantee of a time in the future to decide for God. You only have NOW!

FOREWARNED IS FORE-ARMED -- Devotional for September 30, from "Good Seeds"

2009-09-29T23:16:00.000-07:00

For a wide door for effective service has opened to me – and there are many adversaries. (I Corinthians 16:9)

Although Satan is “Public Adversary #1,” he has many helpers, some even that he has enlisted from the other side, God’s side! Charles Spurgeon had a faithful prayer team that assembled to pray every Sunday morning while he preached – but they were praying for his downfall! The wide open door for the servant of God is never without stumbling blocks placed at our feet to trip us up if we’re not careful. Sometimes God shuts one door so we will see and enter another door leading to the place and work He has intended for us. Robert Frost spoke of two roads diverging “in a yellow wood, and sorry I could not travel both, and be one traveler, long I stood and looked down one as far as I could.” We think the choice is ours, to pick one road over the other. Maybe, but don’t forget that God has particular plans for His children, just as He did for His Son. The “wide door” for Jesus was the open road to Jerusalem, the straight path – a crash course! – to Calvary. Peter, realizing the danger, advised Jesus against going. The Savior’s best friend became his worst enemy that day, if only for a moment. Jesus had to say, “Peter, you’re not helping, you’re hindering. You’re speaking the devil’s words. And you’re being used by him to attempt to plant his thoughts into My mind. So get thee hence!” (see Matthew 16:22-23). Yes, there are many adversaries. We must not be unaware of Satan’s devices, or unmindful of the devil’s tools. Next time you see an open road before you and you are confident you know exactly what to do, for God is leading you – and you hear yourself saying, “Nothing can stop me now!” just watch out: something very big – or worse yet, something very small – may just trip you up, hidden until its advantage over you is secured. We may enjoy smooth sailing for a time, once we’re on God course, but the wide door of opportunity is like the eye of a hurricane – deceptively peaceful, but ready to blow you to kingdom come as soon as you make a move. Be comforted in knowing that no matter what stage of life you are in, and no matter what former strengths you may have lost and new weaknesses you must acknowledge, still there is a wide door of opportunity for you, to live for Jesus, in the unique way God has designed just for you, until your time on earth is over. But know also, that though you desire and anticipate smooth sailing, with strong good winds to fill those sails, the devil has not yet been bound. He’s still on the loose. He’s still that roaring lion, ready to pounce on your plans and devour your dedication (and a lion never roars to announce his coming, but to gloat over his sure victory). Forewarned is fore-armed.

GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY vs. MAN'S STUPIDITY! -- Devotional for September 29, from "Good Seeds"

2009-09-28T22:28:00.000-07:00

And the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to deserve being struck these three times?” Balaam replied, “Because you have made a fool out of me, and if this whip were a sword I would have killed you by now!” The donkey spoke again: “Am I not your faithful donkey on which you have safely ridden all these years? Have I ever done anything to harm you?” Just then the Lord opened his eyes and he saw what the donkey had seen, the angel of the Lord standing in the road with drawn sword, ready to strike!” (Numbers 22:28-31)

One of the most unusual accounts in the Bible is the story of a dumb animal – by the name of Balaam! No, that wasn’t the donkey’s name, but rather that of her master. He was a prophet of God, but right now not a very good one. It seems Moab and Midian had heard of Israel’s miraculous rescue at the Red Sea, and feared the approach of “God’s horde” into their territories. So Balak king of Moab sent messengers to Balaam requesting he pronounce a curse upon Israel, to weaken them (vs 6). Although Balaam seemed willing enough to comply with this request (shame on him!), especially in light of the lucrative bribe that came with it, he stood by his prophetic “Hippocratic Oath,” telling Balak: “I cannot do anything, small or great, contrary to the command of the Lord my God” (vs.18). “And as His prophet,” he continued, “I am not able to speak any word but the word God puts in my mouth to speak” (vs. 38). So far, so good! But through the persistence and insistence of the enemy kings Balaam soon finds himself on the road to Moab, prepared to pronounce the curse. Then a strange thing happens, where the roles of man and beast are reversed for a moment: Balaam’s donkey becomes the prophet, speaking to her nearly speechless master words put into her mouth by God. I can see the headline now: INSPIRED CREATURE ADDRESSES DUMB ANIMAL! Here we see God allowing a man to go his own way, for a time, that he may eventually experience the absolute sovereignty of his Lord, even if expressed by the mouth of his donkey. What humiliation, to be instructed and rebuked by your beast of burden, a creature so far beneath you that you could kill it with impunity and without remorse. Someone has said, “When you can receive correction and reproof from one of less stature than yourself, calmly submitting to it inwardly as well as outwardly, that is dying to self.” Balaam achieved this in the end, letting go of his stupidity as he latched onto God’s sovereignty, as shown by this talking donkey. What will it take for God’s sovereignty to conquer your stupidity – and mine?

THE BRIDGE OF FORGIVENESS -- Devotional for September 28, from "Good Seeds"

2009-09-27T22:20:00.000-07:00

Forgive one another (Ephesians 4:32: Colossians 3:13)

Someone once said, “He who will not forgive another breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass.” That’s right: to withhold forgiveness is to prevent progress. A person with an unforgiving spirit is like a frontier wagon getting stuck in a bog of mud – you might as well forget about traveling any further: your life may not be over, but it has come to a complete standstill. And you can even forget about trying to make camp for the night. When we get stuck somewhere we might think, “Well, this isn’t so bad! I’ll just settle down and live for a time, or for the rest of my time, right here.” That may work in the case of an injury or a handicap, where you know you can no longer do what you formerly did, or go where you formerly went. “That’s okay,” you tell yourself, “I can live with this new restriction on my life, and even try to make a good life for myself in spite of it all.” That’s the commendable trait of contentment. But contentment and an unforgiving spirit cannot dwell together, for this is not a just an inconvenient alternative environment you’re in – it’s a prison you’re in! That’s right: when you refuse to forgive someone who has hurt you, you handcuff yourself from doing positive, creative things, and lock yourself into a lifestyle of revenge, even hatred – a prison house indeed! When you refuse to forgive someone who has offended you, you restrict yourself from going certain places or doing certain things – even from enjoying certain pleasures – because you must maintain a certain distance from that person. When you refuse to forgive another, you pick open the scab that needs to be left alone in order to allow for eventual healing. To nurse a grudge is to nourish its growth to epic proportions, into a giant of hideous visage and diabolical strength! Refusing to forgive takes on a life of its own, where you no longer have control of your decisions, for you have given that authority over to the one you resent. He may not even be aware of it – and surely would refuse it if he knew – but he’s the one in charge now. The third level of conflict between human beings is personal aggravation, where one person has injured or offended another. In order for healing to take place there must be a confrontation, where the grievance is addressed, the facts of the offense are spelled out, compensation is made, and forgiveness is requested and granted. Reconciliation is the glorious result. You’ve heard of addicts submitting to detoxification – well, forgiveness is spiritual detox. Without it, you remain addicted to your drug of choice; you remain in your own prison; you remain stuck in the mud. And all life progress is halted on the ugly side of the bridge! No wonder the Bible says, “Forgive one another”!

THE LORD TOLD ME! -- Devotional for September 27, from "Good Seeds"

2009-09-27T22:15:00.000-07:00

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, and from your family, to the land which I will show you, and I will make you a great nation.” (Genesis 12:1,2)

How often do we hear people so glibly and confidently say, “The Lord told me to do this, to go there, to speak thus…”? Have you said it? Have I? I wonder how God feels about people making Him responsible for directing their words or actions when He really had nothing to do with it? How do I know He didn’t? I don’t, but how does anyone know God did?” I have a strong feeling many Christians live in a dream world concerning the will of God. They want something so badly they contrive the confirmation that God wants them to have it, too. After all, doesn’t Psalm 37:4 make this promise, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart”? Yes, but the promise comes with a condition: the blessing from the Lord is given only to those who "delight themselves in Him". Does this just mean we enjoy singing His praises and studying His Word, or is it something more? The Bible tells us that if we would gain from God we must give in, and give up, to God. To delight in Him means to cease delighting in self, erasing any personal delight that may lead us away from putting Him first. The verse mentions “desires of your heart,” but it is our own selfish desires that we must die to. “More than that,” Paul wrote, “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, that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8). It is only when we have consecrated our all to God that He will place within us the desires He wants us to have. This verse is not saying God will give us whatever we want, but rather put within us the desires of His own choosing. Once we deny our desires, there is room to receive much better ones from Him, that will bring joy to us and glory to Him! It is when we have finally given all our hopes and dreams and expectations to God, for Him to do with what He pleases, that He will say, “Do this! Say that! Go there!” and we will KNOW it is God speaking, because our own desires have lost their commanding voice, in favor of His. When leaving a church I had pastored for six years, I received this nasty, anonymous note: “You say God told you to leave us. I doubt that! It’s just what YOU WANT, and now you’re trying to make it sound so spiritual, and make yourself look so holy, by saying it’s a God thing. Some of us are of the opinion that this is just a Steve thing!” Ouch! That really hurt. But my cowardly critic had a point: If we say our decisions come from God, they’d better be free from the desires that come from man!