Archive for November, 2005
One of Ten Lepers…
November 23rd, 2005 | 2 Comments | Posted in » Devotions / Bible Studies
Just in time for Thanksgiving… a lesson about lepers. Not quite the traditional stuff of Thanksgiving, huh?
Before we get to lepers, though, let’s think about another upcoming holiday… Christmas.
Remember when you were young? You’ve eagerly anticipated Christmas morning for weeks… wondering what awaits you under the tree… wondering what kind of cool toys you’ll get this year. Christmas morning arrives, and you race downstairs, dig around under the tree, and find two presents. Carefully opening the first… you discover a package of socks. You grunt, set these aside, and tear into the second. “YES!”, you exclaim, as you jump around the room with the toy you’ve always wanted. “THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!”, you exclaim to your parents over and over.
Why the difference in response?
Of course… one package was socks… the other a treasured toy. We are less thankful for one because it’s not something we’ve wanted as badly.
Now, think about the lepers in the following Scripture passage. Put yourself in their place… hopelessly outcast from their family, friends, and society… Ignored and avoided by all… accused of being in their physical condition because of a perceived spiritual problem.
Luke 17:11-19
11Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”14When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.
How would you respond?
Chances are, better than you did when you received socks.
Why? It’s obvious, I know, but important. Our level of thankfulness is not just dependent on the desire we have for the gift received, but also the magnitude of the need that was met by the gift.
So how did the lepers respond?
Luke 17:11-19
15One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.17Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
One of ten lepers came back and gave thanks to Jesus. Counter-intuitive, huh? You’d think ALL of them would be so thankful for their healing… for the magnitude of the gift given by Jesus… that they’d all return to praise and worship Him.
But think… do we not do the same? Are we like the one leper, or the nine? Do we give adequate praise, worship, and thanks to Jesus for the gift He’s given (for our salvation)? Do we live life as if the gift of salvation were nothing more than a package of socks, or do we treasure it far above anything else?
If you’re like me, you fall short in expressing thankfulness to God. Even knowing the magnitude of the gift, so many of us just go on with our lives as the nine lepers did… oblivious to grace… oblivious to the pain Jesus endured on our behalf… oblivious to the claim He now has on our lives… oblivious to the fact that our offerings are tainted by our indifference.
So? What’s it going to be from here forward? Will you be the one of ten to return and give praise? Will you allow yourself to see the wonder of God’s grace and mercy in your life, and be blown away with thanks and awe? Will you allow yourself to treasure Christ above all?
I certainly hope so.
Little Drummer Boy
November 22nd, 2005 | Comments Off | Posted in » Devotions / Bible Studies
Maybe it’s an indication of where I’m at in my relationship with Jesus (I’m coming out of my spiritual desert), but this year, I find myself listening to Christmas carols earlier than in any year previous.
Audio Adrenaline’s version of “Little Drummer Boy†seems to be my favorite so far. Aside from the music itself (which I absolutely love), the lyrics are really speaking to me:
from “Little Drummer Boy”, as performed by Audio Adrenaline
Little Baby, pa rum pum pum pum…
I am a poor boy too, pa rum pum pum pum… Oh yeah!
I have no gift to bring, pa rum pum pum pum …
That’s fit to give the King, pa rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum.Shall I play for you? Oh yeah… Shall I play for you? Oh Yeah! On my drum? On my drum?
Mary nodded, pa rum pum pum pum…
The ox and lamb kept time, pa rum pum pum pum…
I played my drum for Him, pa rum pum pum pum…
I played my best for Him, pa rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum.Then He smiled at me… Oh yeah! Then Jesus smiled at me! Oh yeah! Me and my drum.
Maybe that’s not an exact transcript (I’m going from memory), but it’s clear why these lyrics have been touching my heart so deeply… they’re right in line with a common theme God’s working on in my life now… offerings.
What do I have that I can offer that would be worthy of the King of Kings? Absolutely nothing. Yet… it’s not what we give that matters, but the heart with which we give. When I give anything to Him wholeheartedly, even something so simple as a song… He smiles upon it, and is pleased.
How awesome is that?
So… what have you offered Jesus today? Have you brought a smile to His face?
Are Your Offerings Worthy? (3)
November 21st, 2005 | 1 Comment | Posted in » Devotions / Bible Studies
Ever been in a spiritual desert? You know, those times where your prayers seem to bounce off the ceiling… where nothing you try to do for God seems to work out right… where you get discouraged in your faith, and wonder if God has left you?
Malachi gives us some insight. True to theme, it fits in with the idea of worthy offerings.
Malachi 2:11-14
11Judah has broken faith. A detestable thing has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem: Judah has desecrated the sanctuary the LORD loves, by marrying the daughter of a foreign god. 12As for the man who does this, whoever he may be, may the LORD cut him off from the tents of Jacob — even though he brings offerings to the LORD Almighty.13Another thing you do: You flood the LORD’s altar with tears. You weep and wail because he no longer pays attention to your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands. 14You ask, “Why?” It is because the LORD is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant.
As I mentioned in part 2 of these “worthy” devotions, we have a tendency to focus on God’s love and grace above all other qualities. In doing so, we can miss the mark on so much of our understanding of God.
So, when you think of God, do you ever think about Him being jealous? Do you ever think about how much He desires for us to live in a right relationship with Him… not just to do His will, but to truly love Him? Do you ever think about the pain it causes Him when we place other gods before Him, especially when we know beyond a shadow of a doubt the price Jesus paid for our salvation?
So what does this have to do with spiritual deserts? Think about it… when we’re in the desert, wandering, it’s often times our own fault… our own sin has led us to exile. Often times, we have almost unknowingly divorced ourselves from God through our love relationships with other gods. Think about it… what things do you place ahead of God in your life sometimes? Love for family? Desire for bigger and better things? Enthusiasm for a sports team? Your job? Your appearance?
Now, we know that God alone is worthy of our worship, our praise, and our adoration. We know that our sin separates us from Him. We know that He desires the best of our offerings, not half-hearted, tainted worship. How should He respond when we plead with Him for blessing during those times that our entire lives offer nothing to Him (or worse, are so tainted as to be detestable)?
And we wonder why He does not bless us? We wonder why we feel we’re in a spiritual desert? We wail and cry about Him being distant?
Who moved?
If we examine our lives in light of this, often times we’ll find that we did. We’ll often find that we have been spiritually adulterous. We’ll find that our offerings are detestable to God. We’ll find that we have broken faith with the only one who will ever truly love us unconditionally… with our true love… with our Lord.
So… I ask again… are your offerings worthy?
Thankfully, we can still be reconciled if we are forced to answer, “no”. God still loves us unconditionally… His grace is still abundant… and His forgiveness is readily available to the repentent.
I pray that we all will examine our hearts, refocus our worship, and truly make our lives into offerings worthy of receipt by the King of Kings.
Are Your Offerings Worthy? (2)
November 18th, 2005 | Comments Off | Posted in » Devotions / Bible Studies
Malachi provides a good warning for us… think about the quality of our offerings to God. Paul’s passage about living sacrifices fleshes out what we should offer.
But just what is it that makes for a worthy offering?
Let’s look at Romans 12:1-2 again.
Romans 12:1-2
1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Look at verse 1: “… offer your bodies as living sacrifices, HOLY AND PLEASING to God”.
In today’s Christianity, we tend to gloss over holiness. We focus on grace (as wonderful as it is) so much that often times, we adopt an attitude similar to, “God, in His grace, will forgive me for whatever I do… it’s not that big of a deal that I still sin.” We live our lives in manners that really aren’t that different from the culture we live in (which is, for the most part, quite “Christian”, loosely put).
What happened to transformational salvation? Have we truly experienced God’s power in our lives to transform us, truly making us new creations? Or a better question… have we DESIRED such, and worked toward that end?
I know I fail miserably at living a transformed life… at renewing my mind by studying God’s Word… at spending time with God in prayer and reflection… at truly seeking out God’s awesome power, and allowing Him to live through me. I hold onto control of my life too much, letting fear and uneasiness over how I’ll be received keep me from stepping out in faith and sharing Christ with others. I fail to offer myself wholly, as an act of worship to God. I know that I’m failing miserably on a daily basis at presenting worthy offerings to God through the way I live… I’m often anything but holy, full of unconfessed sin and unrighteousness… lucky if I’m yielding 1% of my life to God (let alone 100%!).
What about you? Do you have an attitude of cheap grace, thinking that God will forgive you whenever you fall, so it’s really not that big of a deal? Do you fully consider the cost of salvation when tempted, and the suffering Jesus went through to save you from the sin you’re about to commit? Do you hold back worship from God on a daily basis by failing to share Jesus with others when opportunities arise? Do you hold back worship from God during church by worrying about what others will think of you if you raise your hands to the King of Kings in praise?
I pray that all of us will carefully and prayerfully consider the offerings we bring to our Heavenly Father, asking Him to reveal areas of our lives we hold back from Him… asking Him to spotlight those things in our lives that demonstrate disrespect for His love and grace… asking Him to truly transform our lives so that we can present ourselves as pure and holy offerings to Him.
May God bless you all as you seek to offer our Lord worthy offerings.
Are Your Offerings Worthy?
November 17th, 2005 | Comments Off | Posted in » Devotions / Bible Studies
Malachi 1:6-10
6“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the LORD Almighty. “It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name.”But you ask, “How have we shown contempt for your name?”
7“You place defiled food on my altar.”
But you ask, “How have we defiled you?”“By saying that the LORD’s table is contemptible. 8When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?” says the LORD Almighty.
9“Now implore God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?” says the LORD Almighty.
10“Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the LORD Almighty, “and I will accept no offering from your hands.”
This passage seems to keep coming up recently… in the sermons at church the last couple Sundays… in the radio messages I’ve listened to this week… stuck in my head too. Think God’s laying something on my heart?
Yeah, me too.
But what? How is a message from Malachi to the Levitical priests about sacrifices and offerings relevant to today’s Christians?
Offerings.
What would God say of your offerings to Him? Would God tell you that you show contempt for His name by the offerings you bring? Would God tell you that your offerings defile His altar? Or worst of all… would He tell you that He’d rather see you close the temple doors and offer nothing instead of the useless things you currently bring?
But what do we offer?
Paul helps us with that:
Romans 12:1-2
1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Your life is your offering to God.
Is it a worthy offering?
“Wrongful Life” Lawsuit?
November 17th, 2005 | 1 Comment | Posted in » In the News...
This is almost unbelievable…
From http://www.courttv.com/news/2005/1110/harriton_ctv.html:
A blind and deaf Australian woman who claims she never should have been born is suing a doctor for a lifetime of suffering in the country’s first “wrongful life” suit.
Alexia Harriton, 24, is seeking compensation from the doctor who misdiagnosed rubella in the first trimester of her mother’s pregnancy, claiming Olga Harriton would have aborted her had she been aware of the potential birth defects arising from the illness.
Now, I obviously cannot understand how Alexia feels… the pain and difficulties her handicaps present are beyond my imagination. But really… to sue someone on the basis that their mistake resulted in the avoidance of her abortion… to say “I’m alive because you messed up”… I just don’t get it.
Alexia needs our prayers.
Without Excuse…
November 16th, 2005 | Comments Off | Posted in » Devotions / Bible Studies
Romans 1:20-21, 28-32
20For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
28Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
One of the amazing things about the Bible is that although most of it was written nearly 2000 years ago, it still holds truth today. When I read Romans Chapter 1, I can’t help but see a LOT of parallels to the world we live in today — a world darkened by sin… a world that denies the truth of God… a world that blesses the activities of sin… a world that needs a Savior. Allow me to elaborate.
Paul writes that God’s “invisible qualities… have been clearly seen… from what has been made”, but that “they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him”. The result? Paul writes that “their foolish hearts were darkened”, and that ugly list of sins became the norm for those people about whom he writes, with those people even approving of the sins! Sound familiar? It should — it’s happening right around us.
Just as Paul writes, it starts with what is, in my opinion, one of the most unbelievable leaps of faith the world has ever seen — the complete lack of acknowledgement of God as our creator. It’s amazing, you know? I fail to see how anyone cannot believe that we are not created by a higher power. The complexity of our world astounds me… how could it be possible that it all exists by chance? Think about it… observational science has given us so many wonderful insights into how God’s creation works… so much “evidence” (if you must call it that) of God’s handiwork. Yet we still do not, as a society, accept that He created us! Instead, we apply a filter that says God is not necessary for us to exist, and claim that the same observations that fuel the faith of the believer actually support an existence based on billions of years of gradual changes from a “big bang”. Seems like awful futile thinking to me.
So what do we have today? A world that believes it exists by chance… a world that does not believe in God, the absolute standard for truth… a world that sets its laws based on popular opinion… a world that is full of every kind of wrong-doing Paul described… We’ve gotten what we’ve asked for, really. When you discard the truth of God, what remains? A world without excuse, filled with futile thinking, foolish hearts, depraved minds, wickedness, evil… you name it. Just look around.
As depressing as the condition of our world is, I find that it strengthens my faith, emphasizing the need for Christ. Where else can you find hope? Certainly not through the ways of the world! The world tells us that we need to live life to the fullest and get what we can while we’re here… after all, we’ll all be worm-food soon. How short-sighted a view, though! God provides us with SO much more… with Him, the best is yet to come! Think about it… Heaven! God’s glory shining so bright, there’s no need for sunlight! A place where there are no tears! A place where God reigns eternal, and joy is constant! A place where the wonders of this world are so far surpassed we can’t even begin to compare! A place where sin, pain, and suffering are gone forever! I can’t wait to see it… to experience joy unlike anything here on earth… to see Jesus, falling on my knees and worshipping Him… to be immersed in His glory… I just can’t wait.
But we must. Our citizenship is heaven, yet our current residence is earth. We’re here for a reason! Aliens in a foreign land, a land we can make a difference in! Here, we can share our joy with a lost world, helping to shine the light of truth into the darkness. Here, we can dispel falsehood, reminding the world of its authorship. Here, we can make our mark for Jesus!
We are here, without excuse. Let us not forget that.